Year of the dragon

I love art. Period. Even more so, I love teaching art to kids. Teaching 4th graders art is even more special, especially when you see their growth over the school year.

With this year being the year of the dragon, what is more appropriate than teaching my students to draw a dragon, and then using oil pastels to color it. Mixing and blending colors is so much fun, and getting incredibly messy in the process tops the cake.

coffee cake...

Waking up this morning, I was in the mood for some sort of pastry-cake with my morning coffee. Actually, I had invited my mother and step-dad to come over for coffee and breakfast. I flashed back to my childhood, remembering how I was so afraid to try coffee cake, because I always thought it had actual coffee in it. As an adult...I wonder if I can make that happen! I found this recipe online at Joy Of Baking. I've found a few pretty good recipes there. I slightly changed a bit of the ingredients, so here it is...


Coffee Cake
Ingredients (Topping):
1 cup walnuts (although, I used candied walnuts and candied pecans)
1/3 cup light brown sugar (packed...a little extra is good, too)
1/2 cup chocolate chips
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 TB. AP Flour

Ingredients (Coffee Cake):
2 cups cake flour (sifted)
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
10 TB butter, room temp
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. almond extract
2/3 cup sour cream (or plain yogurt)

Directions:
To make the coffee cake topping, I chopped up the candied walnuts and candied pecans to about pea-sized pieces. It's okay if there are some that are a little larger. The nuts don't have to be candied, I just like that extra crunch. Throw chopped nuts in a bowl, and add the rest of the ingredients. Mix well so the flour and cinnamon coat everything.

Next, prep your pan. Turn the oven to 350 degrees (F), then spray a 9 inch cake pan with nonstick spray. I cut out a circle piece of parchment paper to line the bottom to help remove the coffee cake after baking.

In the mixer, put the butter and start to cream it, slowly add the sugar until it is combined and smooth. Add one egg at a time. You might have to scrape down the sides with a spatula. Next, add the vanilla and almond extracts.

In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add a little of the dry ingredients into the mixer (to avoid it flying out the sides). Once incorporated, add the sour cream until it's incorporated.

Spoon half the mixture into the cake pan, then sprinkle some of the topping onto the mixture. Add the rest of the mixture on top, spread to the edges of the pan, then add the rest of the topping crumble on top, making sure to cover completely.

Stick in the oven for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center. Let it sit about 5 minutes once you remove it from the over. Then, carefully remove it from the pan (or serve directly from the pan). Just remember to serve it warm, and enjoy!!!

rice, rice, everywhere...

This year, I've reinstated my monthly Friday, er, I mean Tuesday Happenings. Since I don't teach on Fridays anymore (haven't in 6 years), I had to change them to a day I do work, hence the Tuesday. Each month, I assign a material. For example, last month it was aluminum foil, and this month it's rice. The kids get to be as creative as they can, and come up with a project using that material. They can use other materials as well, but the highlighted material must be the most obvious. Along with the project, they have to write a 2 minute story that they present to the class about their project.

Now, in the past, I've had some pretty awesome projects, but this year, I am floored by the creativity, and the support these kids get at home. I look forward to their projects and the nervous excitement they get when it's their turn to present!

lights, lights...i see the lights....

oooooooooooo, I can't keep my excitement in. This weekend, we pulled out the bins and decorated for Christmas. The outside, at least. The tree is up inside, but not fully decorated yet. I still have yet to pull out my Dept 56 Christmas Village, and some other odds and ends, but I'm sooo excited about the lights! I still can't explain what it is about Christmas lights that make me so giddy...

pumpkin spiced cheesecake loaf...

The day before Thanksgiving was my mom's first night in her new home. I am so thrilled that she now lived minutes from me (and I literally mean minutes...like 2). Knowing she had lots of unpacking to do, I thought I'd make her a pumpkin cheesecake loaf and deliver it with some freshly brewed coffee.

So I really got the idea of the pumpkin cheesecake loaf from my favorite coffee shop, Peet's Coffee & Tea. It seems like that is my go to pastry...except I started thinking about the fact that I pay $2.25 for a 1 inch slice of that delicious yumminess. That, along with my $4 medium nonfat vanilla latte with light foam is getting a little pricey every time I go in. So, the wheels started turning, and I figured out how easy it is to make this delight.

Of course, I wanted to share it with you, too!!!

Pumpkin Spiced Cheesecake Loaf

Ingredients (loaf):

• 1 can pumpkin puree
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1-1/4 cup AP flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Ingredients (Cheesecake filling):

• 8 ounces cream cheese (room temp)
  
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place all the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine.
• Place eggs, sugar, honey, and oil in a mixer with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium for 5 minutes.
• Add pumpkin puree.
• Slowly add dry ingredients until combined.
• Pour the mixture into a well greased loaf pan (I like to use Pam with Butter and Flour for Baking).

• Clean mixing bowl to make the cream cheese filling.
• Add the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
• Add egg until combined. This may take a few minutes.

• Pour the cream cheese filling into the loaf pan on top of the pumpkin batter. With a spoon, gently move the cream cheese filling around the pumpkin batter. Do not mix too much.
  
• Place in oven and bake for about about 40 minutes. Check with a toothpick. If it comes out clean, it's done. You may need to bake longer if there is batter still on the toothpick.

Once done, let it cool before serving. Enjoy with coffee, tea, or in my case a nonfat vanilla latte with light foam!