How I Created These Colorful, Super Duper MOIST Cake Balls With Instant Pudding Packets

Super Duper MOIST Cake Balls by Give It A Whirl Girl

This past weekend was Mother’s Day weekend and I wanted to do something special to celebrate it. My husband and I had some kid-free time and we came up with the grand idea of creating these Super Duper Moist Cake Balls together! Ok, I lied, it was actually ALL my idea and I just employed his help. Does that mean I can call him Give It A Whirl Boy since he helped me with one of my blog projects? Keep reading to find out how I added a secret ingredient to make these cake balls the moistest cake balls you ever did have.

So many pretty colors on these Super Duper Moist Cake Balls!

Here is how I created these Super Duper Moist Cake Balls

The secret ingredient is…

Want to know what my key ingredient is with any cake mix I ever use? Sugar-free instant pudding packets from Jell-O! Yup, and I use the whole entire packet. For these two batches of cake balls that I whipped up, I used one packet of sugar-free cheesecake pudding for the pink and blue balls, and for the green cake balls I had to use my favorite pudding mix, pistachio pudding (sugar-free as well). I always opt for any of the sugar-free pudding packets since I think it is unnecessary to add even more sugar to the cake, but you can feel free to use any pudding packet your heart desires.

Baking the cake

First things first! For these Super Duper Moist Cake Balls, you need to decide on a boxed cake mix to use. I went with Betty Crocker’s Super Moist Rainbow Chip mix. I created two batches of cake balls so I needed two boxes of cake mix. To add a much-loved moist cake ball you then need to choose a pudding mix. You will also need to choose a can of frosting that you would like to mix in to hold these balls together. I used Betty Crocker’s Rainbow Chip frosting.

Make sure you have some decent bakeware to use! I love my Circulon nonstick set.

PRO TIP!

The cake mix calls for 1/2 cup of oil. I used ghee (butter) instead and they came out marvelous!

I used a 9×13″ cake pan and baked the cake for 28 minutes. After the cake cools I then scrape the top and middle part away and pour the crumbled cake into a large mixing bowl. I do not use the bottom part of the baked cake because it has that baked texture to it. The top of the cake has plenty of that baked texture to it and that is plenty for cake balls. You will want to crumble all of the cake into the smallest pieces. You do not want large cake pieces in your mixing bowl.

Some of the key ingredients for my Super Duper Moist Cake Balls! — Some of the key ingredients for my Super Duper Moist Cake Balls

Here are the two cakes crumbled up and awaiting the frosting

Frosting to hold them all together

The frosting is what you will be using to hold these balls together and to give them a big punch of sweetness for that sweet tooth of yours. Once you have all of the cake crumbles in the large mixing bowl, add 3/4 of the frosting to the bowl and mix it all up until well incorporated. I use a soft spatula to do this. You might need to use the entire can but I do not recommend it. This is going to take a bit of muscle to stir this all up so pull up your sleeves and get ready to mix, mix, mix!

After the cake and frosting is completely mixed you will want to make sure you have VERY CLEAN hands and you will want to take the mixture with your hands and form 1-inch cake balls

Chill them balls!

After you form those cake balls with the cake crumbles and frosting you will want to freeze the balls for a short period of time. 15 minutes is plenty! Just be sure that you do not freeze them for too long. You don’t want them completely frozen.

Wilton Bright Candy Melts

I wanna dip my balls in it!

Oh my goodness! Who here remembers this show The State? Truth be told, that while my hubby and I were working on these balls there were some humorous injections pertaining to balls jokes! Yeah yeah… I am 38 years old and still haven’t grown up! lol!

Anyway…

You will need to choose some candy melts to dip your balls in. I went with the Wilton Candy Melts. I was able to locate the new Brights colors and got bright pink, bright green, and bright blue.

Here is our work area for the Super Duper Moist Cakes Balls that we created

Sprinkles galore!

Hello and welcome to the fun part of this post! Here is where we get a bit messy and have a bit of a sprinkle explosion. You can get creative here and use the sprinkles of your choice to decorate these Super Duper Moist Cake Balls! I had a wide variety of many different rainbow sprinkles on hand so my moist cake balls have a lot going on.

You might LOVE these rainbow sprinkles for the Sweet Tooth Fairy

Wilton Rainbow Chip Crunch - Available at JoAnn's - This is one of my favorite sprinkles to use! — Wilton Rainbow Chip Crunch – Available at JoAnn’s – This is one of my favorite sprinkles to use!

Which Super Duper Moist Cake Ball will you try first? The cheesecake or pistachio?

Each and every Super Duper Moist Cake Ball is unique

Final thoughts

Boy! These Super Duper Moist Cake Balls sure were a labor of love and completely and totally worth all the time and effort put into making them. My family came over after Mother’s Day dinner and we played cards and ate cake balls! These moist cake balls were enjoyed by all, both children and adults. They are a joy to eat, that is for sure! How many will you eat? Always remember to save room for dessert!

Question & Answer Time!

Tell me what ingredients you will use to make a batch of cake balls.

Stunning array of our Super Duper Moist Cake Balls

Super Duper Moist Cake Balls ready for you! They sure are a labor of love!

One last photo of our Super Duper Moist Cake Balls

Shop for items to create these cake balls

Unique Rainbow + Unicorn Gifts - SHOP Perpetual Kid — Unique Rainbow + Unicorn Gifts – SHOP Perpetual Kid

You might also enjoy these posts at Give It A Whirl Girl

May 13, 2019 14

15 Unique Gifts For Ice Cream Lovers – Ultimate Ice Cream Gift Guide – I SCREAM YOU SCREAM… We All Scream For Ice Cream!!

ICE CREAM LOVERS GIFT GUIDE by Give It A Whirl Girl - Top 15 ICE CREAM GIFTS - Today I am sharing my Ice Cream Lovers Gift Guide with my lovely readers on this day of Friday Faves. Are you an ice cream addict? I sure am and especially this time of year with summer approaching. I honestly could eat ice cream or frozen yogurt every single day, I love it that much! This Ice Cream Lovers Gift Guide is chock full of all the ice cream goodies that your heart (and tummy) desires!

Today I am sharing my Ice Cream Lovers Gift Guide with my lovely readers on this day of Friday Faves. Are you an ice cream addict? I sure am and especially this time of year with summer approaching. I honestly could eat ice cream or frozen yogurt every single day, I love it that much! This Ice Cream Lovers Gift Guide is chock full of all the ice cream goodies that your heart (and tummy) desires! I have included ice cream dishes, spoons, ice cream makers, candy sprinkles and more! Keep reading my ice cream gift guide and tell me what products you will be giving a whirl!

THE ICE CREAM LOVERS GIFT GUIDE

Ice Cream Kitchen Items

No ice cream lovers gift guide would be complete without the basics. I have included some ice cream dishes, ice cream spoons, ice cream makers and more! In the comment section feel free to let me know what ice cream items you will be adding to your Amazon wishlist!

Greenco Vibrant Colors Ice Cream Dessert Bowls and Spoons

This set of ice-cream bowls from Greenco is the perfect dessert bowl set for your next frozen treat! This set of 12 also includes some super duper cute ice cream spoons!

Long Ice Cream Spoons

I have never seen a spoon that was more perfect than these for ice cream! This set of 4 ice cream spoons has a long handle and also includes an ice cream sundae resin decoration at the top of the handle. Each one has a different look and appearance.

Kate Aspen Ice Cream Whisk

Oh my goodness gracious! How darn cute is this ice cream whisk from Kate Aspen!?!? Totes adorbs, am I right??? (insert a lol here for me being so cheesy and so corny)

Now, this right here is one of those items that you really don’t need but you love it so much you just can’t pass it up! This Kate Aspen whisk would be my go-to whisk if I had the pleasure of owning it!

Kate Aspen Ice Cream Whisk

My Ice Cream Spoon (by Boston Creative Company)

I love love love this My Ice Cream Spoon and this definitely earned a spot on my wishlist!

I am quite certain that I need a dedicated ice cream spoon in my life! Do you need one of these too?

My Ice Cream Spoon (Boston Creative Company) — **My Ice Cream Spoon**

Cuisinart Frozen Yogurt & Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker

Have you ever wanted to create your very own batch of ice cream or frozen yogurt? The Cuisinart ice cream maker will bring on the smiles this summer when you have that ice cream craving. The Cuisinart ICE-21PK is also capable of creating frozen yogurt or sorbet. What flavor of ice cream, frozen yogurt, or sorbet will you be enjoying?

**Cuisinart ICE-21PK Frozen Yogurt & Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker, Pink**

Yonanas Soft Serve Maker – 987 Elite Powerful Quiet Healthy – Dessert Maker

Are you curious and interested in having a very unique dessert experience? Well here you go! This dessert maker from Yonanas is capable of whipping up a batch of soft-serve ice cream or nice-cream (vegan ice cream made with ripe bananas. The choice is yours and this Yonanas soft serve maker makes it possible to enjoy ice cream that is dairy-free. The Yonanas 987 soft serve maker is the most durable, strongest, and quietest dessert maker around.

**Yonanas 987 Elite Powerful Quiet Healthy Dessert Fruit Soft Serve Maker**

If you want to check out a more affordable Yonanas dessert maker check out the Yonanas 902 soft serve maker on Amazon.

DASH Waffle Bowl Maker: The Waffle Maker Machine for Individual Waffle Bowl

The DASH Waffle Bowl Maker is a neat little small kitchen appliance that can take your next frozen sweet treat to a whole other level! It is not just for sweets though and that is what makes this appliance so cool! You can get creative with it and make so savory chicken and waffles! And guess what? You can also create taco bowls with the DASH Waffle Maker. It won’t break the bank either! This is an affordable appliance, and it also comes in two other colors: pink and red!

Top Your Next Frozen Treat With Ice Cream Toppings & Ice Cream Sauces

Let’s start off this ice cream lovers gift guide with some fun ice cream toppings and ice cream sauces! I don’t know about you but I sure do not enjoy eating boring or bland ice cream. I love to dress up my ice cream with sauces and toppings. Can’t just have a scoop or two… I need the real deal in ice cream sundae form!

Fat Toad Farm Petit Quartet Goat”s Milk Caramel Sauce Gift Set

These caramel ice cream sauces from Fat Toad Farm come in four flavors: Caramel Original, Caramel Salted Bourbon, Caramel Vanilla Bean, and Vermont Maple.

What makes these caramel sauces so unique is that they are created with goat’s milk!

Fat Toad Farms Ice Cream Sauces

ARE YOU A COFFEE LOVER TOO?

Top 10 Coffee Favorites Gift Guide

Jordan’s Skinny Mixes & Jordan’s Skinny Syrups

These Jordan’s Skinny Mixes and Jodran’s Skinny Syrups are a must-try for your next sweet ice cream treat! Best part about these syrups is that they are guilt-free… ZERO SUGAR, ZERO CALORIES, and ZERO CARBS! You can use these syrups to top your ice cream, use them in a milkshake, or get creative and whip up some homemade ice cream!

With flavors like Mermaid (.tropical citrus, coconut, a little pineapple and a lot of magic)

and Unicorn, (A magical swirl of creamy frosting, tart blue raspberry and a hint of cotton candy)

How can you resist??

Jordan's Skinny Mixes / Syrups I tried! Unicorn, Banana Split, and Glazed Donut — **Jordan’s Skinny Mixes / Syrups I tried! Unicorn, Banana Split, and Glazed Donut**

Use my Jordan’s Skinny Mixes coupon to save on your next order!

