Frozen Hot Chocolate Pie Recipe

I am writing this as I eat a piece of this magical pie! I love how it turned out, and now I have a chocolatey treat for days to come. The best part is that this pie was incredibly easy to make, and the ingredients cost less than $5! 

INGREDIENTS:

1 Pie Crust, Cool Whip, Chocolate Pudding (Instant), Milk

INSTRUCTIONS:

Mix 2 Cups milk into pudding and stir, Let sit for about 5 minutes. 

Add 1 Cup of the Chocolate Pudding into the bottom of the pie crust, and smooth out. 

Mix 1 Cup Cool Whip into the rest of the pudding and stir until well combined. Add this mixture to the pie crust and smooth out.

Now, put some of the extra Cool Whip into a small Ziploc bag and cut end off. Practice first, but dollop little dots of Cool Whip around the edges of the pie. Feel free to decorate with sprinkles for a more festive look! Freeze for 1 hour, and slice yourself some chocolate pie! If you freeze it overnight, it will be more the consistency of a pudding pop. So good either way! Enjoy!!!

4 DIY Christmas Gift Tutorials - By Lily The Wandering Gypsy

Check out my Pinterest Board here - https://www.pinterest.com/happysolez/a-hankering-to-be-making-this/

This DIY Planner is one of my most popular blog posts! Check out how easy it would be to make one, and give as a gift. 

Also, check out my pin board, A Hankering To Be Making This for TONS of ideas! 

These amazing No-Bake Cheesecakes are made with animal crackers instead of traditional graham crackers. These would make amazing gifts for the holidays, since they are individually packaged. 

All you need is 3 materials for these super easy, Tassel Earrings, and they make a thoughtful gift.

These Glitzy Tree Earrings are also a cute and festive gift idea you could make for a friend, and then make yourself a matching pair! These turned out really great! 

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7 Can Soup Recipe

Here is a super easy soup recipe, and requires 7 cans of soup and tomatoes, and a few other ingredients. It tastes amazing! 

INGREDIENTS

- 2 - 28 oz. cans of diced tomatoes

- 1 - 15 oz. can black beans

- 1 - 15 oz. can pinto beans

- 1 - 15 oz. can garbanzo beans (I used half the can in this recipe)

- 1 - 15 oz. can corn

- 1 - 15 oz. can sweet peas

- 1 or 2 - 32 oz. containers of beef broth - depends on how much broth you like in your soup.

- 1/2 Lb. bacon

- 1 medium yellow onion

1 Lb. ground beef

- 3 Tablespoons olive oil, salt and seasoning to taste.

- sour cream and finely shredded cheese to top soup.  

INSTRUCTIONS

1.) In a large soup pot, begin to heat oil. Add chopped onions, bacon, ground beef, and salt/seasoning. Open and drain cans EXCEPT FOR TOMATOES - while you are waiting. Stir often. 

2.) Once beef has browned, add in all 7 cans, and broth, and stir. everything together and add more seasoning. Taste as you go! 

3.) Let simmer for about 30 minutes, and you're ready to serve! The house smelled amazing because of this soup! 

4.) Serve with a dollop of sour cream and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Crackers would also be good! 

Happy Veteran's Day!

I wanted to share a super quick and easy recipe to add to your Veteran's Day fun! You may already have these two simple ingredients at home, so let's get started! 

INGREDIENTS

- One Bag of Lightly Salted Pop Corn - I used something like this. *Do not use white cheddar, it won't taste as good* - You can also quickly pop some at home if you prefer! 

- One Bag Each of Blue and Red Candy Melts (pictured below). 

That's it. Here are some blue candy melts, below.

OTHER SUPPLIES

Two medium sized microwave-safe dishes, and two heat-safe spatulas (one for red, one for blue).

INSTRUCTIONS

1.) Decide how much popcorn you want to use. You will need 8 candy melts per 1 cup of popcorn. The red ones coated the popcorn a bit more intensely than the blue ones did. 

2.) Melt the candy melts in the microwave at half power for 1 minute and stir. Melt again for 30 second intervals until you are satisfied with the texture. If you don't wish to use a microwave, a stovetop double-boiler method is best. Be very careful, candy will be HOT!!! Let candy sit for a few minutes to cool. Here is more info on melting the candy melts.

3. In each bowl, put desired amount of popcorn. Carefully drizzle the candy melts over top of the popcorn and stir each color with a large spatula.

