Creamy Dreamy Orange Cupcakes

by andi

 

I've been making these cupcakes for years now and whenever I take them to neighborhood parties, church functions, baby showers, etc, people can't get enough of them. It's not uncommon to see all of them disappear off the serving platter within minutes of setting them down. People always ask me for the recipe, and frankly, I'm a little embarrassed to give it out because of how easy they are.

In a nutshell, I use a white cake mix but replace the water called for with orange juice and throw a little fresh orange zest in to bump up the flavor. The creamy, tangy frosting pairs perfectly with the cake. People are always surprised when I tell them how I make them because they really do taste fancier than they are.

Ingredients

• 1 box white cake mix
• Orange juice
• Oil
• Eggs
• Zest and juice from 1 orange
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 block cream cheese
• 4 cups powdered sugar

Directions

• Make the cupcakes according to the directions on your cake mix except replace the water with orange juice (my mix used 1 1/4 cups orange juice, 1/3 cup oil, and 3 egg whites). Zest the orange and add half into the batter, reserving the other half for the frosting. I usually add a little red and yellow food coloring too to make the batter a light orange color. I think it looks pretty that way!
• For the frosting, beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth and fluffy. Alternate adding the powdered sugar and the juice from the orange. You may not need to add the juice from the entire orange. Just add it until you reach the consistency you want. Add the remaining orange zest and beat again to incorporate.
• Once the cupcakes are completely cool, frost away! Decorate however your little heart desires. I like to add tiny orange pieces to the top of each cupcake so it's easy to tell what flavor it is.  

I had just frosted these cupcakes beautifully with a piping bag and a decorative tip.  I had them all arranged on a beautiful blue pedestal and they looked gorgeous.  I walked out of the room for 5.47 seconds to grab my camera and when I came back in to take some pictures of them, my 3 year old exclaimed, "Mommy!  Look what I did!"  And I saw this:

In an effort to help himself to one of my delicious cupcakes, he had tipped the serving plate over and they all slid off! My first instinct was to think, "Oh no!  They're ruined! Now they're going to look so ugly and none of the Doe A Deery readers will be impressed!" But then I remembered that we're all friends here and this blog is all about being real. So instead, I laughed, snapped some pictures, and helped my son unwrap his cupcake. I salvaged what I could of the frosting and rearranged it with a butter knife.  No harm done.

I know they're not the prettiest cupcakes you've ever seen, but I like to think of them as "rustic." Plus, it doesn't matter what they look like, anyway! All that matters is what they taste like. And I promise if you make these, you won't be disappointed. The cake is light and fluffy, the frosting is tangy and creamy, and because you're using a boxed cake mix, they couldn't be easier! Happy baking, everyone!

What I've Learned in Food Therapy: Part 2 of 2

by andi

 

I'm so excited to finally be sharing some specific tips on how to get picky eaters (or kids that just aren't interested in food) to eat! In case you missed my post last month, I told the story of my son Eli and his struggles with eating. He has recently finished a 4 month feeding therapy program through Primary Children's Rehab in Bountiful, UT. While he did make some improvements in therapy, I consider what I learned to be even more valuable than what Eli learned because I am the one who is helping him through the eating process. Feeding children doesn't always come naturally to parents, and when there are bumps in the road, we often don't know what to do. I'm hoping that these tips that I learned can help you feed your child and make mealtime less stressful for everyone involved.

