Little Idea...Big Fun

Sometimes it’s the little things…..like today. My niece is spending the week with us and I’m trying to fill the week with adventures without spending a lot. Yesterday’s adventure was going up to the hubby’s classroom for lunch and some Angry Birds on the Smart Board; followed by a short visit with the kids’ Gigi! Today, I felt like staying home, so I broke out the watercolors. Yeah, I know - watercolors, big whoop, right? But, of course, we had to do more than just watercolors.  Last week, we made a quick stop by the Dollar Store and picked up some poster board ($.50 each) and today I let the kids get creative.  They each got right to work on their masterpieces. I don’t think I’ve ever heard them so quiet!  I know it’s a simple idea and honestly, I feel a little silly taking the time to post this. But sometimes it’s those little ideas that are loved the most.  

Has Polka Dot Afro Fever hit your house yet?

Summer Fun!

Summer is here! And that means lots of free time. I know this totally freaks some moms out with thoughts of “Who are these creatures that keep calling me mom? And how am I going to entertain them for the next two months and not spend a small fortune?” Lucky for you, I have a few ideas. And just between you and me, I’m pretty cheap frugal so these will all be quite cost effective.  Most of these ideas are specific to the Jacksonville area. But if you don’t live around here hopefully this will at least give you some ideas for things to look for in your area. 

Movies

Did you know that during the summer most theaters re-run movies one or two days a week for about a dollar? Check out these pages for schedules and pricing.

Cinemark

10 shows for $5 (purchased in advance) or $1

Regal

$1 - 10:00am Tuesday and Wednesday

MUSEUMS

Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens

Free admission Tuesdays 4:00 – 9:00 

I also found this fun little tidbit – Drop-In Art “Every Tuesday children ages 4 to 10 will have the opportunity to explore the galleries or gardens and experiment with a different art process. No pre-registration. Please arrive early as class size is limited.” Cost $5.

MOSH

$5 all ages all day Friday

MOSH is located right next to Friendship Fountain on the river. You can pack a picnic and have some run around time before going back into the museum.

Make it extra fun and park in the Kings Ave Parking Garage and take the Skyway over (get off at San Marco station)! Parking in Skyway lots is free after 5:00pm (pricing varies other times). Cost of Skyway is 50 cents per person (take change).  

MOCA

MOCA has several opportunities to visit for free. Check out the listings here.. 

Be sure to check on the exhibit before you go. Last time the hubby and I went, it definitely was not suitable for small children.

PARKS

With Jacksonville's extensive park system, we could be here all day. I’m going to save us all some time and  just link you up to some highlights.

BEACHES

Hanna Park   

          

Huguenot Park     

Make sure you check the tides before you go. You drive on the beach here and more than once we’ve had to leave sooner than expected because we didn’t check tide times first.

Little Talbot Island (and surrounding areas)    

 

HISTORIC

Fort Caroline  

                   

Kingsley Plantation          

PLAYGROUNDS

There are a crazy number of parks with playgrounds in Jacksonville. They are nestled in neighborhoods all over the place. We have three within five minutes of our house so the kids are never bored of the park.

                                   

Losco   

I've never actually been to Losco, but this is what a friend said on a recent evite 

invitation, "If you haven't been to this park, there are a lot of things to do...a playground for the kids, soccer fields, picnic tables, walking trails, and a ton of space to play, etc. It is a great park!" (Thanks Jaren!) :)

                  

Tillie Fowler           

We went here this year for our annual Easter picnic and it was beautiful! There’s a great playground and open field space, plenty of picnic tables, and a GORGEOUS nature trail.  

Tomahawk Park    

A nice little park with great shade over the playground. There’s also a cute little nature trail and ‘stream’ running through the park.

 Check out this page for more information on Jacksonville’s park programs. They offer a wide-variety of specialties - from leadership training to surfing to arts and crafts. 

 

MISC.

