Spin Cycle: A Creative (and somewhat suggestive) Take On Cake

The challenge had been issued.

A St. Patrick's Day potluck to celebrate the luck of the Irish, as most of our holiday Potlucks do and the organizer asked everyone to contribute something green. I figured I would bring bread or a broccoli-like veggie (I don't know, maybe broccoli?) as most of the spaces on the sign up sheet are usually filled with side dishes and some meat product that people neglect to list the ingredients of so I have to reinforce my diet if only to refrain from asking "Is there pork or shellfish in this?" to everyone around the table.

This potluck though, this one was different. This Potluck brought with it a competition. "The most creative dish gets a $50 gift card!"

They had my attention.

I am all about competition. Want me to contribute to your event? Lemme think about it. Give me incentive? I'm in, but someone may get hurt..

I thought about what I could possibly bring to the party which would stand out from all the others. Cake is fine, good to eat, but how could I make people stop in their tracks and want to get closer to my creation? I pondered. And wondered. And walked a few city blocks while listening to Tears For Fears since everyone trying to gain angsty clarity back in the 80's did just that. Finally, one night, as I was stalking The Pioneer Woman, I came across my answer.

 

Cake pops. (Okay, I may have called them cake balls, but seriously, they're balls of cake on a stick. And everything is better on a stick.) (Family site here, people. Let's control the suggestive lingo..)

I checked over the Bakerella site, burned some calories just by drooling over her creative designs, and found the how-to on making these truffle consistency-like bite-size pieces of heaven. It looked easy enough, and I'm oh so good at making something so easy look so hard.

Once my mission was clear, I added my "cake-surprise!" to the long list of treats on the sign-up sheet and made my prize winner on Sunday with the help of my best friend. (Interesting tidbit, Susan is close to my sister as well, and my sister is an amateur/expert baker who likes to experiment while I have no interest in cooking or baking other than the end result and thoroughly believe the term "homemade" can represent anything made in your oven, no matter how simple the recipe, i.e. "Just add water." Anyway, Lee is always coming up with some interesting concoction, but Susan made the remark that she only gets to help when it's me spinning the whisk. I've come to the conclusion that I encourage the help in the event that if something gets screwed up, I can share the blame.) (See? I AM learning to share!)

On Monday, I came across my arch-enemy  nemesis top of my hit-list  biggest competition and we verbally wrestled over our secret weapons. I walked away, confident that my entry would stand tall over the rest of the dishes. (Well, it would have to. I mean, it's on a 10 inch stick, right?)

Tuesday morning, I brought in my green cake pops (balls) and set them up in a vase, initially trying to go for an artistic arrangement until I had inserted about three and lost enough patience that the thought "Just don't break them" (Don't break my balls!) (Yeah, that one is my fault.) (And judging by the first picture, one DID break.) centered in my mind and I just thrust them into the glassware and plopped them onto the break room table next to a green caterpillar. A green caterpillar cake.... Dammit.

I eyed the creature and admitted it. The competition was stiff.

Okay, I thought, the garden dweller would draw everyone's attention right away, but they had only to taste mine and the vote would swing my way. With this in mind, I told everyone throughout the morning of what was inside these green balls on a stick and how it would taste so good and hyped these suckers up so much that people were more unsure about how to eat them than what to make of them.

I didn't pay attention to the rest of the entries, although a fruit pizza looked interesting. Not creative enough, I sniffed. Green macaroni salad? Puh-lease. I knew where the competition lay. It was pop against the pillar.

The judges walked in and cast me out so they could make their deliberations in peace.

The result was: I lost to a bug. (Yeah, the thing was cute, fine. And it did look like it had balls making up it's body, but they had flat bottoms, so technically, they were "mounds". And what the hell? A caterpillar isn't even IRISH! Give it a fondant mug of beer to at least create a link, albeit a stereotypical one!)

But I did come in second in "best tasting"! Sure, I tied with the fruit pizza, but I won SOMETHING.

In fact, my cake pops disappeared quickly and were raved about so much, I may even make them again for Hanukkah. In blue. (What, too obvious?)

(I still think that it there was a category for "most masculine", my balls would have swept the competition..)

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I loved this week's Spin Cycle so much! When I first put the topic out there, I wasn't sure how people would respond to it. Would they write fiction? Maybe attack a normal update in a new way? The responses were awe-inspiring and showed how truly creative these Spinners are! (despite their assurances to the contrary..)

