Birthday Time: Baking Memories

It seems like it was just yesterday I was making aprons for Mary Ashley's cupcake baking 7th birthday celebration, and now I am busy preparing for her 8th birthday party. We will celebrate her big day with girlfriends this weekend, so look for details of our celebration next week. And in the meantime, you can reminisce with me about baking memories here.




To get us in the party spirit, I will be back tomorrow with a little giveaway!




Photo by Allison Hilyer Photography. Used with permission.

Wrestling Up Some Grub: Wrestlers Breakfast

Twelve-year-old Carson joined his middle-school wrestling team in the fall, and this boy has found his passion! Carson is quick and muscular, but he is not especially tall, so wrestling is a good sport for him because competitors are paired based on weight. One of my pleasures as a mother is helping the children discover their talents, so earlier this week we celebrated Carson's hard work with a wrestling-themed breakfast. I can't say that our menu would be appropriate before a tournament, so we didn't risk it. We enjoyed this brunch on our last lazy day of Christmas vacation.

Wrestling Up Some Grub Brunch

Flapjacks Pinned with Strawberries
Eggs Over Easy
Sausage Links
Twisted Raspberry Punch 

I saw mini-pancakes skewered with blueberries on Pinterest and loved the idea for our wrestling brunch. Raspberries or strawberries seemed appropriate fruits for a wrestler's breakfast. I planned to make the pancakes from scratch, but opted for the time savings when I discovered mini-pancakes in my grocer's freezer. I also found frozen turkey sausage, and none of the children noticed the difference. Serving eggs over-easy was an obvious choice for a wrestling theme, but my children only eat them scrambled. So I scrambled eggs and served them in foil cupcake liners to keep them from mingling with the pancake syrup. Other wrestling menu ideas include any dishes that are wrapped, rolled or twisted.

Served with a twisty straw, this frothy, tart beverage packed a punch for brunch.



Twisted Raspberry Punch
This punch was a little tart for my tastes, but the children loved it.

6 cups chilled lemon-lime soda

1/2 can frozen limeade concentrate, thawed

Country Time powdered pink lemonade

Raspberry sherbet

Vanilla ice cream

Combine soda, limeade and powdered lemonade in a pitcher and chill. To serve, use a melon baller to scoop raspberry sherbet and vanilla ice cream into six tea glasses. Pour soda mixture over ice cream and sherbet, and serve.

Wrestling is a sport I knew nothing about before this year, but I am getting quite an education through Carson's efforts. When we went to the middle school's first meet, I stifled a giggle watching another team warm up as I bit my tongue to keep from calling out, "Boys, settle down or take it outside!" I told friends that I enjoyed that tournament except for all the roughhousing. It really is an intense sport and one that requires vigorous training and focus. Carson told me yesterday that a wrestler from another school was seriously injured during a tournament over the holiday break, so I am not without worry that Carson could be injured or injure someone else. But I also understand that done correctly, wrestling can be a great character-shaping and strength-building endeavor. I am proud of Carson for working so hard, and I hope Monday's breakfast let him know that win or lose, he is always a champ to us.

I must admit, I feel a bit out of my element with all the boys' sporting endeavors, but wrestling is totally new to me. If you have any advice you can share as the mom, sister or supporter of a high school or collegiate wrestler, please offer that in the comments below.



And on a very different note, congratulations to Claire K., who won a copy of the Jan./Feb. 2012 issue of TeaTime Magazine. Claire, please e-mail me your address so I can get your magazine to you.

Blessing the Teacher

 

One of the bittersweet moments of December was bidding farewell to one of our favorite elementary school teachers. As the gifted education teacher, Mrs. Wilson poured herself into her students -- appreciating them for their unique gifts and personalities; challenging them to stretch their minds; and encouraging them to reach their full potential in the classroom and beyond. Christian was one of Mrs. Wilson's fourth-grade students, and their last class was quite emotional for teacher and students alike. Another mother and I planned a farewell celebration during their last meeting. We prepared cupcakes, cheese straws and punch for Mrs. Wilson and took a picture of her with the class to fit a signed picture frame.

It seems to me the best gift a teacher could receive at the end of her career would be to know that she made a difference in the lives of her students. I asked the children seated at their desks, "If Mrs. Wilson has helped you stretch your mind, if she has taught you new things, if she has made your life at Wetumpka Elementary School better, will you please stand up?" All the children rose. One by one we went around the classroom, letting each child speak to Mrs. Wilson before taking his or her seat. I printed a dozen quotes about teachers, and each student read one and then shared thoughts on Mrs. Wilson.

