Christmas Rice Krispie Treats

Having the kids home for winter vacation is always difficult.  They always seem to get bored, no matter how many toys, crafts, or games they have.  Cold, rainy days make it even harder because they can't go play outside.  So today I kept them busy for a little bit with some fun Rice Krispie Treats we shaped out of a Jello Jigglers mold.  They came out really cute, so I thought I'd share them with you.

Peppermint Eggnog Waffle Sticks

 

I needed to bring in some treats for my daughter's Christmas party at school this week.  It seemed that all the other mom's were bringing in cookies, so I though I'd change things up a bit.  Waffle sticks are usually a hit with the kids.  Earlier this year I had made some Sugar Cookie Waffle Sticks that they loved, so why not some Peppermint Eggnog Waffles Sticks.  I even found some candy cane candy melt to dip them in.

Sweet and Salty Gingerbread Pie

I really love the flavors of gingerbread, the molasses, the brown sugar, and all the spices.  I don't know why I only use them for the holidays.  Maybe because they are so addictive.  I know I ate more than my fair share of gingerbread cookies the other weekend when I was decorating them with the kids.  But this past weekend we had a party to go to and I knew I wanted to make something with gingerbread flavor.  So I found a recipe for gingerbread cookie bars which I stuffed with Gingerbread Twix Bars, baked it on top of a pretzel crust and topped it with a salted caramel cream cheese frosting.  What?  Yup!  It's a Sweet and Salty Gingerbread Pie to die for. 

Eggnog Funfetti Cake Cookies

Are you tired of eggnog yet?  I'm not! I used some in my pancakes the other morning and boy were they good. I really can't drink more than a sip or two because it's so super sweet, but it's  a perfect addition to baked goods.  It makes everything taste better, like these Eggnog Funfetti Cake Cookies.  There are only four ingredients in this recipe. It can't get much quicker or easier.  Plus, your kids can help you make and decorate these.  They are perfect for holiday parties and cookie exchanges.  I'm bringing mine to a party this weekend.  That is if my husband and kids can stop eating them.

Peppermint Eggnog Fudge

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.  We spent ours with some kind and generous neighbors this year.  There was a ton of food and all of it was delicious.  My plate was quite full.  I also was able to get my Christmas tree up and decorated while my husband decorated outside.  To get myself in the full Christmas spirit, I whipped up a batch of this Peppermint Eggnog Fudge.  There's nothing better than combining two of the most popular holiday flavors for a creamy, smooth fudge that fills your mouth with delightful mintiness.

Maple Zucchini Banana Muffins

It's muffin time!  Time for me to make some more healthy muffins to snack on, so my husband and I have something sweet to eat with our coffee without feeling guilty.  Last time I made some Maple Pumpkin Banana Muffins based off of the recipe for my Strawberry Coconut Banana Muffins.  This time I opted for zucchini, since that's what was in the fridge this week.  These Maple Zucchini Banana Muffins are just as flavorful as the other two.  I even increased the ratio of wheat flour to all purpose flour in the recipe to make them even more healthy.  Although, you could probably use just whole wheat flour.  The real key is the coconut oil, that's what make them so light and fluffy.

Maple Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

A couple of weeks ago my brother-in-law and girlfriend came down for a visit. I always make sweets for my guests, so I made regular chocolate chip cookies for him and gluten free Maple Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies for her, since she has been recently diagnosed with gluten allergies. Well, turns out my husband, daughter, and extremely picky son really liked them, so I have been baking some pretty much every week for snacks and school lunches. If it tastes good and it’s healthy, then it’s a double bonus.

Blueberry Yum Yum Smoothie

I had never heard of a Blueberry Yum Yum dessert until one of my neighbors suggested I make it.  Of course I did.  It's super easy and oh my, it is so delectable.  It's a no bake layer cake made with crushed Lorna Doone shortbread cookies, blueberry pie filling, whipped topping, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and pecans.  What's not to like about that?  I thought it would be perfect to make as a dessert smoothie.  Yeah, I know it's not a healthy smoothie, but sometimes you have to be bad.  You can use low fat whipped topping and cream cheese if it makes you feel better.  Me, I'm sticking to the good stuff.

