Graduation

This past weekend was full of celebrations and family time.  On Friday I graduated with my Masters Degree of Social Work (**happy dance!!**) YEAH!!! :) You can now refer to me as "Master Michelle" ;) We had a nice ceremony on campus and I was so glad to walk across that stage and get my diploma! All of that hard work paid off and I have the diploma in my hand to prove it! My whole family went out to eat afterwards and had our own celebration dinner at La Casa de Pedro, which was amazing.

However after all the celebrations on Friday I woke up feeling super groggy the next morning.  Even after coffee and breakfast I could not seem to wake up myself. I first thought maybe I was just exhausted from graduation and all.  But on Sunday I had a sore throat, it hurt to swallow and talk, and I was officially sick. Even though I didn't feel that great I did have a wonderful Mother's Day with my family :) My cold turned into a mini flu, and I was in bed all day basically for two days. But today is the first day that I feel better and I hope by tomorrow I will feel back to my normal self!

I wanted to post this last weekend, but being sick and all I am posting this today. For Graduation I made some Chocolate Graduation Caps for me myself and moi (don't judge me! it was all about me that day!) OK. I actually did share. Eventually. ;)

 I got inspiration for this treat from Bakerella's Candy Cup Graduation Caps 

These are so simple to make and would be a perfect treat for a graduation party!

To make these Chocolate Graduation Caps you will need:
*mini dark chocolate Reese's peanut butter cups
*One dark chocolate bar (Lindt Dark 70% cocoa Smooth Dark is what I went with)
*yellow candy melts

*one bar will make 10 graduation caps..I think so.. (I counted after we ate some...whoops)

**update to make these peanut free you could use Sun Cups or make your own cups with a Peanut free spread. I made these before we were aware of Eliana's allergy (she did not eat them because she didn't like peanut butter but we didn't know she was allergic).**

First I stuck the Reese's into the freezer for a few minutes so that the sides didn't come off when I took off the wrapper.  While they were in the freezer I broke my candy bar into squares and I melted my yellow candy melts.  I chose that candy bar because I knew that it was squared off already so breaking it off into squares wouldn't be as difficult.

I unpeeled my Reese's peanut butter cups and placed them upside down on a cookie sheet with parchment (or wax) paper. I used the yellow candy melts as "glue" and put a glob of yellow candy melts on the top of each peanut butter cup. Then placed the chocolate square on top of the peanut butter cup (logo facing down, unless you want to represent Lindt lol). Using the candy melts again I made a dot of yellow in the center and made thin strands for the tassel.  

*It may have been a little neater looking had I bought individually wrapped chocolate squares, or used mini M&M's and other things for the top of the graduation cap but since I had yellow candy melts I decided to use what I had. I also chose not to put them on a stick, because honestly that stick would just get thrown away and I'm not a fan of building up extra trash. But by all means if you want to put it on a stick then be my guest!

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Since Graduation was at 2 in the afternoon, we were going to leave at about 12:30 to get there in time for me to line up and to make sure everyone got seats. I knew that we would all be hungry, especially Eliana.  So I made her a graduation bento:

I whipped this up lunch quickly before we left for graduation.  I cut up some apple and put them into a flower silicone cup (rubbed them with lemon juice to keep them from browning).  Eliana asked for flowers so I cut up some cucumber and carrots into flowers. I then gave her a mini salami and cheese sandwich with 2012 cut out in fruit leather. I could have stacked two sandwiches on top of each other but Eliana wouldn't have eaten that much. She also wasn't a big fan of the salami either.. And lastly I put a Chocolate Graduation Cap for her (see--I did share! But she didn't eat the whole thing because of the PB. She ate the top and David ate the bottom)  The cute little graduation food picks completed the lunch and made it easy to eat with no utensils :)

That was my first official bento on this blog! I've been making them for quite some time, but honestly haven't had the time to take pictures of them all or post them with the hectic last few months. I look forward to sharing some of the ones Eliana and I have made together soon! :)

I would like to wish everyone who graduated this month, and will graduate this year, whether from grade school, high school, college or grad school, Congratulations!! :)

~Master Michelle, MSW :-)

  

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