Food Family Finds | Illinois Mom Blogger and Foodie
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I'm pretty excited to share that I'll now be featuring some new recipes each month in a new column at 5 Minutes for Mom. The lovely Sue and Jan (as well as their many contributers) will get a monthly dose of my eats and sweets and I hope you'll take a moment to pop over and check out this month's recipe in the 5 Minutes for Food column. These sweetheart dipped pretzels are ridiculously easy to make and great for treat bags to deliver to … [Read more...]
You may have noticed I share a lot of Rice Krispies Treats, especially around the holiday. Can you blame me though? They're sweet, gooey and oh-so-good! And these red velvet treats are to die for! Had it not been for my kiddos little sweet happy fingers, I wouldn't have found the restraint to not eat them all. If you're making these to just eat, no need to get fancy but if you're making them for a special occasion like Valentine's Day, … [Read more...]
Valentine's Day is less than a month away and I'm busy planning all of the sweet treats I'll be making for my loved ones. If you're searching for an easy dessert that can be shared and decorated with love, you'll want to visit my guest post on the Wilton blog. I've shared how to use a new pie press for Valentine's Day that you can fill with simple fruit fillings or more savory ones for a mini meal to go. Want to see how these pies were … [Read more...]
While it's probably easier to just buy Valentine's Day candy from the grocery store, there's something special (and quite fun) about making the candy yourself. You can blend your favorite flavors, fillings and make them into almost any shape your heart desires. Like peanut butter cups? Mix your favorite brand of chocolate and peanut butter to create a one of kind candy like these. The process is about as easy as it gets thanks to all of … [Read more...]
If you're looking for a treat that's easy to make for Valentine's Day, it doesn't get much easier than this. A box of your favorite brownie mix (I love the richness of Ghirardelli brownie mix), a quick batch of icing (powdered sugar & milk) and some gel icing writers are the perfect tools to create a holiday treat. I found this adorable Wilton heart silicone mold that makes it easy to create heart shaped cakes, brownies, gelatin, almost … [Read more...]
I know Valentine's Day has become this highly commercialized, Hallmark holiday but it doesn't mean it's any less worth celebrating. No, we don't need a day to tell everyone we love how much we love them, but it's still nice to take that day and spread some extra love. If pancakes are something you often make for your family, you can make them just a little extra special on Valentine's Day by shaping them into hearts and adding a little … [Read more...]
This Valentine's Day, I'm all about making whoopie ... Whoopie Pies that is! They're sweet, moist, incredibly indulgent and perfect for a little lovey dovey dessert with your husband this Valentine's Day. If you've never had one, you're seriously missing out! Not only are they easy to make but even kind of fun. Or perhaps I'm easily amused while squishing the whoopie cakes together over the buttercream. And new for 2011, Wilton just added … [Read more...]
Lately I've been thinking a lot about diet, portion control and weight loss. Those three little things don't exactly mesh well with desserts. So how can I bring together my favorite sweet eats and weight loss without going overboard in either direction? Cookie cups! When a cookie is jam packed with chocolate chips, I'll surely grab a few to munch on. But when a cookie is dissected into little bites, I'm less likely to eat more than one. … [Read more...]
If you've visited my baking blog lately, you've probably noticed I've become a little obsessed with cake pops. Ever since the Wilton Pops book became available, I just haven't been able to contain myself. The ideas are flowing I tell you! It also helps that I have some awesome cake pop testers in the house. My kids just can't seem to get enough of these and I don't mind treating them to one or two pops every now and then. Seeing as I have … [Read more...]
Are we really talking about Valentine's Day already? Yes we are! Even though it's still well over a month away, it's one of my favorite holidays to spoil my family with sweet treats. It's a holiday all about love and I like to express it with all sorts of goodies ... candies, cookies, cakes ... even better, cookies dipped in candy! And what better cookie to start with than an Oreo? They're already baked and delicious. You could of … [Read more...]
