Cake Pops

 I began my journey in learning how to make cake pops when we decided that we wanted them around our daughter's wedding cake and then serve 80 to all the guests while they cut the cake. We tried several different methods and found the perfect one. Because these little cake miracles are the best tasting treat, I have had requests to show how to make them, I have finally put together these pictures.
Through practicing, this is what I have found works the best---

4-8 steps

1. Make a regular cake, white, yellow, or even red velvet.  I even make mine in the microwave in my Tupperware cake pan--done in 8 minutes. 2. Let the cake cool and then crumble it into little pieces in a bowl. 3. Add a half of can of chocolate icing or chewy brownies to the crumbled cake until it is easily mold-able.
4. With a small ice cream scoop, form a ball and roll together into a smooth ball. 5. Put cake balls in freezer for at least 30 mins. or over night.  6. Heat dipping chocolate, which ever color you want. You can buy this at any craft store or where wedding cake supplies are sold. Put dipping chocolate in small glass bowl and microwave for 30 sec. Twice. Stir. I leave it on low on my cook-top stove so it stays warm without overheating. 7. Get your pop sticks and dip it into the dipping chocolate and push  in cold cake pop about half way in. 8. Put all of the pops back into the freezer for at least an hour.

9. Take pops out of the freezer and dip in melted bowl until fully covered. Lightly tap cake pop so extra melting chocolate drips off.

Extra Wedding Pops

10. Quickly sprinkle or decorate pop before cooling. 11. Put pop upright to cool. Now this can be tricky. My husband drilled holes in a platform board so I could let them cool and he also made a round wooden platform for the cake base that had drilled holes around the edge to hold the cake pops. Or I found my cooling rack that sits about 4 inches off the counter worked to hold the cake pop while cooling.
I have made these pops for a Halloween party, 80 extra for kids at the wedding after the cake was cut, and for Christmas or birthdays. You can make these just for any occasion and are a yummy hit. These are so fun to make for any occasion.  ENJOY!

Halloween Pops on Forks

Halloween Pops

Christmas Pops

4th of July

Birthday Pops

What's Your Thing in December?

Monday December 23rd- Family and a Movie-

How I love to go to the movies. It is a time to escape the outside cold and get lost in the big screen. Whether with my husband for date night or the whole family I am forced to put down the phones and sit tight together. The holidays are no exception to hitting the theater more than usual and gorging on buttery popcorn and a chocolate candy bar. I am one to really appreciate a clean, enticing flick. I have realized why I enjoy the movies so much.

     As a child, walking down town to the Huish Theater (owned by my great aunt and uncle) was my escape and thrill for the week.The old reel and curtain opening screen was ultimately cool. I usually got in free and I usually went with my younger brother, my best friend. The big screen gave me a glimpse into the outside world, as I could only imagine scenery or a big city skyscraper out of Utah. My home town did not even have a traffic light until I was in high school. I relied on imagination of fantasy that someday I would visit something different than my reality. This brings me to another point. Being a foster parent for many children and teens, I loved taking them to the movies to escape the reality of their unpredictable, horrifying life. Can you imagine having your siblings and parents taken from you because of neglect or abuse due to the hands of the one and only that are supposed to protect you? Everything you know, everything you have, everyone removed and put with completely different people, home, and school. For a short time, referred to the “honeymoon phase,” a child may be happy to be given three meals a day, new clothes, their own room with a new pillow, yet it fades into despair and loneliness most of the time. Foster children have a hard time trusting, attaching, and fitting in with new peers. In my experience most are not too appreciative of a new family, food, clothes, they just want to be with their own family no matter how good or bad it was. It seems this connection takes them back at 18 or before, if they don't get adopted. These return to their parents or any family that they have left. So I ask, Is the system working? Is the system of removing children and putting them in a foster home a researched proven method that works?

"Our nation's public schools reported a record 1.2 million homeless children and youth in 2012, and the weak economy bears much of the blame. Since the beginning of the recession, the number of homeless children in America's public schools has increased 72 percent."http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gary-stangler/homelessness-at-the-holid_b_4474800.html Most are former foster kids. 

      At this Christmas season, on Christmas Eve, Eve. I think about all those kids out there going to bed without their family, without saying goodnight to their parent, grandma, or brother. I say, goodnight to you, may God grant you wisdom, strength, and hope to do better, to be better and to sleep tight. May all the children be granted a chance to be safe? I hope so, but most of all, know that they are loved.

What's Your Thing in December?

