Memory Verse Monday - Isaiah 41:10 on Fear

Lately we have been having a little visitor in our room twice a night. She is very cute in her snowman footy PJ’s and tousled hair but never the less she is not welcome in our bed!

 On her first trip to our room she is usually accompanied by the story of her bad dream. Now I do not hesitate for a moment to believe her. It is usually 2:00 in the morning when she comes and she is after all related to me, the queen of crazy dreams. Recently she told us that Grover ate her and it was dark in his tummy! So sad :o(


When you are a kid bad dreams come with the territory. Being small and having a big imagination can make a lot of things scary. So knowing that God is always with you can be a big help.

“Do not be afraid I am with you.”

- Isaiah 41:10 -

The creators of Veggie Tales made this the topic of their very first episode. If you do not know what Veggie Tales is let me first say WHAT!?!  I would strongly encourage you to try watching their videos with your kids. The creators of this show are 100% focused on teaching your kids about how much God loves them. Their second priority is teaching them awesome songs that even mom and dad enjoy. 

Their vidoes, books and cds are invaluable resources for raising kids who love God.  My kids are Veggie Junkies and I am happy about it. Check out their song based on Isaiah 41:10.



Veggie Tales are so wonderful that they deserve their own post so I will have to sing their praises on another day. So for now PLEASE go to your local library or your church library and check out a video. You will be happy you did!

Things for Kiddos Thursday - "I Know a Rhino" by Charles Fuge

We found this book at our local library 2 months ago. The kids love it so much we keep checking it back out!

I know a RHINO. We like to take TEA. I have two sugars and Rhino has THREE.

I know a PIG and we play in the DIRT. We always have MUD FIGHTS but no one gets HURT.

I know an APE and we keep in GOOD SHAPE, singing pop songs and dancing along to a TAPE.

["What's a tape?", asks Sweet Angel]

I know a HIPPO and when she's not BUSY, we spin round and round until we get DIZZY.

I know a DRAGON. He's scaly and bold. I look after him when he's got a bad COLD.

I know a GIRAFFE and we laugh and we laugh, blowing hundreds of BUBBLES when we take a BATH.

I know a BEAR and when it is SUNNY, we go for a picnic with brown bread and HONEY.

I know a LEOPARD who loves to get dressed. In a suit, tie and top hat, he's simply the BEST.

These are my friends. I know them you see. I know them quite well...

...because they live with ME!

They both enjoy this book very much.

Sweet Angel can "read" the whole book from memory and Little Buddy loudly exclaims all the capitalized rhyming words!

Welcome Home Wednesday - Frosting recipes from Tasty Tuesday

I'm using my homemaking day to share with you the frosting recipes I use to make my cakes. I hope you enjoy!

 P.S. Don't be freaked out by all the BUTTER, SHORTENING and POWDERED SUGAR! That's what frosting is made out of. It's kind of scarry but I'm sure you won't quit eating it. I sure haven't :o)

Buttercream Icing

Cup cakes for Little Buddy's birthday

Buttercream icing using a star tip

Wilton's Buttercream Icing (Stiff Consistency) - Makes 6 cups

1 cup white vegetable shortening
2 sticks of soft butter
4 Tbl water
1 tsp clear vanilla flavoring
1 tsp clear butter flavoring
2 Tbl Meringue Powder (optional, helps frosting last longer)
2 lbs. PURE CANE powdered sugar (or 8 cups)

Cream butter and shortening, flavoring and water. Add dry ingredients and mix on medium speed until all ingredients have been thoroughly mixed together. Blend an additional minute or so, until creamy. I always make 6 cups. It takes 3 cups for frosting the cake and 3 more for decorating.


Stiff Consistency – for roses and other flowers with upright petals.


Medium Consistency – Add 1 tsp of water for each 1 cup of stiff icing. For stars and boarders.


Thin Consistency – Add 2 tsp of water for each 1 cup of stiff icing. For icing the cake.

Chocolate Buttercream

Add 1/3 cup cocoa and an additional 1 to 2 Tbl water to recipe. Mix until well blended.

