Homemade Hot Cocoa

I wasn't going to post today but I felt compelled to do so because of the weather outside here in sunny Centerville, Utah. 

 It's beautiful! All 18 inches of it!

I love huge snow storms (as long as I don't have to drive or the roads are clear).

 

So anyway, I had a really bad headache this morning and decided that Hot Cocoa would definitely make it go away. Funny thing.... it did. :)

Here is a fabulous and super quick hot cocoa recipe for those days when you find yourself lacking pre-made hot cocoa powder or just like to make things from scratch. There are lots of good hot cocoa mixes out there (Stephen's Dulce de Leche Hot Cocoa...drool), just make sure you use milk! That's what makes it creamy and rich, plus it gives you some nutrients too.
If you do make the hot cocoa from scratch it is a bunch cheaper.
Plus you can adjust it until it is your perfect flavor!
You like it sweet? No problem! Add a little more sugar.
You a chocoholic? Right on! Add more cocoa powder!
You can add hazelnut, caramel/ dulce de leche, peppermint sticks, you name it! You can have it your way!

So snuggle up in front of your fire with a warm blanket and a good book and sip away at your rich creamy hot cocoa. Enjoy the moment. Mmmm..... :)

Dang it. My headache is back. Better go make some more hot cocoa...

Homemade Hot Cocoa

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Tbsp sugar (or adjusted to your preferred taste)

1 Tbsp cocoa powder (or more!- I used Ghirardelli sweet ground chocolate and cocoa)

2 Tbsp water

1 cup milk

¼ tsp pure vanilla extract (or other flavoring)

Combine sugar, cocoa and water in a small saucepan and heat over medium until sugar is dissolved.  Stir regularly to prevent scorching. Add the milk and flavoring and whisk well until it reaches your desired temperature. Make sure not to get it too hot before serving so it doesn’t risk burning someone, especially children. If you need to keep it on the stove, just turn the heat down to the lowest setting to keep warm. I love hazelnut or caramel/dulce de leche flavored hot cocoas so adding a bit of that flavoring is next on my list! I'll add an addendum if I find other awesome additives! Apparently, doubling the cocoa powder is a fabulous idea! ;)

Perfect Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream

I don't know what it is about winter, but it always makes me crave ice cream despite how cold it is outside. Maybe it's the heavy cream that tempts my senses into thinking it will eventually make me warmer.... at least around the hips. ;) That's my theory.

Anyway, I have the perfect recipe for fresh strawberry ice cream. It is amazingly creamy strawberrily delicious. Yep. I'm excited. =D

I love me a good strawberry ice cream.

Plus I found out it gets better as it ages in the freezer. Mmmmm.....

 

Today I made some fresh pasta for my niece's birthday and was thinking (as I was licking an empty spoon) that I should have made her ice cream! What kid wants fresh pasta over ice cream?! Silly Aunt Sara. ;)

The key to amazing strawberry ice cream is amazing strawberries. I've said this before and I'll say it again. You can't expect to get amazing strawberry flavor in your dessert from dull or tart strawberries. It denies all laws of food physics. Just don't try it. Get good sweet delicious strawberries.

Oh, and if you are needing to clean out your automatic ice maker in your freezer, this is surely the way to do it. I used exactly one full binful of ice. Perfect!

I am trying to say lots of interesting things because I got so many yummy pictures...

Yup.

Mmhmm.

 

Ok. On with it already!

Perfect Strawberry Ice Cream

Serves 6...or just 1
Ingredients
1 pound fresh sweet strawberries, hulled and chopped into pretty small chunks
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup milk (I used 2%)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 big pinch salt

