gooey goodness

with valentine's day upon us, i can't help but want to bake and create in the kitchen.  i love to bake.  feels so therapeutic to me.  my mom loves to bake.  i have tons of memories of delicious smells coming from our kitchen growing up.  she is amazing at making cakes, cookies, and other desserts.  mmmmmm.  and she always let me lick the spatulas and beaters.  yep, even if the batter included eggs.

since i am on a quest to eat healthier and lose, gulp, 20 more pounds, there is NO way i can have sweets on hand.  and that is exactly why i decided to do my baking and give it away to unsuspecting neighbors. :)

i have four recipes that i want to take a crack at but i also have two little girlies running around the house.  so, i devised a plan to "bake" one recipe a day with hopes to package it all up and deliver this weekend when the weather people are calling for a warm up.  yesterday, i made valentine chocolate bark.  yum.  i had a small bite and it was FAB!  i found this devilish, er i mean, delish recipe on my new favorite blog, bake at 350.  check it out.  that girl has her stuff together.

tonight's recipe is homemade marshmallows.  um, yeah.  ok, so i'm not a huge fan of marshmallows but i was intrigued to make my own.  a few years ago, there was a cute little coffee shop in downtown fortville.  (yes, you read that right)  i used to stop in before work some days to get their version of a caramel macchiato.  well, if i managed to get up early enough...  anyhoo, the shop also had gorgeous jumbo muffins and other various snackies to go with coffee.  and someone local made homemade marshmallows in different flavors, packaged them pretty, and sold them at the coffee shop.  never bought them but always admired them while i waited for my drink.  so, when i came across a recipe for homemade marshmallows i had to do it.

here's what you need:

2/3 c. water, divided
3 envelopes unflavored gelatin (next to the other gelatin)
1 c. sugar
1 c. light corn syrup
pinch of kosher salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. powdered sugar

here are the steps:

1. spray an 8x8 pan and coat it with powdered sugar  (WARNING:  use a clear spray, not butter flavored.  i used the butter flavored and it made the bottom of the marshmallows yellow)

2. pour 1/3 cup of water and gelatin into a stand mixer and let it sit for 10 minutes

3. meanwhile, combine 1/3 cup water, sugar, syrup, and salt in a pan over medium-high heat.  cook without stirring until it reaches 240 degrees

4.  on low, add the hot syrup mixture to the gelatin and add the vanilla (NOTE: you may want to use clear vanilla extract because the brown kind will turn your batter colors)  increase to medium-high and beat for 8 minutes.  you'll know it's ready because the batter starts to pull away from the side of the bowl.

5.  spread into the pan.  this was the trickiest part... it is so stinking sticky!!  a spatula was not doing the trick so i kept wetting my hand and using it to scrape out the batter.  use your hand to pat it down evenly.  set aside for one hour.

6.  carefully remove the goop from the pan and put on a cutting board.  cut into cubes.  i cut it into 36 cubes.  the key is to keep rewetting your knife!!  toss the cubes into powdered sugar.

7.  package into pretties :)

how jealous are you?

oh, and aunt joyce...wouldn't these just knock the socks off the raccoons over memorial day?

now, if your kitchen is a mess like mine was, find yourself two little helpers to put the messy dishes into the dishwasher. 

love them more than marshmallows

something white to love

tired of snow?  me too.  tired of ice storms?  i am.  scared your power will go out?  um, yes.  stick and tired of all that white stuff?  you betchya.  but i do love my new white wreath!

too cute, isn't it?  i LOVE how it turned out.  it was super easy to make but a bit timely.  stole the instructions off of another blog which you can see here.  and this is how i did it...

materials needed:

styrofoam heart wreath (found mine at joann's)

1.5 yards of white taffeta

hot glue gun

valentine-y ribbon

the steps:

1.  cut the fabric into 20" x 2" strips.  i did cut some shorter to vary the thickness of the roses.

2.  roll the strips into tubes and secure the end with glue.

3.  pinch one end of the fabric tube and drench with hot glue then stick to the wreath.

