Sunday, April 29, 2012
{ on the move }
I thought it was about time to formally do a post that we are moving. It has been a LONG 4 months of waiting to finalize things but we're finally there and closed on our new house last week on the 23rd.
As many of you know, we had our house on the market for almost a year, as well as a few years ago before moving to Indiana for grad school. It was like a broken record every time someone looked at it "Cute house and great staging.......but too small......or layout wasn't right.......or ceilings were too low"......the list goes on and on. It was a frustrating experience as all of the feedback given were things that we couldn't change.
The house is in move in condition but we have been trying to take advantage of the two weeks between closing and moving on Friday to do some painting. Grandpa Christensen managed to get two bedrooms, living room, and dining room painted in just a few days last week. This week the wallpaper in the sunroom will be tackled.
We have also done a few trips with the trailer to move some of the awkward stuff. It was by far the highlight of Oliver's day to be helping dad and Grandpa!
Here's to hoping we get all of our packing done this week - movers arrive Friday at 9:00am!
As many of you know, we had our house on the market for almost a year, as well as a few years ago before moving to Indiana for grad school. It was like a broken record every time someone looked at it "Cute house and great staging.......but too small......or layout wasn't right.......or ceilings were too low"......the list goes on and on. It was a frustrating experience as all of the feedback given were things that we couldn't change.
At the end of last year, we decided we had had enough (and by we I mean mostly me). Cleaning the house and hauling two toddlers out over and over again gets really old. We started looking for our next home and it didn't take long to find the perfect one. The short story is - we got it!
It will give us TONS more space, is in a great neighborhood called Tangletown (with cousins 4 doors down!), walking distance to the library, grocery store Patina (for me), Irish Pub (for Chop), and in a great school district. Oliver and Stella will also officially have their own rooms and with a "real" dining room and guest bedroom, we actually have room to entertain!
The house is in move in condition but we have been trying to take advantage of the two weeks between closing and moving on Friday to do some painting. Grandpa Christensen managed to get two bedrooms, living room, and dining room painted in just a few days last week. This week the wallpaper in the sunroom will be tackled.
We have also done a few trips with the trailer to move some of the awkward stuff. It was by far the highlight of Oliver's day to be helping dad and Grandpa!
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
{ tres leches cake }
Three milk. That's what tres leches stands for. Though it should stand for "to die for".
A tres leches cake can be described as a light, airy sponge cake soaked with a mixture of three milks: evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and heavy cream.
A few friends got together on Saturday night to celebrate the soon to be arrival of my good friend Deborah's twins. Her absolute favorite dessert is Cafe Latte's tres leches cake. Rather than crossing the river and picking one up from Cafe Latte, I turned to the internet and searched for what seemed to be the best knock off cake recipe.
And then spent hours trying to make it. It was a labor of love. And I'm wishing I had taken "during" photos to show the mess I made. Lets just say the recipe requires separating 6 eggs and it took me 11 eggs to get those 6 yolks and whites right.
But it was all worth it. Seriously, this is the best dessert I have ever made. I don't like to brag, but it was damn good. And the best compliment? Deborah telling me the cake was better than Cafe Latte's version.
And in case you have some spare hours and something or someone really important to make this cake for, here is the recipe:
Tres Leches Cake
for the cake:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 eggs, separated
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup cold water
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
for the tres leches:
1 cup heavy cream
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
5 ounces evaporated milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
for the frosting:
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
fresh berries
to make the cake:
Preheat the oven to 350.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Set aside.
In a third bowl, beat the egg yolks until pale yellow and fluffy. Add the sugar and continue to beat until the mixture falls from the beaters in ribbons.
Add cold water, vanilla and almond extract to the egg yolk mixture, then stir in the flour mixture.
Gently whisk in the beaten egg whites.
Spoon the batter into two 9-inch round pans coated with cooking spray, leveling with a spatula. Bake the cakes for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the cakes cool in the pan for 20 minutes.
Using a fork, poke holes all over the cakes, then let cool for an additional 30 minutes.
to make the tres leches:
Combine the cream, condensed milk, evaporated milk, and vanilla in a small bowl or measuring cup with a spout, stirring with a whisk.
to apply the tres leches:
When the cakes have cooled to room temperature, pour the milk mixture over them slowly, dividing evenly among the two cakes, and pausing to allow it to soak in.
