This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #NuttyForTheHolidays #CollectiveBias
Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year. My daughter and I do a lot of baking and making treats to enjoy and to share with loved ones. It is our opportunity to spend a little quality time together.
Using already pre-made cookies saves so much time and allows you to be just a little more creative. These Nutter Butter Christmas Cookies were a cinch to make and were super easy for my daughter, who is 9, to really get in there and lend a hand.
First thing we needed to do was to go shopping. We hit up our local Walmart and stocked up on Nutter Butter cookies and all our supplies. All the items needed were readily available at the store so we didn't have to go hunting around for what we were looking for.
You can use candy melts, chocolate chips, or almond bark. My preference is almond bark because it is so simple to use. The key to remember with almond bark is to make sure to not let any water get in. If your utensils or the container you are using to melt it has any water in it, it will separate and become a mess. All you do is break off the desired amount of almond bark and place in a container in the microwave for 90 seconds. Take it out, stir it, and continue for 15 second intervals until it is all melted and smooth. Then you are ready to get to work. I usually melt almond bark in a coffee cup or glass measuring cup. That way I have a handle to make it even easier.
The almond bark will harden as it cools so you need to make sure you have all your items ready to put together. You can also place it back into the microwave in 15 second intervals until it is smooth.
For the pops, I used a lollipop stick. To insure that it would stay put, I carefully opened the cookie and dipped the stick into the almond bark and pushed it into the peanut butter filling. I then added the top, and carefully set aside for it to harden. For the reindeer, I also placed the corner of the pretzels in the bark and arranged before adding the top cookie. Once everything was hardened, I dipped the cookies into the desired almond bark and placed on wax paper. Make sure to place your decorative items into the almond bark while it is still warm. Once it hardens, you will have to add more warmed almond bark to attach the candies. As you place it on the warmed almond bark, press down slightly so that it will adhere.
For the Santa belts we used red candy melts and a candy decorating kit found in the cake decorating section of the store. I love how these turned out.
Candy eyes and mini candy covered chocolate pieces were used for the buttons and noses of the reindeer. I purposely placed Mr. Reindeer's eyes a little wonky. It gives him so much character. Remember, it is all about having fun.
These were so fun to make and we shared many laughs and smiles. The best part though, was when we were able to eat them. I know this is a memory that my daughter and myself will cherish for years to come.
Nutter Butter Christmas Cookies
1 lb chocolate almond bark
1 lb vanilla almond bark
1 16 oz Nutter Butter Cookies
Assorted candies, pretzels, candy eyes, lollipop sticks, colored candy melt, Santa belt decorating kit (optional)
Melt the almond bark in the microwave for 90 seconds, stir and continue to warm in 15 second intervals until smooth. Dip the cookies in the desired bark and decorate with assorted candies. Place on way paper until hardened and enjoy.
Who doesn't love a good s'more? These brownies allow you to have the taste of a s'more without the campfire. I love the ease of making these without the hassle of building a fire. These disappear very fast!
These last couple of weeks have been super busy for us here. We are overloaded with graduations and celebrations. Our son graduated from the vocational school last week where he was studying culinary arts.
This is my son and his culinary teacher. I am super thankful that he had such a great teacher to guide him on his path to become a great chef. Can't wait to see what is next in store for him.
This Saturday will be his high school graduation ceremony. Sigh....I need to hit the pause button!!
S’more Brownies
1 package fudge brownie mix (13 x 9 size)
1 bag of miniature marshmallows
¾ cup of milk chocolate chips
1 cup of Golden Grahams cereal (or broken graham crackers)
Bake brownies according to package directions. Remove from oven when a toothpick inserted in
the center comes out clean. Sprinkle the
marshmallows, chocolate chips, and cereal over the top. Place back in the oven under the
broiler. Do not walk away while broiling,
the marshmallows will brown very quickly, within a minute or so. Remove and allow to cool a bit before
cutting. Spray a little cooking spray on the knife to help with the
marshmallows sticking.
Today I am doing something a little different. When I was asked to review a children's book I did not hesitate. I have wanted to write a children's book since I was young. So reviewing a book that is self published with such cute characters was perfect. This book is a great addition to your children's book collection. My daughter found it interesting but more so she tried her best to read the spanish version as well. She is a little older than the targeted age but it kept her interested. I have a few nieces and nephews that would love this for Christmas.
So cute!
The cute colorful characters will keep any child entertained.
This was the cutest illustration with all the characters napping on the treehouse.
"Tim Johnson is an author in a variety of fields, most notably dual-language children's illustrated picture books and martial arts non-fiction.
Tim discovered the power of bilingual books while visiting Japan as a teenager. In 2011 he published his first dual language children's book in 7 different foreign languages as a tool for increasing cultural awareness and gaining new perspectives. Bosley Bear has since become popular among US and international readers, providing a fantastic way for children to learn a second language in a fun, easy and natural way.