4. Let popcorn mixtures cool separately for about an hour, until candied popcorn has hardened and cooled to room temperature. Mix the blue and red popcorn together in a fresh serving bowl. Serve and enjoy. 

Happy November! Let's Eat Squash!

We finally got all of the ingredients together to make this hearty meal last night, and it was pretty good! I even made a Flipagram for you to watch and see how pretty these turn out!

I was so happy to find Organic Acorn Squash at Kroger! 

They're really quite pretty when you cut them open! Scoop out all of the seeds and inside bits!

View on Flipagram

Scoop out the insides, cover with oil and salt, and bake at 4000 Degrees for 40 mins. Then, prepare to make the filling!

Below, we covered the acorn squash with olive oil and salt, and baked them for 40 minutes at 400 Degrees.

For the filling, we used about 1/2 Lb/ ground pork (but could have easily used ground beed or turkey), 1/2 a red onion, 3 stalks of celery, salt and seasonings, 1/2 C. breadcrumbs, and 1/2 C. Parmesan cheese. 

Now, cook the onions, celery, and ground beef in a little bit of olive oil, and season for extra flavor. Below, you will see the filling after the meat has browned. Photo on the left is after we added the breadcrumbs and the parmesan! Yum!

Now, put that filling into the squash you just took out of the oven! Bake for 20 more minutes...

And you're ready to eat!!! YUM!!!

Missouri Department Of Tourism

Super excited about this recent collaboration with Missouri Department of Tourism! They even posted my recipes on their blog (here). They asked me to submit ideas and then images of activities someone would do in Missouri in the Fall. I immediately thought about all the times we have camped, fished, hiked, and road tripped to Missouri! Bobby used to go down with his family to camp in Missouri a countless number of times when he was younger, and he was the one who really showed me the beauty of the state. 

CHECK OUT THE MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM BLOG HERE

Here are a few of my favorite images Bobby and I created for this amazingly fun and nostalgic project! View all the images in my Portfolio (here). 

VIEW THE WHOLE PORTFOLIO HERE

View This On Pinterest / View This On The Missouri Department of Tourism Blog

View This On Pinterest / View This On The Missouri Department of Tourism Blog

View This On Pinterest / View This On The Missouri Department of Tourism Blog

Halloween Party Inspirations

Dying to host a killer Halloween Party this year? Now is a great time to start searching for fun props, recipes, and party ideas!

TEST TUBE SHOTS & MIXED DRINKS

Mix up some blood orange cocktails and label them with Blood Types and drink ingredients.

Pamela Smerker Designs printed off cute tags so she could package up some candy in the cutest way ever! Click here to see the whole party she designed! 

UTILIZE BEAKERS

This is my favorite Halloween idea ever! Halloween Drink Lab! 

LOVE these adorable Beaker Cocktails! 

Here is a more sophisticated way to serve drinks in beakers. I could also see making a larger scale punch (or even sangria) for your party and use a larger beaker as a carafe. 

CANDY - CANDY - CANDY

Here is a DIY idea I just love! If your guests have a sweet tooth, grab some Halloween candy for them to munch on while they party the night away. 

And, this idea is super easy! Grab a white bowl, set a rubber skeleton inside, and fill with this awesome Halloween Puppy Chow recipe. 

A rustic candy corn display in a paper bag with twine tied around gives this a "farm" feeling

USE DRY ICE

This is one of my favorite drink ideas! 

This Dry Ice Martini is super chic and will be a crowd pleaser! 

Fall Rice Krispy Treat Pops!

Ever wonder why your rice krispy treats don't turn out soft, rich, buttery, and super tasty? You may be using the wrong method. Here, I will show you the old-fashioned way to make Rice Krispy Treats on the stovetop - with real butter.

I love how these little leaf treat pops turned out! They could be customized to just about any holiday or party theme, too! Feel free to add food coloring to them to really customize them in a new, unique way. Here we go!

Ingredients:

- 3 Tbsp. REAL Butter (Organic Preferred)

- 6 C. Rice Krispy Cereal 

- 6 C. Marshmallows

- Sprinkles in Seasonal Colors

(Not Pictured)

- Parchment Paper

- Baking Dish 

- Smaller Wooden Skewers

- Leaf-Shaped Cookie Cutters

Instructions: 

In a large pot, melt butter over low heat (slower is better, so the butter doesn't burn.). As that melts, add marshmallows. Continue to melt the ingredients over low-medium heat. Make sure to watch the mixture so it doesn't brown. The mixture should look a little something like this right before you add the cereal.

