Honeybee Vintage

Dipped Graham Crackers

2012-05-31T05:00:00.000-07:00

It never fails. Every time I melt chocolate for a recipe, I always have way too much left over. I'm too cheap to pour it down the drain, so this idea of dipped graham crackers came to me at the extra coating was starting to harden.

DIPPED GRAHAM CRACKERS

GRAHAM CRACKERS

MELTED ALMOND BARK

SPRINKLES

STEP 1: Just dip graham crackers in coating, roll in sprinkles, and place on cookie sheet lined with wax paper to harden.

Now, no wasted candy coating and I have a have a happy 4 year old who will gladly eat my new creation!

Simple Pineapple Cupcakes (two ingredients!)

2012-05-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

These cupcakes are SO good! They are perfect for summer get togethers...or, you know, a Tuesday night.

I decided to top each one with a dollop of fat free whipped cream, but you could finish them off with whatever frosting you like. They are a light cupcake, so a whipped topping made them perfect for me!

SIMPLE PINEAPPLE CUPCAKES

(cupcake recipe by: Skinnytaste)

1 box YELLOW CAKE MIX

1 20oz can CRUSHED PINEAPPLE

WHIPPED CREAM

STEP 1: Blend together cake mix and pineapple. Bake per directions on the box or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

STEP 2: Let cupcakes cool then top with whipped cream.

STEP 3 (optional...but it WILL happen): Eat all the cupcakes.

Mmmm....turkey burger.

2012-05-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

I love me a good burger. There is a local burger shop that puts Five Guys and Smashburger to shame (my husband even agrees..and he is serious about his meat, people.)

So, while Weight Watchers and I are becoming good friends these days (it's a love hate relationship), I have been enjoying some turkey burgers.

For now, I buy the pre-packaged burgers since ground meat really grosses me out (I'm working on it...but two pregnancies may have messed me up for life).

Here is my simple turkey burger recipe:

SWEET ONION TURKEY BURGER

1 BUTTERBALL SWEET ONION TURKEY PATTY (cooked)

1 slice low fat COLBY CHEESE

1 slice TURKEY BACON

1 large TOMATO slice

ROMAINE LETTUCE

MUSTARD

SESAME SEED BUN (optional)

I normally opt for the low carb option and ditch the bun or I put it on toasted reduced calorie bread. Then I either pile a low sodium pickle on top or some broccoli slaw.

So, how do you feel about turkey products? Do they gross you out? Have any good recipes I need to try?

Happy Sunday

2012-05-27T16:39:00.001-07:00

I love the weekends. Lazy days spent with the people I love most. I'm one lucky girl!

Can't wait to share some new recipes with you this week and wear my new favorite pair of sandals (bows and diamonds? yes please!).

Happy Sunday!

Please excuse me while I get addicted...

2012-05-25T20:25:00.000-07:00

Hmm...I haven't posted on here in a while.

I gotta be honest, I'm not feeling very "inspired" these days. Kinda in a "blah" mood...ever been there?

This week was just "eh" as well. (Are your enjoying all my intelligent descriptive words?)

Amongst all the crud that this week threw in our path...one VERY exciting thing happened!

We caved into social peer pressure and got iPhones!!

"Shut the front door!", right?

And the craziest part of all...my husband didn't pressure me, offer to give me back rubs for the rest of our marriage, create a slide show presentation for how the phones would make us cooler, or offer to donate a kidney to me in order to get them!

In fact...he wasn't even present when I bought them.

Yep, I know you didn't see that one coming. Me either.

It was a serendipitous moment of qualifying for an upgrade with our carrier, half price phones at Best Buy (take THAT Apple Store!), and some Best Buy rewards, and having two kids with me to keep me from staying too long and considering what I was doing.

So, we are "those cool people" now and I have to say...I am already addicted to Instagram.

I've only downloaded four apps and I don't see myself getting many more. I still look (and feel) ridiculous as I clumsily try to work my new phone, but it is pretty darn fun, and my husband is very happy. And I still may have made him promise to give me back rubs...or a kidney.

