pumpkin gooey butter cake

Happy September!  While this month doesn't spell fall weather for Santa Barbara, I've got that autumn bug ... especially when it comes to food.   Bring on the pumpkin!

Gooey Butter Cake is a buttery, cream-cheesy cake that is traditionally baked in St. Louis, where I grew up.   You'll find it at any well-stocked picnic or pot luck event.  While on Pinterest the other day, I saw someone had made a pumpkin variety - be still my heart.  I had to try it out.   The recipe is the same as the traditional style, with a can of pumpkin and spices added.

Gooey Butter Cake (my friend Megan's recipe)

Crust:
1 Yellow Cake Mix
1 Egg
1 stick of butter, melted

Mix with fork, and press in bottom of 9x13 pan.

Top:
1 pound powdered sugar (4 cups)
1 package cream cheese, softened (8 oz)
1 stick of butter, very soft or melted
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Mix and pour over base.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes, or until set.  The center should still be slightly gooey.

Cool and serve topped with powdered sugar.  Delicious!  But not diet friendly.  :)

To make the pumpkin version, add one 15 ounce can of pureed pumpkin (plain pumpkin, not canned pumpkin pie), 1 tsp cinnamon, and 1 tsp nutmeg.

rainbow birthday party!

Rainbow parties are super fun!  It was totally overboard for a 1-year-old party, but we combined with Ruby's cousin, Violet, and the rainbow theme was so fun, and let's be honest ... I just got carried away.  :)

We had a blast with our rainbow treats and rainbow outfits and rainbow decorations.  It resulted in two very happy birthday girls.

 See the girl's rainbow dresses posted here, and directions to make a lickety-split birthday crown here.

I couldn't have pulled it off without my in-laws ... the sister-in-laws were enthusiastic decorators, and grandma and grandpa were the grill masters, whipping up a delicious BBQ dinner.  Thanks, guys!

The decorations were fairly simple.  We made a streamer canopy inside the shade tent, hung paper lanterns (remember them from my spring Relief Society activity?), and a watch-me-grow birthday banner.  I really liked the rainbow circle garland I saw at Sweet and Lovely Crafts, so I made a smaller version.  The dots were punched out of rainbow colored card stock using a 1-inch scalloped circle punch, and sewn together on the sewing machine.  Easy, peasy.

The bean bag toss was fun for the kids.  There was no formal game or prizes ... it was just out for fun.  I got the idea from born.in.japan, and just ran with it.  If you are in the Santa Barbara area and want a (free) lovingly handmade bean bag toss board, email me!  I have no space to store it.

I also used some toys we already had as entertainment:  a tunnel to climb through, a kid's play parachute, and all the rainbow baby toys I could round up for a little baby zone in the shade.  

There were jars of crayons on the table with cute rainbow coloring pages (courtesy of Style Me Gorgeous) for anyone interested in coloring.

I didn't do an over-the-top dessert table that are so popular these days, but there were plenty of goodies to go around.

My big splurge for the party was this rainbow popcorn, to go into those beautifully cut rainbow popcorn boxes.  I ordered it online from Sakida.  It was tasty, but if I had to do it again, I would have tried to make it myself.  Just be warned - the shipping is atrocious (which I did not know until I received my invoice - ouch).  It sure looked pretty though.

A much bigger hit with the crowd was the layered rainbow jello.   It was kind of beautiful, and delicious!  Get the recipe at Glorious Treats.  I have an aversion to Cool Whip, so I substituted vanilla yogurt and it was really yummy.  Two tablespoons of each layer is just enough to fill a clear 8-ounce plastic cup.

Of course, you can't have a rainbow birthday party without doing THE rainbow cake.

I wanted it to be the real deal, so I went directly to the source - Whisk Kid.  She may or may not have been the first person ever to make a rainbow cake, but she certainly started the internet sensation.  Whisk Kid's cake recipe was the perfect amount for a 6 layer cake.   I used my go-to Wilton Buttercream Icing recipe for the frosting.

