Tuesday's tip: Mailing packages

The plastic "bag" mailers that some retailers use can be turned inside out to hide the writing and/or logo from the USPS and used again. (I just did it, so I know.)

In the kitchen on Thursday: A Southern style cake

This recipe originally came from the Betty Crocker website.

Caramel Cake

Cake

1 moist yellow cake mix

1 C. Milk

1/3 Butter, melted and cooled

1 tsp. Vanilla extract

3 eggs

Caramel Frosting

1/2 C. Butter

1 C. Powdered Sugar

1/2 C. Cake batter (reserved)

1/2 C. Evaporated milk

1 tsp. Vanilla.

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients together for the cake. You can use an electric mixer on a low speed or a wooden spoon. When it is all combined, remove 1/2 C. of batter for the icing. Pour the batter into two greased 8" round pans. Bake for 35-40 minutes and allow to cool.

For icing, melt the butter in a 2 qt. saue pot. Add in the rest of the ingredients and cook for several  minutes until the mixture thickens and turns "caramel" colored. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Remove a cake layer from its pan and place on a plate. Ice the top with caramel frosting. Place on top the next layer and ice the top and sides.

I made this from my mother's birthday (she is Southern) and it was gobbled up before I could take a picture. I can say it is really delicious.

Age is relative

Over the weekend I met a neighbor's daughter and recognized as some I went to high school with (graduated a year ahead of me) and I was pleased to know that after all these years of not seeing her, I looked just the same so she could recognize me and on the flip side a site visit at an elementary school, the kids talked to my mom and when one asker her age, she asked the kids how old they thought she was and a little girl responded. "85" (which is more than 10 years too much).

To gift or not to gift, that is what I ponder

I have noticed that gifts I give some family members sit unused and wonder if I should gift them in the future and decided that cooking lessons, dinner and movie was better than feeling hurt over an unused gift.

(On, a side note, many years ago we found gifts still in their boxes in my great uncle's apartment so for his upcoming birthday he is getting his usual grocery store gift card)

What's in a number?....Age

I had coffee with a friend this morning who told me it was her birthday and I couldn't believe how old she was and that is when I truly realized that age is number by which we need not define ourselves and while as adults we should not act like kids all the time, we should be young at heart (and in mind).

Happy Birthday Linda!

Wednesday's words: wise words on aging

"Aging is not for sissies." —an 86-year old bishop

Wednesday's words on growing old....

"You don't grow old. You are old when you stop growing. " -- Barry Hyatt (at age 70)

Back to school reality check...

Today my daughter entered 3rd grade and when I tried to talk to her about how proud I was that she was a 3rd grader she reminded me that I am 40 and in a gentle and joking way I told her it was mean to do this—I guess if our kids grew-up we grow older (Not Fair!).

Wednesday's words from Emilio Estefan

“Age gives you something you cannot buy. It gives you wisdom, balance and peace.” —Emilio Estefan
Emilio Estefan Biography

Tuesday's Tip: Gift Ribbon....No more tangles

I used a plastic strawberry container by threading the ribbon through the open slots at the bottom and store multiple colors by utilizing the slots on both sides.

The only kid in a grown-up world

Last weekend we celebrated my great-uncle's 93rd birthday and my daughter explained that she left the table because the conversation had been "adult" and she didn't feel included and once I got over the shock of her level of emotional expression, I realized that as the only child there she was right and we needed to do a better job of including her (maybe after seeing the baseball game this weekend, she'll be able to be a part of a discussion on the history of the sport and its greatest players).

(P.S. My uncle was talking about how he met Jackie Robinson through his work in PR.)

In the kitchen on Thursday: Awesome chocolate cake (and vegan too)

3 C. Flour
2 C. Sugar
1/2 C. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. salt
2 C. hot water (not boiling)
3/4 C. Oil (Sunflower or Grape Seed)
2 Tbsp. White Vinegar
1 Tbsp. Instant coffee
1 Tbsp. Vanilla Extract.

Preheat oven to 350. Grease two 8" round cake pans. Mix together all dry ingredients. Stir together all wet ingredients and slowly mix into the dry ingredients. Pour into to cake pans and bake for 35-40 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes and then invert on to cooling rack to finish. Layer cake with icing. This recipe can be cut in half and done as one 8" round cake.

The cake was no longer vegan with the addition of vanilla ice cream and then I added strawberries. This made for an awesome and tasty cake for my great-uncle's 93rd birthday.

Wednesdy's words: Choosing our friends

"Fate makes our relatives, choice makes our friends. " —Jacque Delille

(My "younger sister" turns 31 this Friday and I am so proud of her.)

When Life hands you a new business....

Last evening I was running around getting dinner in the oven and baking 32 cupcakes for my daughter to take to school today when I thought that it was no wonder I was starting an organizational parenting (a.k.a. family efficiency expert) business and hats off to Betty Crocker and Duncan Hines.

My new business....
Life Management Pros

Celebration and a cold

Yesterday, I had a tea party  with family and close friends to celebrate my birthday (Thanks, mom for hosting at your place) and now my cold has attacked with a vengeance and so today, I will be sipping more tea and more tea and more tea.

Time and hopefully more time

Even though it is a novel, Time Keeper by Mitch Albom got me thinking about time, so here's to turning another year older (it's my birthday) and hopefully many,many more years to come.