Pond Discovery and Video Shoot

So my husband can come up with some crazy ideas.  He's been raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  He's raised over $3,000 for them years ago for a half marathon run he was doing.  This time he's running another half and decided to raise the money for this wonderful cause again.

You can donate by clicking this link.

Nate likes to come up with incentives to get people to donate.  He made a video of Adele's- "Hello".

  My friend, Marion helped us with the video.  He shot it and I helped direct it.  Nate had a friend who did his makeup.  He even found a wig and scarf and my friend Allie got a real fur for us to borrow.  I had Nate wear my black ballet flats, black maxi and black sweater.  It was snug on him but he made it work.  LOL  Nate discovered a nice pond right by our house a few days before.  We've lived here since the end of 2007 and never knew how awesome this pond was.  LOL  I can't wait to take walks over there and nice days just to de-stress.  There's muskrats, fish, beavers, turtles, snakes, geese, etc.

There's a nice size beaver dam.

He kept posting teasers to get people to donate to a certain amount before he would release the video.

Marion filming "Adele Nate".

So funny.  Nate is an ugly woman.  haha

Judging Certificate and Updated Book

Last fall, I participated in my first judging school.  I had a lot of fun.  I'm actually signed up for a Spring Judging school set in May so I can be certified to judge in baked goods and food preservation.  I can't wait!  I just received my fall judging school certificate a few weeks ago.  

Awesome right?  Maybe you don't think so.  haha  But I do.

I have several papers from the judging school that I want to save if I need to refer back to them.  I grabbed my book that I like to keep class stuff in.  I figured it would be perfect for all my judging school stuff.  I just had to see if there would be room.

I grabbed it and looked through it.  All that's in it, is classes that I have taken on baking.  I have all the papers from the classes I took at Millers Farms.  Pumpkins, Berry, Berry Good, and Pies....pies that make me smile.  I have recipes we were given at the class too. 

I also have papers and notes from the Macarons class I took with A&K.  

I had plenty of room to add in my judging school section.  Now everything is nice and neat in one notebook.  And if I need to refer back I know just where to go.

Healthy Monster Cookies

When you come across a recipe like this, you just have to make it.

To make:

1 cup peanut butter (I used natual pb)

2 tbsp honey

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp oats

1/8 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 egg

1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

1/3 cup mini M&M's

In a large bowl, mix everything together.

Scoop cookies onto a baking sheet.  Press down slightly ( I used a shot glass).  You can top each cookie with more M&M's if you'd like.  I added a few.

Bake for 7 to 8 minutes.  Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes and then transfer to a cooling wire rack.

These were yummy.

They didn't last long either.

The title says healthy but with M&M's I know they aren't healthy.  But they are good and they make you feel less guilty because they have healthy in the name.  haha

Valentine's Oreo Pops

A friend, hired me to make her 50 Valentine's Oreo Pops for a party.  I looked up Oreo pops on pinterest and came across a ton of them.  

I got everything I needed to make them.

Oreos

sprinkles

melting chocolate (pink and red)

lollipop sticks

bags

ties

styrofoam block (to set pops in to dry)

*I bought a little extra so I did return the extra stuff that I didn't use or open and I also used coupons to make the items I needed much cheaper*

Sprinkles....so cute.  :)

First, you separate the Oreos and then melt some chocolate. Put some melted chocolate on one end of stick and place it on the icing side of cookie.  Then put the other side of cookie on and press a little so it holds.  Let dry.

Then I coated each cookie and sprinkled on some sprinkles.

Put pops in the styrofoam block to dry.  Adorable right?

Once dry I put them in a little bag and tied them.

I found some pink tissue and a large pink gift bag in my stash.  I put the tissue paper in the bottom of the bag and put all the pops in there so they'd be easy to transport.

They came out adorable and I was told they went pretty quickly.  YAY!!  These are easy to make they are just very time consuming.  And you have to be quick b/c you don't want the chocolate hardening up before you're done with it.  I had fun making them and I got some good extra money.  :)

Homemade Greek Yogurt Blueberry Muffins

My friend, Gayle made some of these muffins for the last work food swap we did last month.  I loved them so much that I got the recipe and made them myself.

