Contrast in Springs

This was one year ago this week-April 8-15, 2012.  It was a beautiful warm spring in Wisconsin.

Turtles sunning themselves

Korean Spice Viburnum

Construction almost complete on screen porch

Wood Violets

Jack in the Pulpit

This is the week of April 6, 2013.  Snow in the morning.  This is probably more typical, but we were spoiled last year. 

Strange dog on the trail camera in the morning snow

Plants barely showing

Bushes just starting to get green

Irises just starting to come up

There is nothing more to say.  Hopefully in a month or so we can catch up.  We are all so ready for

SPRING

Cash Back Shopping

I love shopping online.  I love the way you can search for items and compare prices without having to drive all over.  I live far away from major stores so this is appealing to me.  You can also read reviews about the product to see how others rate it.  Even for those uncomfortable with actual online purchasing, the computer is a perfect place to do all the preliminary work.  Then when you go into the store, you will know if the price is comparable and know the model you want.  Some stores let you order online and then you can pick up or return to the store.  It is a free service and is a good option.  I am looking for a bedspread but that is something I am hesitant to order online.  I want to see and feel it.  There are some online stores that will pay for return shipping otherwise any money saved will be used up by paying for return shipping.  This is where picking up and returning to the store would be an option. There are also a lot of other things to be aware of.  There are usually shipping costs that are some times more than the product itself.  Because of this I never order without a deal and most of the time free or discounted shipping codes.  I do feel sorry for small business owners who have people come in, look at and try out the product and then go online to order.  However, most of us want to get the best deal we can. 

The place I use most for this is ebates.com.  Ebates has a website that you sign up with.  Then when you find something you want to order, log into ebates and see what deals are available for that particular store.  Almost always there will be a percentage off rebate and/or free shipping offers.  Once you are logged into ebates and order from there, you will automatically get the rebate credited to you.  Then every three months you will either get a check in the mail or the amount credited to your Amazon.com account.  Which ever you choose to do.

Another place I use is mrrebates.com.  It works much the same way as ebates but sometimes one or other have better deals.  I am always amazed at magazine offers.  Sometimes you can get 25% back on a magazine offer.  Just be careful you you aren't signing up for automatic renewal.  If you do, make a note to cancel before the time period is up.  Mrrebates only sends a check when the rebate amount is over $20 but then they will send a check or deposit it into your paypal account. 

 For those who don't use paypal, it is the best and safest way to buy online.  You set up a secure account with paypal and from there you can send money or receive money without having to write a check or enter any credit card information.  I will always pay with paypal if I can.

There are many other places to get deals such as mypoints.com or just search for free shipping for whatever store you are using.  Ebates and Mr rebates are my favorites and I have had good luck with them.

Bottom line is my motto:

NEVER PAY FULL PRICE FOR ANYTHING

Bedroom Remodel

Last December 29, 2012, I blogged about winter projects that we were doing (Getting Through the Winter).  We finished with the bedroom remodel a couple weeks ago.  I said I would post the final project, so here it is.   I still need curtains and that's about it.  I have purchased several and I have taken them back.  The window is such a strange size, I think I will have to look for fabric and make some.  I usually make them anyway because it's hard to find the right style and color for a particular situation.  When we did the kitchen I had to make the curtains also.  This is how they turned out.  I just measured how long I want the sides to be and the middle distance.  Then I just drew a line.  I hemmed the top and sewed bias tape on the bottom.  It cost a fraction of the premade curtains.

This is the before photo of the bedroom.  This room had a dropped ceiling and white paneling as I described in the previous post.  I didn't take an original photo.  This is the room after it was dry walled and taped.

Now it is finished.  Besides the curtains, I need to hang pictures and do some finishing. As you can see the window is small 27" by 45".  The only curtains that would fit are kitchen curtains and they usually have ruffles and patterns.  I will know when I find the right ones (hopefully). 

We got this bedroom set from my husband's mother.  It is beautiful walnut with marble tops.  It really doesn't match the style of our house now, but it is pretty.  It had twin beds, so we pushed them together, tied the legs together, put a foam connection in the seam and topped it with a king sized memory foam topper over everything.  It's actually pretty comfortable.  The photo doesn't show how big the bed actually is. 

