It's That Time of Year Again!...

I love baking and packaging the treats during the holidays (thank you Martha Stewart line at Michaels).  My son still naps for 2-2.5 hours so my goal today was to tackle these recipes.  My husband is usually around on the weekend to help so I can get stuff done, but he recently joined a running club on Sundays.  It worked out today then N napped for 2.5 hours...HOORAY!!!  Last year, I made Mike's coworkers candy cane pretzels and they were a big hit.  This year I decided to whip up two types of bark.  They were simple to make and scrumptious.  My 2.8 old loved these treats as well.  Thanks to Pinterest, I found these recipes, but adapted them a bit.

Peppermint Oreo Bark
(recipe adapted from CrazyforCrust)

Ingredients: 

20 Oreos (the original recipe called for Peppermint Joe Joe cookies from Trader Joes, I thought that would be a bit too much peppermint) 

30 Candy Cane Hershey’s Kisses (these are deadly, I ate a few during this process) 

1 package (12 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 package (12 ounces) white chocolate chips

Directions:

1.       Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper. Unwrap your Kisses and coarsely chop them. Coarsely chop your cookies.

2.       Melt semi-sweet chips using a double boiler and spread onto the cookie sheet. Sprinkle chopped cookies on top and press down firmly with your hands. 

3.       Melt white chocolate and spread on top of cookies. Sprinkle with chopped Kisses and press down with your hands. 

4.       Chill until hardened. I left it in the fridge for over 2 hours.  Then break apart and serve!

Toffee Peanut Butter Bark
(Recipe from Everyday with Rachael Ray)

Ingredients:

• 4 unsalted matzo crackers 
• 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 Tablespoons of water
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• One 12-ounce bag of milk chocolate chips 
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter (I love Skippy) 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, covering the bottom and sides. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. Place a layer of matzo crackers on the sheet, breaking as needed to cover the sides; set aside. 

1. In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the sugar and 2 tablespoons of water. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook undisturbed over medium-high heat until the caramel mixture is a light golden, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for 1 minute. Stir in the vanilla and quickly pour over the matzos, using a metal spatula to spread evenly. Bake for 8 minutes.

1. Remove the bark from the oven and spread with chocolate chips. Return to the oven and bake just until the chocolate starts to melt, about 2 minutes, then spread the chocolate evenly.  
2. Meanwhile, melt the peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl for 1-1 1/2 minutes, until it is a smooth. Drizzle the peanut butter over the chocolate and, using the handle of a wooden spoon, swirl the chocolate and peanut butter together.
3. Let the bark cool for 1 hour, then refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours. Break into pieces and package. 

 The Oreo Peppermint Bark was a big hit with my son!  He does have anew obsession with candy canes! 

Pumpkin Cake Pops

Cake pops are all the rage these days and I enjoyed a yummy one at my friend Tara's baby shower.  It was the perfect size dessert and it hit the spot.  I decided to make some for Nolan's friends at daycare.  I also wanted to make some for my family for Halloween.  My nieces are trick or treating with us this year (so excited to celebrate their first Halloween with them).  After an awesome night on the Cape with my friends, we decided to do a little shopping at Derby Street in Hingham.  We walked into William Sonoma and it was like Christmas.  The Halloween cake pop mix, mold, stand and packaging were 50% off.  I was giddy with excitement.  The best part about the mix is I didn't have to mix it with frosting as most cake pop recipes call for.  The mold made my life easier as well. The next day, I hit up Michaels for the rest of the necessities.  I suggest checking out Bakerella's (the guru of cake pops) website and cookbook.  I will be adding that to my Christmas list.  Warning: These took me over 4 hours to make!  I was lucky to have the day off (due to Sandy) and a toddler who can entertain himself (and loves to watch Dora) to conquer this treat!

