Halloween Cake Pops

Cake pops have become so popular lately.  I first saw them at Starbucks about a year or so ago and ever since they've been popping up everywhere!  I've yet to taste a cake pop but their cute decoration and sheer unique presentation finally got the best of my curiosity prompting my next kitchen challenge.  I'm going to make cake pops!  I figured Halloween would be a good time to test my abilities -- Not only because it's scary that I'm undertaking such an ambitious task but also because I thought pumpkin cake pops would be relatively easy to decorate.  (I didn't want to take on too big of a challenge with an overwhelming decoration element.)
So, here's what I did and how it all turned out.

I started with a standard cake mix and baked the cake as the package directed.
(I went vanilla because I figured chocolate would be too dark thus too difficult to cover in orange later on.)

Next, I mashed up the beautifully baked cake. This felt so wrong but was so much fun!

Then, I added vanilla frosting to the cake morsels, making a perfectly mouldable dough. (I used about 3/4 of the icing can.)

After chilling the mixture for at least an hour in the fridge it was time to get my hands dirty.  I rolled about a tablespoon of dough in the palm of my hand to create a nice round ball.

One package of cake mix yielded 30 healthy-sized cake pop balls.

Next, it was time to put the sticks in. In order to help the pop stay on the stick better, I melted some chocolate and dipped the tip of the stick into it before inserting in the cake ball.

Then, I let them set in the fridge for about an hour.
This step is very important.  I learned this the hard way...  If the sticks aren't secured into the centre of the cake pop well enough, then they can't hold the weight of the chocolate when dipped!

Next comes the decorating part. (My weakest point.)  "Simply" dip each cake pop into melted chocolate (you can use chocolate Merckens discs which are available in a variety of colours and are readily available at Bulk Barn!) In order to get a pumpkin look, I used orange Merckens on some pops and milk chocolate on the others, adding some edible orange glitter and green Jelly Belly's to top it all off.

I can't say I'm overly impressed with my final product but I am happy I gave it a go and have satisfied my curiosity of wondering how these are made. 

For anyone interested in making your own cake pops, here's what you'll need:
1 package of cake mix (and everything needed to make it)
1 can of frosting
Lollipop sticks
Coloured chocolate discs
Styrofoam
Anything else you want to use for decoration

Dem Babies

I'm not a huge celeb fanatic but every now and then I enjoy catching a glimpse into their seemingly glamorous lives... Especially if they are moms!  Today I visited Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon's family photo album which displays precious pics of their twins, Monroe and Moroccan. 
I'm sharing the link here for my blog readers who haven't seen Dem Babies yet and are interested in "creeping".  Enjoy!

Our lil Pumpkin

Brayden paid his first visit to a pumpkin patch on the weekend and had such a great time.  We were joined by his aunties Meg and Christina and, of course, the camera! Here are some pictures from our excursion to Whittamore's Farm.

The fam upon our arrival at the farm.

"Mom, I've found our pumpkin!"

Keeping warm amongst all the hay.

Picking out his pumpkin with auntie Meg.

It was a lovely, brisk fall day... with a bit of wind on the side.
"Auntie Christina should be wearing a hat, just like me."

Our lil Pumpkin with our three Halloween pumpkins.
(Note Brayden's waning excitement.)

Another family shot!
(Can you see his lack of enthusiasm at this point?)

"I'm so over this... Take me home!"

A whole lot to be thankful for

It was Thanksgiving this past weekend but you'd never know it by the summer-like weather we had.  Shorts and tank tops, even swim suits, were spotted as we strolled around the neighbourhood each day. On top of the amazing weather, we had a fantastic time visiting with family and enjoying Brayden's first Thanksgiving holiday. To kick it all off, Andrew and I hosted his side of the family for dinner on Saturday.  This was a very exciting occasion for me because it lent itself perfectly to finally setting our new dining room table and using our lovely china for the first time!

