Easy Birthday Cake Decorating Idea: Make An Anti-Gravity Cake
Last week my baby turned 12. EEK.
Twelve.
Oh.my.gosh.
Just about the only thing that I was sure of about this whole birthday thing was the cake. A while ago (a long while ago) I saw on Pinterest anti-gravity cakes.
Aren’t those amazing? While they are totally out of my league, I knew I wanted to create an anti-gravity cake for Josh for his birthday.
I think it came out pretty cool, if I do say so myself. And it was really easy!
And Josh loved it.
You will need:
- A cake (I purchased one from the store. No need to make this harder than it has to be after all!)
- Icing
- A marshmallow
- Candy (I used Hershey bars and M&M’s – but use your favorite!)
- A wooden skewer
The longest part of the cake decorating was probably unwrapping the candy bars!
Add a bit of icing to the back of the candy bar and stick it to the perimeter of the cake.
Leave an opening on the cake for the candy to ‘fall out’.
If there are any details on the cake that you don’t want, just use a knife and scrape it off. Our cake had flowers and those weren’t really 12-year-old-boy-cool.
Patched with a little frosting and we were good as new.
Empty out the bag of candy. It’s important to get a bag that has a resealable zipper. I used two wooden skewers and put a marshmallow on one end to hold them together. Then, stick the marshmallow end in the empty candy bag, seal it up and push the other end on the cake. (The bag in this picture ended up being too heavy so I switched it for a lighter bag.)
Then ice the skewer on the areas you can see and stick candy to it. This will be your ”candy waterfall”.
Create a path of candy that cascades out of the opening you made on the front of the cake.
Ta da! Make a wish! This cake is sure to be a hit! Just be prepared for family and friends to start asking you to make cakes for them too!
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Easy Dinner Idea: Meatball Stuffed Shells
What’s for dinner at your house this week? We are having this super easy dish to whip up. It’s simple to make, inexpensive and beyond delicious. This recipe uses frozen meatballs to make it quick and easy for even the busiest weeknight, but you can always make homemade meatballs if you wish.
Another awesome thing about this recipe is that it freezes really well! A batch of these are great to have on hand for lunches or just a quick to make dinner.
1 box
jumbo shell pasta
1
egg
1/2 cup
Parmesan cheese
1 container
Ricotta Cheese
1 bag
frozen Italian meatballs
1 jar
Marinara sauce
2 cups
mozzarella cheese
Servings:
- Make pasta as directed on the box. Drain. Preheat oven to 375.
- Mix Ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and 1 egg.
- Spread a layer of marinara sauce on the bottom of a baking dish.
- In each shell, add cheese mixture and a frozen meatball.
- Place in the baking dish.
- Cover with a layer of Marinara sauce.
- Top with mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese as well if desired.
- Bake for 45 minutes.
- Enjoy!
Note: If you would like to freeze the shells, simply pre-cook the shells, stuff and place on a cookie sheet until frozen. Then transfer to a Ziploc bag. This will allow you to take as many as you would like. You can also follow the recipe and make the shells in a disposable aluminum baking pan. Just don’t cook and instead place in the freezer. I like to cover the top with aluminum foil (over the lid) for an extra layer of protection in the freezer!
Don’t forget to pin!
This post contains affiliate links.
Better Than Olive Garden Spaghetti Sauce
One of my favorite dishes to make is pasta.
Y’all.
I love me some pasta.
Josh and I just moved a while ago and we live minutes away from Olive Garden. If there was is one thing I love almost as much as pasta it’s their bread sticks. I’ve only given in once to eating there for dinner. Even though I have to pass it four times a day, five times a week.
The struggle is real. Oh yes. It is. 
So while we’ve only stopped in for dinner once, that hasn’t stopped me from thinking of it. So I headed to my kitchen to recreate that fantastic spaghetti sauce. And I think, not only did I do it, but I honestly think it’s better than the Olive Garden sauce!
You can get excited. I did! 🙂
(BONUS: Your house will smell amazing!)
3 28 oz cans
crushed tomatoes (I like the basil, oregano and garlic tomatoes. You can also use 12-15 fresh tomatoes peeled, chopped and blended in your food processor. If using fresh tomatoes you may need to use more herbs to fit your tasting.)
