Homemade Vanilla Cake That Is Simple To Make

                                This cake is simple and delicious!

You will never want to buy boxed cake mix when you see how simple it is to make your own cake. This cake tastes so much better than a box mix. This cake tastes great plain but can be frosted also. My family enjoys it with fruit on top of it. I served it with blueberries last night and there were no leftovers.

I discovered this great recipe from another blogger Chocolate Chocolate and More but made a few changes to her recipe. This cake is made with egg whites so it has a light texture to it.

Homemade Vanilla Cake

Ingredients    

1/2 cup soften butter

1 1/2 cups sugar  

1 cup milk  

1 teaspoon  vanilla extract  

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons  flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoons salt     

4 large egg whites

confectioner's sugar for dusting

        1. Cream together softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

2. Add milk and vanilla and combine well.                            

                             

                                   3. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture gradually to the milk mixture, blending.                                                             

                                                         

   4. Add egg whites and beat well until combined.                    

               

           5. Pour batter into a greased and floured 9 X 13-inch baking pan.  

                                  6. Bake at 350-degree oven for 40-45 minutes. Insert a toothpick in the middle

(it comes out clean) it is done.

 7. Let cool for 45 minutes and dust with confectioner's sugar.

Notes:

You can make this in 2 cake pans. To serve with fruit, use fresh, frozen or can fruit. I used 2 cups thawed frozen blueberries with 1 tablespoon honey mixed into them to make a nice topping.

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What Recovery From A Tonsillectomy And Adenoidectomy Was Like For my Child

Great insider tips from a mom - what recovery after tonsil removal surgery is like

My 6-year-old son recently had surgery to get his tonsils and adenoids removed. My son's tonsils were swollen, and they were causing sleep apnea issues for him. My son's tonsils were not infected, and he did not have tonsillitis or tonsil stones. So it took me a while to get my son diagnosed with sleep apnea caused by his tonsils. It took many doctor appointments to get my son the help he needed.  

 This is the info you need to read to see if your child may need their tonsils removed. I knew there would be some pain involved, but I was totally unprepared for our week-and-a-half recovery. So I am going to share my experience to give other parents the info they need to be prepared for their child's recovery after a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy.

The first 24 hours after surgery

  The first 24 hours after the tonsil removal surgery, my son was in the hospital. My son had to be admitted to the hospital after his tonsil surgery, as that was standard for patients who have sleep apnea. The tonsil surgery could cause swelling in his throat, and they wanted to monitor that. 

 My son was tired, so he stayed in bed watching TV.  Here is tonsil surgery info that you need to know. He was allowed a clear liquid diet, so he ate popsicles and drank plenty of soda. My son experienced a lot of pain, and he was given pain medicine every 4 hours. They also kept the IV in his arm to keep him hydrated. My son had a rough night sleeping as the surgery made his throat swell so he was waking up every hour due to his sleep apnea. Thank goodness that the pain medicine was helping with his sore throat. He also had a pulse oximeter hooked up to him at nighttime to monitor his sleep apnea.

Pain Management

  We then went home the day after surgery. My son was still in a lot of pain, so I tried to give him his pain medicine every 6 hours. The doctor said to alternate with acetaminophen and ibuprofen, but I found that the ibuprofen worked best. So buy at least 2 bottles of pain medicine and try to give the next dose before the other one wears off, or it will be hard to get the next dose in due to pain.

 My son needed his medicine about every 6 hours. We went through 3 bottles of medicine. My son had a hard time swallowing the first week, so taking the medicine was hard, but we just did it slowly. I also discovered that a humidifier helped with his pain. The moist air helped his throat so he could swallow his medicine. In the recovery area at the hospital, they used tubing with moist oxygen in which they placed near his mouth. 

Ask the nurse if you can take that tubing home to use with your humidifier. I did not, so I bought a toy from the dollar store, the one you spin and it makes noise, and put that in my humidifier. The moist air helped my son be able to take his medicine; I simply put the tube near his mouth, about 6 inches away. My son needed pain medicine around the clock for the first week and then less the following week. We are on day 12 of his recovery, and he is not needing pain medicine anymore.

Rest

 The doctor said my son needed to rest for a week after the surgery. I made a bed for my son in the family room, and he just watched TV the whole week. Don't plan on taking your child anywhere in the first week. They just had surgery, and their immune system is weak. So you don't want them near people with colds. I also found sleeping in the same room with him made things easier so I could tend to his pain medication schedule. 

I slept on the couch while my son slept on a crib mattress on the family room floor. I set my alarm clock every night to give him his pain medicine. After the first week, your child may have more activity but no exercise for another week, as their sore throat is still healing. The doctor also said no swimming for at least 3 weeks, as the pressure of the water can break open the areas in the throat. My son will have a follow-up appointment 3 weeks after his surgery, and if all looks good he will be allowed to swim.

