I'm trying sooo hard to get caught up on Christmas recipes before Valentine's day rolls around. It's a little bit hard when your kid is STILL out of school. Whose idea was THAT? I mean he only goes to preschool for 4 hours a week but it's sure killing me to have two toddlers home alldayeveryday. Is this how it feels when your kids are off for summer vacation? Seriously. Somebody needs to invent a...
Saturday, December 31, 2011
New Year's Pop Rocks Rims
Have you noticed I'm into rims lately? Mostly because they're so quick and so easy and kids flip for them. We used Martinelli's with watermelon pop rocks today. I don't personally care for the carbonated drink WITH the carbonated candy, but the kids are all about it. Next time I'll pair mine with a non-carbonated punch instead. I like to do my rims deep so the kids get more pop-rockety-goodness, but you can do...
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Chocolate-Dipped Candycanes (Stirring sticks!)
When I was in high school my friend and I used to pay visits to places like the firestation. Sometimes we would take cookies and sometimes we would take a paper and a pen on assignment for a non-existent "school project" where we had to ask questions like, "Do you have a dalmation?" Mostly we were there for the eye candy and the potential of getting to use the firepole.
Now that I am old and married and entirely...
Christmas Kiss Cookies
It's great when your kids give you permission to do things. Like, "Hey mom, sleep in today, while I do the dishes and wash my own underwear."
Just kidding. That's never happened.
But my two year old does tell me all the time to "shop it".
I am always happy enough to oblige with that request. And fortunately Amazon has my checking account # saved, so I don't even have to pile everyone in the car to keep him happy!
UN-...
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Chewy Samoan Brickle
Havest thou any idea what brickle is? Yes, me neither. But it sounded like a good word for this. Also this has nothing to do with the tiny island of Samoa. But it does have similar ingredients to a Girl Scout Samoa cookie.
I have been making this so long I can't even remember where the recipe came from, and I can't find it on the internet anywhere. Sometimes we just call it crack. It is completely chewy...
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Cookies 'n' Cream Popcorn
Last week I decided to start playing with popcorn again. I am still partial to Thin Mint and Samoa but my husband went nuts for this Cookies 'n' Cream. Maybe it is a guy thing...
Christmas Caramels (and some of them might be chocolate-dipped)
I have so many posts for you it's ridiculous. Also I have lots of stories for you about how mean people can be at Christmastime, but in the spirit of a Grinch-less Christmas, I will refrain... for today.
I have been making these caramels for years (read: like 4 years). I took some to my good friend the other day and this is the message she sent me- "HANDS DOWN THE BEST HOMEMADE CARAMELS I have ever had!"
Take...
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Penguin Pops
I maybe should have titled this post "pops for dummies". These are seriously so easy, because you use a ready-made body you don't have to dip it in chocolate. The hardest part is the molding of the beaks and cutting out the feet. (Which really isn't hard at all). I'd estimate these take about 5 minutes to make the taffy pieces in bulk and then about 3 minutes per pop to assemble. It doesn't get easier than this!...
Friday, December 9, 2011
Lemon Drop Cookies
First of all let me tell you, this is the diva of all cookies. Secondly let me tell you that I've still made these 3 times even though only about half of my cookies turn out each time. Worth it? Yep. Also this cookie is made from a mix so it only takes about 3 minutes to put together. ...
Chocolate-Dipped Clementines
You thought I was kidding when I said we were going to dip everything in chocolate this week, didn't you? Mmmmm, nope, pretty much not kidding at all.
The smell of clementines will always remind me of Christmas. Growing up in Europe, we spent almost every Christmas in a different country. I will have to dig up the picture of me riding a bobsled down the Olympic track in Norway so you guys can see my big dorky owl glasses...
Frozen Choco-Banana Skewers
All you need to know is, "There's always money in the banana stand...
Chocolate-Dipped Gingerbread Men
Because everything should be dipped in chocolate at least once.
Happy Christmas!...
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Peppermint Whipped Cream (For hot cocoa or cupcakes)
Sorry I always have to spout off randomly to you before I ever give you a recipe. I like to hold them for ransom so I can talk to adults for 3 minutes of my day (Love my 3 year old but he wants to talk about "human bodies" all day and that kind of disgustingifies me.) PS- Don't call social services on me. When I say he wants to talk about human bodies, he wants to talk about the skeletal system and circulatory...
