Things That Make Me Smile 4/3/20

Jake (14), Alyssa (12), Zac (10), Tyler (8), Nicholas (5)

This lists covers two very busy weeks of Smiles. We celebrated two birthdays (Alyssa turning 12 and Tyler turning 8), played games, assembled puzzles, had our pizza and movie marathon as part of our Experience Christmas, got some yard work done, completed a family quarantine bingo challenge with our church youth group, roasted hot dogs and marshmallows over the fire, built a fort in the living room, went on family walks, performed science experiments, baked muffins, read books, and created more memories. I love this family of mine!

1. Nicholas: "It's a good day to play outside. It's shiny and stuff!"

2. Tyler, chewing gum: "I haven't had this in so long. I love it so much that I want to chew my teeth off!"

3.

4. Nicholas: "I smell pink."

Me: "And what exactly does pink smell like?"

Nicholas: "Bubblegum!"

5. Tyler, about the arm-knitted blanket on my bed: "Did Alyssa make this?"

Me: "Yes."

Tyler: "Wow! How did she get that kind of skill?!"

6. Alyssa was excited to receive a quill and ink for her birthday.

7. Nicholas, because he didn't want to see something: "I'm just going to plug my eyes."

8. I walked into the kitchen first thing in the morning to find Jake at the cutting board with an apple. His hand was wrapped in a blood-saturated paper towel A bloody knife was sitting on the counter. "What did you do?!" I asked. And then he smile. That's when I remembered it was April Fool's Day.

9. Tyler had a mint Oreo ice cream cake (with trick candles, ha) for his birthday.

10. Nicholas, telling me about his dream: "And then I said, 'Don't patro-nose me."

Me: "Patronize? Did you just use patronize?"

Nicholas: "Yeah, patron-eyes."

11. Nicholas, looking at the number 69: "Look. It's the two 6s. The up one and the down one."

What made you Smile this week?

Relating to Seuss

* This post may contain affiliate links.

Yesterday was Dr. Seuss' birthday! Our family looks forward to this day every year. Sometimes we create Seuss-themed crafts, most times we make green eggs and ham, and every time we spend the day in a reading marathon. Seuss published over 60 books, and we own the majority of them. I love his writing style. It's a combination of silly and whimsical with made-up words and animals off-set by deep concepts that are written for the littlest learners to comprehend. 

My kids love reading the Who Was Dr. Seuss? book and sharing details of his life that they've learned. Do you know which book was written because of a bet from his editor? Or which one was in reference to the Cold War? Or do you know which book and character were fashioned after Adolf Hitler? Many of this writings have more meaning than simple rhyming words like hop on pop for early readers. 

Nine years ago, I listed some of our favorite Dr. Seuss books and quotes. I also attributed a story to each of my kiddos. Of course, the kids are older now, and we've also added a couple to our family. It's time to relate a story to each of them again!  

The book I choose for Jake is The Rabbit, the Bear, and the Zinniga-Zanniga. It is a forgotten tale found in The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories. In it, a little rabbit is about to become a big bear's dinner when he uses his quick thinking to outsmart the beast. It starts with a simple missing eyelash and swiftly escalates to a crooked head, a sore throat, a broken backbone, and more. The bear becomes terrified of dying from this missing eyelash ailment and eagerly obeys the rabbit's medical advice, leaving the wily creature free to escape with his life. 

"Unless I think terribly, terribly fast . . . I've got to be smart! Got to think of some trick! And that little old rabbit, he thought mighty quick!"

Jake is my quick-witted, philosopher, clever child. He is able to choose his words to manipulate situations, both to get his way and just for fun. When he tries it with me though, I often remind him that he came by that thinking naturally and can usually anticipate what is swirling around in his head. His mental ingenuity has the ability to frustrate yet impress me at the same time.

Alyssa's book is easily I can Read with My Eyes Shut! She is my bibliophile and is often found deep in a book. In this story, the Cat in the Hat explains just how much you can learn by reading. Bees. Hoses. Anchors. Wishbones. Foo-Foo the Snoo. Ice. Glad. And much more, too. 

And when I keep them open I can read with much more speed. You have to be a speedy reader 'cause there's so, so much to read!

That perfectly describes my girl who reads stacks of books each week.

Anyone who knows my Zachary knows that he is a loving, compassionate child. Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose is my book for him.  Thidwick is a moose who allowed a tiny Bingle Bug to hitch a ride on his antlers. As he traveled the countryside eating moose moss, more and more creatures took advantage of his hospitality. A spider, many birds, a family of squirrels, a bobcat and turtle, a fox, mice, fleas, and a bear all made their residence in his roomy antlers. The burden was cumbersome and cost him much, yet he continued to show kindness.   

