Hooray for Halloween!!! :)

October 2nd is here... and I am soooooo ready for Halloween!!
So much so that this is what we had for dinner tonight ;)
(Just kidding... we had leftovers, but since I didn't cook,it seemed like it was!)

Death By Chocolate... an awesome cake by every definition... but could a name fit Halloween any better???
Moist delicious Double Chocolate Fudge Cake, with a rich dark chocolate ganache center, topped with a decadent dark chocolate frosting, and then rolled in mini semi sweet chocolate chips!!!
Can we say chocolate overload children?  All together now! ;)
But seriously people -for you true chocoholics out there- is there really such thing as TOO much chocolate??? I think not...

And Just Bitten.. (as shown) Same UBER-Moist & delicious Double Chocolate Fudge Cake, with a dark rich ganache center, Ruby Red Cherry Filling (and not just the sauce mind you... 2 actual plump delicious cherries :)), then frosted with a luscious fluffy whipped frosting.  Ummmmmm... how did that fang mark get in there? ;) It's kind of a Halloween version of Black Forest Cake, if you will :)
Also available in White Cake... without the ganache filling. (or with if you really want...  it does takes away from the effect of the stark white cake and blood red cherries... isn't that the most perfect color blood red ever?... but  if you want it you got it!-- Who am I to judge?) I will be making some soon and posting them so you can see...

Oh how I love Halloween!!! And really just the cutesy artsy stuff... not the gross gory stuff...

There is definitely more to come ... so stay close!
And if you want to order some... of course you do! Just click here to shoot me an email.....now!

And as always Sweet Dreamz my pretties *insert cackle here... Not quite as effective is it? ;)
Nighty Night!
Renee :D

Do You Believe in Magic... Cookies???

I have to say I am pretty impressed with myself right now.  I had heard of these cookies on Food Network years ago, from one of my favorite tv chefs, the ever adorable Paula Deen, and always wanted to try them, but never really did anything about it.  Why you ask? I have absolutely no idea.
But I finally did it.

What are these cookies you say?

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies... AKA MAGIC Peanut Butter Cookies.

Now I kid you not, if you love Peanut Butter Cookies, you will not be disappointed.  Even if you don't love them- they really are absolutely amazing!

And they can even be made somewhat healthy! (GASP! A healthy cookie WITHOUT tasting like cardboard... and filled with all kinds of fiber? nonsense! :))

And the real kicker is... you probably have all the ingredients in your kitchen, so when the mood hits... you are set to go!!!

The only downside is it doesn't make a whole bunch... maybe 3-4 dozen depending on how big you make them, but still... if you want to make them one night at 3 am when you get a sweet craving- go for it! You can even freeze this dough and cut it up later! See I told you! Amazing!!!

Magic Cookies- From Paula Deen on Food Network :)
2 cups Peanut Butter**
2 eggs**
2 2/3 cup sugar **(now see, you can go as low as 2 cups -like me- but however you wish to do it is up to you)

**and here is where you can make it more healthy... you can totally use natural peanut butter, egg substitute, and Splenda... and this would be a cookie you would be proud to serve to your kids and they wouldn't know the difference... seriously. My kids are raging sweet a holics... and they didn't know any better... hehehehehe ;)

You put all the ingredients in a mixer (actually you can use a bowl and wooden spoon if you so desire to  mix this, but I am lazy like that...) mix til well combined... and you're done. Put on a baking sheet and smoosh (is that the correct term? squish? mash? well... whatever it is you do to get those criss cross markings on your cookies :) )  Bake at 350 for 8 minutes. I did have to bake a little longer or they would fall apart on me... but I guess it depends on your oven. Mine is older than me so it's a bit... temperamental at times :)

Seriously... that's it. No joke. No fancy ingredients, no complicated equipment or long drawn out difficult steps... And they bake up all chewy and crisp on the outside just like you would expect an awesome peanut butter cookie to be.  And impressive to say the least :)

You're Welcome :) 

Now GO ... make some delicious cookies! And if you feel super adventurous... skip the squoosh and add a Hershey's Kiss on top :) ... you daredevil you!

Sweet Dreamz all!!! :)

What inspires you?

I don't know... lately I have been turning everything into cake.  

Now I know that sounds odd... but it's true!!!
I see a cute ruffly shirt? Before I would just say- hey... that's a cute shirt! 

But lately, I see a cute shirt and I think... wow ok.... that would look so cute on a cake!! :) 

It can be a cute birthday card... it could be a swatch of funky wall paper...it could be a little girls dress... an adorable purse or a cute pair of strappy sandals - even a gorgeous color - you name it! 

It's like my brain is in constant creative mode. 

And I am absolutely loving it!

I have to say my biggest inspirations are the infinite sources of talent available to us in all forms of media... books... tv... the internet....  They are everywhere! It's a little daunting don't get me wrong, but it definitely revs my brain too just thinking of all the awesome ways to create art now a days.  The awe inspiring techniques that people come up with to create are just incredible! And there are so many to choose from I couldn't even come close to naming even a fraction of them... but some of my favorites are below (and to the right a smidge :)) Go check them out! You'll see what I mean!!! 

So tell me... what inspires you? Do you wake up in the middle of the night with ideas in your head you're just dying to write down? Do you keep a journal by your bed for just such occasions? Or am I just losing it? ;) Well... I probably am.. but I cant be the only one!  

I know I am getting old when....

So...my oldest daughter turned 15 today :) a part of me is so proud of the beautiful, strong young woman she has become, the other part wants her to STOP GROWING UP!!!! Just stop the train for a few years... what happened to the last 15??? ;) And seriously... I am going to be teaching her to DRIVE???? WHAT??? I am seriously not even wanting to think about that one... let alone the fact that my other daughter turns 15 in 10 months and 7 days (yes my daughters are 10 months and 7 days apart :)) ... oh heaven help me!

OK... gotta stop thinking about it... Well, on another note :) she took the initiative this weekend and wanted to draw the cake she wanted for her birthday.  She is quite the amazing artist- and I said sure :) We went through a few designs and came up with a simple but pretty awesome cake :) Here are her drawings.... (I know I know... I need a new camera :))

So her drawings went from that ... to this :)

 

 The side pictures are the 4 sides of the square... I hope that makes sense... the skull was on top of a square (and since it is black... it is hard to see that isn't it?... sorry) I did feel like we needed something else... not sure quite what, I mean I do like the shiny black fondant... but hmmmmmmmm.  We had wanted to do some quilting with blue and pink pearls but for some reason, this particular fondant  batch was just a little too soft so it only tore when I tried... darn it... but I was still pretty darn proud of the result :)

Oh I almost forgot! Shame on me... Megan painted the colors on the crest (the pink and the blue.) I didn't want her not to get credit for her part :) She chose a cherry vanilla cake with vanilla and marachino cherry filling for the square, and the skull was mint chocolate chip cake with mint filling both with white chocolate buttercream :) and of course, my homemade marshmallow fondant :) I think with it being so hot, I didn't want it to get too hard so I held back on the powdered sugar... but next time I will definitely stick to the recipe.

Speaking of which... instead of shortening, I have been using butter in my fondant recipe (I haven't tried margarine... I wouldn't recommend it seeing as how much water there is, but you can certainly try it :)) and it really does seem to improve the texture.  I will have to try it a few more times to make sure that I like it better, but so far, it seems to be a pretty good recipe :) 

So what do y'all think?? Any ideas for what we could have added? I am really scratching my head about it...

