Halloween Magic Bars

Happy Monday!

 

Can I just go on record in saying that I am

stressed.

 

Ya'll....there is just not enough time in

the day to get done all that I have to get done.

 

My biggest stress right now is

sunlight, or rather the lack of it.

 

I leave for work and it is dark, I get home from work and

it is dark.

 

This is not a good thing for someone trying

to take pictures for a blog.

 

Can someone please do something about that.

 

I just can not seem to get a good picture anymore.

 

What do you do?

 

How do you get great pictures, when you have to

photograph with limited sunlight hours?

 

At this point, I am tempted to load up my

goodies, backdrops and camera,

and have a little photo shoot

in the parking lot at work on my lunch hour!

 

 

You know what is easy?

 

Magic Bars!

 

 

I found a bag of Halloween mix chocolate chips by Nestle, and knew

right away what I wanted to make with them.

 

Magic bars are easy and quick to make

and are always yummy!

 

 

 

I used the recipe from Eagle Brand, and you can find it Here.

 

As suggested in the recipe, I lined my pan with aluminum foil, and it made

removing the bars from the pan so much easier, when completely cooled

simply remove the entire batch out of the pan, using the foil, and you will get

perfect squares every time.

 

 

Here is a fun fact...

 

I have a dear friend, she lives in Missouri not, but

was born and raised in Tennessee, there, they call these

Hello Dolly Bars.

 

Why is that?

 

Anyway, if you are looking for a fun and fast Halloween

Treat for a party, or just to enjoy, make these...

 

they truly are MAGIC!

 

 

 

This post might be linked up at the link parties found Here

 

 



Count Chocula Bark

 

 

Do you love Count Chocula Cereal?

 

Me...well...I can take it or leave it.

 

Mr. Cookie Puzzle, well..he loves it.

.

 

In fact, it is the only cereal he will eat.

 

This makes life if my house a little hairy, as

this cereal is only available a few weeks a year.

 

So...when it is in the stores, I stock up.

 

Yep..I am the crazy lady at Target with

12 boxes of this cereal in my cart.

 

My sister even gave him a case of it one

year for Christmas.

 

So...with Halloween right around the corner, I thought

I would make him a special treat.

 

 

Count Chocula Bark

 

 

 

 

 

I will tell you...it is crazy yummy!

 

To make it I simply melted some

white chocolate, spread it on a wax paper lined

cookies sheet, then sprinkled on some

of the cereal and some fun Halloween sprinkles.

 

I then let it set over night, and then broke it into pieces.

 

Easy Peasy!

 

 

 

 

Bark is such an easy and versatile treat, the

combinations are endless, just melt some chocolate,

and top with your favorite toppings.

 

 

 

 

This post might be linked up at the link parties found Here

 

 

Pieces of my Puzzle 10-20-13

Welcome back to another edition of

 

 So...let's just jump right in shall we....Martha Stewart...WHAT THE HECK?  Filter lady...try a filter!

If you have not heard...she got all snotty and thew some shade at bloggers.

You can read all about it Here.  To sum it up, she basically said that bloggers are no bodies, not experts, and steal recopies from REAL editors.

Really?  Ok...whatever!  That is real classy Martha...done with you...BLOOP!

I do know that she issued an apology, but I get the feeling that it was something that her handlers or publicists, 

forced advised her to do.  While I think that everyone is allowed their own opinion, that is what makes America great, I also think that when you are in the public's eye, you have to choose your words wisely, and think about what you say.

I friend of mine pointed out this amazing blog post titled   Keep Calm and Ignore Martha  at
Juggling Act Mama,  I encourage you to read it, she also is providing a link party to link up your blog.

 

So...what do you think...is this a big deal? Do you care?

Ok...Pop Culture.

As a total shock to the world...Bruce and Kris Jenner are separated...WOW...what a big suprise...NOT
 

I am so over her and her constant need to be in the media's eye.  If you watch their reality show, you know that they don't have a real marriage, that they are just KEEPING UP THE APPEARANCE of a marriage, because that is all she cares about.  Now...what I don't like is that when a marriage or relationship crumbles and fails, this family feels the need to spin it to what they think is their favor, they did it with poor Kris Humphries, they are starting on Lamar Odom....and if they even try to do it with Bruce, well..that is just sad.

