This is not a post with a particular topic. My thoughts are kind of all over the place, I have a zillion things on my to-do list, and I just can't seem to focus. First of all, I need to find the owner of this stuffed bear that was left in our yard. 

Oh, wait..

 No, that's just Viv.

You see what I mean about my lack of focus.

This past weekend was awfully busy for us. I baked not one, but two cakes on Friday (recipe to come later this week. Stay tuned!). 

Friday night we went to a party welcoming a friend visiting from out of town. It was a good time, and I ate way too much. I got up early Saturday morning for a much-needed hair appointment, where we lightened things up a little bit and trimmed my hair into a currently-trending lob. Afterward, we joined our squadron for a picnic to say farewell to our command team. It was a beautiful day with surprisingly nice weather, and I was so excited to wear a colorful sundress and wedges. I cannot be more eager for Spring to come soon. Bobby tried to go swimming with his clothes on and then had his first experience in a bouncy house, which was so hilarious to watch.  

 

It was great socializing with friends, and, once again, I ate way too much. 

While Vivi ate a week's worth of fiber in dirt and grass.

 Sunday was a day of rest.

Just kidding. Sunday was a day of laundry. Oh, the laundry. 

We are gearing up for Disney World this week, so it's been crazy trying to do tons of laundry and pack up the entire house. You know when you travel with little kids, you have to bring EVERYTHING. We are leaving tonight and hitting up the first park tomorrow morning. We honestly haven't done a ton of detailed planning regarding this trip. I don't even know what parks we are going to do on which days. I don't know what attractions we want to see. I don't know anything. I just know we are going, and we are going to have a toddler and a baby, and it will likely be a shitshow. But we are going to wing it, and I couldn't be more excited to spend time with my family at the Happiest Place on Earth. I am so glad that my parents are joining us at Disney. It will be great to have another set of hands, and we haven't done a trip together in way too long. I think I'm most excited to see the look on Bobby's face when we get to the Magic Kingdom. It's going to be better than Christmas!

I, along with every other chick in America, watched the Oscars last night and completely fell in love with Neil Patrick Harris. He's the most adorable. And also, I don't know what is going on with Lady Gaga lately, but I am really enjoying her toned-down thing she's doing. Her performance was wonderful last night, and she showcased her talent without her usual distractions. There was some amazing red carpet fashion, too. My personal favorites were Jennifer Lopez, Naomi Watts, Emma Stone, Rosamund Pike, and Behati Prinsloo. 

 But my all-time favorite was Margot Robbie. The robe-inspired dress mixed with the statement necklace mixed with the makeup and the hair gave an awesome throwback vibe to Michelle Pfeiffer in Scarface. 

You win at life, Ms. Robbie.

I was also loving the long sleeve gown trend that was on the carpet. I'm a sucker for a long sleeve dress.

Speaking of long sleeve dresses, I have my eye on these:

stripe dress  // yellow dress // black cut-out dress // printed dress

There are some great Springy finds I'm loving lately--particularly this reversible tote, this studded jewel cuff bracelet, these Mason jar measuring cups, and this adorable dress for Vivi that I can't resist.

I just got this jade mixed medium necklace that I'm obsessed with, and I'm pretty sure I will succumb to this panama hat before Spring is over and done with.

I used very technical method of choosing a winner for the shamrock bow giveaway (Alex chose a random number...I will amend my methods in time for the next give away), but I'm excited to announce a winner--Brittany Blocker, please message me to claim your prize! Yay! Thanks to everyone who commented. I enjoyed reading what everyone's favorite holiday is :)

I do apologize for such a random and haphazard post, but that is the way my poor mind is working today. I am looking forward to an awesome week with the fam at Disney. Hope y'all have a wonderful week!

Keep on keepin' on!

-Annette

S'mores Love- Smitten Kitchen's S'mores Layer Cake

I’ve admitted it to you before that I’m not a big sweets eater.  I have my dad’s taste buds, and we just don’t like a whole lot of sugar and sweet.  However, my husband is a man who loves sweets, and our taste buds really vary on what we call tasty. 

His birthday falls on Valentine’s Day, so we ignore the said Hallmark holiday (what boy/man wants his birthday to be filled with hearts and pink?) and celebrate the importance of the day: his birthday!  And while it might seem easy to decide upon a cake for his birthday since we have known each other since we were both 15 years old, I found myself trying to find a unique cake that would actually be eaten in this house.  

Disclaimer: Cakes are not my forte… I believe in making them myself to show my love through baking, but bear in mind that my twice a year cakes will look just like that, made more with love than precision. 

