Creamy Chicken Jalapeno Popper Dip: The Perfect New Year’s Eve Appetizer

December 28, 2017 by

This creamy chicken jalapeno popper dip is the perfect appetizer for New Year’s Eve and is sure to be a crowd pleaser! This is a sponsored post. 

Creamy Chicken Jalapeno Popper Dip - the perfect NYE appetizer

I think I’m on a high. Still recovering from the Christmas cheer that spread throughout my house, family in town celebrating, and a fun weekend of even more celebrating in my near future. And, of course, smack dab in the middle of all of that is New Year’s Eve. The biggest party of the year, right?

We normally head over to my brother in laws house with appetizers and sparkling grape juice in hand for a kid-friendly NYE party where we celebrate ringing in the new year on GMT. We’re home by 6-7pm and the kids feel like they’ve gotten to celebrate the big countdown with their family and friends. But then my husband and I can enjoy a nice quiet meal together as we ring in the new year while the kids snooze.

Creamy Chicken Jalapeno Popper Dip

I try and keep things simple by making a few appetizers to enjoy instead of a large meal. I bring a larger version of the appetizer to the party while I save a small version for us to heat up later. We can munch together and watch the festivities on tv as we remember what happened in the years past. It’s a great way to connect. But it’s also a great way to try out fun recipes I haven’t had a chance to try out in the previous year. And this creamy chicken jalapeno popper dip recipe is one of them! The kids loved that I paired it with their favorite sparkling grape juice.

I first saw a variation of this recipe on my friend Melissa’s site and knew I wanted to try it. But I wanted to see if I could mix those flavors with my favorite “crack dip” recipe. Adding chicken to this dish not only took it up a notch but made it more acceptable as a replacement for dinner. I’ll enjoy mine with celery while the husband dipped in with crackers and tortilla chips!

Creamy Chicken Jalapeno Popper Dip ingredientsCreamy Chicken Jalapeno Popper Dip ingredients to mixCreamy Chicken Jalapeno Popper Dip - deliciously cheesy with a hint of spice

Creamy Chicken Jalapeno Popper Dip

  • 2 8 ounce packages Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 4 ounce can chopped green chiles, drained
  • 2 diced jalapeño peppers, seeds removed
  • 1 cup Mexican style Kraft Natural Shredded Cheese
  • 1 cup Mozzarella Kraft Natural Shredded Cheese
  • 1-1 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken
  • 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 375˚ F.  In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, green chiles, jalapeños, chicken, and shredded cheeses.  Mix thoroughly with a spoon or spatula until smooth and evenly combined.  Spread the mixture into a baking dish (approximately 9 x 9-inches).

In a second bowl, combine the Panko and Parmesan and stir until combined.   Sprinkle over the cream cheese mixture in the baking dish.  Bake for 25 minutes or until the mixture is hot and the topping is golden. Broil on high for 30 seconds if it’s not as toasty on top as you’d like.

Serve warm with crackers, tortilla chips, baguette slices, vegetables, etc. as desired.

Creamy Chicken Jalapeno Popper Dip with chips and crackers

What do you munch on during the NYE celebration? 

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Filed Under: Appetizers & Sides, In the Kitchen, Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Ringing in New Years with Kids

December 26, 2017 by

Ringing In New Years with Kids

New Years Eve is not the same as it once was. Now that we celebrate New Years with kids, we’ve changed things up to make things more kid-friendly. Including starting a little earlier than we once did.

Below are a few great ways to have a rockin’ New Years Eve with kids. From fun mocktails and food to fun and games, everyone will have a good time!

Start the Party Early!

There’s no need to wait till midnight in your timezone! Consider starting the party early and celebrate when the kids are still awake by choosing a different time zone. My brother in law hosts a GMT New Years Eve party every year where we count down to 4pm PST (0000 GMT).

The kids get the full experience of New Years Eve without having to force themselves to stay awake. Then the adults can celebrate how they’d like afterwards. Or go to bed with the kids at their normal time. I’m pretty sure I do the later every year even though I make an effort to stay up.

