Cupcakes and birthdays

Last week we celebrated two birthdays in our home.  To make it especially fun we experimented with a few cupcake recipes that I got from a recent Enrichment Meeting.  

Here it is, a recipe that Paul calls "guilt inducing", William said was too sweet, James couldn't even finish one, but Peter, Maryanna, and Clara said was "yummy".  For me, I just don't really like sweets like I do fried salty food but I did enjoy a few small bites.  One warning though - have a glass of milk nearby because they are densely rich.  We also pushed down a marshmallow in a few of them as a sweet surprise for the kids but that only got mixed reviews.  

The Best Chocolate Cupcakes (originally from 125 Best Cupcake Recipes)- makes 1 dozen

1 1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Combine dry ingredients.  Beat together sugar, oil, egg and vanilla.  Whisk in buttermilk and flour, beating until smooth.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Scoop into paper cups and bake at 350 for 22-27 min. or until tops of cupcakes spring back lightly when touched.  Let cool for 10 minutes and frost with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (The Buttercup Bake Shop Cookbook)

1 cup butter, softened

1 TBS plus 1 tsp milk

1 tsp vanilla

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Blend until spreading consistency

A few more tips:

- remember neighbors tend to be overly generous when lending out needed ingredients - always remeasure.  We ran out of flour (I still have 100+ lbs. of bread flour - I was just short on all purpose) on our first batch but ending up adding too much because we made this mistake.  But thanks again Joy for the flour and Liz for the powdered sugar!

-don't forget the vanilla - it really does soften the flavor.  It was omitted from our first batch because of distraction.  Our 2 yr old birthday girl was caught running in the street during that step of the process.

-if the kids are to lick the bowls  - have them wear a full body smock or just strip them down and give it to them in the tub because that buttery chocolate frosting is messy and hard to get out of clothing.  That may apply also for the official cupcake eating time.   

   

Garage Sale Addiction

I like garage sales and it is hard for me to pass a roadside poster advertising one.  In the past however, I had a tendency of bringing home more than I needed - as if I didn't have enough stuff to use, care for, and store.  But I have finally developed a great garage sale strategy.  At the beginning of the garage sale season (usually around April), I make a list of all my family's needs and wants.  I share this list with my sisters who I know also share the garage sale addiction and then each Saturday morning,  armed with our cell phones and a small stash of cash in our pockets, we head out on our hunts.

I had to add to my garage sale list after my recent closet clean out and assessment.  Here's what I added:  a hooded sweatshirt and a few skirts for church.  Yesterday was the lucky morning where I found just that.   Amongst my many stops included a yard sale run by a very pregnant woman who was in the mood to unload a bunch of her "skinny/regular" clothes.  Lucky for me, these clothes were not only my current size but she also had a toddler boy and was unloading piles of his clothes as well.  That is where I found 4 church skirts, this great hoodie and clothes and shoes for Henry to grow into (because you all know boys clothes barely make it through a 4th pass down).  I spent $28 at that one stop (which is a lot in the garage sale world) but it was worth it.

Other recent finds that I haven't blogged included 2 University library chairs, one for Brigham Young University where I graduated and one from University of Michigan where Paul graduated.  It was so strange to see them sitting right next to each other in an empty basement of a Salt Lake house.  It was as if they were just waiting for me - they were only $25 a piece so I had to get them (even though they weren't really on my list).  Now I will be on the hunt for a Wharton chair or University of Pennsylvania chair - I will put it on my list.

The one great regret I have though is not saving more of the treasures and finds for Christmas.  I realize the kids get just as much joy out of used toys as they would new ones.  Paul calls them "fully depreciated".  But the idea of a "recycled" Christmas didn't come to me in time - perhaps with the help of my sisters on the hunt I can still pull it off.  The season is winding down though and I may have to rely on Craig's list, ebay, and esty to fill in the gaps.     

   

So go garage saling if you can before this holiday season.   It is fun, economical, good for the environment, and just makes sense (or cents).  