4.  continue adding the roses to the front of the wreath only.  fill in spots where you can still see the styrofoam.

5.  to make the bow, i cut two strips of ribbon different lengths.  then i made them into a loop and secured with glue.  i stacked the smaller loop on top of the larger and secured with glue.  next, cut a short strip of ribbon and wrap around the middle of the two loops and secure with glue.  (it should look like a bow now)  cut two more strips of ribbon at the same length for the bow's tails.  cut one more strip of ribbon to attach to the wreath for hanging it.  i doubled this strip by folding it in half then gluing it to the back of the wreath.  finally, glue the tails to the top of the hanging loop then glue the bow on top of that.  sorry for this confusing step.  i did not take pictures of this part!!  but here is how it looks all done and hanging on my front door. :)

p.s. charlie the cat wanted in the picture



129 days until "summer break", uuuummmmmm...

shit.  that's 18 weeks and 3 days.  i have over 30 pounds to lose before then.  shit. 

i LIVE to eat. 

but i need to...............

EAT to live.

okay, diets?  yuck.  exercise?  yuck.  but if i want to ACTUALLY lose over 30 pounds by summer, then i have to do one or the other.  fine.  i'll give both a stab.  (feels like the right word to use with diet and exercise, doesn't it?) 

over 2 weeks ago, i made a decision to eat healthier.  that means lots of fruits and veggies and protein.  and no.  no, not no, hell no does that mean going without carbs.  so far, 10 pounds down.  20 to go.

with changing my eating habits, i find myself no longer thinking about my next meal at all times.  and by eating better foods that are lower on the glycemic index (think, diabetics, kind of...) my blood sugar stays steadier all day.  that means i don't binge eat.  (and you're an idiot if you think i would EVER purge.  i hate to throw up.  and i hate to waste food.)  of course, eating healthier tends to be a little boring or bland at times.  i mean, i love pastries and lattes and fries and pie.  what's a girl to do?  well, i'll tell you.  get some creative juices flowing and tweak some recipes.  and i did just that.  TWO yummy recipes that are bikini-friendly. :)

the first is a breakfast recipe.  or i suppose you could have it for dessert...  i made a blueberry cheese danish.  it was good.  not awesome but definitely curbed a craving for me.  next time i am going to use strawberries instead since they tend to be sweeter than blueberries.

skinny blueberry cheese danish--single serving

nutritional facts: 231 calories, 2g fat, 18g carbs, 16g protein

cake batter:

1/4 c. heartsmart bisquick

1 T.   soy flour (you can sub for regular but your protein count will go down)

1 T.   splenda

3 T.   egg beaters

1 T.   skim milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1 T.   zero-calorie butter spray

cheese filling:

2 T.  FF cream cheese

1 T.  splenda

1 T.  egg beaters

1/2 tsp. lemon juice

fruit topping:

1/2 c. fresh or frozen berries

1/2 T. splenda

preheat oven to 350 degrees.  cake batter: mix dry ingredients first then add wet.  pour into a PAM sprayed mini-loaf pan.  cheese filling: soften cream cheese (microwave 10 sec.) then mix with splenda.  next add wet ingredients.  spoon on top of cake batter but leave room around the edges.  fruit topping: defrost berries (if needed), then mash or chop.  add splenda.  spoon on top of the filling.  bake 16 minutes.  let cool.  enjoy :)

the second recipe is a beverage.  it is my own version of a caramel macchiato. yum!!!  i seriously sipped on this for an hour because i didn't want it to end!!!

skinny caramel macchiato--single serving

nutritional facts: 105 calories, 0g fat, 22g carbs, 2.5g protein

1/3 c. skim milk

1/6 c. boiling water (40 mL)

1/6 c. international delight: coffee house inpiration skinny caramel macchiato

3/4 tsp. instant coffee

dash of cinnamon

2 T. FF aerosol whipped cream

combine first four ingredients.  top with whipped cream and cinnamon.  enjoy!!

