Easter Treat: Rice Krispie Bird's Nest

This is great for little kids, but I've got to be honest, they taste pretty darn good too! But I'm kind of a sucker for rice krispie treats. 

We made this today with our little joy school group. The kids were so excited putting the grass on and the eggs. They were adorable. 

Enjoy!

{RICE KRISPIE BIRD'S NEST}

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1/4 c. butter or margarine

1 (10.5 oz) bag mini marshmallows

6 c. Cocoa Rice Krispies (I usually do less, because I like them gooey)

Frosting (make your life easier by just using canned)

Shredded Coconut

Green food coloring

Jelly Beans  

In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt butter for 30 seconds. Add marshmallows and stir until they are coated in the melted butter. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between until marshmallows and butter are melted and fully incorporated.

Form rice krispie treats into muffin pan. After they sit for a few minutes, go back and push down the centers to form a bowl shape for the nest.

In a small mixing bowl, stir the green food coloring into the shredded coconut to color it green. 

Put a dab of frosting in the bowl of the nests. This acts as a "glue" to keep the grass in place. Sprinkle the green coconut (grass), on top of the frosting.  Finish with jelly beans for the eggs.

Easiest Christmas Morning Sticky Buns

Yep. This is it. This recipe is SO incredibly simple and I absolutely love it. If you're feeling anything like I am today, you're tired and you need only easy tasks ahead of you. I love the Christmas season, but my goodness this year has been insane. I'm tired and all I want to do is spend a whole day at the spa.

But that doesn't change the fact that I want Christmas morning to be special. These are so quick and easy it's almost comical. It's perfect for Christmas morning.

It does take a little thinking ahead, because it has to rise overnight. My mom used to always make these in a bundt pan. It makes a very pretty shape, but not all the rolls get a fair share of the "goodness." So, I've since switched to using just a cake pan. And I actually "half" the recipe for our little family.

Have a very MERRY Christmas! Enjoy!

{STICKY BUNS}

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1 (3-oz.) pkg. butterscotch cook and serve pudding (it's very important that it be the non-instant)
1 c. chopped nuts
1 c. brown sugar
¾ tsp. cinnamon
6 T. melted butter
20-24 frozen rolls

Sprinkle chopped nuts in bottom of greased pan. Place frozen rolls on top of nuts. Mix pudding, cinnamon & brown sugar and sprinkle on top of rolls. Drizzle melted butter over all. Cover with towel and leave overnight. Bake in morning at 350° for 30-40 minutes. Invert pan onto a cookie sheet and let the goodness drizzle on down the rolls.

Easiest Egg & Toast Breakfast Cups

I'm all about easy cooking these days. As you can tell, I've been lacking on my posting. That's because my pregnancy sickness has lingered FOREVER! And I also have been crazy busy with Christmas preparations. So, we've been eating our favorite EASY meals. Which I should post for you. 

But today here's a new one. This is the easiest breakfast you could make, besides cold cereal or instant oatmeal. Plus, it's cute! You can make it with sausage or bacon. I think the bacon is more cute. But my husband preferred sausage. Your choice.

This would be perfect for Christmas morning.

Enjoy!

{EASIEST EGG & TOAST BREAKFAST CUPS}

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3 T. butter, melted
8 slices bread (I used a 7-grain bread)
1 1/2 c. sausage, cooked & crumbled (or 6 slices bacon, cooked)
6 eggs
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter 6 standard muffin cups. With a rolling pin, flatten bread slices slightly and, with a 4 1/4-inch cookie cutter, cut into 8 rounds. Cut each round in half, then press 2 halves into each muffin cup, overlapping slightly and making sure bread comes up to edge of cup. Use extra bread to patch any gaps. Brush bread with remaining butter.
 

Spoon 1/4 cup sausage in cup. Or lay 1 bacon slice in each bread cup, depending on which one you've picked. Crack an egg over each. Season with salt and pepper. Bake until egg whites are just set, 20 to 25 minutes. Run a small knife around cups to loosen toasts. Serve immediately.

 Source: Martha Stewart

Witches Brew Party Activity & Drink

Halloween party time is upon us! Are you ready? I have always loved Halloween and Halloween parties. I think it started with my grandparents who would always get a HUGE pile of sawdust and hide candy and money in it. We got to search for our treasures. I always thought that was the greatest.

But I love all Halloween activities, hay rides, pumpkin carving, carnival games, costumes. All of it. My son is really getting into it this year. And much to my dismay started insisting on picking his own costume. How did he already out-grow my picking a "cutsie" costume for him? Ugh, he's barely three and still in diapers for heavens sake! He's insisted on being a motorcycle driver. And honestly, it doesn't get scarier than that for a mother! 

Anyway...back to the Witches Brew. We did this at the family Halloween Party last year. My sister-in-law Angie is AMAZINGLY creative. She came up with this Witches Brew and it was a BIG hit. 

