Inspiration?

What do these songs have in common - Baby Got Back...a 5 minute techno version of One Night in Bangkok...Gone by M. Gentry...Don't Stop Believin...Rag Doll...I Want a New Drug?

Sadly, they are all the songs that I chose to run to today. I thought using the shuffle feature on my iPod would mix things up a bit and make it more interesting. It did, I guess - but mixed in with these musical gems was Christmas music I've been too lazy to take off, James Blunt, David Lanz, music from Charlie & the Chocolate Factory that I choreographed last summer...you get the idea. The songs listed above were the ones I could tolerate.

Oddly enough, they speak volumes:

• Baby Got Back - yes she does, and I'm trying like crazy to get rid of it. Unlike Sir Mix-a-Lot - I'm not a fan of big butts.

• One Night in Bangkok - this was a song I chose for my upper level jazz class to perform in the recital. Did it turn out awesome? Yes, but the song is over 5 minutes of non-stop techno music. It gets me moving and drives me insane - much like running.

• Gone - the line, "She ain't never comin' back" - that's exactly how I feel about halfway through my run when I start to lose any momentum I might have and my route takes an uphill turn, literally.

• Don't Stop Believin' - my mantra. I will be able to run 5k someday - hopefully by September when I actually have to do it.

• Rag Doll - I got nothin' for this one. I guess that's a good thing considering the lyrics. It was just the first upbeat song after about 10 that I had to skip over because they just weren't doing it for me.

• I Want a New Drug - all you runners out there - I still think Prozac might be the way to go!

Summary - while the shuffle option provides some interesting results, I think I need to make a running mix - any suggestions?

Move over Bakerella!

For those of you who have never been to Bakerella's blog, she creates the cutest artwork out of cake, icing, and chocolate that I've ever seen. And the best part? She actually shows you how to do it yourself - well almost. Truth be told, Bakerella makes everything look so easy, that you think "hey, I can do that." And you can - what you tend to forget is that she's perfected the art of cake pops and made thousands of batches - so your first try may take an entire day and look a little like your 2 year old made them.

For those of you unfamiliar with a cakepop, let me break it down. You start by mixing a baked cake with frosting into a bowl until it's all smooshed together. Then you roll that concoction into little balls - just like making meatballs. The balls are then put on a stick, coated in chocolate and decorated to look like cupcakes, bunnies, mummies...anything you can imagine! Click HERE for a video tutorial if you want to brave this project at home.
These are what mine looked like when I was through. Not exactly like hers, but not too bad either. I was in a rush making them, so I didn't get photos from as many different angles as I would have liked, and I didn't really set up my food photo shoot in a way that was deserving of the work it took to produce these things. Oh well, live & learn.

Truth be told - I'm not a huge fan of the way these things taste. They're a bit mushy for my liking, but my kids LOVE them, and my husband is quite fond of them as well. But they are totally CUTE - and the cute factor may just trump taste.

Bakerella recently tackled cheesecake pops - now these may be right up my alley!