• White Chocolate Dipped Cherry Shortbread
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• I can't remember where I got this recipe, but it's great in the summer with fresh dark cherries too, or perfect at Christmas time since they are red.  I like white chocolate, and it goes great with the cherries.  They're quick and most of the ingredients you probably already have!
• 
  
• Ingredients:
• 2 1/2 c flour
• 1/2 c sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 c cold butter, cubed
• 10 oz chopped white chocolate, divided
• 1/2 tsp almond or vanilla extract
• 3 drops red food coloring
• 1/2 c maraschino cherris, drained, dried on paper towels, and finely chopped
•  
• Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2.  In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in the cubed butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in maraschino cherries and 4 oz of the white chocolate (appx 2/3 c). Stir in extract and red food coloring. Knead mixture with hands until it forms a smooth ball.

3. Shape dough into 3/4 in balls. Place balls 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Using the bottom of a drinking glass dipped in powdered sugar, flatten balls into 1 1/2 inch rounds. Bake for 10-12 minutes until centers of cookies are set. Cool on cookie sheet 1 minute and then transfer to cooling racks to cool completely.

4.  In a microwaveable, heat-proof bowl, melt white chocolate on HIGH power for 1 minute, stirring after each 20 seconds until smooth and completely melted. Depending on your microwave, check the melting process carefully as the chocolate can scorch easily. Dip half of each cookie into chocolate and allow excess to drip off. Place on wax paper until chocolate is set.

To store: Layer cookies between waxed paper in airtight container and cover. Store at room temperature up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months. Enjoy!

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday...Muffin Pan Surfing

Have you seen the Muffin Man?

 

My Little Monkey who just started crawling decided to muffin pan surf. Already creative at six and a half months old. Sorry, you can't have the recipe for this. There is no copying perfection.

Before and After ...Amazing Creativity

OK, so what do think of my new table?  Beautiful right?  My two year old always tells me, "Mommy, you can do anything."  I can turn this into something nice, don't cha think?

 

Well, here's the finished product.

Ha!  Mommy can't do everything sweetie!  I wish.  Better After highlights some awesome projects from the blogging world.  I'm up to my ears right now in potty training, teething, and just finding my sanity again after the birth of my second son.  So in the meantime I'm going to make my dream book that Cami made at Creating by Cami.

I'll keep track of my dream ideas like this one so that when I have my sanity back I am ready to go.  Way cool table.  Would like great in my dining room.  Some day Mommy.  Some day.  Until then I'll paste little pictures in my dream book and cherish the time spent laughing and playing with my baby boys and Mr. Potato Head. 

How to add a signature to your blog posts

Obviously I am new to this blogging thing and can use all the help I can get.  I stumbled upon a great tutorial site called Sneaky Mommy Blog Design that is super easy to understand, even if you know nothing about html.  I even made my own signature in about three minutes.  So check Jill out at sneaky blog.  She even answered a question I had about my blog in less than five minutes.  Gee I wish I had her knowledge.  Definitely worth bookmarking as issues arise while blogging.  Hope someone can use it!

Sunday Showoff....Peanut Butter Cups

Sunday Showoff   is where I pick something I absolutely love to show off. 

Today, it's off of Our Family Treat's tasty blog.

Peanut Butter Cups

I made these exactly according to the recipe here, and they were to die for.  If you love Reese'e Peanut Butter Cups, then you need to make these the next time you have somewhere to go.  And the best part....
                                                   

No Baking!

They took about 15 minutes tops to make, and that's with my 2 year old and 7 month old under my feet.  You use the microwave to melt the butter and peanut butter together, and again later to melt the chips.  The rest is just mixing and chilling!  Literally!  Just mix and stick in the fridge.  Several people asked me for the recipe.  I was thinking of maybe finding a candy mold that looks like a peanut butter cup and making them in there next time.  I cut them pretty small because they are pretty rich.  I was also sure that the top chocolate layer would break when I cut into it, but I used  long serated bread knife and it worked like a charm.  Thinking I will make these on Father's Day for the guys in our family.  What guy doesn't like chocolate and peanut butter?  Definitely check out Lindsay's blog and copy this recipe down.  Great when you need to bring something but you don't have any time.  They will make you look like you know what you are doing in the kitchen!  Yahoo!

Wordless Wednesday....

"Yes Mom, I'm taking Mickey and Minnie into church with me."

What the heck is Falafel?

By the way it is pronounced ful-lof-el.  My familiy and I made a trip to Dean's Natural Food Store, similar to Whole Foods but a tad smaller.  We're trying to replace some of the junky processed food my 2 year old eats with more natural foods.  Well falafel chips were out to taste with some dip.  I guess they have to put it out to taste because who might pick up the bag and say, "Now this is what I want with my sour cream and onion dip for a late night snack."  Anyway, my husband brought me one while I looked at the overpriced frozen flax waffles and said, "You gotta try this.  It's falafel."  And that was it.  I'm hooked.  Ate some last night.  The guy checking out said, "These things are great.  I just learned what a falafel was the other day." "Oh yeah, what is it?"  "Uh, I don't really know."  Then you didn't really learn did you?  The girl at the next register who looked like she knew everything about the whole store told me it was made from chick peas.  I HATE CHICK PEAS!.  Don't you get made when you find something out like and you wish you didn't know.  I still like them, but can't help remember when I was 15 and worked as a food prep girl filling the salad bar.  Cracking open the huge can of chick peas.... I can still smell it and it makes me shiver a little. 

So bottom line, falafel chips are good.  The ones we bought have a ton of garlic in them.  They have no wheat, dairy, lactose, trans fat, cholesterol, msg, hydrogenated oil, gmo (what is that), preservatives, artificial colors or artificial flavors.  Like I said, it's pretty much chick peas and organic flavors and veggies.  Surprisingly really good, and I'm a harsh critic when it comes to good food!  Go chick peas!

By the way, spent 65 dollars on snacks.  They better last!

Homemade Tear Free Bubbles 

Everyone could use something easy and cheap to make your little ones happy on these warm spring days. And making it is part of the fun.  I saved an old bubble container, but a water bottle would work great too because they are big enough to hold the wand inside.  This recipe is great for the little ones that like to chase the bubbles and pop them without it stinging when it pops in your face... and it always seems too, right?  We had fun with this on a windy day.  We barely had to blow the bubbles because the wind made them for us!  This would be a great birthday party favor too.  Just print a label off the computer and voila... a cheap gift to send home!

Tear Free Bubbles

• 1/4 cup no-tears baby shampoo
• 3/4 cup water
• 3 tablespoons light corn syrup

Directions:
Mix all ingredients and let bubbles settle. Pour into a bottle with lid.

Shake well before each use!

What Makes My Kids Happy?

Being Held

Hugs
Kisses

Reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar together

Blowing Bubbles

Making Pudding Pops

And eating them

Finger Paints

Growing basil and tomato plants from seeds

Frosty the Snowman DVD all year long

Our dog Eli 

Grandparents

Rocking before bedtime

Spotting a Digger while driving in the car

Picking Dandelions

Running outside

Sharing cookies with Daddy after dinner

Talking on the phone to Nannie, Poppie, Gammie and Goppy

Listening to Laurie Berkner CDs

PlayDoh

Finding a lady bug on the screen

Hearing birdies when first waking up

Glowie the Glow Worm

Slides at the playground

Acting like a monkey

What makes your kids happy? 

Happy Mommy.........Happy Kids

 OK.  Let's get started!