DIY Frosted Animal Cookies Tutorial

Hello blogging world. I know I’ve been gone a pathetically long time. I have no excuse other than life being busy. Or me being lazy. Or both.

Believe it or not, I did start composing a handful of posts just to get interrupted and then not come back and finish them. And I’ve had ideas for many more posts that never got started. It’s not that I haven’t been doing anything. I’m actually in the midst a sewing streak right now – the longest I’ve had in years! If I work my way back to try to cover some of the interesting/creative things I’ve done over the past few months, I could have content for weeks! But that’s a big “if.”
As much as I like writing and as much as I like crafting, it can be counter-intuitive for me to try to write about crafting. Because then I’m spending time writing instead of crafting and vice verse or something. But enough of my sad story.

Here is a quick project I was thrilled to stumble upon.

I love me some Mother’s Circus Animal Cookies. There’s something so perfect about the frosting, the soft cookie inside, the SPRINKLES outside. Mmmmm! But they get pricey when added to the weekly grocery budget.

What isn’t so pricey is the drab, boring, frosting-less, sprinkle-less animal crackers. I have a HUGE bear-shaped tub that Cailyn is currently (and quickly!) working her way through.

It occurred to me that even though the plain version is called a cracker, it’s probably the same thing as the inside of the Circus Animal Cookies.

THAT insight joined a long-overdue lightbulb that goes waaay back to November when I helped my MIL make cupcakes for my SIL’s baby shower. The cupcakes we made came from the book What’s New, Cupcake? by Karen Tack & Alan Richardson which contains some of the cutest, most creative cupcakes I’ve ever seen. We made the cupcakes called “Shower Heads” which is such a clever play on baby showers.

(Picture snipped from Amazon’s book preview, to show them in their full glory, and because I can’t find the pictures I took of the ones we made.)

They are simply mini-cupcakes with wafer cookies on top to make the faces. As you can see, the wafer cookies have a smooth coating which I thought would be chocolate. BUT IT ISN’T! No, not at all. The amazingly smooth, creamy coating for the faces is FROSTING. Just plain-ole, store-bought, in-a-jar frosting!

When I heard that I almost gave up hope. I’m not at all a cake artist and I definitely can’t manage frosting. If I get it on the cupcake (and not in my mouth by the spoonful) that’s an accomplishment. Forget trying to make it smooth!

But let me tell you a secret: This was the EASIEST thing EVER. It took a little practice to not make a mess but as far as making it smooth – no effort!

Want to know how? I’ll tell you!

But, I’ve taken a detour from my original topic. Although I’m hoping you have guessed where this goes. The brilliant method I discovered back in November for making cute little edible baby faces could, get this(!), make ANIMAL COOKIES!

So I took a couple big handfuls of the plain, boring animal crackers out of my daughter’s tub. (She loves them, by the way. But she doesn’t know better, yet.)
I took a large sheet of wax paper spread over a plate.
I took my jar of store-bought frosting.
And, of course, my fun, colorful sprinkles.

I scooped a few generous spoonfuls of frosting into a microwave-safe bowl. And… I microwaved it! For all of 5 seconds. And then another few seconds at a time until it was smooth.

See? You know it’s ready when it’s the texture of melted chocolate. And yes, that’s a cookie hiding in there.
(You’ll have to forgive me for the pictures. The project went so fast I only got some pictures when I was almost finished with it.)

Then you take a regular dinner or salad fork and use it to dip the cookie in the frosting. If your frosting is deep enough in the bowl, you can just dip the cracker in on the fork and pull it all out, nicely coated. If you’re reaching the bottom of your bowl, like I was, you can flip the cracker over a couple times until it’s coated.

Then – this is important – take advantage of the slots in the fork and let plenty of the runny, goey frosting drip off. Even rub the bottom of the cracker against the side of the bowl, to get rid of excess. Believe me, the cracker will still have plenty of frosting on it. If you leave too much, the frosting will form a big puddle under your cracker when you set it down.