WARNING: You'll want to do this outside because little witches don't have the best aim when contributing to the brew.

We gave each child a mason jar of an ingredient. The older kids had the drink portions. I think we did grape soda and strawberry soda. And we called it things like "bat juice" and "blood." But I was thinking lemon-lime with green food coloring would be fun with the grape also. 

The other jars had things like plastic vampire fangs, rubber rats, spider rings, plastic frogs. You get the idea. Get creative. 

We had some of the drink already in the "witches brew" with some dry ice so it was smoking and bubbling. Then each child got to add their ingredient. Then as we served the drink, we made sure each child got a special "ingredient" in their cup. Their squeals of delight were priceless.

Let me know if you try it and what you do differently! Enjoy!

{WITCHES BREW}

Punch Bowl or Witches Brew bucket

Mason jars

Dry ice

Grape soda - "Bat Juice"

Strawberry soda- "Blood" (or your choice of sodas)

Vampire fangs

Rubber rats

Spider rings

Plastic frogs

Any other Halloween party favor or toy

Frankenbite Cookies

 

I made these little cuties last year and I've been waiting to post them! They were SO quick and easy it's almost a joke. You have to make these for your Halloween parties this year. This is also a really cute way to let your kids help!

After these cooled they were so tasty because the cookies softened from the chocolate coating. They were really a lot more delicious than I expected. I was just going for the cute factor.  But don't worry if they look a little demented and scary. They're FRANKENSTEIN! They're supposed to look monsterous. That's the best part! You can't mess it up.

You can find melting wafers at craft stores like Michaels.

Enjoy!

{FRANKENBITE COOKIES}

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1 pkg. sandwich cookies (Oreo type cookies)

1 pkg. green chocolate melting wafers

1 pkg. brown chocolate melting wafers

Chocolate sprinkles

Purple Nerds candies

Honey Nut Cheerios

In separate bowls, melt the chocolate wafers. You can do this with a double boiler, or by nuking them in the microwave. Be sure the stir after every 30 seconds until they are completely melted.

Hold one cookie at a time and dip into the green melted chocolate 3/4's of the way. Set cookies on waxed paper and finish dipping the rest of the cookies in the green chocolate.

As they sit on the wax paper and BEFORE they set up completely, place the Nerd's eyes and Cheerio mouths into the green face portion of the cookie.

Then go back and dip the remaining 1/4 of each cookie in the brown chocolate wafers. Now, your cookie should be completely covered. While the brown chocolate is still wet, dip in a bowl of chocolate sprinkles for hair. Continue with the rest of the cookies.

Allow the chocolate to set up for a couple hours before moving.

Some of the best 4th of July Recipes

I love the 4th of July!!! We have 4 parties planned for this weekend and I can't wait!! Family and friends. Fireworks and food. And in my husband's family...the traditional bingo game with prizes. Watch out. I love this holiday.

I'll be making new dishes this year. But here are some of my old reliable favorites that just might make your Independence Day Menu FANtastic.

Happy 4th everyone!

Dad's Amazing Home-made Rootbeer

Orange Ginger Fruit Dip

Corn & Black Bean Dip

Homemade Burger Buns

Ultimate Tuna Pasta Salad

4th of July Cupcakes

4th of July Cupcakes

Oh say can you see. 

These are adorable. I got the idea from Kim, actually. She made full blown rainbow cupcakes for us on St. Patty's Day. Very, very cute idea!

But these are adorable too! I called my husband and said, "I just made the cutest cupcakes." 

He said, "And how do they taste?"

I replied, "Honey, if they are the cutest cupcakes, it doesn't matter how they taste. It's the cute cupcake experience."

Plus, how could a cupcake actually taste bad? They're always delicious.

I'll be honest though, I totally cheated and used a cake mix and canned frosting. But I added my own touch to them, don't worry. I can't always be perfect, right? Ya, that's an inside joke, don't really think I view myself as a perfect person. FFFAARRR from, my friends.

I wish I would have taken action shots while putting these together, but hopefully my instructions will be just at wonderful.

Enjoy! And have a very happy 4th of July.

{4TH OF JULY CUPCAKES}

click here for a printable version of this recipe

1 white cake mix {or your favorite white cake recipe}

Red & blue PASTE food coloring {not the liquid stuff, or you'll have pastel colors, trust me. Remember this?}

1 can of white frosting {or your favorite recipe}

Sprinkles

The red jolly rancher stars were an idea from this cute blog.

Prepare and mix cake mix according to the package directions. 

Separate the cake mix into 3 equal parts, in 3 separate bowls. Color one bowl with blue. Color another with red {the trick to a deep red is to add a little bit of blue to it. Not too much, or it will be purple fast!}. Leave the last bowl white.

