Cute Things on a Sick Day

My cub came home yesterday with a fever and @ 4am this morning woke-up wheezing and gasping for air. She has a history of croup, so I assumed that's what it was. So scary. I immediately took her outside. There we were, sitting outside in a pink leopard print blanket and pj's...Finally, I had to give her prednisone to get her breathing back to normal. Ugh.

Yup. I had to call in the first week back to work. I'm sure that went over well at school. Anyway, while at the doctor's this afternoon, I came across an issue of Family Fun magazine. This is not the magazine I would normally go for, but when the holidays approach, I find myself turning towards those publications that my grandmother subscribed to while I was growing-up. It's all good. They have since become pretty crafty-oriented. I think we have Martha to thank for mixing things up a bit in the, uh..."all things domestic" area. So, thank you, Martha! I was so surprised how much I enjoyed flipping through the September issue. It's chock-full of cute, fun, and easy things to make. (All of my requirements.) There's button jewelry, paper dolls and paper birds. LOVE. There is also such a smart wall-hanging organizer made out of a cookie sheet and cans. LOVE!!! Heck, there's even a paper (wrapped) beads elastic cuff bracelet. Swoon. Yes, I was sitting on my own little piece of heaven right there in the doctor's office while Cub played animal doctor.

Aren't these mini-caramel apples adorable? Yes, the photo is tiny. I don't know what that's about, but here's the recipe:

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
4-inch lollipop sticks
Melon baller
Granny Smith apples (one apple makes about 8 mini apples)
Butterscotch or peanut butter chips
Chopped nuts, nonpareils, sprinkles, shredded coconut (optional)
Small paper candy cups
1. First, cut the lollipop sticks in half at an angle (the pointy end will go into the apple pieces easier). With the melon baller, scoop little balls out of the apple. Each ball should have a section of apple peel. Push half of a lollipop stick into the peel of each ball. Pat the apple pieces dry. 2. Melt the chips according to the package directions. Dip and swirl the mini apples in the melted chips, then roll the apples in nuts, sprinkles, nonpareils, or coconut, if desired. Place the mini apples in paper candy cups to set.

These are going to be such fun to make. I hope you'll try them and check out the mag online. Did I mention how cute their printables are?
I figure we'll probably stay close to home this weekend. That's okay by me. I have such the urge to bake and bake lots of goodies. I want to make something decadent from this book.
This book took me from the average,"I bake cookies and a layer cake every now and then," to a whole new level. Flo Braker is an excellent instructor. She gives all of those secrets and tips that only pro-bakers know about and somehow never think of sharing. I'm dreaming about the Pistachio Genoise cake or the Banana Butter cake. Mmmmmm....