Honey Bunches of Marshmallow Yumminess

     As it turns out I have a specialty, well at least in terms of family gatherings.  It really started as a kid making Rice Krispy Treats with my mom.  They were always my favorite and when I got older I started experimenting with other types of cereal {i.e., Fruity Pebbles, Frosted Flakes}.  Well a few years ago my my mom sent me a recipe magazine with a recipe called Chocolate Dipped Snowballs made with Honey Bunches of Oats, marshmallows, and chocolate.    I quickly made a batch and took them to Minnesota with us for the holidays.  Since then my mother-in-law has asked for the recipe and my sister-in-law requested them for this year.  My side of the family usually requests them too, so I am proclaiming these simple things my specialty. 

Chocolate Dipped Snowballs
1/4 cup of butter {1/2 stick}
1 bag of marshmallows {10.5 oz.}
5 cups of Honey Bunches of Oats {I like the honey, but I have heard the almond is also good}
Chocolate Dipping Sauce

1. Melt butter in large pan on low-medium heat.
2. Add in marshmallows.  Stir occasionally until all the marshmallows have melted.
3. Stir in cereal.  Allow to cool for a few minutes.
4. Using your hands shape the mixture into balls. {I like to coat my hands with butter or cooking spray.}
5. Place on wax paper.  Allow to cool completely.
6. Heat dipping sauce according to directions on package.  Once melted, dip each ball into the chocolate and return dipped side up to the wax paper.
7. Refrigerate for 15 minutes to allow the chocolate to harden.

Pic from honeybunchesofoats.com

Snowman Cupcakes

     Need I say more with a title like that?  Um, yum!  I have really been on the homemade cake/cupcake bend lately.  Once I started making them I pretty much decided I would never buy a store bought cake again.  Don't get me wrong there are still some good cakes out there, but the homemade versions just taste better to me (plus the ideas are limitless).  So with the task of sending Mikayla to school with some treats her birthday I set out to find some cupcakes that were just a little above and beyond the mound of frosting of store bought ones.  Enter these snowman cupcakes. 

I adapted the recipe from here.

1.  Gather ingredients.  Pre-made cupcakes (cooled), white icing, large marshmallows, pretzel sticks, and decorators gel icing in black and orange.

2.  I used a simple white buttercream frosting to ice each of the cupcakes.

3.  Depending on the number of cupcakes you are making, cut in half about a third (12) of the marshmallows.  (If you are only making a dozen, you can simply smoosh one marshmallow for each cupcake.)

4.  Place a whole marshmallow on top of the halved one and stick a pretzel stick through both of them.  Then stick the marshmallows into the cupcakes.

5.  Using the black decorators gel, create eyes and buttons on the snowmen. 


6.  Create a nose using the orange decorators gel.

  Due to the limited space of the box and the fact they were being transported, I eliminated the arms.  So there you have it, an army of snowmen.

Anyone for Taco Soup???

     I kept reading online about everybody making taco soup.  It sounded good, so about a month ago I decided I would surf the internet to find a recipe and try it out.  We tried it and Yum!  I also have a habit of taking recipes and making them my own by adding or taking away ingredients.  Anyway I decided to add some pasta and make it Sunday for dinner.  Here is my best attempt at replicating the recipe:

Taco Soup with a Twist
Ingredients
1 lb ground beef
1 can red kidney beans
8 oz. penne pasta
1 can chicken broth
8 oz. diced tomatoes with garlic and olive oil
1 packet ranch dressing
1 packet taco seasoning
4 cups water

     In a large sauce pan brown the hamburger and drain if needed.  Add the taco seasoning, ranch dressing, beans, tomatoes, chicken broth and about 2 cups of the water.  Bring to a boil.  Add the penne pasta.  Reduce heat and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes or until the pasta is tender.  Depending on how much broth you want you may need to more water as the pasta cooks.

     Depending on the serving size, I was able to feed my family of four and have leftovers for another meal which we put in the freezer.  This could probably be made in a crock pot too. 

     I made it with the regular penne pasta, but I think it was a little big for the soup.  It would have turned out a little better with a mini pasta.  I may continue to tweak it, but the meal is becoming one of Mike and I's favorites.  It's just too bad that it's getting warmer outside, so we may have to wait until fall to break it out again.