Two Ingredient Cake Tips

As you may have read (or not) my boys' birthday was this weekend. One of them is severely allergic to eggs. So I went in search for the perfect birthday cake for them to smash. I found the two-ingredient cake.

It tastes fantastic! I had plans to make two huge cupcakes, one for each boy, and regular-sized cupcakes for the party-attendants. First I made a big cupcake using my mold. When I tried to pop it out, the cake fell apart and turned into a mess! Oh well, onto take two. I made a 13 x 9 cake. I let it cool all night (mainly because we were up until 12:30 making cakes). The morning of the party I popped the cake into the freezer for a half an hour or so. Then tried to pop it out of the cake pan and... same results.

My husband walked in at this time, while I was spitting and sputtering to myself (or maybe anybody who could hear). He offered make a power run to buy a cake. But remember? Egg allergy.

I had to walk away for a moment. When I came to and decided to frost the cupcakes, I absently started to arrange them on the (handmade) cake boards. I can do this.

I arranged 7 cupcakes to resemble a 1. Then I took broken cake chunks and stuffed in all the holes. Next I generously frosted. The outcome....

Not too bad. Although the boys did not dig in the way I had anticipated...

They honestly only got this dirty because they got help, clearly the enthusiasm is lacking...



My tips? Two-ingredient cake is moist, really moist. It will not hold well for a decorated cake, or a mold (unless I was doing something drastically wrong). My second piece of wisdom- this cake makes a wonderful truffle (I think that's what my concoction may be called. I layered the broken cake (smashed it up a little more), vanilla pudding, and peanut butter buttercream frosting left over from the cupcakes in a bowl. It went fast! This stuff is amazing!

Have you tried two-ingredient cake yet?

Bitter Sweet

Another weekend come and gone. In our household this weekend also represented one more year.

The twins turned one this weekend. Everyone says time flies when you have children. I think time may fly twice as fast with twins. I am amazed everyday at how amazing God is. He has given us two healthy, active, handsome, little boys. I can't even call them babies. They are little boys. They are growing, learning and changing daily.

This weekend also marked the second year without my dad. Two years ago he was in a fatal motorcycle accident. Two and a half weeks before my husband and I got married. I am so thankful that God kept my mom safe (she was on her motorcycle behind him). I just really miss that man. He was a wonderful father and husband. He was the rock our family stood on. I know he would have been the best grandpa too.

It is so hard to switch the emotions back and forth so much in one weekend- joy and sadness; happiness and hurt; pride and regrets. We are one more year more experienced, and healed.

Here's to another year!

Kool-Aid Cupcakes

Doesn't she look beautiful? Let me tell ya, she was tasty!

I love to bake, cook, mix, combine, and concoct. I have enjoyed it since I was a wee girl who had to pull the chair up to the counter in order to see in the mixing bowl. Once I learned to read, my mom, dad, and great grandma taught me to read and follow recipes. Back then I was a machine! Cakes, cookies, breads, dinners, you name it- I tried it (usually successfully).

Lately, I like making treats. I like making simple treats. You know, because you can only fit so much in during nap time. The only problem is that we are not really a sweet treat family. Don't get me wrong, we all love our sweets- but one or two for each one of us is usually plenty.

I hate wasting food. So cupcakes, muffins, and cookies have been my go-to lately. They are easy to pack and disperse. I make the full recipe. I leave enough here for the family. I also pack a plate for the neighbors. The rest gets distributed to friends and family, or just anybody that may be needing a treat.

I found this post for orange creamsicle cupcakes at Bear Rabbit Crafts. These sound delightful, and look so easy. So I gave it a try.

A box of white cake mix (and the ingredients needed to make the cake), and a packet of orange kool-aid.

That's it. Mix it together, bake according to the directions on the box, let cool, and frost.

For the frosting add a little kool-aid to white frosting and mix. It is important not to add too much kool-aid, or else the frosting will be bitter.

The verdict: These are absolutely wonderful! They were extremely simple, yet tasted like there was a lot of work involved. Perfect for this season of my life. I think next time I will try something different with  the frosting. I think I may use orange flavoring, (extract, whatever you call it) and a few drops of food coloring.

Let me know if you try different flavor concoctions.

My Powerhouse Cleaner

I was never concerned about chemical household cleaners until I had the boys. I actually love the 'clean' smell of bleach, pine-sol, windex, and other cleaners. The problem? Babies put their mouths on everything, and put everything in their mouths.

I started looking for safe, non-toxic, effective cleaners. I discovered vinegar. I have used vinegar for multiple other things, but never to clean counters, toys and floors. Well, what can it hurt to try? I mixed the ratio recommended (don't remember now usually do half vinegar, half water).

