Auntie Anne's Pretzels

Is anyone else a sucker for mall pretzels?

They are one of my favorite treats.

But...they are kind of expensive.

And when I'm buying pretzels for the whole family, it adds up.

I've tried making them at home, but they just turned out tasting like pretzel-shaped bread.

My kids love pretzels so much that when Saxon went on a "date" with Aunt Brittany, the only thing he wanted to do was go to the mall and get pretzels.

The other day at Wal-mart, I found this:

Auntie Anne's at Home Baking Kit.

Hmmm...

I decided to give it a try.

It was really easy.

Everything was in little packages and the only extra thing I needed was warm water.

It even came with salt and a cinnamon sugar mix...

When the first tray was done baking, I broke off the corner of one to give it a try.

Oh wow...

It was amazing!

Melt in your mouth amazing...

It had that perfect buttery soft flavor.

We devoured them within minutes.

We did realize though, that the key is to eat them hot and steamy right out of the oven.

When they cool off completely, they taste like cold mall pretzels.

Not bad, but not as amazing as steaming hot.

My kids ate the salt pretzels dipped in cream cheese for lunch and cinnamon pretzel for dessert.

Just thinking about it is making me crave pretzels! :)

Linking to:
Tatertots & Jello

"The WITCH is in" frame - tutorial

Since my kids are all geared up for Halloween,

(we are growing our own pumpkins and they already have their costumes)

I thought I had better start decorating.

So, I came up with this,

I hope you enjoy it!

Step #1 Start with a wood frame and some burlap.
Step #2 Take everything out of the frame (glass, cardboard, etc).
Step #3 Choose your colors.  I chose orange and black for true Halloween.  :)
Step #4 Paint the frame in the first color.  This is the bottom color and the finished frame  will only have small touches of this color.
Step #5 Paint the frame in the second color.  This will be the main color of your frame.
Step #6 Let it dry completely.  Luckily, acrylic paint dries really fast.  If you are really in a hurry, try using a blow dryer to speed it up.

Step #7 Lightly sand the frame.  If you sand too much, you will see the original color of the frame.  Just barely sand to get the top color off and let the bottom color show.  I accidentally sanded through to the original frame color in a few spots, but I actually like it.  It just makes it look more rustic.
Step #8 Once you like how your frame looks, coat it in a protective sealer.
Step #9 To measure the burlap, I used the glass from the frame and outlined in with a permanent marker.
Step #10 Just cut out the burlap along the lines that you made.
Step #11 This step depends on what you have available.  I borrowed a Silhouette and used it to cut out a stencil of the design that I wanted.  You could also cut it out on cardstock for one time use.  If you don't have a Silhouette, you could buy letter stencils and place them on one at a time and paint them.  Or, you could try stamping the letters straight on the burlap.  Or...(this is the really old fashioned way, but it still works) you can print out your design on paper and place a clear sheet of stencil on top.  Then, using and exacto knife, cut out your letters to create your own custom stencil.  My Grandma taught me this method because that is how she used to create her own stencils LOL.  Once you have your stencil ready, center it on your piece of burlap.
Step #12 Paint your design on the burlap.  Fabric is really fun to paint on because it is pretty forgiving.  It doesn't really leak or bleed and it takes a few layers to get enough paint.  I used a wide stencil brush on mine.  REMEMBER: use a dry brush.  Don't get your brush wet first or it will bleed.  Use a dry brush and only a little paint at a time.  Just continue to layer it until it is dark enough.  Mine only took 2 coats.

Next comes the really easy part :)  I just used spray glue and sprayed it on the glass.
Then I stuck the piece of painted burlap on to the sticky glass and put it back in the frame.

What do you think?

I made this one to sit on my front door by our pumpkins.

You can use this same method to create any design that you want.

Linking up at:
The Idea Room
Blue Cricket Design
Somewhat Simple
Tip Junkie 
I {heart} Naptime 
Tatertots & Jello

Funky Polkadot Gifaffe Giveaway

 

I'm so excited to tell you that today I'm doing a giveaway on

The Funky Polkadot Giraffe!!!