Library

 Don’t forget this beloved summer tradition.  You can spend an afternoon letting the kids get their fill, or just spend 30 minutes filling up a bag to take home.  Also, be sure to check out when your specific branch offers special programs.

Swimming

I don’t know that it’s like this everywhere, but here in Jacksonville, all the local high school pools are open to the public. If the thought of a public pool icks you out, I can empathize. But I have to say that I’ve spent many years working at a summer camp where we traveled to the local pools twice a week and can honestly tell you most of the facilities have been very clean. And while they aren’t usually too crowded, I will caution that it’s worth calling to see when summer camps are scheduled to come just to make sure.

Check out this link for times and locations in the Jacksonville area.

Bowling  - King Pins           

This is the only bowling alley we ever go to. It’s owned by a church here in town and is such a clean and family friendly environment that I wouldn’t even consider going somewhere else. They have a different special each day so be sure to check those out. My two favorites: 1) Kids ages 4-15 get one free game Tuesday-Thursday. 2) On Sunday you get one free game with a church bulletin and additional games are $3. (Shoe rental is not usually included in the specials and is $3 per person.)

 What about you? What are your tricks to keep the troops entertained and not break the bank?

Family Secrets

Wow, apparently cleaning solutions are the way to y’alls hearts! My blog has been blowing up since I posted my grout cleaner on Tuesday night! I’ve also discovered that people as far as Canada and Australia have been reading – I’m truly humbled and amazed! Thanks so much for taking the time to come visit with me.

Anyways, on to the real reason you’re here today……Family Secrets! For those of you who don’t know, recipes around here are often times considered precious heirlooms. They are lovingly passed down from generation to generation, and sometimes kept under close lock and key until the time to pass it along arrives. We aren’t quite so secretive in our family. But just to be sure, I did get permission before posting today. I have a recipe that is very near and dear to me that I want to share with you - my Grandma Sims’ Red Velvet Cake. My Grandma passed away when I was fairly young, so I can’t actually say I remember her making it, so much as I remember it being at EVERY family event. No matter what was going on my mom or one of my aunts was going to make sure this showstopper was there (this and Deviled Eggs of course). :) As time has passed, we don’t get together as much as we once did, but the tradition still remains strong. The Hubby, my mom, my sister, and I went down to Orlando for a family wedding a couple of months ago and stopped at my Aunt Jan’s for a quick change. When we arrived, she was standing in the kitchen creating Red Velvet whoopee pies from Gma’s recipe. Of course I had to snag a bit, which led to a discussion on how much I LOVE this cake.  Let me just tell you we were almost late to that wedding because we all instantly fell into visit mode. Funny how a food and some simple memories can take you away and make you lose all track of time.

Red Velvet cake is actually a pretty hotly debated dish down here in The South. First there’s buttermilk VS vinegar (really?! Who wants vinegar in their cake? Bleh!). Then there’s the question on how to color it – most just toss in a bottle of red food coloring, but some recipes say to use beet juice (have you ever tried to juice a beet? lol). There is also some crazy rumor going around, that Red Velvet is simply chocolate cake colored red. Nope, that’s like calling a Carrot Cake a Fruit Cake. Red Velvet is its own unique variety of cake. While there is some cocoa in the recipe, this is def not what I’d be craving if I wanted chocolate.  And finally comes possibly the most important debate, the frosting. Most recipes use Cream Cheese frosting. If you were to give me a slice of Red Velvet with Cream Cheese Frosting on it, we would no longer be friends (I’m kidding of course…. Nope - not kidding. We’re done – over. Don’t even talk to me.) ;) There are a small fraction of recipes that call for a special mystery frosting. It’s unlike any frosting you’ve ever had. It actually starts with a roux (pronounced 'roo' like a kangaroo)of sorts. Once the roux has cooled you add regular sugar and butter and shortening and somehow it comes out this fluffy smooth cloud of tastiness. There is nothing quite like it. Now, I’m well aware that part of my love for this cake is the memories attached to it. But give it a try, and I bet you find a new love and start building memories around this recipe yourself.

