SOCIAL MEDIA STRESS

Pinterest Stress: Close To Half Of Mothers Stressed By Social Media Site

 I agree with the stress PINTERST causes..the perfect looking desserts and food are so visually appealing and that make us strive for the picture perfect looking treats and food which causes anxiety if we are unable to replicate pictures. 

I am also very impressed with Erin Zammett Ruddy's empathy for other moms in that she decided not to share pics that were misleading.

(article from Huffington Post)

"For this reason, Ruddy wrote earlier this year, she decided not to share a misleadingly angelic photo of her kids making a snowman on her Facebook page.

"The kids look too cute and happy and sweet. And they honestly were none of the above at that moment. More importantly, nor was I," she elaborated. "What if a mom who was having a bad day with her brood saw my status update and thought, sh*t, I should be outside with my kids or I should be building a snowman? If that mom can do it, so can I. Well, I couldn't do it. And so I didn't post it."

Social media anxiety disorder may not be a recognized mental health issue (yet), but for some moms, social network-inflicted stress has added considerable pressure to parenthood.
Pinterest in particular is stressing out close to half of moms, according to a TODAY Moms survey of over 7,000 mothers across the country. A whopping 42 percent of respondents said that the image-sharing site has caused them anxiety.
Pinterest culture can generate feelings of inadequacy by creating a pressure to throw elaborate birthday parties, attempt intimidating DIYs and bake picture-perfect cupcakes. Comparing the less pristine reality of motherhood to the polished sheen of online images may cause moms to worry about falling short if their culinary or crafting skills don't seem to measure up.
The TODAY Moms survey also found that the greatest pressure on moms isn't coming from other mothers. Rather, it's self-inflicted: three-quarters of the survey's respondents said that the pressure they put on themselves is more powerful than the pressure they feel from other moms.
Other social networks contribute to moms' anxiety, too. Instagram, for example, can present false portraits of idealized family life, adding to the pressure to be a "perfect" mother.
Author and mom of two Claire Bidwell Smith wrote in a HuffPost blog last year that the photos she posts on Instagram depict an idyllic life that doesn't reflect the reality of how she feels on a day-to-day basis. Still, she said, she appreciates the moments of peace that the photos capture.
"I spend so much time feeling like things aren't good enough that when they are, I take a picture, desperate to hold onto that moment for just a little longer," she explained.

Facebook isn't much better: The site can easily become a breeding ground for parental anxiety, with images and statuses presenting a romanticized portrait of life with young children. "Fakebooking" -- posting photos and statuses that cast family events in an unrealistic light -- can make it more difficult to be a parent, according to Parenting.com's Erin Zammett Ruddy. For this reason, Ruddy wrote earlier this year, she decided not to share a misleadingly angelic photo of her kids making a snowman on her Facebook page.
"The kids look too cute and happy and sweet. And they honestly were none of the above at that moment. More importantly, nor was I," she elaborated. "What if a mom who was having a bad day with her brood saw my status update and thought, sh*t, I should be outside with my kids or I should be building a snowman? If that mom can do it, so can I. Well, I couldn't do it. And so I didn't post it."
But some parents decide to share those "perfect" moments anyway, knowing that there's always more to the story. In a post on Kveller earlier this year, Sarah Emily Tuttle-Singer wrote about a deceptive photo she did post on Facebook -- one that made a stressful Saturday with the kids look like a day of laughter and sunshine.
"[H]ere’s the dirty little secret that I’ll never admit on Facebook: I love my kids every freaking second. Would I die for them? You bet," she wrote. "But, I don’t always want to be with them."
Mothers may be able to interact with social media with less stress by using the sites to connect with other moms, swap ideas and find inspiration -- bearing in mind that the statuses and photos they see never quite tell the truth.
"My life on Facebook is an airbrushed and Instagrammed image of my real life," as Tuttle-Singer put it. "Most of the time, I think I’m a decent mom, and I think I’m giving my kids a pretty good life. But I also think I’d be a better mom if I stopped pretending, and making friends on Facebook feel like they have to pretend as well."

Lemon Coconut Bars

For our bake sale, I had volunteered to bring some treats and I was thinking lemon!!. I tried the recipe from mybakingaddiction.com posted below. I am happy to report that the bars turned out awesome..no tweaking required.  They sold out in the first half hour. I loved loved these bars. I am adding them to my list of favorites and will be making them again and again..

http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/lemon-coconut-bars/

Lemon Coconut Bars

March 15th, 2010

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup cold butter or margarine
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup flaked coconut

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9 x 13 x 2 inch pan with foil or parchment paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a bowl, combine flour and confectioners' sugar; cut in the butter until crumbly (I used my food processor and pulsed the ingredients until thoroughly combined).
3. Press into the bottom of a lightly greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, lemon juice and baking powder until well mixed. Pour over crust; sprinkle coconut evenly over the top.
5. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

adapted from allrecipes

Lemon Coconut Bars

Luscious Coconut Lemon Bars - Still to try

 To start they have a buttery shortbread crust (yum!) with a sweet & tart lemon filling, then sprinkled with coconut! Do I have your attention?! I thought so. So, here we go...let's get these delightful bars in the oven!

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A delicate buttery crust with a sweet & tart filling and topped with a generous sprinkling of coconut!

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For the crust: Put the flour, cold butter (cubed) and the confectioners sugar into a food processor. Pulse for 10-15 seconds, or until the butter is pea-sized.

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It should look similar to this.

