A Tale of Two Recipes

First there was finding recipes on Pinterest. Now there is a group on Facebook called Tasty, which shows short videos of a recipe being completed.

At least from what I can tell they are only here on Facebook.

Of course, they are not the first to post recipe videos.

I feel like I age myself when I use the word "video."

Yes, they make ALL recipes look delicious and so simple a 4-year-old could do it. So let's let a four year old do it!!

Part One: Chocolate Covered Vanilla Ice Cream with Rice Krispies Bite Size Poppers by Tasty

Here is a link to the video!  Not sure if you can see it or not if you are not signed up for Facebook.

You will need:
parchment paper
a pan, the lower and longer the better
vanilla ice cream - or whatever flavor you prefer. We used French Vanilla
2 cups chocolate chips
1/2 cup coconut oil (Trader Joe's has coconut oil for a good price).
1/3 cup Rice Krispy cereal

What to do:
Spread out softened ice cream on a wax paper lined baking tray. Cover with wax paper and press down to evenly spread and smooth. Freeze overnight.

Remove ice cream from tray, peel off the wax paper and cut into bite size squares. Return to the freezer until ready to dip. Here is where we started to have trouble. The ice cream was soft, even directly out of freezer. This made cutting the squares easy, but separating them really messy:

Bwahahahahaha

Meanwhile, microwave 2 Cups of Chocolate Chips with 1/2 Cup Coconut oil for 90 seconds - stopping to stir every 30 - until melted and smooth. Allow chocolate mixture to come to room temperature. Mix in rice cereal. 

That was the easiest part.
Working quickly and in small batches - coat ice cream cubes in chocolate mixture and return to the freezer to harden up. 

RIght. So here is what they end up looking like on the Tasty page:

And here is what our's looked liked: 

Nailed it! Here is what our problems were:

1. we do not have enough freezer space

2. our freezer is not cold enough to keep things solidly hard so getting a hold of a nicely shaped bite of ice cream was really hard. And messy. 

Finally Brycen asked if he could just pour the chocolate mix over the ice cream while my mom tried to make space in freezer. At that point it couldn't have gotten any messier so I let him. 

Verdict: They taste amazing. But I think the coconut oil went straight to my arteries. I will write this one up in Brycen's recipe book because it was a fun adventure, but I will not try it again!

Part Two: Blueberry Croissant Breakfast Bake by Tasty

Here is the link.

Here is what their end product looked like:

And here is what our's looked like in end:

I know!!

You will need:

1 Tube Crescent Dough
¾ cup Blueberries  - we used fresh ones. Well, as fresh as they get mid January. I think next time I will use more too. Maybe a 1.5 cups
8 oz. Cream Cheese
2/3 cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla
¼ cup milk

What to do:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. In a mixing bowl beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until creamy.
3. Add eggs, and while beating slowly incorporate the milk until creamy. Set aside.

4. Using cold crescent dough, roll up crescent rolls and curve into crescent shape.

5. Place rolls in an ungreased 9x9 pan.
6. Pour blueberries over the crescent rolls.

7. Pour cream cheese mixture over rolls and blueberries.

8. Bake at 350°F/175°C for 35 minutes or until rolls have become golden brown.

This was a great recipe, one we will definitely do again. There was A LOT that Brycen could help with. It was best heated up with Cool Whip. More of a dessert than a breakfast. 

Enjoy!

Around here . . .

Around here, we had a sweet reunion with one of my favorite friends. 

We worked in the classroom together during the 2006-2007 school year and have kept closely in touch since. During the 2007-2008 school year, we had breakfast together every Friday before school. After I returned from Alaska in 2009, she had moved to Nashville! So, this is the third time I have seen her since 2008. 

And we met her sweet baby, Piper:

Brycen was happy to show off his Stomp Rocket to Piper's daddy. What is it with men and simple, yet exciting, gizmos?

We invited over other co-workers who I knew would want to see this sweet family for the few hours they were in Charlotte. Unfortunately I was having a bad day (exhaustion and stomach pain). I was thankful for friends who said yes when Brycen asked to play with play-doh:

Around here, I still have friends interested in buying yarn ornaments.