Ginger over at When Ginger Snaps... Part II

Ginger over at When Ginger Snaps... Part I

Cristin over at Tiptoeing Through The Tulips

Bessie Viola over at bessie viola

Pseudo over at Pseudonymous High School Teacher

April over at Drawing Closer To Him

Kingsmom over at Servant to a King 

Jan over at Jan's Sushi Bar 

Keely over at The Un Mom 

Cristopher over at Ca-Joh -New to the Spin Cycle!

Sammanthia over at My A Cup Runneth Over 

Rikki over at Cowgirls Like Me 

Nothing Fancy over at Nothing Fancy 

Lori over at My Life Interrupted 

Laufa over at Morgan Madness 

Rachel over at The Ramblings of Rachel

Wicked Step Mom over at Life and Times of a Wicked Step Mom -Updated today! Fresh Spin!

The South Dakota Cowgirl over at Whoa My Horses -Updated today! Fresh Spin!

Krystal over at Mommy's Escape 6.0 -Updated today! Fresh Spin!

Lisa over at Boondock Ramblings -Updated today! Fresh Spin!

Camille over at Archives of Our Lives -Posted Wednesday! I missed it! Updated today! Fresh Spin!

Rebekah over at Waffles Waffles All Day Long -Updated today! Fresh Spin!

Jen over at Coconut Belly -Updated today! Fresh Spin!

CDB over at Fingers and Paws -Updated today! Fresh Spin!

Mrs. Bear over at Outnumbered Two To One -Updated today! Fresh Spin!

Shangrila over at My Bella Figlia -Updated today! Fresh Spin!

Please take time to stop by the new Spinners and visit with the veterans!

I also think this would be a good opportunity to mention that blogging, in general, is creative. Using your thoughts to spell out a story, whether reality based or completely spun from air, is the true essence of creativity itself. This is why the Spin Cycle exists.

Okay, mushy stuff over. On to the next topic!

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Next week's assignment: Quirks.

Come on, admit it. We all have quirks. Little idiosyncrasies that set us apart from others.

Do you touch your spoon to your chin a la Robert from Everyone Loves Raymond?

Do you always start walking with your left foot? Right foot?

Must you always read the last page of a book before beginning it? 

Do you eat your M&M's in order of color from least favorite to most? And dispense (eat) the overage on the colors so all numbers are equal?

When you were a kid, did you line your french fries up in order from smallest to largest and then if two of them happened to be the same size you put the crunchier one before the softer one because the softer one always tasted better and if both were the same in the texture category did the tie-breaker go to which one had more salt? Maybe you still do?

Are you a habitual user of run-on sentences?

If so, Spin it up and out for the rest of us to empathize. (And maybe chuckle a bit, but it's par for the course, right?)

Remember to have those Spins in by March 27th and see you next week on The Spin Cycle!

Comments

[The Dental Maven]

Sorry, Green Cake Balls are WAAAAAY better than fruit pizza. Sounds like the fix was on.

[Robin]

Is that a green cake ball on a stick or are you just happy to see me? ;)

[Ginny Marie]

In my book, cake wins over fruit every time!

[Michelle]

Mmmm... those look good. But you know what? I bet you could modify that chocolate kosher for Passover cake in a box and do the balls out of that (it's sooner...) ;)

[Keely]

Well, I think you should have won just based on quantity alone, if nothing else. I mean, that caterpillar only has like, 8 balls.

Heh.

[~The South Dakota Cowgirl~ aka, Jennifer]

My spin is in: http://runhorserun.blogspot.com/2009/03/spinning-in-creativity.html

I love Bakerella and cake balls. someday I'll be ambitious enough to make some!

I'm really excited about next week's spin!

[Krystal]

Here's my spin - http://mommysescape6.wordpress.com/2009/03/20/spin-cycle-fridays-creative-writing/

now I am going to go back and read yours! Yeah, I'm nutty like that.

[Krystal]

In my opinion, that caterpillar looked kinda gross. Sorry, mixing bugs and food - even decoratively does not go to well with me.Dude, it even made me shudder!! Blech. Your balls are price winning Jen!!!

[HeatherPride]

I can't believe your balls lost out to a stupid bug. I'd have voted for you!

