Cake Pop Friday!

It's gorgeous, it's sunny, I have an unexpected morning off! 

I am going into work later, but who doesn't love an extra 3 hours magically handed to them, especially as one has been in "GO" mode since 5 am?!?!

So, I am blogging while I wait for a cake to bake (turning it into cake pops later today) and then enjoying a quick walk in the sunshine.

But first.......warm cake from the oven, directly from the center of the cake.

Because, when you are making cake pops, it doesn't matter what the actual cake looks like - they still turn out like this!

Or, this:

These are from a couple of weeks ago.  Today (and probably into tomorrow morning, I won't finish them all today) I am making St. Patrick's Day ones.....so fun to use all the green for spring!

I think that is my favorite thing about pops - you can easily customize and everybody loves food on a stick!

Have a great weekend - get out and enjoy some warmth! (but enjoy warm chocolate cake first - hee hee!)

Tales from the Weekend

I turned around and it is Tuesday afternoon already!!

Our weekend was a busy one.  On Friday after work, I decorated a graduation cake and cookie for a neighbor's daughter.  And I conversed with myself that this is absolutely the LAST ONE!  (Until the next one ;)

Then, Reaghan had her last softball tournament game on Saturday.  In the morning, the rain poured, but the afternoon was beautiful and they were able to play. 

Short of an ill-timed ear infection for one of the kids, the day went smoothly!  On Sunday morning, we were able to get to walk-in and have some meds (so grateful for that!) prescribed.  In the afternoon, we were getting ready to go to the team softball party..........

And then, a dessert fatality.  I happened to be carrying that bucket of cake pops and walked into the same room as my daughter.  She happened to be lifting her pool bag onto her shoulder and we had a MAJOR collision of bucket,pops, and bag.  It was not salvageable :(  Aside from the fact that they all landed on the laundry room floor, (gross!) almost all of them smashed and fell off their sticks.

We at least had the big cookie, and another mom and her girls had made small softball sugar cookies (mine was a giant chocolate chip one) so all is well that ends well.  (though for a few minutes I thought I might cry)  The kids all swam in the pool, ran around and laughed and ate, and even had a major rain shower for about 5 minutes while they were swimming.  No rain or thunder, so we let them stay in the pool and they screeched that they were getting wet.  Ahhhh, to be 14 again........

Yesterday, we bit the bullet and bought some school supplies (what??!?!?!? already?!?!?!?)  The good news is that we had the aisles to ourselves and first pick of everything and now we can put that out of our minds and enjoy the rest of summer!

And I think I may even attempt more cake pops this week - that are contained in a plastic bin WITH A LID!

Happy Thanksgiving Week!

Can you believe it's here already?!?!?!  I've got a list a mile long of yummy desserts to make.  I did the grocery shopping early this morning (I only forgot the salad dressing - Freudian slip, perhaps??) and I think we are ready to go.

We had friends over yesterday for a football and chili party and I made this delicious treat.  I had made it years ago and was glad it was as good as I had remembered.  The cake broke, but I patched it up with the frosting, rolled it tightly in plastic wrap, then froze it for a bit before slicing.  It wasn't perfectly pretty, but still got rave reviews.

Here are the other desserts.......

The flat chocolate disk on the right is a flourless chocolate cake for one of my gluten free friends.  It was good, but VERY rich and dense.   And you know if I think it's over the top chocolaty, it probably is!!   It was simple to make - this is the recipe I used.   There are chocolate coconut cake pops on the left, and Heath cookies next to the Peanut Blossoms.    Since the guys had football and manly snacks, I decided I would make desserts for each of the girls that I knew they would enjoy.  I sent most of the leftovers home with everyone so we can start a clean baking slate this week ;)

I am going to try and post again on or before Thanksgiving, but in case I don't, (the best laid plans...) have a wonderful day with your family and friends.  It is truly one of my favorite days of the year and I'm amazed at the blessings all around me.  I wish the same for you!

Mindy

It works!

So, the signing into Blogger was really quite a simple fix.  Just as I knew it would be, I just couldn't figure it out.

Kind of reminds me of that scene in Ally McBeal when Ally was asked what made her problems so much bigger than everyone else's, to which she replied,   "Because they're mine."

And that is exactly how I feel about my computer ineptitude ;)

So, without further rambling - here are the cute piggies!!

They do not have flashing, crazy eyes in real life.  That is the result of my phone, which occasionally gives ALL mammals crazy, flashing eyes and then sometimes goes comatose with its "blue screen of death."  What can I say??  My phone has a dark side.

