Fall, Football and Banana Bread Bars.........

Read on for this yummy recipe:)

Well hey there!  I'm re-posting something from 2012.
Yes, I'm being lazy.......but it still pretty much works and it had a recipe I wanted to share.
I've updated it a bit (see the parts in red) so here goes...
Happy Fall Y'All!

i just love saying that!

kinda like i love saying

"ROLL TIDE"! 

yep......i love BAMA football!

Heck, I love college football.  Isn't it funny how you get favorites?
I couldn't tell you much about pro football.
Once they get there it stops being about the game if you ask me so it's
college all the way in this house:)

i've been accused of being a traitor.

but what can i say?

~one of my girls want to go to an SEC school.
(She did too.......she's at the University of Alabama...........
Yep!  I'm a Bama Mom:)

~we live in the south.

~i love a good football game.

~and agree with me or not, SEC just has some good, entertaining football:)

so, i have been an absentee blogger lately.
(Nothing's changed about that)

uggghhh.....fighting migraines that seem to go on forever!
(unfortunately they are still an issue, just not as much:)

i think we have finally found the one medicine that works.

i hope and pray we have, anyway!

Taylor and I took a quick trip up north to my Mum's house.

and had such a great time.

there's no place like home, right?

we even spruced up her house a bit.

she wanted her front door painted a HAPPY, sunny yellow.

so off to home depot we went,

we picked out a paint called "mellow yellow"

and painted her front door.

it was so pretty, we did the shutters, too.

actually, miss Taylor did most of the shutters....in the rain!

can't wait to go back and do more fixer-upper stuff:)

isn't it so pretty?

truly the prettiest house on the block!
(I left this part in because while I haven't been up there to spruce it up this Fall, I need to!:)

while we were gone,

jordan found a recipe on pinterest for

BANANA BREAD BARS

 with Browned Butter Frosting

can you say YUM?????
(Now here's the real reason for this post.  But this time it's Taylor and I who will make them tomorrow.  Not to eat.....to make the house smell good.
Ya...........RIGHT!) lol

From the girl who ate everything

Banana Bread Bars:

1-1/2 c. sugar

1 c. sour cream

1/2 c. butter, softened

2 eggs

1-3/4 (3 or 4) ripe bananas, mashed

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

Brown Butter Frosting:

1/2 c. butter

4 c. powdered sugar

1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 tbsp. milk

Directions:

1.  Heat oven to 375F.  Grease and flour 15x10-inch jelly roll pan.  For the bars, in a large bowl, beat together sugar, sour cream, butter, and eggs until creamy.  Blend in bananas and vanilla extract.  Add flour, baking soda, salt, and blend for 1 minute.  Stir in walnuts, if desired.

2.  Spread batter evenly into pan.  Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

3.  Meanwhile, for frosting, heat butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until boiling.  Let the butter turn a delicate brown and remove from heat immediately.

4.  Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract and milk.  Whisk together until smooth (it should be thicker than a glaze but thinner than frosting).  Using a spatula, spread the brown butter frosting over the warm bars (the frosting will be easier to spread while the bars are still warm). 

Yield: 2 dozen large bars These are crazy good so if you happen to have some bananas sitting around begging to be used, try this.  You won't regret it.  Well, if you're like me and eat half the pan, you might regret it.  But you'll love them while they last!  Promise!!!   

Now for a few random things I'm adding........

Have you ever heard of the store Rural King?  

I LOOOOVEEE this store.  Really cool:)  We go in and pretend we're buying 

stuff for our ranch.  Actually, we have to pass on the horse troughs and head straight to the dog food:)  BUT.........I saw these the other day and I'm dying to buy one (or four:) Hehe

I just know there must be something cool I could do with it, 

but for the life of me I can't think.  Any ideas?

I've been messing around with some jars and stuff.......what do you think?

Last but not least, one of the funniest pictures I've ever seen.

It's titled "Moose Hunt" and you'll see why!  

That's it for me!  Now go make yourself some Banana Bread Bars. You're welcome! ;)

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

Apple Fritter Cake, Cute Quilts, and Shark Cupcakes. . .Good Stuff!

well my goodness...

even i don't know what to say after this latest absence!

sooooo much has happened in the past few months

that i want to write about.

one of these days i'll play catch up.

i have to...because i use my blog as a yearly memory album and there

are a few things i want included.

and i'm so sorry i haven't visited my special friend's blogs to

keep in touch.

i will...promise!

in the meantime, i have a shabby chicks facebook page 

that i post a lot of fun stuff on.

pop on over and like my page so you can follow along!

facebook.com/shabbychicksnaples

but for now, how about a light, kinda random post

to get me back in the groove.

ready?

let's do this:)

first off,

with school getting out, summer fun around the corner...

and shark week on TV,

how about some 

shark cupcakes?

awesome, don't ya think?

go to joanns.com for a supply list and info on the wilton shark cupcake kit.

summer decorating calls for a lighter hand, 

maybe a fresh new color or fun carefree accessory.

these pillows are just the ticket to lighten things up...

and you can find them at Pottery Barn Teen of all places!

speaking of teens (and the rest of us).......

great advice!

usually i make you wait till the end for the YUMMY recipe. . . . .

but not this time.

