Valentines Day Kool-Aid Candy Button Hearts

Okay you guys, one of my favorite holidays is just around the corner. How is that possible?! I know, I know...I asked myself the same thing.

So I thought I'd share a little DIY tutorial on these candy button hearts...it's a twist on a favorite childhood candy of mine, candy buttons (except these ones are made with Kool-Aid powder, and they have way more flavor then the original button candies)

This would be such a cute idea to give out as Valentines for your kids class, or to your very own friends...I mean lets be honest the possibilities are endless haha.

What you need:
-- powder sugar
-- Kool-Aid powder packets (I bought four different flavors)
-- egg (use only egg white)
-- wax paper
-- small ziploc bags

Directions:
Cut your wax paper in about 2-3 inch strips. Tape it to a white card stock strip the same size. Then, mix egg white and 1 3/4 cup powdered sugar (if it seems runny just add a little more powdered sugar). Divide mixture into the amount of packets you have. I had four so I divided it into four different bowls. Then I added about 1/2 tsp. of kool-aid mixture, stirred it up, and put in ziploc bag. Cut the corner (the tinier the hole the better the hearts come out) and start makin' your hearts on the wax paper!

Red, White and Blue...

The fourth of July has always been a favorite holiday of mine. When I was little, we would go up to my grandmas (where fireworks were not only allowed but encouraged haha) and we would have a huge celebration. This year we decided to stick around and enjoy the fourth of July festivities here. Our neighborhood does a cute little parade which my kids loved (doesn't take much to please 'em I tell ya).

We then went over and enjoyed a day of swimming and BBQ'ing with family...and we even got to watch a firework show from my in laws backyard; which is always the perfect ending to this special holiday.

Probably more than any year I can remember, this holiday has really struck a chord with me this time around. I am not sure if it's just me getting older (that saying the older you grow the wiser you get...maybe is a true statement?!). Or maybe it's just that my kids are getting older, and watching them grow up has made me truly appreciate everything this country offers.  I am so, so grateful for it.

Here are a few photos of our little fourth of July celebration... chalk full of those iconic USA colors red, white and blue.

Strawberry Cheesecake Pops

We love strawberries and we love cheesecake...so this was a no brainer. I love doing things like this, where my girls can help me. They feel included and I feel like I'm not ignoring them while I do things like this. They went and checked the freezer about fifty million times before they were ready...I'd say they were pretty excited?!

These were so good, refreshing, and healthy! My kids didn't like the graham crackers, so they opted out of that part. I think I might make these, and take them to our fourth of July celebration; the colors are perfecto mundo! :-)

Ingredients:
1 (5 oz) can evaporated milk
1/4 cup sugar
3 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup plain fat free greek yogurt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 TBS light colored corn syrup
1 teaspoon lemon juice
10 oz. strawberries, blended
1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

Directions:
-combine milk and sugar in a saucepan, cook for 3 minutes over medium heat. Place cream cheese in a medium bowl; gradually add milk mixture, whisking until smooth. Stir in yogurt and vinailla. Cool completely.
- Put corn syrup, juice and berries in a blender; process until smooth. Then layer the cream cheese mixture among 6 (4 oz) ice pop molds; going from cream cheese to strawberry back to cream cheese.
- Freeze at least 4 hours. Unmold and dip tips in crumbs (if you want).

***some of my favorite molds are here, here and here

 ^^^brain freeze^^^

Dessert in an egg shell (not all things are as they seem...)

Oh wowza you guys...has it really been this long since I have posted? Forgive me, but this month has just been flying by. I say that every time I leave for a random period of time, don't I?! Well, it is what it is (that is my husbands new favorite saying, and I really despise it, and here I am using it to make excuses).

Anyways I'll get straight to the point of this post which is...have you thought about what you were going to make for Dessert this Easter Sunday! Well search no further because if you like custard, and if you like mango, than you'll really truly like this...I ain't lyin!

Plus, I always love something that plays tricks on your eye. You know those optical illusions (like these or even better these) where it looks like one thing, then all of a sudden it's something else, and your mind is officially blown!

This dessert is sort of like that...where it looks like a cooked egg inside a shell BUT then you taste it and it's actually custard with a mango puree (I know, I know...right?!)

So here's the how to:

(while your cooking your eggs...I made the custard which literally takes about 2 minutes...)

(while the custard was in the fridge, firming up a bit...I made the puree)

^^^ She is totally feelin' it ^^^

INGREDIENTS:
8-10 large eggs

prepare egg shell: preheat oven to 200 degrees. Place a cooling rack over a baking tray. Crack the egg by tapping them with a spoon (or I used a egg pin) right on the pointed end. Barely peel away and pour egg out (reserve two for later use). Wash the shells with warm water and place upside down on the cooking rack. Cook for 20 minutes to sterilize the shells.

custard:

1 cup milk (or heavy cream)

1/4 cup sugar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 tsp. vanilla

***in a small saucepan whisk together milk and sugar. Heat until the milk is hot but not boiling. Remove from heat and gradually (while whisking constantly) pour reserved two eggs into the milk. Don't pour to quickly otherwise it'll get clumpy. Return to medium heat and let thicken (until it's a bit bubbly). Remove from heat and add vanilla. Pour custard into cooled egg shells and put in fridge to harden.

Mango "yolk"

1 medium mango

2-3 TBS sugar

1/4 tsp. lemon juice

***cut mango in chunks and puree the flesh with sugar and lemon juice. Transfer to a piping bag or a zip block bag (cut the corner). When the custards are firm spoon a tiny bit out to make a little hole for the mango puree to go. Pipe in the mango and return to fridge until your ready to devour them :-).

Happy Easter you all! 

Valentines Day Cake with a whole lotta' hearts

I haven't gotten around to posting anything for Valentines Day (see previous vday shenanigans here) which makes me sad because it really is one of my favorite holidays!

So to feel like I haven't slacked completely, here's a fun idea (and super simple) for anyone who wants to add a touch of love to their valentines treats. You could do this on cupcakes, or cookies too. They look like tiny little hearts (some a little more skiwampus than others ha) and my Sagey girl actually thought I hand did each and every single one of them. I may or may not have told her that I didn't.

Sometimes, there's something slightly satisfactory about making people think something took you waaaaaay longer than it really did. :-)

All you need is:
-a frosted cake of your choice (I used this recipe but used small rectangular pans)
-decorating gel (you can find it in the baking isle)
-a container of frosting (yep, it's the pre-made kind)
-toothpick
***if you want to make a small felt ball banner I got mine from Hello Maypole

Did someone say Christmas Stovetop Potpourri?

Yes indeed it's that time of year...when the leaves have fallen, the air is crisp and you can almost taste the smell of homemade potpourri... Okay, wait rewind. Growing up my mom LOVED anything that made her house smell good. From candles, and incense to baking and cooking...if it smelt good it was a no brainer. So I guess I have inherited this way of thinking. I can always tell if something is off in my home just by the way it smells haha.

So anyways, my mom use to make this homemade potpourri and burn it over and over until the oranges barely had any more color to them. It's such a beautiful scent and one that always helps make it feel like the holidays. It's amazing to me how smells can bring back a flood of memories...who knows maybe that's why I love this stuff so much.

CHRISTMAS STOVETOP POTPOURRI

1/2 cup cranberries

1 bay leaf

1 orange

1 green lemon (they have a stronger lemon scent then yellow)

2 cinnamon sticks

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp pumpkin spice

2 TBS cloves (or more if you'd prefer)

2 1/2 cups water

put over stove top and simmer on the lowest level until all water has evaporated. Refill and re-simmer (not sure that's even a word but it totally works here so there ya have it...)