(On a somewhat related note, I am considering a camera purchase on Black Friday.  Nothing too expensive or radical, but when I look back at pictures that have been taken on a camera versus a phone, I really, really miss the quality.)

And since I can post pictures with reckless abandon, here is our October in a nutshell:

One-eyed cake pops!  (and no crazy or flashing one eyes!  Though how fun would that have been for Halloween!?!?!)

Pretty pink cake pops.......

I think these are my most favorite pops that I have ever made.  These were for a friend who was having a book release party and the pink matched the book cover perfectly.  If you are ever in need of specifically colored melts, I highly recommend this website: http://www.layercakeshop.com/

They have so many creative and beautiful items for all kinds of baking and decorating.  I have yet to really sit and peruse the site beyond what I ordered, (jimmies and melts) but one day soon I hope to sit in my PJ's with a pot of coffee and just browse and dream.

Cupcake cookie pops.......

 
 Baby Shower Cake Pops in Mason Jars - my friend saw this idea on Pinterest, I take no credit for the creativity there, but I thought they turned out really cute!

Pink and chocolate Cake Pops from our Labor Day party (oops, going further back than October and I may have already shown these...too lazy to go back and look ;)

And my personal favorites - football jerseys for end of year parties!!  I wish I had taken a picture of the jerseys with their numbers on them before I added the last names,  (I don't want to disrespect anyone's privacy) but, just for fun, I made these for the siblings and Mom (Dad got his own cookie since he was a coach.)

My daughter and her friend made this rainbow cake by themselves!!! (mostly!!)

It was delicious!!

I made my first ever cannoli cake - I have never eaten or made one before, but my friend really liked it!

My little trick-or-treaters :)

And I just can't resist beautiful fall color no matter how many pictures I have already taken!!

Now, since it is November 5th, and it is the holiday season, (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's!! - yes, I mix and match them all!) my mind goes here.......

Let the holiday festivity and baking begin!!!!!!

 

 

Candy Corn Cake Pops

I think these are my favorite candy corn thing. 

If you make a yellow cake, you will crumble and mix with white frosting, then divide in half.  Color one of the halves orange. 

I used 1/2 tablespoon of each color for each pop.

Roll into balls.......

Then proceed as usual.  Keep your orange and yellows sugars nearby and sprinkle away!

Try not to eat all of them before the kids get home from school!

Red, White and Cake Batter Pops

Land of the free, home of the cake on a stick! (or not, as in this photo;)

Here is what they look like inside...I think they also look a little bit like the "Pepsi" logo!

And I'd like to credit this lady for this fabulous recipe!  We've tried it several times now, and the results are fantastic!

July 4th Eve

As I sit in the comfort of my air conditioned home, two thoughts run through my head:

1)  Dear Lord, thank you for air conditioning,
2) Why, why, why do people wait until the heat of the day to run outside?  Don't get me wrong,  I admire their dedication (while slightly questioning their sanity) to their craft, but why wouldn't you do that at 7 (a.m. or p.m.??)

I'm so not a hot and sticky weather type person.  I'm also not a frozen fingertips winter type person.  More of a fair weather gal.  How is one supposed to consistently turn an oven on after 8 o'clock in the morning when it's already 80 plus degrees and 120% humidity??

So, today I'm planning to attempt no bake cake pops and line them up to look like the American flag.   It's a cute Pinterest idea I've seen a few times, and if there is one commitment I've made, it is to try at least ONE thing I've pinned.  Because otherwise it's just become a fancy version of an alternate reality.  Kind of like "The Matrix."   If the Matrix featured the likes of Martha Stewart, Giada, and Candice Olson, that is.

If the pops turn out, I'll post pictures tomorrow.  If they don't turn out, well.....I'll probably panic because I've committed to making a batch for a friend, too.

Enjoy the fireworks if your town is participating tonight!

Fun Idea

I made some more watermelon cake pops for a friend.  I had forgotten I had these watermelon napkins from last year.  I dug around in the cabinets and found a red sand bucket (that I bought for food purposes only!).  Here is how it looked:

 Here is the same red bucket from last year, used for Oreo pops (cut in half.)  I guess I have a summer preference for desserts shaped like watermelons! 

Lots of cake and rambling

In thinking back on the past few days and unloading my camera photos, I realized I left out a whole big chunk of back story starting last Friday.  (I know, HOW have you been able to go about your normal life without knowing?!?!?!)

