Saturday, December 10, 2011

Holiday Oreo Truffles


This is one of my favorite deserts! Oreo Truffles are good, but when the special edition Oreos are put out on the shelf the truffle possibilities are even better.
                         This is what you will need:                                         
   1. 16oz One package Peppermint Oreos (LEAVE THE CREAM IN THEM...PLEASE!!!)
   2. 8 oz soft cream-cheese (do not freeze)
   3. 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips melted in double boiler with about 1 tsp. olive oil added
   4. finely chopped peppermint candy to decorate (optional)

Directions:

  1.  Crush whole cookies to fine crumbs in the food processor; place in medium bowl. Add cream cheese; mix until well blended. Place dough in fridge for about 1 hour
  2. Roll cookie mixture into 42 balls (aprox), about 1-inch in diameter. 
  3. Dip balls in chocolate; place on wax paper-covered baking sheet. (Any leftover chocolate can be stored at room temperature for another use.) Sprinkle with reserved cookie crumbs.
  4. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Store leftover truffles, covered, in refrigerator. They can last in the freezer for several weeks!

Footnotes

  •  I leave most of the cream in the Oreos while every other recipe (that I've seen) does not use the cream.... (So sad :(   I think it taste a lot better this way!)
    Place truffle ball in melted chocolate to coat; roll if necessary. Lift truffle from chocolate using 2 forks (this will allow excess chocolate to run off) before placing on wax paper. 





I've never made snowmen out of the truffle recipe, but it sure is cute.

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Winter time Decorations

These are a few cost friendly, homemade, winter time decorations that everyone will have a blast making!

Spray-painted Pinecones 

What you will need:
1. About 12 varying size pinecones. (I'm pretty sure everyone has pinecones laying around their yard, but if not just ask a friend or neighbor if you could help clean up their yard by removing any unwanted pinecones. :)
2. One large cardboard box. (Recycled box.)
3. A few cans of spray-paint. (Whatever colors look best with your house)
What to do:
1. Place 3 or 4 pinecones in cardboard box.
2. Spray pinecones with first color. Let dry. Turn pinecones over and spray. Let dry. 
3. Repeat steps 1 & 2 for each color.



Floating Cranberry Centerpiece 

What you need:
1. Vase/ candle holder
2. Candle (White looks best)
3. Cranberries (fresh works best. NOT FROZEN!)
4. Holly-berry leaves/ with berries. (Or any pretty winter leaf.)
5. Water (Amount varies)
What to do:
I think you can figure that out! : ) 
One tip is to wash your cranberries first.

I thought this was quite cute! Very easy! I think all that was used was:
1. Vase
2. Candle
3. Sugar/salt/sand....?
3. Cranberries.

Very pretty and super simple!
 
 
Cinnamon Stick Candle-holders

This is by far my favorite! And while I've never done this I think it's fairly simple.....?
What you need:
1. Candle/with holder
2. Cinnamon Sticks
3. Small ribbon/ twine
4. Hot glue-gun/ with glue sticks
What to do:
1. Glue each individual stick onto candle holder in and upright fashion
2. Repeat step 1 until candle holder has no bare-spots
3. Let dry
4. Tie ribbon on and enjoy!



This is by far the easiest craft! No need to explain!


Vase with acorns. very easy, but pretty! 

 Elegant!

 Same idea as the pinecones! : ) pretty cute!


This is the hardest of the craft projects, but very beautiful! 



If you have craft ideas to share, just leave a comment with a link in it on how to or your own instructions!
If you have any questions feel free to ask in the comment box.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

~ Home for the Holidays ~ part 1

Home for the Holidays is a series I will be doing over the next few days, and it will hopefully be insightful on how to make your home inviting, your food yummy, and your house look amazing....enjoy!

Part 1. Planning the food. 



       Everyone knows that the star of the show for Thanksgiving is the turkey; and many people have many questions about the best way to prepare their turkey. While personal preference wins every time, some tips can make the difference between  yummy and yuk!

Q: 1.  Should I spend the extra money on an Organic/ Free Range/All Natural turkey?

