Sweet Treats & Good Eats

One Sweet Appetite

2012-05-02T09:13:00.000-07:00

The day is finally here! I am officially making the big move over to my new site. I hope that all of you will follow me over there. I've already posted some great recipe's, and fun tutorials. Plus it looks AMAZING! Don't believe me? Take a look at the amazing work that Kendra, from Key Lime Digital Designs, did for me:

She was able to incorporate some adorable little knick knacks & kitchen utensils all throughout the design, and I am in LOVE.

I know many of you are probably going to get confused with the name change, but I think in the long run it will be better. It's easier for me to say, and much easier to remember!

So head over and take a look around!

One Sweet Appetite

And while you are there, snag one of my super cute buttons for your sidebar!

Or follow me on facebook & instagram!! I have a couple super fun giveaways coming up this weekend, and in order to enter, you have to follow my new site in some way... So head on over and take a look around!

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What's in a name??

2012-04-02T13:26:00.003-07:00

If you follow me on Facebook, you've probably read that there are going to be some serious changes to my site. I wanted to take a second and give everyone a little explanation. Hopefully this post will help explain the change, and make the transition easier for all of you loyal readers!

The first step in this whole crazy process was a hard one. I had to decide if I wanted to continue using blogger, or make the jump to wordpress.

I've been using blogger form the beginning. So I know the ins & outs of the posting process. I have also gotten fairly good at the HTML codes and so on... For all of you newbies out there, blogger is the best choice for a beginner. It has a less complicated layout, and is extremely user friendly. However, I'm looking for a bit more. The big selling point for me was the fact that WordPress allows multiple image uploads at one time and its image editing capabilities are simple and straightforward. No HTML knowledge is required.

I'm flat out an idiot when it comes to writing my own HTML. I mean, I can do it. . . But it becomes an day long process.

Another thing I liked was the fact that you can host your own site with WordPress. By doing this you have full functionality and the ability to upload thousands of third-party themes along with the ability to change any of the code as needed.

By making this decision, it means loosing the Sweet Treats name. I'm not too sad about this though. It's long, and occasionally can be a real tongue twister.

After sitting down with my wonderful husband, we decided on the name:

One Sweet Appetite

What I am hoping, is that all of you will join me on my new site this month. The official launch date is still up in the air, I'm working with Kendra from key lime digital designs to finalize the amazing new look.

Once things are good to go, I'll post the new site URL.

Let me know if you guys have any questions, and I hope you will stick around!

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Planning a family vacation? Let me help out!

2012-03-29T10:44:00.002-07:00

Right now, Plum District has a KILLER deal for a two day hopper pass to
LegoLand!

$359-$495 for Two LEGOLAND® California Two-Day Hopper Passes + Two Nights at The Grand Pacific Palisades Resort - $599-$815 Value

You get to chose from two package types!

$395 Legoland package with costal view room for two nights- a $599 value

$495 Legoland package with one bedroom villa for two nights- a $815 value!!

Click HERE for more details!

Somethin' with a little kick!

2012-03-26T21:03:00.001-07:00

Today was wet and windy. My least favorite combination. It kind of makes me want to curl up on the couch with a great book, and cuddle under a blanket while I read for hours snacking on chocolates and other not-so-good-for-you treats.

Unfortunately, I have a two year old who thinks sitting on the couch reading a non-picture book is BORING.

So we spent the day with friends and had a lot of play time instead. I did manage to get a little bit of comfort food in though.

White Chicken Chili

{recipe adapted from This One found over at Food Network}

1 cup diced onion

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 pound cooked, and cubed, chicken breast

4 cups cold water

1 bay leaf

1/2 can chopped green chillies

1/4 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon basil

1/4 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning

pinch of Cajun seasoning

2 oz chipotle in adobo, chopped

2 tablespoons chicken base

1 pickled jalapeno, chopped

1 pound white beans, soaked over night, and drained.

1/4 cup half and half

Sour cream (optional)

- In a large pot, saute the onion and garlic in the oil until tender. I'd say about five minutes/

- Add the chicken, water, bay leaf, chillies, oregano, cumin, mustard, basil, Old Bay seasoning, Cajun seasoning, chipotle, chicken base, and jalapeno. Simmer for 1-1/2 hours.

- Stir in the beans with the half and half. Simmer for an additional hour, or until the beans are tender.

- Serve with a dollop of sour cream.

This soup is so unbelievably good. My husband actually brought the original recipe home from work, and said we had to try it. After the few small changes made, it was fantastic! I'm sure it was good as is, but I wanted to stick with what we had on hand. Daxton even enjoyed it. Which is saying a lot. Our picky three year old hasn't been eating anything but cake lately!

If you have a large family, I would consider doubling the recipe. Or if you'd like to freeze some. We ended up throwing half of the pot into a ziplock & into the freezer for another day. Hopefully sometime soon... I never feel like soup during the warm summer months!

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A Very Hungry Birthday

2012-03-25T09:04:00.003-07:00

I am going to start this post by apologizing. First, it seems like I never have bright sunny days when I want them! We live in a basement apartment, so I had horrible lighting the day of the party, and some of the photo's are extremely dark. However, I think you can still see how great the overall theme came through. The second apology is for the length of the post. It's a long one. Feel free to simply glance through the photo's.

Tutorials for decor coming soon!

We tried to keep things pretty simple. Mainly because my husband put me on a huge budget, so I knew that almost everything would have to be homemade with supplies I had on hand. Also, don't they say that simple is better? {maybe not, but they should. :0)}

The plates and napkins were what I based the color scheme off of. I found them clearenced out at a local party supply store. Can't beat two cases of plates for 50 cents!

We wanted the kids to really get into the theme, so we provided everyone with their very own antenna! I was actually pretty surprised how excited they were to wear the headbands, and it was a nice change from your typical birthday hat!

We kept the food to snacks. Since the party was right between lunch and dinner I figured no one would be too hungry. We stocked up on some great kid staples like gold fish crackers that were served in white cups with painted three's on them....

Some celery and carrot sticks with ranch, and some fruit kabobs {not pictured} made with Popsicle sticks to avoid any little people stabbing themselves.

Juicy Juice happened to be on sale, but the boxes had Mator from the movie Cars on them. To solve this problem I grabbed some cute paper, created and printed a label, then glued them onto each juice box.

