Chocolate Strawberry Chews

O so sweet then tangy!!! These are scrumptious and easy homemade filled chocolates! I used two items! Semi sweet melting chocolate and strawberries! Don't forget to check out the cute and easy construction paper boxes I made to give these yummy sweets away in!

Preheat oven to 210 (doesn't take long) remove the green tops on strawberries and place on cookie sheet in a single layer.

Baked in the over for 4 hours (I actually had to bake mine about 4 and half, it might vary for you also)

I then placed the strawberries in the refrigerator overnight.

This morning I melted semisweet chocolate in a glass bowl in the microwave and dipped the entire strawberry.

There you are, chocolate strawberry chews!

Why o Why do Holidays have to be so sugary addicting!!!!

Valentine's Day Celebration Table!!!

IT'S HERE! LOVE DAY!!! I stayed up late putting together our family Valentine's Day table and making some last minute sweets!!!

 

 

****If you see something you like that didn't make it to the blog , let me know! I didn't make a tutorial on everything I made but if you want one I'll do it!

 

My daughter was so excited she started singing Happy Birthday, she just melts my heart! She clapped jumped up and down yelling "happy!" Aw she makes it all worth it :) Thank you for taking a peek at our set up. We have invited friends and family to stop by for amazing sweets and Valentine's gifts! Share the love!

 

 

 

Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Spoons (bottom right)

DIY Dessert Plates (bottom middle right)

Scrap paper wrapped candy bars (bottom middle left)

Chocolate Strawberry Chews (bottom left)

DIY Paper Boxes (above the Chocolate Strawberry Chews)

DIY Metallic Heart Candle Holder (above DIY paper boxes)

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries (middle middle :)

Chalkboard painted platter (top left)

Greek Yogurt Chocolate Mocha Mousse in Chocolate Tuxedo Cups (top middle)

DIY Paper Rose Bouquet (very top middle)

Burlap Push Pin Board (in the back)

LOVE Push Pin Holders (on the board in the back)

Pebble Strand Garland (middle wall)

Heart Felt Garland (top of wall)

 

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

DIY Paper Boxes for Valentine Goodies!

I needed something to put my chocolate strawberry chews in for Valentine's Day, as I was rummaging through my stash I found cupcake wrappers. Perfect, unless you are taking them to go. I then thought paper boxes! I would make them to fit around the cupcake wrapper for sweets to go!

 

Grab some colored construction paper, scissors, glue and ribbon!

 

My cupcake wrapper was about 3" wide and 1 1/4" tall.

I started with a 6"x6" square for the bottom of the box.
 

 

The middle of the box  needed to be 3" so I made 1 1/2" cuts down into the sides 1 1/2" leaving my 3" in the middle.

 

 

After making my straight cuts, cut diagonally on the sides into your straight cuts these will be the tabs that you glue to the inside of your box.

 

 

Use a ruler or something similar to make the folds in your paper.

 

 

After folding all four sides your paper should take on the shape of a box.

 

 

Now glue the triangle tabs onto the inside of the box lining up the paper on the sides and top.

 

 

Perfect!

 

Now I wanted my lid to be able to fit over the box with a little room to add ribbon, I also didn't want the lid to fold over the box too much. I cut a 4 1/4" square for the lid of the box. 
 

Same instructions as above only different dimensions for the lid.

I cut down into the sides 1/2" leaving 3 1/4" in the middle.

Continue above instructions for folding and gluing.

 

 

 Size difference between lid and bottom of box. Below
 

 

 

LOVELY!!!!

 

Not decorate however you would like!

 

I had some left over ribbon that worked out :)

 

Now off to make Chocolate Strawberries Chews to fill my boxes!

 

Please always let me know if you have any questions!!!!!!

Healthier Heart Sandwich for Valentines Day!

Now we have all seen the sandwiches around Valentines day with the bread cut out. The bread heart cutout is then replaced with sprinkles, frosting, marshmallows the cream too! So how about a beautiful red apple???!!! Yep that's right a pb and apple sandwich, maybe even with a drizzle of honey! Also for those with peanut allergies what about a sandwich for you? See below for a few yummy sandwiches for the family! *****Don't worry I will give examples of those sugary ones too, I know some moms like you love the sweet stuff :) but first the apple heart ;)

 

I put these sandwiches together quickly and a little sloppy but hopefully you get the idea and yours come out beautiful! I had already made these this weekend and with no kiddos today I wasn't going to be eating them so I just took quick pics. lol 

 

We have all seen the frosting heart in the middle the heart filled with strawberries, cream cheese mixed with food coloring and the sprinkles ones :) How about an apple one! For the healthier snack!

