Sweet Little Easter Lamb Cake

I have always loved those sweet little stand-up lamb cakes you see for Easter. You know the ones I am talking about; they are usually covered in swirly icing or white coconut and lay on a bed of green coconut grass and jelly beans. With my little ones at three and almost two, I look at each holiday as a time to create memories with new traditions.

My dear girlfriend Lene (Ilene), has made a lamb cake for Easter for her family for years.  Her kids are grown now, yet they still come over to celebrate Easter and look forward to this very special lamb cake.  It is always striking to me how powerful and important traditions are, especially when those traditions are begun and continued throughout a little one's childhood.  The traditions parents start and foster throughout a child's life are the same traditions that keep them coming home.  Everyone wants to hold on to the positive warm parts childhood. 

It is part of our make up as humans.
It is those traditions that create the foundation of a child's memory.
It is those traditions that help to create the stability in a child's life that help him to feel safe and secure.

So when I have a desire to create a tradition like making the lamb cake for my kids for Easter, it is not really about the cake.  It is about creating memories, traditions, and stability in my children's lives.

I went out and bought my Wilton Stand-up Lamb Cake Pan at Joanne Fabrics.  I immediately called Lene for the perfect lamb cake recipe; of course, she had the perfect recipe - the 7-up pound cake. It is a 1950's classic pound cake that was known for its light and airy texture because of the soda. It gained popularity again as a bunt in the 1980s.  It has a lemony taste and the perfect texture needed to stand up to the cake pan.

I was set; I had the idea, the pan, and the cake recipe. Then why was I so nervous about making a mistake and my cake flopping.  It was my first attempt at creating a tradition for Easter, and I didn't want it to flop.  Of course the only one who would know that it flopped would be me because the three year old and the two year old would have no idea what it was supposed to look like.  Plus, they are kids; they just get excited when they are about to eat cake -- any cake. I called Lene three times during the baking process.  Call #1 What temperature do I bake it at -- your cake directions or the pan directions?  Call #2 How do you tie the pan up? It only has one set of holes -- won't the cake be forced open on the other side?  Call #3 The back of the lamb's head isn't round - it is flat -- what do I do? In the end, Lene said to follow the directions she gave me for the cake, tie the cake pan in three places to secure it, and it doesn't matter if the back of the lamb's head is flat. She calmed me down - as usual.
Here is the recipe:

Lene's Sweet Little Lamb Cake / 7-up Cake Recipe

Ingredients:
3 sticks of room temperature butter
3 cups of sugar
5 eggs
3 cups of flour
2 Tablespoons lemon extract
3/4 cup of room temperature 7-up

Directions:

*mommy hint - you will have extra batter if you make the lamb cake.  So you can make cup cakes or another small loaf pan cake. 

Use a standing mixer. Beat butter and sugar until creamy, about 20 minutes. Add each egg one at a time. Mix in flour and lemon extract.  Fold in by hand or on your slowest speed the 7-up.  Place cake in your well greased and floured pan (lamb pan if its Easter). Tie your lamb pan around the neck, body, and through the manufacturer's hole to secure pan from moving up during the baking process. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 50 - 55 minutes.  Check cake. If toothpick comes out clean (use the manufacturer's hole), take the back of lamb pan off and finish cooking for 5 - 10 minutes. Total cooking time should be about 1 hour to 1 hour and 5 minutes.

For taking lamb cake out of the pan follow the directions that are given to you when you buy the lamb pan.  Take cake out of oven. Let cool for 5 minutes. Put back of pan back on.  Flip the cake over so it is sitting on its back side and wait another 5 minutes.  Then take face of lamb pan off, and let it cool off for about 4 hours before completely taking it out of its pan and decorating it.

Well, those are the directions to follow. Lene has been making this cake for years without as much as a hiccup, let alone something as tragic as the lamb being unable to stand (like the cake pan promises) or  I hate to say it, losing the sweet little lamb's head.  I cannot say the same thing for myself.  Time for me to be honest.  I called Lene during the baking process to make sure I didn't make any mistakes.  When the little lamb came out of the oven, I knew there was a problem.  It didn't rise as much as I thought it would.  Hence the base of the lamb was half as big and sturdy as it was meant to be.  But I pushed through and started to decorate my-flat-back-no-rise-lamb-cake.

