The most amazing chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream icing

Bunting is maple twigs, fabric scraps and embroidery floss that I braided--super sweet Littlest Pet shop critters were a cute addition:):)

This is the cake I made for Autumn's 5th birthday....it is a super moist rich chocolate cake topped with vanilla Buttercream icing---YUMMY!!!

Cake:

2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar

1/2 c Hershey's regular unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4c Hershey's special dark cocoa powder

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup whole milk

1/2 cup Canola oil

2 eggs

3 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup strong brewed coffee--hot

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees--prep cake pans--I used 2, 9 inch round, lightly sprayed then floured

-Place flour, sugar, cocoas, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large mixing bowl.

-combine

-add milk, canola oil, eggs, and vanilla, mix on medium speed until well mixed.

-reduce speed to low and add hot coffee--be careful!---when mixed well, beat on high for about a minute

-place into cake pans and bake for about 20-30 minutes or until toothpick tester comes out clean. cool then frost

Vanilla Buttercream icing:

1 stick unsalted butter--or use salted if that's what you have on hand

2 1/2 c confectioners sugar--sifted

2-3 tablespoons of half and half or whole milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

-Cream together room temp butter, vanilla, and 1/2 c confectioners sugar at a time, adding half and half or milk when needed for consistency. Be careful not to add too much or your frosting will be too runny and slide off your cake. When you have a good consistency beat on a higher speed for 1 minute

--Frost cake or just enjoy straight from the bowl!!!  

Don't mind the lovely background, I sat this on the workbench to photograph!!! 

Tummy turns 5 and spooky stuff around the farm

Our littlest baby turned 5.....I guess that means she is not really a baby anymore.......although it really means she has not been a baby for some time now. We celebrated with the most amazing chocolate cake....no seriously it was amazing....recipe to follow in the next day or two. Happy 5th Autumn....you are my sunshine and the world is better with you in it!!!

Also on her birthday Autumn had pre-school. She goes 3 afternoons a week for a few hours, of course this called for a birthday snack. Halloween being just weeks away, we of course made Halloween Pizza! We mixed up a batch of chocolate sugar cookie dough and baked on a pizza pan, then topped it with leftover buttercream icing we colored green. 

after transporting to pre-school in the rain--you can get the idea though:):)

Every pizza needs a box---we covered this one in scraps of scrapbook paper

scary toppings!! Well, it was a big hit at pre-school:):)

In the spirit of Halloween the farm has been mysteriously taken over by ghosts, scarecrows, bats and spiders. Watch out!!! Spooky:):)

Hmmm....I was sure there were only three scarecrows!

Life is just moving too fast....I really cannot believe it is nearly Halloween. I did not expect to be here this fall. I thought we would be starting a new chapter in our lives someplace else. I guess that page is just not ready to be written yet, so here we stay for now. We are blessed far more than many others in this world, we have each other. On the good days and even the bad I am truly thankful for this crazy family:):)

Sixteen and Hyner View State Park

Hi friends! Let's play some catch up! We spent 9 wonderful days at the family cabin in northern PA, all three kids are back to school, hubby turned 40 (WOW!:), real estate stuff (BLEH!!), and our first baby turned 16! WOW---Katie, my little Peanut is 16 years old! She is growing into an amazing, kind-hearted young woman and we are so very proud to be a part of her life!

An Ebay find to add to her elephant collection! What a pretty young lady!

Onto vacation....ahhhh.....okay I won't bore you with every detail, but bear with me while I share a little. The family cabin is about 3.5 hours north of our farm. It is located in an area known as the Pennsylvania Wilds. It is a beautiful area that is home to mountains, deep valleys, tons of hiking trails, PA's Elk herd, and woods, woods, and more woods. Most of the towns formed years ago when the lumber and coal industry was in full swing--today they are small, sleepy versions of the bustling boom towns they once were.

One of our favorite places to visit is Hyner View, in Hyner Run state park. Just south of the town of Renovo, if you follow a long winding mountain road to the very tippy-top, the most amazing view will await you. I'll let the pictures do the talking here...they can say it all so much better than me!

The wood ramp is where Hang-gliders leap off the mountain!