Jordan’s Skinny Mixes coupon code is GIVEITAWHIRL10

10% off at Jordan's Skinny Mixes

Coupon

Jordan’s Skinny Mixes & Drink Syrups Coupon

GIVEITAWHIRL10

Want to give Jordan's Skinny Mixes and drink syrups a whirl?
Save 10% on your first order at Jordan's Skinny Mixes online store with coupon code GIVEITAWHIRL10.

More Less

Doesn't expire

Or if you prefer you can shop for Jordan’s Skinny Mixes on Amazon!

Jordan's Skinny Mixes - Ice Cream Collection - Birthday Cake syrup, Cookie Dough syrup, and Caramel Fudge Waffle Cone syrup — **Jordan’s Skinny Mixes – Ice Cream Collection**

Sanders Sundae Best Gift Box – 4 Ice Cream Toppings/Sauces

This is the ultimate ice cream toppings gift set from a brand I love… Sanders! This ice cream sauce gift set includes the following four flavors:

- Dark Chocolate Hot Fudge
- Sander’s Classic Caramel
- Extra Dark Chocolate Hot Fudge This flavor here is hands down my favorite flavor from Sanders!
- Milk Chocolate Hot Fudge

Sanders Ice-Cream Toppings/Sauces Gift Set — **Sanders Ice Cream Toppings/Sauces Gift Set**

Natural Candy Sprinkles From Wilton

Not a fan of weird dyes in your food? Try these naturally colored candy sprinkles from a brand I love and trust… Wilton! This is a 5 pack assortment of candy sprinkles and jimmies, all colored by nature! These are not just for ice cream sundaes either. Top your cake, brownies, and donuts with these.

Check out the other products available from Wilton HERE.

**Wilton Naturally Flavored Assorted Sprinkles and Jimmies**

Sweetapolita Candy Sprinkles and Cookbook

I just had to add one more candy sprinkles topping to my ice-cream gift guide! Here I am featuring a brand that I absolutely love and am always impressed by… Sweetapolita! Just look at these stunning and eye-catching candy sprinkles! They truly are the greatest I have ever seen. Sweetapolita sprinkles are for the gourmet!

Sweetapolita Bright Skies Sprinkle Medley- Decorative Cake Cupcake Sprinkles — **Bright Skies Sprinkle Medley**

Sweetapolita Crunchy Rainbow Sprinkles — **Crunchy Rainbow Sprinkles**

Sweetapolita Sprinkles - Rainbow Classic Nonpareils — **Rainbow Classic Nonpareils**

The Sweetapolita Bakebook: 75 Fanciful Cakes, Cookies & More to Make & Decorate — **The Sweetapolita Bakebook**

Ice Cream Cookbooks

Jeni’s Ice Cream – Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream At Home

Curious about creating your own from-scratch ice cream at home? Check out these ice cream cookbooks from Jeni’s Ice Cream! This book is written by Jeni Britton Bauer and inside you will find some fascinating dessert recipes and ice cream recipes!

Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home — **Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home**

Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream & Dessert Book

Ben & Jerry’s ice cream is a pure DELIGHT to eat and puts my mind into a state of BLISS!

I want this and I need this book of sweet treats in my life! Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream & Dessert Book is a bestselling book, and for good reason! This book is jam packed with frozen goodies to please your palate!

Here are just a few of the ice cream desserts that you can create with this book:

Rolo Cup Ice Cream
Kahlua Ice Cream
Banana Ice Cream (several mix-ins can be included with this too!!)
Blueberry Jam Sundae
Cantaloupe Ice Cream (say what??? CANTALOUPE~! Well, that would be a first for me and I am eager to give it a whirl someday!)
+++ MANY MANY MORE!

Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream & Dessert Book — **Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream & Dessert Book**

Astronaut Foods Freeze-Dried Fruit Variety Sampler

Last but certainly not least is this variety pack sampler of freeze-dried ice cream. This variety pack contains 5 fun flavors: strawberry, banana, peach, apple, and grape. These freeze-dried ice creams are ready to eat and do not require any freezing.

Question time! Tell me what your favorite item is from this ice cream lovers gift guide and then you need to fill me in and tell me what your favorite flavor of ice cream is!

I will tell you mine! I spent my entire childhood being obsessed with Superman ice cream followed by mint chocolate chip ice cream. Then one day I tried out cookie dough ice cream and my mind was blown! I believe that cookie dough ice cream will always be my top favorite!

For me, the combination of some vanilla ice cream with those little cookie dough pieces mixed in is pure bliss for me!

Want to see more fun ice cream goodies?

Shop my AMAZON STORE or check out my favorites below!

MISCELLANEOUS ICE CREAM FAVORITES

ICE CREAM BOOKS

PIN FOR LATER

April 12, 2019 9

Dylan’s Candy Bar – Gift Guide For The Sweet Tooth

Dylan’s Candy Bar is full of drool-worthy candy to satisfy anyone’s sweet tooth! Their gourmet candies make great gifts and they never disappoint. These are perfect candies for those days when you just need to have an anything-goes cheat day. This Dylan’s Candy Bar gift guide is full of sweets and treats for the sweet tooth afficionado.

This brand began and 2001 and ever since, Dylan’s Candy Bar has been making and creating gourmet candy that can please any palate. They offer a little bit of everything and something for everyone ranging from gummies to chocolates and everything in between. Everything here at Dylan’s Candy Bar would make a great gift for the loved ones in your life.

Check out the popular gifts in the gift guide section of their online store.

There is also a lifestyle section you can visit for non-edible gifts that are perfect for gift giving. I am a big fan of the apparel offered at Dylan’s Candy Bar!

Current offers and deals at Dylan’s Candy Bar!

It is Cyber Monday over at Dylan’s Candy Bar and right now they are offering FREE shipping on any order $25+ or more.

They currently have some items on sale for Cyber Monday. You can see all of those crazy deals right over here!

Also with coupon code FF25 you can enjoy 25% off your order at Dylan’s Candy Bar!

The Dylan’s Candy Bar Gift Guide

Dylan’s Candy Bar Signature Chocolate Wheel

This is a Dylan’s Candy Bar signature product right here. If you know a chocolate lover in your life, present this unforgettable gift to them and they will thank you forever and ever! There are a whopping 56 pieces of gourmet Belgian chocolates here!

Flavors included in this awesome wheel of chocolate are Dark Raspberry, S’mores, Milk Toffee Crunch, Hazelnut, Dark Espresso, Almond, Caramel, and Milk.

Dylan's Candy Bar Signature Chocolate Wheel — **Dylan’s Candy Bar Signature Chocolate Wheel**

Dylan’s Candy Bar Signature Lollipop Wheel

There is also a fun Lollipop Wheel available if chocolate is not your thing. Each Lollipop Wheel features the following flavors: Strawberry-Banana, Cherry, Blueberry, Gumball, Orange, Apple, Watermelon, Banana Split and Cotton Candy! This is a great deal and would be perfect for gift giving this Christmas season!

Dylan’s Candy Bar Signature Sour Tackle Box

The Dylan’s Candy Bar Signature Tackle Box would make a lovely gift for the sweet tooth that has a passion and appreciation for sour candies!

Contains Sour Rainbow Belt Bites, Sour Patch Watermelon Slices, Sour Gummy Bears, Sour Blue Cola Bottles, Sour Worms and Sour Looms.

Dylan's Candy Bar Signature Sour Tackle Box — **Dylan’s Candy Bar Signature Sour Tackle Box**

Check out the other tackle boxes available:

Magical Unicorn Hot Chocolate

Craving hot chocolate but don’t want the norm? I don’t know about you but I am bored with typical and this Magical Unicorn Hot Chocolate is anything but typical. It is PINK hot chocolate! I bet this hot chocolate would delight the little girl in your life!

Dylan’s Candy Bar Striped Chocolate-Covered Oreo Cookies

Where are my Oreo lovers at? My husband, Joe, is a big-time Oreo fan. When I get him a bag of Oreos he immediately does a line of them. It is as if he doesn’t have any self-control around Oreos! If you know someone like that then these chocolate-covered Oreo cookies would be perfect for gift giving. There are 9 in the stack and these are sure to dazzle and delight the taste buds of any Oreo fan!

Continue reading “Dylan’s Candy Bar – Gift Guide For The Sweet Tooth” →

November 26, 2018 12

Erma’s Frozen Custard REVIEW – St. Clair Shores Michigan – A Trio Of Frozen Custard Parfaits

Erma's Frozen Custard REVIEW - St. Clair Shores, MI Ice-Cream Shop - A Trio Of Frozen Custard Parfaits

Erma’s Frozen Custard is the place to be if you want some top quality frozen custard and some exciting, fun ways to top it. This place has so many wonderful flavor concoctions it is somewhat overwhelming to decide on just one! Give me two. NO! Give me three! The flavor options here are just mindblowing. This was my first time visiting with my little family of 3 and we each chose our own parfaits. I just had to go with Peanut Butter & Jelly. I really have a thing for PB&J and that is my jam right now. My husband went with the S’mores Parfait. I believe I heard him moaning over just how good it was. And last but not least my daughter, Chloe, went with a Candy Parfait. Keep reading my Erma’s Frozen Custard review to learn more about this delectable little ice-cream shop!

Our Visit To Erma's Frozen Custard in St Clair Shores, MI — Our Visit To Erma’s Frozen Custard in St Clair Shores, MI

Peanut Butter & Jelly Parfait at Erma's Frozen Custard in St Clair Shore, MI — Peanut Butter & Jelly Parfait at Erma’s Frozen Custard in St Clair Shores, MI

My Erma’s Frozen Custard Review

Hard work does pay off… in frozen treat form!

We had a yard sale for the past few days and this was a great place to go to reward ourselves for our hard work. Chloe had a blast with the yard-sale (it was her first) and she was so thrilled about earning some money. It was her idea to go out for ice-cream. She insisted that she wanted to purchase her own sundae with her own money. That kid had some sheer determination to spend money last night!

Always seeking something new to experience

It was my idea, of course, to try out something new. Erma’s Frozen Custard is so conveniently located that we could actually take a stroll and walk on over there. How have I been living in St Clair Shores for so long and never ever stopped at Erma’s. It saddens me to think about how much I have been missing out on all these years. I am definitely going to visit this place one more time before they close for the season. I already know what I’m going with too~ Raspberry Truffle Parfait!

Peanut Butter & Jelly Parfait and S'mores at Erma's Frozen Custard in St Clair Shore, MI — Peanut Butter & Jelly Parfait and S’mores at Erma’s Frozen Custard in St Clair Shores, MI

Chloe with her Candy Parfait at Erma's Frozen Custard — Chloe with her Candy Parfait at Erma’s Frozen Custard

You might also enjoy: Tasty Ice Cream Review – Try 4 New Limited Edition Flavors From Tasty!

Peanut Butter Jelly TIME!

I want to discuss a bit on my parfait that I ordered, the Peanut Butter & Jelly! Let’s start with the bottom here: first up is vanilla custard, a layer of peanut butter, chopped peanuts, more vanilla custard, a generous helping of strawberry jelly, more nuts, whipped cream and then topped off with a cherry. I gotta say that I enjoyed this immensely! Yes I said that word and I reserve it for rare occasions!

