Wordless Wednesday - Pizza Time!

My kids love making pizza...

The best part is these are special PKU friendly pizzas for two very special little kids.

All kids love pizza.

Do You Blog? Join Mom Spark - Free Trial

I am a member of several blogging networks, some are active, some are packed with blogging tips, and sometimes they bring great opportunities for reviews and giveaways to bloggers. Yes, even small bloggers like me!

One of my favorite blog networks is Mom Spark Media. I have participated in several campaigns with them and I have always been pleased with the sponsors (the network screens them), as well as the ladies running the site and network. This is a great group for new bloggers trying to learn how to get started in reviews & giveaways.

This group has a small yearly fee, but if you sign up now, you can try it free for 2 weeks! That means you get access to all the forums and opportunities for two weeks. Plenty of time to find out if it is a good fit for you and your blog. You will need to hurry though, it is being capped at 100 new signups and ends Thursday, June 2nd at 10:30 am CST.

So how do you get in on this trial membership? You just need a referral code (my name!) to use on the sign-up. It is that easy!

Use: (Andrea Kruse) and sign-up at momsparkmedia.com

*Disclaimer - I am participating in the referral program. With every 20 paid memberships I can earn a GC. All opinions are my own and no other compensation was received.

Arby's Winner!

The taste off has come to a close on Facebook between Arby's Chicken Salad & Subway's. Want to here the results?

Final tally for the Chicken Salad Taste-Off: 8,820 Arby’s votes to Subway’s 1,048 votes

 

Do you remember that  Arby’s pledged to donate $1 per vote to Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry® Campaign? They announced they will donate the full $25,000 to the national effort to end childhood hunger by 2015

 As for the giveaway, the lucky winner was #68:

Kristen said...

Of course I voted for Arby's...it's delish. And I've *never* had anything good at Subway...ugh!

May 21, 2011 12:40 PM 

Congratulations Kristin!

I will be contacting the winner and they will have 48 hours to respond to my email. Thanks for entering and look for more great giveaways to come.

#Mamavation Monday - The After Party

Going through the Mamavation Bootcamp was amazing! ... and then the week after I was all about getting our house back in order. The Grand Tetons of laundry were not going to wash themselves!

So, with a bit of embarrassment, I have to say I haven't had a plan in place. I know, isn't that crazy? The one thing I really learned in the past 8 weeks was how important a plan of attack is for my own success. It may not work for everyone, but for me, it really it keeps me focused. So I have made up a plan for my eating as well as exercise for the coming week.

Daily:  Stephanie's circuits and a walk/jog with my kids in the double stroller.
I also want to get back into the challenges... pushups (http://hundredpushups.com), situps (http://www.twohundredsitups.com/) and lunges.

M- EA Sports Active
Tu- Abs/ Pilates or Yoga
W- Top Trainers (I am doing the full program from start to finish)
Th - EA Sports Active
Fr- Abs/Pilates or Yoga
Sat- Top Trainers
Sun- Rest Day

*I am shooting for a 5K on June 18th. It is a benefit for our local police officer's K9 unit. I am picking this one because I need to complete a 5K within 6 months of finishing the Mamavation bootcamp, and I am having a hard time finding them in my town. Farming is really busy right now so going away for the weekend is not an option. I hope to train and complete this one, and look for another to do again in the fall. Hopefully I can make some dramatic improvements on my time.

As for food, well... breakfasts I like to keep simple. I really only rotate 4 breakfasts: whole grain cereal, oatmeal, whole wheat toast or yogurt. Then I add fruit and whatever else I need to fill out my exchanges for the day.

Here is my upcoming meal plan:
M- Tuna Melt, chopped salad and fruit
Tu- Spaghetti, steamed vegetable and fruit
W- Stuffed Grilled Burritos, salsa, chips and fruit
Th - Stir Fry with tofu, brown rice, fruit salad
Fr- Sweet Potato Gnocchi, salad and fruit
Sat- Chicken... served some way, I haven't decided
Sun- Family Dinner

There was no change this week... Here is my pic as required for a recent Mamavation Grad

 

I'm not worried, I know with some more movement I can get that scale to start going down again. 

MAMAVATION TV: Join us Monday night at 7pm PST/10pm EST on Mingle Media TV

BLOGGING CARNIVAL: This week’s blogging carnival is sponsored by Your Best Face.  One blogging carnival participant will receive a Very Important Blogger Gift Basket .  Answer the following question in your blog post and link back to the Your Best Face website.  Link up your post here to share with others.

