TLC

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

"I'm hungry. (insert whiny voice) What can I eat???"

That phrase can send shivers up my spine, especially considering the ever-rising expense of snack foods. In an attempt to keep grocery costs down while also providing nutritious snacks for my kids, I have been trying some new recipes. So far I have found a great recipe for homemade chewy granola bars as well as one for homemade pop tarts filled with Nutella. (YUM!.) I'm not sure this is a cheaper way to go, but I am hoping to see financial rewards in addition to the satisfaction I'm getting from creating delicious homemade treats. Next I am looking forward to trying homemade Ritz crackers!

Monday, August 29, 2011

Speedy's Not - anymore...

Yesterday we noticed that our favorite chicken Speedy was not feeling well. She is the lone survivor from our original batch of chicks that we got in May of 2010. She is the most tame and friendly of the four chickens that we own. This morning we awoke to discover that our little Speedy has passed. Here are some of our sweet memories of our fine feathered friend.

Better than Hostess

Tonight we got to go to our church picnic. It was a beautiful night and we had a great time. I was very proud of my delicious creation...homemade Hostess cupcakes.

Here's how I did it in case you're wondering:
I made a Betty Crocker Triple Fudge cake mix into cupcakes. Then I used a very sharp paring knife and cut out a cone-shaped chunkfrom the top of each cooled cupcake. Then I filled the void with vanilla cream filling from Martha Stewart's Cream-Filled Chocolate Sandwiches Recipe. Then I trimmed the cone-shaped chunk and plunked it down on top of the filling. Next I placed all the filled cupcakes in the freezer while I made chocolate ganache (1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips). I allowed the ganache to cool slightly before spooning and spreading it onto the chilled cupcakes. Finally, I used leftover vanilla cream filling to make the swirlies on top of the cupcakes.