A Cozy Winter Engagement Shoot
I am cuddled up working from home this afternoon, spending some quiet time with my pups. (My favorite thing to do after a business trip.) It’s sunny now, but Syracuse has been hit hard with lots of snow (again) the last few days so the snow is everywhere and there is no shortage of cold, making me kind of love this cozy winter engagement shoot shared by the lovely Emily and Bethany. All of the rustic, Nordic inspired details feel just right for romantic and snowy engagement photos, and I love how sweet Ingrid and Colby look together. Big cozy blankets, mugs of hot cocoa, camp lanterns and pine cones are the perfect little details for a winter celebration. Vendors - Photography: Emily Steffen Photography Styling + paper goods: Bethany Hway Attire: Lands End Jewelry + accessories: Arise Designs
Kit Kat Bars Recipe
These homemade kit kat bars are supposed to taste like the popular candy bar of the same name. They do have the nice chocolatey crunch of a Kit Kat candy bar, but these bars have more of a salty-sweet flavor than the candy bar. The kids tell me they like the taste of these bars even better. Don't Miss: Brownies and Bar Cookies Prep Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 15 minutes Yield: 36-48 kit kat bars Ingredients: 60 buttery crackers, such as Keebler Club Crackers3/4 cup butter3/4 cup granulated sugar3/4 cup firmly-packed brown sugar1/3 cup milk1-1/2 cups crushed graham crackers2 cups semisweet chocolate chips1/2 cup peanut butter Preparation: Butter a 9 x 13 baking dish. Don't Miss: Healthy Kit Kat Bars Recipe
Chocolate Bowls: My 2 Cents
So, you've seen those cute, fancy chocolate bowls made with the balloons? I tried it. They turned out okay. A couple suggestions: *Don't use water balloons. *Make sure you wash the balloons and let them air dry- as most instructions suggest. *Make sure your chocolate isn't the slightest bit warm or else the balloon will pop. * I would melt a bag of chocolate chips with a bag of Reese's Peanut Butter Chips. *I would also decorate the bowl after it is dry for extra cuteness. If you don't have a ton of time, these are also quick and easy and fun.
Emergency Meal Kit Challenge!
The first three days of any emergency crisis are always the most critical. It's not that problems can't or won't occur after the initial event, but psychologically, people are dealing with the trauma of the moment and it can be difficult to think about something as simple as preparing a meal. Especially if one has the added challenge of the grid being down... no electricity, no gas, no water. Imagine for a minute... a hurricane, earthquake, flood, or tornado has hit your town (one of these scenarios should cover just about everyone). Are you tracking with me? Having three days worth of meals ready to prepare would be wise, would it not? Here's an example for a lunch or dinner idea based around tuna: • canned tuna • small jar of mayo • small jar of pickle relish • jar or bag of spices for tuna • canned fruit • a box of crackers • cans of V-8 or similar vegetable drink • trail mix packets Everything would be placed in a box and labeled "Tuna Meal". Meet the Challenge!
Death By Oreo Cupcakes
They are probably the best Oreo cakes I have ever tried. A lot of cake's that I have experimented with before are like a vanilla cake with bits of Oreo in them, which didn't really give them enough Oreo flavor. But these were a lot better. I used a dark chocolate fudge cake mix instead of just a regular chocolate cake mix, which went really well with the cookies and gave the cakes just a little more flavor. Ingredients 1 package Oreo Cookies, regular size 1 package Mini Oreo Cookies, for decoration (optional) 1 package chocolate cake mix (mix according to directions on box) 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), room temperature 3 3/4 cups powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract cupcake liners Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together butter and cream cheese. foodsnots.com
Recipe Snobs: Ghoulishly Glowing Cupcakes
Hey Everyone!! I’m just gonna start out by saying, I am so stinking excited about this recipe! A couple of weeks ago I had a follower e-mail me about a frosting recipe that would glow in the dark. Or I should say almost glow in the dark. Specifically she needed a cupcake recipe that could glow under a black light, but the trouble was that I couldn’t find one on the internet to try, so I decided to try my hand at making one. Tonic Water! Then it dawned on me that if you make gelatin with tonic water the jello will glow. After a few dips and trips back into the freezer to set, the frosting glowed!! 1 black light24 prepared and cooled cupcakes White Glow In The Dark Frosting 7 cups confectioners’ sugar1 cup vegetable shortening1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract5 tablespoons tonic water {diet tonic water works too}mini chocolate chips morsels Extras Needed for Green Glowing Frosting Neon Food Color0.3 ounce package of either Lime or Orange Gelatin1 cup boiling water1 cup chilled tonic water
How to Escape from Zip Ties
In our How To Escape and Evade in an Urban Environment article, we briefly discussed escaping from zip ties. There are quite a few hasty methods of illegal restraint, and zip ties are a method that’s available to any would-be kidnapper. A few of the other methods seen are duct tape, rope and phone cord, but with a little education you’ll see that all of these methods can easily be defeated. There are two things you’ll need in any escape situation, and without these two things, nothing we’ll show you will work. Those two things are time and opportunity. You’ll have to first have the time to be able to put one of these escape methods into action and the opportunity to do so. Your captors are most likely not going to have the resources or the patience to keep eyes on you constantly, and when they don’t, it’s time to make your move. Update 2015: We’ve recently put together this comprehensive how to video guide on escaping illegal restraint. Click here to view all videos on YouTube Dual Zip Ties
Chalkboard Paint Dipped Gingerbread Hearts – DIY Valentines Day Decoration
When gingerbread hearts meet a bowl filled with chalkboard paint you end up with adorable little hearts that you can leave messages on with chalk, hang as decor, or use as gift tags. I’m so excited to share this fun DIY Valentines’ Day decoration idea with you. Remember last week when I showed you a fun valentines Day craft to do with your kiddos? Well when I baked ornamental gingerbread hearts I went a little overboard with my double batch and had way more hearts than I needed. As I was pondering what to do with the leftover hearts, I came up a crafty idea to cover then in chalkboard paint and make little message hearts out of them. Well, these turned out way cuter than I expected, and are the perfect addition to our Valentines Day decor. There are so many fun things that you can use these for this Valentines Day. Hang them from pictures with sweet little messages on them. Hang them as decorations on light fixtures, valances, and more. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Freezable Foods — yup, you can freeze all of this!
Lately I’ve been talking a lot about freezer foods – keeping the freezer stocked, saving time and money by cooking from the freezer, and more. And apparently all of you are very interested in freezer foods because I’ve received all kinds of questions, asking what foods you can and cannot freeze. While I don’t claim to be a “Freezable Foods Expert”, I have frozen more than my share of foods over the last few years; and I’ve taught classes on freezing, drying, and canning. Here’s my list of freezable foods. I’ve personally had success freezing everything on the list below. 1. I’ve been known for baking huge batches of sweets in one day and then freezing them for our enjoyment over the next few months. Brownies & Cookies: Yup, I do it all the time. Breads, Buns, Muffins, and Rolls: Just double-bag them to prevent freezer burn and they should be fine for several months Cupcakes & Cake: Yes, I’ve frozen cupcakes and even full cakes! 2. 3. Yogurt: Freeze yogurt for a delicious, healthy treat.
