Make Your Own Soccer Ball Cake (or Tennis Ball Cake.. or Baseball Cake... or...)

So, now you know how to make the best ever chocolate cake recipe (from a mix).  It's time to decorate it, with no Martha Stewart skills or tools required!

To make a soccer ball, tennis ball, baseball, volleyball (you get the point!) cake, you have two choices... You can purchase a ball-shaped cake pan from somewhere like Jo-Ann Fabrics.  I used this Wilton Soccer Ball 3D Cake Pan.  Don't forget to google for a Jo-Ann coupon (at least 40% off). Plus, they frequently offer $0.97 flat shipping.   They also sell baseball cake pans, volleyball cake pans, etc., but any of them will do...  You're just going to cover it with frosting anyway, so the little details from the pan won't be visible.

Don't feel like ordering a cake pan?  I've heard that you can use glass bowls to bake a round cake.  Disclaimer:  I've never tried this, so proceed at your own risk!  Interested? Here's a tutorial from livestrong.com. 

Okay, now that we've covered the pan part, let's get to the fun, sweet stuff!!

Make Your Own Easy Soccer Ball Cake
(or Tennis Ball Cake or Baseball Cake or Basketball Cake or Volleyball Cake)

Best Ever Chocolate Cake Recipe - From a Mix!

In another life, I would be an ace cake decorator.  I would effortlessly take a regular cake and turn into a work of art.  In real life, I have not been as successful.  There was the time where I dropped an unfrosted cake on the floor (true story).  There was another time where we ran out of frosting at 10:00 PM the night before my son's birthday (thank goodness for Genaurdi's!).  But, I still keep trying, and I love it!

This past year, I tried something a little different.  I ordered a cake pan from JoAnn Fabrics (sometimes they have free shipping, which is awesome) and decided to make a soccer ball cake.  There are also ways to bake a cake in a glass bowl, to simulate the round shape.  I haven't tried that, but I'll include links to that in part two of this post.

Before I share with you how to make the easiest soccer ball (or baseball or basketball or volleyball) cake ever (using no special tools), I'm going to give you the BEST chocolate cake recipe on the planet (using chocolate cake mix as a base, no less!).  THIS is the recipe that I use year after year, and every year, it does not disappoint.

Best Ever Chocolate Cake Recipe (from a mix!)
(Source:  The Cake Mix Doctor - I cannot recommend books from the Cake Mix Doctor highly enough!  Man - that's my kind of doctor!  Nurse, get me the frosting, STAT!)

Fried Matzoh - Buttery, Crispy, Salty, Easy

Fried Matzoh is not a complicated recipe AT ALL, but it is FULL of warm comfort-food flavor!  Traditionally made during Passover, you'll want to make this year-round (whether you celebrate Passover or not).

When you fry up this recipe from my DIY Heirloom Cookbook, the house smells like heaven, and this dish only requires 4 ingredients.  This is one of those recipes you can't get wrong.  Good for breakfast, lunch or dinner! 

Fried Matzoh Recipe (also known as "Matzoh Brei")

Life of Pi(e) - A Supersized Chocolate Cream Pie, That Is!

Around Thanksgiving, I told you about the BEST....PIE...EVER...  I made it for Thanksgiving, and we went through all of the phases of grief as we stared at the empty pie plate.  So, when it was my Dad's birthday, we decided to GO BIG.  This decadent recipe can easily be tweaked to make the finished product 50% bigger.  All you need to do is streeeeetch your pie crust to cover a large pie plate, and increase the ingredients.  I know, when you add math to the equation, things get less delicious, but lucky for you, we've done the math for you! 

Supersized Chocolate Cream Pie

Blueberries & Cream English Breakfast Bread

Maybe you want to celebrate the upcoming royal baby, maybe you loves yourself some Prince Harry, or maybe you just want to bake an easy, delicious treat...  Either way, I have the recipe for you! Oh, and don't get scared by the cream part... I use low-fat sour cream, and it turns out delicious!

Blueberries & Cream English Breakfast Bread
(Adapted from a Nigella Lawson recipe from People magazine)

Hamentaschen - The Best Dessert You've Never Had!

