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!