4 cloves
garlic
4 tbsp
dried basil
1 1/2 tsp
black pepper
2 tbsp
sugar (This takes out the bitterness. If you are using fresh or if you like a sweeter sauce you may want to add more sugar.)
2 tbsp
olive oil
1/3 cup
shredded parmesan romano cheese-
minced green peppers (optional)
Servings:
- Heat the olive oil in a 5+ qt. pot over medium heat, and add the chopped or pressed garlic.
- Heat for one to two minutes, making sure not to burn the garlic, then add all the tomatoes, black pepper, basil and sugar. Stirring often, bring to a low boil.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2-3 hours stirring often.
- For the first half of the simmer time, do so with the pot uncovered, then cover.
- Add the cheese, stir in and simmer for an additional 5 minutes or so.
Don’t forget to pin!
If you are planning on storing your extra sauce you can either can the sauce or freeze it. These jars are my favorite for freezing things!
This post contains affiliate links.
Marvel Avengers Party Ideas + Giveaway!
Unless you’ve been living under a rock the you know that the new Marvel Avengers: Age of Ultron has just come out in theaters. We have been so excited at our house! The past week we have been watching the original Avengers movie as well as Captain America, Thor, The Hulk, and Iron Man.
Well, you can’t have a movie night without having some festive snacks! This week we have made some fun and festive snacks that you can easily make yourself to celebrate the new Avengers: Age of Ultron movie or for an Avengers party!
Captain America Shield Shortcake
This cake is a breeze to make! One thing that I love about Meijer is the awesome produce section! It’s the first thing that I notice when I walk into their store and I’m a sucker for strawberries so I knew that I wanted to take advantage of them.
You will need:
- A round shortcake
- Cool whip
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Sugar
Place a star cookie cutter on a plate. Spoon some Cool Whip into the cookie cutter and place the plate into the freezer. This will help it set.
Wash your fruit. Slice the strawberries and add a bit of sugar. Let the sugar soak in. Meanwhile, let the rest of the Cool Whip thaw.
Fill the center of the cake with strawberries so you are able to create an even surface. Spread the Cool Whip on top of the cake as you would frost a cake with frosting.
Arrange a layer of cut strawberries around the outside edge. In the center add a circle of blueberries. To finish off your shield shortcake, take your star cookie cutter out. Press the Cool Whip out and place the star on top of the blueberries.
A shortcake made for an Avenger!
Hulk Pudding Cups:
This next snack was a huge hit! In the comics (and movies) Bruce Banner has an alter ego named the Hulk. He changes from man to well, all Hulk-y. So we decided to transform our pudding cups!
You will need:
- Vanilla pudding cups (we used the Meijer brand)
- Green food coloring
- Chocolate frosting (I bought the tube that copes with the different tips. We used the star tip for the hair.)
- A sharpie
Give your child a vanilla pudding cup. Have them add a few drops of green food coloring and mix it up. Bruce Banner will change into the Hulk right before their eyes! Then, top with some frosting hair and using the marker draw a ‘Hulk, Angry” face on your pudding cup.
Iron Man Inspired Drinks:
We couldn’t leave out Iron Man! In the drink section at Meijer there are so many choices! I purchased several bottles of Sparkling Ice drinks in reds, yellows and oranges. Simply freeze in ice cube trays. You can add to Sprite or even just water for a little flavor!
These are just 3 easy ideas that you can use to celebrate the Avengers: Age of Ultron! And to help kick off the new movie, Meijer has graciously given us a great prize pack to giveaway! You will get: 3 large plush Avengers characters (Iron Man, the Hulk, and Captain America), an Avengers blanket, an Avengers action figurine, 2 boxes of Avengers cereal, Avengers fruit snacks, and 2 tickets to see the new Avengers: Age of Ultron movie! WOW!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
This post was sponsored by Meijer. All thoughts and ideas are my own.
Easy Cheesy Chicken Parmesan Bake
I am always looking for easy dinners to make during the week. Even better if it makes enough to feed everyone and leave leftovers for lunch! This recipe comes together in no time and is really good. Like really good! Like so good that my family is asking me to make it again!
Not too long ago I volunteered at a Zaycon Fresh pick-up. I was there to pick up a case of their boneless skinless chicken breasts anyways so I was excited when they asked me to volunteer! Wait, let me back up for a second. Have you heard of Zaycon Fresh?