Happy Monday everyone! And happy birthday sweetheart! We love you!!!!
Sweet Dreamz!!!

Tangled Cakes 1 & 2 aka... Heat + Cake= DISASTER!

Ok... so there is a little bit of a story behind this one... (and please bear with me... or just scroll down, there is a better cake below!) I was asked to do a few cakes for one of my sister's friends a little over a week ago.  Sure! Especially since I have been DYING to do a Tangled Tower cake for so long... but I figured my daughters were too old for that, so I would just have to wait! Well... unfortunately, things didn't go as swimmingly as I had intended... and I shed a few tears about it- trust me- there was definitely pulling of hair on this one.  First, I tried to make the tower out of cake.  I had made a lighthouse cake before, with no problem, but for some reason, this one wouldn't stand up for anything.  So I decided to bite the bullet so to speak, and use Rice Krispy Treats.  That turned out better, but ended up well... not so peachy.  I seriously felt sick. By the time we delivered it to her party, (it was of course SUPER hot that day..) I was about to cry.  It was probably about 4 inches shorter than it was when we left my house.  GRRRR!!!!

So I vowed I would make it again... if for no other reason than to prove to myself I could do it! So my daughter Shelly, whose birthday was about 3 weeks ago, decided since I didn't make her an official cake, (I had broken 2 bones in my wrist the night before her birthday... nice huh?) that she wanted one... isn't that sweet???? This time, not only did it go so much faster, easier, and BETTER than last time, but I figured out a lot of things I would even do better next time! Always learning, that's me ;) So here is the final result! )

 

Anyone else want a Tangled Tower cake???? I absolutely LOVED doing it and I would love to do another one! Just let me know! ;)The bottom is the only cake- the tower itself (all of it - including the little turret on the roof and the chimney:)) is Rice Krispy Treats covered in fondant... that was sooooooooooo much fun! The "smoke" coming out of the chimney would normally be cotton candy... but since I didn't have any for the picture- but a cotton ball works in a pinch right?  This particular cake only feeds about 15-20 people with the cake, but could easily be made to have more cake at the bottom. Or even cupcakes :) (and of course about 15 people with the Rice Krispy Treats too :) 2 treats in one! For those who don't like cake ... gasp!)

Well...Whatdya think???? :)

Sweet Dreamz everyone!!!
Renee :D

Woohoo :) New Website Up and Running! :) Check it out!

I did it... it only took me 4 hours, but I did it :) I woke up this morning at about 2:30 to take an allergy pill (geez today has been the worst!) and couldn't get back to sleep. So what did I do? I created a new website :) Well, it's not all I want it to be, but it's better than my old one was! So click HERE to check it out! I hope you enjoy!!! And please feel free to let me know what you think!!! What I can change... what you like... I love suggestions that help me improve!! It's off to bed for me now at least for a few hours :) so quite literally... Sweet Dreamz y'all!

Renee :D

OHHHH NOOOOO!!!! NEW Contact info!!! PLEASE READ!!!

Especially just after I put out a bunch of business cards... I just found out that my website is no longer managed through Microsoft... and I will have to pay almost 200 dollars (as opposed to the 15 I have been paying) per year to keep it!!! So if you have tried to get on my website, www.sweetdreamztreats.net and can't-I do so apologize!! (I can see it, but I can't change it at all... but I know that doesn't necessarily mean that everyone can see it ...and all this not even 4 months after paying a renewal fee... dang it....) I CAN see emails so far on my rdalton@sweetdreamztreats.net, but I don't know how long that will last. Please feel free to contact me on sweetdreamztreats@hotmail.com for the time being, if I don't contact you within 1 business day.... I will let you know as soon as I have things figured out!!! Or even better yet click HERE for my Facebook business profile :) I will be starting on a new website tonight!!!! So keep a weather eye on the horizon my dearies :)
Thank you so much!!! And I am soooo very sorry for any inconvenience!!!

Happy (Belated) Mothers Day :)

OK... First of all... Happy Mothers Day (yes 3 days late... I apologize) to all you wonderful mothers out there! I can't even begin to describe how grateful and lucky I feel to have grown up with such a wonderful mother- one who encouraged me and helped me realize what sacrifice and unconditional love really mean :).  I can only hope that I can be half the mother she was to me.  I am also very grateful that she and my other immediate family (I am the second oldest of 6- 2 girls and 4 boys- ranging in age from 37 to 21... and there are 13 grandchildren ranging from 14 to 2.) :) all live within a 20 mile radius. Now I know how incredibly lucky I am because I know that there are many of my husband's family, and my extended family that live far away.  So I am a very very lucky girl :) 

A Mother's Day (late mind you :)) present for a teacher that has touched my daughter's lives very deeply this past year. She is probably one of the sweetest people I know :) and I am so grateful for her influence on my girls!

 This week we also have been making cupcake bouquets for the Davis Education Association Teacher Appreciation raffle.  I feel very honored to be able to give of some of my talents to say thank you to any teachers, and definitely brought to mind those who have taught me and my children.  Teaching is a talent that many possess, however, the truly great ones are priceless- and I feel so very blessed for the ones that have touched my life. Mrs. Lee... my 3rd grade teacher in California, where I grew up, is one of the ones I will never forget.  We are even friends on Facebook... 27 years after she taught me... now how cool is that???! (ouch... that just made me feel super old just then... geez...) She taught me so much - I still remember sitting in her room learning that a tomato was a fruit... such a shocker back in the day let me tell ya. That is just the tip of the iceberg... and honestly, I am not sure why I remember that little tidbit of information...  Did it make me like tomatoes any more? Nope ;) She also is the one who encouraged my writing- even at that young age- she entered a story that I wrote about a family of bunnies into a District contest- I still have the 2nd place ribbon and the story of course now it is all faded and worn, but oh what a memory.  She has touched the lives of so many, inspiring so many of her students to themselves become teachers, and that is what a truly great teacher is.

There are a few others... Nolan Ryan, Judy Freidig, and Rich Rogers... not that I have seen them or heard from them in over 20 years, but honestly, they changed the way I looked at, and still see education today.  So to all of them, and to all of you amazing teachers out there... THANK YOU for all you do!!!

So just a little bit of what we were up to today :)

And here are the bouquets that I made for the Davis Education Association... of course, I don't know who they went to, but I really hope they enjoyed them as much as I enjoyed making them- it was a lot of fun!!! I found the cutest bright pink and green vinyl baskets at Dollar Tree- and of course the cute little windmill picks- and this is how they turned out!  I really liked the result!

 

I also want to thank a dear friend Jessica for this opportunity to get my products more out there :) We met when we first moved out here almost 18 years ago- (ok... maybe a little less than that... I met her when she came home from her mission ... :)) and she and her sisters and family are some of the most awesome people in the world! She is also a 3rd grade teacher- so she deserves some applause as well!!!                               I am also so lucky to have amazing friends :) Luv you all!!!

Hopefully this will mean good things!!! 

So if you have a friend or family member who is in need of some cheering- or a thank you- or just a hello gift... let me know! These cupcake bouquets are such an adorable, and unique way to show someone how much you care!!!  And they are fully customizable- flavors, sizes, containers, designs... the possibilities are limited only by your imagination :) I will be doing more designs to demonstrate as the week goes on... I have to use up all these cupcakes! :)

Sweet Dreamz everyone!!!!
Renee :D

Cuppycakes :)

What is not to love about cupcakes :) They are cute... they're small (so you don't feel so guilty), they are portable- and they are just plain awesome!

