JenOni

Archives for November 2017

Coconut Cake with Raspberry Filling – Holiday Recipe

Coconut Cake with Raspberry Filling

My grandmother passed away in March 2009 so I thought of baking one of her staple desserts would be a nice tribute to her love of cooking and baking. In light of her Southern cooking expertise, we have no written recipes so I tried to find a recipe that was very close to her cake. After talking to my mother, I found out that my
great-grandmother and grandmother sometimes used a raspberry filling for their coconut cake.

Coconut Cake with Raspberry Filling

I thought this recipe was a good match.    Here is my version of a coconut cake.  To keep the recipe as close as possible I did not garnish with fresh raspberries and omitted the coconut in the batter.

Coconut CakeTwoLayers

 

Coconut Raspberry Cake –  Recipe credit: Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook

4 egg whites
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
pinch of salt
½ cup unsalted butter softened
1 ¾ cup sugar
1 1/3 cup buttermilk
½ cup sweetened flaked coconut
Lightly coat two 9″ round cake pans with cooking spray, paying close attention to the bottom. Allow the egg whites to come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes. This is important to create a light and tender cake.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sift the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a small bowl. Set aside. Measure the buttermilk in a liquid measuring cup and also set aside. Cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla over medium speed until well combined. With the mixer still on medium speed, slowly add the egg whites one at a time until completely incorporated. Add the buttermilk and dry ingredients to the batter by alternating between each until the batter shiny and white. Fold the coconut into the batter. Be careful to not over mix.
Evenly divide the batter between the two cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 – 25 minutes or until the center springs back when lightly pressed. Remove from the pans and allow to cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting- Recipe credit: Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook
(8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 ¼ tsp. vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
With the mixer on low, cream the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla until well combined. Slowly add the powdered sugar until the frosting is light and fluffy. You may need to adjust the powdered sugar ratio depending on the thickness of the frosting. It should be light, airy and completely spreadable.

Raspberry Filling: Adapted from my brain 2/3 cup raspberry preserves 1 ½ tsp. water
Over a low flame, heat the preserves and water for 1 – 2 minutes until it becomes syrup. Cool slightly.

Assembly: Place the first cake layer face down in the center of a small platter. Evenly spoon the raspberry filling on top of the cake layer. Be careful to not let the filling ooze over the edge. Place the second cake layer; also face down, on top of the first. Frost the sides and top of both layers with the cream cheese frosting. Lightly pat the sides and top with up to 1 cup of sweetened coconut. Garnish with fresh raspberries on the top of the cake.

 

*

Cooking and Baking by Me: Classic Dinner Rolls

 

Classic Dinner Rolls

2 to 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 envelope Fleischmann’s® RapidRise Yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons butter OR margarine Directions

COMBINE 3/4 cup flour, undissolved yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Heat milk, water, and butter until very warm (120º to 130ºF). Add to flour mixture. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally. Add 1/4 cup flour; beat 2 minutes at high speed. Stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes. Cover; let rest 10 minutes. *

DIVIDE dough into 12 equal pieces; shape into balls. Place in greased 8-inch round pan. Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.**
BAKE in preheated 375ºF oven for 20 minutes or until done. Remove from pan; brush with additional melted butter, if desired.  Serve warm.

*For rest period, it is not necessary for the dough to double in size

**For a higher roll, I suggest allowing the rolls to rise longer than 30 minutes(maybe 45-1hr) with a pan of boiled water underneath the pan. Do allow to over-rise.

Recipe: Classic Dinner Rolls

Teaching Kids Money Habits Using Games, Apps, Tips, and Books

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post by PSECU, a credit union in Pennsylvania.

Money Habits: Games, Books, and Tips to Teach Kids about Money

Good money habits begin to develop when you’re young.   That is why it’s important for parents to have an action plan on how to teach their children how to manage their money.

Learning about money can be fun and exciting for kids.   There are lots of engaging stories they can read that both entertain and teach.   When your child is old enough to play with a smartphone, you can download apps like Green$treets and Bankaroo to help them begin to track their savings and learn how to budget. You can come up with your own games or buy board games that revolve around money choices to help your children put their money knowledge to practice.
PSECU created the infographic below, which includes tips, smartphone apps, games and books for your child to read during every stage in life in order to prepare them to be financially savvy adults.

Consider opening a custodial account for your child. Custodial accounts can be opened for any child or young adult under 21 years of age.   While your child will be the sole owner of the account, they will not be able to withdraw funds without the custodian’s approval.   Custodians can be the parent, guardian, grandparent or relative of the child.   When the child turns 21 years old the custodian must turn the account over to the young adult.   Custodial accounts are great ways to help save for your child’s future while also teaching them how to manage their money online.

 

——->What are some fun ways you’ve found to teach your kids good money habits?<——–

Slime is a Great Science Experiment and STEM at Home

*this post contains an affiliate link, which means I receive commission if you click and purchase*

 National STEM Day, November 8th

Slime Making is STEM at Home

My soon to be 5th grader mastered the science of making slime.  I wanted her to take on the project without any supervision from me.    She is very resourceful and found different instructions on Elmer’s glue website.   We found all of her supplies: glue, baking soda and contact solution at Target.     I will include the link to Elmer’s glue below.

