Update on my cooking lessons

I haven't had a chance to try any new real recipes, but I've been doing a lot of candy/treat making. After the new year, your can look forward to some new posts with at least one new recipe I've tried every week.

I've found a lot of things I want to try on pinterest I hope you enjoy!

Rocky Road

This was not the a recipe I found on pinterest!  This is a recipe we make every year.  It is very easy, and everyone loves it!

Start with peanut butter (creamy), peanuts, 2-3 bags of chips (your choice) and marshmallows.

Pour the chips into a bowl and mix (I used 1 semi sweet chocolate chips, one butterscotch chips, and one peanut butter chips). Add 1/2 cup of peanut butter. Melt in the microwave--stirring about every 30 seconds.

Add peanuts and marshmallows. Mix and dump onto wax paper.  I usually throw mine in the freezer for a few minutes. Break into desired size.  

Reindeer cookies

I found these cookies on pintrest. (Originally from this blog: Frontier Girls).

Simple, but adorable. I needed an easy cookie fork my church's cookie exchange. I originally was not going to be able to attend, but my training was cancelled. (Trainer got snowed out!) So at the last minute I needed a recipe. I made these in my office kitchen in 15 minutes!

Ingredient: Nutter Butter cookies, mini pretzels, candy embellishments, and white frosting (for the glue).  I used mini brown m & m's for the eyes and red m & m's for the nose. Everybody loved them.

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Tile coasters

Another craft I found on pinterest. I can't find the original pin, though. Easiest gift I've ever made! And everybody LOVED it!

Tiles (4 x 4); scrapbook paper; decoupage, and clear acrylic paint.  EASY!

Julie Donahue
Sent from my iPhone

Recycled art

When I first heard the idea of using toilet paper rolls for art I wondered, "What? Am I in kindergarten?" But, after seeing a friend's attempt I decided to try it.

Take toilet paper, paper towel, or wrapping paper cores and flatten. Cut into even strips (mine were about 1/2 inch). Glue together in 4s to make a star (below). I used hot glue.

Glue the flowers together at tips to make circles. Continue until you like the design.  Spray paint the entire piece. Place on the wall.

Cake pops take 2

Candy Trays

Quick and easy candy tray found on pinterest. I found it here: Tuttobella.

Unwrap starlight mints.

Arrange in a pattern on wax paper on a cookie sheet.

Melt in a 350 over for about 6-8 minutes. Let cool completely. 

Even the "flop" turned out good!

Here's another idea I found on Pinterest. Candy trays--made out of candy! Place starlight mints on wax paper and melt on a 350 oven for about 6 minutes. Let cool and peel off wax paper (or cut off the paper if it sticks!)

Reindeer Cookies

Have you discovered Pinterest? If not, check it out! It's a place to mark tips, recipes, and projects you want to try. As well as see what other people are making.

Today, I needed a quick and easy recipe for a cookie exchange. I didn't have time to make them from scratch. I found this adorable reindeer cookies on Pinterest.

Ingredients:
Nutter Butter cookies
Mini pretzels
Red M & Ms
Brown mini M & Ms
White frosting (serves as glue)

Cake Pops Take One

I decided to try cake pops. The kids have been wanting to try these. And after John paid $1.50 EACH for cake pops at Starbucks earlier this week, and finding some instructions in Pinterest, I decided I was ready to try it.

Step 1: Bake a cake. (Or cheat like I did and start with 3 day old cupcakes!)

Snow Ice Cream

I haven't had a chance to do much cooking yet, but I did take advantage of today's snow storm to make snow ice cream. The big guys didn't care for it, but the little ones ask for me. They helped with the second batch.

Start with a bowl of snow, some vanilla (I used about a teaspoon), some sugar (about 1/4 cup) and milk (a total of about a cup).