"Of course not!" Smiled Thidwick, the Big-Hearted Moose. "I'm happy my antlers can be of some use. There's room there to spare, and I'm happy to share! Be my guest and I hope that you're comfortable there!"

Just like the moose, Zac lives a life of benevolence. He is always thinking of others and going out of his way to bless people, even when it comes at a cost to him. He is a people-pleaser and a problem-solver whose big heart can be hurt when people take advantage of him, but ultimately is full when he demonstrates his generosity. 

If this would have been a few years ago, I wouldn't hesitate to say that The Cat in the Hat was absolutely Tyler. The antics of the Cat--always getting into mischief, always causing trouble, always doing what he shouldn't and always with a smile--was Tyler as a toddler. I could write a book on the shenanigans he caused, but he has since outgrown that stage. Mostly. 

Instead, I decided on If I Ran the Circus. The book relates Morris McGurk's dream of creating a circus. His plans include acrobats and jugglers and clowns, of course, but also horn-tooting apes, the Remarkable Foon who eats sizzling pebbles that fall off the moon, a Blindfolded Bowman from Brigger-ba-Root, a Jott who juggles 22 question marks and 44 commas and 1 dot, a Flummox, a Harp-Twanging Snarp, and 5 layers of To-an-Fro Marchers. Page after page, the Circus McGurkus gets bigger and better with "wild ruckus-ing."

"But that's just my Side Show. A start. A beginning. This way to the Big Tent! You'll find your head spinning."

Tyler is my inventor. He loves to create elaborate designs--on paper, with Lego, using odds and ends from around the house. He draws detailed doughnut machines where the treats follow conveyor belts to be drizzled with chocolate or glaze or sprinkled just right. He builds all sorts of Rube Goldberg-type of machines where one feature triggers something new. His mind is filled with complicated feats, but then he creates and designs and constructs them into existence. In fact, he showed me his latest fabrication as I was typing this. If he ever decides to create "The World's Greatest Show on the face of the earth," you can be sure he'll bring it to life.  

Nick's book is Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? This was probably my favorite Seuss book growing up. I loved all the silly sounds and melodious rhymes. It's such a fun book to read to little ones.

Oh, the wonderful things Mr. Brown can do! Moo Moo Buzz Buzz Pop Pop Pop Eek Eek Hoo Hoo Klopp Klopp Klopp Dibble Dibble Dopp Dopp Cock-a-doodle-doo Mr. Brown can do it. How about you?

Nick is my performer. He loves to be in the spotlight and often calls for my attention as he lip syncs and dances along with songs, complete with dramatic faces and mannerisms. He spends his days singing--literally all day long--and makes silly sounds. Maybe one day he'll follow Mr. Brown's example and become a voice actor.  

I had originally planned to choose books for only the kids, but when I saw Oh, the Places You'll Go!, I immediately thought of Leighton. The book is a popular choice for gifting to graduates because it talks about possibilities. The chance to see great things, accomplish worthy tasks, and go amazing places. Sometimes, hard times will come and you'll make mistakes. That's life. Pick yourself up, work hard, and you'll succeed.

You have brains in your head.You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

Many people know that Leighton had a difficult childhood. He experienced things that no child should ever have to, yet he didn't let those circumstances break him. He is an intelligent man with many talents. I often say that there is nothing he can't do. He seized the opportunities he came across and has been successful in many ways. He used those brains in his head and decided where to go. And he chose wisely.

Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? is my book. It describes example after example of someone whose life is worse than the next. Be thankful that you don't have to work on the Bunglebung Bridge or that you didn't take your Throm-dim-bu-lator apart or that you're not like Mr. Bix who has every day his Borfin to fix. Be glad that you haven't spent 32 years trying to teach Irish ducks to read Jivvanese  or that you can produce a shadow because nothing is wrong with your Gizz and that you don't live in France by the pants-eating-plants. Each situation is crazy and impossible and depressing (though humorously told).

When you think things are bad, when you feel sour and blue, when you start to get mad . . . you should do what I do! . . . Don't grumble! Don't stew! Some critters are much-much, oh, ever so much-much, so muchly much-much more unlucky than you! 

Did I ever tell you how lucky I am? I truly have nothing to complain about. God has blessed my life abundantly. And when situations happen that don't align with my personal plan, God is still good. He loves and provides and protects. He's given me so much. And to top it all off, I know I'll never have to worry about having a tail that is filled with unsolvable knots like the Crumple-horn, Web-footed, Green-bearded Schlottz!

And that's our family through Dr. Seuss!

Do you love Dr. Seuss like we do? What is your favorite book?