Question: What are your go-to tricks for when you need a confidence boost?

This is one of the reasons I like to do challenges and DVDs. It really helps give me a boost we I can clearly see how far I have come. When I first tried the push up challenge, I could only do 6... after just a week I could do 10 easily. I love seeing how far I have come.

I also love knowing that I have dropped 2 clothing sized over the past two months. Seeing a 12 on the tag means so much to me, and it has really been a boost to my confidence.

Also, for a purely cosmetic "perk-me-up" I love a good pair of high heels. High and cute. For some reason I could be wearing a potato sack but a good 5- inch heel would make me feel like I was wearing couture! 


Disclaimer- This post is sponsored by Your Best Face and I’m writing this to be entered into a giveaway hosted by Mamavation and sponsored by Your Best Face. All opinions are my own.

Daring Bakers' May Challenge - MARQUISE ON MERINGUE

Today is posting day again for the monthly Daring Bakers' Challenge. If you like to learn new techniques and consider yourself daring in the kitchen, I urge you to check it out. This month it was all completely new to me. Have you ever had or heard of this dessert?

The May 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Emma of CookCraftGrow and Jenny of Purple House Dirt. They chose to challenge everyone to make a Chocolate Marquise. The inspiration for this recipe comes from a dessert they prepared at a restaurant in Seattle.

 
Shall we get started?

This recipe consists of 4 components (actually 5 counting the chocolate base). It combines a chocolate marquise, torched meringue, candied almonds and candied almond peel.

Originally the marquise had cayenne and tequila... instead I opted for orange extract and vodka. I exchanged the spiced almonds and tequila caramel for orange candied almonds and candied orange peel. The chocolate is very rich and I hoped to cut a little of that with the orange flavor... that and I love chocolate and orange combined!

You Will Need:

(Chocolate Base)

6 oz. of semisweet chocolate

3/4 c. heavy cream

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 c. vodka

1/8 c. light corn syrup

1/2 tsp. orange extract

1/16 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter softened

(Chocolate Marquise)

6 large egg yolks at room temperature

2 large eggs

1/3 c. sugar

2 Tbsp + 2 tsp. water

chocolate base * see recipe

1 c. heavy cream

1 c. Dutch process cocoa powder for rolling

(Torched Meringue)

6 large egg whites

3/4 c. + 2 Tbsp. sugar

splash of apple cider vinegar

1/4 tsp. vanilla

(Orange Candied Almonds)

1 lb almonds

1 egg white

1/2 tsp. orange extract

1 Tbsp. water

3 c. of sugar

(Candied Orange Peel)

1 orange with the rind & pith cut off in strips

3 c. sugar

1 c. water

First start by making the chocolate base. Start with your chocolate in a bowl. Add the cream to a saucepan and heat it till warm but not boiling. Then pour this over your chocolate. Let it stand for a minute and then stir till smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk till smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature as you make the marquise.

Place all your eggs for the marquise into a stand mixer and beat for 10 -15 minutes. Your eggs will become fluffy and pale. It is okay to set the timer and get other ingredients ready. Just let your mixer and the eggs do their thing!

In the last few minutes bring your sugar and water to boil in a small saucepan. It will be in the softball stage (235 degrees). With the mixer on low, add the syrup mixture to the eggs. Now turn it back on high and whip till the bowl cools, about 10 minutes.

In a separate bowl, whip the cream till soft peaks form. Then set aside.

Now add the chocolate base to your mixer. Make sure it has cooled before adding. Whisk to combine, but do not over do it. You don't want to lose the air whipped into your eggs.

Then gently fold in 1/3 of your whipped cream. Then gently fold in the rest.

At this point you can freeze the marquise in a loaf pan, baking dish, or I chose a silicone baby food container. I think the portion sizes were perfect and I wouldn't have to cut it later.

Now freeze it for at least 3 hours. I froze mine overnight so I could make the rest of the recipe the following day.

Okay, now I made both the candied orange peels and orange candied almonds at the same time. Both are easy to make up ahead time.

For the orange peel, put them in a small saucepan with cold water. Bring them up to a boil to blanch. Strain the peel out and repeat two more times.

Then put the water and sugar in the saucepan and bring it up to simmer. Add the peels and simmer for about 45 minutes. They should be soft and translucent. Then let them cool. You can save the syrup for iced tea to use later.

