Judging from our recent decorating Lose Weight Exercises, I think my SIL is going to be the go-to cake decorator in the family. Case in point, her professional-looking Elmo cake:

…versus my Cake Wrecks-worthy carrot cake:

Turns out, cream cheese frosting is not great for piping. Also, you should plan out your color combos BEFORE 11pm when you’re tired and just want to finish your cake so you can go to bed. Oops! Lesson learned.

Fortunately my other items have turned out much better. This week is our final class (we get certificates (!) – something that I am excited (!) about only on a sarcastic level) and we’re going to learn how to make frosting roses and pipe messages onto our cakes. I’m thinking mine might read…”This class takes the cake.”

Thank you to Log Cabin for sponsoring my post about updated traditions in my household. To learn more about Log Cabin Syrups (which are all free of High Fructose Corn Syrup), breakfast for dinner, and other new ways to update traditions in your home, click here. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

About five years ago our family changed. We went from being a four person family with certain traditions to being a much larger, even more diverse unit. This all happened when my brother married my sister-in-law and our two families were joined.

Then, about 16 months ago, our family changed again with the birth of my niece. While both sets of grandparents were already friendly and geographically close to each other, the newest arrival cemented the foundations of the village that it will take to raise her. Eva is an ethnic ratatouille, with Cambodian, Chinese, Mexican and Northern and Western European ancestry. Whatever the recipe, she’s an adorable, spirited baby and always the life of the party.

Our families are inextricably linked now and we are all trying to help raise Eva with a blend of traditions, along with some new ones. This all brings me to this weekend, for my first ever (and Eva’s second) Cambodian New Year celebrations.

I had never been to my SIL’s temple and I was excited to get to experience that part of her family’s (and Eva’s) culture. We dressed up for the occasion, though not nearly as fancily as some of the ladies  there, who wore more traditional, sequined, brightly colored blouses and long skirts.* Logically, the temple and grounds reminded me a lot of Thailand and Laos, including the pretty detailing on the rooves and the statues, and whatnot.

I followed my SIL and her family’s lead in our New Year’s celebrations. In the interest of time and effort, we abbreviated things a bit and stuck to doing a few traditional things at the temple. We lit incense and said prayers, we sought blessings from the monks, and delivered food to the communal tables, including special servings of rice for the monks. Then we hit the festival-like grounds of the temple for a little shopping, eating, and general merriment.

The weather was great, practically the whole community was there, and little Eva was surrounded by family. Not a bad way to herald in a new year or a new (to me) tradition.

Of course, some of Eva’s family traditions are more familiar to me. Like turning the first local strawberries of the season into delicious waffles. We finally found an open strawberry stand on our way home from the temple and this is the feast that my SIL made for breakfast yesterday morning. Yum!

*I’ve gotten to wear traditional Cambodian outfits once before – for my brother and SIL’s wedding. Some looks are just better on other people. ;)

It all started with a lovely visit from a couple of my friends. They came out to my family’s house to make tamales with me. (Pictures and more info on that to come.) It’s an annual tradition and I think they enjoyed themselves. The next day, I ferried them back towards their destination and  my aunt and uncle arrived from out of town. Again, all very pleasant and normal.

Christmas morning, however, was when things came off the rails. Without going into too many specifics, a member of my family essentially collapsed and had to be taken to the hospital by ambulance. Breakfast was left half-baked on the stove, presents left unopened, Christmas forgotten. Instead, we spent all of Saturday pacing around the ER waiting room, waiting for answers. The hospital stay extended for three days/two nights. Christmas dinner was, ironically, at the nicest restaurant in town with my aunt and uncle primarily because that was the only restaurant we could find open.

We’re all home and on the mend now and finally got to celebrate the holiday on Monday night. Our version of “Christmas morning” was definitely anti-climactic after the weekend’s course of events. The real gift, of course, was that everyone was alright.

As an addendum to all that chaos, my debit card number was stolen at some point and thieves bought themselves a little Christmas present of their own. Just like the weather around here lately, when it rains, it pours.

I hope you all had a calmer Christmas. Is it 2011 yet?

I have so much fun stuff to post in the coming days, from crafty projects to delicious recipes. I can’t wait to share everything with you! Today is for relaxing, though, laughing, eating, and enjoying time with my family. Cheers to you and yours.

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Here’s a look at the Christmas cards my almost-1-year-old niece made as a surprise for her parents and grandparents.

The potato stamps turned out to be too big for her little hands:

She found a better way of doing things, though:

Ta da! A born crafter.

Merry Christmas!

The holidays are coming up, as is her 1st birthday, and I consider it the perfect opportunity for a little spoiling. Which led me to Le Target recently for some toy aisle strolling, whereupon I discovered that toy makers today are grasping at straws for new ways to corrupt small children. Of course I snapped some iPhone photos to share with you.