Sunday December 22--Love, Trust, Fear (Stress)
Is it possible to Love, Trust or become Unstressed in December? Of course love, trust, and de-stressing can be practiced all year long, not just in December. Yet how is love, trust, and letting go of stress related? I know for sure that the lack of love or trust can produce stress--and when I mean stress, I mean fear, the underlying piece that equals stress. Fear, if you think about it, can run our lives. The fear of the unknown, the fear of being unworthy for love or trust. The fear of hurt or sadness. The true meaning of Christmas can help us with these three if we ponder on how to improve. Sometimes I feel unloved, but I know I can be trusted. Loving God, then yourself and others you have to have trust. Trust is one of the hardest things to enquire when the examples are lacking. But I say, besides God, find one person, just one person that shows trust, loyalty, and faith. That one person can renew so much. Even if you don't know this person personally, or don't communicate with this person, or they have passed on keep them close. Find one! A role model! An example! Loose the fear of not loving or trusting enough. Find that example that knows how to trust and love and your life will change. Change because fear will not be the root of your life. Rid the fear and the stress of everyday living can be reduced. With the fear of stress reduced a person has the ability to love, trust, and be kind to others. This December I hope for less fear, less stress, and more love and trust. Merry Christmas to all, with wishes for a brighter light to shine over all the land.

I like this!

7-things-you-should-never-tell-your-child

What's Your Thing in December?

Saturday December 14th-Attend a Christmas Party
Of course there are lots of parties going on in December. Whether with family or friends, parties are a time to pig out, have sugar overload and enjoy each other's company.  Sometimes they can be stressful. Family drama can cause hurt feelings and jealousy.  I became a participant observer at a party. I was not sure how I was to act, trying not to step on anyone's toes or set off a bomb or of course be myself. I can be the life of the party, but it does depend how "ok" or welcomed I feel or how many disappointing moments I've experienced lately.  I do know one I am not going to fake or pretend that people are my friends when they are not. I am not going to expect miracles, apologies, or empathy because they just are not going to happen. So for the time being, I participate as an observer and nothing more. 

• Don’t expect miracles. If your holiday anxiety stems from a deeper history of family conflict, don’t expect that you’ll be able to resolve any big underlying issues now. Sure, it’s supposed to be a season of forgiveness and good will. But in the midst of a hectic holiday season, you can’t pin your hopes on leading family members to big emotional breakthroughs. You may be better off focusing on your own state of mind and confronting difficult issues during a less volatile time of year.

• Don’t worry about how things should be. “There’s a lot of cultural pressure during the holidays,” says Duckworth. “We tend to compare ourselves with these idealized notions of perfect families and perfect holidays.” But in fact, most people have less than perfect holiday gatherings -- they have family tension, melancholy, and dry turkey too. If you have negative feelings, don’t try to deny them. Remember that there’s nothing wrong or shameful or unusual about feeling down during the holidays.
• Unhappy memories. Going home for the holidays naturally makes people remember old times, but for you the memories may be more bitter than sweet. “During the holidays, a lot of childhood memories come back,” says Duckworth, who is also an assistant professor at Harvard University Medical School. “You may find yourself dwelling on what was inadequate about your childhood and what was missing.” If you associate the holidays with a bad time in your life -- the loss of a loved one, a previous depression -- this time of year will naturally bring those memories back.http://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/features/home-for-the-holdays-stress-tips

What's Your Thing for December?

Friday, December 13th- Have the (younger three) Nieces over for a Sleepover
One of my new traditions that I want to begin with and continue each year is have a sleepover with the girls. Before I get old and tired, I hope I can do this every year and then add the grandkids when I get some... maybe after they are all potty trained. LOL. We have had lots of fun so far. First we iced sugar cookies and gingerbread men. Their way and then my way. Then I painted their hands and feet for a picture for their parents. They giggled as I painted their toes and fingers, then pressed them on the poster paper. Then we had to carry them up to the bath tub so they could wash off the paint. They loved it!

 Then we had a camp-out in the front room on the floor with hotdogs and french fries. Finished off with roasted mini-marshmallows my candle light. Then it was movie time with homemade popcorn. That didn't go so good. I have a four year old saying "I can't take this movie,."as they were downstairs watching ELF. So they all resulted in playing hot potato with a warm corn bag and then found the SORRY game and my daughter begin teaching the two four year old's to play. Finally, bedtime and story time, fewooo, I hope they sleep okay.

What's Your Thing In December?