A:1. I say, YES to Organic!...and this is why. 
  Choosing a free range, organic or heritage turkey is a great start towards having a great Thanksgiving. There are more benefits than disadvantages for choosing an organic turkey. The main disadvantage of an organic turkey is its price, which can sometimes be double the price of a traditional frozen turkey. A turkey (after butchering) is suppose to age for three days for maximum tenderness. The traditional turkey is usually immediately thrown on ice. An organic turkey is free of chemicals, fresh, and taste much better, which makes the extra cost worth it.

Facts about traditional turkeys (aka non-organic)

  A traditional turkey may be super-sized because it is chemically and genetically modified, which may make the turkey drier and less tender. Many traditional turkeys are raised in crowded conditions inside and are placed under heat lamps (No sunshine doesn't make for a very healthy bird). They are usually fed corn-based mash that may be laced with hormones or antibiotics (I was just thinking "Why would I want a bird who had to have antibiotics....that means the bird needed antibiotics in the first place.....it was a sick bird or the other birds around it were sick"). Many turkeys become overweight, which can contribute to broken bones, or cause the turkey to die from a heart a attack. Most of these facts, if not all, go for chickens as well!
  
Facts about Organic turkeys
  Organic turkeys are know to have a better flavor, and to have a lower risk of salmonella. These turkeys are also known to have many health benefits. Organic turkeys spend a great deal of time grazing outside eating a diet that is free of pesticides, hormones and antibiotics. If you want to be certain the turkey you are purchasing is organic, buy it directly from a farmer or health food store that you know and trust. For a turkey to be certified organic, the entire environment from yard to feed has to follow the government standard "all natural" label.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Decorating with pinecones

 Pinecones

I'm always looking for budget friendly craft ideas, and who doesn't have pinecones laying around.
                                                                                                                                                                         
(Top left) Pinecone tree. This is a bit elaborate, but is very pretty.  (Middle right) Turkeycones. This is the one of the funnest crafts to get the kids involved in! Click here for instructions



 (Bottom right) Pinecones wreath, this is a craft that the only limitation is your imagination, and for that reason I would say this is the easiest way to use pinecones How to.
Felt Acorns
Fall is here and we are doing our best to welcome it with an easy craft project.  These felt acorns are perfect for filling a glass jar, working into your table scape, or adorning gifts.  You can probably think of many other uses. 
DSC03284
Felt Acorns
Before you start:
Look for wool felt balls versus felt beads.  The beads for sale are often much harder (intentionally) than balls.  The balls are somewhat malleable and allow for the different shapes you will need to fit various "hat" sizes.
Do not keep your sack of felt balls in plain view if you have a cat.  They love them and you will find yourself searching for them under the sofa.
The felt balls come in many colors.  I chose earthy fall colors for this project, but I could definitely see some of these made with vibrant colors for the holidays.
Get far more acorn hats than you need.  Upon further inspection, some will have flaws that you won't like.  The worst thing that could happen is you have extra for another time.
I especially like it when two hats are attached.  I put all of those aside to use for wrapping gifts.  The ribbon tied right through the joint where they are attached.
Be sure to apply glue liberally.  You don't want it to spill over, but understand that some of it will be absorbed into the felt.  You will get the hang of it very quickly.
(Added Note) you can use felt Here's how! (Not as cute or easy, but you may prefer this method) 
Feltacorn1
Feltacorn2
You will need:
  • acorn hats
  • glue – I used fabri-tac, but I’m sure other glues would do.
  • clear filament – thin, very low test fishing line is sufficient.
  • tape – masking tape is fine.
  • needle threader
  • felt balls - I bought 2cm balls, but you can purchase a variety of sizes to fit a variety of hat sizes.
  • drill
  • 1/16 inch drill bit
 The steps:
  1. Using a dry, old toothbrush clean away any excess dirt from your collected acorn hats.  Discard any that appear unusable.
  2. To make acorns with hangers continue to step 3.  Otherwise skip to step 10.
  3. Turn the acorn hat upside down and brace it on the edge of a block of wood between your fingers.
  4. Carefully drill a hole in the center with a 1/16 inch drill bit.  Try to get as close to the stem as possible without drilling through it.  Preserving it will add some extra character to your finished product.
  5. Measure and cut lengths of filament 6-7 inches long.
  6. Double each filament piece and tie a knot as close to the end as possible.  Make it tight.
  7. Insert the needle threader from the outside of the acorn hat going in.
  8. Feed the loop end of the tied filament into the needle threader and pull through to the outside of the acorn hat.
  9. Secure the knot inside the acorn hat with a tiny piece of tape.
  10. Hold a felt ball up to an acorn hat.  Decide if you will need to make it smaller.  If so roll the felt ball between your palms to shape more like a grape.
  11. When you have the shape that fits properly liberally apply glue inside the acorn hat.
  12. Insert the felt ball and hold for a few seconds.
  13. Set on flat surface acorn hat end down to dry.
  14. Allow to dry completely before use.
DSC03262
Feltacorn3







