Thirteen

I've been juggling everything lately. The full time job takes up most of my time. DH is doing double duty with all of the after school kid stuff and working around their schedules. When I get home it is time to make dinner, check homework, and pick up from practice. It seems like we're always running around to get stuff done. There is no down time until 9 or 10 at night.

Today was Pinterest Challenge day. Since I  have no time in general, I  had no time for Pinterest Challenge. I thought about it for a half of a second and immediately dropped the thought.

However busy I am, tomorrow is A's thirteenth birthday and I had to make time to make her a cake. Yes, she's have a birthday party with her twin cousin tomorrow and they will have a cake at that party, but I've always made her a cake for her birthday and I couldn't skip this one. Especially thirteen. It seems like such an important number.

I sat down at my computer and started looking for ideas for decorating the cake, and voila, I had a Pinterest Challenge project and a birthday cake all in one.



I found this pin from This Little Life of Mine.


And this pin from Cupcake Diaries.

Easy simple decorations. Just what I needed for my busy life.


Birthday cake and Pinterest Challenge done.

Check out the other hosts of the Pinterest Challenge.

Young House Love, RedBirdBlue, Sparkle Meets Pop, Bower Power. Here's to having more time for the next one.

Double Digits

J turned 10 on Sunday. We had scheduled a slumber party over break but the flu canceled it. Since his party was canceled, he requested green egg pizza for this birthday. No way I could say no to that.

I got up early to get started in the kitchen.

First up, pizza dough for 14. I wasn't sure how much I had made the last time we made pizza for a crowd. I ended up with 3 double batches of dough.


It ended up that SIL & family were sick so we only made pizza for 11. I had 13 individual balls of dough left over. Two double batches would have been fine either way. I need to remember that for next time.

After dough was left to rise, I churned a batch of chocolate almond ice cream. I made the vanilla ice cream the night before.

Finally, I started on the vanilla-vanilla cake he requested. I picked a recipe that I tore out of the December Southern Living magazine, mostly because it called for whipped egg whites and I would get to use my copper bowl.






I put some thought into the pizza making process. I used a couple of cookie sheets that have no lip plus some parchment paper so I could have 5-6 piece of dough pre-rolled. I bought more corn meal and used it liberally to stop the dough from sticking. DH got a wooden pizza peel for Christmas that greatly improved the process of getting the pizza off the grill.


Over all, it was much less hectic than our last pizza party.

J got cash for his birthday. We went to the Apple store on New Year's Eve and he purchased a new iPod touch. He's hardly put it down since he got it.

since the weekend

We've been busy.  Of course, we've been busy. We're always busy. I checked, I have 66 blog posts with the word "busy".

Here's what's been happening since the weekend.

Friday night, J played baseball and I got to go watch. Here he is at bat and taking his walk.




Saturday night, A baked a cake to celebrate DH's birthday with the family.


The crazy cousin dog Chinook ate part of it. We ate around the dog slobber while enjoying the ND/MichSt game with the cousins and friends.

Today was Big Green Egg Day!


DH is excited. Wowa is excited. I don't know who is more excited. Of course, we were too busy to try it out today but I think we're going to make something on Friday.

While picking up the big green egg, I bought myself an anniversary present.


Yes, we got married 14 years ago today. Of course, we were too busy to celebrate tonight. J had a baseball game and I had a meeting at school for 7th grade parents regarding high school. I thought it was too early for that meeting. I think I was right. DH & I did celebrate with a nice lunch out and then the 'pick up the big green egg' errand.

While photographing the big green egg, I noticed my serious neglect of the garden.


I really need to clean it up. I've been avoiding it with the excuse of avoiding west nile. Too many mosquitos and too hot. Well, the heat has cool off so I think I need to get back too it.  Speaking of west nile.


I had the garden trifecta of a hummingbird, a butterfly and a bee all at the same time on my turk's cap. I can only see the butterfly but you have to believe me when I say the others were there too. I haven't seen too many bees since they sprayed for west nile. I'm glad to see they are back. We had a discussing with my mom on Sunday about hummingbirds so it was cool to see one.

Wowa's birthday

Yesterday was my mother's birthday.

I spent a lot of time this week picking what to make for dessert. I finally decided on a salted caramel chocolate cake from Martha Stewart's November magazine. I have never made caramel before so it would be an adventure.





The caramel sort of seized when I stirred in all the butter so it was grainy, but it still tasted good. After reading lots of comments about falling cakes, I reduced the size from 6 layers to 4 layers and it stayed up just fine.





I love the sea salt sprinkled on top.





Mom called on Monday to request homemade pizza for her birthday dinner. I've made a it a few times recently and it has turned out delicious. The crust on the cheese pizza was just average, but the crust on the sausage/mushroom/onion and the bacon/tomato was excellent. Good thing the kids eat the cheese pizza, no need to waste the good stuff on them.





I have been working for a few weeks on a hat. Mom has worked in neurosurgery for years. I thought she needed her own brain hat. Of course I didn't finish it in time so she got half a brain hat. She loved it anyway.







And just in case she doesn't want to walk around with a brain on her head all the time, I got her a hot pink mannequin head to sit on her desk.





After the thrill of the birthday presents (she also got a chewy praline and a bottle of champagne), we had the cake.





It was good, rich but good. I'm still disappointed in my caramel, but overall, I was happy with it.

Finally, for entertainment, ArmyGuy-Pirate-Spiderman-Aggie guy came to entertain. Silly B!

J's birthday

Friday was J's birthday and we celebrated.

We had the family over for homemade pizza.  He requested pizza rolls, so I made one pan of cheese & pepperoni rolls, plus a plain cheese pizza,  a bacon & caramelized onion pizza, and sausage & salami pizza.  Strange ingredients I know I decided just to use what I had in the fridge.  I thought the salami was another package of pepperoni when I decided not to go to the store, but decided to use it anyway.

He requested another lincoln log cake, like last year (no pictures) and the year before (the last picture).  We mixed things up this year and I made chocolate almond ice cream for the middle.  I still haven't talked him into using peanut butter ice cream.  Maybe next year?




This is not the prettiest cake but it is delicious!

He opened some presents and got some good stuff.  We are set for xbox games for the next century, or the next decade at least.   He also got a random gift off his amazon wishlist.  I found it on sale at B&N before Christmas.




It was a good night, full of food, family, and fun!