Spring is just around the corner, I can’t wait for the snow to melt and for the temperatures to rise.  I’m looking forward to blue skies with puffy, white clouds.  Until then, I’ll brighten up the greyest of days by whipping up some “Taste of Rainbow Cupcakes.”

This recipe has been a favorite of mine around St. Patrick’s Day.  When I was in high school, I spent several nights babysitting for neighbors, friends and teachers.  I always lined up special games, a craft project or baking project to help keep us entertained while their parents were away.  The kids loved dying the batter into rainbow colors and watching their creations “puff up” in the oven.

Do you have any St. Patrick’s Day favorites in your recipe book?  If so, please share them on TheFieldPosition.com!

When you’re part of a large family, says Mary Schumacher of Ackley, Iowa, there is always something to celebrate.  Mary is the youngest of nine children.  Her husband, Steve, is the ninth out of 15 children.

Birthdays, baptisms, weddings, anniversaries and graduations keep their social calendar full, and each special occasion calls for special party foods.

Fortunately, cooking is a favorite past-time for this busy wife and mother.  Mary has been employed for 24 years by the Ellsworth Hospital.  Her husband, Steve, is a Latham® dealer.  And the two of them are the proud parents of two daughters and one son:  Molly, 18, attends Loras College in Dubuque.  Abbey is a sophomore at AGWSR High School, where she’s involved with volleyball and track. She also plays AAU volleyball.  Lucas, 11, is active in baseball, wrestling, karate and trap shooting.

The girls enjoy shopping with their mom in their free time, while Lucas prefers to spend time making customer calls with his dad.  Just recently, Lucas said he’d like to farm and take over Schumacher Seeds when he grows up.  There’s nothing like a kid dreaming of a career in agriculture.  And if Lucas plans to become a Latham dealer, I’ll volunteer to make the punch!

Sherbet Punch is one way the Schumachers celebrate special occasions.

“My mom always made punch for holidays when we were growing up, and the favor of sherbet would vary with the season,” says Mary Schumacher.  “It’s a tradition that I’ve continued.  This punch recipe is easy to make, and kids love it.  We’ve used strawberry soda with strawberry or raspberry sherbet.  We also like using orange soda with orange sherbet.”

Check out Mary’s favorite punch recipe below.  She’s also included a recipe for bagel spread, which could be the perfect complement to one of the 18 soup recipes now posted on The Field Position.

How do you add “punch” to family celebrations?  What foods are made for special occasions?

Our baby turned one yesterday!  To celebrate this milestone, my son and I baked a peanut butter birthday cake.  Then we sang “Happy Birthday” and watched as Bailey, our Black Lab, devoured every last crumb.

The “puppy party” continued yesterday afternoon as we watched Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2.  I have to admit, it’s the first time I’ve liked the sequel as much as the original movie.  Plus, the music lifted my mood and transported me (albeit temporarily) to a tropical location.

My toes started tapping and my head started bobbing as I listened to the Chihuahua theme song.  I dare you to watch this one-minute video and remain sitting still. On second thought, I double dog dare you to try it!  (I couldn’t resist.)

I was just starting to believe that Iowa is “my paradise” when reality hit.  My dog started barking, letting us know nature was calling and she needed to go outside.  Instead of stepping onto white sand beaches like one of the pampered Beverly Hills pups, my big girl ran into the white snow and began to roll. Maybe this is her paradise! Or maybe she was just begging for another bite of Peanut Butter Delight.

 In case you’d like to treat your dog to a home-made “pup cake,” the recipe follows. And, for those of you who may not have a pup birthday on the way but still want to spoil your dog, check out this great article with tips on how to show affection and reward your pup.

Recipe Note:  I didn’t have a cake mold, so I used half of a Bundt pan.  In the year ahead, I’ll keep my eyes open for a bone-shaped cake pan.  Does anyone know where I might buy one?

Santa appears everywhere, holiday lights twinkle, snow glistens, carols fill the airwaves, holiday cards fill our mailbox, irresistible treats line the countertop and beautifully wrapped gifts nestle under the Christmas tree.  For all of these reasons and more, I believe Christmas is the most magical time of year!

Speaking of Christmas magic, have you seen Santa Claus’ PNP (Portable North Pole)? Santa is taking time out of his busy day in the toy shop to send personalized messages to girls and boys.  I can only imagine how excited a child would be to watch his or her own personal video from Santa!  Perhaps there is a little one with whom you can share this magical Santa memory.

Santa’s journey from the North Pole to Iowa always intrigued me as a kid, and it was even more fun to track Santa’s progress with my own small children.  Their little faces would light up like Rudolph’s nose as soon as the meteorologist spotted Santa’s sleigh on the Super Doppler radar.

Because Santa will soon be making his way to each little “good” girl’s and boy’s home, I’ve decided to share a recipe (even though it’s not Friday) that will surely put a smile on the jolly man’s face.   I always requested that my mom make “Ho Ho Cupcakes” for my birthday parties in grade school or whenever we hosted 4-H meetings at our house. (The “Ho Ho” in this recipe is really named for the Hostess snack cakes, but I figure it’s also symbolic of this season.  Maybe if I’m feeling really ambitious, I’ll decorate the tops like Santa’s face.  Hmm…)  Everyone who ate one of these cupcakes loved it, so I honestly believed my mom worked magic in the kitchen.  (To this day, I still do!)  Perhaps if I leave one or two of these cupcakes for Santa this year, he’ll leave me something extra special.  After all, Mom always said, “Believe and you will receive.”

It’s certainly fun to receive, but my parents also taught me that it’s better to give.  This time of year many people open their hearts for those who are less fortunate, and that’s why I’d like to share the following heart-warming story with you.  “Christmas Adventure with Grandma” serves as a great reminder of what this season is all about – magic!

For those of you active in the Twitter world, it’s probably no surprise to you that Ree Drummond (a.k.a. @thepioneerwoman) has declared it Cookie Week. On Monday, she asked her followers to post links to their favorite cookie recipes and include the #CookieWeek hashtag. To those unfamiliar with Twitter, hashtags are popular on Twitter because writing space is limited but people can associate their tweets with an event without having to explain the full context.

Since I am a huge fan of Ree Drummond’s blog and Tasty Kitchen, I decided to get involved and share my all-time favorite Chocolate Christmas Cookie recipe. In fact, I’ll actually be baking them up next week and taking them to a cookie exchange on Dec. 10.

What’s your favorite cookie recipe? Feel free to comment below or join the conversation on Twitter by using the #CookieWeek hashtag with your recipe.