T is for Train

Good evening friends! It is Sunday evening and I am sitting down to blog with a warm, full tummy and a smile in my heart. Today my Dad turned 62 YEARS OLD! 

When I asked him what he wanted to do, he said he wanted to spend the day taking Robbie on his first  real train ride. So that is just what we did! 

Being a little unsure of how a 21 month old might handle a long trip on a train, we decided to test the waters by just taking a quick 20 minute ride on our local Metro.

All Aboard !!! Here we go!!!

Robbie was a little unsure at first, this was much louder, larger and different than the little choo-choo train at the mall! 

But as soon as the train began to move, Robbie was beaming with excitement! 

We took the train and rode west for around 4 stops. 

We arrived on Mission street in South Pasadena Ca. where we exited the train and decided to shop around. 

Mission street in So. Pasadena is full of darling, upper echelon, eclectic stores!

Mission street also has an original soda fountain called: The Fair Oaks Pharmacy, which has been  in many movies.

You can still order a soda or float, and there is a very charming gift shop.

We stumbled upon this fun little shop.

Family Fair gift and Candy shop is a quaint old house turned into a tourist store with unusual and adorable gifts and candy - just a hop skip and a jump from the train tracks.

This shop has a great selection of vintage clothing.

They also happen to have a pretty great selection of candy to choose from! 

After we chose our candy, Bompa and Robbie went searching for the perfect spot to sit and enjoy our sweet purchase! 

A picture to be filed in my heart forever! 

They found this charming little patio on the side of the store.

Perfect!

As you can tell this little traveler was eager to get into that candy! 

When we came home, Gi Gi, (my mom) had a great spaghetti dinner with her sausage marinara, a Caesar salad, garlic bread, and a banana cream cake! Yummy!!!

 Gi Gi's Banana Cream Bundt Cake Recipe 

Thing's You'll Need : 

1 Box of Vanilla or Yellow Cake Mix

10 Maraschino Cherries

3 Bananas

1 tub of Butter Cream frosting or frosting of your choice

1 Bundt Cake Pan

Side Story Alert !!!! 

Yes, we are bringing back THE BUNDT CAKE and we love it!!

And in case you were wondering . . . 

The History of the Bundt Cake

There’s probably few people who haven’t heard of bundt cakes. It’s pronounced “bunt” with the “d” being silent. It’s a beautiful ring cake baked in a special bundt pan. The original bundt pans had ridges that gave the cake its classic look.

It’s thought that the original bundt cakes come from Germany, Austria and Hungary and were called bundkuchen. In 1950, the cake had become so popular that H. David Dalquist trademarked the name, “bundt pan”. Dalquist, who was the founder of Nordic Ware, made the bundt pans in response to requests made by members of the Hadassah Society in Minneapolis, Minnesota. A Jewish group of women wanted to make cakes they remembered growing up with in Europe.

The real push in pan sales happened in 1966 when Pillsbury sponsored a baking contest where a bundt cake won second place. It still is every bit as popular, especially considering the fancy modifications that have been made to the original design. Now manufacturers have taken the bundt pan to new heights with various patterns in the pan, some creating shapes like a castle or a train.

What To Do:

Prepare cake mix according to box directions.

Chop up two bananas and throw into cake batter.

Gigi greased a bundt cake pan and placed batter inside.

Bake your cake according to box directions.

Once cooled, and removed from pan, frost your cake and place sliced banana pieces along with Maraschino cherries around top of bundt cake !!

Voila . . . BUNDT CAKE!!!!

No flowers necessary ;)

After Robbie's bath time, we sang Happy Birthday to grandpa and we presented him with presents.

Robbie loves birthdays because he gets to eat cake!

Below, is Bompa's favorite cat, Bear Bear. She had been very sick for about a month. Gi Gi thought she might be ready for kitty heaven. Bompa took her to the Vet and found out she has asthma.  She got a steroid shot and amoxicillin and she is a new cat. What a wonderful birthday gift for Bompa!

I think I'm an old soul . . . 

I appreciate the beauty and class of the past.

Last year, Rich and I watched a movie 

In this movie one of the characters said the following;

Well my friends, I am guilty as charged! 

I am a nostalgic person and my " golden age" by choice is somewhere between the 1930's and the early 1950's and everything in between!! 

I have a dream to combine today's convenience with yesterday's retro-charm, in my kitchen! 

I really like old things. They seem to have more depth and craftsmanship than most things that are offered today. Just look at this beautiful stove!!!!

 My mom said she has made many rag rugs in her day, and we are going to make one together, so I can learn how. I cannot wait!

Such delicious charm!

Okay, so I'm turning THIRTY in April! 

While looking through some of the funky antique shops this afternoon, I found this cute little guy. My mom said that many of her friends had one when she was little. 

I just get a kick out of this Felix cat, (As mom calls them)

These adorable and nostalgic clocks are called Kit-Cat Clocks. 

In 1932, during the heart of The Great Depression, the Kit-Cat Clock was first invented in a small Oregon town by designer Earl Arnault (1904-1971).  With his signature wagging tail, rolling eyes, and contagious smile; Kit-Cat inspired joy during one of America’s darkest hours.

In the 1930s, the Allied Clock Company was founded in Portland Oregon to begin manufacturing these uniquely animated pendulum clocks.  The first models of Kit-Cat were welded with metal but Allied Clock soon adopted the rising trend of plastic molding and moved to Seattle, WA.

The 40s and 50s were decades of explosive growth for Kit-Cat’s popularity and marked the first (and last) changes in his design.  The top paws were added in the early 50s followed by a bow tie.  Due to his popularity, it wasn’t long before Kit-Cat became an Americana icon of the 50s.

Well of course I want the original, vintage 1930's-1940's Kit-Kat clock, which run around 300 dollars. A bit too steep for my budget . . . but hey . . . Mom and Dad are you reading this ???   

I know what I want for my birthday! 

Pretty Please!!!! :) 

Have a great week ahead friends, here is a scripture to start your week! 

Matthew 6:25-34

Blessings,