My daughters asked me to make a treat for their dance class tomorrow... and of course, since I am trying to get my website up and running, what better way to help that cause than to make treats! And well... I can't just have all these goodies just lying around right? So anyone close by who is interested, seriously let me know! I would be glad to share some yummies with you! (I am being totally serious :))

Here are the cupcakes we made...
This is an idea that I found on a cute website... Bake It In A Cake check it out- it's a lot of fun!

Rainy Day cupcakes... now tell me this isn't the most adorable idea for a cupcake ever!!! Next time I will definitely put a little less blue on the bottom, but that is supposed to be a little puddle- and the cute little blue sprinkles in the batter look like rain drops!

And Rainbow cupcakes- which seem to be all the rage nowadays :) I just love color- and cake is no exception! It's just plain fun! And of course the colors can be mixed and matched to coordinate with your party or theme :) 2 colors, 3 colors you name it! The possibilities are endless!\

And of course when the inside is cute... the outside has to be cute too right???

Check these out...

Sorry about the crazy colors... That blue really was a beautiful sky blue... but for some reason... uh yah.  But I couldn't decide which one to use, so I tried all 3 :) Homemade cotton candy ... homemade marshmallow... and mini marshmallows :) And the rainbows are something every little kid loves... Extremes Sour Berry Rainbows! When I saw them for the first time, I knew I had to make a rainbow cupcake... seriously... they just beg to be put on top of a cupcake don't they?

Then the other cupcakes we made were Oreo... uhhhhh Cookies N Creme :)

They were technically made with Oreos (not the store brand), but I don't think I can call them Oreo Cupcakes can I? Hmmmm.  Anyway.  These are also something that is all the rage right now... making cupcakes more decadent and scrumptious... hey why not? I put an Oreo in the bottom of some of the cupcakes we made (under the Oreo batter- with lots of crushed Oreos in it :)) then topped it with an Oreo Cream Cheese Buttercream- again with lots of crushed Oreos, and topped it with more Oreo crumbs and a halved cookie :) But that's not all... ohhhh no... we actually filled the cupcake with a luscious light creamy Oreo filling. Can I say the word Oreo any more???? Seriously... it tastes like Cookies and Cream ice cream... only it isn't frozen so it doesn't melt and get your cupcake all soggy and gross... yummmm indeed. See that creamy goodness in the middle of the cupcake?  It is reeeeeeally good- but don't take my word for it- send me a little note :)... order a few... or a few dozen :) I won't tell!!! :) (Unfortunately, I didn't make sure the cupcake I cut open had a cookie in the bottom... and of course I didn't realize that til JUST now... and I hate to waste the whole cupcakes... but if I remember, I will find one and cut it open for you to see... I am telling you... it is to die for :))

Well hope you all have had an awesome week- and here comes the glorious weekend!!! I say it's about darn time ;)
Happy Mothers Day to all you mothers :) and hope you have an amazing, fantabulous time this weekend pampering your mommies!!!

Sweet Dreamz all!!!
Renee :D

Happy Birthday Trianna :) Candy Flowers and my Soon-To-Be Apprentice

The 3rd of May was my niece Trianna's birthday - and I was asked to do her cake as usual :) It's the first time doing a fondant figure- and probably the first time I had ever done a horse, so it took a little practice- trial and error if you want to call it... but this is what we came up with :) (and no, I cannot draw or sculpt a realistic horse to save my life ;) so floppy and cartoony is what she got ;)) Hey... it's a tired little pony after walking up that steep hill right? Right ;)

I was pretty excited about how it turned out :) As always, it is 100% edible.  And who says a horse can't have hot pink glittery horseshoes??? ;) If I ever have a horse, it sure will ;) (probably not going to happen... I am a city girl... I am so sensitive to smells it's almost like I have beagle genes :)) 

I was also really proud of my daughter- she made the cow spots, and also helped me paint the horse (we painted a white horse instead of dying the fondant first... I definitely recommend dying the fondant... that is too much of a pain in the patootie to get all the tiny little crevices- (especially when you put it on a cake that isn't straight on the top like this one, and it starts to pull slightly- showing every little white area we missed ;) and its a little too shiny for my tastes) My daughter is really showing a lot of promise- especially when it comes to fondant. About 4 years ago, when she was 10, we did some Starburst roses.  What is a Starburst rose you ask? Well, you take a Starburst, or a Laffy Taffy, or an Airhead, or Tootsie Roll (basically any soft stretchy candy) and warm it slightly in the microwave- then use it like fondant- or playdough! And to top it all off, it's delicious :) She made a pretty mean rose after me showing her only once- she actually made it better than mine!!!  If I had a sensitive ego- well... that would have bothered me, but I was really proud of her! She is even considering cake decorating as a career path :) I'm all for that!

Mothers Day is coming up people :) so if you want some candy or a cake to make your mom's day special - feel free to let me know!!! :) (click on the let me know... it goes straight to my email ;))

Have a most fantabulous week- and Sweet Dreamz!!! :)

Renee :D

Cups O' Deliciousness :) And Totally Random Life Convergences :)

I thought I would let you guys see a little of what I was up to yesterday :) A very sweet friend and neighbor of mine has some raspberry canes growing in her backyard - and since they are pretty hard to find in the stores anywhere, I asked her if I might be able to buy some from her.  She came up with the awesome idea of bartering for candy :) Hey... I can do that!!! :)

Funny story how she came to be a fan of my chocolate... and one of those "wow- small world!" moments :) A friend and coworker of my husband's, when he worked at the Cottontree Inn in Bountiful a while back, called me up out of the blue 2 Christmases ago.  He remembered the candy that I brought into work for my husband and the crew 2 Christmases before THAT (4 Christmases ago... if you lost me ;)) and wanted to know if he could order some for his friends and coworkers.  Wow... is what went through my mind ... We hadn't talked or anything for over a year so I was a bit surprised to say the least- and so totally flattered!! I made him 4 tins of candy and he even drove from Provo to come and pick them up! (Provo is over an hour south of us here in Layton).

Move ahead a few months, when a newlywed couple moves in 2 houses down from us.  We meet them at church, and they are 2 of the sweetest people you'll ever meet. He was recruited immediately to Scouts- teaching my youngest son, and she was called to Young Womens teaching my oldest daughter :) So already we had interactions with them- then one spring day when I was out sweeping my driveway, who should come walking up the street but hubby's old coworker :) who happens to be Mr. Newlywed's best friend from High School... and they were one of the recipients of my candy at Christmas! Once she found that out, she has been a loyal customer ever since! And the last little wow moment was we found out that their anniversary just so happens to be my birthday ;)) I mean come on... was there an alignment of stars there or what???

So yesterday was the first day it was below 80 degrees- and we do not have air conditioning... so the warm days, as you can imagine, aren't very conducive to candy making ;) But since I knew a storm (and a cool one at that) was coming in, I figured it would be a great time to make some goodies and get those raspberry bushes ready for this summer! I make a bunch of different varieties of candy with raspberries and strawberries during the summer- like these I made last year :) (for before mentioned cutie pie neighbors for their anniversary... on my birthday ;))

Romance on a platter... n'est-ce pas? (Isn't it? in french... sorry) And see those cute little berries at the bottom?  Bride and Groom Berries- and the Bride berry had sparkling sugar on it for some extra bling (since you can't see it here :)) I thought they were pretty cute! And the strawberries in the middle is how I dip my berries... first in white, then dip in dark, then drizzle with white... it's a totally mind blowing experience... seriously!

