happy birthday Mom!

What better way to honor the woman who instilled within me a deep appreciation for and love of real butter than to make a cake that contains almost two pounds of it?

I opted to not put the jam between the layers, in deference to family members who wouldn't like it.

I've been wanting to try making real buttercream, and that's where over a pound of the butter went.

The recipe made a LARGE batch of frosting-all the better for tasting. Please overlook the smears of frosting on the cakeplate.

The cake was just this side of overbaked, which was irritating, but was still tasty. I mean really, with all that butter it couldn't be horrible.

Happy birthday, Mom!

cake walk

"You can't judge a recipe's success based on how it turns out during Funeral Week."

These were Emily's words of encouragement to me as I faced this week--a somewhat daunting week which included four major baking assignments, one of which was to make Triple Caramel Cake, pictured above in our first post-Mother attempt.

The first task, cookies for Sarah's softball team, was a no-brainer. I can make chocolate chip cookies in my sleep. That was the first project to get crossed off the list, and one I did at about 11:30 Monday night, hoping that since I had already brushed my teeth, perhaps I wouldn't eat the dough. (I also had the good sense to mark the finished bag of cookies as off-limits to the rest of the family.)

The second was Emily's birthday cake--chocolate with White Mountain frosting. Though I can't yet make this one in my sleep, it's still a no-brainer, as it has been a family favorite for years and I've been making it since I was a young teenager. I made this one Tuesday afternoon and was pleased with the result (the cake, that is--no so much the decorative embellishments). Whew! Another one crossed off the list.

I knew I had to start the final two baking projects on Wednesday night if I was going to have them ready in time for a party I was invited to Thursday night. I am not as familiar with either of these recipes, as my mom had been the one to discover and make them in recent years. I would always frost them for her, but had never actually made the cakes myself. I started missing my mom again.

"If we're lucky, the world will end soon!" said Emily in another attempt to reassure me. In response to my questioning look, she clarified, "So we'll be able to see Grandma again and get cake-making tips." With this bit of encouragement, I pressed on and began caramelizing the sugar for the Triple Caramel Cake, and melting the chocolate for the Giant Ding Dong cake. There was no turning back now. (Yes, Miranda--I unabashedly took some Baker's Joy from my mom's stash.)

I finished baking both cakes and took the Ding Dong layers to my Dad's freezer for safe keeping and freshness protection overnight. After work on Thursday I frosted both cakes and was quite pleased with the results.

After some creative maneuvers to figure out how to transport the cakes safely to the party (which included the use of duct tape and a ceramic flower pot, held in place at Emily's feet) we arrived with everything intact!


It looks like I can bake cakes by myself after all.

spoiled, but not a brat

As the baby of my family I long ago came to the realization that it's okay to be spoiled as long as you're not a brat. This position in my family has worked well for me over the years, especially as the past 21 have found us living close to my parents.

Case in point: My Sundays of late find me busy and often exhausted by the end of the day. While we have always enjoyed eating Sunday dinner with my parents, over the past year our pattern has evolved into my mother planning and making dinner at her house with very little--if any--help from me. To fully appreciate this gift, you must understand that a "normal" Sunday dinner at my mom's house consists of a beautifully-set table (nicely-pressed cloth napkins, always), nothing from a box or a mix (everything is made from scratch, be it gravy, salad dressing, or rolls), and an ever-changing array of our favorite homemade desserts to top things off.

This afternoon I arrived at my Mother's house to find this inviting set-up:

We found this tablecloth at HomeGoods a month or so ago and knew it would be darling with Mom's lime green dishes.

Corned beef brisket with horseradish sauce was on today's menu, accompanied by boiled potatoes, cooked carrots, artisan "rustic" bread, and Winter salad. Ah--a pleasing menu, indeed! But wait--that's not all. Mother surprised me with my all-time most favorite incredible dessert--my manna, as it were: Homemade Chocolate Pie. A moment of silence, please, while you gaze at this enticing photo.

Fights have been known to break out over who gets the last piece for breakfast. Usually I win.

So, while I feel somewhat undeserving, as well as moderately guilty for not contributing more to these fine repasts, I can't deny that I look forward to our Sunday dinners. I feel pampered, cared for, and loved. In my parents' home, surrounding the dinner table, I feel safe. I come away with a feeling of peace and reassurance that, though the coming week may be hectic and sometimes feel out of control, I always have this safe place to which I can return. And sometimes there's a chocolate pie waiting for me in the refrigerator.

Thanks, Mom.

snow day!

Wednesday and Thursday were official snow days here in the Denver metro area. School was canceled both days and Mark and I stayed home as well on Thursday. Here's my photo documentation of our enjoyable day at home.

This was the view out of my basement sewing area window:

Three cheers for John and his multiple times of shoveling!

John snapped this photo for me, as I did not want to don snow gear to get it:

Sarah's friend, Danielle, came over and the kids enjoyed playing in the snow together.

The unavoidable soggy pile of debris by the back door:

Sarah must have had at least 8-10 cups of hot cocoa throughout the day.

