Celebrating Emily

Emily will be 8 next Monday (9/27) however, we will be celebrating elsewhere with her on that day, so we decided to have both our folks over for an intimate family dinner and celebration.

She loved the setting and was thrilled to be celebrating with her grandparents, and it was very mellow for mom and dad too, so that was nice for us.

She was thrilled to get this bike that "peddles backwards" from Jeff''s folks (along with an L basket for her treasures). My folks got her a DS game, Princess and the Frog, a winter jacket. Jeff and I got her new bed sheets, flip flops, and some dresses. She was very happy with all her special treats.

This type of cake is always a request of Emily's and its' one that she is comfortable helping with too. This recipe has been around the family as long as I can remember--it came from my grandmother. Over the years of me making it, I have added special touches to it (like chopped Andee's mints, ice cream sandwiches, doubled up the fudge...)

The basic recipe of this cake is simple and it's fun to change it up a bit too!
Standard white cake mix + 3T Creme de Minthe (pour into 6 cupcake moulds, eat for later)

Pour remaining mix into an 11x14 greased pan (follow baking instructions minus 5 degrees and 5 mins on bake time)

Cool. Cover top of cake with room temp fudge, chill.

Place ice cream sandwiches (about 12) on top of fudge (you could add the second layer of fudge here if desired), freeze.

Mix one tub of Cool Whip and another 3T of Creme de Minthe together and spread mix on top of ice cream sandwiches (or fudge) layer.

Decorate any way...crushed Oreos, chopped Andee's mints, mini chocolate chips...

Freeze until 30-45 mins. prior to serving.

WE LOVE YOU EMZ!

5 min Chocolate Mug Cake

• 4 T flour
• 4 T sugar
• 2 T cocoa
• 1 egg
• 3 T milk
• 3 T oil
• 3 T chocolate chips (optional)
• A small splash of vanilla extract
• 1 large coffee mug

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again. Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed! Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired. EAT! (this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous). And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world. Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!

Moist Cakes

I recently was the guest at one of my parents friends house over the New Year holiday. She served the most amazingly delicious food (she used to help cater events when she was newly married)! One of the items she served was a lemon poppy-seed cake that was melt-in-your-mouth moist. I asked her what her secret was and she handed me a 3 x 5 card with some notes...I made a vanilla-vanilla cake this weekend and it was FAB-U-LOUS!

So, you want to make a cake or some cup cakes? Here are her tips...

Pick any boxed cake mix with 'pudding-in-the-mix' (flavor of your choice).

• Lemon cake, add Lemonade Pudding mix
• Chocolate cake, add Chocolate Pudding mix
• Vanilla cake, add Vanilla pudding mix

These are the following items that you will mix together-despite what the amounts of the quick-fix-ingredients on the box say...

• Cake Mix
• Add'l package of Instant Pudding mix (matching flavor to your cake mix choice)
• 1/2 C oil
• 1 C water
• 4 eggs

Beat together for 2 minutes. Pour into greased pan...bake 350 degrees for 45 min (or until the times indicate on the box). Different times for different sizes/shapes.

For a delicious excuse for a breakfast treat...here's another variation;

1. Vanilla cake mix + vanilla pudding mix
2. add 2 1/2 tsp poppy seeds to batter
3. grease bundt pan and then coat the pan with 2 T sugar and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

I made a vanilla + vanilla bundt cake this weekend. Jeff wanted it frosted so I took 1/3 of a container of whipped vanilla frosting, added several tablespoons of water to make it ribbon-thin. I then drizzled it back and forth over the top of the cake....it was 'just enough' (not too heavy/thick) and it complimented the cake well (I still coated the greased bundt cake pan with granulated sugar)...naughty!!

**An added note/suggestion:

Reduce the temp by 5 degrees and the cook time by 5 min.