Boston Cream Cake

Why hello there.  I wish I had some good reason why I neglected my poor blog here, but I don’t have one.  And though I can’t say that I was doing anything super exciting this summer, I can say that I’ve done quite a bit of baking.   

I recently made this Boston Cream Cake. It was a birthday cake for someone very dear to me. The birthday girl is crazy about Boston cream donuts, and that became the inspiration for the cake.  I found a few websites that gave me ideas.

I ended up using:

1 yellow cake mix (18 oz)

1 tsp lemon extract

1 box instant vanilla pudding (3 oz)

Chocolate glaze (in the baking aisle, next to the frostings)

I made the cake mix according to the instructions, but I added 1 tsp lemon extract. I baked the cake in 2 round cake pans. Once the cakes cooled, I assembled everything, spreading the pudding in the middle and the glaze on the top. In the looks department, I think it was pretty close in resembling the donut.

But, for some reason, I thought that the cake wasn’t quite right. It tasted too sweet to me.

After reflecting on it later, I told the birthday girl the next day, “It won’t hurt my feelings if you throw out the leftovers. I think it was just too sweet.”

She said, “Are you kidding? I already ate the leftover piece as a midnight snack.”

I call that a birthday success.

Plants

Something strange is happening to my plants. They have an unusual condition where they're growing taller and fuller - and even blooming. With a little research, I have figured out that they are "thriving," which is much different than the condition of "dying" that I had previously seen with almost all of my plants.
 The other day my mom called and asked if I wouldn't mind giving her back her African violet flower pot when she visits. I said, "Sure, but what am I going to do with the plant?"

She laughed and asked, "You mean it's still alive?!"

Even my own mother, who has cheered me on to do a number of near-impossible things in life, still can't believe that I could keep a simple house plant alive. Truthfully, neither can I.

I'm not sure what I did to overcome my plant-killer instincts, but I'm posting the pictures as proof before the plants change their mind.

Happy Mother's Day!

I’m not sure how I got so lucky, but I have the most wonderful mother. With the way that we chat together and laugh together, I have to remind myself sometimes that she is the same person who used to tell me to stand up straight (which I do!) and not just my lifelong friend (which she is!). I also think that I somehow hit the “mother” lottery because my mother-in-law is also one of the kindest and most thoughtful people I know, and we hit it off on day one. I feel fortunate to have no idea what people are talking about when they tell mother-in-law jokes. Big hugs today to these two amazing ladies in my life. Happy Mother’s Day!

A Little Chaos

Life just got a little more chaotic here. We're doing ok, though. And I haven't (yet) pulled out my hair or run off to join the circus, so I'm considering that a success. I'll update more when I get a chance to catch my breath. In the meantime, Happy Easter to all!

New Favorite Brownies

A few weeks ago, I went to a potluck, where I had the best brownies ever. The brownies were regular chocolate on the bottom, but the top was a chocolate chip cookie crust. Essentially, it was my two favorite desserts – brownies and chocolate chip cookies - all baked together. I begged the girl who brought them for the recipe, but she said they were out of a box.

Sure enough, I went to the grocery store and found the box (Betty Crocker Cookie Brownies).

I made them for a party this weekend, and people were fighting over them. There wasn’t even a crumb left on the plate. I promised everyone that next time I’d make two batches. And I’m secretly promising myself that I’ll make them again soon. (And I can't break a promise, right?)

Yum!

What I'm loving this week

1) Yoga class

Earlier this week, I went to yoga class with a friend. It had been years since I last went to one. I loved the class, and I had almost forgotten how great it feels to stretch. I’m hoping to make this a weekly thing.

2) Bakery boxes

For Christmas, my mom gave me a set of these cute boxes for baked goods. I used them for the first time this week to give some cupcakes to a friend I hadn’t seen in a while. I loved that the boxes made my baked-at-home-from-a-box cupcakes look like bakery material. (Let’s just hope that she’s not disappointed when she realizes that they’re not actually from a bakery!) I did end up using the Peeps to top the cupcakes.

3) The Office

Yesterday I saw a preview for an episode of the Office that will feature a guest appearance from Will Ferrell, and I think I shrieked with excitement. Steve Carell and Will Ferrell are probably our two favorite comedy actors – I can’t wait to see them together again.

What are you loving this week?

April Fools and Peeps

1) I used to love pulling April Fools jokes. But this year, I almost completely forgot about it. Husband asked me this morning, “Do you know what day it is?” I first answered “Friday!” And then, after he baited me, I finally figured it out. I haven’t pulled a single joke on anyone today. How lame!

2) We’re going to a military get-together this evening. I bought these marshmallow peeps because I thought they’d look cute on top of the lemon cupcakes I was planning on making. Too bad that I decided to make butterscotch brownies instead. (Although the brownies are amazing, so no one will be deprived.) The peeps are still in the pantry, and I’m sure I’ll make those cupcakes sometime before Easter.

Happy April Fools’ Day!