Spring-y Decorated Sugar Cookies

I LOVE making my "special cookies" which is really just cut-out sugar cookies that are decorated (that's the special part!)
With LJ's preschool carnival coming up, I knew I wanted to contribute something for the cake walk!  Since I needed to drop it off a few days beforehand, I went with these cookies.
Check out the best recipes and tips all in one place- the blog Glorious Treats.  If you don't follow her blog you are missing out on some great ideas for parties, cakes, and of course, cookies!
I used to use a different recipe but now I use hers and it turns out great every time.

Step One: Don cure apron and no make-up.  (Okay, the no make-up part is just on there as a disclaimer!)

Step Two: Make dough, chill, roll out, then choose a couple of flower cookie cutters and go to town.  I know, I know, that is a million steps.  HINT: Roll out your dough on top of a flour-cloth towel that you have rubbed flour into.  It will NEVER stick, and it won't add a bunch of flour to your yummy dough!

Step Three:  Bake em'.  HINT:  Cool your sheets in between batches by throwing them in the freezer for a minute!  This will keep it from melting your dough too soon.

Step Four:  Make some Royal Icing and separate it into batches for different colors.  I used the green, yellow, and pink as-is, then mixed pink and blue for purple too.  These are the Wilton gels and they worked great.  HINT: I take a ziploc, put the interior plastic part for the frosting coupler in the corner, but DO NOT snip corner off yet.  Then you can fill with the frosting and seal so it doesn't dry out while you are doing the other colors!  You will need to snip the corner before you frost, obviously!  Use the freezer bag ones or your bag might split.

For my daisies, I did the petals first,then made a spiral of contrasting icing in the center.  Then I added a dot of green.

For my tulips, I decided to get a little crazy and make a floral scene.  I did the grass outline first, then flooded, then did the flowers, then the stem/leaves, and finally, the dots in the center in contrasting icing.

And to make everything look better, fancy packaging!  I got three of these cupcake boxes for $3.50 at TJ Maxx.  They are the "Meri" brand if you want to try to find some.  They are perfect for cupcakes, but worked fine for the cookies too!

I hope this inspired you to get baking!  I hadn't done this in a while and it was fun, I have missed it!  My house was a mess after because I let my 2 year old run wild.  Otherwise, I wouldn't have gotten the cookies done!

I am working on the i-spy tutorial!  I went to Hobby Lobby yesterday and spent waaaaaay too much money buying miniature things to put in them. So excited to get the first one done!

Dark Chocolate Ganache Cake Recipe

My mom's birthday was a couple of days ago, and she wanted a REALLY good chocolate cake.  So, I got out this recipe that I have used a couple of times and had a lot of success with!  I have topped this with a Chocolate Buttercream frosting before, and I have topped it with a Nutella frosting before.  But since my mom is a true choco-holic, I went for a classic- Chocolate Ganache (and a LOT of it!)
I do not know the original source for this recipe, but I do know that I have tweaked it from the original (amount of vanilla, and amount of cocoa/water mixture).
So here it is!

Dark Chocolate Ganache Cake
from ToBeContinued

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/4 cups + 2T all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

• In a small bowl, pour the boiling water over the cocoa powder.  Set aside to cool.
• In a separate bowl, sift together dry ingredients.
• In mixing bowl, combine butter and sugar and blend until thoroughly combined.  
• Add eggs one at a time until combined well.
• Add vanilla.
• To the mixing bowl, alternate adding flour mixture and cocoa mixture until just combined.
• Pour into a greased and floured pan (this amount makes a medium-sized bundt cake, or one cake pan.)  If you want a layer cake, double the recipe.
• Bake for approx 25 minutes, or until cake springs back when gently touched.

For Chocolate Ganache:

• Bring to a gentle boil 1 cup heavy cream or half and half
• Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of broken up dark chocolate pieces.  (Use a high quality dark chocolate that is around 60% cocoa for best results.  This is IMPORTANT- some common brands of so-called dark chocolate will not work!)
• Allow to cool at room temperature, then pour over cooled cake.  (For layer cake, put cooled ganache into your mixer with whisk and whip up into a more frosting-like consistency.) 

Before Serving, use a vegetable peeler and slowly peel chocolate curls off the long side of a chocolate bar over the top of the cake.  The more the better :)

mmm, chocolate curls!

 This is a very rich cake, so that is why I typically make it smaller.  Serve it up with some ice cream if you want!

