Caramel Bits Rice Crispy Treats

This my friends was supposed to be a beautiful pink rice crispy treat. I added the pink food color gel to the melted marshmallows and it looked a beautiful bright pink but as you see above mixed with the brown rice crispies the pink did not translate well but Hey.. it still tastes great and I love the addition of the caramel bits so I call it mostly successful. Here is what I did...

Caramel Bits Rice Crispy treats

7 C rice crispy cereal

1 Cube of butter

1 10oz bag of mini marshmallows

1 Cup of Caramel bits

food color 

Spray your 9x13 pan. Measure the cereal into a mixing bowl. Melt the butter and marshmallows over medium low heat. Add food coloring to desired color in the marshmallow mixture. Mix into the cereal until completely combine. Then add the bits and mix until incorporated. (be sure to add them last so they don't just melt into the mix. Press into your prepared pan. I like to butter the back of a spoon for the quickest and easiest way to press with not mess or fuss. Allow to cool before serving. 

Gold Leaf Heart for Valentine's Day

This post is a little tardy to the party considering Valentines Day is Saturday. I really think that this is a pretty great craft for anytime- so there you go. Have you ever done gold leafing? I have been wanting to try it out for a really long time. Valentines Day just happened to end up being the perfect excuse to try it out. Now I want to gold leaf E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G! Seriously though.

You can buy kits for faux gold leafing at almost any craft store. I didn't use real gold leaf because obviously it is crazy expensive. The metal leafing kit that I linked to has everything you need to try it out and it is a really great fake. I used a 110 lb weight card stock. The heavy weight paper helped to keep the adhesive from bleeding through. 

I free handed a heart on the paper with the adhesive. You can use a light print or a pencil sketch to use as a stencil because the gold leaf will cover it up. You have to let the adhesive get really tacky. It needs to be left for 20-40 minutes depending on how thick it is. This is SUPER important. If the glue is too wet then the leaf won't stick and then you get a mess.

After the glue is tacky I layed the gold leaf pieces on top of the adhesive. You can use full sheets or tear them in to pieces- which is what I did. Once that was done I used a soft paintbrush to brush the gold leaf down onto the glued parts. I let that sit for a second and then used the brush to wipe away the extra gold leaf. It turned out great! If you do end up with a bald spot just reapply some adhesive and lay more leaf on the spot. 

And wah-lah! By the way you see that funky spot on the top? Yeah the glue wasn't tacky enough. Too wet and spread and ugh. But now I really like it! I like things that are a little off. The last step that I did was I sealed it. They say you need to so I said okay. The sealant dried totally clear which I loved.

And this one! I love all the imperfections. 

And all three. Oh I loves them. Now to frame them or just leave them loose? What would you do?

Peanut blossoms-A Valentines Twist! Quick Easy and Semi-home made!

This is a quick, easy, Semi-homemade Valentines version of the good 'ol peanut butter blossom cookie recipe! 

I love it and since it is the month O' Hearts here we go!!!

You will need a peanut butter cookie mix (See I told you it was semi homemade) 

and the items you need to make said mix like eggs and oil etc Or of course you could make up your favorite peanut butter cookie dough 

AND

Some heart shaped chocolate candies.

AND

 some white sugar used to roll the dough in this is optional.... 

We are using Reese Peanut Butter hearts and a Betty Crocker Peanut Butter Cookie Mix.

Make up the dough exactly as your mix or recipe instructs. Using a TBS shape the dough into balls and roll the dough balls in sugar.  Place the cookie balls on a parchment lined or pan spray sprayed pan. 

 Cook according to your directions directions. We use the time it is cooking to unwrap the chocolates and do our best to save them all for the cookies. LOL!! As soon as they come out of the oven press the chocolate hearts into the hot cookie. 

BE CAREFUL THOSE BABIES ARE HOT! 

Wah la! 

Valentines Day Cookies! 

Quick Easy Fun and Tasty! 

Perfect! 

LOVES 

EMILY

Fun Inexpensive Heart Garland Tutorial

This garland is fun, cheap and darling. (In my humble opinion). Wanna know how to make one for yourself? Ok..You will need 

4 sheets of card stock

scissors (or a paper cutter)

a stapler and staples

Yep..that is everything

Fold your paper hot dog style or length wise in half. You will then cut it apart down the fold line and repeat 3 times like the pictures below. 

Each sheet will make 8 strips. Once you have your eight strips fold them in half. 

Put a staple at the fold and then pull each side down to get started..

Now take the fold (looks like an alligator jaw) and place the tip of your heart into the fold. 

Staple the 4 thicknesses 

Before you know it you will have a nice long garland! 

CUTE!!

I added my garland to the front of my curtains. This chain only took 4 sheets of card stock! Imagine it in red and pinks too! I think it so cute and adds a little Valentine Day flair to the house! Do you decorate for Valentines Day? We'd love to hear what you do! 

LOVES!

Emily