Happy Birthday, Livi Bean! (Part 2)

Just thought I would post a couple of pictures of the cake I made for Alivia's first birthday party. The theme was "A Ladybug Luncheon," hence the ladybugs. This one was a lot more complicated than the last. The darker colors took a LOT longer to incorporate into the fondant. Still, turned out pretty well and was tasty (that's all that really matters with cake, right?).

Italian-Style Spinach Dumplings

While cuisine hunting on the internet, I found a recipe for some "arugula dumplings" that sounded absolutely delicious! Unfortunately, I don't keep any of the main ingredients required on standby in my kitchen. I do, however, keep spinach on hand in the freezer, which made me think, "I know the basic components of a dumpling, so let's give this a shot!" And thus, the Italian-Style Spinach Dumpling was born!

I am rather proud of this recipe as I took that arugula inspiration and took it in a whole new direction... all by myself. I find this is one of the most satisfying aspects of cooking and baking: creating a culinary Frankenstein 's monster all your own. It's even better when that monster turns out to be quite tasty!

• 8 oz frozen spinach, thawed, drained well, and chopped
• 4 oz (approx. 4-5 slices) bread, chopped finely (I used wheat because it is what we routinely buy and we always have it on hand, but you could use 4 oz white bread or French bread with the crusts cut off)
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup light sour cream
• 3 Tbsp milk
• 3/4 cup real Parmesan cheese, grated (you won't want to use the bottled "sprinkly cheese" for this recipe)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• Salt to taste (I used about a tsp of salt)
• 1/2 - 3/4 all-purpose flour (measure will vary; you will add between 1/2 cup and 3/4 cup to get the needed consistency)
• Homemade or bottled spaghetti sauce
• 3/4 cup Mozzarella cheese

1. Heavily salt a pot of water and start it boiling on the stove.

2. Whisk eggs, sour cream, and milk together until uniform in consistency.

3. Add garlic powder and salt; stir.

4. Add bread, spinach, and Parmesan cheese, mixing well to combine.

5. Stir in flour a little at a time until mixture reaches a dough-like consistency ( a small ball of the "dough" should hold itself together).

6. Roll dumpling "dough" into tablespoon-sized balls. Drop about 10 balls at a time into boiling water. (Note: if this is your first time making these, you may want to cook just one dumpling to start with and taste test it once it done. After tasting it, you can decide to add more salt, flour, cook them longer, etc. before you cook all of them and it is too late to alter the "dough." Many a culinary catastrophe has been avoided by a simple taste test!)

7. Cook dumplings about 5 minutes (after they float to the top of the water, cook an additional minute to ensure egg-y middle is cooked all the way through). The center of the dumplings should be firm, not slimy.

8. Remove dumplings from water with a slotted spoon, being sure to drain all water.

9. Place all dumplings in an oven-safe baking dish. Repeat process until all dumplings are cooked and in the baking dish.

10. Cover dumplings with spaghetti sauce. Layer mozzarella cheese evenly over sauce.

11. Broil dumplings in the oven for 2-3 minutes or until cheese on top is melted.

Happy Birthday, Livi Bean!

Today is our daughter's very first birthday! I can't believe a year has come and gone so quickly! Being a mommy has been such a great adventure. It has been a million times better than I thought it could be. Our little Alivia has been such a blessing in our lives and what better way to celebrate the anniversary of her arrival into our family than, you guessed it, cake!

I posted on here a while ago that I was trying a master the art of fondant so I could make Livi's cake myself. Over the past couple of months, I have made a few trial cakes, tried different icing recipes, and purchased a few cake decorating do-dads. I think all the practice paid off quite nicely. I may not have mastered the art of fondant (yet... practice makes perfect), but the result was pretty darn cute, if I do say so myself!

Happy Birthday, Livi Bean!

Buttercream Icing

This is a form of "crusting buttercream." Basically this is cake speak for an icing that hardens slightly on the outside after setting for a while. This kind of icing is perfect for fondant covered cakes especially since it doesn't allow fondant to slip and slide on its surface once it has set. It is also great for cake decorating as stars, leaves, flowers, borders, etc. will keep their shape pretty well after they dry.

To make this into a chocolate buttercream icing, simply substitute a 1/2 cup of cocoa powder for one 1/2 cup of powdered sugar (be sure to still use all the rest of the sugar the recipe calls for).

• 1 lbs powdered sugar (confectioners sugar), sifted if possible
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup vegetable shorteneing
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 Tbsp milk
• Icing coloring (optional)

1. Cream butter and shortening together with an electric beater.

2. Add vanilla and milk, mix to incorporate.

3. Add powdered sugar a little at a time, mixing to combine.

4. Add coloring if desired.

5. Use to frost or decorate cakes, cookies, or cupcakes.

No Use Crying Over Spilled Milk...

Using milk or cream with different fat contents can be tricky in cooking. I can't tell you how many times I've started a recipe, mixed a bunch of components together, only to realize that I don't have the "right kind" of milk or cream on hand to finish it.

A good rule of thumb is that you can almost always use a milk product with a higher fat content than what the recipe calls for (using 2% instead of skim, for example), but it is usually unwise to use one with a lower fat content than recommended for the recipe (using 1% milk instead of heavy cream).

If you really get yourself into a pickle, here are a few substitutes you can use in a pinch!

Whole Milk: You can use 2/3 cup evaporated milk mixed with 1/3 cup water. You can also use 1 cup of soy or rice milk, if you have those on hand.

Half-and-Half: For the equivalent of 1 cup of half-and-half, whisk 7/8 cup milk and 1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter together well.

Light Cream: You can whisk 3/4 cup milk and 1/4 melted butter together as a substitute for 1 cup of light cream.

Heavy Cream: If a recipe requires 1 cup of heavy cream (not whipping cream), you can whisk together 3/4 cup milk with 1/3 cup of melted butter as a substitute.

Buttermilk (Sour Milk): Pour 1 tablespoon of lemon juice into a 1 cup measuring cup. Add enough milk to fill the 1 cup measuring cup. Let stand for 5 minutes to thicken.

Sweetened Condensed Milk: Though not often used in cooking applications, this can be a handy substitute to know. Mix 3/4 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup water, and 1 1/8 cups dry powdered milk in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened (about 20 minutes).