A Monster Jam Birthday

The idea for this Monster Jam cake came to me while I was planning my hubby's 34th brirthday. For several years, we had talked about going to a Monster Jam truck show. They always come to town in January, right around his birthday, but every year we've always come up with an excuse not to go...money, time, etc. This year I didn't ask him if he wanted to go...I just bought the tickets and surprised him with them the night of the show. Although Monster Jam had been one of his top guesses, he was still surprised and we had a blast.

We brought our 20 month old daughter, and our good friend and neighbor "Unkie Scott" joined us as well. Tampa's own Medusa was awesome in her pink truck. Maximum Destruction won the freestyle. Grave Digger (the front runner) tipped over within the first couple of seconds in the freestyle, but they righted his truck and he was able to put on a great show for his fans.

Here are some pics from that night, followed by the cake inspired by the event...

I used a Paula Deen spice cake recipe (my hubby's all-time favorite kind of cake) and layered it with homemade cream cheese icing. I wanted to make the cake three layers, so I doubled the cake recipe and quadrupled the icing recipe. This amount of cake batter actually ended up making 4 layers (using a 10" round cake pan) which put the cake at daring heights. I didn't use the forth layer in the Monster Jam cake, so we munched on the extra layer the night before his party. There was a lot of icing left over too, so I could have just tripled the recipe.

Click here for the Paula Deen Spice Cake recipe.
If you follow my blog, you've probably noticed that I use Paula Deen recipes a lot. She is an amazing southern cook and I seriously wish I was related to her just so I could come to her parties and eat her food. No, seriously...I actually refer to her as "Aunt Paula".

Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe:

You've probably also noticed that I use cream cheese icing a lot. It's the best icing in the world, it tastes good on just about anything, and it's my fave.

Mix together...

• 4 ounces unsalted butter, softened
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

Hello again...for now.

The life of a mother is very busy. The life of a pregnant mother is busy and exhausting. Take into account the nausea of the first trimester and a change in appetite (particularly a drop in my sweet tooth) and suddenly three months have gone by without a single new blog entry.

Well into the second trimester...my appetite is back and my sweet tooth is mostly back, so here we go again, blogging about the sweeter side of life. I've also started a shop on Etsy.com called Baby Bling by Jen, so the time that I used to blog (10pm when the baby finally goes to sleep) is now taken up with crafting, photography and writing product descriptions for my online store. But I do love to bake, eat and write...so hello again, for now.  :) :) :)

-Jen

Chocolate Cream Pie

My family came down from Gainesville to spend Sunday with us a few weeks ago, and I really wanted to make dinner special. We made pulled pork in the crock pot and Bubba’s Beer Biscuits (a recipe from the great Paula Deen). But the the best part was supposed to be a chocolate cream pie. I followed the recipe word for word (I usually just focus on the bold words), and one hour before their arrival it was still a soupy mess, concealed beneath a perfect meringue topping. Oh well...it was a good try. If anyone can tell me what I did wrong, I would appreciate it.

 

 

 My chocolate cream pie.

I ran out to Publix and picked up this perfect chocolate cream pie from their bakery.

My daughter loved the chocolate crumb topping.

 

Chocolate Cream Pie Recipe:

 

Filling Ingredients:

• 1 C sugar
• 3 TB cocoa powder
• 1 TB all-purpose flour
• Pink of salt
• 3 eggs yolks, beaten
• 2 C milk
• 1 TB butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• one 9-inch backed pie crust

Filling Directions:

• In a sauce pan, stir together sugar, cocoa, flour and salt
• Slowly stir on beaten yolks and the milk
• Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens
• Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla
• Pour filling in to a bowl to cool
• Put waxed paper on the surface of the filling to prevent a crust from forming
• When cool, pour the filling into the pie crust

 

Meringue Ingredients:

• 3 egg whites
• 1/4 tsp cream of tarter
• 1 TB sugar

 

Meringue Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Beat the egg whites with the cream of tarter until soft peaks form
• A 1 TB of sugar at a time, beating constantly, until the whites form stiff peaks
• Spoon meringue over the pie filling
• Bake 10-12 minutes, until golden brown

Craving Chocolate?!?

