Smith Island Cake

Since I'm feeling so yucky, we really aren't doing anything postworthy.  And, I'm sure you guys don't really want to hear about what's going on in my head, it's mostly..."should I run to the bathroom now or wait until I can't stand the nausea any more?"

So, here's a re-post from my wordpress blog from last June about the most delicious cake ever!

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Here’s a yummy cake, I’m still learning how to make it, but if you’re ever in Smith Island, stop in for a real one…


Ingredients:

Chocolate Cake mix + additional Ingredients to make according to the box


Make the cake mix, grease and flour as many 9-inch cake pans as will fit into your oven. Fill each pan with about 3/4 cup of mix, spread around to the edges of the pan.

Bake for 8 minutes. Take out, cool for a few minutes in the pan, then invert onto a cooling rack. Cool completely.


Make 8 layers.

Icing: My friend Vicki’s Yummy Buttercream


1 pound softened butter
2 cups Crisco
2 tsp. vanilla
2 dashes of salt
6 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup Milnot

Cream butter and Crisco. Add vanilla and salt. Add powdered sugar slowly. Once it’s all mixed in, add the Milnot and whip for 5 minutes.

Layer the cake, then icing, then crushed Oreos until you’re at the top layer of cake.

Once it’s all layered, ice completely and decorate however you want.

My Poor, Starving Family

Well, since you all know about the pregnancy, maybe you know now why my blog has been so boring.  All I do each day is sit on the couch.  Watch tv.  Read blogs.  Knit.  Maybe I'll post about my knitting soon.

I don't cook.  Actually, I did make waffles and bacon tonight, but that wore me out.  Not to mention, I had to take a break to gag in the sink.

So, my family is living on cereal, pb&j and frozen pizzas.  I gave in yesterday and let Troy get the girls happy meals for dinner, but that's a rare treat.

A funny things has started happening.  Sometimes, I can watch Food Network.  On good days.  Non-gag days.  And, I've discovered that my family is starving for some real food.  How do I know?  Well, check out this strange phenom...

Yes, they stop and stare at the food on tv.  How pitiful, that they have to drool about fake food since I can't cook for them.

They make up excuses to get out of the house and hit the farm store that has free popcorn.  Ugh.

(Yes, these pics were taken from my perch on the couch...)

Our News

Well, since it seems everyone knows already, I guess I'll tell you faithful readers - in case you haven't heard yet...
We are expecting our third child!
I'm deathly ill.  I spent 3 weeks on the couch.  Moaning.  I'm so glad Troy has a job that allows him to work from home so he can take care of the girls, (and me).
I'm due on August 22, three days before Averie's birthday :-)

Oh, and I get to pack up my house, clean it from top to bottom, and move across the country in 3 weeks.

Now, this is also our last child.  How can I be so sure?  Well, barring a miracle, that is, I can be sure.  I have infertility, and tried for 5 years to get pregnant before being blessed with our first daughter.  We did IVF to get pregnant with her.  Our second is a result of a frozen transfer from the IVF.  And, this baby is the last of our embryos.  So, that's how I can be so sure.

Those of my friends dealing with IF, I hope this doesn't hurt you too much.  I know it's going to hurt a bit - a lot, that's inevitable.  Know that I have my fingers crossed for you and your miracles, too!

Oh, I am feeling a little bit better.  I am just so nauseas all day long, and exhausted, but I am better than I was 3 weeks ago, so says Troy.

Saying "Good-Bye"

This is a time in our lives when we're saying good-bye.  The main good-bye is to Troy's family.  We currently live about 7 minutes from his brother and parents, (yes, they live together).  But, we're moving next month and they aren't.  This will be the first time in 11 years that we haven't lived within about 10 minutes of his parents.  Maybe they'll move near us?

We also said good-bye to our land on Friday.  We bought 10 acres this summer, and began working with a builder for a small cape cod on it.  We were very fortunate that the farmer who was renting it from us wanted to buy it when we offered it to him.  But, there went our dreams of homesteading - for now, at least.

And, earlier in the week, Troy sold his birthday present, since it's not easy to move something that big 600 miles.

And, I have all these seeds and nowhere to plant them...

All of these things are hard to give up, but we have some exciting things to look forward to.  We're going to volunteer at my sister's church.  We hope to be able to fill some needs they have.  We're moving near my family, something Troy's never experienced.  Scary?  And, Troy's working on building his business.  Hopefully, he can gain some new clients which will give us the freedom to stay at a small church and help it reach people and grow.

Oh, and we're moving to a resort town.  That can't be all bad, huh?

Snow Cream

Last week, after a fresh snowfall, I had the urge to teach my family about snowcream.  Troy had never had it, growing up in Chicagoland I would guess the snow was too poluted to use?

I sent him and Camdyn out to scoop me a bowl of snow.

While they did that, I mixed up the sweetness.  I used 2 cups of whole milk, 1 T. vanilla and 1 cup of sugar.  I ended up doubling this, because it seems Troy was able to scoop about 2 gallons of snow into my bowl instead of the 1 gallon I had origionally anticipated.

We mixed in the sink, because it was a bit - messy.

And, the result is a light, creamy, just sweet enough slushy snowcream!

Enjoyable in a cone or a bowl :-)

Haiti

I have grand plans of writing a new post about the fun things we've been doing lately, but as I sit here and try to write, all I can think about it the earthquake in Haiti.  Thousands of people have been affected by this act, it's something that will change the nation forever.  I wish I were in the physical condition and able to leave my children to go aid the Hatians, I know it's something that would change me forever.

It kinda puts the trials I face in perspective. 

Update on Camdyn

Remember I said I thought she had a migraine?  Well, no, she actually has ... Strep Throat.  I should have figured it out, she said her mouth hurt.  She had a fever.  And a headache.  She was tired.  But, this is my first experience with Strep, I didn't know the symptoms.

She's taking my favorite medicine - Amoxocillin, and doing very well now.