Craving warmth!

When it is this cold outside, I crave warm! Warm clothes. Warm Blankets. Warm drinks and warm desserts! Here are a few of my favorite warm desserts from around the web!

1. Blackberry Cobbler

2.  Dump Cake

3.  Apple Crisp

4.  Chocolate Fondue

And now this...isn't it the cutest?

It's the fondue pot that my family gave me for my birthday!  It is on sale here {right now} at World Market. The first time we used it, I left out the heavy cream so the chocolate was a little sticky, but it was still super delicious with pineapple, strawberries, bananas and marsh mellows!

Does the weather affect what you are craving?
Do you make snow creme when it snows or do you run for the Hot Cocoa?
Happy weekend!

B is for "Bullet"...as in Magic!

We got it for Christmas 2 years ago! The Magic Bullet! We used it a few times, then put it up in the pantry. What were we thinking. It is wonderful for making smoothies. Lately we have been leaving it out on our counter where it is easy to get to and available for use.
I bought several bags of frozen fruit, like strawberries, blueberries and peaches. It is best to let them thaw a little before adding them in with some yogurt and milk. Easy and delicious....and super good for you too.
My favorite smoothie right now is the Peanut butter, Banana and Jelly smoothie!
A couple of spoons of plain or vanilla yogurt, 1/2 banana, a few fresh or frozen berries, and a spoon full of peanut butter. Blend until smooth!
Anyone making smoothies with veges? I want to try some Spinach? Any suggestions?
Enjoy your day!

I'm linking up with alphabe-Thursday!
Join the fun over here at Jenny Matlock's blog!

I'll be home for .....Super Bowl XLVI!

It's true!
I can't remember the last time I was not working on Superbowl Sunday. Many of you know that I am a nurse, working night week-ends.  I had taken this weekend off for an out of town volleyball tournament. The tournament schedule changed at the last minute and instead of being away the entire weekend, we will be home in time for the Super Bowl.
We'll be heading over to our good friends for some good eats, good games, good commercials, and good football!
I'll be taking a few things with me to the big party!
Wanna see?

We call it Taco Dip! It is an absolute must!

To find this recipe and 10 other Superbowl dip recipes, go here!

And for a dessert treat... the most healthiest of chocolate treats....strawberries dipped in chocolate!

I found these strawberries disguised as footballs here.

And just because it's the way I roll...and our friends would tell you too...
I can't show up without a game. 

Super Bowl Bingo. Have you seen this before? Fun for the whole family. 

To get the printouts for your party, go here!

Are you going to watch the game?
I'll be watching to fill my Bingo card (and to see the hilarious, high dollar, and creative commercials)~
but mostly I'll be enjoying the goodness of friends and family....
and chocolate covered strawberries, of course!
Have a wonderful weekend!

A New Year and a look back!

For me this Christmas...to be absent from my blog...was to be present with my family!
I did not intend to be so absent, but truthfully, we had such a great time of family get-togethers, festivities and such that I was either too busy or too tired to post pictures and write updates. I was able to keep up with many of favorite blogs by way of my daughter's new Nook tablet. I secretly used it before she opened it on Christmas. He he! I was even able to comment a little bit here and there. I do intend on fully catching up with the goings~on in Blogland this week.
As far as new years go...I am excited to be starting a fresh! I always feel a sense of newness. I do not set resolutions really, but I usually feel excited about renewal....making things better or healthier or simpler.
I hope to come up with a few real and measurable goals...but I am not putting conditions on myself to declare them as resolutions for 2012.
To make up for my Christmas absence...I will be "looking back" and posting our Christmas time happenings this week. This blog is my family scrapbook of sorts so they must be included! We still have our tree up in the family room...most of the other decorations are down. After this weekend...we will be post Christmas~blog included.    
So in looking back...
We started our break with a 6th grade band concert!

The gym was packed full of families. Emily had other plans, but she rearranged them to be able to support her brother. When she arrived, she said, "Hey! He's first chair!" I didn't know it, but apparently that is a good thing. These kids have only been playing for 3 1/2 months. They sounded great! Believe me when I say that the Tuba sounds much better when accompanied by the other instruments.
A few days later we had an early Christmas family get~together to exchange gifts and share a meal. We enjoyed a fabulous brunch!

 

 

 

Breakfast casserole, Blueberry~Peach Fruit Casserole, bacon, and pastries! 
So very yummy! I'll add recipes soon!

A few days later...it was off to Nana's house! We love Nana's at Christmas time. We eat out for dinner and breakfast...have tons of snacks, cookies, cakes and soft drinks. And we open a ridiculous amount of presents....and who doesn't love that!

It's Nana with her Rudolph costume on! She wore it proudly into Jason's Deli where we had a yummy holiday dinner of Soup and Salad bar...and Huge Baked potatoes!

We discovered the potatoes must be 2 potatoes with the ends cut off to make it look like 1 giant potato.
Then, it was back home to check out all those gifts...

 

Sweatshirts, books, video games, bathrobes, gift cards, nerf guns, money and of course...socks and underwear.
I'm wondering now...does anyone else notice that I am missing from these pics. I must do abetter job of getting out from behind the camera. That's okay...next up is our skating adventure in uptown. Emily got a great video of me falling on the ice. Let's see if I'm brave enough to post it here!
More "looking back" to come.
Happy New Year everyone!

