Easter Dessert 2

make Rice Krispies Treats adding a handful of chocolate chips and a spoon full of peanut butter to the marshmallows when they're all melted, before mixing in the cereal.
(spray scoop or spoons with Pam or dip in melted butter to keep from sticking) scoop into mini muffin tins and smash down making a little indent in the middle. standard recipe makes about 40 little nests.
add a drop or 2 of green food coloring to some coconut flakes in a baggie and toss until the coconut is green. sprinkle a bit in to each nest (save some without for any coconut allergies/dislikes) and add a whopper Robin egg, or some Easter peanut m&ms, or jordan almonds, or any other small egg shaped candy.
Enjoy

Easter Dessert

Using a knife, cut/break/shave the top off of as many eggs as you need. this really wasnt that hard. I only cracked one down the side, and used that as my hole, worked fine. 

we got a bag of 40 eggs for like $12 at Costco

You will want to prep the eggs and yolk first. The cheesecake sets up quickly and want to fill eggs before it sets up. 

you need a jello no bake cheesecake without the fruit topping. (or save the fruit for another use) you could also use a light orange jelly or apricot preserves for the yolk, I used lemon meringue

The meringue was too, uh, lemony colored (imagine that) so I added a couple drops of yellow food color. 

I didnt get pictures of the process, but you mix the cheesecake in the ziplock baggy per instructions on the box (you wont use the graham cracker crust). Snip the tip off the corner of the bag and pipe cheesecake in to each egg. then pipe a yolk on to the center of each egg. We had extra cheesecake and meringue so I piped them both into silicone cupcake cups to eat also. I estimate that 1 box could fill 20-30 eggs. If i were doing lots of eggs, I would not do a double batch of the cheesecake because it does set up quickly, i would do both batches separately. 

Then get a picture of all of the eggs instead of forgetting and then realizing when only one is left in the carton. 

Thanks family and friends for not wanting to be the one who takes the last egg. 

enjoy.

These were the perfect size if you had eaten a big lunch, snagged some of the kids candy, or got bunches of other goodies to eat.

Superbowl CupCake Tree

If you've seen my wedding blog, you've seen a Cupcake Tree transformation before. I gotta say, I love the CupcakeTree! We have used the same one for three weddings now and it's still just as sturdy as when I bought it! Bonus, it folds to a slim box between uses!
Since I knew Tresha of Pink Princess Cakes would be bringing some cupcakes to Superbowl this weekend, I decided to decorate it yet again! 
I started with a naked tree:

photo credit cupcaketree.com

(except I'm not using the bottom level)
I have used wrapping paper in the past but didn't have enough on hand and wanted to do this before shopping again, so I found a leftover rectangle green Dollar Tree tablecloth. (which, fyi is big enough to cover all the layers if cut logically, but if  covering the risers, I think another would have been nessesary, but 2x$1 is better than 2x$3 a roll for wrapping paper!) I cut around each circle and scotch-taped the plastic on.
 

(you can see where other paper was taped on and removed from before).
Next I used some white Duck tape, yes duck tape, not duct tape for the edges.
I worked in small sections, smoothing it on around the perimeters as cleanly as I could.


I opted not to cover the risers between layers this time, it wasn't worth the time, and besides, the guests will be paying more attention to the goodies than the cardboard. I do wish I had some end caps though.

The cheap plastic table cloth does allow some of the tape tears to show through, but once it is covered in cupcakes, no one will notice, nor care!

Next, I moved on to the top layer, I had a fun idea. 
I traced the sides of the circle and free-handed a football shape. I traced the template onto a piece of cardboard and cut it out.
Ellie woke up from her nap and came to help.



The brown cardstock really wasn't flexible or large enough, so we scrapped that idea. I found some brown wrapping paper though! (I taped the top layer circle to the underside of the football shape. (the circle has the holes for the risers to hold it into place securely)

Once the brown paper was down, I freehand cut some ball tip stripe things. I traced the better stripe twice onto a fresh sheet of cardstock as well as some threads.

I cut them out and ran them through my xyron. I stuck them on....

and assembled the tree.
I will be getting some white number stickers for next to the yard-lines.
I can't wait until it's covered in cupcakes!

I will update the post with final pics with and without cupcakes, I just wanted this to get posted before the big game!

Lactation Cookies (unless youre not breastfeeding, in which case theyre Tasty Cookies)

Chocolate Almond Lactation Cookies

Oatmeal, flax seed, brewer’s yeast and almonds have all be found to boost milk supply. It is also important for nursing moms to consume plenty of calories, and with a baby to take care of; these cookies make for a great snack. This recipe yields about 40 cookies.

It is important to note that many moms worry about supply unnecessarily. As long as a baby is breastfed exclusively, having plenty of wet diapers and gaining weight, milk supply is not likely a problem. If you are concerned, it is best to speak with an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. It doesn’t hurt to eat these tasty cookies though!

