A Cake Pan and a Dream

Okay so Tommy told me he wanted a Star Wars cake for his birthday...of course Lucas Films holds their copyrights very close, so I set out to figure out how get a Star Wars cake for his birthday.  So the next logical step...Google.  People in this world do amazing things for their children; there were a ton of cakes big and small - then I found the Wilton R2D2 pan.  Of course it was "retired" so the only way to get a hold of them is on Ebay.  So I called Mikey and said I need this pan, can you get it for me.  He asked me how much I was willing to pay for it and I said anything under $100.  We got the pan for $54.

The pan arrived and then I realized that actually meant I had to make Tommy's cake.  This is when I enlisted the help of premier cake makers Nana Cheryl Viale and Lisa Mitchell.  Nana Cheryl made Morgan's first birthday cake and it was wonderful so I knew I was in good hands.  I borrowed Lisa's 1/2 sheet cake pan and Nana Cheryl VERY kindly went to the Decorette Shop and bought me the proper supplies.

The cake pan came with a picture of the finished product and a detailed description of what we needed to do, so we were mostly set.  Now it was down to the baking.

I first made 4 batches of frosting.  It was quite the process but I finished that all in one night.  Then the next day, I baked the chocolate 1/2 sheet cake first and then I baked the yellow 1/2 sheet cake.  The R2D2 pan was the final cake to get ready.

Nana Cheryl came over and helped me frost first the chocolate layer, then we placed the yellow layer on top of that and frosted the entire thing with the white icing.  We then placed R2D2 on top of the finished 1/2 sheet cake.  It was time to start the artistic part of the journey.  We had to color three different blues for the R2D2 cake because he took white, dark blue, medium blue and light blue icing...so with a lot of  mixing involved we accomplished the different colors.

Then it was mostly paint by numbers...look at the picture and then put the colors in the proper sections.  Nana Cheryl helped me to the head of R2D2 and then we took a break.  I finished the rest of his body the next day. 

Then Nana Cheryl came over and helped me with the finishing touches and I made her write "Happy 4th Birthday Tommy" on the actual cake - because I am too shaky!  So here you go here are final pictures of the cake:

Bow Tying Lesson

So many people always say, "How do you get your packages to look so nice?" and really the secret is the bow.  If you master the bow, the package can be wrapped in anything and no one will notice!  The bow makes the present!  So Lindsay, this post is for you!

Here it is (as promised)...hopefully I am not too goofy in this video...and hopefully it will help.  This is bow tying as my mother, Sue Hill, taught me how to do when I was younger.  If you need me to go slower and/or clarify anything please let me know.  Happy bow tying!

Gingerbread Houses - Assembly

Okay so Sunday was Gingerbread House assembly day.  In the morning I made a double batch of cement (or Royal) icing and put some of it in a piping bag (my only piping bag that I could find was stained pink from some red icing that I had previously done...but don't worry the icing was still white as white). 

Then I put the remaining icing in a Tupperware container.  The icing hardens very quickly when it is exposed to the air, so getting it in either a piping bag or an airtight container is very important. 

Then I moved to assembling 3 sides of the house along with the bottom.  We decided that since the kids were so young it would be good to have the sides solidified so they could put stuff inside their houses.  So I laid out the pieces as shown below - the bottom in the center, the two sides on the left and right and then the back at the top. 

Then I glued the pieces together with the cement icing.

Then Grandma Jan arrived in the afternoon with the candies, cups and lights for the houses and the real work began.  We set out all the candies.  Put out the cardboard cake rounds and doilies at each place at the table.  Then on top of those you place the three sided house.

Then once the house builders arrive, you put them to work.  Have several piping bags filled with cement icing and then go to work.  Grandma Jan would use her piping bag and say to Tommy "How about putting a tree here" and then dolloping a dot of icing as "glue."  When the kids are so young it is best to have one adult per house being built.  That way the adult can handle the bag of icing and the kids just get to place the candy on the house.  So have the house builder decorate the inside of the house. 

