Monday, February 24, 2014

sopapilla cheesecake bars




 


these bars were incredibly easy and turned out delicious. my husband's favorite dessert is cheesecake so making these was a must. a cheesecake flavor with out the cheesecake fuss. 
i prefer to use the seamless crescents but the grocery store i went to was either out or didn't carry them, so i had to get the perforated kind…they turned out prettier than expected. : )


ingredients
2 cans of seamless pillsbury crescent rolls (the perforated ones will do)
2 eight ounce blocks of philadelphia cream cheese
1 tablespoon of vanilla (you can do less but i like vanilla)
1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of melted butter
cinnamon and sugar mix (estimate quarter cup of sugar and tablespoon of cinnamon) add more cinnamon if you prefer

1. pre-heat oven as directed on crescent roll package (350 degrees for a dark pan). unroll one can of crescent rolls and lay on the bottom of a 9x13 pan. if you aren't using the seamless crescents be sure to roll over the seems and make sure its is smooth.

2. in a bowl mix the 2 blocks of softened cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth and no longer lumpy. hand mixing works for this if you do not want to get the mixer out. once the mixture is smooth spread evenly over crescent base. 

3. unroll second crescent tube. i laid this layer of the crescent on a cutting board and used a mini rolling pin to close the seems and increase the size to fit the pan. lay the top piece over the cream cheese mixture. pour the melted butter all over the top of the crescents then sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. bake for 25-30 minutes.

4. once cooled they will cut well. but i put mine in the refrigerator and served them cold…just like a cheesecake. room temperature is great as well.


enjoy!





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Saturday, February 22, 2014

cozies for kids on etsy

i came across this little shop through one of my thirty-one sisters. i love supporting home based businesses and the proceeds benefit a very worthy cause so i thought i would share this little gem of a shop. cozies for kids on etsy. from scarves to hats and gloves…even coffee cozies for that buckeye fan mary's creations are truly one of a kind.

a little bit about her vision and how mary got started. mary malone is a stay at home mom and private a flute instructor. in november 2013, she started cozies for kids as a fundraiser for orphan world relief. this sparked a fun new business venture. she loves combining her passion for crocheting with helping disadvantaged kids around the world. you can connect with her on facebook or her etsy shop.


here is her number one selling hat…this is the one that caught my eye initially… stay tuned 
this hat may or may not be appearing in my very first giveaway…



















 





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Friday, February 21, 2014

bun in the oven


one of the cutest most original birth announcement pictures i have seen…



melody and mike
photo taken by jamie of campbell media



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Monday, February 17, 2014

flip side (burger bar)





my husband and i had the opportunity to meet some friends at the flipside in hudson. (their recommendation) and we gave it a rave review!

walking in it was packed…but we only had to wait maybe 10 minutes for a table. the restaurant is smaller and a has quaint feel and fun atmosphere! our server was awesome…but i didn't ask her name (sorry) i will get it next time! she was very knowledgeable, helpful and friendly making our first experience here a 10! although they do not take reservations they will take your phone number and text you when your table is ready. the hudson location offers shopping and other things to occupy your time all within walking distance of the restaurant.

their menu is extensive boasting onion rings, tempura battered asparagus and shitake mushrooms, sweet potato fries to name a few unique appetizers. then on to the salads…lettuce wedge... my favorite! they also have other sandwiches for those who do not prefer beef. so really something for everyone.
they offer many craft beer options both draft as well as bottle for the beer lover...along with a signature drink menu. i heard their milkshakes are pretty amazing as well.

flipside offers 14 burgers,  or get creative and create your own. the burgers are 7 ounces and ohio raised premium grass fed beef. the burgers can be served "naked" on a bed of lettuce still topped with your favorite toppings...which is always my preference.
from what our server said all dressings and condiments are all home made in house with natural ingredients…we asked for ranch…this location does not have ranch. but the blue cheese dressing was great!


i actually ordered the wedge of iceberg lettuce. it's served with bacon, tomato, avocado and a blue cheese vinaigrette and its about a half a head a lettuce…it was huge…a meal in itself. i halved it with my husband and still only ate half but it was soooo yummy! i would love if they offered this in a half portion.
my burger of choice (i found out later is one of the ones the flip side is known for)... 

the black and blue burger which i ordered "naked". peppercorn crusted, topped with amish blue cheese and port braised onions

delicious!! my only thought was i would have requested it to be cooked a little longer. the burgers are all cooked "mid" to "mid well" by the chef so i do not think the servers ask how you want them cooked. next time i may specify. although i enjoy a cut of steak cooked medium, i like a burger a little more medium well. really though i am sure they are cooked to perfection for most.
my husband tried the triple cooked fries (i had a few…yum) and the philly burger which he enjoyed as well.
this is a great place and we will be going back. love the atmosphere, the food, the choices and the friendly atmosphere!! 
they offer 2 other locations, flipside easton in columbus as well as flipside chagrin falls.




