Happy Birthday Moo!

Two years ago today, we welcomed miss Moo earthside.  She's our shining light- how fitting for her birthday to land on the Solstice!  Here are the photos I promised.  It's cloudy out, I'm using a point & shoot, and one of these was even taken on a camera phone.  So.... yeah.  Whoops! Enjoy! :)  I'll leave the cake recipe in at the bottom.










Here's that cake recipe:

Cinnamon Honey Apple Birthday Cake

Ingredients:
-3 eggs
-3 tbsp vegetable oil
-1/2 cup of honey
-3/4 cup of apple sauce
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-3/4 cup of brown sugar
-2 1/4 cups of flour
-3/4 tsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp baking soda
-2 tsp cinnamon
-1/2 tsp salt
-3/4 cup of water

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Mix eggs, oil, honey, applesauce, brown sugar, and vanilla together until well blended.
In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt until well blended.
Add dry mixture to wet mixture while stirring in the 3/4 cup of water.  Mix until well blended and not very lumpy.

Pour batter into a greased 9x13" baking pan.  Bake 20-25 minutes uncovered.  Note: a toothpick will not come out clean when it's done- this cake is very moist and sticky- the insides will stick to the toothpick.  Just make sure that what sticks is crumbs and not raw batter!

I made this as a one layer cake for the girls- but on N's birthday, when we have people over, I'm planning on making it a  two layer cake and putting apricot filling in the center, and frosting with cream cheese frosting.  More on that when it actually happens!


Solstice post coming tomorrow!

Busy as a bee!

I've been crazy busy with everything I've posted in the last post- and then some!  Tomorrow is Moo's birthday (and the Winter Solstice!!), so I've been getting everything ready.  I've been running into a bunch of snags- for instance, imagine my surprise (shock, horror, the blasphemy!! I'm only half kidding!) when I opened up the fridge to find NO carrots for Moo's carrot cake.  At 10pm.  So I had to get online and figure something else out.. it's a Honey Apple Cake.  More sugar than I had hoped for- but it will suffice!  I'll post the recipe (which I altered a bit) in tomorrow's birthday post.

For now, I'll share some photos of what we've been up to.


It *finally* snowed.  Granted, it did melt 12 hours earlier, but the girls did enjoy it nonetheless.




We've also been working on our nature table- it has a new location in our dining room. It has since changed (and place on a different dresser, though in the same place). An updated picture will be posted in the birthday post tomorrow.



I've also decided to bake cookies for family this year. The season is so materialistic- why not make something that almost everyone loves? Sweets! Here are some of the Kolackys I made.



While on that note- I've started baking bread again. While not the prettiest loaf- it sure was yummy! (and yes- it's white bread. I didn't have any whole wheat flour!)


The other night Moo helped me make our Solstice lanterns- we do a lantern walk the night of the Winter Solstice to celebrate. We paint a bit of our homemade glue on a jelly jar, and stick torn bits of tissue paper to it. Then paint over so everything is wet, and allow to dry. Voila, lanterns! (You also need to add a wire handle to it, and put a tealight candle in them- but more on the in another post!).





AND tonight I put up our Solstice lights. The girls thought they were just magical!

Goals! Agenda! List! Yay!

Every year before Christmas I go absolutely bonkers.  My anxiety is through the roof, I'm worse than a five year old.  And I don't even believe in Santa.  I'm not even getting any gifts!  In an attempt to regain control of myself, I'm going to plan out, here, on the bloggity, my week until Christmas.  heregoes...




Oh, and I'm up late tonight baking cookies.  I suddenly decided that it would be fun to bake for the entire family.  Lellie had a ton of fun helping me measure out ingredients.. She's in bed, but, as you can see, monster Moo is not...

= something that can only be done at night, when the girls are asleep!

Monday, December 19, 2011
-Freeze Chocolate Chip Cookies ✔
-Freeze Peanut Butter Cookies ✔
-Make Kolacky dough ✔
-Bake Loaf Cookies (I promise this isn't as disgusting as it sounds!)
-Bake Sugar Cookies with Lellie
-Freeze Loaf & Sugar Cookies
-Make wool balls for their stockings
-Paint Rainbow Bridge Story for the birthday table

Tuesday, December 20, 2011
-Make birthday crown for Moo's doll (morning)
-Paint with N (need to paint birthday banner & lanterns
-Bake Kolackys
-Go to work (late afternoon through night)
-Freeze Kolackys
-Get to bed by 10pm!


