Chocolate Chip Push-up Pops

I needed another Teacher Gift for the end of the year.  I wanted to go simple and easy.  I have been doing other baking and crafting for other little events and things that have been going on.  So, I pulled out that cute Push-up Pop Book that the evil-lovable genius Bakerella got me hooked on. 

Lily and I got to baking.  The book has it's own recipe for the chocolate chip cookie dough, but I just used my favorite Toll house recipe.  It never fails me and it is my favorite.

It took some time to smear out the dough to cover the whole pan, but I finally finished and tossed it in.  Once  the cookies are made you just cut them out with one of the push-up pop molds.

Then I made just a regular vanilla frosting from scratch.  I didn't have a tub and I didn't want to go get one, it is just as easy to make frosting.  Any Vanilla frosting would do.  Now, the next time I make these I want to add pecans to the cookies and then make a butter pecan frosting or a pecan buttercream, something just totally yummy and BAD for you.

This just takes time to get used to.  I frosted the bottoms of the pops, sprinkled mini-chocolate chips and then a cookie circle, repeat.  Some I got 4 layers some I got 5 layers.  Either way, super cute, something simple as a sweet parting gift for the end of the school year.

I tossed a quick little tag that said thank you on with some ribbon and brought them to the teachers.  School is finally out!  Yay, for the end of June!  Yay for the end of the school year.  Bring on Summer Vacation!

St. Patrick's Day (I know right - it's June!)

I have been meaning to put this fun little adventure up since March.  (Before Lily's Birthday.)  Oh, well, I am really early for giving ideas for March 2013.  Right?


St. Patrick's Day Eggstravaganza!

We knew we were not going to be home for Easter, so we decided to color eggs early this year and why not for St. Patrick's Day?  I wanted to try out something new for these eggs.  A friend showed me something her Mom or Grandma did (I can't remember who) then I went home and looked up making homemade dyes on line.  And found these Natural Dyes.  Cute huh?  I think we had more fun going on an adventure looking for flowers and leaves to decorate the eggs with than any of it.  But this is what we came up with.

Then we made homemade veggie pancakes!  Oh, yum.  I saw this recipe and fiddled with it to make my own.  I like to add more whites and take out some yolks, (but to still use some) to cut down on the fat/calories/cholesterol.  They were fun to make and I love making them on the griddle just like you would regular breakfast pancakes.

  Yummy.  I was hoping they'd be green, but they were really kinda pink because of the carrots.

Then I found this recipe for GREEN MUFFINS!  Oh yeah!  They were pretty yummy.  I got way more muffins out of the recipe than she called for.  (Remember - I am about less calories - so smaller is better!)

Before

After

I wanted to add a bit more protein and make it Vegetarian, so I added a veggie sausage and tada a very GREEN St. Patrick's Day Eggstravaganza.  

I Think Lily wanted her picture taken before the sausage was even done.  

Oh, and they insisted on PURPLE milk.  Because, you know Leprechauns like purple milk. (??)

The complete meal.

We had muffins for dessert.  (I think they were still in the oven.)

Pink Monkey Flower Birthday Party?

I am just now getting back to posting.  I have a feeling that no matter how good my intentions are, I will never really stay current with this blog (or any).  But, I can sure tell you that my heart and mind want to. I think we all do so much already, some things just fall in the cracks.  I guess I'd rather make the little cutesy things, give them away or bake away than talk about it.  (Or show it.)  So now you all know, I am not Little Ms. Blogger, or photographer, I am just a Mom that wears a million hats and tries to get it on a blog when she can.

So....

Pink Monkey Birthday Party? 

My daughter (Lilypad) really wanted pink monkey cake pops for her Birthday. She also wanted flowers and Pirates and a Pinata.  Oh, and she told me she wanted the bounce house and popcorn.  Alrighty then!  She is one of a kind.  She loves many things and wants to be able to have it all and all at once, not caring if it matches or not.  She is just a treasure to me.

                                                                         Monkey!

IT RAINED!

The bounce house did not happen.  But, the painting party DID happen.  The girls got a heart shaped box and the boys got a treasure chest.  So cool!  I ordered enough and Lily was able to have one of each.  This was awesome!  We hired this gal Sandy from KlayKids. LOVE her!  We know Sandy from my kids school where they take the extra curricular ceramics class.  We originally were going to have the kids paint outside and bounce house it up, but because of the massive rain storm we had, be brought it inside.  Thank goodness for having a big living room with wood floors.

                                         Big Brother Noah working on his Treasure Chest.

                                Lily's BFF Nathan.  This has to be the nicest boy I have ever met.

                  Great Family Friends, I love that Dad got in there and helped.  I love these guys.

                                                     Birthday girl with her treasure chest.

                                       Sweet girl from school.  This is the flower box, isn't it cute?

Then we had the pinata in the garage.  We went with a flower pinata.  Beating a flower is much easier on the psyche than a beloved pink monkey.

                                                            Birthday Girl taking a swing.

                                              This little one was the toughest of the bunch!

                                                                Big brother and his turn!


Then, we had the cake pops and cupcakes.  I went lazy with the extra cupcakes.  I used my cricut to cut out a flower template and then used colored sugar to make the design.  Then of course no Pink Monkey Flower Birthday Party can be complete without Pink Monkey Cake Pops.

 Let's not forget the popcorn!

Finally, a moment of heart filled pride for my baby girl. Shortly before my girl turned 4 a young girl in our community died of cancer.  But, before she did, she started up an AMAZING gift of joy to children all over the world called Joy Jars, where she encouraged children to NEVER EVER GIVE UP.  (NEGU)  We had been hearing about this little girl, praying for her and Lily said she wanted to do something or give something to the little girl who died.  So, we asked all of our invited guests to bring toys to fill Blessing Boxes to fill Joy Jars for NEGU instead of gifts.  We were blown away by the generosity of our friends.  Thank you for your love for Lily and your generosity to these kids.  Lily had a great 4th Birthday Party.

                                                                       Thank you!