Add the cereal and mix well to combine all of the ingredients. 

1.) Spray baking dish with non-stick spray or butter. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit inside the dish.

2.) Pour in Gooey Cereal Mix.

3.) Use another piece of parchment paper to pat down the cereal mixture flat into the dish. This will keep your hands WAY less messy.

Once cereal has cooled, remove the cereal and parchment paper, and put it onto a cutting board.

Use your favorite leaf-shaped cookie cutter, press firmly down into treats. You can use a bit of non-stick spray on the cookie cutter if the treats stick. Carefully insert small skewer sticks into the leaves. Make sure you don't jab your hand. I got about 12-13 leaves out of my batch, and had lots of pieces left over to devour :)

Enjoy! Happy Fall! Check me out on Pinterest.

Lavender Lemonade - Bacardi Inspired

One of the coolest projects I have ever done is working with Bacardi to show my readers how to create summer party-ready drinks with two of their flavors - Limon and Tangerine (a new one). 

I was asked to pretty much create whatever I wanted, and below you will see some of the goodness I thought up.

Actually, the main reason I thought this recipe would be great, is that the VRBO house we stayed in while we were in the Tahoe are a couple of weeks ago had some wild lavender growing nearby. I technically borrowed some clippings from the neighbor's yard, and WOW, did it smell incredible! The other wildflowers in the photos were also sourced from the neighbors, and I will tell you, I didn't even make a dent in their landscaping :) 

I made a simple syrup with the lavender, some sugar, and water. This way the lavender infused properly into the drink. But, I actually added it into some pretty glasses with Simply Lemonade and a shot of Bacardi. Below, you will find the recipe if you want to make it from scratch, with real lemons. 

LAVENDER LEMONADE VIA SIMPLYRECIPES.COM

The sugar/lemon balance will depend on what types of lemons you are using (Meyer lemons are less tart than regular lemons), and your own preference for sweetness. While all varieties of lavender are edible, English lavender and Provence lavender are most often used for culinary purposes. If you use fresh, garden flowers, make sure they have not been sprayed with pesticides. Do not use florist flowers.

Ingredients

• A small handful of freshly picked and rinsed lavender flowers or a tablespoon of dried lavender flowers
• 1 cup white, granulated sugar
• 2 cups of boiling water for the infusion
• 1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 cups or more of cold water
• Ice

Method

1 Cut the lavender flowers from the stems (no need to strip) and place in a medium bowl (a large pyrex measuring bowl works great because you can pour easily from it). Pour the sugar over the flowers and use your (clean) fingers to gently rub the flowers into the sugar.

2 Pour 2 cups of boiling water over the lavender sugar and stir with a spoon until the sugar has melted. Cover and let infuse for 30 minutes (or up to several hours).

3 Strain the lavender-infused simple syrup and pour into a serving carafe or pitcher.

4 Stir in the lemon juice.  Add another two cups of water. Taste and adjust for tartness. Add more lemon juice if too sweet.  Add more sugar if too tart. Add ice and more water to desired level of concentration. Note that the ice will melt eventually, further diluting the drink.

Add some thinly sliced lemons and a few lavender sprigs to the serving pitcher for presentation.

Honeydew Infusion

Here is a quick and easy drink for summer! Use up your extra melon with this fun drink! Enjoy! 

It's simple! Use your melon-baller, and cut out as many melon balls as you can from half the melon. Freeze the melon balls (this took about 3-4 hours at least), and use them as ice cubes for your next Honeydew Infusion Water this summer! Enjoy :)

No Bake Animal Cookie Cheesecake Recipe

Wow, I am so impressed with how these taste! The cheesecake filling is tangy and just the right amount of sweet! And, the crust is sort of unexpected and really yummy. The cookies are a perfect replacement for normal graham crackers you would normally use. 

INGREDIENTS – NO BAKE CHEESECAKE

·       1 packages Stauffer’s Animal Cookies

·       11 tablespoons (1 3/8 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

·       ½ or 1 tablespoons sugar

·       2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature (make sure it’s not too cold or your mixer will not be happy!)

·       1 14-ounce can (1 1/4 cups) sweetened condensed milk

·       1/4 cup lemon juice

·       1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·       4-5 jars

Hot glue your ribbons to the jars. This adds such a cute touch! Coordinate any event or holiday!

The cookies after they have been in a food processor to make the crust.

After mixing the melted butter with the cookies, spread the mixture into the jars and level.

Mix up your filling and carefully spoon the filling into each jar.