Once the inside is decorated, you can adhere the front of the house and then put on the roof.  You can always add more icing to decorate, so if it looks a little sloppy that is okay...you can fix it at the end.

Now you can decorate the outside of the house and the "yard."

Here are our final products:



Tommy's House (Front)

Tommy's House (Rear view)



Morgan/Mommy's House (front)

Morgan/Mommy's House (Side View)

Trying to get the inside view of Morgan/Mommy's House

So really just have fun with it and develop your process on your own.  And don't worry if you mess up!  It is all for fun! 

Let me know if you have any questions or please share your own gingerbread house making stories!

Welcome!!!

Due to hopefully the Leeper Christmas Card arrival in your home (please tell me if you did not receive a card) I am hoping a lot more people are starting to visit my blog...so WELCOME! - Of course I do not want to offend my tried and true readers who have been with me since the start of this hair brained idea (okay it was not really that long ago-but I had to give you all a shout out because I am not sure I would write as regularly as I do if I did not think at least someone was reading it).  You original, supportive blog followers are why I decided to put my blog address on our Christmas Card. 

This blog is a place that I am excited to share what has been happening in the Leeper family.  So here I will be sharing memories, our family traditions and just basic stories about what is happening in our lives.

Upcoming blog posts (and hopefully the goal dates in parentheses):

• Bow tying tutorial (Thursday)
• Gingerbread House Decorating and Final Products (Friday)
• Review of Portland Bagel Company - a place that just opened up by our house (Saturday)

Now I have been promising the bow tying tutorial for a while and have not fulfilled that yet...I promise I will get it done tomorrow night and posted by Thursday by the latest.  I have just been super busy and not had a moment to do that. Sorry Lindsay...I know you are looking forward to that one.

So again, welcome to anyone who is reading my blog for the first time and hopefully it will be somewhat entertaining!

Happy 7th day of December and I hope everyone is having a great holiday season!

Cheesy Basil-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

This is one of our favorite recipes and I love it because I can make it up to the point of adhering the bread crumbs to the chicken earlier in the day.  Then all you have to do is put the breadcrumbs on and put in the tomatoes - then pop it in the oven for 25-35 minutes.  It is from Cook's Country (which is one of our favorite cooking magazines/websites - I will do a post on the cooking magazines that we receive and LOVE later) http://www.cookscountry.com/

We also like this recipe because it is pretty simple with the amount of ingredients.  We generally pair it with rice and broccoli or asparagus. 

Cheesy Basil-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Serves 4

Avoid thin chicken breasts for this recipe—they are difficult to stuff without tearing. Whole-milk block mozzarella will provide the creamiest filling; preshredded or part-skim mozzarella will also work, but the filling will be grainy. To make fresh bread crumbs, process 2 slices of hearty white sandwich bread in the food processor.

1	cup shredded mozzarella cheese (see note below)
1/4	cup minced fresh basil
2	tablespoons heavy cream
1	tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3	cloves garlic , minced
4	boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 to 8 ounces each)
3	tablespoons mayonnaise
1	cup fresh bread crumbs
2	tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1	pint cherry tomatoes , halved

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Combine cheese, 2 tablespoons basil, cream, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste in medium bowl.

2. Cut pocket in chicken breasts, stuff with cheese mixture, and seal (I just take a paring knife to the fattest part of the top of the chicken breast and then run a pocket on the inside of the breast - then seal it up with a skewer -  I just break them to fit the size of the pan). Transfer stuffed breasts to 13 by 9-inch baking dish and spread tops evenly with mayonnaise.

3. Combine bread crumbs, remaining garlic, remaining 2 tablespoons basil, and 1 tablespoon oil. Sprinkle crumb mixture over chicken, pressing lightly to adhere.

4. Toss tomatoes with remaining tablespoon oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Arrange in baking dish around chicken. Bake until crumbs are golden brown and thickest part of chicken registers 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 25 minutes. Serve.

