Check out this exciting new App, that takes your Pinterest recipes and makes a shopping lost for you, right on your phone! Also, this Valentine's Day Ice Cream recipe is divine - you will definitely want to make it for someone you love :)
Read More#LOVE Candles DIY Tutorial
Happy Valentine's Day! I have this adorable project idea that will last you long after the holiday is over. These #LOVE candles make such an adorable gift idea, and I can't believe how cute these are!
MATERIALS:
- 5 glass votive candles with wax in them
- various colors of festive tissue paper
- Mod Podge
- Paint Brushes & A Pencil
Paint a bit of the Mod Podge onto your first votive candle, and begin alternating paper pieces.
Brush more Mod Podge over top of the tissue paper for a smooth finish.
Repeat this with each votive candle, covering every side of the candles. Let these dry for a few hours, or overnight on a piece of white scrap paper. These may stick a little bit, so white paper worked best.
Now, you can stop here, or you can customize the candles with your message of #LOVE :)
*** Draw your letters onto the votives with pencil first!!!
And then paint over the pencil with black puffy paint. Carefully go back over the edges so they are smooth.
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!
A cute and comfy crewneck sweatshirt - perfect for wearing while drinking wine.
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 :)
Real Strawberry Muffins With Pink Icing
I wanted to make something with strawberries for Valentine's Day and here they are! The muffins don't need the icing, but it sure made them cute. I used mini muffin tins, and they were perfectly bite sized. These muffins were very moist, so make sure you cook them thoroughly.
STRAWBERRY MUFFINS FROM SCRATCH
2 C. all purpose flour
1/3 C. sugar
1 T. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
2 large eggs
1 C. milk
1/4 C. vanilla yogurt
1/2 t. vanilla extract
1 1/2 C. fresh strawberries, hulled and finely chopped
INSTRUCTIONS:
Mix all ingredients except for strawberries.
Here is my muffin batter before I added the strawberries and sugar.
Below, I pureed the strawberries and added them to my batter. I also added 2 drops of food coloring to enhance the pink color for the photos :)
Bake the mini muffins for 15-18. Now, make your icing.
I made a simple icing in my food processor. Add all ingredients, and process until combined. Scrape sides to incorporate any extra ingredients. Pour into smaller bowl to spoon onto muffins.
ICING INGREDIENTS - Original Recipe
1 Tbsp Butter - 1 C. Powdered Sugar - 1-2 Tbsp milk - 1/4 tsp vanilla - 2 tsp. fruit - Food Coloring
Have fun with this recipe, and enjoy!!
Gourmet Candy Hearts - Made At Home - Makes A Great Gift!
I had so much fun creating these heart chocolates. I made them in several varieties, and I am going to tell you how each one turned out! I used the highest-quality ingredients, mostly from the baking aisle and craft stores (for the heart mold and sprinkles). These turned out great!
GOURMET HEART CANDIES - AT HOME
Ghirardelli White Chocolate Melting Chips
Chopped Walnuts
*Note - do not use almond bark or candy melts for this method*
For best results, use a spoon to place toppings into mold.
Also - place heart mold onto a baking sheet or cutting board to transport them into the freezer.
These would be the perfect Valentine's Day gift for someone who loves sweets but is hard to shop for! These aren't super expensive to make, like some seasonal recipes are, either!
MY TOPPINGS TIPS
Heath - make sure to only use a light, single layer of these or they won't all stick to the chocolate.
Andes - My favorite! Fill with Andes about 1/3 of the way.
Sprinkles - Look best on white chocolate, rather than milk.
Chopped Walnuts - Use only a light layer, similar to Heath.
Larger Sprinkles - use a single layer for best results.
*The prettiest ones were the little nonpareils (tiny ball sprinkles) in a single layer*
Now, melt the chocolate! I used a double boiler method (explained here - but do not add any butter). I used a shallow, medium pot and filled it about 1/3 of the way with water. I placed two 2 Cup Pyrex measuring cups in the water for a double boiler. Melt 1 package each of the milk chocolate and white chocolate in separate cups. Slowly melt the chocolates, and stir frequently. They should be smooth and move easily.
Once your melted chocolate is smooth, remove the cups with an oven mitt, and place them onto a towel near your work space. Get a little bit of chocolate onto a spoon, and begin adding milk chocolate to half of the hearts. Then, white chocolate to the other hearts. Be careful not to get chocolate everywhere, so your end result is prettier.
Here they are after being in the freezer for less than an hour! Make sure they are completely cooled and hardened before you move them. One of my favorite parts was removing the fresh chocolates from the molds and seeing my creations! I liked most all of them, and think they would look adorable packaged up all cute for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Birthdays, and more!
Let Cupid Shoot His Arrow And Inspire Love
I believe in moving forward and taking things as they come to me. I try not to let any situation get me too down, and I believe that is the best way to achieve any kind of progress.
