Easter Bunny Cake Recipe

Easter is just around the corner, and as you gear up to host or attend a festive gathering, we know you’re all browsing for yummy treats for your events. Though Orthodontics is our area of expertise, we decided to change it up a little this week and provide you with a delicious and cute Easter Bunny Cake recipe.

This Easter Bunny Cake recipe is scrumptiously satisfying for every-bunny!

Remember old-fashioned cutout cakes? This cute bunny is easily made from carrot cake mix frosted and covered with mouthwatering coconut.

Ingredients

• 1boxSuperMoist carrot cake mix
• Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box
• Tray or cardboard covered with wrapping paper and plastic food wrap or foil
• 1 container Whipped fluffy white frosting 
• 1cup shredded coconut
• Construction paper
• Jelly beans or small gumdrops, as desired
• 1cup shredded coconut
• Green food color

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Make, bake and cool cake as directed on box for two 8-inch or 9-inch round pans.
2. Reserve 1 layer for another use or to make a second bunny. Cut 1 layer in half as shown in diagram. Put halves together with frosting to make body. Place cake upright on cut edge on tray.
3. Cut out a notch about one-third of the way up one end of body to form head (small end) as shown in diagram (template can be found under the Tips below). Attach half of cutout piece from tail with toothpicks. Frost with remaining frosting, rounding body on sides. Sprinkle with 1 cup coconut. Cut ears from construction paper; wrap ends that will be inserted into cake with plastic food wrap. Press into notch on top. Use jelly beans for eyes and nose.
4. Shake 1 cup coconut and 3 drops food color in tightly covered jar until evenly tinted. Surround bunny with tinted coconut. Add additional jelly beans if desired. Remove ears, plastic wrap and toothpicks before serving. Store loosely covered.

To make it a little easier for you, check out this template you can follow to cut the cake shapes properly.

Poking Archwire, Bracket, Or Tie?

The vast majority of orthodontic problems our patients face are very minor. Though they are minor, they may still cause discomfort or irritation. In general, it's best to try and soothe the immediate cause of the discomfort, and then call our office to schedule an appointment; that way, we can allot sufficient time to take care of you.

Here is one of the most common orthodontic problems our patients have, along with some tips on what you can do to relieve them this particular problem at home.

Misplaced or poking archwire, bracket or tie

As the teeth start to move, the wire that connects them (archwire) may begin poking near the back of the mouth or irritating the cheeks. You can try moving the wire into a better position with a pencil eraser or a Q-Tip. If the wire won't move, you may be able to cut the end off with a nail clipper sterilized in alcohol — but before doing so, please call our office for our guidance or instructions.

Often, you can also use tweezers to gently move a misplaced wire or a tie that's causing problems.When wires or brackets cause irritation, covering the metal parts with wax will often help ease the discomfort. As with any of these types of problems, call Rhode Island Orthodontics and we'll schedule a time to see you.

Mouth Burn: How to Help it Heal Correctly

Have you ever rushed into a hot meal too soon only to burn your mouth? If you answered yes, you're not alone.  Almost all of us have suffered from burning our mouths after biting into a hot slice of pizza, or from digging into hot soup before it was cool enough to eat.  Burns may be a little out of the orthodontists’ league, we wanted to take a second anyway and give you some helpful tips to get you through the mouth burn pain. When it comes to your mouth, Rhode Island Orthodontic Group has you covered.

Check out these important steps to take to soothe your mouth next time you have this accident, and help it heal correctly. 

• Applying or sucking on ice can relieve the stinging. Gargling cold water or eating ice cream are other options.
• An over-the-counter pain reliever can help, if the pain is really distracting.
• Squeezing Vitamin E from a capsule over the wound can speed up healing. It will regenerate new tissue and heal the wound.
• Resist touching the burned area. This may be difficult, but by touching the affected area, the lesion may become irritated further.
• Drinking milk can coat the scorched area.
• Avoid acidic, crunchy, and other hot foods, or even very salty and spicy dressings. This will stop the burn from getting irritated further.
• Maintain good oral hygiene while your mouth is burnt, keeping it as clean as possible to promote healing and prevent further infection.

Make sure you allow your burn to heal; it usually takes about a week for soreness and blistering to pass. Also, let us know if you have any home remedies that we didn’t list, or any interesting stories about a time you burned your mouth. Leave a comment or post it on our Facebook wall!

Don't forget to Hug A G.I. Today

Today is a day we can all embrace, every March 4th we recognize National Hug A G.I. Day. Around 1944 President Franklin Roosevelt signed a bill that became known as the G.I. Bill; Servicemen’s Readjustment Act. From there, there was no straying away from the initials as Hasbro trademarked their G.I. Joe action figure based off the comic strip in the 60’s.

History of the G.I. initials:

G.I. is a well know term referring to those serving in the Armed Forces of the United States. Sometime during World War 1, the initials G.I. referred to soldiers in short for “Government Issue” or “General Issue;” followed by the birth of the G.I. Joe comic strip issued in Yank magazine on June 17, 1942.

#RiOrtho encourages you to participate:

To recognize our brave soldiers, National Hug A G.I. Day was created to show thanks for their dedication and bravery. Do you know a G.I. ? If so, be sure to take a moment to give them a hug and say thank you today! Don’t forget to post a picture & tag us in it if you do! Won’t be able to see the G.I. you know in person? That’s ok! Send him or her a virtual hug via email or text!