So summer got me. It lured me away from any sort of a routine. I am totally blaming summer for my blogging absence. And I refuse to feel guilty. I just love summer too much. Don’t think for a second there weren’t mind posts…the ones written, photographed and uploaded in my head, but never quite making it anywhere else. They happened. Again, summer’s fault.

I’m thinking most of you are already back-to-school, but it’s never too late for a back-to-school cake tradition like we do here. If you’ve followed along you know what I’m talking about. If you’re new, let me tell you every back-to-school year begins with a themed cake. I have at least one kid in particular who needs convincing about how back-to-school should be celebrated rather than mourned. Cake helps. In past years, I’ve done a pencil, apple, school bus and notebook. This year, visions of…

…backpacks filled my head. The rectanglarish shape was appealing since time was limited. A quick consultation with my L.L. Bean catalog (because the real backpacks were already at school) served as a reference.

Here are my basic notes for turning a 9″  x 12″ sheet cake into a backpack with the aid of one fruit roll-up for the handle. If you wanted arm straps to show, use an entire box of fruit roll-ups. My straps happen to be hidden since we were down to one lonely green roll-up.

Happy back-to-school and labor day weekend. I promise I’ll be around more with alarm clocks ringing at least five days a week.