The quotes the children read follow, but the real treasure came from the hearts of the children. The first boy I approached bowed his head bashfully when I asked him to read a quote, so I didn't want to pressure him to speak. I read his quote and asked him if he had anything he wanted to share. He looked at the floor for a moment, then said quietly, "Mrs. Wilson is the nicest teacher I've ever had." It was difficult to maintain composure as one by one these 9- and 10-year-olds shared their hearts with Mrs. Wilson. One little girl paused after reading her quote, then said, "I never knew I was important until I took that test in second grade and met you." And another revealed, "I didn't think I was smart until you showed me how big my brain could be." It was truly a privilege to witness this experience between a beloved teacher and her students, and I hope it showed Mrs. Wilson that the time she has given children these many years has been a worthy investment.



Teachers are grossly underpaid for their investment of time and energy, but they make the world vastly richer for their efforts. Thank you, teachers!

Thoughts on Teachers

"A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops." ~ Henry Brooks Adams

"A good teacher is like a candle -- it consumes itself to light the way for others." ~ Mustafa Kemal Atatürk



"If you have knowledge, let others light their candles at it." ~ Margaret Fuller



"One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child." ~ Carl Jung



"What a teacher writes on the blackboard of life can never be erased." ~ Author Unknown



"The teacher who is indeed wise does not bid you to enter the house of his wisdom but rather leads you to the threshold of your mind." ~ Kahlil Gibran



"Often, when I am reading a good book, I stop and thank my teacher. That is, I used to, until she got an unlisted number." ~ Author Unknown



"A truly special teacher is very wise, and sees tomorrow in every child's eyes." ~ Author Unknown



"The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery." ~ Mark Van Doren



"Teachers who inspire realize there will always be rocks in the road ahead of us. They will be stumbling blocks or stepping stones; it all depends on how we use them." ~ Author Unknown



"Teaching is leaving a vestige of one self in the development of another. And surely the student is a bank where you can deposit your most precious treasures." ~ Eugene P. Bertin



"The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires." ~ William Arthur Ward

What are your ideas for blessing teachers? And if you are a teacher, I would love to know what tokens of appreciation have meant the most to you.

 

Welcome 2012

A happy New Year! Grant that I

May bring no tear to any eye

When this New Year in time shall end

Let it be said I've played the friend,

Have lived and loved and labored here,

And made of it a happy year.

~Edgar Guest

Wishing You Well in 2012,

Chocolate Bread Pudding

Days before many of us will part with sweets for the new year, let me slip this one last delicious recipe in for the holidays. My sister-in-law Shannon made chocolate bread pudding recently, and it was love at first bite. I knew immediately this would be the perfect rich, gooey dessert to enjoy after the girls' Christmas recital. Friends joined us for dinner after the show, and I let the bread pudding bake during dinner. Served warm from the oven with vanilla bean ice cream, it was heavenly! The recipe follows, along with a few photos of the evening's best sweets: my little ballerinas Mary Ashley and Emma.

 

 

Chocolate Bread Pudding

Enjoy this delicious dessert a la mode while it is still warm from the oven.

 

6 cups cubed French bread, crusts removed

1/4 cup margarine, melted

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder

2 1/4 cups whole milk

1 cup cream

2 packages chocolate chips

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup cream

1 cup confectioners sugar

 

Place the bread cubes in a large bowl, and drizzle with melted margarine. Toss to coat. Mix together the sugar and cocoa powder, sprinkle evenly over the bread cubes, and toss again. Reserve 1 cup chocolate chips for glaze, and toss the rest of the first bag with the bread mixture. Spread bread cubes evenly into an 8-inch square baking dish.

In a medium saucepan, heat the milk just to the boiling point and remove from heat. Add the second package of chocolate chips, and whisk until smooth.

In a medium bowl, beat eggs until frothy. Slowly whisk in chocolate mixture. Pour over bread cubes in baking dish. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Bake at 350 degrees about 35 minutes, or until the pudding is set but the center moves slightly when the dish is shaken.