Maybe you celebrate Purim and this is the year you've decided to try baking Hamentaschen, a light, delicious, triangle shaped cookie with tasty chocolate or fruit filling tucked inside.  Or, maybe you've never heard of this fun Jewish holiday, and just want to try an easy, new dessert recipe that will knock EVERYONE's socks off.  Here is the recipe for YOU!  

TheCityofMotherlyLove.com baker extraordinaire Wendy sent me this recipe, and me and my son made these show-stoppers this afternoon!

Hamentaschen - The Best Dessert You've (Probably) Never Had!  

 

Egg in a Heart - Easy Valentine's Breakfast

Looking for an easy way to get Valentine's Day (or any day) started?  Try this tasty breakfast that is  my son's favorites.  Not only is it cute, but it's delicious, too.  I haven't made it in a month or two (and plan to make it for Valentine's morning), so I don't have any pictures to show you.  But, I'm sure you'll get the gist!

Egg in a Heart

Chocolate Dipped Marshmallow Bouquet - Easy and Delicious for Valentine's Day!

Hello out there everyone!  I am so sorry I've been missing in action...  A stomach bug visited and took me down for a little while, but I'm back.  Unfortunately, I only lost a few pounds (and gained it right back), but I'm still going to eat and pretend like I need to get back to my fighting weight.  Indulge me!

Valentine's Day is almost here, and City of Motherly Love contributor, Wendy, has been at it again!  You may remember her Candy & Chocolate Covered Pretzels and her
Chocolate Covered Mini Pretzels.  Now, here is another recipe in her classic, easy, pretty, delicious style:


Chocolate Dipped Marshmallow Bouquet 
(better than flowers!)

Double Chocolate Italian Cookies, Rolled in Sugar

As I continue to cook and bake my way through my favorite cookbook, I am uncovering some tasty gems.  My pants may be getting tighter (the things I do for my readers), but I have quite the cookie recipe for you!  Delicious, very unique, and stays fresh-tasting for a long time.  They actually taste better as the days go on!  A caveat - this recipe gets MESSY (like sugar all over your floor messy), but the end result is so unique, it's worth it.  Plus, it's a great recipe to make with the kids... Your little helpers will have a blast.

Double Chocolate Italian Cookies, Rolled in Sugar

Easy, Healthy Banana Muffin Recipe

Do you remember getting sample sets of recipe cards in the mail?  If you liked what you saw, the whole set could be yours for the low, low price of $19.95!  Well, I actually saved some of those recipes.  Of course, I'd never actually tried one, so when I was scrapping my recipe binder (check out "Tales from the DIY Junkyard" post here!), I decided it was TIME!  The company that made them no longer exists, but the muffins I made will forever live on in my memory.  And, you know what?  They were really, really good!  Light, fluffy, healthy, great for breakfast and snack, and don't make a ton (which I actually love!).

Easy, Healthy Banana Muffin Recipe 
Makes 12 muffins

Bite Sized Dangerous Garlic Bread

The other day, I had a bit of a cooking disaster (let's just say I made something with spinach that did NOT turn out well, but that required bread for dipping).  So, I had half of a baguette left over.  I turned to my trusty DIY Heirloom Cookbook and found my old recipe for garlic bread.  I fell in love with it all over again!  It is DANGEROUS, because you can pop a piece in your mouth and nobody will be the wiser!

It's one of those recipes where you can pretend like you're on a cooking show, and not measure the ingredients, and it will still turn out great.

Completely Free Subscription to Better Homes & Gardens Magazine

Here's a completely free subscription for one year to Better Homes & Gardens.  You don't need to provide a credit card and you won't be billed.  I've done this offer before, and it's legit!  Unfortunately, a subscription does not mean that your house or garden will automatically look like those featured in the magazine, but they're purdy to look at!

Here's how to sign up....

Taco Night - No Assembly Required!

I love taco night - crispy, cheesy, crunchy, GOOD!  But, I have become increasingly lazy and get tired of making all of the components, and then still having to assemble each individual one at dinner time.  Last night, I started making the ole' taco assembly line and then had the idea to turn it into a bake-ahead casserole.  Okay, well, Ortega gave me the idea and I tweaked it, but it was still delicious!  Another thing that I loved about it was that it helped me use up some of the leftovers in my fridge, like an onion and corn.  It made a TON, too! Plus, you can customize this recipe however you want.  Your family may be more willing to eat certain ingredients (like tomatoes, ahem), if they're baked in, instead of loose in a taco.

