Yummy, SWEET Valentine's Treats That You Can Make in a Hurry!

Happy Hearts Day!!!!!

Need some last minute ideas for your sweethearts?

 (big and small ones alike:)

well I've got you covered.......and I can vouch for them all! 

(and i'm starting to look like it;)

Let's get to it.........

Oreo Cookie Balls (or Oreo Truffles)   

 So good and SO easy!

What you need:

1 pkg.  (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

40  OREO Cookies, finely crushed, divided

4 pkg.  (4 oz. each) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, broken into pieces, melted

MIX cream cheese and 3 cups cookie crumbs until blended.

SHAPE into 48 (1-inch) balls. Freeze 10 min. Dip balls in melted chocolate; place in single layer in shallow waxed paper-lined pan.  (Tip: use a toothpick to dip)

Sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs.

REFRIGERATE 1 hour or until firm.

(Substitute white chocolate if desired)

We have a tradition of making pink or red foods on Valentine's day.

This next drink is on the menu:)

Maybe I should stop here and get to dinner rather than dessert:)

No complicated dish here.........

Pizza with heart pepperoni!

Or take it a step further and shape your own dough in a heart:)

Me?  I'm lazy.  It's the heart shaped pepperoni for this girl:)

Okay, okay........you want something healthier, right?

How about fruit kabobs?

(Well, there IS fruit!  And marshmallows too!)

Don't you just love vintage Valentines?

The good old days:)

Sweet and Salty Valentine Popcorn

1/2 cup unpopped popcorn

1 bag Colorburst Pastels Candy Melts 

(Wiltons............or use any white chocolate to melt)

1 bag Valentine M&Ms

Sea Salt to taste

Lastly, I share you cookies made by my own little Valentine:)

Love, Love, Love on Valentine's Day!

XOXOXO

Suzanne

BLT Mac n Cheese, Chocolate Chip Raspberries and MORE Good Stuff!

Well hello there!

I stumbled on a recipe today that has me curious.

BLT Macaroni and Cheese!

I mean, talk about a double whammy of comfort food.....

Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich and Macaroni and Cheese.

Love 'em both!

I haven't made it yet but I think maybe one of these days soon I will:)

YUMMY!!!

BLT Macaroni-n-Cheese   

 Ingredients:

1 loaf (32 oz) prepared cheese product, cut into large cubes

1/4 cup butter

4 cups whole milk

* 1/8-1/4 tsp ground mustard (optional)

1 package (16 oz) elbow macaroni

2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (8 oz)

2 cups small cherry tomatoes

1 bag (9 oz) fresh spinach (or lettuce of choice)

1 lb bacon, crisply cooked, crumbled

1 cup plain or Italian-style panko crispy bread crumbs

* * Personally, I will saute chopped onions in a bit of butter to add to this dish.

Directions:

1.  In microwavable bowl, place cheese cubes, butter and milk. Microwave uncovered on High 8 to 10 minutes, stirring with whisk at the 4 minute interval.   Stir again after 8-10 minutes; repeat microwaving until all cheese is melted and mixture can be stirred smooth, 

a total of about 15 minutes.  Stir in ground mustard if desired.

 * If you prefer, melt cheese on the stove top.  

2.  Heat oven to 350°F. Cook macaroni in boiling salted water 3 minutes less than directed on box (macaroni should be firm). Drain; place in 15x10-inch (4-quart) glass baking dish. Pour melted cheese sauce over macaroni; mix well. Stir in shredded cheese, tomatoes and spinach.

3Cover dish with foil; bake 30 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle bacon and bread crumbs evenly over top. Bake 5 minutes longer or until top is lightly browned. Cool at least 10 minutes before serving.

source: adapted from a recipe found on Betty Crocker

don't stop here!

after this munchkin you'll find one of our favorite treats.......

Chocolate Chip Raspberries!

Pretty self-explanatory.......

We used white chocolate chips but have used dark and milk chocolate also.

All three are Goooood!

Just clean the strawberries, place a chip in each and pop 'em in!

(I've probably shared this on here but it's worth repeating:)

Hmmmmm....what else can I pass on.......

Got it!

If y'all are like me, you get MAJOR cravings!!!!!

What to do, what to do!

How about this?

Cure cravings and get water down.....works for me.

At least, I hope it does!!

I leave you with this little gem from the beloved Dr. Seuss.

(i think he's genius:)

XOXOXO

Suzanne

Christmas in July. . . . .Holly Jolly, Merry and Bright

Ho, Ho, Ho. . . . .

we LOVE Christmas at Shabby Chicks. . . .

and it wouldn't be July if we didn't have Christmas in July!

Today's theme is a Bright, COLORFUL,

Holly Jolly Christmas theme.

But first, welcome to my blog readers AND my facebook readers.

If you haven't stopped by facebook.com/shabbychicksnaples, 

please do!