Wednesday, December 21, 2011
-Sew the girls' doll bedding (they're getting a doll bunk bed from grandma)
-Bake cake for Moo [test run of the party's cake]
-Make Solstice star lanterns
-Finish writing Rainbow Bridge Story

Thursday, December 22nd, 2011
-Wake up before Moo to set up her birthday table
-Go on Solstice walk at 4:30

Friday, December 23rd, 2011
-Work, 10am-5pm
-Defrost one of each type of cookie, make sure they're alright
-Go grocery shopping for birthday snack supplies

Saturday, December 24th, 2011
-Work, 5pm-11pm
-Defrost cookies and put in tins, label tins
-Get stockings & gifts ready

Sunday, CHRISTMAS, 2011
Enjoy!  ...hopefully!

Monday, December 26th, 2011
-Clean house for birthday Celebration
-Sew N's doll clothes for her present
-Make birthday snacks
-Start making ice

Tuesday, December 27th, 2011
-Wake up early and set up birthday table
-Decorate the house
-Make snacks, make tea
-Celebrate!





I've got a lot on my plate!

In A Rut!

This past week hasn't been too productive in terms of projects.  I mean, we had the carpets cleaned, but that's about it!  I haven't really created anything.

I *did* however write up the girls' Rainbow Bridge birthday story.  I'll post it another time- but I'm thinking of writing it onto cardstock and creating illustrations for each little part.

Not sure- just exhausted right now!

Birthday Woes

I really dislike throwing parties.  It's not for me.  I'm not a social butterly and find it extremely awkward to entertain people.  I'm getting past that though, and am trying to focus on making it special for the girls.  Maddie was born on Dec 22nd, and Lellie was born on Dec 27th, two years before.  Having birthdays 5 days apart makes it easy for me to lump a party together.  Maddie's actual birthday is on the Solstice so we'll be doing something special to celebrate both things.  Their party is on Lellie's birthday.  Confusing much?

Right now I'm waiting for payday so that I can get some more yarn to finish up the Happy Birthday Banner I'm knitting.  And that birthday crown for Maddie's doll?  Still not even in the works.  And her birthday is in 15 days.  Oy vey.

Here are the ornaments they got for St. Nicholas day.  I realize that the heart is a bit wonky but she loved it nonetheless :)

Birthday Preparations...!

With under a month to go until the kids' party, I've got a lot to prepare. I'm not one for a huge birthday extravaganza, but I do want to keep it special for the girls. It's the little things that mean the most to them. The pretty tablecloth, the decorations, their birthday rings...


The start of the birthday banner


I'm starting to delve into the world of handmade, reusable decor. Currently I'm knitting up a "Happy Birthday" banner for them.  I'm loosely basing it off of this pattern...

I still need to knit Moo's doll her matching crown. Last year, she didn't have a doll. N's Lucy (who has come back to us! more on that later) doll has her own birthday crown, matching N's.

Anyways, I know this is all over the place... but I have so much to do!!



Our advent bowl, on the first light of Advent this past Sunday.

Projects

It's that time of year again!  With a variety of festivals, the girls' birthdays, and Christmas drawing near, I've been ridiculously busy with projects.



The girls are getting a farm set for Christmas... carved animals from jupiterschild, Engelberger figures, and some scenery.  I've been knitting up a farm/field playmat for the animals, and oh man is it tedious work.  I'm a novice knitter, so I suppose it's giving me a good amount of practice!



Lellie's (yeah, we've recently started calling N Lellie) uncle bought her a Specialized Bicycle from our local bike shop for her birthday.  She has some motor planning issues and her Skuut bike was way too much of a challenge for her (we're passing it down to little Maddie).  She really wants to learn to bike, but still doesn't quite grasp the concept of pedaling.  I'm hoping to make her a new little pouch for the front of her bike for her nature finds- the cats destroyed the old one.

Also on my crafting list... a papoose carrier for Lellie's baby doll, Lucy.  Lucy had worn out rather quickly, and the kind woman who made her, Jan Beane, replaced her.  We're currently awaiting Lucy's return :) I'm also hoping to make some doll clothes, wool balls.. a few things.

I need to figure out an Advent wreath, and something for Santa Lucia's day.  I've got a lot on my plate!

Happy Thanksgiving and Happy creating!

Oh, and we've already put up our Christmas Tree ;)