Here are our pictures from tonight:

I forgot to take pics of the process (I am working on it), but here is the finished product...one chicken breast with roasted cherry tomatoes around it.

My dinner plate with the chicken, broccoli and rice with peas.  Yummy!

Here is a cross-section of the chicken.

And the delightful pinot that we had with it.

Also this is probably time to mention that everyone needs a ThermaPen in their household.  I am fairly certain that Mike has a few stashed around the house, but it is honestly the best instant-read thermometer out there!  So go get one: http://www.thermoworks.com/products/thermapen/splashproof_thermapen.html  (It is a great Christmas/Holiday gift and honestly it is the only thing that allows me to cook chicken to the correct temperature).  So I would say imperative to good meat cooking. 

Good cooking to you!!!

Gingerbread Process (Courtesy of Grandma Jan)

From the time I was a kiddo, I remember hearing stories from Mike about the Gingerbread Houses that he and his family made.  I was always in awe of this because I LOVE gingerbread and the houses were always so beautiful.  Another thing that was enticing was the cups of different kinds of candy that were always spread out on the kitchen table to decorate with...as many of you know I have a major sweet tooth! 

Side note in all of this: In high school I went over to Mike's house to do something...for the life of me I cannot remember what (pick him up to head to Dr. Munchies, do homework or one of those things you do in high school, but I have the best memory of seeing all the candy cups on their kitchen table and thinking what a wonderful tradition.  I want to make amazing gingerbread houses with my own family some day.  Never in my wildest dreams did I think it would actually be with Mike's family - I am so lucky how that worked out!

So now that I am married into the family, Grandma Jan has shared her tradition with me.  I am so excited.  Last year was my first year of participating in this tradition and it was so much fun! 

Okay I will try to remember everything, but Grandma Jan if I forget anything, let me know:

1.  Find a recipe and plans for the type of house you want to make.  I found several gingerbread websites out there and I am sure there are more, aside from the quick google search I did.  This is one that I found that had a recipe and a blue print: http://www.celebrating-christmas.com/recipes/gingerbread-house.shtml

2.  Cut stencils out of the house parts.  I traced them onto paper and then cut them out of cardboard.

3.  Make the gingerbread dough.  Refrigerate overnight.

4.  Roll the dough out (we did it on my mother-in-law's Silpat) and then cut out the dough in the shape of the stencils.  For the house we are building (which is called a moon house) we needed two front/back pieces, two sides, two roof pieces and one base.  We cut a hole in the base to put a light in (the kind of light you see in those porcelain Christmas Houses).  And we  cut holes in the sides for windows and on the front panel we cut a door.  For the holes we used the smallest round cookie cutter I own and Grandma Jan free-handed the door cut.  Make sure to try and straighten the sides prior to baking.  Also spray the cookie sheet with a bit of PAM or however you choose to grease your pans so the pieces do not stick.  Then we baked the pieces at 350 degrees F for about 12 minutes. 

5.  Prior to next weekend's assembly I have errands to run:

• Pick up any candy that looks good for decorating (Small colorful items) - Grandma Jan keeps the candy in a tub in small clear plastic cups with saran wrap over them.  She also has the plans, lights, cardboard cake rounds and doilies in that box so it is ready to go.
• Get sugar ice cream cones as they look great as trees when you put some icing on them and then roll in dusting sugar.
• Buy some more tips and couplers at the cake decorating store (Grandma Jan has the piping bags and one tip/coupler in her tub. 

5.  Next weekend we will assemble the houses.  I will need to make the cement icing and because our kids are little, I will assemble three sides of the houses the night before so the kids can decorate the inside of the house without it falling over. 

