Chocolate Saltine Brittle

Here’s a delectable candy recipe that plays so well on your taste buds with that salty-sweet combo that everyone loves.  You’ll be tempted to devour them all up by yourself, but don’t be a Grinch.  These travel wonderfully, so divvy them up in little baggies to give to your friends and neighbors or bring them to your next Christmas gathering.  They’re sure to be a hit!

Ingredients

42 saltine crackers

1 cup butter

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Festive sprinkles or finely chopped nuts (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375.

Prepare your baking sheet by covering it with foil and lightly misting it with non-stick cooking spray.  Line your saltines down on the prepared baking sheet in six even rows with seven crackers in each.

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter and sugar together for 2 minutes, stirring at 30 second intervals.  Pour the sugar mixture over your saltines and bake for 15-19 minutes.  The sugar will bubble, but don’t let it burn.  As soon as it comes out of the oven, evenly sprinkle the chocolate chips over your brittle.  Let the chocolate melt slightly (about two minutes) before spreading the chocolate out with a spatula. If you’re using festive confections and/or nuts, immediately sprinkle them over your chocolate before it hardens too much.  Let your chocolate brittle set for an hour in the fridge.

Cut or break into manageable pieces and voila!!

Enjoy!

Not-so-terrible 2's

My daughter turns two today. Can you believe it?! Because I absolutely cannot wrap my head around where the last two years have gone. Time sure does fly. As I look at her…sigh…the tears start welling up. She looks at life with incredible amazement and endless curiosity, approaching all new things with such child-like wonder. She’s a bright little spit-fire with a huge heart and a wonderful sense of humor. But I’ve heard from several well-meaning mothers who warn me of the “terrible two’s” – a year of chaos, mayhem and migraines. Well, this ain’t my first rodeo. My son just turned three (yes, my children are 14 months apart). So, I’m going into this year through my daughter’s eyes. That’s my goal anyway…or at least that’s what I have to remind myself at the precise moment I’m about to blow a gasket. This is the time God has given to me, such precious time with my beautiful children. This year may be tumultuous oftentimes, terrific always, but terrible never.

So, because this is her day, I’ve made Mady her most favorite snack for breakfast– Apple Dippers. It’s an easy snack, and really the only way I can get her to eat anything healthy without a fight. There are endless variations – Gala, Honey Crisp, Red Delicious…caramel, yogurt, honey. Today, I’m using all her favorites – Granny Smith apples, peanut butter and marshmallow fluff. Simply peel, core and slice the apples. Dollop a spoonful of peanut butter and marshmallow into a bowl and let her at it! The apple slices are perfect for maximum peanut butter & fluff scooping pleasure.

Happy Birthday to my sweet girl :)

Enjoy!

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Crafty Countdown to Thanksgiving

One of my favorite times of the year…Thanksgiving!! Here are some fun ways to get artsy and crafty with the kids to reflect on what we’re most thankful for.

1. Pinecone Place Card Holders

Using pinecones, stiffened felt, chenille wires and a couple pairs of googly eyes, I whipped up these super cute place card holders for the children at the kids’ table this year. Mady’s turkey is adorned with a pink hair bow, while Tristan’s turkey is looking quite dapper in its green bowtie.

2. Helping Hands Wreath

I have tons of ribbons left over from my bow-making days, so this was a great use of all that material. I gathered assorted ribbon in brown, burgundy, orange and magenta and picked up an 18-inch metal wreath box frame from my local craft store. Cutting the ribbon in 7-inch strips, I haphazardly tied them around the wreath frame until I achieved my desired level of “fluffiness”. I then took orange and brown scrapbook paper, traced the children’s hands and cut them out. (Getting the kids to hold still while I did this was the most difficult part of the entire project.) I asked them individually what they’re most thankful for and wrote Mady’s responses on the orange paper hands and Tristan’s on the brown paper hands). To finish off the wreath, I attached the paper hands to the wreath using contrasting green ribbon. I decided to hang the wreath up indoors so that whenever we pass by it, we can be reminded of all the things most important to us this season. Side note: I should tell you that there was much filtering when opting which of the kids’ answers to add to the wreath. Otherwise, we’d have little paper hands that say “pizza”, “dinosaurs” and “chocolate”. But then again, who isn’t thankful for those things?