APPLE FRITTER CAKE. . . .

melt in your mouth goodness:)

Apple Fritter Cake

original recipe: http://nerdybaker.wordpress.com/2011/11/18/apple-fritter-cake-and-ufos/

Ingredients:

For Filling:

1 heaping cup of sliced apples (I cored and quartered and then sliced)

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

small pinch freshly grated nutmeg

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 teaspoons water

Plus

1/2 cup brown sugar (I used a 1/4 cup each of dark and light)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

For Cake:

1/3 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup applesauce

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

2 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup greek yogurt (you could use plain yogurt as well or sour cream)

For Glaze:

2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

6 tablespoons milk

Instructions:

For filling: 

Make your filling by combining apples, sugar, water, cinnamon and cornstarch in a small saucepan.  Cook on low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring constantly until the sauce is thickend and the apples are a bit soft.  Set aside to cool.  In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together until well combined and set aside.

For Cake: 

Preheat oven to 350°.  Grease and flour a 9×13 baking dish.  Set aside.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Add applesauce and vanilla and mix till combined.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Sift the dry ingredients together.  Add the dry ingredients to the batter in three parts alternating with the yogurt in two parts, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.  Beat until just combined.

Spoon half of the batter into the prepared pan.  Spoon the cooled apple mixture over the batter carefully and spread as evenly as possible.  Sprinkle 2/3 of brown sugar cinnamon mixture over apples and cover with the rest of the batter.  Sprinkle the rest of the brown sugar cinnamon mixture over the top.

Bake for 45-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

For Glaze: 

While the cake is baking, make the glaze.  In a bowl, mix the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk until the glaze is desired consistency.  When the cake comes out of the oven, immediately but carefully pour onto hot cake.  Try to pour as evenly as possible.  You might have to pick up the cake and tilt it to spread the glaze evenly.  I even poured some out that pooled at the corners and repoured that over the top.  Let the cake sit for awhile for the glaze to set.

beware...it's reallllly good:)

 awwwww.....

how about some mini munchies. . . . .

don't you love these ideas?

last, i really love this quilt!

so plush looking with the velvet squares and the pom poms:)

okay, that's all for now:)  

hope everyone is happy and healthy!

xoxoxo

Suzanne

Sno Cone Cupcakes and Teddy Bear Treats. . . .

just when you think you've seen it all,

some brilliant person (Bakerella?) discovers 

sno-cone cupcakes.

aren't they the cutest idea for cake since. . . . .

cake pops?

here's the good news. . . . .

they're super easy to create yourself.

first, buy some short paper cups or

paper sno-cone cups from a party store,  like party city..

you're gonna need those on hand or you have a regular cupcake:)

next, make vanilla cupcakes. . . . 

color them if you want the cupcake to be colored like the frosting.

try to make them so they have at least a bit of a rounded top.

when cooled, remove from wrapper and place

in the short ice cream cup

 or sno-cone cup.

finally, frost and add sugar sprinkles.

pop a pretty little straw or mini spoon in the cupcake and

enjoy your sno-cone cupcakes:)

here's another cute treat. . . . 

help me now, this is adorable!

Teddy Bear's in a Bubble Bath!

awwwwww. . . .

the recipe uses cake mix but it seems

to me it would be just as easy with a brownie mix.

1 (18 1/4 ounce) box chocolate cake mix
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 egg
24 Rolo chocolates, unwrapped (optional)
2 cups miniature marshmallows
48 Teddy Grahams honey graham snacks (any flavor) or 48 Teddy Grahams chocolate graham snacks (any flavor) or 48 Teddy Grahams cinnamon graham snacks (any flavor)

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cake mix, melted butter and egg together. This should be like a soft dough. Take a spoonful of batter and roll into a small ball. Push dough ball into a mini-muffin tin. Take a Rolo and push into the center of the batter. Fill up the muffin tin and bake for 10 minutes. Take the muffin tin out and add 3-4 mini-marshmellows on top of each treat. Push in 2 Teddy Graham bear cookies into each treat. Bake for 2 more minutes to melt the marshmellows a bit. Cool and enjoy!NOTE: Please use muffin tin liners and spray with cooking spray -- these treats get sticky!

