Reindeer Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting | $10 Giveaway

We are getting ready for the holidays over here with our little reindeer creations. There has always been something about this time of year that makes me want to bake (and bake and bake). It's better than ever this year because I have the cutest little helper in the kitchen! My daughter might actually like baking more than I do (which is saying a lot) so she keeps me motivated to try new things. I made some reindeer cookies last year, but when I saw the cinnamon cream cheese frosting recipe on Pinterest I knew I needed to try it. Klair wasn't sad about the idea. We had a lot of fun making our Rudolph's and licking the frosting from the bowl (because yes, it's that good).


Ingredients

Cupcakes:

• 1 Box of Betty Crocker Cake Mix (We picked yellow, but chocolate would also work well)
• 1 Package of vanilla pudding mix
• Butter milk
• Candy
• Chocolate covered pretzels 

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting (adapted from Creme de la Crumb)

• 4 cups powdered sugar 
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened 
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 
• 2-4 tablespoons heavy cream 

Instructions: 

Follow the instructions on the Betty Crocker box. Add the package of vanilla pudding mix and replace half of the water with buttermilk (this creates extremely soft and amazing cupcakes). 

When the cupcakes are cooled prepare the frosting. Beat the cream cheese until it's fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add the vanilla, cinnamon, and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream and mix until smooth. Gradually mix in the powdered sugar. Add 1 to 2 more tablespoons of heavy cream as needed to thin the frosting to a desired consistency. (Note: If you are wanting to pipe the frosting on you'll need a thicker consistency so use less heavy cream. Depending on how thick you want the frosting you may have to double the recipe as well). Spread (or pipe) the frosting on the cooled cupcakes and store cupcakes and any leftover frosting in an airtight container.  

Next comes the fun part. I had my daughter and her cousins help me put the chocolate dipped pretzels and candies on the cupcakes to create our Rudolphs. They loved helping me decorate the reindeer while eating the candies. It's a fun Christmas tradition I definitely want to continue! And now I want to find more recipes to use this frosting on... 

$10 GIVEAWAY 

And don't forget I've partnered with WinCo, Betty Crocker, and Chex and I'm giving one lucky follower an opportunity to win $10 in Paypal cash. This giveaway will go for one week and the winner will be notified via email. Good luck!

Click Here for Easy Entry $10 Giveaway! 

Click here for Betty Crocker and Chex coupons!

This post is sponsored by WinCo & Betty Crocker but the content and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Easy Holiday Desert | Pumpkin Harvest Chex Mix Recipe | $10 Giveaway

Looking for a last minute sweet treat for your holiday entertaining that is sure to WOW your loved ones? This pumpkin harvest Chex mix (complete with pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, and pecans) is the perfect pre-dinner snack to get the party started tomorrow night! I don't know about you, but I absolutely love snacking before the main event. In fact... I think I might even like it more than the dinner itself. With plenty of savory options already covered at my family get together, I was tasked with finding a sweet treat to please. I found this recipe and I knew it would be perfect.

All it took was one quick trip to WinCo and I had all I needed! My love for that store is no secret to anyone who knows me. They have the best prices and their bulk foods section rivals that of any so-called "health food or natural store" (think Whole Foods) but at a fraction of the cost! They're even cheaper than Costco. I'm not sure how they do it, but I'm certainly not complaining. Click this link for Winco Chex & Betty Crocker Coupons and a chance to win a $100 gift card!


I made this last night in the slow cooker and it has already been a huge hit with my family. I might actually have to make it again because we have already eaten almost the entire batch. We just can't keep out of it. It's a good "problem" to have.

Recipe adapted from Betty Crocker.

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Harvest Chex Mix

What You Need:

2 cups Cinnamon Chex
2 cups Corn Chex
3 cups Vanilla Chex
1 cup Pecans (chopped or whole)
2 cups mini graham crackers (I couldn't find minis so I broke regular sized ones into small pieces)
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
3/4 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 1/4 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions:

1. In your slow cooker stir together the cereals, pecans, graham crackers, dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds.

2. In a small bowl mix together melted butter, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla. Stir until well combined. Pour over the cereal mixture; stir (gently so you don't break the cereal pieces) until evenly coated.