So, do you have an iPhone? What apps do you like? Which ones can't I live without? And if you say Angry Birds, so help me...

Fresh Pico de Gallo

2012-05-16T23:08:00.001-07:00

I love me some salsa. Any kind...I'm all for it. Pico de Gallo has got to be my favorite, and I always make a large batch to share!

PICO DE GALLO

(from Allrecipes)

6 ROMA TOMATOES, diced

1/2 RED ONION, minced

3 tablespoons chopped FRESH CILANTRO

1/2 JALAPENO PEPPER, seeded and minced

1/2 LIME, juiced

1 clove GARLIC, minced

1 pinch GARLIC POWDER

SALT and ground BLACK PEPPER to taste

STEP 1: Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving.

NOTE: I don't like runny salsa, so I squeeze out the juice and seeds from my tomatoes. I also make double the recipe to have enough to share and for me to put on...well...everything!

Simple Saturday

2012-05-12T08:08:00.001-07:00

In the beginning of the week we were contained in the house with stuffy noses, cuddles on the couch, and back to back watching of The Princess and the Frog.

By mid week we took a tour of our local candy factory and Baby Boy traded in his floor gym for a saucer.

By the end of the week I got to enjoy some much needed time out with my girlfriends.

When life gets stressful, I have to remember all that we have and be at rest with what we don't.

Happy Saturday:)

The Alice Hansen Family Fund

2012-05-10T22:39:00.001-07:00

I am reposting this on my blog in hopes of directing more attention to a family in need.

I have been following Heidi over at Honeybear Lane for a while now and she and her family have suffered a great loss of her sister-in-law, days after giving birth to her daughter.

I can not even imagine the pain that this family is feeling in her absense. Please visit Heidi's blog and read more about how you can help the Hansen family and Alice's husband who is now dealing with the loss of his wife and being faced with the role of a single parent for his two young boys and newborn baby.

Strawberry Lemon Yogurt Cake

2012-05-03T15:48:00.001-07:00

So, um, this cake is amazing. Like, "I only had this last piece to photograph and share and then I ate it right after I snapped a photo" amazing.

I'm not normally a big cake person, but this one is so moist...amazing. Wait, did I say that already?

STRAWBERRY LEMON YOGURT CAKE

(from A Spicy Perspective)

1 cup (2 sticks) BUTTER, softened

2 cups SUGAR

3 EGGS

3 Tb. LEMON JUICE, divided

LEMON ZEST of 1 lemon

2 ½ cups all-purpose FLOUR, divided

½ tsp. BAKING SODA

½ tsp. SALT

8 oz. VANILLA YOGURT

12 oz. fresh STRAWBERRIES, diced

1 cup POWDERED SUGAR

STEP 1: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan. Sift together 2 ¼ cups of flour, baking soda and salt. Mix in the lemon zest and set aside.

STEP 2: With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in 1 Tb. lemon juice. Alternate beating in the flour mixture and the yogurt, mixing just until incorporated.

STEP 3: Toss the strawberries with the remaining ¼ cup of flour. Gently mix them into the batter.

STEP 4: Pour the batter into the Bundt pan. Bake for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

STEP 5: Allow to cool at least 20 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Once cooled, whisk together the remaining 2 Tb. of lemon juice and the powdered sugar. Drizzle over the top of the cake

The, serve to your family...if you haven't eaten the whole thing yet.

Happy Thursday!

Homemade Baby Food

2012-04-28T15:52:00.000-07:00

Baby boy has gone through the cereal stage, so now it's time to move onto more exciting things! We are starting with carrots and sweet potatoes this week so I thought I would share with you how I make my homemade baby food. No fancy equipment, just a pan (with a lid) and a food processor.

I love making the food because it has a great texture, is fresh, and much cheaper than buying canned food in the store. I did the math and making your own food will save you at least $60 per month in comparison to buying it.

STEP 1: Wash and skin vegetables.

STEP 2: Cut into equal size pieces (smaller is better so they steam faster.)

