You guys, the holidays are here!! I know I say this every year but I can’t even believe how quickly time goes. It seems like we were just here, brewing our hot chocolate and building snowmen. Time goes so fast. Which is all the more reason to spend less of it worrying about things and more of it enjoying family and friends! So I say, let’s party! Seriously, get your family and friends together and enjoy the season.

And if you are going to be gathering friends and family you’ll obviously need a simple yet yummy treat idea. What about ALL the treats? Like literally, all the fun holiday treats. It’s quite simple, just throw them together and call it a dessert board. You’ll look like a rockstar and it couldn’t be simpler.

Christmas Dessert Board:

Doesn’t this dessert board look amazing…and so yummy? And seriously, it was so simple to put together. The trick to an amazing dessert board is to get a variety of items. The more variety you have the better the board looks. Let’s brainstorm ideas for your board…

Shopping List:

• Mini Sugar Cookies
• Mini Cupcakes
• Red & Green Gummies
• Red & Green M&M’s
• Gingerbread Cookies
• Hershy Kisses
• Peppermint/Chocolate Pretzels
• Toffee
• Truffles
• Caramels

Once you start shopping you will find so many options for your dessert board. Simply purchase items that look good to you and match your color scheme. I promise it will all come together perfectly.

Once you have your items, let’s talk about how to present your board. I have this round board which I love, but you can use any board you have. A cutting board or a tray works great, you can even use a cookie sheet. Don’t get caught up on details, just use what you have, it will be amazing.

Here’s one I found that’s similar to what I have pictured here

Affiliate Charcuterie Board

Building your dessert board is super simple. I like to use three bowls on my boards, it just looks nice to have an odd number. Add the three bowls and then build the board around them. Just start to place your food in groups around the bowls and spread around the board. Start with the largest items first and work your way through to the smaller items. The trick is to fill in all the spots. Don’t leave any empty spaces.

That’s it! You will have a simple and yummy dessert to serve your guests.

Have fun serving this simple dessert board.

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Have you tried Biscoff Cookie Butter yet? If not, you are missing out…seriously so delicious. We eat it on almost everything because it’s that good. So naturally I needed to give it a try on cupcakes. And guess what? It is even better than I expected. These Biscoff cupcakes have quickly become a new family favorite. We find every excuse to make a batch of them.

So if you are ready for a life changing dessert, keep reading!

Biscoff Cupcake Recipe:

Aren’t they so cute? I love the way they look with a Biscoff sandwich cookie on the top, and the cookies are really good.

Here’s what you’ll need from the store.

Shopping List:

• White Cake Mix
• Large Box Vanilla Pudding
• Vegetable Oil
• Sour Cream
• Eggs
• Vanilla
• Biscoff Cookie Butter
• Biscoff Cookies (Optional)
• Powdered Sugar
• Butter
• Milk
• Cupcake Liners

Delicious Biscoff Cupcake Recipe

Print Recipe

• Author: Danetta
• Prep Time: 15 Minutes
• Cook Time: 18 Minutes
• Total Time: 33 minutes
• Yield: 24

Ingredients

Cupcakes:

• 1 White Cake Mix
• 1 Large Box Vanilla Pudding
• 1/2 Cup Water
• 1 Cup Vegetable Oil
• 1 Cup Sour Cream
• 4 Eggs
• 1 TBSP Vanilla

Frosting:

• 3 Sticks Butter
• 1 Cup Biscoff Cookie Butter
• 4–5 Cups Powdered Sugar
• 5 Tsp. Milk

 

Instructions

Cupcakes:

• Preheat Oven 350 degrees
• With a mixer, mix all of the ingredients together until well blended
• Scoop into 24 cupcake liners, filling them 3/4 of the way full
• Bake at 350 degrees for 18 Minutes

Frosting:

• Soften butter and add to mixing bowl
• Add Biscoff Cookie Butter and milk to the bowl and mix together with butter
• Add powdered sugar to mixture one cup at a time. Mix until you have the desired consistency. I like it on the thicker side so it holds it’s shape when piped on the cupcake.
• Fill a plastic bag with frosting and cut the corner to pipe frosting on the cupcake. Make sure cupcakes are completely cooled before frosting.
• Add Biscoff cookie to the top (optional)

Pro Tips:

• The consistency of the frosting matters a lot. If it’s too thin it won’t pipe on the cupcake and hold it’s shape. Go on the thicker side.
• Make the cut in the baggie smaller to start. You can always cut more if needed. If you do too big of a slit it’s harder to control the frosting.
• Place your cookie right after you frost the cupcake. The frosting will start to set up pretty quick.
• Once your cupcakes are cooled place them in another liner for a cuter look.