3. Cook uncovered on high heat setting for 2 hours, stirring every 15 to 20 minutes

4. Spread cereal mixture on ungreased cookie sheet or waxed paper. Cool 3 to 5 minutes before serving. 

$10 GIVEAWAY 

And lastly I've partnered with WinCo, Betty Crocker, and Chex and I'm giving one lucky follower an opportunity to win $10 in Paypal cash. This giveaway will go for one week and the winner will be notified via email. Good luck! And Happy Thanksgiving!

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

This post is sponsored by Chex & Betty Crocker but the content and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Healthified Chicken and Spinach Flautas Recipe

For some reason during both of my pregnancies I craved and continue to crave Mexican food. I've heard from several other moms that this is the case for them too, leading me to believe it's a fairly common craving. I wonder why this particular ethnic food appeals to those of us experiencing gestation? Regardless of the answer, there is nothing better than some delicious Mexican food, especially when I can make it myself and "healthify" things a bit. 

Take taquitos for instance. They're delicious little devils, but they're often fried and consist of mostly tortilla, with little filling. These homemade flautas on the other hand are similar to taquitos, except that they are larger (allowing you to increase the meat/veggie to tortilla ratio) and baked. So, while I'm not claiming that they are fat free or the healthiest possible dinner out there, they are certainly milestones ahead of the alternative. And, when you have a craving for less-than-healthy taquitos, these will more than satisfy. They taste a whole lot better. So, without further adieu, I give you the recipe: 

Ingredients 

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 16 ounces chicken broth
• 2 cups of water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin 
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 small can of diced green chiles (4.5 oz) 
• 3 cups of baby spinach, chopped
• 5 burrito-size four tortillas (9 or 10 inches) (you can opt for whole wheat, I used white flour tortillas)
• 6 ounces of melting cheese (I used colby jack, but you can use Mexican blends or whatever you prefer)
• Olive Oil cooking spray

**Optional: Salsa, sour cream (or greek yogurt), hot sauce, etc. for serving**

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 F. 
2. Put thawed chicken in a deep sided saute pan and cover with chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the liquid and shred it (the easiest way to do this is to throw the chicken in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment for on medium speed for about 45 seconds). Mix together the chicken and seasonings. 
3. Pour out all but 1/4 a cup of the cooking liquid. Add the green chiles and spinach and cook over low heat for 2-3 minutes, or until the spinach is wilted. 
4. Cut the tortillas in half. Spray one side of the tortilla with cooking spray and lay this side face down on a greased baking sheet. Spoon 1/10th of the chicken (about 1 tablespoon) on the non-sprayed side and along the long edge of the tortilla (where you made the cut). Repeat with the spinach/chile mix. Sprinkle some grated cheese (if desired). Roll the tortilla up, starting with the straight edge. Place seam-side down on an oiled baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas. 
5. Sprinkle some extra cheese across the top of the flautas, and bake for 10 minutes. Then turn over and bake for another 10 minutes, or until crispy. 
6. Remove from oven and let the flautas cool. Serve with sour cream, salsa, hot sauce, or whatever your heart desires (they're also extremely flavorful and don't need any side sauces). 

Chef's Notes

• I originally found this recipe on Pinterest. It comes from the healthy-delicious blog and I modified things a bit to my own liking. For instance I chose to use green chiles instead of jalapenos (thanks to pregnancy heartburn) and reduced the amount of salt because I found the original just a little too salty. 
• I paired this with a salad and some chips and salsa it was an awesome meal. You could also do something a little more traditional and go with beans and rice as a side dish. 
• I like to double or even triple this recipe for lots of left overs. My husband eats them like crazy so we rarely have to freeze them, but they freeze well and would make for a great future meal. 

As always, if you try this recipe let me know what you think! 

Life Lately | Simple Cut Out Sugar Cookie Recipe

December has been... trying to say the least. We started the month off with a stomach bug that was absolutely terrible for little Klair. I'm not sure I've ever seen her more miserable... and it broke my heart. Luckily she felt better in time for her birthday party, but this turned out to be a short reprieve because we each came down with a nasty flu/cold immediately after. That was over 2 weeks ago... and we all still have it to some extent. We still haven't even really had a chance to celebrate my birthday yet (which was on the 10th). Luckily Klair seems to be over the worst of it now, but I'm still quite sickly and Sam's symptoms are up and down. We're all feeling... exhausted and sick of being sick.