New Years with Kids Mocktail

Get Creative with Mocktails

Grab some bottles of bubbly… bubbly apple cider and grape juice that is and start mixing up some fun concoctions (or let the kids make their own). All you need is some sparkling juice or sparkling water and a variety of other juices. Then let the kids have fun mixing them up

Consider adding a few mix ins like maraschino cherries or fresh fruits. And for dessert create an ice cream sundae or ice cream float bar!

Mini Corn Dogs with Ketchup

Serve Up Kid-Friendly Foods

Miniature or small finger foods work best with the littles. Consider cooking up some mini corn dogs or sticking with a simple cheese, cracker and meat platter. And snacks are a must so consider a variety of bunnies, pretzels, fish, and grahams. And I’m sure the kids would go crazy for this Inside Out Garlic Cheese Bread.

Need something for the adults too? Grab a few bags of Pretzel Crisps, and whip up this delicious hot pizza dip. It’s a crowd pleaser!

If you’re looking for more traditional fare, consider making a batch of black eyed peas to bring good luck with you into the new year.

New Years Eve Countdown Boxes - Play Party Pin

Have Some Fun

It isn’t a new years eve party without fun and games! Check out these great ways to ring in the new years with kids in style! From homemade balloon drops to creative ways to count down each hour, these bloggers have you covered!

In Southern California? Check out these kid-friendly New Years Eve parties hosted around town!

How do you celebrate New Years with kids?

ringing-in-the-new-years-with-kids

This post was originally featured on December 26, 2013.

Filed Under: Family Parties, Holidays, New Years, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , ,

Gift Basket Ideas for Mom + How to Make Lavender Epsom Salt Scrub

December 11, 2017 by

 This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. Product was provided by the client for review; however, all opinions are mine alone. #WorldsSmartestToothbrush #PhilipsSonicare #OprahsFavoriteThings #CollectiveBias

Sometimes my mom is the hardest person to shop for on my list. So that means going a little outside of the box when I think up things to gift her for Christmas. Sure there’s the photo of the kids, or the massage gift card, but you can’t just keep gifting that to her year after year, right? (she might disagree….)

This year I decided to get some ideas from a woman I’ve known for quite a long time; Oprah. Growing up, there was always one show playing at home when I got home from school and that was Oprah. My mom and I would watch together and talk about the topics of the day and our days at school/work. It was a great bonding time. Now I love finding out what is included in Oprah’s latest Favorite Things List so I can get ideas on what to send my mom for special gift giving occasions.

So front and center in the gift basket I created for my mom is the Philips Sonicare DiamondClean Smart 9300 Rechargeable Toothbrush. Now you may be saying, “A toothbrush for your mom???” but it really is the perfect gift to give for this holiday season. The Sonicare DiamondClean Smart 9500 Rechargeable Toothbrush was named one of Oprah’s Favorite things in 2017, and I had the chance to try a DiamondClean Smart for myself. Definitely can’t go wrong with anything on her list. 

It may sound weird, but my mom cares about the heath of her teeth. She’ll do anything she can at home to avoid going to the dentist. So a toothbrush with four high-performance brush heads and Smart Sensor technology is a must for her. Now she can care for her whole mouth, teeth, gums and tongue with the new Sonicare DiamondClean. Just click on the Sonicare DiamondClean in the image below to grab one for your loved ones (or yourself) from Amazon!

The Sonicare DiamondClean is Philips’ best ever toothbrush for complete oral care. It’s sensors and integrated app help you perfect your technique, and get a complete clean. The premium brush heads give you exceptional oral health results and its 4 modes and 3 intensities let you focus on each aspect of your oral health. But no need to worry about what mode or intensity you need. The smart brush heads automatically select the optimal mode and intensity you need. Looking to take your oral health to the next level? Connect with the Sonicare app to get real-time feedback and personalized coaching! How’s that for 100% confidence in your oral care?

And in addition to complete oral care, I threw in some funny and pampering gift items too. I grabbed a tan soap dispenser and created an SVG file for the soap connoisseur image to allude to a favorite holiday Christmas movie, and then got to mixing and created a fun lavender epsom salt scrub for her to enjoy. To round it all out I added an eye mask and pumice stone. The perfect whole body pampering set! I’m sharing how you can make the scrub below AND sharing a free SVG file for the scrub label. 