Monday, December 5, 2011
Chocolate-Covered Gingerbread Chex Mix
First of all, you should know that this Chex mix is not covered in chocolate. It's just supposed to *taste* like a chocolate-covered gingerbread man. The chocolate part comes in from the M&M candies. Just wanted to make that clear.
Now that my butt is covered,
I was dying to make something else cute with my gingerbread men marshmallows. So really this was just an excuse to throw in some of them. Excuses...
Chocolate Chunk Peanut Butter Swirl Cookies
I'm kinda grumpy today, on account of I have to go to the eye doctor this afternoon. Last time I went to the eye doctor he told me I couldn't see because my bangs were in my eyes.
Ummm.
Thanks very much. Could I have my co-pay back now?
(I didn't get my co-pay back. Also I can't read the E on the chart so it's pretty obvious I have bigger problems than bangs in my eyes.)
Anyways, when I need cheering...
Lemon Lush Pie
This pie and I have some history. The first time I made it was the first time my dad came to dinner after my husband and I were married. I slathered whipped cream all over the top, popped it in the fridge, and turned around to grab something else. My foot holding the door open, cause I multi-task like that.
Turned back to the fridge.
Say what.
Are those footprints in my pie?
Curses.
And bathtime for King Kong.
I...
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Cake Batter Birthday Buddies
This idea has been floating around in the back of my brain for awhile now. Muddy buddies... why not birthday buddies. I think this would be such a cute party favor for kids- packaged up in a little clear cellophane baggie with a ribbon.
My husband thinks these taste like those pink and white frosted Mother's animal crackers (and he's kind of right). Does anyone else remember when they went out of business for...
Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
You know how in those teen movies from the early 2000's there was always an "ugly, dorky girl" who got a makeover and magically when they took her glasses off and gave her a red dress suddenly she was super hot and dateable? These cupcakes are like that girl. They might not look like much, but they are just waiting for Freddie Prinze Jr. to come along and show everyone what is underneath those glasses. Seriously, these are...
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Peppermint Hot Chocolate Rims
Can we have a little chat about couponing real quick? I do not watch couponing shows. I have heard of them. I have heard there are people who spend hours a day cutting coupons and who actually *make* money when they go through the check-out line of the grocery store. To be honest, I am completely befuddled by this. Sometimes I get ambitious and I look through those coupon pages that come in the newspaper. ...
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Gettin' social
I think when people see you have a blog they think you're all techy and computer genuisy. Just to clear things up right now, I am not computer savvy. I do not speak Html (and only recently discovered that that is a language). I should probably not tell you how many days and tutorials and cartons of ice cream it took for me to figure out how to make my Dipit header. I have a drawer full of cables that I am afraid to throw away (but I'm pretty sure they do computery things like connect to the TV or the...
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Remedies for a Flat Cookie
Cookies and I used to have problems communicating. I would follow the recipe, and then they would do whatever the heck they wanted. Then I would scream and cry and slam doors. Actually I never screamed or cried, but I probably did slam a door or two. No matter what I did I always got flat cookies. Sometimes I got PANCAKES. I did everything I could think of without any result and finally decided...
Fancy Caramel Apples
If you have been annoyed that this picture on my sidebar has no post to it, great news... now it does! I have been meaning to blog these For.ev.er. (Say this in a Sandlot voice)
Mostly I was stalled because I wanted to give you some pictures to go along with this post. Well, hard to believe, but it's kind of hard to take a picture AND dip a caramel apple at the same time. So I waited for a day when...
Julia's Pumpkin Pie (The best pumpkin pie!)
Vegetables and I are not friends. When I was a kid I used to sit across the dinner table from my little brother. I didn't get dessert unless I ate all my vegetables, so, naturally, I used to sneak them down to my lap and throw them under the table to land under his chair. My parents thought he was a REALLY messy eater. (Don't worry. He was kinda spoiled so he probably still got dessert anyways.)
I think the...
Easy Flaky Pie Crust
You should know first of all that I have no luck with pastry. Particularly pie crust. Mine rarely turn out pretty and almost always shrink (You'd think I'd just invest in some pie weights but apparently I'm too stubborn for that). If you want to ask someone questions about pastry I am not your girl. But ugly or not, sometimes I think it is worth making your own pie crust just for flakiness and deliciousness...