Thursday, December 12th--Bake and Goto the School Choir Christmas Concert...

Here's another few things that I love to do only in December. Baking! Baking gingerbread man and making cornflake candy are the best. The smells of ginger, molasses, and cinnamon are to die for. I love the taste of the dough. This year I found a new recipe for soft gingerman cookies so I hope they turn out even better. So tonight into the fridge it goes and tomorrow they will become little people.

 Talk about smells, butterscotch smell takes me back. My grandma would make Christmas candies every year. The only one that I have made over the years is cornflake candy. This tradition is a favorite with our family. Cornflake candy takes about 10 mins max. It's butterscotch chips and peanut butter melted, poured over cornflakes. Thats it! I always double it and always use "chunky" peanut butter and I don't add nuts.Here is the original recipe.

 1 pkg (12 oz) butterscotch chips

Let cool overnight on cookie sheet. 

1/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup nuts
5 cups cornflakes
*melt chips and peanut butter(stir to avoid burning) and then add to cornflakes in a big bowl. Stir well.

Next, a school choir never hurt in December. I really enjoyed the 6th grade choir tonight. What a treat! They all did really well with a proud performance of several different harmonies and solo's. It made me smile!

What's Your Thing in December?

Tuesday December 10th--Christmas Cards and Pictures, the old fashion way and a new way-
Mailing Christmas cards with pictures is something I enjoy doing. I worked on stuffing and labeling envelopes.  I know it's easier to email a letter and save trees. But I like to mail one too. For the first time in over 15 years we had professional pictures taken as a family. We usually have a family member snap one that I use each year. WOW! How nice that was in Fall in the middle of the beautiful Fall leaves. I am so glad I had that done! So this year it was easy to make a photo Christmas card to send out. I went online and ordered all the copies and cards I needed. I also like to send extra pictures from the year, or old extra printed pictures that I have taken. I put them in with the Christmas card and send it out. I also like to do a Power Point or a smile-box and email to family and friends. I have used smile-box dozens of times, I just love making invites or announcements through this website. http://www.smilebox.com/  So there it is, wheather sending out a letter, family Christmas picture, or email, it's great to do in December to wish all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Whats your thing in December?

Monday December 9th--Celebrate Life not Loss.

 Finding thankfulness in loss and grief is hard sometimes. The pain of loss hurts; I miss the traditions shared by my grandma G especially around the holidays. Remembering life not loss is what I choose.  I choose to be grateful and use my energy to dedicate my life to my grandma, my kids, and my future grandchildren. How grateful I am for the closeness, physical and emotional, that I shared with my grandma. Our family was lucky enough to live nearby….a three mile bike ride. Grandpa died before I was born so I know that grandma loved my company. She taught me how to garden, dust, have confidence, eat healthy, how to read better (she would make me read out loud), how to be kind, how to mow the lawn, and so much more. I celebrate her in memory. Today on her birthday, she would have been 105.  Grandma was  64 when I was born, she did got married until 37, so she had a late start. I had an early start so I hope I have many years to be a healthy grandma to my grand-kids.

You don’t need to “move on” but “move further” by sharing memories, celebrating birthdays, making new traditions, experience true love, and the time spent before your loss. Loss is not always experienced by death. Divorce, emotional separation, and a hard heart can create loss.

I think that I miss her so much because I truly loved her. What a blessings to truly love and trust someone so deeply. She was my savior, my escape, my hope, and an example of how I want to live my life every day.

 I truly owe her my life. 3 years ago as I lay in a hospital bed after a full hysterectomy all alone, I was in great pain. This pain was extreme, a 20 out of 10.  I was grateful that the Drs. didn't find any cancer with the 4 masses found, but I was so discouraged because of my circumstances. I was suffering emotional and physically. I thought I was going to die. All alone, I was extremely scared. My first night in the hospital was extremely hard. Early in the morning I was very lonely, needed comfort and pain relive. My grandma was there for me, not physically, but in spirit. Those four days, and the next several years after this, I have experiences many disappointing times. With God and my grandma by my side I know I can make it.

What’s Your Thing in December?

Sunday December 8, 2013--Go sledding and make hot-cocoa—

My daughters and I walked across the street to en empty field. The refreshing cold air was enjoyable while hiking up and down the sledding hill. We found a fresh spot to start a path.  For me it brought back wonderful feelings of happiness from my childhood, as I had talked about in an earlier post.  I felt young as I jumped on a sled and screamed as I was rushing down the hill. It was so much fun watching my daughters laugh and smile while playing in the snow.