* Some of the links in the content above are affiliate links. If you click on a link and purchase an item, I may receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I recommend products or services that I have used personally and all the text and opinions are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 225.

Mint Oreo Ice Cream Cake

One of my kids' favorite things about celebrating a birthday is choosing a cake! We've made all sorts of cakes over the years, but I'm partial to the ice cream cake. Oh, it makes a yummy treat for sure, but I especially love it for its ease. It comes together quickly (you don't want it to melt!), but it looks impressive with all those layers of goodness. 

We've made many variations of it, but the peanut butter cup ice cream cake is definitely a family favorite. When Zac chose an ice cream cake for his 10th birthday this year, I had expected him to pick that one.

I was pleasantly surprised when he decided on a Mint Oreo version.

I'm a sucker for all things Mint Oreo, so this cake ties with our peanut butter cup ice cream cake at the top of my list.

If you like mint, chocolate, whipped cream, and desserts that are easy to make, you need to try this Mint Oreo ice cream cake!

Mint Oreo Ice Cream Cake

Ingredients:

18 mint chocolate chip ice cream sandwiches

12 Mint Oreo cookies, chopped

Chocolate sauce

Fresh whipped cream (or 1-2 small tubs Cool Whip)

Directions:

1. Working quickly, place 6 unwrapped ice cream sandwiches on a serving platter. Spread a generous portion of the whipped cream all across the top. Sprinkle with cookie pieces. Drizzle the chocolate sauce across the top.

2. Arrange 6 more unwrapped ice cream sandwiches on top and repeat layer of whipped cream, cookie pieces, and chocolate sauce.

3. Place 6 remaining unwrapped ice cream sandwiches on top.
4. Cover cake with whipped cream. *Garnish with remaining cookie pieces and chocolate sauce. Freeze cake for at least 30 minutes, and until ready to serve. Keep leftover cake in the freezer.

*If your ice cream is starting to melt, you can put the assembled cake in the freezer for 15 minutes before coating with whipped cream and garnishes.


Whipped Cream
Ingredients:
1 pint (2 cups) heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Place metal mixing bowl and metal whisk attachment in the freezer for 10 minutes.
2. Remove the bowl from freezer and place all ingredients in the bowl. Using the metal whisk attachment on a mixer, beat until stiff peaks form. Do not over-beat.

Things That Make Me Smile 11/18

Jake (12 1/2), Alyssa (10 1/2), Zac (9), Tyler (6 1/2), Nicholas (3 1/2)

I am determined to get caught up on my Smiles once and for all! I've noticed that I haven't been recording things my kids say much at all anymore because I am so far behind. We can't have that! So here is all of our Smiles from November of last year (or at least the ones I made sure to record).  

1. Nicholas, looking at a shark: "Aww, that's cute."

Tyler: "Never say a shark is cute unless it's a baby shark."

2. Zac: "That was the best dinner I've had since yesterday!"

3. We celebrated Zac's 9th birthday. I took him out for his special day the week before and then showed him our love on his birthday with pancakes with chocolate gravy for breakfast, a new LEGO set, and a homemade peanut butter cup cake.

4. Nicholas, calling to me as I was walking away: "Wait for me, fweetheart!"

5. Alyssa, listening to "I've Got the Joy, Joy, Joy" when it said down in my heart to stay: "I used to think it was down in my heart Tuesday."

6. Nicholas, holding the straps of his snow pants: "Now I can be a farmer!"

7. We also celebrated Leighton's birthday with LEGO presents and a homemade strawberries & cream cake.

8. Nicholas, to Alyssa, sweetly: "Hi, darling."

9. Jake: "Do you like hard or soft tacos?"

Nicholas: "Fuzzy."

10. We walked down to the school and voted in the election as a family.

11. We celebrated Thanksgiving with our family and made pumpkin, eggnog cream, and dutch apple pies.

12. Nicholas, about our monthly science class: "Somebody had robots there."

Me: "That was Miss Rachel."

Nicholas: "Yes, Miss Rachel! I love that name."

13. Leighton: "They're driving on the shoulder."

Tyler, confused: "How do you drive with your shoulder?"

13. Thankful for my blessings.

What made you Smile?

Things That Make Me Smile 3/23/18

Jake (12), Alyssa (10), Zac (8), Tyler (5 1/2), Nicholas (3)

Leighton and I went away alone this past weekend (for the first time in 4 years!)(thanks for being so wonderful and watching our crazy crew, Dad and Mom! <3 ), so I wasn't able to get a Smile list posted until today. This particular week was full of Smiles as we celebrated both Alyssa's 10th birthday and Tyler's Special Day alone with Mom for his 6th birthday. So busy, so fun.

