Annie Bakes a Cake

December 15th, 2006 (I've been meaning to post this for a while)

Anne spends almost as much time in the kitchen as I do. She loves to watch me and help in whatever ways she can. Almost every time I go into the kitchen to start cooking or baking I can pretty much count on her joining me with her chair in tow within about 2 minutes.
I was baking yesterday and Anne had been watching me for quite a while. The idea entered my head to let her make her own cake, just for fun. I asked her if she wanted to and told her that I wasn't really going to help her. She got the biggest grin on her face and immediately set to work. She was positively giddy. She came up with the entire recipe on her own and it's pretty creative. The only thing I had to set her straight on was the very first ingredient, flour, she said, "Hmm, I think I should start with 7 cups of flour." After I told her she probably should start with one, she pretty much did all the measuring herself. On a few of the ingredients, she sought my opinion sneakily by stating what she was going to do with a bit of a question mark at the end. She didn't want to appear to be new at this! Well, here is her recipe.

Anne's Chocolate Cake

"We always use a bowl for all the flour and sugar and dry kind of things, don't we."
In a large bowl, combine:
1 Cup Flour (no, not 7)
1 Cup Sugar
3/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda
"A little salt" (about 1/4 Teaspoon)
1/2 Cup Cocoa

In another bowl combine:
1 Stick Butter (softened)
1 Egg
1/2 Cup Buttermilk ("We like to put buttermilk in our cakes and things because it's gooood.")
"Some Vanilla. Vanilla doesn't taste good when we drink it plain but in a cake it's so gooood!"
Add to dry ingredients with mixer.

Then add, (because "It needs something to make it creamy." Off to the fridge!)
4 Ounces Cream Cheese (softened)


"It's kind of chunky and thick. Yeah, it's too thick. Sometimes it's ok to add water isn't it."
Add 2 Tablespoons water

Mix until smooth. In fact, I don't know that you can over-mix this cake. Anne likes using the mixer. Pour into a greased 8x8 pan. (Anne used a small rectangular one I had but it's probably about the size of an 8x8.) Bake at 350 about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.

From Bakery

From Bakery

Is that Even Good for Us?

I looked over at Tim who was lying on the couch holding his nostrils open with his fingers.

I said," What are you doing?"

Anne was lying on the floor looking at the phone book and saying random phone numbers and having imaginary conversations.

Tim said, "I'm breathing."

Anne stopped in the middle of a phone number and said, "Breathing? Is that even good for us?"

Lazy Daddy

I was eating supper tonight, and went in to get some milk. Lydia had the van today and was supposed to go to the store - but didn't.

There was enough milk for half of a glass.

Very disappointing, but I got over it.

Then I ran out of milk and the sky fell.

I said loudly in a pouting voice full of grump and whine, "I want some more milk!"

Anne said, "I'll go get you some."

I replied, "There isn't any more."

"Oh," she replied, "I just thought you were bein' lazy."

You Should have Covered

I just sneezed - with a small amount of food still in my mouth. Very small, just the little bits and pieces actually - not enough even to swallow.

There is a small pattern of said food on the curtain in our family room. I said, "Oh no - it's all over the curtain."

Anne comes trotting over to see, "Ew, gross - you should have covered."

Which is what I am constantly reminding her to do.

She was right. I should have covered.

Junky and Old

Anne has a toy camera that says things like, "You're as pretty as a princess!" and "Say Cheese!" and "You look beautiful"

She was just taking pictures of Samuel and the camera said, "You're as pretty as a princess!" Then she looked at me and said, "He's not really pretty as a princess is he?"

I said, "Yes he is." which she quickly echoed "Yes, he is."

Then she went in to get out of her jammies and into day clothes so we could go grocery shopping for mom.

Lydia was waiting in Anne's bedroom to help her. Anne walked in with the camera going off and says, "Mom, are you as pretty as a princess?"

Lydia replied, "Yes I am!"

Anne said, "No you're not, you're junky and old!"


The aftermath:

Anne: "Sorry, mommy, for saying that you're junky and old, please forgive me."
Lydia: "Do you really think I'm junky and old?"
Anne: "Yeah." (drawn out)





Lydia: "Do you still think I'm junky and old?"

Anne: "Yes."

(round and round we went for about 5 minutes about it until...)

Dad: "Anne, your mom is beautiful and young, not junky and old. You need to tell her you're sorry again."

Anne: "I already did!"

Dad: "But then you said it again! Apologize right now and give her a kiss!"

"Sorry mommy for calling you junky and old, please forgive me." *Kiss*

Dad: "Do you still think she's junky and old?"

Anne: "No, she's young and nice and beautiful."