6.  Then we will put on the front and roof - then we can go crazy decorating the outside of the house and the "yard."

7.  I will update you on the assembling of the houses after Sunday.

Here are some pictures from last year's assembly:

(Putting the finishing touches on Tommy's 2009 house)

(The finished product - Tommy's 2009 Gingerbread House)

Lindsay's Requests

So here is Lindsay's email that was previously discussed...she gave me her permission to post this hilarious observation of my life and then hopefully I can respond to it :)

"OK, Steph...
I know we haven't hung out in like 20 years but let's cut the crap, woman. You know you need to make your blog about cooking and general homemaking. Recipes, videos, a calendar of what to do and when to do it for holidays, birthdays, basic hostessing greatness. I'd imagine you're a wiz at gardening or something, too. It's very clear from not just your posts but the responses from your friends, that a) you guys love food b) people look to you for good recipes and what to do c) you are active in community activities and general knowing what's going on-ness.

Now, I read you make gingerbread I think 1. damn, i've been meaning to do that this week and haven't gotten to it. 2. I want the recipe Steph uses. 3. I want to see pix of the final product. And possibly a little bit of 4. How the hell does she do all this and if she weren't so freaking nice I'd probably like her a bit less. And I'm not the only one.

Start with my bow video. Then the recipe, blueprint (scan 'em in) and final gingerbread houses pix. I'm sure you're doing crazy things with holly and tree swag this season. Don't lie. Then invite your friends to send in their info, too. Pix of how their versions of your stuff turned out, as well as your edited versions of ideas/recipes they send you.

Lastly, you aren't fooling anyone. You were born/made to do this. So get to it (with all that free time of yours). You know you're going to do it anyway, you might as well make the rest of us happy and fill us in on your secrets.

Truly yours,
Lindsay"

 

So here it goes - I will try to do better on posting pictures and recipes that we do here at Casa de Leeper.  And I have promised the bow video by the end of the week.  As far as the rest goes, I will definitely post pictures of gingerbread house assembly.  I am going to post the gingerbread detail in a separate post because it is pretty lengthy. 

 

I also let Lindsay know that I am far from a "Martha Stewart" type person because my house is generally in total chaos and needs to be cleaned, I always have laundry to do and I am also addicted to nighttime television shows, so while I should be cleaning up/doing laundry I am usually watching TV.

 

So please also feel free to ask me any questions...I did not know people wanted to know all this stuff :)  And I would love people to post replies/their own ideas as to how to do things.  As I am a new person to blogging, I am not sure if you can do this here or not, but I will ask my technologically advanced husband how to do this and let you know.

 

Have a great Monday morning everyone!

Advent Wreath

Okay so I made my first Advent Wreath today at Church (we attend Christ Church in Lake Oswego).  After the service today, for a donation of $10, we were given all the supplies to make an advent wreath.  There are 4 green plastic candle holders that are put into a block of oasis (think florist foam) taped into a pie plate.  Then you fill the oasis with all sorts of greenery.  I did not do that much variety because a) I had two kids next to me - at least one of them was running around with Mike chasing after them and the other was attached to me and b) I did not know I needed to bring gardening sheers to church with me - but I will be more prepared next year.  Anyhoo...I put as much greenery as I could in the oasis and then Tommy helped me choose the decorations.  You light one candle each Sunday of Advent (today is the first Sunday of Advent) and the it ends up at Christmas.  They even supplied me with prayers for each time your light the week's advent candle.  So here is a pic of how it turned out...not my best work, but since it was my first I am pretty proud of it.  So happy first Sunday of Advent. 

New Goals for this Blog

Okay so my new goals (as requested by my friend Miss Lindsay)include taking more pictures of stuff I do and sharing more recipes of items that might be of interest to anyone who actually read this blog.

One item to come shortly - I promised by the end of the week- is a bow tying instruction video (Lindsay has requested this item first). 

If Lindsay gives me permission, I will share her hilarious email with you because I could not stop chuckling when I read through it.  She tells me that I need to share my: "Recipes, videos, a calendar of what to do and when to do it for holidays, birthdays, basic hostessing greatness" - So I will work on this...I am not sure what I have to say will interest anyone and I learned all of it from other people in my life: my mother, my mother-in-law, etc., but I will work on it and you can let me know if you want to keep reading or if you want me to just blubber about my day to day life.

