Busy Weekend Adventures

When I asked number 2 what kind of cake he responded, "farm,". Of course he would want a cake that I couldn't just pick up from costco. One morning I woke up early and not wanting to get out of bed, I did a google image search of farm cakes. After looking through a few options of cakes, I felt like I could attempt a farm cake and not ruin it to much. Here is the cake adventure...

I made three cakes. Two chocolate and one vanilla (husband is a chocolate hater). Two round cakes and one square. The round cakes would form the base and I would make a couple cuts to the square cake to form a barn.

The three cakes ready to be decorated at 6:30am

   The cake recipes I used can be found here : http://allrecipes.com/recipe/simple-white-cake/  and  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/one-bowl-chocolate-cake-iii/  I have used the white cake recipe a few times and I am never happy with it so I have no clue why I don't find a different one. Apparently, I just think "well, maybe this time it will be better even though I did not change a thing," (shakes head). The chocolate cake recipe was awesome! Moist and chocolaty.

   I used a buttercream frosting to ice and decorate the cake. Here is the recipe:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/gale-gand/quick-vanilla-buttercream-frosting-recipe/index.html This recipe was a delight to make and to eat (and I ate a lot. Seriously, it was my breakfast). It was quick, smooth, and super tasty. I divided up the frosting in a few different bowls so I could make a variety of farm colors. I made green to ice the round cakes, inside and out.

Green cake (looks like grass...kinda)

   The next step was the hard one. Are you ready for it? Take your square cake and cut two corners off to make a slanted roof. Boom! Barn! Mind blowing right? Next I made some brownish color frosting for the roof. I borrowed a friend's cake decorating kit (.http://www.proverbialhomemaker.com/) She had 1,494,098,974 different types tips for the icing bags. After thoroughly examining each tip I found the one that would make the most "plank" like look. I could have probably gone fancy and made individual shingles but it was like 7am at this time and the more complex I want the higher the chance I would mess it up. It is always good to just keep it simple. 

   I made red frosting for the barn and used the same "plank" icing tip.

   Added a few details to give it that real barn like feel.

   I was super impressed with this cake. For a novice cake decorator, I think I nailed it. You look at it and see a barn which is what I was going for. I was so stoked about this cake that I skipped into the bedroom to awaken the sleeping husband so that he could admire the perfection that was my barn cake. And he did. Cause my cake was awesome.
   Saturday was also number 1's first football game. He was very excited despite the trauma of the night before when we had to fit his mouth guard which included a lot of tears, gagging, and an accidental bitten finger. I am happy to report that number 1 made a touchdown! It is hilarious to watch five year old's play football. Essentially, the kid who got the ball from the quarter back would run it in for a touchdown. Very little flags were pulled. A lot of kids raced passed the kid with the ball like they were racing, many kids would start to run for the end zone and then turn around and run the opposite way. The best would be when a kid with the ball would fall down and the rest of the kids would flock around the poor kid and rip his flags off, like a pack of hyenas taking apart an injured zebra. Apparently, taking 1 flag is just not enough...
 

I like this picture because it shows you how large number 1 is compared to the other kids

   After football came number 2's birthday party at Plumper Pumpkin Patch. This is hands down the best pumpkin patch in the Portland metro area. They have so many fun activities to do (hay rides, corn maze, hay maze, multiple slides, pumpkin bowling, playground, animals, Animals, and ANIMALS! The price is great and every year we spend almost the whole day. The party started at 1pm and we left when it closed at 5:30. Here are a few of the hightlights...

The kids running to explore the activities

MOO! I love cows

Hay slide

Pumpkin bowling

Number 2 feeding a cow. This was his favorite activity. A close second was being suckled by a 3 week old baby cow

Me waiting at the end of the slide for husband to come down

Getting suckled by baby cows. SQUEAL! 

Hayride

Birthday Boy

View from hay ride

Lisa and her family

Cow tractor ride 

Hay maze

Shasta and I like pigs...bacon...

At the top of hay tower

Surrounded by team pink.

   One of my bestest best friend's and her son, Tanner spent the night Saturday night. I love mama sleep overs. Lots of beer was consumed, food eaten, and stories exchanged. Spending that time with Shasta reminded me of the importance of making time for me and my friends. So much of my time revolves around my kids, husband, and house-making duties, that my friend time is hard to get in. But it is necessary to recharge your battery and not lose you.
   Ok, I totally have more to write about the importance of friend time but took a break from staring the the computer screen to look at number 2 sitting next to me and discovered he has been playing with my knitting and took the scarf I am making for someone off the needles. AHHHH! BYE!

PS. This post was apart of the Simply Creations Friday Link Up (http://www.mysimplehomelife.com/)