Everything was going well; the sweet little lamb was turning out so cute. I finished; I was about to take a picture. Then it started to happen.  It fell on its very flat back.  I put it up.  It fell again.  I put it up.  It fell again.  I started to panic.  The kids and my husband came into the kitchen. I could feel the anxiety building in my chest. I yelled to my husband to help me; I said, "help its falling!" He said, "what's falling?"  I said, "are you kidding? The lamb -- can you not see it is falling on its back and its about to lose its head!"  He starts to panic because he doesn't want to see me so disappointed. He started to prop it up with some carrots from the frig.  He started to take a picture of the sweet little lamb before it lost its head --- I hate even typing that -- but it is true. It was about to lose its head!  There was panic and stress in the air.

AND THEN IT HAPPENED.... Not what you are expecting.  It was my three year old son.  Above my husband and my stressed voices you could hear my son's sweet voice saying,"ooooh it's so cute.  Take a picture of me next to it. Take a picture Mommy."

His sweet voice and request stopped me in my tracks.  It wasn't about the cake.  It was always about my kids and their memories. As far as he was concerned it was a perfect little lamb ready for a photo shoot.  He thought it was cute even with the carrots supporting it from behind.  In that moment, that is all that mattered to me.  I stopped running around trying to save the cake; I started taking pictures of my kids, Aidan and Zuzu, with the sweetest little lamb cake that was ever made.  Looking back at the situation now (with only 12 hours of hindsight), I already know that this unstable little lamb cake will probably always be my favorite cake because of the lesson my son taught me.

Our kids see their world as wonderful; they see life as wonderful.  They are not looking for perfection. I am not sure when that changes, but I know it does. And that makes me sad.  But for now, I know I want to try to see life through my kids' eyes. I want to stop looking to be perfect and stop looking to fix things. I simply want to smile and appreciate everything and everyone around me.  And every once in awhile I'd like to stop and say," take a picture of me next to..."

   

It is all about the memories; it is not about the cake.  What was your "lamb cake" this Easter season?

I Made Two Dresses and a Skirt; Sew Can You

Let's start off by saying I am not a seamstress even by loose definition.  When I first got married, I bought a sewing machine because that is what I thought I had to do.  I was moving into a home with the man of my dreams -- and all homes have sewing machines.  Or at least I thought they did. My mom had a sewing machine, her mom (my Nonna) had a sewing machine, and I guess I translated that to mean I needed to buy one.  I mean that didn't fall under the tasks for my new husband.  That was going to be part of my wife domain.  I guess I never stopped to think about the little side note that I didn't know how to use the machine.  I bought the machine thinking that I was woman, and I would be able to figure it out.  The only sewing experience I had was one semester class in high school.  I knew I could sew a square pillow. So I bought the machine.

It sat on the kitchen table for a couple of weeks.  It took me days to figure out how to fill the bobbin and how to threat the machine.  Once I figure those two things out, I put it in a closet in the basement and waited for the time to use it.

It has been 7 years since that purchase.  My daughter is turning 2 this summer.  I am not sure what came over me, but recently I wanted to sew.  Sew something. Sew anything.  I was looking through the Hanna Andersson catalog with all those adorable outfits for kids.  And I came across this dress they were selling--a pillowcase dress. You know how they tell little stories in catalogs to help put you in the mood to buy -- it is like foreplay for buyers.  Anyway they told a nice story about how Swedish women used to make dresses for their daughters out of old pillowcases so that nothing went to waste.  Gold -- I struck Gold.  I knew what I was going to sew.  I thought this was an idea that my lack of skills could bite into. I decided I wasn't going the old pillowcase route. I was off to Target!

Sewing Experiment #1: Pillowcase Dress (modeled after Hanna Andersson's dress)

I have to say it was pretty easy.  I made a mistake on the bottom when sewing the ribbon on, so I sewed a cute button over my mistake.  For about ten minutes, I kept staring at my mistake. Five minutes after that, I kept looking at my cute embellishment -- the button. *mommy hint - don't be hard on yourself when trying something.  Just see your mistakes as a opportunity to get creative. The armhole was a bit tricky.  But with a helpful hint from a Wheeling High School Home Ec. teacher (I went back to my roots -- asked a high school teacher) I was able to finish.  The key to the arm holes was using double faced bias tape.  It turns beautifully around the curve of the underarm.  Who knew that?   I didn't -- remember I don't sew; I just own a nice sewing machine.  With the addition of a couple of ribbons to create the shoulder straps, I was done.  Here it is; if I can make it, so can you.