If I truly respected his taste buds and made the cake of my husband’s dreams, I would make, nay, buy, a horrifically orange sherbet cake from the store.  Yes, the man loves sherbet. And, don’t try and fancy it up by offering him sorbet… He likes the neon orange, pink, and yellow of disgusting, repulsive sherbet.  You can deduce my feelings about sherbet, yes? 

With only two adults and one small child, whom I fear is showing that he has his father’s taste buds and loves anything and everything with sugar, including horrifying sherbet, I refused to have a cake of that repulsiveness in the house, and a birthday cannot change that.

My husband’s second choice would be a chocolate cake filled with chocolate, drenched in more chocolate.  I grew up being told by my father that men do not eat chocolate.  Seriously, for years, I thought this, and then I started dating my husband.  My whole world turned upside-down when I discovered that the man liked chocolate far more than I did (perhaps exaggerating a bit, but I was shocked all the same).  All the same, I again decided against that as you can really only take three bites of a cake like that before you declare yourself sick, and the rest of the cake remains there, looking pretty but promising an aching tooth.  Back to the drawing board. 

And then, it hit me… We keep talking about taking The Boy camping and discovering the joy of the wilderness, hiking, waking up to see your breath in the tent, happily eating instant oatmeal out of the pot once the water has finally boiled, and yes, the magic of roasting s’mores over the fire.  And so, it had to be a S’Mores Cake.  Graham cake, layered with chocolate, topped with a marshmallow-esque icing (seriously, it takes just like marshmallows), and finally, set aflame. 

Smitten Kitchen hits the bull’s-eye again with this recipe, and hey, you get to use a kitchen torch, a fact that only added to my excitement of presenting this delicious number to the birthday boy.  Everyone was happy, my husband made no complaints about the lack of sherbet, and a week later, this cake is just as delicious, especially when slightly warmed for a gooey chocolate center. 

 S'mores Layer Cake (Smitten Kitchen Cookbook)

Ingredients:

• 16 tbs unsalted butter, softened, plus a bit more for greasing pan
• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups honey graham crackers (not cinnamon graham crackers), finely processed into a powder
• 2 teas baking powder
• ¾ teas baking soda
• ¾ teas salt
• ½ teas ground cinnamon
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 4 large eggs, room temp
• 2 cups buttermilk, well shaken

Filling:

• ½ lbs milk chocolate, finely chopped
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• Pinch of salt

Frosting:

• 4 large egg whites
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ¼ teas cream of tartar
• 1 teas vanilla extract

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 2 9” round cake pans and flour every inch to prevent sticking.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the flour mix alternating with the buttermilk in three additions. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and make sure everything is mixed.

Divide the batter between the cake pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and tops are nice and golden, about 30-35 minutes. Cool in pan on rack until safe to handle, then turn out on the wire rack to cool completely.

Combine the cream and salt in a medium heavy saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the chocolate and let sit for a minute. Stir until smooth and let cool until thickened but still spreadable.

Top the bottom layer with the chocolate and spread evenly. Top with the remaining cake layer and prep the frosting.

For the frosting place egg whites, granulated sugar, and cream of tartar in a clean heatproof bowl of an electric mixer. Set over a saucepan with simmering water. Whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved and whites are warm to the touch, about 3 minutes. Transfer the bowl to an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat, starting low and gradually increasing to high, until stiff glossy peaks form, 4 to 7 minutes. Add vanilla and mix until combined. Frost the cake right away.

Crumb coat your cake and place in fridge for 5 to 10 minutes to firm up. Then generously frost the rest of the cake, using a plastic bag or pastry bag to make dollops on top.  Torch away!

Time to fly,

Liz

Shamrockin'

 

Daddy finally made it home, and not a moment too soon, as I was on my last leg Saturday. We were all so, so, SO happy to have him back. It was a perfect Valentine's Day present. 

Some of us don't know how to properly express our emotions.

I didn't realize how exhausted I was from single parenting. I was literally falling asleep on myself at the dinner table; that's how worn out I was after flying solo with a baby and a toddler for three weeks. I went to bed that night and slept for 14 hours straight. I woke up, ate, and then took a 3 hour nap. That's 17 hours of sleep in 24 hours, which may be a personal record. You'd think that would have me caught up, but I went to bed Sunday night and slept in 'til about 11am. And honestly, I'm still tired. It may take a week to get me back to normal. 

Anyhow, I'm still in the middle of revamping our living area downstairs, and I am currently removing all of the Valentine's Day decor. Now it's just about time to put up our St. Patrick's Day goodies. St. Pat's Day is another favorite holiday for us, mainly because it's a day where you get to drink a lot and nobody can judge you for it. 