You already know that I love this blog because I got the awesome rainbow jello idea that I used for Dalton's 1st B-day party from her.

Plus, she makes cupcakes.

And I L.O.V.E. trying out new cupcake ideas.

So...make sure to head over and enter the giveaway!!!l
Just click HERE.

Claim to Fame

(These are my grandparents at their lake house near Chicago)

My Grandparents have 7 children.

Years ago, he related a story that had happened to my Grandma while he was speaking at a church meeting...

My Grandma was taking all 7 kids out and loaded them all on the bus.

The bus driver asked,

"Are these all yours lady, or is this a picnic?"

She responded,

"They're all mine, and it's no picnic."

Vaughan J. Featherstone heard the my Grandpa tell the story.

Years later, he wrote a letter to my Grandpa asking him if he could re-tell that story in a talk that he was going to give in church.

Of course, my Grandpa agreed.

During the Saturday Afternoon session of General Conference,

Elder Neil L. Anderson told the same story, that he had heard from Elder Featherstone.

So...my Grandparents are famous!

LOL

 

I love that story.

Sometimes I feel like I have my hands so full with 3 crazy boys.

My Grandparents had 5 crazy boys and 2 girls.

They also had 3 boys first also.

I guess I'm following in their footsteps :)

(You should have seen the look on Nate's face when I suggested that we have 7 kids LOL)

He felt like the only good part of that idea was that it would give him and excuse to buy a 9 passenger suburban.

I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens :)

Mini Caramel Apple Bites - Tutorial

HAPPY OCTOBER!!!
Don't you love the holiday months?
I plan on baking and crafting my way through the rest of year LOL :)


I thought I'd start off the month with a fun Caramel Apple Tutorial...

My kids L.O.V.E. caramel apples.

They always think they want one when we're out.

I even made them at home once, and the boys would sneak into the fridge and eat the caramel off the apple, and then put the apple back in the fridge.

They actually really like apples, it's just that a caramel apple is a lot to manage for a little mouth.

So...we thought we'd try it out this way...

All you need is an apple, a melon baller, butterscotch chips, sticks, and sprinkles.

First, start by scooping out "apple balls" the same way you would scoop out "melon balls".

Make sure that each piece has some apple peel on it.

Then, stick a craft stick in each apple bite.

Easy, right?

Then dip them in melted butterscotch chips and roll them in sprinkles.

 With the little bit of apple peel showing, it looks like it could be an entire mini-apple.

The perfect size for little mouths :)

You might be wondering if you could dip them in caramel and make a true "caramel apple."

I wondered too...so I gave it a try.

It doesn't work.

The juicy side of the apple does not let the caramel stick.

No matter what I tried, the caramel just wouldn't stick.

It stuck to the apple peel just fine, but not the inside of the apple.

Oh well...I think the butterscotch chips make a cute and yummy substitute!

It may work to dip in in chocolate, let it harden, and then dip it in caramel...

like the opposite of a chocolate dipped caramel apple.

I haven't tried it yet though.

If you're feeling adventurous...give it a try and tell me how it goes! 

Linking up at:
The Idea Room
Somewhat Simple
Blue Cricket Design
Tip Junkie 
I {heart} Naptime 
Tatertots & Jello

Gross...I don't know what else to say...

Me and my sweet baby Dalton.

I had to at least put a good picture, because the rest of this story makes me want to gag...still...

The day that I made Whoopie Pies, I swept and mopped my floor.

I think it's always good to start off a project with a clean house.

That way when you are done, you only have a project mess to clean instead of a house mess.

I fed my kids lunch and they made a disaster.

I sliced up peaches and the kids got sticky peach juice everywhere.

So, I swept and mopped my floor...again.

Then I let them eat Whoopie Pie.

Naturally, they made a huge disaster.

I sighed and started picking up pieces of discarded whoopie pie.

