Oreo Pops!

The spookiest week of the year is here! And, of course, I'm ramping up the baking and craft projects. 

Here are my mummy/pumpkin Oreo pops!

Aren't they cute? And fairly easy, too. Here's how I made 'em:

Mummies:

1. Dip each lollipop stick in a bit of melted white chocolate and stick it into a double stuffed golden Oreo. Chill in the freezer for a few minutes. 

2. Use a spoon to cover each Oreo in melted white chocolate. Pop 'em back in the freezer for 5 minutes. 

3. Once they're dry, use more melted chocolate to make stripes across the front of each Oreo. I did most of them horizontal with a few slanted vertical lines. Look at mummy pictures for inspiration!

4. Finally, add a couple cute little eyeball candies and pop in the freezer for another few minutes. 

The process is the same for the chocolate pumpkin ones! But I used milk chocolate and normal double stuffed Oreos. For the decoration, I just cut little mallow creme pumpkins in half vertically and stuck them on while the chocolate was still wet. 

These are so delicious, festive, and much easier than cake pops! A perfect Halloween treat. 

- Ellen 

Tasty Wednesday? - Quinoa bites!

Who says I can't cook healthy food just cause it's not Tuesday? :)

I'm stuck inside today because of crazy hail and thunderstorms. What better way to spend my day indoors than baking?!

I decided not to make anything sweet because that's kind of my weak spot. It's hard to stop eating sweet treats!

Instead, I made these delicious quinoa broccoli cheddar bites!

Cute, tiny, and so yummy! And--the best part--you don't have to stop after just one! These go for only 70 calories a pop! Treat yo' self and eat 2 or 3 ;)

Recipe: (Click here!)

I highly recommend this healthy, protein packed snack! 

- Ellen

Pecan Cookies with Praline Frosting!

This cookie has turned into a fall tradition for me. They're my boyfriend's favorite, and they are full of yummy fall flavors! Ladies and gents, I implore you to bake up a batch of these. They're sugary, creamy, nutty, and delicious.

Here's the link to the original recipe!

Pecan Praline Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup finely chopped pecans
Brown Sugar Frosting (see below)
Pecan halves for garnish

"In a large mixing bowl, beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer. Gradually add sugars, mixing well. Add egg and vanilla; beat well.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, soda and salt. Gradually add the dry mixture to the creamed mixture, stirring after each addition. Stir in the chopped pecans.

Chill dough for 30 minutes.

When chilled, remove from the refrigerator. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place the balls of dough on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 - 12 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

When cool, spread Brown Sugar Frosting over the tops of the cookies. Top each with a pecan half before the icing sets.

Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

Brown Sugar Frosting

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup half & half
1 Tablespoon butter
1½ cups sifted powdered sugar (plus a little more if needed)

Combine brown sugar and half & half in a saucepan.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil 4 minutes.

Remove from heat. Stir in butter. Add 1½ cups powdered sugar. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add a little more powdered sugar, if needed, to achieve a desired spreading consistency"

Recipe: Raisinet Cookies

Hi there! Today's post is my recipe for Raisinet Cookies!

I invented this recipe on the spot because I needed something to bring to a friend's dinner party and I had very little time and ingredients on hand. I wasn't sure how these were going to turn out, but I was pleasantly surprised! The raisins and chocolate provide just the right amount of decadence, and they blend beautifully with the cinnamon to create a sweet and spicy little bite! Great fall flavors that are sure to please all cookie-lovers (and it makes the kitchen smell wonderful, as well!) Enjoy.

Ingredients

• 1 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup Raisinets (I used dark chocolate!) 
• 1-2 teaspoons cinnamon
• For cinnamon sugar: 2 Tablespoons cinnamon, 2 Tablespoons sugar 

Directions

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
• Beat together butter, sugars, and vanilla until fluffy.
• Beat in the egg.
• Gradually add flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Beat until combined.
• Gently mix in the Raisinets.
• Drop spoonfuls of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake for 7-10 minutes.
• For cinnamon sugar: Combine equal parts cinnamon and sugar. Sprinkle over warm cookies. 
• ENJOY! :)

PS: So sorry for the lack of photos! I was really, truly in a hurry! :)

Pumpkin pie pockets!

Just made these super cute and adorable and delicious pumpkin pie pockets!! YUM.
The recipe can be found here!

xo LOLlen

Recipe: Skinny Edamame & Chicken Fried Rice

This recipe is  from one of my favorite websites - Skinnytaste! 

