Columbus and my dad...2 pretty great guys, if you ask me!
Oh, I know there is some discrepancy these days about whether or not Columbus really was a great guy. But, back when I was still in school, Columbus was still a hero, and he still discovered the Americas.
I miss those simpler times. If I had enough energy, I would actually look up what people are saying about Columbus these days. But, since I don't, I am just going to tell you that in MY book, Columbus is still a good guy.
I can also tell you this: My dad IS a great guy!!! No matter who you ask, and no matter where you look it up--everybody agrees that he is GREAT!! And today is his birthday!!! He shares a birthday with Columbus--Columbus' actual birthday, and not the lame post office Monday holiday.
I asked my dad what kind of birthday cake I could make him for his family weekend birthday party, and without hesitation he said, "Eye-talian Cream!" Which, in our family means Italian Cream cake.
This weekend I put on my apron and carried my beloved Kitchenaid mixer up from the basement.
Moment of silence for the best mixer ever invented. Amen.
Behold! The beating of egg whites into stiff peaks for the Italian cream cake...easy breezy in the Kitchenaid! In pioneer days, women would have gotten tennis elbow doing this task by hand. And what's a pioneer woman without her tennis game, may I ask?
Look what else the handy Kitchenaid mixer can do! Make a pretty Italian Cream cake, and put it on a pretty glass cake stand! Mmm, anybody else craving that cream cheese frosting?!
Would you like my Super Secret Eye-talian Cream Cake Recipe??? Okay, so it's not so secret...It's from www.allrecipes.com. Don't say I never gave you anything--cause here it is! The only modifications I made, were to use real butter instead of margarine and add 1 tsp. of almond flavoring (in addition to vanilla) to the batter.
Oh, but dear me--how EVER can I transport the pretty cake to my parents' house without the stand tipping over??? Oh, I thought about putting the finished cake onto a round plastic Tupperware cake carrier for about 3 seconds. But, nah--the glass cake stand is so much PRETTIER! and FESTIVE!! But, HOW do you transport a glass cake stand when no one else is around to help?
I am SO GLAD you asked! If you remember, I am a little OCD about the transporting of food. This little beauty of a basket--combined with a rolled-up bath towel, keeps the pretty cake...well, pretty!
And look! The cake was put to good use right away! (That's my niece--isn't she cute??) She led us in a rousing verse of "Happy Birthday," complete with harmony. Not necessarily good harmony, but we're not professionals, ya know?
Oh yeah, it was after this that I gave my dad a completely inappropriate birthday card. At the time of purchase, I laughed out loud in the store. However, it sort of lost its luster when my daughters and niece were reading it out loud. Hmm, note to self: Think through decisions better in the future.
Oh well--it's only a little potty humor. A little tooting and burping never hurt anybody, right? Even young ladies need to expel a little air now and then...At least that's what my sister tells me.
All in all, it was a great weekend celebrating my DAD!!! Today we're going to celebrate him all over again! Happy birthday, Dad!!! What kind of cake do ya want TODAY?
Oh, and speaking of today...Would you LOOK at what my husband did to the last of the Eye-talian Cream cake??? (Yes, my mom sent the leftover cake home with us, cause she would rather US get fat than them!!!) Anyway, my dear husband said he needed to "trim" off the side frosting, so that it wouldn't disturb the glass dome cover.
Doo doo head.
And, now, because I cannot end on that note...I am going to give you a BONUS PICTURE--just because my nephew is thecutestthingyoueversawinyourwholelife!!!! (Did ya get that?)
Here is what happened to my little nephew after a weekend of hard partying for his Pops:
Alternate title of this picture: Sunday afternoon with Pops on the Couch!
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