A House Still for Sale

Interest in our home has slowed down quite a bit for the month of October.  I became very comfortable in leaving out and spreading sewing projects around the dinning room, allowing the the beds go unmade, letting the laundry pile up, experimenting with very messy baking, and adopting Suz's pet rat Cookie Dough. Suz is moving to Mexico City in a few weeks and convinced me to take the rat by saying:   "well if you don't want her I'll just list her on Craig's List and she may end up as snake food".  

As it turns out we are very happy to have Cookie Dough in our home and have found her to be quite smart and very personable.  William says she is like a live stuffed animal and carries her around the house on his shoulder.  The younger kids aren't gentle enough to hold her but squeal with delight every time we let her out (or escapes) from her cage.  James has decided Cookie Dough's life and thoughts should be blogged.  It is especially entertaining to watch her during family night and we have discovered if we sing loud enough she can't resist to stay in her cage and climbs out to join in our gathering.

So it has brought more joy than trouble to add this little pet to our family - well, that was my thought until yesterday.  The morning started out early, baking bagels at 5:30 am then getting the kids up and bagels delivered before 8:00 am.  To add to the activity it was Clara's birthday and I had also offered to watch a friend's child for the day.  As an early morning birthday celebration I made fruit smoothies and topped with paper umbrellas.  Next we began experimenting with cupcake recipes and dirtied at least half a dozen mixing bowls in the process.  It was fun!  I'm lucky my mom joined us for a birthday lunch because that was when I got the call.  After three weeks of no showings it was arranged for a couple to come through the house later that afternoon.  

My mom got right to the dishes.  I decided it would be best to put the girls right down for a nap and lock the door so they couldn't get into any trouble while we cleaned.  I huddled the boys around me as if to give them some sort of a game plan.  James said "you mean its like the beginning of the 4th quarter and we are down 3 touchdowns" - I answered "exactly"! and then gave them their clean up assignments.  At that point my sister showed up with a balloon bouquet for Clara and it was decided that I would be best helped by her taking the kids to her house.  As I got the girls out of their room I discovered Maryanna had once again detached her closet door.  But there was no time to worry about that - I still had beds to make, bathrooms to clean, and practically every surface in the house to dust.  

I also had another friend over doing some sewing with me.  She was quick to help and with a cloth and window spray was able to erase the many finger (and mouth) prints that so endearingly decorate every window in my house.  To be even more helpful she willingly took little Henry to her home so I could have full focus on cleaning.  I went at it and was sweating and satisfied with the work I had completed.  All that was left to do was load a few baskets of dirty laundry and the rat into my car.  I grabbed the rat's cage only to discover this clever little creature had escaped!  I was too distracted when I moved her that I forgot to put something heavy on top to prevent her from getting out.  

The Realtor would be arriving within 10 minutes - I was instantly in tears.  All my time and energy in cleaning the house would be wasted with a rat on the loose - a great way to scare away buyers.  She could have been anywhere.  The garage door was open to the outside, the door to the laundry room was open to the rest of the house and her cage was halfway between both of them.  I then began thinking of what I would tell Suz, how to explain it to William, and then having to delete "The Adventures of Cookie Dough" blog.  I called Paul but could barely speak through my tears.  He suggested calling Suz for suggestions.  I had a sincere prayer in my heart and just as I was dropping to my knees - right there in my garage, Cookie Dough had peered out between the pile of moving boxes and our 50 gallon water storage drum.  I reached out to grab her but she retreated under the gorilla shelf that stored our Christmas decorations and all my dying supplies.  I had to be quick but gentle.  I said another prayer.  I know this prayer was answered because Cookie Dough immediately walked right out to me and crawled into my hand.  

Perhaps my tears and panic were not so much about the rat on the loose but instead reflected my stress in trying to sell the house.  But this experience with the rat comforted me in knowing that my prayers are heard and answered.  With this knowledge I know if I do my part all things will work together for good and our house will eventually sell.  It may not be as quick as we had hoped but we will be cheerful and enjoy our time left here in UT while at the same time try to develop better house keeping habits.               

And another one

Here is another garage sale T-shirt transformed with a bit of soft scrub bleach.  This time I traced my design onto freezer paper, cut out the design (or characters), ironed it onto my t-shirt then carefully applied the bleach.  The results showed up within minutes.