3. Turkey Bow

Once a bow maker, always a bow maker? Hah! Well, I needed a hair accessory for Mady to match her Thanksgiving outfit and just couldn’t bring myself to purchase one, especially equipped with my bow-making know-how. Just couldn’t. So, using 3/8-inch assorted grosgrain ribbon, some needle & thread and a dab or so of hot glue, I sculpted a ribbon Turkey. Now, she’ll be glamorous on Gobble Day J

4. Marshmallow Treat Turkey

Too adorable to eat? Yea, tell that to my kiddos who devoured these toothsome turkeys. I started by making my homemade marshmallows and stirred them over low heat with four tablespoons of butter. Once melted to shiny, velvety texture, I added an entire box of Rice Krispies. Setting the marshmallow treat mixture aside, I used homemade cream cheese frosting to attach candy corn pieces to Fudge Striped cookies. On one cookie, I used four candy corn pieces to replicate feathers and on another cookie, I used two candy corn pieces for feet. And now the messy (fun) part! I took handfuls of the marshmallow treat mixture to form balls – a larger size for the body and a smaller size for the head. Using more cream cheese frosting as “glue”, I attached the prepared cookies and marshmallow treat balls together to form a little bonbon bird. I completed him with chocolate chip eyes and a waddle. He may not gobble, but he sure is scrumptiously sweet!

I hope you try these fun crafts and treats this week. Have a blessed Thanksgiving J

Enjoy!

Pumpkin: It's what's for dinner (and dessert!)

Always a mom on a mission, I'm continually looking for sly ways to sneak some veggies and fruit into my children's diet. I turned the homemade pumpkin puree I made yesterday into a decadent dinner and delicious dessert and my kiddos are none the wiser ;) The pumpkin I used yielded me about 2 1/4 cups of puree, which was perfect for the scrumptious recipes I want to share with you now.

FOR DINNER: Pumpkin Ziti
Ingredients
¼ cup butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 garlic cloves, smashed
3 cups hot milk (a minute or two in the microwave usually does the trick)
8 oz block of Colby Jack cheese, shredded
1 ¼ cups fresh pumpkin puree
1 lb ziti, cooked al dente
8 oz block of Mozzarella cheese, shredded
½ cup toasted Italian bread crumbs
Salt and pepper to taste

Over medium heat, melt the butter in a saucepan. Sprinkle in flour and mix until incorporated. Add garlic and continue stirring for another 2 minutes to cook out the “flour taste”. Whisk in milk and continue whisking until mixture is smooth and thick. Sprinkle in some salt and pepper to taste (and you will need it!). Add shredded Colby Jack cheese and stir occasionally with a wooden spoon until cheese is melted. Add fresh pumpkin puree until all incorporated.

Stir in al dente ziti noodles. Sprinkle a couple handfuls of the mozzarella cheese. Pour cheesy pasta mixture into a greased casserole dish. Top with remaining mozzarella and toasted Italian bread crumbs.

Bake in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes until bubbly. Serve hot.

AND FOR DESSERT: Pumpkin Cupcakes topped with Marshmallow Fluff

Cupcakes
Ingredients
1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup sugar
1 cup fresh pumpkin puree
3 large eggs

Preheat oven to 325°. Line 12 muffin tin cups with paper cupcake liners.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger into a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on low-medium speed, beat the melted butter, sugar and pumpkin until smoothly blended. Beat in the eggs. On low speed, mix in the flour mixture until it is incorporated. The batter will be thick.

Fill each paper liner with ¼ cup of batter. Bake just until the tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes. Cool the cupcakes on a wire rack. Once the cupcakes are cooled down, top each with a piping of marshmallow fluff (recipe below).

Marshmallow Fluff
Ingredients
3 tablespoons water
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla bean paste
2 large egg whites
Pinch of salt
Pinch of cream of tartar

Bring water, corn syrup 1/3 cups plus 1 tablespoon of sugar to 246°F on a candy thermometer.

Meanwhile, whip egg whites, salt and cream of tartar until foamy, about 2 minutes. Still whisking, sprinkle in the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar and continue to whisk until the whites hold very soft peaks, about another 2 minutes.

Turn your mixer on a slow speed, carefully drizzle in the hot syrup. Turn the mixer to high and whisk until thick and fluffy, about 7 minutes.

Mix on low, add the pure vanilla bean paste.

Hope you try these yummy recipes in your home. You won't be disappointed. Enjoy!

Fallin' for Fall

Oh, how I adore autumn! My senses ignite over autumnal colors, scents and flavors. I’m inspired by fall fashion. My heart flutters for the romantic, get-close-and-comfy weather. So, today while I’m making fresh pumpkin puree, I give you my top reasons why fall is really the best season of all (in no particular order).

Apples
Colors, orchards, homemade pie, turnovers, crisp and sauce.

Starbucks
Pumpkin Spiced & Salted Caramel Mocha Lattes. Ridiculous.

Cardis & Scarves
They complete all of my fall ensembles.

