Celebrating the Daddy

Justin's birthday was this past week.  He turned the big 3-0!  He was actually out of town on his birthday, so our little family celebrated a few days early.  Grace and I baked him a funfetti cake complete with sprinkles and whipped up a meatloaf.  Helping in the kitchen is one of Grace's favorite activities.  Mix that with a pint of cake frosting and she is one happy camper!

I'd like to post a picture of a perfectly baked cake with beautifully piped icing.  But it wasn't even close.  After I greased the cake pans, I forgot to flour them so both cake layers stuck to the pan.  Okay, since I am no domestic goddess, this has happened to me before, so I pulled a trick from my "domestic un-goddess" stash of secrets - turning a cake into a trifle.  Trifles are an easy way to turn a cake disaster into a yummy treat.  Simply crumble the cake into a trifle bowl.  The kiddos loved helping with that step!  When the bottom is covered, spread some frosting.  I like to melt the frosting so that it can be poured and will seep between the pieces of cake.  Continue layering the cake and frosting.  When you're finished layering, you can strategically scatter sprinkles or you can use Grace's tried and true method - dump 'em all in one big heap!

Thanks to some help from Grace, Emma Kate, and Pillsbury, the birthday trifle was a pleaser!

One last picture to make you smile