Memorial Day.

On a holiday weekend, the only thing more gratifying than walking in the World's Longest Memorial Day Parade (who knew Zeeland was so BIG?!) is sharing smooshed cake on a stick with the people you love.

Check out these willing taste-testers!

                

Happy Memorial Day!

Because Woman Can Not Live on Cake Pops Alone...

and sometimes you just need a Sabbath.

I decided to play hooky from church this morning.  After a weekend of celebrating, cake-popping, weeding, and report carding, I truly just needed some me time.  As the wife of a man who doesn't have the option of sitting around in his comfies on a Sunday morning (the Reformed church seems to frown upon faded Hope College sweatpants in the pulpit: weird.) this is not something that I'm typically able to do without guilt (self-imposed, of course) and explanation.  Today, however, I am armed and ready.  I sent Tim off this morning with a message for any blue haired lady who asks after his beautiful bride: "She's been raptured, obviously.  Why are you still here?"

All joking aside, it does feel strange to be in an empty house on a sunny Sunday morning - but I am taking full advantage of it.  This little experiment of a breakfast turned out to be one of the best things I have ever eaten. I couldn't wait to share the recipe with the one devoted follower who actually subscribes to this blog (coincidentally, he's also the one at church...but not in sweatpants).  Anyway, try this.  You'll love it.

Poatmeal Pancake - Vegan and Gluten Free

Ingredients:
*1/4 cup certified gluten free oats  (if you're not GF, feel free to use Quaker but please don't brag to me about how your oats are 1/4 of the price of mine)
*1/4 cup canned organic pumpkin
*1 flax egg  (1 T flax meal mixed with 2 T warm water - let sit for 5 minutes until thick)
*1 t baking powder
*1 t cinnamon
*1 t pure vanilla extract

*Stir all ingredients together in a small bowl. 
*Pour onto hot griddle or pan. 
*Top with whatever toppings your heart desires  (mine happens to always desire
b-a-n-a-n-a-s, freshly ground almond butter, and unsulphured/unsweetened coconut chips)
*Eat it like a pancake!

 Happy Sunday!

110 cake pops today.
Definitely a PR. 

Boring balls.
Sticks.
Completed cake pop buckets for the sweetest baby boy's baptism.

White crinkle = butter/vanilla cake pops with cream cheese frosting.
Brown crinkle = triple chocolate chip cake pops with dark chocolate frosting.

First out of state order: ready to ship!

WHEW.

Behold.

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms -1 peter 4:10

Tonight, I was blessed by giving. These cake pops raised a total of $280 to support a family from our community who is moving to Uganda to serve as missionaries. I am in awe of the generosity - of money and of spirit - that Tim and I witnessed tonight, and I am thankful that we were able to be a part of this event.

Coincidentally [or not], my google search bar is now back to reading "one way ticket to papua new guinea."

Do they need cake pops there?

A New Creation

Last night may have been the worst night to create a new recipe.

I was tired.
I was cranky.
Michigan was humid [denver wasn't].
I was up to my ears in cake pops.
Our new pantry held an abundance of amaranth, chia seed, and buckwheat groats thanks to my latest grocery excursion...but nothing to feed two humans. Especially the hungry man variety.
It was 8 pm.

Nevertheless, I found myself at the kitchen table -- calculator, pad of paper, and kitchen scale in hand -- creating.

("Scouts."  Think girl scout cookies...minus the nasty stuff)

This is what I came up with. Pure vegan, gluten-free deliciousness.

And dinner.

The Beginning.

Welcome. It is with eagerness, anticipation, and a box full of non-returnable business cards that I type my first blog post ever. This thing called Whimsy Sticks has taken off in ways that I never could have imagined just one month ago, and I am finding myself scrambling to keep up! I am hoping to use this blog as a way to share creative ideas, pictures, new products, and updates. But first...an introduction.

I am Allie. I am a third year [pastor's] wife and a second year first-grade teacher. I am a runner [sometimes]. I am a perfectionist [all the time]. I am a clean-eating, gluten-free, recovering vegetarian who firmly believes that everything is better with sprinkles. I am passionate about local food and feeding and nourishing the world. I am a creator and the only place where I am fearless is in the kitchen.

Whimsy Sticks was an accident, but not a mistake. Though I have been dipping things [my fingers included] into chocolate my entire life, my first foray into the world of cake pops was just one month ago. It began as an experiment for a co-worker's baby shower and it has turned into an opportunity to infuse the ordinary with a touch of whimsy [while simultaneously crusting my new home's carpet with sanding sugar]. While the name Whimsy Sticks refers largely to the free-spirited idea of a smashed and decorated cupcake on a stick, I'm definitely not stopping there. I will be selling and blogging about a variety of custom cake pops and gluten-free goodies containing whole food, real ingredients...and obviously sprinkles.