Zaycon Fresh has really awesome foods (mostly meats) like their famous boneless, skinless chicken breasts as well as ground beef, hickory smoked bacon, applewood smoked ham and more! Their products go from farm to you – skipping the stores completely saving you big money! They are fresh (never frozen!) and so good. This is our second order of chicken and I’m just as impressed with this one as I was the last! They are hormone free and 100% natural. They are pretty large and you won’t spend much time trimming fat because there isn’t much! Compared to the store it’s a no brainer! The quality is top notch and they are only $1.69/lb! (And you can sign up to volunteer like I did! If called you will be given $10/hour worked in credit off your next purchase. I was at the event for about an hour and a half.)
But now Zaycon Fresh is even better because they have partnered with Chicken Soup For the Soul! Did you know that Chicken Soup for the Soul has more than just books? I didn’t! But they do! BBQ sauces, broths, pasta sauces and meal builder sauces. I was so excited to get a package from them to test out a few of the products! They were awesome! I’m a new fan for sure!
But you are here for the Easy, Cheesy Chicken Parmesan Bake right? Well, here it is! Simple to make and great for the freezer to make ahead of time.
1 bag
frozen cheese ravioli
1 pound
Zaycon Fresh boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces
2 cups
mozzarella cheese shredded
1 jar
Chicken Soup for the Soul Marinara sauce
1/2 cup
Italian bread crumbs
1 tbsp
garlic powder
1 tbsp
basil
1 tbps
oregano
1/2 cup
Parmesan cheese
1 cup
Chicken Soup for the Soul chicken broth
1 cup
mushrooms sliced
Servings:
- In a hot skillet, add Chicken Soup for the Soul chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken and cover stirring occasionally until just cooked through.
- In a bowl combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, oregano, garlic powder, and basil. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Remove the cooked chicken from the broth and roll in the breadcrumb mixture. Place on a greased baking pan. Broil for just a minute to crisp.
- In the skillet saute the mushrooms in the remaining chicken broth. Set aside.
- In a casserole dish, cover the bottom in a thin layer of marinara sauce. Layer the frozen ravioli on top of the marinara sauce.
- Next, layer chicken and mushrooms. Top with a layer of mozzarella cheese and sauce. Then repeat. (Ravioli, chicken, mushrooms, cheese and sauce).
- Finish your bake with a layer of ravioli, sauce and cheese. Bake for 45 minutes at 375 F. Put a cookie sheet underneath in case of any sauce bubbling over.
Serve with a side salad and breadsticks. Mmmm….this is seriously delicious!
Check out to see when and where Zaycon Fresh will be delivering in your area! They are one of my biggest tips for saving on meat and still getting excellent, high quality products!
This post was sponsored by Zaycon Fresh and Chicken Soup for the Soul. I was offered products in exchange for my honest review and opinions. I really truly love Zaycon Fresh & Chicken Soup for the Soul!
(Easy!) Slow Cooker Applesauce
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BiteHungerBack #CollectiveBias
I don’t know about you, but around our house mornings are a bit stressful. Getting up, getting dressed, making sure faces are washed, teeth brush, dogs walked and to grab books before rushing out to school. That doesn’t even begin to cover breakfast! Making it, letting it cool, and making sure that the half asleep child eats it quick enough to escape out to the bus stop on time.
But after school can sometimes be just as crazy. I’m trying to make dinner. Homework needs done, the dogs need walked (again), and Josh wants to play. Not to mention Josh wants to eat! He’s hungry!
We need things that are easy to make for busy families! One thing that I love making is my easy slow cooker applesauce. It just takes a few minutes to prep and it’s seriously a dump and forget recipe. I pour mine into little containers that are perfect for pairing with an easy breakfast (like HOT POCKETS (R) Breakfast Bites!), tossing in a lunch box or even to go with a snack (like HOT POCKETS (R) Snack Bites!) With a hungry tween in the house, I’m all for easy recipes and food to have on hand when his hunger strikes. Which, let me tell you, is a lot!
- Peel your apples. Then slice them into bite size pieces.
- Dump the apples, brown sugar, water and cinnamon into your slow cooker.
- Combine the ingredients.