Grandma Sims’ Red Velvet Cake

Ingredients:

Frosting

1 ½ Cups Milk

6 Tb Flour

My copy of my mom's copy of Grandma's recipe :)

1 Cup Butter

½ Cup Shortening

1 ½ Cups Sugar (NOT Powdered Sugar)

1 ½ ts vanilla extract

Cake

½ Cup Butter

¼ Cup Shortening

1 ½ Cups Sugar

3 Eggs

1 Bottle Red Food Coloring

2 Tb Cocoa Powder

2 ½ Cups Flour

1 ts Baking Soda

1 ts Salt

1 Cup Buttermilk

2 Tb Vanilla

Directions:

Frosting: Warm milk in small saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stir continuously until thick (really thick - like pudding).  Cool completely. Start on cake while waiting for mixture to cool. 

Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter, shortening, and sugar together in mixer. Add eggs and mix well.  Stir cocoa and food coloring together in a small bowl (I use a custard dish – the smaller the bowl the easier it is to mix). Add cocoa mixture to butter mixture and mix well. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt together. Add buttermilk and flour alternating between the two – starting and ending with the flour. (I start with a scant cup of flour, then ½ the buttermilk, another scant cup of flour, the rest of the buttermilk, and then the remaining flour.) Add vanilla.

Bake as either 3 – 9” layers or 30 cupcakes for about 25 minutes. Cool in pan for a few minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack.  If you’re milk and flour mixture has cooled, work on your frosting while the cakes are baking. 

Frosting:  Put butter, shortening, sugar, and vanilla in mixing bowl and cream until fluffy. Add cooled flour mixture and beat for about a minute stopping a couple of times to scrape down the bowl.

Once your cake is cooled and your frosting is ready to go – assemble and frost as usual. 

Cupcakes!

BONUS :)

How do you know when cakes are done? This is going to sound a little crazy, but I actually listen to them. (Yes, yes, you may now commence with the cupcake whisperer jokes.) When it's time to check, pull the cake out and listen. It sounds a lot like the carbonation when you first pour a coke. If it’s really fast, your cake still needs a few minutes. After another minute or two and check it again. You want the bubbly sound to slow down, but not go away completely. Once you’ve done it a few times you’ll start to get an idea how much longer it needs according to how much bubbly it’s making.

What are your family’s favorite heirloom recipes?

My AMAZING Discovery

Okay, so maybe some of you won't find this as AMAZING as I do, but I'm in love with a very silly thing - a cleaning solution. 

Let me give you some back story.....

We moved into our ‘flipped’ house about 7 years ago. It has tiled floors throughout with the exception of the bedrooms. They started out pretty enough, but apparently the grout wasn’t sealed and it slowly got to be a dirty dingy mess. I’ve made attempts several times to clean it, but with almost the entire house covered in it, I typically quit after about an hour with only 3 sq ft completed. It has gotten so bad recently that we’ve even contemplated bringing in the pressure washer and shop-vac (classy, right?). But today, I had an epiphany! I’ve seen a lot of Pinterest posts with homemade cleaners lately – typically using vinegar, baking soda, and other common household items. So I decided to play mad scientist. I mixed together equal parts baking soda and peroxide and poured it on my grout. I let it sit and get bubbly for about 10 minutes and then ran a toothbrush over it. It came off like a dream! Seriously – NO SCRUBBING! I’m now a woman on a mission. I’ve already been out to pick up more baking soda and peroxide and have some sitting on the kitchen floor as I type. I can’t wait to get through the whole house and then get the grout sealed up properly. I’ve never been so excited to clean! 

Before and After

 What area of cleaning do you struggle with? Do you have any secret weapons for cleaning around the house?

