Grin and Bake It!

Time management has been a struggle this week. I’ve realized I get way more done when I work full-time than during  the summer. I’m not usually a last minute girl. I thrive on structure and organization… It’s a virgo thing. Our week has been full of excitment. The pup was really sick, yet again. Since this is the dog who has eaten two Barbie outfits, among a long list of other items, she had to have an x-ray done. $525.00 later (it’s never just an x-ray), I found out she still has a long life ahead of her - definitely a mixed blessing!

Our great news this week is that my work replaced my laptop. The previous laptop was officially pronounced dead after spending the night on my kitchen counter, getting pelted with waterdrops from a leak in one of the upstairs’ bathrooms. Yes, that was fun to wake up to that morning.

Things are now a bit calmer, which means I am back to blogging and I’m ready for the holiday weekend to begin!

Here are a few last minute ideas to decorate for the Fourth:

(Top row: star napkin holder, star centerpiece, flower vase centerpiece, pinwheels, Bottom row: lifesaver firecracker favor, 4th of July flowers)

Have a wonderful Fourth of July weekend with your family and friends! We are so blessed to live in this amazing country. Say a prayer for all of the soldiers deployed this holiday who are doing everything they can to keep us safe.

                       Top Row: New York Cheesecake With Blackberry Coulis, Patriotic Parfaits, Bottom Row: Blueberry Napoleons With Creme Fraiche, Berry Pudding Cakes, Summer Shortcake 

Yesterday I shared a few fun desserts for the 4th . Here’s a few more crowd pleasers fancied up just a bit. The Napoleon and Cheesecake recipes come from two fabulous food bloggers. Martha gets credit for the parfaits and shortcake, and Better Home and Gardens shares their berry pudding cake in a 4th of July slideshow. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but I’m leaning towards the Napoleon.

Top Row: Patriotic Cake Cones, Tie Dye Cake, Bottom Row:  Uncle Sam Ice Cream Cone, Bakerella’s Patriotic Pops, 3 Layer Flag Cake 

Baking a flag cake is an annual Fourth of July tradition in our house. It started when my son was two and curiously climbed up on the kitchen chair to see what I was up to. He seized the moment and decided to add his unique two-year-old decorating style (You can only imagine the sight!). The fact that our cakes now truly resemble the American flag is just another reminder of how quick he’s growing up. There will probably come a day when he is too cool to decorate a flag cake, so I’m savoring every baking minute I get with him.

There are so many cute 4th of July dessert ideas out there that I have a feeling we’re going to end up with a flag cake and an additional dessert or two this weekend. That’s pretty typical in my house. My favorite idea is to make Uncle Sam ice cream cones. My sister and I adored the ice cream clowns we would get when we were little and these remind of them. If the Uncle Sam cone doesn’t seem portable enough for a picnic, you can flip the cone over and make up the patriotic cake cones. And if you’re lucky enough to have a little extra time this week, head over to Bakerella’s blog for detailed instructions on how to make her adorable cake pops. I’m always in awe of what she comes up with. If you choose to go the traditional cake route, add a surprise for your guests by baking either the tie dye patriotic cake, or the Wilton red, white, and blue layer cake.

I can’t believe the 4th of July is in less than a week. We’re already in party mode, trying to decide what to eat, how to decorate, and of course trying to answer the all-important question…what to drink. As far as patriotic cocktails go, the choices are endless. One of my favorite cocktails that I served this past year was Make-Ahead Cranberry Margaritas. Not only did they taste great, but I wasn’t stuck behind the blender, yelling to my guests over the annoying buzzing sound. These make-ahead strawberry margaritas are similar. The lemon-lime soda makes this a refreshing drink for a hot, summer day. Garnish with a strawberry or a few blueberries and you’re set. Cheers to endless possibilities! Have a great week! Check back this week for some great 4th of July desserts and decorating ideas.

Make-Ahead Strawberry Margaritas                                                            (from Betty Crocker - Yes, apparently she enjoys Happy Hour too!)

1 can (6 oz.) frozen limeade, concentrate, thawed

1 package (10 oz.) frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed

3 cups water

¾ cup tequila

1 liter lemon-lime soda, chilled

Place limeade and strawberries in blender. Cover and blend until smooth. Add water and tequila. Pour into 2-quart plastic container. Cover and freeze about 24 hours or until slushy. To serve, place 2/3 cup slush in each glass and fill with 1/3 cup soda; stir.

If you’re looking to start the fireworks a bit early, you may want to shake up the Boston Pops Martini created by Joe Perdicaro of the Zebra Bistro and Wine Bar in Massachusetts. His idea is pretty original. He rims the martini glass with red pop rocks, so this cocktail really pops!

Boston Pops Martini

lime wedge
package cherry Pop Rocks
2 1/2 oz. cranberry vodka
1/2 oz. Blue Curacao

1. Start with a chilled cocktail glass and rub the rim with a lime wedge. (or dip rim in lime juice such as Rose’s).
2. Open a pack of cherry flavored Pop Rocks candy and spread on a small plate or napkin. Press rim of the glass into the candy to coat rim.
3. In a shaker filled with ice, add cranberry vodka, shake and strain into prepared glass.
4. Slowly and carefully pour blue curacao in the middle of the glass, allowing it to settle in the glass. You should have two distinct layers
5. Add a small splash of lemon/lime soda.

Need More All-American Inspiration…

Top row: Watermelon Vodka Slushee, Fresh Raspberry Martini, Singing the Blues Martini, Red, White & Blue Shot, Bottom Row: Electric Lemonade, Bikini Martini, Whiteout Cosmo, Cardinal Victory Martini, Blue Iris Martini 

(Cake stories from left to right: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, The Pokey Little Puppy, Green Eggs and Ham, The Frog Prince, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, Where the Wild Things Are)*

I am addicted to children’s literature. My addiction has cost me thousands of dollars in kids’ books over the years. I attribute my obsession to the hundreds of little golden books my mom bought for me when I was little. I still have a bunch of them on my son’s bookshelf. He thinks they’re antiques. Am I really that old?

Today is one of the all-time best children’s book author’s birthdays, Eric Carle. He has sold over 88 million books around the world, which makes him a storybook legend. Where would our kids be today without The Hungry Caterpillar and so many others of his fabulous stories? This year The Hungry Caterpillar is celebrating its 40th year in print.

When I saw these children’s book cakes, I couldn’t contain my excitment. They combine my love of baking, with my love of literature. Some of these are what I consider “cake artwork”. I admire the masterpiece, but accept that I am never going to be a Michaelangelo of cake decorating. Others look completely doable, like the Hungry Caterpillar cupcake creation above. My favorite cake by far has to be The Pokey Little Puppy, which is also my all-time favorite bedtime story. You know this classic, the one in which puppies who dig holes under fences forfeit dessert. If you somehow made it through childhood without this tale, I’m happy to recite it to you from memory!

*(I did my best to give credit to the cake artists. A few were hard to find out. Click on the book links above for more details.)