Super Cute (and Easy) Bunny Garland

 

I made this simple and absolutely adorable garland this weekend.

It was a lot of cutting, but it was all easy cutting.

I used a PEEPS Bunny Template that I found on Favcrafts.com while searching on Google.

I cut my bunnies out of cardstock, punched small holes in the ears to hang them on string, and then glued cotton balls on for their tails.

As my son always says-- "Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy!"

 

My girlfriend came by and fell in love with it, she had to make a set for herself.

I like it so much, I decided to make a second set to hang in the dining room.

 

DIY Easter Tree

This year, I decided that I wanted to make a small Easter Tree. I picked up some cute little egg ornaments from the Dollar Tree to decorate it with, all I needed was tree...  My original plan was to use a dead tree branch from outside and possibly spray paint it white.

 

Then my son and I went to Target and came across this little tree.

They wanted $10 for this little thing!

There was NO way I was paying $10 for it, I decided to make my own version of it.

I made it with items that I had on hand, it didn't cost me a penny to make it!

 

 

My husband is a bit obsessed with tie wire and seems to have an endless supply, so I used it to form my tree.

 

I wrapped it top to bottom with yarn.

I used white yarn for the majority of the tree and then wrapped the ends in different colors.

 

 

When I finished wrapping it in yarn, which took a very long time, I put it in a little tin Easter bucket. I topped it off with some jelly beans and added my egg ornaments.

My little tree is all ready for Easter!!

What's Your Easter Bunny Name?

What's Your Easter Bunny Name?

Mine is Sparkle Doodles  :)

 

Easy and Cute Easter Egg Bouquet

 

With Easter quickly approaching, I am trying to create some cute and simple decorations to decorate my house with. This Easter Egg Bouquet was something that I was able to throw together in a matter of minutes. I had most of the things I needed on hand, but you can pick them up at the dollar store if you don't. This bouquet is so simple to make, a person that has never crafted a day in there life will whip it out in minutes.

All you need are some plastic Easter eggs that have little holes in the bottom (some eggs have the holes and some don't so be sure to check), some skewers (I had these left over from the summer), a vase, and some jelly beans if desired.

 

 

Place the pointy tip of a skewer into one of the holes on the bottom of the egg.

It will be a snug fit, so it is not necessary to glue them in place.

 

 

Cut or break off the bottoms of the skewers (I started using scissors, but I found it much easier to just break them) to make them the desired length.

 

 

Place them in a vase of your choice and fill with jelly beans, if desired.

 

I decided to glue a bow that I had leftover from another project to the front of the vase. I love these plastic bows, they are so pretty and they were 3 for $1 at the Dollar Tree.

There you have it, a cute and easy Easter Egg Bouquet to decorate your house with.

Happy Easter!

 

 

Slow Cooker Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta

 

 

This was another dish that I made for my Bacon Potluck. Thanks to my slow cooker, it was easy to throw together and it cooked while I  cleaned up. It was a hit-- Of course it was, you can't beat the combination of bacon, ranch, and chicken!!

 

Slow Cooker Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta

 

Ingredients

• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 package ranch dressing mix
• 1 10.75 oz can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 c. Real Bacon Bits
• 1 pound of pasta-- I used Rotini

Instructions

1. Spray the inside of your slow cooker with non stick cooking spray. Place chicken breast inside.
2. Mix cream of chicken soup, sour cream, garlic, ranch dressing mix, and bacon bits in a small bowl. Pour over chicken.
3. Cook on high 3 1/2 hours or on low for 6-7 hours.
4. When chicken is done cook pasta according to directions.
5. Serve the chicken mixture over the pasta. 

Dinosaur Party Snacks

 

I had a lot of fun putting together my son's DINO-mite party,

 especially when it came to coming up with clever dinosaur snacks that I knew the kids would eat.

 

 

I mixed a bag of mini pretzel rods and the honey wheat pretzels in a bowl and called them

"Dinosaur Bones."

 

I put a clean plastic dinosaur into a plastic cup and filled it with water and froze them.

I put the dinosaur filled ice cubes in a bowl of Hawaiian Punch to make

"Dinosaur Punch."

The kids loved it!

 

 

Bugles were

"Dinosaur Toe Nails."

 

 

 

Every kid loves goldfish so I had to figure out a way to incorporate them...

"Pteranodon's Favorite Food--Fish"

 

 

Jelly Beans were

"Dinosaur Eggs."

