Chocolate Banana Caramel Cupcake

So for my birthday I had these!

They turned out pretty good, all things considered. At first I went into my birthday thinking I was going to make a chocolate peppermint filled cupcake. Sounded super yummy. But I made the pudding filling, it didn't taste right. I tried several things to try to improve it, but it didn't work. So I came up with this option from combining a little from several different recipes I had looked through.

First I just made a batch of chocolate cupcakes from a box, you could make them from scratch. Then I let them cool and then took the centers out so I could fill them. I used the idea from here to cut out the center.

For the filling I used a small box of sugar free instant banana cream pie pudding and made it according to the box. Then before I let it set up I added a small container of of cool whip. Then I stirred in about 1/4 c. of caramel topping. Then I put it in the fridge and let it set up. When it came close to time for cupcakes I cut up 2 bananas pretty small and stirred them in. Then I put the filling in a ziplock bag and filled the middle of the cupcakes and then put the tops back on.

For the frosting, I just put a big frosting tip on a ziplock bag and then filled it half with vanilla frosting and half with chocolate frosting. Once I piped the frosting on I drizzled some caramel on top and garnished with bananas.

Confessions of a stay at home mom

I think all of us have "secrets". Well maybe they aren't secrets but we like to keep it to ourselves, and pretend like we don't do these things as mothers, but when we hear other people say it we kind of smile and chuckle, because it makes us a little happy and feel good that we aren't the only ones who do these things.

1)I don't really like to do laundry. Ok that probably isn't a secret, I'm sure most of us don't. It seems like the more kids we have the harder it is to stay on top of it. Well instead of staying on top of it, I usually do it when it's a necessity. Like when there are no more clean pairs of underwear and I know it needs to be done. Or all my exercise wear is dirty, and I know the people that I'm next too in a class won't appreciate the already sticky sweaty clothes.

2)What goes better with washing clothes then folding. This is the worst part for me. Sometimes clothes or towels stay in the dryer until I need to put another load in which might be a few days. Or the hubby is looking for something and ask if there is any clean and I say go check the dryer, and while you are at it bring the clean stuff up so I can take care of it.

3)Even worse than folding, or at least for me is hanging up clothes. When I'm folding clothes I usually toss the stuff to be hung up into another basket that is all the clothes that need to be hung up. I usually wait until this is full before I do anything about it. Which means most of the time they get a "few" wrinkles in them. I kind of wish it would take care of itself. When I'm folding clothes I can just be in one place and put everyone's folded clothes in their own piles and then they can take care of them. But with the hang up stuff, that requires me to get up and go into the different bedrooms to put them away. Not too hard I know but I still don't like it.

Well I think I've probably aired enough of my own "dirty laundry" for today. I hope this makes some of you moms feel a little better about that job you are doing. We all have those days! And we all have those tasks we don't like doing!

Thankful Thursday

Today being my birthday my thoughts are turned to life.

On this Thankful Thursday I am thankful for:

1)My life, and the wonderful parents I have

2)My body and being healthier now than ever before

3)For my wonderful family (I wish I got to see them more)

4)The gospel of Jesus Christ that brings my life so much hope and happiness.

and

5)This very thoughtful and wonderful post from my husband.

Do you ever feel...

...like your life is boring. You get in the same old routine as a mom and feel like, what do I have to send out to cyber space that anyone will find interesting. Well that's me! I've gotten in a funk. When I started this blog I was religious about posting, but sometimes I feel like I have nothing to entertain the few of you that are out there that read this.

So why the post then....Well I got a nice little text from a cute friend of mine saying she just found my blog. Now don't be judging her about being a friend and just finding my blog because #1 I don't pass around my blog info to everyone I know and #2 we just recently met when she moved into our neighborhood. Needless to say her text made me think. Why don't I blog, I have to time to do it? I feel like I have nothing exciting to share. I'm sure I'm not the only one, RIGHT?

As mom you get into a routine. For me that consists of cooking, feeding kids, laundry, exercise, trying to keep my house clean, etc., etc., etc. So what about that is exciting or would people like to read about?

So here's to trying again.

I've come up with a topic for 4 days, so that should give me some ideas of things to write about. So here goes nothing. And thanks to my friend for helping me want to get back in the swing of things.