Peanut Butter Cup Brownies & other pink desserts...

I seem to always have a pouch of brownie mix in the cabinet, it's my one favorite store bought mix. And then my coworker picked up Red Velvet Peanut Butter Cups on clearance after Valentine's Day... So I just had to try some Peanut Butter Cup Brownies. I'm guessing the pink topped candy is out for Easter, and there's green at Halloween... So this is a fun way to add a little something-something extra to a favorite sweet snack:@) I used some pink, some regular peanut butter cups, and made some plain brownies. And we all know sprinkles make it a party...

Best Tips: If using cupcake liners, be sure to use the foil ones. Paper will stick. If using sprinkles, for best presentation, shake them on before adding the peanut butter cups, let's all learn from Lynn's mistakes...

Whether it's a Barbie birthday, 

planning for Easter,

or dreaming of spring...

Other Pink Desserts:

Two ingredient Strawberry Cupcakes, Pink Jello Fluff, Chocolate Covered Marshmallows, Sugar Cookies with Jello Frosting

Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

Your favorite brownie mix

Ingredients called for in the mix

Unwrapped Reese's Mini Peanut Butter Cups

Foil liners

1. Make brownie batter.
2. Place liners in cupcake tin.
3. Fill liner about half way, not more.
4. Variable: Baking time... I did 350 for 25-27 minutes. You'll have to try to gauge doneness as best you can, a test batch is always a good idea before a party:@)
5. Remove to rack to cool.

Pour a cuppa, enjoy a snack and 

Have a Happy Day:@)

Nora Fleming Minis for Any Occasion (Literally...)

To cap off Baseball Week I wanted to share a collectible that's new to me... Have you heard of Nora Fleming Minis? The idea is, you pick a base, anything from a serving dish, to a paper towel holder, to a charcuterie board, and then add the mini. Mini's are small figural pieces that commemorate any occasion, every holiday, and just about every day... I scrolled through the Amazon page, and counted roughly 22 bases and 136 minis to chose from. You can go to Amazon or find her web page here. Now, I'm not saying this is an inexpensive gift, but it is certainly one that can be added to over time:@) There is even a scalloped edge square that's blank so you can write whatever message you'd like on it.

How it works:

More examples:

And I'll leave you with...

📌All of my Pinterest Boards here.

Just sharing a fun idea,

Have a Happy Day:@)

Barbie Valentine's Day 2024 -Kissing Booth Fund Raiser

I used a little inspiration from Dollar Tree to come up with my Barbie Valentine's Day post this year:@) I found some wooden kissing booths, they were a little too short for the 12" dolls, so I made one out of a box... I think it turned out cute! The Story (think back to a kinder, gentler time): Barbie is helping to raise money for a local animal shelter. During a ♥For the Love of Animals♥ Fund Raising Event she volunteered to work in the kissing booth...

She wasn't sure what to expect, but the doors had literally just opened and she already has her first customer...

And apparently, Ken is making sure he is the ~only~ customer she has all day😉

My inspiration:

💘Happy Valentine's Day:@)

♥Heart♥ Ideas... Barbie Valentine's Candy, Spritz Cookies, Crochet Ornaments, and...

For my Saturday ReView this week I thought I'd share a few ideas for heart shaped items. Time is flying and we're less than two weeks from Valentine's Day, amazing. I'd like to start with a little craft from foam cut-outs and beads. I happened to get brown beads in a grab bag from the thrift store, but anything would work to give the illusion of this Heart Shaped Box of Valentine's Day Candy for Barbie:@) Especially if you wrap some fun shapes in foil, nobody will know what color the original bead was.

I started with a 1 3/4" heart that was cut from 1/4" thick foam for the box, and a smaller 1 1/4" heart cut from thinner foam for the lid. I dug some of the foam out of the center of the larger heart. Then added Elmers Glue, placed some brown beads inside for candy and kept pressing them down so the lid would lay flat on top. Walmart has the foam heart shapes again this year.

A sparkly closed box of Valentine's candy...

Barbie says every girl likes to get candy on Valentine's Day😉 

How to make a gold dipped rose here.

I love the look! 

And I always encourage folks to keep their Spritz Cookie Press handy... Every set comes with a heart shaped disc. Pick your favorite recipe, add a little red sugar and wa-la, we have a quick seasonal treat:@)

My Spritz Pinterest Board Here.