Wowza! Check out that strawberry chunk in my PB&J Parfait at Erma's Frozen Custard — Wowza! Check out that strawberry chunk in my PB&J Parfait at Erma’s Frozen Custard

Ice Cream Lover’s Gift Guide

In the two photos below you can see just how many options Erma’s Frozen Custard offers. I highly suggest checking out Erma’s frozen custard menu so you aren’t standing around looking dumbfounded trying to figure out what the heck you are going to order!

Take a dip

What I love about this place is that they have some great flavors of dip that you can go with! I love that hard-shelled dip on my cone. They even offer a Confetti Cake dip! I am addicted to any and all things cake flavored and I know I will be going with that dip someday.

I absolutely love their creativity here and there is something for everyone.

Candy Coatings and Toppings at Erma’s Frozen Custard

Numerous options to choose from here! Erma’s Frozen Custard offers sundaes where you can choose one topping. These sundaes also come equipped with whipped cream and a cherry on top because no sundae is complete without that. Then they offer something called an Explosion! With the Explosion, this is where you can really let your creativity shine and you get your choice of not one, but two different toppings. You can see the Erma’s Frozen Custard menu in the photos below.

Flavor board of parfaits at Erma's Frozen Custard in St. Clair Shores, MI (Erma's Frozen Custard menu) — Flavor board of parfaits at Erma’s Frozen Custard in St. Clair Shores, MI

So many flavors to choose from at Erma's Frozen Custard! (Erma's Frozen Custard menu) — So many flavors to choose from at Erma’s Frozen Custard! Featured flavors of frozen custard week by week.

Chloe's Candy Parfait at Erma's Frozen Custard — Chloe’s Candy Parfait at Erma’s Frozen Custard

Chloe enjoying her Candy Parfait at Erma's Frozen Custard — Chloe enjoying her Candy Parfait at Erma’s Frozen Custard

More than just parfaits and sundaes!

If you are craving something besides a parfait or sundae you are in luck because Erma’s offers a variety of other things you can go with. They offer milkshakes, slushies, floats & coolers. They offer specialty desserts as well such as: Custard Puff, Brownie Delight, Strawberry Shortcake, Banana Split, and a peculiar item known as an Upside-Down Banana Split (that is something I most definitely need to try!).

Nutrition

Erma’s Frozen Custard offers 100% Michigan dairy products and their frozen custard is gluten and soy-free. You can read up on this more HERE.

My one beef about this place, speaking honestly here

These parfaits come in at $6.30 a piece. For a family of 3 to go out for parfaits here you are going to have to fork over $18.90. I am not what I would consider a stingy person whatsoever but for the amount of ice-cream and toppings that they give you for $6.30 just is not enough for me. I truly feel that maybe these should cost a little less or possibly just make the serving size larger. I will visit this place again when I have the means to, but I really believe that the price is a tad too steep. We usually do not pay that much to go out for ice-cream. We can go to Menchie’s and do big build-your-own froyos with a ton of toppings and usually only be out $15 for the visit there.

Where can I get my Erma’s?

Great news Michiganders! There are multiple locations to find Erma’s Frozen Custard. There are currently locations in: St. Clair Shores, Shelby Township, and Warren, MI.

Check out the store locator for more details on where you can find your closest Erma’s!

Find out more about Erma’s Frozen Custard

Check out their website
Find Erma’s on Facebook

I hope you enjoyed this Erma’s Frozen Custard review and it inspires you to visit! I believe you will fall in love with this place at first bite!

So what will you be ordering at Erma’s Frozen Custard? Check out their menu online and leave me a comment and let me know what appeals the most to you!

Please note this is a seasonal establishment! They are open April 1- October 31.

PIN FOR LATER

September 16, 2018 7

Pamela’s Sugar Cookie Mix (Gluten-Free) – Giant Cotton Candy Cast Iron Skillet Cookie – Tried It Out Tuesday

Pamela's Sugar Cookie Mix Review and Giant Cast Iron Cotton Candy Sugar Cookie by Give It A Whirl Girl

Welcome to this week’s installment of Tried It Out Tuesday. This week I will be discussing a fun dessert that I created using Pamela’s Products Gluten Free Sugar Cookie Mix. I created a giant sugar cookie using a cast iron pan and it is naturally colored and tastes just like cotton candy! This was my first time trying out Pamela’s Products Gluten Free Sugar Cookie Mix and if you have been following along you might have noticed that I am a big big fan of her other mixes. I love the ease of use and I also love the ways you can get creative with them and customize your recipe. Just use your imagination and the sky is the limit!

Cotton Candy Sugar Cookie Skillet w/ Pamela's Sugar Cookie Mix (Gluten-Free) GIVE IT A WHIRL GIRL — Cotton Candy Sugar Cookie Skillet w/ Pamela’s Sugar Cookie Mix

Pamela's Products Gluten Free Sugar Cookie Mix - GIVE IT A WHIRL GIRL — Pamela’s Products Gluten Free Sugar Cookie Mix

Give It A Whirl Girl with Pamela's Products Gluten Free Sugar Cookie Mix - GIVE IT A WHIRL GIRL - Kimmy Ripley — Pamela’s Products Gluten Free Sugar Cookie Mix

Pamela’s Sugar Cookie Mix Review

& How I Created A Cast Iron Cotton Candy Sugar Cookie

Cast iron is the way to go!

For this tasty adventure, I used my 10.25″ Lodge Cast Iron Pan. I think of cast iron pans as an essential tool in the kitchen and if you ever want to make yourself a giant skillet cookie, cast iron is the way to go! I preheated my oven to 350-degrees and sprayed my skillet with coconut oil.

Oil up that cookie

The back of the bag for the sugar cookies suggested using butter but I swapped that for coconut oil, thinking that was a healthier way to go. To start up this recipe I placed the coconut oil and one egg in my KitchenAid stand mixer. I whipped it up for a bit and also added a generous splash or Lorann’s Cotton Candy Flavoring Oil. It suggests using this oil to flavor hard candy but I have had much success using it as a baking element. I then slowly added in the dry mix.

Making a beautiful cast iron sugar cookie

Once the mix was about ready to go I gave it a squirt of red natural food colorings from Simple Truth (Kroger). The red color comes from beetroot. After the color was mixed in I took my ball of cookie dough and spread it out evenly into the cast iron pan. I made sure it was spread evenly and that it went all of the way to the edges. Then guess what? It was SPRINKLE TIME! I busted out my nonpareils and my bottle of Mr. Sprinkles and gave the cookie a heavenly shower of sweet sprinkle goodness!

No such thing as too many candy sprinkles!

I often wonder how many people get turned off by my usage of candy sprinkles (insert a nervous LOL here). I happen to love them and I feel that a little extra sugar isn’t going to kill me. You only have one life to live (YOLO) so if you want the sprinkles, don’t hold back! Give whatever it is a good dousing of them. I enjoy eating clean as much as possible but I’m not going to restrict myself constantly and tell myself I can not have this and I can not have that. I am not a militant clean eater by no means. Just wanted to clarify that. I think of myself as a free eater that has a lean towards health and wellness. Balance, people!

Cast-iron gluten-free cookie before baking - Pamela's Sugar Cookie - GIVE IT A WHIRL GIRL — Cast-iron gluten-free cookie before baking – Pamela’s Sugar Cookie

Baking the cast iron sugar cookie

Back to the process! I was not sure how long to bake this so I kept checking on it. I started off at 10 minutes and that was not enough. I checked again a couple minutes later, nope! I am going to say it probably took about 15 minutes for this to be completely baked.

Decorating the cast iron sugar cookie

I allowed the cookie to cool and then got to making some royal icing for it. I beat one egg white with my whisk attachment and added a little more cotton candy flavor to it… a very tiny bit! Once the egg got frothy from whisking I slowly added one cup of organic powdered sugar to it. I loaded up my Wilton Dessert Decorator with the icing and the smallest tip. This is a neat baking tool to have on-hand if you do not have piping bags. Just load it up and squirt!

Cotton Candy Sugar Cookie Skillet (gluten-free) GIVE IT A WHIRL GIRL — Cotton Candy Sugar Cookie Skillet (gluten-free)

I am so very pleased with every single mix of Pamela’s I have tried so far. You can see my previous posts about Pamela’s mixes here:

Marshmallow Cake

Cotton Candy Cake

Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Marshmallow Brownie Skillet

Also, if you have been reading my previous posts or following me on social media I have been using the Lorann’s Cotton Candy Flavor Oil frequently. If you are a lover of cotton candy and enjoy baking I would like to say that you truly need that oil in your life. The flavor that it gives your baked goods is phenomenal!

I wish you could all eat a piece of this giant skillet sugar cookie that I created. It had a wonderful texture throughout it and the taste was spot on. When my husband approves of my gluten-free baking then I know it was a smashing success.

Have you ever created a giant cast iron skillet cookie? What did you create? Leave me a comment and let me know. I would love to hear all about it.

August 28, 2018 4

The Woohoo “I Made Marshmallows” Cake – Homemade Marshmallows Cake (Gluten-Free)

Woohoo I Made Marshmallows Cake By Give It A Whirl Girl Homemade Marshmallows Cake Gluten-Free

I got a new apron yesterday and I needed a reason to put it on and wear it. I couldn’t just walk around the house doing nothing with my apron on right?? So I decided to delve into a recipe for paleo (gluten-free) marshmallows. I was going to make a marshmallow cake and I was going to make it gluten-free. I have never in my life made marshmallows so this fit in nicely with my Tried It Out Tuesday theme. I am on a roll today because I already did a post for that earlier today. So I decided to make these marshmallows but could not stop there. I WANTED TO WEAR MY APRON LONGER! So then I went into the pantry and got out my cake mix and decided I would crank out a cake too. Great idea and a good way to kill the time.

How I Created Homemade Marshmallows The Paleo Way!

Since I had no idea where to start with these gluten-free marshmallows that I wanted to construct it was time to bust out my best friend Google. I often like to go with the first thing that pops up and that was a recipe from Our Paleo Life. Seemed simple enough and lucky me, I had all of the ingredients on hand. I did not have a candy thermometer though so I tried my best just to use a regular cooking thermometer.

Great Lakes Gelatin

For the recipe, I had Great Lakes Unflavored Beef Gelatin in my pantry. That is some great stuff! You can make your own healthy gummy candies with it and reap the benefits of gelatin. I also had some honey on-hand and that was another main ingredient. I was nervous while making this because of the lack of a proper thermometer so I just had to use my brain. I am happy to say that after these set for a few hours in the fridge they turned out great. Quite a bit different from a regular marshmallow but definitely edible and good in a weird sort of way. I didn’t use a knife to cut these out and make them square. Silly me just used the top of a water bottle to cut out a simple circle shape. And they turned out looking like banana slices. Ooopsy!

Paleo marshmallows ready for the fridge and before candy sprinkles

Pamela’s Gluten-Free Cake Mix

I have been using Pamela’s Vanilla Cake Mix (gluten-free) quite a bit lately and I love the finished product with this mix. I did end up using about an extra 1/4 cup of coconut oil to give it a nice boost in moistness. Worked like a charm!

How I Used Wilton’s Checkerboard Cake Kit and Lorann Oil

This time around I decided to use my Wilton Checkerboard Cake Pan Set. You are supposed to use at least 2 bags of mix if you want the finished product on the box but I only had 1 mix and there are only two of us here. I used two cake pans and got 2 short layers. For the two layers I did one with just nonpareils candy sprinkles and the other one I dyed pink with my Wilton Icing Colors. I also added some Marshmallow Flavor Oil from Lorann Oils to give it a marshmallow flavor.