My staple nutrients, along with multiple DVR episodes of one of my favorite TV shows, kept my energy up for my many hours of sewing:

Moosey, being from the South, tends to not like the snow. Just as I snapped this picture, however, she heard the kids playing in the yard and bounded off through the snow. She was back by the sliding door in a matter of minutes.

Mark ventured out to buy a new touk (Canadian for hat) as he has found his new hairdo to be a little on the chilly side.

My mom helped me make dinner to take to a family in our ward. We were also the beneficiaries of her baking goodness.

I made a family classic, Noodle Bake, in a big enough batch to give some away, save some for my family, and make this heart-shaped pan for my parents. Buttermilk bread courtesy of my mom.

At the end of the day I was tempted to climb into the cozy fort Sarah and Danielle had made in the family room.

The only down side to having a snow day on a Thursday is that it seemed like it should have been Friday. Cruel hoax to have to wake up early Friday morning and face real life again. . . .

girl with a twirl

When I was a little girl I loved the dresses my mom sewed for me--especially the ones with exceptional Twirl Factor. I could always count on a beautifully made dress for occasions such as Christmas and Easter, and later in high school for Homecoming and Prom. I have never outgrown this love for a twirly dress. When I'm costuming, for instance, nothing brings me quite the satisfaction as seeing a voluminous skirt sweep its way across the stage.

This year for Easter Sunday I made myself a dress with ultimate Twirl Factor. I haven't sewn for myself in quite a while, but when I found this beautiful piece of cotton sateen (with just a bit of lycra for stretch) for only $3.69/yard it spoke to my heart and I decided I would costume myself.

Here's the finished dress. . .

. . . and here is its ultimate twirling power:

It was fun to make something for myself that I actually liked. Sometimes sewing for yourself can be a disheartening affair. Sarah's dress, on the other hand, was cute but lacked adequate TF. I should have realized it when I was cutting out the pattern and added more fullness. Still, she looked cute, especially with her grown-up pink patent leather wedge sandals.

And no, I did not make these ties for my guys, but I did shop for them. They're quite handsome, don't you think?

John and Sarah dyed eggs on Saturday afternoon. I'm not sure what made some of them get this crackled and speckled effect, but I think it's kind of cool.

The best part of hard-boiled eggs, however, is having my mom make deviled eggs!

John's favorite part of Easter dinner was the twice-baked potatoes I made ahead on Saturday night. When he saw that there was a little left in the mixing bowl for him to lick with a spatula he cried in delight, "It's an Easter miracle!" He makes me laugh!

My favorite part, aside from the deviled eggs, would have to be my mom's homemade strawberry pie--no store-bought icky glaze here. (Note to Miranda and April: put this one on your list for Wednesdays With Charlotte.)

Happy (better late than never) Easter, and yes--that is in fact Jessie's head popping up behind Mark.

week in review

As one of my favorite Mary Engelbriet sayings goes,"Time flies--whether you're having fun or not!" This week has flown by, leaving me feel like I haven't accomplished much in its wake. Being the list person that I am, perhaps I'll feel better if I document a few of the things I did accomplish.

• While shopping for an interior design client (a.k.a. my boss's wife) I found my 2009 word in a packet of scrapbook embellishments. I found a home for it in my work area and like the cheerful green reminder.

• Talked to Charlotte and/or Emily one or more times every day this week. Yes, I actually took a SP while doing so once.

• Documented Sarah's new haircut! Jacquelyn cut it--at Sarah's request--in a much shorter style. I'm a fan, as it's not only cute, but also much easier to take care of. Here's the Before:

During:

. . . and After:

Ta Dum!

Disclaimer: I hate my shower curtain, just so you know.

• I spent a day designing and hanging a family photo collage at the above-referenced client's house. They were out of town, so it was nice to have it be a fun surprise for them when they returned home. The wall is fourteen feet long and the collage will soon have a large sofa underneath it. I was pleased with the result, especially because my boss's wife was so pleased! (Their last name is Davis--hence, the "D.")
  

• Started gathering costumes for the musical I'm costuming at the high school this year, Once Upon a Mattress. Don't worry, the scary dragon head will not be part of the cast. I usually sew a lot of the costumes, but with a fairytale/princess theme it will actually be less expensive to rent most of them this year, a relief, I must admit.
  

• I love Linda, the owner of my favorite costume shop Marcia's, because she's so helpful and lets us take a carload of things to try on the kids before committing to rent them. I made her pose for a photo.

• This one's a biggie: I actually cooked real dinners almost every night this week. I tried new recipes, resurrected a few favorites, and generally felt like a Good Mom. Unfortunately, the only meal I thought to document was tonight's Dumb Dinner Night (a Wood family tradition of sorts). I made homemade caramel corn, buttered corn, and sliced some apples on the side for good measure.
  

Note Sarah's technique of using latex gloves to combat the stickiness of candied corn. It made me smile.

So there you have it! I guess I did accomplish a few things, after all.