Happy New Year!

We started the new year with new neighbors...

So I got my act together for once.. 

and made up a little treat 

to welcome them.

I decided on a bark, 

since I had left over chocolate from 

Christmas bark that I made.. 

This was a new one.. 

but it was delicious!

Cranberry Pistachio Bark.. 

Dark chocolate on bottom, 

on top white chocolate mixed with 

dried cranberries (mine were pomegranate juice infused)

and unsalted pistachios.

Yum!

A little rustic looking.. but I like it!

Pretty cute all broken up.. 

And some themed wrapping..

A good start to my 2012 projects I think!

Chic Candy Necklace....

I love this shop..
Andie's Specialty Sweets.. 

once a week..
at least.. 

I stop by and visit the beautiful candy and chocolate

creations... 

I need a reason for sugar buttons.. 

and these chocolate mushrooms.. 

are just amazing.. 

but my favoritest of all.. 

are the candy necklaces.. 

what little girls' dreams are made of.. 

and maybe grown up girls' too!

Well.. 

I thought of the perfect idea for my favor boxes.. 

it hit me while I was driving.. 

like a stroke of genius!

Lately I have been seeing Cake Batter Bark around 

the blogs.. 

so festive.. and chocolate.. 

so tasty.. 

I used this recipe here... 

only I used milk chocolate instead of dark.. 

because I am the only dark chocolate lover I know :(

and it went off pretty easy.. 

First layer.. 

Mixing the cake mix in the chocolate..

Sprinkled and cute.. 

Ready for my boxes.. 

The perfect treat for kids and grown ups alike.. 

(I might have snacked on a few pieces :)

S'more Cups...

These little cups are great for a summer treat...

just like eating s'mores by a campfire!

They are super easy to make.. 

just get the mold from Joann's.. 

fill with a little bit of melting chocolate.. 

next some graham cracker crumbs.. 

and throw in two or three little marshmallows.. 

and then cover in chocolate.. 

after about fifteen mins in the fridge.. 

they are ready to go.. 

And what better way to give them.. 

then in these super cute.. 

Martha Stewart cups.. 

with their bright colors

and scalloped edges.. 

I would make these candies just to use these liners.. 

Love!

Happy Summering!

Jealous Friday

This week I saw two posts

featuring Bark 

in colorful and un-Pepperminty forms...

It looks amazing..

and I am jealous I did not think of this idea sooner..

Cake Batter Birthday Bark..

freakin amazing!

From Birthday Girl... 

And from Save the Date for Cupcakes

marbleized Pastel bark...

perfect for Easter!

Have a lovely weekend!

A little cherry and chocolate cookies...

I was excited when I saw 

what looked like and easy recipe

in the latest martha stewart magazine.. 

a perfect cookie recipe for Valentine's cookies..

(thank god I tried it before the day of!)

Cherry-chunk cookies.. 

yummm!

Anyhoo.. 

for some reason the cookies 

came out extremely flat.. 

and burnt.. 

part because my oven just

started running extremely hot lately.. 

(please don't break oven!!)

but apparently other people were 

having problems with the recipe too, 

so I don't feel so bad.. 

Anyways,

I went to my old faithful cookie recipe

from this fun little baking book 

that has a deceiving cover.. 

looks like something you would never use.. 

but I love it!

and I just added the cherries and chocolate

and perfection.. 

A perfect Valentine's cookie.. 

except for the part where I bought

cherry flavored cranberries accidentally instead of cherries.. 

(that's what shopping while sick and with a toddler will do to you!)

Recipe for never-fail fluffy cookies.. 

from Nestle..

2 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter (softened)

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

375 degrees 

(or 350 if your oven is crazy!)

and 9 to 11 mins.. 

ta-da

Happy Baking!

Here come the hearts...

I always get a jump-start on the next holiday

as soon as the the last one has finished.. 

It makes me a little burnt out on 

the holiday by the end.. 

but it's soooo hard not too... 

there is just so much fun stuff to do 

and to plan for.. 

Plus, 

when you start the holiday late.. 

all the good stuff at the stores are gone.. 

Especially out of the target dollar bins.. 

which are my one-true-loves!

So on to Valentine's Day!

My plan for this year is to make.. 

conversation heart pops

from bakerella..

I'm so excited.. 

I have the heart molds, 

the pen to write on chocolate.. 

I'm almost ready!

(image from bakerella)

Winter Treats...

A nice easy winter treat.. 

White Chocolate Dipped Pretzels.. 

Just three simple steps:

1.  Dip pretzels in melted chocolate

2.  Sprinkle the dipped pretzels

3.  Let Dry and then package

An under 30 minute treat..

perfect for neighbors and holiday visitors.

Chocolate Covered Orange-Peels

I was so excited when I saw these

on Cupcakes and Cashmere .. 

and when my son ate an orange the other

day.. I just couldn't stop myself.. 

I used the recipe she linked to 

which was originally posted on

Smitten Kitchen.. 

for Orangettes.. 

And a fun little gift for the holidays!

Not too hard.. 

just a little bit of time.. 

and soooo yummy!

Another Dollar Store Adventure..

I found this wonderful

pumpkin ice tray at the dollar store.. 

at somewhere I read that these ice trays 

make perfect chocolate molds.. 

and that they do!

So for only a buck.. 

I had beautiful little pumpkins.. 

These were my practice run.. 

this week I plan on making 

peanut butter and chocolate pumpkins.. 

delish!

Some Creepy Chocolate...

So one of my first Halloween projects 

so far..

has been chocolate molds on pretzel sticks.. 

I had never done it before.. 

but for the first time it went pretty well.

Before we placed the pretzels into the mold

we dipped them in wilten's peanut butter melts..

which are just a tad sweeter than regular peanut butter

and dries much better.. 

so tasty.. 

the first person to mix peanut butter and chocolate

might just officially be my hero.. 

Witches fingers.. 

This rat was taken out of the mold 

a bit too early.. 

thus the cracks in the back.. 

but it was a good learning experience for next time.. 

if I were a little fancier.. 

I would have given the white rat red eyes.. 

I just loved the skeleton.. 

super creepy.. 

And orange fingernails.. 

spooky.. 

Needless to say.. they were all delicious.. 

and quite cute i think.. 

Today...

Today.. 

I'm feeling a little bit quiet, 

a little bit calm.. 

Thinking of beautiful things.. 

deciding what would be a good next project..

deciding when I should bake those 

chocolate chocolate chip cookies 

for my friends coming over tonight.. 

It's all a bit whimsical.. 

Hope you are having a pleasant day!

(image from twelve 22)

Let's Get S'mored....

What says summer in one simple bite.. 

Well, in my book that would be a s'more

There is not always a campfire near by.. 

But still this taste can be captured.. 

and on a stick no less..  

Here we go..

First,

My ingenious contraption

to hold the marshmallow sticks up right

to let the chocolate dry.. 

I was quite proud of myself for thinking of this.. 

(just a drying rack on some cups)

Melting some chocolate.. 

Marshmallows all stuck up.. 

Dip it in some chocolate.. 

Let it drip a bit.. 

and then sprinkle with gram cracker crumbs..

(word to the wise.. buy them already mashed up in your baking section)

All together now.. 

A great fun way to share some summer fun!

Today's Loves...

There are just two things that I can't stop thinking about today... 

Coffee.. 

(Image: Starbucks Dark Cherry Mocha)

And Chocolate.. 

(Image: William Sonoma)

Who said food can't be sexy?!