Granola Recipe

My Tuesday recipe is going to be Granola.  Back in the early 1970's I got this recipe from a long time family friend.  I have known Wendy for more than 50 years.  She was my sister's best friend when they were little.  Our children are nearly the same age and we went through the organic gardening and healthy eating phase together.  Actually we are still trying.  This is the original recipe.  It's in pretty bad shape but still readable.  Here is the translation.

Granola

Preheat oven to 225 degrees

3 cups uncooked oatmeal
1 1/2 cups dry unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup wheat germ or soy grits
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup water
1 cup slivered almonds

In a large mixing bowl combine oats, coconut, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds.  Toss ingredients together. I left out the wheat germ.
Combine honey, oil and water and add to dry ingredients.  Mix until crumbly and spread in a large shallow baking pan.  Place in oven for 1 1/2 hours, stir often (it says every 15 min. but I don't do it that often)  Add the almonds and continue to bake for another half hour or until the granola is light brown.  Turn the oven off and allow the cereal to cool in the oven.  You can add raisins or craisins if you like them.  Store in a cool dry place.

Apparently you can make Granola Bars by mixing two cups of the cereal and two well beaten eggs. Then spread on a lightly oiled cookie sheet, pressing firmly.  Bake for 20 minutes, cut into bars but allow to cool before breaking apart.  I have never done this but I may try some day.

Granola

Wisconsin Wildlife Phenology Calendar

A few days ago I called a friend of ours who lives in Stoughton, WI.  My sister's brother in law had passed away and I called to tell my friends details of the funeral arrangements that had been made.  We attended that funeral today and it was very sad and so hard to see the family struggling with losing such an important person to them.  He was only sixty years old and left behind five children age 21 and under and also two brothers and two sisters.  We only hope they heal and are left with only good memories.

During the conversation with our friends we began to discuss nature and the return of different birds, ducks and animals after a long Winter.  I have blogged about many of these, but I never knew of a calendar that was available from the University of Wisconsin Extension office.  It is so interesting.  The calendar is called Wisconsin Wildlife Phenology.  "Phenology is the study of periodic life-cycle events in nature that are influenced by climate and seasonal change: wildlife emerging from hibernation, birds nesting or migrating, flowers blooming."  Many of the facts are based on data collected by Aldo Leopold and his daughter Nina.  Even though the information is based on Southern Wisconsin, they give a formula to determine when an event will occur in different areas.  We will see how accurate it is.  Today it says that the Belted Kingfisher is due to arrive and that trees are susceptible to Oak Wilt until it freezes hard again.  By the way, we have lost many many oak trees to the wilt.  Hopefully we won't lose anymore.  The calendar also has beautiful photos and a lot of very interesting information.  I am so grateful that I learned about it.  This calendar has been published every year for the last ten years, but this is new to me.

Any one interested in nature, this would be a perfect calendar.  I ordered it online from http://learningstore.uwex.edu

Keeping Humidifiers Fresh Smelling

 Our $5 garage sale purchase.

Winter is almost over and I forgot to write about one of the most important helpful hints of Winter.  It is a humidifier for those of us who heat our homes from October until April.  We have pellet and wood stoves which I blogged about earlier (Pellets or Wood - Another Source of Heat) posted on 1-11-13.    By using this type of heat or any furnace for that matter, the household air becomes very dry.  The dry air causes a lot of static electricity so everything you touch gives a person a small shock.  It also dries out the nasal passages and causes nosebleeds and coughs.  People in our climate should run humidifiers to maintain some moisture in the air.  The strange part about that is when Spring and Summer arrive, then we need dehumidifiers to remove the excess moisture.  If we don't the carpets, bedding and even our pets tend to smell a bit musty.  It is a constant struggle to maintain the proper humidity in Wisconsin.