Alrighty then, let's do this:)

While this theme isn't for everyone. . . .

(it is non-traditional and some don't like that)

it IS fun and festive.

Here is a simple way to add the brights to the Holidays...

simply frost those sugar cookies with pretty, bright color.

Who says Santa has to wear red!

What about a lime green Santa?:)

Okay, okay. . . .no haters.

To each his own, right?

What about the tree?  

You can add beautiful bright ornaments to any tree.

But if you have a big white tree like I do. . . . or like the one in this picture,

look at what you can do:)

You can make ornaments or buy them in brights or jewel colors.

All stores carry them these days.

This is what we did one year to add a punch of color. . . .

I had some bright glass bulbs and supplemented with a bunch of plastic 

bulbs from the dollar store.

Put them in a large glass vase with white twinkle lights and voila. . . .

instant, easy decorating.

Here are a bunch of other looks.

a few more ways to add color. . . .

colorful pompoms. . . .strung on fishing line or strong thread and they make a cute garland.

Colorful paper rings. . . .another of our traditions.

Who says snowflakes have to be white?

Cut out some colorful paper snowflakes:)

 I love this idea. . . .gift wrap wall hangings!

You could wrap current framed photos or art and hang them up as packages, 

or buy some blank canvases in various sizes.

After Christmas, unwrap the canvases and mod podge

 some favorite photos from the Holidays on them.

painted pine cones, brightly colored ribbon and colorful felt ornaments are cute ideas too!

You've probably seen tons of sites teaching how to make these

ornament wreaths.  If not, there are a couple of ways.

If you want a smallish wreath, you can un twist a wire hanger, 

thread ornaments on to it and twist back up.

Instant ornament wreath.

If you want to make a bigger, fancier ornament wreath,

here is a link for a you tube how-to video. . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjHKsG-L4Z8&feature=youtu.be

hint. . . .it's really easy:)

one of my favorite finds this year is the ornament "Ho Ho Ho".

This could be done so many ways. . . .threaded on wire or

glued on over sized letters.

Notice the colorful packages above and in the following pictures.

See these trees?

They are made from cupcake liners!

here's the link with instructions. . . .

http://papercrave.com/how-to-make-cupcake-liner-flower-tree/

here are two fun snowman ideas. . . .

on the left, wrap 3 cardboard boxes in batting and using hot glue, stick together.

add a scarf, some black pom pom buttons, a black hat and HELLO. . . .Frosty!

Don't you LOVE the snowman appliances?

These are window decals that you can find in various stores around the Holidays.

SMILE:)

don't forget the brightly colored gift tags. . . . .

Ready for some FUN Holiday treats?

Okay, I will say that today's theme calls for fun festive treats that are a bit

on the kid side:)

Most are self-explanatory too. . . . . .YAY!!!

Rice Krispie Tree. . . .

Color those Krispie treats green,

add m & m ornaments and you have an easy, yummy tree.

 Dressed in colorful candy scarves and top hats, these stylish, easy-to-make snowmen are sure to liven up any holiday gathering.

What you'll need

bag of 8-inch pretzel rods

• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• mini chocolate chips
• orange decorators' gel
• fruit leather (various colors)
• gummy rings
• gumdrops
• How to make it:  Melt 1 cup white chocolate chips as directed.  One at a time, dip the end of one 8-inch pretzel rod in the melted chocolate and use a plastic spoon or knife to spread the chocolate two thirds of the way down the pretzel.  Place on waxed paper and press on mini chocolate chips for eyes and buttons.  Use orange decorators gel to add a carrot nose.  When the chocolate has hardened, stand the pretzels in a mug or glass and tie on strips of fruit roll-ups for scarves. For each hat, stretch a gummy ring over the narrow end of a gumdrop and secure it on the pretzel with a dab of melted chocolate.
• source...spoonful.com

This is an oldie but goodie that we always did when my girls were little. . . .

and an awesome idea for a kid's party.

Frosted Christmas Trees!

Simply use ice cream cones, tip them upside down and frost with green icing.

then DECORATE:)

This one is SOOOO cute and delicious!

Santa Hat Brownies!

Make the brownie recipe of your choice, top with your choice of white icing or cool whip, then a Strawberry for the hat.

Really cute, don't you think?

And having a ballerina in the family,

I really love the "Sugarplums":)

cause what kid wants to eat a regular sugar plum:)

Dip a marshmallow in tinted white chocolate and add sprinkles.

Yum. Cute. Genius!

Do you make a gingerbread house?

We do. . . .or lately we've used the gingerbread mini house kit.

Well, it might take a bit of searching on your part but if you buy

 pastel or non-traditional candies,

look what you could make!

Okay, this is it.

Last idea for today.

My favorite "gift" for the neighbors.

My girls took these gifts to neighbors for years andit was always a hit.

Only thing we did different was we eventually quite making the cookies from scratch

and bought them.