Directions
Combine chopped strawberries, lemon juice, and 1/4 cup sugar in a mixing bowl, set aside in fridge for a couple hours (I did 2.5 hrs). In a large bowl, beat eggs for 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Sprinkle in 3/4 cups sugar and mix well. Stir in the milk, vanilla and salt and mix well. Mash the strawberries pretty good so you don't have large chunks (keep the juice). You want pretty small chunks so they don't freeze and break your teeth. Add to the other mixture and mix well. Stir in whipping cream and refrigerate until chilled or overnight (I waited almost 24 hrs). I like to give it more time for the flavors to meld. I could definitely taste a difference after it had sat in the fridge overnight. Pour into ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions. I have a good old fashioned (motor driven) ice cream maker and it churned for about 30 minutes. Then I took out the dasher and scraped it off, packed the ice cream down into the can, corked the lid and replaced it. I covered it with more ice and a little more salt (I used our water softener salt... it worked) and let it sit for about 3-4 hours to harden it. Dish out and enjoy quickly or store in freezer. (It melts fast) You'll want to eat it within about 5 days so it will be creamy and not crystalized. Enjoy!

{Original recipe I found on Food.com but I tweaked it a bit}

Peanut Butter Bars

There are certain things in this life that are just meant to be together.

Salt and Pepper
Jack and Jill
Yin and Yang
Macaroni and Cheese

Well, in the world of sweets you can bet your knickers that one of those pairings is
Peanut Butter and Chocolate
 Mmmm....
Who doesn't just love the combination of creamy peanut butter and rich chocolate?
{All of you who overdosed on Reese's cups and now can't stand to eat them don't count...}

Point being, it's pretty good and my husband, Ben, loves the peanut butter/chocolate duo. He requested I make some peanut butter bars... "the kind with oatmeal in the bottom".
And so it began.
I whipped out a ward cookbook and knew there was going to be a gem in there. Peanut butter bars are one of those desserts you can expect most people in your neighborhood to be able to make. Everyone has a different recipe and they are somehow all amazing.

Here they be in all their glory.

These are fabulous with their fudgy texture.

I just love ward cookbooks. ;)

Testimonial:

"Fact: I don't like peanut butter. Second fact: I would give my first born for these bars. Delicious!"  ~Jillian Rose

Well there you have it ladies and gentlemen. Need I say more?

This recipe is also very easy to make. Guaranteed success.

It is great because it makes a lot at one time so it would be perfect for gifts, parties, vacations, etc.

These bars are sweet so if you (like me) prefer desserts that are less sweet and more rich or "deep", for lack of a better term, then this may not be the recipe you are looking for but it is sure to be a crowd pleaser!

Peanut Butter Bars

Ingredients for cakey-doughy part

3/4 cup Creamy Peanut Butter

3/4 cup Brown Sugar

3/4 cup White Sugar

2 eggs

3/4 cup Salted Butter, softened

1 tsp Vanilla

1/2 tsp Salt

3/4 tsp Baking Soda

1 1/2 cups Flour

1 1/2 cups Oatmeal

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a jelly roll pan (standard half sheet baking pan with sides ~ 10x16") with a sheet of parchment paper. You can use a smaller pan for thicker bars if desired. Beat together peanut butter, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs and butter. Add vanilla, salt, baking soda, flour and oatmeal.  Press mixture into bottom of pan to spread (mine did not reach to all the edges). Cook for 10-12 minutes (I cooked for 10 min). They will look undercooked when you remove them so don't overcook them. Let them cool and top with more peanut butter (optional- I did not do this but probably will next time) and the chocolate frosting.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch.

Ingredients for Chocolate Frosting

1 cup Sugar

1/4 cup Chocolate (I used semisweet chocolate chips)

1/4 cup Salted Butter

1/2 cup Milk

2 Tbsp Light Corn Syrup

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (or until desired consistency, decrease for less sweetness)

1 tsp Vanilla

Bring all ingredients except powdered sugar and vanilla to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring. Place bottom of pan in cold water until mixture cools and thickens a bit. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and mix until thoroughly blended. Pour on bars before mixture hardens.

{Recipe from Brooke Johnson in Parish Canyon Ward 2012 Cookbook- Thanks Brooke!}

 

 Enjoy!

Lollipop Birthday Party

I LOVE themed parties because it turns a good party into a memorable party.

This party was no exception! 

You only turn ONE once so why not start off those birthday parties with a POP!

