Tinkerbell Cake Doll Cake Variation

My little girl turned nine this week. I made her this Tinkerbell cake which is a variation of the doll cake I made her little sister earlier this summer. Click on the title of this post to see the original cake and instructions.

You can make one of these cakes using any Bundt cake recipe. I used the Pampered Chef Batter Bowl to bake the cake in. It took about 60 minutes to get done all the way through the middle. Spray the pan well with cooking spray before baking. Here is my icing recipe -

Decorative Icing Ingredients:

1 cup of shortening

1 2 1b bag of powdered sugar (Domino's 10 x sifted works very well.)

2 tsp of vanilla (Use clear vanilla if you want extremely white icing.)

1/2 cup of milk or water

pinch of salt

1. Beat shortening several times with an electric mixer until creamy.

2. Add vanilla. Add sugar 1/2 cup at a time beating well after each addition. Add pinch of salt.

3. Add milk or water and beat well.

4. Store in airtight container in fridge and whip up again before using.

Tips: To thin icing for icing a smooth finish thin one cup of icing with two tsps of water. For decorative icing like ruffles, flowers, etc., use at normal consistency. I prefer using milk in the recipe instead of water because I think it has a better flavor. However, if you want to store your cake on a counter for a long period of time water is best to use. I sometimes use 1/2 vanilla and 1/2 almond extract in this recipe. When using a star tip to decorate a cake offset each row of stars. In other words, don't line up the stars perfectly with the row of stars above it. This helps keep the cake looking fully iced and prevents bare spots.

Making Herbal Tea with a French Coffee Press

A French coffee press is terrific for making teas with loose leaf herbs.  For this cup of tea, I combined a scoop of dried chamomile with a scoop of dried raspberry leaves.  I poured boiling water from the kettle over the herbs and placed the lid to the press on top.  I allowed the herbs to steep for approximately ten minutes.  I then pushed the plunger down on the press slowly.  It made a wonderful cup of tea with no little bits of herbs floating in it.  When using a press always let it sit for awhile before pushing the plunger down and always push the plunger slowly.  Pushing to quickly can cause the hot liquid to splatter.

Baked Pineapple

Ingredients:
1 16 ounce can of crushed pineapple, drained
3 eggs, well beaten
3/4 cup of sugar
4 Tbsp of cornstarch

Directions:
Combine all ingredients.  Pour into a 1 quart baking dish.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Tips - This is a super easy side dish.  I didn't have crushed pineapple so I just ran my pineapple rings through the blender.

Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream

We found the ice cream maker when we were unpacking boxes from the storage unit.  It was just to yummy a prospect to resist making homemade ice cream for the kids.

Ingredients:
2 cups of granulated sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp of cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
7 cups of whole milk
5 eggs, beaten
1 quart of heavy whipping cream, divided
6 cups of frozen strawberries

1. Mix the sugar, corn starch and salt in a large saucepan.  Over low heat, slowly stir in the milk.  Slowly add the beaten eggs, stirring constantly.  Reduce the heat to low and cook until mixture thickens slightly. 

2.In a blender, combine 2 cups of heavy whipping cream and strawberries.  Pulse until the berries are chopped to the desired consistency. 

3. Remove the sauce pan from the heat and stir in the berry and cream mixture as well as the remaining quart of heavy whipping cream.  Pour the mixture into a large glass bowl and refrigerate for 2-4 hours.



4.  Pour your chilled mixture into the chilled canister of your ice cream maker.  Do not fill more than two thirds full.  I have noticed that the less full the ice cream maker is the better the consistency of the final product.  Follow your ice cream makers instructions for assembly and churn time.  Outside of the canister, layer ice and salt.  Pour cold water over the ice and salt and then add more ice.  Turn on the ice cream maker and be sure to use a long handled spoon to stir the ice and salt mixture every 10 minutes. This recipe needs to churn between 40 and 50 minutes and it needs to be divided into two batches.

Tips - Straight out of the ice cream maker this recipe has the consistency of a Wendy's Frosty.  But if you put it in a freezer container for a few hours it has a thicker texture.  I use the Aroma Ice Cream Maker because it has the option of using a hand crank or an electric crank.  I also place the ice cream maker in my sink to prevent the ice water from leaking everywhere. 



Summer Sauce

We have the most wonderful bakery in our town that makes lovely artisan breads and pizza.  My husband came home with three loaves last night and it inspired me to make summer sauce.  Summer sauce is light and wonderful over spaghetti noodles.  Just add a hearty loaf of bread and you have a meal.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of olive oil
4 large garlic cloves diced
1 large vidalia onion diced
6 oz  of tomato paste
45 oz of diced tomatoes (use fresh,skinless if they are in season)
30 oz of water
1 tsp of coarse sea salt
diced black olives (optional)

Directions:
1. In a large sauce pot, saute the garlic and onions in olive oil until transparent.  Add the tomato paste and continue to saute until well incorporated.