The candied almonds are even easier! Whip the egg white, orange extract and water together till foamy. Add the almonds and coat. Then add the sugar and mix. Place your almonds on a single layer on a baking sheet with parchment. These will bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour, turning every 15 minutes.

Easy peasy!

Now before you want to serve the chocolate marquise, take it out of the freezer and roll in your cocoa powder. They will melt quickly, so handle and move them as little as possible. Let them sit out for a few minutes so they are soft when served.

And for the last component, make the torched meringue. This was a new technique for me. In your stand mixer bowl, add the eggs, sugar and vinegar. With a clean hand mix the eggs till all the sugar is moistened.

Then put the bowl over a pan of water (quick double boiler) and heat. Continue stirring till the mixture thickens and all the sugar is dissolved. The mixture will be warm.

Then put the bowl back on the mixer and whip the eggs till soft peaks form. Add your vanilla and continue to whip for another minute or two.

Plate your meringue and use a hand torch to finish the top.

I added my candied orange peel and almond to the plate and it was ready to serve! Enjoy. ...we did!

Friendly Friday Blog Hop

It's Friday! Are you ready for some blog hopping?

It has been a while since I have participated, but I thought this week was a good one to find some new favorite blogs. So take a peek around, leave a comment and I will be back to return the favor.

Aloha Friday #59

Welcome to Friday Everyone! In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that they take it easy and look forward to the weekend. I feel like I am experiencing the calm before the storm of the holiday. Let's sit back, relax and enjoy a little blog hop. No heavy mental lifting today... just one simple little question...

 What are your Weekend Plans?

 

It is Memorial Day Weekend and I plan to take my kids to the park and stay low-key. We are in the middle of potty training 2 toddlers so we won't be venturing far from home this year. I do think a BBQ in the backyard will be in order. Do you have any plans for this holiday weekend?

If you are looking for more Aloha Friday fun, go to An Island Life and check out the other posts on the Linky. Have a great weekend!

I'm Back - In the Potty Training Trenches

If you read my blog regularly, you might remember me declaring that I was taking potty training head-on. Do you also remember that I tossed up my hands and gave up?

Okay, I am declaring it is once again on. This time I am more prepared, and my two toddlers in diapers are more motivated than before. My son is 3 1/2 and is finally showing an interest in moving up to "big boy pants". I am taking baby steps and have successfully transitioned him to pull-ups. He doesn't ask consistently to use the potty and avoids me after going #2.

My daughter is ready and willing! She is only 21 months old, so I am going slowly with her. I decided to go straight to panties since she was ripping off her diaper every 5 minutes to "potty, Mama!".

Boy are these two different! My son is motivated by bribes and treats while his sister just wants a good 'ole hug and "high five". But my son also doesn't want to be out done by his baby sister. I am motivated to get my son comfortable because pre-school is just around the corner. He can't go until he is out of his diapers. Has anyone out there trained two at the same time? Or worked with both a boy &; a girl? Unfortunately they mimic what we teach the other one... despite the difference in plumbing.

So far I have an arsenal of training products. We have a Safety 1st 3-in-1 potty, with lift out toilet seat insert that I keep in our living room. I am pretty happy with this product.

There are a lot of parts to clean, but the kids can use it easily and it is versatile. I do love the soft foam seat.

We picked it up at Walmart for under $20, and you can find similar models in most stores.


And for the simple and inexpensive, we picked up a few simple plastic bucket-style potty at IKEA. We have an extra in the house that I plan to take outside in the privacy of our backyard, and one went to the Grandparents. It retails for under $5, but has no bells or whistles. I don't think it looks very comfortable, but the little bottoms in our home don't seem to mind, and I couldn't beat the price.

Since we have 2 bathrooms, I wanted a potty chair in both. At 21 months, my daughter is not stable enough to climb up to use the toilet, so we also have the Boon Potty Bench. I call this the Cadillac of potty benches/ step stools. It even has storage in both sides.

We use this as a step stool while we brush teeth because it is wide, stable and both children can stand on it at the same time (a little cramped, but they manage).

This is hands-down my favorite and I recommend it to my friends, but it retails for $49.99.

