We end the Party ... Lemon Fudge, Watermelon Lobsters & a Cool BBQ Invite

We wrap our party with some fun food!  I found a Microwave Lemon Fudge that I have been dying to make and new a BBQ would be perfect.  A watermelon cut into Lobster shapes and of course a FUN invite to pass out to our friends.  And of course the table all done up!

First I made a SUPER easy Microwave Lemon Fudge that I found on Lady Behind the Curtain. OMG is the words ok the initials I kept hearing over and over about this fudge, even the kids loved it.

Ingredients

1-10 ounce bag plus 1 cup of white chocolate chips

1-14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

2 tablespoons butter, softened

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract

candies or sprinkles for decorating

Instructions

1. Line an 8x8-inch baking dish with foil (make sure the foil hangs over the edges so serve as

handles).

2. Spray with non stick cooking spray.

3. In a 4-cup microwave measuring cup, mix chocolate chips, milk and butter. Microwave uncovered

on high 1 to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until chips are almost melted.

4. Stir in lemon extract.

5. Pour mixture into prepared baking pan.

6. Sprinkle on sprinkles (optional)

7. Place in refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight before cutting.

ALEXIS NOTE: I used a lemon food coloring to give it a little pop of color. 

Then I found a fun idea to cut watermelon shaped as a Lobster on Simply Suzanne's at Home.

Watermelon

Lobster Cookie Cutter

Mini Chocolate Chips (I ran out so I used regular ones)

Slice your watermelon the width of your cookie cutter.  Use the cutter to cut out the lobster shape.  Add 2 mini chips to be the eyes, I only had regular size so it was a little too large for the body.  I bought my cookie cutter off Amazon.

And for a fun FREE End of Year BBQ found on Becoming Martha. These were so freaking cute.  I saved the photo and uploaded into PicMonkey to add some fun wording.  I used a summer time font I had downloaded from a previous project.

Here is our table all done up!

And some fun shots of the party!

Thanks for stopping by

Don't forget to see the parties I link up to HERE. 

We All Need Something Sweet .... Watermelon Cookies

We had a family reunion this weekend and I love to bring things that aren't the normal run of the mill item.  I came across these Watermelon Cookies on That's What Che Said.  She used a store bought cookie but when I ran to the store and QFC had a small sugar cookie roll for $5.99, I thought I'm better off making them from scratch so that is what I did.  I found a rolled sugar cookie mix on All Recipes.  

I started with the sugar cookies, they have to rest several hours (or best case over night).  I got up at 5am before work on Saturday and got it mixed up and in the fridge to wait until I got off around 9:30am.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups butter, softened

2 cups white sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

5 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour

(or overnight).

This part is what you do if just making sugar cookies:

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

3. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

This was a simple sugar cookie recipe, I did add the Green Food Coloring to make the mix green.

Ingredients Needed:

Sugar cookie dough

1 can of Hot Pink Icing

Mini-Chocolate Chips

Green Food Coloring

Start off by opening your cookie dough (or make homemade dough), putting it in a bowl or on a cutting board and add green food coloring (I prefer Wilton's Food Coloring Gel).  Knead with your hands and add more food coloring until it's as green as you want it and thoroughly colored.  Roll dough and refrigerate for about 20 minutes.  I found it easiest to roll dough and take a circle cutter then I took a pizza cutter to cut circles in half to make a watermelon slice shape. Bake at 400 degrees F for 9 -10 minutes.  Let cool for about 10 minutes.   Add pink icing and mini-chocolate chips for the seeds!

These were a HUGE hit with the kids, and I made enough so I could bring to the Boy's and Girls Club.  I try to bring them a sweet treat every Monday for what they do, those volunteers are amazing!!

Don't forget to see the parties I link up to HERE.

Summer Time … Watermelon Cupcakes

I’ve been seeing the watermelon cupcake on Pinterest for a while and I’ve wanted to try them out.  All the links I clicked on only had a picture.  So I created my own.  I took a yellow cake recipe added some red food coloring and some chocolate chunks.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 8 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups cake flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Chocolate Chunks (or mini chocolate chips)
• Red Food Coloring
• Oreo Cookie (I added one at the bottom this doesn’t have to be done)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour 2 - 8 inch round pans. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the milk, mixing just until incorporated. Add in your red food coloring (I use Wilton Gel).  Once mixed well add in your chocolate chunks (chunks look like actual seeds). If you want put a Oreo at the bottom then/or pour batter into prepared pans.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until tops spring back when lightly tapped. Cool 15 minutes before turning out onto cooling racks.

Easy Pudding Frosting

For the frosting I made one I’ve seen again on Pinterest but I couldn’t find an actual link to the recipe.  So why not create my own link!

Frosting Ingredients

• 1 package Cream Cheese (Room Temperature)
• 1 container whipped topping (Room Temperature)
• 1 package of vanilla pudding (I used pistachio)
• 1/2 to 1 cup of Vanilla (depending on how thick you want it)
• Food Coloring if needed

Directions

Cream together the cream cheese and whipped topping.  Once mixed completely add in pudding. I used pistachio for the color and the taste.  Slowly add in 1/2 cup of milk mix and if you need it to be thinner add another cup of 1/2 cup of milk.  Add food coloring if you want it to be a deeper green. Once mixed together you put in a piping bag (or a Ziploc bag with corner cut off).

Now Frost your cupcake and tada you have a Watermelon Cupcake with an Oreo bottom if you please.

It’s a Watermelon Thang …. (Yup I said Thang!)

The PNW has finally gotten a heat wave … I know I was unhappy with the rain and the kids being inside driving me nuts.  But can we have gradual heat … lol.  I know I’m picky!  Heat means no time to sit down and write a review of the books and movies I normally would do.  So I thought why not another recipe … hehe Are you sick of recipes yet?  I have them coming out my ears so I must share, You love me and my recipes right? hehe …. Sorry was having an off day Wednesday (I know your reading this Thursday but I write them the night before).

With out further ado some yummy recipes I tried this weekend

First we start out with breakfast, I just had to do these super cute Watermelon Waffles by Random Thoughts of a Supermom.

And then on my mission to make a new popsicle every week this summer I found a recipe that I tweaked and made my own.  The original recipe Strawberry and Watermelon Popsicle I turned into blueberry and watermelon, YUMMY .

Happy Thursday!

Make sure to check out my girls for more recipes @ Thursday’s Recipe Swap Meet!