Supplies:
2 bags of orange colored candy melts
1 bag of green candy melts
Edible marker (waste of money, it didn't work for me)
Box of William Sonoma pumkin cake pop mix
William Sonoma pumpkin mold
Popsicle sticks
stryofoam
frosting bag
clear bags and ribbon for packaging

For presentation: I bought a spider stand from William Sonoma for Nolan to bring to daycare.  I also wanted to make a stand for my house.  I bought two pieces of styrofoam and glue gunned them together.  I spray painted the pieces and tied a piece of ribbon around them.  I then placed the pieces on a glass stand.  


Step 1: Make the cake pops. Cool them on a wire rack.  I popped them in the fridge for 15 minutes to set.

Step 2: Melt the orange candy melts.  I added a smidge of vegetable oil to make it smoother.

Step 3: Dip the popsicle stick about 1/2 inch into the melts. Stick the stick halfway into the pop.  I put them in a glass cup and colander to set.

Step 4: Dip the cake pop into the melts.  Gently shake the extra glaze off from the pop.  I held it with one hand and tapped the other.  If you tap too hard, the cake pop will break.

Step 5: Place the pops into the styrofoam to set.

Step 6: Melt the green candy melts then place it in a pipping bag.  I made tiny stems on the pumpkins.

Step 7: I was so excited to add jack o' lantern faces....THIS WAS A BUST!  The Wilton edible marker didn't work and after many minutes of frustration...I finally listened to my husband, I decided that they looked cute without the faces.

Step 8: After the pops have set completely, I placed them in bags and tied them with ribbon.

 Nolan thought they were tasty!

Pumpkin Activity Bag

I love having days off from work and spending them with Nolan.  Today was a productive day around the house and running errands.  My husband tells me that I should relax when Nolan naps, but I have too much of my Mom in me and I need to do something.  Nolan is very excited for Halloween this year and he has now changed his nightly reading choices to Halloween themed books.  I decided to make him a felt pumpkin (thank you, Pinterest).  Nolan has been having a lot of fun with Mr. Potato Head as well, so this is my Halloween take on that toy.

All you need: few pieces of felt, velro, glue gun and scissors

Step One:  Cut out two pieces for the pumpkin and a stem.  Glue the pieces together. Glue the stem on one of those pieces. 

Step Two: Cut out a piece for the backpack and flap.  Glue gun the edges of the backpack and lid (Don't glue them shut!)  I then applied a piece of velcro to keep it closed. 

Step Three: Cut out different variations of eyes, noses and lips.  I made a total of sixteen pieces, including a mustache and a pirate patch.

This was a simple activity and I think Nolan will have a blast.  It is very portable for car rides and errands.  Looking forward to seeing his reaction when he wakes up (hopefully not for another hour)!

Pumpkin Painting

 
I was so excited to decorate pumpkins this Halloween with Nolan.  I decided to head over to Pinterest for some ideas.  All you need is a pumpkin, painter's tape and paint.  For my pumpkins, all you need is chalkboard paint and and a liquid chalk pen. 

 Painted Jack O' Lanterns:
Step One: Cover your pumpkin with painter's tape and create a face.  Nolan wanted a happy pumpkin.

Step Two: Take an incisor knife and cut off the access tape, leaving the face.

Step Three: Let your little one paint away.

Step Four: Peel away the tape while it's still wet.  I then coated it with acrylic spray.

 

 Chalkboard Pumpkins:
I also decided to make chalkboard paint pumpkins.  This was super easy.  Paint with the chalkboard paint and let dry.  Use a liquid chalk pen to write a spooky message. 

Fall is here!

My blog has been inactive for months due to lack of time.  My life has been overtaken by common core standards, plc meetings and a new reading program. I am also busy chasing around my almost 30 month old.  I decided this weekend that I need to find time for myself and that means starting my blog again.  I decided to make my own granola today.  I love pumpkin and granola so my fall recipe for today is pumpkin granola.  It is also low calorie and can be made into a gluten free recipe using gluten free oats.  I got the recipe from Skinnytaste.com and love how it tasted and made my house smell amazing.  I hope my son enjoys it as a snack as well.  My husband is taking a batch to work to keep on his desk. 

