Totally 80s Cake Pops

All of us here at WhoopieCookie were born in the 80s and it feels like everyone is turning 30 this year (yikes! 30!). Over the weekend I went to yet another 30th birthday party. In honor of the decade of her birth, Gaby’s theme was appropriately 80s!

I put together some cake pops for the party. How do cake pops go 80s? Pop Rocks!

I used Funfetti cake and Rainbow Chip frosting for the cake balls. I tried to dye the candy coating a lime green, but that was a little bit of a disaster. In the end I had to add so much additional almond bark to get it smooth again, that the color was super diluted anyways. Oh well! Once coated, I sprinkled Watermelon Pop Rocks on top.

I wrapped them with clear plastic and some neon moshi tape. I think the combination of the pop rocks with the neon colors like totally screams 80s.

As far as the flavor goes, the pop rocks were like a party in your mouth, I would definately recommend this combo and would make them again…oh wait!  I did make them again like 2 days later!  Like for sure!

Happy Birthday Gaby!

An Oasis of Murals…

I’ve been to Twentynine Palms more times than I can count. I remember the first time I experienced this off-beat town. You drive into town and before you know it, you’ve driven out of town. It’s a small place that is home to a big Marine base. It also has hidden jem restaurants, quaint shops, antique stores and small art galleries. My favorite part are the murals painted along side many of the buildings… these are a few… ENJOY!

Desert Flowers

A Welcome Home

The Desert Trail

Marines in Combat

A Flash Flood

A desert landscape

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!!!

Twenty Nine Bistro

This weekend, my hubby and I managed to squeeze in a Date Night! We left the kiddies with the grandparents and set out to Twenty nine Bistro in Twentynine Palms! The little bistro is in town and has been open for a little over a year. We’ve been here a couple of times. It’s delicious!

Twenty nine Bistro is such great little date night spot. It’s small, cozy and the ambiance is fantastic! They sometimes have a guitarist playing softly, the lighting is semi-low. My favorite part is the wine storage cabinet! It’s huge, full of wine, made of walnut wood and seeded rain glass! I think it’s gorgeous! The huge wine cabinet also has a secondary role: the divider between the bar and the main dining room! Very clever!
I had a Stella and my husband had some wine. We ordered Spicy Crabcakes as an appetizer that was served on top of a small spring salad. For entrees, we had a glazed pork chop and grilled salmon. Everything we were served tasted so good! I can’t wait until we make another trip out here so we can try more from the menu!

Get Away from the Everyday

Hope everyone is having a great Memorial Day Weekend! We are spending ours in the desert. We thought about making a trip to Joshua Tree, but we couldn’t get the kids away from the pool! I went into town with my in-laws and we drove past some Joshua Trees… does that count?

Since being here, we have been for a walk, been in the pool, had a BBQ, saw a jack rabbit, saw some lizards…it’s been an eventful day!

Enjoy the rest of the weekend! Back to the grind for me on Monday!

Tiny Totes

After staring at a bag of my daughter’s old clothes for about 3 months, I decided to go through it once more for before donating. There were so many cute printed tees that my daughter loved..when they fit. I thought I might be able to give a few of them new life.

I took one of the tees and chose to make it into a drawstring tote bag. This project couldn’t be easier. The only materials I needed were the tee, ribbon and thread. I started by cutting off the sleeves and made a straight cut across the top to get rid of the neck line. Once I finished that, I sewed up the side hem, only partially, to join where the sleeves were cut. I marked a line with fabric chalk to know where to sew. I then folded the top down 1″  (turn shirt inside-out) to create the casing for the ribbon at the top. I sewed a 3/4″ seam allowance all the way around. Once finished, I seam ripped at the side seam to create the opening for threading the ribbon through. I took two long ribbon sections and thread one at a time. The ribbon should be threaded through one side and should finish to the side it started. The next step would be to thread the other ribbon through the opposite side and the end returns to the side you started that section. Once both sides are threaded (tip: use a large safety pin at the end to help you thread the ribbon through the casing) measure and cut the excess ribbon (tip: pull the ribbons so that the tote closes and try the tote on to mark where to cut) to fit. Lastly, while inside out, pin the bottom closed and make sure the ribbon ends are at the side seams and sandwiched between the front and back of the tee. Once you sew the bottom (seam allowance 5/8″- 3/4″),  turn the tote right side out and pull the draw strings… FINISHED! This was such a fast and easy project and the best part… I had all the materials on hand!

