Oreo Balls

Oreo Balls!   I first time I tried these I was at my friend Cheryl's home.  She is the mother of my beautiful Godson, Quinn.   When you taste one of these for the first time, you remember where you were.  I had never tasted something so rich and perfectly Oreo before in my life.  The Oreo taste is unmistakable, but the texture is dreamy, soft, and rich.  I asked her for the recipe, and she happily passed it on because she said she got the recipe from a friend of hers.

Yesterday, my sister-in-law, Becky, called looking for this recipe to take to my brother, Tony's, work Christmas party. These are a perfect treat to take to a party.  They are easy to make and always a big hit.  It touches some heart strings from most people's childhood -- Oreo cookies.  Because it is made out of this childhood cookie.  It is a bit nostalgic and a bit sinfully decadent; let's face it, most of us don't eat Oreos anymore --- most of us -- I am not saying all.  My home has Oreos; thank you husband for your little craving.  Baking isn't Becky's passion, but I know she will successfully make these Oreo balls. And I am sure they will make her a big hit at my brother's Christmas party.

Here is the recipe sister----

Oreo Balls

1 regular size package of oreos
1 package of cream cheese 12 oz (brick, not tub) softened (leave out on counter for awhile)
1 package of almond bark or 2 packages of white chocolate (I always use the almond bark)
a pinch of salt

Crush the Oreos by hand with a rolling pin in a sealed plastic bag or in a food processor. Completly mix cream cheese, crushed Oreos, and a bit of salt.  Cover bowl and place in refrigerator until firm.  Take mixture out of refrigerator and form into small bit sized balls about 1 inch in size. Place balls on wax paper on a cookie sheet and put in the refrigerator for about an hour. Melt almond bark by placing some (not all) in a glass bowl and putting in the microwave on high for 2 minutes. Take bark out of microwave stir until melted and then add more bark and put back into the microwave for 30 seconds at a time until all bark has been added and is melted. Or you could use a double boiled; it is up to you.   Once bark is melted, use tooth picks to dip the Oreo balls in the white bark and then place them back on waxed paper and back into the refrigerator.  Once hardened, place balls in a sealed container.  Store in refrigerator.   Enjoy these rich little treats with the nostalgic taste !

Ilene Gail Delicious Coffee Cake

A couple of years ago, I was looking for a great coffee cake recipe, and I knew my girlfriend Ilene would have one.  Ilene didn't have a great recipe; she had a Delicious Coffee Cake recipe.  Years ago, Ilene's friend Gail made this coffee cake; Ilene and her family thought it was delicious.  Ilene has been making Gail's Delicious Coffee Cake ever since. So I guess the recipe that I am about to share is Ilene's Friend Gail's Delicious Coffee Cake --- for the sake of time, we are just going to call it .......
Ilene Gail Delicious Coffee Cake.

So often you hear the name of a recipe and it oversells itself.  The BEST cookie recipe, The YUMMIEST Chocolate cake, INCREDIBLE brownies.... you follow the recipe, and you look back at the recipe's name and think.... I am not sure about that.  Was that REALLY the BEST?  Anyway, the reason I am saying this is......this coffee coffee cake really is Delicious.

The changes I made to the recipe made it even more delicious for my family's tastes.  I added nuts and took away some icing.  But I will note where I made the changes because you may find the original recipe fits your family's taste or you may tweek it a bit in a different direction.

Either way, this coffee cake is easy to make  right before guests arrive.  It is delicious served warm; it is excellent served at room temperature. It gets the mmmmmmms and yummmmmies you love to hear as a host to any gathering.  It is a wonderful compliment to any breakfast or brunch.  I like to make it Thanksgiving morning and bring it warm to my parents' home.  It is one of those recipes that can easily become part of the fabric of any tradition.

A warm delicious thank you to Ilene for finding this treasure in her friend Gail's kitchen and passing this gem along to me.  It is interesting to think about how far a recipe can travel and for how many years.

And here is the Ilene Gail Delicious Coffee Cake

            Blend together until creamy

(1) stick butter

(1) cup sugar

Add

(2) eggs

(1) tsp. vanilla

(1) cup sour cream

            Sift together the following and then add to the above wet ingredients

(2) cups flour

(1) tsp. baking soda

(1) tsp. baking powder

a pinch of salt

Grease a jelly roll pan (this is a pan with small sides) and spread the above mixture.  Use two wet spoons to help you spread it ; it is a bit gooey so don't be surprised if it doesn't spread perfectly.  No worries -- it is homemade; it should look that way. 