The biggest problem with humidifiers is to keep the water fresh so the humidified air smells fresh and doesn't distribute spores which can cause allergies and even more problems than dry air.  A couple years ago we bought a larger sized humidifier at a garage sale.  We only paid $5 but it didn't have a filter.  Luckily the filters were still available and we pick up a few when our local Menards home improvement center has their 11% rebate sale.  That reminds me, I have to send that rebate in today.  Anyway, we learned the hard way that if you don't clean the reservoir completely and add something to the water, your air smells as if you have many cats even if you have none.  There are bottles of freshener that you can buy but that gets costly and there is no reason to buy it.  I have found that if you put two Tablespoons of baking soda into every gallon of water, the air smells fresh.  I also put in 1/4 cup of lemon juice which adds a lemony smell.  The lemon juice and baking soda serve another purpose.  It keeps the lime deposits under control and not as much cleaning is required.  Another little helpful hint is that I place the humidifier on one of those plastic or rubber trays for putting wet boots on.  In case of overfilling or leakage, the water doesn't get on the floor.

Saving Potted Geraniums are a Sign of Spring

Today is a mixed up day.  The sun was shining brightly, then it turned cloudy, then sunny and now it's raining.  A typical Spring day.  The temperature is in the lower 40's.  A lot of new ducks are appearing on the pond even though there is still some ice and snow out there.  Some of the ducks will just be stopping by and others will stay the entire summer.

 
 A very good sign of Spring is when the Red Winged Blackbird comes back.  I saw them this morning.  They are annoying because they shovel the birdseed out of the bird feeders with their beaks.  Even though they are annoying, it is a wonderful site in early spring.

Besides the fact that I have had enough of Winter, I hope that Spring is nearly here because my geraniums need to go outside.  Every Fall I take my potted geraniums inside for the Winter.  I have had the same flowers for many years.  I just leave them alone for a while and then around Christmas I cut them down, water them and put them in a sunny area.   They start to sprout and as soon as the weather permits, I put them outside.  They are ready to go outside now, but I think it may be a while.  I may have to trim them back a little because they tend to get gangly inside.  This is what they look like now.  One is even starting to blossom.

Later in the summer this is what they will look like.  Nature is so amazing.  Many people throw these flowers away and buy new each year.  I love seeing them come back to life year after year.

Spring is on the Horizon (hopefully)

I am going to make a giant leap.  I believe that Spring is on the horizon.  Today I saw a Great Blue Heron, a pair of Wood ducks and a pair of Hooded Mergansers.  The ice is receding.  In fact our sidewalks are under 3 inches of water.  Right now it is 7:00pm and it's still light out.  It's amazing what a little change in Wisconsin weather can do for a persons mood.

Here is the Great Blue Heron standing in the snow.

The Heron is flying away.  Look carefully, it's hard to see.

If you look closely you can see the Mergansers

Backyard Homesteading

Today I got a call at 7:30am from my daughter.  She asked if I could stay with two of her children today because they weren't feeling well.  I got dressed quickly and went to stay with them.  Neither of them felt great, but weren't too sick so I kind of enjoyed it. 

The youngest, Jack, is so funny.  I was freezing and kept my coat on for quite some time and he was running around all day in just his underpants.  No shirt, no pants, no socks or shoes.  He told me all about the "midnight zone' in the sea and that it is so dark that no one would be able to see anything. It is the deepest darkest part of the ocean.  He is 4 3/4 years old but in addition to midnight zones, he taught me about a sarcophagus.  I asked him what that was and he said it was a place that they put mummy's in.  Then he told me that he was going to sneak up on me someday and steal my gold teeth because they are probably worth a lot of money.  Way back when, it was cheaper to get gold crowns than the other kind. and I still have a couple but probably not for long.  I'll have to watch my back.

A little later Jack went and got a book his mother had bought for me at a book fair.  He told me that he wanted me to get some goats or chickens.  I guess the word is out, at least to anyone who has read this blog, that I might actually enjoy this life style.  I doubt if I will get goats or chickens, but I might want to become a beekeeper.  I have to seriously look into that option. 

Who would think that spending one morning with a four year old would teach me so much.  The only thing I did when I was four years old was to pee my pants so I would get sent home from school.  I guess I was pretty smart also. 

Saving Old Items

I was cleaning out a few drawers and came across these items.  I thought "Boy have times changed". 
We have so many time saving devices compared to years ago, but we have less time. 

These are hand embroidered storage for silverware.  The inside is a very soft flannel material and I imagine by folding the freshly polished silver in separate pockets, they remained untarnished longer.

This velvet box lined with taffeta is a case for a nut cracker and the matching picks.  Can you imagine treating a nutcracker better than some of our valuables.  It looks like a casket for nutcrackers.

