St Pat's Marshmallow Delights

Great for the Kids!!

Ingredients:
3 Tbs Butter
24 Large Marshmallows
5 cups Lucky Charms Cereal

Directions:
Grease a 9x9x2 pan with non stick spray
In a medium pot.. melt butter and marshmallows
Stir constantly until well melted.
Mix marshmallow with Lucky Charms
Add to greased pan
Press down in pan with lightly greased hands ( I used Pam spray)
Cut into pieces when cool.
Enjoy!!

★☆★★☆★★☆★☆★★☆★☆★★☆★☆★★☆★☆★★☆★☆★★☆★☆★★☆★☆★☆★☆

DIY Holiday Potpourri

Make your home smell like the Holidays any time! 

This is a safe an all natural potpourri recipe that will have your home smelling amazing in no time! Just add the ingredients with 4 cups of water into a sauce pan and simmer on the stove top.

* Make sure to keep adding more water to the ingredients as it evaporates. 

You can put it in an air tight container in the fridge between uses as well, should last a week or 2.

DIY Burlap Garland

If you've been anywhere near Pinterest lately, you'll find burlap crafts everywhere! I jumped right on that trendy bandwagon because 1) It's CHEAP, $2.97 per yard at my Wal-Mart. 2) It's easily adaptable to all 4 seasons of decorating or any home decor theme. And 3) I feel like a member of the popular crowd on Pinterest now because I made something with it.

This is a really easy crafty activity that even the kids can help with. Some stores have rolls of pre-cut Burlap which will make this an even faster afternoon project doesn't require a sewing machine. They look like this:

My local store didn't have any of these neatly packaged little rolls of goodness so I had to take the long way around to getting my burlap strips ready.

What you'll need:

Several Yards of Burlap ( I bought 6) or a couple rolls of the pre-cut garland

Scissors

Ruler

Fabric marker of some kind

Needle and matching Thread

Sewing machine (if you bought the burlap by the yard)

A friend with wine... I guess this is optional but it sure made it more fun!

How To:

The first thing I had to do was cut my trips of burlap. I wanted some thinner garland for my tree and some wider for various other places in my house, so we cut some 4" and some 6" strips. After the strips were cut we pulled a few of the outer threads so that there was a nice straight line to follow. You'll have some un-even threads protruding from the sides but don't worry, those will get trimmed! 

Sew a medium length and width zig-zag stitch all the way around your garland strips, using the last thread of the burlap as your guide. This will keep them from fraying and make it look much neater. Then trim any excess off so it's even all the way around.

Next grab a needle and thread it with a nice long length of thread. I used a big darning needle, it was easy to hold and the gaps in the fabric are plenty big to accommodate it, It's also safer for smaller hands because they're dull so if you have a child wanting to help this is the best step for that. Start at one end of your strip and pull the thread through and knot it to secure it to the end. Sew long even stitches in a 'S' pattern, gathering as you go, all the way to the other end.

How closely to gather your garland will be a matter of your personal taste. Here's an example of what the different sizes and gathers that I did before deciding on which I liked best.

Once you get to the other end and have your garland gathered the way you like it, knot off your thread securing that end in place and trim the extra thread. Now you've got Garland! 

Now go make 10 more strands of burlap garland and put it all over you house, just to make sure people know you're part of the trendy "I craft with burlap" club ;)

Garlic Roasted Mushrooms

Looking for a great appetizer to serve this holiday season?  Or perhaps a mouth-watering side to a main course?  This is an easy, but delicious little dish you can prepare and cook in a matter of minutes. Any mushroom lover would be an instant fan, and those who aren't normally mushroom eaters may be asking for the recipe. 

Items needed:

7-10 Button mushrooms

2 tsp olive oil

2 tbsp butter (melted)

1-2 tbsp minced garlic

1-2 tbsp bread crumbs

1/8 cup shredded

mozzarella cheese

Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400°F.  Clean mushrooms and sauté (stems up) in frying pan for about 4-5 mins. {You just want to start to cook the mushrooms, not cook through.} While that's cooking, mix butter and garlic together. Next arrange mushrooms (stems up) in an oven safe bake dish. Drizzle the butter/garlic combo over the mushrooms, then sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Lastly, throw some shredded mozzarella over it all and then salt and pepper.  Place in hot oven for 10-12 minutes, then broil on low for an additional 2 minutes.  Let cool before serving as it will be HOT! 

Now, try not to eat them all before the guests can try them ;p

Jo

Friday Favorites October 25th, 2013

Welcome to another Friday Favorites round up! This week I'm bringing you all things Halloween.

Favorite Decor

Dollar Store Witch Hats hung from the ceiling. Fast, easy and inexpensive.

Favorite Food

Mummy Dogs From OurOrdinaryLife.com

Favorite Kids Activity

Alien Gourds from Craft Klatch

Favorite Treat

Pumpkin Oreos by US!

Favorite Costume

Junior Secret Agent Available on Amazon (still 6 days to order!)

Favorite DIY

This Amazing Deer Make-up Tutorial

Favorite Song

What else? The MONSTER MASH!

Hope you enjoyed this weeks Halloween Roundup of our Friday Favorites!

XO 

Jess

Tuesdays Time Out To... DIY Halloween Treats

It's that time of year again! Here's some of our favorite Halloween treats for kids and adults alike. Perfect for class parties, Halloween parties or even October Birthday parties. We've added a few healthier treats for those of us watching our waistlines or those of us with younger children.