Candy Corn Creme Blondies

Apparently, I didn't get rid of all my Halloween candy.  I found a bag of Hershey's Candy Corn Creme bars in the back of the pantry and I still had a bag of Candy Corn M&M's that I hadn't opened.  The kids already had enough candy, so I needed to use these in some kind of dessert.  Blondies came to mind, because I have never made them, not have I ever eaten them.  Shocking isn't it.  I'm a chocaholic so I tend to migrate towards chocolaty desserts.  These Candy Corn Creme Blondies may change that.

Spiced Butternut Squash Cupcakes

O.M.G. I've been dying to share these cupcakes.  I think these are the best tasting cupcakes ever.  The flavor combinations are superb.  I was playing around with some butter rum flavoring that my neighbor gave me and some fresh butternut squash puree I made, resulting in these fabulous, spiced Butternut Squash Cupcakes with butter rum flavor.  I think I just found my new flavor to use in just about everything.  I was always a vanilla girl, but now I think I am switching over to butter rum.  It's has a slightly sinful taste to it.  I love it!

Candy Corn Creme Rice Krispie Treats

Need a quick last minute treat for Halloween?  Try these Candy Corn Creme Rice Krispie Treats.  They are made with Hershey's Candy Corn bars.  I am not usually into white chocolate, but these are different.  They really do taste like candy corn and they are creamy.  I stole a few from the candy stash to make these treats.

Pumpkin Spice Oreo Truffles

Well, I had to find something to do with the leftover Pumpkin Spice Oreos I had from last week's Krispie Pumpkin Spice Oreo Tartlets, so I made some truffles.  I love Oreo truffles.  They are so easy to make and with all the different Oreos that keep coming out, there is a flavor for everyone's liking.  And you can shape the dough in a variety of ways.  I used a pumpkin ice cube tray to shape these pumpkin truffles.

Krispie Pumpkin Spice Oreo Tartlets

So the original post for this recipe got deleted and of course I didn't have a back up, so I don't remember what I wrote.  That will teach me.  Anyway, I will just have to come up with something new to say.  Like how incredibly easy these Krispie Pumpkin Spice Oreo Tartlets are to make and you don't even need to turn on an oven.  They are a perfect blend of two of my favorite desserts, Rice Krispie Treats and Oreo Truffles.  Does that have you intrigued yet?  Well, keep reading.

Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Cookies

I can't believe it's almost Halloween.  Time is flying by.  We finally got around to putting up our spooky decorations for the kids and decorating our pumpkins.  Hopefully, they will have as much fun as last year when the big day arrives.  In the meantime, we are enjoying these Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Cookies.  They are chock full of Pumpkin Spice M&Ms, pumpkin puree, pretzels, and Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa.  They are decadently good.

Caramel Apple Oreo Truffles

While the weather down south is a bit warmer, we have had a few chilly mornings and evenings.  So I know that fall is here.  What better way to celebrate than with some Caramel Apple Oreo Truffles.  They have a crunchy outer layer of caramel apple candy coating, drizzled with caramel and inside is a soft, chewy filling made of Caramel Apple Oreos and cream cheese.  A simple, no bake treat that you can bring to any fall party.  I brought them to a neighborhood shrimp boil last weekend and they disappeared real fast.  The kids and the adults loved them.

Maple Pumpkin Banana Muffins

OK, now I am ready for fall.  I opened up my first can of pumpkin puree today and made these Maple Pumpkin Banana Muffins.  They are filled with all sorts of goodness and they are healthy.  I used pure maple syrup instead of sugar, replaced some of the flour with whole wheat flour and used coconut oil.  I am trying to be a good mom and send healthy treats to school, so I have been baking muffins and freezing them to have on hand.  These ones may not last until I freeze them though.  Even my picky eating son loved them.  Of course he does love maple syrup and bananas, so that helps.  Healthy treats don't have to lack flavor.

