| Tue, Dec 30, 2008 |
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| The merry year is born |
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Like the bright berry from the naked thorn.
~Hartley Coleridge |
| Mon, Dec 22, 2008 |
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| Snow Day |
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A couple of albums that I think are nice for a quiet, snowy day such as this.
Daysleepers-Soft Attack
Müm-Finally we are no one |
| Tue, Dec 16, 2008 |
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| Kids In The Kitchen |
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The Junior League had another successful year of Kids in the Kitchen. It came and went in such a whirlwind that I haven't had time to post a thing about it up until now.
However, my procrastination means that we get to start with...CAKE!!! |
| You may be wondering how teaching children to make a cake could be a healthy thing. Well, enter the healthiest cake of all—cake with carrots in it! You may know it as carrot cake; however, I still think that "cake with carrots in it" is a bit catchier, but perhaps I'm getting too accustomed to the vernacular of my two-year-old. |
There is a new (awesome) chef working with the kids this year. I'm going to tell you guys about him later. For now, you can get a good first impression of him from his grandmother's fantastic carrot cake recipe.
Carrot Cake
3 cups grated carrots
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple with juice
3/4 cup chopped pecans
(for the frosting)
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 (8 ounce) package Neufchatel cheese
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
In a large bowl, combine grated carrots, flour, white sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in eggs, oil, 1 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, pineapple and 3/4 cup chopped pecans. Spoon batter into prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.
To Make Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine confectioners' sugar, Neufchatel cheese, 1/2 cup butter or margarine and 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla. Beat until smooth, then stir in 1 cup chopped pecans. Spread on cooled cake. |
| These are Maisie's hands. Maisie is the past president of the JL and an all-around spectacular gal. She has so many glowing attributes that it is nearly impossible to list them here. However, taking tiny carrot cakes out of the oven with no mitts on would be a good place to start. I mean, that is just downright impressive, right? |
| This icing. THIS icing. I'm not proud of how many dollops I sneaked throughout the day. We won't discuss the ordeal any further. |
| Surprisingly, there was some left for the children to put on their cakes. It was an icing miracle, if you will. |
| Here is the the precursor to the moment when I realized that third, fourth, and fifth graders shouldn't get cakes AND apple cider in the same half hour. |
| Don't let these angel faces fool you. There was a full-on sugar riot brewing below the surface. |
| Mon, Dec 8, 2008 |
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| Is Recycled Blog Material Green Too? |
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I know that I have talked about Etsy many times before but I'm just going to keep drilling it home until everyone I know shops there, and often.
Having that said, if there is anyone left on your list GO TO ETSY, there are so many delightful treasures to find, that you'll go from being at a loss of what to get that someone, to not being able to narrow it down. Unique, handmade, and green. What more could you ask for?
Look at those darling socks slippers, made from recycled socks that had lost their mates. What a lovely turn of events for the little guys. |
| Thu, Dec 4, 2008 |
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| Strangely Serene |
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| Posts: 149 |
| Comments: 282 |
| Visits: 59,940 |
| Page Views: 201,998 |
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