LJ: "I gonna eat this cake up, mommy"  Me: "We have to wait until tonight for Ga-Ga's party!"

Her face, after I locked the cake in the laundry room...note the fork dropped on the floor in defeat!

Later that night- yummy!

Cake Face!!!

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Healthy and Yummy Smoothie Recipe

I love smoothies- they are an easy and tasty way to squeeze in some extra nutrition.  The best part is, I make mine different every time based on the ingredients I have available.  This gives my body some variety vitamin-wise, and helps me use up stuff in my fridge!

mmmm, frothy!

Now, I know the green color might turn you off a bit.  It is kinda weird!  But I promise you it doesn't TASTE green :)  When LJ drinks it she calls it ice cream!

So what do you put in a smoothie?

A MILK
This can be cow's milk, goat milk, soy milk, almond milk...whatever you fancy.  You could even do some yogurt.
A GREEN OR TWO
The best "starter" green is raw spinach since you probably already eat that sometimes.  I like to use kale.  Today I used a purple kale but it still looks green when all ground up.  Using a variety of greens can give you a lot of healthy, fresh vitamins!
OTHER VEGGIES??? 
Carrots are always good because they are sweet.  Don't add any spicy veggies or it will not taste good!
SOME FRUIT
The fruit really makes it taste good and sweet.  I like bananas because they make it smoother and creamier.  I also added an apple today.  Pineapple is really yummy in a smoothie if you have one.
SWEETENER???
This is up to you.  A bit of honey or maple syrup can add the right touch if you just don't think its sweet enough.
EXTRA FLAVORS
Vanilla extract (the real stuff), cinnamon, fresh grated ginger...use your imagination/mood to guide you!
PROTEIN
If you need extra protein in your diet or are using this as a meal, I would suggest adding some protein powder or plain silken tofu.  If you want to be a little indulgent, try the chocolate or vanilla silken tofu.  It is a liquid-y tofu that is like a dessert! Or you could add a nut butter- if you do this I would stick to fruits that you think taste good with peanut butter.  For example, I would not do a kiwi with it!

Some of my ingredients for today!

Be sure to wash all of your ingredients well, since you will be eating this raw.  It is also a good idea to use organic whenever possible.  We are lucky to have a lot of organic produce available where we live.  I even use a home delivery service that actually SAVES me money!  (Green B.E.A.N. Delivery)  Check them out- they are slowly expanding over the Midwest if you are in the area. (I am not spokesperson, just a fan!)

Throw in some ice cubes and blend on the highest setting of your blender until smooth and frothy.  You can keep the extra in your fridge to drink throughout the day, but be sure to give it a good stir first.  I personally don't keep mine overnight, I think it should be eaten the day of.

Enjoy your smoothies and comment below if you come up with any awesome combos that I should try!

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Super Bowl Week- Post 3 (gameday drinks!)

It's Wednesday, and things are really ramping up in Indy!  I live in the suburbs, and the traffic was STILL crazy this morning!  Good thing once people are in Super Bowl Village they never have to drive anywhere.

Today I am sharing some inspiration for your drinks on game day.  Being pregnant, I won't get to enjoy anything with alcohol, but that doesn't mean I can't share!  Also, I know many of you choose to not drink at any time, so remember that many of these can be made virgin!

This will be in countdown style to my favorites!!!

GAMEDAY DRINK COUNTDOWN!

Number 5- Jack and Coke
If you're going to drink booze on game day, a classic Jack and Coke will fit right in.  Make it a Diet Coke if you want to cut back a little on the calories.  The only thing about this choice is that if you're a lightweight like me you only can have, like, 2, before you're done.  So, that is why this is #5 in my Gameday Drink Countdown!


Number 4-  Margarita
NO mixes, please!  Margaritas are simple to make, and a fresh, made-from-scratch margarita is sooooo yummy!  Bonus- you can make this virgin and its basically a limeade :)
My recipe:
Juice from several limes (about 1 cup)
1 batch simple syrup (1 cup water, 1 cup sugar)
1.5 oz tequila
1 oz triple sec
4-5 cups of ice (more if you want to cut the tartness of the limes)
Rock salt for rimming glasses
Limes for garnish
Simply stir together (or blend if you like them icy) and pour into a salt-rimmed glass!  Stick a lime on the rim too for a garnish. (Adjust alcohol to your taste!)