We prepared a prime rib roast on the BBQ and served it alongside butternut squash, broccoli and cheese, roasted potatoes and carrots. GG made Yorkshire pudding and my MIL brought homemade apple crisp and a plum cake for dessert. Yum!

The Thomson Family

On Sunday, we joined my side of the family at my parents' house for a big turkey dinner. The weather was still very warm so we took advantage of the beautiful day before heading over for the dinner.

Brayden, held by our neighbour Marnie, admiring our scarecrow.

Brayden and daddy going down the slide at the park.

Upon arriving at my parents' house, Brayden was snagged by my sister Christina.  (It's always a fight for who gets to cuddle with him first at that house.  So funny.)

Brayden and auntie Christina having fun together. 
(She put grandma's Halloween spider headband on him.
How ridiculous but oh so cute.)

My parents have a pack & play set up in one of the bedrooms so we thought it would be a good idea to stick to Brayden's usual bed time routine and put him to bed after his dinner.  Well, I guess he's smarter than we give him credit for because he refused to go to sleep. He must have known he was missing out on dessert ;)  Anyhow, while awake in the playpen, he taught himself how to stand up all my himself!  I was so thrilled and shocked when I saw this for myself... Fortunately, I had my camera on hand!

Brayden pulling himself up onto his feet for the first time!
And now this is his favourite new trick.

Finally, Monday was October 10th marking our second wedding anniversary.  We didn't have anything special planned to celebrate this year so we spent most of the day outside, winterizing the yard and taking Brayden to the park.  I have also been fighting an annoying head cold this weekend and after the busy weekend we had had, I didn't really feel like going out for dinner.  So, after putting Brayden to bed, we brought in sushi and enjoyed a romantic dinner at home while reminissing about our history together and where it's lead us to today. 


Anniversary collage



Thanks for the giant cookie, Meg!

I am so thankful for my amazing husband, my loving family, my supportive friends and my adorable little munchkin head.

Go Leafs Go!

Last night was the season opener for the Toronto Maple Leafs.  Andrew, my dad and my BIL, Justin, are all huge Leafs fans (despite their embarrassing record...)  To ring in this year's season, we had my sister and Justin over for the "big" game vs. the Montreal Canadiens. (My dad was at the game, of course.) Here are some pics from our fun night!

The meal: chili (my homemade concoction),
 caesar salad (complements of uncle Justin)
 and cheesy garlic bread. Yum!

  

My two boys in their Leafs gear. So cute ;)



The Leafs win 2-0!
(Brayden with auntie Meg)



10 month weigh-in

Further to our 9 month update post, today I took Brayden to the doctor for his follow up weigh in.  You may recall that I had challenged myself to help Brayden pack on some more weight within the four weeks between doctor visits by adding two formal snacks to his daily eating regimen.  He's been eating like crazy, loving all food offered to him, continuing to nurse 3x/day and drinking lots of water from his sippy cup. Today was the big weigh in and I was disappointed to learn that he had only gained 5oz.  He now weighs 16.7lbs. [Insert feeling of surprise and disappointment here.]  Are you kidding me?  This kid eats A LOT.  Seriously though, I had to ask the NP to repeat his weight because I was in disbelief.
Anyhow, we were told that since he's not wanting to nurse more than 3x/day, that we should start offering him baby formula in the afternoon/evenings to ensure he gets all the necessary calories.  I asked about introducing homo milk instead (he is 10 months after all and has been eating milk-based products for at least a month) but were told to start with the formula for now and next month, at our next weigh in, we will discuss homo milk.  We were sent home with a few sample containers of formula and was told to give Brayden 15 oz/day.
I'm wondering if anyone has any insight on the following:
- Is introducing formula a must at this stage? (I don't really want to start bumping again...)
- Has anyone else received similar direction from their HCP?  How did you/your LO net out?
- Which formula brand is most recommended by you? (We were sent home with Enfamil, Good Start and Similac.)
Thanks for your help!

The gift of hearing

This video is so touching I just had to post it here.  Never will I take for granted the ability to hear... especially my baby's giggles.