 That's what my friend, Marci, thought too.

Nothing says "You're 1!" like a Lollipop Party!

  She did such an awesome job of organizing and creating an amazing party for her cute carrot-topped one year old, Lily.

I love her cute little personalized tutu outfit.

 

Join me for a walk down Lollipop Lane!

The theme colors were pretty pastels. As you will see, color is one thing this party did not lack!

 The entrance started the party off fabulously. I love festive entrances because it just tells you to get your party pants on 'cause we're not joking!

 

Marci made these pennants herself out of paper from a scrapbooking store. Made with love.

... and matching balloons. Can you really have a party without them?!

One of my favorite things about this party is that Marci used old fashioned candies to create a candy bar. Not a real candy bar but a candy candy bar... you know what I mean. I LOVE the concept of old fashioned candy and if I could make a living owning an old-fashioned candy store with the cute glass candy jars and little scoops and scales... I'm pretty sure I would pick up and do it right now. 

Yes, I like candy. How could you tell?

First Stop

Lemon Drops and Cake Pops

Made from a lemon pound cake, these cake pops have the perfect texture and flavor combo.

The lemon flavor is pure and fresh and perfectly balanced between the cake and buttercream frosting.

To tip onlookers of the delicious lemony surprise inside, I showcased the pastel vanilla candy coating with yellow jimmies in a whimsical swirl. Place some lemon drops in a jar with a cute little tag and insert that inside a ribbon lined foam ring filled with these little lemony daisies and you got yourself a lemon party. Sweet Huh?!

Next up is a picture of the cute little cake. I absolutely love these little 4 inch cakes because they are the perfect size for a personal cake, especially for one that a 1 year old is about to destroy!

This cake was covered in fondant and trimmed with a few different colored ribbons. To attach the fondant circles, just dip your finger into a little bit of water and spread it on the back of the fondant circle. This makes it tacky so it will now stick to the other fondant.You are ready to create a masterpiece.

Marci supplied me with this super cute lollipop candle that finished the cake off perfectly.

Vanilla dipped rice krispie treats are always a great addition to a dessert bar.

A huge hit with the kids was the automatic bubble blower. It blows 1,000 bubbles per minute! I need this for my dog!

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these pink and white lanterns. I'm trying to figure out how I can incorporate these around my house somehow. Come on, now every day's a party!

Another super cute idea was using clothes pins to clip pictures onto a clothes line for all to admire. These pictures were filled with a whole year of memories!

{Beware the wind...wind is not your friend with this} 

You could also do this concept with the wire zig-zagged down an antique shutter so it has some stability on one side.

These were one of the hottest items on the dessert table.

Mexican Chocolate Cake Pops in the shape of a "1".

Oh my goodness. These. are. tasty.

They were gone fast. We should have made more.

Mexican Chocolate Cake Recipe can be found HERE.

The other pops are chocolate dipped oreos. Mmmhmmm. I did.

Also so tasty.

Let me warn you that these should not be placed in direct sunlight. Yes, they will melt.

But only if they don't get eaten first....so you may be ok.

These little mini lollipops were the perfect size! It was so cute seeing tots walk around with a mini-me sized lollipop. Just one of those cute little details that totally makes the party.

And who doesn't love a good old fashioned sugar stick. Mmm... strawberry.

I love granulated sugar for suspending lollipops, candies and cake pops. It's recyclable {not for baking....that's gross. You can reuse it for another party though!} and cheap plus it works quite well and was perfect for a sugar-filled lollipop party! Why not?

This is one of my all-time favorite candies. The perfect amount of sour mixed with cherry flavor and sweet goodness. Mmm... mmm... good.  And really addicting. Be warned. The cherry sour.

And then comes the chocolate. Need I say more to you chocolate lovers out there?

I remember going to the penny candy store with my mom for movie nights and ALWAYS buying these little guys for about 5 cents. I miss the good ol' days of penny candies but I love the fact that they still make the candies I love from my childhood. Warm fuzzies. :)

I also remember how I would eat so many that my tongue would get raw. Oh, the sacrifices I was willing to make.