If you want to simplify the process you can simply make the cake as directed on the cake mix. Adding the pudding and sour cream makes the cupcakes extra moist and so yummy.

Have FUN eating these delicious cupcakes!

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Homemade vanilla is a total game changer for all you bakers out there. Seriously, it’s so good and will enhance any recipe. And when you find out how easy it is to make, you’ll be sold.

I started to make my own vanilla a couple of years ago after my cousin told me about it and now I’m a bit of a nut…I make it for everyone I know. And as I’ve handed out bottle of this deliciousness, I’ve had lot of questions about how I make it. So, here is my answer!

Homemade Vanilla Extract Labels:

Did you know vanilla extract only takes two ingredients? Well, it does. Seriously so simple. Here’s what you need.

Supplies: 

• Fresh Vanilla Beans Affiliate (3-5 vanilla beans per cup of alcohol)
• 80 Proof Alcohol (I use Vodka)
• Sealable Glass Jar
• Funnel
• Extract Label

I order my vanilla beans online. I’ve ordered them from Amazon or directly from Vanilla Bean King. The prices are very close. I use Grade A vanilla beans so I know I’m getting the best vanilla beans for my extract.

Making Vanilla Extract:

• Decide what container you are using. If you are making smaller batches for gifts, I would suggest using the alcohol bottle as your container while your extract is aging and then when it’s ready you can pour the vanilla extract into the smaller bottles.
• Once you decide on a container, fill it with the alcohol leaving room for the beans without causing overflow.
• Make a slit in the vanilla beans running lengthwise. This allows all of the flavor to be released from the beans.
• Place the beans in your container. If they are too long just cut them in half or whatever size will fit your jar.
• The biggest part of making your own vanilla is allowing enough time for your vanilla to be perfectly aged. Most everything you read will tell you to wait 8 weeks, but I would suggest giving it even longer. It really just gets better with time. I usually give my vanilla 3-4 months.
• Shake your bottle once a week while it’s aging.

*Pro Tip: If you are filling smaller jars after it has aged, I always add some of the vanilla beans to the smaller jars so they can keep seeping flavor.

How Long Does Vanilla Extract Last:

Let’s talk about how to store your vanilla. The best way to store vanilla extract is in a cool, dark place. This is why so many vanilla extracts come in a brown bottle. It helps keep the sunlight from affecting the alcohol. That being said, usually people store their vanilla in a cupboard where it is dark so sunlight isn’t too big of a concern.

Because vanilla extract is made from alcohol it will last for a very long time. Some say it will last indefinitely, but you will probably use it quicker than that.

My rule of thumb is that it will last 5-10 years. In fact, it will get better with age because the alcohol will evaporate a little each time the bottle is opened making the flavor more concentrated. If you keep the beans in the bottle you can refill with alcohol when you start to run low. Just repeat the process of giving it a little time to develop the flavor.

Now for the cute homemade vanilla extract labels. You can save them to your computer and size how you want, then print, or I have a PDF with some different sizes that are ready to print.

I printed these labels on tan paper and I love the way they turned out.

Homemade Vanilla Extract Labels

Have FUN making homemade vanilla extract.

Try Your Homemade Vanilla One These Recipes:

Peach Cupcakes:

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Pizookie Recipe:

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Are you trying to decide what you should do for Valentine’s Day yet?  If you haven’t started planning you will soon, and I have a great suggestion…stay home and cook!  Save yourself from the busy hustle bustle of the restaurants and cook a fun and special meal at home.  I have 14 Valentine’s Day Dinner Ideas for you and they all look absolutely amazing!

Whether you are cooking a romantic dinner for two or you have a family night planned, you will find something amazing here!  Seriously, I want to try all of these ideas, and the kiddos have their requests in as well (pizza with the heart-shaped fruit platter)!  Nothing says love like a home-cooked meal (except maybe chocolate!), so say “I Love You” with flare this year!

What’s your favorite thing to have on Valentine’s? Are you going more for the fun angle or are you looking for something romantic? Do you want to spend a while cooking or do you want something quick and easy?

I love simple heart-shaped dinners that bring a smile to my kids’ faces. But whatever you are looking for, I bet you can find something great among these Valentine’s Day Dinner Ideas! Something for everyone!

