HONEY BADGER

In case you're looking for something to spice up your sunday night, or to brace yourself for another Monday at work.... I have just the thing.

Ladies & gentlemen, I give you......... The Honey Badger.

via DesignLovefest, duh.

what you’ll need:

- 1 orange sliced into wedges

- 1 bottle of champagne (doesn’t even have to be the good stuff)

- 1 oz of st. germain (if you don’t have this in your liquor cabinet, or on your fancy bar cart – get it- immediately!!)

- 1 oz of honey syrup : so here’s the thing.  honey syrup sounds very fancy.  it’s not.  you do have to make it, but it’s really easy and it will most definitely get you respect amongst your peers once you have it in your arsenal.

- i encourage you to tell people that you make your own honey syrup, offer it up to them to put in their ice tea or just find a way to sneak it into conversation, like, “did you watch the bachelorette last night?  is that honey syrup?”

what to do:

- first you need to make the aforementioned honey syrup.

- heat 1 cup honey and 1 cup water in a pan, stirring until it simmers then remove from heat.  once cooled you can pour it into a cute jam jar or glass bottle and store in the fridge.

then:

- add 1 oz of the cooled honey syrup to your favorite cocktail glass

- also add the st. germain

last…

- squeeze one of the orange wedges into the mixture and plop the wedge into the glass

- top off the glass with champagne, give it a quick stir and you’re all set.

Jar Lunches

Ooooooh, pretty right?

Lately I've been grasping at straws for ideas on how to reuse glass jars. Today it hit me: lunch containers. I usually treat my purse like it's a lunch pail with random granola bars & whatnot anyway. Plus, instead of using plastic baggies (ick) everyday you'll be helping out the environment & relieving your wallet just a bit. 

As for what to pack in your jar, off the top of my head:

Soup 

Spaghetti

 Yogurt parfaits

Anything scoop-able

Any pasta & sauce combo

Fresh fruits & veggies 

Pre-cooked oatmeal
Frozen smoothies
Applesauce

Dry cereal

Salads

Who doesn't love apple sauce? No one, shut up.


This list could go on for ever, it just depends on what your taste buds are craving. I feel like this should be obvious, but I love most of you too much to have you die of food poisoning so I'll say it anyway.. Do NOT pack food that with spoil unless you plan to refrigerate it during the day, or pre-freeze it. Also, pick a jar with a good seal. Alright, that's all for now kids, happy birthday.

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Fall Foods I'm Dying To Try

If you didn't know, Pinterest is my weakness. Some people have go-to websites like TFLN or Youtube, mine is Pinterest. There's literally no end to the amount of discoveries to be made. Today what caught my eye was food. Glorious, glorious, GLORIOUS food. It's like I'm gearing up for winter hibernation, I swear. 

But, real talk now.... I'm not gona make any of these. As I once said to my mother when she asked me if I had any requests for thanksgiving dinner:

Me: Pecan pie?

Mom: Have you ever had pecan pie?

Me: No..... but I've imagined it. 

Mini Caramel-Apple Cupcakes

 

Hasselback Potatoes

 

Caramel Marshmallows  

Apple Chips

Wheat Blue Berry Scones

Soft Pretzel Bites

Dunked S'mores

Cookies & Cream Cheese Cake Cupcakes

I'm A Freak For Cookie Dough

chocolate chip cookie dough truffles

Makes approx. 3-4 dozen. Recipe from Love and Olive Oil.

ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup milk or soy milk
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

14 oz dark chocolate candy coating

directions:

Beat butter and sugars in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add milk and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt and mix on low speed (or stir by hand) until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips.

Cover and chill dough for 1 hour.

When dough is firm enough to handle, form dough into 1″ balls and arrange on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Place sheets in freezer and let chill for 30 minutes.

Melt chocolate candy coating in microwave according to package directions. Using toothpicks as a dipping tool, dip cookie balls into candy coating to cover. Tap on side of pan to remove any excess coating, and return to waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Chill until set. Store, chilled, in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Ice Cream Party, Anyone?

