Not exactly sure how it got to be Friday, the 20th of December, already. The speed at which December has flown by has, however, not left me completely frazzled. At least for the last day of school before Christmas vacation, I was prepared. It was a day of high fives for mom!
Although I forgot to take a picture of the cupcakes for FBLA, my Thursday ended with 18 cupcakes frosted in white with blizzard blue and irridescent white "snow" (sugar) and candy snowflakes on top. There was also a 2nd and 3rd pan of peppermint bark (btw, go with the Ghiradelli instead of the Hersheys; the result is a gazillion times more reliable and will likely result in far less swearing from the chef).
And, the piece de resistance, 29 snowmen in cake pop form! Some have ear muffs with white iridescent sugar hair. Some have bright blue hats with blue sugar and white candy snowflakes. A few have a "charcoal" nose, but most have orange candy coated sunflower seeds for noses.
You know what else there was? A GIGANTIC learning curve for those cake pops. I followed the Betty Crocker recipe for snowmen cake pops to the letter, folks. And five hours at the kitchen counter later, I was just finishing the blue caps. Do you know why it took so long? Well, let me tell ya! Betty Crocker said to use meltable candy coating, both white for the head and blue for the hats. On closer examination of the picture that went with the recipe, Betty Crocker, however, elected to NOT FOLLOW THEIR OWN DIRECTIONS and went with the much more attractive and significantly EASIER and time-saving fondant, which was wrapped around the cake instead of trying to dip cake balls upside down on a stick into hot melted candy coating. With fondant, you also don't have that unattractive issue of dripping or little errant cake pieces making your snowman lumpy. Like I always say, that's what I get for following the directions! And you know what you can't find much of during the Christmas season? Pastel circular confetti sprinkles. I had to pick out the pink ones from the fun confetti mix. Regardless, my cake pops were the hit of the party and more than one mother gave me that look as we stood around the snack table. You know the one. (The one that makes you want to do your own end zone victory dance.)
But there was also the finishing of Christmas projects. The last of Rocket's scarves is done. (And P.S., I continue to despise Sashay.)
And there was the hat for Scout #2. The hat is the Earwarmer Hat pattern, and though my kid is more about the fashion than keeping his ears warm, that 3-inch band is double-stranded and will keep his ears warm in our just-cold-enough winter weather. He's supposed to fold up that ribbing, but I'm glad he prefers not to because the wrong side of ribbing isn't as attractive as the right side.
And after way too much time driving kids around today and the whirlwind of Scouts getting ready for a winter campout/hike this weekend in the mountains, I'm all done in for this week! I'm down to a half-completed mobius cowl that will surely be done tomorrow and 2 pair of socks. Movies and knitting … that will be my weekend.
Now if we could only get some snow instead of the forecast temperatures in the 70s to put me back in the winter knitting mood. Farmers' Almanac, don't fail me now!
Although I forgot to take a picture of the cupcakes for FBLA, my Thursday ended with 18 cupcakes frosted in white with blizzard blue and irridescent white "snow" (sugar) and candy snowflakes on top. There was also a 2nd and 3rd pan of peppermint bark (btw, go with the Ghiradelli instead of the Hersheys; the result is a gazillion times more reliable and will likely result in far less swearing from the chef).
And, the piece de resistance, 29 snowmen in cake pop form! Some have ear muffs with white iridescent sugar hair. Some have bright blue hats with blue sugar and white candy snowflakes. A few have a "charcoal" nose, but most have orange candy coated sunflower seeds for noses.
You know what else there was? A GIGANTIC learning curve for those cake pops. I followed the Betty Crocker recipe for snowmen cake pops to the letter, folks. And five hours at the kitchen counter later, I was just finishing the blue caps. Do you know why it took so long? Well, let me tell ya! Betty Crocker said to use meltable candy coating, both white for the head and blue for the hats. On closer examination of the picture that went with the recipe, Betty Crocker, however, elected to NOT FOLLOW THEIR OWN DIRECTIONS and went with the much more attractive and significantly EASIER and time-saving fondant, which was wrapped around the cake instead of trying to dip cake balls upside down on a stick into hot melted candy coating. With fondant, you also don't have that unattractive issue of dripping or little errant cake pieces making your snowman lumpy. Like I always say, that's what I get for following the directions! And you know what you can't find much of during the Christmas season? Pastel circular confetti sprinkles. I had to pick out the pink ones from the fun confetti mix. Regardless, my cake pops were the hit of the party and more than one mother gave me that look as we stood around the snack table. You know the one. (The one that makes you want to do your own end zone victory dance.)
But there was also the finishing of Christmas projects. The last of Rocket's scarves is done. (And P.S., I continue to despise Sashay.)
And there was the hat for Scout #2. The hat is the Earwarmer Hat pattern, and though my kid is more about the fashion than keeping his ears warm, that 3-inch band is double-stranded and will keep his ears warm in our just-cold-enough winter weather. He's supposed to fold up that ribbing, but I'm glad he prefers not to because the wrong side of ribbing isn't as attractive as the right side.
And after way too much time driving kids around today and the whirlwind of Scouts getting ready for a winter campout/hike this weekend in the mountains, I'm all done in for this week! I'm down to a half-completed mobius cowl that will surely be done tomorrow and 2 pair of socks. Movies and knitting … that will be my weekend.
Now if we could only get some snow instead of the forecast temperatures in the 70s to put me back in the winter knitting mood. Farmers' Almanac, don't fail me now!
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