And if that wasn't enough, we also picked up a simple Mommy's Helper Paddy Potty Seat.This sets on top of the toilet bowl so the child won't fall in. My son is very intimidated by full-sized seats and this has helped him. Unfortunately, this style requires a step stool or a ladder to use easily and we don't have one yet. My son can't get up to the seat on his own. For now we lift him up to use it.

Again, it is very simple and retails for around $12.

We looked into getting a new toilet seat that had two lids, one regular size, and one that is for small children. Unfortunately they are not big sellers and we would have to order it online.

Okay, have I gone potty crazy? Probably. I have purchased all of these items for my little ones. Of course I am still looking for good products to help with this developmental milestone. I have a few other items up my sleeve I will be sharing soon. There are so many items out there to help. From DVDs, dolls, books and wipes I will let you know what is working, and not working for us. With two potty training I need all the help I can get!

*Disclaimer - This is not a sponsored post and all products were purchased by myself to use during potty training.

Why the Silence?

This past month has been crazy, stressful and frustrating for me. I just finished up the campaign as a Mamavation Mom and now I am trying to find a new routine for our life. No longer am I required to do nightly food journals and other posts & tweets, but I am trying not to backslide in my weight loss. Stay tuned, on Monday I will be posting my new workout plans, goals and menu to take me farther along this journey.


One of my other issues lately has been technology. My hard drive crashed, taking with it many files and photos that hadn't been backed up. Add to this the Blogger outtage and a mishap with my FlipCam... no idea which child smashed my new toy... and I have been frustrated with all things digital. I am working my way back to daily posting with reviews, giveaways and many fabulous recipes to share.

As for my family? Well, I am struggling with managing my 21 month old's PKU. She has been refusing to eat for the past month. As part of her dietary therapy she has a "medical beverage" for most of her nutrition. The problem is, it doesn't give her fiber or protein. Her blood levels are taken weekly and she has been dangerously low going on 5 weeks now. This is a big source of stress in my life. Yes, toddlers are picky, but this is becoming a big problem for her overall mental health. I hope this issue resolves itself, but I would appreciate people keeping her in their thoughts or prayer list.

The truth is I am ready to be back to normal. I will get there, but it will take a bit of work. I hope my blog will continue to grow from here and be back at the traffic level it had just a month or two ago.

Wordless Wednesday - Time for Play!

5 Summer Getaways Every Kid Should Experience

Summer, it is just around the corner and my feet are itching to take me somewhere. I am sure my children feel the same way! Something about the warm weather wakes up the explorer inside me.

When I was growing up, Summer was when we took our family vacation. I learned a lot about my home state of Oregon during those road trips and I hope my children will learn as much on our vacations together. I know, I know.... there are many great theme parks and attractions to see around the country, but my list is a little more basic and closer to home. I want my children ...and all children to experience the world around them during Summer.

Our state of Oregon has distinct areas of interest. We are right along the Pacific Ocean, we have great forests and mountains as well as the high desert on the Eastern border. I would love my children to experience the best of all of these. So, here are the 5 things I want my children to experience this Summer.

•  The Beach - We live on the West Coast. Our beach is sandy, but not warm like the images of our Southern neighbors in California. But, there is still SO much to do! We can still build sandcastles, watch the waves crash up on the shore, visit the Sea Lion Caves and explore tide pools along the shore. My toddler loves going to the beach. There is something magical about playing in the sand that every child should experience.
•  Camping - Our family loves camping! We camp with a tent and backpacks up in the mountains. Besides the clean fresh air, we can teach our children more about nature and basic needs. I also adore those lazy mornings complete with a good snuggle. Just be sure to pack the sunscreen & bug spray!
•  The Desert - Such a different eco-system in the high desert of Oregon. What can you do there? Besides some great hikes, there are fossils beds to explore and great rock formations. We have enjoyed both hiking and watching the rock climbers. When my children are older, I am sure we will be right up there on the rope with them.
•  The City - For a country family,  heading into the big city is a big deal! All those skyscrapers, buses and shopping malls. Since I have small children, they get excited just to see the hustle  and bustle in the city. Add to that the opportunities to see museums, try new foods and play in a local park or two. A vacation to the city doesn't have to cost a lot, often there are great options to keep a stay within any budget.
•   Stay local! Okay... this one may sound strange, but I bet there are festivals and events going on near your place all through the year. We have things like the Scandinavian Festival, Wildflower Festival, Blackberry Festival and many more. They often have special opportunities for families or small children. Check out your local Chamber of Commerce for options near your home.