We Be Jammin'

I always love going to the farmer’s market. You never know what surprises await you.  Last weekend, we made a quick stop for a watermelon and found some great deals. Like these beauties…

I got 2.5 pounds of peaches for $2! That’s a steal even at the peak of the season, and way better than any price you’ll see in the grocery store for a few more weeks.

So these lovely peaches have been sitting on my dining room table since then, tempting me with their sweet fragrance every time I’m near.  I wanted to dive into them, but I knew I wanted to do something more than just devour them. And then today it hit me….Peach Jam! Now if you’ve never made jams or jellies before, let me just tell you how crazy simple it is. Basically, you chop some fruit, add some sugar, and cook it for a while. If I have an overabundance of fruit, then I’ll also do some canning. But for today, we’re only making a couple of cups which we can easily keep in the fridge. Small family and don’t need this much? You can either split it in half, or even better give a jar (or Tupperware or whatever container you happen to have lying around) to a friend. I guarantee it’ll make their day! Who doesn’t love receiving a gift for no reason? And even more that it’s freshly made jam? Congratulations, you are now someone’s hero! :)

Don't let the color fool in the pic fool you. This is beautiful bright orange. I'm working with a 2 year old camera phone here.

Peach Jam
 

6-8  peaches, peeled and pitted (Want to know the ‘proper’ way to peel a peach? Check this out.)

1 cup sugar 

Place a glass plate in the freezer.  Chop the peaches. I like my jam a little on the chunky side. If you like it smoother, do a finer chop.  Place peaches and sugar in a saucepan and cook on medium heat. Stir frequently until a candy thermometer reaches 225 degrees. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, no worries, you’ll just need to be a little more watchful. After about 15 minutes, start testing the jam to see if it’s done. Place a tiny amount on the plate that you placed in the freezer earlier. Let it sit for a minute and then run your finger through it. If it immediately comes back together, you need to keep cooking. If you leave a trail, it’s done.  Carefully ladle jam into glass jars or let it cool a bit and then put it in Tupperware. Store jam in the fridge.  I can’t give a definite time frame, but it should keep for quite a while. 

 

That’s it-you did it! You’ve made jam! How easy was that? Maybe next time we’ll tackle canning. ;)

Guess what else I did today?!

 I made this fantastic bread!

It’ll go perfect with the jam you just made.  It’s a great recipe for beginners to start with. I’ve made a lot of bread, but this is definitely one of my favorites! Check out the recipe here.  So go ahead, get that bread going, and while you’re waiting for it to rise, bust out some jam. They’re both so easy and you’ll feel like a kitchen superstar! 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Awesomeness

For those of you who don't know, I'm a little crazy about cupcakes. I've been trying out new creations and sharing them with the masses (well, everyone at work and church anyway) for years now. I'm not some 'johnny-come-lately' trying to jump on the cupcake bandwagon - I've been obsessed for a while now. Why? Because they are the perfect canvas to allow my creativity to run wild. It's so easy to play with different flavor combinations without facing the daunting task of decorating an entire cake. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcake  Try not to lick your screen. :)

The recipe I'm sharing with you tonight is a special one. It's my very first brain child.  The experimenting began about 3 years ago, and I daresay this cupcake has made it's way to perfection. Really, this is one of those recipes that needs introduction, so I'll stop trying and just give it to you. :)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Cake

Betty Crocker Chocolate Fudge cake mix

1 ¼ cups water

½ TB Folger’s instant coffee

½ cup oil

3 eggs

PB Filling

½ stick butter, softened

¾ cup Peter Pan Peanut Butter (Do NOT try to use a natural pb – I’ve tried it and it was a mess! Just trust me on this one.) ;)

6 oz powdered sugar

2-4 TB milk

Frosting

2 sticks butter, softened

1 cup shortening

2 lb powdered sugar

1 cup Hershey’s Dark Cocoa

¼ ts cinnamon

1 TB vanilla

3-6 TB milk

Decoration

King Size bag Mini Reese’s Cups

Directions:

Cake

Combine the instant coffee and the water. Prepare according to package directions for cupcakes. 