And our tag read "From our family to yours. . . Merry Christmas"

Get it?  Our family to yours?  Gingerbread family???

heeheehee

Okay, but it is a good idea;)

Check back tomorrow to see what the theme will be.

Pink Christmas?

White Christmas?

Rustic Christmas?

Traditional?

Beach Christmas?

Hmmmmmm. . . . .

See Ya!

xoxo. . . .Suzanne

Lucky Leprechaun Treats and Rainbows. . . . .

so tell me, do you celebrate  

St. Patricks Day?

not a huge fan of the holiday, myself.

(i do like a yearly shamrock shake from McDonald's, though:)

and i guess i like the rainbow aspect of it.

however, when my girls were little and in school,

i did celebrate it in a way for them.

because every chance we get to celebrate with our kiddies, 

we should, right?

so in the morning, 

i'd wake up early,  throw some green shamrocks on the floor, 

blow up ballons, hang green and gold curling ribbon everywhere. . . . 

and start making breakfast.

not just any ol' breakfast. . . . .

green shamrock pancakes, thank you very much.

with green milk, i might add:)

(ahem. . . .and this was BEFORE pinterest:)

having said that, i am shocked at the lengths some go to

for shamrock pancakes.

seriously, i was a bit of a mommy overachiever when it came to this stuff.

but even i wouldn't make heart pancakes, piece them together and add a stem.

wow. . . . . .

it may be cute-ish. . . .but so are shamrocks.

now, don't try to make a shamrock free hand or you might get this. . . .

simply whip out your handy shamrock cookie cutter. . . .

(cause cookie cutters are my number one tip:)

make regular green pancakes and cut the shapes out. 

you or the hubby can eat the scraps, can't ya?

so simple, so easy and so cute!

(these are tortillas but you get the idea...perfect shape every time!)

and way quicker, too!

okay, so breakfast is done, what next?

lunch, of course.

my girls would get shamrock shaped mini sandwiches,

green grapes or kiwi, a few stalks of celery and a shamrock cookie.

see...those cookie cutters come in handy!:)

then for dinner, we had something green...like green mashed potatoes,

green peas and chicken tenders with a little shamrock on them.

but we never really celebrated St. Patricks Day;)

now, for those of you who want a few more ideas, here you go. . . .

a few Christmas's back, we made green crinkle cake batter cookies.

we called them  "Grinch Cookies".

well, guess what they are now?

LUCKY LEPRECHAUN COOKIES.

they are the easiest cookie to make ever.

and they taste good, too.

you can find the recipe at the bottom of this post:)

you could also dip some pretzels in green colored white chocolate.

trust me, this looks pretty but they taste just as good in a simple clear package

with a green or gold bow tied on.

and use the mini pretzel sticks. . . .

okay, we are soooo making these today:)

maybe.

and who doesn't love rice krispie treats?

for these, get out the green food coloring and. . . . .cookie cutter!:)

www.elizabethannsrecipebox.com

okay, but like i said, the rainbow aspect appeals to me more than shamrocks and leprechauns.

so here are a few awesome and easy ideas for y'all. . . . .

 rainbow pancakes for breakfast!

or how about some rainbow fruit kabobs?

for dessert, have you seen those AMAZING rainbow layer cakes?

well, here is our lazy chicks version of a rainbow cake. . . .yeehaw!

click here for directions

love, love, love cake pops!

i think this year we'll starve all day so we can make some of these:)

http-::www.munchkinmunchies.com:2012:02:insideout-rainbow-cake-pops.html

if you're like me, you sent in class treats.

because you just LOVE playing Martha Stewart, you know it's true:)

 these are all a similar idea, but the key is they're cool,

quick and easy. . . .again.

spoonful.com

aren't they cute?

well, that's it from the girl who doesn't celebrate the shamrock holiday.

hope you're happy today. . . . . .

and i hope you know that- - - -

XOXOXO

Suzanne

BEST cake batter cookies this shabby chick has ever tasted.

give em a try...you'll be hooked!

LUCKY LEPRECHAUN COOKIES

       makes about 36
1 box French vanilla cake mix
6 T butter
2 eggs
Green food coloring (60 drops)
1 C powdered sugar
1 t corn starch

Preheat the oven to 375°. Melt the butter and set aside to cool. In a shallow dish, mix together the powdered sugar and cornstarch with a fork.  In a large bowl, mix together the cooled butter, cake mix and eggs. This will be a little hard to stir together. Add the green food coloring and make sure it is all mixed in. drop a blob of dough in the powdered sugar.

Move it around with spoon until it is mostly covered in powdered sugar. Then, once it is already covered, roll it into a ball and place it on a cookie sheet.

Make sure you don't over crowd the baking sheet because these cookies spread out. 

bake these for 9 minutes. (They won't look done but they are.) They will look slightly puffed up and crinkly...very cool!