To stay within our budget, we will be experiencing a combination of those this year. Sometimes the best part of Summer is just getting out of the house and having fun. Now, if I can also teach my children something about their wonderful state, that is even better!


I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Alamo blogging program, for a gift card worth $25. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Aloha Friday #58

Welcome to Friday Everyone! In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that they take it easy and look forward to the weekend. I feel like I am experiencing the calm before the storm of the holiday. Let's sit back, relax and enjoy a little blog hop. No heavy mental lifting today... just one simple little question...

What is Your Favorite Hot Weather Treat?

 

The best part about the hot weather for me is finding ways to cool off! We love snow cones because they are simple and frugal. I will be posting real fruit recipes in the coming months. We also love making our own fruit popsicles as the local fruit ripens. So, what treats help keep you and your family cool?

If you are looking for more Aloha Friday fun, go to An Island Life and check out the other posts on the Linky. Have a great weekend!

The Arrivals - Book Review

It's early summer when Ginny and William's peaceful life in Vermont comes to an abrupt halt. First, their daughter Lillian arrives, with her two children in tow, to escape her crumbling marriage. Next, their son Stephen and his pregnant wife Jane show up for a weekend visit, which extends indefinitely when Jane ends up on bed rest. When their youngest daughter Rachel appears, fleeing her difficult life in New York, Ginny and William find themselves consumed again by the chaos of parenthood - only this time around, their children are facing adult problems.

After children leave the home, it is not uncommon, or unwanted for them to visit their parents. But, in this story, life has dealt each of the adult children an unexpected hand. In their time of need or uncertainty, they go home. But what happens when a family of adult children moves back in together for a while? Well, life happens. Author Meg Mitchell Moore does an amazing job painting domestic life, complicated relationships, and engaging characters. It was a comfortable and thought provoking story that I didn't want to put down.

I loved the interactions between the characters in the book. I really enjoyed one particular exchange between Lillian and Heather where Lillian was thinking about her future and decisions she needed to make. It caused her to think about her role in the family and how she would describe herself. "If anyone asked my mother what she did, she would have said, 'I'm a housewife.' Or, 'I'm a homemaker.' But we -you, me, everyone in my town - we're  stay-at-home-mothers. And we'd be insulted if anyone called us housewives." Being a stay-at-home-mom myself, I would never call myself a homemaker. I was drawn into this conversation and this part, along with many others in the book, were memorable. I just love books that do that.

Overall I loved the story, I loved the characters, and I loved the author's writing style. Her writing is beautiful and the character's dialogues are honest and real. I would have to recommend this book as a must for any beach bag, flight or sunny afternoon. Once you start reading, you won't want to put it down, so block out some time to relax and enjoy this wonderful story. Currently you can find this book in both book form and Kindle download at Amazon. I hope you will add this title to your must-read list for Summer.

Meg Mitchell Moore worked for several years as a journalist. Her articles have been published in a wide variety of business and consumer magazines. She received a master's degree in English literature from New York University. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and their three children. The Arrivals is her first novel.

The Great Chicken Salad Taste-Off + #Giveaway

Chicken salad is such a classic sandwich. It is more like what my Mother would have made when I was growing up. Arby's philosophy is Good Food In, Good Mood Out, and they are throwing down a challenge right now with Subway over their Chicken Salad Sandwiches.

In one corner:  Arby's Market Fresh Chicken & Pecan Salad Sandwich:

Tender chunks of grilled chicken breast tossed with crunchy pecans, crips apples, celery, juicy red grapes and green leaf lettuce between two slices of our signature honey wheat bread made with whole grains. Prepared by hand in our restaurants each day.

And in the other corner: Subway's Orchard Chicken Salad Sandwich:  

The refreshing summery flavor of the Orchard Chicken Salad sub is back. With juicy, tender chicken, sweet apples, tangtastic cranberries and crunch-a-licious celery on your favorite freshly baked bread.

We tasted, we compared... and I have to say it was a close race. They were both tasty sandwiches on their own. On taste alone though, I would go hands-down with Arby's. But, the overall package is what brings me back to buy another sandwich so I have to detail a few of my other thoughts.

Arby's Pros: 

• Large chunks of meat, fruit and nuts made them easy to identify. I like to know what I am eating.
• The honey wheat bread was tasty and fresh. 
• Also try Arby's build a meal function on their website to see calories and nutritional information before you buy. I loved it!

