March Treats and Easter

We are super excited to be heading out to Chicago on Friday to visit my sister and nieces for Easter.  Since Savanna cannot color eggs or have an egg hunt this year I think it will be fun for her to watch her cousins. We stopped by the park yesterday (yay is spring finally here??) and she really enjoyed watching the kids play.  I think it will be fun for her cousins too since they will be able to interact with her more than when they were here in January (such a big difference from 2.5 months to 4.5 months).    

Today I wanted to share with you a cookie recipe that uses hard boiled egg yolks.  It would be great for your leftover easter eggs, but of course I could not seem to find the recipe anywhere this week.  Hopefully I will find it over the next year so I can share it next Easter.  So instead I am sharing some recent projects I have worked on :) 

These were for a dessert table Little Miss Party Planner put together for a 40th Birthday - check out there blog posting for all of the details from their fabulous party!

 

This was a birthday cake for a little girl who turned 6 and had a Ninjago themed party

These were for a Sweet 16 :)

I made a cake, lemon tarts, and glazed carrot cake cupcakes for a bunny themed baby shower.  The favors were "Its a Girl" Nail Polish with adorable bunny tags.  I matched the cake to the tags :)

Have a wonderful Holy Week and Easter!

Almond Milk Chocolate Pudding & Allergy Update

One morning Savanna finally took a bottle with formula.  I had a friend who recommended trying in the morning with the first feeding of the day because that is when babies are usually the most hungry.  After a couple of mornings of trying (over 2 weeks) it worked! Ironically after, I read a blurb in parenting magazine that said it sometimes takes babies 6-10 trys to like a new food and a lot of parents do not try that long.  I still wanted to nurse because I wanted Savanna to get all of the health benefits from it because she still was not even 3 months old.  It was really nice that she was able to take it because it gave me a little break and allowed me to build a supply so I did not have to worry as much when I had things to do.  We were doing well for about 2 weeks and then she started getting upset at the bottle and while nursing again.  She would only nurse for about 5 minutes and then get upset and it was a constant struggle.  So we decided to try all formula for a week and see how that went.  It went ok for the first few days but then she started to get upset again.  So we spoke to one of the nurses at the pediatricians office and she recommended we try the liquid Hypoallergenic Formula.  Yay finally two weeks later on that she is eating well and still happy!  It was been a long struggle and a lot of trial and error (which is what I learned most of parenting is :) ) but I am glad she is finally happy.  It was tough to give up nursing because there is so much pressure these days about how breast is best.  At the end of the day it wasn't for Savanna and all of the joy and bonding that comes from nursing was lost because it was not enjoyable for either of us anymore.  So there is always the next one (God willing) and for now I am just happy to have a happy baby.  I am still going to post some dairy free and soy free recipes since there are not a ton out there and I want to  hopefully help some other mothers who may have the same problem.  Plus the recipes are usually healthy and good to make even if you do not have an allergy :)

Almond Milk Chocolate Pudding

1/2 cup cocoa

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 cups low fat milk (almond or regular)

1. Measure cocoa, sugar and cornstarch into a small saucepan.  Whisk together until all large lumps are gone.

2. Over low heat slowly whisk in milk.

3. Raise heat to medium-high and bring to a boil (should take about 5 mins).  Periodically whisk as you bring to a boil and be careful to get the sides of the pan. 

4. After it comes to a boil lower heat and simmer for another 5 minutes.  Continue to whisk. 

5. Take off heat and put through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl (this is to get rid of any remaining lumps, if you do not have a mesh strainer or you are lazy and do not mind some lumps you can skip this step).

6. Place a piece of plastic wrap right on the pudding to prevent the film from forming.  Then chill for at least 2 hours.

Enjoy!

Leftover Buttermilk Recipes

Happy Monday, hope you had a fabulous St. Patrick's Day!  If you made Irish Soda Bread like me you are sure to have some leftover buttermilk.  I am always looking for alternative ways to use my leftover buttermilk when I do not want to bake a bread or a cake with it so I thought you may be too. I love this buttermilk roast chicken from Smitten Kitchen.  I made it last year for Super Bowl and I will be making it again tonight:) Buttermilk gives a nice tang to a smoothie.  If I had a mango I would make this one, but all we had were bananas so I made a peanut butter and banana smoothie (my recipe is below).  If you are still looking for ways to use it, it is great alternative to regular milk in your mashed potatoes :)

PS I realized after these last two posts, I did not post an update that Savanna was now on hypoallergenic formula so I could have dairy again.  I will post an update later this week :) 

Peanut Butter Banana and Buttermilk Smoothie

1 medium banana

1/2 cup light buttermilk

1 tbs peanut butter

1/2 cup ice

1 tbs flax seeds (optional)

1. Place all ingredients in blender

2. Let stand 5 minutes (so ice melts slightly)

3. Blend and Enjoy!

Irish Soda Bread and 4 Months!

I am an Italian girl who loves Irish Soda Bread!  I try and make it every year but I am never fully pleased.  I found an old newspaper cut out in one of my grandma's recipe books and I decided to try that one this year.  Oddly enough it is the same as the recipe on the Friendship Buttermilk carton, who knows why I never tried that one before :)  I am happy to report that I think I finally found a winner which is why I am sharing it with you.  

 

Savanna turned 4 months last Friday and we were very excited that she decided to sleep again.  I am slightly nervous that after I post this it will jinx it, but for now we have some sleep.  We are currently trying to transition her from taking naps in her stroller to her crib and it has not been going to well.  She definitely seems to have a different association with day and night sleep.  I should not complain since she is napping and part of me wants to just leave it..... 