I made the cake topper a few days before the party out of gum paste, and made Daxton's favorite cake. Double chocolate. I was a tiny bit rushed with the decorating, but still think it looked ok. It did taste amazing, so luckily no one really noticed the mistakes I made. :0)

Now! On to the decorations!! These little gems were a P.A.I.N. While their fluffy little bodies are adorable, it took me at least three hours to make two of them! I saw this idea HERE, and thought it was so cute. However, I quickly learned that I hate making yarn pom poms.

I would love to take full credit for the giant paper mache caterpillar, but my husband was the master mind behind this one. I wanted to just buy lanterns, kind of like the caterpillars you see all over Pinterest. But he insisted that we make ours something a little more sturdy. {Tutorial coming soon!}

I have seen some super cute birthday questions floating around blog land recently, and wanted to find some way to incorporate that into the party. So I created little tree's, and wrote out the answers he had for each question. I put some easter grass in a mason jar, hot glued a little caterpillar to it, and tied it all together with some bakers twine.

We had a ton of goodies for the kids to take home. First, in case you didn't notice on the invites, we did a book exchange! All of the kids brought two books. One for the birthday boy, and one for the exchange. At the end of the party we put all of the books into a big box, and everyone took turns picking a new one.

The goodie bags were filled with fruit snacks, crazy straws, playdough, bubbles, train whistles, and cars. Unless you were a girl. Then you got this in place of a car:

These made me wish I had a girl!! One of my fantastic blog sponsors, Elizabeth from Fashionably Me Bowtique made these and shipped them over. I was in LOVE with how cute they turned out!

We didn't forget about the adults. They got to take home bags of This AMAZING popcorn from Our Best Bites.

And finally, the entertainment for the afternoon:

We surprised our little guy, and the apparently the entire neighborhood, with a trackless train!

Apparently we are the coolest parents ever. Or so says my three year old!

(apparently there was a little miscomunication in this picture. My son and I were saying 'peace', while my husband was holding up three. As in, it's his third birthday. Would have made so much more sense if we would have all done three!)

So thanks for reading! I hope this helps anyone out there with some great Very Hungry Caterpillar inspiration. Feel free to email me with any questions!

I'm linking up @: Making the world cuter, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Tatertots & Jello, Blue Cricket Designs, I heart naptime, Dotted Line Crafts

My favorite soup...

2012-03-22T05:30:00.000-07:00

I've never been a huge fan of soup... Well, until this last winter. You see, I grew up in a family where homemade soup came from a can. There really isn't anything too special about that, right?
So when I bought the Our Best Bites Cookbook, and saw all of the amazing looking soup recipe's, I decided to give them a second chance. Starting with their tomato soup! It has quickly become a staple here in our household. The texture is out of this world, and it is so simple to put together. I'm not sure exactly how healthy it is exactly, but comfort food is supposed to be bad for you, right?

Creamy Tomato Soup

{recipe found in the Our Best Bites Cookbook. If you don't own it yet, you should!}

1 T reserved oil from sun-dried tomatoes, or olive oil
1 C chopped onion
¾ C shredded carrot
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp sugar

1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 Tbs dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2/3 C sliced sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (14oz) can chicken broth
3 oz reduced fat cream cheese
optional: 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (if you like heat, don't skip this!)

- Heat your olive oil to a large heavy bottomed pan. Toss in the onion, carrot, and garlic. Saute for a few minutes, or until the onion is transparent. Add the sugar, salt, pepper, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes, sun-dried tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and chicken broth. {phew! That's a lot of ingredients!}. Heat to a boil, then reduce the heat, and allow to simmer for 30 minutes.

- Remove from the heat. Transfer the mixture to your blender, and add the cream cheese. Remove the center piece of your blender, and cover with a paper towel. {important: don't place your hand offer the paper towel! I learned the hard way that the soup splatters, and that it is HOT! I'm a genius, I know!} Process for a few seconds, or until the soup has reached your desired consistency.

- Spoon into bowls, and serve!

Here is another new thing for me. Dipping grilled cheese in your tomato soup. I must have been living under a rock, because the first time I tried this was three months ago! I'd never even heard of dipping a sandwich, but my husband swore by it, and boy am I glad that I tried it out!

However, I wanted to give our meal a creative spin. I've learned, as a mom, that the smaller things are the more likely my child will eat them. And that is why I made Grilled Cheese Croutons!

Grilled Cheese Croutons

{basically a grilled cheese chopped up.}

Bread

Butter

cheese singles, or your preferred type

- Heat a medium sized pan over medium heat.

- Butter one side of one slice of bread, place cheese on the other side, and top with an additional piece of buttered bread.

- Place in the heated pan, and cook on both sides until brown.

- Cut off the crust of your sandwich, and then proceed to cut small squares out of the rest. Toss in your soup and enjoy!

I know soup season is almost over... However, we had a few cold days here in Utah this week, so I thought I better throw this one out there while I still can!

If you aren't a fan of tomato soup, you should still give this one a try. The flavor is phenomenal. You won't be disappointed!

Pin It I'm linking up @: Tatertots & Jello

Let's Bake Bread

2012-03-19T21:33:00.000-07:00

Bread & me... we don't exactly get along....

I've tried recipe after recipe, and for some reason they all just fell flat. Some of them literally! So after many failed attempts, I've finally discovered the secret to a great loaf WITHOUT a bread machine! Here are some helpful tips before we start: 1. Spoon your flour into your measuring cup. Never scoop!2. The water you use to dissolve the yeast should be warm, but not hot. {You want to be able to keep your finger in it for at least a few seconds}3. Make sure you let your bread rise fully.4. Don't let it rise too long.5. When shaping into a loaf, the dough needs to be TIGHT. Now that you have had a chance to read all of the things I learned through trial and error, let's get to the good stuff!

White Sandwich Bread

(recipe found over @ the kitchn)

2 teaspoons active-dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup milk

2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon salt
5 1/2 - 6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

- Pour the warm water into the bowl of an electric mixer. Sprinkle the yeast on top, and let stand five minutes, or until the yeast is dissolved.

- Melt the butter in the microwave. Add the milk, sugar, and salt to the butter. Mix well.