As dark was near, we went home to get warm. Sledding is a must for December!

I quickly found my favorite recipe for homemade hot cocoa and started warming milk on the stove, added the ingredients and stirred. 

1/2 cup sugar 

1/4 cup cocoa

1/3 cup hot water

4 cups milk

3/4 tsp. vanilla

Oh how it ever hits the spot—so warm and rich, just in time to watch the LDS Christmas Devotional on TV.  How lucky and blessed to have so many resources to hear the gospel and watch the beautiful songs song by the tabernacle choir. Coolest Choir Ever I am so grateful of  Christ’s sacrifice and for the knowledge that there is life after death.  I yearn for the companionship and mercy of the prince of peace, for I need to sleep in heavenly peace tomorrow will come to soon, as it is my grandma G's birthday. 

Whats your Thing in December?

Saturday December 7th- Be Grateful for Trials and Don't take LIFE for Granite, But Don't Be Heart Attack Worthy!
Almost a year ago the unthinkable happened. Small sweet children were taken from this earth as a result of an angry man out for revenge in the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting. Taking minute and reflecting on the Lords tender mercy's and turning something that has gone wrong into love, passion, and forgiveness is hard to do. As the world grieves for the victims of that horrifying day, evil turned good as the power of mercy became power, evil did not win! God bless all the families that morn for their child this Christmas season. December 14th 2012 will never be forgotten. Turn evil into the power of Mercy  click here

The snow is falling like nuts. The first thing I want to do when it's snowing like this is shovel the driveway. I know CrAzY! But I am the type of person that does not want to wait until there is two feet, I would rather get some done now and some latter before it is unmanageable or heart-attack worthy. It wouldn't hurt if I could apply this method to other area's of my life. Instead of trying to be perfect right now, or waiting until the "snow" stops to tackle my imperfections, or waiting for someone else to read my mind, take a stand, do a little at a time, ect.... so it doesn't kill me.  Wear the right armor for the "snow", have your snow tires on.
 Be Prepared! Enjoy the Journey! Tackle Life one Day, Hour or Minute at a time!


This one is for a LOL!  Had a nice massage this morning and stopped by and got me Roxberry and then spilled it. No one here to hear me swear. Why not let the dogs in?

When all else fails, let the dogs in!

What's Your Thing In December?

before

 Friday December 6th-Get Organized!
Getting organized is not always easy, especially in December. But it does make things easier to be prepared to face the madness. For me cooking and sewing are so much easier and fun when you can find what you need and are prepared. So I chose two things to organize and clean out. My spice and backing cupboards were a disaster. I have not cleaned these out in years. I found 3 spices of the same thing. Old and new all over the place. I ran to Ikea and bought glass spice containers for a dollar each. Crazy! Of course they have everything you need to help get organized! They worked perfect, I just need to label them better. Now I am excited and happy to be in the kitchen baking cookies, candies, and holiday pies. Yumm....don't worry I will share later in the month.

after

 Next, I moved my sewing machine and sewing supplies to an extra bedroom and turned an old desk into my sewing project area. The room is well lit and enjoyable to spend time in. I hung a cute homemade valance that my sister made years ago to remind me of her talents. I hung a wooden spoon holder on the wall just as my grandma's was right in front of her sewing machine. Sewing for me is very psychologically rewarding and I believe keeps me grounded and happy. It may sound weird, but I find myself wanting to sew in the winter when it's gloomy outside. It's also about feeling good inside when you can make something homemade and give it away. I can see why my grandma enjoyed sewing for many years, making hundreds of quilts and many cool rugs.  Giving defiantly gives me warm fuzzies. This time of year I sew blankets, rugs, and corn-bags. Now my sewing projects for Christmas are ready to finish and it's not so overwhelming with everything organized. I can't wait to get going!

Before

After

What's your Thing in December?

Thursday December 5th-Christmas Music and Beautiful Wrapping
After the initial shock of 4 degree weather at 8 am, today was a good day to stay cozy inside and listen to K-love Christmas music while I organized, cleaned, and dusted. Listen Online I am always moved by music, especially this time of year. I owe the discovery of this channel to my oldest daughter. Who would of thought, a teenager introducing a Christian uplifting radio station to her mother?? She would listen to this channel as see drove around in her green beetle bug all the time. Man how I miss her living at home, driving around with her, and listening to her practice for hours as she composed piano pieces. Her talent and example has touched me and many others.
Wrapping the first present of the season is magical for me. I guess I get so excited to put something under the tree. I have always loved to wrap presents. Making each corner just right, creased, with a matching bow. My mother was a pro! I remember going down to Christensen's department store where she wrapped presents for customer's one year. Wow! I thought she did such a good job, neat, perfect. My Grandma also taught me to never throw anything away, including a bow or ribbon. She had a box of all the accessories for wrapping in a box in the back room. She would save them year to year, reuse to beautify every present. So tonight was no exceptions, wrapping the first few presents with snoopy paper and bow's.

