crazedparent

Dispatch from the test kitchen: Rainbow cake...

The second I saw this post over at Omnomicon with photos of an amazing rainbow cake, I knew I'd be trying it at home. It was just a matter of picking an occasion. I wrote about the cake over at Yahoo! Shine for my Itty Bitty Bites series because I think it's one of those feats that will truly knock your kids' socks off when they see a slice. A Shine reader commented that it would make a cool Easter cake and, mira, that was all the inspiration I needed.

I followed the directions over at Omnomicon to the letter with only exception: I did not use soda in my cake mix (side note: I used Duncan Hines white cake mix). 

Should you want to try to make the Rainbow Cake, let my lessons learned be your tips:

1. The cake: You're using one box of cake mix for each layer. After you're done baking, pick the layer that isn't as pretty for the bottom of your cake. You'll need to trim about 1.5 to 2 inches off the top of the cake to get it to a reasonable height for layering. Use a serrated knife (I use our bread knife) to cut that layer after it has cooled. Be careful, be slow, and don't worry that you're cutting out too many colors. No one will notice.

2. Food gels: Instead of mixing colors to get orange and purple, pick up a pack of regular AND neon Betty Crocker Gel Food Colors. You'll need way more gel than you expect and it's nice to have purple and orange already mixed. And if you are looking to get the kids involved, the mixing of the colors with the batter is the perfect time.

3. Frosting: Use cake frosting instead of a whipped topping mix. The flavor of the whipped topic mixed with pudding is good, but it's really, really difficult to move on the cake. Even after being out for a few hours, the whipped topping wasn't very smooth. It felt like I was pushing spackle on plaster. Also? It would pick up lots of crumbs and sometimes would break the cake a bit.

So use frosting that is at room temperature. It'll add extra creaminess to the cake and be much easier to push.

4. Once frosted, don't be shocked that this cake ways a gajillion pounds. It's a thick mutha. But so tasty!

I highly recommend this cake for any party. Forget the "wow" factor -- it's just a clever cake that will make guests smile (especially if they are small and under the age of 10.)

Plus, the photos! My favorite is the cake spatula after several slices. Pretty! (and yummers!)

Catholic Guilt: Easter edition (a week late)...

Let us review several encounters with Catholic Guilt, hereby referred to as "CG":

CG example one: We arrived to church only a few minutes late and scurried past crowded pews and the rows of people lining the walls of the building.

CG example two, just because the following thought entered my mind...in church: If you're not a practicing Catholic throughout the year, you're always Catholic on Easter Sunday.

Half way through the service, Q's cheeks turned the color of a Red Delicious apple and my husband carried him outside for fresh air. About 10 minutes later, I received the following text message from the hubs:

Turns out the post-Mass doughnuts were already waiting for the the parishioners in the rose garden. Only father and his young son found them sooner than expected.

CG example three: Seven and I hurried to meet them.

I mean, really. One should never turn their back on a DEFCON 1 doughnut alert, especially if issued by your sweetie.

 

(365 Day 76, 3.29.09) A two-year-old puppy is like a toddler...

We walk down a quiet street, Luna prancing as she watches her surroundings while I smile at her contagious happiness. Her coat shines so brightly that it's as if the sun rays bounce off of her fur (it's all about the dog food). 

A sudden stop. She begins to move with her bottom close to the ground, almost maniacally. Worms, I think to myself. She has tapeworms, which means I'll be spending the afternoon at the vet. 

She walks a few feet on the pavement and crouches in the way that dogs do when they are ready to poop. Cars drive by as she moves from one spot to another. I stand on the street, mortified that my dog can't find a better, more private place to do her bathroom business. 

She begins to walk in circles and it is then that I notice something is, how to I say this eloquently, hanging from her rear end. Dear sweet Jesus, she has a tapeworm hanging from her ass...and she can't push it out. I curse and talk to myself out loud, acknowledging that I will be the one to have to pull this worm out of her. 

She sits on the floor and barks at me, her eyes pleading, "Do something! Fast!" 

I watch as more cars drive past us and people walk by on the sidewalk, putting a dog poop bag on my hand and making sure my arm is covered as high as the bag will go. 

I pull the dog off of her feet and she runs in circles as long as the leash will allow. Finally, I tug at her collar and bring her to me. As I get closer to the tape worm, I realize I was very wrong in my diagnosis.