Gingerbread Hot-Chocolate Stirring Sticks
So I found this package of Gingerbread Men marshmallows at Target last week.
I had no idea what to do with them but I couldn't resist buying them cause they were stinkin' cute (and like $1.25). I ended up making these little hot chocolate stirring sticks for my kids. The best part is even little ones can help skewer the marshmallows. They taste alright but are nothing special. They are coated in a...
Stabilized Whipped Cream. A boring post, but full of tips and tricks.
This is a picture of an unfinished pie. But I wanted you to see the piped whipped cream around the edges. I love flavored whipped cream on cupcakes in particular. I think it gives them such a light touch in place of the heaviness of frosting. The problem with whipped cream is it tends to melt into a big mess when out of the fridge. The solution is to stabilize your whipped cream...
Cherry Watermelon Jolly Rancher Soda or... Cherry Watermelon Granita
In case you haven't noticed yet, my maturity level is a little closer to a tweens than a mature adults'. I buy Lipsmackers on a regular basis and have chip sandwiches for lunch about 4 days a week. Sometimes I watch One Tree Hill. So after the Jolly Rancher cupcakes, the soda was pretty much inevitable. If you are a mature adult you probably aren't even reading this because it sounded nasty. It's not. ...
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Gingerbread Skeletons with Royal Icing
I love this gingerbread people recipe. I usually heap the spices a little, and I think the flavor and texture is just perfect. You can cook them the minimum amount of time for a chewy cookie, or cook them a few minutes longer for a crisp cookie. My only complaint really is that these will spread a bit, so plan accordingly. If you have a molasses aversion you can replace some of it with honey or dark corn syrup,...
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Caramel Cinnamon Fruit Dip with Bone dippers
Oh look. Another belated Halloween recipe. Don't hate me.
This dip is insane. It looks like it doesn't make a lot. But it is RICH and it is SWEET. You'll probably want to throw a few apples in with the bones to dip just so you don't go into sugar shock. But this is fan. tastic. Truly. I like to pretend think I am a pretty disciplined person but I can't stay away from this.
The...
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars
So my husband teaches sunday school to the 12 year olds at our church. I was so excited when they asked him to do it because my first thought was "Yayyyy. Little children to bake for!" (Not to be the weird witch from Hansel & Gretel or anything.)
I made these for his kiddos a few weeks ago and they were well-received. (Except for the kid who hates cheesecake which I can completely relate to at the uncultured...
Apple Pie Granita
I kid you not this tastes exactly like apple pie. Minus the crust part. AWESOME. I had no idea I would love this as much as I do. It's not even that bad for you! Plus. It's call granita. How fancy does that sound?
Enjo...
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread
Ok, can I just tell you guys, I love when you leave me comments? I love ALL comments, but I especially love the ones where you ask a question and you sign them "Anonymous". So then I get to write, "Dear Anonymous". It makes me feel like a spy, or Ann Landers or something. I'm a fan.
Anyways, since I've made this bread every year of my existence (not really), I probably need to share the recipe with you. It's...
Cinnamon Honey Butter
The thing about being a stay at home mom (or stay-in-bed mom if you're Lindsay Bluth) is everyone expects you to be all domestic. They expect you to bake your own bread, and sew your own Halloween costumes and scrapbook every time your child picks their nose. Well... when we first got married, I was not domestic-like. At all. I called my mom on more than one occasion asking how to bake a potato.
I'm working...
Eyeball Pretzel Bites
Mmmkay, let's not even talk about how belated this post is. I had really hoped to have this up in time for Halloween, because it's such a fun, easy, treat for kids to make. (People always say that, but really, truly, your two year old can help you make these. Without you screaming and lunging across the room every 2 seconds to keep him from diving into a hot oven).
I fell ill with the plague of death (aka a cold) and whined...
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Watermelon Jolly Rancher Cupcakes
My husband puts up with a lot. Like coming home to find me wielding a hammer and trying to smash Jolly Ranchers to dust on our brand new wood floor.
