That's Better

The bolster pillow I made from an old water-stained king size pillow and duct tape looks really good on my bench (that I so selfishly kept) but it seemed a little plain.




I think it looks better now.
It only cost me 3 sheets of iron on t-shirt transfer paper.

Scotch-A-Roos

Delicious recipe from my awesome friend, Jeanette. And they can be made very quickly. I made dinner for another family recently but had forgotten to make these. I put the recipe together in a matter of minutes and then threw the pan in the freezer to cool while I packed the rest of the food up. They turned out perfect.

Scotch-A-Roos

1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup peanut butter
6 cups Rice Krispies
1 bag chocolate chips
1 bag butterscotch chips

Bring to boil the sugar and syrup. Then take it off the heat and stir in the peanut butter. Pour it over the Rice Krispie's and mix it together. Press into cookie sheet or baking dish. Melt the chips together and then spread on top.

What Diet?

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

This frosting recipe will knock you right off that diet wagon you might be on.

I originally got it from Amy, who originally got it from someone else, and it originally came with this recipe for Strawberry Cake, which is sinfully delicious itself. Here's the original recipe:

Strawberry Cake
1 white cake mix + ingredients listed on the box
1 single serving size strawberry yogurt

Mix the cake according to directions, adding the yogurt with the other ingredients. Bake as normal. Cool, frost and then top with frozen, sweetened strawberries (thawed).

Cream Cheese Frosting
2 small boxes vanilla pudding
2 (8 oz) blocks cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
16-24 ounces Cool Whip

Blend the pudding, cream cheese and powdered sugar together until smooth. Blend in the Cool Whip last. The more you use, the lighter the frosting is. I use the max amount. This recipe makes a crazy amount of frosting and should probably be halved for a 9x13 cake. I make the entire recipe when I make cupcakes so there's plenty to pile on top of each cupcake.

Here's where the chocolate comes in. Just swap out the vanilla pudding for chocolate pudding and you have Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting. It's sooooo good!! The picture above is a cupcake made using this recipe, then topped with a huge amount of frosting. Just plan to go on a 5 mile run after you eat one. ☺

Silly Dogs

What kid doesn't like noodles and hot dogs?
Especially when the noodles are
coming out of the hot dogs?

Do this first.



Boil like normal. Then you have this.


Try different kinds of pasta.


Or, my hot dog lovin' daughter likes her dogs made into an octopus.

Holiday Pillows

Bridget's been sewing again. Placemat pillows (pillows made out of placemats) have found their way around. I have made a few for my daughter's bed. They're a cheap way to add a little something to your plain couch cushions and there are tons of different patterns and colors. But don't forget you can decorate for the holidays with pillows too.
Here's a photo how-to on making a placemat pillow.







Christmas stockings done the same way make great pillow decorations too.


Just stitch the opening closed when you're done.

You know Target has placemats on clearance all the time, so keep an eye out. Before you buy one, make sure it's made to where you can stuff it, or buy two so you can sew them together.

Fabric napkins are also a great option. Buy 2 and sew them together almost all the way around. Stuff it, then stitch the opening closed.

Colonial Oatmeal Cookies

Bridget made this recipe from a church cookbook. Supposedly the recipe is over 200 years old. She halved the recipe and it still made tons. She also didn't dip the glass in sugar. She melted chocolate chips and dipped half the cookie in the melted chocolate. Sounds good to me! ☺

Colonial Oatmeal Cookies

2 cups soft butter (not margarine)
2 cups white sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups white flour
4 cups rolled oats
1 tsp baking soda

Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Stir in remaining ingredients. Shape into balls a little larger than an English Walnut. Place on greased cookie sheets. Flatten with a glass first dipped in water, then in white sugar. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes. Be careful not to overbake!! Makes about 4 dozen.

The Last Piece

Learned this one from Bridget a while ago.

And I know it's not chocolate but I've heard it's good made with a chocolate cake mix. ☺

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

1 White cake mix + all ingredients on the box
2-3 ripe bananas
Mash the bananas in a bowl and set aside. Mix the cake according to directions, then blend in the bananas at the end. (2 = less banana flavor 3 = more banana flavor)
Bake according to directions on the box. Frost with cream cheese frosting. Here's a basic recipe. (I'll post a to-die-for cream cheese frosting recipe later this week along with another quick and delicious cake recipe.)

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 box (pound) of powdered sugar
1 stick butter, softened
1 block cream cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla
milk to make it thinner, if you'd like

Blend it all together until smooth, adding the milk for a thinner consistency.