The reaction from the party-goers when I cut into this cake made the effort of baking it so worth it.  It tasted great, too!  Ruby was supposed to have her own little cake, but I had a gluten-free baking fail.  So she ended up with gluten free cupcake from Santa Barbara's most delicious bakery, Jeanine's, and she devoured it with gusto.

I sent our little guests away with some gold coins (idea found at the blog, it is what it is) - as you know, there is always gold at the end of a rainbow (party).  Bulk gold coins found at Smart & Final.

As my nephew frequently reminded me, "Jill has gone rainbow crazy!"  It was such a fun day, and while I know Ruby won't remember it when she is older, she can look at pictures of this party and know her mama really loves her.

bridal shower gift

What's this, you say?  Something not baby-related?!!!  How refreshing.

I'm going to a bridal shower this week and wanted to add something handmade to the not-so-exciting cake pan from the bride's registry.

This simple hostess apron should do the trick. The shape has kind of a retro-vibe, but the print is bright and modern.  It is similar to the hostess aprons I have made in the past, except it isn't gathered, has a rounded bottom, and there is a very long sash at the waist that wraps around the back and ties up front.  It's kind of sassy.  I just made it up as I went along yesterday afternoon, so maybe I'll post a pattern for it someday.  But not today.  :)

I'm also including the recipe for my favorite chocolate cake (my sister's recipe) that uses said cake pan, and some blank recipe cards to match. I made these using my favorite photo-editing site, picnik.com. 

Here's the yummy cake recipe, if you're interested:

And some blank recipe cards, if you like them:

 Just right click to save the file and print as a 4x6 image.  You should be able to fit two per page.

homemade playdough

Hope you are all having a lovely week!  You can find me over at Skip to my Lou today.

Cindy is hosting a summer Craft Camp - every day in June, she'll have a new guest blogger with a fun project for kids.  The guest blogger line-up is kind of fabulous, so you'll want to keep checking back to see ideas from your favorite craft bloggers.

Today I'm sharing a great homemade playdough recipe and how-to.  I hope you'll stop by!

strawberry freezer jam

The baby was demanding homemade strawberry jam, so instead of sewing this weekend I made a little army of freezer jam.  My poor little freezer is not equipped to hold twelve jars of jam in addition to our usual frozen goods, so a few of these pretties are going to find a new home.

Have you ever made jam?  I've only done the easy freezer jam, but one of these days I am going to get brave and make cooked jam.

You know what is really good?  Strawberry freezer jam and nutella, spread liberally on yummy bread.  It almost tastes like a chocolate covered strawberry sandwich!  It is becoming my favorite treat and within about 10 minutes of eating one, Ruby is doing backflips in the womb, so I think she likes it, too.  :)

purl bee rose clips and cupcakes

This weekend I tried out the Rose Barrette tutorial from The Purl Bee:

Talk about a quick and satisfying project!  I attached one to a clip as directed, and one to a ponytail holder, which I am far more likely to wear.  I'm always amazed at how pretty felt can be.

The majority of this weekend, though, was spent baking.  Then baking some more.  I made over 6 dozen cupcakes as a reminder for a church party this week.  Despite some hiccups in the kitchen, they turned out really yummy.  And when I say hiccup, I mean this:

Making buttercream frosting with a toddler is NOT a good idea.

I took notes from Kristin at the Blonde Designs Blog and tried the 1-2-3-4 Cake recipe from the back of the Swans Down Cake Flour box.  It was really good! (I loved the flavor from the almond extract.)  For the frosting, I used Wilton's Buttercream recipe, which never fails.

This photo is horribly fuzzy ... I forgot my camera and had to take one with my phone.

All in all, my weekend was tasty (though sticky), and my ponytail has never looked so good.  Hope you had a great weekend, too!

Strawberry Lemonade Bars

Is your mouth watering yet?

After about eating my weight in strawberries this weekend, I pureed the rest and tested out this Strawberry Lemonade Bar recipe from Baking Bites.  It is fabulous!

These perfectly pink beauties are going to be one of many treats on a dessert buffet I am putting together for an upcoming church party.  I'm no Amy Atlas, but I'm really excited to do a dessert buffet.