How to Make Lavender Epsom Salt Scrub

What you need: 

  • 1 cup epsom salt
  • 1 cup olive oil
  • 3-5 drops lavender essential oil

What you do: 

Mix the salt and oil together until well blended. Add in the lavender oil and stir to combine. 

Place salt scrub in an air tight container and add a label. 

Grab the free Lavender Scrub SVG file here! 

What do you love placing in gift baskets to make them fun but different? 

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Filed Under: Crafts/DIY, gift ideas, gifts

The Best Ways to Impress Your Guests this Holiday Season + FREE A Christmas Story Toilet Seat Decal SVG

December 4, 2017 by

Who’s ready for holiday guests? This girl is! And with this free toilet seat decal inspired by A Christmas Story, no one’s falling in the potty! This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MerrySpritzmas #CollectiveBias

One thing I love about the holiday season is that I get to see a lot of my favorite people all in the same month. Whether it’s family coming into town, friends stopping by with plates of cookies, or the neighbor down the street, the end of the year is when all of the commotion happens. And that means one thing… the loo can be a busy place! 

So in order to make sure our house is in tip-top shape and ready for guests, I do a few small things to prep in advance. Not only does this make it easier for guests, but makes my life easier as well. And since our guest bathroom is also the bathroom the girls use, I’ve made a funny decal inspired by a classic Christmas movie to remind male guests to keep the seat down. Because, yes, my kid has fallen into the toilet because someone forgot to do this…

(click on the images to visit Poo~Pourri.com and find your perfect match)

The Best Ways to Impress Your Guests this Holiday Season

One thing that I always hate is using the restroom at someone else’s house. Whether it’s a quick trip or something a little longer, I don’t want to put myself in an embarrassing situation. I’ve also found myself in need of a few necessities over the years when I’m at someone’s house and I don’t really know how to ask. So in an effort to make our home more inviting, I’ve taken a few proactive steps so that guests feel right at home when visiting. 

#1 – Have Toiletries Accessible

When guests come over I like to put out these cute labeled jars out so that they can help themselves to things like cotton balls, etc. I also stock the medicine cabinet with things like aspirin, acetaminophen, etc and hairspray, bobby pins, and tweezers. And underneath the sink I keep a few personal items. 

#2 – Don’t Skimp on the Toilet Paper

Another thing I keep plenty of under the sink is toilet paper. No one wants to visit your home, head to the bathroom, only to have to yell to get someone to bring some toilet paper to them (or find other ways of cleaning up). So I stock a good number of rolls under the sink for easy access. 

#3 – Have the Poo~Pourri Out

And front and center by the toiletries that are on the back of the toilet is the Poo~Pourri. Because there’s nothing worse than heading into the restroom at a friend or family member’s house and realizing that when you thought you only had to go #1, you really had to go #2. No one needs to know when you have Poo~Pourri available.

Guests simply need to spray 3-5 times and do their thing. Poo~Pourri’s pure blend of natural essential oils creates a film on the surface of the water. he protective barrier traps odor under the surface before it ever begins! All you’ll smell is a refreshing bouquet of natural essential oils. It’s as easy as that!

You can hover over the image above and click on the images to visit Poo~Pourri.com and find your perfect match. Whether you’re a spiced apple person or prefer the calming effects of lavender vanilla (my favorite!), there’s a scent out there for you. Add a spritz of holiday magic by leaving the porcelain sleigh smelling better than you found it with fun holiday scents like Merry Spritzmas® or Secret Santa that are perfect for a stocking or in place of a gift tag for that special someone. 

Finding the right scent of Poo~Pouri was fun. I chose a few festive holiday blends for the season and a more neutral scent for year round (or in my purse when I’m on the go). Poo~Pourri transforms your bathroom experience (and those who come in after you) by stopping bathroom odor before it begins…seriously!

Poo~Pourri Merry Spritzmas® is a blend of peppermint, vanilla and citrus natural essential oils and Poo~Pourri Secret Santa is a blend of cinnamon, vanilla and citrus natural essential oils. How amazing does that sound for spreading holiday cheer? The favorite holiday blend in our home is Merry Spritzmas®. Smelling is believing!

