Wasn't That a Party?

Cake is something that doesn't make an appearance here very often, mostly because there is so little to redeem it, as far as nutrients are concerned. As a "recovering sugar addict", I generally don't need to have any more temptation around the house.

However, when birthdays come along, I ask the guest of honour what special dessert they would like to have. More often than not, it is chocolate cake.

Jabin, who turned six on the 21st, seemed to be having a difficult time making up his mind. DQ ice cream? Chocolate cake? Pie? He kept waffling back and forth. I felt bad for the little guy--such a big decision for an almost-six-year-old.

So, this time, I made an exception. On his actual birthday, which was a Monday, I took him and Noah to Dairy Queen for lunch, complete with an ice cream treat (for them) as dessert.

Then, for his party on the following Friday, I made Chocolate Gingerbread cake--served up with even more ice cream!

The Jabin was very pleased.

(And I even snuck in some nutrients, anyway, in the form of pumpkin. Want the recipe?)

I knew it! ;-D

Chocolate Gingerbread Cake
(Click to follow link to a PDF 4x6 recipe card.)

olive oil
1 c. butter, softened, divided
1 ¼ c. unpacked whole sugar
1/3 c. molasses
3 eggs
4 1-oz. squares semisweet chocolate
2 c. pureed cooked pumpkin (or 1 14-oz. can)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
2 c. unbleached flour
2 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. sea salt, ground fine
icing sugar

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray or brush a large Bundt pan with olive oil. 
2. In large mixing bowl, cream ¾ cup butter and sugar. Mix in molasses and then add eggs one at a time, mixing well. 
3. Melt remaining butter with chocolate; stir until smooth. Cool slightly. Blend chocolate mixture, pumpkin, and vanilla into the creamed mixture. 
4. Combine flour, spices, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Pour into a Bundt pan. 
5. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the middle comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5-10 minutes before inverting on a cake plate and removing pan. Let cool completely, then dust with icing sugar; serve with a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream. 

Note: For a more subtle flavour, the molasses can be left out and the sugar increased to 1 ½ cups.

Copyright 2011 Talena Winters. www.wintersdistributing.ca.

Growing Up is Hard to Do

Jabin, my ever-sunny youngest child, is about to turn six on Monday.

Right on time, a growth spurt showed up. As a result, this boy that usually eats slightly more than a sparrow and smiles like a Toys R Us commercial from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. has been transformed into a child that is constantly ravenous, often weepy, and perpetually tired.

Fortunately, I think the growth spurt is winding down at last. All affected parties seem to have survived unscathed. However, I will definitely have to revisit his pants selection in the next week or two--I have noticed several pairs that have started to look like floodpants recently.

Despite having an especially tired day yesterday (he ended up falling back to sleep on the couch right after breakfast until about 10 a.m!), he did manage to get some schoolwork done, and even found a smile for the camera.

 

Nothing like a good, long sleep and a cup of warm herbal tea to make you feel better when you're out of sorts, right, kiddo?

The Joy of Bread

There are few things in this world better than fresh-baked bread, still warm and dripping with butter...

As I type this post, I am finishing a sampling from the batch of whole-wheat bread I baked this evening. When I bake bread, it is usually in the evening. If I grind the flour the night before, I can sometimes get it done by mid-afternoon, if the school subjects for the morning are not too demanding. However, the baker that gets up at 3 a.m. to provide fresh bread for breakfast I am not. The (uninterrupted) process usually takes about four hours from start to finish. (This includes two hour-long rises.)

It was only in the last couple of years that I have learned how to bake bread at all. I tried and tried as a teenager, but something was always missing. I am now convinced that the "something" was usually either yeast that was not past its expiry date, or a thermometer to make sure I had the proofing liquid in the right temperature range. Decent pans also help. (Love my Pampered Chef stoneware!)

I had to stop baking bread for a while this summer... it's a little tough to bake bread on a barbecue, after all! (Okay, I know there are breads that can be baked in a BBQ, but I didn't really have the time to experiment, either.) In reality, the break was probably from the end of April to mid-September. At one point, Jude bemoaned the fact with, "Mom, are you ever going to start baking bread again?"