- Pour the milk mixture, along with one cup of flour, into the yeast/water. Using the paddle attachment of your mix, stir until combined. Slowly add the flour, one cup at a time, until you've added 5-1/2 cups. If the dough is still pretty sticky, add more flour, 1/4 cup at a time.

- Switch to your dough hook, and knead for 8-10 minutes. You want the dough to be smooth and shiny. Grease a large glass bowl with oil. Form your dough into a large round, and place in the bowl. Flip once, making sure to coat the entire thing with oil. Cover, and let raise until doubled in size. Typically this will take about an hour. HOWEVER, my house is very cold. It took about 2 for me.

- Turn the risen dough out onto a floured surface. Divide in half, and shape each into a round. Let rest for ten minutes.

- While that is resting, spray two bread pans with cooking spray.

- Shape the dough into a tight loaf shape, and place in your pans. Cover, and let rise until it has risen over the edge of your pan. Halfway through this rise, heat your oven to 425 degrees.

- Create a slit in the top of each loaf, and place in the oven. Immediately reduce the heat to 375 degrees. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until your loaf sounds hallow when tapped on the bottom. Cool completely, then slice & enjoy.

I know the recipe said to cool completely, but I couldon't help myself. I just pulled out some Apple Butter, and couldn't wait to try some on that nice warm bread. Plus, the smell of fresh baked bread can be intoxicating! Even Dax couldn't wait to dig in!

I'd love for you to leave the link to your favorite bread recipe! I'm on a bread making kick, and need to find a few more great recipe's!

Pin It I'm linking up @: Tatertots & Jello

Today Is a Special Day!

2012-03-19T05:30:00.000-07:00

SO, there will not be a recipe in today's post... BUT, I will be sharing a special cake that was made for a special someone tomorrow! TODAY, we will be super busy celebrating the life of one amazing little boy!

That's right! It is Daxton's third birthday!

I still can't believe it's been three whole years since the day he was born! Time seems to fly by, and I just want it to slow down for a bit today. We are taking our little guy on a train ride into the city to see The Lorax. Hopefully he'll be able to make it through the whole show! If not, it looks like we'll be making a stop by Ben & Jerry's to get him a special birthday treat!

I'll see you all tomorrow!

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Off subject a bit, but.... Any College Students out there?

2012-03-18T07:42:00.002-07:00

Anyone else out there trying to get a degree?

One of the huge things in our household is the cost of text books! Isn't it outrageous? Then, once your semester is over, you are left with the daunting task of deciding if you want to attempt to sell your book yourself, take it back to the book store for a fraction of what you paid, or just keep it.... It's exhausting, not to mention a major pain! I recently heard about an online book rental company called Campus Book Rentals. I wasn't sure if I was a true believer, but they claimed to save you 40-90% off of bookstore prices, so I thought we'd check them out. Turns out they are pretty legit. Not only do you save money, but you get free shipping both ways, AND can highlight in the textbooks! I've never heard of a book rental place allowing you to highlight, so that was a HUGE selling point for us! I was a little curious how they worked, so I did some digging, and came up with this video: The renting time period is extremely flexible, which is always a bonus. They also donate to Operation Smile with each textbook rented. Here are some of their FAQ's:

Can I write or highlight in my books?

Yes you can. Just remember that future students will rent the same book after you, so be respectful. Keep highlighting and writing to what is necessary.

Are your books the same as my bookstore?

You can be confident when you rent textbooks from us, Your books will be correct according to your order. We do not carry or ship international editions or reprints. We only ship US edition textbooks, which are the same as your campus bookstore. On occasion, if the only book we have available is a US teacher's edition, and if it is determined to be the same as the student edition page for page, and word for word, we may elect to send it; though this is very rare.

Are there any fees to sign up? (No Way!!)

Absolutely not. When you rent textbooks from us, there are zero membership or plan fees, gimmicks, hidden fees, or any weirdness at all. We display the price you pay to rent the book, end of story. Let's keep this easy people.

What if I want to purchase my book after I rent it?

No problem. You're only charged the difference between what you already paid to rent the book, and the value of the book at the time you initially rented. This is why renting textbooks is risk free. If you decide to keep a book, simply login to your customer account, choose to purchase your book, and it will walk you through the checkout process.

Are there late fees?

Technically they're rental extension fees. If you do not send your book back by the time your rental date and grace period have expired, you could become subject to a rental extension or purchase of the book if enough time lapses. I'm telling you though, we're very lenient and we're really just interested in getting our books back. Contact us if you're going to miss your deadline and we'll work with you to make sure your account isn't charged. You won't find a more awesome and flexible staff.

Is this for real? (Absolutely!)

Two years and over 5,500 college campuses later confirms that this is real. We pioneered this industry and have successfully served customers in all 50 states and on every major university in the nation. Our primary means of business growth is word of mouth. Why? Because we're real. We do what we say we'll do. We deliver the right book on time and save each student hundreds of dollars every semester. Join the movement.

It almost seems too good to be true, but it's not! Stop by and check them out for yourself!

http://www.campusbookrentals.com/book/0077318838/International-Business:-The-Challenge-of/Donald-Ball,-Michael-Geringer,-Michael-Minor,-Jeanne-McNett/9780077318833/

Pin It (Note: I was compensated for this post, but all opinions expressed are my own. I won't post about a product if I don't believe in it 100%. :0)

Happy EARLY St. Patricks Day!

2012-03-14T20:16:00.000-07:00

In the mood for something that is magically delicious?

Me too. That is why I decided to share one of our festive treats with all of you! We were in serious need of a sugar fix this week, and the only Irish-and-kid-friendly thing I could think of was lucky charms. Terrible. I know...

While I considered a lucky charm cupcake, like the ones I saw over at Cupcake Project, I decided to keep things a tad more simple. A quick scan through the pantry revealed that we are down to the bare minimum, and there aren't many things you can make with marshmallows.... :0)

Lucky Charm Treats

(Recipe is just a varied version of rice crispy treats)

10 cups Lucky Charms

8 cups mini marshmallows

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

- Line a 9x13 pan with wax paper. Lightly mist with cooking spray. Set aside.

-Pour the cereal into a large bowl.

- In a saucepan, combine the butter and marshmallows. Heat over medium/low heat until both are melted. {make sure you stir consistently}

- Pour butter mixture on top of the cereal, and mix well. Spread into your pan, and let them cool for 20-30 minutes. Cut into squares and enjoy.

