16 Fun Candy Apples for Fall

October 16, 2017 by Kelly Dedeaux

I didn’t use to like caramel apples – they were just too hard and sticky for my taste. Since trying one at Disneyland a couple years ago, though I’ve learned that as long as they’re made right, they can be absolutely DELICIOUS and not too bad on your teeth 🙂 Since it’s fall, which seems to be the perfect time to enjoy this tasty treat, here’s a list of 16 Fun Candy Apples for Fall for you to bite into!

Personally, I can’t wait to try the apple pie or chocolate dipped ones – but maybe you’re more excited for the candy corn or Frozen themed ones. Whatever your choice, there’s a huge variety so you’re sure to find something for everyone among these amazing candy apples!

Red Hot Candy Apples | Nerdy Mamma

Mini Chocolate Apple Pops | 2 Boys + 1 Girl = One Crazy Mom

Decadently Dark Candy Apples | Parenting Chaos

Mini Caramel Apple Pops | The Happier Homemaker

Candy Corn Caramel Apple | The Classy Chapter

Copycat Disney Apple Pie Caramel Apples | Food, Folks and Fun

Chocolate Peppermint Apple with Melted Candy Corn | The Country Chic Cottage

S’Mores Caramel Apple | You Brew My Tea

Sliced Caramel Apple Pops | Busy Mommy Media

The Perfect Caramel Apple | Simply Kierste Design

Chocolate Caramel Apple | Refresh Restyle

Frozen Themed Caramel Apple | Midget Momma

Easy Homemade Caramel Apples | Thrifty Jinxy

Granola Coated Caramel Apple | Premeditated Leftovers

Oreo Caramel Apple | The Spring Mount 6 Pack

The Best Chocolate Dipped Spiced Caramel Apples | How Was Your Day?

Green Cherry Punch

March 5, 2017 by Kelly Dedeaux

While it’s true that my family doesn’t drink alcohol, that doesn’t mean that we don’t love a fun beverage for special occasions – and whatever your reasons for not drinking, it’s true that you can still enjoy something special during a celebration! This Green Cherry Punch definitely fits the bill for a family friendly beverage for St. Patrick’s Day. And the best part? It’s made with easy, inexpensive items you can find in your grocery store. We mamas love simple, right?

This would also be super fun for a class party, maybe a Ghostbuster’s themed birthday (or Ninja Turtles?), or even at Christmas. I’d just swap out the green cherries for red!

Green Cherry Punch

Ingredients

12 Ounce Frozen Lemonade Concentrate
3 Cups Lemon Lime Soda
10 Green Candied Cherries
Green Marshmallows (optional)
Green Food Coloring

Directions

Mix frozen concentrate according to directions.
Add 3 cups of lemon lime soda.
Two drop of green food coloring.
Add 10 green candied cherries to punch.
Top with a few green marshmallows (optional)
Mix.
Chill two hours.

What’s your favorite family friendly punch recipe?

25 Mardi Gras Food Favorites

February 21, 2017 by Kelly Dedeaux

Raise your hand if you love comfort food. *Raises hand* We love it around here so anytime we have an excuse to pull up a chair to a hearty bowl of something a little spicy and savory, we’re happy to do so. This time of year, we’re all about things like jambalaya, shrimp and grits and beignets as we celebrate the spirit of Mardi Gras. No, we don’t drink or party hard like they do in Louisiana, but that doesn’t mean we can’t indulge in the yummy food of New Orleans – like these 25 Cajun & Creole Favorites Just for Mardi Gras.

There’s something for just about every meal and every person in your family on this list – yummy french toast and beignets for breakfast, po’boys for lunch, jambalaya and shrimp & grits for dinner – and even King Cake for dessert! So grab your fork and dive in!

What’s Your Favorite Meal for Mardi Gras?

20 Hot Chocolate Recipes that are Perfect for Winter

January 21, 2017 by Kelly Dedeaux

It’s no secret that we love hot chocolate around here. There’s just nothing better than coming in after a long, cold day of work, school or play and enjoying a warm cup of hot chocolate with some mini marshmallows! The kids love it, we love it. It just can’t be beat and I know you probably agree. Today, I thought I’d share with you 20 Hot Chocolate Recipes that are Perfect for Winter. There’s a little something for everyone, from traditional to a fancy recipe or two. So grab your favorite mug and let’s get started!