1. Tyler: "I had water in my mouth and my head was upside down, and I swallowed. That's just weird, right? I was fighting gravity."

2. Nicholas: "Mama, you not little yet."

3. Zac: "Nicky is like a cheetah. He gets too much energy and runs so fast. He has sharp nails, too, but they never retract like a cheetah."

4.

5. Alyssa, eating her birthday cake: "Mom always works magic with cakes."

6. Jake, about something Nicholas did: "I thought it was ridiculously cute."

7. Tyler, drinking Berry Sprite, making a face: "That's powerful."

Me: "If you don't like it, we can get you something else."

Tyler: "I do like it. I like powerful drinks."

8. Alyssa: "I want a new, big chapter book to read. I've been craving one."

9.

10. Me: "Hey, what happened to my apple?"

Nicholas, walking into the kitchen: "You talking 'bout dis apple?" {smiles mischievously and takes a big bite}

Me: "Yeah, that apple."

11. Tyler, banging on the table: "I was smacking it as hard as I can, and I didn't even get hurt! {smacks it again} I was smacking it even harder than I can that time, and I still didn't get hurt! I'm so cool."

What made you Smile this week?

Cinnamon Roll Cake

Our family loves cinnamon rolls. 

We make them for Christmas. We make them for Father's Day. We make them for Leighton's birthday. We make them because it's Tuesday. We make them because it's raining. We make them to celebrate. We make them just because. 

We don't need a reason to make cinnamon rolls, really. 

To be honest, the family is thrilled with any variation of this beloved treat. Bread, muffins, pancakes . . . 

Cake.  

This cake has been a family favorite for years. Moist yellow cake with sugary cinnamon swirled throughout and topped with a sticky glaze. It's all the deliciousness of cinnamon rolls in a fraction of the time. 

Tyler picked this cake to celebrate his 6th birthday a couple weeks ago. Each of the kids have looked at this picture as I'm typing this and have asked when I'm making it again. Hmm, maybe I'll throw it together in the morning and call it coffee cake, ha. With a name like that, it's totally acceptable for breakfast, right?

If you love cinnamon rolls, you need to make this cake. Then you can have a piece for breakfast, too. 

Cinnamon Roll Cake

Ingredients
Cake:

3 cups flour

1/4 teaspoons salt

3/4 cups sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 cups milk

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/3 cup butter, melted

Filling:

6 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon flour

1 tablespoon cinnamon

Glaze:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla 

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients for the cake until thoroughly combined. Pour batter into a greased 9x13 cake pan.
2. Mix together ingredients for the filling and drop by spoonfuls around the batter. Swirl the filling with a knife.
3. Bake the cake at 350° for 30-35 minutes, or until done.
4. Combine the glaze ingredients and drizzle over the warm cake.

Things That Make Me Smile 12/1/17

Jake (12), Alyssa (9 1/2), Zac (8), Tyler (5 1/2), Nicholas (2 1/2)

Happy Friday! This week we celebrated Jake's 12th birthday, enjoyed our second game schooling day, and started our Christmas festivities.

1. Nicholas, looking at a picture of a cake: "It's a happy-to-you cake." (Happy Birthday to You song)

2. Alyssa: "I would never want to trade Nicky for anyone."

3. Nicholas, to Zac: "You want to play hiding spot?" (hide 'n seek)

4. Jake and I spent a date day together to celebrate his birthday.

5. Zac: "I'm almost done with the book! This is the chapter before the chapter that's before the chapter that's the last one."

6. Tyler: "I love you, Nicky!"
Nicholas: "Yes, you do."

7. Nicholas, covering his own eyes: "Daddy! You can't see me!"

8. Tyler: "I'm getting too big for these socks. They're too small now because I ate dinner."

9. Jake and his Boston Cream Pie birthday cake.

10. Nicholas: "Can I have another nemnem?" (vitamin)
Me: "No, you get only one."
Nicholas: "Look at my face." {grabs my cheeks, puts his nose to mine, and stares into my eyes} "Look at my face. Pease. I have another nemnem."

11. Me: ". . . Because I'm the mom and you're the boy."
Nicholas: "No, I Nicky!"


What made you Smile this week?

Things That Make Me Smile 12/2/16

Jake (11), Alyssa (8½), Zac (7), Tyler (4½), Nicholas (1½)

Happy Friday! This week, we celebrated Jake's 11th birthday, had a party for 3 of the boys, and started our various advent activities. This is such a busy, but fun time of year.

1. Alyssa: "Sometimes I see a book and I just have to read it!"

2. Jake: "Nicky's so cute I'm going to go crazy!" 

3. We do a book-a-day advent calendar every Christmas. Leighton read this book with a British accent. The kids and I were laughing so hard. He then read it again, changing his voice to various accents/characters as we suggested them. So much laughter. So much fun. Such a great daddy.  