Wilton Checkerboard Cake Pan Set

Lorann Oils Marshmallow

Cake batter divided evenly with pink and funfetti

I had a lot going on in the kitchen and I was having a blast! Seriously, who needs therapy when you have baking? Baking takes me to another place and makes me forget about all of my troubles. Baking totally washes everything away that is bad in my life. It is so therapeutic!

The Icing On The Cake!

Oh gosh! I almost forgot to talk about the Swiss meringue buttercream that I created. I usually just do a standard buttercream but this time I used 5 egg whites in there and whipped it up really good in my stand mixer. Not as runny as the last time I made buttercream but still a little on the drippy side. Boohoo! Well, I am learning. Everything conveyed here on this blog is all about my journey to become a better cook and a better baker! I went with the color purple for the icing since I already did a pink cake and a teal blue cake. The buttercream turned out so divine and I owe it all to the magic that is known as Chef Shamy. You seriously all need to try the Vanilla Bean Butter from Chef Shamy in your buttercream recipe. It is a bit pricey but so worth it if you are going for a heavenly taste in your next cake!

Are you all waiting to see the final product?

Gluten-Free Marshmallow Cake With Homemade Marshmallows

Overall, I am super satisfied with how this turned out! I am really nailing it on flavors! I need to work on my decorating technique big time. BIG TIME! I am bound and determined to get good at decorating my baked goods.

Have you ever made your own marshmallows? I found the whole process to be enjoyable and fun! Leave me a comment and let me know. I love to hear from my readers.

My Visit To Menchie’s – REVIEW – Froyo Is Always The Best Medicine

Menchie's Frozen Yogurt (FROYO) REVIEW (Warren, MI)

Menchie’s is nothing new to me. This serve-yourself frozen yogurt bar has been a family favorite dessert destination spot for years now. The great thing about Menchie’s is that each and every trip here can be a new experience. There is always a wide variety of frozen yogurt flavors to choose from, as well as sorbets. Menchie’s also often introduces new flavors to try to keep things exciting. We go to Menchie’s to celebrate. We go to Menchie’s to drown our sorrows on a bad day. I always joke around about Menchie’s being the best medicine and a remedy to take your day to better heights. When I’m stuffing my face with froyo I don’t have a care in the world. This Menchie’s review will inform you of everything you need to know about this unique frozen yogurt shop!

My Menchie’s Review & everything you need to know!

Serve Yourself At Menchie’s

Upon walking in you see a serve yourself frozen yogurt and topping area. How neat! I have always had a spot in my heart for frozen yogurt. I used to get so excited when my mom took us to TCBY and we could choose 3 different toppings for a parfait. You, however, did not have the opportunity to serve yourself there, somebody else took care of you. Menchie’s has a help yourself frozen yogurt bar and a serve yourself topping bar where all your wildest dessert dreams can become a reality. You can build and create anything your heart desires. I love this help-yourself approach to frozen yogurt. It is a gratifying experience to walk into a place like this and create your own little (or big) cup of edible art.

Get creative at Menchie’s

At Menchie’s your creation is completely and totally up to you! The froyo is in your hands. Your froyo creation is sold by weight. So if you go wild and crazy with the froyo and the toppings be prepared to pay a hefty amount for that epic creation of yours.

Fun flavors!

You can scope out all of the flavors that Menchie’s has available by clicking THIS LINK. Please note that not all flavors will be available at your location. Call your local store up if you want to inquire about what flavors they have available.

My local Menchie’s has seven self-serve froyo stations and each station has two flavors. You can help yourself or swirl both flavors together. This means that there are usually 14 different flavors available. One of my usual go-tos is the Takes The Cake Batter. The Rich ‘n” Nutty Pistachio is another favorite. The pistachio always gives me flashbacks of the pistachio pudding that my grandma used to make with me and my sister.

Menchies Heritage Village in Warren, MI – Variety of frozen yogurts to choose from

Menchie’s toppings… the fun part!

My favorite part of visiting Menchie’s is dressing up my froyo with all of the available toppings. Decisions! Decisions! Only so much can fit into the cup so you have to be a little choosy with what you go with. Menchie’s has the available toppings menu online. Please note with this as well, not all toppings will be available at every Menchie’s location. I didn’t see the Bursting Boba toppings available yesterday and those are one of Chloe’s favorites. She usually builds a fruity sorbet cup and goes with colorful toppings such as boba and gummy candies.

Menchies Heritage Village in Warren, MI – Toppings bar

Menchies Heritage Village in Warren, MI – Fresh fruit at the toppings bar

Menchies Heritage Village in Warren, MI – Toppings bar (whipped cream, cherries, cheesecake, cookie dough, brownie, etc)

Insider tips:

Do not go too crazy with different flavors and toppings. Think things through and really think to yourself, “is this going to taste good?” If your Menchie’s does not taste good, you are probably to blame.
They charge by weight so if you want to keep it on the cheap side do not out an enormous amount of froyo in your cup. Also, stick to light toppings like candy sprinkles, whipped cream, etc.
They have a lot of gummy candy toppings to choose from but keep in mind that your froyo is FROZEN yogurt so once that gummy candy sits there on top of your creation for a bit it does tend to get on the hard side, as opposed to soft like a gummy candy should be.
I forgot to get a photo of the liquid toppings available like marshmallow and hot fudge. It is a good idea to put this on your froyo BEFORE the toppings.
Menchie’s does offer a rewards program, known as My Smileage, so you can save on frozen yogurt once you reach a certain amount of money spent. Once you reach 50 Smiles (spend $50) you get a $5 reward. Just for signing up they start your account with 25 Smiles.
Don’t forget Menchie’s for your next celebration. They do offer frozen yogurt cakes!

YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY:

Rocket Fizz – Soda Pop & Candy Shop REVIEW

How can Menchie’s improve?

Orange Leaf is a froyo competitor and they offer little paper dividers for your cup so different flavors and prevented from blending together.
Offer breakfast flavors as a regular option. Last year Orange Leaf offered a line of breakfast flavored froyo like pancakes w/ syrup, Fruity Pebbles, etc. The breakfast flavors are my favorite. Keeping these flavors as a permanent offering would be fabulous. I would even visit in the morning for a breakfast treat if those flavors were always available.
Rearrange the stations just a bit. The liquid topping area is at the end of the self-serve area. I think it just makes sense to put hot fudge, etc. on top of your froyo BEFORE you put the cute little toppings on. When you put this on last it smothers your creation.

Final thoughts

I hope my Menchie’s review has opened your eyes about this unique place to visit. The possibilities really truly are endless! You can get creative at Menchie’s with the HUGE toppings bar that they have. There is a wide variety of toppings and sauces for your frozen yogurt creation. It is also a very family-friendly place. Your children will love Menchies… I guarantee it!

Want to learn more about Menchie’s?

Find them online at their website.
Use the handy store locator tool.
Find them on Facebook.
Instagram
Twitter

Have you ever been to Menchie’s? What does your favorite cup of froyo look like? Leave me a comment and let me know, don’t be shy!

If you have never visited this place will this Menchie’s review inspire you to go? I sure hope so and I hope you love your first experience there. I was hooked from my first visit!

MENCHIE’S LOCATION (Heritage Village – Warren, MI)

29367 Mound Road

Warren, MI 48092

MENCHIE’S HOURS (Heritage Village – Warren, MI)

Mon-Sun: 12 PM-10 PM

First-Timer’s At Apple Annie’s (REVIEW) & Dessert At Roger’s Bulk Candy Again

Apple Annie's Restaurant REVIEW Roseville, MI

I have been living in this area of Southeast, Michigan all of my life. I have driven past Apple Annie’s in Roseville, MI numerous times, way too many to count. I have always been curious about how their food was. Last night my family and I finally gave it a whirl. We try to be thrifty while dining out and we had a coupon from a local paper. I have always heard that they were famous for their soups and that was plenty enough to get me to try it out because I love having a nice cup of soup to go with my dinner. On their website, they mention that they were voted best soup in Michigan for two years in a row. That was a claim I was willing to find out for myself. We also stopped by Roger’s Bulk Candy & Ice-Cream after dinner. Read more to get the deets!

Me before dinner at Apple Annie's in Roseville,, MI — Me before dinner at Apple Annie’s in Roseville,, MI

Apple Annie's on Gratiot, in Roseville, MI — Apple Annie’s on Gratiot, in Roseville, MI

Apple Annie’s in Roseville, Mi

My two loves at Apple Annie’s

The first thing you notice while coming inside the restaurant is the dessert cases. There were fresh baked cookies, brownies, and I even spied with my little eyes Sanders Bumpy Cake, which is one of my all-time favorite cakes. Apple Annie’s is not only a restaurant but a bakery as well. They offer up freshly baked fruit pies, deliciously appealing bakery desserts, and specialty loaves of bread.

Dessert cases at Apple Annie’s

We sat down and looked over the menus. I sure made a great first impression for me. They specialize in traditional fare but also have some exciting items on the menu. I was really impressed with the soup list (as shown below). I had to inquire to the waitress about Kapusta and the Forest Gump Soup, since I had no idea what those were. Kapusta is a Polish soup with kielbasa and potatoes in it. The Forest Gump, which I should have know, had shrimp in it duh! Bubba Gump shrimp anyone??

I really was torn on what to order here because there were a lot of great options I could go with. I almost ordered one of the summer specials that was a pineapple half stuffed with salad and fruit. Gosh, that sounded amazing! I went back and forth in my mind and when the waitress finally showed up I told her that I was going to be brave and try out the Kapusta for the first time in my life. I figured that soup would pair well with the cabbage rolls so I ended up ordering that. I have not had stuffed cabbage in who knows how long? It’s really been that long! I love that dish but never cook it at home because I would be the only one here eating it, unfortunately.

Joe ended up going with the Dinner Chicken Pot Pie. He was going to go with a regular ol’ cheeseburger and I talked him into that. He orders a cheeseburger pretty much everywhere we go, or fajitas. Chloe had a decent children’s menu and I was hoping she would order something a little healthier but she really wanted a cheeseburger and fries. I was fine with that.

Apple Annie’s Soup-of-the- Day list

Apple Annie’s summer specials

I received my soup and my eyes lit up. It looked so wonderful! I was excited to try out my kapusta for the first time and it did not disappoint. It was like a Polish explosion in my mouth. I really could have sat there and devoured a bowl of this soup. I see why they were voted for top soup in Michigan. I couldn’t think of a single thing that I did not enjoy about this soup. A big plus for me was there were many chunks of kielbasa and plenty of diced potatoes. It was a thick and hearty soup.

Joe, on the other hand, had chicken noodle soup. I did not try it but he said it was a bit on the salty side. I think he is just really adjusted to the way I cook at home and I use a minimal amount of salt in my food. When we dine out nowadays, food often does come across heavy on the salt side.

The soups came out with a basket of warm, freshly baked bread. I took a little taste but let me daughter have my dinner roll. She and Joe enjoyed the bread very much.

So now for the dinners! In the photo below I showcase our two dinners: Dinner Chicken Pot Pie and the Cabbage Rolls dinner.

Apple Annie’s Cabbage Rolls and Chicken Pot Pie

Do I get a trophy or a badge? I did somehow manage to stuff three golabkis at Apple Annies, a pile of mashed potatoes, and some steamed carrots into my skinny frame! I was stuffed to the gills with food. We did not order dessert at Apple Annie’s but maybe next time! Overall, I was highly satisfied with my meal. Chloe was delighted with her meal. Joe did not particularly care for his pot pie. He said he would give Apple Annie’s another chance. I’m sure next time he will just be safe with his burger. For myself, I will definitely be exploring other items on the menu. Apple Annie’s was delicious! Delcious!