Newly shed snake--you can tell because of the milky eyes

I wish the pictures were better--I wish they could convey the feeling of this place. I love it here--standing and looking out over the world, I feel hope in my heart. Hopeful of good things to come, maybe it is being so high up...you almost feel like you can reach out an grasp the dreams that often feel so far away. A picnic, a favorite view, family, and a happy heart....it was a good day to be alive.

Fifteen, Cicadas, and Sunflowers

Let's start with 15. My son is 15! WOW....my son is 15!!!! Where has all the time gone is the first thought in my mind.One day he was a squalling infant, and now a funny young man. Seems like life just goes too fast sometimes.....on the other hand, this son of mine is a blessing. That makes for 15 year worth of blessings, making me pretty darned lucky. This dear blessing is flawed though....he spent his birthday grounded.....I will save him the embarrassment of sharing why.  So instead of a party, although we usually keep it low key anyway, we had a family campfire just for us, and grasshopper pie as the "man child" requested. Fifteen....fifteen....wow.....I am truly thankful for each and every moment. It was a good day, and I feel lucky to be his momma....on his birthday and everyday.

The 15 year old prisoner!!

This yearSpring arrived in this part of Pennsylvania early. The weather warmed, the flowers bloomed early, and we began our work in the garden way ahead of schedule. The arrival of spring this year also brought with it, a flurry of news reports about the large hatch of Cicadas the experts were predicting. Our last big hatch was in 2004, and this one was predicted to be just as big. Early in the summer of '04 the air was filled with the distinctive sound of the Cicadas. In fact, the numbers were so great that for those of us lucky enough to have woods around us, it was often difficult to have a conversation outdoors. The sound is unique, some call it a chirping, but it is really more of a chirping with buzzing sort of sound. If you know about the night "peepers," well just multiply that by a few hundred. When millions of them "sing" together I pretend I live in some far away exotic jungle, I can almost see the monkeys leaping from limb to limb:) Following is a good video clip of the sound.

Cicada music (not my video, found from Bing search)

People complain about the Cicadas, I love their music though. Even on the days and nights it is particularly loud, I feel lucky to be here to hear it. It's only temporary anyway, why not enjoy it?!?! Ahhhh, the music of nature beats listening to the neighbors anyday! (Dear neighbors, RELAX--Just a joke!) 

So, back to the predicted big hatch...it never happened. At least not in York county where I live. This past week though, we've been noticing more and more of them. We always have a few each year, this year seems no different. Although, maybe the big hatch is just late?

Newly hatched

The shell that is left after the hatch

All grown up!!!

Our sunflowers were planted later than usual this year. No reason really, other than I just did not get around to it until late. Last week some began blooming, others have followed this week. I love Sunflowers, they are just so happy!

Just beginning

A little farther.... 

Almost there.....

Stunning!!!

Mexican Sunflower

Smaller than traditional Sunflowers, but no less beautiful....I think this butterfly agrees!

Evening Sun

Our happy little Sunflower Patch!!

Teddy Bear

Lemon Ice

Autumn Beauty and Vanilla Ice (ice, ice baby!)ha!

Austin standing at the base, to give you an idea on height.

We are off in a few days for the family cabin in the mountains until the 24th...expect tons of pics from there...it is our favorite spot in all of PA!

Another edition of 'What's blooming around the farm?', Autumn's secret garden, and an early fall???

What's blooming around the farm this week is brought to you by my mom--thanks mom, for taking all the nice pictures for me!

Buzzzzzyyyy!!

White butterfly bush

And now, Autumn would like to share her secret garden with everyone. This is her little quiet place she visits nearly everyday.

I think this sunflower wants to be a daisy instead!

Autumn showing off the flowers

Here she goes towards the hidden pathway

Up she goes......

And up......

Where did she go??

She nears the top!

"Mommy, come on, hurry up!" she says. Can you spot her?

Here it is, her secret little place!

Silly girl!

"Okay mommy, you can go now." she tells me, guess I am not invited for too long!

Not too much going on at the farm this week. We have the usual parade of teenager friends, and the normal chores to keep up with. We did get some new barn doors hung up this week--YAY! I know it is only July, but I have to tell you that we are already beginning to see some early signs of fall. Yellow leaves float through the air on nearly every breeze, and the plants have taken on the tired look that comes in early September. The apples are sporting a deepening rosy glow, and the Willow trees are looking spent. We've had some cool and crisp mornings this past week, sweatshirt weather...I love it!