Chocolate covered Bugles can be used to decorate cupcakes.

You will need a bag of Bugles, Chocolate Melts (I buy these at Michaels or Joanns), a microwave safe bowl, & parchment paper.

Start by melting the Chocolate Melts as the directions specify.  Once the chocolate is melted, individually dip the Bugles into the chocolate.  Gently use your fingers to remove the Bugle, shake off the excess chocolate, and place on parchment paper to dry.  If you want a drizzle, as I did here, melt a different color of chocolate and dip a fork into the chocolate.  Shake the fork over the Bugles to create the drizzles.  Let the Bugles dry.

Once the Bugles are dry, use them to decorate your cupcakes, or whatever tasty treat you choose.  Here, I used them as “mega phones” for a Cheerleading birthday party.  Chocolate dipped Bugles would also make great witch hats, witch fingers, ice cream cones, or mountain peaks.

Happy dipping…

“Wonder what I will come up with next”…

I am in the process of planning a birthday party for my daughter.  OF COURSE, she wants a FROZEN birthday party!  I have been having a BLAST thinking of all the creative decorating I can do for the party.  I made these “Olaf” marshmellow snowmen to use as decor AND as a treat for the kids.

I used wood skewers, and 3 sizes of marshmellows – jumbo, large, and mini.  I cut the jumbo marshmellows in half for the head.  I attached brown MnM’s, mini chocolate chips, and the marshmellow feet & tooth using cookie icing.  I also used orange & black cookie icing for the nose & eye brows.

I made holes in the head and body to attach black licorice hair & arms.  I will wrap them individually in clear plastic and stand them in styrofoam at the party…pictures to follow from the actual party.

Too cute!

Happy creating…

“Wonder what I will come up with next”…

My Mom makes the most AMAZING banana bread!  I have learned how to make it and thought you might like to try it too.  The key to tasty banana bread is to use the most ripe bananas you can get.  If they are mushy and almost molding on the skin, these are PERFECTLY SWEET.  AND…the very first step when making this scrumptious treat is to mash the bananas before doing anything else in the baking process.  Mash 3-4 bananas to smitherines and let them sit on a plate while you complete everything else in the process.  The sweet sugars will release in the pile of mash!

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Combine the following ingredients:  2 1/2 C flour, 1 C sugar, 3 1/2 tsp baking powder, 3 TBS oil, 3/4 C milk, 1 egg.  Mix these ingredients thoroughly.  Now add the banana mash and mix again thoroughly.  Pour into bread pan and bake for approximately 1 hour.  DO NOT OVERBAKE.  Keep testing with a toothpick and as soon as the toothpick is clean, pull the bread out of the oven.  Place it on a rack away from the oven so it can cool quickly.

YUMMY!!!  Enjoy!

Happy baking…

“Wonder what I will come up with next”…

Who loves the combination of salty & sweet?  I certainly do!  One of my favorite things to make are chocolate dipped pretzel rods.  I love giving them as gifts as much as I love eating them!  They are so quick & easy to make and people of all ages love them!

I start with a cutting board covered in parchment paper.  I melt the chocolate per the instructions on the bag.  Be careful not to over microwave the chocolate or it will get hard.

I slide the chocolate to the edge of the bowl and twist the rod in it multiple times.  Then shake off the excess and place on the parchment paper.

I typically dip 5-6 rods, then add sprinkles before dipping more.  If you wait too long, the sprinkles won’t stick as well.

Let the pretzels dry, approximately 1 hour.

You will know they are ready when you lift them off the paper, gently pulling to unstick them, and there is no chocolate residue on the paper.

Once the pretzels are ready, you can place them on a platter, or wrap individual bags for gifts.  OF COURSE, you can eat them also! YUM!

Happy dipping…

“Wonder what I will come up with next”…