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

Smores Pie-Quick and Easy Last minute No bake pie Recipe

This Pie is awesome! Very easy, very tasty and simple and no bake is always a plus when you are using the oven for so many other things this time of year.  My sweet Gabby made this one up for us and another for a family friend and it was marvelous! Give it a try!

Yummy S'more Pie

1 package of instant pudding 3.9 oz size

1 can 12 oz of evaporated milk

1 9 inch graham cracker crust

3 cups mini marshmallows

2 cups frozen whipped topping (cool whip style) thawed

1/2 C chocolate chips

Whisk 1 1/4 C evaporated milk and pudding mix in a bowl until blended and pour into the graham crust. Microwave 2 Cups of the marshmallows and 1/4 Cup evaporated milk for 30-45 seconds until smooth. Let stand for 15 minutes. Gently fold the whipped topping. SPoon over the the chocolate layer and smooth. Add 1 cup of marshmallows and the chocolate chips to the top and then refrigerate for 2 hours.  Once set using a torch to brown marshmallows. Serve and enjoy!!

Our Christmas Daily Advents-Making the Christmas Season More Memorable

A long time ago we were having the talk we always have with our kids to discuss last years Christmas to discover what worked and what didn't. (PS if you don't have this little talk you should!! It is amazing what is important to them and what we as moms and dads are doing that isn't necessary and can relieve stress by letting it go.) It became clear that when we discussed the presents/gifts they couldn't remember most if not all that they had received. This was less than a year before!! (in their defense  they were little but still....)

BUT

They could remember with some awesome clarity the things that we did together. 

Welcome to the birth of our

DAILY ADVENTS
(this is what we will be doing this year)

Nov 28: Decorating the house and tree

NOV 29: The Family Thanksgiving Dinner

NOV 30: Wisemen still seek him (FHE)

DEC 1: Make our advent calendars

DEC 2: Sign Christmas cards and Hot cocoa bar

DEC 3: Sibling shopping and Crazy candlelight  dinner

DEC 4: Read our fav Christmas stories

DEC 5: St Nicholas Shoes

DEC 6: Ward Christmas Party

DEC 7: First Presidency Devo and munchies

DEC 8: Northpole breakfast for dinner

DEC 9: Sing along

DEC 10: Make gingerbread houses

DEC 11: Eggnog and popcorn night

DEC 12: Ho Ho Someone or Toys for Tots shopping

DEC 13: The Forgotten Carols and dinner

DEC 14: FHE Lesson w the grandparents and   Christmas dinner

DEC 15: Elf on the Shelf Arrives (all 30 days was too much)

DEC 16: Make and deliver neighbor gifts

DEC 17: Random acts of kindness day

DEC 18: craft night and plant candy cane     seeds

DEC 19: jingle bell jaunt

DEC 20: baking and treat making day

DEC 21: Family Christmas Party

DEC 22: Saran Wrap ball

DEC 23: Jammie movie marathon and pizza party

DEC 24: Lunch out and movie, family puzzle           building, make cookies for santa.             finger foods, open jammies and a             family devotional.

There you go...What do you do to make the season memorable?? If you have questions on what any of these are feel free to comment!! We love nice comments from nice people!!

LOVES

Emily

The BEST Mint Brownie Recipe!! (uses a cake mix!!)

I love this recipe! I have taken some of this recipe and that recipe and developed this delightful Mint Brownie recipe that is exactly what our family loves! Its has just the right enough mint to make it the perfect chocolate mint mix AND a wonderful fudgy frosting that is so good its bad!! The browning isn't too fudgy or too cake like. Perfect I tell ya!! (atleast for what we are looking for :)) You are going to love this one my peeps!!

Mint Brownies

1 Devil’s Food Cake Mix 

 6 TBS butter (cooled to room temp)

3 eggs

Pre heat your oven to 350 and lightly spray a 9x13 cake pan.Mix cake mix, butter and eggs together. Spread the batter into the bottom of your prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes Be careful and keep an eye on these. You don't want them to be over done. Let cookies cool completely.

Peppermint Frosting:

1/2 c. butter, softened

2 Tablespoons milk

2 c. powdered sugar

1 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract

6-8 drops of Green food coloring 

Mix together all the ingredients (add more or less powdered sugar until you get the consistency you like). Spread on top of the cooled brownie

Chocolate Frosting:

2 C. Milk chocolate chips

1/2 C +2 TBS butter

Melt chocolate chips and butter together in a double boiler OR slow and low over the stove Spread melted chocolate on the green frosting.

How to Brine and Roast a Turkey ONLY READ IF YOU LIKE MOIST AND JUICY TURKEY!!