Meanwhile, prepare glaze. Place reserved cup of chocolate chips and 1/2 cup cream in a microwave-safe measuring cup. Microwave, stirring frequently, until the chips are melted. Whisk in the confectioners sugar until the mixture is smooth. Drizzle over warm pudding, and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Emma took center stage with her class for the first song of the night. This is the first year the girls have been in separate ballet classes, so they were excited to watch each other's performances. Emma was a little bashful when she first went onstage, but she warmed up and her cute personality came through.

Mary Ashley (second from the right, sitting) moved up to an older class this year, and her performance brought tears to my eyes. She floated gracefully across the stage, and friends said she needed wings because she looked like a little fairy. She is a natural ballerina!

Here are our little ballerinas, ready to head home for some chocolate bread pudding!




Wishing You and Yours a Happy and Blessed New Year!

A TeaTime Surprise

I was delighted to visit Smith-Byrd House in Prattville, Ala., for a little friend's tea party recently and discover a sweet surprise in the gift shop: the latest issue of TeaTime, which includes my article "The Valentine Tea." TeaTime is one of my favorite publications, so it is a dream come true to be included in the magazine. You can find my essay in "The Tea Diaries" on page 60 of the Jan./Feb. 2012 issue. I picked up an extra copy at Smith-Byrd, so I would love to share one with you. Please leave a comment below, and I will draw a name out of the teacup for a copy of this inspiring issue.

Congratulations to my sweet friend Becky Welch, who won my Book Club Christmas giveaway of a book and handmade velvet bookmark. Becky has started her own book club in Henderson, Tenn., so I hope she will enjoy tucking her bookmark into their latest selection.

A Birthday Teapot Cake

When our little friend Emma Brown decided to have a birthday tea at Smith-Byrd House in Prattville, I immediately volunteered to make her cake. I hope this chocolate cake with buttercream icing was 8-year-old Emma's cup of tea.


The teapot is a Wilton ball cake, baked in two half-sphere pans and secured with icing. The handle and spout are cut from cardboard and inserted into the cake. Covered with icing piped on with a star tip, you would never know! I guess my favorite technique right now for covering a cake is piping swirls of icing on with a large star tip because the varying circles work together to look like roses. Pink rose buds piped on with an angled tip -- accented with green leaves and stems piped on with a V-shaped tip and small round tip, respectively -- complete the design. And this little teapot is ready to be tipped over and poured out for a sweet little girl's birthday.

 

And speaking of birthdays, today is my 39th! eek!

This birthday moves me swiftly toward that big birthday that many women fear. But I love what Christian Dior has to say on the matter: "Women are most fascinating between the ages of 35 and 40 after they have won a few races and know how to pace themselves. Since few women ever pass 40, maximum fascination can continue indefinitely."

So let's raise our teacups to obtaining maximum fascination! Tomorrow, a teatime surprise.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from the Lester family!

This year I decided to plan a frosty photo shoot for our Christmas cards with sweaters, scarves, hats and mittens. A couple of mugs of hot chocolate -- actually just whipped cream -- served as a great prop for the group photos. The photos at the end of the  shoot were really the cherry on top. Can you see the difference between sisters and brothers in these pictures? My sweet girls above.

And my boys. They love each other, too. To death, I am afraid.

Carson really wanted to put the whipped cream in Christian's face, and even though Christian agreed I initially said no. But then I reconsidered, repositioned them and snapped away as they laughed hysterically at Christian's whipped cream beard. These photos turned out to be my favorites from the afternoon!

Sweet Sisters.

Oh, Brothers!

The whipped cream in our hot chocolate: Christian, 10; Mary Ashley, 7; Emma, 5; and Carson, 12.

I hope your cup of blessings overflows this holiday season!





Merry Christmas,

Jingle Bell Rock Kids Christmas Party

Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock
Jingle bells swing and jingle bells ring
Snowing and blowing up bushels of fun
Now the jingle hop has begun


Last Friday we had our annual Christmas party the day the children got out of school. Two years ago we invited our favorite pair of sisters, Emma and Lizzie, to join us for a Gingerbread House Decorating Party. Then last year we added our favorite pair of brothers, Garrison and Gavin, to the mix for a canvas-painting Christmas P-art-y. (Find more details about those parties here, here and here.) The children are so full of excitement on the last day of school, and it has helped us to channel their energy into a holiday party. Since the last two parties have been "artsy-crafty," I thought we would switch things up a bit with a Jingle Bell Rock. Let me explain.


