Macaron Pops from Bakerella

Aren’t these simply precious?!  They would be great for a baby shower or birthday party.  Hummm…. what events I have coming up?  I’ll think of something!  I think the blue and deep brown colors are what drew me in, and the photos are fabulous!  Below are some great images from Bakerella and the complete recipe and how-to is found at Bakerella.com.  Enjoy!

{Humpday Tutorial} DIY Candy Bar Wrappers

I just love this DIY Candy Bar Wrapper idea, because this would be a great way to celebrate any event!  For example, you could make your own candy wrappers for your wedding favors, bridal shower favors, baby shower favors, birthday favors, ect.  As you may already know, my niece was born yesterday, and I think this would be a fabulous way to celebrate her birth.  Perhaps I will make some wrappers with her name on them and hand them out to the family when I see them!  Sooo cute!

The full instructions and downloadable templates are found at the old Creature Comforts site here!  Let me know what you plan to do with these!

Today’s Craving… {cupcakes}

Some friends of mine gave me one of these Strawberry Cupcakes from Tee&Cakes for my birthday last year and it was AMAZINGLY delicious!  Next time that you’re in Boulder, CO be sure to drop by and visist them!

This Chocolate Beacon Cupckae from Tee&Cakes was featured on FoodNetwork and I hear it’s fabulous!  I haven’t had the pleasure of trying it yet, but maybe I can treat a friend for their Birthday soon?!

Hello, Cupcake!  Can be found here.

Cupcakes!  Can be found here.

Cute!

Humpday Tutorial {POM Cream-Filled Chocolate Roll}

I talked to my grandma today and she wanted to make a Cream/Jelly Roll but couldn’t find her recipe for that special batter.  My grandpa found a recipe on the Food Network website, but as you might know, it can be a very slow loading site…  So, I decided to look around and see what I could find.  I found several recipes that looked like they might work for her, but this POM Cream-Filled Chocolate Roll stood out to me in particular because it’s something that I’ve never seen before!  I had to share it with you for this weeks Humpday Tutorial.  If you try it (and I hope you will), please let me know how you like it!  I’d love to hear.  Pomegranates + Chocolate + Cream filling = Perfection!  Pomegranates are full of great antioxidants and you mix that with chocolate, so you get a win-win situation.  Enjoy!  And have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Image via POMwonderful.com

Star Spangled

As you know, it’s Humpday Tutorial time and in honor of Veterans’ Day and the upcoming Holiday Season, I thought a cookie recipe would be great!  Now, this is not just any cookie recipe, it’s a HEALTHY Brown Sugar Almond Star recipe from Heart Healthy Living!!

This recipe makes about 36 (3-inch) cookies and only takes approximately 6 minutes to bake each batch!  Easy-peezy!  You can decorate them however you want and with whatever you want, be creative.  We do a Cookie Swap each year (this will be our 4th Annual) and this would be a great recipe for that too!  So grab your apron and your bakeware and make these great cookies today!

Gone to the dogs…

I was talking on the phone with my mom last night and she was telling me about something she had seen on TV about healthy dog treats.  She had told me that you can give dogs green beans, peas, carrots, and even bananas!  This got me thinking more on the topic of healthy dogs & treats at home.  I found some great sites with recipes and tips to keep your dog fit and healthy.  These recipes would be a great activity to do indoors this winter with the kids!  Enjoy!

**Oh!  Before I forget, it is very very very important to remember to never ever give dogs grapes or raisins because they could be fatal!!!  Chocolate can also be fatal and you should never give dogs real bones, because they can splinter and your dog could choke!  Alcohol and hops are bad for dogs too, so don’t share that beer with them!**

Paw Rescue {A great list of food warnings and kitchen safety for your pets.  This site also has a great list of toxic foods too!!  Please take a moment at read}
*Toxic Foods and items for you dogs and cats (and other animals):
Fatty foods, chocolate, grapes, raisins, real bones (because of splinters), alcohol, bread dough, milk, salt, salty pork products, organ meat, tuna can be bad for cats hearts (I had no idea), avocado, tomatoes, nuts, rhubarb, onions, citrus fruits, too much soy is bad, caffeine, cough medicine, cigarettes (don’t smoke around them or leave your butts on the ground to be eaten, sponges (they like to chew them), self cleaning ovens let off toxic chemicals to any animal and may be very harmful to dogs/cats/birds/etc., and don’t let your dog drink from the toilet because if the germs don’t make your dog sick the chemicals will.

Dog Treat Cookbooks {Recipes for dog treats}
Bull Wrinkle {Recipes for dog treats}
Banana Carrot Muffin Dog Treats {A great recipe good enough for you to eat!  It has carrots and honey in the mix!}
Fruits and Veggies That Are Good For Your Dog {A list of fruits and vegetables that your dog can eat!  Just remember to cut up all fruits and veggies into bite-sized pieces so your dog doesn’t choke!!!}
The Real Owner {Explains the health benefits of veggies for dogs}

If you find any other great sites with animal recipes and/ or safety tips, please share with us in the comments section!  Thanks!

Humpday Tutorial | Ice Cream Drumsticks

I just love the Instructables website!  They share all sorts of DIY projects and there truly is something for everyone! The first time that I heard of them was  when my husband and I went to the 2008 Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco.  I was immediately attracted to their booth because of their funky business cards and stickers, but quickly learned that they had more to offer.  They had an etching machine set up and they etched any design you wanted into your laptop cover, cell phone, iPod, etc.  It was so much fun!  My husband got his logo on his laptop , while I forgot my iPod Touch at the hotel, so I created a quick design with my name and had it etched into my cell phone.  It was great.  So, I’ve been following them ever since and recently came across this DIY Ice Cream Drumstick tutorial and knew I had to try it.  I’m a little squeezed for time at the moment, because of the upcoming craft show, but thought that I could do a blogpost to archive it for later. Plus, I thought you would like it too!  Enjoy!  (For more fabulous Humpday Tutorials, click here!)

Humpday Tutorial | Marshmallow Pops with Yoonie

What a fabulous way to celebrate a special occasion.

Yoonie made these simple Marshmallow Pops for her son’s Teacher Day.

It’s easy as 1-2-3 to create these splendid little treats.  They’re just marshmallows dipped in chocolate and sprinkles on a stick with a few embellishments!  Check out Yoonie at Home for the full How-To.  Bonus: This is a really inexpensive treat for any occasion.  Enjoy!