Tequila Lime Oreo Truffles

OK, so I am on an Oreo and truffle binge lately.  So sue me, but before you do, you might want to check these out.  If you've got a package of Limeade Oreos in the pantry, bust them out.  These Tequila Lime Oreo Truffles are worth the effort.  I am still holding on hard to summer.  I am not ready for pumpkins yet.  I just pop one of these in my mouth, sit back, close my eyes and I can feel the warm sun and hear the ocean calling. 

Krispie Fruit Punch Truffles

Well, we did it! We got our stubborn little four year old into a pre-school program.  It has been a challenge with him refusing to potty train, but his teacher really wanted him in school and she made it happen.  He wakes up every morning eager to go and doesn't even care about leaving me.  He is a smart little kid, but his stubbornness keeps him from getting things done and being on track with other kids his age.  He is making progress though.  I just have to accept the fact that I look like an incompetent mom that doesn't know how to potty train her child.   Each child is different.  He is nothing like his older sister.  Oh well, on a happier note I made these lovely kid friendly Krispie Fruit Punch Truffles to continue celebrating summer and keep fall at bay.

Root Beer Float Mini Donuts

Well, summer is over and school has started for my oldest.  I am hoping to get the little one in pre-school this year also.  The house is so quiet and peaceful now.  I have more free time to get back into my hobbies.  Baking, of course, being one of them. I had a package of Root Beer Float Oreos in the pantry screaming to be used.  I am surprised that I had not eaten them all.  I love root beer and so does my daughter.  I know it's a bit on the sweet side, but once in a while I like to have a few sips.  That's why I love these Root Beer Float Mini Donuts I made with the Oreos, because they taste like root beer, but they aren't super sweet. 

M&M Birthday Party

I put together my son's 4th birthday party last week.  He's into a lot of things, but nothing in particular stood out as a theme.  That is until someone posted a photo of an M&M wedding cake on Facebook.  I had my inspiration.  My son loves M&M's in all different varieties.  He devours whatever flavored M&M's I buy to make recipes with.  He's not picky when it comes to his favorite candy.  So I researched Pinterest for DIY party decor and kept my eyes open when I was out shopping.  I tried to keep it simple because it wasn't going to be a terribly big party, but I wanted it to be special for him.

Candy Coated Oreo M&M's

Summer is coming to a close.  Kids are going back to school in two weeks.  Yay!  I love my kids, but I need a break.  The past couple of weeks have been busy.  We drove up north for a week to see family and friends.  It's was nice to see everyone, but man, that drive is killer.  Then last week I was occupied with making treats and decorations for my son's birthday.  He loves M&M's, so I scoured Pinterest for ideas on doing an m&m party.  I found a few things, but these Candy Coated Oreo M&M's were my idea.  I've been wanting to make them for a while, so I thought this was the perfect opportunity.  They came out pretty cute.

Gluten Free Maple Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have never made a gluten free recipe before, but a friend of the family was recently diagnosed with gluten allergies and was looking for cookie recipes.  I had some rice flour in the pantry, so I told her I would test out recipes for her.  I'll take any excuse to bake cookies.  I had my reservations about baking gluten free.  I was afraid they wouldn't taste as good as regular chocolate chip cookies, but man these Gluten Free Maple Chocolate Chip Cookies came out awesome.  Of course, it doesn't hurt that I made them with my dad's maple syrup.

Lemon Blueberry Scones

What do you do when you have an over abundance of blueberries and blueberry pie filling?  You make scones, that's what.  These moist, delicious scones have twice the blueberry impact with hints of lemon in the batter and in the glaze.  I am a big fan of the blueberry/lemon combo ever since I made those Lemon Blueberry Basil Rice Krispie Treats a while back.  Unfortunately, my basil plant has gone dead since then, otherwise I may have put some in these scones too.  Perhaps next time.