Then just slide the crackers  (crackers? I should start calling them cookies now that they officially have more sugar than nutrients) off the fork and onto the wax paper. Gravity will do most of the work for you.

Keep dipping cookie and sliding them onto the wax paper until you have enough to make you happy. And I’m sure you can be a lot more careful and precise and make your animal cookies look a lot prettier, but I have an bad habit of racing sloppily through a project to get to the end results (a tasty cookie, in this case.)

If your frosting starts to loose its smoothness or gets difficult to work with, just pop it in the microwave again. Unlike can happen with chocolate, I never noticed any detriment to my frosting when I re-microwaved it. I guess the time is so short (again, just 5 seconds!) that you aren’t coming close to burning it.

Then give the dipped crackers a few minutes for the frosting to set and sprinkle with multi-colored (or your favorite colored) sprinkles. The traditional nonpareils do the trick.

I found that when I sprinkled too soon, the sprinkles would sink down into the frosting after a while. It didn’t affect the taste at all, but they didn’t look quite as pleasant as when the sprinkles rested on top of the frosting a little bit. So test it out to find the right timing to let the frosting set without letting it get so solid that sprinkles won’t stick. And if you’re making a large batch of cookies, take a couple breaks in between dipping to sprinkle.

Another trick I found is that when I set the cookie on wax paper that already had sprinkles spilled all over it, the sprinkles stuck to the bottom of the cookie and actually gave it a nice resting place that kept the frosting from oozing out around the cookie as much.

Once you’ve finished these unbelievably simple steps, you’ll want to dig right in. (Cailyn obviously did.) So go ahead. But popping them in the fridge for a few hours definitely helps them set! The longer they were in the fridge (12+ hours) the more the frosting hardened  so the texture became like that of the Circus Animal Cookies. Until then, they tasted wonderful but there was a distinct difference from the store-bought kind. The homemade ones were.. moister? They were pretty much like frosting on cookies (and who would argue with that?!) But giving them that time to set allowed the frosting to become a little more candy-coating like, as you expect from the store-bought variety. If that makes sense?

Anyway, the only way they lasted the 12+ hours is because I wanted to test the time they needed to set. I think I snuck one (or more) every hour. It was just the right amount to feed my sweet-tooth. (Okay, who am I kidding? I could’ve eaten 50 of them without blinking an eye.)

Cailyn thought they were pretty exciting, once I let her at ‘em. I only let her have a few because I didn’t want her to get smart and start rejecting the frosting-free animal crackers (and because I obviously ate the rest of the frosted ones.) But she certainly enjoyed them!

Why Calvinism is Confusing and Where Logic Comes In

Calvinism… Five Points… TULIP: these terms go far to clarify a doctrine to those who see and believe it. But to those who don’t see or believe it, or don’t know or understand the doctrine, these terms can muddle it all the more.

What I’ve come to greatly prefer are the terms (granted, translations) that Scripture itself uses to describe the doctrine in question: Election and Predestination.

According to Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionary the words can be defined as follows:

Elect: select; by implication favorite: – chosen, elect.  (G1588)

Predestine: to limit in advance, that is, (figuratively) predetermine: – determine before, ordain, predestinate. (G4309)

The definitions are fairly straightforward. There are also similar terms, such as foreknew, choose/chosen, and called.

In the few discussions/debates I’ve had on the topic, it seems easy for people to say “I don’t agree with Calvinism” or “I don’t believe in the five points.” Honestly, that’s all fair and good. But what I don’t hear as often or don’t see people quick to say is, “I disagree with election” or “I don’t believe in predestination.”

Why? Because Scripture itself uses and teaches those terms.
- Elect is used an upwards of 20 times.
- Predestine is used at least seven times.
- Foreknew/foreknowledge is used another handful of times.
And that doesn’t count the numerous uses of chosen and called that relate to this doctrine, (or other variations that I didn’t think of or come across in my five minute word study.)