4. Zac: "I hope God wants me to work for LEGO when I grow up. What if He has that for all of us? Maybe we could all work at Legoland and tell people about the Bible."

5. Nicholas, looking out the window at home: "Papa, c'mere! Papa, c'mere! Papa, are you?"  

6. Zac, changing his clothes for an activity at church: "I'm going to change in the bathroom in one of the cells." (stalls) 

7. Tyler: "Mom, I don't like being lazy."

8.

9. Jake, joking: "Mom, that's not fair."
Me: "I'm a mom; I'm not supposed to be fair."
Zac: "You're not fair."
Me: "Thank you! That's quite the compliment."
Jake: "What? How is that a compliment?"
Me: "Because mom's aren't supposed to be fair. It means I'm doing my job."
Zac, whispering: "I only said it because I love you. I really do think you're fair."


What made you Smile this week?

Zac's 5th Birthday

I've posted so many Smiles the last few days that I figured it was time to break things up a bit. Don't get me wrong, you can never laugh too much, but today we can Smile at cute pictures of a little boy, instead of the cute things the little boy says. And since I've been in the catching-up-on-posts mood, I figured I would finish up a post I started a while ago: Zac's 5th birthday. Yes, he turned 6 a few months ago. This is an oldie, but a goodie.

Happy 5th Birthday, Zac!

The birthday child always gets to pick breakfast. Zac chose buttermilk pancakes with strawberry syrup, topped off with fresh whipped cream and sprinkles. Certainly not healthy, but how often do you get a birthday anyway?
 

We dropped off the other kids with my parents and spent the rest of the day together celebrating him. The kids and I look forward to their Special Day every year. I love having one-on-one time with each of them and they love choosing the agenda. 

Birthday boy's choice for lunch? McDonalds. 

 

After lunch, we made a stop at the dollar store where Zac picked out a new school workbook, markers, and a toy.

What would a Special Day be without a Toys 'R Us birthday crown and balloon? We threw in a red Hulk, just for fun.

At home, we assembled the new LEGO set he picked out at the store and then watched the LEGO Movie together.

On the way to pick up the other kiddos, we grabbed Slurpees for everyone.  I always like to bring back a treat for the others so no one feels left out.
 

Zac picked homemade personal pizzas for dinner and chocolate cake with blue buttercream frosting for dessert.

And, of course, no Leaf birthday is complete without a LEGO birthday present!

Happy 5th Birthday to my sweet, tenderhearted, selfless, loving boy.

Wordless Wednesday 3/4/15

Wordless Wednesday 2/4/15

Wordless Wednesday 4/10/13

Tyler's First Birthday

1 year

365 days

8,760 hours

How do they go by so fast?

Wasn't it just yesterday that he was born?

And I'm sure it was the day before that that we had realized our family was not yet complete. 

So then, how are we celebrating Tyler's first birthday???

I always heard people say that the older you get, the faster time seems to go by. And it's true. Time is evaporating like water drops on a hot summer's day. I can't even agree with the saying that the days are long, but the years are short. Even the days themselves are short. I often feel discouraged because I couldn't complete everything that needed to be done. There just aren't enough hours in a day. 

I'm not saying that the days are a breeze. They're hectic. And loud. Busy. And loud. Never-get-a-moment-to-think. And did I mention loud? 

My 4 little ones are with me every single minute of every single day - and I truly wouldn't want it any other way (though I would appreciate if they took naps or played quietly by themselves every now and then, ha) - and the days are mostly pretty crazy. 

And yet, I find myself saying Why are you growing up so fast? Why are you getting so tall? How did you get strong enough to do that? Stop growing up! I just want to freeze time and keep my babies as babies just a while longer. I want to revel in the craziness that comes from raising and schooling 4 children. I want to soak in each milestone. Cement each memory. Lengthen each day. 

Never again will I get this past year back. Never again will I dress him in those itty-bitty baby clothes. Never again will I watch him learn to crawl. Never again will I smile at his newborn cry. 

Of course, there are plenty more firsts and precious experiences to come. And I want to immerse myself in each one. To savor each moment. Because they will never happen again. Time is  funny thing. We think we have so much of it. And then it's gone. I want to be here every moment for my kids. I want them to know just how very much I love them, that they are my greatest ministry.