I will definitely appreciate having good health once we have it back again. Klair has some serious cabin fever lately, so I've been promising to take her all sorts of places once we're better. Everyday she tells me now "I get better, go to park" or "museum." I feel bad these haven't actually come to fruition yet, but I think the hope of them is still a positive thing for her to cling to. I'm praying that we will get better in time for Christmas. We have so many things going on this week with family and friends... I really hope we won't have to cancel on everyone.

Despite the misery of having a sick family, we have found ways to still have indoor, low key fun while trying to enjoy the Christmas season. We've been doing lots of puzzles, play dough, coloring books, reading, and bubble baths around here. Oh, and Christmas music. Klair loves singing all the different Christmas songs, and even though my voice is pretty awful right now we've been singing a lot. We've also taken drives to see Christmas lights and local temples, and I'll be honest, we've watched way more TV/movies than usual. I try to minimize that as much as possible, but when you have a sick kid it's sometimes all you can do to take their mind off of the pain and keep them happy/rested.

Tonight I was feeling extra ambitious and we even made these sugar cookies (the recipe is so easy and absolutely divine, definitely a keeper). I loved how truly happy it made Klair! She loved it. Sam and I even got into it, creating our own designs because my supply of Christmas cookie cutters is more pathetic than I realized. I'm pretty proud of my snowman and gingerbread man, but I think Sam's guitar takes the prize for most creative. Tomorrow we plan to use up the rest of our frosting on a gingerbread house for our family home evening activity. I want these activities to become traditions, and it's fun to have a kid that's old enough to start these kinds of things with.

Easy Sugar Cookie Recipe 

Ingredients: 
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups of white sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt 

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. 

3. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely. 

This recipe yields 5 dozen (60 cookies). That's way more than we needed, so I simply froze the dough we didn't use and now it will be much easier to make cookies in the future. 

Tips:
-Make sure you refrigerate for at least an hour. 
-You can cut a piece of parchment paper the size of your cookie sheet and roll your dough out on the parchment paper. Then press your cookie cutters down on the dough, peel away the scraps, and easily transfer the cookies to the cookie sheet without ruining them while trying to pick them up. 
-You don't have to simply use cookie cutters. We didn't have many Christmas ones, so we played with the dough and came up with our own designs. I actually thought this was more fun!

Here is a link to the buttercream frosting recipe that I used (that I always use for that matter--it's my go to frosting).

**I mixed the frosting with food coloring and poured it into empty condiment bottles I got at the grocery store. These made the frosting process so much easier, especially for little Klair!**

...

We've also busied ourselves with wrapping presents for others (Klair was particularly fond of "helping" us wrap, even though she complicated the process more than anything else). At first she struggled with the idea that the toys she helped us pick out were for her cousins, but once we explained the concept of giving she caught on quickly and now she is really excited to give everything away. It probably also helps that she knows she has presents coming too. We've explained the concept of Santa, and if you ask her what she wants for Christmas she'll tell you "a Frozen present." Apparently anything Frozen related will do.

Sam already built her this kitchen, and we hid it in our basement. We showed her a picture and asked her if she would like it, to which she replied "I like it! I love it! I want that kitchen. I get kitchen for Christmas and bake mommy a cake!" I can't wait to see her face light up on Christmas morning when she sees it all set up and ready for her to play with. And I'm pretty excited about my cake too :)

It only took Sam about 4 hours to assemble... when it arrived it came in the pieces you see in the first picture. Don't worry, I was there for moral support. Ha ha! He is such a good dad. (And yes, those are balloons from her birthday party that are still kicking around.)