I reached down to pick up one chunk of pumpkin colored mess.

The piece I picked up felt kind of squishy.

It didn't feel like cookie.

Can you see where this is going?

If you're a mom...you might be able to guess...

So, I decided to smell it.

(I'm gagging just remembering this...)

Whoopie Pie would smell like pumpkin spice.

It didn't smell like pumpkin spice...it smelled like poop.

Like poop and peaches.

I started to gag.

I tossed it in the trash and started to scrub my hands, my arms, etc.

Then I turned to my baby...who giggled with all of the sudden attention.

"You..." was all I could manage.

I picked him up and more pooped out peaches squished out of his diaper and onto the floor.

Now that I was paying attention, I could find a trail of poop everywhere that he had been in the last half hour.

So, I spent the rest of the afternoon scrubbing the baby, the floors, the carpet, myself, everyone's hands, the floors again, etc.

To top off a fabulous day...

my 3 year old pooped in the bath that night.

And I spent all night scrubbing...again.

Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin Whoopie Pie

Since "Whoopie Pies" seem to be gaining popularity on every recipe blog I read, I thought it was about time I gave it a try.  I have several boxes of spice cake mix, so I found an easy cake mix whoopie pie recipe here.

 So...here it is:

Pumpkin Cookie Cakes

• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1 package (18.25-oune) spice cake mix
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk  

Making the Pumpkin Cookie Cakes

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat and set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl beat the butter and pumpkin with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add all the remaining ingredients and beat on low speed until combined and then on medium speed for another minute.
3. Using a small ice-cream scoop (about 1 2/3-inches in diameter) or 2 tablespoons, drop tablespoonful mounds of the dough onto the prepared cookie sheets, spacing them about 3 inches apart.
4. Bake 1 sheet at a time (make sure to use cooled sheet for the next batch) until the mounds are puffed and a toothpick inserted in the center of 1 mound comes out clean, about 15 minutes.
5. Transfer the cookie sheet to a rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Using a spatula, lift the cookie cakes from the sheet onto a rack and let cool completely.

The directions say to use an ice cream scoop, but I just use a cookie dough scoop and filled it really full.  My oven bakes hot, so I only baked it for 12 minutes.  Baking time depends on your own oven though.

For the frosting, I decided to try a different spin on their recipe.

Here is the recipe that goes with it:

Marshmallow Spice Cream Filling

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 8 ounces cream cheese softened
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 of a 7-ounce jar of marshmallow cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Since the "pies" already have a lot of spice, I thought I'd try a maple cream cheese filling.

This is what I did:

1/2 cup of butter

8 oz. cream cheese

2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 of a 7 oz. jar of marshmallow cream

1 tsp. maple extract

I LOVED the maple with the spice.  

YUM!

But...next time I won't add the marshmallow.

It gave it a fun, fluffy texture, but made it way too sweet for me.

I like traditional cream cheese frosting better.

They do make a super fun and easy holiday treat though!

I always get the urge to use pumpkin in the fall!

And here's what my kids thought of it:

Success!

Do you have a favorite holiday recipe?

I'd love to hear it...

Linking up at:
Blue Cricket Design
I {heart} Naptime

Floating French Braid hair idea

Today I thought I'd show you another fun hair idea.

I curled my hair one day and loved it.

The next day, I wanted to still have curls, but they were looking a little flat.

Since I've been seeing the "floating french braid" idea a lot on pinterest a lot lately, I thought I'd give it a try to give my next-day-curls something excitement. 

For those of you who know how to french braid, a floating french braid is the same idea.

Start your french braid, but each time you go to "add to" the bottom piece,

instead, drop it and pick up a new piece.

You add to the top piece as usual.

This way, the top is connected, and the bottom is not.

It's fun, quick and easy...

Easier than it looks...I promise.

And it added some life back into my flat curls.

My cute Saxon wanted to pose with me :)

What do you think?

Linking to:
I {heart} Naptime