            Cream

(1) stick margarine

1/2 cup sugar

Then add
(1) cup flour and mix together with a fork until crumbly.

 Sprinkle mixture over the top of the first mixture.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes--check after 15 minutes.  As soon as you take the coffee cake out of the oven, toss some nuts (optional) on top and drizzle with icing.

Nuts:
a couple of handfuls of chopped pecans (optional -- my family likes nuts) 

Icing:
(2) cups powder sugar (I used 1 cup - we like it a bit less sweet)

(1) tsp. vanilla

A little milk (I used water)

I put the coffee cake in the oven about 15 minutes before the guests arrive. 
                                     Trust me it is DELICIOUS!

Funny Story... My son locked his bedroom door

My son locked his bedroom door; luckily he was not in his room.  Or maybe I should say, at least he didn't lock his baby sister in the room alone.  When I grew up, my parents had the small key that unlocked the bedroom and bathroom doors sitting on the door frame to each room - smart right?  When we bought this home, I did notice that the previous owners didn't have that key.  But I have to admit I didn't think much about it until yesterday.

While I was cleaning upstairs and getting ready for the day, I went to go into my son's room and it was locked. I asked him about it, he say, "I don't want Zuzu (his sister) in my room."  My first thought was -- so  this is starting already.  And then it hit me, we don't have keys to the bedrooms.  I know what you are thinking, just use a paperclip.  I tried.  It didn't work.  My son still had his pajamas on. I just did all the laundry the day before.  The only outfit I had for him was yesterday's outfit that was dinner stained.  Of well, that was the best I could do.

My son knew I was upset.  I am always telling my kids that when you have a problem and you are frustrated --- that is not the time to cry and yell.  It is time to think -- use your brain and start figuring things out.  There is plenty of time to cry and it is ok to cry.  But when you need to problem solve, thinking is best done without tears.  I didn't think they were ever listening to me.  UNTIL......

Aidan turns to me and says, " I have been thinking..... I have an idea.  We can call the Army to blow up the door.  And then call Bob the Builder to fix it before Dada comes home from work."

Now that is thinking outside the box.  I didn't want to crush his thinking.  But I also didn't want him to think that your first idea is always the best idea.  I told him," you are thinking and that is an idea.  But we need to keep coming up with other ideas." 

In the end, I was able to use the paperclip trick.  But I guess that isn't the point of the story.  The point is.... the kids are listening.  It made me pause and think about what and how I say things.

Pumpkin Cake

So it is the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.  There are people all over America cooking and making preparations for tomorrow.  My mom has hosted Thanksgiving dinner my entire life.  She has always made the entire meal from scratch.  She is a wonderful cook and baker.  Even as a little girl, I have never liked pumpkin pie ---- I know I know -- some of you are bugging your eyes out at the computer screen.  I am sorry but it is just not my dessert of choice.  SO if I ever blog about a great pumpkin pie recipe, you will know I found the BEST recipe out there -- and I promise I will share it.

Now although I have never really enjoyed pumpkin pie, I do love the taste of pumpkin.  My mom found this recipe, that I am about to share, years ago.  I really don't remember a Thanksgiving without this pumpkin cake.   It is moist, yummy, and pumpkiny -- and it goes great with a cup of coffee in the morning on the days following Thanksgiving.  It is not overly sweet, it is not had to make, and it is not pie.  This year I have the pleasure of making the pumpkin cake for our celebration because my mom asked me to help her.  I decided to have the kids help me with making this easy recipe.

Kids mixing dry ingredients.

Here is my favorite pumpkin recipe

Pumpkin Cake

3 cups of flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts (optional)
1 1/2 cups of oil
2 cups canned pumpkin (1 can)
2 cups sugar
4 eggs

Aidan's face after cracking his first egg -- "it's yucky mommy!"

Zuzu's face after I asked her if she wanted to crack an egg -- "yucky!"