if you try these recipes, let me know what you think.  i'd love to hear any improvements or different versions!  i would LOVE to add to my "skinny" collection. :)

pantry shelf mini-make-over

do you ever open your pantry and suddenly feel an overwhelming sense of panic?  i do.  alot.  my pantry (if you can call it that since it used to be a hall closet that we had to convert into a pantry because our terrible house plans did not include a pantry at all but we failed to notice that before putting our initials on everything saying we approve) is always a freaking mess.  (sorry ML, i said freaking.)  every time i open that blasted door, i feel myself hyperventilating because it is so ugly inside there.  no thanks to the cheap wire shelving we chose to use to create a pantry in the first place.  i hate wire shelves.  especially in my pantry.  i hate the way you have to strategically place small cans on it so they don't tip over due to the lack of support.  i hate the way small packages, like my granola bars or popcorn bags, fall through those dagnabbit wires.  did i mention that i loathe wire shelves?

so much hatred is not healthy.  time for a change. 

here is what my ugly, hateful pantry looked like before.  don't judge me.

 um, no.  i NEVER have an empty shelf.  i had already started clearing things out when i took the pics.



why, yes, yes that is paper grocery bags on that empty shelf.  that was my white trash version of making my shelves less "fall-through" proof.

remember when i decrapified my office space?  i had bought some particle board from home depot to lay on the wire shelf thingy that i had had since college.  well, at the same time i did that, i had the hd guy cut the boards so they would fit in my pantry as well.  i think i spent a total of $5 on all the boards.  (cheap-o)  here is what it looked like cut to size...

real purdy, huh?  nope.  well, i found some super cute self-adhesive shelf liner paper at target a few weeks ago.  you know, the kind that you normally put in your cabinets and drawers.  i used it to cover the top of each board.  but i also added it to the bottom of the two boards that would be on the top 2 shelves in the pantry.  i did that because i didn't want to see the ugly brown board every time i opened the pantry and looked up.  here is what the pantry looks like now.  it may not appear to be a huge difference to you but i assure you that i no longer feel hatred when i open that door.

believe it or not, i can actually fit more into my pantry now.  the boards give me more space on each shelf since nothing falls through or tips over from the wires.  not a bad mini-make-over for under $10.  it definitely would have cost much more to replace that ungodly wire shelving.  as for pretty-ing things up, well, that is another project down the road.  i am really hoping to score some jars/containers that i can cutesy up with some labels and hopefully talk the hubby into the dessert bar i want to add to our kitchen area that will help me get rid of some of the bigger non pantry items, like my stand mixer, wok, and platters.  stay tuned for that...but don't hold your breath.

homemade Christmas granola

while on my quest to save money and be more thoughtful with gifts, i decided to make the usually gifts that neil and i love to give to our aunts, uncles, and cousins.  googling late into the night, i came across a blog called my.daily.randomness.  totally stole her idea, recipe, and labels. :)  and i sure am glad i did because everyone loved it!   look how adorable they turned out!

 i found the containers at joann fabrics.  they were on sale for $2 a piece plus i used a 20% coupon on the entire purchase.  (score)  the containers are actually for scrapbooking materials.  i found them in the ribbon cutting section on an end cap. 

i tweaked the recipe to my liking... the original called for flax seed (uh, what?), pumpkin seeds (no thanks.  only like those with a TON of salt), coconut (yuck), and raisins (seriously?  there are WAY better dried fruits out there).  here's my recipe:

mollie's homemade granola--makes approx. 6 cups
4 c. oats (not instant or quick cooking)
1 c. chopped walnuts (i put them in my food processor to make them fine)
1 c. slided almonds
3/4 c. maple syrup (dark)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. dried cherries
1/2 c. dried blueberries
preheat oven to 325.  combine oats and nuts in a large bowl.  combine syrup, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon then add to the oat mixture.  spread mixture on a baking sheet.  cook for 30-40 minutes (stir occasionally) depending on how crispy you want it.  stir in dried fruits.  store in an air-tight container.

this was my first time using pure maple syrup.  um, hello!!  i now realize why buddy the elf considered it one of the 5 major food groups.