A product design engineer by trade, Tim's quest for knowledge and understanding is a daily pursuit. He continues to broaden the horizons of children as a martial arts instructor, always encouraging young students to become more aware of the enormous world around them." Via Amazon.
Tim has graciously offered a copy of Bosley Builds a Treehouse to one of my readers just in time for Christmas. Perfect for parents, grandparents, caregivers, and classrooms. Thank you Tim for reaching out to me to review this cute book. I am already looking forward to your next book. I highly recommend this book to all your little readers. So what are you waiting for, enter below!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
My favorite time of year is fall and I always look forward to all the yummy recipes using my favorite fall ingredients. I bought some cinnamon chips on clearance after Christmas and I had been holding on to them until I came across this recipe. Apples and cinnamon go so well together and I knew these would be a hit. I had no idea that cinnamon chips were so good. Just opening the bag, I knew they were going to be good. My family devoured these in no time flat. I shared a few with my parents to see what they thought. They are still asking me when I will be making them again. Honestly, I am still longing for them myself. I just keep forgetting to buy more apples!
Apple Cinnamon Chip Muffins
2 cups
all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon
baking powder
1/2 teaspoon
baking soda
1/2 teaspoon
salt
1/2 cup
butter
1 cup white
sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4
teaspoons vanilla
1/3 cup
unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 cups
chopped apples
1/2 cup
miniature cinnamon chips
For the
Crumb Topping
1/3 cup
packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon
all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon
ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon
butter
¼ cup
chopped walnuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 12 cup muffin pan. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder,
baking soda and salt. In a large bowl,
beat together butter, sugar and eggs until smooth. Mix in vanilla and
applesauce. Stir in apples, and gradually blend in the flour mixture. Fold in the cinnamon chips. Spoon the mixture
into the prepared muffin pan. In a small
bowl, mix brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture is like
coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over tops of mixture in muffin pan. Sprinkle chopped
walnuts on top. Bake 20 minutes in the
preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes
out clean. Allow to sit 5 minutes before removing muffins from pan. Cool on a
wire rack.
How did it get to be August already? This summer seems to be flying by, don't you think? I always look for new popsicle recipes for us during the summer. I guess that goes back to my childhood. My sister and I would always make some kind of popsicle during the summer.
Most of the time it was kool-aid and in an ice cube tray but we made the best of it. One of my favorite childhood popsicles were Jell-O Pudding Pops. My poor kids have no idea how good they were. Sprinkles are always fun no matter what they are in, right?
Funfetti Pudding Pops
one 3.4 ounce package of instant vanilla pudding
1 and 3/4 cup 2% milk
1/4 cup of your favorite multi colored sprinkles
Whisk milk and pudding mix for about 1 minute or until it
begins to thicken. Whisk in sprinkles, pour into popsicle molds, and freeze until
firm (at least 3 hours). Once frozen, remove from molds and enjoy.
Don’t have a fancy
mold? Use small plastic cups or be like me as a kid, use an ice cube tray!
I have been wanting to make this bark for a while now. A few weeks ago I actually bought two bags of Easter M &M's to make this knowing one was going to be eaten by the family. However, the second bag was now disappearing too. I had to jump in and scoop them up before they were gone. Luckily, I didn't need to many for this. This can very easily be changed up for any holiday by using different sprinkles, M & M's, or Jelly Beans. My daughter was super excited to try this and kept coming back for more. Now what are you waiting for... try this today and wow your family!
Easter Bark
1/2 lb White Almond Bark
1/4 -1/2 Cup Easter M & M's
Pastel Sprinkles
Place the almond bark in a microwave safe dish and microwave for 90 seconds. Stir and return to the microwave for 15 second intervals until fully melted. Line a baking sheet with wax paper and pour and spread the almond bark. Drop the M & M's evenly over the melted bark along with the sprinkles. Allow to cool and break into pieces. In a hurry, place in the freezer for a few minutes.
*Tip: Almond Bark needs to be in a dry container when melted or it will not melt correctly. Even a little drop of water will ruin it.
Shared at:
Semi Homemade Mom Show & Share Wednesday
Lady Behind the Curtain Cast Party Wednesday
Thursday Treasures @ Chocolate Chocolate and more Chocolate
Weekend Potluck @ The Country Cook
Foodie Friends Friday
This fruit dip I will have to say is quite addictive. I love this stuff and usually whoever eats it feels the same. This recipe I stumbled upon years ago and I have been making it ever since. My friend who does some catering also makes this recipe. In fact there have been several times she has sent me a text or an email needing it. I thought maybe it was time to put it on here to share with everyone. It is really good with any fruit you have on hand.
So the next time you decide to have fruit at your next get together or you just want to add a little something special into your child's lunchbox, don't forget this dip. Your family will love you for it.
