I decided that for the majority of Christmas gifts this year, I would do some holiday baking. That's what happens when Oprah Winfrey doesn't claim you as one of her lost-long relatives and you're virtually dirt poor. I also had the company potluck dinner coming up on the following Wednesday out in the oilfield. Besides planning on making and taking some sweet "goodies", I was going to be bringing my requested Red Beans and Rice and Chicken 'N Dumplings. Hey, I had plenty of time, ambition and desire. (Right there that should throw up a red flag and let those that know me well know that I was apparently not thinking clearly). I don't mind a little baking every once in awhile, but we're talking massive quantities of baking as evidenced by the picture below. I had purchased all my necessary items, had them all grouped according to what I was going to prepare and was ready to plunge right in. And, I did...starting on Friday and for several nights straight I baked. I was baking when I came home from work which was no small feat when you've been up and working for 14 hours.
Paula Deen would have been proud of this little Southern gal, but I finally threw down my icing-laden, cake crumbled hand towel and yelled "NO MORE"!!! I was baked out! I was my intent that I was never going to put anything back into my oven to bake unless it was a frozen pizza. 
I started out making cute, little cupcakes. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but then after I'd make a bijillion and was putting frosting on them, I realized that wasn't fun anymore and changed directions for awhile.
Oh, I forgot to mention that Corey's 28th birthday was in the coming week. His favorite cake is Red Velvet and since I couldn't send him a cake, I thought I'd make some cake balls. I'd heard about them, read about to make them and decided they couldn't be that hard to make, could they? So, I set off to add something new to make baking expertise.
In case you're interested, here are the steps I took to make the cake balls... First let me say that yes Mom, I did use a Duncan Hines cake mix. I also used your can't fail recipe of adding one box of instant chocolate pudding, 1 c. milk, 1/2 c. oil and four eggs. To make the cake balls, I poured all of the cake batter into a large sheet cake pan and baked it in a 325 degree oven until it was light and springy.
I then let the cake cool and then...I crumbled and tore it up into a very large bowl! Seems crazy doesn't it?
Then the fun begins! (I should also let you know that I made a batch of "Key Lime Cake Balls" before trying the Red Velvet ones. I was letting my creative juices just flow like crazy and kept forgetting to take pictures, so you'll see some of those steps stuck in between. If you are observant, you will notice the Christmas theme going on? Red and green cake balls).
Anyway...after crumbling up the cooled cake in a ball, you then add one container of your preferred cake frosting to the ball to be mixed in with the crumbs. In this case, I added purchased cream cheese frosting to the Red Velvet. When I first did this with the Key Lime Cake Balls, I just jumped right in and started mixing the frosting and cake together with my hands, which is what you have to do to mix everything together well.
However, I found out it when I made my second batch, that it was easier to mix if you used a knife to cut in the frosting first.
When mixed well, this is what you wind up with - a giant, mooshy, gooshy cake ball...
You then pinch off the amount of cake goop you want and roll them into the size of balls you'd like. This is the amount of balls one cake mix made...
And this is what your hand will look like after rolling the cake balls. Just get you a dinner knife and scrape it off and eat it up. Yum, yum!
You are then supposed to place them in the freezer and let them freeze for about 6 hours. Unfortunately, freezer space is very limited for me. Fortunately, Mother Nature provided some very cool weather and so I stuck mine outside in a container over night. (The furry kids had no idea what they were missing).
Next step is to then coat the cake balls with a candy shell or almond bark which can be purchased at most any grocery or craft store. I melted the candies in a double boiler and then placed one ball in at a time to coat it and then placed it on a sheet of waxed paper to harden.
And, tah dah...here are the finished products complete with cupcake gel and sprinkles as a final touch! Not bad looking if I say so myself and the reviews from the recipients let me know that these are winners.
Extra info...the Key Lime Cake Balls were made using a lemon cake mix. I added a package of lime gelatin for color, a vanilla instant pudding, the grated zest of key limes and all the juice and pulp I could scrap out of the lime and some lime juice. I can't tell measurements of the limes and juice - it is up to your own personal taste.
These could be made from any cake mix flavor and nuts and chips added and different colored candy shells. It's up to your imagination!
Nestled over 250 acres amidst towering pines and along rolling meadows just eight miles south of Rapid City, Bear Country U.S.A. offers visitors intimate views of most North American mammals. Visitors take a leisurely three-mile drive through several enclosures and encounter black bear, elk, reindeer, deer, cougars, bobcats, rocky mountain goats, bighorn sheep, dall sheep and buffalo.At this "the home of the largest collection of privately owned black bear in the world", Bear Country U.S.A. guests are guaranteed to see more than they bargained for. From the comfort of their own car, visitors watch as these clowns of nature frolic in a pool, climb trees and amble across the road in front of their vehicle.
This is a reindeer...
This is a baby reindeer taking a drink...
Look at the rack on this guy...
A white wolf...
A baby big horn sheep...
Momma and baby...
Daddy Bighorn...
A mountain goat...
It's a bear. We were supposed to keep our windows up at all times. Did we? Sure we did.
A mountain lion...
More bears...
It's Eyeyore...
It's not a real bear... 
After the reading we had several of the little peoples come up to the screen and talk to Joe. He had his Santa hat on and apparently some of the young ones who did not know him thought he was the real Santa Claus and proceeded to tell him what they wanted for Christmas. It was really quite sweet. I was enjoying it so much I forgot to take pictures. We also got to hear Corey and Nikki on someone's phone after the reading.
This is the road going to Trina and Brian's home after you exit the interstate... 
And here we are... 
