Candy Shop Truffle

Another glorious Facebook find!

1 box chocolate cake mix
2 boxes of low fat chocolate jello instant pudding
4 cups of milk (as per the pudding directions)
1/4 cup peanut butter (plus 2 tbsp for drizzling)
1 large container of low fat cool whip
1 bag of mini Reese peanut butter cups (chopped into pieces)
1 large bag of Reese's pieces

Bake the cake as per the directions on the box. Let cool completely.

Let cool whip thaw out until it's easier to spread.

Make the pudding as per the directions on the box, at the very end before you let it set stir in the 1/4 cup of peanut butter. Let set.

Crumble the cake into a trifle dish (or bowl), top with 1/2 of the pudding mixture, then add a layer of cool whip (1/2 the container), and then sprinkle 1/2 of the chopped Reese peanut butter cups and 1/2 the bag of Reese's pieces.

Do another layer exactly the same: cake, pudding, cool whip, candy.

Put the 2 tbsp of peanut butter into the microwave for about 45 seconds to melt, then drizzle over top of the trifle

Lazy Cake Cookies

Another unknown source, I just have a file of screenshots that I save (and totally forget to post). But, holy cow are these delicious!!!

1 box yellow or white cake mix
2 eggs, beaten
5 Tbs melted butter
2 cups M&M's or mini chocolate chips

Mix ingredients together and put in a greased 9x13 pan and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.

Peanut Butter Fudge

I'm just going to leave this here...and go stuff my face OM NOM NOM!!!

Guacamole!

This is my new favorite recipe for guac! Huge thank you to the Fab Life Show and Chrissy Teigen for sharing this one!!!

For The Cheesy Guacamole
3 avocados, halved, seeded and peeled
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely minced
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 Tbs chopped cilantro
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or more, to taste)

Here's the easy part - mix it all together. Ta-Da!

For The Spicy Pita Chips
3 Tbs butter, melted
3 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp hot sauce (or more to taste)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp paprika (or smoked paprika)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 pitas, each cut into 8 triangles

Bake at 350 until they're brown and crisp

Toasted Sammie!

Running out of ideas for dinner? Looking for something super simple and easy? Make a toasted sammie! These are a favorite go-to and so easy to personalize for each person without making an entirely different meal.

Take a loaf of Italian bread, cut lengthwise and lay open on a baking sheet. Layer with sliced ham, or turkey (or whatever meat you want!), cover with shredded mozzarella cheese and broil for 3-5 minutes. Watch closely because it's easy to overcook these, so pull them once the cheese gets melty. You can add lettuce, mayo, etc, and bon appetit! Add whatever you'd like to have on your "usual" deli style sandwich and enjoy. So simple, so easy!

Source - Little Baby Garvin

Christmas Eve Crockpot Hot Chocolate

This is our new favorite Christmas tradition! Our boys love curling up on the couch with their hot chocolate and watching Rudolf in their new Christmas jammies before tucking in for the night and eagerly waiting for ole' Saint Nick!

1.5 cups heavy cream
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups milk chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla extract

Cherry Crescent Dessert

Another Instagram screenshot...kudos to whoever thought up this delicious number!!!

1 can cherry pie filling
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
8 oz cream cheese

Mix all ingredients together (except for the cherries). Take a can of crescents and spread them out in a ring. Top the "ring" with the mixture and the cherries, fold the ends of the crescent over and back according to the crescent can instructions :D

Apple Nutty Toast

This is what happens when I screenshot a photo of food from Instagram...I have no idea who posted it or what it's called, but it looked amazing and it is my new favorite quick breakfast!

Super simple to do...just lightly toast the bread and spread a small amount of butter. Drizzle with honey, then add a layer of nut butter and thinly sliced apples. Top with cinnamon and broil for about 3 minutes. Delish!

Monkey Coffee

Someone shared this in my newsfeed on Facebook. I love coffee and I'll take any excuse to spruce up my mornings on the weekend :P

1 1/2 oz (45 ml) Cake Vodka3/4 oz (25 ml) Baileys3/4 oz (25 ml) AmarettoCreamCoffee ice cubesRim the glass with Chocolate Syrup

Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup Bake

I loooove grilled cheese and tomato soup and what better way to change up this classic than by making a bake. When I came across this recipe on Taste of Home, I had to make it!