Here's how.....

Taco Night - No Assembly Required!!

Cooking Through the Cookbook Challenge - Cheesy Potato Casserole

In my post on Sunday, we discussed how I bailed on my DIY recipe binder and copied over the few surviving all-star recipes into my prized cookbook.  Well, after looking through it, I fell in love with it all over again.  Now, the challenge is ON to cook as many recipes as possible from it!  Back when I got it, I was newly engaged and my cooking repertoire was limited to Ellio's pizza with added american cheese slices (I'm serious!).  Aside from my FAVORITE desserts and dishes, I haven't tried as many of the gems from there as I should have.

The other night, I needed a side dish (it was omelet night - if your house doesn't have omelet night, I suggest that you get on that!).  I pulled out my trusty cookbook and made a recipe that my elementary school nurse contributed to it (how cool is that?!).  One of her family's favorite side dishes - this was easy to make and PURE comfort food all the way!

Cheesy Potato Casserole

Tales from the DIY Junkyard: What You Can Learn from Scrapping Projects

Today, I'd like to introduce a new series of posts that I'll be writing from time to time.... Tales from the DIY Junkyard! 

Despite my best efforts, sometimes a project just doesn't work. It's okay to admit it. In a lot of ways, the internet and parenting magazines are empowering, because they offer new and creative ideas. On the other hand, they can get you down, because everything looks so perfect and simple. "Look... an heirloom afghan in two easy steps!" But, like we tell our kids, things are not always as advertised.

It's easy to get discouraged thinking that people are born Martha Stewarts.  Even Martha has had some DIY disasters, I promise you. Who knows? Maybe she had a few bad starts to those prison ponchos she made and had to turn them into washcloths, instead.

And, it's not just DIY projects that can go bust... Some home organization ideas can actually make things messier, new recipes can be awful, and birthday cakes can be accidentally dropped on the floor (true story). Instead of locking these stories up in the shame vault, let's be loud and proud! Sometimes, you can learn more from failed projects than successful ones.


On that note, may I present to you: "Bailing on the Recipe Binder"

Cookie Dough Dip! Note to Self: Make this Dessert

It's Friday morning, and I am going through dessert withdrawal from the holidays.  And then, I see this.... 

Monster Cookie Dough Dip, from the Girl Who Ate Everything.... 

A Completely New Way to Look at Resolutions

Happy New Year to everyone, from the City of Motherly Love!  I hope your holiday season was filled with all good things (including an abundance of chocolate).

Now that the New Year is here, so is the pressure to make resolutions.  I used to make all of the standard ones, like "Lose weight", "Exercise 4 times a week", "Learn a New Language" or "Organize the House."  You know - very specific promises that ain't gonna happen, which results only in feeling bad about ourselves.

A few years ago, I read some awesome advice about to completely change the way we approach resolutions...

Chocolate Toffee - Only Four Ingredients and SO Delicious!

I could tell you that this dessert is great for a New Year's party.  I could tell you that this dessert is great as a gift.  I could give you tons of reasons, but, once you taste it, you won't need any!  I've been on a MAJOR dessert making kick this holiday season, and this one is by far the best I've made!!!!  Plus, it only takes FOUR ingredients!

Make your own Chocolate English Toffee

Salty, Sweet, Easy & Pretty Dessert Recipe - Chocolate Covered Mini-Pretzels

City of Motherly Love reader, Wendy, was at it again this week!   After making the following treats for lucky co-workers and neighbors, she shared the pictures and how-to's with us.  I just wish the computer had taste-o-vision!

Without further adieu.....

How to Make Chocolate Covered Mini-Pretzels

Such a cool idea - I wish I'd thought of it!!!!

With help from other creative mommies, Ashley at She Makes a Home whipped up an issue of an online magazine.  It is absolutely gorgeous -  with tons of great recipe, decorating, entertainment fashion and DIY gift ideas.  Filled with lots of beautiful pictures, Snowed In is just inspiring to look through!  I wish I'd thought of this idea :)  Maybe next year, you'll be reading a "City of Motherly Love" special issue ;)

I'm not crazy about snow, so thankfully you don't actually have to be snowed in to enjoy it!