Fourth of July Fireworks Wreath

4^th of July Fireworks Wreath

A couple of weeks ago my friend, Amber, had me over for a crafting day. We started on these fireworks wreaths and only got a fraction of the way through over a 2-hour period. I just finished mine yesterday; these puppies are super time intensive (took me about 5 ½ hours total!) and it would have taken longer if it wasn’t for the Silhouette Cameo! If you have one, I SO suggest you buy the pinwheel image to make your life (and folding) easier! It scores the folds for you making it infinitely easier.

For directions on this project, check out All You.

Easter Subway Art

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I can’t believe Easter is less than a month away! I think Easter is one of the cutest holidays for kids: adorable Easter attire, baskets, fun songs and movies, cute crafts, and the best holiday candy!

For Easter I wanted to make Subway Art inspired by the classic movie/song, “Here Come Peter Cottontail”. You can watch the little movie and listen to the song below.

There are 2 Subway Arts to choose from. They are both very similar, but the second one is slightly less busy. Enjoy!

 

Here’s direction on how-to order this print from Costco:

***The Subway art is a 16x20 print.***

1. Save the Subway Art to your computer. Then when you go to the

Costco website, click on PHOTO at the top and log in.

2. Choose UPLOAD PHOTOS on the right sidebar. Choose the album

you want to upload it to or start a new album.

3. Select your photo by clicking on the arrow in the box and find

where you saved the subway art and OPEN it.

4. Under STEP 3 Select the FULL RESOLUTION UPLOAD. Then click on

START UPLOAD.

5. After that's loaded, select ORDER PRINTS on the right sidebar. Select

the one you want and ADD TO CART.

6. Under PRINT OPTIONS, I always select LUSTRE, but that's up to you

Under PRINT ORDER, select the size you want. (Make sure to delete

the 4x6 they already have selected.) Then click CONTINUE.

7. Choose your warehouse... and then on the PLACE ORDER screen,

click on the EDIT OPTIONS and select DO NOT AUTOCORRECT MY

PRINTS. Click CONTINUE.

8. Make sure your order is correct and PLACE ORDER.

I’m linking this post up at:
Metamorphosis Monday, Menu Plan Monday , Skip to My Lou, Tip Me Tuesday, Today’s Creative Blog

FREE St. Patrick's Day Subway Art Printable

It’s here and hot off the press! Enjoy the St. Patrick’s Day subway art I made for you. Please see below to download the file and for printing directions. J

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Here’s direction on how-to order this print from Costco:

***The Subway art is a 16x20 print.***

1. Save the Subway Art to your computer. Then when you go to the

Costco website, click on PHOTO at the top and log in.

2. Choose UPLOAD PHOTOS on the right sidebar. Choose the album

you want to upload it to or start a new album.

3. Select your photo by clicking on the arrow in the box and find

where you saved the subway art and OPEN it.

4. Under STEP 3 Select the FULL RESOLUTION UPLOAD. Then click on

START UPLOAD.

5. After that's loaded, select ORDER PRINTS on the right sidebar. Select

the one you want and ADD TO CART.

6. Under PRINT OPTIONS, I always select LUSTRE, but that's up to you

Under PRINT ORDER, select the size you want. (Make sure to delete
the 4x6 they already have selected.) Then click CONTINUE.

7. Choose your warehouse... and then on the PLACE ORDER screen,

click on the EDIT OPTIONS and select DO NOT AUTOCORRECT MY
PRINTS. Click CONTINUE.

8. Make sure your order is correct and PLACE ORDER.

I’m linking this post up at:
Metamorphosis Monday, Menu Plan Monday , Skip to My Lou, Tip Me Tuesday, Today’s Creative Blog

Cake Batter Cookies

YUM-O is what I have to say about these cookies! They really do taste like luscious cake batter, and the exteriors are a little crispy and the centers are nice and soft. These cookies can easily change with the seasons/celebrations depending on the sprinkles you use! These would also be a great alternative to cupcakes for birthday celebrations at school!