If you would like to learn more about Apple Annie’s check out their website HERE. There is a Roseville location and a Clinton Township location for your convenience. You can view the entire menu online so you will have an idea on what you might order when you visit. The menu is quite big and has so many great items on it, it is hard to narrow it down to one choice. Hope you enjoy your experience at Apple Annie’s as much as I did!

Next stop was dessert. We have been overindulging a bit in the ice-cream as of lately. I admit that I have an ice-cream problem… a real true addiction. I could eat every single day in the summer. We ended up visiting Roger’s Bulk Candy & Ice-Cream in Eastpointe, MI again. Our last banana split there was totally epic. You can read more about my first experience at Roger’s in THIS POST HERE.

Roger’s Bulk Candy & Ice-Cream in Eastpointe, MI

Roger’s Bulk Candy & Ice-Cream in Eastpointe, MI – Whirly Pops and Unicorn Lollipops

We decided we would share another banana-split once again for the three of us. We mixed it up just a bit this time around. We went with Blue Moon with chocolate on top, Amaretto Cherry with strawberries on top, and Superman with pineapple on top. Of course we also needed a heaping mountain of whipped cream and rainbow candy sprinkles. We also had to have our three maraschino cherries on top. I think every kid always gets a kick out of eating the cherries on top!

Roger’s Bulk Candy & Ice-Cream in Eastpointe, MI – Ice-Cream getting scooped for our beautiful banana-split

We were met with service and a smile at Roger’s. The staff there is very friendly and always willing to help. The girl who waited on us was patient and created a gorgeous banana-split worthy of an Instagram post.

Roger’s Bulk Candy & Ice-Cream in Eastpointe, MI – Banana Split w/ Bue Moon, Cherry Amaretto, and Superman

Today is Saturday and I don’t have a clue what I am making for dinner tonight. Actually, I would rather go out on a date night since it is just me and hubby for two whole weeks!

I might just maybe be making from-scratch pizza one more time for Joe and I. I ordered a Paleo Pizza Crust mix from Thrive Market and I am super curious about it. It could be something else other than pizza too because I got a great haul of Primal Kitchen dressings and marinades delivered yesterday. Decisions, decisions! I do have some great meals planned for the week. Chloe will be up-north in Oscoda, MI for two whole weeks so I will only be cooking for two for a while.

Did you have a great meal this weekend, or do you have a fabulous meal planned for dinner tonight? Leave me a comment and let me know what is cooking.

Comments are always welcomed and I enjoy getting them. To be quite honest, I get excited just to see that I have a comment to read and reply to!

Cotton Candy Cloud Protein Pancakes (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, and Egg-Free)

COTTON CANDY CLOUD PANCAKES by Give It A Whirl Girl - How I Made Them

Hey guys and gals! Going to make this post short and sweet because I already blogged today but I have to tell you all about my brinner (breakfast for dinner) that I shared with my daughter, Chloe! May I present to you (drumroll please) Cotton Candy Cloud Gluten-Free and Egg-Free Protein Pancakes! These cotton candy pancakes had the most fascinating taste and texture. It was like eating carnival food but it is healthy-ish!

Gluten-Free, Egg-Free Cotton Candy Cloud Protein Pancakes

Ingredients used in the Cotton Candy Cloud Pancakes

Here are some of the ingredients I used. Missing in the photo is the Lorann Cotton Candy Flavor Oil and the candy sprinkles I used. I used up the rest of that oil and now I have bubblegum flavor on the way. Oh my goodness!

Some of the ingredients used for the Gluten-Free, Egg-Free Cotton Candy Cloud Pancakes

I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Pancake Mix for the first time and it won’t be the last time. That mix was amazeballs!

I also used Chef Shamy’s Honey Butter Vanilla Bean and Barleans Butter Flavored Coconut Oil. All of these ingredients added up to a super amazing fluffy cloud-like pancake. I subbed the egg with the butter flavored coconut oil because I was out of eggs. Oh well! It worked out fab in the end.

Extra protein in the pancakes!

Also, for added protein for the milk, we went with Bolthouse Farms Unsweetened Protein Plant Milk. An 8 oz serving of that milk has 10g of protein… woohoo!

Gotta have my candy sprinkles!

I mixed some sprinkles into the batter because why not? They are not going to kill me. I think the pancakes themselves are healthy so a little added sugar won’t hurt.

Gluten-Free, Egg-Free Cotton Candy Cloud Pancakes

Cotton Candy Cloud Protein Pancakes - Gluten-Free, Egg-Free — Cotton Candy Cloud Protein Pancakes – Gluten-Free, Egg-Free

What I loved most about this pancakes were their light and fluffy texture and that is why I am calling them cotton candy clouds. I loved the lightness of these pancakes and they tasted marvelous. I am really proud of the outcome of this recipe I came up with. My only regret is not making enough for both of us, and we had to share this plate. I’m greedy and I wanted my own plate!

What do you enjoy for brinner (breakfast for dinner)? Are you more into sweet or more into savory? My brinners are almost always sweet.

Want to learn more about the products used to create these cotton candy pancakes?

DISCLAIMER: THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS. I DO RECEIVE A SMALL COMMISSION IF ITEMS ARE PURCHASED THROUGH THESE LINKS. THIS HELPS MAKE FOR A BETTER BLOG EXPERIENCE FOR ALL OF MY READERS. ALL PROCEEDS GO TOWARDS MAKING IMPROVEMENTS ON THIS BLOG.

August 9, 2018 0

The Most Scrumptious Gluten-Free Cotton Candy Cake & How I Created It

COTTON CANDY CAKE by GIVE IT A WHIRL GIRL - Gluten-Free - How I Created It

This morning I would love to share with you about my experience with the Wilton Easy Layers cake set and how I made my gluten-free cotton candy cake. I blogged about this cake pan set on a recent Friday Faves post and I ended up ordering myself one and I am so happy that I did. I ended up creating the best cake I have ever made in my life yesterday! I am truly proud of it and I was happy to serve it to my mother, who came over for a t-bone steak dinner. The cake that I made was the most perfect dessert to serve to her and she fell in love with it. And of course, my daughter, Chloe, was absolutely in love with this cake. She assisted me in making it and it is always a joy to work alongside her in the Give It A Whirl Girl Kitchen.

Cotton Candy Cake by Give It A Whirl Girl — Cotton Candy Cake

Here is how I made my gluten-free Cotton Candy Cake

Here is how I used Wilton Easy Layers Cake Pan Set

The Wilton Easy Layers contains 5 pans that are 6 inches in diameter. They are pretty shallow pans. They have a non-stick coating but I still sprayed mine with a bit of coconut oil just in case I had a problem with my cake sticking. The pans will fill up one standard size serving of cake batter. These cake pans will also all, conveniently, fit inside the oven at the same time due to their small size.

Most of the ingredients I used in the Cotton Candy Cake - Give It A Whirl Girl — Most of the ingredients I used

Pamela’s Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake Mix

The cake itself was made with a gluten-free mix by Pamela’s. I used Pamela’s Vanilla Cake Mix. I have used this mix once before for cupcakes and I was very satisfied with the taste and texture. What I also love about the gluten-free mix is that it is non-GMO, uses no artificial colors or flavors, no preservatives, and no high fructose corn syrup.

Lorann’s Cotton Candy flavor oil

I achieved the cotton candy flavoring using a bottle of Lorann’s Cotton Candy Flavoring Oil. This was my first time using a flavoring oil of this kind and I heard that a little bit can go a long way but I ended up having to use about half of the bottle to get the flavor I was going for. I really enjoyed the flavor of this, though it was not exactly like cotton candy. I will have to explore other flavor oils and extracts from this brand because I am just not a plain vanilla person.

How I created the frosting for this cotton candy cake

For the frosting, I decided to go with a homemade buttercream. I had a fridge full of different kinds of butter from Chef Shamy so I gave the Honey Butter Vanilla Bean a whirl. Chef Shamy serves up a high-quality butter with no weird ingredients… just pure butter. It is also gluten-free. This particular vanilla flavor produced the most glorious buttercream I have ever whipped up. I used Simple Truth Organic Powdered Sugar with the butter and a few splashes of almond milk. The flavor of this buttercream was out of this world. If I had to give myself a grade it would be an A+. It really was that great!

Coloring the cotton candy cake

Now let’s get on with the color. Yes, this time around I was naughty and used artificial colors… GASP! It’s true that I did. I’m not proud but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do and YOLO! I used Betty Crocker’s Neon Gel Food Colors for the pink and the purple. Gel food coloring is some pretty potent and powerful stuff. They really do produce gorgeous coloring on your creations. I don’t know why but for the neon pack they do not include the color blue, so for that, I used a Kroger brand neon blue. I am so pleased with how the colors turned out!

A ton of candy to top it all off!

And for that gorgeous candy that is all over the cake? I created my own mix of sprinkles with several different brands. The sprinkles with the big bits are pieces of candy that were from Celebrations By Frey. My local Kroger store sells them but I can not locate them on Amazon. The bottle of sprinkles is titled MixLicious.

Final thoughts on this gluten-free cotton candy cake

I am super duper pleased as pie (or should I say “cake”) with how this cake turned out and I was proud to serve it to my family. It really did taste as good as it looks. I am not a professional baker so I am aware that the cake is a little sloppy but I am always working towards bettering myself as a chef and as a baker.

This cake was so incredibly fun to make with my daughter and I could do this every single day if I had the funds (and if I wanted to be on 600lb Life). I am going to definitely be working on more cakes in the future and I might even get brave and give fondant a try. I love the way fondant cakes look. They are edible art! The beautiful cakes that I see on Instagram and on food blogs are so inspiring.

Slice of gluten-free Cotton Candy Cake by Give It A Whirl Girl — Slice of gluten-free Cotton Candy Cake

So tell me… what is your favorite flavor of cake? Leave me a comment and let me know. Would love to hear from my readers. Comments always brighten up my day.

Did you enjoy this post? You might like these:

BUBBLEGUM CAKE w/ Pamela's Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake Mix by Give It A Whirl Girl — CLICK HERE TO READ THIS POST

Cactus Pear Nice Cream RECIPE with Pomegranate and Enjoy Life Foods Protein Bites — CLICK THE IMAGE TO LEARN MORE

Find out more about the brands I used to create this cotton candy cake!

August 8, 2018 11

Homemade Pizza Night & A Couple Of Smoothies To Wash It Down

Yesterday was an enjoyable day spent with family. We went to the beach, had from-scratch pizzas, and had a couple of smoothies for dessert. It was another full day in the kitchen making things for my family to gobble up.

The day kicked off with my paleo and vegan version of Unicorn French Toast for my family. I promise I will do a recipe post on this in the future. I just need to tweak my recipe a bit. I had an unfortunate situation happen with my loaf of bread when I got it out of the pan. My bread broke into pieces. I was determined not to let it go to waste so I just ended up dipping the chunks of bread into the batter and cooked it up that way. This was my first time ever using candy sprinkles from Mr. Sprinkles. I sure do love the fun bottle that they are contained in. I am, and have always been, down with clowns!