This is the best idea in food, as the saying goes, since sliced bread. I think the story board says the rest.

via masika wa

Cake Batter Bars

Sorry if any of you are having a fat day, but I really couldn't help myself from sharing this. This is like the gooy-sweet holy grail of baked goods, amiright?

lovintheoven

Need: 

• 1 1/4 cup funfetti cake mix
• 3/4 cup AP flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 5 heaping tablespoons sprinkles of your choice

To Make:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8 x 8 inch pan.
2. Cream both sugars, butter, vanilla, egg, and egg yolk. 
3. Gradually mix in flour, cake mix, and baking soda until just mixed. Stir in sprinkles.
4. Spread batter evenly into greased pan.
5. Bake for 30-35 minutes until top is lightly browned and middle still jiggles slightly. Cool completely before cutting.

Get It Poppin

I dare you to look me in the eye & tell me you don't like popcorn. You're a LIAR. This is a super quick recipe that would be great for a stay at home date night or girls night in. & I absolutely adore the style of photography here, from where else but DesignLoveFest.

what you’ll need:
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 6 sprigs of fresh rosemary (in the neighborhood of 5 inches each)
• 1 cup of popcorn (this yields a fair bit of popcorn, so invite friends)
• 100 g dark chocolate (it’s candy bar size) coarsely chopped
• 2 oz unsalted butter
• salt (as much or as little as you want)

what to do:
• pop the olive oil and 5 sprigs of the rosemary into a small saucepan on medium/low heat, then cover and let simmer for 5 minutes.
• once that’s done, remove the rosemary from the oil (tongs help) and place the sprigs on a paper towel to drain.
• in the meantime get a much bigger saucepan ( i dare to call it a pot ) and transfer the oil, then add the popcorn.
• mix the oil and popcorn together with a spatula, then cover, heat on medium, and then we wait.

while you’re waiting:
• on low heat, melt the butter with the remaining sprig of rosemary in a small saucepan (the very same saucepan that you used for the oil).
note:  once it’s melted, remove the rosemary

also:
• take the rosemary from the first batch, and remove all of the now crispy leaves.
coarsely chop’em
• then chop that chocolate while you’re at it.
• by now, your popcorn should be popping.
• about 3 minutes in give the pot a little shake (and whatever you do, don’t open the lid. YIKES).
• you’ll know it’s ready when the popping sound gets muffled and is more sporadic (one every 4ish seconds)

then:
• transfer to a large bowl.
• toss in the chopped rosemary, salt and chocolate.
• pour butter over the top and maybe a bit more salt – that part is totally up to you.

*side note: my husband’s friend tried this and loved it, but said the chocolate should be grated and not chopped. on one hand i agreed (cause i’m pretty darn agreeable) and other the other hand i told him, “absolutely not!” why?  cause if i don’t add chopped chocolate it won’t melt all over the popcorn, get on my hands and create a delicious mess. i like licking chocolate off my fingers, but if you don’t, you know what to do.

Blueberry Drank... Yes, Please.

what you’ll need:

for syrup:
• 4 cups of blueberries
• 2 cups of water
• 1 cup of sugar
** you’ll have lots of syrup left over.  you can cut the recipe in half . . . you’ll still have syrup left over.  i recommend drinking a lot or pouring it over vanilla ice cream.

for the cocktail:
• 2 oz of blueberry syrup
• 2 oz pomegranate juice
• 1 oz gin
• tonic water
• lemon wedge for garnish

what to do:

• first, you’re gonna want to make the syrup.  i would recommend doing this well in advance of when you are planning to impress people with this cocktail, mostly because the syrup is hot and you want the drink to be cold.
now be warned because this syrup business will garner you a lot of respect and i just want to be sure you are ready to handle it.

• in a saucepan bring the water and blueberries to a boil then reduce to a simmer for ten minutes.

note: simmer = little bubbles.