As I sat here and read Tyler's birth story again and reminisced about that day, I got teary-eyed. These monumental days always make me nostalgic. I think about all that he's been through in his short life and the stories we'll tell him when he's older. We'll tell him that he was so excited to meet us and came 4 weeks early, just in time for his big sister's birthday celebration. We'll talk about how he got sick and spent nearly 2 weeks in the hospital. We'll give the details of rushing him there in an ambulance because of his reaction to the medication. We'll recount how he always smiled and never complained, no matter how much pain he was in. We'll talk about how much his big brothers and sister always fought over who got to play with him and who was "always hogging him." We'll tell him how much he adored them too and mimicked what they did. We'll mention how he absolutely loved bananas. We'll say that he still wasn't walking at a year old and how that was completely ok with mommy because that meant that he was still going to be a baby a little while longer. We'll tease him about being a mama's boy and never wanting anyone else, about making mama hold him constantly. We'll vouch that he's always been the sweetest boy.

Over the years, we'll add to the stories. The memories will grow. Our hearts will get bigger.

Though I don't understand how we could love him even more.

But I know, we thought the same thing just yesterday. 

Tyler Joseph Leaf

5 lbs. 10 oz.  19¾ in.

March 24, 2012 4:12 p.m. 

2 months

 5 months

7 months

10 months

1 year

Happy Birthday, Ty Juice. We love you, sweet baby boy.

Tasty Tuesday: 5-Layer Neapolitan Cake

Every year I ask Leighton, "What kind of cake do you want for your birthday?" And every year he responds, "I don't care." This year he did follow it up with, "I don't think I want a Boston cream though."

It was a start. I knew what he didn't want, but that didn't narrow it down much. "Do you want another tres leches?" was met with "I don't know," (I don't know usually means no.) to which I responded, "Well, you're no help."

Profitable conversation, huh?

I browsed the recipes on a few of my favorite sites and narrowed the choices down to two. The one is an all white cake with white chocolate - a big plus in my hubby's eyes. I knew immediately that he would love it. The other was a cake I fell in love with the moment I first saw it nearly a year ago. While it does have a couple layers of chocolate cake, I thought I might be able to win him over with the Neapolitan aspect and the abundance of strawberry flavors.

As you can see, the lure of the prettier and more complicated cake was too strong. I did promise to make him the all-white cake some day though. I get bonus points for that, right??

This cake takes a bit of time to make. You make 3 different cakes - chocolate, strawberry, vanilla - along with a strawberry buttercream frosting. In between the layers, you can add either a bit of vanilla buttercream frosting or a good-quality strawberry jam. We used our homemade jam (using our  triple berry jam recipe, replacing the blueberries with extra strawberries.) Whether you choose the frosting or the jam to hold it all together, make sure you use just a tiny bit, a super thin layer. Mine soaked into the cake and bled through some. While it made for a very tasty addition, the layers were not quite as defined as I would have liked.     

But really, who cares about a little seeping when the cake tastes amazing??? All the components separately are delicious (oh, how I love that strawberry buttercream and can't wait to try it on other cakes!), but combine them and the flavors all work together to make a very Neapolitan-esque creation. It's kinda crazy how just how Neapolitany it is. Crazy and delicious. 

And crazy and delicious is good.

 

Really good.

And was I right? Did the cake win Leighton over??

Ohhh yeah.


5-Layer Neapolitan Cake

Chocolate Cake
Ingredients:
¾ cup plus 2 Tbs all-purpose flour
6 Tbs dark cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 cup sugar
¼ cup vegetable or canola oil
1 egg
½ cup black coffee
½ cup buttermilk
1½ tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. and butter and flour the edges of a 9-inch round pan, shaking out the excess flour. 
2. In a small bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt; whisk to blend and set aside. 
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the sugar, vegetable oil and egg.  Beat on medium speed until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.  With the mixer on low speed, blend in half of the dry ingredients, beating just until incorporated.  Blend in the coffee, buttermilk and vanilla just until smooth.  Beat in the remaining dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes.  Cool in pan on wire rack for 20 minutes before inverting onto rack to cool completely.


White Cake
Ingredients:
2 egg whites
1¾ cup flour
1½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 cup sugar
8 Tbs unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup very cold water
½ tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp almond extract

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. and butter and flour the edges of a 9-inch round pan, shaking out the excess flour. 
2. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt; whisk to blend and set aside. 
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites on medium speed until foamy.  Increase speed to medium high and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.  Transfer the egg whites to another bowl and set aside. 
4. In the bowl of the electric mixer now fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar and butter, and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.  With the mixer on low speed, beat in half of the dry ingredients just until incorporated.  Blend in the water, vanilla and almond extracts.  Beat in the remaining dry ingredients just until incorporated.  With a silicone spatula, stir in about a quarter of the egg whites to lighten the batter.  Gently fold in the remaining egg whites, until the batter is smooth and no streaks remain.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes.  Cool in pan on wire rack for 20 minutes before inverting onto rack to cool completely. 