Spiked Lemon Oreo Truffles

Sometimes adults have to have their own special treats. Sorry kids.  These Spiked Lemon Oreo Truffles are to die for.  They have a nice crunchy vanilla outer shell and a soft gooey lemony center, with a little help from some Bacardi Limon Rum.  If you love lemon desserts, you are going to want to make these.  I think my husband ate about half of them.  The other half, I was kind enough to share with my neighbors.  I am going to have to make another batch for the 4th of July neighborhood party.

Firecracker Rice Krispie Treats

It's almost time for the 4th of July.  Time for picnics, cookouts, parades, and fireworks.  Why not make some cute treats with the kids to celebrate.  There is lots of fun packed into these Firecracker Rice Krispie Treats.  They are full of strawberry marshmallows, sprinkles, colored frosting, blue and red Twizzlers, and Pop Rocks.  Kids will enjoy decorating and eating these.

Donut Birthday Party Decorations

Well, since the decorations for my daughter's birthday party came out even better than anticipated, I thought I'd share a few more photos.  Since we now live down south, I thought a "Krispy Kreme" theme would be appropriate for the party and my daughter agreed.  I found so many great ideas on Pinterest for decorations.  The colors are what drew me in, maybe because they remind me of Christmas.  Everything was fairly simple to put together, my daughter helped out with a lot of small details.

Cotton Candy Mini Donuts

You know you are a food blogger when you spot a new dry cookie mix at the store and your first thought is not making cookies, but what you can make with the mix itself.  Yep, I used cotton candy cookie mix to make these Cotton Candy Mini Donuts.  And they do really taste like cotton candy.  I made these along with Birthday Cake Oreo Mini Donuts for my daughter's birthday party the other week.  Kids and adults alike loved them.

Birthday Cake Oreo Mini Donuts

Last weekend we celebrated my daughter's 8th birthday.  The theme this year was donuts.  I made four different types of mini baked donuts including these Birthday Cake Oreo Mini Donuts.  If you haven't eaten a Birthday Cake Oreo yet, you have got to try them.  They are so good.  I used them both in the donut mix and in the frosting.  They were a big hit at the party.  I even topped them off with Birthday Cake M&Ms to keep the celebration going. 

Father's Day Recipes

I put together more than 25 recipes ideas for you to make on Father's Day.  Whether you and your family are getting together for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, or coffee, I've got you covered.  Sometimes making a meal or a treat from scratch makes it that much more special. 

Bourbon Bacon Scones

All right, just one last bourbon recipe for Father's Day.  These Bourbon Bacon Scones are not only filled with bourbon whiskey and real bacon, but they are also slathered with a maple glaze and drizzled with chocolate.  They are not as boozy as my Biscoff Bourbon Bacon Cookies or my Bourbon Bacon Chocolate Fudge , but they are just as tasty and perfect for a Father's Day breakfast or brunch. 

Biscoff Bourbon Bacon Cookies

Father's Day is coming up around the corner.  Looking for a manly treat to make for the fathers in your life.  How about these Biscoff Bourbon Bacon Chocolate Chunk Cookies?  They are huge in size and flavor.  They are packed full of Biscoff Cookie Spread, Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey, Boar's Head Natural Smoked Bacon, and Nestle's Semi-sweet Chocolate Chunks.  Need I say more?

Bourbon Bacon Chocolate Fudge

There's just something about putting booze in fudge that I like.  It brings it to a whole other level like this Bourbon Bacon Chocolate Fudge.  Yep, I said bourbon AND bacon.  Have I piqued your interest yet?  I had never tried bourbon till I made this fudge, so I took a swig while prepping the ingredients.  It's a mighty fine drink, I must say.  It's smoother than I though it would be.  One of my neighbors lent me the bottle to make this recipe, but they may not get it back.

Lemon Blueberry Basil Rice Krispie Treats

Things have been pretty busy over here.  We had some out of town family come to visit last week and this week my parents are driving down to see out house for the first time since we moved.  I haven't has much time to play around in the kitchen, but I wanted to make something for when my parents come.  I think they are going to like these Lemon Blueberry Basil Rice Krispie Treats.  They were inspired by a lemon basil martini I had last week when I was out to dinner. 