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Cook’s Note: I get a lot of questions from readers about what kitchen equipment and specific ingredients I use in recipes. I will try to list any specific ingredients & specific/super helpful kitchen equipment before each recipe. I hope this helps! J

Here's the specific equipment and ingredients I used in this recipe:

Jello 3.4 oz package instant vanilla pudding mix

2.5 oz container “Be Mine Confetti” sprinkles from Target

3 Tablespoon (or 50mm) Scoop

Silicone Slipat Non-Stick Baking Mat

Cake Batter Cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 C butter (1 ½ sticks)

3/4 C light brown sugar

1/4 C sugar

2 eggs

1 t vanilla

1 (3.4 oz) package instant vanilla pudding mix

3/4 C yellow cake mix

2 C flour

1/2 t salt

1 t baking soda

½ C or a 2.5 oz container of sprinkles

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350° F and prepare 2 cookies sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats, and set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, salt and baking soda and set aside.

Using a mixer, cream butter and sugars together on high speed for about 2 minutes, scrapping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Add eggs and vanilla and mix until smooth, and then beat on high for about 1 minute.

Add in pudding mix and cake mix and beat until well thoroughly blended.

Add the flour mixture and beat on low until well incorporated.

Add the sprinkles and mix until just combined.

Using a 3 tablespoon scoop, scoop the dough onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating the pans half-way through cooking.

Makes 24 cookies

Source: adapted from Chef in Training

I’m linking this post up at:
Metamorphosis Monday, Menu Plan Monday , Skip to My Lou, Tip Me Tuesday, Today’s Creative Blog

Georgetown Cupcake Red Velvet Cupcakes

This is an amazing recipe for Red Velvet Cupcakes from the lovely ladies of DC Cupcakes / Georgetown Cupcake—they’re tasty and beautiful! I think cupcakes are the most frequent type of dessert I make…and what’s not to love?!? They’re compact, perfect-sized, little bundles of happiness. Try eating one of theses without smiling, I bet you can’t! J

Mia sure can't eat one without smiling! :)

Cook’s Note: I get a lot of questions from readers about what kitchen equipment and specific ingredients I use in recipes. I will try to list any specific ingredients & specific/super helpful kitchen equipment before each recipe. I hope this helps! J

Here’s the specific equipment and ingredients I used in this recipe:
Nielsen-Massey pure Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract
Valrhona Cocoa Powder
Packaged Red Fondant
Shimmer Dust

Linzer Cutter Set (to make the fondant hearts)
4 Tablespoon Scoop  - aka my favorite scoop ever!
Red Cupcake Liners
Pastry Tip Set
Adjustable Rolling Pin – this pin makes life SO much easier when you need to roll things out to a specific thickness.
The Cupcake Diaries Cookbook

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Georgetown Cupcake Red Velvet Cupcakes

For the Cupcakes

Ingredients:

3 ¼ C all-purpose flour

1 t salt
12 T unsalted butter, at room temperature (preferably European style)
1 ¾ C sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
4 T red food coloring (no-taste liquid food color, such as McCormick)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (Nielsen-Massey pure Madagascar Bourbon recommended)
2 ½ T cocoa powder, sifted (such as Valrhona)
1 ½ C whole milk, at room temperature
1 ½ t baking soda
1 ½ t apple cider vinegar

For the Vanilla Cream-Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

8 T unsalted butter, at room temperature (preferably European style)

8 C (or 2 pounds) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
½ t pure vanilla extract (Nielsen-Massey pure Madagascar Bourbon recommended)
12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

For Garnish (optional):

Red Fondant
mini heart cookie cutter (I used the heart cutter from this set)
Shimmer dust

Directions:
For the Cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 standard cupcake pans with baking liners.

Sift together the flour and salt, set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a bowl with a handheld electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together at medium speed for about 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing slowly after each addition.

Using a whisk, whisk together the red food coloring, vanilla, and cocoa powder. Slowly add this to the mixer bowl, mixing slowly until well incorporated.

Add one third of the flour, followed by one third of the milk and mix until combined. Repeat. Stop to scrape down the bowl as needed. Add the last third of the flour, followed by the last third of the milk and mix until incorporated.

In a small bowl, add the baking soda to the apple cider vinegar. You’ll see the baking soda and vinegar fizz up. Mix thoroughly and add this reaction to the batter. Mix until just incorporated.

Using a 4 tablespoon scoop, scoop the batter into the prepared cupcake pan (each cupcake well should be about 2/3 full). Bake for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Fondant garnish:

Roll your fondant (I used pre-packaged red fondant) out to ¼ inch thickness and dust the top with shimmer dust (optional). Cut out the fondant using a mini heart cookie cutter (I actually used the heart cutter from my linzer cookie cutter set). Lay the fondant hearts out on a piece of foil or parchment and let the fondant dry out for a few minutes.

For the Vanilla Cream-Cheese Frosting:
Place the butter and cream cheese in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and cream for about 2 minutes on medium speed.

Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and beat until well combined. Be sure to beat on high speed at the very end for about 2 minutes to ensure that the frosting is light and fluffy.

To Assemble:
Frost the cupcakes as desired—I used my favorite pastry tip set to frost these and top with a red fondant heart.

Makes about 24-26 cupcakes.

Source: The Cupcake Diaries by the sister’s of DC Cupcake/Georgetown Cupcake, Katherine Kallinis & Sophie Kallinis LaMontague

I’m linking this post up at:
Metamorphosis Monday, Menu Plan Monday , Skip to My Lou, Tip Me Tuesday, Today’s Creative Blog

Homemade Peppermint Patties

Peppermint is one of my most favorite flavorings; it’s crisp, clean, and a classic winter flavor. When I came across this recipe for homemade peppermint patties I just knew I needed to try them, and try I did <ahem…3 batches>. J They’re awesome and SO much better than the store-bought ones!

Homemade Peppermint Patties

Ingredients:

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

5 1/2 C powdered sugar, sifted

1 T peppermint extract

2 C bittersweet chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli)

1 C semisweet chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli)

3 T shortening

Directions:

Prepare two cookies sheet with either wax paper or a Slipmat, and set aside.

Add condensed milk, 2 cups of powdered sugar, and peppermint extract to a large mixing bowl. Mix everything on medium speed using the paddle attachment until all ingredients are well incorporated.

Add the remaining powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough is stiff but still pliable.

Using a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the mixture and form into balls. Press each ball down slowly to make a flattened disk, and place the disks on one of the prepared cookie sheets.

Transfer peppermint disks to the freezer and freeze for 30 minutes.

While the dough is chilling, Place the chocolate chips and shortening in a microwavable bowl. Melt the chocolate in 30 second increments on half power, and stir. Repeat until chocolate is smooth.

Remove patties from the freezer. Place a patty on the tines of a fork and dip in the chocolate until completely covered. Allow excess chocolate to drip off the patty before setting each one on the second prepared cookie sheet.

Place the cookie sheet in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours, or until the chocolate is set.

Makes about 32-40 patties.

Source: adapted from Savory Sweet Life

I’m linking this post up at:
Metamorphosis Monday, Menu Plan Monday , Skip to My Lou, Tip Me Tuesday, Today’s Creative Blog

Day 8 of 12 Days of Christmas Fun: Almond Roca Brittle

♪♫ On the 8^th day of Christmas Food, Folks, and Fun gave to me…♪♫

Almond Roca Brittle

Christmas Cookie Round-Up

Jingle All the Way Shadow Box Tutorial

Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting & a GIVEAWAY!

Cranberry-Pecan Chicken Salad

CHRISTmas Subway Art Printable

Thick & Chewy Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Christmas To-Do List Printables

FOUR ingredients never tasted so good! I’ve made 3 batches of this brittle so far and have given most of it away as gifts. I’m thinking of making another batch today because it to SOOOOOO good! The buttery toffee is incredibly addicting; my husband’s grandmother said it’s even better than See’s Candies, Score!

Cook’s Note: This recipe relies on 2 things to help make it so incredibly yummy: toasted almonds (really make the effort to toast the almonds and not use raw ones), and a candy thermometer—you really want to make sure you heat the butter and sugar mixture to exactly 290°F…you can’t “eye-ball” this one, I tried to on my first batch and ended up burning itL.

My 9x13 pan all buttered and ready to go!

Look at all that butter, Paula Deen would be so proud! ;)

My almonds toasting.

Chopping my toasted almonds; I like to do 1/4 cup at a time to make sure I chop all the nuts.

The toffee mixture (butter, sugar, almonds) all smooth in the pan.

The chocolate atop the toffee mixture.

Spreading the chocolate with the back of a spoon.

The almonds atop the melted chocolate--all ready to be chilled!

The finished product: Almond Roca Brittle!

Almond Roca Brittle

Ingredients:

2 ½ C toasted almonds, chopped and divided

1 ½ C tightly-packed brown sugar

1 ½ C (3 sticks) salted butter

6 Hershey’s Bars

Directions:

Butter a 9 x 13 pan and set aside.

Chop the toasted almonds and place 1 ½ cups in a small bowl, and the remaining 1 cup in another small bowl, set aside.

Unwrap the chocolate bars and set aside.