Preheat oven to 350.  Place all dry ingredients in a bowl and mix.  Then place all wet ingredients in another bowl and mix them.  Finally add the wet to the dry and mix just until blended.  Place the mixture in a well greased bunt pan.  Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 10 minutes.  Before serving sprinkle with powder sugar.  Told you it was easy.

Licking the bowl clean

Smiling next to their finished cake -- so sweet!

Happy Thanksgiving 2012.

Halloween Photo Memory Tree

Ever since I was a kid, my mom puts up this cute white branch Halloween tree.  She hangs white light on it and places it near a black caldron with cob webs coming out.  It is very festive.  I always liked it. Since I have had kids, I have looked to buy something similar.  This year I found a tree, a bit larger than I had in mind, at Micheaes.  It is black with purple LED lights.  It can be used outside or inside. I was excited because I got it for 50% off -- which is always nice.  The best part is how I decorated it. I took a picture from kids' past Halloweens, at this point that isn't a lot of pictures, and glued each picture on some felt.  Leaving enough felt along the edges to write in marker the year the picture was taken and put a hole punch on the top.  Through the hole, I put ribbon -- cute Halloween ornaments right?  I even put a few pictures up of my husband and I from Hallos past.  The tree turned out cute, and I look forward to watching the ornament collection grow throughout the years.  I have to say that the kids love stopping and looking at themselves and showing guests when they arrive.

Happy Halloween 2012.

Halloween Jack-o'-Lantern Cake

My kids are so excited about Halloween this year; they are four and two years old.  They helped me decorate, they have asked if it is Halloween everyday for the past two weeks, and they randomly yell boo at people in public.  My mom hasn't helped the situation .... she has had candy sitting out in a bowl in her foyer since October1st, so my kids have been trick or treating at her house ever since; hence, they have spend the month in a bit of a candy/sugar high.  My son will be a pirate again for the second year and my daughter will be a lady bug.  My son just barley agreed to let her be a lady bug.  I say this because last year he wanted her to be Sneed to his Captain Hook, which she agreed to of course. This year he asked for the same combo, but she had lady bugs in the brain and wouldn't give into him and his desires.

They are both looking forward to their preschool Halloween party and at some point a few weeks ago my son started talking about having a party at his home. My son is quite the entertainer; he loves inviting people over.  This worked out perfectly this time because my girlfriend Marian, her husband, and their daughter are coming over to trick or treat on Wednesday.  Marian's daughter Alessandra is three, so I figure the three kids (4, 3, and 2) will only trick or treat for a little while in this chilly weather.  Then the plan is to bring them back to our home, play some Halloween games, have some chili, and eat cake. Sounds like a toddler style Halloween to me. 

I have already shared my crock pot chicken chili.  It is super easy and very yummy.  Key mommy words easy and yummy.

But I thought I would also share the cute cake idea  -- a Jack-o'-lantern cake -- I got from Disney Family Fun magazine.  I made it last year for the first time and the kids loved it.  How could I not make it again?  It is easy and looks so cute.  The kids can even help you decorate it.  All you do is make two bunt cakes. Place the first cake upside down (flat side up) and place the second cake on top of it flat side down -- and you have a pumpkin. I stuck an ice cream cone, minus the ice cream, upside down in the center to create the stem.  Then I frosted it dark green.  Some orange frosting on the cake and black frosting for the jack-o'-lantern parts and that is a cute cake for a Halloween party.   Thanks Disney Family Fun -- great idea -- it will part of out Halloween tradition for years to come.

Goldfish crackers on a Cream Cheese Pond -- Great Kids' Snack

I first saw this idea in my favorite kid magazine Family Fun.  And it is so cute.  It can easily be adapted into many different food arrangements.  The basic idea is cream cheese with a bit of blue food coloring -- the pond.  Then you spread the "pond" cream cheese on a small rice cake.  Lastly, place a Goldfish cracker or two on top -- cute senerio right? Goldfish on a pond.

The base they showed in the magazine was a rice cake, but you could use a small pita.  Or you could place the blue cream cheese on a small plate and place the fish on top of the water and have the kids "fish" the fish and water out with a carrot stick or celery stick "a fishing pole."  The ideas are limitless -- just be creative and let the kids have some some with their food.

To say the least, Aidan was surprised when he saw his snack.
The simple joys of life.