Moving to Texas I knew I would find things like sweet tea, fried chicken, Tex Mex but never did I imagine these little obsessions called cake balls. They are heaven in a ball, and the more I try the better they get. Salted caramel from Whole Foods is still my winning favorite however... So about a month or two ago Starbucks released their version of the cake ball but it had one difference, it comes on a stick. Therefore leading to the name the cake pop. When the family came into town last week, I learned my sweet baby cousin was a master at cake pops, and it became our mission to re-make these little delicious inventions and so off to Michael's we went for materials.
Materials:
1 Styrofoam board (poke the holes in before making the pops!)
2 bags of chocolate candy coating
1 box of store cake mix
1 tub of store cake frosting
Sprinkles if wanted
Steps:
1. Bake cake as usual
2. Crumble finely the baked cake (throw our browned edges)
3. Combine crumbles with store 1/3-1/2 of a tub of store bought icing
4. Form into 1/2 inch balls
5. Place in freezer for 15 minutes
6. Melt candy chocolate in a double boiler or in a microwavable tub (we used our Tupperware as it was easy to microwave and easy to dip into later!)
7. Dip the end of the stick in the candy coating first then stick a hardend cake ball on it and dip to cover with the chocolate coating
8. Turn right side up and place in the pre poked hole in the styrophome
9. Repeat and ENJOY!
"Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will"- Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, 1920. By now, everyone knows the destruction that water can cause, by now everyone knows the hurt the ground shaking may bring and by now everyone knows the fear and exhaustion that comes from watching your world disappear. Unfortunately, over the past week mother nature struck again, and all of us watched as Japan came crumbling down to their knees in the fight to save their Country, their homes, their family. As we have sit here wondering how to aide them in this fight when we cannot physically do so, it seems that others have pushed through with will and started in whatever ways they can. A will so great that even in a technology sector of the workforce, we too have made and can continue to utilize technology in tragedy to make a difference.
Look at this article from CNN.com on the California student who found her family alive on YouTube. It was a case of one source of technology to the next that she was able to know her family was okay. Starting with an email from her sister that she was alive at her school, to hearing about a video in which her family could be seen alive, followed by a social network friend reaching out and finding the video for her, to finally seeing the 45 second YouTube clip capturing her family telling the reports to tell her they are okay. Pure amazement. This also continues back with her now trying to use the media to tell them she received their message. There is hope there, all because of technology.
Take a look at the fact that AT&T, Verizon and Time Warner have all offered free texts and calls to Japan through April 10. These companies knew they had the ability and technology to offer something in these tragic times, and so they did, they offered what they knew and provided that for others. Just as artist write songs at these times, or missionaries go across to share their message of hope, everyone must do what they can do. The Red Cross is reaching out and allowing people to text REDCROSS to 90999 for a $10 donation, allowing those that need a easy and simple way to help to get involved. Even March Madness has jumped in with a bracket through WGIRL INC'S Hoops for Humanity , when you join for $22, giving all the proceeds to Save The Children which is working in Japan right now.
All these technological mediums have made it possible to not only know what is going on and be aware as we come together to fight this disaster, but have also given us the power to help in whatever way we can. Which a lot of times in my workplace is through the power of technology. I would encourage each and every one of you to fight back and help in whatever capacity you can, send messages of hope via YouTube to those who need to hear that they are not alone in this, enjoy a basketball bracket at the cost of saving a child, or send a text knowing it is worth more than your two or three Starbucks trips for the week, take advantage and call those you love or those that need help. However you want to help, just do so and ACT. For as Gandhi said, we do not need a physical strength, just an indomitable will.
So today we became Teem Tuohy on Facebook. Yes, I can spell, but they do not allow Team so Teem it is. It has come after a lot of talks and thinking about what it is to actually divorce proof your marriage versus not divorce proofing it. The word first came up when he was talking with his guys and it got me to think harder about what that would look like. So naturally I began thinking of other "proof" words such as water proof, fire proof and child proof and what they meant. Let me explain... hang in there with me it is a bit long winded. So if you have a piece of paper and it is sitting on your desk, you would never intentionally walk over and dump water on the paper, you would usually assume you are responsible and that it is not a likely thing to happen. Now, if you were to water proof that piece of paper you would consider the important piece of paper worth protecting no matter what, yes, it is still unlikely you are going to spill water over the paper. However, you are preparing for the unlikely to still happen; you laminate it, you store it away, you keep all water within a safe distance and you are proactive with it. You assume that one day water is going to be spilled or possibly spilled all over it and you want to be prepared. Same with kiddie locks... you can assume your child cant open the door, crawl to the stairs get into the cabinet and do nothing until it happens and it is too late, damage done. Or you can prepare with child locks, gates and stoppers. Never assuming your child is bad or going to disobey you put preparing for the worst case scenario. You see the point, and this is not to be a panic mode event of always fearing the worst, just being commonly prepared. Michael and I don't have a "facebook" problem, in fact trust in social scenes is an area we strive in, but to assume that no other evil factor will ever enter a "safe" area would be wrong, it would be irresponsible of me. As a wife, I want to know my marriage is not just solid and there, prepared for my ideal plans, but that it is actively being looked over and ultimately divorce-proofed. There is enough we already cannot proof or prepare for, so those areas that we can, why not. Why not choose to specifically protect, laminate and put stoppers in every area of our marriage we can? I know I will be thankful when that water spills and we just wipe it off and move forward, or even not seeing that flood for we avoided it first. So here is to "Teem" Tuohy and the facebook collision!
xoxo
Update: Facebook would not allow - but good food for thought- look out for a Michael & Erin Tuohy Facebook one day in the near future!