The characters, copied out of the kids' Chinese workbook read Mom (I hope it is accurate).  I still have 3 more T-shirts to play with and will post them when my crafting mood brings me back again to soft scrub bleach. 

Because I just couldn't "resist"

My friend tftcarrie posted a fun and easy project last week. It inspired a recent garage sale purchase of a bunch of women's t-shirts - $.75 each. So with the kids asleep (otherwise the project would not be labeled as easy), piles of laundry on my ironing board and piles of dishes waiting in the sink, I went at it with a cheap paint brush and soft scrub bleach. It was one of those instant gratification projects that makes up for all the frustrating flops that even us crafters experience.  It gave me enough joy to breeze through those tasks that laid waiting.

So here I am (and if you don't recognize me, neither do I - I'm still not use to the 'dark side') with my new or re-fashioned garage sale T-shirt.

  

On a side note I went garage saling again this morning and for $35 I couldn't resist this mountain bike.  And to tftcarrie:  "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery".  Unfortunately I'm quite out of shape and most my biking adventures will most likely be unbloggable, on paved roads along side my little boys. 

 

As for the $.25 helmet I purchased - I'm thinking of re-fashioning it.  Did anyone else get inspired by this post?  Good thing I also picked up some great fabric finds for $.50 this morning.

Integrated Fun

I bought this foam alphabet puzzle mat several years ago when I was living in Philadelphia.  It was picked it up at the ROSS up on Market street and although it was only $6.99 I began to second guess the purchase just steps into my journey home.  I had to somehow balance it up top the double stroller while dodging my way around traffic and pedestrians for 10 blocks.  I don't think us suburban moms would bring home half the junk we do if we did all our errands like most city moms -by stroller (but I could say a lot more about that and that is for another post).

It was worth the haul though.  We have gotten much use out of this mat.  Pictured here is William playing the "Jump to Spell" game.  It is kind of like a Spelling Bee except you have to jump with out falling as you recite each letter.  Your feet must land on the correct letter and then to the next without much pause.  Pizza is difficult because it requires a double jump on the Z before you try to make it all the way across to the A.  I can't remember what word William was spelling with that jump but I admit I didn't last long in the game.  The kids got me out on the words:  quagmire and upholstery (those both just came up on my spell check).

So that is how we, and I say we because I am still a bad speller, practice our spelling.  It is really fun.  We also play spelling twister on the mat so I suppose these activities may even count towards a bit of P.E.    

 

Wordfull Wednesday: My Worst Fear

I never know what to expect everyday during the quiet of naptime.  Pictured here are both little girls asleep with the entire contents of their closet on top of them.  I don't know what they were thinking.   Perhaps they were just trying to be like me in cleaning out their closet.  I'm just glad they didn't make it a real mess like they use to with their dirty diapers.

Is it all little girls?  I don't want to say they are naughty but perhaps instead I could label them as creative, independent, capable, determined, spirited, and full of life.  Unfortunately I am unable to capture and document all of their little episodes (because sometimes I need to take immediate action) but here are a few more:  coloring on baby Henry's face, getting into my 25 lb. bucket of flour, climbing into the tub fully dressed, denting the wall then peeling paint and plaster off (just before a house showing), cutting their clothes, cutting their hair, spraying mommy with the hose through the kitchen window, pouring and sharing a bowl of cereal in Clara's crib, painting the bathroom with toothpaste, locking themselves in a bathroom and consuming hand soap, and running out to the front yard naked to pee in the neighbor's bushes. 

There was no need for baby proofing with my boys but I have gone beyond baby proofing with the girls.  We have out of reach dead bolts on our doors, closets, and storage room.  So I guess my worst fear is what mess or trouble I will find them in next.  I keep reminding myself of late crops  and for as much trouble as they cause now, they just may become my right hand helpers in the years to come. 

So that brings me to an even greater fear.....from the words of our dear prophet Thomas S. Monson:

 
"If you are still in the process of raising children, be aware that the tiny fingerprints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface, the toys scattered about the house, the piles and piles of laundry to be tackled will disappear all too soon and that you will-to your surprise-miss them profoundly" 

I fear that the days, and years are ticking by a little too quickly......that all my little ones will be on their own before I know it, before I learn to just relax and fully enjoy it.