I was worried this may be marshmallow overload, but it is sooooo far from that. These yummy treats were a snap to throw together, and are probably going to make an appearance at a few get togethers we have going on this weekend! The simple change in the type of cereal used really adds a new flavor to a classic dessert.

While we won't be doing anything too crazy this weekend, unless coloring leprechauns counts as wild, we will be enjoying a nice big slice of cake to help celebrate my little sisters 21st birthday!

What are some of the things you've got planned to celebrate?

Pin It I'm linking up here: Tatertots & Jello

I'm back!!!! Well, sort of!

2012-03-13T08:45:00.000-07:00

I miss blogging!!! I have piles of recipe posts saved, and I just can't wait to get them out there!!

Taking time off was just what I needed! There are, however, going to be some changes around here. First, giveaways are going to be less frequent. The whole process is stressful, and by making it an occasional thing, I think will help me out. Also, Key Lime Digital Designs is coming in on the 28th to make some serious changes to my layout! The original plan was to wait until the makeover was complete to start blogging, but I have some really fun birthday party posts that I want to go up next week!

By the way, my son is about to turn THREE!!!!

I can't believe it! These cookies are actually for him. You see, we've been working on potty training for MONTHS. He has been really good at getting the pee into the potty, but not so great with #2.... Until this week when I promised him some special cookies if he could make it to the potty! Apparently he just needed a little motivation, because we are now officially 100% potty trained!!

Double Chocolate Peanut butter Cookies

(Recipe only slightly changed from Bakerella. Gosh that girl is a genius!)

3/4 cup white whole wheat flour

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter, slightly softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

10 oz. mini chocolate chips

- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper, and set aside.

- Whisk the flours, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

- Cream the butter, sugar, and peanut butter in the bowl of your electric mixer. You want this nice and fluffy, so I'd say about 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs, and vanilla. Mix well. Slowly stir in the dry ingredients. Fold in the chocolate chips.

- Roll 2t of the batter into a ball, and place on your prepared cookie sheets. Continue until all of the cookies are formed. Bake for 10 minutes.

It was decided, in our household, that these are so much better right out of the oven! They aren't bad after they have cooled, but definitely worth a trip in the microwave for 10-15 seconds!

It's so good to be back! I hope you guys are as excited as I am!

Pin It I'm linking up here: Tatertots & Jello

Big Changes.... & a guest post!

2012-03-05T07:00:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to let everyone know that I'll be back. Soon!

I am lucky enough to be working with a blog designer that is giving Sweet Treats a makeover! I decided I needed to give the place a face lift to help me stay motivated! I'm leaning towards a simple & bright look. So, hopefully she will come up with something amazing! BUT, I also have to let you all know that I am guest posting TWICE this week over at Key Lime Digital Designs.

So head on over to her site, and check out the recipe I sent for Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins!

See you soon!

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Oh Valentines Day.... And an announcement.

2012-01-23T09:44:00.000-08:00

If you're a long time follower of my blog, you'll remember that my husband does not consider Valentines Day a holiday.

I, on the other hand, do. Which means that if I want any sort of pampering, or a good meal, I'll have to arrange it myself. I have tried to explain to my husband that a girl just needs a little TLC, and he responds with; 'Isn't that what anniversaries are for?' Pf..... Men.... So this year I have planned out the PERFECT day date for me & my Daxton. {for anyone new here, that's my two year old} We will start with a nice romantic getaway to Discovery Gateway, a children's museum here in Utah. After that, we will make our way to McDonald's & enjoy a nice meal of processed chicken nuggets & some fries followed by a lengthy two hour nap. As a special 'thanks for actually taking a nap' treat, I will then present him with a bowl of chocolate mousse! {It's ok to be jealous!}

Chocolate Mousse

{recipe slightly altered from this one: AllRecipes}

8 ounces mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup water, divided

2 tablespoons butter

3 egg yolks

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 cups whipping cream, whipped

- In a double boiler {you can just put a glass bowl over a pan}, slowly heat the chocolate, 1/4 C. water, and the butter until the chocolate has melted, and all ingredients combine. Remove from the heat, and allow to cool for ten minutes.

- In a heavy saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and remaining water. Cook over low heat, stirring consistently, until the mixture reaches 160 degrees. Remove the pan from the heat, and gently whisk in the melted chocolate mixture. Stir in vanilla. Place your pan in the freezer for five minutes. Give it a good stir, then pop it back in for another five minutes. You need it to be completely cooled.

-Once you have it cooled, fold in the whipped cream. Spoon the mousse into individual dishes. Refrigerate for 4 hours, or up to overnight.

While I ~~will be~~ am sad about my husband boycotting the 14th, I do think this mousse will kind of make up for it. I am going to pass along a warning though, this stuff is highly addicting! I'd portion it out, and whatever you do, don't just toss it all in one big bowl! I may have eaten way too much while testing the recipe! Oh! Adding the raspberries also added a little special flare, but if you prefer your chocolate without the fruit, try shaving some chocolate pieces on top for an elegant look that's sure to impress!

Now that I got this amazing chocolate mousse post out of the way, I want to spend a second saying thank you to all of my readers. You guys are fantastic, and that's why it's hard for me to tell you this...

I tossed around the idea of getting rid of my blog over the Holidays. The big problem is this: I spend so many hours putting together recipes, taking pictures, and writing up posts... I feel like over half of my life is being taken over by the internet. The first thing I do every morning is jump on the computer to make sure my posts went up, check my email, and deal with any issues that might have happened in the last 12 hours.

What I should be doing first thing is spending time with my little boy.

I feel like I'm letting all of this precious time slip away. In the blink of an eye he's going to be off to school, and I will have missed out on a lot of quality family time. All because I needed to 'finish that post', or 'look for a sponsor'.

While I will not be giving up on baking, I am sad to say that I will be giving up blogging. If you stick around my facebook page, I will occasionally post photos of sweets I've made, and where you can find the recipe. It's hard to say goodbye, but I know that this is for the better.

Thank you to all of you for making the last year and a half so much fun.

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Another Cake!

2012-01-22T13:07:00.000-08:00

Remember me mentioning that there would be three cakes in the Double Chocolate Cake post? This is the final one!