It's funny how trials in life can make you appreciate things more. I won't sugar coat it--this month has been rough. It seems like we just can't catch a break. Yet, through all of it there have been a lot of silver linings. For one, baby boy is healthy and growing. Sam even felt him kick for the first time the other night! That was such a sweet moment. Additionally, Sam has a new job. He is working with some incredible people, and he has a lot of opportunity for growth and learning. We've also had some amazing loved ones serve us by bringing dinners, offering to watch Klair so I can rest, and simply checking up on us with loving calls of concern. And, last but not least, we have been able to spend so much time together as a little family. We've born forced to cancel all of our plans with others in fear of spreading germs, which has been hard. But, in a way, I've enjoyed this time with just the three of us.

We're obviously not as lively usual, but we've still found ways to have fun and come closer together as a family. Isn't that what the Christmas season is all about? I was feeling sad the other day because I didn't feel like we had had much time to foster the Christmas spirit, like the season had passed us by... but in reality we've enjoyed a great deal of the what Christmas really is--family, service, love, patience, and finding joy in the journey. Christ stands for all of these things, and I'm so grateful for his example to me. We're really quite blessed.

I mean, look at this face. We get to wake to this everyday.

Sam and I have been teaching Klair about Christ this month. Although we've told her about Santa and some of the fun traditions, we have really tried to center her thoughts and ideas of the holiday on the Savior. And, I'm happy to say that I think it's sinking in. If you ask her what Christmas is about, she'll tell you matter-of-factly "It's Jesus's birthday!" and "I love him."

I can find happiness, even in times of despair, because of Christ. He truly is the gift of all gifts, and I'm beyond grateful for the added perspective, beauty, and meaning that he gives to my life.

If you haven't seen this video yet, I highly recommend watching it. It's such a beautiful reminder of the true meaning of the holiday we're about to celebrate.

Skinny Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

We are feeling pretty sick around here, and I've been saving this recipe for a day like this. With a cold plaguing my head in a rather painful, vice-like manner I'm going to postpone writing anything that requires more work than I'm capable of. This  seems like as good a time as any to publish this recipe. In fact, it's particularly fitting because this soup is such an easy meal to throw together when you are feeling a little under the weather... and I know these nasty flu bugs are going around right now.

There is something about soup during the cold weather months that really appeals to me. There is also something special about a crock pot meal that takes little prep time and yields delicous results. Combine the two, and you have food magic. This soup is both hearty and delicious, AND it's healthy! Well... depending on how much cheese and sour cream you dress it up with...this is up to you of course :)

I saw this recipe on The Skinny Fork, and I knew I had to try it... particularly because it sounded so simple, and I already had most of the ingredients on hand.  The first time I made it we had some good friends over, and my rather large batch of soup was almost completely devoured by just four of us. That's when I knew this recipe was, well... a keeper.

Anyway, I'll stop my rambling. Try it for yourself and see what you think:

Soup Ingredients:

1 Lb. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (About 2-3 Breasts), Cubed
10 Oz. Diced Tomatoes With Green Chilies (RoTel)
14.5 Oz. Diced or Whole Peeled Tomatoes (No Salt Added), Un-drained
1 C. Corn, Frozen & Thawed
14.5 Oz. Black Beans (No Salt Added), Drained & Rinsed
1 Medium White Onion, Diced
1-2 Jalapeño, Diced (De-seeded to reduce hotness if desired)
2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
2-3 C. Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth
1 Tsp. Ground Cumin
1 Tsp. Chili Powder
1 Tsp. Salt
1/4 Tsp. Black Pepper

Optional Toppings: Homemade Tortilla Strips (recipe below), Lime (Cut into wedges), Shredded Cheese, Diced Onion, Avocado, Fat Free Plain Greek Yogurt or Fat Free Sour Cream, Cilantro, Etc.

Directions:

Toss all the ingredients for the soup into your crock pot and stir well. Secure the lid and set to cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Homemade Tortilla Strips Ingredients:

White Corn Tortillas, Cut Into Strips

Salt, Pepper, and Chili Powder To Taste

Tortilla Strips Instructions: 

Once the soup is done, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray each tortilla with non-stick cooking spray. Cut the tortillas into thin strips (I used a pizza cutter) and toss them onto a baking sheet.

Dust the strips with some salt, pepper, and chili powder (you can also use taco seasoning). 

Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until starting to brown and crisp. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.

Finally

Pour the soup into bowls, add a few tortilla strips, the toppings of your choice, and enjoy! 