Kitchen Tools Needed

• Oven and kitchen timer (not pictured)
• A medium bowl (see photos for size examples)
• A large bowl
• A mixer
• A whisk
• A set of measuring cups
• Rubber spatula
• A #40 dishing scoop OR 2 spoons
• Cookie sheets
• Cooling racks
• Fork
• Metal spatula

Ingredients Needed

• 1 1/2 c. flour (whole wheat or all-purpose)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 3/4 c. rolled oats OR 1 c. steel –cut oats
• ¾ c. almond butter or peanut butter (before starting, see TIP, also, if doubling recipe, use entire 16oz jar)
• 1/2 c. butter or margarine, softened
• 1 c. flax meal
• 3 T brewer's yeast (often called “nutritional yeast” in stores)
• 1/3 c. water
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 large eggs
• 2 c. (12oz) chocolate chips, any variety
• 1 c. chopped almonds (or other nuts, however almonds can help with milk production)

TIP: If using natural nut butter that requires stirring, simply pour the entire jar into the large bowl and use mixer to stir, then measure out what is needed and put excess back into jar prior to step 3. This saves hassle with a butter knife and the bowl and mixer are going to get dirty anyway.

STEPS

1) Preheat the oven to 350* F

2) In the medium bowl, gently whisk together:

• flour

• baking soda
• cinnamon
• salt
set aside 

3) In the large bowl, beat the following:
• nut butter
• butter or margarine
• sugar
• brown sugar
• brewer's yeast
• flax meal
• water
• vanilla
until creamy, scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to fully incorporate all ingredients, dough will be wet and creamy.

4) Mix in the 2 eggs until combined.

5) Add bowl of dry ingredients, about a cup at a time, mix until fully combined.

6) Mix in the nuts and chocolate chips completely.

7) Slowly, add oats, about ¼ cup at a time, until all mixed.

8) Using the scoop or 2 spoons, form balls about 2 inches in diameter, place about 2 inches apart onto a cookie sheet and flatten each ball slightly with the tines of a fork. This ensures even baking.

9) Bake for about 12 minutes, they will be soft, but hold up to a metal spatula when done.

10) Allow to cool on pan no longer than 2 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.

Note: The taste of warm brewer’s yeast can be bitter, so some moms prefer to let them cool completely before eating.

TIP: Mixing and baking cookies is a lot of work for possibly sleep deprived moms, this dough freezes well: simply place formed and flattened balls in step 7 onto parchment paper and into zip-top bags and freeze. Whenever needed, simply place as many onto a cookie sheet as needed and bake for 12-14 minutes at 350*F

Tip: Some fresh baked cookies and/or some frozen cookie dough balls would make a great gift for a new mom, or a mom who is struggling with breastfeeding.

• Cookies should be stored in an air tight bag or container and will last up to 2 weeks fresh. Frozen dough will last at least 2 months.

• For a boost in milk supply, consume 4-6 per day. Enjoy!

Label organization.

Yes, I know it's extreme (or awesome?) to organize organization supplies, that's how I roll. (just don't look at the rest of my house)

I relocated my computer and printer and a few other things organizing my craft room (yes it's been like a year and still hasn't been completely done yet) when I found a binder and my bin of printable labels.

I got a million labels(like 10 packages) at a yardsale for $1 (for all) last spring. They were just in their packages stuffed in this bin and when I needed to print some, I'd always grab the wrong one or more than one package would come out.

First I thought it'd be cool if I could hole punch them for the binder, then I thought of some page protectors I had.

I started by taking some dividers (half a package I had leftover from another binder I made) I had and putting them in page protectors so they'd be the same size with the tab sticking out. (I found in the past dividers don't work with the extra width of page protectors) I simply cut a slit in the edge of the protector where the divider tab would go and slid them in.

Next, I separated the labels into piles, I had lots of return address size and to: address size. I also had some large shipping labels and cd and file tab labels. I opened packages and slipped a stack of label sheets into page protectors. It took about 2 protectors per package of labels. When they were all in the binder I made labels with for the tabs, a binder cover and spine label.

The binder cover is sort of boring but when I get my household binder finished I will decide on a design theme for all my binders and remake the covers/spines to match.

All the packages went into recycling! (after cutting out the Box Tops for Education!)

I have accessed the binder since creating it and I did overstuff the page protectors a little, but it was so nice knowing right where to look!

Sticky Storage - Magnet Strips

When I organized my medicine cabinet like a year ago, I got an idea, there was some wasted space due to different sized toiletries. A magnet on the wall inside would hold the metal items nicely. I tried every magnet on my frigde to try and repurpose, all failed.

Then after organizing my spice cabinet, I started looking at magnetic spice racks. Over at Mod Podge Rocks  recently I saw she attached magnets to baby food jars to stick to the fridge. (We actually do Baby-Led-Solids AKA Baby-Led-Weaning, and do not feed Ellie baby food, she feeds herself real, whole foods, but we get baby food on WIC so I put mashed veggies and meat in soups and we eat the fruit.)