You will need…..

1/3 cup milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (or 1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil)

1 6oz container of greek fat free honey vanilla yogurt

1 egg

1 3/4 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 tbsp lemon zest (I did whole lemon)

1 tbsp lemon juice (I did whole lemon)

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (or more)

To make.  Heat over to 400 degrees.  Grease bottom or line your muffin trays.  You can do large muffins, regular or mini.  You decide.    In a large bowl, with a whisk or fork beat the milk, applesauce, yogurt and egg.  Then stir in remaining ingredients except the blueberries.  Mix until everything is moist and combined.  Gently stir in the blueberries.  Divide the batter evenly among muffin cups.  Bake for 16 to 18 minutes until golden brown.  Mine took 16 minutes for 12 regualr muffins.  Cool for 5 minutes in tray and then transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

They are really good to have one for a quick go to breakfast or a snack.  I like to warm mine up in the microwave for a few seconds.  

5th Work Food Swap

Some ladies at work that I'm friends with suggested having another work food swap.  We enjoy doing this.  So I organized it and one day during our lunch break we did our food swap.  This was the 5th one.  We always like doing an even swap so everyone gets to take home one of each item.  It's better that way and no one gets their feelings hurt because they didn't get something they really wanted.  :)  It's a win win!  :)

1st Work Food Swap

2nd Work Food Swap

3rd Work Food Swap

4th Work Food Swap

We had 6 people for this swap.  (Sharon, Sam, Gayle, Jane, Sue and me)

Here's everything on the table.   Here's Sam and Jane.

Sam made a apple cinnamon bread.  So yummy!!

Jane made butter.  Shut the front door!!  She made an unsalted butter and a salted butter.  Both were delicious.  My husband really loved it.  We used up the butter during the week with dinner. (bread, potatoes etc)

Gayle made greek yogurt blueberry muffins.  Delicious!!!

Sharon made Ice cube Chocolate covered Strawberries.  Chocolate and Strawberries.....yes please!!!

I made my Orange Cranberry Sugar Cookies.

Here's some cookies cut up for sampling.

Everyone got a package of cookies and a bottle of orange extract.

Here's my plate of yummy food!  :)

(I forgot a picture of Sue's items up close.  She ended up bring 3 things to share with us)  Sue made pulled bbq pork sammiches, potato salad and white beans.  

We all had fun and enjoy catching up with one another during our food swap.

BFF day

Last month, my BFF and I planned a day to do whatever we wanted.  It started off with breakfast at the Brick House diner.  We both love this place and hadn't been in a good while so it was time to go.

I got my usual, Belgian waffle with eggs, bacon and grits.  How good does that waffle look?  Now I kinda want one as I write this blog post.  haha

I don't even remember all the places we went.  I know one place was Lowes.  I got a great deal on a big orchid on clearance for $6.  I also picked up some orchid potting mix.

I got these awesome passion flower seeds too.  :)  K bought some gardening pots and a few seed packs.

We went to Trader Joe's but once we pulled in the parking lot we realized it was the day before the super bowl and everyone was there shopping.  We decided not to deal with that headache of a mess so it was time for lunch instead.  K suggested Cafe Rio Mexican Grill.  I said sure.  She raved about how good it was and it was delicious.  Everything was tasty.

We went back to K's house and did rainman stuff and menu planning stuff.  K and D had to meet her brother, sister-in-law and nephew for dinner so I left.  I figured I'd surprise my sister and niece.  They were all surprised.  :)  We ended up at Sweet frog where I treated them to some froyo.  :)  Ellie loved it!  :)

Here's my new orchid baby with my 2 others.

Pregnant Pepper.....

I had a bunch of peppers that I washed and chopped up for meal prep.  I like having fresh peppers to add to dishes.

I noticed while cutting up one of  my red peppers, that it had a pepper growing inside of it.  It was a pregnant pepper.  It something that really happens.  

Kinda weird right?  You can eat it.  It’s still a pepper.    I think it's cool.  You get a pepper for free.  haha  :)

Here’s all my peppers prepped and ready to be thrown in any meal.  I love bell peppers.