It's a chocolate cake with oreo whip cream layers. These pictures just don't do it justice... I guess I'll just have to make it again... {oh darn!}

The chocolate cake recipe can be found here.

Oreo Whipped Cream

{recipe found at Annie's Eats}

1 3/4 cups plus 2 tbsp. whipping cream

3 tbsp. powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

6 tbsp. Oreo cookie crumbs (plus extra for topping)

- An important step in this is making sure you put your mixing bowl, and the whisk attachment, into the freezer for five or ten minutes before hand. You want it to be nice and cool.

- Begin to mix the whipping cream, using your whisk attachment, on low speed. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla, mixing on low until combined. Turn the speed up to medium/high, and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Fold the oreo crumbs in with a spatula.

-Spoon the whipped topping onto the middle layer of your cake. Sprinkle with additional oreo crumbs. Top with your remaining layer cake, and more whipped cream. Decorate as desired.

I am super sad about these pictures... This cake is rich and chocolaty, but light at the same time. The Oreo's add a nice crunch, and fill your mouth with goodness!

If Oreo's aren't your thing, just leave the crumbs out of the recipe! I grew up with my Grandma making a chocolate whipped cream cake, and to this day, prefer it to any other cake! Pin It

My pantry is a mess...

2012-01-20T11:03:00.000-08:00

Wow. Organizing one room can be so overwhelming! I'm slowly loosing motivation. I have to thank my blog for keeping me going! If I wasn't posting these tips, there is no way I'd be able to keep myself motivated! Today, I decided to tackle my pantry. Making dinner has become somewhat of a challenge. Mainly because I have no idea where anything is. . . This is why:

There is absolutely NO way any sane person would live like this. Especially one that cooks as much as I do. I'm not even sure how I've been surviving the last couple of weeks. My spices are on every shelf, and if you're wondering why the heck there is a Del Taco bag on the second shelf... well... that's a great question...

To start, I cleared each self of it's contents...

Before I loaded things back into the pantry, I gave it a good cleaning with a non-toxic cleaner...

...and went through all of our medications, to weed out the expired ones. I was amazed at how many laxatives we had... I'm not even sure where the heck they came from, and over half had never even been opened! Oh, and just so you know, you shouldn't store your medications in your bathroom. I know that the term 'medicine cabinet' sounds like that's a good place to store them, but apparently the humid conditions cause the medication to be less effective or something.

Once I was done tossing out all of the expired medicine, I organized them into a cute little basket. I also pulled out my Spice Stack & loaded it up! We have a really deep pantry, which can make it hard to stay organized. So I grabbed some empty storage containers to help me keep track of a few things. One contains snacks for the kid. Another is filled with our candy supply. There is even one with all of the hot sauce packets that were hiding out in that del taco bag...

Here is a before and after shot. I feel like I haven't shared any amazing tips with you today.... But I couldn't resist showing off my spice stack... Also, if you're ever in doubt about pantry organizing, hop over to the dollar store and grab a few small bins. You can keep things organized in their own storage container which helps out with quick access to your supplies while you are cooking!

Don't forget to enter my Spice Stack Giveaway! And while you are at it, why don't you share some of your favorite organizing tips for an extra entry?

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Show of Hands... Who would like a giveaway?

2012-01-19T09:42:00.000-08:00

I was not planning on doing another giveaway for a looooooong time, but this product is so amazing, that I had to share it with all of you! Photo Credit Yep. It's a Spice Stack! When I got a box in the mail last week, I tore it open like a toddler ripping into a nicely wrapped gift. It was a little sad, but I couldn't wait to get this thing in my pantry! You see, I have one too many spices that are all over the place, and I was excited to get them all organized! No more moving from drawer to drawer looking for the spice I need! They are all going to be in one place!

Let me give you a little back story on the product...

The SpiceStack was dreamed up by product engineer Brian McLain. When Brian approached inventor Mark Greenwood with the stacked-drawer concept, Mark knew it was a winner. He had often seen his wife, an avid cook, search frustratingly for spices in her messy spice cabinet. (<--- totally me!)

The SpiceStack has appeared in an infomercial on national cable, and has also been featured in Family Circle, Women's Day, Cooking Pleasures, Women's World, Coastal Living and SkyMall Magazine. So chances are good that you've seen it out there!

They have 3 different models; The Original, Super, and Exact. They start out smaller, with the original holding 18 full sized spice bottles, and go up from there. One thing I liked, but didn't notice until the rack arrived, is that it comes with pre-printed labels, but also with plenty of blank labels so that you could make your own labels if you wished. The blank label sheet fit nicely through our computer printer, and has a label type # to help you format and print the labels. I'm not that obsessive-compulsive about it, but if you are, now you know that you can just go right ahead and be OCD to your heart's content.

I was a little worried about the drawers being too heavy, or pulling the whole box off of the shelf when I opened one drawer. Once I got all of my spices loaded, I decided to give it a test run. . . I pulled out the middle drawer, the one with the heaviest bottles, and let it dangle. I waited a few minutes, and NO sign of a problem! My Spice Stack will be making an apperance in tomorrows 'Ogranzation' post, so you will be able to see it in action!

I do have a little surprise for everyone!! The wonderful people over at Spice Stack are giving out one Original SpiceStack to a lucky Sweet Treats reader! Here is how you enter:

Mandatory:

Things got a little complicated over the holiday's, so I'm keeping this simple. Leave a comment on this post telling me why you want to win. Include your email address so I will be able to contact you!

EDIT: I decided to add a bonus entry, share this giveaway with your friends. I don't care how you do it, but leave a seperate comment telling me what you did to get the word out!

Pin It The giveaway starts now, and ends January 27th at 5pm MST. A winner will be chosen via random.org & announced sometime that day. I will send an email to the winner, and they will have 24 hours to respond, otherwise a new winner will be chosen.

I'm a sucker for a good cherry recipe...

2012-01-17T08:28:00.000-08:00

Earlier this month I was browsing some of my favorite food blogs when I came across this amazing cake over at Sprinkle Bakes. The colors were what initially drew me in, and once I found out it was a cherry cake, I knew I had to make it! For the record.... everyone voted this cake down, but I made it anyway... I'm so selfish...

