Yummy Mummy - Easy Cake Pops

In true domesticated, stay-at-home mom fashion, I like to bake. So here is my most recent endeavor: cake pops.

Easy Cake Pops Recipe:

1 box 18.25oz any type of cake
1 can frosting or you can make your own:

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 stick butter softened

2 cups powered sugar

1 8oz package of cream cheese softened

mix all ingredients together until creamy

2 8oz packages Bakers semi-sweet chocolate baking squares

Lollipop Sticks

Bake cake according to directions on box. Let cool completely. Crumble cake into large mixing bowl. Add frosting in stages. Add half the jar or half the amount of homemade frosting a mix into crumbled cake. I find it to be easiest to mix with your hands, but it is super messy.

Lay wax paper down on a cookie sheet and roll cake and frosting mixture into 1 inch balls. Warning: this will take a while so be sure to allot a good chunk of time! Put lollipop sticks into center if each ball Now put balls into fridge for a couple hours. You can speed this process up by putting the balls into the freezer, just be sure to keep checking on them. You want them to be solid enough to dip into the chocolate but definitely not frozen.

After balls are cooled, dip each ball into melted chocolate, and if you have some styrofoam handy, place each stick into the styrofoam so the balls are standing up.

Let cool and voila!

Scrumptious Sunday

Another first day of the week, another recipe. This delicious dish was born out of our love of Chicago style Italian beef. See, I grew up near the city and ever since the first time I took Tom back with me to meet my parents and introduced him to Italian beef and deep dish pizza, he's been coming up with any excuse to get back there just for the food. However, considering a plane ticket costs approximately two hundred and fifty big ones, Tom decided he was going to take on making homemade Italian beef to save us a few bucks. At first, I laughed in him face. I grew up on Italian beef. Teddy Red Hots was 5 blocks away from my house and Portillos wasn't too far either. I wasn't going to be impressed by my fiancées first attempt at Italian beef. No way. No how.

Well I stand corrected. While his beef isn't Teddy's, it certainly satisfies my cravings and has decreased our amount of time in TSA airport security lines.

Ok enough story time, more recipe. Without further ado:

Chicago-style Italian Beef

-Pre sliced frozen steak (similar to steak-eze) - we use 3 patties for the two of us
-one small onion
-3 tablespoons jarred Italian cherry peppers - finely chopped
-1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
-2 tablespoons minced garlic
- salt and pepper to taste
-splash of additional oregano





Cook onions until translucent. Add steak patties and seasonings. Add garlic and peppers once meat starts to brown. Cook until meat is cooked through. You may need to drain the meat if it's looking liquidy.

Should look something like this:



Oh, wait. That's our cooking partner ;). But, seriously like this:




Serve on sandwich rolls:





Stuff face.

Note: this is a quick and cheap alternative to slow cooking a roast all day. My mom makes a killer Italian beef, but Tom and I are very much 'want it now' types and with a baby in the house it's hard to be cooking all day.

Enjoy! And remember, always clean as you go!