"Try a Cake Pop....it will change your life!"

That's what I was told this past Christmas at our family's gathering when I asked what a cake pop was. My aunt had made them for a couple of years, but I had somehow missed out on this wonderful treat. I of course tried one and instantly fell in love with a cake pop!

Fast foward to last month when it seems like all of a sudden, everywhere I went people were talking about cake pop this and cake pop that. I finally asked my aunt to share with me the wonderfulness that is cake-pop-making. She sent me some pretty simple instructions that made me feel confident. She also sent me to this cake pop website which made me feel like I should be in the remedial cake pop class. I quickly closed that website, went back to my aunt's instructions, and the rest was easy-peasy! 

Here is my simple way of making cake pops. Enjoy!
(These instructions are the ones I used from my dear, sweet Aunt Louanne!)

First get a box cake mix...any flavor you want. And bake it per the instructions on the box. It doesn't have to look good because you are just going to crumble it up later.

Pour it into any size pan/pans that you have. I used my 9x13 pan, but you could use anything. Like I said, we are just going to crumble it, so it doesn't matter if you cook this in one pan or ten! 

Once you are done baking your cake, let it cool COMPLETELY! I baked my cake while Quinn was napping. I didn't do the rest of the steps until after supper.

Next you want to add 1/2 to 2/3 of a can of frosting to your cake. You would want to choose a complimentary frosting flavor. For example, I made a strawberry cake, so I chose a vanilla frosting. I wanted cream cheese, but they were out of that one. Using your hands (because a spoon just doesn't do the job) you want to mix the cake crumbles and the icing. You are about to get M E S S Y, but it's totally worth it. Mix it all up until it looks like the picture below.



Next you want to lay a strip of wax paper onto a cookie sheet. Then take the cake mixture and begin to shape it into small balls. I would say mine were about 1 inch in diameter.



 Then you want to add your sticks. I used the sucker sticks from Walmart. These are found in the same section with candy molds, wedding supplies, etc. I bought the long ones and had Buddy cut them in half for me. Next time, I will look for shorter sticks. After you put the sticks in, take the cake balls and put them in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. My aunt leaves them in overnight. I did 30 minutes, but I think I should have left them longer, as some of the sticks didn't stay put.

You will also need some candy melts (also found in that same section of Walmart.)  I used the white chocolate melts, but there are a variety of colors. I have heard that using food coloring isn't the best way to change colors as the consistency messes up. Apparently you should either mix the colors of chocolate melts or by the small color melts to change the color. (I've heard those are sold at stores like AC Moore).

You need to melt this according to the package direction, but buy more than you think you will need, so when you dip the cake balls, they go completely under. Mine did not, so that's why you can see the cake showing through.

Dip your cake pops while the chocolate is completely melted and still warm. As soon as you pull them out, roll them in sprinkles, candy pieces, cookie pieces, etc. I used blue sprinkles, yellow sprinkles, and some just plain.  Also lay another strip of wax paper on your counter. Set the cake pops on this, and the chocolate coating will harden in a few minutes.

Meet the cake pops!



Things I learned during my first attempt:

1. Buy shorter sticks....or even use thick toothpicks.

2. Let them stay in the freezer longer, as some of my cake pops lost their sticks.

3. Use a deeper bowl so the cake pop is completely submerged in the chocolate.

I really enjoyed making these. It was a really easy process, although I can see things I will do differently next time.

Thank you Aunt Louanne for "changing my life"!!

Step Challenge: Week 1 Stats

My blog friend Beth suggested I post my steps on the blog for each week, so here you go.

The step challenge started on Tuesday. I had 10,515 steps.

Wednesday: 11,529 steps

Thursday: 10,624 steps

Friday: 11,087 steps

Saturday: 9,444 steps.  (You would think Saturday would have more steps than during the week, but I had a lot of laundry to catch up on, and then in the evening, we had some bad storms roll through, so there went the after-dinner walk.)

Sunday: 7,538  steps  (Not as happy with this number either. Hard to get steps in while you are seated in the pew at church for a couple of hours.And I'll be honest...for those of you who know me...Sundays are hard days for me right now, anyway.)

That is a total of 60,737 steps. We were told to divide by 2000 to indicate the number of miles. So my total mileage last week was 30.3 miles!
So there you go...my stats for week one of the Step Challenge.

School Step Challenge

**This was originally written earlier this week, but I had some issues with publishing.....**

The PE teacher at my school had another cool idea this year. And this one did not involve duct tape!

She won a grant that she applied for that allowed her to get several really nice pedometers to use with students. But before she lets the kids use them, she asked teachers to compete in a step challenge.