Do you know of any wonderful pink desserts?

Helen's Chocolate Pie

I almost finished that t-shirt tutorial this weekend, but then I got distracted by High School Musical 3. Did you know that I am 12 years old?

So while you wait, I'm offering the recipe to Helen's Chocolate Pie. It is exceptionally delicious, and I made it for Jared this weekend in celebration of his completing the CA Bar Exam. What a trooper.

Helen's Chocolate Pie

• 1 1/2 C. sugar
• 3 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 C. cocoa powder
• 3 C. milk
• 3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
• 1 Tbsp. butter

Mix sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder, and salt in a saucepan. Gradually add milk and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and boils. Boil 1 minute and remove from heat.

Gradually stir half of the hot chocolate mixture into the egg yolks, then add egg mixture back into saucepan, stirring to combine. Boil 1 minute more. Remove from heat and still stirring, blend in butter.

Pour immediately into baked pie shell and cool in refrigerator. Top with fresh whipped cream to serve.

enjoy!

recycled baby food jars

Baby food jars are just too cute to throw in the recycling bin. I'm using some of mine for color-coordinated button storage, but I'd like to think of more uses.

It would be cute to fill the taller 6oz baby food jars with homemade lemon curd for holiday gifts. With a festive label and some ribbon, they would be a perfect little item to have on hand.

Oscar loves to play with the baby food jar lids. To make them a more interesting, I put some simple pictures inside. When he's older we can make it a matching game.


Would you like to play, too? Click here for the .pdf.Print two copies on cardstock or photo paper, cut out the circles, and press into the inside of (clean) baby food jar lids. It is a tight enough fit that no glue is required. For an older child, though, you could paint the lids a pretty color and glue the images to the inside for a longer lasting (and cuter) game.




p.s. last chance to enter the Bubby's Giveaway! Get your comment in by midnight tonight.

quiet book templates

good morning!

Below are some templates from my quiet book. Print them out as a full page image, and they'll be just the right size for a 12x12 inch quiet book.

To answer some frequently asked questions about the quiet book:

• The pages are made with plain white cotton fabric
• Each page has a very thin layer of batting in between (I use warm n' natural)
• I have not needed to wash my book so far, so I can't tell you how well it would hold up in the machine.  I would recommend spot cleaning, and if you expect frequent washings, use as much cotton fabric and as little craft felt as possible.

Sorry that templates for all pages are not included, and that I did not provide detailed instructions. I am hoping that you can figure out the construction by looking at my completed pages. If you are totally stumped, just email me and I will try to answer your questions.

For more great quiet book ideas, check out the following blogs:
How to Make a Quiet Book
Modest Maven
Naptime Journal
Crafty Chic

lemon meringue pie

Tonight I made a lemon meringue pie and for the first time ever, the meringue turned out right. wahoo! I used this recipe.

Lemon meringue pie always makes me think of my dad. Once when I was a kid, we went to a Tippin's and ate an entire lemon meringue pie in the parking lot, just the two of us. Then we had to go back inside and buy another one because my mom had sent us there to bring a pie home for the family. Just thinking about it makes me laugh. We brought the second pie home and didn't say a word to anyone - I thought it was just about the best secret in the world.

Happy fourth of July, everyone! I hope you have a chance to eat some good pie.

prepare to meet my inner nerd

Today is my sweetie's 29th birthday, so I made him this super-special Cylon Raider cake. Jared, if it weren't for you, I may still be playing sports - not making crafts and watching Battlestar Galactica. (Have I rubbed off on you at all?)

Happy birthday. :)


It was my first attempt at fondant, and I used sparkly powder stuff without the proper tools (like the airbrush it requires). All I can say is, FUN! I need to be adventurous with my cakes more often.

This cake has a delicious raspberry filling (a Raider wouldn't be a Raider without the guts), and I want to eat it by the spoonful. Here's the recipe.