Number 3- Bloody Mary
Ahh, a Bloody Mary.  Reminds me of living in Nashville, TN in my 20's and having brunch with friends after church, haha!  This is another drink that can be made virgin if you want!  These are the ingredients I use, feel free to mess with the ratio to get it to your taste preference!
Clammato juice (yes, this is clam juice mixed with tomato juice!)
Celery Salt
White pepper
Louisiana Hot Sauce
Vodka
Garnish with celery stalk
Mix together to your preference- or do a Bloody Mary serve-yourself bar!  Include a variety of salts, seasonings, hot sauces, and garnishes (hot pickles, blue cheese stuffed olives, etc.)  The Clammato juice makes all the difference for me- I NEVER use regular tomato juice for mine!  Try it!

Number 2- High Quality Beer
Are you a grown-up?  C'mon, its not our goal to get "trashed" so go for quality, not quantity.  Provide a sampling of grown-up beers such as Guinness, Stella, Blue Moon, even Corona!  Your guests will be happy, and so will you :)

And my NUMBER ONE gameday drink choice is..................
Local Microbrewery Beer!!!!
Now, this is easy in Indiana- we have so many great choices right here in the Indy area!  In Noblesville there is Barley Island, downtown Indy my favorite is Sun King, from Bloomington (home of IU) is The Upland Brewing Company...and a million more it seems!
Why local beer?  This beer supports our local community so that's a bonus.  Plus is is FRESH!  And you can get great deals- Sun King, for example, has $5 growler fill Fridays.  So, you get 32oz of high quality, fresh, local beer CHEAP!  They often have seasonal offerings, free tastings, and many other perks.  If you don't know where your closest local brewery is, find it stat!  And if you want to try microbrews from other regions, nicer liquor stores and places like Whole Foods usually carry a decent selection of microbrews.  You might even find some from one of Indy's breweries which would be festive to serve since we're hosting the Super Bowl this year!

Super Bowl Week Festivities at Sun King Brewery!

Enjoy your Super Bowl party, and if you do have alcohol at your party remember to be safe and keep your guests safe! 

Are you a follower yet???? Once I reach my current goal I will be doing another great giveaway!!!

Super Bowl Week- Post 1

I grew up and live in the Indy area, so I've got to show some love for the first ever time we are hosting the Super Bowl!  It really is an exciting time for our city.  So, this week I am going to post something Super Bowl related each day.  It could be a recipe, decoration, etc.

For today, I am going to do some work for you- if you are planning on hosting a party, that is!  I usually post original recipes only, but today I am going to give you a list of yummy, crowd pleasing appetizers that are some of my favorites.  Hopefully it will help you plan if you haven't already!!!

photo credit

1.  Marinated Cheese
This is a HIT every time I make it.  It's a little bit of work to layer the cheese in the pretty arrangement, but you can do it a couple days before if you need to!!!  Beware the garlic breath afterwards :)

2.  Raw Veggie Pizza
This is a family tradition around my house.  It is a standard rule that you bring an extra one that belongs only to my dad because he loves it so much!  It's a great alternative to a veggie tray if you find that too boring.  And it uses crescent rolls- what isn't good with crescent rolls???  *This one is easy to customize to your taste- change what veggies you use and how you season the cream cheese mixture!

3.  Easy Stuffed Mushrooms
No recipe needed here- just buy some baby portabellos, take out the stems, fill with your favorite flavor of soft cheese (like Alouette), top with bread crumbs, and broil until bubbly and browned on the top!  EASY!!!!  And everyone loves these so make a lot!

4.  Catherine's Guacamole
This is my easy recipe- everyone always loves how chunky it is.  I make a BIG batch!  You simply mix the following together in whatever quantities please you (but I've listed what I typically use)
-4-5 ripe avocados, cut into approx. 3/4" chunks
-2 large tomatoes, cut into 3/4" chunks
-1/4 of a large red onion, finely chopped
-a GENEROUS handfull of fresh cilantro, chopped or torn into smaller pieces
-juice of one lemon or lime
-salt to taste

5.  Buffalo Chicken Dip
This is your typical football fare in dippable form, yum!  But really fattening, be forewarned!  It might make you feel better to dip celery in it...


So there are a few recipes to get you started.  Feel free to link up your favorite football season appetizer below to share more ideas!  Don't forget to visit me all week long for my Super Bowl Week Posts!!!

Are you a follower yet?!?!?!?  Please join up- I will be doing a giveaway when I reach my current goal!!!