Ingredients

• 3 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
• 1-1/2 teaspoons dried basil, divided
• 12 slices Italian, sourdough or rye bread (1/2 inch thick)
• 6 slices part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/2 cup tomato paste
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1-3/4 cups 2% milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Italian cheese blend or part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl, mix cream cheese and 1 teaspoon basil until blended; spread onto six bread slices. Top with mozzarella cheese and remaining bread. Spread outsides of sandwiches with butter. Arrange in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish.
2. In a small saucepan, combine tomato paste, garlic, salt, pepper and remaining basil; cook and stir over medium heat 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 4-5 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
3. Whisk eggs in a large bowl; gradually whisk in a third of the milk mixture. Stir in remaining milk mixture; pour over sandwiches. Sprinkle with Italian cheese blend.
4. Bake, uncovered, 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and cheese is melted. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Yield: 6 servings.

Boozy Chocolate Pudding

Came across this on Facebook and it looked too good not to share! Can't wait to try this one out!

Skillet Cake

Ingredients for Skillet Cake:

• 1 Box of cake mix of your choosing. We used Devils Food Cake.
• One can of frosting of your choice. We chose chocolate.
• 1/2 cup of pecans cut up into pieces.

Directions for Skillet Cake:
Mix your cake batter according to box directions, spray Pam or use butter to grease the skillet. We use a 10 inch cast iron skillet. Pre heat oven according to box directions. Pour mixed batter into skillet and bake according to box directions.
While cake is baking you can put your frosting into a bowl and add Pecans. Stir in Pecans. Set aside until the cake is ot of the oven and cooled off some. We left out a few to garnish the top with!
Add your frosting and scatter the Pecans over the top! Now my favorite part! Go get you some Ice Cream out and put 2-3 big scoops on your Cake and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!

• ice cream (for serving)
• caramel sauce (for serving)
• whipped cream (for serving) 

Source - Backroads Living

Homemade Bagels

This past weekend I attempted to make homemade bagels. I have to say, for my first try, they taste great! I was expecting them to be a lot harder to make. I stuck with plain to make sure the actual bagel tasted good before I ventured off and started messing with flavors and toppings. But, next time I will definitely be experimenting with cinnamon raisin! Anyway, here is the recipe!

Ingredients:

For the Bagels:

1 1/4 c. Water
4 1/2 c. Bread Flour
3 TBS White Sugar
1 tsp Salt
2 TBS Vegetable Oil
1 TBS Instant Yeast
4 Quarts Water
1 c. Honey (optional)

For the Toppings:

2 TBS Poppy Seeds (optional)
2 TBS Sesame Seeds (optional)
1 TBS Coarse Salt (optional)
2 TBS Dried Onion Flakes (optional)


Directions:

1. Combine 1 1/4 cup water, flour, sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, vegetable oil, and yeast in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on low speed using the dough hook until well-developed, about 8 minutes. To ensure the gluten has developed fully, cut off a walnut-sized piece of dough. Flour your fingers, and then stretch the dough: if it tears immediately, the dough needs more kneading. Fully developed dough should form a thin translucent "windowpane."
2. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel, and let rise for 2 hours.
3. Punch the dough down, place it on a lightly floured work surface, and use a knife or dough scraper to divide the dough into 6 pieces (or more, for smaller bagels). Roll each piece of dough into a sausage shape about 6 inches long. Join the ends to form a circle. Repeat with the remaining dough, and let the bagels rest for 15 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange small plates with poppy seeds, sesame seeds, and onion flakes next to the baking sheet.
5. Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large pot. Add honey, if desired (see Editor's Note). Boil the bagels, three at a time, until they rise to the surface of the pot, about 1 minute per side. Remove the bagels with a slotted spoon and place them on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
6. Dip the tops of the wet bagels into the toppings and arrange them, seeds up, on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with coarse salt, if desired. Bake in the preheated oven until the bagels begin to brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
7. Source - All Recipes

