Month: July 2009

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Rwanda Hardware

Last year, we made a microloan through Kiva to assist a woman who sells cereals (beans, grains, etc) in a bazaar in Khachmaz, Azerbaijan.The loan has been repaid in full so we re-loaned our money, this time to a 42-year-old widow with an 8-year-old at home.

She lives in Rwanda and operates a hardware store. She’ll be using the money (a total of $900 made up of small amounts like our $25) to expand her offerings and will be repaying the full amount within 10 months.
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Independence Day Wreath

This year for Independence Day, I came up with the idea of using bandannas in red, white, and blue to make a wreath. It was really fast and easy, and Shug had the best time playing with the extra bandannas. Peek-a-boo!

Materials:
The outer ring of a wire wreath form (I think mine was about 21″ or so across)
bandannas – 5 each of red, white, and blue for this one
Directions:

Cut each bandanna into four equal squares, then make two opposite sides of each square meet to make a triangle, then roll the triangle into a tube, then tie it onto the wreath form:

Independence Day Bandana Wreath

Independence Day Bandana Wreath

Independence Day Bandana Wreath

Independence Day Bandana Wreath

You could make each color alternate, but here it’s done four of each color:

Independence Day Bandana Wreath

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Hummingbird Cake

Last year, Shug’s birthday cake was the Baked Alaska at Antoine’s in New Orleans. This year – since we stayed in town – rather than getting something from a bakery, I wanted to make him a cake myself. And since my baby likes bananas and pineapple, what better than a Hummingbird Cake?

Ingredients:
3 cups flour
2-1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 large eggs, beaten
3/4 cups vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
8oz can crushed pineapple, with juice
1 c. pecans, chopped roughly plus another cup or so for outside of cake
2 bananas, chopped
Cream Cheese Icing:
2 packages (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
2 sticks butter (1 cup), softened
2 lbs. confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350*. Butter and flour three 8″ cake pans. Place a circle of parchment paper in the bottom of each to make certain the cake won’t stick.
Put the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in the Kitchenaid and mix together.

Hummingbird Cake

Add the eggs one at a time until each is incorporated, then the oil. Next, add the pineapple with juice, bananas, vanilla, and pecans. Be careful not to overmix! If the batter seems a little ‘loose’, add a bit more flour until you get a good batter consistency.

Hummingbird Cake

Pour the cake batter into the cake pans and bake at 350* until set, about 25-35 minutes.

When the cakes are cool, make the icing. Just beat together the cream cheese, butter, confectioner’s sugar, and vanilla in the Kitchenaid:

Hummingbird Cake

Spread the icing between each layer of the cake and all along the top and sides. Sprinkle with pecans all over:

Hummingbird Cake

Shug loved it – okay, we all loved it. Yum!