Billy & Mocha (my mama-in-law)

I hadn't fully realized how quickly my baby was growing up until holding a really new, one-month-old last week. All of a sudden my reality shattered, and I saw Billy for what he is. No longer the little, utterly dependent one he has been for these past nine months, but a ever more mobile, curious little adventurer determined to keep up with his big sister. Not content any longer to see the world from Mama's lap, he wants his own piece of the fun. And he has quite the charm to add to the party...

I have a panache for turning little things into Events. Especially when I get to try out new recipes the day of an Event. This fit nicely into my sans-kiddo life when I could afford time to make a plan B if plan A ended up being a disaster. However, this approach doesn't gel so smoothly with life plus two and all the last minute disasters- blow-outs, food explosions, wardrobe malfunctions- that come with them. So I was pretty pleased with myself for keeping it simple for Mother's Day brunch at my sister-in-law's. I deliberated on Pioneer Woman's Strawberry Cake, but settled instead on my favorite simple icebox cake that could be made the night before. It was pretty and delicious, but it still needed something...