Birthday Gifts

This years birthday was different than the rest. 

Since Miss Molly decided to give birth to her adorable little babes on my actual birthday, we decided to post-pone the festivities for a week. No big deal. It was easy to reschedule as all we were planning was dinner at a local restaurant and then back to our place for cake and puppy viewings. 

This year, when asked what I wanted as gifts I seriously had no ideas to give people. 

There wasn't anything specific that I wanted. 

J had let me order some lovely bracelets online for a gift. 

My sister pre-ordered me a book she knew I would love. 

My other sister gave me some great bath products from Lush. 

And my other sister said she was going to treat me to a pedicure when the weather is nicer so we could spend some time together. 

And I asked my parents to give me some cash (like I do every year!) 

I decided to use my birthday money for some art work for the living room. 

We have lived in this apartment for almost 3 years and I have never found anything I liked for above our couch. 

It was really starting to get to me. 

Every time I walked into the living room it was like a giant canvas waiting for something to be placed on it. 

I went to a local store, Homesense to wonder one day and say this awesome art combination that I could not take my eyes off. It was 5 photos in one. They are all similar but not the same, which I loved and as luck would have it, in my purse I had my couch fabric swatches and they matched. 

It was only $10 more than my birthday money, but for how much I loved it I had to have it. 

The end result; 

I love it. 

It looks amazing and was affordable (even before using my birthday money). 

My eyes are always drawn to it when I walk in the room. 

Happy Birthday to Me!!

:)

My Birthday Cake 2014

Every year (mostly), I make my own birthday cake. 

I really don't mind doing it because I loooove to bake. 

It all started a few weeks ago. 

My sister mentioned to my three year old nephew that my birthday was coming up. 

He told her that he wanted to back me a chocolate strawberry cake because it was his favorite. 

He is just the cutest little guy. 

I decided to invite him over to help me make the cake the day before my birthday. 

It was adorable, and he actually helped a lot more then I thought he would!

This year I am doing something a little different in terms of ingredients. 

I didn't have the time to bake a whole cake from scratch with everything else we have going on right now, especially with an impatient little helper.

So I decided to purchase a box cake and premade icing. 

I know, I know. 

But I wasn't going to just make a cake and slop some icing on it. 

I'm going to revamp the boxed cake!

What you need; 

~ Chocolate Cake Mix (I opted for gluten free as some family members attending are not eating gluten)

~ White Icing 

~ 1 packages of strawberries

~ 3 Eggs & 1 cup of water (for cake)

 

Simple right?  

Step#1; Mix chocolate cake mix according to directions on the box and bake for appropriate amount of time. I baked my cake in two round pans for easy stacking. After they have finished backing, set to the side to let cool completely. 

Step#2; While cake is baking wash and haul all strawberries. I sliced mine and tried to get them to all be the same thickness (tried being the key word here!). Set aside in fridge.

Step#3; Scrap icing into kitchen aid mixer bowl completely. Using the whisk attachment whip the icing until it doubles in size. Cover with saran and place in fridge. 

Step#4; Once cake is completely cooled, pick the cake you would like for the bottom layer and place on a flat sturdy surface to hold cake. Gently cut top of cake to make it as completely flat as possible. Dont worry if its not perfect, mine wasn't! 

Step#5; Then generously add vanilla icing and carefully spread evenly on cake. Next add a fully layer of your sliced strawberries. 

Step#6; After that I sliced the next cake as evenly as I could and carefully placed on top of the other cake.  

Step#7; Repeat step #5 using the remaining icing and strawberries. I added an extra glob of icing to the top of out cake just for fun!

 

3 Tier Mint Chocolate Birthday Cake

Yesterday with my hubby's birthday! Every year since we have been together I have always made him a birthday cake. This is the 7th cake I have made him. Wow. That makes me feel old!
I decided that this year I would make him a mint chocolate cake because that is his absolute favorite flavor, and since it is his special day, I wanted to do everything to make him smile.

Pretty Good For My First Multi-Layer Cake!

To Make This Cake You'll Need:
~ 2 x Chocolate Cake Mix
~ Mint Extract
~ Mint Chocolate Chips
~ Icing Sugar
~ Milk
~ Vanilla Extract
~ Butter
~ Peppermint Patties (used on top)

First, I made the cake mixes according to the directions on the box. I let these cool over night.
Next, I cut the tops of two of the cakes for the lower two tiers.
Then I prepared the icing and generously applied it between the tiers. I also sprinkled some mint chips between the tiers. I then carefully stacked the cake and covered the cake carefully with the remaining icing. I added some decorations to the top to make it extra cute and minty!

Icing Recipe: (I tripled it!)
~ 1 1/2 cups of icing sugar
~ 2 tblspns of milk
~ 1 tblspn of butter
~ 1/2 tspn of vanilla extract
~ 1/8 tspn of mint extract
Place all above items in a bowl and beat thoroughly with a hand mixer scraping the sides when needed. 


Total Cost For This Cake: 
2 x Cake Mix $2.50
Icing Sugar $2.00
Mint Chips $0.50
Peppermint Patties $0.50
*Everything else I had on hand*
               Making a grand total of $5.50 for a cake that generously fed 8 adults and 2 kids!

Happy Birthday J! 

Last Years Turtle Birthday Cup-Cake: 

J Also Love Turtles!