FREE! {Patriotic Printable} God Bless America

Just in time for Memorial Day and perfect for the 4th of July, these cute printables will be the perfect addition to your patriotic decor around your house! These are sized as 8x10's but can be printed as 16x20's too, if you want to go really big!

 Click HERE for this one:

Click HERE for this one:

Click HERE for this one:

Enjoy!  And if you like it, SHARE IT on pinterest or facebook!  Just make sure to link back here!

{Summer Bucket List} Printable

Happy Almost Summer Everyone! To celebrate I made this cute Summer Bucket List printable for my family and you! CLICK HERE to get yours. Print it as an 8x10 and frame it and check off on the glass with a dry erase marker or just hang it on your fridge and write right on the paper! Enjoy!

{Nutella Cookies & Cake Balls} Recipe

Nutella seems to be one of the most popular ingredients in baking lately. I think it's for a pretty good reason. Have you ever had it? Well then you'll agree with me that there really is nothing that compares to the taste and the smooth texture! 

So one day my husband said, "You have to come and watch this!  It's so funny, and the cookies this guy is making look super good!"  It was Fabio Viviani and he was making a 5 ingredient chocolate cookie.  Guess what the chocolate ingredient was?  That's right!  Nutella.  These cookies are also sprinkled with salt, yes you heard me right, salt.  If you know anything about salt, you know that it will really make the flavors in these cookies POP!  Don't be afraid to add the salt!

I have changed it just a tiny bit because I think the flavor of nutmeg really adds to rich flavor of these cookies.  We also played around with the cake ball maker and this recipe.  Just make sure you DON'T overbake the cookies or the cake balls, because you won't be able to bite into them :)  They will be a little gooey on the inside, which makes them even better!

So let's get on with the recipe!  Oh, and if you want to watch the video Fabio did, Click Here.  You will laugh a lot.

6- Ingredient Nutella Cookies!

Ingredients:
2 cups chocolate hazelnut spread, like Nutella
4 tbsp. brown sugar
2 egg
1 1/2 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
coarse sea salt

Method:
Preheat oven to 350F.
In an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, combine Nutella, brown sugar, and egg.
Mix on low speed, until blended.
Slowly add the flour and mix just until a dough is formed.  Do NOT over-mix.
Scoop cookies onto a sheet tray lined with parchment paper.  Top each with a sprinkle of sea salt.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Cool cookies before removing from sheet tray.

I tried lowering the temperature of the oven and cooking them a little longer to see if I could make them a little less gooey, but I didn't like those as much as I liked the gooey ones.  They were too hard.

 

If you are making the cake balls, just preheat your cake ball maker and add 2 teaspoons (I used a cookie scooper), close and let bake about 6-10 minutes.  Keep checking on them, as soon as they have puffed up into a ball, remove them.  NO overbaking!  I stuck my stick in melted semi-sweet chocolate chips, then stuck them in the COOLED balls.  Let the chocolate set.  Then dip the cake balls into the melted chocolate and coat, sprinkle with decorations.  And viola!  You are done!

Texas Roadhouse Rolls Copycat Recipe with Cinnamon Butter

Texas Roadhouse Rolls are super yummy, especially with their cinnamon butter! These rolls are really similar and the butter recipe that I made up I like even better than Texas Roadhouse's.  It's not honey cinnamon butter, it's brown sugar cinnamon butter!

These rolls are really easy to make and the way I rolled them out makes them split in half perfectly.  See here?

That little split just comes right apart, perfectly separated for the yummy butter!

So let's get on with the recipe:

Texas Roadhouse Copycat Rolls Recipe:

-4 tsp. active dry yeast- I use SAF

-1 teaspoon honey

-1/2 c. warm water- make sure it's not scalding hot or you will kill your yeast!

-2 c. milk

-3 Tbl. butter

-1/2 c. sugar 

-7-8 cups all purpose flour

-2 whole eggs (room temperature is best!)

-2 tsp. salt

Dissolve yeast in warm water with the teaspoon of honey; let stand until frothy. Meanwhile add the milk to a sauce pan, or a microwaveable bowl with the butter and sugar and heat until VERY HOT.  Do not boil the milk.  Add the milk mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attached.   turn mixer on low and add enough flour to make a thin batter, kind of like a pancake batter.

 

 Add eggs and salt.  Beat well.  Add the rest of the flour just until you have a soft dough.  When you touch the dough, it should stick to your finger.  Knead the dough in your mixer with your dough hook for about 4-5 minutes or until satiny. 

 

Add to a greased bowl; turn over to grease top. Cover with sprayed plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled.  Punch down.  Turn out onto a floured counter or pastry mat.  Roll out into a large rectangle.  Fold rectangle over and lightly roll over the top to seal the middle.