...

What are some of your easy go-to recipes for cold weather sick days? 

Easy Pumpkin Hot Chocolate Recipe

When I was younger, I made the connection that my name and the title of the third season of the year were the same. With my rather large imagination and ego, I assumed that this had grand implications. Every time I would see a tree with vibrant autumn colors, I would confidently tell people that it was my tree. Naturally, everything related to the season belonged to me. Even though my self-proclaimed ownership of all things fall subsided as I got older and realized my name was simply something my mom thought sounded cute (not the mark of a noble birthright), my love for autumn remains. It's still my favorite season.

Well, fall is in full swing around here and I couldn't be happier. Our porch is covered in pumpkins (a post detailing our pumpkin patch adventure coming soon) I have my autumn wreath on the door, and our Halloween costumes are coming along nicely. Plus, the weather has been splendidly chilly, allowing me to wear my favorite fashions. I'm a happy woman.

With these events in mind, the drink featured above seemed like the appropriate beverage of choice the other night when we had some friends over. Nothing says autumn like pumpkin spice, and the combination with chocolate is quite heavenly. Luckily, for those of you who are strapped for time this particular recipe goes together quickly:

Pumpkin Hot Chocolate
Recipe adapted from The Frugal Navy Wife- makes 4 one cup servings

Ingredients

-1/2 Cup of Pumpkin Puree
-4 Tablespoons of Brown Sugar
-4 Tablespoons of Whipping Cream
-1/4 Teaspoon of Pumpkin Pie Spice
-1/2 Cup of Hershey Cocoa (add more to taste if desired)
-4 cups of Milk
-Whipped Cream or Marshmallows (or both!) for a topping

Directions 

Whisk all ingredients (except whipped cream and marshmallows) together in a sauce pan over low to medium heat until you reach the desired temperature. (Note: don't let it boil rapidly, this can curdle the milk) Pour the hot chocolate evenly into four mugs and add your desired toppings.

Enjoy, and let me know what you think! 

Whipped Cinnamon Pumpkin Honey Butter & Homemade Rolls

For us Mormons,  conference weekend took place this past weekend. You may have noticed an increase in posts (or a flood of them depending on how many Mormons you follow) from LDS people with hashtags such as #LDSconf and quotes from #Elder or #Sister so and so. Basically, twice a year (in April and October to be exact) all of the leadership of the church--both male and female--gather in Salt Lake and select speakers address a live congregation and Mormons everywhere. Their talks are broadcast through various media outlets throughout the world, and many members are able to watch in the comfort of their own living rooms. Most notably, the Prophet and his Apostles address believers, giving talks on issues and topics relevant to our current day.

A major belief that sets Mormons apart from other Christians is the idea that, like in times of old, we have a prophet--Thomas S. Monson. He is designated as the head (or President) of the church, and receives direct, modern-day revelation from God. The same organization that Christ created during his mortal ministry--i.e. a prophet, apostles, seventies, etc.-- exists in the Mormon church, and we believe that the heavens are indeed open and that God does speak to his servants. And, General Conference is a specific time designated for us to hear the Lord's words through his chosen vessels.

So, hopefully that helps put things into perspective if you've seen all the Mormon bloggers posting pictures of themselves lounging in their pajamas and talking about how much they love #PresMonson.

If you're curious and interested in viewing any of it for yourself, you can go here to select talks or watch entire sessions.

Like many, we also stayed home and watched conference on our own comfy couch today. And, yesterday I finally bought a bread maker (a purchase I've been wanting to make for awhile now) so while we watched conference I threw some rolls together and literally whipped up some cinnamon pumpkin honey butter to accompany them. The rolls turned out perfectly, and the fall-inspired butter was a wonderful compliment to our cozy Saturday spent indoors.

Even my pickiest of little eaters, Miss Klair Marie, gobbled the rolls and butter up. I was elated to say the least.

So, here are my recipes. The Bread Machine significantly helped the process of making rolls, and the pumpkin butter literally came together in minutes. I felt like a rock star homemaker kind of mom, but my actual effort was pretty minimal--the best possible cooking scenario if you ask me.