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Pour the crust mixture into a sprayed 9" x 13" baking pan. Tip: Cover with wax paper (to keep it off your hands) and press until even and firm.

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Place in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 15 minutes. Note: Crust will not be completely baked.

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Whip up the lemon filling ingredients.

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 I used my new Bobby Flay Rasp Grater to zest the lemon. Tip: Always zest the lemon before juicing them, because it's very difficult to zest the lemons once they're juiced.

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Pour the lemon filling mixture over the hot crust and sprinkle with the coconut. If you don't care for coconut, leave it out and dust (sprinkle) cooled bars with confectioners sugar instead.

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Place in the preheated 350 degree F oven for an additional 20-25 minutes, or until the filling doesn't jiggle and the coconut is light golden brown.

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I think you'll love these luscious lemon coconut bars. We took these to a dinner and everyone enjoyed them!

Luscious Coconut Lemon Bars

For the Crust

Ingredients:

2 cups unbleached or all-purpose flour

1 cup butter, very cold & cubed

1/2 cup confectioners sugar

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place all ingredients into a food processor and pulse for 10-15 seconds, or until the butter is pea-sized.

Pour crust mixture into a sprayed 9" x 13" baking pan.

Place a piece of wax paper over the mixture and press until even and firm. Tip: Cover with wax paper (to keep it off your hands) and press until even and firm.

Place in a preheated 350 degrees F oven and bake for 15 minutes. Note: Crust will not be completely baked.

For the Lemon Coconut Filling

Ingredients:

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup fresh or concentrated lemon juice (approximately juice of 2 lemons)

1 tablespoon lemon zest

3/4 cups coconut
* 3-4 tablespoons confectioners sugar, if omitting coconut

Instructions:

Place all ingredients, except for the coconut into a mixing bowl. Tip: Always zest the lemon before juicing them, because it's very difficult to zest the lemons once they are juiced. 

Beat on low until blended and then on medium speed for 3 minutes.

Pour the filling over the hot crust and sprinkle the coconut. * If you don't care for coconut, leave it out and dust (sprinkle) cooled bars with confectioners sugar instead.

Place in the preheated 350 degrees F oven and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, or until the filling doesn't jiggle and the coconut is light golden brown.

Servings: 24 bars

This recipe is also featured on Wow Us Wednesdays and Fluster's Creative Muster Wednesdays blog hops!

Let me know if you try these lemon bars, I would love to hear your sweet comments!

Moist Vanilla Cake with Cream cheese whipped cream frosting

Vanilla Cake with Strawberry Cream Frosting

Recipe from http://www.perrysplate.com/2009/05/vanilla-cake-with-strawberry-cream-frosting.html
http://www.perrysplate.com/2009/05/vanilla-cake-with-strawberry-cream-frosting.html

Ingredients:

Frosting:
2 8-oz packages of cream cheese, room temperature
1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 c powdered sugar
1/2 c seedless strawberry jam
3/4 c chilled heavy whipping cream
Cake:
3 c cake flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 c sugar
1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
7 large eggs
2 T vanilla extract
1 c sour cream
6 T plus 1/3 c seedless strawberry jam
2 1/4 lbs strawberries, hulled, sliced (about 6 cups), divided

Directions:

For the frosting, beat cream cheese and butter in a large bowl until smooth. You'll probably want to use an electric mixer for this so you don't end up with lumps. Stop every now and then to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat in sugar, then jam. Beat cream in a separate, chilled, bowl until peaks form. Fold whipped cream into frosting. Cover; chill for a couple of hours until it's firm enough to spread.
For the cake, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and flour two 9-inch cake pans with 2-inch high sides. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Add sour cream, and beat for 30 seconds. Add flour mixture in three additions, beating to blend after each addition. Divide batter into prepared pans.
Bake cake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 50-60 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edges of the pans, then turn cakes out onto a rack to cool completely. (You may even want to refrigerate them for a couple of hours to make this next step easier.)
Using a serrated knife, divide each layer in half horizontally. Place one half, cake side down, on a cake plate. Spread 2 T of strawberry jam over the cake, then spread 3/4 c of the frosting over the jam. Arrange 3/4 c of the sliced strawberries on top of the frosting in a single layer. Repeat two more times with cake layer, jam, frosting, and strawberries. Top with remaining cake layer, cut side down. Spread two cups of frosting over the top and sides of the cake in a thin layer, then frost with remaining frosting. Stir remaining jam to loosen, then spoon teaspoonfuls onto the top and sides of the cake. Use the back of a spoon to swirl jam decoratively into the frosting.
Makes 12 servings.

Nat's Notes:
1. As you can see, I used a 9x13 cake pan and did three layers instead of four. This makes a LOT of cake. (Which seems to justify the pound of butter (between the cake and the frosting) and 7 eggs, no?) It fed well over 20 people at Sophie's party. It does take longer to bake that way. I think I baked it for an hour and 5 minutes or so. Begin the toothpick tests at around 55 minutes, though.
2. Because I decorated her cake, I didn't swirl jam into the frosting.

 I think it’s one of the moistest vanilla cakes I’ve ever had that wasn’t a pound cake. The frosting was fluffy from the whipped cream and had a hint of strawberry cream cheese flavor. After we refrigerated the leftovers and ate it the next day we decided that it was even better chilled.

Notes: Comments from readers: Frosting too slippery and runny. need to put unflavoured gelatin in whipping cream. Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit. original recipe uses 9 inch round pans.