S’MORES DUMP CAKE

“My son Sam jumped into Summer, with a dessert fit for the season.  A soft and sweet dump cake that says, ‘Hello, camp fire.’ Enjoy!”

1 box Milk Chocolate Cake Mix

1 box (4 servings) Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix

1 1/2 cups Milk

10 ounces Mini Marshmallows

1 cup Milk Chocolate Chips

5 sheets Graham Crackers, coarsely broken into dime sized pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the cake mix, pudding mix, and milk.  Beat for one minute or until blended.

Pour batter into a greased 13″x9″ baking pan.

Bake 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Remove from oven and turn oven to broil.

Sprinkle marshmallows, chocolate chips, and broken graham crackers on top of cake.

Broil until marshmallows are light brown.  Be careful not to burn the toppings.

Cool and serve.

Makes about 16 servings.

Revised Source:  “Simple S’More Cake” recipe in “Dump Cakes & One-Bowl Baking” by Publications International, Ltd.

Inspecting the work of our family dishwashers (i.e. children), I usually only have one piece of feedback.  “Gravity.”

Yes, use gravity.  This applies especially toward cups holding water in the drain rack.  Yes, gravity is a wonder.  Pour out the water, turn the cup upside down, and watch gravity work its drying magic.

So listening to the boys, while they washed dishes this evening, I should not have been surprised to hear them mumbling a single word.  “Gravity.”

Soon, the dishes were complete and the boys scurried off.  I headed over to the sink for my nightly inspection.

Seeing something not up to par, I summoned the boys back to the kitchen.  Pointing at the sink full of dirty water, I reached in, pulled the stopper, glanced at them with a smile, and said a single word, “Gravity.”

Child enters room.  Approaches tired distracted father and says, “Can I ride my bike over to mumble mumble’s house?”

Father trying to repeat it for his own sake, “You are going over to Jason’s house.”

Son, louder, “No, can I go over to inaudible’s house?”

Father struggling a tad, “Jason’s house.”

Son, frustrated, “No!  Random boy name’s house.”

Father guessing boy names, “Chase’s house?”

Son, about ready to give up, “Jackson’s house!”

Father, certain that he heard it, “Jackson’s house?”

Son, somewhat relieved, “Yes, can I go over to Jackson’s house?”

Father trying to remember Jackson, but unable to summon any mental images.  Only able to muster a shrug, “Okay, be home by Six for dinner.”

Job well done, dad.

Only about 130 days of Summer to go.

It tells you a little bit about my life, when I got so excited to finally find a product that removed our pesky bathtub ring.

It may also signal a new low point for my blog, but certainly a high water mark (removal) for our tub.

This post has been brought to you by “Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.” He doesn’t have hair and he kicks bathtub ring butt.  Now, that’s a double shine.

A look of concern crossed my beautiful wife’s face, as I approached her ready to confess.

I had just started to come clean and worry began to cascade through her sharp witted mind.

“Well, I don’t think I can hide this from you forever, so I might as well just let you know,” I began.

“You have been receiving mail from AARP.”

Spring Baseball = Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Plus, photos like this make me wonder, “Does my wife have a thing for dorks?”

SKITTLES DUMP CAKE

“I never would have thought of Skittles for a cake topping, but I’ll tell you, this one works.  Tasty dessert, that’s simple to make.  Taste the rainbow, make the dump cake.  Enjoy!”

My 9-year-old son Ben with his dessert creation.

2 cans (15 ounces each) Fruit Cocktail

1 box White Cake Mix

1/2 cup Butter

1/4 cup (one regular size bag) Skittles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Drain the cans of fruit cocktail.

Grease a 13″x9″ baking pan.

Spread the fruit cocktail on the bottom of the pan.

Spread the cake mix over the fruit cocktail.

Cut the butter into thin slices and place over the cake mix in a single layer.

Bake for 25 minutes.

Sprinkle the Skittles over the top of the cake.

Continue baking for another 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Let rest for 15 minutes.

Makes about 12 servings.

Revised Source: “Super Fruity Confetti Cake” recipe in “Dump Cakes & One-Bowl Baking” by Publications International, Ltd.

The transformation has begun.

Take out the trash.  Barefoot.

Go get the mail.  Barefoot.

Grill some food.  Barefoot.

With the exception of work (rules, oh dreaded rules), my feet will rarely see shoes until Autumn.

What’s that mean?  Leather feet.  Feet of steel.  Feet fit for roaming on the vast savanna.  Feet hardened like God intended.

Okay, I’ll admit, “Feet somewhat disgusting by modern standards.”

Nonetheless, feet roaming free.  The way I like them to be.

Popping a bag of microwave popcorn at work, we got to thinking, “Is it naughty to eat semi-good-you semi-bad-for-you foods, such as microwave popcorn?”

Well sure, but not when compared with the bad boy of the popcorn world: movie theater buttered popcorn.  If ever a food were wearing a leather jacket, while sitting on a motorcycle and smoking, it’s movie theater buttered popcorn.

The popcorn that your mom warns you about.  The popcorn you know is bad.  The popcorn you know you want.  Want, because it says, “Rebel.” Want, because it says, “Total Bad Ass.” Want, because it’s says, “Oh so dangerous.”

Yep, movie theater buttered popcorn, what a punk.  Suddenly, mom invites microwave popcorn to dinner.  Now, that’s a fresh perspective that doesn’t need reheating.

Picking up my boys from school, Fifth Grader Sam was in an argumentative mode.

Topic for the day: emojis.

His stance: the following emoji is a High Five and not Praying.

I begged to differ.

Round and round we went, until Sam’s younger brother Ben asked Sam, “Where did you learn this?”

Sam answered confidently, “James (his friend at school).”

Ben in full Myth Buster mode, “Is James a ‘Trusted Web Site?'”

Well, there you have it.  Hope for the future, as witnessed by a healthy dash of scepticism.

Epilogue – Turns out that the emoji is acceptable for use as either a High Five or Praying.  Also, Sam’s friend James is still not a “Trusted Web Site.”