Homemade Babycakes, Betchya Can't Eat Just One...

If your kids are anything like mine you find it very hard to enter they bakery at the grocery store without leaving with some donuts in the cart.  Typical?  Yes, good.  I'm glad to know I'm not the only mom who caves in so we don't have a major meltdown between the cupcakes and the artisan bread isle.  I always opt for the donut holes so at least if I have to give in, it's a smaller serving of sugar.  A nice compromise if you ask me.

So....I was super jazzed when I saw this new babycakes product at my local department store. 

 {Yes I'm thinking, I can put whole wheat flour in these puppies and cut some of the sugar and the kids will never know!} So I picked one up with my coupon that I got for donating clothing.  What a win/win.  I give them clothes that no longer fit my kids and they give me coupons.  This is dream shopping cause I just de-stashed the closets at home {huz will be so happy} and get new fun goodness on sale {huz is not as happy about bringing stuff home, but you can't win them all, right?}  Yay for me, I say!

So Owen was very excited to try them out. He helped me mix up the batter.  We chose the Vanilla Cake Pops recipe:


1.5 cups all-purpose flour {this is where I substitute 1/3-1/2 cup for whole wheat flour, couldn't even tell so I might try more next time}
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar {I used powdered sugar and skimped on it a bit}
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup milk
Cinnamon and Sugar for coating


Directions:
1. Combine flour, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, beat together butter and sugar until light and creamy.  Beat in eggs and vanilla.
3. Alternately blend in flour mixture and milk into butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
4. fill each cooking reservoir with about 1 tablespoon of batter. {My pampered chef scooper worked great for this so my fingers didn't get so messy}
5. Bake 4-5 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a cake pop comes out clean.
6. Allow to cool and glaze or coat, as desired.


Owen manned the baker under my supervision. I filled the reservoir with batter and he took them out with the fork tool when they were done.  {If you fill them too full they will come out looking a little bit like planets with rings around them.} We opted to roll ours in cinnamon and sugar.  Here is a picture of the finished product.  It'll be our little secret how good they actually are for you, right?

Ahmelie's "I Love Your Heart" Granola

I grew up on homemade granola and it's truly a treat to have it in the house.  I also love making this and giving it as gifts.  It's a hearty breakfast that sticks with you on those cold winter days.  I also add a variety of dried fruit to make it deliciously sweet.  It takes 2.5 hours to toast it to a golden brown and requires being stirred every 15 minutes so it really is a labor of love.  Here's the goods on how you make it.

Ahmelie's "I Love Your Heart" Granola

Ingredients:

10 Cups Quick Oats

2 Cups Old Fashioned Oats

3 Cups Oat Bran (May substitute other dry ingredients: flax seed, wheat germ, etc)

1 cup almonds, slivered or sliced

Mix dry ingredients in roaster.

Mix Seperately:

1 Cup Honey

3/4 Cup Brown Sugar

1/2 Cup Oil

2 Tablespoons Cinnamon

1 Teaspoon Salt

Pour honey mixture over oats, stir in.  Bake at 300* for 2.5 hours, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.  Add 1 cup raisins, 1 cup craisins, 1 cup dried/chopped apricots,  1 cup coconut. Stir into granola mixture.  Serve over yogurt or with milk.  Yummy!