Pumpkins
Color, painting and carving them, patches, seeds, homemade baked goodies (of course ;) and McD’s pumpkin pies (yup, I said it!).

And speaking of pumpkins, there are wonderful step-by-step instructions (with pictures!) on how to make your own pumpkin puree at http://www.pickyourown.org/pumpkincooking.php. I used these directions, and they're fantastic! I don't have a handheld blender as they suggest you use, so I put the cooked pumpkin in my stand mixer with the whisk attachment and let 'er rip for about 10 minutes. I noticed that my pumpkin was a bit watery so after getting it as smooth as silk, I poured it into a sieve and let it stand over a bowl for about 30 minutes to drain out the water. (You can just discard the pumpkin water afterward.) Now, I have fresh pumpkin puree ready to use in my next recipe!

Enjoy!

The Lost Sheep

Today is Storybook Day in Tristan's preschool class. The children were asked to dress up as their favorite Mother Goose nursery rhyme. Well my little guy loves sheep, so originally we chose Mary Had A Little Lamb, which kinda morphed into The Lost Sheep this morning when we listened to the Veggie Tales version of the parable on the way to school.

Not wanting to go out and buy a lamb costume yesterday, I rummaged through my craft room for supplies to make him this little lamb hat. I started with a crocheted hat (leftover from when I use to make hair accessories) and some yarn. With a little help from my lovely assistant, Princess Mady, I used this nifty tool called the Doodle-Loom to make a gazillion pom-poms to mimick a fluffly lamb fro. Using a hot glue gun, I attached the pom-poms to the top of the hat and cotton balls along the edge, covering the remainder of the hat. Lastly, I cut out oversized ears out of white cardstock and attached those to the hat using hot glue, as well.

Now, he's ready to join the other nursery rhyme characters in his class, who by the way are too stinkin' cute! When I took him to his classroom, we saw the Hickory Dickory Dock mouse, three blind mice and even Bo Peep. Well fret not, my dear. We found your lost sheep ;)

For starters...

I’ve got a sick tot home today and these delectable delights always make her feel better, so I thought this would be an opportune time to share this basic marshmallow recipe with you. Now, by no means am I taking credit for this recipe. It was the Barefoot Contessa on the Food Network who first peaked my interest (and sweet tooth) with her super sticky, sweet and simple recipe.

Homemade Marshmallows:

~3 packages unflavored gelatin
~1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
~1 cup light corn syrup
~1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
~1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Combine the gelatin and 1/2 cup of cold water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and allow to sit while you make the syrup.
Meanwhile, combine the sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Raise the heat to high and cook until the syrup reaches 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat.
With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the sugar syrup into the dissolved gelatin. Put the mixer on high speed and whip until the mixture is very thick, about 15 minutes. Add the vanilla and mix thoroughly.

And, voila!! That’s it. What you do next with this batter is completely up to you. Today, I’m going to pour the batter into a 9x13-inch non-metal dish, allow the mixture to dry uncovered at room temperature overnight and cut into squares tomorrow. Yum! Surely this scrumptious, sugary snack will help her medicine go down, in the most delightful way!

Tips:
~These marshmallows can be stored uncovered at room temperature for days…literally. But only if they last that long ;)
~When spreading the batter out evenly into the non-metal dish, try dipping your spatula into some water first. The batter won’t stick to a wet spatula (or wet hands), which will make this task much easier.
~Sprinkle a layer of powdered sugar on the bottom of the non-metal dish before pouring the batter in. That will prevent your marshmallows from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
~Once you cut your marshmallows into squares, be sure to dip each of the sides of your marshmallows in powdered sugar. This will prevent the marshmallows from sticking to each other. And it’ll add some sweetness, as if you needed more sugar ;)

Well, hello there...

I've been wanting to do this for so long. And, I did it. I finally buckled down, checked all excuses at the door and made the time to do it. And now, here we are...my very own blog!

I guess I should start by introducing myself (for those of you who don't know me). First, I need Jesus, caffeine and sugar...daily, perhaps even hourly. I'm a truly blessed stay-at-home wife and mother of two beautiful children. No, that doesn't mean I watch soaps, sip champagne and eat bon-bons all day. I stay incredibly busy, but the weird thing is, I love it. It's sick, I know. Let's see...what else about me? Well, I adore things made by hand and getting crafty with the kids. Oh, and being in the kitchen. Boy, oh boy, do I love baking! My favorite? Marshmallows, duh ;) These cloud-like confections are truly heavenly and so versatile. I hope to share all of my treasured recipes with you...and lots more.

So, here's a look into my faith-driven, family-focused, sometimes frantic, but always fantastical world. Enjoy