Happy #NationalPuppyDay to these two. I used to ca Happy #NationalPuppyDay to these two. I used to call Clifford an asshat, because he basically was. But there’s a new asshat in town… 🙄 Clifford is now a freaking rockstar. His tumor and age have slowed him down a LOT and he virtually never misbehaves, and we are seriously so proud of him. Lola, on the other hand, is still full blown PUPPY. Tonight I’m assembling a gate to replace the wooden one she ate through. 😂 Berners love wood and she is OBSESSED with being in the kitchen. So one new metal gate coming right up as soon as I can figure out how to put it together.
Last week when I met the owners of the new French Last week when I met the owners of the new French bakery in town, I told them how happy I was that they were opening … because now I had an endless source for gifts for my mom’s future birthdays and Christmases. She was born in Paris and we’ve grown up with a healthy appreciation for French things … starting with their pastries and baguettes, but so much more. My daughter took her first trip to Paris last year and thoroughly enjoyed the croissants there and she deemed the ones at @chocolatinenj just as perfect. No surprise there since the owner is a French pastry chef! If you’re local and haven’t been, do make a point to stop in and visit. They’re open Wednesday through Sunday and have a wide selection of sweet and savory items and a few French retail selections as well. We’ve tried the macarons, the Croque Monsieur, the croissants, the tomato tarts, the baguette … basically we’re working our way through their display case in due time. Don’t miss this one - enjoy!
People complain about how much time is spent on ph People complain about how much time is spent on phones sometimes, but if it wasn’t for phones. I wouldn’t have these awesome little snippets of them growing up. I only wish I had more. Appreciate and document the little mundane things, for they are the very fabric of your life.
happy Spring, friends! Y’all know how long I’v happy Spring, friends! Y’all know how long I’ve been waiting for the seasons to change and I’m so excited that Mother Nature was on board today! ☀️ There is nothing like the energy from the sun and it makes me happy. Hope you got some today!
Weekend photos in review, old school style. Contex Weekend photos in review, old school style. Context: 1) saying goodbye until Easter, 2) sending him back with good bagels, 3) sunlight charging station, 4) the sun was out all day yesterday and it was glorious, 5) hitting the farmers market for my favorite garlic butter, 6) make a wish, 7) sun patterns, and 8) my sous chef
I don’t eat French fries often, but when I do, I I don’t eat French fries often, but when I do, I’m going to make it count. Doo Wop Eats opened a few months ago in downtown Denville and their fries are LEGIT. They are hand cut and taste the way fries should … like potatoes! I add a sprinkle of salt and dunk them in a side of their special sauce and they are pure perfection. You can order a small bucket or a large one (better for sharing!), or as a side item with one of their other delicious menu items like their cheeseburgers, fried chicken sandwiches or cheesesteak. I do believe they’re the best fries in town. I said what I said. Doo Wop’s menu celebrates all your favorite Jersey shore boardwalk treats, including Fried Oreos, clam strips and milk shakes and has a fun vibe for kids and families. 😍
The Grinder Salad, a recipe I found on tiktok that The Grinder Salad, a recipe I found on tiktok that takes all of your favorite ingredients from a grinder (or sub) sandwich and makes it into a delicious chopped salad. It’s as easy as putting everything in a bowl and chopping it up. Perfect for busy days and lazy nights, light meals and warm weather choices. Ingredient list below. Enjoy!

One bag or arugula
One container of cherry tomatoes 
Quarter pound of hard salami
8 Oz of fresh mozzarella
One small red onion
1/3 cup banana peppers 
Handful of fresh basil
Half cup Italian salad dressing
3 T Kewpie mayo
2 T red wine vinegar 
Sea salt and black pepper

Chop it all up, add a half box of ditalini pasta, cooked. Mix to combine.