Seven Layer Salad

Seven Layer Salad with Creamy Salsa Vinaigrette

 

Ingredients:
- For the Dressing
1/2 cup Greek yogurt or coconut milk
1/2 cup your favorite mild or medium Salsa
2 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon olive oil (unrefined, cold-pressed, extra-virgin)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 heaping tablespoon chopped green onions
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

- For the Salad
1 to 2 heads romaine lettuce, roughly chopped
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed 

1 medium red onion, sliced or chopped, your choice
1/2 cup green olives, sliced
3/4 cup corn kernels (thawed from frozen or fresh from the cob - no need to cook) OR you could always substitute with fresh mango.
1 avocado, pit removed, peeled and chopped
1 orange bell pepper, chopped
3 cups cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered (about 2 cups after slicing)
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, dill, and/or basil, chopped

 

Instructions:

To Make The Dressing

1. Add all ingredients to a blender and puree until smooth. Taste, and add more salt as needed. Set aside (refrigerate if making ahead).

To Assemble The Salad

1. General note: if your bowl is wide, ring your ingredients against the glass and fill the center with romaine lettuce as you build the layers. This creates a nice balance of greens to veggies when you spoon down into the bowl.
2. In a medium glass salad bowl (about 90 ounces), spread a thin layer of romaine lettuce. Spoon black beans over the lettuce. Add red onions over the black beans, followed by a layer of olives, then corn, avocados, bell peppers, and top with cherry tomatoes.
3. Sprinkle herbs over the cherry tomatoes.
4. If you're not using romaine lettuce to fill the center of the bowl, serve lettuce in a separate bowl tossed lightly with extra virgin olive oil.
5. Serve the creamy salsa vinaigrette dressing on the side.

 

 

Source - SoupAddict

S'mores Cookie Cake

This has been a hit at all of our summer parties and I'm definitely glad I got the recipe from my friend! It is the perfect way to serve s'mores to the masses and it is so simple to make!

Ingredients
1 pouch (1lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup butter or margarine, melted
3 cups milk chocolate chips (18oz)
4 1/2 cup mini marshmallows

Directions
1. Heat the oven to 375F. In a large bowl, stir together the cookie mix and graham cracker crumbs. Stir in the melted butter until a soft dough forms. Press into an ungreased 13x9-inch pan.
2. Bake 18-20 minutes or until set. Immediately sprinkle chocolate chips on. Allow to melt and spread the chocolate as evenly as possible across the cookie. Top with the marshmallows and broil in the oven for 1-2 minutes or until marshmallows are "toasted".

Chocolate Bomb Pudding Shots

Came across this recipe on Facebook one day and it is the PERFECT adult style pudding! I will definitely be making these a standard "dish" at our adult game nights (Cards Against Humanity, anyone?) Anyway, here's how to make them...

Ingredients:
small box of chocolate instant pudding
3/4 c Kahlua
3/4 c Coconut Rum
4oz Cool Whip (extra creamy preferred, but not required)

Directions:
Whisk Kahlua and Instant Pudding together until thick (about 1-2 minutes)

Once thickened, add rum and whisk until all lumps and clumps are gone.

Once smooth, whisk in Cool Whip.

Fill almost 3/4 of a 1oz plastic shot cup (or whatever you choose to put your shots in).

Cover and place in the freezer.

*It does take several hours to set, I usually set them overnight.
**Also, I recommend serving with spoons as it is more of a pudding consistency :)

For more great pudding shot recipes visit their Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/puddingshots1

Peep Update

It's hard to believe the peeps are almost 6 weeks old already. We finished building the extra run and mini coop and moved the meat chickens, Australorps and the hatchlings outside. Everyone is fully feathered except for our little guys, but they're nearly there. Everyone is enjoying the much larger space and this also introduces them to rest of the brood.