I had quite an amazing lunch too. I really had a hankering for apples. I don’t know about you but I am ready for fall! I want hoodie weather, apple picking, and Halloween to hurry up and get here soon! For lunch, I tried out a new salad dressing. I used Hilary’s Apple Fennel Dressing. For my salad, I used baby spring mix as a base and topped it with grilled chicken, thin Honeycrisp apple slices, and walnuts. This salad was exactly what I needed yesterday. I think I will be loading up on some apples with my next shopping trip.

Chicken Salad with apples and Hilary’s Apple Fennel dressing

After lunch, we packed up the beach bag and got Stormy ready to head out to Metro Beach for a day of fun and relaxation. Chloe and Joe went to the pool and Stormy and I made our way along the lake and got our steps in yesterday. My focus was on fitness because I have been somewhat slacking on meeting my step goal lately.

It was a very hot day yesterday and thank goodness for the little bit of breeze coming off of the water. Stormy and I had a great time together and I know that Chloe definitely had a blast in the big pool and slide with her daddy.

I must be getting old because yesterday I wore an inspirational shirt and I think that maybe old people do that?? LOL! I am 37 years old and I whine about aging quite a bit. Anyway, I sure do love the shirt. I got it from Nordstrom and it is gray with pink lettering on it. The shirt is by the brand Desert Dreamer.

I feel that the shirt really speaks volumes to me at the moment. It says, find what you love and do that”. I started this blog up on June 6th so my 2 month anniversary is approaching and let me tell you this~ I absolutely LOVE blogging! I really wish I would have gotten into this years ago when I first set out on my cooking and baking expedition. As many of you know, cooking and baking are hands down my #1 passion in life. I am always in the kitchen and I am always researching ways to better my food and technique.

Me and Joe at Metro Beach

Me and Stormy at Metro Beach

Chloe and Joe at Metro Beach

Stormy at Metro Beach

After our little day-trip to the beach, it was time for me to crank out dinner for the fam. I will let you in on a little something, my pizza is in high-demand! Joe and Chloe absolutely love my homemade pizzas. They are a lot of work but totally worth the time and effort when I hear ooo’s and ahh’s at the dinner table.

I created two pizzas last night. One was made for myself and the other for Joe and Chloe. They prefer a more traditional pizza with pepperoni on it. I have never been a fan of pepperoni but I sure do love to have mushrooms in every single bite of my pizza.

I had a little carton of shiitake mushrooms to work with. I figured I would be better off with some sort of white sauce rather than a tomato sauce. I searched a bit online for a good recipe and came across one from Primal Palate. It was a dairy free sauce that used full-fat coconut milk as the base. Honestly, you would never know the sauce was made with coconut milk! There is not one hint of coconut flavor in that awesome sauce recipe. The recipe also called for some nutritional yeast, which I did add because it lends a taste of cheese to the sauce.

For my pizza I used some grilled chicken pieces and the entire carton of shiitake mushrooms. I sauteed the mushrooms in a bit of olive oil with some Italian seasonings. I have never had a pizza with this type of mushrooms and I am pleased to say that the taste of this pizza was glorious! Every single morsel of that pizza was thoroughly enjoyed by me!

For both pizzas I used the Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Crust Mix once again. I used it last week and it produced a phenomenal crust! I am trying to eliminate as much gluten as I can from my diet but Joe and Chloe really don’t want to be on-board with a gluten-free diet. It is like hitting the jackpot when you come up with a gluten-free dinner that can win over anyone.

Shiitake mushroom and grilled chicken pizza

Gluten free pepperoni pizza

For dessert I really had a craving for some froyo, it’s been awhile and I’m dying for a heaping cup of it. But we have a bevy of beautiful fruits over here in the Give It A Whirl Girl kitchen so instead of froyo I ended up making a couple of smoothies for me and Chloe to share.

The first smoothie I made had a golden dragonfruit in it, a banana, and a splash of full fat coconut milk. The second smoothie that I made had strawberries, raspberries, a baby banana, splash of coconut milk, and I also used a scoop of acai powder. Hard to say which smoothie won the battle of being best. It was like comparing apples to oranges, they were two completely different drinks.

The weekend isn’t over. Joe’s two days off from work are over though and he had to go in today. Me and the Pearl Girl have an exciting day ahead of us in the kitchen so stayed tuned because you can bet your booty I will be blogging about my day today!

Did you do anything exciting this weekend? What’s cooking in your kitchen that you are proud of? Leave me a comment and let me know because I love reading comments from my beloved readers!

DISCLAIMER: THIS POST CONTAINS AMAZON AFFILIATE LINKS. I DO RECEIVE A SMALL COMMISSION IF ITEMS ARE PURCHASED THROUGH THESE LINKS. ALL OPINIONS STATED HERE ARE MY OWN. ANY COMMISSION I RECEIVE IS USED TO BETTER YOUR BLOG EXPERIENCE HERE.

August 5, 2018 2

TGIF! A Visit To Nino Salvaggio’s International Marketplace & How I Spent My Friday – Thank Goodness It’s FOOD!

My husband has Fridays and Saturdays off work for the time being. We spent the early part of the day cleaning and tidying up our house, it was long overdue. I love spending quality time with my family. Joe leaves for work early in the morning and works long hours so we do not get to see him much during the week. We had an awesome day full of good eats and a little trip to Nino Salvaggio’s International Marketplace.

My daughter and I were also spending more time working on a product review for a popsicle maker. We have been having a blast experimenting with the pop maker. She was so happy yesterday when I gave her a vanilla protein popsicle that I had made with Svelte’s vanilla shake and a few candy sprinkles. You can see her joy for this pop in the image below.

Svelte Pops!

Kiwano Horned Melon

Chloe was happy to also have a kiwano horned melon to nosh on yesterday. We mistakingly got 3 of them in an Instacart order and they let us keep them. They were supposed to be cactus pears. When I called up to inform them that I received the wrong item they sent the wrong item to me AGAIN. They ended up giving me golden dragon fruits. I am going to assume that the Instacart shoppers are a little baffled on an order that involves exotic fruits because they never got that order right.

Chloe eating the kiwano horned melon

Kiwano horned melon

Sy Thai in St. Clair Shores

We were all craving something spicy last night so we decided we would go to one of our favorite Thai restaurants~ Sy Thai in St Clair Shores, MI. We have been visiting this spot for several years now and we can always rely on the food being fresh and delicious!

We decided we would order a lychee bubble drink and all share. Sy Thai is known for making gigantic bubble drinks. The one we received yesterday may have been the largest one we received to date. It was huge.

Another thing that I love about Sy Thai is their soups that come with the dinner. Many Thai restaurants do not include soups with the dinners. We had hot and sour soup yesterday and me and Joe loved it. My daughter, on the other hand, did not care for it. Hot and sour soup is really not a kid-friendly soup. It has a taste that is hard to describe.

I wanted to try something new yesterday. I also knew that I needed to have some kind of noodle dish. I am a huge fan of Thai basil and I usually enjoy ordering the drunken noodle but I ended up trying out the Karee Basil Noodle. Joe ordered his usual Pad Thai. That is the dish he often goes with. I really enjoyed the flavor of my dish but the rice noodles in there were so thick they were almost like dumplings. I have never in my life had noodles that were that thick!

Sy Thai menu

Sy Thai lychee bubble drink

Sy Thai hot & sour soup

Our Trip To Nino Salvaggio’s International Marketplace in St. Clair Shores

After our dinner, we wanted to do a bit of shopping at Nino Salvaggio’s. We visited the smaller location in St Clair Shores since that one is the closest to our home. I did not really have any idea what I wanted to come home with. I was pretty much just on a mission to challenge myself to find something new and unusual to take home.

The first thing that really caught my eye when I walked in to Nino Salvaggio’s was the fresh green figs. Oh man… I sure do love my figs. I love the red and green. Nino’s had the green ones in stock so I grabbed a few. I would have loved a whole case but my wallet said no.

Fresh green figs at Nino Salvaggio’s

Cactus pears at Nino Salvaggio’s

Forelle pears at Nino Salvaggio’s

Exotic fruits at Nino Salvaggio’s

Baby bananas

I was hoping to find some purple carrots while I was at Nino Salvaggio’s. I have a newfound love for them. I did locate a bag of mini rainbow organic carrots and I could not pass that up. They will make a great side dish for one of my dinners this week. I love roasted carrots with some raw honey drizzled on top. So damn good!

Me and Chloe have been eating a ton of fruit lately, and I mean a lot! We ended up taking home a few interesting fruits that were brand spankin new to us: baby bananas, Forelle pears, guava, midnight rose apriums, and yellow plums.

You can see my haul from Nino Salvaggio’s International Marketplace in the images that follow. Some people get excited about buying new clothes, buying new makeup, or buying a new video game. I get most excited about buying new food!

And wowza!~ Nino Salvaggio’s sure has a fantastic bakery. I did not get this cake but it sure looks drool-worthy to me! They have an amazing array of sweets and treats to satisfy your sweet tooth.

The first fruit that we tried last night from Nino Salvaggio’s was the midnight rose apriums. These are a hybrid fruit that is a mix of plums and apricots. They had a nice firm texture and also a nice rosy hue for the flesh. As far as the taste goes, they were quite sweet but not overly sweet. They had the perfect amount of sweetness to them. I purchased four of these fruits and I do really wish I had more.

After we came home and unloaded the groceries it was time to pick up more food. We had a ClickList order waiting for us at Kroger. Ahhhhhh I sure do love grocery pick up day. At the end of the week the fridge and pantry starts getting bare. I love bringing home my groceries and seeing a fridge and freezer packed to the gills with stuff!

Ticklebelly Pops

I put a fancy little dessert on our grocery list. I have had my eye on these for quite some time now. I got the TickleBelly Carnival Cotton Candy bars. They are cake pops dipped in a cotton candy shell. Oh, sweet heavens were these delish! Our Kroger has a cute display inside of mermaid-ish items and these were part of the display. My whole family loved these. There are 4 in a pack and we each had one. We will all have to fight over who gets the last one! I am definitely going to hunt down more flavors of these bars and give them a whirl ASAP!

Today is now Saturday and I am unsure of what the day has in store for us. Maybe the beach with my rescue dog, Stormy? I am also not sure of what we will be feasting upon for dinner tonight. It will likely be steak or another from-scratch pizza. Whatever I do end up making tonight will be fun. I am sure of that!

Do you have any fun plans this weekend? Have you recently tried a new food and fell in love. Let me know in the comments. I sure would love to hear from you. Comments always brighten my day over here!

August 4, 2018 6

RECIPE – Devil’s Food Vegan & Gluten Free Donuts – To Die For Goodness

I have a confession to make. I am addicted to my donut pan! I picked one up last weekend at Mile’s Cake and Candy Supplies in Clinton Township and I am so glad that I did. It is so much fun to work in the kitchen with my daughter making these healthy-ish gluten-free baked donuts. I went with a 6-cavity donut pan from Wilton. Wilton is a trusted source when it comes to baking supplies so I felt very confident purchasing this pan for the Give It A Whirl Girl kitchen. I did not use this pan for the recipe below but it would be best going with this pan. I used a flexible heart-shaped silicone mold with the donuts in the recipe and they were difficult to remove from the mold. So trust me here, go with a Wilton pan. You will thank me later. The cooking times are the same for either pan.

We went a little overboard decorating these devil’s food donuts. We gave these donuts a generous sprinkling from 3 different jars of rainbow sprinkles. Why? Because variety is the spice of life. Gotta have my sprinkles right?!! We did not eat these sugar skulls, they were just for decoration.