Mother's Day Brunch Treats 2014

Just offering up a little inspiration for Mother's Day brunch treats.  I haven't decided what I will be making yet, maybe some muffins or scones. Or maybe I will just pick something out for someone to make for me, so I can kick off my shoes and relax!

Biscoff Cookie Dough Pops

Do you buy your mother flowers on Mother's Day?  Well, how about making some instead.  These Biscoff Cookie Dough Pops are perfect for a special occasion and a special person.  Kids can also get in on the action, if they don't eat all the cookie dough first.  It is pretty irresistible.  If you like Biscoff Cookie Spread, you are going to love Biscoff Cookie Dough.  It's a wonderful combination of Biscoff flavor and raw chocolate chip cookie dough (don't worry, no eggs involved).  You've gotta try it!

Strawberry Coconut Banana Muffins

It's time to get ready for Mother's Day coming up.  My in-laws will be in town, so we will probably go out to eat for lunch or dinner on Sunday, but I still wanted to have a treat for the morning.  I was looking for something light and full of fruit.  I really liked the Maple Strawberry Banana Muffins I made last year, so I based these Strawberry Coconut Banana Muffins off of that recipe.  I exchanged the oil and maple syrup for some coconut oil.  I have been wanting to try baking with coconut oil, so here was my chance.  Now my muffins are even healthier!

Cinco de Mayo Party Treats 2014

If you are planning a Cinco de Mayo themed party this year, I've rounded up a few fun treats you can make.  These treats are great for any party, really.  Enjoy!

Churro Macarons

Who else but me would combine Spanish and French desserts into one tasty treat.  Ever since I made my Conversation Heart Macarons, I have been thinking up other crazy macaron flavors.  With Cinco de Mayo around the corner, I thought a churro flavor would be appropriate.  I've made Churro Cupcakes, Churro Crepes, Churro Donuts, Churro Puff Pastry, so why not in a French macaron form.  Trust me, you are going to like these.

Chicken Quesadilla Wonton Cups

Hope everyone had a nice Easter.  We finally had some nice weather here.  We were able to spend some time outdoors.  The bunny dropped off a few gifts for the kids and left them some jelly bean filled eggs to search for.  The kids and I made an Easter cake with some green tinted coconut and Peep bunnies.  You can see the pictures on my Instagram.  I was going to make a baked ham with maple syrup for dinner with some mashed potatoes and carrots, but I ended up donating all of it to my neighbors and their unexpected guests.  We had burgers on the grill instead.  Not very Easter-ish, but so very good.  Now I am getting ready for the next holiday, Cinco de Mayo, with some Chicken Quesadilla Wonton Cups.

Sweet and Savory Easter Treats

Looking for some inspiration for Easter breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner,  here are a few ideas that the whole family will love.  Just click on the links below to get the recipes.

Blue Raspberry Rice Krispie Treats

I'm in a blue mood, but that's a good thing.  These Blue Raspberry Rice Krispie Treats were super easy and fun to make.  The blue color is so pretty for Easter, but could work for other parties as well.  I can't believe Easter is almost here.  This will be our first Easter without family around.  We will probably get together with some friends to celebrate.  My daughter is looking forward to the Easter Egg Hunt and her basket of treats. 

Maple Carrot Cupcakes

The weather is finally warming up.  We are the 80's this week.  And this South Carolina sun is a scorcher.   I really need to buy a truck load of sunscreen this year.  The only downside to the nice weather is the pollen count.  Apparently allergies are worst here than New England.  I have been sluggish for two weeks now.  I feel like just laying down and sleeping all the time.  And my allergies are not even as bad as my husband's or son's.  So I can just imagine how they feel.  I did find some energy to make these Maple Carrot Cupcakes though.  I love carrot cake and what better way to enjoy it than with some pure maple syrup.