Cons:

• It was too big for me! My husband had to finish it off. 
• When I looked up the calorie count I was shocked. At 840 calories for the sandwich, it was too much. Next time I will get the wrap to shave off some calories.

Subway Pros:

• I like dressing up my sandwich with my own selection of veggies, 
• Also at 370 calories for a 6", I thought that was reasonable.

Cons:

• It reminded me more of chicken salad in a can with the texture.

Now that was a mouthful! I would order both of these sandwiches again, but would share the Arby's with someone. That is almost too much sandwich for me to handle.

But, I want you dear readers to try this new Arby's sandwich for yourself. Stop by their Facebook page for a coupon for a Free Market Fresh Chicken Salad sandwich with a purchase of a 22 oz. drink.

Let your taste buds decide.

After enjoying your sandwich, be sure to vote for your favorite on their Facebook page. They will donate $1 to Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry Campaign for ever Taste-Off vote on their Facebook page. I think that makes each bite taste even better!

GIVEAWAY!

Okay, are you hungry yet? Well, I am happy to say that I have 3 $5 Gift Cards to Arby's to give to one lucky reader.

Mandatory Entry: Just comment with your favorite sandwich. Leave your email address if your profile is not set to public. I need a way to contact you if you win.

For optional extra entries, do any or all of the following and leave a comment letting me know after you do the mandatory entry mentioned above:

• Don't forget to vote for you favorite... who is getting your vote? Let me know which sounds better to you. (1 entry)
• Subscribe via email, be sure to confirm in your email. (2 entries)
• Follow Arby's on twitter @Arbys
• Comment on any non-giveaway post on my blog. (1 entry per comment)

• Follow me on twitter (@notimeMom)  & tweet about this giveaway. (limit 2 tweets a day at least 1 hour between tweets) Be sure to leave the tweet URL in your comment. (1 entry/tweet) Feel free to use:

#Win $15 GC to Arbys in the Great Chicken Salad Taste-Off @notimeMom http://bit.ly/jyVtrg (ends 5/27) #Giveaway

*Disclaimer - I received Gift Cards in order to sample the mentioned sandwiches as a part of MomSpark Media. No monetary compensation was received and all opinions are my own. Winner must be a resident of the US or Canda & be 18 years of age or older. Winner will be drawn via random.org and contacted by the email on your profile or left in the entry. Winner will have 48 to respond and claim the prize. If not, I will redraw for a new winner. Giveaway ends 5/27 at 11:59 pm PST. Prizes are shipped from the sponsor and I am not responsible for lost, stolen or unfulfilled prizes.

Remember Marbles?

I used to spend hours playing marbles at recess. I had quite a collection, too! Now, Cepia LLC, the makers of Zhu Zhu Pets, have brought a new spin to marbles!

Ever thought about racing marbles?

DaGeDar (pronounced DAH-geh-DAAR) are super-charged battle balls made for racing. Keep your eyes open for this new toy, as they will be racing into stores everywhere this summer!

So, what do you think?

*I received this information as part of the MomSelect. For blogging I was entered into a giveaway for the new Dagedar products. All opinions are my own.

Final Cake Class - Wilton Flowers & Cake Design

My second class in the Wilton Method series has finished up. I really enjoyed the Flowers & Cake Design because the royal icing flowers were fast, fabulous and easy to make up ahead of time. That was a nice feature since I am a busy Mom.

I am trying to get more sleep these days, so being able to slip in a few minutes to whip up a few roses, drop flowers or apple blossoms makes cake decorating possible for me. For everyone who asked me how I have the time... well, I make time.

Here is a basic vanilla cake with a strawberry rhubarb jam filling and a simple buttercream frosting. The wax paper strips under the cake help to keep my cake board and stand clean during the frosting process. I am a messy lady!

I made a 3 layer cake and finished decorating it in class. We still had to learn the basketweave which I wanted to add to this cake. I chose to use Wilton tip 47, the serrated side, for texture and because it added less extra frosting to the outside of my cake. We practiced with Wilton tip 21, but that seemed much thicker.

My lines were not perfectly straight, but with a little practice I will get it down. Next time I would like to tick the sides of my cake beforehand to keep my lines equally spaced. I used a combination of the flowers from previous classes to decorate the top.

Swirled Drop Flowers, the Wilton Rose and Apple blossoms around the center, with a regular shell border around the top.