Recipe from GrilledCheeseSocial.
We had a fun little board party this week and the We had a fun little board party this week and the delicious whipped Brie I shared earlier was front and center. If you haven’t heard of board parties, it’s when every guest makes a different type of food board and brings it - so much fun noshing ensues! With toasted baguette slices, cornichons and local honey, this was mostly a French-inspired board. So simple to pull together and totally my kind of meal.
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Sweetnicks

Food and Life

Rainbow Cake Deconstructed

June 18, 2009 · Narrative

Naked Cake

Whoa!  My e-mail box overfloweth more than usual … all about the rainbow cake!  I love that one too.  Every time I look at it, it just puts a big smile on my face.  How could it not with those bright, vibrant happy colors?  So to answer the questions in one big swoop, here are a few notes:

* The cake recipe?  Two boxes of white cake mix.  Total cheat city.  But you know what?  That’s ok.  With this type of cake, where there are other details and things to take care of, I think it’s perfectly fine to cheat.  I happened to use Pillsbury (with pudding in the mix), but am sure any would do, as would a cake from scratch, of course.

* Follow the directions on the cake mix, mixing the two boxes and associated ingredients together in one big bowl. Divide the batter amongst six bowls so you can color the batter.

* Now for the color.  For these vibrant colors, you can’t use regular food coloring because it produces more pale colors.  You need icing color, which is much more concentrated (Wilton makes some, for example).  You need lots less and it goes far.  You can find it in cake decorating aisles of stores like Michael’s and AC Moore (usually sold in a small box of 8-10 small containers of different colors).  You really need just a speck or two of the color in each bowl.  Add more as desired to get the shade you want.

*  Put the batter into six round cake pans that have been lightly greased.  It worked out to roughly 1-1/4 cup of batter in each pan.

A Peek Inside

*  Bake at the oven temperature specified for your particular mix, but because the layers are a bit smaller, the time in the oven needs to be adjusted.  Start checking the cake at about 12 minutes.  Mine were done at around 14 minutes.

* While the cakes are cooling, make your frosting.  When the cakes are cooled, cut off a thin bit of cake from each top so your layers are very flat.  Since they tend to dome a smidge when baking, if you don’t level it a bit, the cake will topple over in no time flat since we’re building it so high.

*  For the frosting, I used buttercream, my favorite.  I spread a thin layer of frosting in between each cake layer, and then all over the tops and sides.

Enjoy!

P.S.  You can find the original Rainbow Cake post here, along with more pictures.

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Posted In: Narrative · Tagged: Rainbow Cake

Comments

  1. Claire says

    June 18, 2009 at 11:55 pm

    Yay…I am totally going to make this sometime! SUPER cute!

    Claires last blog post..Summer Muffins

    Reply
  2. Starnesfam says

    June 19, 2009 at 12:45 am

    I saw this on the Whatever blog. Such a cute cake! Have had a couple of friends make it and they say the food coloring makes all the difference. Need to try it!

    Starnesfams last blog post..This Week

    Reply
  3. MariaV says

    June 19, 2009 at 5:26 am

    I’m going to make this as soon as I get the coloring.

    I may also try a red, white, and blue cake for July 4th.

    Reply
  4. Joanne says

    June 19, 2009 at 8:42 am

    I continue to be amazed by this cake. Each picture is so pleasing to my eyes.

    Joannes last blog post..Regional Recipes – Korea

    Reply
  5. Ramona says

    June 19, 2009 at 9:49 am

    Thanks for breaking it down for us.

    Ramona

    Ramonas last blog post..The most expensive plant

    Reply
  6. Debbie says

    June 19, 2009 at 9:56 am

    That is a great looking cake! My youngest son would love that! Now if only rainbow cookies were this easy to make!

    Debbies last blog post..My One Year Blogging Anniversary and Birthday!!

    Reply
  7. Sarah Caron says

    June 19, 2009 at 10:43 pm

    Oooooh! You told me it was easy … but that REALLY is easy. I think I might have to make that. Perhaps for Will’s birthday this year … I think he would be delighted.

    Sarah Carons last blog post..Fertile Fridays: Gardening is So Fulfilling

    Reply
  8. patsyk says

    June 20, 2009 at 5:19 pm

    I really want to make this… just need a good excuse now!

    Reply
  9. Janet says

    June 21, 2009 at 2:00 am

    This just totally makes me smile- I LOVE it!!

    Reply
  10. pamela says

    June 21, 2009 at 9:46 pm

    Love this cake!! It’s adorable. I am definitely searching for a reason to make it now, since I know the kids would absolutely LOVE it!

