We had Gwen this weekend and she’s growing up so fast. A few months ago she barely said anything, now she talks ALL the time. Sunday she barely paused for breath from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. After two years of regular visits she knows the rules and routine of the house inside and out and it’s really sweet. She knows her clothes are on Danny’s side of the closet and that she eats at her table. We did make an exception this weekend because she had a fever Saturday night and actually wanted me to feed her. Ironically, that was messier than when she feeds herself. She’s really good about entertaining herself and not touching things that she shouldn’t (i.e. the glassware at the bar) or coloring on anything other than paper. Gwen is the perfect little girl and sets a high standard.
Since Gwen is older, I try to be more creative about our activities and the cake baking suggestion from Bringing Up Bebe inspired me. I’m a big proponent of kid independence; however, I’m also a bit of a neat freak when it comes to certain things.* Proudly, I feel I have instilled this trait in Gwen. One of her first phases was ‘no mess’ and she faithfully holds her head up to be wiped down when she gets food on her face. Consequently, cake baking was a risky move for both of us. To minimize disaster, I set up the portions in advance and let her pour things in the bowl.
Aside from that, I made sure she did the steps on her own. I held the egg when she cracked it to avoid shell pieces and did a quick stir at the end to make sure everything was blended but otherwise it was all Gwen. I added lemon zest to the recipe and let her scrap the lemon over a mini-grater as I held it. She took her baking responsibilities very seriously and concentrated on each step.
She made the cake for Maddy and was very proud of herself afterwards. She asked to make another cake Sunday and showed her finished product off to Lindsey when they came to pick her up. It was a fun and easy activity, I will definitely do again.
Gateu au Yaourt
- 2 (6oz) containers of plain yogurt
- 2 eggs
- 2 (yogurt) containers sugar (I used less)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 (yogurt) container vegetable oil
- 4 (yogurt) containers flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 lemon (alternative flavors are berries or chocolate)
- Heat oven to 375
- Mix baking powder and flour in one bowl
- Combine yogurt, eggs, sugar, vanilla and oil in separate bowl
- Add dry mixture to wet mixture. Use zest and juice of one lemon. Stir to combine
- Scoop batter into baking pan and cook for 35-45 minutes or until toothpick can cleanly be removed from batter.
CarrieDaway 