[Camille]

I commented with a link to my spin, but I don't see it on the list, so here it is again:

http://www.archiveslives.com/?p=1685

(Maybe you just hate me and don't want me to spin anymore...If so, I'm telling HP that I was totally right.) : )

Anyway, I would've voted for your cake pops! I'm drooling every day at PW's tutorials, and I'm just counting down the days til June 20th, when I'm allowing myself to eat sugar again.

They looks AWESOME!

[rebekah]

That's hilarious!

Very Kramer (Everything, Jerry, is better on a STICK!)

And...I spun:

http://wafolhaus.blogspot.com/2009/03/spin-cycle-creative-writing-day.html

[Pseudo]

Blog reading with coffe and no breakfast here. Makes me want to reach through and grab a cake ball to go with my coffee.

Fun spin Jen!

[jen]

green balls beat caterpillar ANYDAY.
i spun ...
http://coconutbelly.blogspot.com/2009/03/spinning-tale.html

(and i just had a really weird comment on my previous post ... i CANNOT figure it out. who the hell was that? and seriously? what the?)

[GreenJello]

I love a good cooking competition, too!

I've won the work chili contest (stiff competition) by making a chili recipe up the day before.

And I didn't win the dessert contest (the judges picked someone else), but I did win the "People's Choice" by a landslide. With another made up recipe (it's on my blog, actually! Search my "food" tag.). Ha!

[CDB]

My spin is finally up.. got sick yesterday so I fell behind.

I LOVE the cake balls. Er lolly-pop cake-o's. The caterpillar was cute though, with his little face.

But not NEARLY as creative as yours.. (:

http://fingersandpaws.blogspot.com/2009/03/spin-on-creating-flying-blind-pt-2.html

[Lisa]

That was... um... enlightening. And indeed a creative dessert. I never do anything creative with cooking. I throw chicken in a pan, put a little season salt and boom..dinner. I'm boring. Booooring when it comes to cooking, so God bless ya', lassie! Oh..wait...is lassie Irish or Scottish. I believe Scottish only as I am Scottish ... but mom says I'm also British. Really I'm only a mutt American, but I mean my background..of course. you know.

[Mrs. C.]

I didn't even know cakes had balls. Must have missed that day in sex ed. Now, did you taste the caterpillar? Was it any good? Because in my food opinion (and from the size of my pants these days I should have a BIIG opinion) a food item is only a winner if it looks AND tastes fabulous. I think you were robbed.

[Sprite's Keeper]

Sorry, Mrs. C, I did not taste the caterpillar. (Never thought I'd write that in a sentence or get a question like it, first time for everything..) Unfortunately, it wasn't a cheat day for me and I have to be good. I didn't even get one of my own balls. But if I was going to eat some caterpillar, I would have eaten the head. The eyes and ears were the biggest pieces of charm on the green-eyed monster.... And I thought I wasn't bitter about it anymore..

[april]

haha I stalk the pioneer woman too!! hmm I would certainly pick cake balls over fruit pizza!! chocolate always wins!!

[mrsbear]

I would totally totally eat your green balls. Any food on a stick is a winner in my book. The caterpillar was cute, albeit a little sinister looking for a St. Patty's Day celebration.

Last minute spin?

http://outnumberedtwotoone.today.com/2009/03/20/creativity-in-hindsight-spin-cycle/

[K]

I love your green ball cake - I would totally eat it.

[The Stiletto Mom]

I am green with envy those were so cute, I can't believe you didn't win!

Also, I'm loving the topic for next week, I may try to get my butt in gear and a.) actually post and b.) do it in time!!!

Happy weekend!
Mary Anne

[Smart Mouth Broad]

Great creativity, Jen. I have to admit, I didn't have it in me. Your last two assignments scared the crap out of me. But I'm so up for the quirky. Quirky is my middle name. Yep. Smart Quirky Mouth Broad.

[Shangrila]

You made Irish balls...on a stick. I think we have booth for you at our state fair-lol! I'm sorry that you lost to the juvenile delinquint butterfly. The little bugger prolly paid the judges off! I look forward to future balls-mqybe frost 'em in white and roll 'em in coconut for Easter?!

Also, I'm up: http://mybellafiglia.blogspot.com/2009/03/spin-cycle-there-is-no-write-way.html

Now I just have to figure out my post for next week! :/

[cyndi]

I would have toad-ally (man, that was bad) voted for your balls! I sent that same series to a friend who is having a dessert shower tomorrow, using about 5 of Bakerella's recipes....yummmmmmm. Happy weekend!