 

 

Potato Chips were

"Dinosaur Scales"

 

I had a ton of Conversation Hearts left over from Valentine's Day which was the week before, so I decided to put the out as

"Dinosaur Hearts."

 

 

My son loves guacamole so I decided to use it to make a

"Dinosaur Swamp"

out of it.

I just put the guacamole in a bowl and added some clean plastic dinosaurs to stomp around in it.

 

 

I made these simple

"Dinosaur Nests"

out of jelly beans and egg cartons.

 

 

I made Dinosaur Chocolates...

and lollipops.

What kid wouldn't love these?

 

 

 Last, but not least, my

"Volcano Cakes."

I love the way these came out and they were a big hit with the kids!



 

You'll Go Crazy for these Caramel Bacon Buns-- Super Easy to Make Too!

 

My girlfriend made these for the Bacon Potluck that I hosted last week.

They were absolutely amazing and she said this was one of the easiest things she ever made!

We enjoyed them for dessert, but these would be great for brunch as well!

Caramel Bacon Buns

Ingredients:
1 can of 10 Buttermilk Pillsbury Biscuits
1 lb of Cooked, Crispy, and Crumbled Bacon
1 jar of Caramel Sauce (about 1.5 cups)

Special Equipment:
2 standard Cupcake/Muffin pans

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Take one Muffin pan and place the other aside.
Fill the bottom of 10 of the cups nicely with caramel sauce.
Layer the Caramel with a good amount of bacon pieces and top it with a biscuit.
Place the second muffin pan on top of the biscuits, this will keep them from puffing up too much.
Bake them for 12 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown.
Let them cool.
Place a baking sheet or  plate over the muffin pan and flip it over. For the most part, the buns should easily pop out. If necessary, use a butter knife to give the buns a little push out.
Don't leave any bacon behind! Be sure to scoop out whatever bacon was left behind and add it to the top of the buns.

Enjoy these sweet and salty ooey gooey caramelly bacon buns!

What is Your Favorite Kind of Grilled Cheese?

I don't know about you, but I absolutely love grilled cheese, as do my kids! I cannot live without it, I make it at least once a week for lunch and on occasion for an easy and quick dinner. A few months ago, I hosted a Grilled Cheese Potluck for my play group. It was a lot of fun and we got to try a lot of different combinations. 

 

Don't get me wrong, I love regular grilled cheese, but my favorite kind of grilled cheese is made with Munster cheese. The Munster melts so nicely and it tastes so good! My youngest son's favorite is Grilled Ham and American Cheese. My oldest loves both, Grilled Cheese with Bacon and  Pizza Grilled Cheese, check out the link for the recipe, it is delicious! My husband likes Grilled Cheese made with Gruyere cheese, which I tried for the first time when we went to Bonaire, so I call it a Dutch Grilled Cheese. I love that we all have different favorites, it allows me to make Grilled Cheese often because I can always mix it up.

This is my ULTIMATE favorite when it comes to grilled cheese-- Munster Cheese on Panini Bread!

You definitely need to try it sometime, it is awesome!

What's your favorite kind of grilled cheese?

 

Cheddar Bacon Dip A.K.A. CRACK Dip--- YES, It's THAT Good!

A few years ago, I came across this recipe. When I saw the words Crack Dip, it immediately became a must try! I made it for the very next barbeque/party that we went to... It was a HUGE hit! Since then, it has become a favorite, not in only in my house, but wherever I bring it. The best part about this recipe is that it is so quick and easy to make! Of course, I felt the need to make it for this years Bacon Potluck Play Date at my house.

 

 

Cheddar Bacon Dip (Crack Dip)

16 ounces Sour Cream
1 Packet Ranch dressing/dip mix
3 ounces of real bacon bits
1 Cup Cheddar Cheese

Mix together all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate over night so that the flavors can combine. Serve with chips or vegetables. This dip is absolutely delicious on hamburgers, steak, and potatoes too!!

Elvis Blondies-- Peanut Butter Banana Bacon Blondies

 

These Peanut Butter Banana Blondies are drizzled with a Maple Glaze and Sprinkled with Bacon! If you like the Sweet and Salty combo, you'll love these Bars! This recipe is pretty healthy minus the bacon. The bars do not have any sugar added to them. I personally would like them to be a little bit sweeter, I think next time I will add some honey or a bit of sugar to the bars mixture.

