Peanut Butter Cups

Ingredients

•  1 1/2cups creamy peanut butter
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 6 milk chocolate candy bars (1.55 ounces each)
• Colored sprinkles, optional

Directions

• In a small bowl, combine peanut butter, butter, powdered sugar, and salt until smooth; set aside.
• In crockpot on low heat melt the chocolate chips and candy bars stirring occasionally (until smooth).
• Drop teaspoonfuls of chocolate mixture into paper-lined miniature muffin cups or molds (can be found in cake decorating department) and spread around with an unused paintbrush. Top each with peanut butter mixture (how much will depend on size of mold); top with another teaspoonful or so of chocolate mixture, again spreading it with the paintbrush. Decorate with sprinkles if desired. Refrigerate until set. Store in an airtight container.  YUM!

Happy Birthday!

My baby turned one and to commemorate the occasion I made her a Winnie the Pooh cake (love you, Wilton's cake pans!). 
We love Pooh Bear at our house.  Even have him on the kitchen wall (no lie...although that one is not by my choosing).  I actually made this cake for my now-15-year-old for her third birthday.  I thought it was so cute I had to make it again.  Here is me, my husband, and our four girls (at a hotel...thus the pic with the bed in the background)...we have two older boys, too...one of them was taking the pic, the other was rehearsing with his band : )

My Cute Little Panda Cake

Last week my daughter turned 13 years old.  She loves pandas, so I decided to try my hand at making her a panda cake.  I have done character cakes before, but just the ones with the ready-made pan that has the shape of the character.  This one is from a template I got off of the Betty Crocker website.  I tweaked the template a little bit and I think it turned out really cute!!!  She was so excited and it was hard for us to cut him up when it was time at her party.  Next week my baby turns 1 and I am doing a Winnie the Pooh cake (I have a Wilton pan for that one).  Hope it turns out as cute!  I will post pics!

Simple Garlic Bread

It's the simple things really...they make a difference between a great meal and an ok meal. Yesterday was my daughter's thirteenth birthday. I made chicken alfredo, which she loves, but also got some hot french bread fresh from the bakery to make garlic bread. Now I have seen a lot of people buy that pre-made throw-it-in-your-oven frozen garlic breads. In my book those never fail to disappoint and I will NOT use them! I make (in my humble opinion) fantastic garlic bread and it is sooooooooooooooooo easy!

All you do is slice the loaf of french bread in one long cut (so there is a top and a bottom). Use softened butter...not margarine...real, delicious, amazing butter. Spread it on the upper and lower halves of the loaf. Sprinkle garlic SALT (not powder) onto the buttery surface. Add a dash of parsley flakes or a sprinkle of parmesan cheese if you like. Wrap it in foil and bake it at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. After you take it out of the oven, cut the vertical slices into the loaf...gives you lots of wedges with which you can enjoy your pasta dish, or maybe even the leftover sauce. Yummm...

Orange Julius

Do you ever go to the mall on a hot summer day and get an Orange Julius? They are a beautiful thing in the summer...sweet, cool, relaxing. Well, my daughter's middle school cooking teacher came up with this recipe for making them at home! They are so delish!

One 6 oz can of orange juice concentrate

One cup milk

One teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup of sugar

1/2 cup of water

2 cups ice cubes

Combine all ingredients except for ice in the blender and blend until smooth. Then, turn blender on liquify. Add a few ice cubes at a time, blending after each addition. Keep adding the ice until the drink is thick and fabulous!

Now, go get your beach towel-catch some rays in your backyard-and enjoy!

Inspired

Ever since my little baby Maya came into my life, I have been feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, and like I get nothing done. She is sweet and adorable, but requires sooooo much attention. One of the things in my life that has almost completely gone by the wayside is my experimenting in the kitchen. I feel like I need to make some new things and get inspired. I have been researching some new recipes, so hopefully I will have some good ones coming your way soon! Do you have any good ones to share with me?