We're all growing..

I'm finding ways to hold a sleeping baby and STILL type with two hands--- there is hope for this blog yet :).

My sister Jill (http://jilliankayphotography.blogspot.com/) did a photo shoot with Eden after Christmas. Below are a few of my favorite pictures (it took me longer to narrow down "favorite pictures" than it did to write this blog).


Things at our house are still crazy and rightly so. I plan (we'll see how it goes) to do the next few posts over things that I'm loving right now- from our favorite baby items, nursery decor, gifts I found for Thomas' birthday, clothing, etc, etc. You can catch a bit of a glimpse of one of them in the picture above- a fuzzy giraffe rug thing Tommy and Melissa gave us. This little girl LOVES it's silky soft texture.



I love the way Eden still curls up her legs ...


Her gorgeous eyes...
And how much she looks like her daddy.

Which is easier to see in the following picture:There has been baking, although a baby sitter had to be obtained in order for it to take place. Somehow, I don't think they minded :). Thomas turned 28 yesterday. On that day 28 years ago, his father, was also 28 years old and meeting Thomas for the first time. Kind of cool the way that worked out. For the occasion Thomas got the same cake from last year- with a little bit of an upgrade. Instead of plain vanilla with buttercream frosting I added a layer of raspberry filling- quite simply the EASIEST snazzying up ever.

SNOWFLAKE CAKE- from
Ingredients
For the cake
3 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs, separated while cold, at room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups buttermilk

For the frosting
1 cup unsalted butter, preferable a high-fat European style, at room temperature
1 pound sifted powdered sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon milk or half-and-half
Pinch of salt

For the filling-
1/2 cup raspberry preserves
10 oz frozen raspberries, thawed and drained

Make the cake
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with waxed or parchment paper. Grease and flour the top side of the paper, and set aside.

2. Into a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt, then lightly whisk and set aside.

3. In a stand mixer set on medium speed, beat the butter until creamy, about 30 seconds. Add the sugar and beat until light and nearly white, about 5 minutes. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, and beat until fully incorporated, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. Beat in the vanilla until blended. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, in several additions, and beat until smooth and just blended. Scrape the sides and bottom.

4. In another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks just form. Gently stir one third of the whites into the batter to lighten it. Fold in the remaining egg whites until just incorporated and no large white streaks of egg white remain.

5. Divide the batter between the prepared pans, using a spatula to evenly spread the batter. Gently rotate the pans to settle and level the batter. Bake until the cakes begin to pull away from the sides and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Let the layers cool in their pans. Gently loosen the edges with a thin knife before inverting the layers onto wire racks. Let the cakes cool thoroughly before carefully peeling off the paper. Cool completely before frosting, about 3 hours.

Make the frosting
1. In a stand mixer set on low speed, beat the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, milk, and salt until the sugar is moist. Slowly increase the speed to medium-high, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. Beat until light and creamy, about 1 1/2 minutes.

Make the Filling-
Mix both ingredients together.

Assemble the cake-
Place one cake layer on a platter and cit off the top so that it is level. This also will allow the filling to soak into the cake a little. Spread the filling on this layer stopping an inch from the edges. You may not use all the filling. Top with second cake layer and frost.