STEP 3: Pour vegetables into saucepan. Pour in just enough water to fill the bottom of the pan. Heat on medium-high and place lid on to steam. (1lb of carrots or sweet potatoes take 15-18 minutes)

STEP 4: Once vegetables are tender (when a fork inserted is removed easily), drain.

STEP 5: Pour into food processor. ( I love my mini Kitchenaid processor)

STEP 5: Blend until desired consistency, adding water as needed.

There are many ways to portion this out. You can put it into ice cube trays and once it freezes, place cubes in a large ziplock bag in the freezer to be pulled out as needed. This works if you want to make large batches of each vegetable.

I prefer to only steam what I will need for the week. Sunday is my food making day, so once I make the amount needed, I portion it out into tiny plastic tupperware. I get 10 (2.7oz) containers at the dollar store.

Making baby food should be easy. No need to buy fancy baby puree gadgets or puree cookbooks. Getting ideas for food combinations online is a big help, but just be creative and combine what you think sounds good.

SOME MORE TIPS AND TRICKS:

-You can also use a Magic Bullet or hand blender to puree food

-I have heard that electric steamers also work well instead of the stove top.

-Buy vegetables in bulk when on sale, cut up all at once, and then freeze what you don't need to steam at the moment. Then you can just pull out what you need from the freezer later on.

-Steaming time depends on the texture of each fruit and vegetable. Just test each food with a fork for tenderness and write down how long each item takes so you have a reference next time you make it.

-To save steaming time, you can also purchase some vegetables/fruits in the can (with no added salt or sugar). These are already soft and ready to be pureed.

-Once baby can eat more variety of foods, have fun combining different textures and flavors.

DIY Twisted Turban Headband (from an old t-shirt)

2012-04-26T15:17:00.000-07:00

I had an old shirt that I was about to donate, but I loved the print so much I wanted to find something to do with it. I love the twisted headbands I have been seeing everywhere and decided to make one of my own.

Materials:

knit fabric (or old t-shirt)

matching thread

STEP 1: Cut two strips out of the knit fabric. that are double the final width you want your headband straps to be. My strips were approximately 4 in x 20 in.

STEP 2: Fold each strip in half (with right sides facing) and sew down the long side of raw edges. Flip right side out. Now you will have two "tubes".

STEP 3: Lay out tubes (seam sides up) in the shape of an "X".

STEP 4: Fold strips over so that they are linked together, matching up the raw edges.

STEP 5: Take the unfinished headband and wrap around your head to see how tight to make it. Line up all raw edges and sew together with a straight stitch. Cut off any excess.

STEP 6: Flip seam to the inside of headband and wear!

Happy Thursday!

I'm linked to:

Tatertots and Jello

The Southern Institute

Traveling to Missouri

2012-04-22T21:47:00.000-07:00

We got extremely sad news a couple of weeks ago that my husband's great grandfather had passed away. At first, my husband was going to fly to Missouri for the service but then we decided to just throw ourselves in the car and drive!

Yeah...the reality of that idea hit about 30 minutes later when I realized I had less than 24 hours to pack us all up and prepare myself for two days of driving with two kids.

But, we chose to be naive about what could happen and I think it worked to our benefit!

So, the next morning we were in our car and ready for our first day of driving from Arizona to Amarillo, TX!

We started the trip off with donuts...because that's how every road trip should start, right?

Driving through New Mexico:

This was my view from the back seat while I fed baby boy and watched Cinderella with my daughter:

Got some of the best truck stop pizza ever in Albuquerque:

No pictures of us in Amarillo. We were on a super tight schedule and it was dark by the time we got there. We basically grabbed a quick bite to eat, slept, and were on the road by the next morning! We made the drive from Arizona to Amarillo in 11 hours. Not too bad with two kids!

The next day...entering Oklahoma!:

I slept through our entering Missouri, but we were all so glad to get out of the car and catch up with family!

This baby was so good in his carseat:

He even got a new hairdo while at the hotel pool:

We took one day to head south to Springfield:

We did some shopping at the vintage shops downtown, including the Red Velvet shop. My husband is just glad I didn't find a couch to tow home across 4 states.

