And We Wrap Easter with Fun Things!

One of my favorite (IN the past since I’m being good and didn’t eat one) is Cadbury Eggs.  OMGosh do I love them!  I saw this recipe on Pinterest and thought it would be perfect to make for my neighbors.  I did have a very small piece but it was very sweet and yummy!  This Cadbury Crème Fudge is a must for any Easter event.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup butter (room temp)
3 cup powdered sugar
12 ounces chocolate chips

1. Mix together corn syrup and butter
2. Mix in powdered sugar
3. Separate 1/3 into another bowl and dye smaller portion yellow with food coloring
4. Put wax paper in a small cake pan and sprayed a little cooking spray. I used a silicone pan with cooking spray, skipped paper.
5. Press the white and yellow goodness in the bottom of the pan
6. Pour melted chocolate chips over the top and keep in the fridge
7. Eat when the chocolate firms up

Next was a fun thing for the kids!  I’ve been seeing this on Pinterest and just had to try it.  Homemade Silly Putty, doesn’t that just take you back to childhood?  I couldn’t believe how easy this was to make! 3 items and getting your hands a little dirty and your done!

• Equal parts Elmers Glue-All (multi purpose glue)
• Equal Parts Sta-Flo Liquid starch 
• Food coloring

It's important that you don't substitute another brand or type of glue for this one. Measure out your glue.  Add the food coloring to the glue and stir. Add the same amount of starch to the glue mixture and stir.  It instantly starts to turn into a gooey mixture.   At this point you want to let it sit for about 5 minutes so the glue can absorb the starch. Pour the excess liquid out and plop the goo on a paper towel for a minute or so. Kneed the goo for about 5 minutes.  It'll be gooey and sticky and slimy at first.  Push through it and keep kneading it.   If it’s a little stringy add a little more glue (I had to).

What I brought to the party!

We had a fabulous day even with an egg hunt in our yard and our neighbor’s yard.  It was so much fun I hope it is a new tradition.  So What did you do?  What did you make?

Teacher Appreciate Gifts

Last week was Teacher Appreciation week, I'm behind giving this to the teacher and posting this ... lol.  I really think my life has to have ups and downs to be life .. hehe.  I head to Pinterest to find my source of inspiration.

Even if it's not Teacher Appreciate week these would be a nice thank you gift to your child's teacher.  SUPER easy to make!

First one I saw on Pinterest was for the Coffee Lover.

What you Need:

• Gift Card for Starbucks (or who ever is your favorite)
• EMPTY CLEAN Coffee Cup (ask them they will give it to you free)
• Straw (Don't forget to grab one, I almost did)
• Tissue Paper (Brown & off White)
• Ribbon to tie your Gift Card on

Take the empty cup, crumple up the brown in the bottom of the cup (to look like Coffee) may take 2 sheets.  Then crumple up the off white (for the cream).  Make sure you do this around the straw and put the top on.  I cut a whole in the giftcard holder and put the ribbon threw. Then tie  a ribbon to the straw.

Then I saw this next one on Pinterest also and had to make it.  Now the picture of Every Day Scrapbook was better, I have to work on this one but it gives you the idea.

What you need:

• Hard cup with lid and the hard plastic straw
• Pencils (the yellow #2 best, I bought some at dollar store & they were too LONG.  I had to sharpen them and it just wasn't the same)
• Card stock for the note or I found these cute little Apple cut outs the I wrote on a white sticker and put it on it.

Take your clean plastic cup fill up with pencils. I found the cheap ones at Dollar store didn't fit nice I ended up having to sharpen and then they weren't even and nice looking (PLUS if you don't have a electric sharpener and it was a pain in the butt).  Either on a piece of thick card stock write a note saying "We're Filled to the Brim that ____'s in your ___ grade class.  You can cut a little whole on top and bottom and slide down the straw (to look like a flag off the straw).

Hope you make one for that special teacher.  Just remember they are locked in a room with 20+ kids for a full day!  Yup I thought that would make you think ... lol.

Don’t worry he didn’t need a JOB!

I knew something would happen to pull the rug out from under us.  In the past I haven’t always been prepared.  This time I took my blessings and planned and paid off what I could so when the shoe dropped I would be prepared.  Well you can never be fully prepared but you know what I mean.

Well that shoe has fallen right on my head … ugh.  Rick’s new job that I was excited about with the regular hours and MEDICAL.  Did the unthinkable they laid off ALL their new hires.  Oh yes you heard me right!  So the month of interview, background, drug test and all around waiting.  Then having to wait a until we returned from Disney.  THEN all training and FULL week of overtime last week.  They brought all the new guys plus one more guy that had been there a month longer and told them they would be laid off for at least a MONTH.  What the heck!  Oh yeah, well those weren’t my exact words but you get the point .