For the next 4 weeks, there are about 20 or so us who are wearing pedometers from the minute we get up until the minute we go to bed. We are recording our steps each day and then adding them up for the week. At the end of the week we convert our steps to miles. At the end of the 4 weeks, the teacher who took the most steps wins.....bragging rights, plus a small pot of money! We each pitched in $5 to compete. I can't remember how many are in this challenge, but I know the pot is over $100!

Yesterday (Tuesday) was the first day of the challenge. I had to spend the day home from school with Quinn who was feeling a little under the weather. I managed to get in 10,515 steps though! We did have to run an errand in the afternoon and then went for a walk around the block after supper. I'm not to that number yet today, but there is still time.

I have also started using our Wii game unit again. I have the Wii Fit Plus and board, and Buddy got me the Biggest Loser game for Christmas. Here's hoping between these two games combined with the Step Challenge, I can even drop a few pounds. The numbers have definitely gotten to a point where I am frustrated with myself, so any time the scale goes down is a good thing.

If you know me in real life, I ask you to ask me about my steps. I would appreciate the encouragement and accountability!

Get your tissues out because my boy's a heartbreaker!

If you are a Facebook friend or family member (which is 98% of who reads this blog...if any of you readers are still out there), then you have already seen these pictures. However, since this blog is my version of a scrapbook, I will regret it one day if I don't post these pictures.

The daycare had their picture people come out again this past week. Last year they came and brought the miniature Harley. This year's theme was more of an "old-time" look with costumes. I'm glad Quinn's a boy, because what they brought for the girls was not as cute. Anyway.

I love this one the best. You can't beat a close up of his big blue eyes and sweet smile.

Little baseball boy.

When I look at this one, all I hear is "Larry the Cucumber"'s quote from the Veggie Tale video. The one where he plays Minnesota Cuke and the search for Noah's Umbrella.

"It's called a fedora!"

Thank you Lord for letting me be the Mommy of this precious child!

Precious Morning Memories

I have a little song I sing to Quinn in the morning. I made it up when he was about 3-4 days old and I sing it to him almost every day. It goes like this:

Good Morning! Good Morning!
Good Morning to you!
Good Morning Quinn!
Mommy loves you!

And he loves it. In fact, most mornings he will say "Sing again" or "More mommy".

Today when I sang it to him, he said "I sing it".

And then we sang it together.

I thought my heart would burst! Have I told you how much I love this sweet boy?

A Little Potty Talk

Potty training is something I don't know that much about. So when the daycare told me Quinn would start being potty trained in the 2 year old room, I was skeptical at best. I had read different articles that said things like this:

• Don't push it....wait for your child to show interest.
• All kids are different and will learn at different rates.
• The average boy is potty trained between 33-36 months of age.

But at Quinn's daycare, potty training starts in the 2 year old room. And I wasn't the least bit surprised when they told me for about 3-4 months that he "just doesn't seem interested" in going to the bathroom. I knew that!

I figured things would click over my summer break from school, but of course, it did not. As a matter of fact, he often would cry and beg me not to make him sit on the potty. So I quit pushing him. When school started back in the fall, I figured a little peer pressure would help him on this quest....NOT!!

Quinn has been very content to just go in his diaper and not tell me anything. The few times he went I truly think were flukes. We tried M & M's for rewards...could take it or leave it. We tried stickers of "Go Go" (Diego) and "Dori" (Dora) and "WoodyandBuzz" (he refers to them as one name).....couldn't care less.

Around Christmas break, many of his little friends moved on up to the 3's because they were completely trained. Did that inspire, encourage, convince him to go potty? Absolutely Not!

So in January, one of his teachers Miss Michelle, who Quinn calls "Shell" decided Quinn would be her "project". She has stayed on his case about going to the bathroom for over two months now....and I think it is working! He tells all his teachers when he has to go and most of the time he makes it! He is (finally) telling Buddy and me when he has to go while we are at home. We are giving out candies like crazy around here! I think we are finally on track!

Now, if we could only improve his, ahem, aim.....

Heaven is just a little bit sweeter now

This past week we said Goodbye to Buddy's grandmother. She had been dealing with several health issues and went home to be with the Lord on February 1st. I am so thankful that we were able to visit her during our Christmas travels this year. The services were very sweet and simple, just as Gammie was. The worst part of it I guess was the unfortunate weather...super cold, rainy/sleet, and in the mountains. But we just wore lots of layers and did the best we could.

Have you noticed how much funerals are similar to family reunions?

You see family members you haven't seen in a long time.

There's a lot of food.

You hear the phrase "Do you remember the time.......?" a lot!

Here's a picture of Buddy and Gammie, taken Christmas 2009.

Gammie was such a sweet lady and I am so proud to have married into her family. When we were dating, Buddy took me to her house many times. She and PaPa were always so welcoming to me. I know Heaven is just a little bit sweeter now that she is there!