And they can't judge you for the beer gut, either.

Alex and I were scheduled to host a squadron party in the early spring a couple of years ago, and after debating on themes for a while, we settled on doing a large St. Patrick's Day party. Because no matter what, you can't be lame and not dress up. Some people are no fun when it comes to theme parties, but everybody has at least one green thing to wear. 

Except for my husband, who moonlights as a lecherous leprechaun and has a closet full of green polyester leisure suits, but that's a separate issue.

You can't get out of dressing up for St. Pat's, so it turned out to be a really fun party, and everyone had a great time. 

I think

March 17th of this year may look a little different than it did in years past, but we will still make an effort to have a good time. Holidays really are a ton of fun when you have little ones. It's exciting to carry on old traditions and begin new ones exclusive to your own little family. And also, I really enjoy dressing the babes up in holiday finery. Here are a few good green items I'm eyeing for our family. 

clover charm necklace // silk ruffle dress (baby girl) // sleeveless print dress (girl) // hello kitty shirt (girl) // sunglasses // lucky duck shirt (boy tot) // darth vader shirt (boys) // tervis tumbler // vineyard vines shamrock bow tie (mens) // boxers (mens) // book

There are just SO many awesome picks for the gals that it really warranted its own board :)

tiny shamrock necklace // lace dress // tory burch rain boots // business card holder // sweater // dooney & bourke crossbody // cake stand // pleated mint dress // bow heels // studs // ring // lucky charm bracelets // kendra scott earrings // scalloped blouse

I am especially fond of that Dooney & Bourke crossbody bag, the bow heels, and that scalloped blouse. Oh, the lust that is in my heart right now. I finally broke down and am now the proud owner of that beautiful jadeite cake stand. It was a Valentine's gift to myself ;)

And to get in the spirit for St. Pat's, I will be giving away a couple of shamrock bows to one lucky reader! They will be adorable on your favorite little girl (or yourself! I don't judge..). 

You just have to comment telling us your favorite holiday. I'll pick a random winner Friday.

Keep on keepin' on!

-Annette

Tiramisu Layer Cake

Poor husband. His birthday was this past Monday, and he celebrated #33 by doing laundry and eating dinner at a dining hall on a military base. That's almost as sad as the year my entire family forgot my birthday. Almost.

I asked him to let me know in advance what kind of birthday cake he would like, and I promised him that we would celebrate when he returned. He had a variety of options to choose from, but he ultimately decided on a tiramisu cake. It's a great birthday cake, a romantic cake for Valentine's Day, and a perfect cake for any time you need a little pick-me-up.

Tiramisu is not a dessert I eat very often. It is an Italian dessert consisting of ladyfingers soaked in coffee, layered with a mascarpone cheese fluff, and dusted with chocolate. It is delicious, and it's a perfect dessert for the coffee enthusiast. Unfortunately, I am not a coffee enthusiast. I enjoy the taste of coffee greatly, but I rarely drink it due to a medical dietary restriction. It leaves me in severe pain afterward, so I tend to leave it alone on a day-to-day basis and only indulge when life calls for a real treat. Although, God knows, if anyone has ever needed coffee on a daily basis, it is this girl. 

Anyhow, I occasionally indulge in tiramisu with my mama at a good Italian restaurant, and I do know that it is amazing. I find it a fun challenge to experiment in the kitchen and attempt to create other desserts into cake form. This one wasn't too difficult to imagine. In place of the ladyfingers in traditional tiramisu, I used a yellow cake recipe from Better Homes & Gardens. You could also hack a butter yellow cake mix if you are in a hurry. Honestly, since you soak the cake layers in Kahlua and then add a filling and frosting, the cake layers itself aren't taking center stage. They're merely a cog in the machine of awesomeness. Once you have the cake layers baked and cooled, you brush them with Kahlua. So this cake will not only give you a caffeine buzz, but it'll also give you a booze buzz. It's the confectionary version of an RBV. 

