Blogging Blunder!!!

OH MY! Excuse me please, I made a huge mistake. Over at this post, about receiving the Happy 101 Blog Award - I left a blog off of my list and crossed descriptions! Yikes! I cannot believe I didn't catch this until this morning. There are no excuses, just my deepest apology! Stacey at It's Fun to Craft and Diana at The Girl Creative, please forgive me! You are both so amazing, I really am sorry for the mix-up! Please enjoy your Happy 101 Blog Award!

Happy 101 Blog Award

I am soooo very excited, a little humbled, and extremely tickled to have made someone's happy list! My blogging friend, Kel from Between the Lines, passed this very fun award to me! THANK YOU!!!! Isn't it just sweet? Part of earning the reward is sharing 10 things that make me happy! This is really too much fun - who doesn't love happy thoughts?

Ten Happy Thoughts

1. My husband - especially when he says, "beautiful"
2. Carter's giggle
3. Kellen's laugh
4. Smiles - especially my kiddos!
5. Taylor
6. Cabin time with my mom, dad, and little bros
7. Grandma's House - and everything and everyone that comes with it!
8. Thursday lunches - Sean
9. Morning chats - Andrea
10. Thick chewy Rice Krispie Treats
11. Everything on my Life's Little Moments list (located on my sidebar)
12. Helena -anything Helena
13. Guess I better stop there... but I could definitely go on (sunshine, park days, Vikings games, popsicles, bedtime stories, bubbles, quilting with mom, projects with dad, ...)


Now to spread a little of this happiness! My Happy 101 nominations go to...**EDITED** see here

1. Jen at Tatertots and Jello - A true blogger buddy who stopped to help me when I was an even newer kid on the blogging block. Her blog is for anything crafty and soooo inspirational!
2. Diane at Created by Diane - My new bloggy friend - we seem to share a sweet tooth and a knack for mixing up egg whites with egg yolks. Her place is simply delish!
3. Stacey at Fun to Craft - What a fun gal! Super fun, super inspirational, and a must on your list of reads!
4. Diana at The Girl Creative - host to New Friend Friday! I love New Friend Friday because it really provides an opportunity get to know others in Bloggerville. Not to mention, the amazing thoughts and ideas that spark from her pages.


Check these blogs out! They are sure to make your happy list too!


Oh, yeah, see these chairs?

I seriously cannot wait to show you what I have done to them! A big reveal is coming soon! Stay tuned! Follow this link to check it out!

Tuesday Tastes (7)

Hello! Hello! Happy Day! Welcome to Tuesday Tastes! Last week was so exciting! You surpassed my goal of 25-30 link-ups with 31, and votes were up for the People's Choice Award too! I can't wait to see what's cooking in your world this week! So come on over and link-up, and if your not here to link-up, stay awhile and look at all the wonderful recipes featured this week! I am sure you will find something inspiring! Remember to come back after the party closes Thursday afternoon to vote for your favorite! Let's PARTY!

*Please remember to grab the Tuesday Tastes Button from my sidebar! Besides your fun party favor, it helps others join our party. If you aren't linked up, you will be disqualified from the People's Choice Award and/or deleted.

Caramel Apple Dip

Please excuse my photo! I haven't ever seen a left-handed camera, and I could have really used one for this picture! I was trying to hold the apple while balancing the dip in my left hand and trying to use my right hand to control the camera and keep the connected lens cap and camera strap out of the shot. Yes, my lens cap took a bath in the caramel dip! I will try for another shot sometime when I have a helper! In the meantime, if you come across a left-handed camera let me know! Anyways, this is one of those recipes that everyone loves and someone always asks for the recipe. You can never go wrong pairing apples with caramel.  As if caramel isn't good enough by itself, add a little cream cheese, some brown sugar, vanilla, and marshmallow creme and hold on to your taste buds! It's so good!

Caramel Apple Dip


8-oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup  caramel ice cream topping (Mrs. Richardson's Butterscotch Caramel is amazing)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 (7-oz.) jar of marshmallow creme


Beat cream cheese, brown sugar, caramel, and vanilla until smooth. Fold in marshmallow creme.  Serve with sliced apples. Refrigerate any leftover dip to enjoy another time!