 Spread peanut butter on your bread, cut a heart shaped apple piece and place inside your heart cut out! You could also use any red jelly, strawberry, raspberry to peek through the heart shaped cut out!

Or for those with peanut allergies or for another healthy option what about meat and cheese! I used white cheese and colored it red with food coloring spray! Ta-da! Amazing and so many options! Enjoy!

 

 I bought pink and red!!! I gave the white cheese a squirt in the middle so you can see the color differences! Love this stuff!

 

*****The sugary sweet combos!

Peanut butter with red or pink icing!

How about peanut butter with miniature marshmallows??? Spray your marshmallows with color mist!

Cream cheese mixed with marshmallow cream then top with sprinkles!!!

 

I used white bread for the "color pop" lol  the first time I have ever bought it and gave it to my daughter. She liked it but now I hope she forgets about it!!! :)

Chocolate spoons with PB in the middle for Valentine's Day!

O MY O MY!!! I'm eating one right now! And NO I'm not going to tell you how many I have had so far! DELICIOUS, as my daughter would say!

 

I will tell you I have made over 100!!!! They are for my daughter to give on Valentine's Day and her cousins to hand out at theirs schools. I will also have them on my Valentine's Day display table. I will be making plenty more, especially as fast as we are eating them :)

 

These are so amazing!!!!!!! YUM YUM YUM!

 

Let's get started!

 

 

NEEDED

Melting chocolate (I used white and dark)

Peanut Butter

Sprinkles

Spoons

Plastic Baggies

Ribbon

Tags (optional)

 

 

Fill your spoon with PB and scrap excess off with spoon (if you have a mound the peanut butter will melt when you dip into the hot chocolate melts)

 

I then place the pb spoons in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes

 

Melt your chocolates

 

Dip your cooled Pb spoons in the chocolate and sprinkle

 

Let cool

 

 

I cut my plastic bags to just fit over the top of the spoon where the pb & chocolate

 

 

Tie with ribbon and hand out!

 

 

I put tags on the ones the girls are taking to school.

 

Don't forget to eat a bunch and then also save some to eat in the days to follow!!!!!

 

I've got to get back in the kitchen to make some more O and throw away all these empty piles of spoons next to me......KIDS???!!!

 

Red Heart Shaped French Toast!

I have the pleasure this weekend of having three beautiful little girls! My daughter has had a blast with her cousins and I like that they have been wearing out our wild puppy!! Yesterday I made heart shaped colored food for all their meals, I couldn't help it. Girls are so fun and they love this stuff :) Last night I was thinking I should have been taking pictures so this morning when I made their french toast I snapped a quick pic!

I used my heart shaped cookie cutter for the bread.

I used red food dye to color my french toast dipping mixture.

I placed round white sprinkle in the best I could do heart shape.

Severed with cinnamon syrup.

 

The plate I put together real quick to match the theme! To see how to make fast decorative Valentine dishes click here :)

 

They LOVED it!

Make quick and easy Valentine dishes

 

 

I have a couple of plain white dish sets to use throughout the year, they are so handy for holidays and family themed meals!

 

This is great for kids also, let them pick the theme!

 

All I did was take stickers! Yep that's it stickers!!! I placed them on the outside rim of my dishes for the girls heart french toast breakfast this morning!!

 

How cute and easy!

Give your kiddos the stickers and dish sets so they can decorate while your cooking!! Keeps them busy while your slaving away :)

 

Saves on having many different sets for the holidays or events for family time.

 

When your done remove the stickers, wash and your ready for next time!

Spooky Forest in the house!!!!

Sneak Peek! Here is a little bit of the Spooky Forest Halloween Party I did for my daughter (2012) I will eventually come back to this post and add more pictures and how I did it tips:) I place large 12'-14' dead trees in the house decorated. It was a blast! I loved the candles (here) I am still using them!
 

Goodies Station! On the left in the Halloween cups I made "microwave cupcakes' I found the recipe on a blog.....FAIL! They were so cute but that was it.

