Some days deserve cake - make these Just Because cakes! Using cans you can create a multi-layer mini cake that celebrate any (and every) occasion.

Hooray! Celebrate! I'm so excited. Happy Cakentine's Day!!

Wait, what? You may need to Google this one. You've never heard of Cakentine's Day?

That's likely because we made it up.

Cakentine's Day began when Melissa of Lulu the Baker wished me a happy Valentine's day, and Instagram autocorrected to Cakentine's. Melissa is all kinds of talented so I figured she had the inside scoop on a new holiday, and I began Googling. PJ (A Girl Named PJ) quickly noticed the new word, and ridiculous banter back and forth followed until we decided that we would go ahead and celebrate Cakentine's Day.

Melissa created a gorgeous Everyday Citrus Cake (which means we can eat it everyday, right?), and PJ has an amazing tutorial on how to frost a cake like a pro.

The taste of spring and summer come together in this scrumptious Everyday Citrus Cake by Lulu the Baker.

Step by step instruction on how to frost a cake like a pro with A Girl Named PJ.

I'm home today with my daughter, sick with strep, so we created these Just Because cakes. I think we'll BOTH be needing them by day's end . . . just because. They are perfect for any and every occasion or no occasion at all.

Every since I saw Jordan's post on mini cakes back in 2012, I've wondered what baking in cans would look like. I love the idea of a cake just for you so I thought we'd give it a try. Turns out it's really easy. Like silly easy.

For our Just Because cakes, we used our favorite boxed mix and frosting. If I'm going to whip up a cake just because, it needs to be easy and fun to no original recipes on this one.

One box can make three mini cakes.

1. Rinse and clean three cans well. I used cans that once held our beloved mandarin oranges.

2. Create cake mix according to recipe. Be sure to grease/flour. Ladel batter into cans until they are slight more than halfway full.

3. Place in oven and bake. Our recipe called for 40 minutes at 325. I wasn't sure how to time the final baking so I began checking the cakes at 30 minutes. As you can see in the photo above, they bubbled over a bit.

4. Using a wet knife (a great tip from Jordan that I never knew), carefully loosen the cake from the can all the way around the perimeter. Go ahead and make the circle around the can a few times to ensure that the cake lifts off the can easily. Shimmy, shake, and encourage that cake out of the can. This may take a bit of patience.

Use a can to shape a unique and fun way to serve cake! Super simple.

5. Once removed, cut the rounded top off of the cake. And then cut in half and then half again for four round slices/layers of cake.

6. Carefully frost each layer. I recommend piping it on and then using the wet knife to spread. No need to be fancy here, I used a Ziploc bag with the corner end snipped off as my pastry bag.

Happy toppers on these Just Because cake let you know you're loved. Use a skewer to poke all the way through the layers and add stability.

7. Add a happy flag on a skewer, poked through the layers, will add stability and smiles.

Happy baking and caking on this first annual Cakenstine's Day!! Enjoy a laugh with friends on us.

xoxo, MJ

Conversation hearts are the iconic candy of Valentine's Day, but candies themselves could use a taste boost. What if you could send sweet nothings and enjoy some chewy chocolate, too? These brownie hearts are easy and charming for an after school treat or a romantic finale to a dinner in.

Pull out your heart-shaped cookie cutter, a box of brownie mix (or make from scratch if you're ready for that), and bamboo skewers. These arrow skewers are my favorite! Use a permanent marker to change their natural tone to something more heartastic for Valentine's.

Valentine conversation hearts just got a lot more tasty! Turn brownies into special messages for Valentine's Day.

Bake your brownies as usual and let them cool completely. Press cookie cutter into the brownies and remove onto another plate.

To stencil on your message, download the svg file Be Mine and Hug Me. Cut these with your Cricut Explore or with a sharp craft knife. Sprinkle powdered sugar into the stencil and carefully press the sugar into the letters.

Valentine conversation hearts just got a lot more tasty! Turn brownies into special messages for Valentine's Day.

Finally, put on your cupid wings, and push the skewers through the heart, like arrows, and present to the one you love.

Valentine conversation hearts just got a lot more tasty! Turn brownies into special messages for Valentine's Day.

Looking forward to sharing another Valentine treat with you tomorrow! It's become a favorite at our house.

xoxo, MJ

P.S. If you're looking for an easy way for your child to bring in classroom Valentines, turn one of her or his shirts into a fun, no sew bag!