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving Day Weekend!!

Thankful :) - I know shocking title for today's holiday

Today there are so many things to be thankful for...healthy kids, a husband that made it home safe from Asia, a mom who came up to Portland last night to help me with everything that needs to get done for dinner tonight, a warm cozy house - I seriously could go on and on. 

I am thankful for all my friends that help me through my day-to-day life (and that includes you FaceBook friends) as well as my friends that I do not see/talk to all that often, but I know think of me often as I do them.

I am most thankful for ALL of my life's experiences.  I have had experiences all over the board - good: wonderful childhood, great parents who were involved throughout my life, graduating from both a great high school (GO SAXONS) and an outstanding college (DePauw University);  bad: losing my wonderful father way too early and getting caught with my fake i.d. when I was 20...but I would not change these experiences for anything since they make me who I am today.  And I really believe that you have to life your life in the moment...because it can all be gone in a second. 

So I am thankful for how each and every person I meet and each and every experience that happens to me has shaped me.  I look forward to the next year to have much more to be thankful for!

Wherever you may be when you are reading this, know that I am thankful for you and how you are involved in my life!

Commitments

Michael will tell you all I have too many commitments in my life.  However, I disagree.  I just wish I could accomplish more!  There is so much in this world that needs to get done (even if they are small little mundane details).  Whether it be for my family, my friends, my neighbors or me...there is always something that needs to be done. 

I guess the part that I need to figure out how to balance my commitments.  It is and always will be a balancing act, right?  Why do I not remember this balancing act as a child or even a teenager?  I guess that is what good parenting does for you; it seems to be another one of those "ah ha" moments in life where you actually recognize all your parents have done for you.

So as the week of thankfulness starts, I thank my parents for not only making commitments a part of my life, but also for showing me that helping everyone around me makes me a better person.  I hope to pass those values onto my children.

Task Lists

Okay so those that know me well, know I am a list maker.  I make lists for the grocery store, for parties I am throwing and finally the dreaded to do lists.  That is what I have made today, but today's list is different...it is made solely for the purpose of keeping my darling husband awake.  He is arriving home from his trip to Asia this morning...we are headed to the airport in a mere matter of minutes.  We do have a lot to do today, but for the most part my list is there to keep him away from our really comfy Heavenly Bed! 

So here it is: pick up a fresh turkey from the Beaverton Farmers Market, go pick out a Christmas Tree and tag it for pickup in early December, Costco (this is the iffy one because Lord knows Costco is going to be CRAZY today), snow tires resurfaced from the back of the shed (although not sure if we will get them on today, just getting them ready) and then anything else I can think of to distract the walking zombie who will be my husband.

I tell you the lengths I go to try to get him back to normal schedule!

Inital Post

Hello!  I have finally entered into the world of blogging.  Not really sure what I am doing and why I am doing this, but I figured people were tired of listening to my diatribes in my status on FaceBook...so here I am. 

So who am I...

I am wife to Michael Leeper and mom to Thomas (Tommy) Evan and Morgan Elizabeth.  I feel so thankful for my wonderful family.  Prior to having children I worked at a nonprofit organization (Pioneer Courthouse Square, Inc.) in downtown Portland; I mainly worked on event organization and absolutely loved it.  However, when my children came along, I decided I did not want to have to chose between my work life and my family life on a daily basis, so I became a stay-at-home mom.  I was a bit shaken in the beginning of my new career, but now I absolutely would not give any moment back! 

Both Mike and I are from Salem, Oregon.  We currently live in Tigard, Oregon and Mike works for Columbia Sportswear.  We have been happily married for 11 years.

I have a wonderful family and amazing friends.  Hopefully I will be able to keep this blog up and entertain people with my crazy rants. 

So cheers to my first blog entry!