Tag Archives: Desserts

Peanut Butter and Chocolate!

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I am not a big chocolate fan…but I do love chocolate and peanut butter!  In fact, these peanut butter balls are one of my favorite things to make.  I usually only make these treats at Christmas, but I had an opportunity to work with a friend who is a wonderful baker.  She needed 600 peanut butter balls for a 40th birthday surprise.  Wow!

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Thankfully she only needed me to make 200!  I was happy to help her and glad that it was something I have made many times…it’s so much easier when I know what I’m doing!

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Find the recipe here for Peanut Butter Balls. Enjoy!

25 Reasons we love Hannah

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APRIL just flew by for me!  It is a month of celebrations in our home.  My husband, daughter, best friend and anniversary are all celebrated in this lovely month.

My daughter turned 25 this year.  Happy Birthday, Hannah!  My family thought of things we each love about Hannah and had a friend of mine (who is my “go to” for graphics) design this for me.  I thought it turned out so cute!

I framed this for my daughter as one of her gifts.  I hope this always reminds her that she is special and unique, loved by her family and a precious young woman that has an amazing journey ahead of her!!  We love you, Hannah!

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Hannah’s Birthday Cake

I have teased my daughter that she is “practically perfect in every way”, since she was a small child. So this “Mary Poppins” cake was perfect for her!

Love this Mary Poppins quote for my office. "In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun.":

 

 

 

Since she had this poster hanging on her wall the first year of teaching,  it seemed appropriate for me to run with this theme!  Happy Birthday Hannah!

I don’t think 25 is too old for Mary Poppins…do you?

 

 

One Cupcake goes a long way

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One Cupcake can say a lot of things:
I am thinking of you
You are sweet
We are friends
You are worth it
I care about you
and last but not least…Happy Birthday!

One of my most precious friends has a birthday in April. She is so kind and always willing to taste my sweet creations and give me her honest opinion…too dense, too sweet, not sweet enough, etc. I love her feedback and trust her palate!! I asked her what type of cupcake she would like for her special day and she requested Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes.

I had made these previously and really liked them, so I was happy when she chose this flavor cupcake.  My husband was too!

This little cupcake says so much more than Happy Birthday.  It says “you are special” and “I am glad we are friends”.

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One last thing…does anyone else out there have a kitchen that looks like this while you are baking or is it just me???

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Chocolate Birthday Pie!

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It is my hubby’s birthday today.  Happy Birthday!

I asked him what kind of cake he wanted for his birthday this year.  Instead of cake, he wanted a pie.  His favorite is cherry pie, but we could not find any fresh cherries.  So chocolate pie was second on the list.

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I decided to use a recipe from The Pioneer Woman.

I love my mom’s homemade crust, but after working 9 hours…Pillsbury’s Pie Crust was the obvious choice!

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  I did cook my pie crust a little longer than I needed, but it still was delicious! IMG_3444[1]

I had all my ingredients ready to go and found this recipe was really quite easy.

It calls for bittersweet chocolate.  I used Ghirardelli and chopped fine and added after the pie filling was beginning to thicken. I think this tasted better than using cocoa powder. IMG_3427[1]

 The pie was a huge success, mainly because my hubby loved it!

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 Click here Chocolate Pie for her recipe.  The full link to her recipe can be found there. If you make this, let me know what you think! I have listed some of her cookbooks here for you if you don’t have one already.

      

Skinny Stuffed Bell Peppers or Cake batter?

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It is not easy for me to find the perfect balance in my life.  I am naturally an “all or nothing” kind of girl, especially where food is concerned. If I am eating “bad”, then I am eating bad; if I am eating “good”, then I am eating good!  Sometimes I struggle with having that favorite cupcake or candy and popcorn at the movies.  Usually when I say yes to those types of sweets,  I tend to eat bad all day, which leads to all week, which leads to waiting until Monday to eat healthy again!  Yes, balance is hard for me.IMG_2687[1]

 

 

 

I find this to be true in so many areas of my life, not just with food.  I am trying to learn that there is a good balance out there somewhere that will work for me.

The last two weeks have proven to be better.  I have enjoyed a healthier kitchen while still baking and tasting some of my favorite sweets as well as having a drink, in moderation, of course!  I found the scale did not go up!

Today I made one of my favorite things from the SKINNYTASTE website, Stuffed Bell Peppers.  I love how these taste, they fill me up and don’t add a ton of calories.

 

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I made some with cheese and some without. If I pour salsa on them, I find I can do without the extra calories or flavor from the cheese.  I am not saying it is not better with cheese, because what is not better with cheese?  But I can still enjoy without!