*Note - For best results, cut and serve apples immediately. If you need to prepare apples ahead of time, or are concerned they will brown on your buffet table you can place about 3 sliced apples, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons water into a large ziploc baggie turning until everything is mixed and coated well. To serve, drain well.


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Tuesday Tastes People's Choice Award (6)

Happy Saturday everyone! I hope you were able to check out all the wonderful recipes linked up to Tuesday Tastes last week! There were some really fun, creative, and yummy things shared! Check out this link if you missed them. Votes are in, and our People's Choice Award goes to

Tidy Mom's Chicken and Cheese Quesadillas

Congratulations! They look fabulous, don't you think!?! I think they will definitely be on my menu for the week! What about you?

Blueberry Muffins

If you have spent much time around here, you know that there are tons of recipes that I love! You also know that I am always on the hunt for that perfect recipe; the one that stops my search and I will make forever more. I do believe that I have found that recipe for blueberry muffins! These are soooo good! I usually have pretty good self-control, and I am almost ashamed to admit it - but I have already eaten THREE of these scrumptious muffins! That's not counting the pieces I snuck off of my kids' blueberry cupcakes (that's what the three-year old calls them!) Moist, sweet -but not too sweet, blueberry heaven! They are wonderful and perfect for a Mother's Day brunch! I don't know what it is about brunch on Mother's Day, but it is my very favorite way to celebrate (it probably has nothing to do with homemade berry syrup, muffins, quiche (I LOVE QUICHE), sticky buns, fresh fruit... ok, I better stop there). I think you get it, I heart these muffins and I hope you do to!

Blueberry Muffins
*From Fine Cooking SweetCakes


Vegetable oil or cooking spray for the pan
3 1/2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups sugar
10 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup whole milk
1 cup sour cream, room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest, OPTIONAL
1 1/2 cups freshed (washed and dried) or frozen blueberries (don't thaw)


*Note - I was hurrying to make these and forgot I was out of milk. I used water instead, and they were delish! I also left out the lemon zest because I wanted a more classic taste, but add it if you prefer. I also just used softened butter instead of melted and cooled butter. And one last thing - I misread the egg yolk and used an egg white instead - this recipe must be pretty forgiving because there isn't much I stuck with and they were so yummy. Now you get to decide how you want to make them.

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease the top of the muffin pan (this keeps tops from sticking) and line with paper cups.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk sugar, butter, milk, sour cream, eggs, egg yolk, and optional zest until well combined.

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and fold gently with a rubber spatula until ingredients are mostly moistened. The batter will be lumpy with quite a few streaks of dry flour. Sprinkle blueberries on the batter and fold in until everything is just combined. There will still be lumps. Don't wait to mix berries in our the batter will become over-mixed.

Fill the paper cups so that the batter is evenly spread and mounds a little over the top of cups. (I ended up with 16 muffins. You could easily stretch the batter if you use less batter per cup.

Bake until golden brown and muffins spring back lightly when pressed in the middle, 30-35 minutes. Let  muffins cool on a rack for 15-20 minutes. Use a table knife to separate the tops (they will probably meld together) and pop out the muffins.

After eating all those muffins today, I have a date with Jillian.

Happy Mother's Day!

Snickerdoodle Bars

You just have to love Snickerdoodles! What's not to love - soft sugar cookies rolled in cinnamon and sugar! Recently, I found this version in one of my mom's cookbooks with all the Snickerdoodle goodness wrapped into a yummy glaze-drizzled bar. They are so very good and much faster to whip up than the original. Perfect for school lunches, summertime picnics, or even just to try this weekend!

Snickerdoodle Bars 

2 1/3 cups flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

Cinnamon Filling

1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla 

Heat oven to 350. Spray or grease the bottom only of a 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.

Beat butter on high speed until creamy. Beat in sugars. Gradually beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Add dry ingredients and beat on low speed until combined.

Spoon half the batter into the pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle with Cinnamon Filling evenly over batter. Dollop teaspoons of remaining batter evenly over Cinnamon Filling. Gaps are okay, they let the filling peek through leaving a fun marbled look.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

In a small bowl, stir glaze ingredients until smooth and thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle over bars. Cut and enjoy!

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