Refrigerate the cakes for several hours before frosting - this allows the cakes to absorb the milk (leaving the cakes in their pans is the easiest way to do this - no need to transfer them to a platter yet).
to make the frosting:
Using an electric mixer, beat together the whipping cream and sugar until light and fluffy.
to assemble the cake:
Transfer the first layer of cake to a serving platter.
Using a rubber spatula, spread about half of the frosting over the cake.
Top with the second layer of cake.
Using a rubber spatula or a butter knife, spread the outside of the cake with the remaining frosting.
Top with berries.
A tres leches cake can be described as a light, airy sponge cake soaked with a mixture of three milks: evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and heavy cream.
And then spent hours trying to make it. It was a labor of love. And I'm wishing I had taken "during" photos to show the mess I made. Lets just say the recipe requires separating 6 eggs and it took me 11 eggs to get those 6 yolks and whites right.
But it was all worth it. Seriously, this is the best dessert I have ever made. I don't like to brag, but it was damn good. And the best compliment? Deborah telling me the cake was better than Cafe Latte's version.
Tres Leches Cake
for the cake:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 eggs, separated
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup cold water
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
for the tres leches:
1 cup heavy cream
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
5 ounces evaporated milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
for the frosting:
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
fresh berries
to make the cake:
Preheat the oven to 350.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Set aside.
In a third bowl, beat the egg yolks until pale yellow and fluffy. Add the sugar and continue to beat until the mixture falls from the beaters in ribbons.
Add cold water, vanilla and almond extract to the egg yolk mixture, then stir in the flour mixture.
Gently whisk in the beaten egg whites.
Spoon the batter into two 9-inch round pans coated with cooking spray, leveling with a spatula. Bake the cakes for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the cakes cool in the pan for 20 minutes.
Using a fork, poke holes all over the cakes, then let cool for an additional 30 minutes.
to make the tres leches:
Combine the cream, condensed milk, evaporated milk, and vanilla in a small bowl or measuring cup with a spout, stirring with a whisk.
to apply the tres leches:
When the cakes have cooled to room temperature, pour the milk mixture over them slowly, dividing evenly among the two cakes, and pausing to allow it to soak in.
Refrigerate the cakes for several hours before frosting - this allows the cakes to absorb the milk (leaving the cakes in their pans is the easiest way to do this - no need to transfer them to a platter yet).
to make the frosting:
Using an electric mixer, beat together the whipping cream and sugar until light and fluffy.
to assemble the cake:
Transfer the first layer of cake to a serving platter.
Using a rubber spatula, spread about half of the frosting over the cake.
Top with the second layer of cake.
Using a rubber spatula or a butter knife, spread the outside of the cake with the remaining frosting.
Top with berries.
{ sunday morning }
It was Sunday morning at 9:30am. Rainy, dreary, cold. Chop and I were feeling lazy but O & S were not. We were all upstairs and trying to come up with a plan for what we were going to do to get out of the house and burn off energy (obviously their energy, not ours).
As we (Chop & I) rested in bed, we heard Oliver open the door to leave the bedroom.
Side note: he has figured out how to open doors. WORST. DISCOVERY. EVER.
But we thought we had gotten around this as we would just lock it and he couldn't turn the handle to open it. Well, turns out he now knows how to unlock them. There is no keeping him in a room anymore. We hear footsteps going down the stairs.
Then from the bathroom, we heard water running from the faucet. This meaning that Stella was standing on the toilet, running the water and splashing around in it.
We laughed......
Then we heard running footsteps as Oliver came back up the stairs and was running the circle through the nursery, bathroom, our room, hallway.......over and over.
We laughed some more.......
Then back to Stella coming into our room saying "Wet. Wet. Wet." She drenched her sleeves in the sink water.
Yup, still laughing......
Then Oliver got the fan remote and started turning it on and off. Then the lights on and off.
We laughed because if we didn't, we would probably be really frustrated.
They are just crazy toddlers.
Who get into everything.
And like to wrestle each other.
And wear silly things.
And look cute.
But nonetheless, we love them for all of it.
As we (Chop & I) rested in bed, we heard Oliver open the door to leave the bedroom.
Side note: he has figured out how to open doors. WORST. DISCOVERY. EVER.
But we thought we had gotten around this as we would just lock it and he couldn't turn the handle to open it. Well, turns out he now knows how to unlock them. There is no keeping him in a room anymore. We hear footsteps going down the stairs.