The Kahlua-soaked cake layers are filled with an espresso-chocolate-cream-cheese filling (true tiramisu contains mascarpone cheese instead of cream cheese, but I could not find any in any of the 4 major grocery stores I have at my disposal). Then the cake is frosted with an espresso buttercream. I decorated it with dark chocolate shavings, fresh raspberries, and chocolate covered coffee beans. Because if you're gonna do it, do it right.
Now I'm really not supposed to have coffee (or anything caffeinated...seriously, how do I live?), but I have to tell you: 
this cake is the bomb.
I have made it before and ate a piece in the name of quality control testing. Seriously, never trust a baker who won't taste her own cake. It's unnatural. And though I paid for it afterward, I can promise that this cake is yum-o. It tastes like traditional tiramisu, but I think it's better, because you still get the "cake" element to it. It's slightly more dense than traditional tiramisu, but it's still pretty light. And oh, the flavor. Let's just say if you dig coffee, you're gonna dig the shit out of this one. It's got coffee, cake, cream cheese, chocolate..what more can you want? Unfortunately, I will probably abstain this go-round. It's kind of sad that I made a cake I can't eat. 
Maybe that's a new dieting strategy. Hmm..

As is the case with most cakes, I feel that it is best on day 2, because that gives it plenty of time to settle and for all the flavors to gel together properly. This is great, as Alex is returning home to us on Saturday..which also happens to be Valentine's Day.  Perfect timing! I love killing two birds with one stone!

I wish I could've shown y'all a picture of the inside, but I feel it may be rude to cut a person's birthday cake before he even sees it. Yes? No? Maybe so?

Tiramisu Layer Cake

Ingredients
Yellow Cake
via Better Homes & Gardens 
3/4 cup butter, softened
3 eggs 
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1-3/4 cups sugar
1-1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1-1/4 cups milk
+Kahlua, for soaking

Chocolate Espresso Cream Cheese Filling
1-1/2 cups dark chocolate chips
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 (8oz) block cream cheese, softened
1-1/2 cups powder sugar
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1-1/2 tsp instant espresso powder

Espresso Buttercream Frosting
1-1/4 cups butter (2.5 sticks), softened
4 cups powder sugar
3 tbsp heavy whipping cream
1 tbsp Kahlua 
1 tsp instant espresso granules

Directions
Cake

*Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Meanwhile, spray three 8-inch pans with Baker's Joy; set pans aside. In medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

*In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium-high speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating on medium speed until well combined and scraping sides of bowl. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes more. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition (about 1 minute total). Beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to beaten mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Spread batter into the prepared pans.

*Bake in a 375 degree F oven 30-35 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean. Cool layers in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from pans. Cool thoroughly on racks. 

*Brush tops of cakes with Kahlua.

Filling

*Heat cream in microwave until boiling. Stir into a bowl of chocolate chips. Continue stirring until all chocolate is melted and lumps are gone. If you need to, put mixture into the microwave for a few seconds to heat further. Set aside to cool.

*Beat softened cream cheese on medium speed for 30 seconds. Slowly add in powder sugar. Add in vanilla extract and espresso powder. 

*Once the chocolate ganache has cooled to room temperature, pour into the cream cheese mixture. Beat for a few seconds to mix. 

Frosting

 *Sift powder sugar and set aside.

*Beat softened butter on medium speed for about 30 seconds. Add in powder sugar slowly, adding in cream and Kahlua alternately to loosen the frosting up. Beat until smooth.

Assembly

*Place one layer of cake, Kahlua-side up on a cake platter. Pipe a ring of frosting around the edge of the cake, creating a dam for the filling. Spoon roughly 1/3 of the filling in the center of the dam, and spread outward with a spatula. 

*Place the second layer of cake, Kahlua-side up on top of the filling.
Pipe a ring of frosting around the edge of the cake, creating a dam for the filling. Spoon roughly 1/3 of the filling in the center of the dam, and spread outward with a spatula.

*Place the final layer of cake, Kahlua-side down on top of the filling. 

*Frost with a thin crumb coat and place in the fridge for 20 minutes so that the frosting firms up. Remove from fridge and frost with remaining frosting. Decorate as desired.

*(I used the remaining 1/3 of the filling as a drizzle on top of the cake. Then I decorated it with dark chocolate shavings, chocolate covered coffee beans, and fresh raspberries).

 *Enjoy!

Oh yeah, and HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

xoxo,
Annette

On Wednesdays We Wear Pink

Bless her heart, this was her best morning ever. We had strawberry cupcakes for breakfast. After Vivi had finished chowing down on her cupcake, I began cleaning her up, and I spotted a large, pristine chunk of cake sitting in her bib. So, like any normal, red-blooded American mother, I went into scavenging mode and picked it up to eat for myself. Unfortunately, in my gluttonous haste to get a sugar fix, I forgot that I had also fed her sausage this morning before the cupcake. So I got a bite of that in with it, too. Sausage and strawberries, not a great combo. And don't you even pretend to judge me for eating my kid's leftovers. You know you do it, too.