Place a medium-size ziplock bag inside a tall drinking glass, folding back the top of the baggie over the rim of the glass. Spoon the red cake mix into the bag and seal it. Clip the bottom corner of the bag, JUST A LITTLE SNIP will do. Gently squeeze a little red batter into each cupcake liner. Basically, just enough to cover the bottom. Remember, you still have 2 more layers. 

Repeat with the white batter and then top with the blue. 

Bake according to package directions. Allow to cool completely.

For the frosting, spoon the canned stuff into a medium bowl and add powdered sugar to make it a little more stiff for decorating. I probably added 1/2 - 3/4 a cup. It's not like the frosting needs to be sweeter, people. It just needs to be stiffer, or your frosting decor will turn into a blob about 2 mintues after you decorate {this is also something I've learned from experience}.

Decorate the cupcakes with frosting, colored sprinkles and jolly rancher stars.

Then place your hand over your heart and enjoy.

Happy STINKO de Mayo

 

When I was a single lass, I was nick-named the "spatula." Because whenever I seriously dated a guy, I was the last gal he dated before he took the plunge. So I was the one who "flipped them over" before they were done cooking in the single world.

One year my beau and I broke up and he got married about 7 months later on Cinco de Mayo.

The very next year I was dating someone else. We broke up and I moved across the country to "start a new life." Well 4 months later I got news he was getting married... ON CINCO de MAYO!

Really? Two years in a row, I get slapped in the face on this "holiday?"

I was living with my aunt and uncle at the time, so in venting my dating woes and frustrations to my aunt {whom I love more than I can express}, she wisely said, "Well, we're changing the name of this holiday to STINKO de Mayo."

Now that I'm happily married and living in bliss, I still like to refer to this day as Stinko, because it makes me laugh for one, but it makes me SO happy those stinky guys decided to get married on this day and leave me behind to find the TRUE love of my life.

Him.

Speaking of my honey-love, this past Sunday night as we were lying in bed going over our schedules for this week. He randomly said, "Can I make dinner every night this week?"

Me: "Why?"

Hubs: "I just want to try it. I'll plan it, I'll do the shopping, and I'll make it."

Me: "But you have a stressful week at work this week and you're taking a test on Friday."

Hubs: "Aly, I think I can handle it. Really. I want to try it."

Ooooo-kay. It's been awesome! I'll be posting his recipes soon. He's done a fabulous job! So, I'm not making dinner tonight. But if I WERE making dinner for STINKO de Mayo, I'd probably choose something like the menu below.

On a random side note, a couple years ago I worked with this sweetest woman named Maria...straight from Mexico. She is adorable and one HECK of a chef. I was so excited to plan a work party on Cinco de Mayo and she sucked the wind right out of my sails, when she informed me that this is an American holiday. They don't even celebrate it in Mexico. Wha??

{Cinco-STINKO de Mayo Menu}

AVOCADO SALSA

FIESTA LIME CHICKEN

FIESTA RICE

PINA COLADA

Mini White Chocolate Caramel Popcorn Balls

I realize I JUST posted the recipe for caramel popcorn. But I think I did mention they were completely addicting. Well, I made more this afternoon. 

Christmas is coming and we are ALL getting fat, right? Actually, I have to say we haven't been eating too many sweets this season. It's just been too busy. However, today I cracked. My son and I built doughnut hole snowmen as well as these yummy mini white chocolate caramel popcorn balls. It's more of an idea than an actual recipe. But, I think they'd make cute little Christmas gifts for your friends and neighbors. I mean, I'm not sharing mine with my neighbors, but you go ahead and do so.

Below are the instructions for the popcorn balls. And if you want to see our little doughnut hole snowman, click here. Enjoy!

{WHITE CHOCOLATE CARAMEL POPCORN BALLS}

1 batch Grandma's Caramel Popcorn {recipe found here}

1/4 c. white chocolate melting wafers

Make caramel popcorn according to recipe. Shape into mini popcorn balls and drizzle white chocolate over top.

Roasted Spiced Sweet Potatoes

I think sweet potatoes get a bad rap, at least in my family. We just assign someone to make sweet potatoes (or yams) for Thanksgiving just because that's what you're "supposed" to do. So, this year I got the assignment. I decided to try something different in hopes of reviving the joy of sweet potatoes in my family. I just wanted a good recipe for sweet potatoes. I think it worked! These were quite tasty. And they'd be a great compliment to any holiday meal you're making this season. They'd be amazing next to a Honey Ham. Oh yes. Enjoy!

{ROASTED SPICED SWEET POTATOES} 

click here for a printable version of this recipe

4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling potatoes after cooked

1/4 c. honey

1/4 c. brown sugar

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lay the sweet potatoes out in a single layer on a roasting tray. In a separate bowl, mix together oil, honey, sugar, and cinnamon.  Drizzle over the potatoes.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast for 25 to 30 minutes in oven or until tender. Take sweet potatoes out of the oven and transfer them to a serving platter. Drizzle with more extra-virgin olive oil.