Now for some fun Savanna updates! 

1. She rolled over on her own on Monday to go for one of her favorite toys but hasn't done it again and does not seem to have any desire to.

2. She is taking a swim class every Monday, it is for 30 minutes at Asphalt Green.  I am doing it with my friend Kate and her daughter Brennan.  Savanna loved it and she is really recognizing other babies now which is fun.  

3. I started giving her a little oats every afternoon, and it has been slow but she seems to like them a little more every day.

4. I ordered her a Bumbo chair and I was super excited she liked it right away because she hated every other chair we initially put her in.  It took her 2 months to like her bouncy seat! She likes to watch me prep dinner and watched me bake the soda bread- I am teaching her young :)

Have a Happy Saint Patrick's day and a wonderful weekend!

Irish Soda Bread

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter - softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

1 cup raisins

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Butter and line a 10 inch pan with parchment paper (I have done it free form before which I like just as much and almost better).

2. In the bowl of the mixer sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

3. In a separate bowl, combine butter, sugar, eggs and buttermilk with a wisk. 

4. Using a flat paddle or dough hook mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.  The dough will be thick and sticky.  Add the raisins in.

5. Place the dough round in the pan and make for one hour. 

Business Update and Some Recent Projects!

Providing innovative and tasty Kreations to our loyal customers has always been and will always be my passion, but being a mother has always been important to me as well.  In order to give each order the attention it deserves, and to be a great Mommy for Savanna, we have decided to evolve Kreated by K into a more customized/speciality business. We will continue to eagerly work on special occasion cakes, dessert tables and new products, but will be scaling back menu options and only taking a few orders a week to guarantee the quality you've come to expect from KbyK. To maximize our work with our loyal local customers, we'll no longer be accepting wholesale orders and will not be shipping outside of the NYC area. Kreated by K plans to focus on a limited number of exciting projects each week, so please place your orders as far in advance as possible. Of course, last minute orders will be welcomed whenever possible, just ask:)  Below are some pictures of projects I worked on this past month!

A Crawfish Pot for a guy from Louisiana

"Ready to Pop" baby shower

Bowling Party Cookies

Peter Pan Cake

Sunbutter Cookies & Sleep Regression

We have a running joke around here that Savanna does not want Mommy to lose the rest of her baby weight. Before Savanna I used to get up and meet one of my best friends to run a couple of days a week.  I was very happy that I was able to do that until I was 26 weeks pregnant.  The belly actually didn't bother me that much it was just the extra weight started to bother my knees so I decided to just walk for the rest of my pregnancy.  Since I was in fairly good shape my entire pregnancy I thought I would get back into exercising fairly quickly and easily.  Boy was I wrong.  Postpartum was a lot more difficult than I thought, especially with a c-section and a few complications.  I wasn't even out walking until 8 weeks.  I never thought it would take me this long after to get back into running.  I finally started doing intervals on the treadmill at 12 weeks and then the last week or two I have been getting out when I have a helper.  When Savanna started sleeping through the night I wanted to get back my morning workout.  I love the early morning hours, it really starts your day and makes you feel great (if you are a morning person you know what I mean).  As soon as I made the decision to try and start getting up to workout, Savanna decided she didn't want to sleep through the night anymore.  Every time I set my alarm to get up and work out she decided to pull an all nighter.  Apparently there is a sleep regression right around 4 months.  We are hoping that is what it is and we just have to ride it out.  Every night is different now we had two solid nights so I set my alarm and last night she got up 3 times.  I decided though I just had to do it whether she got up or not so I finally went this morning and it felt amazing!  So I am hoping to do it a few days a week and hopefully Savanna will get back into solid sleeping eventually.  I am not sure what is worse never having solid sleep or having it and then having it taken away from you :) She is still young so I know I just have to have patience.  

Now on a totally different topic I wanted to share these Sunbutter Cookies with you.  I have been eating a lot of natural peanut butter and apples around here since it is a fast and fairly healthy snack / lunch some days. When I was at Trader Joes I decided to pick up their Sunbutter to try something different with my apples :)  I saw this peanut butter cookie recipe that was dairy free and soy free with out any adjustments so I decided to modify them and make sunbutter cookies.  They were delicious and a great treat, even Chris and one of his friends loved them!  I made half the batch with some chocolate chips which made them even yummier!  

Sunbutter Cookies - modified from 101 cookbooks peanut butter cookies.  I find that even though the sodium is about the same sunbutter is more salty than peanut butter.  I took out the salt and did not miss it at all, but you can adjust to your taste.  I also subsituted honey and brown sugar for the maple syrup since I did not think the maple flavor and sunbutter would go well together.  

2 Cups White Whole Wheat Flour (or regular all purpose flour)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup Sunbutter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup honey

1/3 cup olive oil

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup chocolate chips - optional (dairy free and soy free if you need)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees.  

2. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda and salt.

3. In another bowl whisk together the sugar, olive oil, sunbutter and vanilla

4. Fold the flour mixture into the wet mixture and sit 5 minutes.

5. Fold one more time and fold in chocolate chips if using.  

6. Drop teapsoons (or use a medium cookie scoop) onto parchment lined cookie sheet and using a fork press down on each cookie

7. Bake for 10 minutes and let cool 5 minutes.

8. Enjoy - Makes - 2-3 dozen cookies