The verdict- it worked. Everything looked and felt clean and germ free. The problem was that the house smelled like a pickle factory after I cleaned. I was willing to look past this knowing the boys wouldn't be ingesting bleach everytime they put their mouths on something. (The smell does go away after about a half an hour or so.)

One day while surfing I found a post about citrus vinegar. The cleaning power of vinegar, without smelling like a pickle factory- could it be true?

I am in love. Here's a brief how-to:
Peel citrus fruit. (I use oaranges cause they are cheap)
Put peels in container.
Cover with vinegar.
Wait two weeks.
Strain liquid from peels.
Put concentrate in container until your spray bottle needs filled.
Fill spray bottle half citrus concentrate, half water.
Use the same as any household disenfectant.

This stuff is amazing. It actually works better than the plain vinegar mixture I was using. There is still a slight vinegar smell, covered by a citrus aroma.

A New Skirt For Mommy

I have a bad case of (self-diagnosed) ADD. I also have a finishing problem- an aversion to finishing projects I start. This is why our dining room table is stacked with sewing stuff, the vacuum is sitting in the corner, the laundry is piled in baskets (folded though), and the list goes on. I look around and see so many unfinished projects I get overwhelmed, and want to hide.

Lately I have been trying to finish projects. (Part of my 30 by 30; craft through stash) One nearly finished project in my stash is a skirt. I made it last summer, shortly after having the boys. Needless to say it is a bit too big now. Instead of finishing it, into a (rather big) pile in the closet it went.

Today I finished it! The sad thing is, it took me longer to load my bobbin into the machine than it did to finish it.

This skirt was super simple, the hardest part was pinning a straight line (something I sorta have a problem with). Unfortunately, I do not know where I found the tutorial, so maybe I'll post my version of instructions next time I make one.

I am extremely happy with this skirt. It is very comfy, light, airy, summery and cute. One more to-do done!

30 by 30

Wow, May flew by and June is on it's way! I had a birthday in May and my first official Mother's Day.

I'm not good at New Years Resolutions. I fail forget about them before the first week is over. I'm horrible at any type of habit changing activity. See, I like to track progress, mark things off, see my accomplishments. That's all good, except I have this need to start at the beginning- the beginning of the week, the beginning of the month, the beginning of a challenge... you get it? (Please tell me I'm not alone!) Then when I slip up for a day, week, whatever- I think what's the use?

Well, I made a 30 by 30 list. Kinda a bucket list of things to do before I turn thirty (next May). I guess you can't even call it a bucket list, because it's nothing exciting, just things I have wanted to work on in my life. So, here's my 30 by 30 list (with a couple added in for safe measure):

1. purge home, clear clutter
2. make cleaning a habit
3. make recycling a habit
4. scan pictures, organize pictures
5. organize recipes
6. paint bedroom; decorate
7. paint living room; decorate
8. learn how to effective manage household, and time
9. make wedding album
10. journal for the boys
11. journal for my husband
12. learn how to use my camera, and take more pictures
13. have monthly date nights with my husband
14. go on mini-vacation with hubby
15. go on vacation with the family
16. read to the boys every day
17. learn to/teach the kids to pray (and Lord's prayer, and Ten Commandments)
18. teach my step-daughter to sew and/or encourage her creative interests
19. implement a budget
20. start nursing clinicals
21. manage time better
22. get up early (like to start day by 6:00)
23. dress for my hubby more often (less jeans and t-shirts)
24. style hair more, less ponytails
25. blog regularly
26. exercise regularly
27. craft through books; get rid of books not needed
28. craft through stash
29. make a dress, and wear it
30. start selling on etsy
31. do a 365 project
32. have a (semi) handmade Christmas

There it is, my 30 by 30. Here's to hoping I can check it all off!

ID Wallet Done

Well, I got a couple of projects done from my list. I tend to do that- make an unattainable list, just so I can mark a few things off. For a while now I have had a problem finishing things. So I guess if writing an impossible to-do list gets me to do a few things, we can call it a success, right?

Anyways, I wanted to make an ID wallet. I used this tutorial, mostly. I didn't bind the inside like suggested.

I liked this ID wallet because:

1. The ID is inserted from the inside (zipper part).
2. There is a phone holder on the back.
3. It has a zipper.
4. There is a good amount of room.

Here's how it turned out:

Front, ID pocket

Back, phone pocket

Overall, I liked this tutorial. Now that I have one done, I have plans for a couple of changes. I would like to add card slots on the inside. If I add card slots, I will probably skip the flannel lining on the outside piece, otherwise it will be too bulky.

I'll post my version soon.

(I realize the sewing is not perfect.)