 

Cut your dough with a pizza cutter into squares:

 (Yes, I am not the perfect roller outer.  Actually I suck and making the right shapes when rolling out dough, but who cares if it tastes good, right?)

 Place on greased baking sheets.  Cover with the sprayed plastic wrap that you used for the bowl. Let rise until doubled.

  

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Baste immediately with butter. (I just take a cold stick of SALTED butter and rub it over the top of the hot rolls.  Works perfectly!)

 Yield: 5 to 6 dozen.

Cinnamon Sugar Butter:
-1/2 cup margarine or softened butter
-2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
-1 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix together with a fork and serve.  EASY PEASY!

The Perfect Buttercream Frosting Recipe

You can't have a cake or cupcakes without really good homemade frosting. A boxed cake mix can be fancied up and made better, but you can't do anything about yucky store bought frosting. In my opinion, frosting makes the cake!

 
I've always made homemade frosting for my cupcakes and cakes and there has always been a small problem.  When I add the wet ingredients, the frosting breaks down a little bit.  FRUSTRATING!

So guess what!  I found the perfect way to make buttercream frosting without it breaking down or separating!

THERE IS A SECRET!

And here it is:  Add the wet ingredients to the butter before  adding the powdered sugar!!  YES, it works!!  I haven't tried it with fruit yet, but I am assuming that it would work great adding strawberries, blueberries or raspberries too!  Adding wet ingredients to your frosting after the sugar has been added makes the sugar dissolve quickly.  Sugar is a wet ingredient because it turns into a liquid when mixed with other liquids.  Making the frosting this way, helps the sugar stay more solid so it won't separate.  Does that make sense?  Hopefully!


The Perfect Buttercream Frosting:

-2 sticks of unsalted butter- softened
-1 teaspoon vanilla
-3 tablespoons milk
-about 2 cups powdered sugar
-pinch of salt (only if you use unsalted butter, do not add this pinch of salt if you are using salted butter)

Start out by beating the butter until smooth with a whisk attachment on your beater or stand mixer.  With the mixer still going on medium, add the vanilla and milk and whisk until smooth and incorporated.  Add a pinch of salt while the wet ingredients are mixing.  Turn the mixer to low and slowly add the powdered sugar a little at a time until smooth.  Add powdered sugar until you have reached the desired consistency.  Two cups is perfect for me.

 This should make enough frosting for as much cake or cupcakes that come from a box mix with a little left over for graham crackers!

{Mickey Mouse} Caramel Apples for Parties or Gifts!

This Mickey Mouse Caramel Apple is the best idea ever for a Disney themed party! Mickey Mouse is one of my 2 year olds favorite characters. He had a Mickey Mouse birthday party in December and I wish I would have had this idea then!

 I am going to tell you right from the start that this is not my creation! One of my preschool students gave me this as a favor for his birthday. His mom is so cute about bringing us gifts and they are always something yummy to eat!

This is what you need:
-Large Sucker Sticks
-Green Apples
-Caramel
-Large Marshmallows 
-Melting Chocolate
-Melting White Chocolate or Almond Bark
-Red Sugar
-Mike and Ikes or M&M's

Directions:

Stick the sticks in the top of the apples. Melt the caramel according to package directions or make your own from your favorite recipe. Let the caramel harden by placing the apples on wax paper.

 Melt a small amount of the chocolate and dip in the side of a marshmallow and stick it on the top of the apple and let set (to make the ears). The chocolate acts like a glue to hold the marshmallows on the apple.  Let the chocolate set.

Melt the rest of the chocolate then dip the whole apple and marshmallows in the chocolate and set back on the wax paper to harden.

 Melt the white chocolate or Almond Bark and dip the apples half way into the white chocolate.  Immediately add the yellow Mike and Ikes cut in half vertically, or yellow M&M's then dip or sprinkle with red sugar while still wet.  Let dry and viola!  You are done!

 Wrap them up in a clear cellophane bag and you have an instant party favor~!

German Pancakes with Strawberry Syrup Recipe

German Pancakes are one of my families favorite breakfasts. We make them for Christmas, Easter, Conference Morning, etc. Super easy, super yummy!  You just blend together all the ingredients in a blender, pour the batter into a cake pan and bake them in the oven.  Top with strawberry syrup (recipe included) and powdered sugar and viola!  Yummy breakfast!

German Pancakes:
-12 Eggs
-2 Cups Milk
-2 cups all purpose flour
-4 Tablespoons melted butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
-4 cups frozen strawberries
-1/2 cup white sugar
-Powdered Sugar for sprinkling

In a blender (or a bowl using a whisk) add eggs, milk, 3 T. melted butter and blend until mixed well. Slowly add the flour and salt and blend until smooth.  Use the remaining tablespoon butter to grease the cake pan.  Pour batter in the pan and bake at 400 for 13 minutes then reduce the heat to 350 and cook for an additional 15 minutes.  The German Pancakes will puff up and get crispy and light brown.

