Easter Traditions

I am getting ready for the Easter Holiday.  I always make my stuffed Italian Bread, 3D Easter Cake, and of course colored eggs.  I usually make a full Easter dinner but this year we are going over to the Cherry's house during the day.  I will have a small Easter dinner that evening.

I made the Bunny Cake. The cake is a butter almond pound cake.  To make it a little more festive for the holidays I added some colored sprinkles.   I am also making some Humming Bird cupcakes with brown butter, Butter Cream. 

I had some butter almond pound cake batter left over from the bunny cake so I made some cake eggs.  I covered them in Vanilla Ganache and added some Fondant flowers.  The Chief had gotten me a whole kit of cake decoration tools and this was the first time I was able to really use them to make all the flowers.   

Fondant Recipe.  I have found that purchasing Fondant was very expensive.  For 21 oz. of Fondant costs $21.00.  Making that same amount costs $2.00, Big difference.  It's worth the extra work.  I also have to say that my homemade Fondant taste so much better.  

You will need

1 Tablespoons + 2 teaspoons of unflavored Gelatine

1/4 cup of very cold water

2 tablespoons of Shortening

1 tablespoon of Glycerin 

1 teaspoon of Clear Vanilla

1 teaspoon of Clear imitation Butter flavor

1/2 cup light Karo corn syrup

2 pounds of powdered sugar (sifted)

In a small bow add the Gelatine and water.  Stir until it becomes thick. 

Worm the thick gelatin in the microwave until worm.  (do not let it boil).

Add the corn syrup and worm a little more 

Add shortening, vanilla and butter flavor.

Stir until everything is incorporated. (the perfect texture is very slimy looking).

Put four cups of powdered sugar in a bowl and add the mixture. 

Stir together until everything is incorporated. 

Place the Fondant on a clean dry surface and incorporate the powdered sugar a cup at a time until you have a very nice firm texture.  Not too dry and not to we.  Then you can add food coloring to it.  I suggest using the jell flood coloring because it will not alter the state of the Fondant.   

 The cake decorating tools.  

 Some flowers made out o the fondant. 

I will have all the finished results over the next few days.

The Honey Do List Is Dwindling

We have been talking about painting the house for months now, but we were never able to get enough time to actually do it.   Now that spring is hear and The Cisco Kid is off from school, the Chief decided he would take off from work and get the job done.  The new color will really change the look of the house.  The house is now a light color with a darker trim.  I am going darker color house with a lite trim.  The Cisco Kid really help out with the painting.  Normally something like this would be a novelty, but once the novelty would ware off he would go and play.  I can tell that he is really starting to get older because he stuck it out and completed just as much painting as I did.   I'm glad to see that he was interested in helping out the family.    

Paintball Birthday Party

One of The Cisco Kids friends had a Paintball Birthday Party this past weekend. This was the first time the Cisco Kids has been paintballing. We went to Paintball Adventures. It was very organized and created a safe environment. About as safe as you can get with a paint gun.

The company organized specific games and each game lasted ten minutes. There were refs out on the field to make sure everyone played by the rules. I was glad to know that one of the rules was that if you got shot and you held up your gun to walk off the field, no one can continue shooting at you. The Cisco got hit about five times, twice on his legs, twice on his back and once in his face. Thank goodness for the mask. The paintball's that hit his back left large whelps. If we go back I am going to get The Cisco Kid a vest.

It was a fun day even with being there from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

That big yellow spat on his mask is were he got hit.

 

Cub Scouts Blue & Gold Graduation

Our Blue & Gold is our Packs largest event that we hold every year. It is to advance all the scouts to their new rank.

I made all the Scout a mini them. 

 

The Cisco Kid is now a Webelo II.  He will finish up all his requirements through next February and then he will be crossing over to Boy Scouts. 

This link is of the boys doing their skit (The Cup Song)  be patient the resolution is in High Def and it will take a few minutes to download. 

http://uploads.favoritephotography.com/_W4zYBYEd-XSKuR

 

This link is the Challenge they gave to the Cub Master to do.  Again be patient.  the download will take a few minutes. 

http://uploads.favoritephotography.com/_d8zcHaEl-XgKlR

Turning Ten

The Cisco Kid turned ten this month. Since his birthday was in the middle of the week we had a little family celebration.  That weekend we went out with some friends to a new play destination.

 As for his family celebration.....I made him an Ice-cream cake that I saw on pinterest.  I thought it was such a good idea and so easy.   Since The Cisco Kid loves everything Titanic I made him a Chocolate Titanic Ship to go on top.


The cake is made out of Ice cream sandwiches stacked.  The Cisco Kid loves chocolate chip mint ice cream and I happen to find ice cream sandwiches in chocolate chip mint.  In between each layer of sandwiches is a mixture of Cool Whip mixed with one box of chocolate pudding.   

 

I wanted to make smoke come out of the ships stacks so I though it would be a good idea to wrap chocolate around stick matches. When the flames went out it really did not smoke. But the blaze was something.   

Rebounderz is the new play place that we have been wanting to try out. The Cisco Kids Birthday was the perfect place to go and play. Rebounderz is an inside trampoline arena. They have several different areas where they can play all kinds of games on the trampoline.  Trampoline Basketball, Trampoline Dodge ball, Trampoline designated for flips & Trampoline designated for just jumping. 

After Rebounders we went out for an Italian lunch.

Happy Birthday Son.