Rainbow Stripes and Everything Nice... that's what Easter is made of...

Hoppy Easter EveryBunny!

We were invited to the neighbors for Easter Dinner, so what did I  bring... dessert and wine... what we do best!!! I have been waiting to make this dessert for quite some time. I saw a pic online for a rainbow cake (seriously, google image "Rainbow Cake" you will be inspired) and I thought it would translate nicely to a pastel striped Easter cake. So we gave it a shot!

The recipe is pretty simple if you don't mind boxed ingredients. I would like to consider myself "semi-homemade", but in all honesty, I am probably box-meets-Martha-Stewart. So start with 2 boxes of white cake. I chose French Vanilla, just so it had a more sophisticated taste. And then you will need food coloring.

After preparing the cake mix as instructed, I separated the mix into 6 bowls... about a 1cup and 1/4 a piece.

(would you like some porridge????)

Here is where Olivia had lots of fun

The rainbow is starting to take shape...

After baking each color individually, about 12min each, I let them cool and then started icing. I layered cake and white icing one by one, following the colors of the rainbow.

I needed to make sure each rainbow stripe would be the same in width, so I used this. If you don't have one, get one. It will change your life. (or at least your baking.) This is THE best way to ensure a level cake before icing.

 After the layering, it gets a coat of plain white icing all the way around. It looks so plain and boring...



But the inside is pure heaven...

Now I will warn you, this cake takes a ridiculous amount of icing! Thank goodness I had 2 extras tubs of white icing, or we would have been in trouble. If you are planning on making this, I would recommend 2 boxes of cake mix and 4 tubs of icing to be safe!!!

I also made some fun Easter cupcakes courtesy of the Food Network with the left over cake batter





Overall, I was quite pleased.

as were the kids...

oh, and did I mention I got some pretty white tulips???



I heart Spring!!!

Fun In The Sun Done Light

The sun is shining.
The kids are in the pool splashing.
And I am sipping... and sipping... and sipping...

I must say, there is nothing better than summer foods. Fresh fruit, crisp salads, grilled chicken and veggies. Making the smart choices seems so much easier in the sunshine! But as I lounge pool side and reach for Mommy's "sippy cup", the smart choices aren't so obvious. Sure there are some low calorie beers out there, who doesn't love a cold Miller Lite now and then? But I need something more. Something fun. Something that screams "I am summer and I am FABULOUS!" So, I have been on a mission to uncover other options. Surely I could find some delicious, summer inspired drinks that were both full of flavor and easy on the calories. After a little digging, here's what I've found.

The Skinny Mini

This one is courtesy of thedrinkoftheweek.com

1 cup vodka

1.5 cups of Crystal Light, Orange Sunrise flavor

.5 cup fresh raspberries

.5 cup fresh oranges

ice, crushed

Blend together vodka, Crystal Light, fruit and ice. Pour into a tall glass. Add fruit to garnish. Makes 6-8 cocktails... roughly 150 calories each.

First of all, let me say the presentation on this is simply FANTASTIC. This is a great drink for a spring time girls brunch with matching Daisy centerpieces. And as the temperatures rise in the summer months, the crushed ice and fresh fruit will be a most welcome and refreshing way to keep cool by the pool.

Light Lemonade Mimosa

Nothing says summer like lemonade. So I had high hopes for a summer time twist on this classic. I actually served Lemonade Mimosas for our Mother-Daughter pool party last summer and they were a huge hit! The lemonade is lighter, smoother and more refreshing than a traditional OJ mimosa. And when I discovered Minute Maid Light Lemonade has only 5 calories per 8 ounce bottle, I thought I'd hit the jackpot! By adding 4 ounces of Brut champagne, you have 12 full ounces of delightful, lemon-y goodness for only 95 calories! Now, I will add a disclaimer that the light lemonade does have a distinct "diet" taste, so it wasn't quite the perfect find I was hoping it would be. However, if you already enjoy Minute Maid Lite, this could be your libation de jour all summer long!!!

Bethany Gets It Right - The Skinny Girl Margarita

It's so good to know that others have not only headed out on the same quest, they have forged ahead and they made it happen. Skinnygirl has been a huge success for Bethany Frankel. So much so, she was able to sell the brand for an undisclosed, but no doubt lucrative, amount. I haven't tried Skinny girl, but I've heard from reliable sources it lives up to expectations. And with Cinco De Mayo around the corner, this is a MUST DRINK!

Over all, I am pleased with these new options, but I'm always open for suggestions. If you have any finds of your own, please share the delicious wealth!!! Feel free to add your recipes to the comments below.

Until next time... happy sipping!







With a Lil' Bit-O-Luck!

I am kicking off my first blog post with a little Luck of the Irish heading our way!

When I think of St Patrick's Day, I think beer, green rivers, beer, parties, more beer... wholesome family fun isn't the first thing that comes to mind. So I have been thinking of things Olivia can do to join in the festivities. At Thanksgiving this year, we made "Pilgrim Hat" Cookies for her school. They were super easy to make, (fudge stripe cookies flipped upside down, marshmallows, melted chocolate and yellow writing icing for the buckle) and Olivia was even able to help! (check out the pic below) They were such a big hit I thought, "Why can't we turn these little guys green? If they can do it to the Chicago River, surely we can figure it out! Bam, we have Leprechaun Hats!" So I'm going to use white melting chocolate this time and add green food coloring. I will need to add a layer of green icing to the bottom of the fudge stripe cookie too, but I don't think that will be difficult. So,  Marshmallow "Leprechaun Hats" are definitely on the agenda.

Olivia is also obsessed with the idea of 4-Leaf Clovers. Since I am always looking for ways to remind Olivia what a lucky little girl she is, I am going to combine another Thanksgiving Tradition with this iconic symbol of St Patty's Day. With some green construction paper and two clover templates

we are going to make a clover field on Olivia's door. Of course it will be filled with your garden variety clovers for the most part. But, if you search hard enough, you'll find some Lucky 4's sprinkled in! On each four leaf clover, she can write one thing she feels super lucky to have! (being grateful AND practicing our handwriting... WIN!)

We are certainly blessed at the Brookshire House, and I think this will be a fun way to reflect on our blessings without waiting until next Thanksgiving! I'll be sure to post a pic when we are done!

After that, I have lots on the agenda. Spring Time is finally here and that means Easter Bunnies, Memorial Day Hot Air Balloon Festival, and FLOWERS!

Until Then,
May your thoughts be as glad as the shamrocks,
May your heart be as light as a song,
May each day bring you bright, happy hours,
That stay with you all the year long.
        -Irish Blessing

HAPPY ST PATRICK'S DAY!