Turtle Cake

I usually don't post my cakes and cookies over here because I don't do tutorials for them or anything.  All that stuff is posted on my other blog www.sweetshoppeblog.com

My friend Lynette asked me if I could make a turtle shaped cake for a baby shower that she was co hosting for her sister.  "Sure" I said.  I'd never made a turtle cake before.

This is what I came up with:

 
I made the turtle's body by using a sports ball cake pan.  The head and legs were made with some cake that I just pressed together with a small amount of frosting (almost like making a cake pop)  The hat is a fondant covered ice cream cone.  I put the little guy on top of a buttercream frosted cake.

Crochet Hat

Due to several sickies in our house today, we didn't go to church so I had a few unexpected free hours on my hands.  I have been working on home improvement projects none stop, so I decided to do something creative with my time.  I have been seeing all these cute hats online and also on real peoples heads.

Ciara had a bunch of yarn laying around so I just stole borrowed some from her.

Not to bad for my first attempt.  I'm excited to try some different colors and patterns.  You know ....... in all my free time ;)

Best Waffles Ever!!

I purchased this on Black Friday.  It's not super heavy duty or anything, but it was one of those screaming deals that I just couldn't turn down:

I immediately made a batch of waffles just using some Krusteaz Mix which is my go to mix for pancakes.  Love how the pancakes turn out, but wasn't really happy with the waffles.  They were okay.....but just okay.  I wanted something a little better.  So then I tried the Bisquick mix.  Love it for making chicken pot pie.  Waffles.....not so much.  So I headed to the internet to find a recipe.


This is the recipe that resulted after experimenting with a couple of batches. This batter is much runnier than the box mix batter, but the waffles came out light, fluffy and crispy.

Waffle Batter Recipe
1 1/3 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs separated
1/2 cup melted butter
1 1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

Mix together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.  Add in melted butter, milk, vanilla and egg yokes and mix well.

  (Doesn't look very tasty yet!)

Place egg whites into mixer and beat until they start to get stiff (almost like you are making merengue) 

Gently fold in the egg white mixture into your batter, just until you can't see them anymore.

Cook according to the directions of your waffle maker.

This makes more batter than I need for our family of five, but I usually just cook all of it and then put the cooked waffles in the fridge or freezer.  Then I can just take them out and pop them in the toaster - they crisp right back.

Enjoy!

Advent Calendars

Riley wanted this Lego Advent calendar this year.  He has actually wanted one for several years and this year I was actually able to find one.  (Note to self - look for advent calendars in September next time!)

The nice ones the girls were interested in were either sold out, or the sellers were over inflating the prices because they were so hard to find.  So I ended up making my own.

I literally made these the morning of December 1st, so that they would be ready when the girls came home from school.  Thank goodness for Amy of Living Locurto.  She had some advent calendars available as a download on her amazing website. 

I didn't quite make these quite like Amy did.  I actually just stuck the punched out numbers to the background with double stick tape.  Every day the girls pulled a number off and got to pick a prize out of a bag.  Ella's prizes were Squinkies and Littlest Pet Shop toys.  Ciara's prize was a jewelry kit that I broke down into little baggies.  By Christmas she will have the entire kit.  The girls loved these and couldn't wait to get their prize everyday.

Be sure to head over to Amy's site if you are ever in search of some really great ideas and printables.

Diabetic Friendly Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup Crisco Shortening

1/4 cup Splenda - Granulated

1/2 cup Splenda Brown Sugar Blend

2 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together flour, salt and baking soda.  Set aside.

In medium size mixing bowl.  Mix Splenda Granular Sugar, Splenda Brown Sugar Blend, Butter and Shortening till nice and fluffy.  Add in vanilla.  Add in eggs one at a time beating after each addition.

Add in flour gradually, and beat just until flour is incorporated.  Mix in Chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded teaspoon onto an ungreased non stick cooking sheet.  Flatten the cookies slightly and bake for 10 to 12 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack.

I like to use a small ice cream scoop when baking cookies.  I flattened the cookies with the back of the scoop.  I baked them on parchment lined cookie sheets.  I got a total of 33 cookies.

Here's the nutritional info courtesy of LiveStrong

First Aid & CPR Training

August 11th, 2011 - First Aid and CPR Training

Mark off in Faith in God: Developing Talents

Next Activity: October 18th - Plan for Fall Festival

Bring your ideas for decorating a room at Fall Festival

Since we recently had a lesson about babysitting, I thought it would be a great idea for the girls to learn about basic first aid and CPR.  We are fortunate to have a former nurse in our ward, who was more than willing to come and teach the girls.  The girls just love having guests come and teach the class.

Sister M. brought a CPR training doll with her that the girls were absolutely fascinated with.  Her name is Annie.  They each got a chance to perform chest compressions on CPR Annie.  We also asked them to bring a baby doll to practice infant CPR.

Impromtu Trip to the Fabric Store

August 9th, 2011 Activity

Shopping Trip to the Fabric Store

Mark off in Faith in God: Developing Talents

Next Activity: August 23rd - Sewing our Scripture Tote Bags

Bring Scissors and any other sewing notions you can use.

It's been a crazy couple of weeks when it comes to Activity Girls.  We've had to cancel, re-schedule and come up with a new plan.  Different things came into play:  girls out of town, conflicts with other organizations, and an almost identical event as we had planned held by the Relief Society.  Sigh!

 

Monday rolled around and I was still trying to figure out what we were going to do.  Something my daughter said to me inspired me.

 

So on Tuesday night, when the girls showed up at the Stake Center, I told them we were going on a field trip.  Of course they all wanted to know where we were going but I wouldn't tell them.   

I'm such a meanie!

So as we were driving along, the girls started speculating.  When we were on the freeway, they thought we were going back to my house.  Then they thought maybe we were going out for a food treat.  Then when we were driving through a residential neighborhood, they thought maybe we were going to one of the absent girls house.  Or maybe to a member's house.    So I said "Yep, you guessed it.  We are going to a member's house and we are going carolling.  Have you ever heard of Christmas in August?"  "Nooooo" they all reply.  

 

Finally I pulled into a parking lot.  The fabric store was right there but they still didn't get it.  So, with a completely straight face, I told them I brought them out here cause I was going to teach them how to drive.  They actually looked at me for a few seconds with that confused look on their face.  You know the one where they are actually trying to figure out if you are serious or not.  "Um......Really sister Jordan?"  

"Oh yeah!  And if you are really good, next week I'll teach you how to hotwire cars!"  "Awesome!!!" yelled Miss M!  The other girls are now understandably skeptical.

 

So I finally point out the fabric store and tell them we are going shopping for fabric to sew our own Scripture Tote Bags.

 

I gave them the following instructions:

   (To be on their best behavior, and remember who we were representing)

To pick out two complementary fabrics of their choice.

Both fabrics had to be on sale and I limited them to one section of the store.

I was really proud of the girls.  They helped each other choose and were on their best behavior.  When we went to the cutting table, we asked for half a yard of each fabric.  The girls were very polite and thanked the associate that helped us.  The cashier was nice enough to bag their fabric choices individually so each girls could hang on to their own.

 

 See Toyota dealer guy.....this is why I need an eight seater van!

I had such a blast shopping with these girls.  Their enthusiasm is so contagious.

It was also fun to see the different fabrics that each girl picked out.  I felt like I could match the fabric to the girls based on their personalities.

Can't wait for us to sew up some cute tote bags. 

Hopefully this will encourage the girls to bring their scriptures every Sunday!