Got the winter blues? Yummy Treat: Smoothies!

I know it's been awhile since I’ve posted a yummy treat post, but earlier this week, I decided to whip out the camera while making my special smoothies!

the sun is shining and the snow is pretty much gone (aside from the freak snow storm we had yesterday,) but it's still pretty cold out. so we needed a little winter time blues pick me up, a Strawberry and Banana Smoothie.

so here’s what you'll need:

-about a handful of frozen strawberries

-1 to 2 bananas

-a cup of Ice

-a container of yogurt ( i usually use a strawberry or strawberry/banana flavor)

-1/2 cup of juice (any flavor works)

this will make 2 bigger servings, you can always increase the ingredients as needed to add more servings and flavor. toss all of these ingredients in to your blender and chop, mix and blend until its smooth. poor in to your favorite cup and pop in a fun straw. then it's ready to enjoy!

Enjoy :)

I hope you're having a good week,

 I'll be back Friday with a Beautiful new realease with Pixels by Jen!

11.11.11 it's comming!

here I was thinking about what yummy treat I could tell you about, and then I realized it was thursday lol! well, for a quick Yummy Treat post... have you picked up the Ginger Scraps Survivor cook book yet? there's a link to download it in this post. if you want to check out the layouts and recipes check out the gallery!

now that that's out of the way here's the real news! 11.11.11 is tomorrow! Ginger Scraps is having an 11 day bake sale! I'll be having a different item for $1 for each day, 24 hours only! plus I have 8 kits/ items that will retire after the 11 days and will be gone forever! so don't miss this deal!

Yummy Treats! Pumpkin French Toast

I was just about to get off the computer for a bit when I remembered it was Wednesday! time for another Yummy Treat post! Ok so I JUST NOW found this recipe rolling through on my facebook, and it's got me Huuunnnngggrrry! I love french toast so how could this recipe go wrong! This was found on $5 Dinners

Photo from $5 Dinners

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Pumpkin French Toast.
Yield – 4 servings
Preparation Time – 5 minutes
Cooking Time – 15 minutes

Ingredients
•14 slices whole wheat sandwich bread
•3 eggs
•1/2 cup milk
•3/4 cup canned pumpkin
•1 tsp homemade pumpkin pie spice
•Butter and syrup for serving
•Fresh fruit or smoothie as side

Directions
•Set out the bread for dipping.
•In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, pumpkin and pie spice until smooth.
•Dip each side of the bread and cook on a hot, greased griddle or skillet. Flip after 1 – 2 minutes.
•Once all are cooked, serve with butter and maple. And a side of fresh fruit.
•If freezing, let cool completely to reduce freezer burn.
•Enjoy this perfect fall “breakfast for dinner”!
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 oh how I wish I had canned pumpkin this morning! next time I run to the store I most definitely will be getting some and making this! So I guess if i really want french toast this morning I'll have to settle for normal french toast lol. so until next time.

Yummy Treats! Halloween treat editon!

Halloween is just around the corner, are you ready? my kids have their costumes, but I've gotta get ready for the fun at Gage's School! so this week I want to help you with some super cute Yummy Treat ideas that will make you look like the coolest mom ever when you send these treats with your kidos.

First Lil' Frankensteins, these are super cute, and super easy! I found these at Craft-o-maniac's Blog

Marshmallow's dipped in colored chocolate and chocolate, for the face she used gel but when I make them I'm sure I can use piped chocolate so that it hardens.

Photo from Craft-o-maniac

Next another super easy marshmallow pop, these ones look like candy corn, so cute! I found these pops at Casa Sonrisa's BlogAgain, marshmallows dipped in colored chocolate. this one is a little easier than the frankies, I can think of a millon other ways to make these fun marshmallow pops, so much fun, even the kids can help dip them!

Photo from Casa Sonrisa

Cookies! I can't leave these out, my kids LOVE cookies, and these fun cookies look like candy corn too!

This "recipe" comes from Contry Living. Check out how easy this recipe is! they used  refrigerated sugar cookie dough, easy right?! your more than welcome to try this idea with your own favorite recipe though. and then simply dip the ends in chocolate! Yum!

Photo from Contry Living

Here's one last one, for those of you who really just want to get crafty!  you'll need a little bit of glue, some eyes, crepe paper, and chocolate bars! Mummy Bars! this cute little idea is from The Idea Room

Photo from The Idea Room

I Hope you enjoy these Ideas, and they help you out! and I just want to thank the above sites for their wonderful yummy treats!

 

Yummy Treat! Cream Cheese Croissants

YUM, that just sums it up! I made these twice now, and the kids and I ate them before I could take a snap shot! well mine didn't come out looking as pretty so maybe that's why, lol. alrighty here's the recipe, this came from the Rumbly In My Tumbly Blog.

Photo from Rumbly In My Tumbly

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Strawberry Cream Cheese Croissants

Ingredients:

1 package of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
1/4 cup of homemade strawberry jam
4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup of confectioners sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg + 1 tsp of water for egg wash

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix cream cheese, sugar, egg, and vanilla. Cream until there are no lumps.
Unroll each crescent roll. On the fattest part of the triangle place 1 tsp on cream cheese mixture and one tsp of jam. Roll into a croissant shape.
Whisk together egg and water for egg wash and brush over each croissant.
Bake for 8-10 minutes until croissants are golden brown and inside is no longer doughy. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.
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Now here is what I Changed.... The first time I made this recipe just like it lists here, but doubled it since it looked soo good. I ended up with wayyy tooo much filling mix, and it was pretty runny, not sure if it was because I doubled it or not, either way it still tasted super good! the Next time I made it I doubled it again, well because cream cheese blocks come in 8 oz. and well it was good. so this time I left OUT the egg and just mixed up the cream cheese and sugar with the vanilla, and this gave me a super thick filling, and also too much for two packs of crescent rolls so I'd say grab 3. then just fill it like it says add the jelly, I also didnt do the egg wash, and bake it up. these are super good and if you had friends over to share these with they would think you were a master baker, really these are that good!