Ok...so my hubby and I were just sitting here watching our Gators get their butts kicked by Alabama, and I suddenly got a major chocolate craving (must be depression...I've always been an emotional eater) so I pulled out my trusty Paula Deen cook book and whipped of some gooey chocolaty brownies called Lady Brownies. I cut the recipe in half because if I made a full-sized pan of brownies, guess how much would get eaten this weekend? Answer: the WHOLE pan. The other modification I made was to add chocolate chips because, as I mentioned before...everything is better with chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate!

I took the brownies out of the oven early because we love it when they are super gooey.

I also topped it with whipped cream...cause that's just how I roll!!! Go Gators!

Lady Brownies Recipe:

What You Need:

• 13x9 pan
• 2 C sugar
• 4 eggs
• 6 TB cocoa powder (I used a combo of light and dark cocoa)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1-1/2 C self-rising flour (if you only have all-purpose flour, add 1/2 tsp baking powder)
• 1 C chopped nuts (I left this out because hubby hates nuts)
• 1 C chocolate chips

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees
• Grease and flour pan
• Blend sugar, oil, eggs, cocoa and vanilla
• Mix in flour
• Add nuts and/or chocolate chips
• Spread into pan
• Bake for 25-30 minutes

Pumpkin Bread

I can’t believe that it is already October and, as usual, I don’t feel in the “Fall spirit”. It still feels like Summer to me….although the days are getting shorter.  But down here in Florida, the leaves aren’t changing, we’re still going to the pool on the weekends and the temperature still creeps up to 90 degrees by mid-day. In order to get into the spirit of fall, this past weekend I decided to bake pumpkin bread.  I got the recipe from my favorite celebrity cook, Paula Deen. The only thing that could have made it better was if I had added chocolate chips…of course everything is better with chocolate.

This recipe makes two full-sized loaves of pumpkin bread. I made one regular-sized loaf and three mini loaves so I could give some away to family.

Pumpkin Bread Recipe:

What You Need:

• 2 loaf pans
• 3 C sugar
• 1 C vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 2 C canned pumpkin
• 2/3 C water
• 3-1/3C all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1-1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Grease and lfour two loaf pans
• Mix sugar and oil.  Add eggs and blend
• Combine remaining ingrediants and add slowly
• Fill pans equally and bake for 1 hour or until golden brown

Healthy Variation:

• For the oil, substitute 1/2 cup oil and add 1/2 cup apple sauce

Savannah - Day 4

     We decided that we couldn't leave Savannah without visiting "Aunt" Paula Deen, so on the last evening in town, we had dinner at The Lady and Sons, famous for its low country southern cuisine. Mike, my husband, started the morning by walking to the restaurant. In order to get a table, you have to be in line at the hostess podium when they start taking names at 9am. The wait can be anywhere from a few minutes to over an hour, just to get a reservation to come back and eat...but I think it's worth it. The hoe cakes and cheese biscuits alone are worth it.

Our reservation was for 5pm, so we arrived at 4:45 to find the sidewalks that line Congress Street overflowing with people, all waiting to get into Paula Deen's restaurant. It was so busy, you would think there was a famine and The Lady and Sons was the last restaurant in Savannah serving food. We didn't have to wait long before we were called..."Mike, party of three and a highchair."

When we entered the restaurant, it was already bustling with people. It is a three-level restaurant and we were told to take the elevator to the third floor. Keep in mind that the dinner service started at 5pm, and it was only 5:15. It's VERY popular to eat at The Lady and Sons.

When we got seated, I ordered sweet tea, and it was some of the best sweet tea I've ever tasted. It comes in a big glass with a sprig of real mint, so with every sip you get the cool, sweetness of the tea mingling with the fresh scent of mint.  We all got the buffet so we could sample as much southern greasy goodness as possible. There was fried chicken, collard greens, fried okra, baked mac-n-cheese, black eyed peas, mashed potatoes, BBQ ribs...so much to choose from.

With the buffet, you get to choose one dessert from the menu, so we each got something different so we could try them all. There was ooey-gooey buttercake, chocolate gooey buttercake and banana pudding. We were so full when we left there that I vowed never to eat again! I only made it a few hours. :)

Me with my husband, mom and daughter

at The Lady and Sons

Our desserts

Savannah - Day 3

Monday September, 13th

We started the day by wandering across LaFayette Square, and over to the Cathedral of St John the Baptist. It's an enormous Catholic church...the first and largest in the state of Georgia, and it's a must see in Savannah.