Reduce Reuse Up Cycle

With two young boys, we go through apple juice like its water.  So we started buying it 96 oz. at a time.  Yes, 96 oz.

Santa Cruz Organic Apple Juice 96 oz.

Of course, we recycle (and up cycle wherever possible).  So once the kids had gone through an entire bottle, the giant jug would sit on the counter until one of us brought it outside to be sorted for recycling.  Staring at the empty jug, I really began to notice its shape and how it was reminiscent of a vintage Clorox bottle or maybe a classic gallon milk bottle or maybe a carafe intended for moonshine!

So, since I’ve been painting just everything else in the recycling bin, I thought why not this too.

I went to Wal-Mart and purchased a can of Rust-Oleum Hammered Finish Paint in Brown.

The hammered finish helps to give it some more weight and texture so that it is almost unrecognizable as a glass jar.

I’m happy to re-use anything I can and that is especially true  when I can transform it into something beautiful and unexpected.  What do you think?  Is there anything that maybe you could give a second life to by taking a second glance at its potential?

Bunting

Lately, I’ve seen bunting just about everywhere: as party decorations, on blankets, on cakes…

Its adorable and festive. 

I used this tutorial via Design Mom to create bunting to add a little something special to a couple of gifts.

We repotted this Sunflower sprout to brighten a neighbor’s day.  The bunting personalizes it and does double duty as a card.

I used bunting again for a birthday bouquet of Dulce de Leche Cake Pops.

Next time I make a cake I am definitely going to add some bunting.  For me at least, its way easier than trying to write a message out of piped frosting!

DIY TV Cover

Having made my bedroom a peaceful sanctuary, I questioned whether or not to keep a television in the room. I like to watch late night TV in bed but I believe that I likely to sleep better if I don’t have that black box staring me in the face, saying, “look at me with all my facy lights and buttons!”

So, I commissioned my husband to build me a cover so that it could at least be put away when I was really interested in rest.

The basic design is a shelf mounted above the TV. Attached to the face of the shelf are two drawer slides.

I purchased two canvases and painted a faux frame around the edge. For the “artwork” inside the frame, I placed 4 drawer pulls and hung some of my necklaces. So, the idea was that when everything was closed, it just looks like jewelry central.

Instead of running the wires into the wall, we just ran them down the wall and covered them. I’m deathly afraid of punching holes in my walls.

Overall, I am more than pleased with the results. I love watching movies in bed but, just as much, I love the option to close the electronics and drift away into some peaceful sleep.

Dulce De Leche Cake Pops

Summer introduced me to cake pops here.  And since I had extra ingredients to make this cake, I decided to take a stab at Dulce de Leche Cake Pops. 

I made a box of yellow cake mix as directed.  Once completely cooled, I crumbled the cake and added about 3/4 of a can of Dulce de Leche.  I formed 36 cake balls and placed them on wax paper.  I let them harden a bit in the freezer while I prepared the melting candy and sprinkles. 

I dipped the sticks in the melted almond bark and then placed them in each cake ball.  Then I put them back in the freezer for a minute or two to make sure the sticks were secure. 

Then I dipped and sprinkled them. 

Once the candy coating was completely hardened, I individually wrapped them with plastic wrappers from Michael’s and glitter tape I had left over from this project.  The gold glitter in the sprinkles and the tape make them feel about as fancy as a cake pop can.  They look great and taste great too!

Eat Bananas! B-A-N-A-N-A-S!

Who doesn’t love bananas? They create the best desserts! They make for good bread, ice cream treats, shakes, cakes, pies, banana’s foster..banana pudding the list is endless!
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Banana Pudding is one of my very favorite desserts! This time, I made my entire banana pudding from scratch! I first made the cookies. Vanilla cookies from scratch.. after baking them, I drizzled them with banana liquer (a tip from Alton Brown). If you can’t find banana liquer, the banana pudding still tastes great with out it! Second, I made the vanilla pudding and refrigerated it overnight. The next day, I made the whipped cream and began layering.

The dessert is so good! It’s a favorite for pot lucks and family bbq’s. Memorial Day is coming up.. what are you planning to bring to the table?