Pink Hot Cocoa Recipe

I am super excited to share this fun recipe for Pink Hot Cocoa, perfect for the holidays! Think warm white chocolate with other special flavors and a bit of holiday sparkle!

I originally created this recipe and DIY Coffee Mug to help promote A Bad Moms Christmas and helped them promote the movie on Pinterest! It was a LOT of fun, and I am so happy with how everything turned out :) 

If you haven't seen Bad Mom's or Bad Mom's Christmas, I would definitely recommend it!

WATCH THE MOVIE TRAILER HERE!

Santa Mom survives Christmas Morning by dancing with sugar plum fairies, and adding a splash of booze to her hot cocoa.

INSTRUCTIONS:

To make the cutest Pink Hot Cocoa Ever, simply heat 2 cups milk, 4 ounces of white chocolate, and a few drops of pink food coloring in small saucepan. Now for the best part: add 2 ounces of rum or your favorite liquor, and top with whipped topping, light pink shimmering sprinkles, and pink marshmallows. To make the mug, I added little letter stickers and very carefully started with the middle words and worked my way out, so everything would be centered.

Happy Holidays, friends! Check out the hottest holiday movie of the year – Bad Mom’s Christmas, in theaters NOW!! #BadMomsXmas

St. Patrick's Day Snack Mix Recipe

Looking for something sweet, salty, and crunchy to make for St. Patrick's Day?

Here's a tasty idea, that incorporates yummy green shamrock marshmallows, pretzels, cereal, all covered in white chocolate and green sprinkles!

Ooh, yum, this is good! Read on to learn how fun and easy it was to make, and let me know, in the comments below, if you wind up creating something like this of your own. Enjoy :)

1 Bag of White Chocolate Chips

1 Part Lucky Shamrock Cereal 

1 Part Square Pretzels

1 Part Rice or Corn Check Cereal

Lime Green + Regular Green Sprinkles

This was SO easy to create, and it tastes SO good! What a fun and festive treat to make for St. Patty's Day or really any day :) I was originally looking for traditional "Lucky" Cereal, but was really excited to find the one with green shamrocks in it instead. Here's how you make it!

1.) In a medium bowl, add equal parts of shamrock cereal, check cereal, and pretzels. Mix to combine, then pour onto a baking sheet.

2.) Melt white chocolate chips in a microwave for around 45 seconds on high, stir, then melt again after stirring for another 15 or so seconds. That last little burst of heat really did the trick, and these morsels melted smoothly and were so easy to work with.

3.) Pour the white chocolate evenly over the cereal mixture, and stir with two large spoons - one spoon just made a mess :) 

4.) Cover with sprinkles, and since it cooled pretty quickly, I was able to disperse into small bowls right after mixing and adding my sprinkles! This would be so cute for a party or to have around the house this St. Patty's Day! 

PIN IT FOR LATER...

Friendsgiving Decor Ideas

I am so excited about the idea of a Friendsgiving and I wanted to share some of my favorite inspirations for decor ideas. Excited to bring you upcoming posts about what to wear to Friendsgiving and also some recipe ideas too. For now, here are some creative ideas I found around the web, and hope to use as inspiration for my decor as well! How would you decorate for your friends this season?

An inexpensive utensil wrap idea, would be getting sheets of felt, and wrapping them around the utensils and then finishing them off with some raffia! You may already have the materials. (source).

As always, Pizzazzerie has the best decor for all seasons. Here is a cute bar cart idea that she created. I would love to use the colors in her photo, above, to use as inspiration for my Friendsgiving party! 

And these cups are just divine! Love the fonts, and turkey shape as well - nice designs! (above)

Above, DIY Show Off created this adorable drink station, which is perfect for guests - you never have to take time to refill their drinks - that's priceless! 

Lastly, although this decor would take a little bit of time, it would be a fun project! Make your very own real-leaf decor by simply spray painting leaves in metallic copper, letting them dry, and then tying them to strings. Found on Nicest Things. 

An Easy Treat For Labor Day And Beyond

I have an awesome, tasty, and amazingly easy dessert idea for Labor Day festivities and beyond. Definitely want to admit that I did not make my own cupcakes, though - I got some delicious pre-made Red Velvet Cupcakes from our local Schnuck's grocery store, and also found the berries there too. But, the little special touches always make people smile, so you can recreate your own by simply adding some blueberries and raspberries to some cupcakes of your own. You could even grab the 3 ingredients on your way to a party, and decorate the desserts when you arrive! I also love how the seersucker fabric and little silver stars confetti makes for a patriotic yet elegant decor idea for any holiday that's red, white, and blue! 

If you do want to make your own Naturally Colored Red Velvet Cupcakes, Food52 has an awesome recipe that uses beets (instead of red food coloring) - which is incredible! 