And right now you can enjoy 20% off your order! Just head over to the Poo~Pourri website to order now. While it’s a fun (and funny) gift, it’s also something that works. Win-win! Plus, there’s always free shipping on orders over $19.95.

Now on to how to download and put on this awesome toilet seat decal inspired by A Christmas Story.

How to Add A Decal To Your Toilet Seat

What you’ll need: 

  • Filthy Animal SVG file
  • Oracal 631 vinyl (or equivalent non-permanent vinyl).
  • Transfer paper (or clear contact paper)
  • clean terry cloth
  • rubbing alcohol
  • burnishing tool or credit card

What you do: 

1. Download the Filthy Animal SVG file and cut it out on the vinyl of your choice using your cutting machine. 

2. Weed your design and transfer design onto transfer paper. 

3. Prep the inside of your toilet seat by putting a small amount of rubbing alcohol onto the clean terry cloth and wiping the surface down. Let dry. 

4. Grab your vinyl on transfer paper and try to eyeball the alignment so that the decal goes on evenly and in the middle of the lid. Press your design down. 

5. Using your burnishing tool or credit card, scrape the design gently onto the lid and get out any air bubbles to ensure that the vinyl is properly secured. Once secured, remove transfer tape 

6. Enjoy your decal and wait till guests come over to admire your throne! 

Grab the FREE A Christmas Story Toilet Seat Decal SVG Here

What are your top tips for making guests feel at home? 

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The Best No Flour Monster Cookie Bars + A Cookie Bar Mix Gift Idea

November 30, 2017 by

We’ve whipped up these deliciously satisfying No-Flour Monster Cookie Bars and are sharing how you can create your own Monster Cookie Bar Mix to gift to friends this holiday season. This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser, Mars Wrigley Confectionery US, LLC. All opinions are mine alone. #SimplySweetness #CollectiveBias

Holiday baking season has arrived! And you know what that means? Lots and lots and LOTS of dishes in our home. Because when we bake, we bake. I’m sure I’ve mentioned it before but the kids LOVE to help out in the kitchen. And when Christmas rolls around, we stock up on all of our baking necessities (like the big Red & Green Holiday 52 oz. Bag of M&M’S® from Sam’s Club). We wouldn’t want to run out mid-holiday baking. 

One thing I love about baking during the holidays is that it’s an inexpensive way to share our love with others. We don’t necessarily have the budget to purchase a gift for everyone we know so we can make fun little platters filled with goodies for others to enjoy. And one of my new favorite gifts to make are these fun cookie bar mixes so others can make our favorite recipes at home. That way we can whip up a batch to share with them now and provide them with a mix to make them later. Hey, who knows? Maybe they’ll even use the kit to make some holiday goodies for their loved ones! 

Red & Green Holiday 52oz. Bag of M&M’S® are a festive and colorful treat to bring into your baking, decorating and every aspect of your holiday celebrations. The Stand-Up Pack will keep your M&M’S® fresh and ready-to-go in an easy resealable package. Heck, if I wasn’t baking with them, I’d probably give these bags as gifts! What says, “I love you,” better than a big bag of M&M’S®, right? 

But for now we’ll stick with gifting some delicious cookie bars and mixes.

No Flour Monster Cookie Bars

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups Old Fashioned oats
  • 1 cup M&M'S®
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F. Line a 13×9-inch metal baking pan with foil.

  2. Add all of the ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment,

  3. Cover bowl with dish towel and mix on lowest setting. Once mixed up a bit, increase speed and mix until all of the ingredients are combined. 

  4. Spread mixture onto prepared baking pan and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. 

  5. Take out of the oven and let cool for 5 minutes then transfer foil and bars to a cooling rack. Cut into squares and enjoy! 

Remember how I said you could GIFT these bad boys to your friends and family in a fun mix? Well here’s how! 

Monster Cookie Bars Mix

What you’ll need: 

  • 4 cups old fashioned oats
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup M&M’S®
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • 1 32 oz jar with lid
  • ribbon
  • hole punch

What you do: 

Layer each ingredient in the order it’s shown above into a 32oz plastic or glass jar with lid. 