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Thursday, February 13, 2014

minion twinkie valentines

so ethan's first school valentines party was a success. and of course this involved choosing valentines to share with his friends. we searched google images for "valentines" and he immediately pointed out these…or at least something very similar. (these are ours)


these were actually really easy to make especially using a cricut and glue dots. what you will need will vary... i made 12 of these and i didn't use all of the silver or black paper since you do not use that much for the glasses.

1 sheet black paper
1 sheet of silver paper
paper to print the hearts there are 6 on a page you can find the template here
14mm sized googly eyes
medium glue dots or other adhesive
twinkies

1. to make the strips of black i used a ruler, cutting board and an x acto knife. glued one end down to the back of the twinkie with a glue dot then wrapped it around, cut the excess and used a second glue dot to secure it. 

2. i set the circut to 3/4 inch circles and used the silver paper.  i then glued them on the black strip and added the googly eyes with an additional glue dot. 

3. print the heart template, cut out the hearts then you or your child can add their "to" and "from"
adhere the hart with 2 glue dots to the twinkie.

voila  

minions!




these went over really well at his party and i enjoyed it. i think it's going to be hard for me to pass on the projects to ethan as he gets older…i really enjoyed making them!





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Tuesday, February 11, 2014

pink and lime green zebra cake

this was posted last night by my friend merrily. she makes the birthday cakes for her kids and this was her daughters for this year! its perfect! great idea for any age really…love the colors, design and the tiara!! 



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Monday, February 10, 2014

minnie mouse cupcakes and matching cookies


lishdish and her bakery team are at it again! love these little minnie mouse cookies and matching cupcakes. looks like someone is turning 1!

created by the pantry bakeshop in rak-uae





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Thursday, February 6, 2014

wilton 100 count cookie cutters


i received this package of 100 count cookie cutters from wilton as a bridal shower gift from my moms friends (aka the baking team) they purchased these along with a cute little cookie spatula, oven mitts and some amazing air bake cookie sheets. 
these are not something i registered for and i absolutely love them. not only do we use them for baking but i have cut sandwiches with them and even used them when we play with play dough. 
there are newer versions of the collection with new packaging as well. i know they purchased these at bed bath and beyond originally but a few other stores carry them as well including amazon and the wilton online store
great gift idea and so thoughtful of them to get a gift that goes right along with what they do…
"the baking team"! 



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Wednesday, February 5, 2014

cake batter bars




this recipe was inspired by Pinterest. i tried the cake batter ice cream probably 8 years ago at Handels when it first started to come out. when it comes to sweets i am a vanilla flavored person for the most part so cake batter was a no brainer. although a little sweet for me (i couldn't finish it) i loved the flavor and that was my ice cream choice for the longest time. so when i saw this recipe i had to try it out on the guys. we have friends over quite a bit and all of the guys seem to have sweet tooth's…my husband included.

i doubled the recipe and used a large bar pan. just a tip, for me the dough was like cookie dough so i used a mini rolling pin to level it once i had pressed most of it into the pan. and make sure you take it out when it turns a light brown. i was a little concerned the center might still have been too jiggly so I kept it in a little longer and it would have been fine so next time i will take it out as directed.

the bars got 2 thumbs up…definitely something i would make again.

ingredients

1 1/4 cup funfetti cake mix
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
5 heaping tablespoons sprinkles of your choice

Directions
1. preheat oven to 350F. grease an 8 x 8 inch pan.

2. cream both sugars, butter, vanilla, egg, and egg yolk.

3. gradually mix in flour, cake mix, and baking soda until just mixed. stir in sprinkles.

4. spread batter evenly into greased pan.

5. bake for 30-35 minutes until top is lightly browned and middle still jiggles slightly. cool completely before cutting.

enjoy


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Tuesday, February 4, 2014

owl baby boy baby shower invitations


my sister in law chose an owl theme for her shower which was super cute. 
google is my favorite for "finding" things and within minutes we found a ton of adorable owl invites and decided to go with these. this little shop on etsy called freshly squeezed cards. the owner/designer was great to work with and the pdf arrived quickly in my inbox. 




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