Then this is how they watched movies.  There was a viewer and hundreds of cards all with a little view change to tell a story.  Kind of like a flipbook.  This one was about a French maid.  Oolala, kind of racey.

Then a little later in time, they had these 8mm reel tapes with movies.  $5.50 is kind of expensive for back then.  I believe these movies are from the 1940's

I have no idea why I keep some of these things.  I watch the hoarder shows and think that I am not keeping all that stuff anymore.  Then I start cleaning out and find some of this old stuff.  I just can't get rid of them and put them back until I get the cleaning bug again.

Chicken Cordon Bleu the Easy Way-Recipe

Today I'm posting my Tuesday recipe that is another one of my husbands favorites.  A few years ago my cousin relocated only twelve miles from us.  She is a lot younger than I, so we didn't know each other very well.   It's been nice getting to know each other.  They have been very kind to invite us for a meal several times.  I am very bad at reciprocating, and I have no excuse for just being lazy.   This recipe is one that she served.  We enjoyed it very much and have made it several times since.  You can use as many chicken breasts as needed.  Just cover with ham and cheese and adjust the cream soup accordingly.  It's not an exact science.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

 3 - 4  boneless skinless chicken breasts
Sliced deli ham
Sliced Swiss cheese
1 can of cream of chicken soup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan.
Place chicken in pan and cover each chicken breast with a couple slices of ham.
Then place sliced Swiss cheese on top of meat.
Spread soup evenly over all.  Cover with foil and bake for about 45 minutes.

Uncover and let it brown a little, probably about 15 minutes.

When it bakes the ham wraps itself around the chicken breasts.  I think the drier the Chicken Breast the less likely it is to separate when eating it.

U.S. Saving Bond

I had no idea what I was going to write about today.  There was nothing happening of any interest.  The snow, although it is melting very very slowly, is still there.  The birds and animals are still very sluggish.  My husband is still chipping away on the three inches of ice that formed on our sidewalk when we were away from home for a few days.  Then something happened that annoyed me to no end and that is my topic for the day.

On Easter Sunday, March 31, my youngest grandson will be three years old.  My daughter has forbid me to get him any toys or clothes.  He is the youngest and he has the toys and clothes from all the previous grandchildren.  I thought about it and decided to get him a US Savings Bond.  At least it would be something to give him and as long as the country doesn't go to pot, it would be worth something someday.  I managed to find his Social Security number and gathered his full name and any other information I thought would be needed.  I then got into the car and drove to the bank.  I waited in line because it was rush hour at the Princeton bank.  When I got up to the teller, I asked to buy a savings bond.  She looked at me and said "banks don't sell savings bonds any longer".  She said you have to go online to buy them.  I asked how long it would take to receive it because I needed it by Sunday.  She said, "Oh, you don't actually get a bond anymore".  I said that there are probably many old grandmothers who can't use the internet, but would like to buy savings bond.  All she said was "I know".

So here I sit trying to decide what to do.  Do I go online and buy a bond?  Do I deposit some money in a savings account I have for him?  Do I give him cash? Or do I just ignore what his mom says and go get a perfectly useless toy?  Then I realized there are many children who don't have enough clothes let alone toys.  I realize that there are many grandparents who can't buy their grandchild a gift.  I guess I have no reason to be annoyed but just very grateful.

My Quilt Was Damaged By The Sun

It seems as if I am always looking for something that doesn't exist or existed a long time ago but isn't available any longer.  I don't know when they quit making bedspreads and opted for comforters, bedskirts and shams.  I always liked just a one piece bedspread.  Ten years ago we got a big tall king sized bed.  I wanted a big bedspread.  I finally found one that was large enough on ebay.  It went with our woodsy theme and I was happy.  It has faded over the years and I need a new one

Then a few years later I found one at a thrift store.  It probably came out of a motel room but it was large enough and not too bad.  It wasn't quite large enough, but it was fine.

Now I'm looking again.  They have a little more variety in catalogs and websites but no patterns that really interest me.  I have seen the old fashioned chenille which is a step in the right direction.   Hopefully, enough people will get sick of those bedskirts and comforters that don't lay right and manufacturers will make more bedspreads. 