 

 

Strawberry Cake 

Ingredients:
1¼ cups plus 2 Tbs all-purpose flour
1¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1½ oz strawberry gelatin
8 Tbs unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 eggs
½ cup milk
1½ tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup sweetened strawberry puree (process partially thawed frozen strawberries, if unsweetened add 2 tsp sugar)

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. and butter and flour the edges of a 9-inch round pan, shaking out the excess flour.  
2. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt; whisk to blend and set aside. 
3. Combine the sugar, strawberry gelatin and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.  Beat the eggs into the sugar mixture one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  With the mixer on low speed, add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix just until incorporated.  Blend in the milk and vanilla extract.  Add in the remaining dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.  Blend in the strawberry puree.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes.  Cool in pan on wire rack for 20 minutes before inverting onto rack to cool completely.
 

Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
8 cups confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 Tbs vanilla extract
1 Tbs water
pinch of salt
1 tsp strawberry extract
yellow food coloring, optional

Directions:
Beat the butter and icing sugar in an electric mixer on low with the paddle attachment for about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla, water, whipping cream, salt, strawberry extract, and food coloring (as needed to match the color of the white cake) and whip on high speed until fluffy and smooth–about 4 minutes. If consistency is too thick, add water 1 teaspoon at a time, and whip again for 30 seconds or so.
 

Filling
Vanilla buttercream or good quality strawberry jam


Assemble the Cake:
Torte each of the cake layers horizontally into two thin halves. If you do not have a cake slicer, use a large serrated knife. Hold the knife in the middle of the cake and spin the cake slowly as you cut into the side. Continue spinning and sawing until you cut all the way through. Use a cake board (I cut a circle out of a cereal box) to slide under the top layer and lift it off.

Place one of the chocolate layers on a cake board or cake platter.  Top with a very thin layer of the vanilla buttercream or strawberry jam.  Place a layer of the strawberry cake on top.  Again, cover with a thin layer of vanilla buttercream or strawberry jam.  Top with a layer of the white cake.  Cover with a thin layer of the vanilla buttercream or strawberry jam.  Repeat the process with the remaining layers of chocolate and strawberry cake.  (For a taller cake, you can use the remaining layer of white cake.  Otherwise, you can wrap tightly and save.)  Frost as desired with the strawberry buttercream frosting.
Recipe adapted from Sweetapolita.

Things That Make Me Smile 11/9/12

Happy . . . Monday? Where did the weekend go? I opened this post 4 or 5 times with good intentions of getting it done. Oh well, everyone needs a few smiles on Mondays, right?

We had quite the week here last week. Zac turned the big 3 and Leighton turned the big 3-0. Two birthdays means two cakes. (Technically, 3 cakes since my SIL makes the kids fancy cakes for their parties.) I made Zac a funfetti cake covered in sprinkles. The recipe is super easy, yet looks and tastes better than any boxed funfetti cake. Leighton's cake was a little more complicated. I made him a 5-layer Neapolitan cake - chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla cakes sandwiched with our homemade strawberry-raspberry jam and covered in a strawberry buttercream frosting. In a word, yum. It truly tastes like Neapolitan ice cream. When I get back to posting recipes again, you can be sure both these recipes will be included.

You can also be sure that I won't be making another cake any time soon . . . at least 3 weeks anyway when we have another birthday to celebrate.
 
Now, since we've waited much too long, let's smile!


1. Zac received a birthday card in the mail. When he opened it up, two bills fell out. He immediately handed one to Alyssa (the larger denomination at that.) When I explained that the money was for him, he said, "But I have two. One for me and one for Lyssa."

2. Me: "Would you like sprinkles in your pancakes"

Alyssa: "I would appreciate that."

3. Jake, to Zac: "You turn 3 today!"

Alyssa, confused: "He doesn't look any taller."

4. We stood in line to vote for 45 minutes. The kids grew a little bored, but behaved perfectly. When we got home, Alyssa said, "When can we do that again? I really like the sticker!" 

5. I heard "Mom! Help!" and found this:

6. Alyssa was helping me do laundry when she slammed my thumb in the dryer door, hard enough to make my vision black and everything blurry. I got a bag of ice and headed to the couch to lie down. Jacob and Alyssa jumped into care-taker mode. They got me 3 pillows, 2 blankets, tons of stuffed animals, ice water, crackers, vitamin C, and a band-aid. They read me stories, turned on music, and acted silly. Alyssa even gently placed her hand on my forehead to check for a fever. They asked every 2 seconds if I needed or wanted anything. This happened a week ago today. My thumb still hurts, but my heart is happy. These little ones of mine are so sweet and loving. I certainly didn't need everything they brought me, but I'm thankful for their servant's hearts.