 

Elvis Blondies

Ingredients:

For the Topping: 

6 pieces of cooked bacon, chopped-- I buy precooked Bacon Pieces to save time :)

1/2 cup powdered sugar

3 tablespoons pure maple syrup

 

For the Bars:

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter 

1 1/2 bananas, mashed

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 cup milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:

Make the Topping:

Combine the powdered sugar and maple syrup in a small bowl, stirring until smooth. Set aside.

Make the Bars:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x9 square baking dish with a sheet of parchment paper.

Stir the peanut butter and bananas together in a large bowl.

Add the oil, milk, and vanilla, and stir until well combined.

Stir in the remaining ingredients, and pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes, or until soft in the middle but beginning to brown around the edges.

Cool completely. Top with the maple glaze and bacon. Cut into bars and serve.

 

Enjoy!

May Your Day be Touched with a Bit of Irish Luck...

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

A Little Irish History...

My Wish for You...

Little Leprechaun Hat Craft

 

My son made this Little Leprechaun Hat today at a play date. It is so cute and simple and he really enjoyed making it.

 

 

He is really enjoying wearing it too!

Legend of the Leprechauns

This St. Patrick's Day, let your child in on a well-guarded secret and start a new family tradition in the process! I started this 3 years ago with my boys and they look forward to it every St. Patrick's Day.
 

The fun begins with the legend of the leprechauns and leads to a treasure box filled with goodies and gifts. It is simple and so much fun!

 On the day before the holiday, read aloud the following tale:
 

LEGEND OF THE LEPRECHAUNS

Full of magic and trickery, the leprechauns remain in their hidden world until the night before St. Patrick's Day. On that one night of the year they appear throughout the world to dance and sing and frolic.

Disguising themselves as leaves and grass, and sounding like the wind and the crickets, they come and go unnoticed.

However, it is said that if a decorated treasure box is left empty under the moon, the leprechauns must fill the box with gold or jewels or gifts. But then they will hide the filled box in the most unlikely of places.

If the box is found on St. Patrick's Day, the treasure remains in our world. If not, the leprechauns may retrieve what is rightfully theirs. And though the leprechauns are very clever, it is not impossible to find the treasure because, unknowingly, leprechauns often leave a trail of greenery behind them.

 

MAKING THE TREASURE BOX

Now, have your child decorate an empty shoe box or tissue box with paints, glitter glue or stickers. If he tries to bargain for a bigger box, explain that leprechauns are tiny and if they can't reach the top of the box, it will remain empty. Just before bed, your child should place the finished box on a windowsill where the moon will shine on it.

Once he's sound asleep, the resident leprechauns can fill the box with small treasures, such as foil-covered chocolate coins, costume jewelry or some fun goodies, and then hide it in a special place. All that's left to do is lay a trail of green leaves or paper shamrocks from the windowsill to the box. An older child may even enjoy the challenge of several trails to follow, some with dead ends (you know, trickery of the leprechauns!).

 

 

Pot of Gold Craft

My son made this adorable pot of gold craft today.

He enjoyed using his glue stick to glue on the "golden coins" and decorating the black pot with St. Patrick's Day stickers.

This was a quick and easy craft to throw together with some construction paper--

perfect for a rainy day!

What's Your Leprechaun Name?

 

 

What's your Leprechaun name?

Mine is Sprinkles O'Rainbow. LOL

 

The Best Irish Soda Bread Recipe!

I've never been much of a fan of Irish Soda Bread, I always felt it was much too dry. A few years ago, I made this recipe with a friend and I was floored! This Irish Soda Bread is awesome! It is very moist and it tastes amazing! I made this yesterday for my St. Patrick's Day play date and it was a hit. You have to try it out for yourself!
 

Look at the top of the loaf!
It looks (and tastes) amazing with the sugar sprinkled on top.

 

Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients:

4 Cups Flour
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Cup Sugar
4 Tablespoons of butter, softened
2 Cups of Buttermilk
1 Egg, beaten
1 Cup Raisins
1-2 Tablespoons Sugar, to top if desired

Directions:
Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Add butter. If you have a Kitchen Aid mixer, mix it using the bread/dough hook, if not, knead it with your hands for a few minutes until combined. Add the egg and buttermilk and knead again until combined. Mix in the raisins. Place in a greased loaf/bread pan and sprinkle the top with sugar if desired. Bake at 325 degrees for about 80 minutes or until a knife comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature with or without butter. Enjoy!