Snow Babies

I thought we had a lot of snow a few days ago. Boy, was a I wrong. Now we have a lot of snow. The girls had a great time playing outside in their pj's. With lots of layers on top, of course. I laughed so hard at Ginger trying to navigate in the snow. The ice almost holds her weight so she takes a few steps, then it breaks and she sinks up to her belly. This causes serious issues when trying to find exactly the right spot for, well, you know. It's awfully hard to sniff the ground when it's covered in 11 inches of snow! And, I sent Diana out front to take a picture of the house while I stayed in the warmness. Our annual Christmas tea was cancelled yesterday, and it's doubtful we can get to Silverton for Christmas with all the Denney family today. I'm so ready for life to return to normal!

Winter Wonderland

Chocolate Covered Gingerbread Cake

Don't let the name fool you! It's really pretty easy and it's soooo delicious. I made it when the recipe was in Bon Appetit magazine originally in 2002 and now it's a tradition. We have it after Christmas dinner every year. Enjoy!!

Cake
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt


1 cup warm water
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup mild-flavored (light) molasses
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger

Glaze
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


1/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger

For cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 9-inch square metal baking pan. Line bottom with parchment paper. Butter parchment. Whisk first 6 ingredients in medium bowl to blend.

Mix warm water and baking soda in small bowl until baking soda dissolves. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, butter, molasses, eggs, and fresh ginger in large bowl until well blended. Add dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with water mixture in 2 additions, beating until just combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool on rack 20 minutes. Run knife around edge of cake to loosen. Invert cake onto rack; cool. Peel off parchment.

For glaze:
Bring first 3 ingredients to simmer in medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and vanilla; stir until smooth. Let stand until cool but still pourable, about 20 minutes.

Place cake on rack set atop baking sheet. Reserve 1/2 cup glaze. Pour remaining glaze over cake, spreading with spatula to coat top and sides. Chill cake and reserved glaze until reserved glaze is just firm enough to pipe, about 1 hour.

Transfer reserved glaze to pastry bag fitted with 1/4-inch plain tip. Pipe 5 diagonal lines atop cake, spacing evenly. Cluster crystallized ginger atop lines. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.)

Thanks, epicurious.com!

Snow, snow and more snow

Okay, confession time. I hate snow. I'm always cold anyway. I don't need to be colder. It's dirty and I don't like to be dirty. It messes up my plans and I don't like to have my plans messed up. It gets school cancelled and I like school and our school routine. The only good thing about snow is that it's pretty. I will admit that much. It is beautiful. To look at. From inside. Next to a fire with a hot drink. I've been looking at all my friends' blogs. They've got adorable pictures of snowmen, sledding and snowball fights. Me, I've got a slideshow (coming soon, I promise! As soon as I figure out how to get the stupid thing to upload correctly!) of us making cookies, a warm, dry, indoor, edible activity. Why? Because getting pictures of my kids doing aforementioned outside activities would require me to be out in the snow with them taking pictures. My girls love playing outside in the snow. There just won't be many photos of them doing it because I'll be in here keeping warm, washing and drying the latest load of wet, muddy mittens, hats, socks, pants and coats. Today after nine trips to deliver various snowman accessories to the front yard, I decided to join the girls. And guess what? I had a really good time. Pushing a gigantic snowball actually keeps you warm! Building snowmen takes cooperation. And you laugh. Especially when you put the way too big head on the way too small middle and the whole middle collapses making a really weird shaped snowman. We decided he was Frosty, the Snowghost. Luckliy, the girls had a good half hour head start on me so we were all cold, wet, muddy and tired at about the same time (15 minutes or so after I joined them). So, at least today, I'm a good mom who plays in the snow with her kids. And has pictures to prove it!

Traditions

Today was a day of traditions. Dad and I met for our annual Christmas shopping day. We've been doing it for as long as I can remember. It started as lunch out (which was a huge deal) and getting Mom's present in Medford when I was about four. I clearly recall eating at a really cool pirate themed restaurant. It was called Captain Kidd's or something like that. They gave chocolate gold coins to me after I ate, had pirate coloring pages, and there were salt water tanks full of beautiful colored tropical fish. I looked forward to that all year. Now, our annual Christmas shopping day takes a lot longer. We've got to drive awhile to meet, and our list is significantly longer than one. Today we found our favorite lunch place in Salem had gone out of business, but we still managed. I love it just as much as I did when I was four.

When I pulled into the driveway just after 4:00, my little family was waiting for me in the driveway, boots, hats, coats and mittens alreay on. I hopped in the truck and we headed up the hill to our favorite Christmas tree farm. It was getting dark, but the girls would not go for a precut tree. Diana insisted on the tradition of hiking out in the muck to find the perfect tree. I mean trees. We a need really big one for the living room and a slightly smaller one for the family room. That's the kids' tree. Years worth of beautiful construction paper and cotton ball ornaments have a home there. They get lovingly moved around their special tree all month long. Mine (the grown up tree) is for looking "with your eyes only" (got that, Abby?) and makes me so happy with its winter/snow theme in white and silver. The girls helped me hang garland on the stairs and put the Williamsburg carolers on the mantel. We danced and sang carols and put a really cheesy Christmas movie on. It feels like Christmas time now. Two traditions down; lots more to go. I can't wait.

 

American Girls

If you weren't able to see the girls in their Christmas dresses in my last post, check out my friend Dulce's blog. She took these the day after Thanksgiving in Roseburg and did a great job. It's worth a peek. You'll just have to scroll down past her dog... ;)

New Pictures!

So, way back in third grade, a new girl moved into my class. Our teacher asked me to show her around and help her out. We've been friends ever since. By sixth grade we were inseparable, sharing a love of Reese's Pieces (it was the 80's!) and Little House on the Prairie. For the last 25 years or so (OMG!) we've been in and out of touch. Now we chat via email and Facebook and connect every year or so when she takes portraits of the girls. She is amazingly talented and is so patient with the craziness that ensues when she tries to get three adorable, brilliant, and active children to sit still, look at her, keep their eyes open and smile all at the same time. The day after Thanksgiving, we went to her new studio donning American Girl Christmas dresses. I told the girls to bring their dolls along to be in some pictures, too. I didn't tell them that I had the matching doll dresses in the trunk. The proofs are ready. Humor me and take a look. How will I ever choose?