Cherry Cake With Vanilla Bean Buttercream

(cake recipe only slightly adapted from Sprinkle Bakes & frosting adapted from Brown Eyed Baker )

For the cake:

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup whole milk

1/2 cup maraschino cherry juice

1 teaspoons almond extract

2 tablespoons flour for sprinkling over diced cherries

10 oz bottle maraschino cherries, finely chopped

Drop or two of red food coloring(I didn't need this)

4 egg whites, beaten to stiff peaks

-Preheat oven to 340 degrees. Prep your pans. (if you want to make two 9'' round cakes, I would double this recipe. It was perfect for two 6'')

-Cream the butter and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder . Combine milk,cherry juice and almond extract, and add alternately to the butter and sugar with the flour mixture.

-In a small bowl, sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of flour over the diced cherries and stir until the flour has been completely absorbed. Stir cherries into the batter. Stir in food coloring if desired

-Fold stiffly beaten egg whites into the batter. Pour into cake pans and bake for up to 60 minutes. It's hard for me to give you an exact time, only because I don't know what size pan you will be using. For a 6'' pan, it took 20 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

For the buttercream:

2½ sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 T. Vanilla Bean Paste

2½ cups confectioners’ sugar
Pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 Tablespoons heavy cream

- In a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter at medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds. Add the vanilla bean paste and mix for about 15 seconds.

-Slowly add the confectioners’ sugar and salt. You'll want to beat at low speed until most of the sugar is moistened.. Scrape down the bowl and beat at medium speed until mixture is fully incorporated. Scrape the bowl, and add the vanilla followed by the heavy cream. You'll want to beat it about 4-5 minutes, or until your buttercream has become nice and fluffy.

I desperately wanted to get a good photo of the inside of the cake, but since this was for a surprise party I didn't get the opportunity to cut it before all of the chaos. . . I did, however, manage to get this horrible photo that will give you an idea of how amazing it looked.

And yes, that is chocolate cake attacking the cherry. We may, or may not have, used the same knife to cut all of the cakes... And by 'we' I mean someone else. I almost had a heart attack, but se la vie. No use getting upset over the small stuff.

As for the flavor of the cake... The jury is still out. I liked the cake. A lot. So did many of the guests. My husband, however, felt that something was missing.

Not that I minded at all... That only means more left over cake for me and Dax!

Pin It I'm linking up to: Tatertots & jello weekend wrap up

A Birthday Cake, or three...

2012-01-15T15:03:00.000-08:00

We had a surprise here at our place this weekend. Ok... technically it was upstairs, which is my in-laws home, but still the same general area. What was it? Well, you see, my sister in-law turned 30 yesterday. The big three zero. Her lovely husband decided it would be a lot of fun to get everyone together for a surprise party! How sweet is that? He sent out a mass email to all of her family and friends to let them in on the secret. My husband immediately told me that I would be severely punished if I let even a whisper out about their plans... You see, I am the WORST secret keeper of all time! It also didn't help that I hang out with the birthday girl at least four times a week... And the fact that she flat out asked me to my face if I knew of any birthday plans her husband had made for her... But I managed to avoid the question by throwing out this explanation: 'Shawnee, do you really think anyone would tell me anything? I can't keep anything a secret!' I couldn't believe that I didn't even crack a smile! It was easy to believe... considering most of that sentence is true! Back to the party. I volunteered to make the cake, or.... er.... cake(s), & was so excited! Until I remembered that I am HORRIBLE at cake decorating.... SO, as I share this recipe with you, I'd like for you to do me a favor... Squint. Like... a lot. There are imperfections all over this cake, but lets be honest.... it's all about the flavor, and I totally knocked it out of the park with this one!

Chocolate Cake

(don't even bother looking for another cake recipe... I am Baker shared this one, and it is AMAZING)

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

3/4 cups good cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup buttermilk, shaken

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prep your pans, and make sure you line the bottom with parchment paper. It makes it sooo much easier to get them out after baking.

- In the bowl of your electric mixer, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

- In a large measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Turn the mixer on low, and slowly stir the milk mixture into the dry ingredients. Once combined, stir in the coffee. Scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure there is no batter stuck to the sides.

Divide between your pans, and bake for 30-50 minutes. (Times will vary depending on the size pan you have. You can also substitute the coffee with sour cream, or yogurt). Cool cakes in the pan for 30 minutes. Run a knife along the edge, and flip onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely.

Rich Chocolate Frosting

(Thank you Allrecipes)

1 C. unsalted butter

4-1/2 C. powdered sugar

1-1/4 C. good quality cocoa

1/2 t. vanilla

1/2 C. + 2T. Milk

- Cream your butter in the bowl of an electric mixer, using the whisk attachement.

- Slowly stir in the powdered sugar, cocoa, and vanilla. Add the milk and beat for a few minutes. Add more milk if you'd like a thinner consistancy.

This frosting is melt-in-your-mouth fantastic! There was a little extra, and it is very possible that it didn't make it to the fridge... I may have handed an extra spoon to my toddler, sat on the ground, and shared the bowl with him...

He told me it was the best ice cream I've ever made.

I'll take that compliment!

OH... and did I mention that I made THREE cakes?

I couldn't decide on a single flavor, so I decided to break out my 6 inch cake pans and give everyone an option! Later this week, you'll see two more cakes make an appearance on Sweet Treats! Any guesses on the flavor combinations?

Pin It I'm linking up to: Tatertots & jello weekend wrap up

Chocolate Milk, & What Happens When We Run Out Of Nesquick...

2012-01-13T05:30:00.000-08:00

My husband and son live off of chocolate milk. Not kidding, we went through 5 of those giant Nesquik containers that you buy at Costco in one year. Five in one year! Crazy... I know...

Just to clarify, we have a rule when it comes to Dax & his chocolate milk. He doesn't have it all of the time. First, he must eat every item on his plate, and second, it has to be with skim milk with not too much chocolate. This 'rule' is what has gotten our little guy to chow down every vegetable we serve him. It's also the reason he's come to love many green foods. He will ask me for green beans or broccoli before asking for candy. I am totally ok with that.

Well, the other night, Dax finished up his meal, turned to me and asked, 'Mom, may I have some chocolate milk please?'

How do you say no to a toddler with such great manners?

