C is for Carrot Cake

 Today was the best day I can remember in a really long time.  If you haven't had the chance, make sure you check out the pictures Grant posted of our family outing to Sesame Street Live.  It was so much fun.  More on that later.

First, let's talk about today's food celebration - Happy National Carrot Cake Day!  The whole thought of carrot cake makes me smile and think of my sister, Michelle.  Michelle had a very unfortunate run-in with a carrot cake earlier in her life and I don't know if she's ever truly recovered.  I know to this day she still can't stand Carrot Cake.  But rest assured, Shell, to spare your niece and nephew a similar fate I made the individual carrot cakes yesterday and waited to frost them until today ;-)

We started off the morning with a different twist on carrot cake - carrot and pineapple french toast with cream cheese syrup.  This was a huge hit.  The cream cheese syrup went over especially well and was the perfect sweet compliment to the whole wheat based bread.  I'd definitely make this one again - and the syrup was reusable so I bet we'll be putting it on pancakes mid-week here.

Then we headed outside to shovel us out again.  The snow was again super light and powdery.  I'm not sure the last time I ran into snow that was that light.  I think we could have used a broom with the same effect as the shovel had.

After a quick lunch we packed the kiddos into the car and told them the big surprise - we were all going to Sesame Street!  Grant and I have had our eye on getting tickets for a few weeks now but hadn't found a good day to go.  Then earlier in the week Grant got an email offering 1/2 price tickets to any show today.  This made it possible for all four of us to go together!  We had an absolute blast.  As Grant said, the best part was all of us going together.  A close second was watching the pure joy radiate from my twosome as the took in the show.  Mikayla was bouncing the entire show and Noah was singing and responding to the characters.  My favorite moment of the whole show was singing the ABC song with Noah and Mikayla.  I won't be forgetting today anytime soon.

We headed home for quick baths and then turned on the Puppy Bowl.  Cuteness in puppy football form - it doesn't get much better than that.   While they watched I whipped up some snacks.  Including my individual sized carrot cake so we could celebrate.  Mom, I used your carrot cake recipe and I'm happy to say Grant absolutely LOVED it and Noah has already polished his off and asked for another.  We've just turned on the game (I'm currently teary eyed after watching the Sandy Hook choir sing with Jennifer Hudson - how touching) and are settling in to watch the commercials.  Um, I mean the game ;-)  Hope you're enjoying your weekend as much as we have here.

School tomorrow and some Homemade Soup to celebrate.  Until then...

 Carrot and pineapple french toast with cream cheese syrup

 My individual sized carrot cakes

Noah and Kayla requested theirs sans nuts on top

 Our Super Bowl spread

My favorite twosome in the entire world taking in the Puppy Bowl action