Sweet Memories

I just popped a pan of Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars into the oven.  These little treats were my mom's signature dessert while I was growing up.  When I needed to bring a snack into school or friends spent the night or my parents visited me at college, these yummy cookie bars were there too.  Tehy seem like the perfect treat to make my kids smile on a sunny summer day!

Pink Bunny Birthday Party

My baby girl celebrated her first birthday in January.  Can you believe how fast the time is going?  We were thrilled to gather our family and friends at a local museum to eat cake, play, learn, and spend time together. 

Anna loves her little pink bunny.  She chews its ears, carries it around, and hugs it with all of her strength.  We knew that her party needed to feature pink bunnies in honor of her little lovey. 

I planned and plotted for weeks; then I gathered all of my confidence to bake Anna's cakes. 

The bunny face is a strawberry cake with 7 minute frosting and tinted coconut.  I used the same directions that moms everywhere use to make Easter cakes.  The cupcakes are vanilla with pink buttercream frosting.

Each month, I take a picture of the kids on the date of their birth.  This is an easy way to look back on how much they are growing and changing during those first few years.  Check out the guest of honor posing by the cake...what a cutie!

 Pink, pink, pink everywhere!  We served bunny cracker snacks and pink juice boxes. 

The frames are displaying a quote I liked and a copy of the invitation. 

The quote is from Jane Austen: "Where shall we see a better daughter or a kinder sister or a truer friend."

Anna's smash cake (served at home on her actual birthday) was a giant cupcake!

She loved sticking her fingers into the cake and shoving big bites of frosting into her mouth!  The candle says "Baby's First Birthday" and was among my Nana's baking supplies.  Anna's middle name was chosen to honor my Nana, so I loved that a little bit of her was with us.

We cut snowflakes out of pink tissue paper to decorate the tables.  Each guest received a chocolate bunny sucker from Goumas Confections, our favorite local candy store. 

Anna had a lot of fun at her party and I loved planning all of those little pink bunny details for her! 

Homemade Play Dough

There is an ad on TV now that says something like: "Valentine's Day isn't about saying 'I love you,' it's about saying 'I love us.'"  I love that idea.  I love that idea more than I love a lot of the hoopla around today.

To kick off our Valentine's Day celebrations, I made Play Dough with the kids...because I love us all together.  We have tons of the store-bought kind tucked in bins and cuddled next to mini-cutters of all shapes. But that experience pales in comparison to mixing it yourself...

And selecting the perfect color...

Then squishing your hands into the warm dough...

Nothing compares. 

I still remember the smell and warmth of the Play Dough that Nana and I created in her kitchen when I was little.  It's so important that my kids have memories like that too.

Benefits of making your own Play Dough:

• It's fun
• Kids like to choose their own colors and add in textures like glitter or sprinkles
• Customize the colors for the holiday or event you are celebrating
• Avoid allergens or artificial coloring found in manufactured Play Dough
• Last, but not least....the warm squishy dough when you knead it yourself.  Can't be beat!

Play Dough Recipe
Ingredients
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1 1/2 teaspoons alum
1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable ooil
1/2 cup coiling water
food color, sprinkles, glitter, scents, etc (optional)

Directions
In a medium bowl, mix together flour, salt, and alum.  Add the oil and boiling water; stir until blended.  Roll the dough out onto a flat surface and knead in the color, if desired.  Cool and store in an air-tight container. 

(Note: I doubled the recipe to make enough Play Dough for the three of us to share.)

Nana's Recipe Card for Play Dough

Try the recipe, have some fun with it, and let me know what you loved most about it!

Pupcakes

Today is my Chloe's 8th birthday!  Chloe has been through a lot and we are grateful for every birthday we get to celebrate with her. 

This is one of our favorite pictures of Chloe when she was younger.  We call it her "Senior Picture" because she is posing with her sports equipment, just like a high senior.