Which hot chocolate recipe is your favorite? I love a bit of mint in mine!

Strawberry Cotton Candy Mocktail

January 16, 2017 by Kelly Dedeaux

There’s no shortage of tasty holiday drinks, but sometimes it can be frustrating finding a really good one that’s non-alcoholic. Luckily, this delicious Valentine’s Day drink is not only easy to make, but kid-friendly for those class parties. You can whip up this Strawberry Cotton Candy Mocktail in a jiff, then enjoy the sweet, fruity goodness for your holiday with no guilt.

One of my favorite things about drink recipes is that they often don’t take many ingredients – and this Valentine’s Day Mocktail only requires three! Yup, just a few ingredients for a delicious, sweet holiday drink that you can let your kids enjoy, or yourself – because, why not?

Ingredients

16 Ounces Strawberry Soda
1 Teaspoon of Strawberry Syrup
1-2 Handfuls Cotton Candy

Note: makes 1 16-oz serving

Directions

Pour strawberry syrup into glass.
Place 1/2 – 1 handful of cotton candy in glass.
Add 16 ounces of strawberry soda. Stir.
Add remaining cotton candy to on top of glass to garnish.

Pumpkin Bars

December 22, 2016 by Nikki Cole

November is the month for everything pumpkin and I tried some fun recipes one of which is Pumpkin Bars that turned out to be a super moist, melt in your mouth dessert that everyone in my family asked for seconds and thirds on. Pumpkin Bars are a sweet blend of pumpkin, cinnamon, and a cake like texture, topped with rich cream cheese frosting and is simple to add impressive but quick decorations to.

I know I said that my Cream Cheese Pumpkin Bread was amazing but these Pumpkin Bars are a whole new kind of amazing. The bread was great and worked perfectly for a quick breakfast and such but the Pumpkin Bars are an amazing dessert to impress even the pickiest eaters.

Ingredients

4 eggs
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
15 – oz. can of pumpkin
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves

Cream cheese frosting

8 – oz. cream cheese, softened
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix together the eggs, oil, sugar, and pumpkin in a mixer.
Add in remaining ingredients and mix well.
Pour batter into a greased and floured 18” x 12” jelly roll pan.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean and the bars start to pull away from the edges of the pan.
When the Pumpkin Bars are cooled make the cream cheese frosting.
Mix all cream cheese frosting ingredients except the powdered sugar well.
Slowly add in powdered sugar and mix until fluffy.
Spread onto cooled pumpkin bars.
To make a cool design dump some cinnamon onto a plate.
Get any cookie cutter, preferably small, and dip into the cinnamon.
Gently press cookie cutter into the pumpkin bars to make a design.

These Pumpkin Bars were amazing but did take a little work but don’t let that scare you away trust me, I’m working on a post with pies and wow, those are hard. This recipe is a little long but completely worth it and the steps are pretty easy just mainly mixing. I hope this recipe helps out with all your holiday plans and adventures.

Christmas Snack Mix

December 21, 2016 by Kelly Dedeaux

Whether you need a treat for a holiday party, co-workers in the office, a tasty gift idea, or just for an afternoon break, this Christmas Snack Mix is super easy to make and tastes delicious! Plus, you can customize it to your own tastes, making it the perfect holiday treat.

See, it even LOOKS festive and tasty, right? Kids would have a BLAST helping to make this – and it’d be great for packaging nice and gifting to friends or neighbors. If your family doesn’t eat it all first, that is!

Ingredients

1- 12oz. Bag White Chocolate Chips
2 cups Cheerios
2 cups Chex Cereal
2 cups Pretzels
1 Cup Peanuts
1 Cup M&Ms

Directions

Mix cereals, pretzels, peanuts, and M&Ms in a large bowl.
Take your white chocolate chips and put in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, then stir. Continue to do this until chips are all melted.
Pour chocolate over mixture and mix very well, making sure everything is well coated.
Next, spread the mixture on a parchment lined cookie sheet in a nice even layer.
This step is optional: Take any leftover chocolate and drizzle over the mixture.
Let dry, then break apart! It’s now ready to eat or store in an air tight container.