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NATURALLY DYED RED VELVET RECIPE FROM FOOD52:

For the cake:

• 1 cup beet purée, from fresh red beets (not cooked)
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups cake flour
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder, not Dutch-process
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup neutral-flavored oil
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs

For the cream cheese frosting:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 8 ounces unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons crème fraîche
• 1 pound confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pinch salt

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Instructions:

Add the beet purée, buttermilk, vinegar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract to a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until very smooth.

Sift the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, cream of tartar, and salt together in a bowl. Beat the sugar, oil, and butter together in a large bowl until creamy, then add the eggs one at a time, mixing for 30 seconds after each addition.

Alternate adding the flour mixture and beet mixture to bowl, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Divide between the cupcake papers and bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 20 to 22 minutes.

Cool the cupcakes on a rack for 20 minutes or more. Then, get the icing ready. 

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To make the frosting, beat the butter and cream cheese together on high speed until fluffy and smooth, then add the crème fraîche. Turn the mixer to low and gradually add the confectioners' sugar until just combined, then turn the mixer up to medium-high and beat until fluffy and smooth, making sure to stop the mixer and scrape down to the bottom of the bowl so everything is evenly mixed. Add the lemon zest, vanilla extract, and salt. Enjoy!

Another Adorable Gift Basket With Erin Pelicano Jewelry

I hope you enjoyed my previous gift basket post, here. I had so much fun putting that basket together, that I created yet a second gift basket. These are so perfect for Mother's Day (and for gifting at just about any time of the year). The reason why I like the style of this gift basket so much, is because after you gift this beautiful creation, someone can then use the basket as store in a closet, bathroom, pantry, and more. 

GIFTS FOR SOMEONE SPECIAL

The items in this gift basket include: Mother & Daughter Necklace by Erin Pelicano, White Petals & Rice Flower Lotion by Lollia, 3" Copper Thermal Round Brush by 1907 by FROMM , Doo.Over Dry Shampoo by Kevin Murphy, Eye Palette and Eyeshadow by e.l.f., and the Sea Salt Southern Artisan Chocolate by Olive and Sinclair Chocolate. Read more about this chocolate in my previous post about Chocolate + Cashmere, here.  

MATERIALS:

1 Wicker Basket

1 Roll of ribbon to wrap around the basket (not wired)

Hot Glue Gun + Glue (I used about 12 sticks, so it takes a lot)

2-3 Silk Flower Heads 

Tissue Paper

Paper Crinkles

Fun Goodies To Fill Basket

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INSTRUCTIONS:

1.) Cut a piece of ribbon, long enough to wrap around the basket and overlap about 3" in back. 

2.) Glue the ribbon to the basket. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to work with this burlap ribbon roll. It just seemed to mold to the shape of the basket so well. Starting at the back of the basket, glue the top of the ribbon and the cut end of the ribbon to the basket. Continue to wrap the ribbon around, and glue it/secure it every few inches. I glued up the basket where the vertical basket pieces were. 

Gotta love that glue gun :)

3.) When you have glued the ribbon all the way around the basket, make sure the ribbon is attached well throughout the entire basket. Feel free to touch up any spots that may be loose. Fold the remaining cut end of ribbon over, to make sure loose edges are not showing. Then, glue that in place. Yay! The "hard part" is done. 

Here is what your gift basket should look like...(below)

4.) Now, fill the bottom half of the basket with tissue paper.

5.) Then, add your paper crinkles. They should mold to the shape of the basket pretty well. These were from Target for $1.00 - I just love the color combo!

I wanted to make this cute gift basket like a floral arrangement of sorts, and I found these adorable berries (below), that really were the absolute perfect colors. So, it made me really happy to find these at JoAnn's during their recent Daffodil Dash sales :)

Double Layer Easter Brownies Recipe

Today was the first day of Spring, and Easter is right around the corner. I created this fun and (very) easy Easter dessert that will be a big hit. I love how chocolatey these are, and if you're craving something sweet, these will be exactly what you need. 

I wanted to share this recipe, because they turned out beautifully, but required only a few ingredients. 

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WHAT YOU NEED:

Box of brownie mix (9"x13" size)

Chocolate Icing 

Eggs, Water, Oil for brownie mix

MnM's Candies or similar (I used the Spring color mix, but any holiday colors would do!)

THAT'S IT!!!

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INSTRUCTIONS:

Bake brownies as per instructions on box. Remove from oven, and once cooled completely, cut into squares that are roughly 3"x3". 

Lay out the squares, and put a dollop of icing on half of them, leaving the prettiest ones without icing, to be put on top.

Place the top layer brownies on the iced brownies. Ice the top brownies, add candies, and you're done! Simple as that :) Enjoy!