Do you "Bento"? (How to make a shaped egg)

Do you Bento for your kids?  Bento boxes are really fun.  They can range from works of art that take a lot of planning and time to make...

Credit: http://wickedhowtos.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/bento3.jpg

...to relatively simple ones that are very practical to do and your kids will still think are "cool!"

Credit: http://0.tqn.com/d/childparenting/1/0/G/4/-/-/About_school_lunch_box_bento2.jpg

Bento boxes are common in Japan, where even adults get in on the action (minus all the cutesy themes).  There are a ton of the boxes out there.  I bought this sweet one for LJ.

http://www.mysweetmuffin.com/item/Shinzi-Katoh-Single-Lunch-Box---Red-Hood/392/c30

 

If you do a search for Bento box ideas, they are all over the internet.  I am planning to share some of my Bento ideas here from time to time too.  SO, I thought I would start with one of LJ's favorite Bento Box items- a shaped hard boiled egg!

Star eggs!

First, you hard boil your eggs just like normal.  But DO NOT put them in an ice bath or allow them to cool in the pan completely.  You need them pretty hot for this to work!  When they are hot, they are very pliable and will take the shapes.  ***Use the large or extra large eggs.  Small ones won't fill up the shape.***

I use tongs to get them out of the still hot water.

Use tongs so you don't get burned!

Then, turn on the cold tap water for peeling.  This way, as you peel your very hot egg, you can occasionally run it under the cool water when your fingers can't take it any more!

Ouch!

Once your egg is peeled, you need to put it into an egg mold.  These are pretty cheap and can be found at the Asian grocery, or of course, online.

My egg molds.

Be sure to put your eggs in with the "fatter" side in the bottom, sticking up tall.  They won't work if you put them in sideways.

Right side up, Mr. Egg!

Then you simply put your lid on, being sure the sides are snapped down tight.

Sometimes you really have to push it down to close it!

Then place in your fridge for a while.  I usually do it overnight.  BUT- if you want to make a bunch of these, say, for an appetizer platter (how cute would these be as deviled eggs?) then I would leave them in for at least an hour or two, and check to be sure they are completely cooled before removing from the mold.  Otherwise, they may snap back to more of an egg shape.  If you think you'll make a lot of these I would buy more molds since they are so cheap!

Cooling time!

After cooling, you will have a beautiful egg...but it might have some scraggly edges to remove.  This is normal and they rub right off!

Scraggly star

Pretty star!

I slice it in half and put it right in the bento!  You could garnish it though if you wanted.

And that's it!  Shaped eggs are so easy and cheap to make...and just might entice your picky eater to get a little protein.  So try something new and fun in those lunchboxes or afternoon snack plates!

Remember to become a follower!  I am VERY close to my goal and next giveaway!!!

Apple Pie Muffins

I really wanted a muffin the other day.  I mean, REALLY wanted one.  But I wasn't sure what I had on hand to make them with.  In my true "why not" fashion, I decided to invent my own recipe.  I do this often with cooking, but that is much, much easier than with baking.  I did look at a few muffin recipes I have to get an idea of how much liquid, flour, baking powder, etc. that I wanted so that helped.  Anyways, they turned out so yummy on the first try that the 2 dozen I made were gone in one day!!!  (I must admit, I probably ate like 7 of them myself- but no judging, I'm like 9 months pregnant people!)
So here is my recipe.  Enjoy!

APPLE PIE MUFFINS- makes about 2 dozen muffins
 Ingredients:
1/2 cup (one stick) butter, room temp
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 6oz container vanilla yogurt (or plain would work) *Note- I had a reader try Greek yogurt in this recipe and her muffins turned out dense, so you might want to stick with regular yogurt!
1 large fuji apple, cut into small cubes (method below) or two small apples
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
2 tsp cinnamon
Garnishes- wheat germ, and turbinado sugar

Use the real stuff-its better!!!

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, mix together room temperature butter and sugar.  Then beat in egg.  After that, add in the apple sauce and yogurt.

We get local eggs- they are so much fresher!

In a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients, except garnishes.  Stir well to combine, then add to wet ingredients and stir.
Add in your apple last.  Here is how to cut them fast!

Make four cuts to slice off the "meat" of the apple.  You should be left with a square core.

Slice each of those into 1/4" thick slices.

Lay those slices on their sides, and cut them into thirds.

Then dice them up into cubes.

After the apples are mixed in, put the batter into your muffin pan.  I used liners with non-stick spray since this is really apple-heavy and it helped them not stick.