1. Meal times should be structured but fun. Don't chase your child around the house while trying to get them to eat. Sit them in their high chair or at the table for each meal. My son doesn't usually like to get in his high chair because he knows that means it's time to eat. One way we get him in his chair is by blowing a few bubbles onto his tray. Like most kids, he loves bubbles, so he knows that if he can have a little fun before he eats, he's more willing to sit at the table.
2. Present the food in a fun way. Try fun plates, cups, and silverware. Eli loves eating out of muffin tins; he thinks it's fun for each food to have its own little compartment. He also really likes eating with toothpicks as opposed to a fork. If he says he's done and wants to get down, I try to switch up the utensil he's using or cut his food into a different shape. I will throw the food back in the microwave for a few seconds to make it taste better. Sometimes this will recapture his interest and get him to eat more.
3. Offer 70% foods he already likes and 30% new foods. It's easy to get stuck in a rut and only present foods that you know your child will eat. It's easier that way. But in order for them to improve, they need to be challenged and pushed a little. This won't happen if you're never presenting the opportunity.
4. Accept that learning to like new foods is a long process.  Let's say we're trying to get Eli to eat a carrot stick.  The process goes like this at our house: "Eli, do you think you can look at this carrot?  Good job looking!  Do you think you can let us put it on your tray?  That's awesome!  Thanks so much, buddy!  Do you think you can reach out and touch it with one finger? Can you put your whole hand on it?  Can you make it walk up your arm? Can you bounce it on your head?  Can you kiss it? Can you make teeth marks in it? Can you bite it in half and then spit it out?"  This process may take weeks or even months!  It took Eli 4 months to go from not even being able to look at a carrot to chewing it a few times and spitting it out.  He still won't swallow it, but hey!  He's making progress!
5. Relate a food your child doesn't like to a food he does like.  For example, if your child won't eat a strawberry but loves fruit snacks, point out that the strawberry is red just like the red fruit snacks that they love. If they don't want to try their peas, tell them that the peas are round just like cheerios. Drawing similarities between the foods helps kids realize that maybe the new food isn't so scary after all.
6. Use your imagination.  One of Eli's favorite games is to pretend that his spoon is an excavator and is digging in his food. We do all kinds of silly things, like telling him that if he takes a bite, it's going to make him grow big and strong. As soon as he eats it, we'll pretend that we can physically see him growing bigger and we tell him that he is going to get so big that he's going to burst out of his high chair. He giggles and eats more because the idea of busting out of his chair is exciting.
7. Praise your child every step of the way. Kids want to feel like you're proud of them, so give them the praise they crave. While my son may not want to eat a certain food or even touch it, I praise him for looking at it and even allowing it to be on his tray. I try to constantly tell him how proud I am of him. Is it exhausting? Heck yes. But he wants praise, so praise him I shall. We've recently started a chart with Eli where he gets to put a sticker on it if he tries a new food.  We try to make a huge deal out of it and try to make it super exciting. We hang it on the fridge in plain sight and talk about it throughout the day. The more excitement we show, the more he shows.
8. Use moderation in all things. Don't overwhelm your child with too much food at once. I never set down a huge amount of food at the beginning of the meal because it implies "You have to eat all of this before you can leave the table." Instead, I offer foods in small quantities, and switch back and forth between foods. He usually ends up eating more this way. Also, I don't try to make him eat only healthy foods. A little junk food is fine and helps make eating more pleasurable for him.
9. Make meal time a positive experience. Never scold, threaten, lose your patience, or let your child know you want to strangle them (sooooo hard!). Stay calm. I definitely believe that kids can feel your energy and the more stressed out you are, the more they will resist.
10. Trust your kid, but only to a certain extent. A lot of people say that your kids know what they need and should be 100% responsible for their own nourishment. I don't agree. If I left Eli's eating completely up to him, he would solely eat fruit snacks and M&M's and would lie on the couch limp all day because he wasn't getting the nutrients he needed to thrive. It's my job to give him healthy foods. Frequently, Eli will eat just enough to take his hunger pains away, but won't eat enough to fill up. It's my job to encourage him to eat more because he needs to eat enough to keep him full until the next meal. Otherwise, he'll be hungry again an hour later and I'm not going to feed him every hour. Sorry!
11. Don't try to make your child eat in social settings. If we are going over to a friend's house or to a party, I usually feed Eli at home before we leave. Through experience, I've learned that if there are too many distractions or if he's out of his comfort zone, he won't eat a single thing. I can't expect him to sit at a table he's never eaten at before with with people he's unfamiliar with and eat. I don't want him to feel anxious. Of course, I offer him food while we're out, but I don't pressure him to eat where he's not comfortable.
12. Accept small improvements.  For Eli, I consider it a success if he will even allow a new food to be on his tray, even if he doesn't eat it or touch it. Do I wish he would just pick up the dang food, put it in his mouth, chew it, and swallow it? Yes! Every day! But I'm learning that that's not going to happen anytime soon, so I just need to take what I can get.

I love talking to people about their children's eating problems because I can totally relate. I've pretty much been through it all with my Eli. By no means do I have it all figured out or know all the tricks though, so I'd love to hear from you. What works for you? How have you helped your child work through his eating issues?

What I've Learned in Food Therapy: Part 1 of 2

by andi

This sweet boy is named Eli.  He is my son. Eli has a problem: he doesn't like to eat.  At all.  Sure, most kids have some eating issues.  Feeding her children is one of the most time-consuming and frustrating things a mother does.  But this kid isn't the normal child with eating issues.  Oh no.  He hates eating.  He rarely, if ever, asks for food or drink.  In the rare event that he does ask for something, he asks for fruit snacks, candy, or chocolate milk.  Not exactly nutritious stuff.  Helping him find pleasure in eating has been one of my most challenging adventures in life.

