Gravedigger Monster Truck Birthday Cake

It's my son's birthday tomorrow, and he requested a Gravedigger birthday cake.  For those of you that have know me, know that I go all out for birthday cakes, if you didn't know, like the Birthday Cake tab above to see my past cakes. :)  This one I'm quite proud of, it turned out awesome!

Below is kind of a step by step for you, so you know how I did it. Anyone can do this, if I did.  I've never taken a cake decorating class, I just want to make my boys cakes as amazing as possible.

What you need:

2 batches of rice crispy treats (using Erewhon GF Brown Rice Cereal, 8 cups of cereal to one 10oz bag of marshmallows and 2 tablespoons of margarine)

2 batches of chocolate marshmallow fondant (I used 1/2-3/4 cup of cocoa, mixed right in with the powdered sugar, to make it chocolate)

1 cake, cooked in 2 loaf pans (I used King Arthur's GF Chocolate Cake, because I had a box in the pantry)

1 batch of buttercream frosting

Various food colorings, I used Wilton Icing Colors

Paintbrushes (one's that haven't been used before, or used for food projects)

 Make the rice crispy treats and form into 4 large wheels, and engine base (above) and the mud ramp (below).

 Bake the cake, let it cool, and then freeze it. It's much easier to cut and shape when it's frozen.

Cover the rice crispy treats with rolled fondant.  Rub with extra cocoa to make it look 'dirty'

 I did the green suspension by pipe some colored buttercream into the engine block.

 To shape the cake, it's a lot of freehand.  And patience, I wish I could better explain what I did, but it's nothing fantastic it, it's just looking at a toy car and shaping a two layer loaf pan cake to resemble it.  Once it's shaped frost it with the buttercream. (I actually have the cake sitting on a piece of cardboard the same shape for extra support, too)

 Cover the frosted cake with rolled fondant and place on top of the engine block.

 Then with all of the patience you can muster, sit down and paint the truck.  I created paints by combining the icing colors with mint extract.  You want alcohol not water to dilute the colors, the water will melt the fondant and make it sticky.

 When you are finally done, no matter how it turns out, enjoy the shock and joy on your kid's face when they get to enjoy the coolest cake ever!

Weekly Menu (1/29/12-2/4/12)

Sunday:

Breakfast: Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Lunch: 

• Ham sandwiches 
• Chips
• Orange Slices

Dinner:

• Spaghetti
• Breadsticks
• Roasted Veggies (Brussel Sprouts, Asparagus, and Cauliflower)
  

Monday: It's my older son's birthday!  He's seven!!!

Breakfast: Cereal

Lunch:  

• School Lunch:
• Peanut Butter and Jam Sandwich
• Chips
• Apple
• Cupcake <3
• Chocolate Milk

Dinner:  It's my son's choice, since it's his birthday. :)

• Chick-fil-a for their grilled nuggets and waffle fries :)
• Birthday Cake--I'm making a Gravedigger Monster Truck (pray for my sanity, please)

Tuesday: 

Breakfast: Banana-Chocolate Chip Muffins 

Lunch:

• School Lunch:
• Grilled Cheese Sandwich
• Orange Slices
• Chips
• Birthday Cake
• Milk

Dinner: 

• Navajo Tacos
• Topped with Tomatoes, Salad, Salsa, etc.
• Apple Slices
• Orange Slices

Wednesday:

Breakfast: 

•  Cereal and Overnight Oats

Lunch:

• School Lunch:
• Pepperoni and Cheese on Schar Crispbread
• Apple
• chips
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie 
• Milk

Dinner:

• Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs
• Roasted Red Potatoes and Green Beans
• Salad

Thursday:

Breakfast: 

• Cereal and Milk

Lunch: 

• School Lunch:
• Peanut Butter and Honey Sandwich
• Chips
• Orange Slices
• Milk
• Fruit Snack

Dinner:

• Pancakes
  
• Bacon
• Apple Slices
• Hashbrowns

Friday: 

Breakfast:

• Banana-Chocolate Chip Muffins

Lunch: 

• School Lunch:
• Pepperoni and Cheese on Schar Crispbread
• Chips
• Orange Slices 
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie
• Milk

Dinner:

• Pizza
• Salad

Saturday

Breakfast:

• Cereal

Lunch: 

• Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
• Tomato Soup

Dinner:

• Brats and Hotdogs with Udi's Buns
• Fried Green Beans
• Salad

Baked Yeast Doughnuts

A few weeks ago I posted this recipe for Yeast Doughnuts. They are awesome, but they are fried.  So, I decided to try these baked to see how they'd turn out.  We had them last night for dinner (we have breakfast for dinner every Thursday night in my house) and it was a huge hit.  We almost ate the entire dozen I made.  My boys loved these more than the fried ones, so I will definitely bake them again.  A note on the rising, if you aren't sticking the dough into the fridge like me (it's my way of prepping beforehand), you probably could get away with one rise for 30-45 minutes, or when the dough doubles.  If you do it this away, just make sure to shape the doughnuts first.