I added a cookie to the top of each one, they're adorable!

DIRECTIONS

1.    Attach ribbon to outside of jars with hot glue

2.   Place animal cookies into food processor and process until they are fine crumbs

3.   Pour crumbs into a medium bowl; stir in sugar. Add melted butter, and stir until well combined.

4.   Place a few spoonfulls of crumb mixture into each jar, pat down with spoon, and let chill in freezer while you make the filling.

5.    For the filling: Using an electric mixer set at medium-high speed, beat the cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth. Beat in the condensed milk a little at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Beat in the lemon juice and vanilla.

6.   Remove jars from freezer, and fill almost to the top with filling. Smooth out tops for best look. Top with one animal cookie each! Chill and serve! 

For this recipe, I adapted the Martha Stewart Recipe, found here.

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Raspberry Mint Spritzer With Lemon

I found this adorable kitchen towel recently, that just screamed "SUMMER". I loved the little graphic on it so much, I created a new, summer drink recipe around it. 

INGREDIENTS

2 - 24 oz. Mason Jars (and Ice)

Cran Raspberry Juice

Sprite or Sprite Zero

Vodka (optional)

Handful of Mint Sprigs, 2 Lemons, Fresh Raspberries, and Short Skewers For Garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

Optionally, fill each jar with 1-2 shots of vodka. Fill jars with ice 1/2 -3/4 of the way full. Fill the rest of the jar with half cran-raspberry juice, then top with Sprite. 

To Garnish - Poke skewers through 3 raspberries, set on top of glass. Slice lemons, and put them onto your jars. Top with fresh mint, and serve. Mix the mint into the drink for a bit of extra freshness! Enjoy.

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How To Make Blooming Candies

I had so much fun creating this project! I was inspired by summer, and all the pretty flowers that are blooming right now! For this recipe, I used silicone brownie molds, so I could fill them with tons of candy. I also used Blue and Vibrant Green Candy Melts. My filler candies were Sixlets, found here. See the list of ingredients below...and have FUN! You can make these in just about any color combo, for special events, holidays, and sporting events. 

HERE'S HOW YOU MAKE THEM...

You only need a few simple ingredients! Some Sixlets Candies, candy melts, and a candy mould.  

INGREDIENTS (Click Names To Buy)

Vibrant Green Candy Melts - Blue Candy Melts - Filler Candies - Wilton Paintbrushes, Candy/Brownie Molds

1.) Melt your candy melts in 2 separate containers, either in the microwave or in a double boiler method, which I did. I found that using a 2 cup Pyrex measuring cup, which held one package of candy melts worked great! Fill a small saucepan with 2-3 inches of water, and pour your melts into the measuring cup. Insert cup into water, heat water over medium of high heat and stir melts frequently until smooth. (See photo below for tips)...

Texture Test (above) - The blue one looks right, but NOT the green one! If your melts form more of a paste than a smooth and satiny texture, try again. 

MY BIGGEST TIP WOULD BE...USE A PAINTBRUSH!!!

2.) Using a paintbrush to spread the candy molds was a priceless tip! The brush gives you way more control than a knife or spoon. This step took a while, but was definitely fun. I searched around just about every craft store for these brushes, and finally found them at JoAnns! I originally searched for cheap kids' paintbrushes, and found nothing. Luckily I persisted :) 

3.) See how I spread the blue candy melts into the molds with a paintbrush, and am about to spread the green candies next. I added about double this amount (that you see in green) to fill the mold at first. After you fill the molds, pop the candies into the freezer for about 5 minutes. 

4.) Now, fill the candy shells with Candies, almost to the very top. 

5.) Add a dollop of candy melts on top of your fillers candies, and use the paintbrush to smooth the dollop out, and to create a seal, so the candies stay inside the melts. Throw them back into the freezer, and wait about 30 minutes (or longer), so that everything hardens and seals. 

These are so cute!!!

6.) Here is what it looked like after I smoothed the last part of the candy melts over the molds, to close in the Sixlets. Use your brush to make a pretty swirl pattern on the candies if you wish. 

7.) Here is what your (almost finished) candies will look like after being in the freezer overnight. You don't have to leave them in this long (2 hours will do), but after all the work I did on this project, I was more than happy to leave these babies in the freezer overnight, and enjoy them the next day :)

8.) Using a pair of rubber or cotton gloves, carefully peel the mold away from your Blooming Candies. The gloves help prevent finger prints all over your candies. Aren't they adorable? The next photo shows how you open them...

