Easter Decorating Idea

One of my son's favorite holidays is Easter (behind Christmas & Halloween) & he really likes getting out the Easter decorations each year. One thing that we do every year is create our own Easter tree. The pics I posted are of Cameron with last year's tree in the background & then, a pic of this year's (better) tree. I have a small collection of mini-Easter ornaments & we make our own Easter tree to hang them on. We usually go outside & hunt for the perfect bare tree branches that will become our little tree. Cameron likes going out with me to find the branches & collect rocks for the base. The last couple of years we used a clear vase with small rocks in the bottem to steady the branches & to be decorative. We used to paint the branches a pastel or white color but, to make it easier, we just leave them au natural now. Then we hang the little ornaments on the little branches & step back in awe to view our little tree. It's the little things, you know?

Carrot Cake Recipe

So as Easter is approaching, I'm thinking what kind of dessert I will whip up for Easter Day. One of my passions is baking & I especially love making & decorating cakes. Last year I made a really good Carrot Cake & will probably do some kind of cake this year. Here is the recipe for the Carrot Cake...

Best Carrot Cake Ever
Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 extra large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
1/2 cup buttermilk
2/3 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained
1 pound finely grated carrots
1 cup toasted chopped pecans
1 cup golden raisins
1 batch Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Prepare two 9-inch cake pans by greasing w/crisco shortening & dust w/flour.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt and nutmeg together in a bowl. Set aside.

Mix the eggs, sugar, oil, buttermilk, brown sugar, vanilla, and pineapple together in a large bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until fully incorporated. Stir in the carrots, pecans and raisins just until evenly distributed throughout the batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake on the center rack for about 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

For the frosting...

Yummy Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients:

16 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon orange extract
3-4 cups confectioners’ sugar to taste

Directions:

Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add extracts and beat just until incorporated. Beat in sugar, one cup at a time, until frosting has the flavor and consistency you want. You may not need to add all of the sugar.



Frost first layer of cake then, add 2nd layer on top & frost entire rest of cake.
Get ready for rave reviews!

St. Patty's Day

Okay, so St. Patty's Day didn't go as planned this year. We had an uneventful & pleasant road trip down to Fla. Then, on ST. Patty's Day itself, my mom had checked a local web-site to see what time they were doing the annual parade there this year, we got dressed in our festive green clothes & accessories. We headed down to where they have the parade in the town square know as "Sumter Landing" & noticed that there wasn't quite the usual traffic/crowd as in the past. Well, after we walked around a bit & noticed that no one was lining the streets to get their spots for the parade, we finally asked a lady if she knew when the parade was starting. Imagine the looks on our faces when she said "The parade was yesterday" -Yeah, not good. I was all torn up about it because it was all my son had looked forward to & the fact that my Mom had it wrong. Never before had the parade been held the day before St. Patrick's Day -what gives?! We never did find out why but, I think my Mom learned to check her sources a little better & we did get to do some other fun stuff. They were giving boat rides on the small lake there w/a man & his guitar singing Irish songs. Everything was still all festiive in the town since it was actually St. Patty's Day then. Well, no parade but, I did post some pics of some of the fun anyway.

Necessary items for week long trips

So, as I prepare for my annual pilgrimage to Fla. w/my kids for St Patty's Day, I think of all my must-haves for the trip. I used to make a list for myself & check it all off before I left but, I'm anal enough about it to pretty much check as I go now. I'll share w/you in list form just to show you how much stuff it takes to go on a big car trip w/2 toddlers. All of this is in addition to suitcases full of clothes!

1. Snacks & sippy cups & as well as any other food that I don't want to have to buy when I first get there
2. Travel toys & books & portable DVD player w/DVDs
3. Toiletry & first-aid/medicines for kids
4. Pack-n-Play for Emily to sleep in
5. White noise machine (yes, I do take it w/us & it really helps)
6. Stocked diaper bag for the road trip
7. Sun shades for kid's windows (even w/tinted windows, you still get the sun beaming them in the face while they're trying to sleep)
8. Beach bag w/bathing suits, swimdiapers, sunscreen, hats etc.
9. Stroller -wouldn't be caught anywhere without it!
10. Kid's favorite blankets/stuffed animals for sleeping with

That's pretty much it & it pretty much fills up my car! Luckily for me, my Mom has a high chair & booster chair at her house already so, that's one last thing I have to bring. Now, I haven't traveled on an airplane w/both kids so, don't know how I'd do it. Maybe somebody will share their tips with me!

Food substitutes on the fly

Ever start to make a meal & realize that you don't have an important item to complete the meal? Well, for a lot of us moms, it happens all the time. Here's a couple of quick, easy ideas for substitutions...
When we have Spaghetti (or any Italian food), my family always has to have garlic bread with it. Whether it's like Texas toast or garlic breadsticks or whatever, my family of carbohydrate junkies just has to have it. In a pinch, I've actually used hotdog buns by splitting them in half, putting butter & garlic salt on them (& sometime Parmesan cheese) & sticking them under the broiler for a few minutes. I would have been insulted at the very idea before kids but, it's actually pretty good & kids love it. If you have meat-eaters who have to have some kind of meat at every meal (like my husband) that can be a problem at times. If we make a frozen or homemade cheese pizza, my husband will sometimes microwave a couple of frozen breakfast sausage links & chop them up & add it to his part of the pizza. This is not my thing but, my DH really likes it. You can also make veggie tacos or fajitas & if one person wants meat, the breakfast sausage is a quick & easy add-in. Well, amyway, get creative because there really are so many things you can subsitute when you have no choice!

Annual St. Patrick's Day Trip

My Mother's side of the family are proud Irish folks & my Grandfather, Thomas O'Brien (not the deisgner from Target -ha ha) was the 1st generation born in America. We have always celebrated St. Patrick's Day each year. In recent times, every year, in March, my kids & I make a road trip to The Villages, Florida (retirement & golf communinty North of Orlando) where my Mom & Step-Dad live. They have a St. Patrick's Day parade there which comprises of mostly golf carts all decked out & various community groups dressed up etc. and it is a real hoot! They have food & craft vendors & of course, green beer served at local restaurants. I have been going down there every year since Cameron was an infant & now he's almost 5so, this is our 6th year running! I even made the drive when I was about 6 mos. pregnant w/Emily Cameron was almost 3. Every year, with the exception of 1, we have driven & it's only about 7 1/2 hrs. so, not too bad. My husband always stays home & works & occasionally my Mom is able to drive w/me at least 1 way. Well, as we prepare for this years road trip, I thought I would post some pics from the previous years just for fun. So, the first one is when Cameron was 10 months old, then almost 2, almost 3 w/my Mom in pic(I was pregnant w/Emily) & Cameron at almost 4 & Emily at 8 months old (only Emily & I in pic). I also included one of the crazy done-up golf carts for fun. This year will be our 5th year running. Wish me luck (the Irish kind!)

Refrigerator Organizing

Okay, I don't even know why I called this Refridgerator Organizing because, there is no such thing. I have never been able to figure out the best way to fit everything in the fridge after a big grocery shopping trip. This is insane because I only have 2 kids. What about people with 3, 4 or more kids? It is baffling. And freezers are terrible too because stuff just gets stacked in wobbly towers ready to topple as soon as you open the door. The pic here is of my freezer at the moment. Enough said?