It started when we introduced him to solids around 5 months old.  We started with rice cereal and baby food, just like experts suggest.  He didn't want anything to do with it.  We just figured he was a late bloomer and kept trying.  We tried offering him little pieces of what we were eating, or "table foods."  He didn't want anything to do with them either.  We tried letting him feed himself, but he wasn't interested.  As the months passed and he wasn't making much progress, our anxiety around his eating grew.  By the time he was about a year old, we knew there was a problem. He was more than just a "picky eater." He really didn't want to eat anything. Ever.

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How to Feed Your Family of 4 for $250 a Month

by Andi

A few years ago while my husband and I were in graduate school and living on a tight student budget, we sat down to carefully look at our monthly expenses because we felt like things were quickly spiraling out of control. We were living in Washington D.C., and although it is a notoriously expensive city, we knew we could make changes to make things easier.  As we analyzed where all of our money was going, we realized that a big chunk of it was going towards groceries every month.  We made an ambitious goal to only spend $250 a month on groceries.  It took a little trial and error and practice, but I'm proud to say that we found a way to make it happen every single month.  And guess what?  We didn't starve. We didn't feel like we were going without.  Yes, we had to be careful about what we bought, but once we got used to it, it really wasn't that hard.

I was talking with some of my girlfriends a few weeks ago about groceries and one of the girls asked the group to share how much we spend a month.  When I told everyone that we've managed to keep our budget to $250 a month even since adding two children to our family, they were surprised and asked me to share some of my tips and tricks with them.  Since this month's theme is all about balance, I thought I would share how I balance my budget with you!

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Vintage Homemade Hand Lotion

by Andi

A few months ago, I was at a baby shower at my the house of one of my cute neighbors up the street. Like at every lively party, the conversation turned to hand lotion and we all started talking about what brand was our favorite. A few of the ladies shared what their favorite was, but when the host of the shower walked in and heard what we were talking about, she quickly ran out of the room without saying anything. We all looked at each other and kind of laughed, wondering silently what would cause such a quick departure. She returned a few seconds later with an old looking jar and started telling us excitedly about her recipe for what she called the "world's best hand lotion." She went on to explain that her grandmother made up this recipe over 40 years ago and that it was hands-down (no pun intended!) the best lotion ever.

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Gel Glitter Nails {tutorial}

by Andi

You didn't get anything sparkly for Valentine's Day either?!? Well, it is time to take matters into your own hands, or feet in this case, and add some glitter yourself! This gel glitter nail tutorial is quick, easy and will definitely keep your cash in your pocketbook. Your toes will look so sparkly and fun that you won't be able to go anywhere without getting compliments on them, and you won't be able to stop admiring them either!  Today I am going to show you how to glitterify (is that a word?) your toenails, but this process can just as easily be done on your fingernails.

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Andi A.

I want to get this out of the way right now.  I hate vegetables.  All of them.  The only time I tolerate them is when their texture and flavor have been leached by boiling water for a few minutes and they're nothing more than a soft mush in my mouth.

I feel so much better getting that off my chest!  Now for some other deets.  My real name is Andrea, but since a high school friend gave me the nickname, I've gone by Andi ever since.  I was born in Salt Lake City but I spent most of my growing years in St. George, Utah.  I loved the red rocks, the sunshine, and the polygamist sightings at the local Wal-Mart.  Can't get enough of those prairie dresses!  My friends and I played outside constantly and always found something to do around the neighborhood (to this day, I've still never played a video game!).  I loved playing tennis, hiking, riding bikes, swimming, and just laying around on the grass.

I'm a graduate of Brigham Young University (go Cougs!) and loved my years in Provo as a "zoobie" (I promise I only went tunnel-singing once). While I was in college I had the chance to travel a lot and loved seeing the world.  After I graduated, my husband and I spent three years in Washington D.C. where we both pretended to be really knowledgeable about current events so we could fit in.   He went to law school and I went to paralegal school.  I worked as a paralegal for a few different law firms while we lived there and learned that paralegals actually do most of the lawyer's work while getting a quarter of their pay.  After my husband graduated, we moved back to Utah where we didn't have to try so hard.   

I gave up my career as a paralegal to stay home with my first son after he was born.  We've since added another little boy to the family. Between my two boys and my husband, I'm starting to feel a little outnumbered by whiny men!  Although it's challenging, I feel very blessed to be able to stay home to wipe butts, force feed my toddler, and scrub vomit out of rugs.  Just kidding.  It's great! 

Life is busy, but when I find a minute to myself, I like to snuggle under a blanket and read a good book (if I manage to stay awake for more than two pages) or paint my nails.  I am obsessed with finding good deals on groceries and clothes and never pay full price for anything (unless it's Taco Bell).

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