Then from the bathroom, we heard water running from the faucet. This meaning that Stella was standing on the toilet, running the water and splashing around in it.
We laughed......
Then we heard running footsteps as Oliver came back up the stairs and was running the circle through the nursery, bathroom, our room, hallway.......over and over.
We laughed some more.......
Then back to Stella coming into our room saying "Wet. Wet. Wet." She drenched her sleeves in the sink water.
Yup, still laughing......
Then Oliver got the fan remote and started turning it on and off. Then the lights on and off.
We laughed because if we didn't, we would probably be really frustrated.
They are just crazy toddlers.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
{ easter }
Despite a dreary Saturday, the weather took a turn for the better and it was a beautiful, sunny Easter Sunday. Hooray!
On our way over to the Christensen's for our Easter celebration, we took a pit stop to visit the giant bunny along Minnehaha Parkway. It is a tradition that the neighboring houses get the bunny dressed up for the holiday. She was looking quite nice in her Easter bonnet this year.
After filling up with some food and drinks......
And bunny cake.....
We headed out for the egg hunt. But first Oliver and Stella had to rouse Owen so he didn't miss out on any of the fun. It was not an easy task.
Anna and Lydia were the perfect helpers to make sure that no eggs were left behind.
But with a short attention span, it didn't take Stella long to retreat to a hiding place to check out her stash (notice the chipmunk cheeks are full already).
Oliver wasn't too far behind in catching on.
We talked them out of hiding and into the front yard for some more egg hunting.
And picture posing.
Aunt Elizabeth put her teaching skills to the test and taught Stella how to write her name. We've already asked for early applications to Harvard.
Oliver and Stella walked away with quite the Easter baskets full of goodies. Mostly fish crackers, bunny grahams, pretzels, bubbles, and stickers. I know, I'm a mean mom that doesn't give them chocolate yet.
But the biggest hit......Little People!
On our way over to the Christensen's for our Easter celebration, we took a pit stop to visit the giant bunny along Minnehaha Parkway. It is a tradition that the neighboring houses get the bunny dressed up for the holiday. She was looking quite nice in her Easter bonnet this year.
Friday, April 6, 2012
{ weekend visitors }
Grandma and Grandpa Krueger and Aunt Sharon and Uncle Kurt made the trek from WI to visit this past weekend. They hadn't seen O & S since Christmas so needless to say they were surprised by their growth, talking, and energy!
We unfortunately neglected to take any pictures (I'll blame it on Chop since I had a busy weekend and was out of the house during much of their visit). I snapped this single picture of them sitting with Aunt Sharon watching "ho, ho, ho" which was a video from Christmas of the family Santa Claus. They requested to see it an infinite number of times throughout the weekend!
It was fun to see how quickly they warmed up to all four of the visitors and they were definitely sad to see them go. We hope that it won't be another 3 months until we see them again!
Update:
Grandpa Krueger sent us some pictures from their camera so we now have a few more for our archives!
We unfortunately neglected to take any pictures (I'll blame it on Chop since I had a busy weekend and was out of the house during much of their visit). I snapped this single picture of them sitting with Aunt Sharon watching "ho, ho, ho" which was a video from Christmas of the family Santa Claus. They requested to see it an infinite number of times throughout the weekend!
Update:
Grandpa Krueger sent us some pictures from their camera so we now have a few more for our archives!
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
{ outside! }
"Outside" is a word that I continually hear over and over each day. This could be in part to the fact that when we are actually outside, O & S say "outside" but actually mean "inside". Nonetheless, it is clear that all of this nice weather has got them loving the outdoors!
The most common word I hear from this little guy while outside......bubbles!
And if anyone out there has information that a child ingesting bubble liquid is dangerous, please let me know. Although I would probably know by now since I think he eats/drinks about a gallon of it a week!
And most commonly heard from Stella.......ride! At least she helps wipe out the wagon before getting in.
And they are both crazy about the park.
They spend most of their time running away from me and hiding. And sometimes peeking.
And unfortunately the school park nearest our house decided to leave a three foot gap that drops about 6' feet to the ground.
And even more unfortunate is that they have to pass it and resist the temptation every time they want to head down the slide.
We have been so spoiled with 70 degree weather that last week when we had the low 60s, O & S thought it was a cold spell and insisted on wearing their doggies outside!
The most common word I hear from this little guy while outside......bubbles!
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