So, last Friday was the last day of kindergarten.  EVER.  Unless heaven should drop a baby on my doorstep, this phase of life is over for me.  I had some big crocodile tears over it, and frankly, it was made worse by finding out our beloved bus driver that we've had for years (ever since my oldest started kindergarten!) is retiring.  On Monday, I climbed the bus steps and gave him a hug and tried not to burst into the ugly cry.  I think I embarrassed my children enough by daring to be on the bus in the first place.  I could remind them of many a time of wanting to crawl into the nearest cave after some of their public antics, but that is fodder for a different post entirely.

Okay, back to me.  (Because it's my blog;)  After dropping off my last kindergartner EVER for the last day of kindergarten EVER (being melodramatic helps dull the pain) I drove myself to the walk-in care clinic since my throat had been hurting all week.

There, at the grown-up age of late thirties, I was diagnosed with strep throat as though I were a common 8 year-old.

So, let's just say Friday was not my best day ever.  But, I've had worse, so all's well that ends well.  I have 10 days worth of giant pink pills that neither look or smell like the bubble gum antibiotics of my youth. (sigh)

I am happily on the mend and not a moment too soon since children and cake abound in this home.  Here are a few pictures of cake and etc. from the past week......


Last day of school, party at the park cupcakes - a Pinterest idea I found - the kids loved them!

 Cake pop/flip-flops gifts for teachers....I found the flops in the Target aisle and wanted to try the cake pops to match.  The pink flavor is strawberry (not watermelon) but with the mini chocolate chip "seeds" it is SUCH a yummy taste!

 The only photo I have of a Red Velvet cake for a friend's birthday.  I missed out on the dinner celebration because of my pal strep, but word on the street is that she loved it and got all sentimental because it tasted just like the ones her mom would make for her when she was little.  To which I just had to ask "Have you always loved Red Velvet?  Because that seems so sophisticated for a child's palate." 

I personally do not have an affinity for RV cake because all I can taste is this.....

But lots of people LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it. (supposedly it's one of the most, if not THE MOST requested cupcake orders at bakeries)

Here is a "Cars" themed cake for a 1 year-old.  I used a big candle as the centerpiece and the royal icing candies, with chocolate chips in the border. (regular size at the base and minis at the top)

 That's all, folks!  Off to enjoy Day 2 of summer break.   Trying to ignore the fact that I've been interrupted no less than one-half dozen times while attempting to finish this post ;)

Fun little treats

I had printed this recipe months ago and finally got around to trying them last week.  If you like cake batter (or brownie batter, or cookie dough or pumpkin muffin batter - what, is that just me?? ;) you will LOVE these!  So clever, that girl who ate everything.......

Teacher Appreciation Week

It's National Teacher Appreciation Week, so I thought I would try to post a little idea every day for an edible gift. Here is what we did for today....

I found the mini terra cotta pots at Michaels and just knew they needed a flower shaped cake pop. Shaped pops take a little more time and effort, but the results are so worth it! Make sure your cake mixture is well chilled. (I usually put it in the freezer for an hour or so) Gently press out and use a cookie cutter of your choice, being careful not to make it too thin. Press your stick into melted chocolate and then into cake and freeze to set. Once set, (it will just take a few minutes) cover the back with more chocolate and let that harden. This will make it much easier to dip the front and then sprinkle. I put a small amount of craft foam into the pot and then added green curling ribbon. It will make a teacher smile!

Why I haven't blogged in a week....

Some days. you turn around and a week has passed. It was a sweet week, though.....

Another communion cake.....

On Friday night, we celebrated a neighborhood friend's birthday. It's such fun to have a girls night out. (repeatedly!) I had taken the cake to the restaurant earlier in the day, so it was a fun surprise for my friend at the end of the meal. I call this one the "Ruffled Neopolitan."

Here is what the inside looked like.....

I baked the layers 2 days beforehand, and since I knew I would only need one of each layer, I made tri-colored/flavored cake pops for the kids after school. Note my attempt at professional food staging with the strawberry, vanilla wafer and chocolate chips. I know, I really need to stop ;)

There is more on the calendar for next weekend - I'm loving the chance to try new things!

The Weekend of Cakes and Pops

Without further adieu, PHOTOS! So very glad to have a functional computer with pictures available. That's the main reason we all have bought into the "every home needs a computer" propaganda, right?? ;)

Have a great rest of the weekend!