In a medium or large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter stops foaming, add in the brown sugar and stir. Once the mixture begins to bubble, place in the candy/instant-read thermometer and stir constantly until the mixture reaches 290°F.

Remove the mixture from the heat and add the 1 ½ cups of toasted, chopped almonds. Pour into the buttered pan and smooth the mixture so it sits in the pan evenly.

Place the chocolate bars on top of the mixture and let it sit for about 3 minutes so the chocolate has the chance to melt so it will make spreading easier (you’ll know it’s ready to spread when it gets all nice and shiny).

Using the back of a spoon spread the chocolate in an even layer. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of toasted almonds over the chocolate and gently press it in.

Cover and chill the Almond Roca Brittle for at least 4 hours before breaking it apart (I personally like to chill it over night).

Use a knife to break the brittle apart.

***NOTE: After breaking apart the brittle you’ll be left with about ¼ cup of brittle shards. My family and I have found that these little shards are delicious on top of ice cream, YUM!

Source: mostly mine, but inspired from this recipe.

I’m linking this post up at:
Metamorphosis Monday, Menu Plan Monday , Skip to My Lou, Tip Me Tuesday, Today’s Creative Blog

Day 7 of 12 Days of Christmas Fun: Christmas Cookie Round-Up

♪♫ On the 7^th day of Christmas Food, Folks, and Fun gave to me…♪♫

Christmas Cookie Round-Up

Jingle All the Way Shadow Box Tutorial

Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting & a GIVEAWAY!

Cranberry-Pecan Chicken Salad

CHRISTmas Subway Art Printable

Thick & Chewy Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Christmas To-Do List Printables

When I think about Thanksgiving desserts I think of pies, and when I think of Christmas desserts I think of COOKIES! Here I have a compiled a few of my favorite Christmas cookie recipes. Each recipe is wonderful, so you won’t be disappointed if you try any!

Gingerbread Cookies: Classic—soft, chewy, and delicious!

Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies: I think they’re a real show-stopper, especially once someone bites into one.

Peppermint Bark Cookies: A nice variation to Peppermint Bark, and they’re pretty “low maintenance” to make!

Coconut Macaroons: These cookies are irresistible, and you only need 5 ingredients to make them!

I’m linking this post up at:
Metamorphosis Monday, Menu Plan Monday , Skip to My Lou, Tip Me Tuesday, Today’s Creative Blog

Day 6 of 12 Days of Christmas Fun: Jingle All the Way Shadow Box Tutorial

♪♫ On the 6^th day of Christmas Food, Folks, and Fun gave to me…♪♫

Jingle All the Way Shadow Box Tutorial

Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting & a GIVEAWAY!

Cranberry-Pecan Chicken Salad

CHRISTmas Subway Art Printable

Thick & Chewy Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Christmas To-Do List Printables

So, I’m s*l*o*w*l*y* getting into crafting. I aim for easy crafts that are cute and don’t take too much time…this one hit the nail right on the head!

Materials Needed:

• Shadow Box Frame (I got mine at Michaels, they’re sold in 3-packs for $19.99 but be sure to use a coupon!)
• Mod Podge
• Foam brush
• Tongue depressor or credit card (for smoothing out bubbles)
• Craft Paper
• Scissors
• Jingle Bells (I used 20mm, 18mm, 15mm, 12mm, and 8mm bells)
• Jingle all the Way vinyl from CC Vinyl
• Ribbon

Jingle All the Way Shadow Box Instructions

Step 1: Take the backing off of the shadow box and peel away any pre-packaged paper (if applicable).

Step 2: Using a foam brush, spread a layer of Mod Podge over the cardboard backing.

Step 3: Trim the craft paper (if needed) and place it on top of the wet mod podge. Use a credit card or tongue depressor to smooth out any air bubbles. Allow to dry and set for 20-30 minutes.

Step 4: Spread a thin layer of mod podge over the craft paper to seal it. Allow it to dry completely for 20-30 minutes.

Step 5: Pour the jingle bells into the shadow box, and assemble to cardboard backing to the frame.

Step 6: Affix the vinyl lettering (I got mine from CC Vinyl) to the frame (feel free to re-position the words how you’d like them). I find using a credit card or tongue depressor to press the vinyl onto the glass through the layer of contact paper makes peeling the contact paper from the vinyl a lot easier.

Step 7: Tie a bow around the frame and you’re done!

I’m linking this post up at:
Metamorphosis Monday, Menu Plan Monday , Skip to My Lou, Tip Me Tuesday, Today’s Creative Blog