Save The Earth, Its The Only Planet That Offers Cake!

I give you, Cake Balls

Naughty sounding name, delicious taste!
Basically this is the concentrated version of a cupcake, rolled into a ball and then dipped in chocolate! Can anything be better than that?! Hello!

How To Make Your Own....Balls

1- 9 x 13 cake, unfrosted
1 can of frosting
1-Whole brick of chocolate or chocolate candy coating (sometimes called bark)
3 tbs of Canola Oil

Mix your entire cake and most of the frosting in a bowl until it becomes a paste. Put it in the fridge until you can roll it into balls that are a little smaller than a golf ball. Put those bakc in the fridge. (they are so much easier to dip when they are cold. Melt the chocolate. I use a little crock pot made for dips, but you can either melt it in the microwave or on the stove by putting boiling water in a bigger pot and then placing a smaller pot filled with chocolate in the bigger pot (helpes prevent burning). Put the canola oil in the chococate, it helps make it smooth and keeps it liquidy enough to work with.

Place the dipped cake balls onto wax paper and let the shell harden. Keep cool and enjoy!

Some people like to make Cake Pops. They dip the cake balls on a sucker stick and then stand them on a foam block to let them dry. I'm sure this way is a lot more fun!

High School Sports

So, as we all know it is Kevin's senior year and Brianna's junior year. They are both active in sports basically all of the time. SO, we need to make sure we ALL make an effort to get to their games and show our love and support, whenever we can. I know its hard since we are a scattered bunch, but I'm sure it would mean a lot to them!!
I will post their game times and schedules soon.
Much love!

Brianna has turned the big 1-7!

Oh Mylanta! Time just needs to stop right now! :)
Brianna is such a fabulous young lady and quite the athlete. She just started as a Junior at Grand County High and our second to youngest sister. With juggling school, work and all sorts of high school sports, she shows us everyday what a bright future she has ahead of her and that nothing can hold her back.
Brianna always has such a positive attitude and is always figuring out ways to make situations better. She is just so fun to be around.
She is a favorite with the nieces and nephews and they always want their "BoBo".
Brianna we are so proud of you and can't wait to see what the future holds for you.
We love you so much!
Have a very Happy Birthday!

Thought I Would Share...

...this wonderful quote by James E. Faust:  

 

"I wonder if you sisters fully understand the greatness of your gifts and talents and how all of you can achieve the 'highest place of honor' in the Church and in the world. One of your unique, precious, and sublime gifts is your femininity, with its natural grace, goodness, and divinity. Femininity is not just lipstick, stylish hairdos, and trendy clothes. It is the divine adornment of humanity. It finds expression in your qualities of your capacity to love, your spirituality, delicacy, radiance, sensitivity, creativity, charm, graciousness, gentleness, dignity, and quiet strength. It is manifest differently in each girl or woman, but each of you possesses it. Femininity is part of your inner beauty.

"One of your particular gifts is your feminine intuition. Do not limit yourselves. As you seek to know the will of our Heavenly Father in your life and become more spiritual, you will be far more attractive, even irresistible. You can use your smiling loveliness to bless those you love and all you meet, and spread great joy. Femininity is part of the God-given divinity within each of you. It is your incomparable power and influence to do good. You can, through your supernal gifts, bless the lives of children, women, and men. Be proud of your womanhood. Enhance it. Use it to serve others."

 

 

My Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

I found this recipe while blog stalking once, and I have been making my chocolate chip cookies this way ever since! Seriously, they are so good.

First things first!

-Only use Guittard Brand Chocolate Chips (I always use Milk chocolate, but you semi-sweet lovers can do what you want!)

-Don't be afraid to throw in some Tollhouse Butterscotch Chips in every once in while, you know, to keep things interesting.

-Use Jell-O brand vanilla instant pudding

Recipe:

• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 cups salted butter, softened (1 lb, or 4 cubes)
• 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 (3.4 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 cups semisweet chocolate chips (or one bag)
• 2 cups chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour and baking soda, set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat in the instant pudding mix until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Edges should be golden brown.

-Amber

Happy Birthday, Linda (Mother In-Law Extraordinare)

Linda is by far one of the most special people I know!
She has strength, poise, beauty and she is such an adventurer!
She can quote movies with the best of them and as everyone in the family will tell you, she is an honorary "Ballard"! The entire family just loves her fun personality, fearless attitude and her "Goooo" (road trip food, river rafting food, snacks, etc..) which are always, simply devine! (I try not to tell people how amazing of a cook she is so I can keep it all for myself).  Oh Well!

Thanks for everything you do, Linda!

You mean so much to us and we hope you have a great day!

Love you!