Anyway, Happy Valentine's Week! 

My parents were sweet enough to come visit this past weekend and help me out. It was a nice way to break up the time of this 3 week work trip Alex has been on for what seems like 3 months. Aside from shopping, my favorite thing to do with my mama is to bake, and we baked some sugar cookies. It was wonderful to have them here for a few days; the kids love them, and it was awesome to have people around who know how to clean up their own messes ;)

Today is the Valentine's Day party for Bobby's little classroom, and I am bringing some treats. Vivi and I spent yesterday whipping up some Strawberry White Chocolate Milkshake cupcakes. We also did quite a bit of quality control testing because I am a firm believer that a baker should always sample her cakes. Never ever trust a skinny baker. Something is wrong with that picture.

This is my first Valentine's as a mom with a kid in a classroom, meaning it's my first time to do Valentines for other children. I wasn't sure what to do. When I was little, you gave out the cheesy cards that came in a pack from the grocery store, and you called it a day. But now we live in a day of Pinterest. I started browsing for ideas but began to get lost in a sea of cleverly-worded, die-cut cards apparently created by a mother with a PhD in graphic design. I don't even own a printer. So I nixed that. I was in the middle of crafting a few bows for Vivi, and I realized I had WAY too much felt and sparkle paper left over, so I decided to make the girls in Bobby's class a few Valentines bows. It took a few minutes, but I hope they will enjoy them. 

Lest you begin rolling your eyes at me, don't worry--the kids are still getting the cheapo boxed Valentine's cards from Walmart. 

But at least they're good ones.

And the boys in his class are getting Blow Pops, which I just now realized is probably totally inappropriate for 2 year olds, but that's not my problem too late now.

I have been trying to work with Bobby on some learning games lately, and we are in the middle of a Color Study. This is where you pick one color to focus on, and you go around looking for objects in that particular color. Our color for February is pink ('tis the season), and we have plenty of material to work with between Vivi and myself. I don't know how much of this he is actually comprehending, as he seemed to prefer spraying the entire aerosol can of hairspray all over his sister instead of talking about the color, but it can't hurt. And to be fair, her hair was definitely not looking its best. But regardless of how much the kiddos are learning, at least I can sleep at night knowing that I gave it a shot. 

I've noticed that I have been gravitating toward pink in general a lot lately. Well, okay, pink is my favorite color. But I've been noticing a lot of it in stores lately. 

 lip gloss  // sweater mug // pin-tuck blouse // Essie "lovie dovie" // earrings // ice cube trays // baby age blocks // pink & gold strappy sandal // wooden storage box

 

 radio // whoopie pies mat // party skirt // aviators // cupcake tea towel // Kate Spade watch // halter one piece // bikini bottom // french bikini top

I adore all shades of pink, from blush and bashful to fuchsia, but I am especially into this neon coral-pink color I've been spotting around lately. It's really fun and makes me ready for beach days. 

Essie "tart deco" // bib necklace // striped tote // pumps // sweatshirt // cutout one piece // leather moccs // lace bra // rubber rose ring // party napkins // rubber flats

Wouldn't those neon coral patent pumps be a fab pop of color to an otherwise neutral outfit? Maybe it's my earnestness for spring, but I am LOVING all of the fun pink everywhere. It's a nice way to brighten up this tail-end of winter. The weather has been beautiful and fairly warm here lately, although the same cannot be said for our friends up North, bless their hearts. My cousin is in law school at Harvard, and I feel so bad for his Southern boy self all snowed in up there. We have been enjoying lots of days outside lately.

It can get a little overwhelming single-parenting two babes after a while, especially when one of those is a strong-willed toddler who enjoys slinging our fire-poker around and wallowing in ketchup. A favorite pick-me-up I've been enjoying lately are fresh flowers throughout the downstairs. 

I was having a particularly exhausting and rough day the other day--you know, the kind where you cry under large sunglasses in public--and my sweet friend had a beautiful arrangement of tulips sent to my house later that afternoon. My day had just gone from bad to worse when the doorbell rang, and I was dumbfounded opening it up to the flower delivery man. The card read 

"You are a good mom! Cheer up!"

Tears immediately sprang to my eyes, but they were good tears this time. I felt so grateful to have somebody "get" me and do the right thing at the right time.  Every mama needs another mama best friend who knows when to send flowers.

I am finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, and now we only have 3ish days until Alex returns. Him walking through the door will be Valentine's Day present enough for me. As for his present, I promise to shower and not wear sweatpants. 

That's love.

Keep on keepin' on!

-Annette