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Peanut Butter + Chocolate Valentine's Day Puppy Chow Recipe

I never really loved Puppy Chow back in jr. high when everyone else was freaking out about buying it from our bake sales at school. I love chocolate, but for some reason, it was always way too rich for me and I never got into it.

Until now! This recipe primarily tastes like peanut butter, white chocolate, and of course, powdered sugar. 

INGREDIENTS:

4 1/2 cups Rice Chex™ cereal (or any brand will do!)

1/2 cup white vanilla baking chips - I like the white chocolate chips from Ghirardelli.

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 cup powdered sugar 

1/4 cup red, white and pink candy-coated chocolate candies (like M&M's)

2 tablespoons festive sprinkles

INSTRUCTIONS:

- In a double boiler over medium heat (or in the microwave), melt the butter, white chocolate chips, and peanut butter until combined and smooth. 

- Pour the peanut butter mixture over the cereal and mix as thoroughly as you can, coating all of the cereal. 

- Now, sift the powdered sugar over the cereal mixture, using a metal strainer works well! Mix as much as you can, and add more powdered sugar as needed to coat the cereal!

- Lastly, add the sprinkles and chocolate candies, and serve! 

SERVING & PACKAGING IDEAS:

- Carry the Puppy Chow in a festive tin to the office, or your party! Encourage guests to grab a little scoop of the treats in these heart-themed cups.

- If you want individual party favors, put the puppy chow into the heart cups, and slide them into a clear treat bag. Tie with ribbon, then add a metallic heart doily to the ribbon and tie into a bow! (See below)

What is your favorite Valentine's Day snack or memory? Let me know in the comments below! 

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE...

Yes Way Rosé

Valentine's Day is fast approaching and I think this Rosé wine would be perfect for a fancy date night. Drink something pink and you will be a happy woman! Rosé is a type of wine that incorporates some of the color from the grape skins, but not enough to qualify it as a red wine. It may be the oldest known type of wine. 

Check out these adorable glasses in rose, lilac, and clear! They would be perfect for rosé! 

Yes Way Rose Glasses

A cute and comfy crewneck sweatshirt - perfect for wearing while drinking wine. 

Tote Bag DIY

A Box Of Chocolates Is Always A Good Idea...

Have any fun plans for Valentine's Day? Love Rosé? Let me know in the comments below :) 

Ugly Christmas Sweater Dog Bandana - DIY Tutorial

Looking for a last minute way to get festive this holiday season? Dress your pup in something cute and quirky. This is my take on the Ugly Christmas Sweater, but updated. Cabbie actually loved this bandana! 

MATERIALS:

Solid Colored Bandana (or solid colored square of fabric that fits your dog), Sparkly Felt, Tacky Glue or Fabric Glue, Sparkly and Solid Colored Puffy Paint, Other Holiday Embellishments (I used mini flat-backed ornaments), This Template (Here), Scissors, Permanent Marker, Computer and Printer. NOTE: You can also draw your own shapes.

Cut out the paper shapes you want to use. Then, trace them onto the back of the felt. 

Iron the bandana, and position the shapes and other adornments around so they create a cool design. ** Place a newspaper between the folded bandana to catch glue! Glue the pieces down, and wait about 30 minutes to an hour for pieces to be secure. 

Now, get out your puffy paint and outline the edges of the felt shapes. Get as creative as you want with this project, I really had a lot of fun! 

Happy Holidays from Cabbie The Chocolate Lab and Lily The Wandering Gypsy! XOXO!

What To Wear For Easter

Looking for a cute outfit to wear for Easter? Get yourself an adorable cardigan, a cute top and colorful pants/shorts, or of course, a feminine but modest dress. 

Here is a great jewelry option to wear on an elegant yet simple tee. 

If you want a more casual look that is still modest and cute, try pairing your favorite comfy cardigan with a white top and patterned shorts or pants underneath. You will be able to still enjoy all of that wonderful Easter food and still be comfortable. 

For a much dressier look, pair a sequined tank top and white full skirt with a dark colored cardigan over top. 

If you're like me, and sometimes want to cover your legs, wear a cute maxi skirt, white t-shirt, and statement necklace for a cute and fun look. Adding a bright purse is also great!

The Pink Lily Boutique has all sorts of great ideas for Easter and beyond! 

A LOVEly Life

One of my favorite seasonal boards is A LOVEly Life. I love Valentine's Day, and all of the fun imagery, crafts, recipes, and DIYs surrounding it. Here are a few LOVEly items for you to see! 

Heart Bikini - Heart Cupcakes by Hello Naomi - Red Date Night Dresses - Kiss Kiss Gift Wrap DIY by Sugar and Cloth - Kiss Kiss Sweater - Red Heels - Fortune Cookies by Sugar For The Brain