Saturday, March 31, 2012

I'm FINE....

...you know: Freaked out, Insecure, Neurotic, and Emotional.  Fine.  

Tonight is the first night that my nightmare of what I thought would happen in a shared room for my girls is a reality.  It's 8:37pm (my girls are usually in bed by 7:15pm), and Chloe has already come in and out 5 times: twice to pee, once to poop, once because she forgot her post-toothbrushing drink, and once because Ellie was trying to get into her bed.  
"And I don't want her to."

Sigh.  

But all in all, it was a productive day.  I finished a white bedskirt for Chloe's bed, so now it actually matches.  
[If that bedroom door opens one. more. time!!!!  I'm fine.  FINE.]

I watched most of conference (there were a few crayons-over-the-balcony incidents, and some food demands, and well, a little sleep), and loved Elder Baxter's talk.  

And although I didn't "work out", I did push a heavy double stroller filled with children in about 35mph winds.   I am tough.  As Chloe would say, "Did you know?  I'm amazing.  
I'm Italian and I can do a somersault!"

So here's another one of those amazing Italian things.

Italian Cream Cake
Preheat oven to 3500.
Grease and flour three 8-inch cake pans.


Beat until they form peaks and then set aside:
  • 5 egg whites
In a separate bowl, cream together until smooth and light:
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup shortening
Add and beat until fluffy:
  • 2 cups sugar
Beat in:
  • 5 egg yolks
Alternately, mixing well after each addition, add:
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup buttermilk*
Stir in:
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/3 cups shredded coconut
  • 1 cup chopped pecans

Fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites with a spatula.  
Spoon into prepared pans.
Bake for 25-40 minutes, until golden and toothpick inserted comes out with small crumbs.

Cool in pans for 10 minutes; remove to wire rack to cool completely.


*In lieu of buttermilk, you can add 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice to 1 cup regular milk.  Do this step first, then set aside until needed (giving the milk time to curdle=buttermilk).

Cream Cheese Frosting
Beat until smooth:
  • 12 ounces softened cream cheese
  • 3/4 cup softened butter

Add and mix until smooth:
  • 6 cups powdered sugar
Frost cake, then sprinkle chopped pecans all over.  
Refrigerate, then serve.
It takes a lot of pecans to cover  -
pricey, but completely worth it!



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