So we either wait it out and find out if in deed a month they have work or he finds another job.  I am praying he can find a good STABLE job that is normal SET hours and days.  I really don’t want him to go back to Loss Prevention that has retail hours never the same and in different locations each day.  Lord I pray for a speedy turn over between this and a new job!  When it rains it pours around here … jeez!

Easter Egg Hunt & Recipes (duh … it’s me … lol)

My friend from school has an annual Egg hunt.  The boys and I were invited to join in this year.  The boys were so excited!  And I of course couldn’t go empty handed.  So I found 2 new recipes to try out.

First is a version of Jell-o Shot I’ve made before this time I did it in layers and put in these cute egg molds.  I used from my favorite adult beverage site Jelly Shot Test Kitchen her Candy Corn Jelly Shot and made it into a Easter themed version.  I made the milk layer and then 2 layers of a flavored Jell-o.  Follow her instructions to a T, believe me I didn’t and ended up with goo one time!  Make sure to let the jello layer set up in the fridge and then do the next layer set up and so on.  You can do multiple layers but I found that is super time consuming .. lol.  3 layers are my most … hehe.

Of course I had to make something for the kids.  I found this on Pinterest it was linked to a FB page picture only so I winged it and figured it out .

What you Need:

• Oreo Cookies (If you can find the White Fudge Dipped ones you can skip the White Chocolate Step Below)
• White Chocolate Chips
• Large Marshmallows
• Colored Sugar (I used Blue or Pink)
• Black Edible Pen or Black Decorating Gel
• Pink Jelly Beans or Pink Candies

If you don’t find the White Fudge Dipped Oreo’s, you’ll have to melt white Chocolate chips in the microwave.  (NOTE remember to melt it in 30 second intervals.  IT will BURN remember my post, yup I proved it can be done).  After melted dip the oreo’s in and make sure they are coated front and back.  Set them aside to dry.  Cut marshmallows diagonally dip the sticky side in the colored sugar.  Attach two marshmallows to the top of your white chocolate dipped cookies (this will help them stick).  I couldn’t find pink Jelly Beans so I found a pink candy for the nose (put on while chocolate still wet).  When everything is dry either use edible pen or I used food gel. Keep refrigerated until  you want to serve so the chocolate stays hard.

What I took to the party, aren’t they cute?

And some fun pictures from the Egg hunt and party!  Our host had the best treats she had Blue Martini’s and even made a Ham with Beans!  It was a fabulous time.  The boys played well no real tears and I was able to actually sit and not have to keep looking over my shoulder.  I can’t wait to go back to her next party!

Happy Early Easter!  Hope you find something here you may want to make.

A Celebration to say Goodbye

This past Saturday we celebrated GG (my grandmother’s) Life.  In between tears there was laughter that made you laugh so hard you cried again.  I was a wonderful celebration of her life.  The stories from her friends where the best.  You knew that she lived life to the fullest and enjoyed flirting and making everyone laugh.

Even her dentist (the same as my mom) came and talked about her and how she would hit on him … lol (yes he’s married with kids).  She even had a system down to ask a “dr” if they were single by asking “So how is your Wife doing?” …. lol.  Yes she was a kick in the pants. 

These beautiful flowers are from my bosses.  They are gorgeous and living plants so Rick is going to plant them in the yard for me.

Thank you again for all your support and love, I have felt in all around me.  I’m hoping to get back to normal around here with my healthy ways again and the family.

Getting Back on The GREEN side

Since our vacation and Rick’s new job my mornings have been a little nutty.  But I’m trying to get back on my Green Monster Smoothie breakfast kick.  I’ve done pretty well and will keep at it.  I have found a few new ones I thought I would share.

First off I made this Cinnamon Apple Smoothie, which was very tasty with a little kick from the cinnamon.  The only thing about my Ninja is it doesn’t make it as smooth as I would like but it was still yummy!  Make sure you visit or even be a FB friend of Skinny Ms. she post the best recipes.

Next on our mission was a very yummy tropical one.  I almost thought I was sitting on a beach … ok not really but it sure was tasty!  This next recipe came from another favorite Skinny Taste.  This Skinny Green Tropical Smoothie was a delight with the coconut and pineapple!  I also added golden flax seed and Chia seed.

Last on my list is a Sneaky Spinach Strawberry Mango Smoothie which I think I added more spinach so it wasn’t as peachy color as hers but still very yummy! I also added golden flax seed and Chia seed.

So there you have it some yummy smoothies that will keep you full and low in calories.