So these jelly belly candies aren't just your typical jelly belly candies. They are Snapple flavored people. SNAPPLE FLAVORS! Oh. my. goodness. I had a jelly belly bezoar in my stomach after this. 

You have to order them online but I am telling you that you should. Do it and try it and tell me how much you love them. You will never see me go nuts over chocolate like I do pure sugar. Gaahhhhh... drool.

Remember candy buttons {which until recently I thought were called "dots"} ?

 

They are pretty disgusting (I think they taste like food coloring) but they have such character and history that I can't help but love them. I remember loving these as a kid. What? It's pure sugar. Nothing wrong with that as a child.

We featured these cute-as-a-button candies {baha.... get it?} inside the circle of lollipop cookies. These here cookies received the approval of Marci's sister, who says she is quite a connoisseur of sugar cookies. I'll take it. :)

These are quite simple to decorate actually. You give the whole cookie a base coat of colored royal icing and allow to dry very slightly and then swirl in a second color of your choosing. Voila.

Be careful not to use too much icing on your base coat or it will overflow when you swirl in your second color. Just do a little less than you think you need.

Recipes of cookie dough and royal icing may be found HERE.

One of the funnest parts about themed parties is planning the little details. I remember sitting with Marci looking at millions of little baggy designs trying to decide which one would be the perfect compliment to a lollipop party. :)

These baggies were for kids of all ages to collect their candies in. These looked like little lollipop circles and had the same pastel color theme.

Marci's husband's favorite old fashioned candies are root beer barrels so those were a must since this party was really for him. ;)

In addition to the huge dessert table was a whole second table filled with food! Oh la la!

A party fit for a king...or queen!

I just love fruit. It's tasty. It's healthy. It's sweet and hydrating. A good alternative to those who don't want to stuff their faces in the candy bar.

Sandwiches, veggies, and chips. oh my!

I love large beverage jars for some reason. I don't own any... but I probably will soon. They just make me happy.

And here is the infamous Marci digging into the lemon cake pops before the party even began!

and that's me.

Here is Marci's husband, Jeremy, displaying their HOMEMADE Pinata!

I was so impressed. I'm pretty sure it took her hundreds of hours to make this. Maybe not that long but look at this thing! It's HUGE!

Marci goes big or goes home!

If you weren't sure, the birthday girl's name is Lily.  :)

I so love the detail in this pinata. Notice how they used 2 different tissue paper techniques. Fancy!

I think I will have to have her do a guest tutorial for us all. So awesome. What a talented lady.

Marci and Jeremy before the games began.

I still think it is hilarious that we choose one of the most dangerous games possible for children's birthday parties. Haha. I would give anything to have been a part of that first conversation inventing the pinata. 

"Yeah... and then after we fill the box with candy, we should hang it from a tree and put blind folds on the kids so they can't see anything and give them a large heavy bat to swing at it with!" 

But seriously, you really can't beat how much fun a pinata is at your birthday party.... even if you are only 1. I am sure Lily thought it was the best part of the party.

Here is a picture of the back of the pinata... notice something?

Yup. It's a GINORMOUS LOLLIPOP!

Luckily there were no casualties. Some near-misses, but no casualties. I call that a win.

And the moment we have all been waiting for!

Look how cute she is!

She had no problem digging right in (once mom helped puncture the fondant barricade).

Sweet goatee!

and some cake in the eye, why not?

Besides being all over the table and Lily, most of the cake was actually eaten by a certain sneaky aunt. ;)

My personal favorite pic is of her eating the cardboard.... the cake was THAT good!

So I just wanted to show you how I secured the ribbon to the cake. It all depends on the type of ribbon you have. I had a really silky ribbon so I couldn't glue it to the fondant with some icing. You can get some sort of fasteners that look like pearls made for wedding cakes but I didn't have time to go get any so I actually used some long sewing pins (wash them first if you do this). We just took them out when it was time for Lily to dig in.

Awwwww.......

The End