Raise an Adventurous Kid

Delk Adams (right) cozying up with Harmony and her mom, Joyce Small Delk (left)

Mint-Chocolate Cake

Active Time 30 minutes Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes Makes 16 servings

I N G R E DI E N T S

For the chocolate cake Nonstick cooking spray ¾ cup vegetable oil ¾ cup granulated sugar ⅔ cup whole milk, at room temperature 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar 1 Tbs. pure vanilla extract 3 large eggs, at room temperature 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup unsweetened cocoa 2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. kosher salt 11/4 cups very hot brewed coffee or water

For the mint buttercream frosting 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1/2 tsp. kosher salt 6 cups confectioners’ sugar 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream 1 Tbs. pure vanilla extract 1 tsp. mint extract 1 tsp. green food-coloring gel, plus more as needed for desired color

For the ganache 1 cup white-chocolate chips or chopped white-chocolate bar 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream Green food-coloring gel Chocolate shavings for topping (optional)

M A K E I T

1. Prepare the chocolate cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat bottoms and sides of three 8-in. round cake pans with cooking spray. Line bottoms with parchment paper and coat again with cooking spray.

2. Beat oil, granulated sugar, milk, brown sugar, vanilla, and eggs in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on mediumlow speed until combined, about 1 minute. Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Gradually add flour mixture to sugar mixture in three additions, alternating with hot coffee, beating on medium-low speed just until blended after each addition. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed, and beat until smooth, about 30 seconds. Divide batter among prepared pans.

3. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 18 to 21 minutes. Cool cakes in pans 10 minutes. Transfer cakes from pans to a wire rack to cool completely, about 45 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, prepare the mint buttercream frosting: Beat butter and salt in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-low speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low; gradually add confectioners’ sugar, beating until blended after each addition, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium-high, and beat until well blended, about 30 seconds. Add cream, vanilla, and mint extract; beat until fluffy, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to low, and beat in 1 tsp. food coloring. Add additional food coloring to reach desired shade of green. Chill until ready to use. (If the frosting hardens, beat on medium speed until smooth.)

5. Prepare the ganache: Place white-chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl; set aside. Heat cream in a saucepan over medium-high until cream starts to simmer (bubbles will form around edge and a soft boil will start in middle). Remove from heat; pour over chips, and let stand 1 minute. Whisk gently until smooth and shiny. Whisk in food coloring. Let cool to room temperature, without stirring, about 15 minutes.

6. Using a serrated knife, cut tops from cakes until level, if needed. Spread mint buttercream frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Carefully pour desired amount of ganache over top of cake, allowing it to drip over sides. Top with chocolate shavings, if using. Let cake stand until ganache is set, about 30 minutes, before serving. The cake can stand at room temperature for up to 1 day. Refrigerate leftovers, covered, for up to 3 days.

Jocelyn’s Holiday Traditions

Movies ... and cookies

“We have a list of movies that we watch every year, like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Home Alone, and It’s a Wonderful Life. I’m sure that my family is tired of me at this point, but it’s a big to-do. We’ll watch movies and I’ll bake.”

Kwanzaa customs

“In addition to Christmas, our family celebrates Kwanzaa. We make a special meal and introduce Harmony to the seven principles of the holiday. The first one, Umoja, means ‘unity.’ ”

Music nonstop

“I will start playing the instrumental jazz soundtrack of A Charlie Brown Christmas in September. By November, if I can wait that long, I put on my entire playlist, including the Jackson 5 Christmas Album, ‘This Christmas,’ by Donny Hathaway, and The Temptations’ version of ‘Silent Night,’my mom’s favorite song.”

Sleep cute

“We are that ‘matching holiday pajamas’ kind of family. Last year’s version had a Christmas lights design. We voted on that theme, and we’ll probably vote on the pattern again this year.”

More Baking Inspo

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Ra ise a n Advent u rou s K id

Ever found yourself shouting, “Be careful!” as your child catapults up a tree? It’s totally normal for your heart to skip a beat—and for your kid to want to climb higher. In fact, experts approve of that last part. Here’s what some good, safe adventure can do for your child’s development and confidence.

by L I N D S E Y G E T Z

W H E N I T C O M E S to adventure, I almost always play it safe. But when I was 23, I pushed my fear to its limits by going on a hot-air-balloon ride in New Mexico. I was exhilarated after trying something that made me feel so free, but little did I know that less than six hours later I would be in a terrible rollover accident in an SUV on the way to the airport.

Thankfully, I was fine and able to walk away from the crash, but that experience certainly didn’t inspire me to throw caution to the wind. After all, you never know what will turn out to be truly dangerous. In fact, since having kids, I’ve often wrestled with how I can keep them safe while also instilling a thirst for excitement. Shortly after booking a zip-lining experience in the Smoky Mountains earlier this year, I had nightmares of its ending in complete disaster. Those nightmares persisted up to the day of our trip. Had I made a terrible mistake?

On the afternoon of our tour, as we climbed the tower steps and the guides began clipping in my excited kids,

ages 7 and 11, to ride tandem, I just about called off the whole thing. And then, suddenly, two of my favorite people whizzed away down a steel cable high above the trees.

When my husband and I caught up to them at the next tower, we saw just how proud—and thrilled—they were. The downright fun of it all was contagious, and we eagerly waited to do it again. At the end, I could tell that my kids felt braver and more confident. And though we did lots of other fun activities on that trip, they couldn’t stop talking about this one.

Experts say that fostering a sense of adventure in children can build life skills such as confidence, resilience, and a willingness to take risks in general.

GET RE ADY FOR A NEW ADVENTURE

So your family has a few feats under their belt already? Consider some leveled-up options next.

If you’ve tried sledding … now try snowmobiling. If you’ve tried cross-country skiing or snowshoeing ... now try downhill skiing. If you’ve tried a Ferris wheel ... now try a roller coaster.

If you’ve tried a ropes course ... now try zip-lining. If you’ve tried monkey bars ... now try climbing a tree. If you’ve tried biking ... now try mountain biking. If you’ve tried skateboarding on the sidewalk ... now try skateboarding at a skate park. If you’ve tried canoeing or paddleboarding ... now try river rafting.

Baby steps: Start with a simple activity before jumping into something bigger.

And all it requires from you is a little push and trust in the phrase “Everything will be all right.” In short, there are ways to make adventure happen without letting your fear get in the way.

Do your research.

Sometimes pa rents worr y about potentially risky activities because of a difficult or bad memory from their own childhood, says Parents advisor Khama Ennis, M.D., M.P.H., associate chief of emergency medicine at Cooley Dickinson Hospita l, in Northampton, Massachusetts. “Remind yourself that you won’t be able to protect your kids forever, so you need to give them tools to navigate risks now.”

The hours I spent investigating different zip-lining facilities in the Smoky Mountains and choosing which one I trusted to be the safest experience for my family was exactly what I needed to do to assess all my safety concerns, explains Jill Wheeler, a psychotherapist and founder of Wellfit Girls, a nonprofit that teaches leadership to teen girls through fitness and outdoor activities. I read plenty of reviews and even called the various attractions to ask questions about how they operate.

Teach kids to assess risk.

When children experience a thrill and master a fear through “risky” activities like tree climbing or sledding, they learn to deal with their fears and take control of more situations in general, says Peter Gray, Ph.D., a research professor at Boston College and author of Free to Learn, who has focused much of his work studying risky play. Life does not come without cha llenges, he adds. If your child is worried about an activity, you can reassure them that you’ve done your homework by looking into the safety