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed well and pat dry with paper towel
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseeds
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup real honey
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp oil (coconut or canola)
• 1 tsp pumpkin spice (or more to taste)
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• pinch kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step 2: After rinsing and drying the quinoa, place the oats and quinoa on the baking sheet.  Roast for 10 minutes, stirring once.

Step 3: In a bowl, combine the seeds, pecans and cranberries.  Set aside.

Step 4: Once the oats and quinoa have been roasted, add them to the bowl with the other ingredients.

Step 5:  In another bowl, combine the honey, pumpkin puree, oil, pumpkin spice, cinnamon and salt.

Step 6: Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture, using a spatula.  Lower the heat to 300 degrees and bake for 20 minutes.  After 20 minutes, I took the granola out and sprinkled a tab bit more cinnamon and baked for another 5 minutes.

This would be delicious added to a bowl of baked apples and milk. 

Valentine's Day Treats

Mustaches are all the rage these days and I just think that they're funny.  My husband is always threatening to shave and just leave a mustache.  I have seen his college photograph when he was sporting a mustache....it wasn't good!  I decided to make these super simple lollipops for my students and Nolan's buddies at daycare.  Even if the kids don't think that they're funny, I bet their parents will have a good laugh with them.

Materials:
lip and mustache template
foam paper in red and black
lollipops
small hole punch

Trace the template, cut, then hold punch in the center of each lip and mustache. 

 
Attach to the lollipops.

 Have some laughs with your little Valentine!

Love is in the Air

I haven't blogged in a few weeks due to getting back to work.  It was crazy the first week or two, but now I feel like I am back into a routine and can craft more.  My days can get crazy but I try to focus on crafty things on the weekends.  My husband is great and he will entertain N for a few hours which helps a lot.  February is one of my favorite months.  I get to celebrate my birthday and Valentine's Day which I love.  My students get a little crazy on the 14th but I love seeing how excited that get when they receive their valentines.  I decided to do a simple craft today to decorate my dinning room window.  This was fun and took no time.  The only part of the process that was annoying was sharpening the crayons.

Valentine's Day Crayon Hearts (seen on Pinterest, taken from Martha Stewart)

 Materials:
Wax paper
Crayon shavings
Craft paper
Hole punch
String

Step 1:
Shave crayons onto a piece of wax paper.  I ripped out the sharpener from the back of the crayon box.  I am looking forward to when N can help with the crafting.  He was busy taking a 2 hour nap.

Step 2:
Once you have a good amount of shavings, fold the wax paper over and make a crease. It is important that you fold the edges.  If not, the wax will pool out from the paper.  Place the wax paper between craft paper.  Then, place a towel on top and iron back and forth.

Step 3:
Let the wax paper cool.

Step 4:
Cut out a few heart templates.  Then trace and cut.  When all the hearts are cut out, hold punch them and hang with yarn. 

Final Products:  Hearts that spruce up your windows for Valentine's Day.  They look great in the window especially when the sun is shinning. 

Some people have used clear string, but I thought the pink yarn looked great.

Photography Projects

My friend Beth told me about a photography project that she was doing via facebook.  I decided to join in the fun.  Each week you submit a photo that represents a letter.  Each week the letter changes and we will go through the alphabet twice.  Here is what I submitted for a. 

After going through the alphabet once, I thought it would be a good idea to create an alphabet book for Nolan with all the pictures I use ( he is obsessed with letters).  I saw that idea on Pinterest. 

I have been having fun with picnik and decided to edit a picture describing what Nolan loves at 20 months (Beth's idea once again). 

 Both pictures were taken by my sister Chris.  Now I am thinking about getting a better camera in the future to take some shots of Nolan, but my sister does take some good photos.