Enjoy!!

Yummy! Cookie Dough Truffles

it's wednesday, and if your week is dragging I've got the recipe to pick you right up! plus it so easy! I discovered this Yummy Treat on Pinterest early this month and I have already made these a few times, my hubby LOVES them! so whats the treat? Cookie Dough Truffles!!! I got the recipe from Love & Olive Oil but I left out a step or two so I could eat it sooner lol. so here's the original recipe...

Photo from Love & Olive Oil

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Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles
Yield: 3-4 dozen Prep Time: 1 hour Total Time: 2 1/2 hours
Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3 cup milk or soy milk
• 1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 14 oz dark chocolate candy coating

Directions:
Beat butter and sugars and in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add soymilk and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt and mix on low speed (or by hand) until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips.
Cover and chill dough for 1 hour.
When dough is firm enough to handle (it may help to lightly flour your hands), form dough into 1" balls and arrange on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Place sheets in freezer and let chill for 30 minutes.
Melt chocolate candy coating in a double boiler or in microwave according to package directions. Using forks or a dipping tool, dip cookie balls into candy coating to cover. Tap fork on side of pan to remove any excess coating, and return to waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Chill until set. Store, chilled, in an airtight container for up to 1 week (though good luck making them last that long).

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and here's what I changed/ left out...so I mixed it up like it says but I used just 2% milk. then I may have taken a few spoonfuls out to eat, then I chilled it. once it was chilled I rolled the balls and then rather than going through melting the chocolate, I just crushed up the leftover chips and rolled the balls in the chocolate crumb and popped them in to a container and stuck them back in the fridge to sneak a treat every few mins lol. I’m telling you these are so good!, now on my second batch I didn't do any outer coating and just froze them in a jar. BUT if I were making these to take to any occasion I would coat them in the melted chocolate and make them look cute. so there you have it, I hope you enjoyd reading, and I inspired you to get in you kitchen this week and make something to treat your self!

This is what mine looked like.

Tomorrow is the 1st make sure you check out GingerScraps September Buffet, and the $1 Bake Sale!

Yummy Treats! Funnel Cakes

 It's Wednesday, the week is almost over! Today I've got a tested and approved Yummy Treat for you today! it's close to fair time well around here it's been fair time all month long. I don't know about your fairs but the fairs around here can really empty your pockets, so for today I want to share with you a treat that will maybe help you not want this tasty fair treat once you head to the fair and then you can spend your money else where... or just make this yummy treat just because you wanna, these would even be great for parties. so what is the Yummy Treat for today..... Mini Funnel Cakes! YUM! I made these a few weeks ago, and the kids and I couldn't get enough! Taylor Takes a Taste is the blog where I got the recipe from, I'm going to post her photos because, well mine just didn't come out looking so cute, but still tasted super good! just a note from me, this still makes quite a bit of batter so expect at least 5-6 slightly bigger cakes i just used a small pan with out the cookie cutter, so in my house this was a bit much for me and the 2 kidos, but by the time we went to the fair there was no craving for funnel cakes :)

Mini Funnel Cakes

Makes about 15-20 4in diameter cakes (will vary depending on how much batter used in each cake)

Dry ingredients

1 1/2 cups AP Flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup powdered sugar

Wet ingredients

1 1/3 cup milk

1/4 tsp lemon zest

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

Sift the dry ingredients into a large container that you can easily pour from (like a plastic pitcher). In a separate bowl, beat the egg with the rest of the wet ingredients. Pour wet ingredients into the dry and stir until a thick batter forms. Using a funnel, pour batter into a squeeze bottle. The batter is thick so be patient for it to flow into the bottle. You may also pour the batter directly from the pitcher into the plastic squeeze bottle.

In a large pan, pour in your favorite frying oil until it is about 1/2 inch deep, and heat to 350F (I used peanut oil). Place metal 4in metal rings into pan. Depending on the size of the pan, you can fit 1-4 ring. Squeeze batter into ring and cook until ring is solid (30 seconds-1min). Using tongs, remove metal ring and let cakes float. Flip and cook the other side for 30 seconds to a minute or until a nice light golden brown. These cook very quickly so be careful not to burn. Try experimenting with your first few to find a cooking time that works best for your oil and pan set up.

Once golden brown, remove from pan and place onto brown paper bags to let the excess oil drain. Immediately top with powdered sugar. Best if eaten when still warm right after frying.

©Taylor Mathis

http://www.taylortakesataste.com/

ok so here's what mine looked like

Snacks for Dad!

Hello!

Today I want to share a fun recipe for a snack that even the kids can help out with. This will be a great treat for dad on Father's Day.

Pizza Bagel Bites

2 plain bagels, split

1 small jar pizza sauce

1 pkg pepperoni slices

3/4 cup diced fully cooked ham

1/4 cup real bacon bits

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400. Place bagels face up on a baking sheet. Spread with pizza sauce. Arrange five to seven slices of pepperoni on each, covering the bagel hole with one slice. Top each with ham, bacon and cheese. Bake at 400 for 12-14 minutes or until cheese is melted.

This recipe came from the wonderful Kevin & Amanda site - see HERE for more wonderful recipes!

If you try this out - leave a comment and let us know how it went! Maybe even take pics of the kids helping to make it and then leave us a link to your layout! :)

Have a great day!

~Jacque~