Tonight we finally see the end of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, after a season that was filled with the same Teresa vs. Melissa crap we saw for the last two seasons, an incredibly boring two part reunion, and two weeks of "Lost Footage" I am happy to see a shake up in the works.  Looks like Carolyn and Jacqueline are out for next season, and new people are coming in.  Thankfully Kim D and Penny will not be new housewives.  Carolyn is shooting a new show for Bravo, Manzo'd with Children, and I look forward to that.  Jacqueline, well, I am glad she is stepping away to focus on Nick, her Autistic Son.  As a parent of an autistic son, I know how important it is to focus all your attention on that child, now...I hope she stays off of Twitter.

The new seasons of Atlanta Housewives and Beverly Hills Housewives will be starting soon, and I am excited, these are my two favorite shows in the franchise.  Have you seen the trailers...OMG...fights, tears, drams galore!  WOOT WOOT!

American Horror Story....Second episode just as great as the first.  I am shocked at how much I am loving this show.  Honestly, it was soo good this week, that I was shocked that it was so short, I mean, it was over, and I had not even realized that I had sat there an hour watching it.  Can not wait for next week.

Ok...am I the only one that is totally in love with Lee and Morty Kaufman featured in the Swiffer commercials?

You can read a cute interview they did Here.  I am totally smitten with them  

"Morty, are you watching?"  then cut to a scene Morty sleeping in a chair.  I laugh every time.

 

SO...that happened on my blog this week 

Read all about the cake Here

 

Loved these....see them Here

 

We got a package in the mail yesterday from the amazing Stephanie from Ellie's Bites Decorated Cookies.  I had won a giveaway on her blog...she sent the cutters I won, which I will not show, because I have plans to bake with them soon, and want to save the reveal for a blog post, but in the box was a surprise for Collin.

 

 

He had seen these amazing Harry Potter cookies on Facebook and flipped out.  So when he saw it, he was all smiles. Thank you Stephanie...you made his day!

 

 



 

Homemade Pink Oreos

Yesterday, and my work, we held a bake sale to raise

money for Breast Cancer Awareness.

I work at a pretty big company,

and we pulled together to

raise almost $2,000.00.

Along with the bake sale,

there was a raffle for some baked

goods and a bra decorating contest.

While I did not enter a decorated

bra, I enjoyed seeing them all.

Here are a few that were made.

I baked Pink Homemade Oreo Cookies for the bake sale.

I really enjoyed the Homemade Oreos

I made a few weeks ago,

so I modified the recipe to

make them pink.

These are quick and easy to

whip up, and were a hit at the

bake sale.

Homemade Pink Oreo Cookies

Printable Version



Ingredients  For Cookies: 1 cup butter, softened 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 egg 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract 2-4 drops Pink Food Coloring (I use Americolor Gel in Soft Pink) 3 cups all purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt For Filling ( Adapted from Simply Sweets By Honeybee) 1 cup solid vegetable shortening 1 cup butter softened 1 tablespoon clear vanilla extract 4 cups powdered sugar Combine butter and sugar in stand mixer bowl and beat until light and fluffy.  Add egg and vanilla, mix until well combined.  Add food coloring, mix until well combined In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt, stir to combine.  Gradually add dry ingredients to creamed mixture, a little at a time, on low speed, until all dry ingredients all well combined. Divide dough in half and shape into two flat disks, wrap In plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for at least one hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness.  Cut with round cookie cutter (I used a 2 inch cutter).  Transfer to lined baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes until cookie are set, but not browned.  Cool for 2 minutes on cookie sheet , then transfer to cooling racks. For Filling: In the bowl of an electric mixer cream the shortening and butter. Next, add the vanilla extracts. Finally, add all the powdered sugar {I don’t sift} and pour the milk over it. Start mixing on low until the sugar starts to get incorporated. To keep the sugar from going everywhere you can cover your bowl with a tea towel or plastic wrap. I simply turn my mixer on and off a few times until the sugar starts to get incorporated and then I crank it up to medium speed {number 4 on my Kitchen Aid}. Mix the icing for about 6-8 minutes until it becomes smooth. You can stop and scrape the sides of the bowl if needed during the mixing process. Transfer filling into large piping bag fitted with large round tip.  Pipe filling onto the flat side of half the cookies, and then top each cookie with the other half of the cookies to form a sandwich.  I find that it is helpful to "pair" up the cookies before filling, to have the best matches possible.

Here are some other really cute Breast Cancer Awareness cookies

Breast Cancer Cookies by Simply Sweets by Honeybee

Cancer Ribbons with Butterfly Wings by Tami Rena's Cookies

Pink Skeleton Cookies by Munchkin Munchies

Cancer Fighter Cookies by Cristin's Cookies

Remember Breast Cancer is easily treated if caught early, get those mammograms ladies, and do monthly self checks..you are worth it!