... and now that I will be growing them myself :) it's not only cheaper, but fresher- and you know fresh always taste better!!!

Now I made a variety of caramel, coconut, and nut combinations, fruity "s'more" combinations, and some fudge cups.  I am not quite sure why I didn't realize til I was done that I hadn't done any of my usuals... peanut butter cups (of which many of my customers will tell you are better than Reeses Peanut Butter Cups...) or pretzels... but if today stays as cool and breezy I may just do those later :)
Here's a sampling of what we did yesterday :)

4 Different Fudge Cups... Fudge... dipped in chocolate :) Could you get any better than that??? ;) (am I channeling Chandler from Friends here?... maybe... wow... I feel old right now...)

(and yes, I made this on a collage website :) actually a few websites... but it was fun :))(One link takes you to photovisi.com where I did the collage, and the other takes you to picmonkey.com where I did the editing... feel free to check them out :))

6 Different Smore Cups- (well 4 kinds, just 2 different chocolates :)) What are S'More cups you ask??? Well... they are homemade marshmallows in a variety of flavors (all made with real fruit pieces and juice :)), with a yummy Graham Cracker/Nilla Wafer/ Cookie base, and either hand-dipped in chocolate (white or my combination of dark and milk... dalk? mirk? don't think so...) or put in a cute little cup of said chocolate - like you see here :)

The banana and raspberry cups are available in both dark and white chocolate.

We also did all kinds of combinations of nuts, caramel and coconut...
And here is an example of the caramel recipe here...  made with the homemade sweetened condensed milk recipe here ... just look at that caramel stretch... it's beautiful isn't it?? Almost brings a tear to my eye ;)

Here are a few pictures-  toasted coconut... nuts... caramel... coconut marshmallow- in every combination possible- with almonds, peanuts, cashews and macadamia nuts... and even a little peanut butter marshmallow for good measure... this is just a sampling... we made about 10 lbs worth :)

 see? My smiley obsession has passed on to my pictures... I really do need help don't I???

So... if you feel the need to contact me and place an order? Don't fight the urge ;) Just click on the little link there, or there's a link at the top of the blog :) I would if it were me!

And to all of you a very happy weekend! Sweet Dreamz!
Renee 

Confessions of a Cheap... uh... Frugal :) Candy Maker

I am going to tell you something that will totally shock and amaze you...

no I'm totally serious...

Candy is NOT that expensive to make....

GASP! Whaaaaat?! Say it ain't so!!!

When you walk into a candy store, and they are charging you a bazillion dollars a pound (ok... about $10 or even more :) but still...) you can laugh and turn your little self right around.  And call me .... hehehe .... ;) Just kidding... kind of :) Please do!

True story... a friend and I were at a mall in SLC and decided to go into a candy store (which shall remain nameless of course to protect the innocent ;)).  At this time I had just been making truffles and other such "fancy" candies for a few years so I knew what it took to make them... well, when we asked why they charged such and such a price for truffles, they said because the ingredients are expensive and they take a really long time to make.   I tried not to laugh... seriously... because honestly, the truffles that they made, while they were delicious don't get me wrong :) were soft.  Now this means one of two things, they used more cream, or less chocolate than the recipe that Lindt uses- and the one that I use.  Truffles should be firm.  You should get teeth marks in it.  Yes it should be super duper beyond silky smooth... but it should be firm. These... were not.  Now, really... that is all truffles are is cream and chocolate (and butter) ... go ask any candy maker.  Ganache is what truffles are, and ganache is cream, chocolate and butter.  Now how is that expensive? And if they are skimping on the most expensive part of the candy (the chocolate) then seriously... I think it is just a ploy by candy makers to make people think that they couldn't possibly EVER do what they do.  Because if they knew... they would probably go home and make it themselves.  Which is why I started making them :) Now, there is some time required to make truffles... most of it waiting for the ganache to chill and set.  I can literally make 2 lbs of truffles in an hour or less (HAND rolling and dipping mind you- (no little scoop for me like they use...) even less time if they are made big like the ones in said store.) And this is using REAL cream, and REAL chocolate. No joke. So now you can see why I tried to contain my laughter. 

Now... I may be killing myself here... I mean what candy maker would tell others their secrets??? I would make a mint if I sold my truffles for what the major stores do.  However, I believe in honesty. I charge the most for candies that take the most time and effort (and expensive ingredients) to make.  That's it.  And many people don't really want to take the time to do what I do.  Which is fine with me :).  What I do, to me, is fun, and quite honestly, stress relief for me.  For some people baking and cooking is worse than a root canal... which is why they buy the stuff they don't want to make.  It isn't worth it to them.  If a hobby isn't fun... then it's not really worth the time to do is it?

There... now I told you my secret...

I also wanted to share with you my most awesome secret recipe I have found this year.  Sweetened Condensed Milk.  The super duper rich thick concoction in a little can... that costs upwards of $1.50 per 14 oz. (or about 1 cup)ON SALE... ouch. Which is why I have always avoided the recipes that can be made with it... until now that is :) I can tell you how to make your very own sweetened condensed milk for less than $.60 for over a cup.  again... GASP! And it works just as well as any canned milk can in candy recipes.  (and dessert recipes... I will have to share a couple super awesome recipes with you later on...) They come from this amazing website... Everyday Food Storage.  Now, if you are a beginning food storer or even one of those people who have basements with shelves lined with water and generators, and TONS of food... this website is absolutely priceless.  So here it goes:

Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 cup sugar
1 cup powdered milk (2 cups instant/ 1 cup non instant- check your package :))
1/2 cup boiling water
1 TB butter (NOT margarine)

While you are boiling your water, place all other ingredients in the blender (yes you heard right :)) Pour the boiling water over the mixture and blend.... that's it! No super secret techniques... no amazing tricks... just blend until ultra smooth, and cool :)

See? I told you it was awesome! So now, when you make any recipe that calls for sweetened condensed milk and you don't have any on hand? Don't cry... just whip out your powdered milk and your blender and you are good to go.  (thanks of course goes to the amazing Crystal from the Everyday Food Storage website. Yay Crystal!!!) Now go... make those awesome microwave caramels I told you about last week... :) (click the link for the recipe :)) You're so very welcome... I just feel so darn giving today :)

Hope you all have a wonderful rest of your week!!! Sweet Dreamz!!
Renee :D

A Word... or Two :) On Chocolate!

Now, if you ask me, there is absolutely no substitute for real... 100% chocolate.  Velvety smooth... rich... chocolate.  Candy melts/ "confectionary coating" chips might be cute... and used in small amounts for color- totally useful for their purpose, but not good for using as a dipping or coating medium, well, not for professional tasting results they aren't.  Now bark.... don't get me started on bark.  Just the words (taken from the package) chocolate "flavored" coating... is more than I need to steer clear from that one.  Ick... what is it made of? Usually unpronounceable chemicals and artificial flavorings- cocoa powder and oil maybe with a little cocoa butter thrown in for good measure- but not always :) That's the closest  it will ever get to being chocolate... it's a sad imposter for the real thing that is for sure.