Valentine’s Day Dinner Ideas:

Easy Heart Shaped Parmesan Garlic Knots:

Heart Shaped Calzones:

How to Make a Heart Shaped Fruit Platter:

Heart Shaped Pizza:

Valentine’s Day Caprese Salad:

Homemade Heart Shaped Cheesy Calzones:

Heart Shaped Salad:

Heart Shaped Quesadillas:

Roasted Heart Potatoes:

Heart Shaped Chicken Hand Pies:

Heart Shaped Hamburger:

Herb Lover’s Oven Fries:

Homemade Heart Rolls:

Seriously-those are pretty fabulous aren’t they? They’ve got me so excited to make a fun Valentines dinner.

And because I know no Valentine’s dinner is complete without dessert, here are a few of those as well. Enjoy!

Valentine’s Day Dessert:

Romantic Dessert for Two:

Valentine’s Day Dessert Board:

Heart Shaped Fruit Pizza:

Valentine Trifle Dessert:

Have FUN making these Valentine’s Day Dinner ideas!

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Do you guys feel like I do about the holidays? There are so many wonderful things about the season and I just love gathering with family and friends to celebrate. The food, the games, the parties, the lights, the fun, it’s all very magical.

And all very exhausting.

Right?! Does anyone else feel like they need a long winter’s nap after Christmas ends each year?

I’m determined to simplify things for myself and for you as you celebrate this wonderful season with your family this year and this Christmas snack mix is just the thing to ease a little of your burden this holiday season. It’s SO easy to throw together-you literally just buy all the things and throw it together. And it tastes great and looks cute too!

I’ve made this peanut buttery because…yum! Who doesn’t love the combination of peanut butter and chocolate?! There’s only one problem, once you start eating, it’s hard to stop.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Christmas Snack Mix: 

This is SO simple to make and you can totally tweak it to suit your needs. Delete an ingredient or add one of your own. You can really do anything you want, but here’s a peek at what’s in mine:

• Reese’s Puffs Cereal
• Peanut Butter M&Ms (in Christmas colors)
• Popcorn
• Peanuts
• Marshmallows
• Pretzels
• White chocolate covered pretzels
• Mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup trees

I was going for a good balance of sweet and salty and of course, I wanted lots of peanut butter and chocolate.

This is also really easy to package up in a cute jar. Just add a bow and you’ve got a great neighbor gift! So easy!

Have FUN making this Christmas snack mix!

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Last weekend I threw a HUGE party at my house. My third son turned 11 and he wanted to have a big bash at our house and since it didn’t really cost me any more or less to have a big group versus a small, I let him invite ALL his friends.

So between his guests and my own kids, we had something like 21 boys in our house that night. It was insanity. And fun. And he said it was the party of his dreams.

I made all kinds of food for it…meatballs and little smokies, veggies and dip and crackers, and of course, treats!

Lately, I have been loving all of the creative charcuterie board ideas I’ve seen around recently. The traditional meat and cheese is fun, but I’ve seen some very creative ones since then. I had the fun idea to create a candy charcuterie board for this party!

I loved how it turned out and you can imagine that the boys really loved how it turned out! They gobbled it all up and filled their pockets too. I am sure their moms loved that.

This was a perfect treat idea for a birthday party and added an element of fun that the kids loved.

Charcuterie Board Ideas:

I’ve seen fun variations on meat and cheese boards recently and the pinnacle was a hot chocolate charcuterie board for Christmas that had me with all the heart eyes. So I’ve been looking for opportunities to try my hand at creative charcuterie board ideas and this was perfect.

How to Make a Candy Charcuterie Board:

There isn’t a ton to this other than having a flair for putting it all together. But mostly you just need to buy a bunch of candy and treats and then put them all together on your board. I used a large wooden cutting board, a few ramekins (or bowls) and a wide variety of candy.

Here are a few of the treats we used:

• Oreos
• Skittles
• Sour Patch Kids
• Flipz Pretzels
• Swedish Fish
• Snickers
• Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
• Sour worms
• Fruity licorice
• S’mores snack mix

That’s what was on my board but you literally could you anything you’d like! The trick is to have a good balance of colorful fruity candies and chocolate candy to create some variety. The fruity licorice gave me something to add a little variety is shape, size, and color.

Place it all out on your board. You’ll notice that some of the candies are in more than one spot. Some of the trickier, smaller little candies are in the bowls.

That’s pretty easy, right?! And so much fun!

Have FUN with these charcuterie board ideas!

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~Written by Danetta~

One of my family’s favorite traditions is our Christmas movie night. We invite the cousins over, get pizza and eat lots of yummy treats! Oh yeah, and we squeeze in watching a Christmas movie! It’s such a fun night that my kiddos look forward to all season.