    Reply
  11. Cate says

    June 22, 2009 at 11:05 pm

    Pamela – someone suggested on the first post that it would make a great fourth of july cake, and I’m thinking that’s the perfect reason!

    Janet – me too!

    Patsy – 4th of July! :)

    Sarah – no excuses now!

    Ramona – no problem. :)

    Debbie – totally! I have seen a few other versions where they did it all in one layer, adding one color after the other, and it comes out looking like a tie-dyed cake, another fun version.

    Starnesfam – yes, I’ve seen it in a bunch of places – there, another version that is WW-friendly and made with soda, a few tie-dyed versions… seems to be popping up all over the place lately.

    Claire – hope you make it!

    Reply
  12. Heather says

    July 6, 2009 at 12:31 am

    OMG…that is the coolest cake EVER! This may just be the inspiration I need to make my kids a birthday cake. Love it! What a great idea!

    Reply
  13. arre says

    July 12, 2009 at 3:04 pm

    i love this cake! i saw it elsewhere a few months back (maybe on isuwannee?) but am sure it orginated with you since all of your post are drool-worthy! xx

    Reply
  14. Meg says

    July 28, 2009 at 9:24 am

    I’m completely in love with this cake, too! I’m not entirely sure if my own baking skills could be up to snuff to make it, but for the moment I’ll keep admiring your lovely photos :)

    Reply
  15. Maria says

    October 12, 2009 at 9:15 pm

    Oh my! Now I want to have a baby girl to make her a Rainbow Brite cake! It looks absolutely yummy!!!

    Reply
  16. Jujichan says

    November 2, 2009 at 2:27 am

    this is a cute idea xD I will be doing this for my upcoming 20th birthday party since the theme is all about colors, techno music and cute things!

    Reply
  17. Jessi says

    September 22, 2010 at 10:46 pm

    Love this idea! I made this for my nieces 6th birthday last weekend and it was a hit. I love everything rainbows and colorful so I did light blue frosting and a rainbow on the top. I wanted to say thank you for sharing because this idea really “takes the cake” Thank you!

    Reply
  18. Christa aka the BabbyMama says

    February 25, 2011 at 5:45 pm

    Trying this today for my daughter’s second birthday party – it’s rainbow themed! The layers are cooling, and the whole thing will be assembled tomorrow :)

    Reply

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Happy #NationalPuppyDay to these two. I used to ca Happy #NationalPuppyDay to these two. I used to call Clifford an asshat, because he basically was. But there’s a new asshat in town… 🙄 Clifford is now a freaking rockstar. His tumor and age have slowed him down a LOT and he virtually never misbehaves, and we are seriously so proud of him. Lola, on the other hand, is still full blown PUPPY. Tonight I’m assembling a gate to replace the wooden one she ate through. 😂 Berners love wood and she is OBSESSED with being in the kitchen. So one new metal gate coming right up as soon as I can figure out how to put it together.
Last week when I met the owners of the new French Last week when I met the owners of the new French bakery in town, I told them how happy I was that they were opening … because now I had an endless source for gifts for my mom’s future birthdays and Christmases. She was born in Paris and we’ve grown up with a healthy appreciation for French things … starting with their pastries and baguettes, but so much more. My daughter took her first trip to Paris last year and thoroughly enjoyed the croissants there and she deemed the ones at @chocolatinenj just as perfect. No surprise there since the owner is a French pastry chef! If you’re local and haven’t been, do make a point to stop in and visit. They’re open Wednesday through Sunday and have a wide selection of sweet and savory items and a few French retail selections as well. We’ve tried the macarons, the Croque Monsieur, the croissants, the tomato tarts, the baguette … basically we’re working our way through their display case in due time. Don’t miss this one - enjoy!
People complain about how much time is spent on ph People complain about how much time is spent on phones sometimes, but if it wasn’t for phones. I wouldn’t have these awesome little snippets of them growing up. I only wish I had more. Appreciate and document the little mundane things, for they are the very fabric of your life.
happy Spring, friends! Y’all know how long I’v happy Spring, friends! Y’all know how long I’ve been waiting for the seasons to change and I’m so excited that Mother Nature was on board today! ☀️ There is nothing like the energy from the sun and it makes me happy. Hope you got some today!