While the doctrines of election and predestination haven’t always been crystal clear to me and I have at times been stumped by arguments from opposing views, the evidence in Scripture is undeniable. And even beyond the evidence, the logic of these doctrines has become overwhelming obvious to me.

In church this morning, I was listening to the powerfully convicting hymn “All I Have is Christ” (Jordan Kauflin/Sovereign Grace Music).
The line that stuck with me was, “And if You had not loved me first, I would refuse You still.”

The line draws obvious inspiration from 1 John 4: 10 & 19: “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins… We love because he first loved us.“

At the heart of that line (and those verses) is the doctrine of man’s utter depravity. I believe a true Christian would be hard-pressed to deny utter depravity. It’s foundational to the teaching of the gospel and the acceptance thereof. (See also: Romans 3:9-12; 23. Romans 8:7-8. Job 15:14-16. Mark 10:18. 1 John 1:8-10.)

With man’s utter depravity in mind, particularly the following aspects: “No one seeks God” (Rom 3:11) and “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot” (Rom 8:7), there seems but one logical conclusion to make. Since we couldn’t seek God, God first sought us. And (returning to 1 John 4) since we couldn’t love, God first loved us.

In other words, the necessary conclusion of utter depravity is that God initiated (and continues to initiate) all aspects of salvation, including what initially drew us to Christ.

I think (hope) most everyone would agree with that.
The slight step beyond that then, is that if God initiated salvation by loving us, making that love know to us, calling us, and opening our heart to submit to Him, then He would see it through to salvation. That’s the “I” of Calvin’s TULIP: Irresistible Grace, FYI. And I suspect that’s one of the most logically challenging parts of the doctrine for many people to “accept”: that if God calls us/chose us/opened our hearts to Him, we won’t be able to resist that but will (eventually) respond with saving faith.

While it doesn’t coincide with our own perception of free will, based on the doctrines revealed in Scripture, irresistible grace is not only (mysteriously) consistent with free will, but also the logical conclusion to utter depravity and God’s initiative in salvation.

But it’s not just logic! It’s written throughout Scripture. The most commonly referenced passage to explain that is probably Romans 8:30: “And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”

But there are others:
John 6:37 & 44: “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out… No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.”

2 Thessalonians 2:13: “But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. “

Ephesians 1:3-4: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,
even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.“

… And that’s not even getting into the whole discussion of the sufficiency of God’s calling!

The other major issue most hold with the doctrine of election and predestination is not a new one. As a matter of fact, it was addressed in Scripture when the doctrine was originally being explained, that is, the issue of, “Is it FAIR?”

Is it FAIR for God to chose some to believe, which implies He must chose some NOT to believe?
Is it fair for God to elect some to eternal salvation while in the same hand sentencing others to eternal damnation?

It may not settle well with our consciences, initially, but I’ll let Scripture speak for itself:

Romans 9:10-24: “And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad–in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls–  she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”  As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”  What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?”  But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?  What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,  in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory– even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?” [Emphasis added.]

So my final question is, again of logic, would be why is almost an entire chapter of Scripture devoted to justifying a doctrine if that doctrine doesn’t exist?

…And regardless of any impressions or actual interactions/experiences gathered from historical or current “Calvinists” or “Reformed Christians” or whatever they may be called, this doctrine is the most liberating doctrine and the ultimate expression of grace.
It really is best summed up as Doctrines of Grace because it depends on nothing more. Nothing I do. Nothing you do. No qualities of my own that could earn His favor. No move in my own heart to choose God. No attempt of my own to seek Him. It leaves no room for pride, arrogance, or even legalism, despite our own bent towards those.
On the contrary, I am saved by God’s mercy alone, from the midst of my wretched depravity, “as I ran my hell-bound race” (in the words of the previously quoted hymn by Kauflin.)