Sewing Experiment #2:  Tube Top Dress

I started this dress because I was at the fabric store buying thread and ribbon for my pillowcase dress. And I saw this no-brainer fabric. It was already sewn in that scrunchy tube-top style on the top.  The dress on the right I didn't even need to sew the bottom of the dress.  It was a short fabric bolt made for a little girl with Disney's Ariel the mermaid on the bottom.  All I had to do was sew the dress up on its size and sew ribbons on the top to hold the dress up around my little girl's neck.  The dress on the left was made from a longer fabric bolt, but in the end all I did was measure my daughter and cut the dress accordingly.  Then I sewed the bottom of the dress, sewed up the side of the dress, and again added the ribbons to hold the dress up.  Talk about easy to make.

Sewing Experiment #3:  A Skirt for Mommy (modeled after a skirt I wear all the time)

Lastly, I was feeling confident. I have a favorite knockaround skirt I love to wear in the summer. It is a khaki knee length cotton A-line skirt. I bought some cute cotton fabric and a piece of elastic. I laid the skirt on the fabric and cut it out an inch bigger, so I could sew it.  I sewed the sides and the bottom.  Then I had to make a waist band.  I made the band a bit bigger than my waste so when I sewed it, it would be the correct size.  Then I made the elastic one inch smaller than my waste, so the skirt would stay up.  Lastly, I sewed the waste band with the elastic in it on to the skirt and literally one hour I had a new favorite skirt.  Here it is.

I have to say there is an incredibly satisfying feeling that comes over you after creating something from scratch. Knowing that you created this item out of fabric and thread. You did it.  At one point it wasn't clothing and now it is.  It is exciting.  That feeling of satisfaction that comes from creating something has nothing to do with gender.  All people no matter their sex -- no matter their age --- feel great after creating something from parts.  If I can make these, I know you can.  Get sewing and see what you can create. Feel the satisfaction.

Yogurt Treats for Kids and Yourself

I have always liked yogurt. But since I have had kids, yogurt has become my friend.  My go to item.  My kids are 3 and 1 and they view yogurt as a treat.  Even plain yogurt.  I know what you are thinking.  I am a cruel mom who doesn't give my kids ice cream and REAL treats.  But that isn't the case.  But I have saved yogurt as a treat and haven't let them know that I change up the presentation on them all the time.  Sometime they eat straight from a bowl, butttttt other times I freeze it in different ways.  And presto I have a new treat.


Frozen Treat #1: Yogurt Pops

I bought these fabulous little jewel pop forms made by Tovolo. You can buy them online, at Land of Nod, or from Sur La Table -- or I'm sure you can find them all sorts of other places.  I fill them with yogurt, and they freeze perfectly.  The kids love going into the freezer and asking for "pops" - so cute that is what they call them.







Frozen Treat #2 Frozen Dots

Use a zip lock bag as a pipping bag. Place yogurt in baggie. Pipe nickle sized dots of yogurt on wax paper or foil that is on some kind of pan or flat plate that fits into your freezer. I use a 9 inch round cake pan because it fits into my side by side frig/freezer. Freeze your little dots.

Once frozen, peal them off and store in freezer.  When you give your little ones a small bowl of these frozen treats, trust me they will not notice or care that it is simply yogurt in yet another form. My guess is that you will even enjoy popping a few; I know I do.

Frozen Treat #3 Yoplait Whips

I cannot take credit for this idea.  Yoplait came up with it; I just listened and took the advice given to me from their commercials.  These are great frozen.  Just freezer and enjoy.

Tuna Casserole Upgrade

Did your mom make Tuna Casserole?  Mine did.  I think one of the reasons a lot of people don't want to make this 1950's casserole is we think of it as outdated.  But in part it is also one of the reasons we want to make it;  it's a classic.  But I think there are a few tricks to updating this 1950's classic. First toss out the idea of using Elbow Macaroni noodles from Creamette - I mean this part of the recipe deserves an upgrade. Try a bigger thicker noodle with a bit of substance - Barilla Pipette or some Rigatoni.  Simply by changing the pasta, you are already off to a nice start in the upgrading process.  Below is the recipe that I have stuck with for the past few years. 

Tuna Casserole

Ingredients:

1 pound box of Pipette or Rigatoni
3 cans of chunk light tuna in oil (the oil has more taste than the water)
*hint #1 use chunk light - it has less mercury than Albacor tuna, and you are using 3 cans
* hint #2 DON' T drain the tuna if it is packed in oil.  If packed in water, drain it.
1 can cream of chicken (I use Campbell's healthy request)
1/2 can of water (use the can from the soup) 
1 cup frozen peas
salt/ pepper
olive oil
2 Tablespoons of butter / plus 1 Tablespoon for the topping
10- 15 Ritz crackers (crushed) *hint use more or less depending on how much crust you want

Directions:

