chocolate cherry brownies

This is a special recipe to me because it's the first thing that Matt and I cooked together.  When we were first dating, Matt had to make a dessert for a work event.   He got his favorite recipe from his Mom, we headed to the store to get all the ingredients and made these brownies together at his apartment.  I didn't get to try them because he had to take them to work, but at the end of his day he told me that all of his co-workers loved them.  Once I made them again and got to try them for myself I knew why everyone loved them!! They are so yummy and definitely one of our favorite desserts to make!!

Chocolate Cherry Brownies

1 (16 oz.) jar maraschino cherries 

2/3 c. butter or margarine

1 (6oz.) pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips, 

divided

1 c. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs, beaten

1 ¼ c. flour

¾ c. oatmeal

1 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. vegetable shortening

Heat oven to 350°. Drain cherries; reserve 12 and chop reminder. In large saucepan, melt 

butter and ½ cup chocolate chips over low heat; stir until melted. Remove from heat; cool 

slightly. Add sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Stir in combined dry ingredients, and chopped cherries. Spread into greased 9 X 13-inch baking dish or pan. Bake about 25 minutes or until 

brownies pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely.

Halve reserved cherries; place on top of brownies. In heavy saucepan over low heat, melt 

remaining ½ cup chocolate chips and shortening; stir until mixture is melted and smooth. 

Drizzle over brownies; cut into 2 ½ inch squares. Store in airtight container.

**I don't put the chocolate drizzle on mine because I think it makes it a little too chocolatey, but if you are a true chocolate lover then you won't want to skip out on the extra chocolate drizzle!!

Enjoy!!

diy foaming soap

Oh my goodness........it's been WAY too long since I've done a "Pinned There Done That" post.  I feel like I just haven't had time to browse Pinterest lately or doing any fun projects, crafts or recipes.  My blog has been strictly used for Meal Planning, Pregnancy Updating and Life Scrapbooking lately.    I'm ready to get back into sharing fun ideas, crafts and recipes.  We'll see how long that lasts though since I'm in the thick of decorating Nash's Nursery and starting to get busy with holiday stuff!!  

Today I want to share with you a recipe that my Mom found for refilling your foam soap dispensers.    

You know, the $12.00 foaming soaps at Bath & Body Works, does anyone actually pay full price for those? I don't know about you but I hate paying full price for anything.  Obviously I would never pay full price for a bottle of soap, but even when you get them on sale, they can still run you $5 a pop.  This DIY recipe will cut you way down in cost and it's so nice to just be able to fill your bottles up when needed!! With this recipe a big bottle of refill soap can last your FOREVER.  I'm not sure where the original recipe is found on Pinterest, but here is the one that my Mom likes best!!

Here's what you need.....

3 Tablespoons of any kind of soap

(I just use store brand hand soap)

2/3 cup of warm water

Directions:

Microwave the 2/3 cup of water in a glass measuring cup for 2-3 minutes.  Put the 3 Tablespoons of soap in the water and stir. 

Pour the liquid mixture into your foaming soap container.

 Voila!!  DIY foaming soap that is super easy and cheap!!

Enjoy!!

chocolate glazed eclairs

Growing up, these Chocolate Glazed Eclairs were a specialty dessert.  My Mom always made them for our birthdays or special occasions.  They look so fancy that I always assumed that they were hard to make.  I decided to break down and make them myself a while back and OH.MY.GOODNESS. these are so easy to make.  The recipe is long and appears to be complicated but it is really not that difficult.  I took them to a dinner party and everyone was thoroughly impressed!!  So if you are looking for an easy dessert to impress a crowd, this is the dessert for you!!

Eclair Shells:

1/2 c. margarine

1 c. flour

1/4 tsp. salt

4 eggs

1 c. water

Filling:

1 sm. pkg. instant vanill pudding

2 c. milk

1 sm. Cool Whip

Chocolate Glaze:

1/2 c. (4 oz.) chocolate chips

1 c. powdered sugar

2 T.margarine

3 T. milk

**Don't get overwhelmed with all the directions.  I PROMISE this is not difficult.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt margarine in 1 cup boiling water. Reduce heat to low. With a wooden spoon, vigorously stir in 1 cup flour until mixture forms a ball and leaves sides of pan.  Remove from heat and cool a minute or two.  Beat eggs into mixture until thoroughly blended. When you start blending, you will think you totally screwed up.  It will look like a cottage cheesy mess, but just keep blending.  It will eventually be thick and smooth, with a satin sheen.  Drop mixture onto greased coolie sheet, 2 inches apart.  You can make 10 larges ones or about 20 small ones.  Smooth tops out with a spatula. Bake 40 minutes or until lightly brown.  Cut the shells in half (1/3 from the top) to let out steam and bake 5-10 minutes longer.  Do not under bake.  Cool before filling. 

