Treats for the Trick-or-Treaters

For Halloween this year I made some Cake Pops for the small amount of trick-or-treaters that would come by our place.

What you need:

1. I used a yellow cake mix but you can use whatever kind of cake that you would like.
2. Bake cake according to directions.
3. Let Cool
4. Crumble into a LARGE bowl (this is crucial because it will FILL a large bowl
5. With two forks mix any kind frosting that you would like. I used 16oz of double fudge frosting
6. You know it is completely mixed in when only the frosting color shows through and you can not see any cake
7. Use a cookie scoop to from perfect sized balls
8. Freeze for one hour
9. In the middle of the cake ball place a lollipop stick
10. Roll into melted chocolate
11. Decorate however you would like

This was the decorated result. After I dunked the cake in chocolate I sprinkled them with some orange sprinkles.

In order for them to be transportable I put them in some festive halloween baggies.

Hopefully all of my little goblins will enjoy them!

My New Cricut

I have had many delightful experiences with my Cricut Expression! Once I found out they were coming out with a Cricut Cake I just HAD to have one. Now, just a few years down the road, I finally found a very reasonable priced one on the net =) This machine is just like the original cricut it will cut out nearly any shape you need. What makes the cricut cake different is you can cut out fondant, gum paste, etc and it is all safe to eat.
I was so excited to use! However,  this was also my first time ever using fondant. As a first time user I think I need a lot more practice. Some things I cut out were hard to transfer to the cake without ruining the precise cutting.
Since Halloween is right around the corner, I used my holiday cakes cartridge and made a festive BOO cake!
And the end result:

The Greatest Commandment

I think a great verse to live by this week is Matthew 22:34-40

"When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" He said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

I love this verse! With all of the hustle and bustle in our lives it very easy to loose site of what is most important. "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," is something I constantly loose sight of. I am sure we all have people that are hard to deal with on a daily basis. We may have to deal with a pesky co-worker, a rude salesman, an unsatisfied salesman, a distant family member, and even in some cases literally your annoying neighbor haha. We just have to keep in mind that no matter what our differences are we have to keep an open heart. They should not be treated any differently than how you would treat yourself.

Lazy Slow Cooker Barbequed Beef Sandwiches

These are very easy to make and can cook all day while you are away!

Ingredients:
1 (4lb) Sirloin Tip Roast
2 cups Ketchup
3 cups Barbeque Sauce
1 can (14oz) Beef Broth
1 can Root Beer
1-2 teaspoons Onion Powder
1-2 teaspoons Pepper
10 Steak Rolls

Directions:
Mix and place all ingredients in the crock pot (Save two cups of the barbeque sauce for later). Cook on low for seven hours. Take out and pull apart meat. Pour out the juices in the crock pot. Put the meat back in the crock pot, mix in the saved barbeque sauce, and warm until ready to serve. I like to serve them on steak rolls, but you can use hamburger buns as well.

Canning Tomatoes

Today was a sure sign that winter is right around the corner. It was windy, rainy and COLD. One of those days that just makes you wanna stay in bed and watch movies all day. Last night I picked all of the tomatoes that were left in my garden. Since it was a stay inside kind of day, I thought I would can the tomatoes that I picked. It is a lot of work, and leaves a big mess to clean up. However, I love being able to use these canned goods all throughout the winter!

Eggs n' Hotdogs

This recipe is great for breakfast, brunch, or breakfast for dinner. It is perfect for kids and adults of all ages.

What you need:

7 eggs

4 heated Hotdogs (2 oz. each)

2 Tbs. Milk

1/2 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese

Pepper to taste (you can add salt, I did not since the hotdogs are already salty)

What to do:

Heat Skillet on high heat.

Meanwhile in a medium bowl whisk together eggs, milk, and pepper.

Pour into skillet and stir until cooked thoroughly. Add hotdogs and top with cheese.

ENJOY!