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play day.

11 Jul

As I blogged late last night, I was certain today would be a good day.  Oh, it was.  Because I did nothing but play.

Well, wait.  I can say that I mailed out a pile of ordination announcements to family and close friends [but that’s fun for me – I love paper and snail mail].  I also chose texts for my ordination service and emailed those to my preacher [the preacher whom I am hands down thrilled he accepted and was willing to preach].  I asked my cousin to be the lay reader and the sixth grader shot me down.  And therein ended the ordination planning for the day because then I started playing.
I visited my grandma at the tv store [my uncle owns a tv/appliance store in Edgerton.  my grandma mans the phones when he and grandpa are out on service/installation calls.] and then just stopped by my aunt/uncle’s to see what the cousins were up to.  Nothing.  That’s the answer there.  Nothing.  So I did nothing with them.

[this photo is meant to be hideous.  this is not how molly typically looks.  promise.]
We drove to our house and baked home-made pizza.  We drove to our other cousin’s house and waited for them to get back from shopping.  We went prepared and waited in their pool.  nbd.  [no big deal.]  We swam, hid from Logan and Drew when they showed up, and then swam more.  Connor, Sam, and Molly came back to our house for cakepops and hammock time.  Laughter was aplenty and more is planned for tomorrow.
Perk #63 of being home: Impromptu cousin adventures.

Cakepop Crazies, part II

6 Jul

To see the first episode, click here.
To see where the Cooking Pastor all began, click here.

happy fourth wkend!

2 Jul
[Have you seen the California tourism commercials about Prince William and Kate’s visit to the state?  Here’s my version for the three-day weekend.]

Three days to assemble my ordination announcements.

Three days to share patriotic cakepops.  [actually just at a cookout on the actual 4th.  how do we feel about the straws as sticks?  I think I might make that “my thing,” a way to distinguish my cakepops from the rest.  yes?]

Three days to help Lynn-baby put together her wedding invites.  [actually just this afternoon]

Three days to play with sparklers and watch fireworks.

Three days to eat grilled food and sit around campfires.

Three days to write some snail mail.  [two letters have already gone out this July!]

Three more days to just do a lot of what I already do – relax, sleep, and watch Friends.

Lindsay + July = Cakepop Crazies

28 Jun
In this second Lindsay + July installment, I’ll begin to share with you how cakepops will occupy my life and how I’ll share that life with you via video.

ps keep emailing me those snail mail addresses!

dessert table deliciousness.

19 Jun
The rain held off, the people were fun, and – if I do say so myself – the dessert table was very well received.
My baby for the last month and my excuse to abuse pinterest was the dessert table at the sister’s graduation party.  
The dessert table – in lieu of a cake – consisted of chocolate, lemon, and funfetti cake pops on red/white striped paper straws, salted caramel bars, raspberry bars, an assortment of cookies, scotcheroos, and my Aunt Jean’s famous zebra bars.  Oh, and mini yellow cupcakes with piped buttercream frosting.  Not all were made by me – oh heaven’s no.  Family pitched in and made the dessert table what it was.  
The tablecloths were red and large white/red paper dots were punched and scattered.  Platters were mostly from the dollar store – seriously.  I bought a candlestick ($1) and a real plate ($1), used special adhesive [I do love a good adhesive.], and made cake platters.  We bought paper lanterns and made a few paper flowers with tissue paper/newspaper, and fashioned a large hanging centerpiece.  It was fun.  There are also extra cakepops; you should come over.

dessert tables.

15 Jun
A long while back, when I knew that I would be moving home for a portion of the summer and that Emma’s graduation party would be a big part of what I would do while home, I emailed my sister.  And I politely asked to be her party planner.
I get bored so easily.  I need a list of things to do.  [Even if those ‘things’ are clean the house or read a book.]  More than one day of nothing drives me nuts and, without living in a community with friends and the Cities as my disposal, I knew I might go a bit stir crazy.  I worked hard to have things to occupy my time.
And so I quilt.  I’m engrossed in a new book.  I’ve become a bit addicted to Twitter and watch How I Met Your Mother on Lifetime.  [Pretty sure I’ve talked about that before.  That’s how much I’m now in love with that part of my day.  And NPH.]
I knew I would need a bit more on my schedule and thus I bid for the position of party planner.  Bid and won.  [After little struggle or convincing.  Shoulders shrugged and, “Eh.  Okay.”  I got the job.  I didn’t even have to supply a resume.]
My main assignment has been the desserts.  Since cakepops are the main attraction, I gained charge of the dessert table.  Pinterest being my main source of inspiration, here is what I’m thinking so far:
Source: etsy.com via Lindsay on Pinterest

photos from home.

14 Jun
This pile of gravel?  I moved it.  [It doesn’t look that big from this angle but it really was.  Or I’m just really good at complaining.]

Were there foods you ate together as a kid or foods you eat together now that are a bit … strange?  One night, while at Joel and Melissa’s hanging out, I was reminded of how I used to love Cheetos in applesauce.  A moving home gift from J&M?  Cheetos and applesauce.  It’s still just as good as I remember.

Look at this cute kid!  This be Gavin, the son of my high school friend, Krissy.  Just climbing on the table.

