Cookie pizza

First of all bring the kids in for this one!! Unless you are making it for a party and in that case you can make yours much prettier using patterns the one you are about to see was done by a 4 year old.

Second its ok to do girl math on this one. I mean yes its a giant cookie but its covered with fruit so its not all bad!!

Ok its simple bake a giant cookie cover in your favorite cream cheese and top with fruit!

Ingredients
Pack of sugar cookie dough 
About 4-5 kinds of fruits sliced thin
8 oz of flavored cream cheese -Mine was half blueberry half plain. I combined what I had  


Preheat oven to 350. Slice dough into 1/2 in slices and place on a round cookie sheet or pizza pan covered in parchment paper. Press the circles together. For this I would dip your hands in some flour to control the stickiness. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

 once out let cool then cover with  cream cheese. Its just like frosting a cake, and decorate. Like I said there is many ways to make this pretty or just let kids have fun

 (I promise no toes touched my cookie )

 Why do you want a picture of me eating Amy?? Is the question I was getting.

Enjoy!!!

Mother Daughter tea/beauty day

So I have always been told I have a big heart. Weather its kids or animals I want to help. I usually think everything happens for a reason. At my current job I care for 2 cute as could be kids. That's been the last almost 4 years of my life. But one of these little boys is extra special, he has down syndrome and let me say he is not that different from any other 5 year old really just has a couple extra appointments a week.

See so cute!! But this isn't about him really or even about boys at all. Its about mothers and daughters. He brought a great place in to my life. Gigi's play house is where I volunteer thanks to this little guy and his family. I recently hosted a mother daughter tea party!


So when throwing a party I highly suggest pinterest!!! These are just a few things I found. 

(I wanted to try this but its not watermelon season yet)

Here are my cute tea cups that I filled with fruit. They got so many compliments and and are actually really easy to make! 

And of course I had to make cupcakes!!!! So I made my favorite Chocolate cupcakes from Glorious treats. For frosting I took my favorite cream cheese frosting and added a couple table spoons of strawberry preserves. This might make it a little thin so just thicken back up with some confectioners sugar. 

Besides yummy treats we had beauty time!! Hair stylist and make up artists volunteered their time along with another great organization of young girls called pollished girlz..can you guess what they did... here are some pictures from our fun day!!

Twix time

I have fond memory of going to the grocery store with my mom as a child and asking if I could get a treat. I mean really what child wants to go to the grocery store we should be rewarded for going without a fight. Well my mom usually said yes and I would get the usual Snickers, Starbursts, or my favorite TWIX.  Now years later I know how much my mom has always hated grocery shopping and therefore I think she should have been getting herself chocolate all those times. But I was a child and didn't pay enough attention and I am sure plenty of treats were home without my knowledge. 

A month or so ago my best friend over at MorningNooNight got this idea of making homemade Snickers from that we occasionally talked about what other candy bars could be made at home when I came across Twix on pinterest. I originally pinned it for her but her blogging and baking schedule had been booked haha. So I kept looking at them waiting for when I would have time. And this was Easter weekend and our childless household deserved a treat while everyone was hunting eggs! I mean again adults need treats too!

Twix

Ingredients

Shortbread Layer

~ 1 cup Salted butter

~1 cup confectioners sugar

~2 Teaspoons Vanilla 

~2Cups flour

Caramel Layer

~2 cups caramel in pieces (I used the individually wrapped ones as I would for caramel apples)

~3 Tablespoons heavy cream

Chocolate Layer

~3 Cups chopped milk or dark chocolate

~1 Tablespoon vegetable shortening 

Instructions

1. For the crust: Preheat your oven to 300°F. Spray a 9 x 13 pan lightly with cooking spray, or line with parchment, and set aside.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, beat together the butter, sugar and vanilla. Add the flour. At first the mixture may seem dry, but will come together as you continue to beat at medium speed.

3.Take the dough and press it evenly into the pan. Lightly flouring yourhands will help with any sticking.

4. Prick the crust all over with a fork. The holes will allow steam to escape and the crust will bake evenly with fewer bubbles.

5.Bake the crust until it’s lightly golden brown on top and the edges are deeper golden brown, about 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately run a knife around the edges to loosen the crust. Set it aside to cool completely.

6.For the caramel layer:Melt the caramel and cream over low heat in a small saucepan. Pour the caramel over the cooled crust and set in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill and firm up.