My story does have a point or at least I thought it did.  Before I found the previous two bedspreads, I was again looking for a special sized bedcover.  That time I decided to make my own quilt and use it as a cover.  I went to the fabric store and picked out fabric that I thought looked good together.  I had a quilt book titled "a quilt in a day".  That's another story.  I don't know how you could make this quilt in one day unless you worked around the clock and knew exactly what you were doing.  I cut all the pieces which I had mathematically figured out, sewed them together, put on the backing and tied it with yarn.  It fit perfectly and was just what I wanted.  After a while, I became tired of the quilt so I thought I would hang it on a quilt rack to keep it nice until I would use it again.  Big mistake.  When I was ready to use it again, I unfolded it and it had faded in all the parts that were exposed to the light.  Now it will have to be used as a blanket.  The lesson in this long winded blog is always check for the color fastness of fabric and even then never hang it in the light.  The quilt rack was in a very indirect place, but the light still damaged my quilt

 This is how bright the quilt should be.

This is how part of it has faded.  So sad.

Operation Migration

For those of you who are my facebook friends know of my fascination with the Whooping Cranes.  Whooping Cranes were almost extinct.  The population was down to 15 in the 1940's.  The population is on the increase but not without the help of individuals who have dedicated themselves to saving this beautiful bird.

One day while traveling a back road from our home to Berlin WI, we noticed several campers and a trailer with the name Operation Migration on the side.

 After a little research we realized that this local marsh area was where they were raising the baby Whooping Cranes.  A couple weeks after seeing this trailer we attended a Crane festival in Berlin.  It was during that time we learned about Operation Migration and the work they were doing.  They raise the chicks by wearing costumes so the birds never see a human.  They need to remain completely wild.

 In late fall, they help the birds migrate with an ultralight airplane (as shown on the trailer).  It is a site to behold and I wanted to see it so bad.  There were viewing sites a short distance from our house, but due to delays we missed the first leg of their journey.  They left around September 28, 2012.   Finally after many migration days the cranes arrived to a wildlife area in Florida on November 22.  They spent the winter learning to fish and survive without the help of humans.  Six cranes began the migration from the White River Marsh near Princeton Wisconsin.  One died during the migration from a broken leg, one died in Florida by being killed by a coyote, one disappeared and hasn't been located and the other three took off last week.  Hopefully they imprinted and will return to this area.  Everyday I watch out on our marsh to see if these beautiful Whooping Cranes stop for a bite to eat before returning to the sanctuary of the White River Marsh.  Many sandhill cranes have come through already. 

All the details of this can be read about on the operationmigration.org website.  Read the field notes for details of the journey.  If you start http://operationmigration.org/InTheField/page/21/ you can follow all 57 days of migration.

There is also the fact sheet http://operationmigration.org/InTheField/Operation%20Migration%20Info%20Sheet.pdf

Photo: Karen Willes.
 

The Antique Hall Tree

Many of you know how we came to like antique oak furniture, but I'll mention it again.  We didn't have a lot of money when we first got married.  My husband was thrilled to get a teaching job for $5000 a year in 1969.  We couldn't afford the new furniture that we really liked, so we started buying old pieces for $5 and $10 .  We cleaned and refinished the furniture.  These pieces turned out to be sturdy, and we still have most of them to this day.  At some point in the late 1960's we met a man named Elmer Johnson.  Elmer owned a farm outside of Stoughton Wisconsin.  He went to auctions and filled his barns with old furniture.  Quite often my husband would go out and visit Elmer.  They chatted and more often than not, my husband would come home with a piece to work on.  One particular day he brought home a beautiful hall tree.  We had an old home with an entry hall and an open staircase.  This hall tree fit in perfectly.  It had a hinged box for mittens, hats and sometimes boots.  Our daughters always called it the 'boot box'.  Where ever we moved, we always found a place for it.

When our youngest daughter grew up, she wanted a hall tree like ours.  We searched antique stores and sales, but either they needed a lot of repair or cost a lot.  We are old but not old enough to give away our favorite belongings.  At this point, my husband decided to make her one.  This is the final product.  I think it looks nearly the same and even better because her dad made it. 

This is our hall tree purchased about 1969.