Mint Thins

December 20, 2016 by Nikki Cole

Mint Thins are a perfect treat to enjoy on a cold winter night and fun to serve at all those holiday parties. These Mint Thins are impressive and simple to make without making a million dishes and breaking the bank or taking hours to accomplish something that will be eaten in a matter of hours or even minutes. The only down fall? not being able to stop eating the cookies!

Who loves girl scout cookies? Well I love girl scout cookies especially Mint Thins, I can easily eat a whole box in one sitting and not necessarily a long sitting either. Have you started to notice how pricy they are getting for such a small box? These cookies are amazing and now there’s a recipe that is almost exact replica of Mint Thins and are amazing, especially exciting to have the nice mint flavor cookies for Christmas.

Mint Thins are a mixture of cool mint and delicious chocolate that literally melts in your mouth. With this recipe it not only is easy and requires simple ingredients but makes a perfect neighbor or friend gift without hours of baking or shopping to find inexpensive gifts.

Ingredients

¼ cup whipping cream
¾ cup chocolate chips
1 package chocolate almond bark, divided
¾ teaspoon peppermint extract
2 9-oz. packages of chocolate wafer cookies

Directions

In a small saucepan bring whipping cream to a simmer over medium heat. Place ¾ cup chocolate chips in pan, stirring constantly until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in extract, let cool for a minute.
Spoon a small amount onto one side of a cookie, place another cookie on top. Let harden in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
In a microwave melt the package of almond bark in 30 second intervals until smooth.
Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper.
Dip cookies in melted almond bark and place on the cookie sheet.
Let harden and enjoy.

This Mint Thin recipe is also really good for interchanging flavors. Instead of peppermint extract you can change it out to orange, raspberry, or even pomegranate. Different flavors makes different cookies and different exciting treats, these extracts are sometimes found just at a normal grocery store but pomegranate and anything real fancy will be found at a specific baking store.

Peppermint White Chocolate Hot Cocoa

December 17, 2016 by Kelly Dedeaux

It’s freezing outside. Well, not in the ‘technical’ sense of temperature, but for Texas it’s pretty darn close! Plus it’s suppose to actually get into freezing in the next week or so. Needless to say, I’ve pulled out my super snuggly, thick blanket and am all set for this delicious Peppermint White Chocolate Hot Cocoa.

This peppermint hot cocoa is creamy, and full of delicious chocolate flavor mingled with the minty goodness. I love it!

I don’t know about you, but winter just isn’t the same without enjoying a nice, hot cup of peppermint hot cocoa! It’s right up there on my ‘must do during the holidays’ list, next to ‘snuggle by the fire and lit up Christmas tree’. I have my priorities 🙂

Serves: 4

Ingredients

4 cups of Whole Milk (or half and half if you’re feeling indulgent)
8 oz. good quality White Chocolate, chopped into small pieces or 1 cup of White Chocolate Chips
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
Whipped Cream to garnish (optional)
Crushed Peppermint Candies to garnish (optional)

Directions

Stir the milk and chopped white chocolate together in a medium saucepan.
Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture comes to a simmer and the chocolate is melted, stirring constantly or the chocolate might burn at the bottom.
Once simmering and melted, remove from heat and stir in peppermint extract.
Serve warm, with whipped cream and crushed peppermint candies.

Now you can warm up, despite the frigid weather outside, with this delicious cup of peppermint hot chocolate. Just grab a good book, a fluffy blanket and you’re all set for a wonderful evening of YOU time!

Fun Candy Presents Holiday Snack

December 13, 2016 by Kelly Dedeaux

There’s so many great ideas for playful treats, especially during the holidays. These tasty – and easy to make – fun candy presents are the perfect holiday snack! Bring these to your next Christmas party, family gathering, or just because you want to – they’ll be a hit no matter the occasion!

Aren’t these Christmas treats super cute? I love them – plus they’re made with chocolate candies, so how could you go wrong with them, right? You can switch up the colors to match a certain pattern or color theme, or just so each of your kids have their favorite color in their holiday snack.

