Earth Day Cupcakes



Instructions:
  1. Prepare a white cake mix.
  2. Divide your cake batter into 2 bowls.
  3. Color one bowl of batter green, and the other blue.
  4. Line your cupcake pan with baking cups.
  5. Alternating colors, drop spoonfuls of batter into the cups.
  6. Bake your cupcakes and let them cool.
  7. Cut off the tops.
  8. Press a small heart-shaped cookie cutter into the center of the cupcake.
  9. Use a spoon to scoop out the cake inside the heart,
  10. and eat the scraps.
  11. Fill the heart-shaped cavity with red frosting.
  12. Replace the cupcake top and enjoy! 
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Macaroni & Cheese Stuffed Prosciutto Cups



Ingredients
  • 8 ounces elbow macaroni
  • 6 very thin slices prosciutto (about 3 ounces)
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup panko
  • 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 cups whole milk
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (about 4 ounces)
  • 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (about 2 ounces)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for salting the pasta cooking water
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. Heat the oven to 375°F and arrange a rack in the middle.
  2. Bring a large saucepan (about 4 quarts) of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions. When the pasta is al dente, reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking water, then drain.
  3. Meanwhile, cut the prosciutto in half crosswise. Place 1 slice in each well of a 12-well muffin pan, pressing the prosciutto evenly into the bottom and up the sides of each well; set aside.
  4. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a small frying pan over medium heat until foaming. Add the panko and cook, stirring occasionally, until light golden brown, about 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
  5. While the pasta is draining, rinse the saucepan and wipe it dry. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the saucepan over medium-low heat until foaming. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Cook, whisking occasionally, until the flour has darkened slightly in color, about 2 to 3 minutes.
  6. Add the milk very slowly, whisking it into the flour-butter mixture. Continue cooking, whisking constantly to smooth out any lumps, until the mixture simmers and thickens, about 6 to 7 minutes.
  7. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the reserved pasta water, cheeses, mustard, measured salt, and pepper and whisk until the cheese has melted and the mixture is smooth. Add the drained pasta and stir to combine.
  8. Divide the pasta mixture among the wells of the prepared muffin pan and sprinkle with the toasted panko. Cook until the edges of the mac ’n’ cheese cups are bubbling slightly and the tops are light golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes.
  9. Remove the muffin pan to a wire rack and let it cool for 5 minutes. Run a small knife around the perimeter of each well to loosen and remove the prosciutto cups. Serve immediately. 
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Crafts!


Wrap yarn around a letter made out a wood letter for a cute sign in the home! :)


Home made snow globes, going to make these as Christmas presents for the kids this year. 


DIY Tutorial: Home / DIY Canvas Flower With Scrapbook Paper  


YES - this is the ORIGINAL Tutorial on how to make those big giant photo prints for super cheap - awesome 

Wow Crochet!


Light and Lacy Shawl


Crochet Snowflakes 


Step-by-step tutorial: Crochet a set of rainbow nesting baskets. 



Lamp crochet (no instructions)

 

Christmas Crafts


Mason Jar Christmas Tree


Winter Twig Wreath


Red Jingle Bells Door Decor Hanging Dangler Christmas decor 



Use a pillow to make a cute snowman decoration! 



Scrappy DIY Christmas Wreath

Caprese Stuffed Chicken



Ingredients:
  • Caprese Stuffed Chicken
  • 3 large chicken breasts
  • 6 slices black forest ham
  • 6 sticks of mozzarella string cheese, cut in half
  • ¼ cup sundried tomatoes, sliced thin
  • 6 large basil leaves
  • Olive oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper
Directions:
  1. Butterfly (slice horizontally) the chicken breasts to get 6 slices of chicken total. Place one piece of ham, two slices of cheese, some sundried tomato, and one basil leaf onto each chicken breast. Roll each breast tightly and place, seam-side down on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. When all the chicken is rolled, drizzles some olive oil onto the chicken, then sprinkle with some salt and pepper.
  2. Bake the chicken at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until done.
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Fuzzy Slipper Nutter Butters