Looking around at the hours of renovations and unpacking yet to be done, I flippantly replied, "I'll get right on that."

Once I finally managed to fit bi-weekly batches of bread into my groove again, I then decided it was time to try a sourdough starter again. Which I did. It's a beautiful starter. And I have yet to bake a loaf with it. Hopefully it doesn't die in my fridge from neglect.

I have also been learning a lot about the science of bread-baking this fall from a wonderful website called The Fresh Loaf. I haven't had nearly the time to dive into that I'd like, but I pick up bits here and there as I need to. It also was instrumental in my recent purchase of The Bread Baker's Apprentice by Peter Reinhart from Amazon.ca, for which I am anxiously awaiting. There are several other bread-making books on my wishlist, but I figured I could master one new concept at a time, and I have a feeling this book will cover several.

About a month ago, I did a cost analysis on what it costs me to make organic whole-grain bread at home versus the organic sprouted stuff from the store, which still contains ingredients I would rather avoid most of the time (soy flour and canola oil being a couple of frequent offenders, not to mention preservatives.) The result, while approximate (it doesn't account for power consumed) was that the home-made was about half the cost of store-bought.

This was a relief. When I figured out the cost difference on making home-made applesauce versus buying organic cups from No Frills, buying pre-packaged actually came out cheaper! It is good to know that one can actually still save money making something at home. Having organic wheat available locally direct from the farmer certainly helps. (And grinding the flour myself.)

What about that other "hidden" cost of weight gain, though? I mean, it is way more tempting to snack on delicious homemade bread than dry stuff from the store. While I will admit that when I first started making it, we all consumed a little more than necessary, the novelty does wear off after a while. Now we do okay, eating about the same amount as we did when we were buying it--a loaf every day to three days. (Jude takes a sandwich to school most days, which accounts for a fair amount of it.)

Ahem... Okay, normally I exercise pretty decent self-control. But tonight, after all this bread talk? That tasted like another piece...

Uninvited Guests

Last Wednesday, we had some surprise guests. They just dropped in, unannounced.

Didn't say much. Didn't stay long, either.

Koda wanted to give them a warm welcome. Fortunately, he was tied up, or we wouldn't have seen them for the rest of the night. Momma Moose didn't seem to want to stick around to figure out whether the dog was loose or not. (Sunshine was too chicken to go investigate.)

I love living in the country!

Nine

Last Thursday, my firstborn turned nine.

As usually happens whenever one of my children has a birthday, I tend to have a bit of emotional wrenching as my memory juxtapositions images of them in my arms on their very first day breathing air on the "big boy" faces that are now before me. However, the advantage of the now is that instead of holding a beautiful, mysterious ball of potential that was in all ways completely selfish and which I adored unconditionally anyway, I now get to see potential in various stages of realization. It is quite exciting, really.

So, to celebrate the start of one more spin around the sun for you, Jude, here are nine things I can see in you right now:

