Crazy Cake-Pop Lady

I am not a baker, never have been.  Once I became I mom, I decided that I should at least learn how to decorate a cake.  Then, two months ago, I discovered cake pops.  I am not sure what possessed me to purchase the recipe book.  Maybe it was the pitch that they were east to make.  Maybe I couldn't resist the cute factor.  For whatever reason, I glommed onto them and haven't stopped.  For Thanksgiving, I made my third batch: turkeys.  I have learned much about the technique now.  First, candy melts = super glue.  Don't leave the spoon in the bowl of candy melts when it all cools.  I had to pry the spoon out.  Second, make an assembly line whenever possible.  Third, wear gloves when attaching milk chocolate peanuts. Forth, make the pops over a series of days to keep from losing patience.

I started by making the heads out of milk chocolate peanuts and sprinkles.  All of the bits are really tiny, and therefore, a big pain in the ass.

Do you feel like you are being watched?

I also have a problem with size.  My turkeys turned out to be Butterballs.

Gobbles?

For the second round, I made robots for a potluck Tim was having at work.  I didn't get to place the antennae on top because the hardened shell made it impossible to insert the soma noodle.

The varying expressions were fun to make.

The boys have fun making these, too.  I just give them some cake balls before the coating dries and let them go to town on sprinkles.

Drake is so serious about decorating.

This was the first round: ghosts.  Everything was pretty lumpy, and the food pen didn't work so well on the coating.  I probably needed it to cure longer.

Pre-ghost face

Flynn: quite the ham

This is indeed a fun process, but it is very time consuming.  I do like the results.  Plus, they keep longer than cake.

Meta NaNo- The End

I stopped writing for NaNo.  Although I really like the premise of my novel, I am just not in a writing place right now.  With schedules in chaos, a child with discipline problems at school, being sick, being injured, and being stressed, I just wasn't able to make it work this time.  The process was causing me more stress and anxiety; your hobby or passion shouldn't make you feel that way.  I will let the story sit and simmer for a while.  I will eventually return to it because it is, as I mentioned earlier, a really good premise.  I want to tell it well.

Meta Nano- Week 2

Week 2 was miserable: illnesses, wrist injury, 50 essays to grade, stress.  So little was written.  My most productive times were at the Write-Ins.  Creativity flows there (and plot bunnies fly through the air).  This week should be better.  No major assignments are due.  No holidays.  I will still have to contend with illnesses and such, but I should have time to write.  On a positive note: I have really been furthering the story.  Very little time has been spent on filler and brainstorming.

Current word count: 13,342
Days behind: 6

The Itsy Bitsy Spider by Drake

The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout
But he wasn't there, he was in the wall.
He found the power.
He's been dead a while.
The itsy bitsy spider will be back later.

Hooray!

Flynn's new expression is "Hooray!"  It all started two weeks ago with, "There's Lowe's.  Hooray!"  Here are some other gems.

It fit.  Hooray!
I did it.  Hooray!
Kit Kat.  Hooray!

I wish I could still get so excited about the small things in life.  I should take a lesson from my 2 year old.

Meta NaNo- Days 3 &4

Day 3 was a difficult day dealing with the boy.  I only wrote 133 words.  I was able to hand write the direction of the story.  Oh, and I am sick.  Again.  Yippie.

Day 4 was much better (writing-wise).  I was able to further the plot with not too much blather.  I really need to go to bed now.  The meds are kicking in.  :)

WCU: 8
Words today: 2578

Meta NaNo- Day 2

I was only able to write at the end of the day, after the boys went to sleep.  I am exhausted from the long day, and I am drinking a Mike's Hard Black Cherry Lemonade.  Not the best decision (drinking and writing), but that's life.

Word Count Updates: 3
Words written today: 593 (Yes, I am getting behind, but I am childless for most of the day tomorrow.  Once I finish my work-work, I can write.)
Content:  Still some stream of consciousness, but with a point.  I started writing questions of plot, possibilities, twists and turn.  Still trying to get the creative muscles warmed up.

Meta NaNo- Day 1

Today began my return swim up the NaNoWriMo River.  (Yes, I am comparing myself to a salmon.  This is the PNW, after all.)  I thought it would be interesting to write about the writing experience this time.  I also want to track my habits and see what works for me and what needs to be changed.

Word count for the day: 1698
Number of word count updates: 6
Writing location: Starbucks on Pearl
Content for the day: Began writing first scene.  Got stuck three paragraphs in.  Wrote some stream of consciousness filler to get the creative juices going.  Created back story for main characters and made notes on setting.  Settled on a title.
Note to self: Bring headphones.  The music was awful and I keep eavesdropping on random conversations.
Observed: Old man fell asleep in one of the leather chairs.  When he woke, he was quite embarrassed and asked me if he snored.  I assured him that he did not.  :)