Now there are many different schools of thought on which chocolate is the best... Swiss, American, all types of couveture (fancy french word for covering ;)) chocolate including Mercken and Callebaut dipping wafers/ compound chocolate (which is in fact real chocolate, just tempered for you... and has cocoa butter added, whether you choose to pay the price for not tempering it yourself is up to you :)) or many of the other chocolates that have invaded the market.  Most chocolate- block, chips, whatever, you have to temper yourself, however, and if you have the time and patience... that is fine- you can also buy already tempered wafers that usually include cocoa butter added for stability.

Personally, especially having grown up in California, and close to the Bay Area, Ghiradelli chocolate has always had a special place in my heart.  Smooth, delicious, and not too.... well for lack of a better word, "milky" is the best way to describe it.  Some swiss chocolate, if you take a bite and close your eyes, and let it melt slowly you can taste an almost milky afterflavor. Not sure how else to say it! Personally, I don't like this too much.  Guittard chocolate is also one that has this afterflavor.  It's not bad, mind you, it's delicious- I just don't use the milk chocolate in my candies.  Dark chocolate is a whole other animal.  So many choices... and not one I have found has been a let down so far.

For my chocolate, because I cannot afford to use the high end Mercken and other such chocolates (I haven't tasted them before either... so I can't vouch for whether I would replace my current choices for it) I always use a mixture of Ghiradelli (milk and semi sweet) Guittard (dark), Nestle's (milk and dark)  and Hersheys (milk and dark) whatever I have on hand at the time.  When a particular brand goes on sale, I will buy a bunch, then when it comes time to make some, I always have at least a few of the brands available - so I don't use all of the brands together, I just mix what I have.  I do have "recipes" if you will so I get a pretty consistent flavor no matter what brand I am using, because believe it or not, they vary fairly widely in flavor and texture.  Also, when dipping/ covering candies etc, instead of straight milk chocolate, I use a mixture of the dark and milk chocolates to bring out the best in both.  Milk for the ultra smooth richness, and the dark for the intensity and firmer bite.  I also add cocoa butter solids, a white, pretty hard substance.  A lot harder than I expected it to be especially given what it is- the fat that is removed from the cocoa bean when making chocolate. I use it for added flavor, smoothness, and better bite.  Cocoa butter, in my opinion, is one of the best ways to get that perfect chocolate snap. So far, I think I have come up with a good thing.  And it is probably a lot more thought and work than really needs to be... but hey... I love chocolate.  And when making chocolates, I want people to feel that love :)

As for tempering... there are many ways to do this, all of which are complicated :) Some people swear by melting it over a double boiler.  You can Google chocolate tempering techniques- it will give you a wide variety of ways to do it.  But a trick I learned from watching a chocolatier on Food Network (can't remember any names... just the thick French accent- and not Jacques Torres) is warming up the chocolate and cocoa butter, slowly in the microwave, at 1 minute intervals, (on 30 to 50 percent power...) until it gets very liquid and it simply glistens... depending on the amount of chocolate, this could take a while :).  But you will know when it happens... it goes from a smooth, dullish, kind of thick mixture when it is about 90 degrees or so, to a glistening, smooth flowing river of deliciousness. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water ;)   There are a lot of people who do, but I have never used a thermometer, ( I have heard people use a regular thermometer that is used for taking body temperature- the glass "old school" ones... brand new of course :) I am a little nervous about this because I am afraid of breaking the mercury... but it's worth a try I suppose.. if you can find them anymore that is!!! ) It is very warm to the touch at this point. I would say probably in the realm of 115-120... From here, I add a little of the "seed" chocolate, chopped (which is the chocolate you originally used to melt - you leave out about 10% of the chocolate you chop to use as the seed).  When you stir this into the hot chocolate, it brings it down to temperature, (proper dipping temperature is said to be about 90 degrees..) but seeding also helps aid in crystallization, which also helps you get that delicious snap :). Stir it in until it melts (no need to heat it, the heat of the chocolate will do it- which is the point of the exercise!) and begin!!!

Now I will not profess myself to be a chocolate master by any stretch of the imagination... I just wanted to share some tips with those of you curious about maybe doing some of your own.  Honestly, this is the purest form of stress relief for me.  Something about the smooth texture and delicious smell of melted chocolate, and making yummy treats from said chocolate :) that just quite literally melts all my cares away ( to steal a cliche :)). Since I will be making some chocolates over the next few days, I will be sharing some photos and recipes with you very soon!!! Hope you take some time to try it! Let me know how it goes!!! :) And please, if you have any tips or experiences you would like to share, I would love to hear from you!!! :) Thanks!

Have a most wonderful rest of your Tuesday!

Sweet Dreamz to you!!! :)
Renee :D

Cooking With Kids Part Deux :) and Bright Pink Popcorn :)

First things first... yes, I did take French in High School.  And Jr. High mind you- so actually 5 years.  Did I take Spanish? No... do I regret it? Maybe :) I don't meet too many French people... let alone those that don't speak fluent English so... Well I can understand words, and can read it or write it fairly competantly but ask me to speak it?? Uh... no.

Now, we all have had experiences where our kids say at 8 pm... "Mom... I need (such and such) for class tomorrow!". We had one of those this weekend at our house... well kinda :) My younger daughter Michelle, bless her heart, has always been one of my biggest promoters to her friends and everyone else.   I really am grateful that she has such faith in me, and love that about her! The times she offers my services without consulting me first... well it gives me a little "Mom... I need this tomorrow" type feeling :).  She really is a sweetheart, and I am not upset, just a little well.. is frazzled the right word? :)

Well, her and the entire mutual group (young men and women ages 12-18) are having a movie night tomorrow and she had the thought that what would be better than some specialty popcorn for movie night! Hey... I would much rather have caramel or peanut butter popcorn than regular old butter popcorn anyday! So we did that... we tried some new recipes, and well...  They are good, don't get me wrong, but... Well regardless, they were definitely edible :) and we had fun making 3 kinds of yummy popcorn treats tonight.

Treat #1. We made my favorite... Cinnamon Bun Popcorn (recipe here) which turned out pretty good- the last few times I have made it - it has turned out ever so slightly grainy... still delicious, but the texture (like I said, I am a texture person) really kinda bothers me.  I think it may have to do with my corn syrup... it is about 6 months old, (it has an indefinite shelf life :) don't worry!) or my microwave... I feel a little science experiment coming on :) ok... getting off topic here :)  Here is a picture.... looks nummy doesn't it?

Treat #2- a new recipe :) Peanut Butter Cup Popcorn. (recipe slightly modified from 2 Peas and Their Pod) minus the mini Reeses PB Cups. Not that I don't wish I had some :)
8 cups plain popcorn- I used just over 12... again a mix of microwave and air popped
Fine salt (I forgot this... oops)
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips, melted
1 1/2 cups Mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
I also doubled everything but the popcorn, and used dark chocolate for a more intense chocolate flavor..., please feel free to make it as you see fit!