Start by making your pasta. While the pasta is cooking, place the three cans of tuna in a bowl along with the frozen peas (still frozen), one can of Cream of Chicken Soup, and water *hint I fill the soup can half way with water and add that in to help keep the casserole moist. Plus I use the can so to help clean it out. Once the pasta is finished, add it to your bowl with your waiting mixture.  Also add 2 Tablespoons of butter (which will melt with the heat of the pasta), some olive oil, salt and pepper. Place in an oven-safe casserole dish with a cover.  Crush up 10-15 Ritz crackers and spread over the top of your casserole. Lastly, dab small pieces of butter across the top of casserole to help the crackers form a buttery topping.  Cover your casserole. Heat in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Enjoy.
*hint cover your casserole; it helps to keep it moist.  If you want some crunchy noodles on top, uncover the last 5 -10 minutes. If you prefer to keep it all moist, you must keep it covered. 

This recipe entry is dedicated to my dear friend Marian who always supports me. I am Blessed by her friendship. She asked me for this recipe -- so here it is -- sweet friend -- enjoy. 

Beef Barley Soup -- so warm and hearty

As of late, everyone in our household has been sick.  Nothing awful.  I think we are going on our third week of one illness or another.  We keep passing it around.  Our home is calling for a soup night. I thought I would try to make beef barley.  My grandmother (my Dad's mother) used to make beef barley soup with ground beef, but I thought I would try to make it with stew meat. 

Beef barley soup was my brother's favorite recipe that my grandmother used to make.  One night at her house was particularly memorable.  We all sat down to eat her beef barley soup and were enjoying it. As when any good meal is put on the table, everyone stopped talking and started eating.  Above the sound of our slurping, we could barley hear my baby brother say, "if this is beef barley soup, where is the barley grandma?"  It was at that point everyone started searching for the barley in his bowl as if looking for the lost treasure of the Seven Seas.  We all quickly came to the conclusion that my grandmother had forgotten the barley. For years to come, it was always a great story to relive and retell.  So when making the beef barley soup, you can use ground beef or stew meat, but don't forget the barley.  Maybe that is only a funny joke in my family. 

Now I don't know my grandmother's recipe, but here is my version of beef barley soup. The soup turned out warm, hearty, and yummy.  Here is how I made it.

Hearty Beef Barley Soup

Ingredients:

olive oil (the start of most wonderful recipes)
4 lbs. Beef Stew chunks (cut into small bite sized pieces)
1 medium onion
2-3 carrots
2 celery stalks
2 cloves of garlic
salt and pepper
1 box chicken stock
8 cups of water
6 chicken bullion cubes
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
2-3 bay leaves
cheese rind (don't need this, but if you have it use it)
2-3 red potatoes
1 cup medium barley
3 cups or so of frozen veggie mix

Directions:

Heat some olive oil in a stock pot.  Cut stew meat into small soup sized pieces. Brown the meat.  Salt and pepper after the meat is brown.  There will be a liquid at the bottom of your pot -- this is fine and only adds to the flavor of the soup.  Add chopped onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Add some salt and pepper.  *mommy hint - salt and pepper after each section of steps to build flavors. Add one box of chicken stock, 8 cups of water, and 6 chicken bullion cubes. *mommy hint - I  know many people would use beef stock and beef bullion, but I just wanted to use what I had in the house. And it worked just fine;  plus I prefer chicken stock to beef stock. But if you like beef stock better, use it.  Continue to add layers of flavors.  Add one can of diced tomatoes, bay leaves, diced potatoes, and one cup of barley. If you have a cheese rind this is the time to add it; if you don't just skip this step you will  not miss it.  *mommy hint - I always have cheese rinds in my freezer for the express purpose of making soups.  It adds a saltiness to the background of the soup.  It is not needed; it is just a little secret my Nonna (my mom's mother) taught me.  Simmer for 1 hour.  Then after the barley has been cooked, add 3 cups or so of your favorite frozen veggie mix.  Bring to boil again and serve.  So filling and yummy.  Enjoy.

Candy Airplanes Big Hit as Treat for Goody Bag

These candy airplane were a big success as a treat in my son's Valentine's Day gift bags.  But they could be used for treat bags for any occasion.  I originally got the idea from Disney's Family Fun magazine; someone put it on pinterest. The original plane's wings were made from a stick of gum, and the wheels were hard Lifesavers.  I modified it to be a bit more 3 year old friendly.  I don't know about your little ones, but my little ones don't chew gum yet. So with a few changes it is now ready for a tots goody bag.

Items needed to assemble plane:

Small Hersey chocolate bars (instead of gum)
Gummy Lifesavers (instead of hard mint Lifesavers)
Smarties
Small rubber bands   

Step One:

Place rubber band between two gummy Lifesavers and keep your fingers in the rubber bands during the next steps. It makes it easier to put the plane together.

