B's First Birthday Cake!

So, i FINALLY finished my niece's cake.  It took me FOREVER to finish and had quite a few set backs, but I think it turned out ok.  I was originally going to cover it in fondant, but it kept melting in this southern heat, so I ended up covering it in buttercream frosting.  The cake is a butter yellow cake, buttercream frosting, and fondant decor.

4.5 lbs. of fondant = workout for the day

What a slow, uneventful day.  The kids are at their grandparents, I slept in this morning, and I made a 4.5 lbs. batch of marshmallow fondant/daily workout.  Phew!  Can still feel the burn.  Haha!

I;m making a birthday cake for my niece's first birthday; how exciting!  It'll be my first time to make a girly cake, and my sister gave me free-reign on the decorating!  Awesome?!  YES!  I definitely think pink is in order :)

So, while you wait for pictures of the final product, here's an AWESOME marshmallow fondant recipe!

This recipe makes about 2 1/4 lbs of fondant (i doubled just to be safe)

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 (16 ounce) package miniature marshmallows
• 4 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 pounds confectioners' sugar, divided

Directions

1. Place the butter in a shallow bowl, and set aside.
2. Place the marshmallows in a large microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on High for 30 seconds to 1 minute to start melting the marshmallows. Carefully stir the water and vanilla extract into the hot marshmallows, and stir until the mixture is smooth. Slowly beat in the confectioners' sugar, a cup at a time, until you have a sticky dough. Reserve 1 cup of powdered sugar for kneading. The dough will be very stiff.
3. Rub your hands thoroughly with butter, and begin kneading the sticky dough. As you knead, the dough will become workable and pliable. Turn the dough out onto a working surface dusted with confectioners' sugar and continue kneading until the fondant is smooth and no longer sticky to the touch, 5 to 10 minutes.
4. Form the fondant into a ball, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. To use, allow the fondant to come to room temperature, and roll it out onto a flat surface dusted with confectioners' sugar.

I'm super excited about this cake :) Stay tuned for the final product!

P-P-P-Plant Pals!

Found this awesome craft that I'm totally going to do with the boys-- ok, maybe even one or two for myself :)  You can check out the original craft post here

Plant Pals!

Materials

• One 9- or 12-ounce plastic cup
• 1 to 1 1/4 cups of potting soil

• 1 tablespoon of grass seeds (we bought rye grass at a garden center)
• Decorations, such as office dot stickers, markers, and ribbon (for safety, it should measure less than 6 inches long)

Instructions

1. Fill the cup halfway with soil. Divide the remaining soil in two, then have your child measure the seeds and stir them into one of these halves.Tip: To speed germination, you can first soak the seeds in water overnight.
2.  Spoon the seed-filled soil into the cup, then top it with the remaining soil (this final layer should be about 1/8 to 1/4 inch deep). Water the soil well.
3.  Let your child decorate the cup with stickers and markers. Finally, leave the plant in a warm, sunny spot to sprout. Water as necessary to keep the soil about as wet as a damp sponge

Did you try this craft?  Let us know how your kids loved it!