Hey lovelies! Valentine's Day is but a week away, and we are stamping, sticking, and stuffing some gorgeous classroom valentines from Minted at our house. Check back next week for a super cute bag we'll be making to tote all the love notes!

Have I mentioned that I'm a classroom mom? I have resisted and avoided for five years until this year, my oldest daughter's teacher asked me (!) to be the stewardship parent. And I said, only if my husband and I can do it together. So we are. We are the parents for the class which means we get to organize their service projects (which is really why I jumped in) and plan their parties (which is really why I ran away at any notion of assisting in the past).

The third graders will have a simple yet fun-filled celebration of friendship and love, rotating from center to center. I've been scouring the interwebs and pinboards to find crafts that are hip enough for this tween age and easy enough to accomplish in 15 minutes.

Here are my top five picks for a Rad Classroom Valentines:

1. Paper heart chain: Easy supplies, great results. Make one for your doorway even if you don't have kids!

2. Orgami hug: Two hand prints and an accordion fold and kids can declare their love.

3. Arrows through my heart: Free printable for these beauties. And don't forget about the red velvet.

4. Chocolate covered strawberries: Slice, coat, drizzle. Repeat. And save some for the class.

5. Awesome sauce!: Love this simple addition to store bought sauce.

Any fabulous ideas you want to share?

xoxo, MJ

 

Voila and ta da! Today is the very last in our series of Fresh Holiday Traditions. Big thanks go to all of you for following along in the fun and also to our creative ladies who added more fun and shazaam into this Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday. Big hugs to Alexandra, Jen, and Melissa.

Alexandra baked some pepparkakor for us today!! And until today, I had never heard of pepparkakor...I love when friends allow me to learn something new. And Alexandra sandwiched eggnog ice cream between two of them which makes it all sound that much more delicious.

Based on my advanced searching on the interwebs, pepperkakor is a rolled Swedish ginger cookie. And based on my reading of Alexandra's recipe, she's simplified the process to make these much more approachable to us first-timers.

Over at our house, we have yet to make our Santa cookies. Typically we do some peanut butter blossoms and sugar cookies. What do you bake up this holiday season?

Head on over to see Alexandra's Pepparkakor. Happy baking!

xoxo, MJ

Don't miss all the other great projects in the Fresh Holiday Traditions series:

5 Minute Gratitude Journal 
Pumpkin Pancakes for Thanksgiving Morning
Gratitude Star Garland
Hand Stamped Thank You Cards
A December 1st Party
Painted Wrapping Paper
Party Hat Christmas Trees

Pepparkakor

The boxes of valentines have been purchased and the myriad of heart pictures, stamping, cards, and cut outs have begun around our house.

I've been a romantic nearly my whole life, decorating my little girl room with piles of pink and red construction paper heart chains. As I grew older and my romance fell upon beaus, I'd create oodles of cupid-speared hearts written in curlicues and glitter and write out love poetry to adorn my walls and windows.

These days my adorations fall upon 3 little people and a great guy, and I find myself drawn to the simple, daily ways to say I love you always and forever (and I support every effort to fill the house with heart-shaped everythings).

We've been having a ton of snow around here lately, and everyone, save me, loves to be out in the snow and in the sled so I have galiantly taken on the role of Hot Chocolate Barista. My people claim that I am THE best hot chocolate maker. Ever. I'm not sharing my secret recipe, but I am sharing something to make Valentine hot cocoa, coffee, or tea extra sweet.

I've had this container of bamboo forks ever since I hosted a Hunger Games bookclub party with friends, and I've been awaiting Cupid's prompting to use them.

Here's what you need to make some for the lovelies in your life:

 + Brownie mix (and necessary ingredients)

 + Heart mold baking tray

 + Bamboo forks (I dyed mine red for the holiday with food coloring. Just squirt the food coloring right onto the skewer and spread.)

 + Notes/String for special messages

These are basically brownie bites so make the brownies more on the cake than fudge side. Bake the bites a little less than half the total time for a full sheet of brownies. Keep an eye on them as these times vary.

Once the brownies are cool, carefully spear Cupid's arrow through the middle and wipe the end clean. Add special notes with string or twine or leave them as is for a yummy addition to any hot drink.

Happy Valentine's, dear friends. Who's ready to cut up some paper doilies with me?

xoxo, MJ