But then I realized we were all out of Nesquik!

WHAT???

I quickly reffered back to a few recipes I've bookmarked for homemade chocolate syrup & decided to give it a try...

Chocolate syrup

(recipe from Alton Brown)

1 1/2 cups water

3 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups Dutch-processed cocoa

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

-Start by bringing the water and sugar to a boil in a large pot. Whisk in cocoa, vanilla, salt, and corn syrup. Whisk until all of the ingredients are incorporated, and the solids have dissolved.

-Continue to cook over medium heat until the sauce has reduced, and slightly thickened. Strain and cool to room temperature.

-Store in squeeze bottles, or jars in the refrigerator. Whatever is easiest for you.

This is one of the BEST homemade syrups I have had. It's rich in flavor, and pairs great with a nice bowl of ice cream. We never eat ice cream, but I bought a special pint just for this! It also happens to be fat free. Can you believe that?

And SO easy. Seriously. You could not mess this up even if you were the worst cook in the world. That's how easy this is.

I read through the reviews from the original recipe, as I often do, and noticed a few people said the corn syrup didn't make that much of a difference. I think I might go ahead and try it without that next time!

Pin It I'm linking up at: Tatertots & Jello Weekend Wrap Up

Dear Coffee Enthusiasts...

2012-01-11T07:57:00.000-08:00

I have recently received a few emails asking me to create a specific cupcake. Everyone has asked for a different type of coffee cupcake, so I've combined all of your requests into one amazing cupcake!

Well, I've heard it's amazing. I personally don't like the taste of coffee. The smell, however, is always welcome in my home!

So what flavor won out in the coffee flavor war?

Mocha & white chocolate. I was terrified that the two flavors wouldn't blend together well, but my taste testers agreed that they were WONDERFUL. These little beauties even went on to please some very appreciative old colleges. So, without further delay, here is the recipe:

Mocha Cupcakes With White Chocolate Frosting

( Cupcake recipe from the talented Jamie over at My Baking Addiction, frosting from food.com)

For the cupcakes:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cups cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee
1 ½ teaspoons instant espresso granules

- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line two muffin tins with paper liners and set aside.

- Shift together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer. In a large measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Turn the mixer onto low speed, and slowly add your wet ingredients to the dry. Mix the espresso granules in with the coffee, and slowly stir into the batter.

- Divide the batter between the muffin tins, and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack & allow to cool completely.

For the Frosting:

1C. unsalted butter

2 C. Powdered sugar

6 oz. good quality white chocolate, melted and cooled

3 T. heavy cream

-Cream your butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Slowly add the powdered sugar, and mix until it is light and fluffy.

- Slowly stir in the melted chocolate. (make sure it's cooled a bit). Start adding the heavy cream 1T. at a time. You can add more if it seems a little thick, but three tablespoons worked great for me. Here is where it gets tricky.

It's going to look like the ingredients are not incorporating. Just be patient. Increase the speed of your mixer to medium speed, and continue to beat for 5 more minutes. It should start to look fluffy and amazing in no time.

These really did make my house smell amazing. If you are a coffee lover, these are for you. If not.... well.... then I owe you a cupcake!

Pin It I'm linking up at: Tatertots & Jello Weekend Wrap Up

I am pretty sure there are monsters under my kitchen sink...

2012-01-09T05:30:00.000-08:00

I don't know who else would make this mess!

This is under my kitchen sink. Ridiculous... I know. I'm actually not even sure how I let it get this bad... Or when it happened. I just know that one day, I opened the cabinet, quickly shut it, and made a promise to myself never to open it again... The worst part? This is only ONE side!

The other side has some misc. cleaners, paint, paint brushes, scentsy bars, and sooooo many more random things...

Ugh. What a perfect place to start my Organizing segment! The kitchen...

Mainly, I want to share with you what I did with all of those bags. I like to use them for random things around the house & also to keep in the car for emergencies. But we had way too many! The first thing I did was divide them in half, so I could take some to wal mart and throw them in their recycling bin. The other half I folded. Small.

I know it sounds time consuming, but I found a great tutorial over on Organizing Your Way that made it quick & painless.

Before I get started, you have to promise you won't make fun of me... You see, I have been living in sweats. It's sad... I know. But my philosophy is this; If I'm not going to leave the house, why wear down a good pair of jeans?

How to Fold Grocery Bags:

- First, grasp the bottom of the bag in one hand, and the loops in the other. Pull nice and tight.

- Next, grip the bottom of the bag in your palm. Twist the bag around two fingers. Make sure you pull nice and tight.

- Finally, when you get to the end of the bag, wrap the loops around your tightly wound ball. You should end up with something like this:

Small, and easy to store. Plus you won't end up fighting through a million bags when you need to grab one in a hurry!

Once I was done with all of those, I got rid of some of the clutter, and apparently paint brushes and scentsy bars don't really belong under the sink. At least, that's what my husband tells me. So I stashed those in my craft room, you'll be excited to see the giant mess in there when we get to it, and rearranged the rest of the items to be a little more functional.

Here is how it turned out:

I got the purple basket from the dollar store to keep the bags in. I have to say, this is much more functional! I'm loving how nice it is that I don't have to dig towards the back of the space to grab a garbage bag! And Dax has been running around the house yelling, 'It's SO clean under there!' for the last few days.

Before I go, I'll leave you with a quick before and after shot:

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You Can't Always Get What You Want! Well, in this case, you can!

2012-01-07T05:30:00.000-08:00

A few days ago, I got homesick. Really homesick. You see, my sister called to brag about my mom's taco's, and let me know that they would be having homemade taco's for New Years. She also was kind enough to let me know that she would gladly eat one for me. Brat. Everyone that knows me understands that I have a deep love for those tacos. They would be my last meal. There is just something wonderful about those deep fried shells and homemade refried beans. If only I knew how to make them... Oh wait! I do! Unfortunately, I didn't have small corn tortillas on hand, or taco seasoning, so my tacos became burritos, and the homemade beans were from a can... (heating them up counts as homemade, right?). Burritos... close enough! I found a great recipe for the taco seasoning, and decided I had to share.

DIY Taco Seasoning

(recipe found on Allrecipes)

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

- Mix all of your ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle desired amount over browned beef. Store remaining seasoning in air tight container.