The tapeworm is actually Kleenex that has made its way through the dog's intestines after she devoured it in the wee morning hours, probably after munching on the spine of a children's book. It now looks like a long, thin worm.

And still, tissue paper. I am in my neighborhood, on a public street in full view of living room windows and little kids and their moms walking home from the park, pulling tissue paper from my dog's ass.

The task complete, I grab her muzzle and look into her brown eyes. "Stop eating paper, you dumb b*tch."

I hear the words in my head, "Who are you calling b*tch? You're the one with the boys who leave the stupid Kleenex on their beds in the morning. Why don't you make THEM put it in the garbage?"

The dog's rear is clean. The poop bag is full and sealed off. We continue our walk and return home. The boys are going to love this story, I tell myself. I was right; the laughed themselves to tears.

I remember the conversation I had with my husband in the weeks before we decided to get a dog. The discussion where I convinced him that I was ready for the responsibility of owning a puppy.

"You realize you are going to be cleaning up dog poop all the time," he said. At the time, Q. was still in diapers.

"You're joking," I laughed, "I clean up crap all day. Wiping a kid's butt. Scooping up dog poop. Poop is poop."

How wrong I was.

She still eats Kleenex and her love of crayons makes for colorful poop.

But now she's two, and still the cutest, most cuddled puppy we've known.

Happy birthday, Luna Lovegood. 

365 day 46: Breakfast by the boys...

365 day 46: Breakfast by the boys

Originally uploaded by crazedparent

The benefit of teaching your kids to love cooking is that one day, they will make you breakfast. They will not want your help: "You can only watch mom, and turn on the stove." And they will try to present the meal exactly as they have seen it in photos, such as stacking pancakes, placing a pat of butter on top, and drizzling it with syrup. (This recipe is called "The World's Fluffiest Pancakes," from The Playful Chef Cookbook.)

My kids are my heart.

365 Day 45: The way they leave things...

Sometimes it almost looks well thought out.

365 Day 44: Get crafty -- Sewing a children's apron...

The second I saw this simple (and free!) children's apron pattern from the blog Sew Liberated, I knew I had to test it out with the bad boy that's sitting in the office/playroom. I have a stack of various fabrics and the baseball motif seemed to be perfect for Q., who is currently obsessed with the Chicago Cubs (a tale for another day).

The pattern and instructions are very easy to follow, and perfect for a beginning sewer like myself. I have a few tweaks I'd like to make in the next round. But it gets a big thumbs up from Q., who also likes to wear it as a cape when he's not helping in the kitchen.

365 Day 43: Scenes from a kitchen (Fire Rock pale ale from Kona)...

I usually like to end my Friday by cooking a nice meal while sipping a nice, cold vodka martini (up with a lemon twist). Today, Fire Rock beer from Kona seemed to call to me.

365 Day 42: Two hearts...

I just bought my first dresser. (Can you believe my husband and I shared a 4-drawer, then 6-drawer dresser for nearly 12 years?) The new dresser has 10 drawers and Q. is particularly drawn to the one that holds baubles.

As he rummaged through it this morning, he pulled out a tiny gray box and I immediately recognized it. It held a beautiful, gold locket engraved with two hearts. I had forgotten about it because over the stopped wearing it because my jewelry tastes shifted for a spell towards silver (and nearly anything from the J. Lo line. What can I say?).

The locket holds a special photo of the man who gave it to me: my husband. But back then, he was my boyfriend. And it was his gift to me when I graduated from high school, where we became "us."

And when I think about the fact that he picked this out for me, when he was a ripe 18 years old, I just melt.

365 Day 41: Waiting...

The proverbial calm before the storm, as seen on the drive to pick up Seven from school this afternoon. I'm fascinated with clouds of late as the boys are frequently discuss the types of clouds in the sky during our rides to and from school. It's also fun to play the game of "What's that cloud look like?"

365 Day 39: Food art by kids...

I'm constantly entertained by the my boys' imaginations. Who would have guessed peeled sweet potatoes and umbrella parasol drink umbrellas would could become spaceships (and 30 minutes of uninterrupted cooking for mom)? These works of food art were started by Q. while he was helping me cook dinner. Seven walked in and couldn't resist making his own sweet potato flying craft.

Food art -- what's your kid's best creation?