Instead of using an actual egg we created our own “eggs” with ground flaxseed. For these you place 4 tablespoons of flax in a coffee grinder and grind them up. When these 4 tablespoons of ground flax are married to a half-cup of water this results in an egg-like mixture. Just whisk away and wallahh… flax eggs! They are vegan and paleo friendly. You can also do the same with chia seeds. So if you are ever out of eggs just bust out your flax or your chia and make your own eggs!

38046214_10156542020489420_6839618076078505984_n — Devil’s Food Chocolate Vegan & Gluten Free Donuts

Ingredients:

1/4 cup coconut flour (I used Arrowhead Mills)
1/2 cup cacao powder (I used Livfit)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Sprinkle Himalayan salt
1/3 cup coconut oil (I used Spectrum)
3 tablespoons maple syrup (I used Simple Truth)
4 tablespoons flax seed (I used Arrowhead Mills)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vegan dark chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life)
1 tablespoon coconut oil.

Your flax “egg” will have an egg-like consistency after soaking in water a few minutes.

Recipe:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
While oven is heating up prepare your flax “eggs”. Place 4 tablespoons of flaxseed into a coffee grinder and grind them up. Place grounded up flax into a bowl and add 1/2 cup water. Whisk it up. Allow it to sit for a few minutes and it will get an egg-like texture.
Work on dry ingredients first. Place coconut flour, cacao powder, baking soda, and salt into your stand mixer and mix until well combined.
Now for the wet ingredients… add your flax “egg” mixture, coconut oil (1/3 cup), and maple syrup. Mix until well incorporated.
Fill donut pan cavities up 2/3 of a way to the top of the mold. They will puff up while baking in the oven.
Bake for 16-18 minutes at 350 degrees.
Remove donuts from the oven and allow to cool.
Prepare your chocolate glaze by placing 1/2 cups of chocolate chip and 1 tablespoon of coconut into a bowl. Microwave in 15-second increments. Continue stirring the chocolate and oil until completely melted.
Dip your donut in the glaze. Allow it to see a few minutes for the glaze to set up.
Eat and enjoy!

38267398_10156542020434420_8540128742486310912_n — Devil’s Food Chocolate Vegan & Gluten Free Donuts

Have you ever made your own homemade baked donuts? How do you enjoy yours? Do you think this is something you would like to try? Leave me a comment and let me know. I would love to hear from you!

If you are interested in creating your donuts you can pick them up at Amazon.

DISCLAIMER: THIS POST CONTAINS AMAZON AFFILIATE LINKS. I DO RECEIVE A SMALL COMMISSION IF ITEMS ARE PURCHASED THROUGH THESE LINKS. ALL OPINIONS STATED HERE ARE MY OWN.

August 2, 2018 4

Bubblegum Cake! This Is My Gluten-Free Let’s Get The Party Started Cake With Pamela’s Vanilla Cake Mix (REVIEW)

Baking is hard. Not just hard but difficult. I get a vision in my mind and I want to create it. I know exactly how I want it to look and exactly how I want it to taste. Does my wish for this charming and glamourous cake become a reality for? Kinda sorta in this case. It looks so very amateurish and you want to know why? I am an amateur. I am a newbie on the food scene. I am a food blogger but I never tout myself as being a professional in any sort of way. For me, this blog is about the whole entire learning process of cooking and baking and food exploration. I am completely self-taught and I am learning something new every single day on this journey. Today I baked a bubblegum cake. I had that vision in my mind. However, things did not go exactly as planned.

Let’s see here… my buttercream was way too thin and runny and it was just DROOLING off the sides of the cake. I had a brand new, nifty smoothing spatula that I thought would result in perfect icing… nope! I knew my buttercream was too thin and I didn’t have any powdered sugar left to stiffen and thicken up. Cries! So a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. I had to work with what I had on hand and make the most of an unfortunate situation.

Here is how I created this bubblegum cake!

Pamela’s Vanilla Cake Mix

Today I will sharing my experience and Pamela’s Vanilla Cake Mix review with you. Another key product that I used in this cake was Lorann’s bubblegum flavor. Keep reading to find out more about this bubblegum cake I created!

Bubblegum Gluten-Free Cake - Let's Get The Party Started — Bubblegum Gluten-Free Cake – Let’s Get The Party Started

For this cake, I used a cake mix. I am in love with Pamela’s Classic Vanilla Cake Mix. This was my second time using this mix and I am so pleased to say that this is a fabulous mix. The last time I used this mix I made a Gluten-Free Cotton Candy Cake. Click this LINK to learn more about that. It was scrumptious!

How I got the bubblegum flavor with Lorann’s Oils

This was my second time using Lorann’s Oils to flavor my cake. This time around I used the bubblegum flavor. This oil is potent stuff and a little bit goes a long way. My house sure smelled bubblegummy from baking this cake. What a wonderful scent! I have never experienced a scent like that in my home before. Just marvelous! I wish my house stunk like bubblegum all day every day!

How I colored the bubblegum cake

I used a rose and teal color to dye my cake. I am in love with the color teal and I was really impressed with how vibrant the color was and that is was actually teal and not just blue! The rose color also lent a stunning pink color to the cake. Yeah yeah… artificial colors. I really don’t know what’s come over me. I try to go natural as much as possible and I’ve been slipping up recently but I’m really just having so much fun!

Topping the bubblegum cake

If you are wondering where the candy is from I will fill you in. I made a pit stop over at Roger’s Bulk Candy & Ice-Cream specifically for the candy on this cake. I love that store. You can read more about my first time visiting by clicking this link right over HERE. If you ever visit please let them know that Give It A Whirl Girl sent you! I know I have already inspired at least one of my friends to check out that place. I got my gorgeous, pearlescent gumballs there. I knew what I needed and was able to grab exactly what I needed from the bins. I am also so very grateful that I grabbed a pink lollipop to put smack dab in the center of my cake. A 5-tier layer cake needs support and the lollipop helped to be a dowel of sorts to prevent it from slipping away on me. The sprinkles came from a couple places: Michael’s and Mile’s Cake and Candy Supply. I got a delightful jar of Wilton Diamond Medley from Michael’s (woohoo and thank goodness for those coupons). The little rainbow hearts were from Mile’s. They have a wide variety of sprinkles to choose from

Gumballs and candy sprinkles – so pretty!

Sprinkles and gumballs – eye candy candy!

Sugarfina was an extra splurge!

And to make it a little more extra special I also topped it with Sugarfina Fruity Loops. They came from the Sugarfina Cereal Collection that I treated myself too. They are to die for yummy yummy yummy!

Having fun is what matters most!

You know what? Even though my cake looks like it was made by an inept and unskilled baker I am really truly proud of it. I wish I could send a virtual slice of this cake through your screen because the taste would blow your mind. I am calling this cake, Let’s Get The Party Started”. There is no party happening here… not a party in sight. But you know what I want to celebrate today? Life! I have been feeling incredible the past two months since I started this food blog. I feel so revived and renewed. I feel like a whole new better ME. That is enough reason for me to bake a cake and celebrate! I’m also going to give myself an A for effort because I really did work my booty off on this creation!

Slice of Bubblegum Gluten-Free Cake - Let's Get The Party Started — Slice of Bubblegum Gluten-Free Cake – Let’s Get The Party Started

Hope you all enjoyed this pretty long post about my bubblegum cake!

What are you going to celebrate today? Could be anything. Drop me a comment and let me know and let’s get the party started OK?

Family Of 3 Weekend Foodie Adventure – Part One

My husband has a new work schedule which clears his Fridays and Saturdays for family togetherness time. The last two days were full of fun and there were so many cooking/baking frenzies happening over her in the Give It A Whirl Girl kitchen! My family gets so much pleasure a food-filled weekend. This will be an ongoing series of our weekend adventures. More to come soon! Our two days together kicked off on Friday morning with some Unicorn French Toast. I have a major weakness for paleo-friendly French toast. I am always brainstorming some new ways to prepare it. It actually might just be “paleo-ish” and “healthy-ish” because I just had to add a sprinkling of candy sprinkles on there… another major weakness of mine. This was a total blast to make for breakfast and even more fun to sit down, eat, and enjoy it! I think this was next-level French toast because for this batch I made a vanilla custard batter to dip & soak the bread slices in.

Chloe and I at the Dotty Wotty House — Chillin on the steps

Unicorn French Toast for breakfast! YUMMY

38032743_10156532315844420_981141139392299008_n — Unicorn French Toast

37952726_10156532315769420_38906343502905344_n — Unicorn French Toast

Miles Cake & Candy Supply

Later on that day (Friday) I had my husband chauffeur me to the baking supply shop in Clinton Township~ Miles Cake & Candy Supply. I used to visit this store often when I made resin jewelry. I would shop there for sprinkles to preserve in the resin. Now that phase of life is done and over with and I am buying these things for actual baking! I went there with the intention of purchasing a donut pan and I did score a nice pan from Wilton. It is a six cavity mold so you end up with a half-dozen of baked donuts.

Miles Cake And Candy Supply — rainbow sprinkles galore!

Milestone Grill Restaurant

Friday evening we were looking for a new place to dine at. We found a coupon for a restaurant in Eastpointe, MI I and it was the Milestone Grill. Our meals there were quite disappointing if I am going to be blunt about it. I ordered some baked whitefish with a cup of lobster bisque. When I see lobster bisque as an option I do get quite giddy and excited about it. Oh man… my soup came out and I then discovered (and I am certain of this) that it was FAUX LOBSTER! You know, like the fake crab stick meat. Yeah. Ugh. I recently ordered lobster biqsue at Nino Salvaggio’s and that soup was chockful of big lobster meat pieces. That bowl of soup there was just divine. The soup at Milestone Grill was a major letdown.

My baked whitefish was just ok to me. Pretty bland if you ask me and also my steamed vegetables looked quite dull. Joe had some chicken fajitas. When you order fajitas you expect Spanish rice. They served the fajitas with a RICE PILAF with peas and carrots in it. What???

Rochester Mills Milkshake Stout

I do have one nice remark about that place… my beer was great! I ordered a Rochester Mills Milkshake Stout. Boy, was it ever good! I have tried their other beers in the past and they never disappoint. Any kind of stout with a dessert-like flavor is right up my alley of the tasty department… wink wink!

38029610_10156532315579420_8980032156369682432_n — Rochester Mills Beer Co. Milkshake Stout

Homemade chocolate donuts with the Wilton Donut Pan

Saturday started off with me whipping out my new Wilton donut pan. I could not wait to use it. I found a recipe at Elana’s Pantry and used that for inspo. So shoutout to Elana’s Pantry for the amazing recipe.

The recipe called for four eggs. I only had two eggs to work with so I ended up making my own “egg”. Did you know that you can use chia seeds in place of eggs in a recipe? You need 1 tablespoon of chia seeds for each egg. You add three tablespoons of water to that and let it soak for a bit.

If you ever had a devil’s food Entenmann’s donut these sure did resemble that as far as the taste goes. The great thing about these donuts for me is that they are gluten-free. I used coconut flour to make them. I am pretty fond of coconut flour being used in recipes. I think it injects a great flavor into the final product. I used a generous scoop of LivFit Cacao Powder in the donuts. Cacao powder is an incredible superfood with some wonderful health benefits so I am excited to use it in my recipes.