This one on the right was made by my husband for our daughter.  I took the photo with my phone so the color is a little off, but you get the idea.  A pretty close match, don't you think?

An Ordinary Day

I really don't have much to report today.  The calendar says it is Spring, but the winter that never ends continues.  However, the temperature is rising slightly each day.  The snow is slowly melting and icicles are forming.  The sun is higher in the sky and you can feel that it has more heat.  It's probably good the snow is melting slowly because some extreme flooding could happen if it melts too fast.

 

Yesterday I saw this lonely Sandhill Crane just standing in the snow.  It stood just below our deck and I could see it easily from the patio door.  He would stand on one leg for a while and then switch.  He stayed for hours.  Then this morning I saw at least fifty sandhill cranes congregating near the river. I wonder what they eat when everything is frozen solid.  We also had at least a hundred geese stop over in the open water near our house.  I assume this means Spring is close at hand.

I also spent today babysitting with my youngest grandchild.  He had a cough and cold and couldn't go to daycare.  He was so good.  We just sat and watched Curious George cartoons or as he calls it Monkey George.  We ate imaginary food and read books.  It was actually a good break from my usual day.  We even made a gluten free cake for his mommy.  You can see he doesn't feel so good, but he wanted to help.

Triple Chocolate Cake

Wheat free!

---

Ingredients

• • 1 chocolate cake mix, dry mix not made up ( King Arthur Flour Cake Mix Gluten Free Chocolate works great)
  • 3.9 ounce package instant chocolate pudding mix
  • 8 ounces sour cream
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup oil
  • 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

---

Instructions

• 1. Grease a bundt pan and set aside.
  2. In a bowl combine cake mix, eggs, dry pudding mix, sour cream, water, and oil.
  3. Beat on low for 1 minute or until well blended.
  4. Stir in chocolate chips.
  5. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until cake tests done when a toothpick is inserted.
  6. Let cool and enjoy

Organizing your Knife and Fork Drawer

When I was visiting in Michigan recently, I was able to visit IKEA for the first time.  It is a very interesting place and I enjoyed it very much.  I like how they set up different room situations using their products.  I purchased a few things and I am sure if I lived closer to this store, I would shop there often.

In the kitchen area they had a lot of organizational ideas, including inserts to organize the knife and fork drawer.  I had my own idea for doing this and that is my helpful hint for today.  I went to the dollar store and purchased plastic desk trays.  They are usually used to store pencils and pens.  They are sold in a pack of three for a dollar.  They are easy to clean and work beautifully.

Happy first day of Spring.

 

Moist Bundt Cake

Recipe Tuesday is here once again.  Since last Sunday was St. Patrick's Day, I think I will post the recipe for the cake I made.  Usually I make the Pistachio Cake that everyone is familiar with.  It is light green in color so it fits in with the green theme of St. Patrick's Day.  Sometimes this cake is called the Watergate Cake because it was created and became popular at the same time as the Nixon Watergate scandal in the 1970's.  Jello had just come up with their new Pistachio pudding and provided the recipe for pistachio-pinapple salad.  It was said that the salad was named watergate salad because the salad was full of bananas, marshmallows and nuts and covered up with fluff, just like the President Richard Nixon administration.  The cake also used the pudding and so the name Watergate Cake stuck.

This year I used a little variation of the original recipe and put it into a bundt pan.  This recipe can be used for any type cake mix and any flavor pudding you think would go together.  This time I used a white cake mix and pistachio pudding, but chocolate cake mix with chocolate pudding or lemon cake mix with lemon pudding and some poppyseeds works just as well.  I love the creme cakes they sell at the grocery store and this cake turns out almost the same.  It is very moist and delicious.

Moist Bundt Cake

1 package of white cake mix (try to buy the cheaper kind without any pudding added)
1 package (3.9 ounces) instant pistachio pudding mix
4 eggs
1 1/4 cups of water (original watergate cake uses lemon-lime soda in place of water)
1/2 cup oil

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake and pudding mixes, eggs, water and oil.
Beat on low until moistened and then beat for two minutes on medium.

Pour into a greased bundt pan and bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes.
Cool 10 minutes and remove onto a wire rack.

When cooled completely, heat frosting (either canned or homemade) for a few seconds in the microwave and drizzle over the cake.