Before we left, I had to experience Steak N' Shake for the first time. Their guacamole chicken did NOT disappoint:

Oh, and neither did their shakes:

After four whole days with family, it was time to leave. Leaving was bittersweet, but it was sure nice to see the southwestern sunset welcoming us back home:

I wish we had more time to stop in each state along to way to see the best of what each had to offer. It made me really interested in traveling more across our country.

We are very sad at the loss of his great grandfather, but grateful for wonderful memories with him and the peace that he is in Heaven.

Black Apple Dolls

2012-04-10T11:40:00.001-07:00

I'm sure you have seen Black Apple Dolls everywhere lately. I downloaded the pattern a long time ago and finally got around to using it recently.

Our close friends moved away and our daughters were also close, so they have been missing each other. So, I decided to make matching dolls for the girls in their own likeness.

This was a great stash busting project and I had fun coming up with new dress combinations for each girl.

It was such a fun project and I'm so glad each girl loved their doll! Now my daughter feels closer to them even while they are far apart;)

I'm linked to:

Tatertots and Jello

Easy Perfectly Moist Turkey Recipe

2012-04-09T18:06:00.001-07:00

I already shared how my husband and I were making our first turkey, and I have to be honest...I was pretty scared. I wasn't sure if it was just going to totally deflate as soon as we cut into it like on Christmas Vacation or if it would be raw inside.

I read a lot online for the "perfect" recipe. Some people said that a brine was the only way to go...others said a roasting bag was the best way.

I needed the best tasting recipe AND the easiest.

We finally just took a bunch of ideas that we liked from many recipes and made up our own! It turned out SO moist I can't believe it! It carved beautifully and no one needed a knife to cut it.

Turkey perfection was achieved.

Now, I have to give 99% of the credit to my husband because he shoved his hand up the bird, he rubbed it down with butter, he carved it,...and he reads this blog;) All in all it was a really fun experience to have together and we made a better turkey than my mom, just sayin'.

PERFECTLY MOIST TURKEY

1 (18lb) TURKEY

1 ONION

2 small ORANGES (or 1 large)

1 LEMON

3 tbs BUTTER

3 cups CHICKEN BROTH

2 tsp SALT

2 tsp PEPPER

2 tsp GARLIC POWDER

1 tsp PARSLEY FLAKES (optional)

STEP 1: Place turkey in a roasting pan. Cut onion, oranges, and lemon into quarters and stuff the turkey with them.

STEP 2: Take half the butter and rub it under the skin of the turkey. It's easier to separate the skin from the meat first and then spread the butter on. Do this all over the breast meat.

STEP 3: Mix salt, pepper, garlic powder, and parsley together. Spread half under the skin of the breast meat.

STEP 4: Rub remaining butter and spices on top of the turkey on both breast and thighs.

STEP 5: Pour 2 cups of the broth in the bottom of the pan. Lower oven rack to the lowest setting and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

STEP 6: Make an foil tent over the turkey and bake for about 4 hours (or until internal temperature of the thigh meat reaches 180 degrees). Baste turkey with broth every 30 minutes while cooking and fill up bottom with remaining broth if needed. Also, remove the foil tent for the last 30 minutes of cooking.

Enjoy!

Corn Syrup Free Pecan Pie

2012-04-08T14:00:00.000-07:00

I've always had a love hate relationship with pecan pie. While I love the overall flavor, it always seemed too sticky and sweet to me.

My husband hinted that he would like a pecan pie for our Easter dinner this year so I went online to fine a recipe and this one got hundreds of positive reviews and I noticed it didn't have any corn syrup in the recipe so I knew it was worth a try!

I'm so glad I took a chance because it is SO good! It has the same flavor as a traditional pecan pie with a lighter texture.

CORN SYRUP FREE PECAN PIE

(found at Allrecipes)

1 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup white SUGAR

1/2 cup BUTTER

2 EGGS

1 tablespoon all-purpose FLOUR

1 tablespoon MILK

1 teaspoon VANILLA EXTRACT

1 cup chopped PECANS

1 PIE SHELL

STEP 1: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

STEP 2: In a large bowl, beat eggs until foamy, and stir in melted butter. Stir in the brown sugar, white sugar and the flour; mix well. Last add the milk, vanilla and nuts.

