CAKE POPS !!!!

Dear Bakerella,

You have made getting through lunch with a toddler so much easier - due to your invention of cake pops! Thank you!

www.bakerella.com

Where we usually eat during the week, Elizabeth is allowed to get a cake pop after lunch if she eats all her food, and seriously that is sometimes the only way she will eat!! My child, the one who eats salad, broccoli trees, carrots and 100 calorie packs WILL NOT eat a whole cupcake, slice of cake..etc. She just doesn't eat sweets, and if she does its a bite or a lick! Mama and Daddy eat sweets, so not sure where she gets disliking of desserts from. When Dustin and i first started dating (back when ya wrote checks ha ha...) his checks had a small saying on the front and it was, "Life is too short, eat dessert first. I never understood that saying because growing up i had to eat my food first before i got desserts!!

I decided to make the princess cake pops the other night, and when i posted the picture of them to facebook alot of ya'll wanted the recipe. Well, sorry folks i didn't invent them, however, they were very good! They were reeeally sweet and moist and everyone loved them. The only twist i did with them is i used the strawberry cake mix from Duncan Hines and the 20 oz. "real" cream cheese icing in a can! Super fun to make, especially when a 2 year old is at your feet screaming CAKE POPS, CAKE POPS!!! ..and when you give them to her its all worth that little smile :+)

Strawberry Cream Cheese Cake Pops

1 box Strawberry Duncan Hines cake mix (cook as directed on box)

1 can cream cheese frosting

(calls for 16 oz. - i used 20. oz :)

1 package white/dark chocolate bark

wax paper

1. After cake is cooked and cooled, crumble into large bowl.

2. Mix thoroughly with 1 can cream cheese frosting

3. Roll mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet

4. Let chill overnight - or for several hours

5. Melt chocolate

6. Roll balls in chocolate and lay on wax paper then sprinkle Prinkles (as E says)

Next post..

potty training...

.. which lasted me uh.. a day :)

Iowa State Fair :)

We went to the BIG Iowa State Fair. Its the largest fair in the country - with over 75k people a day. Crazy i know, Iowa?? Ha Ha, and yes there were some characters there - not to say that there's ANY in the south. Nope, we live in the perfect little south :) Not a single redneck where I'm from! Wait, their all in my family.. I'm married to one, my cousins are one! What if I'm one? ahhhhh!!!!!!!!

Ever notice when you have a 2 year old, the minute they wake up your telling them these bright and wonderful things your going to do all through the day with them, and hoping they are just as excited as you are! Its sad, but the first day I was actually excited about riding in the truck, picking wild flowers and taking pics of E.

Then the next day we ventured out to the Big City of Des Moines and went shopping... with a 2 year old...then it rained horrendously! It just doesn't rain in Iowa, it floods and everyone gets washed away! We had to run in Old Navy and literally buy jackets and an outfit for E so that we wouldn't freeze to death.

P.S. She smiles like me when i was 2! The "big fake = here i am doing it for you mom...snap the picture!!"

Here we are at the fair, she met clifford for the first time! She ran back and told me, "Mommy I not cry!" (she was obviously scared of him, but knew the 2 year old had to suck it up and face the fact that its just a guy in a costume)

She wasn't real sure what was going on with the situation at this point, she just smiled for Mommy and said, "Baa Baa Black sheep getting hair cut"

HA! I just love this picture of the pig, it doesn't even do justice, it actually makes him look smaller. This thing was a beast!

It's just funny to know someone is entering the poor thing in the fair! E really liked him... they bonded.

And by this point, she was like seriously Mom, stand by the pumpkin!! Why yes, this thing is the state record child, weighing in at 1,323 pounds!!!!

It really was cool how they have entries for EVERY vegetable and fruit you can imagine. People don't win just by it being pretty but some times by the largest, the healthiest.. etc.

the Grapes...

farm crops...

the largest watermelon..

Here she is stealing someone's corn, and sitting in their basket! She told me to take a picture.. and of course Mommy isn't going to turn that offer down!

the corn..

the only picture i took of my parents, and Madre had to have her eyes closed.. it must of been the corn in her presence, she was just overwhelmed by seeing it.. she meant well.

Then it was off to, as E says "rides Mommy, rides!!!"

This one scared me, my 2 year old on a roller coaster!! Grant it she was with her Daddy but my Lord! She screamed the WHOLE time, i couldn't get a good picture, oh wait probably because she's 2 and the ride is for ADULTS, and the crazy people at the fair have a sign on EVERY ride that reads 36" and taller can ride this ride! ugh!!!

okay so maybe you could see her, but still from a Mommy's point - the ride was TOO big!

...and WHAT?? she wants to go on there.. shes 2 she can't make these decisions!!! and WHAT?? Daddy is taking you!!!

and look, all you see is Daddy, somethings telling me Daddy is the one wanting to ride these rides!

Daddy, giving her what she wants.. more tickets..

Pals :)

tired and at the end of a great day!!!