Mix honey and sugar in a small saucepan. Heat over Medium, stirring constantly and bring to a boil- simmer 2 minutes.  Pour over popcorn, and let cool. I baked it for about 10 minutes... and it overcooked rather quickly... so I don't know if I recommend it.  I know they didn't in the original recipe :) Drizzle melted chocolate over popcorn and let set :) I may just have had a different idea of what this was going to be like- but I don't know if I will keep this one... I may have to think about it.  It was good though :) 

 

 I am a big fan of peanut butter and chocolate by the way... :) 

And last but not least :) And I am sure you are wondering what the post title meant... our bright pink Jello popcorn.  It is a little sticky, just to let you know, so if you don't like that, I apologize.  It seems like no matter how long I cook it, it will not get as crispy as normal caramel corn... but it is delicious nonetheless :) It is another fave from Our Best Bites :) (have I told you today how much I love that blog????)

Fruity Candy Popcorn {AKA Jello Popcorn}

8 cups popped popcorn
1/4 C butter (that’s half a stick)
3 T light corn syrup (honey is a good substitute)
1/2 C sugar
1 3.5oz box jello, any flavor (not the sugar free kind)
I have added food coloring (matching the flavor) because it seems to lose some of  it's vibrancy for some reason... at least mine did..
Preheat oven to 300°F. Lightly grease a turkey roasting pan and set aside. Place popcorn in an extra large mixing bowl.
Place butter and syrup in a sauce pan on medium heat. Stir until butter is melted. Add sugar and Jello and stir to combine. You may notice that some Jello flavors have more powder in them than others... not sure why this is... but the mixture will be thicker or thinner based on this.  (just in case you wonder, like I did, why it isn't the same from one time to the next... it freaked me out the first time...)  Increase heat and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat so it just simmers. Continue simmering the mixture for 5 minutes.After the sugar mixture simmers for 5 minutes, immediately pour over popcorn in bowl. Be so very careful, it’s really hot!! Mix right away and keep stirring until all kernels are well coated. . Spread mixture onto prepared pan and spread out evenly.
Bake for 10 minutes- maybe a little longer depending on your tastes :)
Remove the pan from the oven and let cool completely.  Enjoy!!!
And pink just totally makes me happy :) so why not? Watermelon jello is pink - even though watermelons themselves are quite red (if you had a pink watermelon, you would be sad right? Because that would mean it wasn't fully ripe!)
And here it is :) I am one of those crazy people that absolutely hates watermelon- (again... texture issues) but watermelon candy is delicous to me :) and of course... it doesn't really taste that much like real watermelon... hmmm why is that??? One of those things I guess!

Dang it... I was going to take a picture of my sweet little press agent taking the popcorn in cute little containers... after the day we had... she went with it in gallon plastic bags :) Still a big smile on her face- and still to rave reviews from the 50 plus kids and leaders! Music to my ears :)

Sorry I really rambled on today didn't I? wow...
Well I hope you all have a chance to try these recipes sometime- I would love to hear what you think!!!

Sweet Dreamz all!!!
Renee :D

Kids + Cooking = Love :) and Some SUPER Quick Yummy Candy Recipes

I have to tell you, I absolutely love cooking with my kids.  Ever since they were young- if they wanted to help, or if they wanted something, I always had them sitting with me, learning how to cook. Teaching them how to cook has been a huge priority in my life, and I definitely love seeing the fruits of that labor :)

Tonight, my youngest son and eldest daughter made dessert- Muddy Buddies (aka Puppy Chow... whatever you want to call it :)) and Oh Henry Bars.  Yes, kind of a peanut butter/chocolate/cereal theme going on :) Both take less than 15 minutes to make, less than 10 ingredients and are delicious :) Now, we have done some pretty complicated foods in our house, but the easy ones are fun once in a while, and awesome confidence boosters! They give the kids the satisfaction of saying that they made them completely by themselves! My youngest son is just a sponge- when he wants to be of course- he has ADHD :) but he is always watching, asking questions, and becoming quite the little chef!  At 11 years old, he can make a pretty amazing poached egg (and has been making awesome fried eggs for a few years) and quite a few other things, including Spaghetti and Stroganoff. My eldest daughter- she will be 15 in just a few short months... (eek!) has also been quite the little connoisseur in the kitchen- a few of her favorite things to make are Shephards Pie and Baked Potato Soup. (yum!) And they can make them completely independantly :) That isn't to say my other 2 aren't just as good of cooks- my youngest daughter (13 yrs) really has a knack in the kitchen as well, my oldest son (12yrs)... well... he will cook, and he is very good, but he doesn't really enjoy it as much as the others.

Now other than taking some stress off of me, especially when I was pretty sick a few years ago, it gives them a sense of responsibility, and also a sense of accomplishment, that can really not be taught any other way! They are preparing themselves for life when they leave the home, and that really is one of my number one goals, if nothing else, I will know they are capable of taking care of themselves.  They know how to do their own laundry, do pretty much any chore in the house- even some home maintenance.  All of this mostly willingly :) And I think if you don't already have your kids helping you cook, you should definitely try it.  Your kids will definitely thank you when they are older. :)

Here are the recipes for these delicious and fun treats :) They don't heat up your kitchen (and since it hit almost 85 today that is definitely a plus!:)) and they store pretty well!

My kids didn't really want to be pictured for the end result... but maybe another time :)

  Muddy Buddies
I have actually modified a few recipes :) from Chex.com- feel free to check others out- there are some pretty amazing snack mixes there- quite a few that I am dying to try! (the Lemon Buddies are seriously calling my name...)




1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup creamy (or chunky if you so desire) peanut butter (I recommend Jif peanut butter for almost all my recipes- it has the most true peanutty flavor of all the ones that I have used- and not a lot of sugar)
1 TB butter
9 cups of Chex - any type you prefer 
about 1/2 c powdered sugar
Melt the first 3 ingredients at 50% power in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. 
Stir til  smooth and pour over the cereal.  Gently stir til the cereal is evenly coated.  Put powdered sugar in a large paper bag and shake til the cereal is again, evenly coated.  Spread out on a piece of waxed paper, separating the pieces as much as possible if you want individual pieces.

Oh Henry Bars 
*This is the first candy recipe I ever made- and one that has a special place in my heart :) It is super impressive, (I get so many comments on it and recipe requests ;)!)  but, as you will see, soooo easy! I have no idea where my mom got it- it was just on a well worn recipe card! So I apologize!!!

1 c light corn syrup (DO NOT use dark)

1 c sugar
1 c creamy or chunky peanut butter (see above description :)) 
1 c dry roasted peanuts
5 cups Rice Krispies ** see note below
1-2 cups butterscotch chips *
1-2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips*
*I use only one cup of each (half a 12 oz bag of each type)  but feel free to use more if you prefer more chocolate!

Line a 9*13 pan with foil and grease well. Set aside.
Put corn syrup and sugar in a pot and over Medium- high heat, stir until sugar is dissolved and the mixture starts to boil- just a few minutes :). Add the peanut butter and stir, taking off of the heat, then add peanuts and cereal.  You need to work relatively quickly because the candy will start to set, and make it hard to put in the pan.  Pour mixture into the greased pan and press into the pan firmly.  Still working quickly, sprinkle both chips over the top, fairly evenly mixing the two (but it doesn't really matter because you will be spreading them out later).  Put a piece of foil over the top to trap the heat for about 10 minutes.  After this time, you can take off the foil, and spread the melted chips over the bars.  Now another tip...  score the bars when they are warm- it makes it sooooo much easier to cut later and take them out of the pan! Let set, and enjoy!!! If you like peanut butter and chocolate, you will love these- they are awesome!!!