Little Crochet Hearts start with a magic circle and come together fairly quickly (even for those of us that aren't that skilled at crochet). I love them because they make great ornaments for a seasonal tree, cute bunting, napkin ring toppers for tablescapes, and of course fun pillows or an easy handbag for Barbie:@)

And finally, if you can swing it, 

please treat yourself to some pretty flowers...

You deserve it:@)

💗Make something just for fun and 

Have a Happy Day💕

Barbie Crossbody Messenger Bag from Tin Foil (or Cloth) -Free Pattern

How about an easy rainy day, snowy day, or sleepover project... Last year I picked up a pack of Valentine novelty bracelets at Walmart and made some really cute suspenders for Ken. This year I thought it would be fun to make a Crossbody Messenger Bag for Barbie:@) No worries if you can't find these exact bracelets, the strap can be made from anything, ribbon, chain, yarn, twine, etc. And this fun bag was made from something we all have... 

Tin foil... I like shiny things (my real bag is actually silver:@), so I tried it. This can also be made with fabric, which would be sturdier, just be sure to create sharp creases with an iron or your finger nail.

I had some jump rings for jewelry making, so that's what I used to add the strap to the bag.

 

✂What I did:

1. Unroll tin foil about 6" and cut off (does not need to be exact).
2. Fold in half lengthwise, approximately 6x6" square.
3. Fold in half again, approximately 3x6" rectangle.
4. Option: If you want a more rigid bag, cut a piece of thin cardboard to fit inside the folds. Bend it at the center so it folds in half nicely.
5. Fold two of the edges inward on the 3" side, creating a triangle (see pic). Alternately, you could keep that edge straight and use it as a flap.
6. Fold bottom up to just under the folded part (see pic).
7. Fold point down to create the flap (see pic).
8. Unfold and glue the sides. Allow to dry completely.
9. Add strap: Carefully poke small hole in each side of bag, attached strap with jump ring. Or push yarn through hole to tie on strap.

The bracelets:

Cute!

And carrying some ~very important~ papers:@)

Make something just for fun and

Have a Happy Day:@)

I'm Joining:

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For the Love of Football Valentine Charcuterie Board

Oh this was fun folks:@) I wanted to play with making some pepperoni roses, and then started thinking about what I could use for a board and one thing led to another... And here we have a For the Love of Football Small Valentine's Day Charcuterie Board. ♥♥♥ My football board is only about 9"x6", so I tried to load it up. As for the roses themselves... I'm glad I tried, but I'll leave that for someone else next time. The slippery sausage does require some ~patience~ to form.

Grazing boards are my absolute favorite way to snack. I would add some celery and carrots normally, but I was aiming for a Valentine's color pallet (should have grabbed the white cheddar Cheezits😏)... I used a mini heart shaped cookie cutter to create some smoked hard salami hearts. Just free hand the XO from cheese... Did you get the double entendre? XO for hugs and kisses, and XO for football formations! Oh yea, I'm clever like that:@)

Short on time or don't want a ton of leftovers? Just about everything came from Dollar Tree... Pepperoni, Haribo Berries, almonds, Cheezits, Hershey Kisses, and heart shaped Junior Mints. There are lots of other options too. 

My wooden football board is from one of those holiday cheese and cracker sets, and the size is perfect for one or two people. I even lucked out and bought the set after holiday for $4, gotta love that:@)

Sending warm wishes your way:@)

Be sure to treat yourself well,

even if simply noshing:@)

I💗🏈Have a Happy Day!

I'm Joining:

Wonderful Wednesday

Creative Muster

Candied Jello Popcorn -Team Colors or Holidays

Popping in a second time today with what I really wanted to share this Saturday. Some snowy weather has me a bit behind schedule...

This Team Colored Candied Jello Popcorn would be a fun idea for the playoffs or Super Bowl. Or works great as an after school Valentine's Day snack. And while we might think of this mostly as a treat for the kids, this is a fun TV munchie:@) At this point in football, I really don't have a favorite team in the running... So I used a red Jello. Good for several teams still playing, or ♥ day, or if I really want to stretch it... Looking forward the the Phillies and baseball season.