Diet

 

The first week after the surgery, all my son wanted was Jell-O, pudding, and soda at room temperature. My son said everything else hurt too much to eat. My son also said that cold and hot liquids hurt his throat. I did get a couple of fruit smoothies in him if they were at room temperature. 

 A soft diet is recommended for the first week, and by week two they can eat normal foods. They just have to avoid things that will scratch their throat, like crackers, nuts, and raw veggies. My son is now in week two, and he is now eating pasta, oatmeal, bread, milk, and blueberries. He says cold things still hurt to eat.  Your child may prefer cold or warm foods. So get a variety of their favorite foods. Don't worry about your child eating too much sugar. Eating may be hard for your child, so give them ice cream, as they need the calories to heal. 

Some children do better with small bites every few hours instead of a full plate of food. I found foods to eat after tooth extraction helpful for thinking of soft foods that would not hurt as much while his throat was healing. Keep a cup or bottle nearby too, since even a few sips between meals can help when swallowing feels uncomfortable. You can also put the food in small bowls so your child does not feel like they have to finish a big serving.

Here is a great list of items to stock up on for after the surgery

+ Jello 

+ popsicles

+ pudding

+ ice cream

+chocolate milk    

+ pasta

+ mac and cheese

+ items to make smoothies

+ applesauce

+ oatmeal

When to call the doctor

  My doctor said to call them if my son had a high fever or any blood from the throat. We did have one episode that required a call to the doctor. My son started coughing on day 4, and a lot of blood came out. The doctor said to rinse his mouth with cold water, and thank goodness it stopped bleeding. The doctor said to go to the emergency room if it started to bleed again and if the bleeding did not stop with cold water. That would require surgery again to sew up the area again. It is rare, but it does happen. Thank goodness, my son did not bleed again.

Other Facts

The first week was rough for my son. He was in a lot of pain and had trouble swallowing. He also had symptoms of his sleep apnea as everything was swollen from the surgery. We are into week two, and my son is sleeping wonderfully, with no symptoms of sleep apnea. I was thrilled to see him breathe through his nose while he slept, something he had not done for a long time. He does not ask for any pain medicine. I know that it can take up to 6 weeks for his throat to heal, so I still have pain medicine on hand. I am also going to keep him on a soft food diet until his 3-week checkup, as I don't want the throat area to bleed.

Here are my other posts on my son's experience with why he needed the surgery and what to expect during surgery and the hospital stay.

  ~ How to tell if your child's tonsils need to be removed due to sleep apnea

  ~ What happens when your child needs a tonsillectomy

Tonsil Removal Surgery Information

Surgery can be scary for kids, even a simple tonsillectomy. Check out this Tonsil Removal Surgery Information for kids.

Your doctor just told you that your child needs tonsil surgery, and I am sure you have plenty of questions and concerns. This is how I found out that my child needed his tonsils removed. My son just had his tonsils and adenoids removed, so I am going to tell you about my son's experience. My son's surgery required a night in the hospital, so I will also talk about that. Most tonsil surgeries are a day surgery, but since my son had sleep apnea, he needed to stay overnight. The tonsil surgery could cause my son's throat to swell, and that could make breathing hard for my son after the surgery. So the doctor wanted to monitor my son in the hospital for 24 hours after he had his tonsil surgery.

Before the surgery

 My son was not allowed to eat or drink after midnight the day before the surgery. They want their stomach empty so they will not get sick during the surgery. We arrived at the hospital 2 hours before the surgery to check in and sign papers. My son brought his favorite stuffed animal to hold during the surgery. Then we waited in the surgery waiting room along with other people waiting for surgery. This room was also where families could wait while loved ones were having surgery. 

We waited for about an hour, so bring something for your child to do while waiting to go back to the pre-op surgery room. My son passed the time playing games on my computer while we waited to be called back to the pre-operation room.

How to prepare the child

 As a parent, I would not give the child too much detail about the tonsillectomy surgery, as this might frighten them. My son's doctor explained the surgery in a great way to him. She told him he was going to come to the hospital for a sleepover. He was going to get a drink that would make him silly or sleepy. Then he would go to a spaceship room and get a special space mask to put on. He would then hear a story and go to sleep. 

When he woke up, he would get all the popsicles he wanted and have a sleepover. I also told my son he would get to eat all the ice cream he wanted and watch TV all day. My son was excited about the ice cream and never got afraid of going to get his tonsils out. I knew he would be in pain afterward, but I would be there to comfort him, so I felt there was no need to explain that part to him, as I did not want him to worry. Too much information about surgery could make your child upset. The important thing is to talk about the positive, like getting ice cream.

It was time to go to the pre-op room

 After waiting for an hour, a nurse called my son's name. The hospital person then walked my son and me down to the pre-op room. At the hospital we went to, they have separate rooms with doors for children, while the adult patients are in a room just separated by curtains. Parents are allowed to be with their children in the pre-operating room. In pre-op, there were books and videos to entertain my son while I talked with the nurse, anesthesiologist, and surgeon.