** Just a few tips about these bars- they are definitely best at room temperature!!! If you try to eat them cold or even frozen, you may hurt yourself :)) They are (with 5 cups of Rice Krispies) , very much like Rice Krispy Treats, only with a peanutty caramel base instead of soft marshmallow.  With 4 cups, it becomes more candy bar-ish - almost Baby Ruth-like in texture - this is the way I prefer them! But please- feel free to adjust up or down to your personal preference!)

Well, I hope you try these recipes with your kids sometime in the very near future- your kids will have smiles a mile wide when they see what they can do!!! And what better reward can there be than that?! (well... the yummy treats come in a definite second :))

As always- have a most fantabulous evening- and Sweet Dreamz!!!
Renee :D

Fun with Edible Images- and a Great Recipe from "The Boss"

When you see those cakes in the grocery store that has someone's face on it, some people cringe... it's almost considered tacky to even think about putting a picture of a person's face on a cake just to cut it up and eat it.  When you think about it that way... sure ;) but I try not to, I guess.  Personally, I think it's kind of fun :)  And the looks on the faces of the people that I have done it for, are absolutely priceless :) Before I was able to acquire an edible ink printer a year or so ago, I would just laminate a picture printed on regular copy paper, for example the first Jacob Black cake here.  Or with this cake I made for my little brother, Jake (ok... not so little, just younger... he is a good 6 inches taller than me ;)) for his birthday about 4 years ago...

Sorry... it is a little hard to see his face, but the intention :) was to have the basketball cake be a "frame" of sorts.  I rather liked how it turned out :) my only issue was with the black frosting that wasn't quite black... I hadnt yet found a way to make a black frosting without it being more charcoal grey... or tasting like chemicals because of the ridiculous amounts of black gel it takes to get it black. I have since learned how to remedy that so it's all good! By adding black gel food coloring to your favorite chocolate buttercream, it gets much more black... (or is it blacker?) much faster :) So there's your tip of the day! You're welcome :)  But anyway... I digress...
So you could do the pictures laminated- if someone maybe wanted to keep the picture... for some reason :) Or...you could go the edible route. For example- cake Jacob Black 2.0 ;) on the same post... or the pic of this adorable little angel on this cake

I mean seriously... is he not the cutest?!!! And he was totally excited when he saw it :)  The basketball was a chocolate cake, and the soccer ball was white because mom and dad both wanted different flavors :) but I have to say this was one (or should I say 2- actually 3 cuz I made a baseball smoosh cake for the birthday boy :)) of the funnest cakes I have done in a long time!
 
Speaking of a chocolate frosting that you can turn black if you so wish ;) ... Now, anyone who knows cake decorating, and even those who don't, have probably heard of Buddy Velastro aka "The Cake Boss".  I have to say, his attitude has a way of seriously grating on my nerves, so I can only stand so much of him at any one given time. I mean, his cakes are pretty awesome, don't get me wrong... but a little humility goes a long way. ;) However, I have been looking for the perfect chocolate fudge frosting recipe for years- literally- and just have always seemed to come up short.  I like it to be super "chocolatey" (is that a word?) and yet creamy and smooth- and all the recipes I have tried have always been either lacking in the "chocolatey- ness" (I know that is definitely not a word ;)) or sets up too firm.  While I do like a good ganache... sometimes that is just a little too rich... or just not versatile enough... so my search continued. Til last November when at a doctor's appointment with my daughter, I saw Buddy on the Rachel Ray show.  I couldn't hear it, but they were making a football cake- and that fudge icing looked awesome.  Just what I had been looking for... hallelujah! Now I am pretty sure this isn't the recipe he uses in his bakery, because quite honestly, it doesn't look like it, but still... it caught my eye, and I thought I would give it a try :).  So here it is... courtesy of Rachel Ray's website.

Buddy's Chocolate Fudge Icing
2 1/2 cups (5 sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
5 cups powered (10x) sugar
2/3 cup cocoa
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract (try almond or mint extract... even raspberry... you won't regret it :))
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 tablespoons lukewarm water
 Fit your mixer (stand or hand mixer) with the paddle attachment- or the plain beaters.  Just do not use the whip or you will whip in air... which means bubbles... which means holes in the frosting.  And screaming and pulling out of hair when you are trying to smooth a cake... :)   And please resist the urge to turn up the mixer- it will do the same thing.  Keep it on low to medium low for the whole time.  Cream butter on low speed until completely smooth about 3 minutes.  One cup at a time, add the powdered sugar, waiting until it is fully incorporated to add the next cup.  Add the cocoa, vanilla, and salt, and mix, until completely smooth.  Add the water, and mix until fluffy and smooth- about 2 or 3 minutes.  Enjoy! :)

I hope you all have a most awesome weekend... and if you're like us and have a beautiful sunny forecast in store- enjoy it! I know we will!!! BBQ anyone? :)
Sweet Dreamz!
Renee :D

The candy man... uh woman.. :) CAN!

Contrary to somewhat popular belief, candy making really isn't that scary... Yes, it is a little more temperamental than other baking and cooking, but once you get the hang of it, it really can be a lot of fun! :) I have been making candy for quite a while- and though it was just at Christmas time for friends and neighbors at first, now it's hard to find a time of year that isn't made better with some handmade sweets! 

Now, yes I did notice that the last few posts have been "recipe-less" and what better time to remember to share some of my favorite recipes- than in a candy post!

This last Christmas, as usual, I was searching for a new recipe to add to my "repertoire", if you will, and toffee and caramel have always been those things that I just haven't been able to find JUST the right recipe for.  Sure, they were ok... but well... just not perfect.  Then I landed on this easy recipe for Caramels from the Sassy Classy Blog and it just seemed to be exactly what I was looking for- super yummy, super easy, and of course, totally impressive :) And I will now share it with you!!!

  

Microwave... yes I said Microwave Caramels

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup Light Karo Syrup (not dark- it doesn't set right)
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk* I will try to share a recipe for homemade sweetened condensed milk soon... so much cheaper than buying and just as good!
1 t. vanilla
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Buttered 8x8 baking dish

Melt butter in large microwave bowl. Stir in syrup, both sugars and the sweetened condensed milk. Mix well until dissolved. Microwave on high 3-1/2 minutes. Stir down and scrape sides of bowl. Microwave on high another 3-1/2 minutes. (this will be soft-ball stage). Stir in vanilla and nuts (if you are using them). Pour into buttered and foiled dish and refrigerate until set. (you could totally add a few sprinkles of sea salt if you like salted caramel :)) When it is set, you can pull up the foil to bring it out of the dish to cut- it makes it alot easier :) . If desired, you may cut into 1/2 inch squares (or larger... or smaller) and wrap each in wax paper. I will admit that a lot of my candies only incorporate caramel- so I haven't ever wrapped it in waxed paper, but please feel free to do so! They are delicious on their own!

Now tell me that isn't super easy... no candy thermometer needed! I think that is the one thing that keeps people from making candy- the thermometer is daunting... but also not many people just have one lying around.  This recipe uses things you probably have in your pantry! Now go try it! Go ahead... I'll wait!