This year we chose to make The Grinch our feature film…we love all versions of this movie!! It was such a fun night filled with all things green, and I’m excited to share all of the details with you.

How to Host a Grinch Party:

Throwing an amazing party doesn’t need to be stressful. That’s the number one secret of throwing an amazing party…keep it simple so you can enjoy it as well!

Let’s talk about all of the green and Grinchy (yes it’s a word ;)) details!

Where does every great party start? With the food of course! We had some fun and simple Grinch treats that were a huge hit with our party goers.

Grinch Popcorn:

This Grinch popcorn could not be simpler. Start with clear plastic cups, add a cute heart sticker and fill it with yummy chocolate popcorn.

To make the popcorn, I used green melting chocolate and simply drizzled it over plain air popped popcorn. Top it off with green M&M’s and you have a simple and yummy Grinch treat.

Grinch Rice Krispie Treats:

I have to give credit to my cute hubby for this next idea. He brainstormed these cuties and I love the way they turned out. And best of all, it’s as simple as making Rice Krispie Treats!

Simply make the Rice Krispie Treats as directed splitting the batch. You won’t need as many of the red Rice Krispie Treats you will only need about a 1/4 of the batch for the red. Add the food coloring after the marshmallows are melted.

When the Rice Krispies are set, use a heart shaped cookie cutter to cut your Rice Krispies making these cute Grinch hearts.

Grinch Cupcakes:

How cute are these!? Simply make your favorite flavor of cupcakes and add these cute cupcake toppers, this is my favorite recipe for cupcakes.

Here are the cute cupcake toppers to print. You can right click and save this tag to your computer, open in a program like Word or Pages then size how you want and print.

Or, here’s a PDF file with a bunch of tags on it that you can just print and use:

Grinch Cupcake Toppers

Grinch Punch:

This drink might just be my new favorite! It is very tasty, and could not be simpler. We mixed our ice cubes with Sprite and for the adults we used Mountain Dew…seriously, so good!

Grinch Punch

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

• Author: Amber & Danetta
• Prep Time: 10 Minutes
• Total Time: 10 minutes
• Yield: 2 Ice Cube Trays

Ingredients

For the Ice Cubes:

• 1 Package Lemon-Lime Kool-Aid
• 1 1/2 Cups Pineapple Juice
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1 1/2 Cups Water

Pour Over:

• Sprite
• 7-Up
• Mountain Dew

Instructions

Mix all of the ingredients for the ice cubes together. Pour into ice cube trays and freeze.

Pour over your drink of choice.

Now that we have the food taken care of, let’s talk about what we are going to do at this party…other than watch the Grinch of course!

Grinch Party Games:

Grinch Bingo:

Playing bingo while watching the movie adds a little fun to your movie watching experience. Here are several blank bingo boards ready for your guests to fill in. Have each player fill in the squares with things they expect to see while watching the movie. If you are playing with kiddos who know the movie well enough and can “stack” the answers, tell them they will be switching their boards after they are all filled in. That way you don’t have anyone trying to line up their answers.

Here are all of the boards you can print.

You can right click and save this tag to your computer, open in a program like Word or Pages then size how you want and print.

Or, here’s a PDF file with the bingo boards on it that you can just print and use:

Grinch Bingo Boards

Grow the Grinch’s Heart Party Game:

This ended up being a fun game that was super simple. I got clothes pins and used hot glue to attach these heart buttons on them. When each guest comes, give them a clothes pin. The rules of the game are simple, no one can say the word Grinch. If you hear someone say it, you take their pin. The person who ends up with the most pins wins!

This has been such a fun tradition for my family, I hope it becomes one of your too!

Have FUN throwing this Grinch party!

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Who doesn’t love The Grinch? I happen to be partial to the Jim Carrey version but really I love them all! That Grinch is just funny, the story is a Christmas classic, and it’s got a great message, so what’s not to love?

Plus, the color green with a big red heart just screams Christmas cuteness, so this fun Grinch gift is a perfect gift to take to your neighbors or friends this year or works great for a fun Christmas party!

It’s so cute, right?! Plus, it tastes great. This would be fun to serve at a party too. And I have the perfect Grinch themed party for you, so come take a look for more Grinch fun!

And I’ve got a cute tag that you can pop on top of it. (Actually, I gave you two to choose from.)

It’s easy to put together. I’ll start with a recipe for the muddy buddies!

Grinch Gift Idea for Christmas:

Peppermint Grinch Muddy Buddies

Print Recipe

These Grinch muddy buddies are a fun, peppermint flavored Christmas treat. They’re that easy to make and fun to serve. They also make a great gift!