Place lid on jar and close tight. 

Print out Monster Cookie Bar Mix printable and cut out and attach to jar with ribbon.

Gift to the ones you love! 

Click on image to download printable

You can find the big Red & Green Holiday 52 oz. Bag of M&M’S® in the candy aisle of your local Sam’s Club. And while you’re there, stock up on the rest of your holiday baking items! That’ll save you a few trips in the long run. 

And right now you can sign up for a free Ibotta account and earn $2 off with the purchase of a 52 oz bag of Red and Green M&M’S®. Offer valid from 11/1/17 until 12/25/17. 

Don’t forget to check out more awesome ideas you can make with M&M’S® by checking them out on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter! 

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Filed Under: Baking, Christmas, Desserts, gift ideas, gifts, Holidays, In the Kitchen, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

5 Ways to Make Potty Training Fun + Sweet Incentives

November 30, 2017 by

We’re celebrating potty success with help from our sponsor, Pull-Ups Training Pants! Check out these 5 ways to make potty training fun plus a recipe for crazy cake below.

We’ve been on our potty training journey for a few months now and I’m happy to tell you that our youngest is now 100% potty trained. And we couldn’t have done it without the help of Pull-Ups Training Pants. Pull-Ups products are all about providing parents and kids with tips and advice to help make potty training easy and fun, plus they provide plenty of tools specifically designed to keep children engaged throughout the potty training journey. Pull-Ups has potty trained 50 million Big Kids and counting – so I’ll take this one from the experts.

Potty training success starts with attitude. And if you don’t have the right attitude, neither will your kid. This is such an important milestone for toddlers and it’s also an opportunity for parents to work together with their children to reach the end goal: potty training success! It sounds daunting to so many parents, but why not make it fun?

5 Ways to Make Potty Training Fun

1. Purchase your first pack of Pull-Ups – 

Pull-Ups Training Pants help your child recognize potty training as a significant milestone in their development by providing independence, teaching physical and cognitive skills, and offers a consistent representation to your child of their potty training journey.

With different design options, let your child choose a package that they identify with to make the process fun! 

2. Singing the “Time 2 Potty” song – 

Following the fun path, sing the Time 2 Potty song with your kid to get them used to the idea of being a big kid and all that being a big kid entails. 

Time2Potty Song:

We’re gonna do this together, 

we’re gonna stick to the plan. 

Do everything we can to make it easy and fun,

It’s time to potty everyone!

They’re designed like underwear, 

special friends make ’em fun to wear.

So boys and girls sing out loud:

I’m a Big Kid now!

3. Donate unused/leftover diapers – 

Find a local diaper bank that needs diapers or donate your unused diapers to a friend or family member with a baby to help your child get used to the idea of transitioning out of diapers and into Pull-Ups. By removing the diapers from your home, you’re preparing for the potty training journey and removing any crutches.

Once your child has transitioned from Pull-Ups to underwear, you can do the same thing with your unused Pull-Ups. My daughter decided to gift our Pull-Ups to her 1 year old cousin (hence the bow on the package in the photos). She may be too young just yet but my daughter knows that all the Pull-Ups were given to her cousin and we don’t have any more in the house to use. 

4. Print, color, pose and post with a Potty Training Certificate –

Grab a Potty Training Certificate and print it out for your child. Let them color and personalize it, then snap a photo of them with it to commemorate the moment. You can do the same thing when they’ve successfully potty trained to commemorate their progress and their “graduation” into big kid underwear.  

5. Celebrate potty training success with sweet incentives – 

When your child has transitioned into Pull-Ups and starts to have accident free weeks, consider a sweet incentive to encourage them even more. We would use lollipops and other small prize rewards to give to our kids when they successfully went on the potty, when they had an accident free week, and finally, when they transitioned from Pull-Ups to big kid underwear, we celebrated with a Crazy Cake! 

Cakes mean celebrations for us and this Crazy Cake recipe is one that my husband’s family has been making for years. It’s a super easy recipe that the kids can help with AND it’s egg and dairy free. Most of the ingredients are staple pantry items. 