Fruit Dip
1 cup of whipping cream
½ cup confectioner’s sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
¾ cup sour cream
Variety of fresh fruit, cut into bite size pieces
Mix whipping cream with confectioner’s sugar with a mixer
until firm. Fold in vanilla and sour cream. Enjoy with fresh fruit.
It is just something about tater tots that make a meal fun, right? This Chili Tater Tot comes together within minutes and is perfect for busy weeknights.
My son absolutely loves chili and cheese on anything and we eat tater tots often. So I knew this was going to be a winner with my kids.
This is one of those dump it all in and let it go kind of meals. And perfect on nights when you do not want to go to a lot of effort but still get a home cooked meal on the table. This recipe uses canned chili but you can also used leftover chili.
When I originally made this recipe it was made with only 3 ingredients. But recently I decided to spice things up and bit and add some cheddar cheese soup and some green chilis. This has been a preferred way to make it ever since. Either way you make it, its always a winner!
Chili Tater Tot Casserole
2 cans of chili without beans
tater tots
2 cup cheddar cheese
1-4 oz can of green chilis
1-10 3/4 oz can of cheddar cheese soup
Open the cans of chili and pour into either a 9 x 9 or 9 x 13 casserole dish or grab that cast iron skillet. (my favorite way) Mix in the cheddar cheese soup and the green chilis. Line tater tots on top of the chili and sprinkle cheese on top. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes or until tots are golden brown. You can also add ground beef or beans to this to stretch it a little.
(Original) Chili Tater Tot Casserole
2 cans of chili with beans
tater tots
1 cup cheddar cheese or more
Open the cans of chili and pour in a dish. This first time was in a 9 x 13 but I found that a square casserole dish worked better. Line tater tots on top of the chili and sprinkle cheese on top. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes or until tots are golden brown. You can also add ground beef to this to stretch it a little. Super simple!
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I had seen this all over Pinterest and I knew I had to try these for my kids. I have tried the homemade corn dogs before and they are good, but these are so much easier. Sometimes I find it hard to find something that both my kids will eat at the same time. My son seems to be getting a little picky here lately. He just does not realize how much of a pain this is for me trying to fix food for them. I did not know if he would eat these, but he did and loved them. In fact, he wasn't too happy with me that I made them because he kept going back for more. So that was a winner for sure. I have come to the conclusion that he is now 16 and if he doesn't want to eat what we have for dinner, he is old enough to find something for himself. I don't have time to be a short order cook.
Corn muffin mix, egg, milk, and hot dogs
Once you mix them up, spray a muffin tin and place in the oven.
Corn Dog Muffins
1 box of corn muffin mix
1 egg
1/3 cup of milk
2-3 cut up hot dogs
Mix corn muffin mix according to directions on the box. Cut up hot dogs and mix into the mix. Spray the muffin tin with cooking spray and fill half way. Bake according to package directions. Enjoy.
Shared at
Church Supper @ Everyday Mom's Meals
Weekend Potluck @ The Country Cook
Thursday Treasures
Lady Behind the Curtain Cast Party Wednesday
Foodie Friends Friday
Foodie Friends Friday Back to School Link Up
Making my own popsicles bring back memories of my childhood. When we were kids we would fill ice trays up with kool-aid and have our own little popsicles. They were such a treat for us back then. Both of my kids have been cursed by some kind of allergy to a food, their bodies purge the offender and then they will break out in hives. When our son started with this problem we had him tested. They could not figure out what he was allergic to. We were told it was a preservative or an additive and only trial and error would figure it out. We never really figured his out, thankfully he has pretty much outgrown his. His doctor told us he hopefully would do that. When our daughter started showing the same symptoms as he did it did not take us long to figure out what was wrong. The only thing we could figure out is that maybe it is red foods. We had her tested for red dye and other foods and again no answers. So here we are with her trying to figure that out. We know that ketchup and pepperonis cause her issues. We have been told to change up brands to decipher what it could be. She is not too willing to try these red foods just yet. If you pay attention to most candy, kids drinks, and popsicles you will notice a lot are red. She stays away from these foods. I guess we drilled it in her head for so long she is scared to try them. Her doctor says she may never want to try these foods and that is OK. Hopefully when she is ready she too will have outgrown it. I try to make some fun foods for her that I know she can eat that are red. This
watermelon lemonade being one of them. So I took this a step further and made her popsicles with it. The verdict, she loves them.
Watermelon Lemonade Popsicles
Watermelon Lemonade (
recipe here)
small cups
popsicle sticks
Pour the
watermelon lemonade into the cups and place in a glass baking dish and place in the freezer. Check these in about 30 to an hour, once they are a little frozen add your popsicle stick in the center and continue to freeze until hard. When ready, pull out of the freezer, run warm water around the cup until it releases and enjoy.
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