Now you can reveal your surprise candy inside! Just use a sharp kitchen knife, and (very carefully), cut into the candy as if you are cutting a slice of cake. 

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Fun Berry Recipes - Food and Drink Ideas

The berries have been abundant this year, and I am so inspired by all of these amazing recipes I found that shows you how to incorporate berries into just about anything! From water or spirits, to sorbets, cakes, and other desserts, berries will make your tastebuds happy all summer long! Click the images to learn more about any of these recipes below, and enjoy! 

Blackberry and Sage Infused Water by Evermine

Blueberry Slab Pie 

Blackberry Lemon Cake 

Blackberry Basil Whiskey Smash

Honey, Stone Fruit, and Blackberry Tartlette 

Raspberry Lemonade 

Blueberry Cobbler

Blueberry Infused Vodka 

Blueberry - Pecan Galette 

Raspberry Sorbet 

Flourless Chocolate Almond Cake with Berries On Top 

Raspberry Dessert 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are inspired to create something tasty with berries today!

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AZ Sunshine Lemonade

Earlier this year, we visited my parents in Cave Creek, AZ. It was a great time of year to visit, as the days were only mildly HOT and the nights were somewhat cool enough to wear lightweight pants or a long sleeve tee. The other great thing about being there in early Spring, was that their lemon tree was in full production mode, and even had a few blossoms still on it. I wish we could have taken home boxes of their organic lemons, so we could enjoy them at home, but they really only stay good for a few days after they are picked. So, we made as much lemonade as we could handle until our teeth hurt! We had a pitcher a day addiction going on!

INREDIENTS:

1 Part Lemon Juice (We used about 7-8 lemons for this)

3-4 Parts Water

1 Part Sugar (You can make a simple syrup at first if you want, although we didn't)

HOW TO:

We picked 7-8 lemons straight off the tree, cut them in half, and used an electric juicer to get as much juice out of them as we could. We then added the lemon juice to a pitcher, added the water, and sugar, and stirred. If you wind up making a simple syrup first, this is supposed to reduce the sugar from sinking to the bottom. Taste a bit to see if it is sweet or tart enough for your liking. Fill your glasses with ice, and pour the AZ Sunshine Lemonade on top! Enjoy!

I never grew up around fruit trees, and I love them! They do attract lots of bees, because of the little lemon blooms, but my step-mom made us a fresh batch of lemonade almost every day we were there! She has an electric juicer, which really does make things much easier for this whole process. Since we drank her super fresh lemonade, nothing from a bottle has tasted anywhere near as good. It all seems so bland, not tart, and loaded with more sugar than humanly possible. 

I like my lemonade a little bit sweet, and a little bit tart. Feel free to add more sugar if this is way too tart, but I do hope you enjoy the way we make our fresh squeezed AZ Lemonade! 

My little girls always helps me with my photos, poolside preferred! 

Farm To Table // A New Market in Carbondale, IL

Last week, Carbondale saw the start of a new Farmer's Market! It's super close to our house, and it is organized by one of my friends, Courtney Smith. This market is super convenient because it runs from 4-7 pm on Wednesdays, which is right before I would be making dinner. We ate all of the veggies right after I got home from my market visit, and had an amazing vegetarian dinner of mashed potatoes, green beans, and raw carrots for the appetizer! The reason I named this post Farm To Table is because I spoke with a couple, from Homer Grown, who were vending at the market. They grew most of the vegetables pictured below, and they seemed so incredibly passionate about what they do. They knew so much about each and every vegetable and bean picked, and would even grow you something you request! 

These organic carrots were so good! 

We chopped off the ends of these green beans, and then fried them in 1-2 Tbsp of olive oil, some chopped red onions, and one piece of bacon we had baked the day before for Bloody Mary's :) I didn't get a great photo of the potatoes, but we chopped up the red potatoes and white potatoes and boiled them with a little bit of salt and onion. After they were soft, I strained them, and added a splash of milk, more salt, and some butter. Just taste as you go, and see what you think tastes best. They were amazing with the beans! Beans (above) and Red Onions (below) from Homer Grown.

I also found myself some beautiful flowers from Flora Bay Farm. They're also from my friend Courtney, and she is great with floral arrangements. It's so fun to see what she grows each season, and I will definitely be making this new Farmer's Market a weekly thing! 