Ingredients

1 cup White Chocolate Melts/Discs
20-23 Miniature Milky Way Candy Bars
Airhead Extremes Candy Strips
Candy Hearts and Pearls

Directions

Unwrap all your candy bars and set them on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Now take your white chocolate discs and put in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, then stir. Continue to do this until discs are all melted.
Let chocolate cool for a few minutes (if it’s too hot, it’ll melt the candy bar). Then dip candy bar in chocolate, make sure to get a nice even coat. Tap on edge to get rid of excess chocolate. Lay on parchment paper.
Take your extreme airheads and with a knife cut 2 inch strips. Take those strips and cut out each color so you’ll have 5 total strips. Continue to do this until you have 2 strips per present. Add 2 pieces of candy strips in a crossing pattern. Next, add 2 hearts with a pearl between them (this will make your bow). Let dry for about 10 minutes.

That’s it – these fun Christmas treats are ready to eat!

I feel like I need another holiday party just so I have an excuse to make a batch of these – without the risk of eating them all by myself. 😉

Santa Snacks

December 7, 2016 by Kelly Dedeaux

You know how fun it is to make festive treats during the holidays? I love it – and my kids sure do, too. What’s better is when they’re quick & easy, like these fun Santa Snacks using pretzels!

Super cute, right? Just grab the ingredients below, whip up these treats, and enjoy with family and friends. They’d be a huge hit for a holiday party, too!

Ingredients

1 ½ cup Red Candy Melts/Discs
Wilton’s Decorating Santa’s belt/Coat Kit
24 Square Waffle style Pretzels
Wilton’s Dab & Hold edible adhesive

Directions

Take the black candy stripes and cut 24 stripes to 1.5 inches.
Take your edible adhesive (you can use any type of edible adhesive you’d like…frosting, chocolate, etc.) and line one side of the belt buckle. Place buckle in the middle of the black candy strip. Let those dry.
Now take your red candy discs and put in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, then stir. Continue to do this until discs are all melted.
Dip each pretzel in the red chocolate. Get a nice even coat and lay on parchment lined cookie sheet. (If chocolate is a little thick then just take a small knife and spread around the top of the pretzel to get that nice coat).
Add the belt to each pretzel as you take them out of the chocolate. Let dry for about 10-15 minutes.

That’s it – they’re ready to serve and enjoy!

Do you think it’d be weird to lay out Santa Coat Snacks for the Jolly Man on Christmas Eve? 😉

Cute Santa Chimney Treats

December 2, 2016 by Kelly Dedeaux

Guys, I just can’t get over how adorable these Christmas treats are – or how easy they are to make! These Cute Santa Chimney Treats would be the perfect addition to any holiday party, family gathering or just a clever snack for the kids this season.

And don’t worry, they’re REALLY easy to make with just a handful of simple ingredients. Nobody has tons of times to spend in the kitchen during the holiday anyway, right? Thank goodness these hilarious treats – featuring your favorite red suited man, Santa, stuck in the chimney – are quick, and sure to be a crowd-pleaser!

Ingredients

6 Rice Krispy Treat Rectangles (store bought or homemade)
1 cup Chocolate discs/melts (milk chocolate/cocoa lite)
½ cup shredded Coconut
12 mini marshmallows
Red chewy ropes (like SweetHeart or smooth licorice ropes)

Directions

Lay the rice krispy treats on parchment paper. Take a knife and cut 2 holes on one end of each treat. Make the holes about the size of the candy ropes. Cut candy ropes in about 2 inch pieces and set aside.
Pour chocolate discs in microwave safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Take out and stir. Continue to microwave at 30 seconds intervals until chocolate is melted.
Take a rice krispy treat and dip in chocolate, making sure to coat all sides. Place on parchment paper. On the end with the 2 holes, sprinkle coconut on the top and sides. Only go to about 1/3 way. (This is the snow on the top of the chimney).
Insert 2 ropes into the holes that you made earlier.
Repeat all steps until all 6 treats are made. Stick in refrigerator for a few minutes or until hardened.
While those are hardening, take your mini marshmallows and dip just the ends in chocolate. Lay on parchment paper to dry.
When everything is hardened, you’re ready to add the boots. Take your mini marshmallows and cut off just the very end of the non- chocolate side. Stick the side you just cut to the end of the rope. (These will be santa’s boots).

That’s it – you’re ready to enjoy these delicious and FUN Santa Chimney Treats!