This post might be linked up at the link parties found Here

Lemon Sheet Cake

I know we are well into the fall season, and fall includes food with apples and pumpkins, but when

I was asked to make a cake last week, I was craving LEMON!  Yes, I am a total odd ball.

This cake is quick and easy to whip up, feeds a crowd, and the longer it sits, the better it gets.  I had a piece today, and 5 days later, it was still crazy yummy.

The cake is light yet moist, and the cream cheese frosting offers a creamy taste, that pairs wonderfully with the tartness of the lemon cake.

Make this. You will not be disappointed!

 

 

 

 

Lemon Sheet Cake (adapted from Taste of Home)

Printable Recipe

Ingredients 1 package lemon cake mix (regular size) 4 Slightly Beaten Eggs 1 can (22 ounces) lemon pie filling 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened 1 cup butter, softened 4 cups confectioners' sugar 1  tablespoons vanilla extract Directions In a large bowl, beat the cake mix and eggs until well blended. Fold in pie filling. Spread into a greased 18-in. x 13-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. In a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese, butter until well combined  and vanilla, mix until combined , add confectioners' sugar until smooth.  Spread over cake. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 30-35 servings.

Here is a helpful tip.

When I am testing a new cake recipe, I want to be able to taste it, to make sure it is yummy, but how do you taste a cake, without it being noticeable?

Easy, I simply baked a little of the batter in a mini loaf pan!  You could also do a cupcake.  Either is fine.  Doing this, you can make sure that the cake you are serving to a special guest, at a church potluck, or delivering to a dear friend who lost a love one, has been taste tested and yummy.  Because we all know, not every recipe is yummy.  But this one...OH YEP...YUMMY!


This post might be linked up at the link parties found Here.

Pieces of my Puzzle 10-13-13

Happy Sunday!

 

I am going to try a little something different on my blog

 

Hopefully it will work out, and hopefully you will enjoy it.

 

So...last week I had the great privilege to attend my

first blog conference!

 

OMG!

 

How exciting is that?

 

Do you follow me on Instagram?

 

Did you see all the pictures I posted of me with

famous bloggers?

 

Or

 

Did you see the pictures I posted of the

cool dinner I attended hosted by Kitchen Aid?

 

NO?

 

Well, that is because I did not post

any such pictures!

 

Fooled ya!

 

I did not post any such pictures, because I got to

enjoy all that a blog conference, right from the

comfort of my couch, with my fleece jammie bottoms

my KC Royals t-shirt, and some times with

no bra on! (did I really just say that?).  Sorry, TMI?

 

Anyway, I attended

 

Online BlogCon or OBC !

 

OBC is an Online Blogger Conference hosted by the talented

Dorothy of Crazy for Crust and Ashton of Something Swanky.

 

Before I go into too much, I have to give a special thanks to

Melissa of Simply Sweets by Honeybee for telling me about the conference.

 

Also, a special thanks to Dorothy for letting me sign up at

the last possible minute!

 

So...OBC!

 

WOW!

 

The conference lasted 4 days, and each day, there were

multiple posts.  The conference was split up into

three Sections, I signed up for the "New Blogger" section.

 

Even though, I am technically NOT a new blogger, my blog is

slow, and small, and I was looking for ways to grow it.

 

So each day, I would receive 3 post in my mailbox

for me to read at my leisure.

 

What did I learn? 

Was it worth it?

Would I do it again?

 

A lot!

Yes!

Yes!

 

It was worth every penny and more, I would do it again

tomorrow if I could, and I learned so much.

 

While I will not go into specifics, as that information is for

paying conference attendees, I will tell you some of the topics that

were covered.

 

Photography

Social Media

Facebook Groups

Pinterest

Marketing

Networking

Blog Design

Link Parties

Blogger Burnout

and so much more!

 

 

So, all that being,

 

I introduce

 

Pieces of My Puzzle

 

Pieces of My Puzzle

will be a weekly post, that will give

you a little look in my life, what I have been up to,

what I have been reading and watching, what I love,

what I hate, Pinterest love, Facebook love

just a random rambling of stuff I want to share.

 

So...ready?

 

Ok...here we go!

 

Be prepared to be wowed or bored...whatever!

 

 

So  lets talk TV!

 

AMERICAN HORROR STORY!

 

This week, I watched my first ever episode!

 

WOW...just wow!

 

LOVED it!

 

Why did it take me so long to watch this show?

 

Well, because I am a big fat chicken, and not a

fan of horror movies.