Chocolate Crazy Cake Recipe

Chocolate Crazy Cake

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups cold water

  1. Sift dry ingredients together directly into a 9 x 13-inch ungreased baking pan.

  2. Let your child make three wells in the dry ingredients. Pour the oil into one well, vinegar into the second well, and vanilla into the third well. Pour cold water over everything and stir well with a fork.
  3. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  4. Frost with your favorite icing.

What sweet incentives would your child love to celebrate with? 

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Tea Party Theme Ideas: Tea Pot Place Card Printable

November 27, 2017 by

Today we’re sharing some fun tea party theme ideas like this tea pot place card printable. This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #TeaProudly #CollectiveBias

My middle child is turning 7 next week. 7! How did the time go by so fast?? Not only is she turning 7 but she’s turning 7 on the 7th. That means that this year is her Golden Birthday and as such we decided to celebrate in style by hosting a tea party at a local tea shop with 7 of her closest friends. 

Now if you know Molly, you know she LOVES going to tea. It’s something she’s done with me and Grandma as a special outing and sharing tea with loved ones holds a special place in our hearts. I would enjoy a cup of tea in the morning with my nanny growing up and it was always something that provided comfort. Plus, we celebrated with a tea party at home on her first birthday so it was only fitting to repeat for her golden birthday. 

With every party we’ve hosted, we’ve always included a fun party favor for guests to take home with them. And this year we decided to not only make party favors but turn them into place cards so the girls know where to sit when they come to the tea house. We’ve hidden a fun surprise inside: a Bigelow tea bag to enjoy at home. We’re huge fans of Bigelow so it was only fitting that we include our favorite variety in our favors. 

This fun project can be made with a paper cutting machine or you can print out the printable we have provided below and cut out with scissors. Either way, your guests will love taking this treat home with them after the party! 

Tea Party Theme Ideas: Tea Pot Place Card Printable

What you’ll need: 

What you do: 

1. Cut out printable or SVG file onto card stock. 

2. Fold each teapot up so that the top aligns together. 

3. Add flower to top of tea pot using hot glue gun and attach personalized gift tag with a piece of thread. 

4. Inside the tea pot, use double sided sticky tape to adhere one tea bag to the back tea pot. 

5. Close tea pot up and secure top with double sided sticky tape. 

Looking to make your own tea pot place card holders but need the tea? You can find Bigelow Constant Comment at Walmart in the Tea and Coffee aisle! You can find more from Bigelow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

Who do you share a pot of tea with? 

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Filed Under: Crafts/DIY, gift ideas, Party Ideas, Printables

How to Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Crinkle Cookies Your Guests Will Love

November 24, 2017 by

If you’re looking for the perfect holiday cookie this season then look no further than these Chocolate Peanut Butter Crinkle Cookies! Your guests will love their small perfection. Plus they pair perfectly with milk, cocoa, and coffee! 

How was your Thanksgiving? We spent the day baking in the morning with the kids and then enjoying a wonderful meal with our extended family. It was perfect. One of the things we decided to bake up that morning to bring to dinner were these deliciously perfect chocolate peanut butter crinkle cookies. They’re small, bite-size cookies that aren’t too sweet so they were perfect to pair with the pies and enjoy with a cup of coffee or cocoa to drink. 

Normally we make chocolate crinkle cookies but this time my older daughter wanted to add something a bit different to them to change things up. The addition of peanut butter was the perfect touch and added a great flavor combo to these classic cookies. I may try adding a pinch of cinnamon next time too! 

This recipe is one of many we’re sharing on the Houseful of Cookies tour this year. Last year we made another fun cookie recipe: Pfeffernüsse Cookies. You have to try them if you haven’t made them yet! The rest of the cookies on this tour are linked at the bottom of this post. 

When making cookies with the kids I always try to measure everything out before we start mixing so they don’t just dump everything out without knowing what they’re putting in. It helps them to understand the quantities needed for each recipe. 

But one thing we are working on is adding one egg at a time while mixing so each can be incorporated before the other is added. The 2 year old prefers to dump them all in at once! 

This dough is a thicker dough that, once all of the ingredients are combined, form a ball in the mixer. This makes it easier to get out to refrigerate once mixed up. 