Maple Carrot Oatmeal Cookies

A long drive, friends, family, my birthday, and maple syrup, that pretty much sums up last week. 

 

I traveled up to Connecticut to visit family and friends as well as celebrate my birthday.  It's finally sugar season up there.  My mom made us a big sugar house meal with ham and kielbasa cooked in maple syrup.  The kids were just happy to watch my dad while he boiled the maple water into syrup.  My daughter especially loves maple taffy on snow.  We were all sugared up by the time we left.  I made sure I stocked up on plenty of syrup for my recipes.  These Maple Carrot Oatmeal Cookies have a generous amount of pure maple syrup in them that tastes great with the Carrot Cake M&M's I found at Walmart.

9 Boozy St. Paddy's Day Treats

Looking for some St. Patrick's Day treats with a little bit of spunk?  Well, you've come to the right place.  I love enhancing my treats with a little bit of beer or liquor now and then.  St. Patrick's Day give me an excuse to do just that.  Guinness and dark chocolate was my favorite combo until I tried Baileys with white chocolate.  Oh it's heaven.  Even if you don't drink Guinness beer or Bailey's Irish Cream you made just like it in your sweets.  The ingredients all blend well together creating a smooth overall flavor.  Everyone is a little bit Irish on St. Patrick's Day.

Maple Pecan Scones

Maple season has finally started.  Thank goodness, because I am all out of my father's maple syrup. I actually had to buy a bottle of maple syrup at the grocery store to make these. 

I do miss living close to my parents and popping over to their house during maple season.  The smell of boiling maple water is intoxicating.  And having that first sip of freshly made, piping hot maple syrup is the best.  Good thing we will be heading up north again soon.  My kids love being at the sugar house.  And my daughter is looking forward to seeing some snow again.  After spending the past week in flip flops, I sure don't look forward to packing all our winter gear.

Triple Irish Cupcakes

Sometimes things don't exactly go as planned.  My first attempt at the Baileys cupcakes led to a more bread like consistency.  Which is fine if that was what I was going for, but I wanted a more cake like consistency.  So back to the drawing board I went.  Got it right the second time.  Then I had to wait for my neighbor to give me some of his Jameson Irish Whiskey so I could make the filling.  I also was out of Guinness (I wonder why?) and had to wait for my husband to go to the package store.  So long story short, this took all week.  Have no fear, it was all worth the wait.

Baileys Caramel Pecan Fudge

I really can't believe how fortunate we were to move into our neighborhood.  Everyone is so friendly and most of them love just hanging out together outside chatting while our kids are contently running wild up and down the street.  We seem to have a lot of impromptu block parties.  It starts with a couple of people and just grows.  The other day it was dark out and way past dinner time, but no one wanted to go home so someone order pizzas and fed those that were hungry.  This is definitely the type of neighborhood I want my kids to grow up in. 

Dark Chocolate Guinness Donuts

I have found my pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.  Inside were these fabulous donuts.  They are full of dark chocolate flavors and Guinness beer made even more decadent by being topped with a light, creamy buttercream frosting made with Bailey's Irish Cream.  The combination of all the flavors takes me straight over the rainbow.  They are out of this world.  I really worked hard on not eating them all myself.  Instead, I was kind enough to share these with my neighbors.  They are so helpful when it's time for taste testing. 

Dark Chocolate Guinness Cookies

Ok, Valentine's is over.  Time for some St. Patrick's Day fun.  Are you with me?  I had a lot of fun with Guinness recipes last year (Dark Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats, Dark Chocolate Guinness Fudge, and Guinness Dirt Cake Shooters) and already have a few ideas in my head for this year's celebration.  And since St. Patrick's Day is the day after my birthday, it's always a celebration.  Today I made these Dark Chocolate Guinness Cookies.  If you like rich dark chocolate and moist fudgy cookies, you are going to love these.

10+ Ideas for Valentine's Treats

Still looking for something to make for your big sweetheart or little sweethearts on Valentine's Day?  Well look no further, I've got a few ideas for ya.