1. You have a servant's heart. You love to help your dad and me, and you look for ways to serve your friends. I was recently thrilled to hear your teacher praising you in this area, and for you to sheepishly volunteer how you had been cleaning your friend's desk while he was away.
2. You are so intelligent. You learn quickly, and your visual learning style allows you to excel in school. This strength is a blessing you will appreciate even more as the years go by.
3. You love to learn. At home, you spend much of your free time researching strange facts or reading books about animals. I still hear phrases that begin with "Mom, did you know...?" fairly frequently. And you know what? Sometimes I didn't know! :-D
4. You are so creative. You are always coming up with fun little projects to do, although you don't always finish them. However, most of the time you do (I know you'll get that papier maché volcano done one of these days!) and it is so great to see you entertaining yourself and learning at the same time.
5. You are learning to think--to analyze, check out what's going on, figure out the situation. Sometimes, I get frustrated that you don't do this as well as I'd like, but I need to remind myself that you are only a young boy, and don't have the life experience to always understand what certain things mean.
6. You show love by spending time. Your dad and I have known this about you for years, but it still touches my heart that even if I only carve out a small part of my day to spend with you, it still means so much to you. You are really enjoying your morning rides to school with Daddy for this reason, too.
7. You love to read. You went through all 28 "Magic Treehouse" books that I brought out in mid-August in less than two weeks. You love reading fiction and non-fiction alike. You are currently working on Journey to the Centre of the Earth. I recently read that "One cannot open a book without learning something." Keep it up, buddy. No wonder you are so smart!
8. You love to organize. You regularly organize your room, and I have been thrilled to see that making your bed in the morning is becoming a habit. Just you wait--you'll be organizing your movies alphabetically and your shirts by colour before long, too! (Actually, I would just be happy if you started organizing your shirts at all! How come that part of the character trait hasn't kicked in, yet?)
9. You can be a bit bossy. However, if you can channel that by learning how to use people skills, and in combination with your many other positive traits such as compassion, creativity, intelligence, and a heart of service, you will become a great leader someday. We all lead by example to someone--and I am so glad to know that you are already spreading an example that is worth following.

I just keep loving you more, little man. I can hardly wait to see what the next year will bring!

Pampered

On Friday, I hosted a party at my home for the first time in three years. It was a jewellery party fundraiser. The jewellery was Jolica, which my friend Amanda has just started selling. The "company that gives back" concept seems to have been taken many levels above what I have seen any other home-based business do with this one, and I can see why Amanda chose to support it. The fundraiser was to support some family friends, who are going on a missions trip to Jamaica in the New Year. The living room was full of smiling faces, the air was full of the smell of spiced hot apple cider and women laughing, and my home was full of warmth. Thank you, ladies (you know who you are), for helping that to happen.

Last weekend, I started my twelfth pair of knit socks ever. (I only started knitting socks in February 2010.) These are the first ones I've ever made for myself. (I figured it was high time, and my chillified toes agreed.) Since I had just got this fun yarn, whose colours make me swoon (and which has the romantic name of "Tuscany", from which culture's goddess of love my name is derived), I thought I would try something a little different than the 3/1 rib which is my go-to standard for quick socks for my kids.

Branching out is good--I chose this pattern because I was hoping the yarn would stripe. It didn't. Oh, well--it still seems to be complementing the yarn nicely. And I am so thrilled at the idea of having my own pair of hand-knit wool socks!

Tonight, my mother took me to a gala dinner for women put on by one of the local churches. I have never been to the "Crimson and Ice" event before, although I had heard it was lovely. Many of my friends were there, the decorations were amazing, the music was relaxing and inspiring, and it was so nice to have a wonderful dinner in the company of so many beautiful women.

I haven't had this much "girl time" in a long time--and it's been wonderful. It has given me a renewed sense of appreciation for the amazing women in my life. Thank you, ladies--whether I know you well or only a little, your beautiful spirits minister to me, for I see a piece of God in you. I hope that you, too, get to have a little bit of pampering this week.

Abducted by Aliens

We have a Looney Tunes episode where Porky Pig and Sylvester go camping. While they are sleeping in their tent, a Martian lifts up the piece of ground their tent is resting on and takes it to Mars with him on top of his spaceship.

Well, this morning it felt a bit like that had happened to my yard. Things looked vaguely familiar, but in a strange, eery, beautiful and alien way.

 

 Alien landscape.

 While I photographed it, the snow held up its monacle to inspect me.

 My little garden boy, who already looked a little sad since he lost his umbrella handle, now looked sad and chilly.

 So that's what the plants look like on Uranus! Someone should notify NASA.

A few days ago at supper, we were discussing how it seems that nearly every year, we get our first serious "snow" on October 31st. The report we heard wasn't calling for it until Thursday, but Jude has been praying for snow for about two months, now. Jason encouraged him with the thought it might come early by saying, "Yep, you can almost 'set your calendar' by it--happens almost every year on October 31st."

It's good to know that there are some things in this world that are consistent. Even weather.