Witch's Teeth

What you'll need:

Apples (any Kind)

Peanut Butter

Slivered Almonds

How To:

Slice and core Apples (toss with lemon juice to prevent browning if they're not being eaten right away)

Spread peanut butter on 1 side of each slice.

Wedge almond slivers into the apple slices, peanut butter sides facing each other to form "teeth".

Pumpkin Oreo's

What you'll need:
Oreo's (any kind you like)

White chocolate to melt

Orange food coloring

Black frosting

Green Apple flavor Twizzlers (optional)



How To:

Melt Chocolate according to package instructions, add food coloring to desired color is reached.
Dip Oreo's in chocolate using toothpicks until fully covered.
Place in refrigerator on a wax paper lined cookie sheet to harden.

Pipe black frosting pumpkin faces.

Add stem...you can also just pipe a stem on top as well.

Witches Hats and Broom Sticks

What you'll need:

Witches Hat
Cookies (any kind with chocolate bases is great)
Frosting
Food coloring of your choice (something bright is great)
Hershey Kisses
Witches Broom
Mini Reese Cups
small pretzel sticks

How To:

Witches Hat: Place a dollop of frosting in the center of the cookie (chocolate side up) and center Hershey's Kiss.
Broom Sticks: Simply poke a pretzel stick through the center of a mini Reese's Peanut butter cup

Marshmallow Frankenstein and Pumpkins

What you'll need:
Big Campfire marshmallows
Small pretzel Sticks
White chocolate to melt
Green and Orange food coloring
Edible eyes(or you can pipe them yourself)
Green apple Twizzlers (for the stems of the pumpkins)

How To:
Melt chocolate according to package directions.
Split it in two bowls. Add green coloring to one and orange to the other until you desired color is made.
Dip marshmallows in melted chocolate using toothpicks.
Place in refrigerator on a wax paper lined cookie sheet to harden.
Once hardened make hair for Frankenstein by piping black frosting. Take a toothpick and poke a hole for the pretzels sticks, insert pretzel sticks.
Pipe frosting to make faces for both the Pumpkins and Frankenstein's.

Count Dracula Cookies

What you'll need:
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Sliced Almonds
Mini Marshmallow
Any kind of a red frosting

How To:
Cut the cookie in half.
Add frosting to one side of each half.
Place marshmallows, Then layer the other cookie on top...add almonds for that extra Dracula touch!

Halloween Donuts

What you'll need:
Any of your favorite doughnuts
Colored frosting of your choice
edible eyes(or you can pipe them on yourself)
Vampire teeth

How To:
Dab Frosting to hold eyes in place
Push in Vampire teeth to hold in place.

Ghost Chocolate Strawberries

What you'll need:
Strawberries
White chocolate to melt
Black frosting for the face

How To:
Melt chocolate according to package directions.
Dip Strawberries in melted chocolate using toothpicks until covered.
Place in refrigerator on a wax paper lined cookie sheet to harden.
Pipe frosting to make faces

Nutter Butter Ghost Cookies

What you'll need:
Nutter Butter Cookies
White Chocolate to Melt
Black frosting for the face

How To:
Melt chocolate according to package directions.
Dip top half of cookies in melted chocolate.
Place in refrigerator on a wax paper lined cookie sheet to harden.
Pipe frosting to make faces.

Orange Pumpkins

What you'll need:
Oranges (I find clementine's work well)
Celery for the stem

How To:
Peel oranges
Cut celery to size for your oranges. Push the celery stem into the center of the orange. 

Halloween Pretzels

What you'll need:
Big Stick Pretzels
White chocolate to melt
Black frosting for face
Sprinkles or decorative sugars

How To:
Melt chocolate according to package directions.
Dip top half of pretzels in melted chocolate.
Gently roll pretzels in sugar or sprinkles while the chocolate is still soft.
Place in refrigerator on a wax paper lined cookie sheet to harden.
For Ghost Pretzels pipe faves on with back frosting after the chocolate has hardened

Pumpkin Platter

What you'll need:

Cucumber

Baby carrots

How To:
Cucumber - slice, cut half of it into triangles and half into half circles.
Arrange baby carrots into a circle (preferable on a round platter. Place triangle slices for eyes and nose, and half circles for mouth.

Spider Lollipops

What you'll need:
Tootsie Pops
Black pipe Cleaners
Google eyes (peel and stick are best, if not you'll need to glue them)

How To:
Wrap 4 pipe cleaners around lollipop and bend them to form legs.
Attach google eyes.

Skeleton Veggie Platter

What you'll need:
Bell Peppers
Cucumber
Mushrooms
Cauliflower
Cherry Tomatoes
Spinach
Baby carrots
Block olive
Veggie dip

How To:
This one has no exact directions. Just cut your veggies and arrange them how you'd like to form a skeleton! Some tips: Cucumbers make a great spine, bell peppers are perfect for ribs. Thin slices of olives work great for the eyes. The rest is up to you! Be creative.

Skull Cookies

What You'll Need:

This Sugar Cookie Recipe

This Cookie Frosting Recipe (white pink and black colored)

This Cookie Cutter (If you don't already have a skull and crossbones cookie cutter)

How To:

Make your cookies and frosting according to the recipe instructions. Make sure the cookies are completely cooled before frosting.

Frost the Cookies first entirely with white. Then pipe the black outline and faces, then if you want girly skulls add a pink bow. Let them cool completely until the frosting is hardened. Store in an airtight container.

Hope you enjoy these fun Halloween Treats! If you make them we'd love to see pictures.

XO

Jess