Meanwhile, prepare pudding as directed on package.  Gently fold in Cool Whip.  Refrigerate until ready to fill shells.  Once shells have completely cooled and the filling has been refrigerated for a while, rill the bottom of the shell with filling. Replace tops.

In a smal saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate and 2 tablespoons margarine, stirring constantly.  Stir in 1 cup confectioners' sugar and 3 tablespoons milk until smooth. Drizzle chocolate over the shells and refrigerate.  

Note:  I like to just drizzle the chocolate since I'm not a huge chocolate fan, but when my Mom saw my eclair she said I needed more chocolate.  There is plenty of glaze to add way more chocolate than the picture shown above.  Just add however much chocolate glaze makes you happy!!

Enjoy!!

snickerdoodle bread

Every Christmas I make a little goodie for Matt's co-workers.  Two years ago I made homemade salsa and last year I made mini loaves pumpkin bread with cranberries added to them.  This year I decided to use a new recipe that my SIL shared with me on Pinterest.  It is so yummy!!

Original recipe found here.

You will need......

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup sour cream
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 pkg. Hershey's cinnamon chips

Topping:
3 Tbsp sugar
3 tsp. cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONs

1. Cream butter, sugar, salt and cinnamon until fluffy. Add eggs and mix well.
2. Add vanilla and sour cream and mix well.
3. Mix flour and baking powder in a separate bowl. Add to wet ingredients and mix until all combined.
4. Add cinnamon chips and stir into batter. Set aside.
5. Spoon batter into 5-6 mini loaf pans until about 2/3 full.
6. Mix 3 T. sugar and 3 t. cinnamon in a bowl and sprinkle over the batter in each loaf pan.
7. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes. Let cool before removing from pan.I ended up making 30 loaves of this bread, because I also made some for Pearson's MDO teachers, his MOPS teachers, and some friends of ours. For Matt's co-workers, I wrapped them up in clear celephan and tied them up with red curly ribbon, then I attached some of my cute little Becky Higgins extra Christmas cards I created!!  Sadly I didn't get any pictures of them all decorated.  They were so cute though!!  Matt said the bread and the pictures were a big hit at work so I was a happy girl!!

pumpkin bread

With yesterday and today's weather being a little cooler than it has been lately and since it's finally October, I kicked off Fall today with some Pumpkin Bread.  This is definitely a favorite recipe of mine, my hubby's and my Pearson's!!  

Here's what you'll need to make the Pumpkin Bread..........

4 eggs

3 c. sugar

1 c. corn oil (or vegetable oil)

1-lb can pumpkin (100% pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling)

3 1/2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. soda

2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. allspice

2/3 c. water

You will also need a bundt pan and cooking spray.  A cute little helper is totally optional!!

First you will beat the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin together.  

 Throw in all the dry ingredients and mix well.  Also, stir in 2/3 cup water.  

 Spray your bundt pan with cooking spray.  Today I used some of the batter to make little mini loaves to give to Pearson's teachers at Mother's Day Out!!  

 Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.  (The little loaves only need to bake for about 35 minutes.) Be sure to let the bread cool before you turn it out of the pan.

Enjoy!!

I'm off to get all my fall decor out!! Yay, for fall!!

Happy Fall Ya'll!!

baby chef

Pearson and I whipped up a batch of my favorite cookies this afternoon for our small group tonight.

Pearson was quite the little fussy pants this afternoon because he only took one 45 minute nap today.  Today was Day 5 of him only taking one 45 minute nap. Yup, this Momma is about to go crazy!!!  I love my sweet boy, but he has got to sleep some during the day to give me a break.  We are going to cut down his sleep at night to 10 hrs in hopes that it will help him be more sleepy and nap some during the day.   So we'll see.......  

Alteast, a simple spatula (with nothing on it) and making cookies with Mommy made him happy!!

Seriously, these lemon whippersnappers are so easy and so yummy!! You should go an make them today!!