Picture
I'd like to start out this post by introducing you to one of my friends. This is Marshall Marshmallow. I think he is the cutest little thing. You can buy bags, pouches, and zipper pulls with him on it. The sad thing is, it appear that he eats his little marshmallow friends. Maybe he'd like to make some marshmallows to eat.
Would you? I can tell you how. 
I found this recipe on Martha Stewart's website and decided to give it a try. 
....but I made a few minor modifications. 
1) I used coconut flavoring instead of mint.
2) I made them pink. Because it's more fun.
Here's how!




1) The first thing to do is let the gelatin sit. While it's sitting, boil together your Karo, Sugar, and a little water (see recipe at the end of this post for details)
2) Then, pour the hot mixture over the now rock-hard gelatin water. You should probably not use a hand mixer like I did. It's just not easy. Use a whisk attachment on your fancy Kitchen Aid. As you can see, the mix is simply too thick to use a small mixer. Plus, you will have to hold it in your left hand whilst taking a photo with your right. 
3) Make it PINK!
4) Pour it into a 9X9 pan lined with cooking-sprayed cling-wrap.
5) Let sit overnight.
6) Wake up for work extra early so you can cut the block into squares and roll in powdered sugar before a crazy day of two year olds.
7) enjoy!!!

Picture
Picture
Picture
Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray
3 (1/4-ounce) packages unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
Confectioners' sugar, sifted, for coating

Directions
1. Lightly spray a 9-by-9-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Line pan with plastic wrap, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides; set aside.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water; let stand for 10 minutes. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup water. Place saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil; boil rapidly for 1 minute. Remove from heat, and, with the mixer on high, slowly pour the boiling syrup down the side of the mixer bowl into gelatin mixture. Add salt and continue mixing for 12 minutes.

3. Add peppermint extract and mix until well combined. Spray a rubber spatula or your hands with cooking spray. Spread gelatin mixture evenly into pan using prepared spatula or your hands. Spray a sheet of plastic wrap with cooking spray and place, spray side down, on top of marshmallows. Let stand for 2 hours.

4. Carefully remove marshmallows from pan. Remove all plastic wrap and discard. Cut marshmallows into 2-inch squares using a sprayed a sharp knife. Place confectioners' sugar in a large bowl. Working in batches, add marshmallows to bowl and toss to coat. Marshmallows can be stored in an airtight container up to 3 days.

 
This is how my cat sleeps when he is not doing the super-man thing. He's so weird. 
Picture
Also, coming up tomorrow: a homemade treat you can't resist! Stay tuned for details.
Later this week, don't miss: the making of treats for my preschool classroom- red, white and blue jello!
 
I've been pouring over my new birthday travel books and getting itchy to travel, feeling a little sorry for myself that I have no super-exotic travel plans left for the summer (although a routine trip to OKC awaits me... and I really can't wait!), but I realized that I've had such great opportunities that it's time to get over it. So I've been doing a little more research on the places I have gone, particularly La Ceiba, Honduras last spring. Check out my TRAVEL tab for more photos, videos, and information! I had no idea what a great opportunity it REALLY was.
 
Here's a few of my favorite b-day gifts from my favorite people. 
1. Cutting Boards from Meijer. Great for dorm use.
2. Dishtowels, also Meijer and also for the dorm.
3. Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Counter Spray. From Mrs. Meyer's at Whole Foods. Once again, for dorm usage.
4. Tiny Perfume from Love & Toast.
5. The Traveler's Guide to Planet Earth. This was from Logan and I absolutely love it. Travel books are the best.
6. 501 Must Visit Wild Places. Perfect for armchair travel (although I prefer the real deal).
7. Teeny tiny camera. Logan made this for me. Out of paper. It is truly incredible.
8. Movie Poster. Logan made this for me too. It's a version of the Transformers poster (I think) that he photoshopped especially for me.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
 
Welcome to a special edition post of Cakes of Yesteryear! We will now journey back throughout the birthdays, the cakes, the candles, and the parties. My mom was always into birthdays; without going overboard (although my dad begs to differ) she always had a theme, a cake, and decorations. Meanwhile, my dad had an uncanny ability to always invite one of his friends over for supper on the night of my birthday, thus my parties usually involved lots of fun "adult talk" between the men while my mom scurried around taking photos. Nevertheless, no birthday would be complete without a visit from "uncle Paul" (family friend who never misses an event), cake, and lots of time with the family. Enjoy the journey back in time!