We topped our doughnuts with either a sugar glaze or dipping them in melted margarine and then in cinnamon sugar (I think that one was the best).

Baked Yeast Doughnuts
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/4 cup sugar, separated
1/2 cup warm water
1 teaspoon vinegar
2 cups gluten-free all purpose flour
1/2 cup warm So Delicious Original Coconut Milk
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup dairy-free margarine, cut up
Canola Oil for frying
1/3 cup granulated sugar
Sugar Glaze
melted margarine (1/4-1/2 cup)
Cinnamon Sugar (1/4 cup sugar, 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon)

Directions:
The night before you want donuts do the following:

In a small bowl, whisk together yeast, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, and 1/2 cup warm water until yeast is dissolved. Let stand for 5-10 minutes.

In a food processor or stand mixer, combine flour, milk, egg, egg yolk, salt, yeast mixture, and remaining sugar. Cover and process until combined. Add margarine; cover and process until combined (dough will be sticky, of course).

Place dough in lightly greased bowl; cover and chill in refrigerator overnight (8 to 12 hours).

In the morning, do the following:

Divide up the dough into doughnut pans (enough to make 12 full size doughnuts) and smooth out the tops using wet fingers.  Cover the dough and allow it to rise for at least 45 minutes, or until doubled.

Preheat oven to 375F. Bake doughnuts for about 10 minutes, or when they start to turn golden brown.  Remove from pan immediately, allow to cool for a couple of minutes then top as desired. Either dip each donut in melted margarine, then cinnamon sugar to coat, or in the glaze...depending on your preference.

This post was featured on Slightly Indulgent Tuesday.

Potstickers

Happy Chinese New Year!  To celebrate here is a recipe for potstickers.  They are really not to hard to make, but are time consuming.  I promise they are worth it though, just set aside an afternoon and make tons.  Freeze what you don't plan on cooking that day on in a single layer on a lined cookie sheet before placing in freezer bags and then you can have potstickers anytime you want. :) I love Potstickers.  They are amazing little dumplings of goodness, with a nice crispy bottom.  These ones my gluten-eating husband gobbled down as quickly as he does the gluten-filled ones from our past...so they definitely are worth the time.

Potstickers (adapted from here)

Filling:
4 oz Napa Cabbage, shredded (2-3 cups)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 pound lean ground pork
2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
1 1/2 teaspoons chicken stock or water
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
dash white pepper

For dumpling dough:
2 cups GF flour blend
1 cup boiling water, plus additional water if needed
GF flour blend for dusting


Dipping Sauce:
1/4 cup soy sauce (or coconut aminos)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
crushed red chili flakes, to taste

Directions:
Salt the cabbage with 1 teaspoon of salt and set aside for at least 5 minutes.  Squeeze out the excess moisture.

In a large bowl, combine the filling ingredients and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour blend and the boiling water until a soft dough forms.  If you need more water, add additional warm water one tablespoon at a time. Knead the dough until its smooth.

Divide dough in half.  Cover one half with the moist paper towel, while working with the other half. Shape each half into a roll 12 inches long and cut each roll into 1/2-inch slices.  I was able to get 16 slices from each roll.

On a floured surface, pat each slice out into a thin circle and place about a tablespoon of the pork mixture in the center of the circle.  Life up the edges of the circle and pinch them together to create a half circle.  Repeat with remaining dough and filling.  Keep the potstickers covered with a moist paper towel, to keep from drying out. And don't stack them on top of each other, they'll stick together and break. (I know from experience.)

Heat a nonstick skillet (you can use a regular skillet, too, but you may have potstickers that are really stuck to the bottom of the pan) over medium high to high heat.  Once it's hot, add a tablespoon of vegetable oil, coating the entire bottom. Add in 10-12 dumplings in a single layer and fry for 2 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden brown.

Add 1/2 cup water to the skillet and cover.  Cook for 6-7 minutes, or until the water is absorbed.  Repeat with the remaining dumplings.

To make the dipping sauce, mix together the soy sauce (or coconut aminos), sesame oil, and chili flakes.

This post is featured on Slightly Indulgent Tuesday and Allergy Friendly Friday.

Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Is that long enough of a name for ya?  These are really good cookies.  They have the chewiness of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies with the taste of banana bread, and of course, you can't leave out the chocolate chips in my house. :)  This would make a perfect Sunday afternoon snack, so enjoy!

Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 tablespoons dairy-free margarine, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1/4 cup mashed banana (about 1 medium banana)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup GF flour blend
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups GF quick oats (if you just have rolled oats, pulse them a few times in a food processor)
3/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the margarine and the sugars.  Add the egg, followed by the banana and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour blend, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.  Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture.  Add in the oats and chocolate chips, mixing by hand.

Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes.

Let cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then cool completely on a wire rack.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.