There are some things you folks can learn from SECOND hand experience, one of those being- Jolly Ranchers cannot be crushed with a hammer, mallet, rolling pin, food processor, or other sharp, heavy, or intimidating object- unless already altered from their original state! Seriously,...
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Reeses Peanut Butter Cup Brownies
After the Twix Brownies, how could we not, really? Twix is still my favorite, but these are pretty high on the list.
I actually split my brownie mix between two pans and tried these two separate ways- topped with Reeses before baking, and topped with Reeses right after baking. EVERYONE went for the brownies topped post-baking, but tasting them blind- the baked-in version won every time. So you really have to decide if...
Monday, October 17, 2011
Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
I have mixed feelings about mint chocolate chip ice cream. I really like mint and chocolate. Together. (By the way, I think this is a girl thing, because the only two people I know who don't like mint/chocolate combo are my husband and my brother. Men are weird.) Anywhooo- I just don't like how the chocolate gets all hard and frozen in ice cream. I feel like chocolate should melt in your mouth. Know what...
Friday, October 14, 2011
Gingerbread Waffles with Cinnamon Syrup and Whipped Cream
Favorite. Breakfast. Ever. That's all you need to know. Every time I run out of dinner ideas- we end up eating these. I actually prefer them topped with whipped cream alone, but some of my family can't live without the cinnamon syrup. If we ever have leftovers (rare), I freeze these for quick breakfasts and snacks and they are a hit. These are a bit time intensive, so I don't recommend them for first thing in the...
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Carrot Patch Dirt Cups
I've been having issues lately. First was the death of my memory stick adapter which I use to move pictures from my camera to my computer. Then we went on vacation (that's not so much an issue as just a super fun time). Next came the death of my laptop charger resulting in a looong "5-10 days delivery" without a computer.
By the way, I kid you not, that charger went out with a bang. I woke up in the middle of the night to...
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Super Citrus Smoothie
I hate it when I'm making a milkshake and boys just start showing up in my yard.
(I totally found that on Pinterest, but whatev. I thought I would share the laugh with you.)
These aren't milkshakes. Actually, they're kind of *gasp* healthy. Maybe the healthiest thing I will ever post, since this blog IS supposed to be about chocolate. I've had a bad cold lately (which probably explains why I haven't posted any delicious...
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Snowman and Reindeer Oreo Pops
I started my Christmas shopping this week. So although I am painfully aware it is still August, I figured, what the heck, let's post a holiday treat. I made these pops last year and have been promising to post them, and since I'm pretty sure I don't want to spend my *December* a very sacred month, posting OLD recipes, I'll just post them now for you. I take it a personal responsibility to spread Christmas cheer before Halloween...
Friday, August 26, 2011
Rock Candy Cupcakes
Rock candy is a weird food. I mean, there isn't really anything that good about it minus that it's pure sugar, which is always a good thing, but every time I see it I get this giddy feeling in my stomach like I'm 5 years old at a country candy store and my parents have caved for once and bought me a treat. After sucking on it for about 3 minutes you realize it doesn't really taste *that* good. But next time you see it...
Friday, August 12, 2011
Tigger Tails
Doesn't this just make you smile? Tigger Tails are a Disneyland treat. As far as I know they can only be found at Pooh Corner (by Splash Mountain) at Disneyland. They're basically marshmallows on a stick, covered in caramel, covered in orange-flavored white chocolate, drizzled with semisweet chocolate. Ok, in spirit of full disclosure, they have actually changed the tails so they are now not orange flavored, and they are rolled...
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Chewy Caramel Twix Brownies
Quote of the day:
"Mom! Look at all that WEED!"
(My 3 year old, as we drive past a farm where a farmer is harvesting hay into those rectangular bale things)
Luckily he doesn't know what "weed" actually is. Or he better not, because he's only three. But I'm pretty sure I almost ran into a fence I was laughing so hard. I hope he doesn't go to preschool next month and tell his teacher about all the "weed" in our...
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Clementine Soda
I am having one of those weeks where everything I touch self-destructs. If you don't ever have those weeks, don't tell me. It's like this awful curse that ruins everything I bake. Overdone. Too salty. Bland. Bitter. ARghhhh!!
I found this recipe for sodas and on my THIRD attempt finally found one I love. (In case you don't know my motto- it is that I will never post anything that turned...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