 

But I must say, I was very surprised, the plot was

nice and easy to follow, the characters were

multi faceted, and there was not too much that made

me wet myself and have nightmares.

 

The People's Couch

 

Have you heard of this show?

 

It is on Bravo and airs Sunday nights.

 

The idea is that they put a camera in

people's houses, and record them

watching TV.  You get to hear their comments, see

their reactions, and have the piece of mind

knowing that others talk to their TV the way you do.

 

Watch it...it is crazy funny!

 

Ok...moving on to Books.

 

 

Collin has become completely addicted to books.

 

Sorry for the bad cell phone pic, but I had to snap this fast,

before he caught me.

 

This week

The House of Hades came out!

 

This is the fourth book in

Rick Riordan's "Hero's of Olympus" series.

 

Collin has had the release date marked on the

calendar for months, and when I came

home with it that day, he went right into it,

he read 4 chapters that night, then got up early

the next morning before school and read 2 more chapters.

 

While I have not read it yet, I am sure that it

will be just as good as the others.

 

So, what am I reading now?

 

I am reading another of Rick Riordan's books

The Red Pyramid.

 

This is the first book in the

Kane Chronicles Series.

 

I am loving it also, after reading so many of his books

on the Greek/Roman Gods, it is taken me awhile to

switch to the Egyptians Gods, but so far

I am loving it.

 

 

Food Obsession of the Week

 

Ok, let me just make an confession.

 

Hi, my name is Kim,

and I have odd eating habits.

 

I don't eat crazy exotic stuff, or search hidden restaurants.

 

I just become obsessed with ONE food item, and will want

to eat that, and nothing else, until I get sick of it.

 

This week

 

RAISEN BRAN CRUNCH!

 

Odd, yes, yummy, yes, still obsessed, YES!

 

What's been Baking?

 

Lemon Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Baby Shower Cookies

Breast Cancer Awareness Cookies

 

 

So...there you go...a little different post

with me just talking...nothing special, but it

allows me a voice, that is not all about decorated cookies.

 

One thing that I learned at the conference, is that it is

MY BLOG

 

I can do what I want, have the freedom to try new thing, spread my

wings a little, throw caution to the wind, but most

importantly, just have fun.

 

When blogging stops being fun, I don't want to do it.

Honestly, it has stopped being fun, it has become a chore,

with a lot of work, and no reward or bowl of

Raisin Bran Crunch at the end.

 

So...time to have fun,

Maybe get my craft on, maybe to some Pinterest Tests,

maybe look for blog link parties, may try some

round up posts. Or, maybe, just keep doing what

I am doing...who knows....you will have to come back to see.

 

Until next time

 

 

Hugs

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Homemade Oreos

 

 

 They are finally back!

Monthly Inspiration Challenges are back!

 Melissa of Simply Sweets by Honeybee 

and Stephanie of Ellie's Bites Decorated Cookies, have 

decided to bring them back!

I am so excited!

 

This month's theme is

JUNK FOOD!

 

They changed it up a little this time, and are

wanting not just decorated cookies, but anything

related to the theme.

 

The options are endless!

Cakes

Cookies

Crafts

Jewelry

ANYTHING!

 

I had a hard time deciding what to do, but I knew I wanted to

step out of my comfort zone, away from decorated cookies.

 

Long before I started doing decorated cookies, Oreos were what I

would pack in Collin's lunch box everyday.  Three Oreos, not 1, not 2, but 3!

And they HAD to be Oreos, no knock offs for my son, he wanted, no

demanded the real thing.  And regular Oreos, not double stuffed, or seasonal

colors or flavors.

 

 

 

So, after looking around online, I found a

Homemade Oreo recipe that I thought would be close to the

real thing, in looks and taste.

 

I used a recipe from My Kitchen Addiction, ,

 using Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Cocoa

 and for the filling, I used Melissa's from

Simply Sweets by Honeybee

OMG, so yummy Butter Cream Icing.

I did leave out the almond flavoring, and increased

the vanilla to 1 tablespoon.

 

Not only did they turn out wonderful,

but they are Collin Approved,

he took 3 in his lunch box everyday this week,

and asked me to make more this weekend.

 

 

  

 

I have a few left over, and even after a week, they are

still crazy yummy!

 



Make sure you head over to

Melissa's blog Simply Sweets by Honeybee,

she is hosting a link party.

I can not wait to see all

the Junk Food Creations

 

 

Oh...and one last thing!

 

Both

Melissa and Stephanie are

hosting giveaways to celebrate

the comeback of

their Inspiration Challenges

so make sure you enter!

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

Until next time

 

 

Hugs