Royal Icing

Horse cake for my mom

Chocolate Buttercream icing with Royal icing flowers

Wilton's Royal Icing (Stiff Consistency) - Makes 3 cups

3 Tbl Meringue Powder

1 lb sifted PURE CANE powdered sugar. (or 4 cups) 

5-6 Tbl lukewarm water

Mix dry ingredients together. Add water and mix 7-10 minutes at low-medium speed until icing loses its sheen. To prevent drying, be sure to cover the bowl with a damp cloth while working with icing.

Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. To reuse, beat on low to restore original texture.

Marshmallow Fondant

Cake covered with fondant

I wish I could put up a picture of mine but it has Little Buddy's name on it!

Marshmallow Fondant

¼ cup shortening
1 (16 oz) package mini marshmallows
4 Tbl water
1 tsp clear vanilla extract
2 lbs PURE CANE powdered sugar


1. Microwave marshmallows in a large bowl on high for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Carefully stir in the water and flavoring and stir until the mixture is smooth. Microwave in small increments until it is a melted. You can stir in the food coloring now if you want. Use the jell kind. Slowly beat in the powdered sugar one cup at a time. Reserve 1 cup for kneading. (I use my dough hook in my stand mixer.

2. Rub your hands thoroughly with shortening and begin kneading the sticky dough. Turn the dough out onto a working surface dusted with powdered sugar and continue kneading until the fondant is smooth and no longer sticky to the touch, 5-10 minutes.


3. Form the fondant into a ball, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. To use, allow the fondant to come to room temperature and roll it out onto a flat surface dusted with powdered sugar.


To color the fondant carefully knead in jell coloring. Your hands will be colored when you are done. You can use gloves if you want.

Gum Paste

Flowers from my daisy cake posted here

Gum Paste

Buy it in a bag from Wal-Mart :o)

Come back tomorrow for Things for Kiddos Thursday. I'm going to share a new favorite book we discovered at our library and are avoiding returning!

Tasty Tuesday - Daisy Birthday Cake

Last summer my good friend Sara and I took 2 cake decorating classes together. We took Wilton Course 1 and 2 from a local craft store. It was SO much fun! We learned how to make butter cream icing and royal icing flowers. Since then I have been making a birthday cake for each member of our family.

This last weekend we celebrated my mother- and sister-in-law’s birthdays and I made them this daisy cake. It is a white cake with raspberry butter cream filling and marshmallow fondant. The daisies are made out of gum paste.

I made the daisies first using Wilton's Floral Collection Flower Making Set. This book teaches you how to make 19 different flowers. This was my first try. I'm excited to try more.

Roll out gum paste to 1/16" thick

Cut out your daisies

Roll the petals thin leaving the middle thick

Gently draw the lines

Allow them to dry over night in a curved flower tray

Stack them together alternating petals.

Attach using a small damp brush and white royal icing

Wet center with a damp brush

Place a chocolate chip shaped center using yellow royal icing

Shape it into a perfect circle using a your damp brush

Smile at your daughter who is patiently playing while you make a million flowers

Allow to dry for a few hours

Make your marshmallow fondant

Thank your husband for kneeding it for 10 minutes

Refrigerate overnight double wrapped in plastic wrap

Bake your cake

2-6" round and 2-8" round pans

Slice off the tops...

...to make them level

Slice each layer in half

Pipe medium consistency rasberry butter cream around each layer

Fill the inside with thin rasberry buttercream icing

Trace your pan on card board to make a base

Stack your layers

Thow some thin butter cream on the out side using the same color as your fondant

Smooth it out

Don't worry about it being perfect

Roll out your fondant on a surface dusted with powdered sugar

Do not flip your fondant

Keep rotating it often and smoothing it with your hand in a circular motion

Lift with your hands and arms and place on top of the cake

Smooth with your hands

Cut excess with a pizza cutter

Have your husband measure and cut 3 pieces of a wooden dowel

Place them in your cake to support the top layer

Stack them up

Pipe around the two layers using yellow royal icing (not pictured)

Attach the flowers by wetting the back of each flower, the place where you are going to put it and using yellow royal icing

Happy Birthday Girls!

I will post recipes for the icing and fondant later.