STEP 3: Pour into unbaked 9-in pie shell. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes at 400 degrees, then reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until done

Eat and enjoy!

I'm linked to:

Tatertots and Jello

My First Turkey....maybe.

2012-04-07T23:31:00.003-07:00

My husband won a turkey in a raffle at work last Thanksgiving. The only problem was they gave it to him the night before Thanksgiving so we already had a turkey and this one was frozen solid anyways. So, it's been sitting in our freezer for the last few months ready to make it's debut this Easter Sunday!

Oh, did I mention I have never made a turkey before?

Well, I have never made a turkey before.

I looked up a ton of recipes online, looking for the one with the most positive reviews. I found one I liked and we are going to try it out!

(it's stuffed with onions, oranges, lemon, and rubbed down with butter, salt, and pepper.)

I have to give all the credit to my husband. He cleaned it, stuffed it, and rubbed it down for his squeamish wife. We did have fun telling dirty jokes while he was massaging it though:)

Because that's what mature people do.

I'm sure of it.

So, I can't wait to share with you all how it turned out!

Have you made a turkey before? I feel pretty grown up now that I have attempted it.

You know, because being married and having kids didn't make me feel grown up already.

Hope you have a lovely Sunday!

Snow White Dress

2012-04-06T15:44:00.000-07:00

My daughter's favorite princess these days is Snow White. I finally got this dress done for her and now the only problem I have is getting her to take it off!

I don't have a real tutorial for this but I thought I would still share how I made it.

I started with an existing Snow White dress that my mom found at Goodwill. It was in sad shape and one size too big for my daughter. I also found this red satin blouse for $1 at Goodwill because I knew I could use it to construct new sleeves, a cape, and a matching headband.

For the cape, I cut out the back piece of the red blouse and hemmed the edges. For the collar, I cut out a collar shape from white satin and ironed on some craft fuse to the back to make it really stiff and stand up. I sewed the cape onto the collar and then the collar onto the sides of the shoulders of the dress.

I did not attach the collar all the way around the back of the dress because I wanted my daughter to be able to get into it easily. So, under the cape is the opening the back of the dress for her to get in and out.

For the sleeves I took some blue satin I already had and some red shirt material and used this tutorial from Craftiness Is Not Optional. Instead of putting a band around the bottom, I hemmed the raw edge under and then sewed elastic onto the edge (pulling it tight as I went so that it would pucker).

The tulle on the dress was ripping everywhere so I cut it off at the waist to leave the satin skirt on it's own.

For the headband, I covered an old headband with some red satin and then used this tutorial from Smile and Wave to make a big bow on top.

I ripped out the old stitching on the bodice of the dress and sewed on new silver trim that matched the glittery sleeves a little better.

Oh, and don't forget the red sparkle shoes;)

Happy Friday!

I'm linked to:
Tatertots and Jello

Turtle Cheesecake Truffles

2012-04-05T17:58:00.000-07:00

Every holiday I make a cheesecake for our family dinners. While looking up new recipes I came across this one and knew I had to try them!

TURTLE CHEESECAKE TRUFFLES

(from Steamy Kitchen)

1 pkg (8oz) CREAM CHEESE

1 cup GRAHAM CRACKER CRUMBS

1 pkg CHOCOLATE MELTS (or almond bark)

1/4 c CHOPPED PECANS

CARAMEL TOPPING

STEP 1: Mix together cream cheese and graham cracker crumbs. Scoop with a spoon and form into balls. Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment or wax paper and place in freezer.

Step 2: While cream cheese is in the freezer, melt the chocolate per the package instructions. Take cheesecake out of the freezer and dip into melted chocolate. Tap off extra chocolate and place back on cookie sheet.

STEP 3: Sprinkle pecans on top before chocolate hardens. Drizzle with caramel topping.

These are SO good! I was worried they would have too much of a salty taste since no sugar is added to the cream cheese mixture, but it is a perfect combination with the chocolate and caramel on the outside.