Year One

Picture
Here's the first birthday. That's me, on the right, and my "twin" cousin Justin on the left. We were born on the same day in the same year, although he is about 20 hours older. Maybe even 23. It was pretty impressive that our mothers were able to pull that off. Anyway, this photo is taken at our grandparents' house in Oklahoma. That's our great-grandpa behind us. Apparently on this first birthday we were given snazzy sunglasses to shield out the hot June sun. I know we also had cupcakes, but I couldn't find a picture. Oh, well.

Happy First Birthday!

Two Years Old

Picture




I don't know a lot of the history behind this birthday. I just know that I had a tiny pink flamingo on my itsy bitsy cake. Here's Justin and I again, and it looks like we have tiny garden-themed cup cakes (for what I assume was a party) and then the lower picture is my flamingo cake. Maybe that was on my actual birthday. Anyway, two years down!

Picture

Third Time's the Charm!

Here's number three! I guess this was ocean themed, based on the party hats we have on (once again, of course made by my creative mother).
Picture

Skipping on to Year Five

Due to lack of time, blog space, and photos, I am skipping on to year five. This was my last birthday without a sibling, and eight days later Logan was born! By this time, Justin also had a younger brother who turned three right after Logan was born.
Picture

Seven

Picture
Guess what the theme is this year?
Bugs! Here, I am turning seven years old, right after my first year of school. My mom designed all these cute bug hats, toppers, and party blowers. I remember my mother hunting down little flower and leaf molds, melting down white chocolate, adding food coloring, and making these other cute edible toppers. 

Super Eight

For some reason, my eighth birthday was themed after the game Twister, only in pastels. The cake was frosted white, and then we arranged pink, yellow, green, and blue necco wafers in rows for a twister game board. Once again, my mom's cute designs show up as little kids playing the game.
Here's me and my second grade teacher, who we must have invited to the party. She was my favorite elementary teacher, and I had just finished a year in her class.
Picture

Nine

My ninth birthday's them was little mice. They wore cute little clothes and lived in an enchanted forrest. Naturally.
Picture

The Perfect Ten

Oh yes, summer and the beach. Plus, it was "cool." After all, I was TEN!
Picture

Eleven

I think this was my eleventh birthday. Also, I think this was the first year I had a "party" with a friend who was not related, a teacher, or a friend of my dads. Rachel has always been such a dear and called me on every birthday! We are still friends in college, and this week she's on a study trip to the middle east.
Picture

12......13......14.....

I have no idea what year this is. Probably 12 or 13. I guess I wanted a little journey into winter during the heat of June! After this, birthday photos are a little harder to come by (even though we went digital!).
Picture
 
...plus a few more. And I didn't even have candles this year. I've never been a fan of the whole happy-birthday-singing, so usually we just skip that all together.
This year is my very first round cake (which I made myself!). It is light blue with little white dots. 
Picture
Picture
Stay tuned for a special birthday edition, The Cakes of Yesteryear. Or.... maybe we'll work on a title. Better go fire up the old scanner and dust off the photo albums!
 
Tomorrow is shaping up to be the best birthday ever because...

a) I found my green cup that I lost at work!
b) My kids (work kids) were really good today and I got to go home early
c) I got tomorrow off to relax for all this getting older I have to do
d) My cake is half-way made, I just have to frost it in the morning
e) I cracked Mikey's plan to surprise me and he will be here in a few minutes!

Let's see.... just 2 hours left till B-DAY!
 
So I really wanted to get these up on Sunday, but of course I was catching up from the weekend events. I really just wanted to say happy Father's Day to my favorite dad in the world. I love you dad!
Picture
Picture
 
Picture
This weekend, Rae and I went out to visit our boyfriends (well... my boyfriend, her financé) at the camp where they work (See TRAVEL) We stayed with an aunt of hers, and she has the coolest bathroom wallpaper! Yes, it is a little intense. I would not ever, ever use it right on  my walls (But hey, it's not the late 60s so who would?) but I DO think it would be cool for other projects, such as shelf or drawer liners. The photos are a little off on the color, but it is lime green and orange. mmmmm lovely. Maybe not in large quantities, but for certain projects I really think this would be cool. 100 Layer Cake posted a list of ways to use old wallpaper. What would you do?

Picture
 
This summer and last, we have really added a certain amount of charm to the back deck, if I do say so myself. This started last summer with a deck revival led by yours truly.
Picture
Step 1: Hang lights
Picture
Step 2: Scrub scrub scrub!
Picture
Step 3: Re-stain!
Picture
Picture
Step 5: enjoy!
Picture