As a parent, the days are long…but the years are short.

I’ve been fascinated by the whole idea of cake balls since my friend, Fran, made them for a gathering a couple of years ago.   I finally decided I would try to make them when I read the recent posts on The Pioneer Woman’s cooking blog.   She hosted the uber-baker,Bakerella, along with several other ladies, to a day at her place where they made scrumptious cupcakes and an assortment of cake balls.

Here’s a short retelling of my attempt to make cake balls.

1. Bake a Red Velvet cake.   Mine came from a box because I didn’t want to fool with getting out every ingredient to make it from scratch.

2. Let it cool and crumble it up into a large bowl.

3. Add nearly 1 tub of icing. Mix well, and roll into balls.   I used my small scoop, then after chilling for 20 minutes rolled them into balls. (And this picture, by the way, demonstrates why I selected this new refrigerator/freezer – it will hold a large baking sheet.)

4. Yum. Cake balls. I returned them to the freezer for two hours in order to firm up for the coating process.

During that two hour wait, I played with my 50mm lens, trying to figure out the depth of field.   I stayed in the same spot, and focused on my dog’s tail, front leg, and then his nose.   Then he gave me the look that said, “Mom, will you please knock it off.”

And I did.

Then came the tedious part of trying to coat the little cake balls.   This was NOT an easy task.   I tried using the melted candies that Bakerella used, but they came out looking like a big gloppy mess.   Not pretty, and it certainly didn’t look like good eats.

So, I decided to call Fran and ask her what she used to coat them, because the gloppiness was just plain ugly.   She let me know she used a chocolate bark, a hand full of chocolate chips, and a smidge of shortening to thin the melted mixture.   Unfortunately, I don’t have any pictures of this, because if I had tried to take pictures my camera would surely be covered in chocolate this very moment.     Getting the little suckers coated was a chore.   Drop a ball into the melted mixture, fish it out with a fork, let the excess coating drain off, move cake ball from fork to baking sheet without messing it up.

Once they rested for a moment, and the coating firmed up, I used a small ziploc with a snipped corner to pipe initials and designs on them.   That was the part I truly enjoyed.   As for the whole of it, this was a messy recipe, and I am not a big fan of mess – so this might be the last time I make cake balls.   However, I am glad I tried it.   They did turn out fabulous.

I’m linking this post to Blessed with Grace‘s Tempt My Tummy Tuesday post.

When I came across this blog carnival last week, I just knew it would be perfect for me.   So, I’m joining Lisa at Blessed With Grace for her Tempt My Tummy Tuesday carnival.   I hope y’all enjoy!

I am married to the world’s pickiest eater.   No, seriously, I am…   In the nearly 6 years that we have been married, he has consumed a limited number of vegetables.   I have tried to  convince him that not all vegetables are gross, gooey, and slimy.   So far, I have been able to add one vegetable to his list of “approved veggies.”      Yep, I have convinced him that cabbage can be good.   This is the recipe that won him over.   If that’s not an endorsement, I don’t know what is…

Mexican Cabbage Soup from 15 Minute Low Carb Recipes

1 quart beef broth
14-ounce can diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 pound ground round or other very lean ground beef
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic or 2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons oregano
2 cups bagged coleslaw mix

In  a large, microwaveable container combine the beef broth and canned tomatoes.   Microwave on High for 8 to 10 minutes.

While the broth and tomatoes are heating through, start browning and crumbling the beef in the oil. Use a large soup kettle or heavy-bottomed saucepan.   When the beef is about half browned, add the onion and garlic. Continue cooking until the beef is entirely browned.   Add the cumin and oregano, and stir them in, then add the heated beef stock and tomatoes.   Stir in the coleslaw mix and bring the whole thing to a simmer.   Cook for another minute or so, and serve.

Yield: 4 servings, each with 9 grams of carbohydrates and 2 grams of fiber, for a total of 7 grams of usable carbs and 24 grams of protein.

I do tweak a few things.

1) I almost always use a can of Rotel for the “tomatoes with chiles”. But if that has too much heat, you can use a can of diced tomatoes, and 1/2 can of diced chilies.
2) I use more than 1 quart of broth. Probably closer to 2 quarts. And I use bouillon with my hot water pot instead of canned broth.
3) I don’t use the oil.   I figure the beef has enough fat and it browns great.
4) I almost always add a packet of the dry Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix to the ground beef.   It just kicks it up a notch.
5) I rarely need to have a meal in 15 minutes, so I cook it all on the stove-top instead of the microwave.
6) I add the whole bag of coleslaw mix.

This recipe is perfect for cold winter weather.   It’s pretty inexpensive, and just plain yummy.   Hope you enjoy!