It’s the Peppermint forest, a la Candy Land on this kitchen table.  It’s cakepop construction for the graduation party.  Edgerton’s colors are red and white and this straws I found at the Bibelot in St.Paul make perfect sticks.  Two hundred down today and four cakes left to do tomorrow.  

More red and white on my sewing table.  Garland central.  [And a few epic dance party glasses for smiles.]

easter crafting.

26 Apr
Easter is my favorite holiday and has been since I was younger.  As a middle schooler, I threw Easter parties.  [I looked for many excuses to throw parties.  Halloween parties, camp-outs, Easter parties – all with designated projects, crafts, and invitations.  Looking back, that explains a lot about where I’m at now in regards to my party-throwing beliefs.]  We pinned the tail on the Easter bunny, went on egg hunts, and had themed food and prizes.  [I was a weird kid.  Weird.]
I’m all about egg-shaped fun.  This year, I tackled homemade kinder eggs with two different groups of friends.  Kinder eggs, you wonder?  You can purchase kinder eggs in Europe.  I first was introduced to them as a sophomore in high school when I journeyed to Spain for two weeks.  Hollow chocolate eggs – a layer of milk chocolate and one of white chocolate – wrapped in foil with a toy inside.  We were obsessed with these in Spain – OBSESSED.  When I found a website with directions to make your own kinder eggs inside of a real egg shell, I was totally on board.
 

It was really fun to do and to watch others make these.  You scoop melted chocolate into the hollowed and sterilized egg shell and then shake the shell, move it around, and peer inside to see that the chocolate coats around the entire shell.  We were all so quiet as we did it as we concentrated so hard!  I traveled home for break and repeated the chocolate craft with friends from high school, including this little guy, Ryan.  He liked to stuff the chocolate eggs with two m&ms and then eat one.  Two m&ms and then eat one.  Two m&ms and then eat five.  He was sent home quite full of sugar!
There were also cakepops to be made while I was home.  My cousins always wonder when we’ll make them and they want to do it every time I’m home.  Sam [seventh grader?  eighth grader?  I can’t keep track.] and I had this text exchange in regards to cakepop making –
“O my gosh lindsay.”  I love it.  We tackled chicks, easter eggs, and did a test run of the graduation cap cakepops.  It was a busy, messy, and fun night with nearly everyone pitching to help, or at least pitching in to eat a few.
Molly made an easter bunny and crazy alien with a mohawk dude.

Logan’s double fisting it with funfetti chicks.

four pictures.

13 Apr
Four pictures that showcase the joy of my day:

My brother, Ben, on his way back from Alaska via MSP, stopped at my apartment to teach me all about car fuses and replace the broken one that killed my radio, clock, and cigarette lighter.  I helped him find the spare fuses in the fuse box that was under the hood.  I asked, “How do I get it out?”  I had no needle nose pliers in my belt.  [I tell you, the ONE time I’m caught without them!]  There is a tool – a little plastic pincher grabber – in the fuse box to grab the fuses from their places!  Who knew?!  [Okay.  Maybe you did.]  I was certainly impressed.  He changed the fuse but I’m confident I could do it in future situations.  [Maybe.]
A letter from my penpal, C., was found in my mailbox today, complete with a flower!
A box of cakepop chicks and easter eggs sent off to my favorite staff members in Dawson.  Here’s hoping the sugar rush helps them get through the craziness that is holy week in a church.
Excuse me?  Say that one more time, please.  The world’s largest textile garage sale?!  I think I found my Saturday study break!  [I’m pretty sure this is the sale you told me about last year, Karen?  Maybe?  I totally happened upon the poster at a store in Stillwater this afternoon and, boy, am I glad I did!  To think I almost missed it!]

cakepop conclusions.

14 Mar
I conducted tests.  I employed friends as consultants.  I heard from many and the results are in.
Starbucks cakepops kinda aren’t good.  At all.
[phew.  sign of relief.]
Sorry, billion-dollar international corporation.  I will still purchase coffee from you.  I love your VIA instant packets and your oatmeal.  But your cakepops?  [said to the tune of “Buzz, your girlfriend,” Home Alone reference]  Yuuuuck.  *sick sounds*
Starbucks was giving away free cakepops with the purchase of a drink last Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
Do I sound pathetic if I tell you I went everyday?
Kara isn’t sold.
I went on Thursday by myself.  Friday, my friend, Kara, said, well hey, let’s go on our way to the Luther College alumni event that night.  Saturday, I did further research with pals Joel, Melissa, and Paige.  [So I didn’t go by myself each day, and it wasn’t my idea to go everyday.  Less pathetic?]
Paige, Joel, and Melissa are less than thrilled.
I also heard from friends, Kay and Megan, and cousin, Molly, who all told me that Starbucks has nothing on the homemade version.
Molly, one of my biggest cakepop fans and eaters, says thumbs down.
Thanks for your dutiful research and cakepop conclusions, friends.  I’m confident that homemade cakepops will continue to taste better than the coffee shop version, but my fear is that now the novelty of the cakepop will be lost.  “Is that a cakepop?   I’ve seen those at Starbucks!”  Grr.
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