Chocolate Isn't a Vegetable?

Roasted Garlic So easy to make, roasted garlic lends wonderful, rustic flavor to any dish. Just cut the top off a bulb of garlic. Then, add two tablespoons of butter and wrap the bulb in aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. When cool, gently squeeze the softened cloves out of the bulb and use them in any recipe as you desire. I smashed the softened cloves to season a cream sauce - delicious!

Grilled Summer Squash Finally, my garden blessed me with lots of delicious yellow squash, a veggie I planted after harvesting potatoes and onions from my raised beds in May! Grilling squash is a wonderful way to savor this last flavor of summer. Here is the easy recipe: 4 small yellow squash, washed and halved 1/4 cup of olive oil 1 teaspoon of blackened seasoning mix 1 teaspoon of seasoned salt Toss all ingredients in a large bowl until well-combined. Grill 4-6 minutes on medium heat (until softened). Enjoy!

Easiest Cronuts Ever! In case you don't know what Cronuts are, they are donut-shaped, deep-fried croissants of deliciousness! They are also super-easy to make! Heat three inches of vegetable or canola oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. On a piece of wax or parchment paper, unroll and slightly flatten one Pillsbury Crescent Seamless Dough Sheet. Cut the dough using a three-inch cookie or biscuit cutter, then cut out the middle of each 3-inch piece, using a cookie cutter that is about 1-inch across. Gently drop up to two Cronuts or four Cronut holes into the hot oil at a time. Fry each side for about 45 seconds, then cool on a cookie rack. Top with anything you like - I made a glaze out of a 1/4 cup of powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of warm milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. You could add cinnamon-sugar, nutella, and/or a filling of whipped cream or pudding.

Easiest Fudge Ever! Making fudge that actually sets the way it is supposed to has always eluded me - until now! I found this super-tasty recipe on the Taste of Home magazine website: Empty 2 bags of chocolate chips into a glass bowl and microwave in thirty second intervals (stir every thirty seconds) until smooth. Then, quickly add one can of sweetened condensed milk and one tablespoon of vanilla extract and stir until well-combined. Pour fudge into wax or parchment paper-lined 8x8 pan that has been sprayed lightly with cooking spray. Cool in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before cutting into pieces. Enjoy! There are so many different combinations to try! Use white chocolate chips, add nuts or dried fruit, or sprinkle lightly with sea salt!

DIY Facial Powder and Blush Making your own cosmetics is inexpensive, fun, and chemical-free! Here are a couple of my favorite "recipes" for DIY make-up: Facial Powder Gently mix 1/2 cup of organic cornstarch with 1 teaspoon of organic cacao powder, adding more as needed to match your skin tone. Add 2-3 drops of Melaleuca essential oil (this helps reduce any bacteria growth). Store in air-tight container (recycled glass jars, like canning jars, work well). Blush Gently mix 1/4 cup of organic cornstarch with 1 teaspoon of beet root powder, adding more as needed to achieve the desired intensity of color. Stir in 2-3 drops of Melaleuca essential oil and store in air tight container. Depending on frequency of use, the powder and blush last about two weeks. I would recommend your local health food store to purchase the ingredients for DIY cosmetics. Internet prices may be a little cheaper, but buying local, fresh ingredients is worth it in the long run.

Puppies! No...not the kind that wreck your house, just the toy kind, but these little puppies do steal your heart just a little like real puppies do! These Pom-Pom puppies are super-easy to make! All materials needed, except for scissors, came in this awesome kit: While our puppies didn't turn out exactly like the ones pictured in the book, they were still so fun and easy to make! Boo and I made both of these pups in about 45 minutes. Once you get the hang of making the pom-poms and fluffing the puppies' fur, the possibilities for making your own unique Pom-Pom Puppies are endless!

