Happy Birthday Claire Elizabeth!!

I started going through old photos looking for one of Claire the day she was born.  I didn't get to that album because I was getting more and more emotional with each year and I thought by the time I got to the infant album I'd be the one in the fetal position. 

Each birthday for all the kids makes me slow down for a minute and really look at them.  I usually wipe a couple of tears that are brimming on my eyelids and light the candles.  But this year, this birthday, she's a teenager.  No more pretending that she is a child.  I have to say outloud that I have two teenagers when asked.  It's not about me, I do realize that but it's just a tough day for this Mama to admit her baby is growing up. 

Today is about the wonderful TEENAGER that we will be celebrating!   

Claire is smart, she is artistic, she is funny, she is wise beyond her years.  She is a good baker, an excellent dancer and a terrific friend.  She has the patience of a saint and her Mama's egg face when she doesn't like something.  She is strong willed, knows what she wants and how she wants it done.  I have always admired her easy, independent nature.

Here are a few of her past birthdays.

1st birthday week

2nd birthday week

Right before her 3rd birthday party was going to start

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLAIRE!

I LOVE YOU TO THE STARS AND BACK!!

Crazy Daisy Tie-Dye Cupcakes

Claire's dance team had a really good season.  At the three competitions they placed 1st twice and 2nd.  She had asked me a few weeks ago if I'd make cupcakes for the last day.  I kinda grumbled because there are 36 girls and asked if cookies would work instead.  She ignored and didn't mention it again. 

Well, she was feeling kinda sad on Sunday after the spring show.  The realization that she had one more hour with some of these girls was making her feel pretty blue.  So, I decided to make the cupcakes.  I decided to make her some cupcakes that would make her smile.  I decided to make ones that I have made before and received good results.  I just changed up the decorations.

What you need:

Cake mix prepared according to directions.
Separate mix into three bowls.
Add food coloring to each bowl
Put a heaping tablespoon of each color into cupcake liner
Bake according to directions
Decorate top with your favorite frosting dyed to match.  I used my favorite buttercream.
I picked Daisies because that was the theme of the spring show.  The good news with the cake being colored, you don't have to frost perfectly.

 

You can see how I spooned in the batter

 

This is what the inside looked like. 

 

And, this was what the finished product looked like.  My daisies were a little messy, I'm out of practice but Claire declared them "the best cupcakes I've ever made":)



Happy Mother's Day

Max asked me last night if he could have $100 to buy me a gift.  Knowing Max, my gift probably would be in around $25 and he'd get something to keep "him" busy with the rest.  At any rate, I told him no.  I told him that what I would really like is ONE ENTIRE weekend that he dropped the sarcasm and didn't antagonize his sister.  You see, he finds himself quite amusing but his sister doesn't share that sentiment.

He said, "what's my other option". 

So, who knows what I'll be getting.  To be honest, it really doesn't matter.  I took it upon myself the year that Claire was born to do "my" own thing.  I leave the house and hang out with Tina, Chantel and my Mom.  We get massages or pedicures or shop or just have lunch.  If I'm lucky, I get home on a nice afternoon and veg in my lawn chair reading a book.  The point is, my Mother's Day present to myself is TIME to recharge MY batteries the way "I" want and not spend the day taking care of my children or caring what someone else wants to either eat or not eat.  I don't run errands, I don't do laundry or grocery shop. 

It is pure bliss. 

So, this post is dedicated a few days early so you can find a sitter if you need to.  Take some time for just YOU because YOU deserve it!  Even if you have to lock yourself in the bathroom to do it;)

Happy Mother's Day!!

Smile

Chantel and Sameth renewed their wedding vows and had a ball to celebrate the event.

What fun it was to see all the pretty dresses!  Everyone showed up dressed to the nines and danced the night away. 

These two kids happen to have been my favorite.

Or maybe it was this bunch

I really can't decide:)

Hockey Souvenir

I wanted to give the boys something to remember their season. I ended up giving them something that reminded them of several years, something they can use and isn't too big.

You see, I have made chocolate chip cookies for every league win since Max was a Squirt.  That's 7 years of cookies!!  He played with a lot of the same boys over the years and they knew at the practice following the win that they would receive a snack size bag of cookies.  I also made them to kick off the season, end the season and a couple of "just because" times too.  Sadly, that tradition has come to an end.

So, I decided to give them hockey pucks.  Hockey pucks with their name and number on one side and the recipe for my cookies laminated on the back.  They also each received a dozen cookies wrapped in team colors.  They loved it.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I have some recipes for chicken tortilla soup but didn't feel like searching.  Some day I will take a photo of my "to make" pile of recipes that I have printed off over the years and share with you, it's scary. 

OR maybe next year that's all I will make?  Hmmmm, something to think about. 

I also broke that avocado rule again and made it hot.  But, the chicken tortilla soup I have had, has had avocado served on top so how was it really different?  I didn't see how it was, so I dropped it in at the very end and gasp, I reheated it for my lunch and it was fine.  No, it was good.

