Cake in a Mug

Morgan loves to watch me bake. Anytime I'm in the kitchen making anything, she wants to be right there watching me. Being that Morgan isn't even 2 1/2 yet, I usually don't allow her to get too involved. I'm afraid that the kitchen will end up being a disaster or what I'm making will end up being destroyed. So, when I came across a recipe on Boston Mamas the other day, for a Cake in a Mug, I thought it would be a great way to get Morgan more involved in baking with me.

I decided to try to make the Cake in a Mug yesterday and see how it worked with Morgan helping instead of watching. Morgan helped put the ingredients on the table, like she usually does, then she was able to measure out ingredients with me. Each measure was just a tablespoon, so it was easy for her to handle. Morgan also liked counting as we poored tablespoons of each ingredient into the coffee mug. Then, I allowed Morgan to stir the batter. Since it was just a mug of batter, instead of a mixing bowl, if she were to spill it somehow it wouldn't be a huge mess. After making sure it was mixed well, I stuck the mug in the microwave for 3 short minutes and the Cake in a Mug was done! Morgan was able to see the outcome of her work without losing interest or getting impatient!

Overall, the Cake in a Mug was a great way for Morgan to be more involved with baking. She was able to help me more than usual, practice counting and see the outcome of her work quite quickly. Besides that, I loved how easy it was to clean up with only using a mug, a tablespoon and a stirring spoon. For how well the experience went for both Morgan and I, we will definitely be making the Cake in a Mug again.

If anyone may be interested in making a Cake in a Mug, just head on over to Boston Mamas for the recipe. I would advise to use the chocolate chips. We didn't have any chocolate chips when we made it and the cake didn't seem to have a lot of flavor without them. Also, I'd suggest cutting it into quarters since, even without chocolate chips, it is over 500 calories as a whole.

Blogs Can Change Lives

I am not typically a huge fan of video games. I would rather my kids run and play than sit and play video games. Unfortunately, not every child is able to run and play. There are many kids who are severely sick and in and out of the hospital. Those children are dreaming of the day that they are well enough to be able to play like a typical healthy kid. For those children, a video game would really help brighten up the days that they are stuck in bed. Over at 5 Minutes for Mom, they have ten PSP Bundles to give to ten seriously ill children or teenagers. If you know a child who is stuck in bed or hospitalized, they ask that you visit their site and nominate that child. They are hoping, with these PSP Bundles, that they can help kids feel like kids again.

Delicious Pumpkin

I love baked goods make with pumpkin! I love pumpkin pie, pumpkin roll, pumpkin bread, pumpkin coconut bread, pumpkin coconut cake, pumpkin upsidedown cake and I'm sure the list will go on as I find more delicious pumpkin recipes. Just last week I came across a recipe on Grocery Mama for a Pumpkin Cake. It reminded me of a pumpkin roll, without the work of having to roll it, so I wanted to give it a try.

In making anything with pumpkin, it is a lot more time consuming than just throwing the ingredients together, especially since I like to use my own pumpkins. Monday night, I brought in a pumpkin, that we picked last weekend, and washed it off. I then broke off the stem, cut it in half and scraped out the insides. I placed the pumpkin, cut sides down, on a cookie sheet and baked it for over an hour. While the pumpkin was baking, I salvaged the seeds. I washed them off, placed them on the toaster oven sheet, seasoned them and baked them for about an hour. (I don't like anything going to waste and Rich loves the seeds!) When the pumpkin was done baking, I scraped out the pumpkin flesh and put it in a container to await being made into a cake.
I decided to make the Pumpkin Cake last night and it sure made a lot! I had imagined that the cake would be baked in a 9x13 pan, but I should have looked a little closer at the recipe. The recipe called for a 12x18 pan, which means the Pumpkin Cake was the size of a sheet cake! That is a lot more cake than a family of four should be eating before it goes bad. I ended up freezing about half the cake in hopes that it will be just as tasty when we dig it out of the freezer the next time we'd like to eat it.

In the end, the Pumpkin Cake turned out delicious! I'm glad I took the time to make it and I'm sure I'll be enjoying it over and over again as we deplete the containers of it in the freezer. It made me excited to work on the next pumpkin recipe, but I think I'll have to wait a while. There is no more room in the freezer to store more of my baked goods :-/.

(If you would like to try the Pumpkin Cake for yourself or your next gathering, just head on over to Grocery Mama for the recipe.)

A Long Weekend for the Little Ones

Morgan and Blake were very tired yesterday afternoon after a very long weekend. I like what they chose to sleep with.

Morgan sleeping with her doll.

Blake passed out on the floor with his little box of raisins.

I think it's funny that Morgan is just like a little girl, sleeping with her dolls, and Blake is just like a little guy who loves his food. Either way, they both looked very peaceful while they were sleeping and they both woke well rested after the long weekend.

Sweetest Day

I have never really paid much attention to Sweetest Day before and I didn't really think much of it yesterday either. I have always thought of it as a day to celebrate with your significant other-almost like another Valentine's Day. Since Rich and I celebrate our anniversary at the end of October, we have never felt the need to celebrate Sweetest Day as well.

The little I thought about Sweetest Day yesterday, I was curious what it was really about. If it was a time to celebrate your sweetheart, then shouldn't I be celebrating all the sweethearts in my life? The babies bring me joy and are as sweet as my husband, so shouldn't they be entered into the sweetheart category as well?

It turns out, after researching what Sweetest Day is, I discovered that I was completely wrong! It didn't start as a day to celebrate your significant other, nor was it a day to celebrate all the sweethearts in your life. Sweetest day was started in 1921 by a committee of candy makers in Cleveland, Ohio who distributed 20,000 boxes of candy to the poor, including: newsboys, elderly and orphans. Although it was meant to be a day to remember the less fortunate, it has become what people think of as a 'Hallmark holiday' to give gifts, candy and cards to loved ones. It makes me wonder what the original committee of candy makers would think of what Sweetest Day is today.

Even though most people now celebrate Sweetest Day by buying gifts for a significant other, I like what the Cleveland candy makers where trying to start. They wanted to bring something sweet into the lives of those who were having a rough time. When I think of the people I know who are going through tough times, I realize they could use a special day just as much, or more than, my sweethearts. Now that I know what Sweetest Day is truly about, I think I am going to try celebrate it in the years to come. Not by giving a gift to my husband, but by giving sweets to those who are less fortunate, like Sweetest Day was meant to be.

(I found my information through Wikipedia. If you would like to read more about Sweetest Day, click here.)

This is a picture I took Saturday thinking it was a sweet picture of my sweethearts on Sweetest Day. :-)