Exhibit A: The “Surprise Newborn” Cabbage Patch doll.

Umm….where to begin….Surprise Newborn?? What the? I saw this and immediately thought of those crazy people on I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant. Somehow they even make the kids on Teen Mom look responsible. And this is what we’re encouraging kids to play with? It took me a good five minutes and the amount of horror characteristic to someone twice my age to realize the surprise is actually referring to the doll’s sex. Oops.

Exhibit B: Tattoo Writer kit

Kids, tattoos are not for playdates with your elementary school friends. They’re meant to be earned. At seedy tattoo parlors inhabited by dudes with the word “hate” written on their upper lip*, by dumb 18 year olds to then regret for the rest of their lives. Or in prison. No tattoos until you go to prison. Got it?

Anyway, between the irresponsible-sex doll and the my-kid-rolls-with-the-Hell’s-Angels kit, I ended up leaving the store empty handed. Which led me to start making my own toys for my niece…which I will be sure to share with you soon!

*The one time I visited a tattoo parlor, I met this man. I did not get a tattoo.

Now, here’s a shot of our yummy lunch:

Bacon mac and cheese and dijon vinaigrette salad, with chai blondies and Noe Valley Bakery cupcakes for dessert! Lilly made the blondies and they were delicious – butterscotch chips, coconut, and macadamia nuts in a tasty spiced blondie base. She’s promised to send the recipe, so I’ll be sure to share that soon. The cupcakes were also great. NVB makes these awesome classed-up Hostess cupcake knock-offs called Mostess cupcakes. Mmm, so good! Heaven!

The salad was a nice combo of crispy cabbage, tender greens, and crunchy carrots, cucumbers and apples. Perfect alongside the richness of the bacon mac and cheese.

The macaroni recipe is a spruced up version of the basic Joy of Cooking baked macaroni and cheese recipe. I’ve made it so many times, I have it memorized (though the bacon was a new addition).

Bacon Macaroni and Cheese

8 ounces of your preferred style of macaroni noodles (I like rotini because they hold the cheese nicely but orechietti or elbows would also work well)

2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups milk

1/2 onion, diced

1 bay leaf

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/2 to 3/4 cup frozen peas

2 and 1/4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (Or more, if you like cheese! Also, consider trying different kinds of cheese to add new flavors. I added some Manchego I had on hand this time, but other hard or semi-soft cheese are delicious, too!)

salt & pepper to taste

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs

5 slices of cooked bacon (this lends a smokey flavor, I think pancetta would do well if you want the saltiness without the smoke), diced

Bring 6 cups water and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt to rolling boil in medium saucepan. Add pasta and cook until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly, about 3 minutes. This will be the thickener for your sauce. Gradually whisk in milk. Stir in onion, bay leaf and paprika. Simmer gently, stirring often, for 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in 1 1/2 cups cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove bay leaf. Stir in frozen peas, cooked bacon, and prepared noodles. Pour half of mixture into greased, deep 9″x9″ baking dish and sprinkle with half of remaining cheese. Top with remaining noodles and remaining cheese.

Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in small skillet over medium heat. Add bread crumbs and toss to coat. Sprinkle buttered crumbs over top of macaroni. Bake at 350F. until bread crumbs are lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Yum!

Now for the obligatory photo of my ridiculously cute niece in her Halloween costume. Adorbz!

And feel free to admire the fanciest Halloween pumpkins my crew has ever carved. I made the bat on the end. I didn’t get the cat memo, apparently. Oh well, at least they rhyme. :)

Last time I posted, my niece Eva had just been born. I’ve since had a chance to meet her, stay up all night with her, and change her diapers. I’m happy to not be the one having to do that all the time! She is a beautiful little creature, though, and I can’t wait to see how she changes and develops as she grows.

Here are her long, long fingers (definitely inherited from her mom’s side of the family) and itty-bitty feet.

And here is Sleeping Beauty (now if only she would sleep through the night!).

Look at that little grin!

Of course, the whole timing was ironic. My SIL wasn’t due until January 8th and her doctor told her last week that she wasn’t going to give birth for another 2 – 3 weeks (i.e. the due date or beyond). My travel arrangements were to fly back to Boston on 12/28 for New Year’s and a week of intensive class. My SIL made arrangements to have me fly back home on 1/9/10, the day after my class is over, and back to Boston on 1/15/09, thinking that the baby would have to come some time during that week and I would be there for the birth.

As I’m enroute to the airport on Monday, I get the call that they are on their way to the hospital! Turns out that at this week’s appointment they found out that my SIL’s fluid levels were going down and the doctor wanted to induce. Sooo…..off I went up up in the air back to the snowy tundra of Boston and off they went to have a baby! I was bummed I couldn’t be there for the birth, but my brother and my fellow aunt – my SIL’s younger sister – kept me updated as things transpired. And she’s adorable…I can’t wait to hold her!