7. Jake: "How do you say taco in Spanish?"

8. Jake: "How do you draw an eggnog tree?"
Me: "What's an eggnog tree?"
Jake: {thinking} . . . Oak tree! How do you draw an oak tree?"

9. Alyssa, out of the blue: "Isn't Daddy sweet?"

10. Zac, wearing Leighton's shoes: "Look, I'm Mr. Daddy."

11. Alyssa: "I want Tyler to be a girl when he grows up."


What's something that made you smile last week?

Happy Birthday, Scooby-Doo

September 13th is Scooby-Doo's birthday, so you know what that means - we had to celebrate with him! The day was filled with tons of Scooby-Dooby-Fun. We colored Scooby pictures, assembled Scooby puzzles, played Scooby computer games, and watched Scooby movies. We even had an injury during all the fun and used a Scooby-Doo band-aid, of course.

If you're a fan of the Scoob, you know that he and Shaggy can eat. And eat. And eat. While they're "searching" for clues, they're often distracted by a kitchen or a spread of food on a table. And they especially like sandwiches. Bigger-than-your-mouth sandwiches. Huge, monster-size sandwiches with crazy ingredients.

So, we made our own monster sandwiches, Scooby-Doo style.

I let them choose their own fixings. Whatever they wanted. Whatever they wanted. It was . . . interesting watching them pull ingredients out. I started to question my sanity. And theirs.

Alyssa's monster sandwich: bun, black cherry topping, bologna, cheese, pickles, Hershey chocolate, rotisserie chicken, peanuts, chocolate spinkles, pickles, mandarin oranges, buttercream frosting, bun, topped with a cherry.

 

Jake's monster sandwich: bun, buttercream frosting, bologna, pickles, butterscotch topping, honey mustard, rotisserie chicken, chocolate sprinkles, Hershey chocolate, strawberry syrup, buttercream frosting, hot sauce, bun, topped with a cherry.

Oh, yeah. They were big. And other then the buns, they ate every. last. bite. Each crazy ingredient. Every odd concoction.

Scooby would be proud.

Me? I'm still amazed they said it was yummy.

Throughout the day we spent plenty of time solving mysteries with the gang. There were missing doughnuts, lost dino bones, and mummies on the loose! It sure was a good thing they had our help. We are master sleuths, you know.

Speaking of mysteries, we even had our very own. In our very own house.

Everything seemed normal as we headed to the kitchen to make Scooby Snacks. What would his birthday be without his beloved treat? Anyway, as we started to gather our ingredients, we discovered that they were all GONE! Every single ingredient was missing. What we found instead were strange items.

Dinosaur and play dough toys in the pantry. Socks with the eggs. A book and Polly Pocket in a cupboard. Car, remote, hairbrush, marker . . . all found in odd places. Sure, we're used to that. In fact, I was the one who questioned the strange items. The kids just kept saying, "We don't have any. It's all gone," as they ignored the toys. It would have been comical had our things not been missing.

We had a mystery! It was time to solve the Case of the Missing Ingredients! {dun dun dun}

As Jake went to the drawer to put away the Wii remote, he found 3 sticks of butter in its place. Oh, sure, it was silly. But more importantly than that, it was our first clue! Next, they returned the socks to Alyssa's drawer. What did they find? A bowl with 4 eggs! Can you believe it? Eggs with her socks! Someone sure was playing a trick on us. The kids found it hysterical. Jake started jumping up and down. It was all starting to make sense to them and they were excited. They ran around the house, returning each item to its home. Every time, they found an ingredient. There were tons of laughs and smiles as they solved the mystery. Jake thanked me over and over. Me? I was just as confused as the kids. Sort of.

Let me tell you, when your kids are by your side every second, it is a little difficult to exchange items. Or so I would imagine. You know, if I had been the one to set up the mystery.

We eventually made our Scooby Snacks once all the ingredients were accounted for. The kids giggled the entire time. Jake asked for more mysteries. Zac kept looking in his drawers for his own bowl of eggs. They let me know just how much fun they were having.

I wish I had a video camera running to capture the excitement and remember it forever.

We let the dough chill for a couple hours and continued with our Scooby fun. When it was time to bake the cookies, we found one more mystery - the cookie cutter was missing! This time, they knew exactly what to do and we were forming our bone-shaped cookies in no time.

I'll tell you what, Scooby knows what's good. Those Scooby Snacks are delicious! Soft, flavorful, yummy. I might even walk into a haunted castle full of unthinkable creatures. For 2 Scooby Snacks, of course.


Happy Birthday, Scooby-Doo! I hope your day was just as fun, just as silly, and just as memorable as ours.