Maternity skirt

20 weeks! Half done, but here comes the hard part and yet the beautiful part.

I might have to cut the front a little lower and restitch but I will probably wait until my belly gets bigger to see how it sits.  I wore it to work today and it feels good. Though my thighs might be a little tight in it.

Outfit all put together.  My legs were a little pale and it is too cold outside to go without leggings underneath.

Augustsnow

New England Aquarium

My son loves FISH. So taking him to the aquarium is lots of fun. Here are a couple photos from our afternoon there.

This is out in the lobby, a giant statue of 2 penguins that he had to kiss.

Augustsnow

Layers and layers of cake

12 layer cake 

Though mine came out to be 11 layers. 

I used this site for the instructions and Dark Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting recipe.  
The actual cake recipe is here.

My icing didn't harden, which was fine because I was going to use it as my crumb coat and add the cream cheese frosting like in the Bakerelle blog.

I'm going to re-write/repost the cake ingredients/instructions for you because they didn't separate the cake ingredients from the icing ingredients and I found that to be very frustrating.

• Cake
• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour , sifted
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter , at room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 6 large eggs , at room temperature
• 3 cups milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

Position racks in the center and bottom third of the oven and preheat to 375°. Lightly butter four 8 1/2- to 9-inch cake pans (you will bake the cakes in three batches) and line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper. Flour the pans and tap out the excess.

To make the layers, sift together the sifted flour, baking powder and salt. Sift the mixture one more time, and set aside.

Beat the butter and sugar in the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with the paddle blade on high speed until light in color and texture, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Scrape down the bowl and be sure the mixture is well-blended. On low speed, add the flour in 3 additions, alternating with 2 additions of the milk, beginning and ending with the flour, and beat until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl often with a rubber spatula. Beat in the vanilla. Using a scant cup for each layer, spread the batter evenly in the pans. It will make a thin layer.

Staggering the pans on the racks so they are at least 2 inches from each other and the sides of the oven and not directly over each other, bake the layers until they feel firm when pressed in the centers and are beginning to pull away from the sides of the pans, about 12 minutes. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes. Invert the layers onto cake racks, remove the parchment paper, and cool completely. Wash and prepare the pans. Repeat the procedure until all 12 layers have been baked and cooled.

•  Icing
• 3 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder , preferably Dutch process
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter , cut up
• 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions
To make the icing, bring the sugar, cocoa, butter and evaporated milk to a full boil in a large saucepan. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the icing has thickened slightly (it will resemble chocolate syrup but will thicken as it cools), about 3 minutes. Stir in the vanilla. Let the icing cool until thick enough to spread, but still pourable.

Place a layer of cake on a wire rack set over a jelly-roll pan. Spread with a few tablespoons of the icing, letting the excess run down the sides. Stack the remaining cakes, icing each layer. Pour the remaining icing over the top of the cake. If you wish, smooth the icing on the edges to cover the sides. Place pecan halves around the top perimeter of the cake. Let stand until the glaze sets. (The cake is best served the day it is made. To store, cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 1 day.)

Dark Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
8 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder ( I used Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa)
1 box (1 lb) confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1-3 Tbsp milk

• Cream the butter and cream cheese with a mixer.
• Add the cocoa and vanilla.
• Add the confectioner’s sugar in small batches and blend on low until combined. Scrape down sides with each addition.
• Add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time until you get the consistency you desire.

 

Maternity pants

I am preggers again! Very excited. Last time I bought 2 pairs of jeans and borrowed some jeans extra from friends that were recently pregnant. But this time my work requires business attire. I'm still not sure why, but that is another story.  I don't want to buy another maternity wardrobe just for 4.5 months so I took to the web and looked around on what other expected moms where doing.
I bought some jersey fabric at my local discount fabric store and bought a pair of corduroy pants and a skirt from Good Will. 

This is how my pants turned out.

I wanted to make sure I could still use the pockets and I also wanted to have the belly band to go rather low because on my 1st it found it uncomfortable to anything cutting into the lower part of my belly.

This photo shows the pants with the waist band removed and the curve cut out of the front.

Here is the skirt I bought. You can't see in the photo but it has little bits of blue, red, green, and yellow in the weave so it show work nicely with lots of tops.

I'm planning on using the cut out piece from the corduroys as a template.

Augustsnow

Child's placket pullover

This is my newest creation. Sweater made with green wool from Good Karma Farm in Belfast, ME. White strip from wool from random tote in my basement.

House projects

Entryway

House Projects
Prep Hallway
Paint Hallway
Prep Entryway 
Paint Entryway
Paint Medallion
Install Medallion
Build Crafting Shelves
Paint, Install Crafting Shelves
Prep Bedroom
Paint Bedroom
Build Kitchen Baby Door
Paint Kitchen Door, install
Install Bedroom TV
Build Bedroom book shelves
Build Bedroom Tchotchke shelf
Install Bedroom Shelves
Fix TV Stand Draws
Prep Pantry
Paint Pantry
Pantry Cabinets
Strip Hallway Molding

This is the list we made as a 'it would be nice to finish before Baby #2 comes.' We are making good progress but we are doing the easier items or the items that will really improve our standard of living.  

Augustnow

The sun in my entryway

I have begun painting the entryway/hallway. It is a soft yellow. My DH wanted it to feel like there was sun in the room since there are no windows directly in that part of the house. There is natural light that comes in from the dinning and living room.

The light fixture has 5 natural light bulbs in it and they really make a difference. Particularly since we keep the computer desk in this room. 

We did add a medallion to the fixture which adds a little decadence to the room. Unfortunately the ceiling still needs to be painted. Oh well. Something's are just not as important. Maybe if we were able to fix the place before we moved in. :) 

I still need to do the hallway. There are 5 doorways in the tiny hallway. There are 6 in the entryway. It really makes for a lot of cutting-in. 

My DH took the kid food shopping with some friends so I could paint today however with the hallway I can use a large travel suitcase to block the way so the kiddo will not be able to get through. So I can get it done another time. I am hopping next weekend. 

Augustsnow 

Yogurt

Yogurt ready to culture overnight.

All wrapped up to keep the temp warm

A nice firm set pulling away from the sides as one piece

Straining the yogurt to make it thicker

I like a thick yogurt like Greek style so I strain it for a couple hours. This batch was made from a gallon of Whole milk.
I use Mesophilic Direct set C101 culture for my yogurt which I get from http://www.cheesemaking.com/
I haven't tried their other yogurt cultures yet. 

Weekend Cooking

Mini Blueberry loaves and Greek yogurt culturing

I got this neat mini loaf pan as a x-mas gift and I finally tried it out.  I made a lemon blueberry bread. http://www.ericasweettooth.com/2012/05/lemon-blueberry-bread.html

The stock pot in the back is a gallon batch of Greek yogurt culturing.  It only took us a week to eat it!

It also looks like I have bread rising under green towel, but that happens all the time.

I have been getting the cooking itch lately. My job schedule has changed so I don't get to make dinners so I have to find an avenue some where.  Looks like weekend baking is my new thing. 

Since food instead of clothes is the shopping I do I have been choosing recipes and making sure the ingredients are in the house and my husband cooks. He is a good cook in his own right and creates some delicious meals but I like what I like/want so we try to pick together as much as possible. I also want variety and I do enjoy trying new things.
I grew up on deer meat and veggies and though there were plenty of other meals in there I recall deer meat and veggies over and over- thus the need for variety.

Augustsnow