37937566_10156532315504420_9039881778315132928_n — Paleo (minus the sprinkles) Chocolate Donuts

37971855_10156532315429420_7606705888048447488_n — Paleo (minus the sprinkles) Chocolate Donuts

Taking my Thunderbird Bars to Eastern Market in Detroit

The remainder of our Saturday was all planned out to head down to the city (Detroit) to go check out Eastern Market. I packed up my camera bag and brought along some of my Thunderbird Bars for the journey. I also had some of the ThunderKids Bars so I brought that along for my daughter, Chloe. It was our first time trying them and they were simply delicious. They offer a great line of bars with healthy and nutritious ingredients… real food! Their flavor combinations are quite unique. They are also filling. They are perfect for fueling your next adventure. I look forward to trying out the rest of my sampler pack.

37939409_10156532296694420_1262694366112120832_n — Thunderbird Bar – Pineapple Mango Papaya

38020279_10156532296269420_8921266674364055552_n — Thunderbird Bar for kids – Chocolate chip cookie

MooTown Creamery

We always love to visit MooTown Creamery during a visit to Eastern Market. I ordered a Maple Bourbon scoop, which I believe was paleo! How often do you find options like that at an ice-cream shop? I was so excited to see that and I was very pleased with the taste! Two thumbs up!

MooTown Creamery

Vegan and Gluten-free ice-cream options

Maple Bourbon ice-cream

Eastern Market veggie haul!

After our ice-cream pitstop, we went to the sheds to look for some gorgeous fruits and veggies. Eastern Market is the place to be if you want great deals on great foods! You can check out my awesome haul in the photo below. I am most excited about those purple carrots. I was hoping to find them there and I scored a batch. I am going to serve them as a side dish with an herbed ghee sirloin steak.

38057359_10156532315214420_2028764541415849984_n — Eastern Market produce haul

37944774_10156532296364420_1708401234295128064_n — Could not pass up this mushroom blend… YUM

38059395_10156532296094420_8695880749313687552_n (1) — Joe and Chloe

One of my favorite places to go! Heidelberg Project in Detroit

We always make it a priority to stop at the Heidelberg Project during our Detroit day-trips. Tyree Guyton is constantly adding to this outdoor art installation. It truly is something that everyone should witness at least once in their lifetime.

Homemade from-scratch PIZZA!

It was a long day that made me feel a bit tired when I arrived home but I was bound and determined to make my family a couple made-from-scratch gluten-free pizzas. I had a bag of Bob’s Red Mill Pizza Crust Mix and it was simple and easy to use.

I also love to make my own sauce. I use Muir Glen tomato sauce and Muir Glen Tomato Paste to make a nice, zesty sauce. I used my pizza seasoning packet that I picked up at Eastern Market. Spice Miser made the seasoning and it was a great blend! I would have never thought to add anise and rosemary to my pizza sauce but it gave it a great flavor and it was the best pizza sauce I have made to date.

My family of 3 ate both 12 inch pizzas with one last slice leftover. We were too stuffed to eat that lone piece. Making a from-scratch pizza is a long process that requires dedication and time. It sure is rewarding though to sit down and enjoy your kitchen creation. To me, a homemade pizza is edible art!

My daughter, Chloe, also helped me make this pizza. It was her first time helping out with a pizza. I am spending more and more time with her in the kitchen. I see her passion for cooking and baking and it warms my heart and soul. She is my little foodie sidekick. For an 8-year-old child she has experienced a vast array of foods. She eats with an open mind and I am so proud of her! She currently wants to become a pastry chef. We owe that all to the Netflix show, Sugar Rush. We love watching that show together. She also loves Nailed It but we watched every episode of that already. She loves the show so much that she told me it is her birthday wish for me to make it onto the show. That would totally be a dream come true!

38046111_10156532297179420_2573938454127706112_n — Homemade gluten-free pizza

37930266_10156532297074420_1277250925106298880_n — Homemade gluten-free pizza

Carrot Cake Donuts

It is currently Sunday morning and I started the day off with a bang in the kitchen. I made some carrot cake donuts but my glaze was too thin. I can assure you that they were tasty because I ate two of them. I used one of my purple carrots to top the donuts and it really does look like chopped bacon! This recipe was inspired by Paleo Hacks. They are a great resource for paleo recipes.

Maranatha Almond Butter Fruit-Loaded Toast

Last but not least, Chloe had a piece of toast with some chocolate Maranatha almond butter on it. I also added some strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries to it. She is a big fan of toast like this. I know avocado toast is all the rage these days but for her it is berries, berries, and more berries!

I always love to crank out a great Sunday dinner but I have not made up my mind yet. It is either going to be an orange duck or sirloin steaks.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Wow! What a long post! If you made it this far, thank you so much for reading. I truly appreciate and love all of my readers. I am hoping to make this blog into something so fantastic someday. It is baby steps all of the way there. Thanks to all who are holding my hand to get to that destination with this blog. XOXO

THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS. I DO RECEIVE A SMALL COMMISSION IF ITEMS ARE PURCHASED THROUGH THESE LINKS (no extra cost to you). ALL OPINIONS STATED HERE ARE MY OWN.

July 29, 2018 3

Party Hardy With A Yasso Frozen Yogurt Treat – Product Review of Party Animal Froyo

While browsing the frozen treat aisle at Meijer the pint of Yasso Party Animal frozen yogurt was like screaming my name… Kimmy! Kimmy! Get over here and get down and party with me! So I had no choice but to grab a pint of Yasso frozen yogurt, take it home, plop down and give it a whirl! Yasso Party Animal frozen yogurt (froyo) is one of my first product reviews over here at Give It A Whirl Girl and I’m so excited to share this information with you! I really hope this Yasso Party Animal review inspires you to give it a BIG whirl! Keep reading my Yasso review to find out how I created the ultimate froyo sundae with this Party Animal pint!

36349969_10156448013824420_7922174341201002496_n — Yasso Frozen Yogurt – Party Animal

36347726_10156448014169420_3782005466209452032_n — Party Animal Yasso Frozen Yogurt Pint overflowing!

36224890_10156448013154420_1577609713376296960_n — Party Animal Yasso Sundae w/ frosted animal cookies, candy sprinkles, and a cherry on top!

YASSO FROZEN YOGURT FLAVORS

Yasso ice-cream pints come in 8 tasty flavors:

Best of Both Swirlds This pint is chocolate frozen Greek yogurt and
vanilla-flavored frozen Greek yogurt
Caramel Pretzel Mania – This pint is sea salt caramel frozen Greek yogurt with pieces of chocolate-covered pretzels and a caramel swirl
Chocolate PB & Yay – This pint is chocolate frozen Greek yogurt with a
peanut butter swirl and peanut butter chips
Coffee Brownie Break – This pint is coffee frozen Greek yogurt with
chunks of brownie and crushed cookies
Loco Coco Caramel – This pint is toasted coconut-flavored frozen Greek yogurt
with a caramel swirl and chocolate-flavored chips
Mint Champion Chip – This pint is mint frozen Greek yogurt with chocolate-flavored chips
Party Animal – This pint is cake-flavored frozen Greek yogurt
with rainbow sprinkles and chunks of cake
Rolling In The Dough – This pint is vanilla-flavored frozen Greek yogurt with
chocolate-flavored chips and pieces of cookie dough

Which Yasso frozen yogurt will you be giving a whirl first?

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YASSO FROZEN YOGURT Also Has Froyo Bars

And if you are a fan of ice-cream bars great news for you~ Yasso has a collection of 16 different flavors of their ice cream bars! I snazzed my bar up a bit with a chocolate shell and rainbow sprinkles. I felt that because the bar was only 100 calories I had a little wiggle room to take it to the next level.

How To Make A Simple & Easy Chocolate Shell

To make a chocolate shell for your Yasso froyo bar, simply just melt a bit of chocolate chips in a bowl with a tiny bit of coconut oil. Microwave it in 20-second increments and stir until the chocolate is melted down to a liquid. Then pour it onto your bar and add sprinkles if your sweet tooth is telling you to do so! I really do enjoy using Enjoy Life Foods dark chocolate chips to create this chocolate shell.

Yasso Frozen Yogurt - Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bar — Yasso Frozen Yogurt – Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bar

YASSO PARTY ANIMAL REVIEW

The Yasso frozen yogurt pints are chock full of protein (24g per pint) but they also do not have that chalky aftertaste that other protein products contain. Yasso keeps that protein discrete but packs it in. Yasso is also lower in calories vs regular ice-cream. Let’s use Party Animal as an example here: 130 calories in a half cup serving.

You will fall in love with Yasso’s creamy texture. They use only high-quality Greek yogurt. Yasso is a healthier alternative to other ice-creams on the market but you would never even know that it is healthier for you when you are eating it. How cool is that? In the summer I often like to indulge in something cold and refreshing. I can not think of a better way to curb that craving. I feel no guilt eating Yasso and I also feel great about serving it to my daughter. Chloe is 8 years old and loves this product. So there you have it~ kid-friendly too!

I created a sundae with my Yasso Party Animal frozen yogurt. I topped it a with a sugar-free marshmallow topping, added a bit of candy-coated chocolate, some fun little-frosted animal crackers, and a maraschino cherry on top. My daughter said this sundae was the best she ever had and she really enjoyed it with the fun toppings!

Final Thoughts On Yasso Party Animal Frozen Yogurt

My family loves this line of frozen yogurt products from Yasso and we are really looking forward to trying out all of the other flavors available. I feel that the only drawback to this is the sugar content. A half-cup of the Yasso Party Animal has 16 grams of sugar. We have been enjoying the Enlightened and Halo Top ice-cream pints and their product will only set you back about 5-6 grams of sugar. So while this frozen yogurt is a wonderful, tasty treat I do not want to overindulge too often due to the sugar content. There is still that major plus side to this product though with the low-calorie content.

Store Locator & Request Form

Wondering where you can grab a few of these frozen treats?? Never fear the store locator is here! CLICK HERE to find out where you can stock up! If you can not find them in your area, spread the word by printing out this REQUEST FORM and turn it into your store manager.

Here is how I created these Super Duper Moist Cake Balls

The secret ingredient is…

Baking the cake

PRO TIP!

Frosting to hold them all together

Chill them balls!

Wilton Bright Candy Melts

Sprinkles galore!

Final thoughts

Question & Answer Time!

Tell me what ingredients you will use to make a batch of cake balls.

Shop for items to create these cake balls

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Ice Cream Kitchen Items

Top Your Next Frozen Treat With Ice Cream Toppings & Ice Cream Sauces

ARE YOU A COFFEE LOVER TOO?

Use my Jordan’s Skinny Mixes coupon to save on your next order!

Jordan’s Skinny Mixes coupon code is GIVEITAWHIRL10

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Question time! Tell me what your favorite item is from this ice cream lovers gift guide and then you need to fill me in and tell me what your favorite flavor of ice cream is!

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Want to see more fun ice cream goodies?

Shop my AMAZON STORE or check out my favorites below!

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ICE CREAM BOOKS

PIN FOR LATER

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The Dylan’s Candy Bar Gift Guide

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Always seeking something new to experience

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Find out more about Erma’s Frozen Custard

So what will you be ordering at Erma’s Frozen Custard? Check out their menu online and leave me a comment and let me know what appeals the most to you!

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& How I Created A Cast Iron Cotton Candy Sugar Cookie

Cast iron is the way to go!

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No such thing as too many candy sprinkles!

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Decorating the cast iron sugar cookie

Have you ever created a giant cast iron skillet cookie? What did you create? Leave me a comment and let me know. I would love to hear all about it.

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