And I’ll let you in on a little secret. Even though the recipe does say to chill for 1 hour… I don’t always let it chill. I’ll divide the dough up into two halves and place one in the fridge but will start rolling out the other right away. 

This is a great cookie to make before guests come over if you’re looking for something little to nibble on. Or to give as gifts during the holidays because they’re small and do well in an airtight container. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crinkle Cookies

  • 10 tablespoons butter (cut into 10 pieces (1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons))
  • 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar (packed)
  • 10 ounces bittersweet chocolate (coarsely chopped)
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar

  1. Put the butter, sugar, and chocolate in that order into a 2-quart saucepan. Put the pan over low heat and warm the ingredients, stirring occasionally, until they are melted and smooth. Scrape everything into the bowl of a mixer.

  2. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.

  3. Working with a mixer with a paddle attachment, add the eggs, one at a time, beating until the eggs are well blended into the chocolate. With the mixer still on low, add the dry ingredients, mixing just until the dough is smooth and shiny; it will clean the sides of the bowl and form a ball. Then add the peanut butter and stir in until just combined. Turn the dough out onto a work surface, divide it in half, wrap each piece in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour. 

  4. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

  5. Working with 1 tablespoon of dough at a time, roll the dough between your palms to form firm, shiny balls. (If the dough breaks as you work, squeeze and knead it a bit, then reroll it between your palms.) Add to a small shallow dish filled with powdered sugar and roll in sugar until lightly coated. Place the balls about 1 inch apart on the baking sheets and lightly press each one down a bit with your thumb.

  6. Bake the cookies for 9 to 10 minutes, rotating the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point. The cookies should be delicately firm and crackled across the top. (It’s better to under- than over bake.) Remove the sheets from the oven, let the cookies rest on the sheets for 2 minutes, then, using a wide spatula, gently transfer the cookies to a rack; cool to room temperature.

  7. Repeat with the remaining dough, cooling the baking sheets between batches. 

Looking for more deliciousness to enjoy this holiday season? Don’t forget to check out the rest of the stops on the Houseful of Cookies tour! 

Houseful of Cookies 2017 Blog List

Houseful Of Nicholes – Slow As Molasses Cookies

A Crafty Spoonful – Chocolate Peanut Butter Crinkle Cookies

A Real Urban Mom – Chocolate Chip Cookies

Dash Of Evans – Cranberry Hootycreeks

Divas With A Purpose – Houseful Of Cookies 2017

Everyday Party Magazine – Simple Caramel Cream Sugar Cookies Swirls

Fab Haute Mama – Belgian Waffle Cookies

Good Girl Gone Redneck – Perfect Holiday Saltine Toffee Treat

Happily Homegrown – Old Fashioned Hermit Bar Cookies

Her Life On Purpose – Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies

Honest & Truly! – Triple Chocolate Dipped Cookie

How Was Your Day – Houseful Of Cookies 2017

Hysterical Mom – Lemon Sugar Cookies

I am the Maven® – Moldy Mice Cookies

Keep Calm & Teach Fifth Grade – Winter Wonderland Sugar Cookies

Kenya Rae – Pecan White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Kiss My Tulle – Chunky Christmas Cookies

Mom On The Side – Hopscotch Crunchies Holiday Cookies

More Than Thursdays – Mint Surprise Sugar Cookies

Mother Of The World – Houseful Of Cookies 2017

Our Crafty Mom – Houseful Of Cookies 2017

Peyton’s Momma – Houseful Of Cookies 2017             

Simplify Live Love – Double Chocolate Pomegranate Cookies

Teachable Mommy – 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

The Analytical Mommy – Favorite Lactation Cookie Recipe

The Biswolds – White Chocolate Chip Toffee Cookies

The Olive Blogger – Gingerbread Biscotti

We’re Parents – Cranberry Cheesecake Cookies  

Filed Under: Baking, Christmas, Holidays, In the Kitchen, Recipes Tagged With: , , , ,

How to Make the Best Liquid Hand Soap from Bar Soap

November 22, 2017 by

We’re sharing a few ways that you can save money and reduce waste by creating the best liquid hand soap from left over bar soap with help from our sponsor, Johnson’s® Baby. 

