Oreo Pops

I told y'all I'd share a how-to on the Oreo pops I made for D's MJ birthday party... a few months later, I finally got around to it.

So I found this via Pinterest.

{this picture via}

Oreo Pops! Genius.

I didn't click on it. I just thought, "duh! I can do that!"

Nope.

I figured out real quick that they're not as easy as they look at first glance. I went back and found the pin, but the link didn't have a step by step. I decided to take matters into my own hands. If there is another tut out there, I'm not sure. I just decided to figure it out.

Here's the quick how to: {emma style}

make room for the stick. Just scoop out some of the cream filling and... set it aside.. or eat it. Go ahead. Eat it. You know you want to. Don't waste it.

Melt a few candy melts at a time in a small bowl. I forgot to take a picture of the candy melts that I used. But you can find them here or pick them up at Hobby Lobby, Michael's, or even Walmart. Melt them {*HINT: if you over do it in the microwave and the melted candy becomes thick and just isn't working, add a little bit of coconut oil or shortening to smooth it back out.*}

Grab a stick that hasn't been licked clean {I got mine at the cake/wedding section at Walmart} and dip the lollipop stick in the melted candy.

Spread it around a bit. This will act as a glue to keep you Oreo on the stick. 

Place the other cookie part on top.

If you don't know your own strength like me I guess, they may crack.

No biggie. They'll be covered soon. Place them on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper

Now that all of those are on sticks you can melt the rest of the candy melts, or just a few more. Whatever you feel. Go with your gut. Follow your heart... Do whatever is easiest.

I used a spoon to cover the cookies with melted candy melts. AGAIN, don't try and make them so absolutely perfect. It's impossible. And they'll be eaten in an instant, no one will be inspecting them...  At least I wouldn't think so.

If you want them just white {or whatever color candy melt you got} and don't mind a flat side you can just put them right back on the wax paper, Or use one of these inexpensive cake pop stand things I also found at Walmart. {what can I say? Walmart is a necessary evil.}

If you want to add sprinkles you'll have to do it right after you cover the Oreo with the melted candy melts over a bowl before it dries. ONE AT A TIME. Just pour them on. Half dipped in sprinkles would look fab too!

And that's it. A little more time consuming than I assumed at first, but not to bad. You can also make them a couple of days ahead of time, just keep them covered.

Enjoy! And let me know if you make them or you come up with any new variations to try. I would also LOVE to see pictures. {email me here.}

Mathew

Last week was the one year anniversary of Mathew's back surgery. It's not something you really celebrate I guess, but getting through it is. Like I've said before, this last year was rough. [you can read the details on how he got hurt here, and about the surgery here + here]. But we made it trough. HE made it through, honestly I'd rather die than go through that surgery. I know there are worst things, but I'm a baby when it comes to pain and having your spine cut apart. You know...

The doctors told him that at a year he should be back to full function. But that's just isn't the case. He isn't back to work full time yet. He can't be. He's in a lot of pain most of the time. Walking, sitting, riding in a tractor or even in a car for 30 minutes or more just kills him. He doesn't say it does, he doesn't complain if I keep him out longer or things take more time that expected. He bears it. Sometimes he's grumpy, but you can't blame him. For the most part he just gets quiet and I know he's ready to go home and rest. Sometimes I start to say that my back hurts and realize how that must sound to him. I have no clue. I can't even imagine how he feels. Actually it makes me sick if I try to.

Mathew isn't a small guy. He's "built like a linebacker". But he's been dropping weight. He's at the gym every day and makes sure he does things right because the last thing he wants to do is mess anything up and cause a set back. He's even lost 45 pounds. I know that he would do anything to be completely healed. To be able to play with the kids, walk through the grocery store with me, watch a movie, play outside without feeling so much pain. I want him to do what he wants, what he loves. I want him to be happy... Even if the thing that makes him happy is farming. [I am so not outdoorsy, and I live on a farm. Send help.] He couldn't understand why he was in so much pain, why he couldn't just go back to work. During his last checkup they said that everything was healing good and he could ease back into work... That's what he's tried to do.

6 months later the xray show that his fusion has slowed down dramatically.

The doctor said that everything he is experiencing is due to that. He shouldn't be in that much pain. So they asked him to start wearing the bone stimulator. Yes, bone stimulator. Pretty self explanatory, it should stimulate the bone-marrow to grow and fuse together. The doctor said that they will schedule a CT scan to get a closer look.

When the doctor left, Mathew looked at me and said, "I'm so glad it's not just me." I told him that none of us, no one thought he was lying or making it up, or being a baby. We believed him and didn't doubt that he was really in pain. Not for a minute. He said, "No, but I did." His relief was palpable.

I guess just more time, and bone stimulating [*giggle* immature, I know..] will help. This man, the most impatient man in the world will just have to be a little patient.

-Emma

Michael Jackson

Douglas turned 5 in November. 5 guys! 5!

I was planning a small birthday party for him. Nothing big, just a few kids playing video games. We told him that his party wouldn't be on his birthday [a Tuesday] but that following Saturday. He was cool with that.


But Douglas is obsessed with Michael Jackson.

A week before his birthday Douglas asked for a Michael Jackson party.

I had no clue what to do... but I did it.

The day before his birthday we gave him an early present.. Sparkly gloves, a fedora [thank you walmart little girls section] AND The Michael Jackson Experience game for the Wii. We played a bajillion times, my legs hurt.

The next day I let him wear his Adidas track suit to school, and let him take his hat. Then grandma picked him up from school for a fun birthday treat!

[top left: star confetti in clear ballons, top right: foam Michael Jackson gloves for balloon ping pong, bottom right: Michael Jackson Experience on the Wii.. Dace floor ready, bottom left: Michael Jackson hats with rock star stickers  to decorate them with. They were actually top hats from the New Year's section in the party store]

 The waiting drove Isabella nuts.

His delighted face was priceless... priceless I tell you.

The kids danced, played, had a blast.

The cake stumped me. But some silver sugar sprinkles fixed that. Glittery glove on the top.

Presents galore.

And that, ladies & gentlemen, is how you throw a last minute, small budget Michael Jackson party.