What happens in pre-op

 The nurse had my son strip down to his undies and put on a gown. She took his vitals and asked me questions about whether my son had a cold or drank or ate anything in the past 8 hours. The anesthesiologist came in next to explain to me what his role was in the surgery. I was informed that my son would be getting medicine to make him sleepy 30 minutes beforehand. 

 This medicine sometimes makes kids silly too. When the medicine kicks in, your child won't remember anything until after the surgery. The anesthesiologist also told me that he would tell my son a bedtime story as he put the mask over his face to put him to sleep. He would also be there during the surgery to monitor him. The surgeon also came by to say hello before the surgery. My son adjusted well in the pre-op room as he enjoyed watching the videos.

Bring food for yourself

 We were in pre-op for about an hour. My son was able to watch Spider-Man during this time. I read him some books too. Then the time came for my son to drink the medicine that would help him fall asleep. The nurse gave my son the sweet-tasting sleepy medicine, and my son liked the taste. My son got very silly after he received the sleepy medicine.

  I talked to my son about going to the spaceship room, and he rambled on about how he was going to fly in space. I knew the medicine was working to make him fall asleep. Once my son got sleepy and silly, the hospital staff came to bring him to the operating room for the tonsil surgery.  I hugged and kissed him, my son. Then they wheeled my son to the operating room. I liked that they just wheeled the bed from the pre-op room so my son did not have to be moved from the bed. 

The nurse walked me to the waiting room that was just for parents and told me she would come to get me after the surgery. This is a good time to get something to eat as after the surgery you won't have time. I brought food with me, but our hospital has a Subway also. I also brought my computer with me, so I had something to do while my son was in surgery. 

Surgery is quick

The surgery lasted about 1 1/2 hours. When it was over, the surgeon came to the waiting room to let me know everything went well. She told me the nurse would come to get me when my son woke up. About 20 minutes later, the nurse came and walked me to the post-operating room. 

At my hospital, children again have a separate room away from adult patients. My son was screaming in pain from the surgery, so I was glad I was there to comfort him. The nurse stayed by his side the entire time. My son received medicine as needed through an IV that was placed in him before the surgery but after he went to sleep. My son was in post-op for 2 hours as he was having a hard time with the pain; most children only need an hour. 

Once my son was alert and the pain medicine was relieving the pain, they gave him a popsicle. Then another nurse came to take my son and me up to his room on the pediatric floor. Thankfully, my son does not remember being in post-op. He remembers watching Spider-Man in pre-op and then waking up to take an elevator ride up to his hospital room after the surgery. 

Unlimited popsicles

  My son stayed in bed and ate popsicles. My son also drank some Sprite. The IV had to stay in his arm for the night. My son had to be hooked up to a heart monitoring machine while he slept because of his sleep apnea. The tonsil surgery tends to make the throat swell so that could cause breathing issues. The doctor wanted to monitor my son for breathing complications. This was done with a pulse oximeter on his finger. 

 My son was too tired to do anything but watch TV. The nurses gave him pain medicine and checked on him every 4 hours. I did not get any sleep that night while at the hospital, as my son kept waking up from his sleep apnea every 30 minutes. We were allowed to go home 24 hours after the surgery. While in the hospital, my son stayed on a clear liquid diet. In the next 4 days, my son was able to be on a soft food diet.

 I will be writing another post on my son's tonsil recovery at home. The links below give great information about why my son needed tonsil and adenoid surgery. Feel free to ask me any questions, and I will do my best to answer them. I know surgery can be scary for both parents and the child.

Read more

  ~ Recovery from the surgery

 ~ How to tell if my child needs his tonsils removed

Rainbow Braid 7200 Mega Refill Kit For Making Rubber Band Bracelets And More

         My boys love making rubber band bracelets. These color bands keep them busy for a long time and it is a great time buster when we have to wait somewhere like the doctors office. My boys tend to lose these rubber bands (they fall all over the floor) or they give their creations to friends I want them to have fun making rubber band bracelets and with Rainbow Braid 7200 Mega Refill kit I can make that possible without spending a lot of money. These color bands are great to use on looms to make cool bracelets and more. 

     The Rainbow Braid 7200 Mega Refill Kit is an awesome kit that comes with 24 different colors ( 300 of each color), 500 clips, and a bag of assorted color beads to make the creations cool. I like that bag has unique colors that I have not seen in any other kits. There are bands that glitter, ones that glow in the dark, and even neon bands. Your children will have fun creating cool bracelets and the included beads will give the bracelets a special touch.  This kit is huge with 7200  color bands that are latex and lead free. The 24 individual bags are resealable making it easy for the kids to organize the color bands. I love that the company offers 365 Quality Guarantee which means if you are not happy you will get a full refund.

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"These opinions are my own and I was sent the about mentioned product to review."

Help Is On The Way With Pure Garcinia Cambogia Extract Review + Giveaway

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I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.