And, some super fresh BASIL! What a beautiful smell :)

Catnip by Flora Bay Farms

My Free People Reusable Shopping Bag and my market finds

Garlic Scapes by Flora Bay Farm

Isn't this the cutest Farmer's Market Stand you've ever seen? They built it and are proud that it helps identify the market to people who pass by and hope it makes them want to stop. Homer Grown has some of the best veggies around! 

If you're in southern Illinois, please visit the newest Farmer's Market in Carbondale!! 

Super Easy 2-Ingredient Ice Box Cake

Yum! This no-bake cake turned out so well! My grandma used to make this for me every time I visited. She didn't cook or bake very often, but I remember when she made this, and her famous meatballs, and they were both some of my favorites EVER! 

I always loved it and finally made some myself. This cake is great to make on a warmer day, because you don't even have to turn on the oven. It only requires 2 ingredients, Chocolate Wafers, and Cool Whip, so that's an added bonus as well! Check out my food blog, Bisque This! for this recipe and lots more! 

It's super simple! Grab a loaf tin and your 2 simple ingredients. First, spread 2-3 Tbsp of Cool Whip on the bottom of the tin evenly. Then, add a layer of chocolate wafers. They fit perfectly with 2 across. At the short side of the tin, a whole cookie wouldn't fit, so I added some cookies that were already broken in half.

Keep layering the Cool Whip and Chocolate Wafers until you are out of ingredients. I liked when the layers of Cool Whip were thicker, but whatever you wind up doing will be great! I also crushed up some of the broken cookies (in my fingers) and lightly sprinkled them on top of the cake for a bit of added cuteness! 

Pop the "cake" into the fridge or freezer, and let it combine over night. Voila! You have an incredibly easy, no-bake Cookies and Cream Ice Box Cake! I initially let this sit in the fridge overnight, but froze it to take photos of it. I tried it both ways, and liked it frozen a lot better. 

Tater Tot Horseshoe Sandwiches

Horseshoe Sandwiches originated in my hometown, Springfield, IL. They're awesome - It's like a burger and fries, topped in homemade cheese sauce. Click Here for the full recipe on Bisque This! 

Bacon-Wrapped Pineapple Rings

I have a real treat for you! The perfect mid-afternoon snack to eat on a snowy Sunday... Bacon-Wrapped Pineapple Rings! They taste super good and are actually fun to create. It took a little bit of time, but they were easy none the less. 

WHAT YOU NEED:

* 4 - 5 Pineapple Rings (We bought a fresh pineapple that was packaged near the fruit coolers, and cut them into super thick slices). A Can of pineapple also works. 

* 10 slices (1 Package) of Thinly Sliced Bacon (I like Applegate Organic)

* Toothpicks or short skewer sticks.

* Metal Baking Rack - place into baking dish

*Shallow 9x13 Baking Dish

INSTRUCTIONS:

* Preheat oven to 350 Degrees. Open the package of bacon, and prepare/cut/or drain your pineapples. Set out a decent amount of toothpicks into a shallow dish so they are easy to use.

*To construct: Set one pineapple ring onto a cutting board or clean surface. Take the first slice of bacon, begin to wrap it around the pineapple, and continue with 1-2 more pieces of bacon per ring. Secure with toothpicks. Now, place each Bacon Pineapple Ring onto the Baking Rack.

* Bake for 15-20 minutes, on the top rack of the oven. You may need up to ten minutes more, depending on your oven. Make sure you do not burn them, and enjoy!

Raspberry Gin and Tonic Recipe With Berry-Infused Ice Cubes!

If you love a Gin and Tonic, this recipe is just for you! This drink is light, refreshing, and really goes down smoothly! This Gin and Tonic has a hint of lime, strawberry, and raspberry. And, these would be perfect for Valentine's Day or Date Night! For the ice cubes, in a heart-shaped silicone mold, I filled them up half way with frozen raspberries and chopped up frozen strawberries, then filled the rest of the way with regular water. They're so cute! 

RASPBERRY GIN AND TONIC RECIPE

Ingredients for 2 Drinks:

Begin by making your fruit-infused ice cubes, as instructed above. Once the ice is frozen, mix 4 oz Gin and 10 oz tonic water into a glass. Add about 1/2 tbsp of sugar if these are too tart for you. Feel free to also squeeze some lime juice into the glass, to cover up the gin taste a bit more :) Add the ice cubes (after the gin and tonic water so they retain their shape better), and top with a lime wedge.  The ice cubes quickly began to make the drinks a bit pink, which I love! These are so refreshing and I hope you LOVE them!!!