- Cook on high for 4-6 hours or medium for 7-8 hours. (I give mine a stir about halfway through.)
- If you like a chunkier applesauce, use a potato masher and mash directly in the slow cooker. If you prefer a smooth applesauce, blend for a few seconds. Allow to cool.
- If you prefer a smooth applesauce, blend for a few seconds. Allow to cool.
Right now there are a few things that I’ve been grabbing every time I go to Walmart! HOT POCKETS (R)! Josh loves them. There are Breakfast Bites that have egg, (100% real!) cheese and either bacon, ham or sausage.
They also have these new Snack Bites! There is pepperoni pizza bites (Josh’s favorite!), ham and cheddar, four cheese pizza or cheesy beef nacho.
Just a few minutes in the microwave and they are ready! Plus, when you add in a pack of our homemade applesauce you’ve got a perfect way for starting or getting through your day!
You really need to check them out! Plus right now you can save $1.00 with this coupon!
Stay up to date with HOT POCKETS (R) by following them on social media!
Salted Caramel Rice Krispie Treats
Sometimes there is nothing better than a Rice Krispie Treat. Gooey melted marshmallow seems to make everything better! Right?!
This recipe is for a little more sophisticated Rice Krispie treat. Bet you didn’t even know there was such a thing huh? Well there is! Gooey marshmallow meet chocolate and salted caramel. Sounds amazing doesn’t it?
Well, it is! This dessert looks impressive, tastes fantastic and is still a super easy dish to make!
3 tbsp
butter
4 cups
mini marshmallows
6 cups
Rice Krispie treats
10 ounce
dark chocolate chips (can substitute milk chocolate chips if you would like)
1/2 bag
caramel squares-
coarse salt
Servings:
- In large pan melt 3 tablespoons of butter, then add the marshmallows.
- Stir constantly until marshmallows are completely melted.
- Take off the heat and stir in the Rice Krispies.
- Line a 9X13 pan with parchment paper or spray well. Then press Rice Krispie mix into the pan and allow to cool (30 mins to an hour).
- Melt chocolate and 1 tablespoon of butter in bowl in microwave. Pour onto Rice Krispie mix and immediately sprinkle with coarse salt. Let the chocolate harden.
- Melt the caramels in the microwave. Drizzle the caramel over the chocolate. Let harden completely before cutting.
Yum! You will want a glass of milk to go with these!
Don’t forget to pin!
Candy Sprout Dirt Cupcakes – A Perfect Earth Day Treat!
Earth Day is April 22nd and today I’m sharing these adorable Candy Sprout Dirt Cupcakes that are sure to make for a fun treat! This is a super easy and cute dessert to make. Served in mini terra-cotta pots they look just like the real thing!
These cupcakes would also be great for a gardening party!
You will need:
- Box of chocolate cake mix
- Chocolate frosting
- Oreos
- Green Taffy or Green Air Heads
First you will need to make the cupcakes according to the box directions. Let the cupcakes cool completely. Place a cupcake in the wrapper into a mini terra-cotta pot.
Crush some Oreo cookies and put on top of the cupcakes. It’s looking like dirt all ready!
Now comes the fun part! Using the taffy or the airheads cut out leaves, blades of grass, or other sprouts. Leave room for you to push them into the cupcakes.
Add to your cupcakes and ta da!
You have some adorable Earth Day treats!
Looking for some Earth Day books?
Here are some fun ideas that would go along well with these cupcakes.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.
18 Easter Hacks
Easter will be here in just a few days! Can you believe it? I feel like it has completely crept up on us this year. Even though there are just a few days until the big day, there is plenty of time to implement some of these awesome Easter hacks! These easy tips will not only simplify your day, but help make this Easter the best ever!
1. A Scavenger Hunt From The Easter Bunny
Your kiddos will be so excited to get a list from the Easter Bunny! Plus, no more worrying over the eggs getting evenly divided! Problem solved!
2. Use a whisk to help keep dying Easter Eggs clean and mess free.
How great is this idea? No more dying your fingers! This tip will keep your eggs the only thing that are getting dyed!
3. Dye Easter Eggs with Kool-Aid!
These eggs are not only pretty with gorgeous colors, but I would think that the Kool Aid would make them smell (well, better than eggs smell!) 🙂
4. Make sure everyone gets an even amount of eggs.
I thought this idea was so smart! Each child gets a specific color to hunt. No more arguing over who has the most eggs!