DSC03286

 Here are more pics:
Multi-color
Very detailed
For sale: cheat
Adorable
Unique Earrings!

craft from: Today's Nest
I hope you love this as much as I do!
 

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Fall!

     Well, it has been a while since our last post and a lot has happened in the past few months. Now fall is here and so, the Holiday Market 2011 will be here before you know it. The Columbus, MS, Annual Holiday Farmers' Market is always amazing! There are pumpkins, lots of baked goods (just in time for Thanksgiving), crafts (early shopping for presents), and much more! This is a sample list of what we will be selling: honey wheat sandwich bread, Italian herb baguette, biscuits, pumpkin cream-cheese bread, brownies in-a-jar, knitted scarf’s and hats, and much more! So we hope to see ya there! 
 The 4th Annual Holiday Farmers' Market, to be held Saturday, November 19th from 7:00am - 10:00am.  
The hitching lot is located at 2nd Avenue & 2nd Street North Click here for directions


               The baked goods below were made by Simply Sweet...Yum!                             
These are obviously not my flowers, but my flowers look similar!

Monday, July 4, 2011

In God is our trust

                                                        

  The Star-Spangled Banner
1. Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light, what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thru the perilous fight, O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof thru the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say, does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave!
4. Oh' thus be it ever  when free men shall stand between their loved homes and the war's desolation; blest with victory and peace, may the Heavens-rescued land praise the power that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just; and this be our motto: "In God is our trust!"
And the Star-Spangled Banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave!
by Francis Scott Key (1814)
~In memory of all that have given their life for the pursuit of freedom and happiness for the United States of America~

Friday, June 17, 2011

Simply Yummy : ) !

Fresh Plum Cake (for breakfast or desert)
I got this recipe from allrecipes.com, and so I simply altered it a little. It turned out beautifully!
I thought that I would share it with you - so enjoy!



10 Easy steps to this master - piece.

Ingredients:
3 eggs separated
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1Tbs lemon or orange zest
1tsp vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour (I use whole wheat)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups fresh plums, pitted and sliced (leave the skin on)
2 Tbs brown sugar
3 Tbs uncooked oats

Directions:
1. preheat oven to 375 F and grease a 9 in round pan, a bunt pan, or a deep cobbler dish (that's what I used, It's like a glass dish that is oven safe, and we use it for casseroles)

2. separate egg white into a medium bowl  and beat with electric mixer until white and fluffy, they should stand on their own (not quite a meringue consistency) then set aside for later (you will use the yolk later)
like this.

3. In a large bowl beat together 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup white sugar. Add all three egg yolks and vanilla. Grate in zest.

4. in med bowl mix together 1 cup flour, spices, salt, and baking powder.

5. Add dry ingredients to butter/sugar mix (make sure to scrape the sides with a spatula). Then simply fold in the fluffy egg whites (don't stir just fold)

6. Spread batter in pan (there will only be about 1in of batter - don't worry : )

7. Now, carefully and artfully arrange sliced plums on the batter. Spring with brown sugar and oats

8. And pop the baby in the oven for 40min (don't peak!) you may want to broil the cake for the last minute or so, just to have a nice golden color

9. let cool and serve with coffee, vanilla ice cream, and cool whip



10. Enjoy : ) !
Calories 141. protein 2.5 grams.