And because I can’t say it any better, I’ll share the last verse and a quarter of said hymn:

You bore the wrath reserved for me
Now all I know is grace

Hallelujah! All I have is Christ
Hallelujah! Jesus is my life

Now, Lord, I would be Yours alone
And live so all might see
The strength to follow Your commands
Could never come from me
Oh Father, use my ransomed life
In any way You choose
And let my song forever be
My only boast is You

Life is But a Breath

Life changes fast.
Life changes in the instant.
You sit down to dinner and life as you know it ends.
- Joan Didion (The Year of Magical Thinking)

This past weekend brought a frightening reminder that life is fragile.

But also that God is in control and that God cares.

“Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
- Psalm 103: 2-5

Poignant Song of the Year: Poision & Wine

Most Poignant Song/Music Video of The Year: “Poison & Wine” by the Civil Wars

And if the song/lyrics aren’t emotive enough, the video relays it in a striking way.

YouTube – “Poison & Wine” | The Civil Wars | OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO

Have you ever seen more dramatic tension in a music video than in the last 30 seconds of this video?

I also think the composition is so simple but so brilliant when she is at the piano in the foreground of the shot and he is playing the guitar across the house, in the background.

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I gotta admit, I’m always a little torn when I find myself drawn towards songs that are on the sadder side or that relay negative emotion. As things go, they tend to be some of the most poetic and beautiful but at the same time I don’t necessarily share the sentiment or want to feel like I do by listening to the song frequently.

I believe the best lyrics are not just the prettiest or catchiest, but those that express something so truly and precisely that it resonates deeply within the listener. That’s the case with this song. I wish I could say I can’t relate at all to this song. It expresses so accurately the tendency of long-term relationships to drift until there’s hardly any relating at all. Even if I’m not there yet or not even close or -hopefully- won’t ever be there, I know the sentiment all too well and in some small way can relate and can verify that they captured it; that what they sing, that’s just what it’s like. And what makes lyrics like this even better is that they’re willing to go there. They’re willing to be honest about the reality of things even when it’s brutal.

The opening lines to the song (which is comprised of the male/female due singing back and forth to each other) shape the rest of it, comparing the perspectives of two who used to be in unison but are now facing the discongruity of drifting apart:
Him: “You only know what I want you to”
Her: “I know everything you don’t want me to”

My favorite line (her singing): “I wish you’d hold me when I turn my back”

And the chorus that they sing together “I don’t love you but I always will” is just vague enough to leave you wondering and yet knowing at the same time the heart and state of the relationship and how so often there is a discontinuity between what we we want and where we want to be and what and where we actually are or try to be.

As much as a love “love” songs, even more I appreciate songs that are honest and real about the complexities (both highs and lows) of relationships; songs that allow you to admit that things aren’t always perfect and that love has challenges and that part of loving is realizing that we never love enough. Or as Pablo Neruda said in one of my favorite poems of his:

“I love you in order to begin to love you,
to start infinity again
and never to stop loving you:
that’s why I do not love you yet.”
(Sonnet XLIV)

Five Favorites: Sufjan Stevens Songs

Sorry for skipping last Friday’s “Five Favorites.” We were out of town but my real excuse is that I couldn’t decide on a fifth favorite for the next list I had planned: Five Favorite Sufjan Stevens Songs.

I could listen to Sufjan Stevens over and over again. And we do. At home, in the car, and even all throughout Christmas season thanks to his FIVE Christmas albums: Songs for Christmas, which include covers of all the favorites and plenty of originals.

Christmas aside (Why am I thinking about Christmas? It’s May!), he’s released plenty of music that’s fitting all throughout the year. So much (nine albums!), that I’m not really sure why I’m attempting to narrow down my favorite songs into a list of five. But I am.

So here goes (in no particular order):

1. Heirloom (All Delighted People EP)
First of all, this EP might be my favorite album of his. Beautiful. An excellent way to return from his music-making hiatus. This song is so tenderly poignant. Sufjan has a way of communicating the rawness and often ravaging of relationships like no one else can, “And when your legs give out, just lie right down and I will kiss you till your breath is found.”