I chose red and gold, and red, white and blue... Hmmm... I think there's a prime time game showcasing those colors:@) Now, I used Cherry Jello, and yep, it packs a flavorful punch! My first inclination was strawberry, I'll use strawberry next time...

Oh and...

Maybe next year for the green😢

Jello Rainbow Popcorn-from Kraft
8 C popped popcorn
1 C salted peanuts or cashews-optional
1/4 C butter
3 Tblsp light corn syrup
1/2 C brown sugar or white sugar-I used white
1 small box Jello-any flavor or color, but it needs to be regular Jello with sugar

Sprinkles, Jimmies, Sixlets, Cake Decorations-optional

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees, line a sheet pan with foil or wax paper. Reynolds Release or silicone is best.
2. Toss popcorn and peanuts in large bowl, I just mix it all on the sheet pan.
3. Place butter and corn syrup in small pan, heat on low until butter is melted.
4. Add sugar and Jello, stir until Jello has dissolved.
5. Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Pour immediately over popcorn, toss well to coat. This is why I mix it on the sheet pan, I can drizzle it over as much popcorn as possible.
7. Put popcorn on sheet pan and spread out using 2 forks. I find the best way to mix it is with silicone coated tongs.
8. Bake for 10 minutes-I suggest stirring it halfway.
9. Remove from oven, -immediately- shake on sprinkles or candies if desired, cool completely, break apart and store in an air tight container.

🏈Enjoy the remaining games...

And Have a Happy Day:@)

Valentine's Day Items for Barbie Play-Walmart

This week I thought I'd share what I see at Walmart for Valentine's Day that would be great for Barbie play. All of these items are ~close enough~ to 1:6 scale that they work in that little world:@) But my absolute favorite item is literally marketed for doll play...

Poor choice of outfits... ugh.

It's these limited edition Mini Verse Valentine's random balls. They can have a candy filled heart, cake, cookies or flowers. All super cute! I really wish we could just buy what we wanted, I love the roses:@)

What came in my ball: The idea is -we- decorate the cookies... I used a little of what was provided, then got out some red and white craft paint and "painted" an icing look with a toothpick.

Not cheap at $10... 

But really cute:@)

Foodie erasers in the novelty section. All food items are the perfect size for Barbie and Ken...

They have Nerf footballs...

And Ken size basketballs:@)

And the 98¢ bracelets are back, 

we used them for Suspenders last year HERE:

And as the strap for a handbag here.

💗Make something just for fun, and

Have a Happy Day:@)

Small Valentine's Day Tree

I set-up a Valentine's Day Tree this year using my 18" silver tinsel tree. This is the first time I've added pink, and I ♥ it:@) I've been gathering ornaments and items for years, from stores, on-line and thrifting. The angel candle hugger up top was from a flea market, my G-Mom-B had some when I was a kid. Once again big shout-out to Dollar Tree, they had a good selection of ornaments and craft items for tree decorating this year: The scrolled glitter heart topper, red glitter balls, wooden love cut-outs, I used a set of 4 necklaces as my garland, heart ornaments, and if you want to do a little minimal crafting...

The blingy red rhinestone hearts are actually party favor rings. I used wire cutters to cut the ring part off, glued a string of pearls around the silver part on some, and added a ribbon for hanging. Looks like I made these back in 2016 here:@)

Mini snowflake tree skirt =Walmart, 

after Christmas clearance years ago.

💕Have a Happy Day:@)

ReView: Heart Shaped Food Round-Up & Heart Suspenders for Ken (Barbie)

Wow, we're down to single digit days before Valentine's Day folks, so I thought I'd add a Heart Shaped Food Round-Up from the archives. Ideas for main meal, deviled eggs, cookies, cake, pie, and fudge, a little something for everyone:@)

I saw some cute red and pink 98¢ party favor bracelets at Walmart and thought they might be fun for a little Valentine's Day Barbie crafting. The first thing that came to mind was suspenders for Ken, and I love the perfect scale. They can be attached with buttons or sewn directly onto to pants. While he may choose to not get super dressed up for the occasion, there is no denying Ken did put thought into Valentine's Day! Barbie's smitten:@)

✂What I did:

1. Super simple, just sew a few small buttons onto any pair of Ken pants.
2. Cut the bracelet apart at bottom of heart at bend in bracelet, and loop the hole in the bracelet over the button. The top bend from the packaging naturally falls at his shoulder.
3. You'll need to trim a couple hearts off of the back, then loop a hole through buttons on the back of the pants.

