Long darn day, beautiful cakes

This has been a hell of a long day, friends. Thus my MIAness until now. Have I ever mentioned that my boys talk constantly, unceasingly, repetitively, in imaginary languages, loudly, and all the time? Sweet lord- my head spins with over-stimulation. I actually teared up when Tom left earlier; we're both so tired, and I envied his cross-country flight (and I HATE to fly) because he'd be quiet, still and by himself. Meanwhile, I have been ON. We went to Sur la Table, not an optimal spot for small children but I was hell-bent on getting a few things, and we did manage to find three perfect cookie cutters: a cowboy hat, a cowboy boot with spur and a ghost. I got a new tea ball as mine mysteriously broke the other day (I definitely blame the children) as well as some new Bake Even strips which velcro around your cake pans and insulate them to ensure a more even bake. I like the way they look!

Then we went to Whole Foods for dinner because when the boys see a salad bar they are usually struck with a passion for veggies galore. It worked. They chowed on BBQ, veggies, fruits and a smoothie, I did not have to cook for them, we were out of the house, and I found a round -spy!- booth tucked away in the back 40 of the eating area. Perfect!

After returning home, I made these beautiful strawberry cakes. Truly, this is a perfect cake. It is just insanely good and SO pretty. They're almost done cooking, but here you can see the color of the batter as well as the Bake Even strips in action.

It's almost bathtime. I think I can, I think I can...