As long as we are going with easy- I might as well tell you about another super impressive but super simple candy recipe that comes from the microwave- This one is from my absolute favorite food blog of all time... Our Best Bites :) Maybe you've heard of it, maybe you haven't, but trust me, if you haven't... go check it out! You will no doubt be as smitten as I am! Their recipes are awesome! One of my hands down favorites so far is their "Cinnamon Bun Caramel Corn". Now I have added a few notes (look for the **)- not that I think mine is better, I am just reminding myself what I did and liked... but you decide for yourself if you want to follow my directions or not.  Either way, you really have to try it. Seriously... I am so not kidding...

Cinnamon Bun Caramel Corn with Pecans and White Chocolate
Recipe only slightly adapted from  Our Best Bites

12 C popped popcorn (about 1/2 C unpopped kernels)*

1 C roughly chopped pecans

1 C brown sugar

3/4 t cinnamon ** I have used up to 1 tsp Saigon Cinnamon... yummy

1/4 C Karo syrup (or honey makes a good substitution)

1 stick real butter (1/2 C) **shhhhhh I have used margarine... and it is still ok, but best with butter :) It never quite fully crisps up as well with margarine though- just in case you don't have any butter on hand...

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla

**OPTIONAL 1/4 tsp pure orange extract  If you like orange rolls... try it. :) It's not a strong orange flavor, but people will sit there and wonder just what that delicious flavor is ... it just adds another dimension of flavor :)

3 squares white almond bark

*You can use air popped or microwave popcorrn-  personally I use the Whirley Pop pot... which I LOOOVE and highly recommend if you have never tried it :) but you can do whatever you choose! I have also mixed butter microwave popcorn half and half with the Whirley Pop popcorn, and that is equally delicious... the buttery popcorn really seems to enhance the richness :) but you don't get too much salt or butter because it is mixed with the plain.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Place popcorn and chopped pecans in one of those huge foil turkey pans from the dollar store, and put it in the oven just to stay warm while making the caramel. Just because that's what all the other caramel corn recipes I have made tell me to do... not because it really even makes a difference... it's just me :) You could just put it in a large bowl, or the pan and keep it on the counter... no big deal...

Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a 2 quart at LEAST microwave safe bowl. Mix well. Seriously... don't skip this step... not sure why but this DOES make a difference! Chop butter into chunks and put in the bowl with the brown sugar mix. Pour corn syrup over the top of all of it. Microwave on high for 30 seconds and then stir to combine. Return to microwave and heat for 2 minutes. Remove and stir and then microwave for 2 minutes more.

Remove from microwave and add in vanilla and baking soda. Stir to combine. Mixture will foam and rise... ALOT so this is why you need a bigger bowl than you think...  Pour caramel mixture over popcorn and pecans and stir very well so everything is well coated.

Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. I personally thought the popcorn wasn’t quite as crisp as I like it after it cooled and have baked it 10 to 15 minutes longer... (Like all candy, it is affected by humidity, so cooking times will vary slightly depending on the weather. Please feel free to take it out at whatever stage you prefer.  Some people like their caramel corn still a little gooey- to each their own :) Both ways are still yummy!)

Remove from oven and spread out on a large piece of parchment, waxed paper, or foil.

Melt almond bark according to package instructions. Please, please... PLEASE do not skip this step!!! Just trust me... even if you are not a fan of white chocolate or white almond bark- (like me :)) It is absolutely to die for!!! Drizzle over popcorn mixture with a fork. When almond bark is hardened and popcorn is cool, break into chunks and enjoy!

I totally dare you (in fact, I triple dog dare you ;)) to close your eyes and have some- you will swear that white chocolate with the popcorn tastes just like cinnamon bun frosting :) SOOOO good- it is totally addictive!!!Just ask my family :)

I promise I will share more candy recipes later- but I hope you try these and enjoy them!!!

Sweet Dreamz!

Renee :)

We all make mistakes :)... right?!

And trust me, as any kind of creative person will tell you, you are always your worst critic.  Ok maybe kids are a close second (man they are brutal sometimes- but honest!) I don't think I have ever made a cake that I was 100% happy with- I always see room for improvement, or a technique that I could perfect.  Maybe that is why I am so hard on myself... there's always room for learning more :). If you believe you can't mess up, you won't try to change anything and perfect your craft so to speak!

That said, I thought it would be interesting to put on here some of my most obvious boo boos and share some insight that has helped me become a smarter and better decorator over the years :)

Rule #1... DONT forget to look at a picture of what you are trying to carve - and have a plan before you begin (that and make sure you have all your supplies ready :))! Prime example of what NOT to do...

Now, this could have looked a lot different had I actually put dog ears on the dog.  I lovingly call this my "Bear-Dog" cake.  It was my first ever carved cake. It was supposed to be a dog... a stuffed dog that my neice was getting for her birthday. It was a very cute dog... well the stuffed animal was anyway ... the cake... ummm... not so much.  I did like the way the rest of the body and the bone came out though- even the curly little tail- even though it is hard to see.  I also learned a hard lesson that day for another reason... I couldn't find any of my cake decorating tips- except for the small star tip.  Now for those of you decorators out there, you might cringe with me- that's a lot of stars :). (that and I have mild osteo-arthritis in my left hand and right wrist, so let me say I was definitely icing my hands that night and begging for a cortisone shot :)) I would have liked to use a grass/fur tip... and if I had actually thought about it, even icing the cake and using a flat knife to "bounce" the fur would have been a much better idea ... but of course for some reason, I didn't.  Hindsight is 20/20 right? I can't say that has never happened to me since... because it has :) but I do at least have a lot more organization to my madness :)

Rule #2  When in doubt... consult a color wheel :)

I have to say that a lot of times, I can pretty much gauge whether colors look good together or not. However, especially before my discovery of gel food coloring (which I adore... especially neon colors... but that's another story :)) I guess my color mixing skills weren't quite as honed as they could be...

For example:

Now back then, about 5 years ago, my oldest daughter loved the colors pink and purple. Why I thought yellow would look even somewhat ok? And the green? Seriously? What was I thinking? I do have to say though... the yellow wasn't quite that bright.. and the pink was more pastelish than that... but still. :)

Rule #3 It's all about perspective :)

In more ways than one... :) Now, when I draw a cake (which I always do) I try to get all the details pretty well figured out before I begin. It just helps the whole process go much smoother.  That said... well I will just show you the offending cake...

See now this was a cake I was so excited to make.  I had it all drawn and knew what I wanted to do... I had a PLAN... so I followed my first rule :) When I went to carve the volcano though... it ended up looking more like a coconut on top of the cake than a volcano.  Why I didn't step back and look at it to see that it needed more carving? Don't know for sure ...  We did put a little yogurt cup with dry ice in it in the top so it would look like a smoking volcano :) which worked awesome but just didn't translate in pictures as well as it did in person. That's ok though. Oh- and another cardinal rule-don't water down buttercream icing. Which is what I tried to do with the "lava"... duh... water and oil don't mix. Lesson learned :)

Well I hope these made you smile :) because I know I look back and laugh, now anyway :) But I also hope you learned that everything is a learning experience and if you can't laugh at yourself once in a while... I forgot how the rest of that saying goes.  I will put it this way though... I do plenty of laughing at myself - It's better than beating yourself up :) So that's my advice for the day... laugh about it- and learn what you can do better next time :). You will feel better- I promise!

I hope you all have a most awesome Wednesday- it's the middle of the week!! Yay! 2 more days to go til the weekend!!!

And Sweet Dreamz!!

Renee :)