Don’t you hate it when you get to the end of the bar of soap and don’t quite get how to use it up? Are you like me and save the little nubs left and mold it into one big nub to use? 

It’s like the last of the lotion or shampoo stuck in the bottle. I feel like I’m wasting it if I throw it away without at least attempting to get the last bits out. But I found a better solution for those little left over bar soaps: DIY liquid hand soap! 

Yup. And you wouldn’t believe how simple it is to make. 

With 3 kids we go through a lot of soap. We order our favorite online from Walmart and have it picked up when we go in for our essentials. That way we’re always prepared for bath time! 

Once we get down to a little nub of Johnson’s Baby Bar soap after bath time, I set the nubs aside to make liquid soap. It only takes about 1 ounce of bar soap to make a small batch of liquid soap. 

Here’s how we do it! 

How to Make The Best Liquid Hand Soap

What you’ll need:

  • 1 ounce of Johnson’s Baby Bar 
  • 2 cups water
  • small pot
  • whisk
  • measuring cup
  • hand soap dispenser

What you do:

1. Take the small bits of Johnson’s Baby Bar you’ve collected after bath time and cut up into smaller pieces. Weigh out 1 ounce. 

2. Boil 2 cups of water. Once the water is boiling, add 1 ounce of soap. 

3. Take water off heat and whisk soap and water together until the soap has fully dissolved. 

4. Let soap mixture cool for 15 minutes then whisk again. Soap mixture should start getting thicker. 

5. Let mixture sit for a few hours (or overnight). If soap is too thick/gelatinous, add more water to thin out until you have the consistency of liquid glue. 

6. Pour into the soap dispenser and wash, wash, wash! 

If you’re looking to save some money (bar soap is so much cheaper than liquid soap!) and put those leftover bits of soap to good use, try this hack out and let me know how it works for your family! Check out these other great hacks and ideas here on this Pinterest board. 

If someone is reporting an adverse event or a product quality complaint, please tell them to call the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) North America Consumer Care Center at 800-361-8068 during normal business hours of operation: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET. After normal business hours, they can report adverse events or product quality complaints through www.jnj.com Contact Us page.

What do you do to reuse the last bit of product? 

Looking for more DIY hacks? Read on! 

Pin this article for later! 

Click the Pin button on the image below to save for later. 

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Filed Under: Crafts/DIY, For the Home Tagged With: , , , ,

How to Make Moana Kakamora Coconut Ornaments

November 13, 2017 by

how-to-make-moana-kakamora-coconut-ornaments

Moana has been and continues to be both of my daughter’s favorite movie. Each of them is glued to the screen as the story unravels every time they watch it. Three thousand years ago, the greatest sailors in the world voyaged across the vast Pacific, discovering the many islands of Oceania. But then, for a millennium, their voyages stopped – and no one knows why.

The story of Moana goes through the history of her people and the reason why they never leave their island. As Moana takes off on a new adventure, we come to learn more about this missing pieces of her story and watch as she creates a story of her own. 

Throughout her adventures, my daughter’s favorite part in the movie is when Moana and Maui encounter the Kakamora. Seemingly sweet and gentle creatures in the beginning, Moana quickly learns of their fierce, warrior-like side. We’re recreating the Kakamora in these fun Kakamora Christmas ornaments for the holiday season.

Don’t want to make these yourself? Purchase one here in our Etsy store! 

how-to-make-moana-kakamora-coconut-ornaments-supplies

How to Make Moana Kakamora Coconut Ornaments

What you’ll need: 

What you do: 

1. Paint a circle around the edge of the wood slice with brown paint leaving the middle wood exposed. 

2. Using the black paint, make two circles for eyes. 

3. With the white paint, make a mouth full of teeth. Outline in black if you’d like. 

4. Add the final touches to the face by adding some designs with red paint.

5. Screw eye screw on top of the ornament and string with ribbon. 

Let dry and hang on the tree to enjoy during the holiday season! 

how-to-make-moana-kakamora-coconut-ornaments-on-the-tree

* This post was originally published on Nov 21, 2016

Filed Under: Christmas, Crafts/DIY, Disney, Disney Crafts, DIsney Movies, Holidays, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , ,


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