 

 

 

Elmer’s Glue Slime How To   (this is a nonsponsored post)*

 

Who said learning has to stop during the SUMMER?   In addition to the slime making, I have included an offline activity that involves science and math.  Thanks to Education.com.  This is a very interactive activity that utilizes math and science to learn about the solar system.    If you are interested in more activities, you can visit their site  here

Tour the Planets

Help your child learn the planets and practice math skills in this multi-player game! This learning mash-up is a great way to get your child interested in science and math while competing with his friends. Players will navigate the game through addition, subtraction and multiplication while exploring the solar system. Whoever colors in the most planets wins!

What You Need:

  • White paper
  • Markers
  • Deck of cards with the face cards (jacks, queens, and kings) removed
  • Pencil

What You Do:

Create The Scoresheet:

– Each player makes their own coloring sheet on a vertical piece of white paper. In the center of the page, draw the outline of a sun with a black marker.

– Draw 9 concentric rings around the sun, one ring per planet or the moon in our solar system. Make a black outline drawing of each planet or moon on it’s orbital line. They can be drawn as creatively as you like!

– Next to each drawing, write the corresponding initial. The initials in order around the sun should be:  M, V, E, M, J, S, U, N, P.

– Have your child shuffle the deck and place it face down.

Play The Game:

  1. Ask your child to shuffle the deck and place it face down. For this game aces = 1.
  2. Each player takes 2 cards at a time. They can choose to use any math system including addition, subtraction, or multiplication to combine the two cards they choose, trying to end up with any number between 1 and 9.
  3. If the answer is between 1 and 9, the player gets to color in the corresponding planet in order of their distance from the sun. For example, if a player’s number is 5, they would color in Jupiter, because it’s the 5th planet from the sun.
  4. Players can only color in the planets if their math is correct, they can name the planet, and the planet has not been colored in yet by another player.
  5. When all the planets have been named, each player should count the number of planets they have colored and whoever has colored the most planets is the winner!

Example:

 

*this ad contains an affiliate link, which means I receive commission if you click and purchase*

Book Review- Veronica and the Volcano- National STEM Day

*received the book free of charge for review purposes only.  All opinions shared are my own*

 

STEM,  is the acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.  As a STEM major, it is exciting to see more girls with an interest in STEM and pursuing opportunities beyond high school.

 

Book Review – Veronica and the Volcano

In observance of  National STEM day, I had the pleasure of reading and reviewing Veronica and the Volcano.  The book is excellent for middle school-aged children and is filled with scientific topics that relate to volcanos.  I think girls will love Veronica’s spunk and inquisitive nature.  Veronica is the main character in this book and interestingly enough she lives on a volcano.  She wants to give her mother a birthday gift of pearls after she learns the story of her inherited pearls.  In order to get the same pearls, she sets her sights on visiting, the largest volcano, Mount Mystery.
The adventure begins with Veronica, her friend Maddy and their dads.  Every chapter is filled with suspense and the perseverance of two girls on a mission.  The trip takes the girls on numerous twists and turns before reaching Mount Mystery.  Both girls learn about their pasts through their dads.   Veronica learns how and why her parents decided to live on a volcano.  Maddy discovers the true history of her family lines and the many generations before her.   We learn Veronica’s dad relies on technological apps to provide information on volcanic behavior while Maddy’s disputes all of it.   Maddy’s dad, the Captain, is the self-appointed leader of the group and is a stickler for preserving family history and the search for the diamonds that disappeared generations ago.
The story is an imaginative adventure through some precarious events on the unpredictability of volcanos, unexpected wildlife, toxic gases, unexpected guests on the same hike, and rowdy bandits.   They are able to survive the journey, discover diamonds and pearls but return to extreme unrest in their sleepy town.   The town bands together to banish the unwanted guest and his cohorts.   Veronica learns her trip to the town jewelry store leaves her with the key to preserving the future.
The book takes the reader on a whirlwind of events with beautiful illustrations to captivate the reader from chapter to chapter.  It shows the dynamics of relationships that evolve into working together for the greater good.  All while learning about volcanoes as the story unfolds. The book contains definitions of all the terms used in the chapters for STEM enthusiasts to learn more.
For the girls who love science, enter to win a copy of the book:

http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3974772/Veronica-and-the-Volcano-Giveaway-8

Halloween Costume – DIY Starbucks Cup

Costume – DIY – Starbucks Cup

My tween’s costume was by request.  She prefers DIY costume and this means being very creative with bringing the concept to reality.  We searched Pinterest for inspiration.  There are different variations of design and I found the hardest part was deciding on what material to use for the actual cup design.  I realized early on trying to find cylindrical white cardboard is very difficult.   After brainstorming, we decided to use a plastic trash can.  Although, the trash can is oval in shape it made our DIY more unique.   The first step was cutting the bottom from the trash can.   We made the whipped cream by using two pieces of felt(used a smaller logo to cut the circles) hot glued together.  (thanks to Southern Curls and Pearls) and these were hot glued to the outside of the rim.  The logo (downloaded from Southern Curls and Pearls) was enlarged and hot glued on the front.   For the back, we googled “back of Starbucks Cup” and I used a sharpie to handwrite the text.  The adhesive letters were purchased from Target last year.  I hot glued them to prevent the letters from falling off.  The final step was threading the elastic material through each side so she could wear for parade and trick or treating.  The elastic band was cut in two and slits were made on each side of the can.    The total cost for purchased materials was about $35.00.

Materials:

White Trash Can-Target
Elastic 2yds – Joann Fabrics
Utility Knife-Target
Felt (ivory) – 1 yd- Joann Fabrics
Hot Glue Gun-Joann Fabrics
Letters with adhesive-Target
Sharpie