Posts

Posted on

Peanut Butter Cheese Ball

Here’s a fun little cheese ball that really isn’t…a cheese ball…in the cheese ball sense of the word.

Don’t be afraid. It’s actually a cream cheese ball–with lots of lovely peanut butter mixed in. We dipped animal cookies and pretzels but I’m thinking that Fudge Stripes or Chocolate Dipped Graham Cookies would be incredible. We also rolled ours in Peanut Butter M&Ms–just cause we could. This is a real easy pleaser and would go nicely with whatever else you have on the treat table. We used it at our Superbowl fest–you know where you need lots of protein to keep your strength up…

for all that yelling.

Go Vikings!

Oh, forget it.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is GR-Signature-small.png

Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Ball

Ingredients

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
¾ cup creamy or chunky peanut butter
3 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
1 ½ cups M&M’s and/or milk chocolate chips
Graham cracker sticks, animal crackers, apple slices or pretzels

Directions

BEAT cream cheese, powdered sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until blended. Spoon onto a large piece of plastic wrap; bring up all four corners and twist tightly to form a ball shape.

FREEZE for 1 hour 30 minutes or until firm enough to keep its shape. Place morsels in flat dish. Remove plastic wrap from ball and roll ball into morsels to completely cover.

PLACE ball on serving dish; cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or until almost firm. Serve with graham cracker sticks, cookies, pretzels and apple slices for dipping or spreading.

Originally from NestleFamily.com

Happy Birthday President Lincoln!

Posted on

Strawberry Linzer Cookies

Just in case you didn’t get enough of anything and everything in heart shapes–try these tender little jam cookies. Oooooh-wooo—you won’t forget these lovelies–but do try to be mature…

and share.

heh, heh.

Strawberry Linzer Cookies

Ingredients:

1-1/4 cups butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups ground pecans
Strawberry jam
Confectioners’ sugar

Directions:

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour, cocoa, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in pecans. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8-in. thickness.

Cut with a 3-in. heart-shaped or 2-1/2-in. round cookie cutter. From the center of half the cookies, cutout a 1-1/2-in. heart or round shape.
Place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Spread 1/2 teaspoon jam over the bottom of the solid cookies; Sprinkle cutout cookies with confectioners’ sugar–if you want. We left ours plain. Carefully place over jam cookie.

You’ll end up with about 3 dozen of the prettiest little cookies you’ve ever seen.

They are honestly pretty enough to pass out to the neighbors.

If there are any left.

Seriously.

Posted on

Valentine Envelopes

Looking for an easy Valentine?

Try these simple origami envelopes.

Just perfect for that spicy love note…

or a simple “I adore you my dah-ling,” among friends.

They’re pretty wonderful at hiding the coveted gift card…to maybe…ahhh….See’s Chocolates.

Hint hint.

Just a thought…

For the easy directions on folding your own Valentine Envelopes just click here.

Now it’s your responsibility to fill it with something fabulous.

Go forth.

Make us proud.

Posted on

Neapolitan Crispy Hearts


If your sweetheart is a Krispy Treat fan–they’re going to love these triple-decker Valentine hearts.

The bottom layer is chocolatey Coco Krispies with a chocolate chip “boost.” The middle layer is regular Krispie Treats and the top is a Strawberry jam treat concoction. Add them all up and you’ll find the only thing missing is a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.

If you have a heart cupcake pan–these would make a wonderful classroom treat too.

Soooo yummy!

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Perfect-Size.png

Neapolitan Crispy Hearts

Ingredients

1 package (10 ounces) large marshmallows, divided
3 tablespoons butter, divided
2 cups chocolate-flavored crisp rice cereal
1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
4 cups crisp rice cereal, divided
1/2 cup strawberry preserves

Directions

In a large saucepan, combine a third of the marshmallows (about 2 cups) and 1 tablespoon butter. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until melted. Remove from the heat; stir in chocolate-flavored cereal and chocolate chips. Press into a greased 11-in. x 7-in. dish.
In a large saucepan, combine a third of the marshmallows and 1 tablespoon butter. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until melted. Remove from the heat; stir in 2 cups rice cereal. Press into dish over chocolate layer.
In a large saucepan, combine remaining marshmallows and butter. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until melted. Remove from the heat; stir in preserves and food coloring if desired. Stir in remaining cereal. Press into the dish. Cool. Cut into bars. Yield: 1 dozen.

Neapolitan Crispy Hearts
 
Print
Ingredients
  • 1 package (10 ounces) large marshmallows, divided
  • 3 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 2 cups chocolate-flavored crisp rice cereal
  • ½ cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
  • 4 cups crisp rice cereal, divided
  • ½ cup strawberry preserves
Instructions
  1. In a large saucepan, combine a third of the marshmallows (about 2 cups) and 1 tablespoon butter.
  2. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until melted.
  3. Remove from the heat; stir in chocolate-flavored cereal and chocolate chips.
  4. Press into a greased 11-in. x 7-in. dish.
  5. In a large saucepan, combine a third of the marshmallows and 1 tablespoon butter.
  6. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until melted.
  7. Remove from the heat; stir in 2 cups rice cereal.
  8. Press into dish over chocolate layer.
  9. In a large saucepan, combine remaining marshmallows and butter.
  10. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until melted.
  11. Remove from the heat; stir in preserves and food coloring if desired.
  12. Stir in remaining cereal.
  13. Press into the dish.
  14. Cool.
  15. Cut into bars.

Posted on

Squaw Face

That one chick #4

When I was a kid we were in a cub scout Indian Village program out in some field somewhere–and because my mom was the Den Queen we all got to be involved. I don’t remember too much about it except that my brother was chosen to do some fancy dance wearing an eagle’s head (relax- it was fake) and big old wings. He looked really great. I didn’t understand why I was suppose to sit with the other girls and just do nothing–while the guys got to dance around and play the drums and screech like wild things. My mom said it was because we weren’t cub scouts and that we were suppose to be the lovely scenery in the background. I wasn’t satisfied with that answer and had to keep being told to “go sit back down.”

Finally, I must have gotten in my brother’s space because he turned to me and said, “You can’t be by us because you are NOT a brave. You are just a SQUAW and squaws just sit!”

I remember being positively crushed.  The way I interpreted what he said was that because I wasn’t brave, I had to just sit down. Being the baby of the family had pointed out many times to me that in fact, I wasn’t particularly brave.

I couldn’t really argue with the facts, so I went back to the teepee…

and sat down.

Oh yes. It was a sad day in the wigwam.

I’m over it.

Not any braver, but over it.

Remember to comment on my blog posts during the month of February to be entered in to win!

You could win some cool stuff!