The first year Joe and I were married, my sweet 8-year-old cousin Kristi spent a weekend with us during the holidays. We decorated a gingerbread house together, sipped hot chocolate and enjoyed the holiday lights of Nashville. As newlyweds, Joe and I lived on a shoestring and didn't have much money for holiday spending. One of the only Christmas-themed items we got that year was a CD of Christmas music we won from a church party gift exchange. It wasn't really a great CD, but it was the only Christmas one we had, so we listened to it often. One of the most fun impromptu moments of our weekend with Kristi was getting up to dance together to the song "Jingle Bell Rock." The three of us whirled and twirled around our little apartment, laughing and acting silly together. This was such a joyful holiday moment that a family tradition was born. To this day, whenever the song "Jingle Bell Rock" comes on -- whether we are eating dinner, cleaning house or doing homework -- we run from all areas of the house to our family room to dance together. Especially when we are busy cooking or readying the house for company, taking a few minutes to laugh and act silly together can be just what we need to put the jingle back in our step. And you would be surprised how often "Jingle Bell Rock" comes on during the holidays!

 

Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock,

Jingle bells chime in jingle bell time

The children love this holiday tradition. Ten-year-old Christian is usually the first one to notice when "Jingle Bell Rock" comes on the radio, and he has us on our feet within a few beats. So we decided it would be fun to pass on our silly holiday tradition at the kids Christmas party this year with a music-themed Jingle Bell Rock.

Rockin' Activities

• Holiday Hit List. Before the party, I asked all eight children to tell me their favorite Christmas song but keep it a secret from each other. I compiled their holiday hits onto a CD to play during dinner, and with each new song we went around the table to guess whose favorite it was. This was a great equal-opportunity activity because each child aged 5 to 12 picked a song and each one got to guess their friends' choices. I put a handful of chocolate Jingles at each place, and 9-year-old Gavin had the idea that if you guessed a song's fan correctly, you could eat a candy. Then the next round he suggested that you could eat one if someone said your name during the guessing, and by the third song he had covered all the bases so everyone could eat a piece of chocolate no matter what. The song-guessing game went over even better than I expected, and from now on we will always associate the chosen songs with our special friends.
• Elf-is Has Entered the Building. Days before the party I found an elf karaoke microphone at Wal-Mart, and I kept it hidden until party time. The microphone had three settings: Christmas song karaoke, your voice and elf voice. We didn't use the mic for an organized group activity, but the children enjoyed passing this around all night.
• The 12 Breakfasts of Christmas. Longtime readers of A Little Loveliness may know about this fun tradition son Carson started a few years ago. Carson commented that it would be funny to sing about a Pop-Tart in a pear tree, so we started singing, "On the first day of breakfast my mother made for me a Pop-Tart in a pear tree." The game progresses around the table with each person choosing a breakfast. For us, day one is always a Pop-Tart in a pear tree and day five is always five strips of bacon (because we are southern and because it is increasingly funnier with each round to sing "five strips of BAAAA-CON" with gusto). This is another equal-opportunity activity, and it is a lot of fun to remember each breakfast as the song progresses. We sang this song during dessert and had a great time with it.

Other Jingle Bell Rock activities could include making instruments from household items or playing music-themed video games on the Wii. I originally planned to do both, but the kids seemed to enjoy their free play so much that I decided to let them just enjoy their time.

Dancing and prancing in Jingle Bell Square
In the frosty air


For this party I re-purposed some of the decor I used for Christian's Elf #6 surprise breakfast, but changing up the color scheme gave it a completely different feel. Our elf breakfast was mostly red and white, with some splashes of lime green. But a four-pack of pale blue wrapping paper added a breath of fresh air to our rockin' table.

What a bright time
It's the right time
To rock the night away


Plastic tumblers, Winn-Dixie; striped straws, The Sugar Diva; peppermint plates and wrapping paper, Wal-Mart; snowflake napkins, plastic silverware and drum ornaments, Hobby Lobby.