Raspberry Sauce

1 10oz. package frozen raspberries, thawed
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar

Puree raspberries and strain through a fine sieve to remove the seeds. In a saucepan, combine all ingredients and bring to a boil over medium heat. Done! Let cool completely if using as a cake filling.

Update: He liked it!

homemade holiday treats

Need a last minute gift? Homemade hot chocolate mix is fast, easy and delicious. I was inspired by my friend, Elise, who brought the mix to our bookclub secret santa exchange.

You can find the hot chocolate recipe at citrus blog. Package it up in a cute jar with ribbon and a label and you're good to go. :)

You can't have hot chocolate without marshmallows, and the homemade variety are SO good! I used a recipe from Your Heart Out (I've had the post saved in my bloglines for over a year - I wish I hadn't taken so long to try it out!). I omitted the candy canes because I forgot to buy them at the store. Instead I added clear sanding sugar to add a bit of sparkle, and loved it because it looks a lot like snow.

Makes a perfect gift for the hot chocolate-lover in your life, don't you think?

My sweet boy let me hang out in the kitchen all afternoon while he napped. Looks like he had sweet dreams ...

quick post: try this recipe!

Just wanted to pop in to say that if you love peanut butter cups, you should try this recipe from Have Cake, Will Travel. They are so easy, so fast and SO good! We gobbled them all up before I thought to photograph, but no worries - there are photos with the recipe.

Over Labor Day I did a dresser makeover for the nursery, so I'll be posting before and after shots this weekend. Yay! Back soon...

strawberry cheesecake cupcakes

I am surprised I have not yet shared this cheesecake recipe - it is a family favorite. I got it from my mom, who got it from her sister, my crafty Aunt Nancy, who got it from .... who knows. I wouldn't be shocked if she came up with the recipe herself. Nancy has many talents and is a great cook (I posted her unbelievable dinner roll recipe here).

Crust:
1 3/4 C graham cracker crumbs
1/2 C sugar
1 stick of butter, melted

Combine and press into a spring-form pan (bottom and about an inch up the side).
Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes, or until it starts to brown.

Filling:
3 eight oz. packages of cream cheese - cream until soft in mixer
add 5 large eggs and beat until smooth
Add: 1 C sugar, 1 tsp vanilla and a dash of salt

Mix until well combined. The recipe says to beat at least 10 minutes, which I know breaks the cardinal rule of making cheesecakes (don't overbeat the batter). However, I'm not one to argue with family recipes - I beat it for 10-15 minutes or until my arm is about to fall off, whichever happens first.

Pour into the cooled crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until the top browns and the center isn't jiggly. Check often after the 45 minute mark, but try to resist checking earlier. Cool for about 20 minutes.

Sour cream topping:
Mix 1 1/2 C sour cream, 1/3 C sugar and 1 tsp vanilla
Pour on top of the cheesecake and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Chill at least 4 hours, but overnight is best. Top with your favorite fruit and devour.

I typically use a large springform pan (12 inches, I think??), but for the cheesecake pictured above, I used a small, 8" pan. This left a lot of extra crust and batter ... perfect to experiment with cheesecake cupcakes!

I followed all the same steps, and surprisingly did not have to reduce the baking time by much. I just kept watching until the top was browning.


Pretty darn cute, right? I think these would be fun to serve at a baby shower/bridal shower/[insert your excuse to party here].

seven-up cake

I had never heard of this cake before making it for a recent birthday celebration at work. It turned out to be delicious, so I thought I'd pass on the recipe. Seven-up cake is similar to a lemon pound cake, but gets increasingly moist towards the center.

Seven-Up Cake

3/4 lb butter, softened
3 cups sugar
5 eggs
3 cups flour
2 tablespoons lemon extract
3/4 cup 7-Up soda

Lemon glaze:
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice

1. Cream butter and sugar
   
2. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition.
3. Add flour and lemon extract.
4. Fold in 7-Up.
5. Pour into well-greased 12-cup Bundt pan or tube pan.
   
6. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 to 1 1/4 hours.
7. Make Lemon Glaze - mix powdered sugar and lemon juice together
8. When cake is cooled, dribble with Lemon Glaze.