Step Two:

Fit the Smartie between the two Lifesavers "wheels."

 Step Three:

Then loop one side of the rubber band over the Hersey bar (keep your one finger/thumb in the other side of the rubber band so to hold it in place). Then loop the other side around the chocolate bar.

This is what it looks like from the underneath side of the plane.



They are easy to make with the kids, and they are a big hit when the goody bags are opened.  The best part is it is not another throw away item tossed into the goody bag. The kids actually eat them.

A Baby Shower gift -- the perfect gift is the gift of your well earned experience

What to pack --- what to pack?  When you are going to have a baby, there are all sorts of things that need to be accomplished before the baby's arrival.  I remember making lists.  I think one of the items on my to do list was to make a list -- no kidding -- I actually wrote make a hospital packing list on my to do list.  I laughed when I went back to my to do list the next day and read make a list on my list. Anyway after having my two little ones I think I learned what was important to pack in my hospital bag and what wasn't. This new found information is not going to help me anymore because I don't plan on having more children.  So this is useless information floating around in my brain.

A few months back, my girlfriend Kristen was pregnant with her first little joy; since then she has given birth to a beautiful baby boy named Carter.  But back then, her up coming baby shower had me stumped for a perfect gift. She is a dear friend, and I wanted to do something special for her; I figure anybody can buy something off a registry.  Now I am not bashing the concept of the registry.  New mommys and daddys need lots of baby stuff.  Anyone who has had a baby shower knows that some of the items we place on the registry we never use; we all get swept up my the magical baby brain and zap too many odd items with the registry zapper machine.  Anyway this is not about discussing the necessity of the items on the registry.  But it is about putting together a thoughtful useful gift that is not part of the registry.

So here is my mommy bright idea that you can use for your next baby shower -- it was a hit with everyone.

I bought a laundry basket (for my gift bag - which they can used to carry the baby's laundry to and from the laundry room) filled with baby necessities that usually don't make it on a registry --- but are super essential. I added helpful tags to each item with the product's best use on the tag. Mostly it was essential baby items, but I tossed in a few of my favorite baby items and a couple toys/books. It was a beautiful gift. Lastly, let's go back to the start of this entry.  The hospital packing list.  I typed up a great hospital bag packing list for her and added that to the gift.  This way she will not have to write make a hospital bag packing list on her to do list.

* Just a side note: I have not been paid to talk about these products.  They are just the products that I have come to love through personal trial and error.



Hospital Packing List
Pack at least two weeks earlier then you think you need to
Mommy/Daddy Needs

Comfy clothing to change into after the
“First Shower”
(BEST SHOWER EVER – YOU WILL NEVER HAVE FELT SO CLEAN)

Razor and shaving cream
Shampoo and Conditioner
Deodorant
Comfy underwear – cotton – (pick ones that if you have to toss out, it would be ok)
Nursing bra
Disposable nursing pads (6 )
Socks
Chapstick
Hairclip or band
Jewelry (whatever you want to wear after baby is born – small earrings and necklace – I feel naked without my girlie accessories – but maybe that is just me)

Makeup (I am sure you will not want a lot, but I know I wanted some mascara – it made me feel a little better and remember there will be lots of pictures taken)

Lotion (light scent or no scent)
Slippers to walk around hospital
Toothbrush for you
Toothbrush for hubby (he’ll think you are the most thoughtful wife EVER!)
Toothpaste
Change of clothing and slippers for hubby (comfy)
Camera equipment (make sure everything is charged)
List of people you want Daddy /your Mom etc... to text or call for you to let them know about the baby’s arrival (this way you don’t have to think about it)

No perfume (don’t want your mommy scent to be confusing to new breastfeeding baby – let baby smell you)

Small plastic accordion folder (that snaps shut or has a tie that closes - this is good for collecting all the
small piece of information the nurses/doctors give you - information sheets, baby’s hearing test, misc. papers, baby’s ID band, Mommy and Daddy’s ID -- keepsakes)

Extra duffel bag (help you bring home gifts from people and extra stuff hospital gives you)
Baby book (so you can have a nurse put the baby’s foot prints in the book for you – they do this all day long it will be harder for you to do this at home)

Spiral notebook (need this to make a log of baby’s feeding and diaper changes)
Insurance information (baby pre-approval number and phone number)

Baby Needs
Nail clippers
Sleeper with hand covers (good to go home outfit)

*Must drink lots of water after you give birth (we will chat about this later)