5. Decorate Eggs with Beauty Supplies!
These pretty eggs were made with shaving cream! Can you believe it?
6. Minute To Win It – Easter Style!
We love Minute to Win it games! And these 10 Easter inspired games are no different!
7. Check your refrigerator for decorating inspiration!
Don’t these floral arrangements look amazing? Who knew that your veggie crisper could be hiding the perfect props!
8. Make gorgeous eggs with….men’s neck ties!
Who would have ever guessed? No mess, no boiling the eggs prior….just vinegar, water and a silk tie. Time to hit up the thrift shops!
9. Nail Polish Easter Eggs? Nailed It!
See what I did there? 🙂 I know, I couldn’t help it! But seriously – these eggs would make great teacher gifts or would be perfect for filling baskets for tween/teen girls!
Amazon is a great place to get nail polish!
10. Plant Jellybeans to grow a Lollipop garden!
This is such a fun and magical tradition. Have your kids plant Jellybeans and watch their excitement as lollipops grow in their place!
11. Fill cupcakes with Easter candy!
Think of it as a box of chocolates – you never know what you will get! Add different candies to cupcake batter and it turns a box mix into something super special!
12. Proof the Bunny was here!
Bunny prints are so easy to make! Plus, aren’t they cute?
13. For the 21 and over crowd….
I always loved chocolate bunnies, but I admit, my heart would sink when I found out they were hollow chocolate bunnies. But now, after this Easter hack, I’m second guessing that!
14. Glow In The Dark Easter Egg Hunt
We have been doing this for a few years ago! This is officially the way-to-make-hunting-Easter-Eggs-Cool-for-tweens Easter Egg Hunt. Glow sticks! The kids love em!
Bonus: It’s cheaper to fill eggs with glow sticks than it is to fill them with candy! 🙂
15. Add a puzzle piece….
This is one of my favorite ideas! Usually at our house the kids get their eggs, dump them and count up their candy. Then the parents go through counting eggs (usually two or three times) to make sure we don’t have eggs that get stranded outside. While you are filling up the eggs but one puzzle piece in each egg. Then, once the kids find the eggs they can take the puzzle pieces out and put the puzzle together. If the puzzle is complete, they have found all the eggs!
Check out some great puzzles here!
16. What to do with those Peeps?
Make S’mores of course! Peep S’mores are the best!
What flavor Peeps do you love the best?
17. Fill the eggs with coupons (everyone loves coupons!)
These cute coupons are free to print and would be a great candy alternative for filling up Easter Eggs!
18. Impress the kids (and the adults!) with this trick!
This is one cool trick and only takes 5 seconds! After all nothing says Easter like a little egg trick!
Don’t forget to pin!
This post contains affiliate links.
Apple Butter Banana Bread Recipe
I’m going to share with you a recipe that has been a favorite for a long time! When I was in college I waited tables. The tips paid the bills, but didn’t leave a whole lot left over. One day before my morning shift, I made a few loaves and brought them in. The next thing I knew, people were paying me to make them bread. I ended up making about 15 loaves a week! Seriously, people loved this stuff!
This mix of apple butter, bananas, cinnamon and nutmeg is amazing. Usually I make this bread in a mini loaf pan. That way I can wrap up the loaves and freeze most of them. Having individual loaves is great for packing lunches. Not only does it help to keep my portion control in check, but it’s nice when I want a sweet treat I can just thaw out a loaf!
I promise you! This will be your new go to quick bread loaf!
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7UB1tb1YHk]
1 1/2 cup
all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp
baking powder
1/2 tsp
cinnamon
1/4 tsp
baking soda
1/4 tsp
salt
1/8 tsp
ground nutmeg
2
eggs beaten
3/4 cup
sugar
2
over ripe bananas mashed
1/2 cup
apple butter
1/4 cup
canola oil-
honey
Servings:
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a loaf pan with baking spray.
- In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt.
- In a smaller bowl, mix eggs, sugar and mashed bananas.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well.
- Pour mixture into bread pan.
- Drizzle honey over the top of the mix.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
- Allow to cool completely before slicing or wrapping for storage.
Don’t forget to pin!
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