If Perfect Is What You're Looking For, Then Just Stay The Same

I don't need to remind everyone how much I adore my cute husband Chad ( or Chaddy- Pants, Beef, Cha-Cha, The Chad-Meister, Gnomey, etc..). I could go on forever...
He is SO sweet. He possess qualities that I wish every man had. No matter how much I complain about wanting to be thinner, taller, etc, with out fail he is there tell me that I am perfect just the way I am, and that he loves me for who I am right now and not for who I keep trying to be. Yesterday, Chad e-mailed me this music video and said he listened to it while driving home, and that it reminded him of me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjhCEhWiKXk&feature=list_related&playnext=1&list=PLB180C08CB0C3268B


I hope this is a good reminder for ALL of us women. We have so many good qualities that we take for granted because we are so busy focusing on the negative (which most likely, aren't that negative).

Love you all, and you too Chaddy-Pants!

-Amber

Merry Christmas!

Chad and I are working on a little Christmas project (gingerbread house). Yes, we know its not for 4 months, but we have to get started on the plans now if we want to enter it into the Festival Of Trees and earn a million dollars for Primary Children's Medical Center. Chad being a sexy Architect and all, we are drawing it up on his super cool architectural software and well, we are pretty excited about this!
Once we get the plans figured out, I am going to become a baking lunatic like that bothers me and I am going to learn how to make the best gingerbread in town and frosting that could hold anything together. ANYTHING.
Also we need to figure out a way to earn money/get sponsered for this project.
We will post our progress!

-Amber

Kelsie's Birthday!

Tomorrow is Kelsie's 20th birthday!

Kelsie was born August 2nd in Moab, Utah. With her huge brown eyes and hilarious personality, she was an instant family favorite!
Kelsie loves adventure and she is very spontaneous. Whether its hiking, river rafting through moab, or going to Hong Kong, she is always up for a good time! She also has great taste in fashion and always looks super cute (this girl can pull off anything)! Currently, she works for Delta Airlines and plans to start going to school again soon. Kelsie is very funny and is always up to something!
We love you Kelsie!
Hope you have a great birthday and that 20 is your best year yet!

Caitlin is 27!

Yesterday was Caitlin's 27th birthday!
Caitlin is married to Brian, and they have three cute kids: Cadence, Ross and Bode.
They all currently live in Moab in a cute house which she has decorated so well. She is the family's favorite cook, and can make something out of nothing for a large crowd a.k.a, The Ballard Family!
On top of everything this gal does, she is planning on taking over her Mom's business.

Caitlin is such patient and loving mother. Whether its making creative Halloween costumes for her kids, entertaining/catering for family events or doing hair and makeup for all the girls, she always does an amazing job!
This family just would not be the same with out her.
We love you!

Wendy Turned 34!

Wendy turned 34 on July 21st!

Wendy is the eldest of the 10 Ballard kids. She is the mother of Kaylee and Matty Wilson and works as the Study Coordinator/Nurse of the University of Utah Faint and Fall Clinic.

Wendy has recently been accepted into the LPN to RN program, and hopes to start in a couple of weeks.

Wendy is an excellent student with a GPA of 3.8. She is a wonderful mom, sister and friend, not to mention a great academic example. Be it rain or shine, NOTHING can hold this lady back!
Wendy loves to ski, play tennis,golf and cook yummy food! We are all a huge fan of her Cafe Rio dinner!
Thank you, Wendy, for all you contribute to this family. We love you!

River Rafting Trip!!

Last weekend we headed down to Moab for some river rafting, birthday celebrating, camping, hiking and fun in the sun! Pictures aren't in order, but here they are! We have such cute family and friends!!

Testing out the new iPhone camera

Ambers turning 24!

Amber is usually the one who updates the blog and I'm the one reader so this is going to be a role reversal.

Amber was born on June 9, 1987 in the little town of Moab, Utah. She has always been one of the cutest Ballard babies, with her curly blonde hair and bubbly personality. She loved to sing and dance as a kid and would intertain the family with both. Amber loves spending time with her Cha-Cha, cooking, hanging with the family and just about everything she does she makes it fun for all around. Amber is currently working and planning to go back to school to finish her degree.

We all hope that she has a little one for us to spoil soon! We love you and Happy Birthday!

If You Buy Your Wife An Amazing Cookbook...

..you may have to buy her a gym pass...or wire her mouth shut! And despite potential weight gain: This book is making me feel like a darn good cook!!

Chad bought this book for me as an early birthday gift and I've drooled over about 99% percent of the recipes that I've read so far. Not a bad move on his part, as he will be reaping most of the spoils! These recipes are so easy and who knows, I may venture past the 5 meals I make on a regular basis!


-Amber

Brianna and Kevin's Final Track Meet!

It is all day May 20th-21st (this Friday and Saturday), at BYU. I hope everyone can make it!! I'm sure they would love the support!

-Amber