• while this simmering business is happening, place a small colander lined with a paper towel over a pot or glass measuring cup.
• once the simmering is done, pour the mixture into the colander and gently press on the contents to release the beautiful purple blueberry liquid. don’t let the color fool you, it’s liquid gold.
• discard (or eat) the smushed, juiceless fruit that is left in the paper towel and place the liquid back into the saucepan set over medium heat.
• slowly stir in the sugar and let dissolve.  once the sugar is dissolved . . . you’re done.now would be a good time to take a nap, read a book (if you’re into that sort of thing) or do what i do . . . play several levels of angry birds. 
 • once the syrup is cool, place it in a glass bottle or jar with a secure lid and pop it in the fridge for safe keeping.

an hour later (or a day later, or a week later):

• fill a glass with a few cubes of ice
• squeeze a wedge of lemon over the ice and toss that lemon in the glass
• add the blueberry syrup and pomegranate juice, and of course, the gin.
• give it a good stir and then top off with tonic.

drink, enjoy, repeat.

via designlovefest

Fancy Pants 'Mallows

1  //  2

1. Chocolate Peanut Butter – Dip your marshmallow in melted peanut butter chips, let it dry and dip again half way up in melted mik chocolate.

2. Smores- Dip in milk chocolate and roll in crushed graham crackers.

3  //  4

3. Cookies and Cream – Dip in white chocolate and roll in crushed oreos.

4. Turtles- Melt caramel candies (let them cool a little bit before you dip the marshmallow or it will melt) dip the marshmallow in and let it cool, then dip it again in milk chocolate. Roll the bottom in crushed pecans.

5  //  6

5. Create home-made topper fitting the occasion you're celebrating. Baby shower, princess party, halloween, christmas, a birthday... 

6. Dip in melted white chocolate, throw on some pretty sprinkles!

7  //  8 

7. Dip the marshmallow in white chocolate and let it dry, then dip the top in chocolate (or use any color you would like). Add some sprinkles and put a candle on top.

8. Throw it in a cupcake liner & call it smooth. 


via living locurto

Smore's Pie

If you're attending an Independence Day get together in two weeks & don't know what to bring food-wise, I have your answer. I 100% guarantee this dish will make you the most popular person there. This is the stuff dreams are made of.

Smore's Pie

adapted from Hershey's

6 Regular sized Hershey Bars, broken into pieces

3/4 cup white sugar

1 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 cup salted butter (1 stick)

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 7oz container of Marshmallow Creme

wax paper

Preheat oven to 350°

Spray a 9" pie pan with baking spray.

Beat butter and sugar together until combined.

Add egg and vanilla.

On low add flour, graham cracker crumbs and baking powder.

Divide the dough in half.

Press half the dough in the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pie pan.

 Evenly spread the Marshmallow Creme over the bottom crust.

 Now spread the broken chocolate pieces on top of the Marshmallow Creme.

Now, form the remaining dough into a ball and place on a piece of wax paper.  Top with another piece of wax paper and flatten into a 9" circle.

 Carefully peel the top piece of wax paper off.

Flip the crust onto the top of the pie and peel the other piece of wax paper off.

Pinch the dough together to form the crust.

Bake 20 minutes until lightly browned.

Cool completely on wire rack and slice when ready to serve...if you can wait :)

click here for a printable version

If you consider yourself a food/cupcake/desert lover, check out cookies and cups's blog for more creative recipes. 

The Perfect Summer Drink

Watermelon Frosty, Serves 2   

     

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups frozen watermelon cubes
• 1/2+ cup water
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 lemon, squeezed
• 1/2 banana

optional: 2 shots of tequila (or sub water or fruit juice)


To Make:
Blend to your desired consistency; serve; enjoy. 

Tomato Feta Scones

This is definitely the next recipe I'll be attempting. Does this look delish or what?

Roasted Tomato Feta Scones

Makes 8 scones

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon garlic salt

4 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 egg slightly beaten

1 - 4 oz package feta cheese

½ cup roasted red tomatoes, chopped (can be found in bulk in the olive bar at your grocery store) 

2 green onions, finely sliced

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place the flour, baking powder, garlic salt and butter in a food processor. Pulsate everything in 3-second intervals until the mixture resembles coarse meal. If doing this by hand, use 2 knives, a pastry blender or your fingers.

Transfer everything to a large bowl. Stir in heavy cream and egg, mixing the dough by hand until it comes together. Add feta cheese, roasted tomatoes, and green onions. Gently mix the ingredients by hand until the savory ingredients are evenly distributed. On a floured surface, form a big dough ball. Flatten the dough into a 1 inch disk and cut it in 8 equal pieces. Bake for 15 minutes on a baking stone or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Remove scones from baking sheet and cool on a wire rack.

via Savory Sweet Life for Etsy