I decided between pinning crafts on pinterest, pulling weeds in my flower beds so I don't look like a renter, reading Southern Living cover to cover, and hosting slumber parties for my daughters over active social life, I should start blogging again. I am not sure what I will write about, if this will turn into a diary like my dating blog. Maybe, a working mother DIY blog or reviews of the crap television and teeny bopper music I listen to kind of blog.
I might post a recipe, or a story of a blind date gone awry; maybe life lessons I am learning in my 30s. We shall just have to see how this blog organically comes to fruition.
Today, I am preparing for Maddie to have a group of girls over after school for a slumber party. It is the first scrimmage for our local championship high school football game. My daughter has hit the dreaded 7th grade but so far we are maintaining our relationship.
I have some pretty strong views on parenting. I am a young mom, I barely missed becoming a teenage mother. My ex husband likes to joke about how he was raising Maddie and I together. It wasn't always easy and I have challenges just like anyone else but I think I am doing well with this parenting thing.
One of my major parenting goals is to be the house the kids want to be at in their free time. I want to know my daughter's friends. I want my daughter home on the weekends so I want this to be the place the kids want to hang out. I hope this serves me well through high school, but for now in middle school it seems to be working out fine.
Fast forward a Day and the aforementioned Slumber Party has happened:
I picked my daughter up with 4 of her friends from school. Went to Braum's for ice cream as an after school snack. Came home, while they got settled I prepared dinner. My favorite slumber party dinner is English Muffin Pizza's. I loved making these as a kid. Something about your own personal pizza with only what you want on it that you get to create. I think Friday Night Pizza's are an American Family Staple.
The Grocery List is Simple:
English Muffins (everyone usually eats a whole one, so two "pizzas")
Pizza Sauce
Toppings: mini pepperonis, Canadian bacon, crumbled sausage, can of olives, sliced mushrooms, artichokes, banana peppers, and if your grocery store precuts a little container of bell peppers and onions you are all set!
Cheese: pizza mix or mozzarella
You can make these as simple or as complicated as you like, that is just what we have on our little pizza bar. I give each girl a split open muffin, they sauce, cheese and top as desired, then bake at 400 for about 10 minutes. The cheese gets gooey, the muffins crisp up and all the kids have exactly what they like for dinner. Throw together a side salad and you have a meal!
The
next item on tonight's agenda was the first football game at the High
School. Now, I have only ever known Football Country. I grew up in this.
So taking a group of girls to the game to socialize while I hang with
parents and cheer on our Championship High School Football Team is right
up my alley on a Friday Night!
On our way home THE Greatest Song of 1992 came on the Radio! En Vogue, My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It). In case you need to relive this or expose your preteen girls to some 90s girl power jams!
You Are Welcome!
So this catchy toon gets stuck in their heads and they need more! Which insights a kitchen dance party to some of the greatest of En Vogue! Never Gonna Get It!
After they are all hyped up and having a blast it is time to give them some more sugar! Let's make Cake Pops!!! I have been Pinning recipes up a storm and thought tonight would be a great time to try one out. You can follow me on Pinterest here.
I made a plain old $1.27 box of Strawberry Cake in a 9x13 pan. Let it cool a bit, then had the girls crumble it finely in a mixing bowl. I then added a heaping spoonful of cream cheese frosting to the crumbled cake and worked it through with my hands. I ended up using the whole cake and 3 spoonfuls of frosting to get the desired consistency. The best tip is to add the frosting one spoonful at a time because you can definitely over goo these pops
Once, I formed the little cake balls. I melted some pink candy melts on 50% power for 30 seconds at a time stirring after each until i got to the desired consistency. We dabbed the lollipop sticks in the melted chocolate and put them in the freezer for about 20 minutes. I wish I would have left them in there significantly longer. It might have made it a lot easier to maneuver later.
Since, I was tired and decided they had to just be done. I popped my candy melt back in the microwave for 30 seconds on 50% power this time with a touch (teaspoonish) of crisco to thin out the chocolate so it would be a little easier to work with. We took turns dipping them in. covering them with sprinkles and setting them up in a little block of Styrofoam from Michael's to dry.
The girls loved this, "it was just like Starbucks." It was easy, crafty and a little different so it seemed like a fun memory to make with the girls. Plus, having them in the kitchen with me keeps them from sitting on their phones FaceTiming boys at midnight which is a very real alternative.
I love nights when my house is full of laughter from a bunch of little girls having a great time!
Cheers to my first post! I am still not sure what this will look like long term but tonight it was a crafty food blog with some slumber party ideas and a little bit of music history from a Reformed Party Girl.
XOXO
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