Now, let's see if they make it until Easter Sunday!

I'm linked to:

Tatertots and Jello

Tomato and Sausage Pizza Pie

2012-04-04T22:22:00.001-07:00

My friend told me about this recipe a few weeks ago and it appealed to me immediately. I love trying new recipes...especially ones where I can have some freedom to customize them.

TOMATO SAUSAGE PIZZA PIE

1 roll out PIE CRUST

2-3 TOMATOES

1/2 c COOKED SAUSAGE

1 c shredded MOZZARELLA

OLIVE OIL

SALT and PEPPER

STEP 1: Roll out uncooked pie crust onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

STEP 2: Slice tomatoes and arrange in the middle of the crust, leaving a 1 inch border all the way around.

STEP 3: Layer on sausage and top with cheese. Fold edges of pie crust up and over the outer edge of the tomatoes. Brush edges of crust with olive oil and sprinkle a little salt and pepper over the top if desired.

STEP 4: Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

This was SO good and I can't wait to try more varieties. I am feeling spinach and artichokes next. Maybe some turkey bacon and olives with a little basil pesto on the bottom? Mmmm...pizza.

I'm linked to:

Tatertots and Jello

Turning the Big 2-6!

2012-03-29T22:23:00.002-07:00

It's my birthday today! And I turned 26! Now...I know 26 isn't a major milestone birthday, but it kinda is to me because it means I am closer to 30 than 20! It's OK though, I don't have a weird complex about getting older. If anything, I feel like my birthdays get better with each passing year.

Highlights from my 26th birthday:

-Free breakfast at Denny's with my husband and kids.

(funny story: my husband and I used to get up super early and meet for breakfast at Denny's while we were dating. I'm talking super early...like 5am, before our classes started. Ah..young love!)

-Doing a little Goodwill shopping and scoring a brand new Ikea poster frame for $.99.

-Lunch with my parents and the kids.

-Getting a night out with my girlfriends (no kids allowed!) to just talk, laugh, and enjoy each other's company.

-Oh...and cheesecake. Nuff said.

I had an AWESOME day! Thank you to everyone who made it special for me;)

Grilled Cheese Challenge #1: The Sergeant Pepper

2012-03-26T12:18:00.000-07:00

*First off I have a wonderful announcement! (No...I'm not pregnant...that's not even funny 4 months after having a baby.)

My husband got me a new Canon Rebel for my birthday!!!

...and yes, that deserved a large font. It was a total surprise and I am in love folks. True love.

I will be selling my old Rebel to a good home and it's onward with HD pictures and video baby! I need to learn a LOT more about photography too now that I have a camera that is the shizz.

Now back to our scheduled blog post:

Hands down, grilled cheese is my favorite food of all time. Um, cheese and carbs? Yes please! So, it was only natural that when I found The Grilled Cheese Academy, I had to take it upon myself to try each of their 30 grilled cheese varieties. So, each weekend I will be trying a new sandwich and sharing it here!

Grilled Cheese #1:

The Sergeant Pepper

(sandwich recipe found HERE and onion ring recipe found HERE)

8 slices SOURDOUGH BREAD

4 slices CHEDDAR CHEESE

4 slices PEPPER JACK CHEESE

1 YELLOW ONION

1 c BREAD CRUMBS

1 c FLOUR

1 EGG

1/2 c MILK

1/2 c WATER

1 tsp BAKING POWDER

1 tsp SALT

1 tsp PEPPER

2 tbsp OLIVE OIL

VEGETABLE OIL for frying

STEP 1: Mix together flour, salt, pepper, and baking powder. In a separate bowl, mix together milk and egg. Stir egg mixture into flour mixture and add 1/2 c water to make a batter for the onion rings.

STEP 2: Slice onion and separate rings. Dip in batter and then roll in bread crumbs. Fry in vegetable oil (over med-high heat) until brown and crispy). Drain on paper towel.

STEP 3: Brush olive oil on outsides of bread and then on the inside, layer pepper jack cheese, onion rings, cheddar cheese, and then other slice of bread on top. Grill and brown both sides.