Also, this pumpkin honey butter would make an excellent gift for the holidays! Just put it in a mason jar with some cute twine or ribbon and you'll look like a Martha Stewart protege, certainly bringing smiles to the faces of your recipients.

Okay, Recipes:

Perfect Bread Machine Rolls

http://www.food.com/recipe/buttery-bread-machine-rolls-65340

*Note: I live at a high altitude, and this recipe turned out wonderfully

Whipped Cinnamon Pumpkin Butter
(this recipe is adapted from The Kitchen McCabe)

Ingredients:

2 sticks of Butter (1 C. or 8 oz.), softened (to soften butter from the fridge microwave for 9-12 seconds)
3/4 teaspoon of Cinnamon (I decreased this to a 1/2 teaspoon, it simply depends on how strong you want the cinnamon flavor to be)
6 tablespoons Pumpkin Puree
4 tablespoons Honey
1 teaspoon Vanilla

Instructions:

1. Beat the softened butter with an electric mixer until smooth.
2. Add the cinnamon and 1 Tablespoon of the pumpkin puree. Beat until well combined. Continue beating, adding 1 Tablespoon of pumpkin puree every 30 seconds.
3. Add the honey and vanilla and beat until thick and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
4. Keep refrigerated in a sealed container.

If you're craving something that tastes like fall, this recipe is perfect. Enjoy on rolls, muffins, toast, croissants, bagels, etc.

...

What are some of your favorite recipes for fall? I've recently filled up my Pinterest board with recipes I want to try. Something about the colder weather demands cooking and baking. 

Basically, I'm feeling inspired. 

Expect lots of food posts in the weeks to come!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Heaven | Easy No-Bake Bars

With fall and the holidays around the corner, all I want to do these days is bake. The colder weather simply begs for it. Unfortunately, my excitement for fall has not translated into cooler days yet, and it's still too hot around here to fire up the oven if I can help it. That's where these babies come in. They are delicious enough to satisfy my need for baking, but they don't require any heat. I found this recipe on Six Sisters, and chose it because of great reviews. It did not disappoint. Ridiculously easy and equally delicious, this is a new go to recipe when I need a quick peanut butter/chocolate fix. And I mean quick. Plus, you're likely to have everything you need in your pantry already! Careful though, they were a huge hit with my family and in-laws, so be aware that they will go quickly...

Ingredients
1 cup melted butter
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (You want tiny granules--I used my blender, a food processor would also work)
2 cups confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar)
1 cup peanut butter (for the bars) & 4 tablespoons peanut butter (for the chocolate topping)
1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips

Directions
In a medium bowl, mix together the melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, confectioners’ sugar, and 1 cup peanut butter until well blended. Press evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 9×13 inch pan. (You can place them in a 9x9 square pan if you want them thicker--I used 9x13 for mine). In the microwave, melt the chocolate chips with 4 Tablespoons of peanut butter, stirring every 30 seconds until melted and smooth. Spread over the peanut butter layer. Refrigerate for at least one hour before cutting into squares.

In addition to being delicious and easy, this is a great recipe to make with a young child. It's easy enough for them to help with and doesn't require eggs so no need to keep them from taste-testing. Klair loved helping me mix/taste the ingredients (she mostly just tasted things.)

Do you have any go to recipes for fall? 

Britta's Baby Shower

This past Saturday I co-hosted a baby shower at my house for my good friend Britta. Brittney and Kaitlin helped plan and execute the party, and we had too much fun doing it. Sam accidentally deleted the pictures of the party off of our camera, so Britta saved the day with these photos she snapped. Thanks Britta! Here are the party details complete with links: 

Food

//Cafe Rio sweet pork salad copycat recipe (if you live in Utah you know how amazing Cafe Rio is)

//Cookies from Sweet Tooth Fairy (Another Utah favorite) 

//gluten-free cupcakes (recipe here from an earlier blog post)

//Sweet Pink Lemonade 

Games

//Guess the baby food flavor (surprisingly difficult...and gross)

//Guess the size of Britta's belly with a string

//Pin the sperm on the egg (hilarious! Brittney did such a good job making the uterus and sperm cute, too!)

