Little pieces

We’ve just completed a big sweep of our upstairs, necessary after a recent little addition Jonny made.  I need to take some pictures and show you what he did…it’s actually a pretty big deal.  During the clean-up we also pulled out the baby boy clothes that I have saved, which is next to none.  I can’t even really wrap my mind around what I might need for this baby though.  I think the more babies I have, the less I can remember what to do with them–or maybe it’s that the more babies I have, the less I realize is actually necessary. 

We cleaned out under our bed, and I have to say (in fact I think I’ve said it here before) there is something pretty wonderful about cleaning out and vacuuming under the bed and then the knowing it’s clean under there that comes afterward.  Larkspur is just pleased that her missing bunny was found.  He’s been getting lots of snuggle time these past days.

I may not have any baby clothes, but I am racking up knitting patterns, and thinking of all the little things I want to knit for this baby.  Of course if this guy is anything like his older brothers, by the time he is wearing any of it, next fall and winter, he will be huge, so I am trying to take that into account.

I see a cardigan, and a little vest when I look at this wonderful yarn that arrived earlier this week.

And in other news, the daffodils are really blooming now, and Larkspur is picking them as fast as she can. 

The boys are funny because they can’t stop tattling on her for picking them.  I guess they don’t realize that she pretty much busts herself every time she presents me with another handful.  I’ve accepted that any flowers growing in our yard are for picking.

And finally, I just had to show this off: quite the cross after Ash Wednesday Mass today.  My nose was even a bit blackened.  I hope the grace was laid on as thick as the ashes.

p.s. I am going to answer some questions now, because there have been lots the past few days, and I figure if several people ask, there may be even more who are interested in the answers:

**Larskpur’s birthday cake recipe, which we actually got off a container of Stonyfield Strawberry Yogurt, years ago.

Strawberry Cake:

1/2 c. butter, softened

1 c sugar

2 eggs

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 c. chopped strawberries

1 c. strawberry yogurt (we do use the stonyfield strawberry that comes in the quart container)

2 c. flour  (I have made this gluten free by making the necessary substitutions, and it came out just fine, although I can’t remember what exactly I did.)

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

cream butter and sugar, add eggs 1@ a time, add vanilla, strawberries and yogurt-beat on low until smooth-sift dry ingredients and add to liquid.  pour into two prepared cake pans and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

For the frosting, I like to make a vanilla buttercream and add just a bit of strawberry jam for color (pink cake is a bid deal with my girls) and a hint of strawberry flavor.  However, sometimes my kids aren’t in the mood for the richness of buttercream so I substitute a whipped cream frosting:

2 cups heavy whipping cream, 6 Tbsp sugar, 2 tsp vanilla extract, whipped until it reaches desired consistency–for the cake I let it get a bit thicker than I would were we only using the whipped cream as a topping.

**And- the little clothes drying rack-it seems to be out of stock everywhere!  I ordered it back in December from Nova Natural Toys when it was backordered, and just received it a couple of weeks ago, but they don’t appear to even have it listed on their website anymore.  (they do carry the rainbow clothes pins, but apparently they are currently out of stock too!)

Bella Luna Toys lists the clothes rack as well, but it is out of stock there too….

**The Lenten wooden spiral wreath from this post was ordered from the Voskamp’s HERE.

**I am using these brass candle holders, and these candles, and they fit perfectly.  However, the candles alone would be too small, the candle holders are a must.