She picked me out right away when we first met.  When I brought her home, her tiny collar was too big for her little neck.  She was scared to leave the patio; she cried at night and I held her in my arms.  She is a friend, a playmate, a kisser of boo-boos, and a healer of sad hearts.  She is thrilled to see us everyday when we come home, she is patient when we are busy, and she is excellent at taking naps. 

To show Chloe how much we love her, I baked her a very special cake.  The primary flavor is peanut butter - her favorite.  There are also some carrots for vitamins, honey for sweetness, and vanilla for flavor.  (Any person would love to eat this cake, I am sure!) The warm peanut butter smell took over our entire kitchen and smelled so amazing. 

Here is the recipe I use for Chloe's birthday cake:

Chloe's Peanut Butter Carrot Cake

Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat
1 t baking soda
1/4 c peanut butter
1/4 c vegetable oil
1 c shredded carrots
1 t vanilla
1/3 cup honey
1 egg

Directions
Mix flour and baking soda in a medium bowl.  Add the remaining ingredients and stir until the batter is moistened.  Pour the batter into the cake pan.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Remove cake from pan and cool on a wire rack. 

Serving Suggestions

• Place the cake in the dog bowl and watch their tails wag!
• Cut into wedges and serve a little each day as a treat
• Cut a small piece and serve with a cup of Frosty Paws
• Use a large round cookie cutter to cut circles out of the cake, thus making smaller "Pupcakes"
• Drizzle plain yogurt on top for the "icing" and garnish with diced bell peppers or tomatoes

Another reason why we love Chloe so much...she loves us!  Here she is giving Andrew a big ol' kiss when he was just a little guy.  Happy birthday Chloe!

Tina's Tuna Surprise

Today I am remembering my friend Kristina and everything that she brought to my life during the short time she was in it.  Since this is generally a food blog, I want to share a distinct (and unforgettable!) culinary memory that I have of Kristina.

We were in our senior year of college and studying for finals.  It was one of those times that the four of us roommates actually got down to the business of school adn focused on our upcoming exams.  Kristina was...maybe, less focused on exams.  That was just her way.  However, she was a fiercely loyal friend and supported us by making a tuna casserole so we would have plenty of food to eat with minimal effort. 

One roommate claimed that she couldn't/wouldn't eat seafood, so she was spared.  Another roommate hid in the library for a week, so she was mostly spared as well.  I tried to be appreciative and supportive of that tuna casserole.  Oh boy.

Sitting here nearly 11 years later, I can't remember all of the ingredients, but I am sure it included canned tuna, green beans, and Kraft American cheese slices.  Draw your own conclusions.

I loved her dearly and miss her daily.  The thought of this tuna cassserole and its litany of mismatched ingredients makes me smile quite often. 

Where I Was When It Happened...

I was at work.  We heard a few things about a plane hitting the World Trade Center in NYC and thought it was a stunt plane.  Then we heard that another plane hit the other tower and knew something bad was happening. 

I talked to my dad on the phone a few times; he was retired and at home watching the news.  We couldn't get on any news websites because they were all down due to overwhelming traffic.  I knew very little - only enough to be scared.

I went out at lunch to pick up a sandwich (Quarter Pounder with Cheese, if you must know) and still remember the piercing clear blue sky.  My friend Patrick was living in DC at the time and I worried for him. 

My clearest memories of that day begin in the later afternoon when I left work and returned to my apartment.  That's when I first saw the images of the day.  I sat on the phone for so long with Kristina, talking and crying and fearing.  Looking out the big window in my living room, there were no planes in the sky but I was convinced that one would probably crash into my building. 

Kristina died three months later.  The first time I entered an airport or boarded a plane was for her funeral.  Her death and that sadness is weirdly woven into my memories of September 11th. 

As I drove to the farmer's market this morning, I reflected on the meaning of this anniversary.  Today I am not astounded by how much my life has changed since September 11, 2001; rather, I am amazed at how much has not changed.  This can only be attributed to the people who protect our freedom, at home and abroad. 

We will never forget.

"Thoughts that do often lie to deep for tears." - William Wordsworth