 

 Caramel Apples to go!

 

Spoons with white chocolate and candy pressed in

 

There's those PB & J sand-WITCHES

  

Drink Station

I used cut wood to display food items

Oreos dipped in white chocolate and black icing writing

Vials filled with skull and crossbones candies topped with a cork

Tea for two and an apple for you

It's been raining these past few days, I like it :) It's not too cold, there's actually humidity and it makes sleeping in, easier. I like my coffee iced but my flavored tea on days like this needs to be steamy hot. My daughter and I had tea together this morning she loved sipping out of the apple :) So grab an apple and let's have a cup of tea.

 

Hollow out your apple of choice, I used Red Delicious. Brew your tea and then I added a squeeze of lemon, pressed some apple in my garlic press for it's juice, a little honey and a cinnamon stick to stir.

 

Does an apple a day really keep the Doctor away? If you aim right???!!!!! te-he-he

ENJOY!!!

Breakfast Cupcakes??!!!

My cupcake maker isn't just for cupcakes!! On hot summer days I don't want to turn my oven on! I turn to my cupcake maker which heats up fast, cooks fast and doesn't make my house any hotter! I use the same ingredients as I do when I make a breakfast casserole and then put the ingredients into a cupcake wrapper (I use reusable silicone cupcake wrappers so they don't stick)

 

 

I mix in the bowl eggs, cheese, green chile, bacon, onion, garlic, salt and pepper! It's that easy! You can use any meat that's cooked prior, also what about adding bell peppers, or just crab and avocado! YUM!

Scoop the mixture in the wrappers and cook it in your cupcake slash makes whatever you want it to maker!

 

They are perfectly sized for a left over snack, kids and of course brunches! Enjoy!

Creative Food Ideas For Kids

Don't play with your food right? I mean it's rude....... or is it? I guess it depends on who you are!!! I love fruits and vegetables and a lot of what we (I) create comes from food! Aren't you inspired by the shapes the colors the textures? Well here are a few times that I have played with food, it's usually for my daughter but sometimes I build a mashed potato castle just for me :)

 

Rainbow of yumminess!!!

 

When my daughter was starting to eat lots of different solid foods I was obsessed with getting all the amazing colors of different food in her diet. I wanted her to have a well rounded palate for different flavors and most of all be healthy! Here is one of the ways I encouraged her to eat a variety of food. This particular picture was taken before she had a friend over for a play date and snack :)

Found a pic I ddn't use for Instagram :)

 

I used dark chocolate chips, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, chicken, salba nuts, avocado, lettuce, bananas, blackberries, strawberries, carrots, cheddar bunny crackers, hummus, sour cream and onion bunny crackers and cucumbers! My daughter loved it, I still love making my rainbow taster trays for her!!! O by the way I use ice cube trays for this over the rainbow flavor :)

 

So on another play date my friend packed her son this pre-made peanut butter and jelly round sandwich with no crust in a plastic packet, did I mention it was white bread???!!!!

 

*Side note, I am a little weird about food, I like my food items fresh and we eat primarily organic. I choose not to eat meat and the only sugar in our house is the packets you find at restaurants for our guest when I am serving coffee.

 

As I stared at the packet debating whether to actually give them this food item a picture flashed through my thoughts of those awesome bento boxes that are amazingly designed to be animals and depict scenes and then it came..... (side note....I served these sandwiches my daughters Halloween party te-he-he)

 

My little under the sea, fish food creation!!! The kids loved it!!! I had a blast putting the plates together and even a more amazing time seeing the look on their faces when I gave them their snack!

So lesson learned........

Just because I won't eat it, doesn't mean I can't make it cute for others to eat :)

 

Chocolate stuffed orange slash jack o lantern yumminess!!!!

I love to make these! They are time consuming to "prep" but so worth it!!!

Here's what I do.....

Cut the top off the orange

Hollow it out (takes a little work) but don't take the pulp out to the rind inside (adds flavor)

Now use your favorite brownie recipe

(I used my triple chocolate recipe)

Fill the hollowed orange

Baked in the oven

Let the orange cool completely

Pipe a face on with chocolate!

Ooooo La La

Delish and Creative!!!!!!!

 

Hope you all enjoyed this post and I can't wait to hear if any of you try out these fun foods!!!

NOW GO PLAY WITH SOME FOOD :)