I am almost betting you didn't realize it was this easy. Did you?

What I loved about this recipe is the fact that I already had everything in my cabinet. I was a little worried about the amount of cumin, but the beef turned out fantastic. It gave it a little extra kick that I really think added a great flavor to our burritos!

Pin It I'm linking up at: Tatertots & Jello Weekend Wrap Up

I know the Holiday's are over, but....

2012-01-05T05:30:00.000-08:00

I can't help but slip this recipe into the line up! Christmas & New Years have come and gone... Our tree was taken down, decorations packed away, and the only thing left to do was give my home a good once over. I meant serious business too. I would leave no space untouched. Starting with the kitchen! The only problem with that is that I made it to the fridge, found some eggnog that needed to be used ASAP, and decided to save the cleaning for another day!

Eggnog Snickerdoodles

(recipe only slightly adjusted from the one I found on What Katie's Baking)

1 ½ c flour

½ stick butter

½ cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup eggnog

½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp cream of tartar

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 cup sugar + 1-1/2t. cinnamon

- Don't preheat your oven just yet. Whisk the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt in a medium measuring cup. Set aside.

- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together your butter & the 1/2 C. sugar. Beat for about two minutes, or until it's nice and fluffy. Slowly stir in the egg as well as the eggnog.

- Here is where it can get a bit tricky. Remove the bowl from the electric mixer. (That's right... we're doing the rest by hand. But trust me. They turn out that much better.) With a spatula, fold in the dry ingredients. Be careful not to over mix. Cover, and refrigerate at least two hours.

- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Mix together the 1/8 C. sugar and the cinnamon in a shallow dish. Pull your dough out of the refrigerator. I use a small ice cream scoop, but you can use a tablespoon, to scoop out small amounts of dough, and roll into a ball. place your ball into the cinnamon mixture, and coat.

- Continue with the remaining dough, placing each ball about two inches away from the rest. Bake for exactly 10 minutes. Trust me. No more. No less. They are done.

- Cool on a wire rack, and enjoy!

While I didn't get much cleaning done, I did manage to make some outstanding cookies that are most likely not going to make it through the end of the day.

Oh, and a side note, I was hoping these would be a little more dense then they turned out. They are more cake-like then I was expecting. So if you are looking for more of a traditional snickerdoodle taste, hang in there. I'm working on a new recipe for that!

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I'm linking up @: Tatertots & Jello Weekend Wrap Up,

A New Year, A New Weekly Feature... Oh, And I Guess Some New Resolutions...

2012-01-03T14:14:00.000-08:00

I've been putting off resolutions... Every year I make resolutions that are ridiculous, or that I know I'll never be able to keep up with. (examples: No sugar, exercise more...) This year is different! I've come up with TWO great resolutions that I know I will be able to handle! Even my husband agrees. Both were well thought out, and very 'do'able! The first resolution has to do with my home. Not necessarily the people in it, but the home itself. Being a stay at home mom has been so amazing, but I'm getting ready to start school, and things are a huge mess. I admit to being one of those people that shove things into the closet when I know someone will be stopping by. . . I truly feel I'm allergic to the broom. The vacuum should be on that list too!

(image source)

So my first goal is to organize at least one thing a week. ONE thing. Easy enough! And that is where my blog comes in. I'm starting a new feature on my site. I'm still working on what to call it, but basically I will be posting an organizing tip of some sort once a week. I've already tackled a few tasks, and let me tell you... the pictures we've been taking are hilarious! I can't wait to share some of these amazing resources and tips! (By the way. . . If anyone has a suggestion on what to call this 'feature' please let me know!) My second resolution is to spend some quality time with my family. I also found a cute idea on pinterest that even my husband agreed would be fun.

(Image Source)

Here is what you do... You get a big jar, some Post-It notes, and a pen. Every time you make a memory, big or small, you write it down & toss it in the jar. On December 31, 2012 you take your jar and dump it out. You read through all of the things that were put in, and reminisce over all of the great times you and your family had throughout the year. I just think that's a fantastic way to remember some of the smaller things that are often taken for granted. I plan on putting all of our notes into a book, that way we will have something fun to read throughout the years. Now, what are some of your resolutions? Pin It

Dear Moochies... Why must you be so far from my home?

2012-01-02T05:30:00.000-08:00

There is a place in downtown Salt Lake that holds the key to my heart. It's kind of a small place. In fact, it doesn't look that amazing at all. But anyone that has eaten there knows how unbelievably wonderful the food at Moochies is. It's the place we almost always go on date night, and swing by when we visit the zoo. The only problem I have is that it is sooooo far away. When I get those cravings for a great Philly cheeseteak, I remember how long the drive is, & how much I hate buckling Dax into the car... SO, when I saw a sandwich on the Rachel Ray Show, I almost couldn't contain my excitement!

Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes

(recipe slightly adapted by Rachel Ray)

1 pound ground beef

1 softball-sized onion, chopped

1 large green pepper, chopped

1 cup beef stock

Salt and ground black pepper

4 ciabatta sandwich rolls

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon +1-1/2 teaspoons flour

1 cup milk

1 cup provolone, shredded

- Brown you beef in a large skillet. Add the chopped onion and pepper. Continue to cook an additional 3-4 minutes, or until your onions are soft. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in your beef stock, and bring to a light simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover, and start the cheese sauce.

- In a medium sauce pan, whisk together the butter and flour. Heat until just bubbly. Slowly incorporate the milk. Bring to a boil, and allow the sauce to thicken. Once your desired thickness is reached, remove from heat and stir in the provolone. Keep stirring until it is fully melted.

- Lightly toast your buns using a small amount of butter and your broiler. Top the bun with the meat mixture followed by some cheese.

My husband decided that this was a good sandwich. It was, however, missing a little heat...

Moochies has this fantastic jalapeno cream sauce that I have yet to replicate. I don't know what they put in it, but on top of a Philly, it's just amazing.

I asked how he felt about the sandwich other then that, and his response was this;

'We should add it to the 'family favorites' file! For sure.'

You could also use ground sirloin, like Rachel, but we are cheap and I felt the sandwich was great with the ground beef. Plus it saved me some mula. :0)

What are some of your family favorites?

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I'm linking up @: Tatertots & Jello Weekend Wrap Up,