to decorate the containers, i wrapped a pretty ribbon around the middle and secured it with hot glue.  then i hot glued the label to that and the directions to the top of the lid.  waa-laa!  click here to get the labels.

out with the old, UP with the new!

every year, i love to decorate for Christmas.  it almost gives me a feeling that i am giving each room a facelift.  it tricks my senses into thinking that i get to redecorate without freaking the hubby out...  but, each year when it's time to take the decorations down, i lose that feeling and it's replaced with an overwhelming "blah" feeling all over again.  well, this year, i vow to keep those sad feelings at bay. 

when i was still teaching, one of my favorite things was to decorate my classroom for each season and/or holiday.  i got to do it in the privacy of my own classroom where my students could "oooh" and "ahhh" and my husband couldn't roll his eyes.  now with children of our own, i feel it is my motherly-obligation to decorate our home for each season/holiday.  right?  i mean, my mother did.  she would set her handpainted ceramic decor out for my brother and i to admire.  when the ceramic egg with the bow-for-a-handle made its appearance each year, that could only mean one thing...jellybeans!!!!  i LOVED helping and admiring the decorations.  truth be told, i still love it!  i have to catch my breath everytime i walk past the seasonal stuff in target!

with decorating for each season comes the #1 thing that makes my husband's gag reflex kick in...spending money.  since this is the first year that i have decided to contribute to my obligation, i have NO decorations on hand other than Christmas ones.  oh boy, how in the heck do i ask my hubby for money to decorate for (gag) valentine's day?  i can just hear his response now..."puhft, what?  nobody decorates for valentine's day.  we don't need more crap. blah, blah, blah."  okay, back to reality.  no WAY am i asking him.  surely i can scrounge around the house and pull somethings together.  right?  well, you betcha i did.  NOT the fanciest decorations but cute enough that my girls noticed them ALL when they woke from their nap the day i did it.  mission accomplished.  enjoy.

poofy tulle garland

paper doily garland and tulle tied garland (bought the doilies at target for $2)

a LOVE picture frame that has a pic of random children... (got it as a baby gift--first time used!)

a pearly-lilac vase with hot pink daisies (got the vase as a random wedding gift--first time being used! and had the daisies from making dirt pudding one year, haha)

red placemats with my go-to candles with tulle bows

a red pennant that i quickly sewed together--very cute (scrap material, pinking shears, ribbon)

be mine garland (made from scrapbook paper, muffin cups, and letter stickers), 2 heart pillows (target $ bins), glittery hearts in my apothecary jars ($ bins too)



merry christmas, happy new year!

sorry for the lack of posts lately...doesn't mean i have been busy creating new topics for the blog though.  hope to update my blog lots in the next few weeks with what's been going on. :)

the girls were sick over Christmas :( so i the fun and fabulous picture i had in my mind for Christmas morning did not go as i hoped.  the girls still had some fun digging in to some presents but not with the enthusiasm i wished for.  nonetheless, here are some cute pix i managed to get of our blessed day.  enjoy!

 Christmas eve watching scrooge

 santa's been here!  santa!!  i know him!

 vintage kitchen--this was my grandmother's and her twin sister's :)

 pillow pet from daddy--sadie is loving it!

 leni is sharing her kitchen with charlie :)

 sadie was up for ripping into some presents

 hmmm...what's in here?

 welcome home!

 leni is wondering if there is room for her since uncle aaron joined sadie...

 leni, checking out the view from inside

 having a snack at their new table from grammy and granpy

 granpy teaching them a lesson--i love how intently they are listening to him :)

 leni is obviously pleased with herself

 sadie and leni thought they needed to taste all of the wrapping paper...

 grammy, helping leni open the girls' gift from uncle aaron (noah's ark)

 leni, the carnivore

 leni, tasting the orange from her stocking

 sadie, tasting hers

 sadie with cousin mallory--sadie LOVED mallory's new light up shoes!

 sadie, chillaxing inside the playhouse

my poor, sick babies... :(