• Author: Fun-Squared

Ingredients

• 9 C Rice Chex
• 2 C green melting chocolate (from the craft store)
• 1 1/2 C powdered sugar
• 3/4 tsp peppermint extract
• Green M&Ms

Instructions

Pour your Chex into a large bowl.

Melting your chocolate in a bowl in the microwave. Cook about 30 seconds at a time, then stir and continue heating. Be careful not to burn it.

Pour the melted chocolate over the Chex and stir until evenly covered.

Add your peppermint extract and stir again to mix it in.

Stir in the powdered sugar and then add in the green M&Ms.

Grinch Gift Tags:

Once you’ve got your mix made, put it in a cute jar or container of some sort. Cut a red heart from vinyl or card stock and attach to your jar.

Then I’ve got some cute tags you can add as well if you’d like.

Here are the two versions, take your pick! You can either save these to your computer and print or I have a PDF with a bunch on them.

Print Here: Merry Christmas Grinch Gift Tags

Grinch Tags with Poem

Add ribbon as an accent and you’re all set!

Have FUN giving this Grinch gift!

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There’s something about Halloween that just makes us want to throw parties.

Maybe’s it’s because there are so many fun ideas out there for cute Halloween food ideas and festive party decorations. Or maybe it’s because the kids love to get dressed up for a Halloween party. Maybe it’s just because I want to eat more candy.

Whatever it is, I love to throw a Halloween party.

If you’re like us and are planning a bash of your own this year, I think this added touch will go a long way to make your party extra special with these fun Halloween drinks for kids.

This ice ring punch is perfect for a Halloween party with its creepy eyeballs, gummy worms, and spiders.

And I added dry ice because that’s just the thing to do at Halloween, isn’t it?! It just makes the whole thing feel more spooky and fun!

This is the perfect Halloween punch for your party! It’s so easy and so much fun!

Halloween Punch: Drinks for Kids

Supplies Needed: 

• Orange Fruit Juice (any brand)
• Clear Soda (like Sprite or 7 Up)
• Gummy Worms
• Plastic Spiders
• Plastic Eyeballs
• Any other creepies you want to add to your drink (just hit the Halloween section and see what you can find
• Dry Ice
• Punch Bowl
• Large bowl/Tupperware for freezing

Halloween Punch Instructions:

To make these fun Halloween drinks for kids it’s easy, but you will need to plan ahead a little bit.

Here’s a quick video of the process to see how it works:

Start by placing a smaller bowl (face up-the opposite of what we show in our video and pictures-whoops) in the center of your larger bowl or Tupperware to create a ring shape.

Pour the orange fruit juice into the bowl. Then add your spiders, gummy worms, eyeballs or whatever else you want to add.

Freeze the concoction until solid (this is why you need to plan ahead a little bit).

After freezing, fill your sink with hot water and dip the bowl down into it to loosen the frozen ring. As soon as it’s loose enough, remove it. Also, remove the bowl from the center (you can fill it with hot water too if needed to loosen it.

Place the frozen ice ring down into your punch bowl.

Pour your drink in the punch bowl until your ice ring floats.

Add dry ice to the center and serve immediately if possible.

Isn’t that fun!

Have FUN with these Halloween kids drinks for your party!

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I love chocolate. (A lot.) And pink. And coconut. Put that together and turn it into a cute little bunny that’s not only cute but also easy to make and it’s about as good as it gets! I can’t wait to eat his little face.

And if you’ve got friends or kids or family that you think would love this cute little guy too, he’s perfect to make for Easter or Spring! I even have a little gift tag so that you can package him up cute and take him as a little Easter gift.

And here’s a peek at the cute tag you can use:

Just a little simple fun for Easter!

Easter Bunny Treat:

Supplies Needed:

• Tasty Kake Snowballs
• Edible Eyes
• Pink Gumballs
• Toothpicks or sucker sticks
• Printable Bunny Ears
• Frosting
• Hot Glue

Instructions:

Print your bunny ears and cut them out around the ears. Hot glue the bunny ears onto a stick and let it cool.

Using frosting on the back of your eyes and nose, stick them to the front of the snowball.

Stick the ears down in on the top and you’ve got a bunny!

Bunny Gift Tag:

Now if you want to use the cute Easter gift tag, here it is! You can right-click and save it to your computer and open in a program like Word or Pages to size it or you can open the PDF that has several of it on there already.

Print Here: Easter Bunny Tags

And that should be all you need to put this together!

Have FUN making these cute Easter treats!

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