There is More Than One Way to Eat It

This past Saturday was Matt's birthday. He LOVES german chocolate cake. I have only made him one "from scratch" german chocolate cake in the five years we have married. It was a lot of work!

This year, I wanted to make him something with the flavor he loves but in a different form. So, I made german chocolate cake balls. They were a big hit! We still have some in the freezer. The recipe makes about 50! Since we just started our summer shape-up, I don't think we will be eating any more for a while. Come on over if you want to try them.

You really could make them in any flavor. I started with a german chocolate cake mix (the store bought kind). If you really want to knock yourself out, you could make it from scratch.


















Once you bake the cake, let it cool completely.













Once it has cooled, you take two forks and gently crumble the cake into pieces.













Next, you mix in 3/4 to a whole can of icing. Again, I used the store bought kind.


















You could easily make your own. You want the mixture to be moist, not dry.













Then, I put the mixture into the freezer for about 20 minutes. I took the mixture out of the freezer and began rolling it into balls. You can use a small ice cream scoop to get the right amount and roll them with your hands. You don't want them to be too big because they are harder to dip in chocolate. Also, the colder the mixture the easier they are to roll. When the mixture got to room temperature again, I just put it back into the freezer to chill.



















Once I rolled all of the mixture into balls, I put them back into the freezer for two hours. If you don't get the balls cold enough, pieces of cake will break off into your chocolate.

I used chocolate almond bark for the final step. I melted two blocks at a time in the microwave for about 40 seconds. The next part for me was a little tricky. It is hard to get that smooth look when dipping things in chocolate. I figured out that the best way to get the smooth look was to put the ball of cake into the bowl of chocolate. Then, I used a big spoon the cover the top of the ball in chocolate. I carefully dipped the ball out with a fork. It dried SO quickly and they were ready to eat!













Be VERY careful! You cannot eat just one. This is a perfect treat to take with you to a party and you will definitely impress your friends!

Our Little 5-month-old

This past Wednesday, Avery turned 5 months old. I cannot believe that she is growing up so fast.


















So, what has she been up to lately? Well, here is a little update:

Every time I change her clothes, Avery helps me out by lifting up her head so that it is easier to get the clothing out from under her. I love it! It is the funniest thing.

She also tries really hard to sit up when she is in the swing, the bath tub, and laying on her play mat.

She found her feet this month and can't seem to get enough.













Today, she reached out for a doll. Then, she gave it a little hug! It was the sweetest.

Just this past weekend we put her in her high chair for the very first time. She really seems to like it.


















We also fed her rice cereal for the first time. As you can see in the picture, Avery wanted control of the spoon. She sure did have a tight grip on it!













I am SO excited to spend the summer with her! Avery is not the easiest baby, but she is certainly not lacking in personality! After this week I will take lots of pictures and maybe even some video! I have been told that babies are even more fun in the coming months. I am SO thankful that I get to spend a few months with her!

Family Dedication and Mother's Day

Well, as you can see I am a little behind. It seems like Mother's Day was two weeks ago! Matt and I have both been VERY busy. I have been keeping up with 17 1st graders, an almost 5-month-old, and trying to wrap up things at school! In addition to his daily job, Matt has been doing some contract work inspecting playgrounds.

Last Sunday, May 8, was not only Mother's Day but family dedication at our church. It was a very special day for our little family.
We committed to raising Avery in a godly home. We picked this as her life verse:

"For this reason also, since the day we heard this, we haven't stopped praying for you. We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him and growing in the knowledge of God." Colossians 1:9-10

Sorry, no pictures this time. They didn't turn out that great!

Matt and Avery made me a special 1st Mother's Day gift. We have somehow misplaced Avery's footprints from the hospital. It makes me SO sad. Surely they are here somewhere! Anyway, they "recreated" her footprints. Wasn't that just the sweetest thing?!