I have a friend who is pondering posting the ornaments she buys on social media, using the hashtag cancersucksyarnballs.

Since I continue to find making them so relaxing and enjoyable, I haven't quit yet. While threading them I have watched such Netflix shows as Call the Midwife, Life, Chef's Table, and Making a Murderer. I want to watch The Time in Between next, but it is hard to read the subtitles 100% while making the yarn balls.

And Michigan colors: 

Around here, someone has discovered to take selfies without mommy knowing until later. 

And he took a pretty nice picture of mommy too:

Around here, we are settling into season 6 of Downton Abbey.

It helps to have peach cobbler.

And meeting therapy dogs named Rowdy at doctor appointments:

Around here, we are still addicted to collecting mini-football figures.

I am so excited to open a bag to new players. B just wants enough of one player to make a team. Preferably the Panthers. I don't watch organized sports like I used to, but I can't avoid the fact I live in a city with a team that went 15 wins and only one loss during the season. Even my dad knows about the Panthers, and he hates sports. People here and the media are very hyped. I would have stay off the internet completely if I wanted to avoid it!

Around here, Brycen is very interesting in helping with cooking.

I am delighted B has taken an interest in helping as much as he can. I want to take a picture of him helping:

And a picture of the final dish (below) and type up the recipe to make into a book. Originally, I thought, I will make another pocket style scrapbook! And I still might, but I also might just order a quality photo book, once we have enough recipes put together. Any suggestions for fun, kid friend recipes?

Yesterday my mom made coconut lime chicken with rice:

The fresh pico de gallo was from Bonnie. Around here, I'm doing some organization. After cleaning Brycen's bookshelves, I discovered some books and a game her triplets might like. When she said sure, I told her I would drop them off that afternoon. She asked if I would like to stay for tacos. She had even made one of my favorite things, pico de gallo. I couldn't stay for Taco Tuesday, but she gave me some fresh pico, and some cilantro, anyway. It was perfect with my meal. I love how things work out.

And around here, we are just spinning quietly around and around, trying to figure it all out.

But things are settling down now, like they do after the holidays.

"Easy" 7 Layer Bars

I do not normally post recipes here, but if I do, it's for sure going to be as uncomplicated as they come. 

On a side note, I have decided to blog more often to practice writing. So, recipes might pop up, along with a million of other things that are keeping us busy. I am finding I like to write here way more than a personal journal. I am working on a post explaining what I have learned by reading and writing as much as I do. 

Okay, back to my original post, a recipe for what I have always called "7 layers of Sin." They are also known as Magic Bars.

 The recipe is so easy, Brycen made most of it. The recipe is so easy my friend told me they are also called "Slut Bars." But to Brycen, they were just yummy cookies!

This child on the counter between a toaster and  a slow cooker is being chaperoned by not one,  but two adults. He was safe the whole time. We didn't even let him taste the Poinsettia plants.

 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Melt a fourth a pound of butter in microwave and pour into an 8 by 11, or something similar is size, glass pan (adult supervision required)

3. Smash graham crackers in a baggie with whatever is useful. Brycen chose a rolling pin. You will need 1 cup of crumbs.

4. Allow child, or yourself, to pour graham crackers into pan over butter.

5. Add 1 cup of chocolate chips. Pretend you don't see child steal chocolate chips.

6. Add one cup of butterscotch chips. Pretend to not notice child stealing butterscotch chips. It's the holidays, after all!

7. Add one cup of coconut flakes.

8. Add one can sweetened condensed milk.

9. The seventh "layer of sin" is a cup of chopped walnuts. Pecans could also be substituted in, but we chose to leave out all nuts.

10. Bake at 350 degrees for 28 minutes.

This picture is actually from a different recipe, one he made with his  Granny.

 11. Slut Seven Layers of Sin Bars are actually best after some time in the refrigerator. They are too gooey to eat too soon. But next day? Yummmm.

Enjoy with a nice tall cup of milk. Maybe not now, it will ruin your New Year's resolutions for sure.