Try it Tuesday- Flag Cake

I remember as a child looking at the magazine covers in the grocery store checkout line. They always had the most delicious looking food on them. There were fun cookies, decadent pastries, and fabulous cakes. My favorite was not the scary Halloween cookies or the fruit pies but the Fourth of July flag cake. I loved this cake, I obsessed about this cake. I had dreams that one day my mom would surprise me and make the cake for me.

I finally made this cake seven years ago. I was so excited. I finally made my cake and it was fabulous. I make it every year now some years I use strawberries, other years I add coconut. But it is my dream cake, the cake I loved in my childhood and one that now my kids look forward to every year.

It is as simple as it looks. Make a white cake, top it with whip cream, and then  develop a flag with fruit. It is a fabulous Fourth of July treat.

Lent begins.

I read a comment this morning on facebook that basically said that Mormons don't celebrate Lent because being a Mormon is basically like having lent 24/7 and that the only thing left to give up is dessert.

I chuckled a bit about that then this Mormon girl went back to racking her brain on what to give up for Lent this year. Yes I am a Mormon and yes I celebrate Lent.

It all started about seven years ago when my dad mentioned something about Lent and we decided to start observing it. Every year since then I have observed Lent. Most years I give up chocolate (a rather big sacrifice) and one year I went as far as giving up sugar all together. This year though I know my limits and having already given up some of my favorite foods while trying to lose weight s0 I know that if I gave up chocolate this year I would be just setting myself up for failure.

So last night Christian and I sat and came up of a list of possible things I give up for Lent. They included some of the following: laundry, bathing, cleaning, running errands, the diet, the baby...yeah the list got a little more crazy after that, though when Christian mentioned cheese I think I might have cried a little. I cling to cheese as much as I do to chocolate, hey we all have our crutches.

So anyway there I was trying to figure out what to give up. It continued through this morning and still I had nothing. So that is that. I will probably figure it out in a few days. But until then I will keep racking my brain to figure it out. Oh, and I welcome suggestions.

I'm going to be killed by a Christmas tree

There is a great episode of Doctor Who (remember I said I was a sci-fi junkie) in which it is Christmas and the world is dire straits. At one point a mechanically controlled Christmas tree is let loose and tries to kill the inhabitants of the flat (it is not as hooky as it sounds, I promise. Come over sometime and we will watch it, it is one of my favorite episodes). While the tree limbs are spinning around, breaking through walls and furniture, one of the characters cries out, "I'm going to be killed by a Christmas tree." I felt this way this weekend.

This weekend didn't get off to a great start, I was just grumpy from the get go. I tried to shake it off by attending a visiting teaching brunch but even the company of good women and wonderful food couldn't shake the grinchy feelings I was having. I came home a bit excited I got to have a date for the rest of the afternoon with my husband only to find the Christmas tree had toppled over in my absence. Now usually this would be something that I took a picture of and then blogged about. I was a bit to angry and sad and furious to take that picture.

Instead of the lovely afternoon date my husband and I had we ended up trying to fix the Christmas tree. There came one point where I was lying under the tree trying to get it centered in the base when I gave up. I decided that we just needed to take the tree down and cancel Christmas. Luckily my husband kept pushing. Eventually with some help from my dad we were able to get the tree back up. It is bent and the lights are a tad out of control but it worked out.

Of course with a Christmas tree toppling there were a few casualties. Below is a list of the maimed whose prognosis will be determined when I get the glue gun out this week...

Wiseman #2 (I don't know his name but it wasn't Balthasar)- decapitated. His head was recovered though.

Hermione Granger- hand and wand lost. Location of hand and wand still unknown.

Mickey and Minnie- Minnie arm broken off. Arm has been located.

Owl- one foot broken. Foot has been recovered

Cinderella- top gone. It is somewhere on the tree but location still unknown.

So yeah this year it won't be the bills that get to me. Or the crowds. Or addressing all the Christmas cards. Nope it will be the Christmas tree.

Holidays- Bring it on

Tonight after helping the kids make gingerbread sleighs we decided to indulge in a bit of a gingerbread treat. I decided to place my cookie in the milk and let it soak for a minute. I looked down and had to laugh. There was a lovely cookie looking up at me from a bath of milk.
I wasn't sure if the cookie was basking in a nice warm milk bath or trying to commit some form of cookie suicide. It reminded me a bit about the holidays. For years when I worked at Deseret Book I hated this time of year due to crabby people and the crazy amount of work there was. There was one year that was the worst. We had put in computer system the spring before and by December it still didn't well for us. I spent my days imputing internet orders by hand so people may or may not receive their order by Christmas. I spent hours upon hours at work. There was one day I pulled a 26 hour shift. I wasn't alone, there were some great women there with me. We had ten pm dance on the table time and chocolate and Diet Coke IVs. It was honestly the worst Christmas ever.

Working there I began to realize that I had to get my Christmas bought, wrapped, and under the tree by December 1st or wouldn't get done. This year I am enjoying taking my time shopping and wrapping. I feel I can write Christmas cards this year rather than just send out the family picture with a generic message. I have time to help the kids make decorations for the house and make fun Christmas treats.

I don't feel like I am in a rush and can sit back and enjoy the holidays. There maybe kids gone crazy with excitement but I can do that. So holidays- bring it on!

Oh Christmas Tree

Growing up finding a Christmas tree was the pinnacle of Thanksgiving weekend. I remember driving from one Allied tree lot to another looking for the perfect Christmas tree. This would take a full two days. Rain, snow, or sub-zero temperatures we would trudge out and drive from one end of the valley to another looking for a tree that would fit our needs.

Then came the year that for one reason or another I decided that I would start naming the trees we looked at. You have to give me a break- I was nine or ten and very silly. I named every tree I ran across that year. One of the saddest moments was when my then six-year- old brother decided that he needed to use the restroom thus ruling out Arthur as a family tree choice for the year.

As the years went by we changed our traditions. Instead of one tree we started getting three to put next to each other creating a forest. Then we started going to the forest service and cutting down our own trees. But the naming of the tree has always continued. I have cycled through many names. Names from literature, names of British monarchs, names from kids at school, and one year names from The Magic School Bus.

This year we started a new tradition. I love having a fresh cut tree in the house. Since I put the tree up so early I like having something that will last to the New Year. Christian likes the ease of going to the tree lot. This year we decided we would go to a tree farm.

This is the perfect idea for our family. It just works for us. So without further ado I introduce you to our tree...
He is a wonderful Spruce but he is a tad prickly. When I texted a picture to my dad the first thing he asked was "What's its name?"

Now here's the thing. I hadn't even thought of naming the tree yet. But my husband and kids left me alone with the tree so when they returned it did have a name. So I present to you....

Brem the Christmas tree.

FHE- Thanksgiving

*Disclaimer- I meant to post this last week but spaced it. So it is a tad late now...sorry.*


When I became a teacher I began to order from Oriental Trading Company. I loved the fun things I could get on a teacher's salary. I have continued ordering from them since I have been home and find great activities and crafts for the kids. I stumbled upon a gem a few months ago and wipped it out for Family Home Evening.

It was a thankful tree sticker with leaves that we could put on what we were thankful for. We then drew pictures to accompany the tree. It was a fun activity that the kids and parents enjoyed. Christian even drew a picture of the family having a picnic under his tree.

Here are some highlights from our lists

Laine- Jesus Christ, food, books, trees, friends, family,

Eve- my body, books

James- tigers, lions, leaves

Matthew- binky, stuffed carrot

They were proudly displayed on the door for the rest of the month and will be put away into remembrance books to look back and smile one day.