Then I added more Swirled Drop Flowers and Violets to the bottom.

Overall I was happy with my first attempt. I will be enrolling for the next class in the series also, Gum Paste and Fondant. Stay tuned to see what I learn there.

Wordless Wednesday - Stubborn or Independent?

Backwards, Inside-out and disheveled...

...sigh...

Cupcake Time! Update for Cinco de Mayo

Yes, it is Tuesday... and with Cinco de Mayo coming up I wanted to get prepared by baking those Mexican Chocolate Chili Cupcakes I talked about last week. If you didn't catch that post, hop on over to find the full recipe.

This recipe uses a chocolate Duncan Hines boxed mix and adds in chili pepper & cinnamon. The spices are also added to the frosting and a little frosting is baked inside each cupcake. So simple and yet so tasty!

I dusted the tops of mine with candy sprinkles and a little more cinnamon. Enjoy!

Don't forget that Duncan Hines is sponsoring the 1 MILLION Cupcake Challenge.  By entering, bakers can win one of five trips for two to Los Angeles to see Hollywood’s hottest celebrities on the Red Carpet of the 63rd Primetime Emmy® Awards. Just head over to www.duncanhines.com/cupcakechallenge 

And since it is Tuesday, link up your cupcake creations and see what is posted over at Hoosier Homemade this week!

Giveaways on Other Blogs!

There are some great giveaways right now around the blogisphere! Check my favorites out:

first swing past Baby Loving Mama



and check out her Wilton Punch.Cut.Decorate Giveaway! Since I love cake decorating and am currently learning how to work with fondant, I am really excited about this new product. Yes, I have blogged a lot recently about my love of Wilton products, but they are fabulous for the home cake decorator, like myself.  Instead of spending $200+ on a machine and then more on stencil sets to cut out designs, this product takes a scrap-booking approach to decorating a cake. Fast and affordable, the punches look great on the finished cake photos. I love the fact the sugar sheets are only $4 apiece. This giveaway ends 5/13. You can enter HERE.

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But, don't leave Baby Loving Mama until you enter her KitchenAid Pro Line Series Waffle Baker Giveaway, too!

Oh, be still my heart. This is one serious waffle maker. We just love waffles in this house and I am currently looking to replace our current waffle iron. It gets used weekly, so a heavy duty model like this would be ideal. KitchenAid is already a trusted brand in our house. I adore my stand mixer, and we also have an immersion blender, food processor and standard blender of theirs. I guess you could say that food just wouldn't be made in this house without a little help from KitchenAid.

Why am I excited about this product? Well, with a hungry family of 4, this waffle maker cooks 2 huge waffles at the same time. And with my little kiddos, that means we could all eat much faster than we can now. It is non-stick... oh, so important! I also have to say it looks beautiful. Yes, I think I have a little crush on this beauty. Be sure to check out Emilie's review and enter this amazing giveaway. It ends 5/12. Enter HERE.

Mamavation Monday ... Food Fueled!

Yes, I am still losing weight and we are in week 5 for the Mamavation Mom campaign. You can see my daily food and exercise journals on bookieboo.com, and catch up with my weekly Wednesday vlog post on Mamavation.com.

Here is my EA Sports Active 2 review & vlog post:



But, each week I am sharing some of my favorite meals that helped me along the way...

Want to see how I was fueling up?

I started my week out with a Chef's Requested steak, roasted brussel sprouts with lemon zest, a mixed green salad and a little roasted sweet potato.

Then I made spaghetti sauce (leaving out all the additives and sugar!), with 2 of my homemade meatballs, and a big salad with loads of goodies!

We enjoyed my DH's favorite warm weather meal of taco salad! I like mine with Bocca crumbles instead of ground beef. I make our own Catalina dressing and paired it all with a cup of mixed berries and cinnamon.

And lets not forget the delicious garlic yogurt chicken! Chock full of spices, yogurt, lemon juice and tons of crushed garlic, it pairs well with whole wheat couscous, steamed asparagus, and a balsamic tomato & fetta salad. I will be posting this dinner's recipe soon.

Doesn't it all look good? Oh, it was... and if it seems like a lot of food, I use a small sized plate for myself as a visual trick. I am trying to be especially careful of my protein and starch portions. Paired with lots of fresh veggies I haven't felt like I am dieting.

I hope that helps with inspiration for the week! Enjoy.