(food.com)

it's hard to beat yummy and cute!

***************************************

don't forget about the giveaway for an Origami Owl Locket!

all you have to do, if you want to do the least possible,

is go to tammybrewer.origamiowl.com and see what you like most,

then come back to leave a comment on my blog 

or

my facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ShabbyChicksNaples

that's it!

come on. . . .you know you want this!

xoxo

Suzanne

Cool Stuff. . . .Like Vintage Jewelry and Lemon Merengue Pie Dip!

so guess what?

i actually made the vintage jewelry project i'm going to show you!

i didn't just stalk other blogs but made them myself:)

baby steps folks, baby steps!

i love collecting vintage jewelry to re-purpose into

cool jewelry for today.

and not just vintage. . . .there are great pieces of

 vintage-like costume jewelry out there

just begging to be made into something unique.

but this time, i didn't make repurposed jewelry,

but something way simpler. . . . .

 magnets!

(these can be made with cool buttons or scrapbook goodies too:)

all you need is a magnet back and E6000 glue
 and about 15 minutes (plus drying time)

and TADA. . . . .
you have a set of awesome magnets!

well, what do you think?

Okay. . . .next, i could use some help.
i have a bunch of these flower cabachons and could make
so many cool things,
but what do you call the gold filigree backs they are glued on,
and do you know where I can get them?
if you know, please email me or comment.
thank you!!!

now, i just don't seem to have it in me to NOT leave you with something
amazingly yummy
(fattening)
to eat.
(or devour:)
so when i saw this lemon merengue dip from
Ashton at Something Swanky,
i had to share it!


and. . . .if you gain weight, you can blame her, not me.
i'm just the messenger;)
mmm. . . .mmm. . . .mmmmmmm

if i were you,

i'd hightail it over to her and grab the recipe!

bye for now. . . .

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!

Yummy Apple Dew Dessert, Sharks Teeth, and Smiles. . . .

it seems everyone i know is on a diet.

oh, i know some say "it's a lifestyle, not a diet".

ya, okay.

if you have to cut out every. single. good-sweet-satisfying

 thing you ever loved to eat, that is a diet. . . . . . . . .if you ask me.

and that's okay too.

because i'm supposed to be losing weight myself.

and as we all know, it's one day at a time.

but does that mean every once in awhile, we don't come across a

super easy delicious recipe to try?

nope!

and this one is SO easy and YUMMY,

i have to share it with you!

it's one of those that takes only a few ingredients.

comes together real quick.

is so good, everyone will be lickin their plates and asking for the recipe.

the SECRET recipe.

with the SECRET ingredient!

(not so secret now I guess:)

here's what you do. . . . . .

Apple Dew Dessert

2 packages crescent rolls, separated

4 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and quartered

2 sticks butter

1 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

12 0z. mountain dew (SECRET ingredient:)

~ ~ wrap apple quarters in sections of crescent rolls and place side by side in

a 9x13 pan.  Make sure apples pieces are totally covered with dough.

~ ~ bring butter, sugar and cinnamon to a boil and pour over apple roll ups.

pour the mountain dew over the apple roll up mixture.

bake at 350 for 45 min. till golden brown.

~ ~ serve warm with ice cream, whipped cream or both:)

*****even better with cinnamon ice cream. just soften a quart of vanilla ice cream,

stir in cinnamon to taste and refreeze.

DOUBLE YUM!!!

~ ~ apple dessert can be made ahead and reheated before serving.

well, enough about food, right?

SO, you know you live in Florida when you're walking. . . . .

in FLIP-FLOPS. . . . . . 

and you feel/hear something on the tile floor.

you reach down, thinking there is a staple or a nail in the sole of your flip flops,

you pull out the staple/nail thing and you see that it is neither.

as you bring it closer you realize,

there is a

SHARK"S TOOTH

 in the bottom of your shoe.

seriously...is that cool, or what???

i mean, how often does that happen?

a perfect shark's tooth!

my new lucky shark's tooth:)

yep, this is when you know you're not in kansas anymore:)

okay, now i just have a few more smile worthy things to share today.

like this. . . . . .

how can you not wake up with a smile to this big nose in your face?

gotta love my big boy Maui:)

so happy i had my phone by the bed to snap this pic!

and on the same subject, i love these guys!

they will curl up with me wherever and whenever.

my girls woke up to this picture...sweet, huh?

i made a facebook cover on smilebox the other day.

fun and very easy. . . .check it out and make one of your own someday. . . . .

well, that's it for now!

hope you smile today. . . .more than once if possible:)

xoxoxoxox

Suzanne