We have 3 more peeps that hatched on 4/10 and another dozen due any day now. Once those two hatches are feathered out, they'll be added with the rest of this years' peeps. I'm hoping that by the end of the summer everyone will be big enough to combine them with our brood. Not to mention that the run they are in now will hopefully be the home to some turkeys.

Is It Summer Yet?

Seeing this made me miss summer more than anything! I can't wait for flip flops, camp fires and of course...s'mores!!

Freebies!

I haven't posted any freebie deals in awhile and I spent entirely too long pre-reading half of these books before I sat down and finished this post. Just click the title to be redirected to Amazon. Remember, these were free at the time of posting BUT always check the price before clicking "Buy Now" to make sure it hasn’t returned to full price :)

Cheating On A Chicken Coop  | The Working Chicken | Green Cleaning: Nontoxic Homemade Recipes 

Soap Making: A Beginner's Guide  | Laundry Soap & Supplies | Natural Laundry Detergent

Random

Some random photos from the past few weeks. Things have been crazy here with an endless amount of snow...I'm so tired of shoveling! But, I know Spring is just around the corner - we have peeps hatching and are getting ready to start seedlings inside...once all this snow melts we may be able to think about having a garden! On a side note...Luca is officially out of Newborn sized clothing, it no longer fits :(

I love that whenever I finish cleaning, Berta feels the need to dig out every toy and play...it's like she celebrates, "woohoo you're done!" hahaha

His hair after a bath...he's got his Mamma's curls

 And someone finally found their thumb!

Need Sleeeeeeeep

Yesterday was an exciting day, a certain someone decided he didn't need to sleep, at all. Our day started bright and early, 3:30am to be exact.

 Morning snuggles with the babe that thinks he's too good for sleep (at least he's not fussy! Just wide awake for the past 4.5 hours)

By lunch time we had a few minor meltdowns but otherwise quite content and no napping is in sight...

Over 10 hours with no nap, he's almost outta juice lol

 11 hours with no nap...new record for this kid, but he's finally tuckered himself out.

Just kidding! That was just a 30 minute cat nap...tell us what you really think about naps, Luca!

Once bed time rolled around we were able to get him to fall asleep for about 20 minutes before he'd wake up and fuss. He'd quiet down if I was walking with him, but as soon as I'd sit or put him down all hell would break loose. So, I spent almost all night holding him and pacing the living room....this Momma is tuckered out! Thankfully this morning he did take a 2 hour nap, hopefully he's back on his normal schedule and we can resume sleeping through the night again *fingers crossed*

Peeps

 The babies are getting quite big and the kids love watching them grow. We grabbed some chicks from Tractor Supply (after we said we weren't buying any this year) and we now have 6 Cornish Rocks that we are raising to butcher and 6 Australorps. Our 6 hatchlings are doing great and are little fluff balls. I have a feeling all of them might be Cochin mixes (most of them have the feathered feet too)

The Cornish Rocks are younger than the Australorps and have already passed them in size. It's our first time with meat chickens and I can't believe how solid they are! We'll be having a butchering party here in a few weeks!

Happy Hatch Day!

Our peeps were due yesterday, March 5th, and we had a 50% hatch rate. This is only my second time trying to incubate eggs, since none of our hens want to do their job and go broody, so I'm very pleased with the results (especially considering we had a few eggs go bad). We did have 2 peeps hatch that we lost, so fingers crossed that everyone else continues to do well.

ignore the mess - they're still drying off in the incubator before we move them to the brooder :)

Snow, Snow, & More Snow

I'm pretty sure our chickens are just as fed up with all this snow as I am. They are also incredibly spoiled and won't come outside to free range unless I shovel paths for them. But then, I do shovel paths for them so what's that say about me? Ha!

I also introduced sunflower seeds as a treat for our chickens and it took them awhile to decide they liked them. Cacciatore was quite upset when I ran out (the new bag was left in the truck - and the hubby drove it to work.

Sunflower seeds have now been replaced and we got another 4" of snow...It's -4 here today and by Sunday it's supposed to hit 40. I usually don't mind the cold or the snow, but this year I am definitely ready for Spring!