My sweet husband roasts the best turkey in the universe...Seriously. It is always moist and tender. SO scrumptious and tastes of that traditional thanksgiving turkey we dream about the night before the big T-Day. This is how he does it.  Its a big secret so don't tell anyone. ;) 

Brined Roasted Turkey

14-16 pound thawed turkey

1 gallon of chicken broth

1 Cup of salt

1/2 C brown sugar

1 TBS whole pepper corns

1/2 TBS allspice berries

1/2 TBS candied ginger

1 gallon of heavily iced water

1 cinnamon stick

1 red apple sliced

1/2 and onion quartered

1-2 sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme

canola oil

brining bag or 5 gal bucket

Place the broth salt brown sugar, pepper corns allspice berries and ginger in a pot and bring to a boil stir to dissolve solids remove from heat and cool and refrigerate. About 8 hours before cooking put the turkey neck side down in a brining bag or 5 gal bucket. Pour in the chicken broth mixture then add the gallon of heavily iced water. At approx 4 hours rotate the bird so that the legs are down and the neck is up. When you are ready to roast remove the bird from the brine, rinse well and pat dry.  Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place on a roasting pan or a baking sheet with a cooling rack. Tuck the wing tips under the body. Put your cinnamon stick, apple slices and onion and 1-2 Cups of water and microwave for 4-5 minutes. Let steep for 1 minute. Drain the liquid and insert them into the cavity of the bird and add the rosemary and thyme into the cavity of the bird. Take a piece of aluminum foil appox the length of the bird and fold into a triangle. Mold around the breast and wing section of the bird. Remove mold and set aside keeping the shape intact. Liberally coat the outside of the bird with canola oil and place in a 500 degree oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes add the foil tent to the turkey. insert a thermometer in the thickest part of the breast meat and set temp to 161 degrees. When the internal temp reaches 161 degrees remove the bird from the oven and let rest for atleast 15 minutes. Carve and Serve!

Enjoy!

 The turkey in the brining bag inside the 5 gal bucket. You only really need one or the other but he likes both.

The foil triangle used to shield the breast meat from over cooking after the first half an hour at 500 degrees. 

Yes this is a necessary step.

PS the 500 degree oven lends to the gold brown wonderfully appetizing color.

Molding the turkey foil triangle

The foil triangle after is has been removed but is still keeping it shape so it can be slipped back on quick and easy after the first half and hour.

oiling up the bird

After the first half and hour

Placing the foil back on the bird

Placing the thermometer 

SO JUICY AND MOIST!!!

MY

Kneaders inspired Pick your flavor Steamer recipe. YUM-O!! Where have you been all my life??!?

So recently we, as a family, discovered

 A Steamer...

SO GOOD! 

It was a must make at home deal. 

Seriously. 

I think I may just like them as much or more than Hot Cocoa. *gasp* IT is totally what the doctor ordered for these cold winter nights here in Utah.

So after some trial and error here is what we came up with for a recipe.

Pick your Flavor Steamers

1 Cup of milk

1/2 Cup of your favorite flavored Coffee Creamer (think Coffee-mate or International Delight etc this one is pumpkin spice flavored)

whipped cream (optional)

Mix together and microwave to heat. We did ours for about a minute and a half but you know your microwave best and what you need to get it toasty warm for ya. :)

*NOTE-This is a 2 to 1 ratio dealio so you can adjust it how ever you need to make more or less as you like. Also the creamer can be more or less depending on your taste.

  

DIY Free Thanksgiving Printable For your Home Decor

Hey Friends! 

Here is a darling Thanksgiving Printable for you to use in your favorite frames!! 

Come and get it! 

It is resizeable for any frame you chose to use...Hey that rhymed!!
Click to Download Here

Have fun with it! 

Loves

Emily

PS thank you thank you thank you to my sweet Gabby and her talented self for making this up for us!!

PSS...Any suggestions for our Christmas Printable?? What would you like to see for free! (another rhyme folks :))

DIY Gift Hand Stamped Kitchen Tools

Here is a great idea I found on the lovely pinterest! I, in fact, had pinned it twice on different days so clearly it was a must do. HAHA! I actually already had stamps so it was a no brainer for me. You can pick up the stamp set at Harbor Freight for fairly inexpensive. 

Here are the things we used.

1 set of 5 new bamboo kitchen tools

1 ultra fine sharpie 

(BTW the one in the picture is not the sharpie we actually used, This one wasn't quite fine enough)

1 small nylon cutting board

1/4 inch steel stamping set

A short handled ball peen hammer

Place the wooden tool on the cutting board. This is to protect your table etc from the hefty blows. :) 

Note: Be sure to wipe the stamp with a paper towel before using it. There is oil in the bottom of the box used to prevent the rusting of the stamps. 

Place the stamp where you want it and give one big blow. If a second blow is needed align the stamp in the  already stamped letter and go for it. 

See the J?

Once the word is a stamped take your ultra fine sharpie and fill in the letter. 

PS these tools will need to be hand washed only but hey! they already were hand wash only because they are bamboo so no biggy!!

Tada!

 All done! 

Notice that we changed the theme after the first spoon? 

Yep I like the kitchen words better but you could do all kinds of word ideas. 

Christmas themed words or thanksgiving words, Names etc. 

I am so excited to make more! 

You could give them as a set or just one. Imagine inside a hot pad mitt with a brownie or cookie mix!? 

YES! 

I am excited and very happy with how these turned out! 

Give it a try!