self-esteem | Mom Meets Blog

Like the sailors lured to their doom on a rocky reef by the sweetness of her song, I’ve been known to heed the siren call of Pinterest, the visual social bookmarking site chock full of crafts, recipes, and all manner of creative endeavors from well-intentioned pinners the internet over. I do my fair share of pinning, and while I’ve certainly learned a thing or three, channeling my inner Barefoot Contessa and perfectly executing that glossily photographed salted caramel dulce de leche flan does not come naturally – or at all. To soothe those rankling feelings of inadequacy, I head on over to Pinterest Fail for a little commiseration time-out. Billed as a place where good intentions come to die, it chronicles hopeful pinners’ valiant efforts at replicating those glossily photographed projects, which have met with disastrous results. Communing with my fallen brethren in creativity gives me the courage to continue my own aspirational pinning, ever hopeful that I will chance upon a recipe I can actually pull off that bears some resemblance to the original.

Such is the case with this Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cake recipe I pinned from Julia’s Album, which she adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe.

Armed with my computer, a pound of strawberries I bought on sale, and a sanguine spirit, I tackled this recipe with surprisingly successful results! Light, delicious and bursting with strawberry-chocolatey yumminess, I’ve made this cake three times so far and taken one to a potluck dinner, where it was met with rave reviews. It usually lasts about two days at my house, and I know it’s a recipe I’ll be making for years to come. Oh, and let me share this direct quote from my son:

“It’s like heaven had a baby, and its name is Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cake”.

High praise, indeed!

Please note that the abundance of strawberries tends to make this cake extremely moist, so it’s best kept refrigerated (where it should keep well for about a week, if it lasts that long!). My son and husband prefer to eat it cold; I like to microwave it for about 10-15 seconds on high so the chocolate chips get a little melty. It can also be frozen for up to 1 month, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap.

Check out the recipe below. My low-tech photos were shot with my iPhone, using the under cabinet lighting in my kitchen. Yeah, I’m no photographer either, but, like the cake, I think they came out pretty good!

Ingredients

1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup milk chocolate chips plus more for sprinkling the top of cake (you can use milk chocolate chips or a combination of milk chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate chips)
1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved

Instructions

Heat oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of a 9×3-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Grease the side of the springform pan or square pan with butter or cooking spray.
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl.
In a separate large bowl, combine butter, Greek yogurt, and 1 cup sugar and, using electric mixer, beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy – no more than 2 minutes.
Reduce speed to medium, mix in the egg, beat until light and fluffy. Then mix in milk, vanilla.
Keeping the mixer speed low, mix in the flour mixture, gradually, just until combined. Do not over mix.
Fold chocolate chips into the batter. Transfer batter to springform pan. Arrange strawberries on top of the cake, cut sides down and close together. Place chocolate chips in spaces in between.
Bake cake for about 1 hour until the top is golden brown and the tester comes out clean. OPTIONAL (I skipped this step): In the last 5-10 minutes of baking, you can take the cake out of the oven and sprinkle some more chocolate chips on top, pressing them lightly into the top of the cake (the top of the cake will already be baked and a bit crusty) – it will make for a nice presentation. Return to the oven for 5-10 more minutes, to allow chocolate to melt a bit.
When the cake is done baking, let it cool (still in the baking pan) on a wire rack. After cake has cooled for about 40 minutes, release the cake from the springform pan. At this point, if the cake is cool enough, slide your hand under the cake, between the parchment paper and the bottom portion of the springform pan and move the cake with the parchment paper attached to its bottom onto a cake plate.

Cake before baking

Fresh out of the oven. . . smells heavenly!

Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cake – it’s what’s for dessert! Thanks, Pinterest!

Visit me on Pinterest! What are your favorite Pinterest successes (or fails)? Let me know in the comments!

Now that the holiday season is officially underway, homework is probably the last thing on any kid’s mind! But with the first quarter of the school year over and report cards distributed, this might be a good time to check in with your child and review how he or she is handling the workload. Are they feeling overwhelmed? How are they doing prioritizing tasks and juggling projects? And the homework – do they need help in organizing assignments or just getting down to work? The task of completing homework can sometimes be a battleground that affects both a child’s self-esteem and your relationship with your child. Here are some tips from a piece I wrote for FamilyCorner.com about developing a homework routine for your child that can help take the hassle out of homework:

Expectations: Examine the school’s homework expectations and guidelines, then discuss them and your own expectations with your child regarding how long to spend on homework each evening and/or any goals for the upcoming semester. Make sure the two of you are on the same page regarding these expectations.

Set up a calendar: A visual aide like this can help with long-term planning and setting priorities. Make note of assignment and project due dates as well as test dates. Advise your child to get the phone numbers of his ‘homework buddies’ – two other students in his classes whom he can call in case of missed assignments or notes – and write these numbers on the calendar.

Concentration takes energy: No one works well on an empty stomach. Offer a healthy snack before they sit down to begin homework.

Set up a time and space for homework to happen: For some kids, that means starting homework right after school; others may need a little time to unwind. Agree on a start time and stick to it. Set up a space that’s conducive for work, be it the desk in his room or the kitchen or dining room table. This space should be away from distractions like the television or computer (unless it’s necessary to complete homework). Stock the space with the necessary supplies (paper, pencils, pens, rulers, etc.) to complete homework with minimal interruptions.

Be the fly on the wall: You don’t want to do their homework for them, but let them know you’re there if they need help (or a little encouragement!).

Packing up: At the end of the homework session have your child neatly put away all papers, binders/folders and supplies into their backpack. It’s better to do this the night before than the following morning when it’s more likely that something might be forgotten.

If they need extra help: There is often a ‘homework help’ period available after school with a teacher or a peer tutor. Check if this is available at your school or if something can be arranged if your child is having trouble managing the homework load.

Will your child be writing a book report over the school break? Check out Tips to Help Your Child Write A Successful Book Report for some ideas to organize the process.