My inspiration:

Make something just for fun,

and have a happy day💗

You Melt My Heart Rolo Pretzels with Toasted Marshmallow

These You Melt My Heart Rolo Pretzels with Toasted Marshmallow make a super cute, sweet gooey Valentine's Day treat:@) They add a marshmallow layer to the traditional Rolo Pretzel snacks we're all familiar with. The best part, you can make as many, or as few, as you'd like. I added the use it up label because my boss put a bunch of leftover Christmas candy on the counter at work... I picked the Rolo's out. As for the hearts, I had some large Wilton heart shaped sprinkle cookie decorations, I'd aim for even larger for the best presentation.

Rolo Pretzels with Toasted Marshmallow-variation from Hershey's

1. Two mini pretzels for as many treats as you'd like to make.
2. One unwrapped Rolo for each treat.
3. Either 1/4 regular size marshmallow or 2-3 mini marshmallows per treat. I used the regular size.
4. Large heart sprinkles or red M&M's for each one.
5. Place pretzels on parchment paper lined baking sheet.
6. Top half of the pretzels with Rolo's, the other half with marshmallow.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 4 minutes.
8. Remove from oven, place Rolo pretzel on top of marshmallow, gently press down.
9. Top each Rolo with heart or M&M.
10. Allow to cool and set completely.
11. Store in air tight container.

Enjoy a snack and have a happy day:@)

ReView: Super Bowl Snacks & Ken Serves Valentine's Breakfast

Well this sure is a busy weekend! I guess we could combine it all and say I ♥ Super Bowl Sunday ~or~ Have a Super Valentine's Day... Any way you look at it we have two big celebrations coming up. Of course the Super Bowl is all about snacks and party food (and maybe your office block pool if you have one:@) While poppers are great, we can do a lot more with stuffed jalapenos folks, and with the right ingredients, these Cheeseburger Stuffed Jalapenos can even be a low carb snack. 

My Pinterest Boards for Super Bowl Snacks:

Stuffed Jalapenos  ~  Dips & Cheese Balls

Deviled Eggs  ~  Little Dipper Crock Pot Appys

And Ken is serving Barbie breakfast in bed for Valentine's Day... He's such a romantic guy:@)

Good job Ken!😉

💕Happy Super Valentine's Day Weekend Everyone🏈

Enjoy the game and be sure to treat yourself to a little something special:@)

Maraschino Cherry Deviled Eggs

I've been saving these Maraschino Cherry Deviled Eggs to present as a Valentine's Day idea. Are they different? You bet! Are they tasty, absolutely! Although you might get a few sideways glances at first... I love it when tentative bites turn into "hey, these are really good"... They are loaded with veggies and the diced up cherries add an extra bit of sweetness. And of course, these eggs are a great conversation starter:@) 

My only suggestion, I wouldn't use a half cherry on top next time, maybe a quarter or couple pieces of diced cherry. Or if making them at Christmas, a slice of cherry and slice of jalapeno for color. When you bite the deviled egg in half, the cherry squishes down and the egg can get a little messy.

The recipe calls for smoked paprika and chipotle powder.

Both are nice, but regular paprika would be fine.

Maraschino Cherry Deviled Eggs-from Taste of Home

12 hard boiled eggs, peeled, cut in half lengthwise

1/3 C mayonnaise

2 Tblsp Dijon mustard

3 Tblsp celery, minced

3 Tblsp sweet pickles, minced and blotted dry-I subbed sweet relish

3 Tblsp maraschino cherries, drained, minced and blotted dry

1 Tblsp jalapeno, cleaned and minced

S&P to taste

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/4 tsp ground chipotle powder

black sesame seeds for garnish-I didn't have these

Cherries for garnish

1. Mix yolks, mayo and mustard until smooth.
2. Fold in celery, pickles, chopped cherries and jalapeno.
3. Spoon mixture into egg whites.
4. Sprinkle tops with paprika, chipotle powder and sesame seeds.
5. Top each egg with cherry half.

Try something new and have a happy day:@)

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