2. Add the diced tomatoes, water and salt.  Stir until well incorporated.  Simmer on the stove top all day on low.  I start my sauce around noon to eat at five o'clock.  Stir the sauce throughout the day from time to time.

3. Before serving over pasta, you can add in as many diced black olives as you like.  Fresh Parmesan cheese is wonderful on top of this dish.  Some fresh basil on top would be yummy, too!

The Move to the Farm

Well we have been in the new house for almost two weeks.  Our first morning in the house, God gave us the excitement of watching this giant snapping turtle walk to our pond.  It is huge and has probably been around for quite a long time.

Our sheepdog, Nellie,  is so happy to have room to roam.  She loves to sit on the hill and watch the kids and the animals.  She reminds me of the Looney Tunes cartoon where the sheepdog and coyote clock in for the day.

 Our first full day in the house, our youngest turned six years old.  Grandpa, Grandma and her six year old cousin stopped by for cupcakes. 

My husband cleared out an area by the pond and built a fire pit.  We have had two cookouts.

We have broken in the tire swing - even Mommy gave it a go. 

My oldest daughter took this picture.  We have had many beautiful views and sunsets.  Of course there have been the normal house moving stresses - a leaky toilet, a leaky dishwasher, the adjustment period for everyone- but let's face it those things make for less attractive photos.  The house has been such a long time coming and now that we are here the kids are kind of looking for the next big thing.  I understand that feeling- but as a mother I am looking forward to us all having a feeling of contentment  and of home.  Keep us in your prayers.  I have been cooking but no new recipes.  I have to admit to holding back a little in the kitchen in hopes of keeping it new and shiny.  I am thinking of working on some herbal tinctures, teas and medicines this week.  We are also planting our garden  - tonight pumpkins and corn are going into the garden.  Stay tuned for new posts.

Cute Cow Story - I have to preface this story with the fact that our new farm is located near the homes of all my siblings.  When we first put harnesses on our two dairy cows, I went out and bought cow bells for Heidi and Gizelle (They are named for super models, so that I can always say that I weigh less than Heidi and Gizelle.  Of course when they were calves my younger brother was kind enough to point out not quite yet.)  Anyhow,  my husband thought the bells were so silly and I was just the cutest wife ever for wanting bells on my cows.  Well, our second night in the new house my niece calls me at 11:30 and says, "  Aunt Sissy, do your cows wear bells?  Because I can hear cow bells at my house but I can't see any cows.  But they sound awfully close."  Sure enough Heidi and Gizelle had knocked over their fence and made it clear to my brother's house.  Thank the Lord they didn't make it to the housing development below us or I would be known as the world's worst neighbor.  Can you imagine the reaction from of someone waking up to a cow in their yard?  If it hadn't been for those cute little bells, Heidi and Gizelle might have made it all the way to Paris for fashion week.

Strawberry Freezer Jam

The appearance of juicy, ripe strawberries kicks-off berry season. Making strawberry freezer jam is a fun project to do with a child. The most exciting way to get the child involved is to check local area papers for a u-pick strawberry farm. Once the berries have been harvested, the strawberry freezer jam process is simple.




Ingredients and Supplies:

2 cups of crushed strawberries

4 cups of sugar

¾ cup of water

1 box of fruit pectin (1.75 oz)

freezer containers

wide-mouth funnel



Directions:

1. Wash and dry several freezer containers.

2. Wash the berries. Have the child remove the stems.

3. Using a potato masher, have the child smash the strawberries one cup at a time. When all the berries are crushed, the total amount of crushed fruit should be two cups.

4. In a large mixing bowl, have the child stir together the crushed strawberries and sugar. Let the mixture sit for ten minutes. This allows the strawberries’ juices to flow.

5. The adult should heat the water and pectin to a boil in a small saucepan. Boil one minute stirring constantly.

6. Pour the pectin mixture into the strawberry mixture and stir until all the sugar is dissolved.

7. Have the child help pour the jam into freezer containers leaving room for expansion. A wide-mouth funnel helps keep this process neat.

8. Let the jam sit at room temperature for twenty-four hours. While the jam is setting up, have the child design cute labels for the containers. Store in the freezer for up to one year.



Tips - This recipe yields five cups of jam. Strawberry freezer jam can also be made with honey and fruit juice instead of sugar. However, a low-sugar or no-sugar pectin would be needed for that process.