After it cooled i chose to cut into strips and dip

7. For the chocolate layer: Melt the milk or dark chocolate slowly in a double boiler or over very low heat. If it seems very thick, add a tablespoon of shortening to thin it. Pour evenly over the chilled caramel layer and spread to cover all of the caramel. Return to the fridge until the chocolate is well set. Cut into 2 x 2 squares to serve. It’s best to store these bars in the refrigerator. But to eat I like letting mine get to room temp

8. These bars can also be cut and dipped in milk chocolate to resemble Twix  bars. After the caramel layer has chilled firm, cut down the length of the pan, splitting the bars into two long, narrow bars. Then cut each long strip into “fingers”.

9.Dip the chilled bars into melted chocolate and place on parchment paper to set for several hours.

Book Bag/Tote

Let me start by saying I don't really know how to sew. So with that said if I can do this anyone can!!


I had this cute idea to make one of the kids I nanny for a book bag that will double as his gift bag (other gifts inside tote instead of buying bag that will be thrown away)  for his birthday.

You will need
2 different fabrics (1/2 yard each)-One for the outside and one for the inside.
Sewing machine
Ruler
Iron

Monsters are my outside and green is my inside

Load your sewing machine with corresponding thread I picked black for this one green would have also  worked.

Iron all your fabric, Than cut two 17'' x17'' squares out of each fabric. You will now have 4 squares. Of the left over fabric cut 2 strips of each fabric that is 2'' wide.

With the strips put the two positive sides(the sides you want seen) together and sew around 3 of the sides. You will then turn them right side out.The eraser end of a pencil helps push this through very well. Also on this you could just do the 2 long sides. I was making this up as I go along so I did 3. 

Please ignore my rough edges remember I am new to sewing

(Yes I know different fabric I forgot the picture with the other sorry.)

Then repeat this step with your large squares. Positive to positive (mine was monster to green) and sew around 3 edges. At the corners stop but do not lift your needle just lift the foot and turn the fabric.  You will do this step 2 times. You will end up with 2 squares,

After you turn your squares right side out you will take the top edge(not sewn)  and fold it down 1/2 an inch. I had my monster fabric to the table and folded it so that the monsters overlapped the green.

 Line up your strap where you want them on the bag.you want them to lay downward at the edge of the fabric not at the fold line. Then fold t down 1/2 inch again and fold the straps upward.

Sew across just the strap part with a regular stitch then go back to the corner and stitch all the way across I chose a decorative stitch here. Repeat these steps on the other square as well.

Place the two squares with the outside patterns touching and sew up the 3 sides. 

Turn right side out and you have a tote bag great for trips to the library! 

The Tale of Two Favorites!

So one of my favorite sandwiches is a good old BLT. If you don't know what BLT stands for I feel sorry for you and you really should Google it haha. But I said 2 favorites didn't I! The second is mac and cheese and no not from a blue box or even the yellow box.  


Rachael Ray has this amazing way of turning almost any great food into a mac and cheese dish can you guess this one??


Creamy BLT mac and cheese!! But in the one L doesn't stand for lettuce because who really wants lettuce in their mac and cheese?? 


B- Bacon
L- Leeks
T- Tomato (paste)


Creamy Blt mac and cheese
(small changes from Racheal Ray)


1 pound of your favorite noodle for mac and cheese\
Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), for drizzling
6 slices bacon, chopped
2 leeks--trimmed, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 tablespoons tomato paste
6 ounces cream cheese, cut into pieces
1 1/2 cups shredded parmigiano-reggiano cheese

Note: After you chop your leeks let them sit in a bowl of water. Swish them around a couple times, then let them sit and let all the dirt fall to the bottom, and scoop out onto a towel and dry. 

~Preheat the oven to 500 degrees . Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking water 

~While the pasta is working, in a large skillet, heat a drizzle of EVOO over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp at the edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the leeks and cook until softened, 3 minutes. 

Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste for 1 minute. Stir in the cream cheese until melted. Stir in half of the shredded cheese, then the reserved pasta cooking water.

~Add the pasta to the sauce and toss. Pile into a casserole and top with the remaining shredded cheese. Bake until browned on top, 7 to 8 minutes. 

What would also be really good with this is some bread crumbs on top if you want a little extra crunch and to bring in one more part of the sandwich.

Enjoy with a light yummy salad!