Sprinkle each muffin with wheat germ (adds folate and a nice nutty flavor) and turbinado sugar.

Then they are ready for the oven!

Keep an eye on them since every oven is different and muffins can finish pretty fast.  About 15 minutes should do it though.  You will know they are done when you push gently on the center and it springs back.  If it leaves a dent, they need to stay in a bit longer.

Now the best part- EAT THEM!!! LJ had a little buddy over for a playdate, and I had to send some home with him because he loved them so much!

Blowing on her hot muffin- but she didn't want to wait!

Hmm, how can I get MORE muffins? (thought going through Jack's head and the doggie's head)

Remember to become a follower!  I literally have just a couple more to go before my next giveaway, yay!!!  So if you like the blog, please join in on the fun and share with your friends!
Thanks!

Pear and Parm Chop Salad Recipe

When David and I were getting ready to go to Italy on our Honeymoon, we took Italian lessons.  It was so much fun- we learned some language, culture, and a few great recipes!  One of our fellow classmates was married to an Italian chef.  I mean, Italian, as in he grew up there, not in the US.  He shared a simple recipe involving just three ingredients (sliced pears, long peels of Parmesan cheese, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar) and it has been our favorite ever since!!!
Tonight I decided to modify it by making it into a salad.  Here is what you'll need:

-About one Romaine heart, torn into tiny pieces.
-One very ripe pear, chopped into approx. 1/2" cubes
-A block of REAL Parmesan cheese (not the stuff in a plastic can, haha!)
-The best balsamic vinegar you can afford
-High quality olive oil

Basically, you just put it all in a bowl and toss.  Be sure to grate your Parmesan for this recipe.  For the olive oil, I used about 1 TBSP and for the Balsamic about 1/2 that.  But you can do it to taste.  That goes for all ingredients really!

This is an addictive salad- It's sweet and salty and oh-so-yummy!  Great for kids too, since its got fruit in it and its chopped up already.
Enjoy!

Candy/Toy Packet Handmade Valentines- FREE PRINTABLES!

This girl loves boots!

 I wanted to come up with something fun for LJ's Mother's Day out class for Valentines Day.  I loved Valentines Day as a kid- it was such an exciting day!  At my school we always made hand decorated bags to put on the back of our chair for everyone to put a treat in.  That was the 80's, the good 'ole days where you didn't HAVE to give a Valentine to everyone in the class, only who you wanted to...but I never remember anyone not giving it to everybody.   I DO remember this little blonde kid named Steven who made me "roses" with a red pencil and his hand-held sharpener.  I kept those in my desk all year long!  Ah, my first Valentines Day roses.
Now as an adult, I still think the kids stuff is more fun.  I mean, I want my husband to do something...but I really care more about him loving me all year long rather than buying me some chocolate and roses on this one day, you know what I mean?

So, here is what I came up with for LJ's class- packets that you print, decorate, then attach with whatever method works for you- hand sewing with embroidery thread, machine sewing, or even stapling!  You can print on whatever you choose- regular printer paper, construction paper, old paper grocery bags...whatever floats your boat, okay?

Simply print using the links below, then cut them out.

  Let your little one go to town decorating them.

Then attach with your chosen method leaving a hole to insert candy, tiny toys, even a cookie!
Here is what's in ours:

plastic dollar store "clappers"

stickers

 

...and some chocolate.  I gave in, since its kinda a chocolate-y holiday!

I used colorful embroidery thread to attach ours.  NOTE: Try not to overfill or you will have a hard time attaching them!

  Then shut the hole.

Voila, you are done!  Much cuter than those flimsy paper Valentine's with the envelope that will NEVER stay closed, haha!  Of course if your kids are older their decor skills will be better!  You could give them bits of lace, sequins, whatever you want.  I try not to be a control freak about projects like this.  I feel like it builds LJ's confidence for me to let her do things her way and not "fix" them or tell her what to do.  Could I make a prettier Valentine?  Sure, but I am an adult...and these are from her, not me!

Enjoy!  And please use these for personal use only (not that I think any of you will be impressed with my "artwork").  Let me know if you have any problems with the files- its my first time sharing a printable!  Suggestions are appreciated if you know of a better way!

Click HERE for "Valentine, You're a HOOT!"
Click HERE for "Valentine, You're the cat's MEOW!"
Click HERE for "Valentine, I HEART you!"