Personalize Your Wardrobe

I absolutely love my Silhouette Cameo so I was super stoked when I got this email from Silhouette with a tutorial on how to personalize your wardrobe using fabric ink! It's fun. It's easy. And I can't wait to try it out!

Tools:

• Stencil vinyl 
• Transfer paper 
• A shirt
• Fabric ink 
• Iron
• A design from the Silhouette Design Store

Instructions:

1. Choose any design from the Silhouette Design Store (or one you already have in your collection).
2. Line the design up in Silhouette Studio® the way you want it to appear on the shirt.
3. Make sure to measure the shirt first to decide how big the overall design should be. 
4. Cut the design out of stencil vinyl. Make sure to leave 1–2 inches of vinyl around the design to keep the project clean from stray fabric ink.
5. Use the transfer paper that comes with the stencil vinyl to move the design to your shirt.
6. Apply the fabric ink and let dry.
7. Iron the design when it is dry to set the ink.

That's it!

Is It Spring Yet?!

It's that time of year around the homestead where we start planning our vegetable gardens.Yes, that's plural! I'll be taking over 3 of our flower gardens and converting them into vegetable and herb gardens - so excited! And we also start setting up for peeps!

(ignore all the muck, it's been a pretty messy winter here)

I'm trying to avoid buying peeps this year (although if I see any blue or green egg layers on sale, I may have to grab them) and instead I will be attempting to hatch out some pretty impressive Heinz 57 mixes from our brood. I'm expecting most of the eggs to be from our Cochin roo. We do have 2 roos that we kept from last season that are Buff x Barred mixes but they haven't quite figured out how to woo the ladies so I'm fairly certain they will all be from our Cochin, AJ.

Keep your fingers crossed that we have a good batch!

Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

We have finally figure out somewhat of a schedule for us to function on. I really can't complain, he sleeps through the night and I usually have to wake him up to nurse - and he's only a month old! Anyway, I decided to make the family some yummy cookies since all it seems to do is snow or rain lately. I absolutely love this recipe because I'm a huge fan of soft, gooey cookies and these are absolutely delicious and super easy to make!

Ingredients

• ¾ cup Brown Sugar
• ¼ cup Sugar
• ½ cup (1 stick) Unsalted Butter (softened)
• 1 – 3.4 oz Package Instant Chocolate Pudding
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Additional Egg Yolk
• 1 tsp Homemade Vanilla Extract
• 2½ cups All Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• ¼ tsp Salt
• 1 cup 60% Cocoa Chips
• 1 cup Milk Chocolate Chips (or if you're like me, I ran out of chocolate chips but we have an overabundance of Hershey Kisses from the holidays, so I spent 20 mins cutting up Kisses - hahaha)

Instructions

1. Cream butter and sugars together until smooth.
2. Add pudding, eggs, additional egg yolk and vanilla. Beat for about one minute on medium speed.
3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.
4. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients a ½ cup at a time and mix until combined.
5. Fold in chocolate chips.
6. Mold into a giant ball and wrap tightly in plastic wrap.
7. Chill for at least two hours.
8. Scoop 1½ tablespoon sized scoops onto a nonstick baking sheet about two inches apart. I use this kind of scoop.
9. Bake at 350 F for 10-13 minutes

Morning Cuddles & Milking Mishaps

Learning to be a new mom, juggling a part time telecommute job and starting a new semester at school has definitely kept me busy! I'm just glad it's not Spring or I would be trying to start the garden too!

 That face! He makes my heart melt!

 

The early morning snuggles are my favorite! 

His bum is the perfect holder for my iPad #parentingwin!

 

While we are still learning how everything works (don't ask how he managed to do this while nursing) and some nights I swear I don't get any sleep, I wouldn't trade it for the world. This little man has had me wrapped around his finger from the moment he entered the world. I never knew my heart could hold so much love.

Baby Luca

I have a good excuse for the recent absence, no really! We are beyond ecstatic to announce that we welcomed our baby boy into the world this week. Luca Xavier was born on January 12th, 2015 at 10:38am, weighing in at 7lbs 14oz and 19" long!

* All photography by Kristen of Little Lion Photography