Wednesday, April 04, 2007

The Update, The Cake, and The Crazy Toddler....

Lately... I swear... I have been having the opposite of "Blogger's Block". I mean... there's stuff going on here. I just happen to have a crazy 35 pound kid whose favorite phrase right now is "Mommy HUG!" (He says it whenever he wants to be held, which is 24/7.) I hear it 6,768,800 times a day. It's usually being shrieked at me, and if I dare to sit down and blog.... or knit, or make dinner, or pee. Well... you can only imagine. As I type, he's alternating the up/down thing. In my lap, down, pick me up, put me down.

Nevermind the fact that Planet Earth on Demand is broadcasting the Ocean Dolphins in HD on a 42 inch plasma television. NOOOOOO! He's all like.... SO WHAT?! I know I have a kick-ass train table in my room. And Millions of toys strewn throughout the house. I have to be in your lap right NOW!

My biceps are killing me!

Anyway... besides that....Jeff had his 31st birthday on the 29th. .... we celebrated nicely at the IL's over the weekend. Complete with home-made German Chocolate Cake (made by me, duh!) and he got his b-day gift which he loves! (X*Box*360) and all that.

Our Mamas group has a couple of newer (and BABYWEARING) members!! So we can geek out on the minutiae of wraps, Mei Tais, and other assorted carriers together! YAY!

I bought some yummy silk yarn to knit this for my mom for her birthday. Well, since her birthday is next week.... so it will most likely be belated birthday gift. Or, a Mother's Day gift.... or a Christmas... no.... I doubt it! ;)

At $13.99 a ball for 2 balls, it's the most expensive yarn I've purchased so far. (Debbie Bliss Pure Silk in Lilac)

But, the original yarn suggested for this project is like twice that price. I was all like "Oh, hell to the NAW!" It looks like this is a good sub, though.

We're getting closer, closer, closer to our Mexico trip. Yes! So, the 21st will be here before we know it. I'm getting excited... and nervous about flying with a crazy toddler. Wish me luck....

And Easter is this weekend, at Jeff's Grandma's. I will be bringing my obligatory Famous Carrot Cake. Also whispered as "The Cake".

As in "Are you bringing The Cake?!"
Like it's some kind of contraband, or moonshine.

But it IS THAT GOOD! I use a combination of recipes.... The Silver Palate Cookbook recipe for The Cake, adding more vanilla, cinnamon, and swapping out the walnuts for pecans. And the Rosine's recipe for Cream Cheese Frosting. Also adding more vanilla. I always do that with baked recipes. I think they're just BETTER that way! :)

Silver Palate Cookbook Carrot Cake recipe:
INGREDIENTS for the cake
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon (I use an additional 1/2 teaspoon)
1 1/2 cups corn oil (or canola or safflower)
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla extract (I use an extra teaspoon)
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts (I use pecans)
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut
1 1/3 cups pureed cooked carrot (I use organic pureed baby food carrots) (plus a large handful of finely shredded carrots - so people can SEE the carrots, and not know about the baby food!) ;)
3/4 cup drained crushed pineapple

METHOD
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9 inch cake pans and line with parchment paper.

Sift dry ingredients into a bowl. Add oil, eggs, and vanilla. Beat well. Fold in walnuts, coconut, pureed carrot, and pinapple.

Pour batter into prepared pans. Set in middle rack of oven and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Until edges have pulled away from the sides of the pan and a cake tested inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool on a cake rack for 3 hours. Frost cake with cream cheese frosting.
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1 comment:

hollibobolli said...

LOL - I don't know why this post made me laugh... it's so... frenetic.

"the cake."

oooooooh.

xoxo