Ingredients: 
  • 15 Nutter Butter Cookies 
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter (I choose Jif) 
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 
  • 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream 
  • 1/8 teaspoon table salt 
  • 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar 
  • 20 ounces pink confectionery coating / candy melts 
Special Equipment Needed: 
  • 70 mini ice cream scoop (or a spoon) 
  • rotary-style cheese grater 
  • parchment paper lined baking sheets that fit in your freezer 
  • paper towels 
Instructions:

  1. Pull apart the two peanut shaped cookies. Scrape the peanut butter filling off of each cookie using a knife or spatula, not your teeth:) Reserve filling.
  2. Combine peanut butter, unsalted butter, whipping cream, and salt in a large microwave safe bowl. Heat in microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir. Heat for 20 seconds. Stir. If butter is not completely melted, heat for 10 second increments, stirring after each, until melted. Stir in powdered sugar. The fudge will become very thick. I usually finish stirring in the powdered sugar with my hands.
  3. Notes:
  4. I know most buckeye recipes don't call for heavy whipping cream, but I have been using it for a while and like how it effects the texture of the fudge. It is perfectly creamy.
  5. Don't pack the powdered sugar into the measuring cup or you will have more sugar than needed. If this happens, your fudge can be come too thick and dry. To fix this, knead in a bit of heavy whipping cream until the mixture is malleable but still stiff.
  6. If your kitchen is very warm, you may need to refrigerate the peanut butter fudge for about 30 minutes before trying to mold it into the slipper shape.
  7. Use a #70 mini ice cream scoop or a spoon to scoop out 30 balls of fudge (about 2 teaspoons each.) Roll each scoop into a ball. Place a fudge ball on one end of a cookie. Use your finger to press around the edge of the fudge ball and the edge of the cookie sealing the two together. Repeat with the remaining fudge balls.
  8. Use your finger or the end of a wooden spoon to make an indentation in each fudge ball. Pinch around the edge of the indentation creating the opening of each slipper.
  9. Grate 4 ounces of the pink candy melts using a rotary cheese grater. Pour grated candy onto a plate.
  10. Melt 16 ounces of pink confectionery coating/candy melts. Hold onto a slipper cookie by the sides of the Nutter Butter. Dip the cookie, peanut butter fudge side down, into the pink candy coating. To ensure that the top of the cookie and the indentation get covered in candy, move the cookie back and forth a few times in the melted candy. Lift the cookie out of the candy melts and allow the excess candy to drip off.
  11. I suggest you dip the cookie back into the candy melts, then quickly pull it out, then dip just the top of the slipper cookie back into the candy melts, then pull it out. Repeat this process three or four times. It will help pull the excess candy off of the slipper cookie. Lift the slipper cookie up out of the candy melts. At this point you may need to tap the cookie to remove any excess candy or you may have to use your finger to move some melted coating into the slipper's opening.
  12. I tried dipping the entire cookie using a candy dipping fork, but found that the slipper cookies are awkwardly top heavy and difficult to dip. Also, I ended up with misshapen cookies if excess candy pooled around the bottom. I thought they looked much better when the bottom of the cookie was not coated in the candy.
  13. Set the slipper cookie on the plate filled with the grated pink candy. Wipe your fingers on the paper towels because you will have candy coating on them. This is a messy job! Immediately sprinkle grated pink candy over the cookie, coating the entire thing. Let the cookie sit in the candy shavings for a minute. Then remove it and set it on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Repeat, dipping and coating each of the slipper cookies. Freeze slippers for 5 minutes to set the candy coating. Remove from freezer and allow to come to room temperature before serving. Store in an airtight container.
  14. These adorable little slipper can be made in a rainbow of colors.
  15. These adorable little brown slippers were dipped in tempered milk chocolate and sprinkled with milk chocolate shavings. Whether you use tempered milk chocolate or light cocoa candy melts, you can create these brown fuzzy slippers using the method above. 
For more tips and step by step instructions please visit:  http://www.hungryhappenings.com/2011/05/how-to-make-pink-fuzzy-slipper-cookies.html

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