I modified it veeeery slightly. I didn't use all of the vegetables because I didn't have them, and I used regular soy sauce, because that's all I had on hand. (But, it is actually so bad for you...40% of your daily sodium in ONE tablespoon. So go for the lower sodium one if you can.) I also added some chicken to make it a meal instead of a side dish. It was..so...yummy :) 

And it was actually the first time in my life I've ever cooked with meat. So, if I can do it, so can you.

Ingredients:
3 cups instant brown rice

1/2 chicken breast, sliced into little tiny pieces

2 egg whites, scrambled

1 whole egg, scrambled 

1 tbsp Smart Balance oil

2 cloves garlic, diced 

5 scallions, chopped, whites and greens separated

1/2 cup shredded carrots

cooking spray

1 cup ready-to-eat shelled edamame

2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce, tamari for gluten free (or more to taste) 

salt and fresh pepper to taste

Whisk eggs and egg whites, season with salt and pepper. In a hot wok, spray a little oil and cook the eggs. When cooked, remove from pan and set aside.

Let the wok get really hot. Add oil and cook chicken first, making sure it's white all the way through. Then, add scallion whites, carrots and garlic for about 30-60 seconds, careful not to burn. Prepare brown rice according to directions. Add brown rice and stir well a few minutes to heat through. Add cooked egg along with soy sauce, scallion greens and edamame, mixing well for about 3-4 minutes.  

Recipe: Cookies & Cream Marshmallow Bars

Picture a chewy, sticky, delicious rice krispie treat - plus OREOS!

I also found this recipe on Pinterest, right here: Click!

Recipe:

One 16 oz package of Oreo Cookies

5 cups large marshmallows

4 tablespoons butter

 Butter an 8X8 inch baking pan. Line the baking pan with parchment paper letting the paper extend up two sides of the pan and overhang slightly on both ends. Butter paper; set pan aside. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, pulse Oreos  until ground. In a large, microwave safe bowl, melt butter and marshmallows in the microwave until puffed, about 1½ – 2 minutes. Stir in ground Oreo Cookies until combined. Transfer to prepared baking pan. Using a piece of wax paper, press mixture evenly into prepared pan. Let set up for at least 10 minutes. Cut into bars and serve.

Yields: 16 bars

Recipe: Peanut-Buttery Pudding Cookies!

How yummy does that dough look? :) Well, it was. I was tempted to turn off the oven and just eat the entire bowl...

First, I'll say that this recipe is based on the one found right here: Click here!

I found it on Pinterest and had to try my own version!

Here's the final product...excuse the horrible iPhone photo. Someone remind me to get a memory card for my camera...

They are really moist and delicious, and the Butterfinger and Reeses' Pieces mix together perfectly for a delicious peanut-buttery flavor. 

You can format this recipe to your wants and needs by switching the kind of pudding you use and the candies you put inside! Enjoy :)

Recipe:

Peanut-Buttery Pudding Cookies

2 1/4 C. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 C. margarine or butter, softened

3/4 C. brown sugar

1/4 C. white sugar

1 3.4-oz. package instant french vanilla pudding

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 eggs, room temperature

1 C. crushed Butterfinger and 1 C. Reeses' Pieces

In mixing bowl, cream together sugars, butter, vanilla extract, and vanilla pudding mix. Beat until creamy. Add eggs. Add dry ingredients and stir until well-combined. Fold in Butterfinger and Reeses' Pieces. Form one-inch balls of dough and put them on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. 

Recipe: Bird's Nest Cupcakes!

Bird's Nest Easter Cupcakes!!

Cute as can be! And pretty easy!

Okay, so this isn't really a recipe. It's more of a decorating technique. Because I just made one box of Funfetti cake mix into cupcakes, and decorated them using

• Chow mein noodles
• White frosting
• Yellow food coloring
• Whoppers mini eggs (Or any small, egg-shaped candy)

Here's how to do it -

1. Make your cupcakes using the instructions on the box, then let them cool.
2. In a bowl, mix white frosting with a few drops of yellow food dye. Keep stirring and adding more until you reach the desired color. I went with a bright gold, but a light yellow would be cute, too.
3. Frost your cupcakes.
4. Build a "nest" using chow mein noodles. Josh is actually way better at this than I am. It's harder than you'd think. Just try to pick out all the curvy ones and make them criss-cross each other. You can also break some in half and stick them in random blank areas. 
5. Put a few little eggs in the middle of the nest.
6. Tah-dah! You have these little cuties:

Enjoy, and happy Easter :)