2. Pittsfield (The Avalanche)
This is probably my longest-time favorite. Even the brokenness of families can be relayed in a stunning way by Sufjan. He captures and recapitulates a glimmer of hope in this song, both in the subtle sleigh bell ringing and in the line: “You can work all of your life as I’m not afraid of you anymore.” I also love the line, “Things unspoken break us if we choose.”

3. The Predatory Wasp Of The Palisades Is Out To Get Us! (Come On Feel The Illinoise!)
This is an illustration of how even his song titles can be works of art. This song is another that reminesces on childhood. It has very hopeful -even exuberant- sound that captures the livelihood  and adventure of youth but it also has an solemn undertone that relays confusion, regret, and mourning. Again Sufjan touches on some of the darker aspects of life, intertwining the heights and depths of our experiences in a true-to-life form. This song portrays how even a child is affected by death and tragedy. “I cant explain the state that I’m in, the state of my heart, he was my best friend.”

4. Damascus (Outtakes & Rarities)
Out of curiosity, I just looked this song on SongMeanings.net and came across this fitting quote by “monkishtroy”: “Testament to how good Sufjan is– almost any other artist would consider this song one of their best works and feature it on their album, but Sufjan deemed this just a B-side. So cool.” Couldn’t have said it better myself. While this song has a blatant reference to the Biblical account of Saul’s conversion on the road to Damascus, Sufjan seems to use that as more of an analogy and derives from it deep personal meaning. The desperate refrain, “It takes me back against the everglades, back against the out-of-state, this is the last place I go” rings in my head  for hours after the song ends.

5. Impossible Soul (The Age of Adz)
This song is off of Sufjan’s most recent album, in which he has developed his style. I didn’t find myself drawn to as many songs on this album but this one probably has the most allure to me. It retains more of his classic sound than many of the other songs. But at 25 minutes in length, it has a very orchestrated composition, while still maintaining his deeply emotive lyrics. Although most of Sufjan’s songs come across as strikingly personal, this one seems to touch on an especially sensitive area: “And all I couldn’t sing, I would say it all, my love, to you, if I could get you at all.” The song continues in a fashion that relays the conflicting emotions and conflicts that arise in a relationship under pursuit. Although it’s not always as “pretty” sounding as most of my other favorites, it is brutally honest in its attempt to relay the nature of relationships. My favorite line: “My beloved, you are the lover of my impossible soul.” And, of course, the hopeful refrain, “Boy, we can do much more together; it’s not so impossible.”

Bonus: Variation on ‘Commemorative Transiguration & Communion at Margruder Park’ (John Fahey cover)
I didn’t count this as one of my five, as it’s a cover. But it’s beautiful. Just listen to it. Musically it captures a lot of my favorite things about Sufjan’s sound. And it’s a lovely tribute to a classic hymn.

Foreign Exchange: Shop Abroad

I found a hilarious store.

I actually stumbled across it quite by accident.
While strolling through an out-of-town mall, we were handed a promo flyer for a newly opened store. We ended up walking by it, so decided to go in since they were promising free promo tees with any purchase.

I didn’t think much about the name of the store being “Foreign Exchange” until we walked in and I saw quite an interesting array of styles. It clicked. The name of the store was perfect!
Everything in the store looked like it was plucked right out of the closets of all the foreign exchange students I knew. (I thought particularly of the Koreans that my husband worked with for a while.)

What a fun and creative concept, haha!
On their website’s “about” page, they describe themselves as “striv[ing] to unify different cultures and diversities through fashion. Our stores feature items designed and created by individuals from all over the world.”

Honestly, I didn’t see anything that was quite up my alley in the women’s section. (But I’m a bit more traditional when it comes to fashion.) I did pick up a simple belt (in black.)

Woven Belt: $19 on web. I paid $9 in store.