Jingle Bell Rock Menu

Bugles with Jazzy Dip
Classic Drumsticks
Fruit Horns
Black Eyed Peas Medley
Jam Session Biscuits
Rockin' Sundaes
Cherry Limeade Pop

Jingle bell time is a swell time
To go riding in a one-horse sleigh




Taking note of an idea on Pinterest to fill waffle cones with fruit, I decorated sugar cones to look like horns and filled them with fruit salad. I found our recipe for Slow Cooker Sticky Chicken Drumsticks here. The kids gave it rave reviews, so I will definitely make this dish again. I jazzed up traditional black eye peas with some limas, green peas and extra spices. To be honest, the kids didn't really give these a try, but come on -- Black Eyed Peas Medley -- it was worth a shot. Frozen mini-biscuits served hot with jam on the side were worthy of a jam session, and a variety of toppings were great fun for our rockin' sundaes. I offered three flavors of ice cream for our sundae bar: classic vanilla, holiday hit peppermint and rock-n-roll rocky road.

Giddy-up jingle horse, pick up your feet
Jingle around the clock


Purchasing a four-pack of wrapping paper made cutting coordinating bottle labels a snap. I chose bottles of Cherry-Limeade for the color, but placed a tumbler alongside in case the soda wasn't a hit with some of the kids.

Mix and a-mingle in the jingling feet

That's the jingle bell
That's the jingle bell
That's the jingle bell rock!



Each year I want to send the kids home with an ornament commemorating our Christmas party. This year I found a rocking selection at Hobby Lobby. We also sent each family home with a CD of the kids' holiday hits, and, of course, the last track is "Jingle Bell Rock." We also sent each family home with a little bag of Jingles candy, not pictured, with coordinating elf tag and message: "Thank You for Jingle Bell Rocking with  Us! Carson, Christian, Mary Ashley & Emma."


I hope you will consider acting a little bit silly next time you hear "Jingle Bell Rock." It might just put a jingle in your step this holiday season!



And guess what? Seventeen years later, my little cousin Kristi is all grown up and engaged to be married. I was so excited to attend a Christmas shower for her recently, and I'm sure you can guess what I gave her: a CD with "Jingle Bell Rock" so she can continue our holiday tradition with her own family!

Elf Breakfast

One of the highlights of last week's flurry of holiday activities was son Christian's fourth-grade Christmas musical. Christian auditioned for a speaking role and was elated to be cast as Elf #6. He practiced his lines faithfully and reminded us at least once a day that showtime was coming soon. So I decided to surprise the children with an elf-themed breakfast on the day of the big performance.

I readied partyware through the week and set the table after the children went to bed. With such an early morning surprise, I wanted to be as far along with the breakfast as possible.

Peppermint plates and mugs from Wal-Mart were perfect for our festive breakfast -- and a great lunchtime option now that the kids are out of school.

Echoing our red-and-white color scheme, candy cane arrangements added a refreshing touch to the table. To make these I hot glued plastic foam into footed bowls and slipped wrapped candy canes into the foam. I then covered the foam with moss and a trio of ornament picks from Michaels.

 

Christian's show was called The Reindeer Whisperer, so I was delighted to find a Word graphic for my printables with an elf putting a scarf on a reindeer.

Little pennants on our drinking straws urged Christian to break a candy cane. Seven-year-old Mary Ashley was quite concerned about this message until I explained that it was a holiday take on the actors' phrase "Break a leg."

Reindeer Whisperer Breakfast Menu

Reindeer Yogurt Parfaits

Elf #6 Fruit Skewers

Breakfast Casserole Muffins

Peppermint Hot Chocolate

Milk and Orange Juice

Breakfast Casserole Muffins

Mother and daughter Margie Austin and Julie Knapp have brought these to church on occasion, and Christian has raved about them, so I knew they would be a breakfast of choice for him.

1 pound hot sausage, browned and drained

6 eggs

1 cup biscuit mix

2 cups half & half

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 cups grated cheese

Spray 24 muffin cups with cooking spray. Place drained sausage evenly in the cups. Mix eggs, biscuit mix, half & half, salt and pepper together. Pour evenly over the sausage. Top with grated cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Serve immediately.

A little gift at each child's place served to commemorate the occasion.

I found these paddle-ball elf favors at Wal-Mart for less than $1 apiece. The kids hardly wanted to eat once they opened these!

This little guy was a find at Caffco Floral Outlet in Montgomery. I quite enjoy having him around!

There was little time to enjoy our breakfast before school, so we enjoyed dinner and a show that evening as we shared leftovers while watching a recording of Christian's performance. There is no doubt about it: Elf #6 is #1 with us!

I still have more holiday happenings to share, so stop in again soon!