Filling

Beat butter for about 30 seconds until smooth. Add peanut butter and mix until well blended. Slowly add in powdered sugar. If it starts to look particulary dry, just turn up the speed and let it run for a minute. Add milk one tablespoon at a time. When you first add the milk, it will probably seem very gloppy, keep on mixing and it should smooth out. You’ve reached the right consistency when the filling feels springy, but you can leave a finger imprint.

Frosting

 Beat butter for about 30 seconds until smooth. Add the shortening and beat for another 30 seconds. Sift together sugar, cocoa, and cinnamon. Slowly add sugar mixture to the butter mixture. . It may start to look dry and crumbly, but just keep going. Add the vanilla. Add the milk one tablespoon at a time until you reach desired consistency.(Frosting should have a bit of a wiggle, but still hold a spatula upright.)

Assembly*

Apple corer

10 in piping bag with an open tip – filled with peanut butter mixture

18 in piping bag no tip – filled with chocolate frosting

*None of these items are really necessary. You can always use a knife and freezer bags with the ends snipped. I mean, let’s face it – you’ve made it this far. Is there really anything that’s gonna keep you from devouring these things?

Use an apple corer to remove the center of the cupcakes.

Fill with peanut butter mixture.

If your frosting is too thick, don't be afraid to put it back in the mixer and add some more milk. To be honest, I probably should have done that with this batch. 

TADA!! The finished product.

A couple of notes…

     1)Sometimes I list a specific brand of an ingredient. That’s because I have developed the recipe with this particular item and using another brand in this case could produce different results. If you have something else on hand, or are devoted to another brand, feel free to use it, just realize the end product may be slightly different. 

   2)This recipe can produce a lot of dirty dishes. I promise you, clean up is SOOOO much easier if you do it after each component (cake, filling, frosting).

3) I can't believe I almost forgot! Whatcha gonna do with all those centers you cut you? You'll probably have some filling and frosting leftover so go ahead and layer them up in a bowl for a bonus treat. I've often thought of just making the whole thing this way!

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So there you have it. I hope you'll try this recipe out and give me your feedback! 

In the mean time...what flavor combination do you think would made the perfect cupcake?

Time for Tea

Do you remember when tea parties were a magical experience? You rarely had actual tea, but sitting around the table with your dolls and stuffed animals, you were the most proper and elegant ladies there ever were.  Funny how they were some of our happiest times, and yet when our little girls ask us to come back to that world with them, we either decline with mumblings of how we're busy right now, or we go, but we don’t really put our whole selves into it. 

Back at Christmas, my daughter, Emily, was bugging me to have a tea party. Not a ‘let’s sit down and have some tea’ tea party, but a ‘let’s invite our family and a bunch of friends and have a legit tea party’ tea party. Well, I put her off at the time, saying we were just too busy, but maybe we could do it for Mother’s Day. She accepted it graciously and moved on with life. And I, of course, put it out of my mind and never gave it another thought. Then a couple weeks ago, Emily came to me and exclaimed, “Mommy, we really need to work on our tea party! Mother’s Day is coming up soon!” Well, there was no getting out of it this time. I had committed myself so many months ago.  Without much excitement, I called Em over to the computer so we could quickly get invitations made.  Now, I knew the girl would have some opinions on who to invite and what food to serve, but let me tell you – this girl KNEW what she wanted. This was not ‘mommy throwing Em a party’. This was ‘Emily is throwing a party and mommy is helping’.  

 We flipped through cookbooks together, discussing the menu. We planned activities, who to invite, how to set the tables. I think I enjoyed our time together planning even more than the actual party! When I started all this, I really thought nothing more of it than I was fulfilling a promise to my daughter. But it really turned into a bonding experience with my baby girl.