Anyhooooooo, I kind of threw this together with leftover crockpot chicken and I liked the finished product.  I would NOT however put this in the freezer because of the avocado.  And, I took this photo before I added the shredded pepper jack cheese and tortilla chips which of course made it even more YUMMY! 

 

 

So, what you're going to need:

 

10 C Chicken Broth or 10 C water and 10 bouillon cubes

2 C shredded Salsa Chicken or crockpot chicken or rotisserie chicken

1 Can Fire Roasted Tomatoes

1 Jalapeno minced without seeds ~ mine was about the size of my pinky

3 cloves Garlic minced

1 Can Pinto Beans

1 C Frozen Corn

1/2 C Refried beans ~ optional

1/2 t Cumin

Juice of 2 limes

1 bunch Cilantro minced

2 Avocados chopped

 

Put broth, chicken, tomatoes, jalapeno, garlic, pinto beans and corn in a soup pot and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, whisk in refried beans.  This will thicken soup just a bit and give it good flavor.  Sprinkle in cumin.  Add lime juice, cilantro and avocados.  Stir and turn off heat.  Break up some tortilla chips in the bottom of the bowl, ladle on soup and top with a pinch of pepper jack cheese, you could also add your chips now instead of pre-ladle too. 

 

This would also be pretty easy to make vegetarian.  Simply add another can of beans instead of chicken and use vegetable broth.  Enjoy.



Good Book & Good Black Forest Cake

I chose a book called The Baker's Daughter by Sarah McCoy for book club.

Thanks Barnes and Noble for the photo

It wasn't because I liked to bake, it was because I had read good things about it. Everyone in the book club liked the book but what they liked best was the cake recipe in the back that I made for our discussion. Yep, it was bonus material that you found at the end...recipes!

It was pretty simple to make, Claire actually put it together with a little supervision.  Although it was not entirely cheap. The Kirschwasser, which is a cherry brandy could only be bought in the $15 bottle size. I also splurged and bought Ghirardelli Cocoa and chocolate to see if it made a difference with the cake (in my opinion, it didn't). And, fresh cherries aren't ever really "cheap". BUT..it was a success. It had a definite POP with your first bite. 

Most everyone really enjoyed it and although it contained some liquor, I would let my kids eat a piece if they wanted but they didn't. It was also a pretty cake and looked impressive with the 4 layers.

So if you wanna impress your friends, here's what you'll need:

Cake
1 2/3 C Flour
2/3 C Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 1/2 t Baking Soda
1 t Salt
1/2 C Shortening
1 1/2 C Sugar
2 Eggs
1 t Vanilla
1 1/2 C Buttermilk or regular (I used buttermilk)
1/4-1/3 C Kirschwasser (it called for 1/2 C, that seemed excessive?)
It also called for salt which I left out

Filling
1 C Heavy Whipping Cream
1/2 t Vanilla
1 T Kirschwasser
1 C Powdered Sugar
1 C pitted Cherries chopped

Topping
1 square Semisweet Chocolate, shaved or crumbled
10 cherrie halves (said you could you use whole maraschino but I don't think that would have been good OR looked as pretty)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour (I used spray that contains both) two 8 inch round pans. Sift together flour, cocoa and baking soda. Set aside.

Cream shortening and sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla and flour mixture. I used my mixer to mix it all together.

Pour into pans and bake for about 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes and flip out of pan. Cool for about an hour and slice each cake in half, horizontally. You are making 4 layers. Sprinkle layers with 1/3 cup Kirschwasser~I actually brushed it on.

In bowl, whip the cream until stiff. Beat in vanilla and Kirschwasser. Add powdered sugar and beat again.

Spread 1/4 of the filling on one of the layers. Top with 1/3 of the cherries. Repeat with remaining layers. Decorate the top with last of filling, chocolate shavings and halved cherries.

I made the night before and allowed it to chill for almost 24 hours before serving. I don't know if that made the cake taste stronger or not but I liked the "chill" factor.  Leftovers went into the fridge and I actually think it mellowed having another night of rest and I enjoyed it more.

I never "sift" ingredients together, we followed the rules for this recipe;)  Sorry, forgot to take the rest of the mixing photos.

 Pour into two round cake pans

Out of the oven for about 10 minutes, invert cakes on to plates.  When cooled, slice each cake in half to make a total of four layers.  A serated knife works great for this.  Stick knife into middle of cake to about the center and gently cut in a circle until you've cut the cake in half.  With two hands, gently but quickly remove the top layer.

Shave your chocolate with a vegetable peeler.

Chop your cherries be sure to just cut some in half so you can decorate the top

Brush with Kirschwasser 

Spread a 1/4 of the whipped cream on layer, sprinkle with 1/3 of the cherries. 

 

 Repeat layering.  On the top, sprinkle shavings and decorate with cherries.