Lunchtime came quickly and, after hearing rave reviews about Mrs. Wilkes Boarding House, we decided to go see what all the hype was about. Mrs. Wilke's is located on Jones Street (named the most beautiful street in America by Better Homes and Gardens). They don't take reservations, they only take cash and they are only open for lunch (11am-4pm). We wandered the oak-shaded sidewalk of beautiful Jones Street until we crossed at the intersection of Jones and Whitaker, but stopped our quest when we discovered that the line paraded all the way down the block. With a hungry baby in tow, and nearing her nap time, we decided to forgo Mrs. Wilke's for Clary's Cafe, on the corner of Abercorn and Jones.

I think Clary's Cafe is known more for their history (they've been a fixture in Savannah since 1903), and their appearance in the movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil rather than for their food. The atmosphere was that of a typical diner, but with a little something extra. Maybe it's just that I half expected John Cusak to come walking in the door at any moment. In any case, it was a quaint look at the local life of Savannah, with fewer tourists and more down-home folks.

After lunch, we took a walk, and ended up at a little bakery called the Cupcake Emporium. I was pretty full, but I was determined to take a picture of a dessert for this blog, so I ordered a strawberry cupcake with buttercream frosting. It was ok. I mean, it was a cupcake...how bad could it be. I've never had a cupcake I didn't like, some are just better than others. Personally, I think I could have baked a better cupcake. The cake part wasn't as moist as I'd expected, but the buttercream icing was thick and sweet.

That evening, my mom offered to baby-sit so we could have a "date night," and we happily accepted. To be honest, it took us a while to decide what to do that night. Mike wanted to save money, while my motto is "why? we're on vacation!" We finally came to an agreement and decided to wander down to the river and check out the night life...maybe grab a slice of pizza.

It was Monday night and it wasn't exactly hoppin' down by the river, but we managed to have a good time anyway. First stop was Wet Willy's, a daiquiri bar much like Fat Tuesday, but their daiquiris are stronger, in my opinion. I had a banana daiquiri called "monkey shine," which was enough to give me a slight buzz and make our little night out that much more fun. The river has a strip of tourist-style stores with the typical gift and t-shirt shops, but the best thing is the candy stores. There are two of them...River Street Sweets and Savannah Candy Kitchen...and they each offer free samples of homemade taffy and pralines. We made sure to go to each store and get samples on the way in, and on the way out. There is nothing like a fresh praline, still warm from the oven. The sugary confection literally melts in your mouth.

We never did find any pizza-by-the-slice places, so I convinced Mike to go to the Pirate's House for dinner. Built in1753, it is also a must-see in Savannah. The house has several different dining rooms...little nooks and crannies, updated, yet so antique, its hard not to imagine the pirates, sailors and scalawags that have walked the same old floor boards. The dining room we sat in was very small - just three tables - but quaint and cozy.

Part of the reason we chose the Pirate's House for dinner, is that they serve Chatham Artillery Punch...the official drink of Savannah, or so I thought.  I actually asked several bars on the river if they served the punch, and each one gave me a look like I was either crazy, or a total dork. Chatham Artillery Punch is a crazy drink concocted by women in the 1800's. It's got a real kick...and everyone makes it a little bit different. It's like they threw a whole bunch of left over alcohol into a bowl, added some juice, tea and champagne, and gave it a cool name. I nursed one glass of the punch all through dinner, and I didn't know it had even affected me until I got up to go to the restroom and tried to navigate my way across the 200 year old, slightly unlevel floor of the restaurant. I only stumbled once...not too embarrassing.

For dinner, we ordered their famous Honey Pecan Fried Chicken. It was huge (a half chicken) and came covered in sweet and gooey pecans. We actually shared it and still ended up so full. But not too full to order dessert. Earlier in the evening, before we got our table, we were sitting at the bar next to this woman who ordered the banana bread pudding, and I knew right then and there that we had to try it too. I am, again, ashamed to say that I forgot to take pictures of this meal. This time, I'm going to blame it on the alcohol.