Mini Olympic Torch Cupcakes

This post could also be titled "Great Idea Bad Execution" or "Why Not To Cook While You Are Sick". Yes, I crashed and burned a little bit yesterday making these cute cupcakes, but whats a torch without a little fire? :)

Let me back up a little- I saw this great idea for torch cupcakes in a recipe book about a year ago... sorry I don't remember the name of the cookbook, so I can't properly thank them for this wonderful idea. I thought I would tweak it a bit and share my creation with you all! I was THRILLED to find these adorable mini ice cream cones- I knew they would be the perfect size- I like a small cupcake I can just pop in my mouth all at once.

Ingredients:
1 box of Confetti Cake Mix
60-70 mini ice cream cone cups
frosting
yellow food coloring
orange fruit roll-up (I used "cherry orange wildfire".... perfect for a flame!)

1. Make cake mix as instructed on the package. My first attempt at making these failed after this step when I added 200% more water than instructed. Nice, right? Since I wasn't feeling very well my sweet husband ran to the store and grabbed another confetti cake mix for me. Phew. I guess this is what I get for trying to be creative when I am sick!!

2. Place mini ice cream cones in a cake pan. I only used 2/3 of a cake mix and therefore ended up only using 40 cones. Don't ask me why I made it so complicated!!!

3. Fill ice cream cones with cake batter. I didn't fill them to the top- I would say each cone was about 75% full.

 4. Bake as instructed on the cake mix box. For cupcakes I needed to bake mine for 18-20 minutes at 350 degrees. After about 23 minutes I pulled my little cupcakes out of the oven just SURE they were done- I mean, they were in the oven for longer than instructed and they were SMALL cupcakes. And I didn't use an entire cake mix. Well, they weren't done. The bottom of each of the cupcakes was nice and goopy. I didn't find that out until after they had cooled, and I checked to see how my little torches were doing and saw this:

 Yes, a hot mess of gooey cupcakes and deflated ice cream cones. But as you can see by the picture there were a handful of cupcakes that didn't LOOK too bad (although partially uncooked). In desperation and determination I decided to frost the good ones. Because I think the idea is fabulous. My execution- not my finest kitchen moment.

5. Use yellow frosting or add yellow food dye to white frosting and frost away! Can you just see my poor cupcakes leaning over....sigh.

 6. Cut flames out of an orange fruit roll up. I think Airheads would also work well.

 7. Attach the flames to the torch. Quickly snap a picture before the flames fall flat on the cupcake.

8.Give a cupcake to your eager four year old and watch her run around the kitchen holding her olympic torch. Wipe away the tears because you didn't give up and you were able to give your kiddo a few moments of sheer pleasure.

And isn't that what the Olympics are about, anyway? Doing your best, never giving up, and running around with a torch. Perfection.

Happy Teaching!

Summer Apothecary Jars and Mantle

Here is our latest summer themed apothecary jars and mantle and can I just say I LOVE these colors!

The sea shells in the apothecary jars were found at Ross for around $5- I bought two bags of shells but could easily have used just one. And FYI- they are scented. I think they are intended for bathroom decor but I couldn't resist using them on our mantle!

The "Sandy Toes & Salty Kisses" sign and pennant flag were created with the wonderful help of my mother in law who is super crafty.

And the big "T" was found at the Wood Connection in Salt Lake for just a couple bucks.

Gotta run....time to play with my daughter... Happy Teaching!

Summer Bucket List: Vinegar Fun

We are still going strong on our summer bucket list and have had a blast (literally!) playing with vinegar and baking soda! Here are some of the fun science projects we have done and links to the creative minds behind them.

Exploding Bags

Both my daughter and I loved this activity! It was fun to watch regular plastic bags expand and pop. We could of done this activity 20 more times but unfortunately we ran out of plastic baggies. I highly, highly recommend doing this with your kids!!! Visit All Things Beautiful for a great step by step tutorial for this amazing activity.

Fizzy Painting

If your child loves art and science- this is a must-do activity for you! It was fun to create and mix colors and watching the baking soda and vinegar reaction. Check out the tutorial on We Made That.

Expand a Balloon

I love it when I have just as much fun doing kid projects as my little girl! I was both amused and amazed watching balloons expand with the power of vinegar and baking soda. Visit Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas to see how to make this happen!

Summer Bucket List: Melting Crayons, Painting with Water, and Bathtub Paints

We have had fun completing some of our Summer Bucket List activities. I thought I would share a few of our favorites so far!

Melting Crayons:

Play Create Explore posted a fabulous art project using crayons and a candle warmer. You should check out her site- she has some great ideas!

Painting with Water:

This is a wonderful and EASY way to keep your little ones busy for a few minutes (maybe longer if your child loves painting!). Using water and a paintbrush, your child can paint away on the sidewalk and magically watch their artwork evaporate!

Bathtub Paints:

When I saw this idea on pinterest from Having Fun at Home, I was in love with the bright colors.... and the idea of making a mess in a small contained area that can easily be washed clean. It's super easy to create (food coloring and shaving cream) and my daughter loved it!  I have read some comments online that the food dye can stain grout- we don't have a tiled tub so that wasn't an issue for us. It did make the bathwater black... so be prepared to give your child a second bath!

Hope you all are having a great summer! Happy teaching and playing! :)