What's Your Thing in December?

I love December! There is nothing like those special traditions that you do for one month out of the year. It's fun to decorate, gather as families, go to a lot of movies, watch Charlie Brown special, shopping, serve, make homemade gifts, sing praises about the Christ child, shout out a Hallelujah, make Christmas candy, make a snowman, count your blessing, go sledding, and many more activities we all enjoy doing. Yet sometimes it's a hard month, a bit of deadline stress, cold weather aches my bones, eating too much, a virus here and there, missing family members that have passed... the end of another year. Yet I still try to enjoy all these things that only but only come once a year.

I will start on Sunday December 1st -Join the choir!
I love singing Christmas songs. This is about the only time I join the choir.  It makes me happy. I have fond memories of my high school choir days. Choir was something I did right in high school, it might of even saved me. It gave me peace through a very difficult time. It gave me friends, good friends. I worshiped and respected my choir teacher Mr. Dahlquist. As years passed I would join the alumni in singing the Hallelujah chorus and Silent Night at the Christmas concert. I left special, I was emotionally moved every time I sing. These feelings will stayed with me for the rest of my life and I am forever in debt for those experiences.

Monday December 2nd-Take a treat to someone in need; watch The Nativity!
It's so much easier to take a treat to someone in December. Service fills my heart along with the season of giving. Homemade jam and banana bread was the perfect treat this time. I never want anyone to go unnoticed. We all have felt unwanted, unworthy, and unimportant. But we have all had someone that went out of there way to make you feel wanted, worthy, and important. As in the movie, The Nativity, we see the humble setting of how Christ came into this world. It reminds me of how lucky we are all.

Tuesday December 3rd- Watch Mr. Kruger's Christmas/All I want for Christmas is a dog Charlie Brown; and collect stuff animals for needy children!
 With hot apple cider and donuts in PJ's, 9 girls snuggled up on the couches to watch these two movies with me. Of course I was teary just watching them as they enjoyed the movies as I brought them cider and donuts. There just isn't a better time of the year then December to have donuts and cider. I just love it!
Now who has way to many stuffed animals. I know my daughter does. Our kids now days are so spoiled. My daughters school is trying to have 500 stuffed animals donated for needy kids. What a great idea!

Wednesday December 4th- Be grateful for the moisture and enjoy the beautiful snow with the bright sun shining bright; and watch this! Singing in the mall
Today as I sit at my kitchen table the snow glitters like a diamond. It reminds me of all the good times I had in the snow every winter. Hunting with my father. Sledding every Thanksgiving up the canyon on our homemade fiberglass sleds. Sledding down Peteetneet hill until I could no longer feel my toes.
best school ever! Playing fox n geese in my grandma Gold's field with my siblings and coming in to get warm by the coal burning stove. To making snow angels every were in fresh fluffy snow. Those days of just playing in the snow as a kid are priceless.

Teach kids what counts!

http://www.gottmanblog.com/2013/10/the-digital-age-emotion-coaching-empathy.html
I love The Gottman institute's wisdom on emotional coaching.

http://familyshare.com/10-simple-ways-to-make-your-wife-happy

Good idea's, Like I have always said, "need something green (real, fresh, or raw)" with every meal.

http://familyshare.com/8-habits-to-better-nutrition-for-you-and-your-family

Who You Are: A Message to All Women

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWi5iXnguTU

Emotions Charts

Praising your child

http://www.speechtherapygames.com/Freebies/waystopraiseachild.pdf

Today

Emotion Chart

Why humans do what we do!

The Six Human Needs

1. Certainty: assurance you can avoid pain and gain pleasure

2. Uncertainty/Variety: the need for the unknown, change, new stimuli

3. Significance: feeling unique, important, special or needed

4. Connection/Love: a strong feeling of closeness or union with someone or something

5. Growth: an expansion of capacity, capability or understanding

6. Contribution: a sense of service and focus on helping, giving to and supporting others

Trauma and the Brain

What an awesome video! Click to watch