Pinterest

Happy #NationalPuppyDay to these two. I used to ca Happy #NationalPuppyDay to these two. I used to call Clifford an asshat, because he basically was. But there’s a new asshat in town… 🙄 Clifford is now a freaking rockstar. His tumor and age have slowed him down a LOT and he virtually never misbehaves, and we are seriously so proud of him. Lola, on the other hand, is still full blown PUPPY. Tonight I’m assembling a gate to replace the wooden one she ate through. 😂 Berners love wood and she is OBSESSED with being in the kitchen. So one new metal gate coming right up as soon as I can figure out how to put it together.
Last week when I met the owners of the new French Last week when I met the owners of the new French bakery in town, I told them how happy I was that they were opening … because now I had an endless source for gifts for my mom’s future birthdays and Christmases. She was born in Paris and we’ve grown up with a healthy appreciation for French things … starting with their pastries and baguettes, but so much more. My daughter took her first trip to Paris last year and thoroughly enjoyed the croissants there and she deemed the ones at @chocolatinenj just as perfect. No surprise there since the owner is a French pastry chef! If you’re local and haven’t been, do make a point to stop in and visit. They’re open Wednesday through Sunday and have a wide selection of sweet and savory items and a few French retail selections as well. We’ve tried the macarons, the Croque Monsieur, the croissants, the tomato tarts, the baguette … basically we’re working our way through their display case in due time. Don’t miss this one - enjoy!
People complain about how much time is spent on ph People complain about how much time is spent on phones sometimes, but if it wasn’t for phones. I wouldn’t have these awesome little snippets of them growing up. I only wish I had more. Appreciate and document the little mundane things, for they are the very fabric of your life.
happy Spring, friends! Y’all know how long I’v happy Spring, friends! Y’all know how long I’ve been waiting for the seasons to change and I’m so excited that Mother Nature was on board today! ☀️ There is nothing like the energy from the sun and it makes me happy. Hope you got some today!
Weekend photos in review, old school style. Contex Weekend photos in review, old school style. Context: 1) saying goodbye until Easter, 2) sending him back with good bagels, 3) sunlight charging station, 4) the sun was out all day yesterday and it was glorious, 5) hitting the farmers market for my favorite garlic butter, 6) make a wish, 7) sun patterns, and 8) my sous chef
I don’t eat French fries often, but when I do, I I don’t eat French fries often, but when I do, I’m going to make it count. Doo Wop Eats opened a few months ago in downtown Denville and their fries are LEGIT. They are hand cut and taste the way fries should … like potatoes! I add a sprinkle of salt and dunk them in a side of their special sauce and they are pure perfection. You can order a small bucket or a large one (better for sharing!), or as a side item with one of their other delicious menu items like their cheeseburgers, fried chicken sandwiches or cheesesteak. I do believe they’re the best fries in town. I said what I said. Doo Wop’s menu celebrates all your favorite Jersey shore boardwalk treats, including Fried Oreos, clam strips and milk shakes and has a fun vibe for kids and families. 😍
The Grinder Salad, a recipe I found on tiktok that The Grinder Salad, a recipe I found on tiktok that takes all of your favorite ingredients from a grinder (or sub) sandwich and makes it into a delicious chopped salad. It’s as easy as putting everything in a bowl and chopping it up. Perfect for busy days and lazy nights, light meals and warm weather choices. Ingredient list below. Enjoy!

One bag or arugula
One container of cherry tomatoes 
Quarter pound of hard salami
8 Oz of fresh mozzarella
One small red onion
1/3 cup banana peppers 
Handful of fresh basil
Half cup Italian salad dressing
3 T Kewpie mayo
2 T red wine vinegar 
Sea salt and black pepper

Chop it all up, add a half box of ditalini pasta, cooked. Mix to combine.

Recipe from GrilledCheeseSocial.
We had a fun little board party this week and the We had a fun little board party this week and the delicious whipped Brie I shared earlier was front and center. If you haven’t heard of board parties, it’s when every guest makes a different type of food board and brings it - so much fun noshing ensues! With toasted baguette slices, cornichons and local honey, this was mostly a French-inspired board. So simple to pull together and totally my kind of meal.

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