Sam found a couple funny graphic tees (and they were bogo free!).

Lookout Graphic Tee: $14

The other tee he purchased doesn’t appear on the website, but it has on it a frightening looking bunny (think Raving Rabbids) with massive teeth.

With our purchase, I was able to pick out a free t-shirt. They offered fitted t-shirts for girls as well as traditional tees to choose from. They were simple and displayed their logo, which includes a cute little bird on the girl t-shirts.

From what I noticed, their prices where pretty consistent with a mid to low-end mall store. I can’t attest to the quality yet, as we just purchased the items, but they seem decent for a mall store. The t-shirts are pretty comfy and have a nice amount of softness and stretch.

Here are a couple other fun items from the online store:

Fleece Pullover: $24

Scoop Neck Tunic With Oval Hemline: $34
(I wouldn’t wear this without bottoms but I like how it hangs.)

Japanese Octopus Graphic Tee: $14

Windbreaker Contrast Piping Jacket: $49
(I want this for myself!)

Anyway, if you have one nearby, it’s a fun place to peek into! I actually thought there was more selection in the store than on their website but if you like what you see here, definitely check out what they sell online!

Friday’s Five Faves: Flowers

In honor of spring finally arriving and Mother’s Day (my first!) approaching, I want to share my five favorite flowers (not trying to drop any hints, promise!) and a few fun Etsy finds inspired by those flowers.

1. Poppies
The silky, orange, paper-thin variety are California’s state flower. I have a sentimental affection for them for that reason but also because they fit their desert and semi-arid climate so well. Their bright orange color brings a much-needed spot of color and their seemingly fragile petals endure the high temperatures and strong winds so vibrantly. I also love the Icelandic poppies that are typically larger, crepe-paper in appearance, and have big dark centers. I’m especially fond of the deep red variety. But my favorite would still have to be the sweet orange ones. I would love to have this poppy plate grace my table.

CA Poppy plate yellow white handmade botanical craftsman inspired pottery art by a firecat on Etsy.

2. Daffodils
Possibly the most cheerful flower on earth, especially the all-yellow variety. Reminds me of a very sweet professors I had. I don’t think there’s much in life that couldn’t be made better with a vase of daffodils on your desk or kitchen table. But since it’s not always plausible to have fresh daffodils, this tea cozy can bring the cheeriness home year-round!

2-Cup Crochet Tea Cosy/Cosie/Cozy – Blue with Daffodils by andrealesleycrochet on Etsy.

3. Tulips
Tulips are a classic and they fit my theme (so far) of flowers famous for their bright colors (but isn’t that what most flowers are famous for?). I drool when I see those photos of tulip fields stretching for miles. It would be so fun to visit a place like that. In the meantime, these tulip earrings are just so dainty, I wish I had a sweet spring dress to show them off with.

Vintage Pink Tulip Flower Earrings drop spring green turquoise brown garden – Fancy Frills by MyBejeweledGarden on Etsy.

4. White Anemones
Anemones are related to Icelandic poppies, with their large, dark center that resembles a button. I love how the dark center contrasts so starkly against the creamy white petals. The word that comes to mind is “yummy!” I would’ve loved to have had these in my wedding but ended up going another route.
These artificial blossoms would look cute clipped to a headband or purse. I also saw them made into handsome boutonnieres.

Lot Of 3 Anemone – White by ynasbridal on Etsy.

5. Ranunculuses
These many-petaled flowers are reminiscent of the classic rose, but whereas the rose strikes me as fairly boring, I love how full the ranunculus are. They just look like they are ready to burst brightness and cheeriness. These paper recreations are stunning in their detail and really capture the shape and fullness.

Single Paper Ranunculus Flower – Medium-large by sunnyandstumpy on Etsy.

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So what is your favorite flower? And do you prefer your flowers fresh on the stem or do you like to find fun ways they are recreated as jewelery, housewares, or even clothing?