No Bake Goodness ~ Cracker Toffee!

 

I am not a baker, but I love to make goodies.
There are several really yummy no~bake recipes that our family enjoys sharing each year.
This is one of my personal favorites.

Ingredients:
2 sticks of REAL butter!
1 cup of brown sugar
Saltine crackers to cover bottom of cookie sheet.
3/4 bag Semi-sweet chocolate morsels.

Cover cookie sheet with foil. Spray with cooking spray!
Arrange crackers in single layer until sheet is full.
Heat butter and brown sugar until melted and bubbly.
Pour mixture over crackers.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 min.
Remove from oven. Pour chocolate chips over top.
Once they begin to melt, spread them over the top of the crackers.
Refrigerate for about an hour.
Remove from cookie sheet. Break into bite size pieces.

You can also make these with Graham crackers...and chopped pecans!
Enjoy!

One of our favorites any time of the year!

One of the meals that gets the most "Yay"'s and "Yes"'s in our house right now is the very easy Baked Potato Bar!

No big deal. Grab a bag of baking potatoes, sour cream, bacon bits, and grated cheese...and you are ready for an easy and pleasing meal. Add a salad on the side and you get your vegies too!
This time of the year, it seems there is always more to do than time to do it in. Christmas concerts, volunteering, holiday parties, shopping, wrapping, the ongoing sports practice and homework...and so much more. Cook up some potatoes before hand, stick them in the crisper, and if someone has to run out for an event...offer them a potato and some fixings. Just watch out 'cause chances are, everyone else will want one too!
Enjoy the hustle and bustle....and take it all in!
It's Christmas!  

Summer Pasta Salad!

We are loving pasta salad this summer...for dinner, lunch at the pool,
 at swim meets, and even for a little snack.
Wanna make some for your family?

Here is what you need.

Cooked Pasta (your favorite)

Frozen corn

Tomatoes (cherry tomatoes are best but I used Roma 'cause that is what I had)

Black Olives...cut in half.

Cilantro or parsley

Grilled chicken strips (southwestern style)

Italian dressing

 Mix it all together...coat with dressing....marinate...the longer the better.

Serve cold.

Enjoy!

Linking up with Tasty Tuesdays at 33 Shades of Green!

Holiday baking...sort of!

We have a favorite homemade cookie. We make lots of them at Christmas time.
You might have heard of them as "No Bake Cookies", but we call them Fudgies!
We have been enjoying them for years.

They are very easy to make.

They don't always turn out the same, but they are always yummy...and gone in no time!

Of course, with a stick of butter and 2 cups of sugar...they have got to be good, right?

It's not all bad.

See...dairy, protein and fiber are added too.

The best part...no baking!

And just look at this pretty picture I took with my new camera.

It really captures the yumminess, I think!

Some of the girls I work with are getting together tomorrow for a cookie swap, so I'll be sharing lots of these.   And I'll be bringing home lots and lots of other yummy cookies to enjoy with my family and friends over the holidays! 

In case you wanna make some.... here's the recipe!

Enjoy...your day, the season, friends, lights, music,

 and everything that makes you merry!

I am linking up with Jen at Denton Sanitorium!
I'm looking forward to reading more posts about holiday baking traditions! 

A Dessert Made for Sharing!

Chocolate Passion Trifle

This is very easy and crowd pleasing!

Ingredients:

1 box of brownie mix

2 packages chocolate jello instant pudding

2 cups of milk

1 container of french vanilla cool whip

2 cups strawberries or rasberries

Prepare 1 box of brownies and cut into squares!

Mix 2 cups milk with pudding and mix until smoothe, add 1 cup cool whip.

Layer the trifle:

1/2 brownies

1/2 pudding

1/2 berries

cool whip

Repeat 1st 3 layers!

Dollop of cool whip on top!

Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving!

Yummo!

Enjoy!

If I can __________, you can too.

If I can__ make a cheesecake__, you can too.

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

Duncan Hines Devil's Food Cake Mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 (8oz)  pkg. cream cheese softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
4 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
1 tsp flour

1.  Heat oven to 350 degrees, Grease Springform pan with cooking spray.

2.  Combine cake mix and oil. Mix well.  Press in bottom of pan.

     Bake at 350 degrees for 25 min. 

     Remove from oven and increase temp to 450 degrees

3.  Place cream chese in large bowl. Mix on low speed , adding sugar
     gradually.

     Add sour cream. Add vanilla. Mix until blended.

     Add eggs and mix just slightly. Toss 1/2 cup of choc. chips in flour

     and fold into mix.

     Pour mixture in pan. Sprinkle remaining chips on top of cheescake.

4.  Bake at 450 degrees for 7 min, then reduce oven temp to 250

     degrees. Bake 60 minutes.

5.  Remove pan from oven to cooling rack. Pop off sides of spring form

     pan after loosening.

* When baking, place a small oven safe dish filled with water in the bottom of the oven. This will keep the cheesecake from cracking.  Ooopps! I forgot this step and you see what happened.*

I love strawberries so much....so I just added them around the bottom...for some extra prettiness and tastiness!

This is very rich and yummy...one small piece is perfection.

Do you have a favorite cheesecake flavor?

Enjoy!

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Happy Friday Follow!