The party itself was no less special. We had a light lunch and dessert. And of course, being true Southerners, we enjoyed sweet tea and lemonade. Emily and her cousin Elizabeth passed out special bracelets and fans they had each made. And Emily told us a couple of her own jokes.  It was a lovely opportunity to just step back from life for a little bit and enjoy being together- to remember what it was like to be little girls with all of their sweet little dreams. It was a time of bonding and sharing, and just enjoying the simpleness of being together.  And all it really took was setting the table, making a couple of snacks, and slowing down to enjoy the experience of throwing a party with my daughter.

Share some Sugar and Spice with me…..

How do you slow down and enjoy the simple pleasures of life?

      Nana             Great Grandma Mac            Gramma

Strawberry Truffle Cake

So I have to tell you guys, I’m TOTALLY obsessed with this blog right now! I’m constantly thinking of all the things I can’t wait to share with you. But for today, we’ll focus on the cake. Go ahead – tell me you aren’t drooling over that picture right now. ;) I made this cake for my sister-in-law a few years back, and now it tops her list for every birthday. Unfortunately, I really can’t take much any credit on creativity for this one. With no real notable changes, I snagged this one straight from Mrs. Betty Crocker.  This is a rich and fudgy cake that I daresay is unlike any you’ve ever had the pleasure of eating. You make a chocolate cake according to the package directions, and then you destroy it in the mixer and pour in decadent ganache and strawberries.  After that, you set it up in a springform pan until firm, cover it in more ganache and dive in. There are few desserts that I can’t sit down and totally devour, but I do have to admit, this one’s a bit rich. We like to whip up some fresh whipped cream (you’ll probably have leftover whipping cream from the ganache) to help balance it out. Without further ado, here is BC’s recipe with a couple of my tricks added in. Enjoy!

Strawberry Truffle Cake

Serves 12

Ingredients

1 BC Chocolate Fudge cake mix, prepared according to package directions and cooled (this can be done a day or so in advance as long as you store it properly)

1 and 1/3 cups whipping cream

¼ cup butter (do not use margarine)

16 oz of chocolate chips from 2 Bags of Hershey’s Dark Chocolate Chips (2 bags is more than enough so be sure to measure out what you need)

2 cups cut-up fresh strawberries

 

Optional Garnish – Strawberries and White Chocolate

In 2-quart saucepan, heat whipping cream and butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted and mixture comes to a boil. Add chocolate and stir until smooth.  

While waiting for cream mixture to boil, line bottom of 9-inch springform pan with parchment or wax paper. In large bowl, beat half of the cake cubes on low speed until cake is crumbly. Add the rest of cake and 1 ¾ cups of the ganache (cream and chocolate mixture). Beat on low speed until well combined (it’ll look nice and fudgy). Fold in the strawberries. 

Spoon the mixture into the springform pan and smooth the top. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze about 45 minutes or until firm. (Cover the remaining ganache and leave it out. It will set up if you put it in the fridge.)

Run knife around side of pan to loosen cake mixture. Place serving plate upside down on pan; turn pan and plate over. Frost side and top of cake with reserved ganache (an offset spatula works best). The ganache may seem runny, but it will set quickly on the cold cake. If it sets too quick, run hot water over the spatula, dry it really well, and then smooth it over the ganache.  If it sounds tricky, don’t be worried, this is one of the easiest cakes to frost! It is very forgiving and easy to clean-up. I usually wipe down the edge of my cake plate with a wet paper towel when I’m done.  Now get a little creative and decorate it with your white chocolate and strawberries. :)

 

Keep refrigerated. Set out about 10 minutes before serving. After about a day, the strawberries will start to get soft. So this cake is best served the same day.

Here’s the link to the original recipe: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/fudge-lovers-strawberry-truffle-cake/6993491d-1269-4719-ab82-22ecd0e72e15

"Cathee's" Strawberry Truffle Cake :)