Thursday, August 27, 2015

Just When I Think the Internet is Full, I Turn Out to Have Bought "Previously Handled" Pizza

Every now and then I get the feeling that the internet is full and maybe I should quit adding to the din.

But then I buy a bake-at-home pizza at the store and it turns out to be "previously handled."

Previously handled pizza

Then we go get the mail and within several seconds of opening a new toy, the Head of Demolition tangles the motor in her hair so thoroughly that it has to be removed with scissors.


What to do with a Playmobil motor

Fun things to do with boat motors.

And I realize that not only is the internet quite obviously missing pictures of my kid with her hair tangled in a toy boat motor and previously handled pizza, but that all the ridiculous warning labels in the world were apparently written just for her.

Because, entrapment people!



Friday, August 21, 2015

Parenting is 30% Something and 70% Something Else

Twenty six percent of Twitter is parenting advice...



















And sixty two percent math.


Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Wordless (not really) Wednesday: Absurd Things I Have Done in the Interest of Amusing My Children

I'm not sure exactly what came over me, but the Chief Travel Correspondent and I took the Head of Demolition to see Anna and Elsa at the Frozen Festival at the mall.

It was AMAZING! If you squished just right and got griped at by enough security officers, you could ALMOST see Elsa's braid!




Luckily the Chief Travel Correspondent actually got the Head of Demolition kind of a good view...



Before she headed back off to college:


Meanwhile, lesson learned! We won't be headed back the dreaded mall anytime soon! Happy Wordless (oops) Wednesday all!



Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Wordless Wednesday: Not to be Outdone











Thursday, August 06, 2015

My Favorite Tres Leches Cake

My Partner in Crime says I made the perfect ginger snap cookie. They were crisp on the outside and chewy and moist on the inside.  He said they were a perfect ten.  The only problem is, I can't remember exactly how I made them.  One of these days I'll get it right again, and then I will publish the recipe.

All this is to say why I rarely publish cooking recipes: I forgot how I made it. I forgot that I ever made it. I got distracted by taking the pictures so I forgot a full cup of flour.  I combined two recipes, but I forgot which two.  I spent so much time helping the Head of Demolition help me that I didn't have time to take pictures. It's always something.

However, my friend Beth asked for this recipe some time ago, and various other people have asked about it too.  I figure it's only so long before I lose the scrap of paper where I have it jotted down. I adapted this recipe from one I copied down from allrecipes.com, back in 1999 or 2000. I've been changing it ever since.

The first step is to cream 1/2 cup REAL butter and one cup of sugar. Seriously, leave the dieting for later. Eat a vegetable before or after having cake if it makes you feel better. I like to use salted butter, but either salted or unsalted is fine.

Then add five eggs and a generous teaspoon of vanilla. Add a little extra splash too - you can never go wrong with too much vanilla. Mix well.

Mix 1 1/2 cups flour and a teaspoon of baking powder together separately, then add into the butter and sugar by spoonful.

Pour into a greased and floured pan. Mine is 9 x 13, but I'm eternally in search of a good pan and next time I shop, I may go a little smaller.

I actually took a picture of the greased and floured pan, but as if in testament to my aforementioned inability to photograph and cook at the same time, I accidentally deleted it. I took a picture of the eggs too, but I assume that most people know what eggs look like.

Cook the cake 20-30 minutes.  I like it slightly golden brown, but not much more.

Tres Leches Recipe - ready for the milk
A cake tester or toothpick should come out clean, but don't let it get too well done or the "leches" part of the tres leches has trouble sinking into the cake.

Then punch it full of holes with a fork.  That helps the milk soak in.

Mix 1 1/2 cups milk, 1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk, and 2 (14 oz) cans sweetened condensed milk together and pour over the top of the cake. It starts out looking like the cake has disappeared, but by and by the milk mixture will start to soak in.

Cover it and let it soak in the milk in the fridge overnight.

Tres leches recipe: soaking in the milk

Lastly, whip 2 cups heave whipping cream, another generous teaspoon of vanilla, and the last half cup of sugar, and spread over the top. Ready to eat!


A hopefully printable recipe card:




Wednesday, August 05, 2015

Wordless Wednesday: Fizzy Hearts and Purple Barley




Almost wordless! Not quite wordless: these are two new activities from the (affiliate link) Learn with Play book that we tried this week!

Here's link up! I'm trying it without the thumbnail this time. I almost kind of think it's easier without having to crop. But then again, it's easy to see where you've already been with a thumbnail.

What do you think?