At heaven (Ikea) today I remembered the magnetic spice rack idea and looked around for a metal backing for magnetic jars I imagined exsisted. I found some magnetic knife holders instead. (they also come in fun colors)

I was pretty sure the baby food jar lids would stick, and at only $2.49 it was worth a shot, I'm sure I could use them in my craft room for scissors or to relocate knives or something. (they were small, so I bought 5)

Someone on FB tonight asked about bathroom storage and I re-read my medicine cabinet post and at the magnet on the wall part, I had an aha moment! Those little knife racks would work! So For $2.49ish + like 10 minutes (most of which were spent opening the package) I had a little more storage in my medicine cabinet, which is great because we have since added the baby's toothbrush holder in that space.

The back of the medicine cabinet is not real sturdy, so I couldn't screw the magnet in. I thought of my darling, command hooks strips.

Without the screw holes being used though, there was a lip in the back of the magnet. The Velcro picture hanging strips came to mind. They were perfect sized and filled in that lip.

I just stuck one side to the magnet and other to the wall, clickety click, we were installed!

Add the metal tools and tada! Extra space!


Before:
 
After

oh and I had to check, yes, baby food jar lids DO stick to the magnet, even through the packaging.

If I dont get to make my spice rack soon enough for you, check out Mod Podge Rocks, or Just Home Made, or The Little Apartment, who uses Goo Gone for that pesky lable glue that has been driving me nuts.

Ive FALLen in Love again this year.

(i totally cheated and bumped this post from last year, life has been nuts lately, I do intend on getting back into blogging my life and home, soon.)

Fall is my favorite time of the year. September 1st rolls around and I pull out my fall decor. October 1st-ish (or whenever i feel like it) the Halloween stuff gets added. November 1st-ish the Halloween gets put away and any Thankgiving specific decor gets added to the decor.

here are some pictures of some of the Fall only stuff:

I had 2 little punkies and the gourd in the middle, but one of the punkies got moldy, so I had to toss it out. During my recent Gift Wrap Organization project, I found the gold/orange bow and thought it was too Fall-y to pack it away, (I love it too much to gift it anyway) the vase was from some flowers we got at our wedding, and the flowers (silk) were purchased on clearance at Walmart for .75/10 stems, intended for our orange/blue wedding, but they were too fall-looking for the wedding theme, so I didn't use many of them in the wedding. The cloth was purchased to cover an ugly air-conditioner I had in my old apartment.

COST: $1.50 for the 3 real veggies(one was tossed out). $0 for the vase I already had, $0 for the flowers (they were in the wedding budget), $0 for the reused bow, $0 for scrap fabric from before (was like $1)

This cake stand/punch bowl was my favorite bridal shower gift. Purchased at Bed Bath and Beyond (although I'm not finding on their website today) Here is a similar one from Bloomingales. Its super versatile, has a divided tray under that turns upside down to be a flat cake plate when the domed lid is also inverted. it can also be covered with the domed lid with the divided tray as it is in the picture. Since I got it, it has been a fruit bowl, a cookie/brownie tray, candy bowl, and during the glorious days of summer, tomato bowl. Hasnt been either a cake stand or punch bowl yet, go figure.

In the bowl are faux punkies, I was disappointed when one of my real ones got moldy already this year, thats never happended to me before, usually they last from beginning of September through Thanksgiving. So after Halloween, I snagged a bunch of these little moldless punkies and gourds for .75 each on clearance. They will pay for themselves next year when I don't buy real ones. There are more of those non-wedding flowers in there too. And of course, underneith, some candy, not Halloween candy, just candy, I am pregnant with a sweet tooth. This would great with a bowl of red apples, silk flowers and leaves too.

Under the bowl is a faux suede placemat bought on clearance a few years ago for $1. I have more of them in other places in the house.

COST $6 for the faux punkies, everything else was from before.

This is actually the back/top of my bedroom armoirs, covered in a blue bedsheet. I really like how it hides the back of the armoires from the living room (were in a loft, remember). I also gives a "wall"/"mantle" area for decorating. The daisy picture(free at a yardsale, $10 walmart poster frame) is hanging by a chain (hidden by the scarecrow pik) and a 3M command hook from the other side. I love the little dangly leg guys in the middle. They make me happy every year.

COST: $0, I already had everything from previous years. The scarecrow pik was, I think, $0.25 on clearance. The little dangly leg guys were under $1 each, also on clearance, The candles were in a set with 3 small ones also for, I think, $3 on sale.

BTW, The picture frame was this:
but it was out of place with all the other fall decor, so with some handy Scotch Double sided tape, a leftover wedding flower ripped from its stem, and some silk leaves it became this (temporarily):


Happy Fall!
Im linking to: It's A Blog Party's Days of Thanksgiving Holiday Party and Cottage Instincts Make it for Monday