While the pancakes are cooking, microwave the strawberries until almost thawed.  Add to the clean blender with the sugar and blend until smooth.

Pour strawberry syrup over pancake slices and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Enjoy!

Free Printable- "You're One of our Favorite Peeps" visiting teaching hand out

Free Printable Visiting Teaching, Student, Friend hand out for Easter! "You are one of my favorite peeps, or You are one of our favorite peeps!"   Attach it to a package of "Peeps" and viola!  An instant cute gift.

If you're a procrastinator like me, you will need this for some of the special people in your life. I thought it would be perfect for handing out to the people I visit teach, my primary class, my preschool students, my kids, etc.

There is a plural version if you are a team teacher, and a singular version if it's just from you. They are made to be printed as a 4x6 then cut in half.

 Enjoy!


CLICK HERE for the plural version:

CLICK HERE for the singular version:

Grilled Chicken {Enchilada Soup} Recipe

This is one of my favorite soup recipes. I actually made it up myself. Proud moment :) I have always loved  Soups and this one is right up there at the top of the list for flavor and easiness.  YES I said it was EASY!  Key word in my house.

I call it Grilled Chicken Enchilada Soup because instead of just cooking the chicken in the soup in a crockpot, or boiling it, I grilled it with delicious spices and this is what sets this soup up on a pedestal compared with all other soups.

I dare even say that its better than Cafe Rio's chicken tortilla soup.  Yes, I just said that.  Why is it better?  Because you make it at home, it costs WAY less, and it's just as yummy!

Grilled Chicken Enchilada Soup Recipe: 

For the chicken:
-3 large or 4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-1 teaspoon chili powder
-1 teaspoon ground cumin
-1 teaspoon onion salt

For the Soup:
-1 teaspoon chili powder
-1 teaspoon ground cumin
-1/2 chopped onion
-2 cans 14.5 oz. petite diced tomatoes
-1 can 4 oz. green chilies 
-2 cans 10 oz. each cans enchilada sauce (mild)
- 1 can 15 oz. black beans drained and rinsed
-1/2 lb. frozen corn
-1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
-4 cans water (from the cream of chicken soup can)
-6 chicken bullion cubes
(or replace the water and bullion with 5 cups chicken broth)
-1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro

Garnish:
-Tortilla chips
-Shredded cheese
-Sour cream
-Fresh cilantro

In a gallon size zip lock bag add the olive oil and one teaspoon each of chili powder, cumin and onion salt.  Mix around by shaking the bag.  Add the chicken and massage around until mixed well and the chicken is coated with oil and spices.  Grill chicken for about 10 minutes on each side or until it reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Doesn't it look super delicious?  It really is.  This is a great chicken recipe just to eat for dinner.

 Chop chicken into small bite size pieces.

Mix together all other ingredients into a large saucepan then add chicken.  Cook on medium heat until onions are tender. About 30 minutes.

Super easy!  Top with your desired toppings and enjoy!

{How To} Make your own Cell Phone Tripod Mount

How to make your own Cell Phone Tripod Mount for an existing tripod! This will fit any cell phone including all iPods and iPhones.

I like to do some video tutorials on hair and stuff, maybe you've noticed :) I also had a Flip, that broke. So now I am using my cell phone to do videos. So I started looking around the internet for some real cell phone tripod mounts and my choices were, expensive or crap. No in between.

So I got to thinking, what if I found a way to mount my car suction cup cell phone thingy (yes that's what I call it) on a tripod?  I asked my hubby to help out, and of course within a matter of minutes, he had one made for me.  He didn't even wait for me to come and document the steps with pictures.  So this is how he did it...

Materials needed:
-2"x 2" L Bracket: you can get them at Home Depot HERE. They are about $1 each
-Car suction cup mount- Ours is made by Merkury.  You can get it HERE
-Drill and drill bits
-Tripod

Starting with drill bit 5/32nds, start making one of the top holes of the L bracket larger.  You have to use each drill bit and drill out little by little, getting larger and larger, until you get to 15/64ths.  So in other words, start at 5/32nds, then 11/64th, then 3/16ths, 13/64ths, 7/32nds, then end with 15/64ths.

 You should be able to screw the L Bracket onto the tripod mount now.

Then you remove the cell phone holder part by unscrewing the back of the holder from the suction cup arm. Then you can stick the screw into the top hole and your done.  SUPER EASY!

Enjoy~!  Please pin and share if you like what you see~!