//Tinkle in a pot (this one was my favorite... it's the one where I have the balloon in my shirt and I'm squatting with a ping pong ball between my knees...in case you were wondering what in the world that was all about! haha!) 

The food was yummy, the games were hilarious (thank you Pinterest!) and Britta walked away with a lot of good baby stuff--A.K.A enough cute clothes to ensure that her baby will be the most stylish around for months to come. Overall it was such a fun get together! Many thanks to Brittney and Kaitlin for all your help, and to Britta for being an awesome friend and letting me host it at my house! I love these girls and I'm so glad I was part of celebrating little baby Anderson-- I can't wait to meet her! 

Oh and some cute pictures of Klair that Britta snapped :) 

New Year's Party Recap. Hello 2014.

2013 was such a good year for us, we decided it needed to go out with a bang. I knew I wanted to do something for New Year's Eve, but with a one year old the options are limited. Everyone is celebrating, so finding a babysitter isn't very plausible. Also, having a a baby who loves her own crib and resists sleeping elsewhere makes going to the houses of others not so fun. Thus, staying home becomes the best option. If you can't go to the party, bring the party to you... right? We decided to throw a little something here. Except, I got on Pinterest (always a dangerous move) and before I knew it my "little something" turned into a full-fledged, planned out, arguably over-the-toply (...toply?) decorated party. And I had SO much fun throwing it! :) Apparently I love party planning. This is just one of many domestic tendencies that I've uncovered since becoming a stay-at-home mom. It's kind of embarrassing how exciting I find Zurcher's to be. I think it also helps that between Christmas and my birthday, I received more party platters and cake stands than I know what to do with. The following are the results of my preparations...

The Food.
Because no post about a party thrown would be complete without showing off the cuisine. 

Honey glazed ham, brisket, gluten-free brownies, mashed potatoes, fruit, salad... a giant cake. What more could a person possibly want? 

I had some fun with gold spray paint to give it a little extra glam factor :) 

The Photo Booth.
We decided to throw a little photo booth together at the last minute. I found these printables here, got some skewer sticks, and found a few extra props at the party store. Oh and our backdrop is just a black table cloth taped to the wall. Real fancy. I am quite pleased with how they turned out :)

Group shots.

The Girls.

The boys were literally throwing balloons at us during this photo.

Seriously. They were really intense. It felt like 7th grade gym dodgeball. 

The Boys.

I love how genuinely excited they were about  the balloons.

Games.

During the night we also played some fun little games. I received inspiration for these here.

Famous People of 2013.
Essentially we came up with noteworthy, memorable, or scandalous people from 2013, wrote their names on a name tag sticker, and stuck them to our guests' backs. Then they had to ask each other yes or no questions, and the first, second and third people to discover their identity got a prize.

My favorites:

Winner: Jesse

Cherry Eating Contest.
We selected three volunteers, put a cherry in a bowl in front of each of them, and told them to eat it first without hands. They all looked pretty confident (and maybe a little confused at the simplicity of the task)--and then we filled the bowls with whipped cream. It was a quick game, but pretty hilarious all the same.

Winner: Austin

Resolutions Game.
We had each person write down 3 of their resolutions/goals for 2014 and put them in a bowl. Then we took turns reading and guessing whose they were. The person who guessed the most correctly won. The most awkward were ones like "lose 20 pounds" and "complain less" because no one really want to guess who it belonged to and get it wrong...
winner: Austin

Ball Drop, Toast, and Lots of Kissing

At midnight we tuned in to watch the (re-run of) the ball drop in New York and toasted to the new year. Klair woke up about 20 minutes before midnight, so rather than miss all the fun trying to get her back to bed we opted to let her stay up for a bit and ring in the New Year with us.

She  was slightly dazed, and super cute. She just cuddled up and laid her head on my shoulder like this for quite awhile. Snuggly baby, happy mama.

New Year's Kisses.

Klair Bear
Because no post is truly complete without a bunch of Klair photos.
She was sleeping last night while we did our photo booth, and before cleaning it up today we decided to get a few New Year's photos of her.

Cute, happy girl.

We had so much fun celebrating. We're grateful to have such great friends. If New Year's was any indication of how 2014 will be, then I am excited to see what the next 364 days brings. 

Happy New Year!