If you read the original recipe you see that the onion ring recipe is different and it also calls for cauliflower on the sandwich. I omitted the cauliflower and found another onion ring recipe online that sounded more appetizing. You could also cut out a lot of work by just putting on some already made onion rings from the frozen food section.

Week 1 of the grilled cheese challenge was a success! I hope the next one tastes just as good;)

Happy Sunday

2012-03-18T22:09:00.000-07:00

We had a random rainy day today and when it rains here...you go outside and play in it!

So play we did.

This girl jumped in puddles until her rainboots were rendered useless.

Hope you had a lovely Sunday.

Smores on a Stick!

2012-03-16T10:57:00.000-07:00

Yes, the title of this post needed an exclamation point. Smores are a favorite in our house, but we rarely take the time to light a fire and make them the good old fashioned way.

I actually had all the traditional smores ingredients in my pantry, but my eye also glanced over to the some left over lollipop sticks and I decided I need to try and make a classy smore...on a stick.

SMORES ON A STICK

1 package large MARSHMELLOWS

ALMOND BARK

4 large GRAHAM CRACKERS

LOLLIPOP STICKS

STEP 1: Insert lollipop sticks into bottom of marshmallows and press through until they almost comes out the top.

STEP 2: Melt almond bark per package directions. You need about a cup of melted chocolate. Add about a tsp of vegetable oil to thin if needed.

STEP 3: Crush up graham crackers and place in bowl.

STEP 4: Dip marshmallow's into melted chocolate. Tap on side of the to get excess chocolate off and then roll in graham cracker pieces. Place in cup to stand up while the chocolate hardens.

STEP 5: Repeat with rest of marshmallows and place them all in the refrigerator for 5 minutes to allow chocolate to completely harden. Then they can be kept out at room temperature.

I also half dipped some and I think they are pretty cute too.

These are so good and really do have the smores taste!

I'm linked to:

Tatertots and Jello

Red Hair!...for now:)

2012-03-14T10:10:00.005-07:00

I needed a change this week. A combination of my husband working 13 hour days and me staying in my workout clothes ~~all~~ most of the day just left me in a funk.

A mom funk.

Ever been in one of those? They aren't fun.

So, I dressed both kids (and myself), threw us into the car and headed off to get my hair trimmed. It was a wild day for me. I got my hair cut (WITHOUT a coupon! What? I know.), the stylist talked me into a $12 bottle shampoo (post baby hair loss is just cruel), and then I went to Walmart to get myself a new color o' hair.

I know, calm down, right?

One hour later I just felt better. It's amazing what a trim and a new hairstyle can do for your confidence!

I'm kind of in love with my new color. I never dye my hair with permanent color so by the time I'm over this, my natural color will be back, which is fine, cause I love my natural color too.

Being a redhead is fun right now;) It makes me wanna try new color combinations for my clothes too so hopefully no more yoga pants and old maternity shirts that I work out in. Hooray!

Do you take risks with you hair?

Happy Wednesday!

PS- This color is Garnier's Herbashine Medium Auburn. I have medium brown hair and the color came out pretty dark (not as bright as the box said).

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Crackers

2012-03-10T12:17:00.000-08:00

I love salty sweet combinations, so naturally peanut butter and chocolate are probably my favorite. Peanut butter M & Ms are not allowed in this house...seriously.

These are a fun cookie to make that combine salty, sweet, and carbs. Now how could they be bad??

CHOCOLATE COVERED PEANUT BUTTER CRACKERS

1 box SNACK CRACKERS (I used Ritz)

PEANUT BUTTER

CHOCOLATE ALMOND BARK

STEP 1: Spread peanut butter on inside of one cracker and put another cracker on top. Press down until peanut butter comes to the edges.

STEP 2: Melt some almond bark in the microwave per package instructions. Thin it out with a little vegetable oil if needed.

STEP 3: Dip crackers in melted almond bark and let harden on wax paper.

I had some left over white chocolate melts from the oreo pops I made, so I also melted that and drizzled it over the top.