I have used her recipes and cookbook many times and loved everything I have tried.  If you don’t already have her book, it is a great one to have on your kitchen counter!

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Find the recipe here Turkey Stuffed Peppers.  If you are interested in her cookbook, take a peek here and see what you think!  The Skinnytaste Cookbook: Light on Calories, Big on Flavor.  I hope you enjoy!

 

 

Bluebonnets in Texas

Posted in 2016 Travel Adventures, Adventures in the Kitchen by

IMG_3050[1]We love our bluebonnets in Texas!  They line the highways.  People line the highways to stop and take a family photo.  In fact, if you are from Texas, you have a family photo in the middle of bluebonnets.  It’s just what we do.

My girls are grown, but we still stop and look at the bluebonnets when we are traveling. This year, I took a picture of my daughter, holding one of my pretzels, in the middle of this field of blue.  I thought it was the right thing to do!  I’m not sure that she felt this way, but she was a good sport.

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I could not resist this photo with the Texas and Aggie flag waiving in the background!  This was one of my Easter pretzels..I wish I had made a bluebonnet pretzel for the photo…maybe next year!

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Chocolate and Sprinkles

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These pretzels are the perfect treat to bring to any party or celebration!  They have that wonderful blend of salty and sweet…and they are so darn cute!

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I needed something to take to a wedding shower for a sweet young girl at work.  Her colors are gold and blush.  When I saw these glittery gold sprinkles I knew just what to bring!

These chocolate covered pretzels are so easy and so quick and better yet…inexpensive!  Like I said, they are really the perfect little treat!

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Give these a try the next time you host a party, need to bring a snack, or just want to drop off to a friend to make them smile!   While this is so basic, I added the recipe, just to share my tips with you on making these adorable treats!

Any occasion is the right occasions for these pretzels!

Valentines
Christmas
Thanksgiving
Halloween
July 4

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

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My favorite Lemon Cookie Recipe!  

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I found this recipe for Lemon Crinkle Cookies last summer at a wonderful food blog,  Cooking Classy.   I  love everything I make from her website, and when I saw these cookies I knew I found another winner!  This is my favorite lemon cookie recipe!  These cookies just make me smile.

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YUMMY!
Next time life gives you lemons…make these delicious Lemon Crinkle Cookies!

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Chocolate Covered Peanut Clusters

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I LOVE Chocolate Covered Peanuts.  I make these tasty snacks at Christmas every year.  I was thrilled when I saw these made with Spring colored M&Ms.  I found this recipe at The Slow Roasted Italian website.   She actually makes these in the crockpot. So easy.     Here is a link to the recipe.   http://www.theslowroasteditalian.com/2016/03/White-Chocolate-crockpot-candy.html

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I find this candy has the perfect touch of saltiness and sweetness and it looks fun to eat!

One of the best things about this recipe it that is has three simple ingredients; white chocolate, dry roasted peanuts and M&Ms.  The white chocolate starts to have swirls of darker chocolate as the M&Ms start to melt.  How good does this look? IMG_2924[1]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just drop by spoonfuls on wax or parchment paper.  Reserve a few M&Ms and add to the top.  Add sprinkles if you want for an extra splash of color .  IMG_2923[1]

It only takes a few minutes for these to cool.  Then you are ready to dig in for a delicious treat!  IMG_2926[1]

 

 

WHOPPERS Robin Eggs/Chocolate Chip

Posted in Adventures in the Kitchen, Books I Love by

WHOPPERS Mini ROBIN EGGS/Chocolate Chip Cookies.  🙂

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I love Robin Eggs!  I always purchase a bag around Easter time and they are usually gone in a day.  I had this bag hidden very well until I was ready to bake!

I used Sally’s recipe from her cookbook Sally’s Candy Addiction: Tasty Truffles, Fudges & Treats for Your Sweet-Tooth Fix.  I simply exchanged the regular size WHOPPERS for the MINI ROBIN EGGS.  These still have the same wonderful flavor…with a touch of pastel…perfect for Spring.

I needed to chill the dough for a couple of hours, so  left to run a few errands.   When I came home I discovered  some of the cookie dough was missing.  Thankfully, I still had enough left to make a couple dozen!  Raw cookie dough does not last long around my house!  These cookies are easy to make, have a wonderful texture and don’t last long!  You can find the recipe on my home page, or here Whopper Chocolate Chip Cookies

Happy Spring!

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Here is a quick link to the cookbook from Sally!