Basil Everywhere! While the deer enjoyed a wonderful buffet, feasting on tomatoes, squash, and beans, they practically destroyed my garden. Thankfully, they somehow failed to notice the basil in my little herb corner! Now, I have tons of basil, which I decided to preserve for future use. At first I checked out this neat video on drying basil in the microwave (which works beautifully!):   However, I am not a fan of nuking food, so I looked for a method of drying herbs that did not take long, yet did also not use the microwave. Since I don't have a dehydrator (yet!) I decided to use the oven to dry the basil.  After harvesting the basil, I added it to a bowl full of cold water mixed with one tablespoon of white vinegar to clean the leaves. After letting the basil sit for five minutes, I rinsed off the leaves and set them on paper towels to dry for one hour: Basil drying Next, I spread the basil leaves on a rack on a cookie sheet and put this in the oven on ...

Carrying a backpack all day can leave  shoulders aching. Rice pillows that can be heated in the microwave are a great way to relieve that pain. Put small heart-shaped rice pillows into your little ones' coat pockets to keep little hands toasty during fall and winter! To create a washable case for your rice pillow, sew a fabric rectangle or square (right sides together) on three sides. Fold 1/2 inch of fabric back on the open side and stitch around the edge of the fold. Turn the case inside out and it's ready to hold our rice pillow. To create the rice pillow, sew any shape of fabric (right sides together) on three sides. Turn inside out and sew the third side shut, leaving a small opening to fit a funnel. Fill the pillow with rice until if feels full, but not tight, then sew the opening shut. To heat the rice pillow, place it in the microwave and heat in 15-20 second intervals until desired warmth is achieved. Slide the rice pillow into the case and apply to aching muscles...

For Preschoolers: Playing with coins is an easy and fun way to practice counting and sorting! Your preschooler will learn new vocabulary when you explain to him what each of the coins is called, talk about their characteristics, and the characters represented on them.Make sure to supervise your little one closely while playing with coins as they can be a choking hazard! For Babies (consider using pudding made with non-dairy milk for little ones with allergies): Spray about three tablespoons of whipped cream on your child’s high chair tray, letting her explore the texture (and flavor!) of the whipped cream. Explain to her that it feels sticky, is white, feels soft etc. to build her vocabulary while she engages all five senses to explore. Add more whipped cream as needed, and draw and name the basic shapes for her! Have fun!

Harry Potter Birthday Party inspired by Sweet & Simple ... "The Great Hall"  Honeydukes Candy Shop  Schoolsupplies (Pens taped to feathers from AC Moore, and notebooks with Hogwarts Crest).  Every wizard needs a sidekick...  Felt Flags with paper HP House Crests added to each.  Herbology (painting flowerpots and planting seeds)  Olivanders (easy diy wand tutorial here ) Platform 9 3/4

Whisk together 2 cups of baking soda, 1 cup of cornstarch, and 1 1/2 cups cold water in a sauce pan. Continue whisking slowly while heating the mixture on medium high. Remove from heat when mixture has the consistency of mashed potatoes. Cool, then knead on a counter dusted with cornstarch. Add more cornstarch as needed until the mixture is no longer sticky. Food coloring may be added (to make green penguins and such). Let dry for at least twenty-four hours before painting. *Work with small batches of dough at a time, storing the rest of the dough in an container covered loosely with a damp paper towel.

One of the treats I make each Christmas is peppermint and white chocolate bark. It is super easy to make and delicious! Here's how: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Crush 12 candy canes. Melt 8 oz of white chocolate (wafers or baking bar) in the microwave, stirring every thirty seconds until melted. Add one teaspoon of peppermint extract and the crushed candy canes and mix. Quickly spread this mixture on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet to create a layer about 1/4 of an inch thick. Refrigerate for at least half an hour, then, break into pieces and serve! You can also melt a cup of milk chocolate chips or wafers and quickly spread on top of the bark before breaking it apart. Just refrigerate for another 30 minutes after adding the chocolate. Enjoy!

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter on low heat in a medium size saucepan. Add 1/4 cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon of baking cocoa. Next, add 1 cup of milk and whisk until almost smooth. Add 6 oz of milk chocolate chips and stir until a smooth chocolate sauce forms. In a blender, combine chocolate sauce, 5-6 pieces of ice, and 1 cup of milk. Blend until the mixture has a frappuccino-consistency, about 20 seconds. Pour into two tall classes, add whipped cream, and enjoy!

Tile coasters are easy and fun to put together and make wonderful gifts! Best of all, they are inexpensive and functional ! Here's what you'll need: Modge Podge (available at craft stores) 12x12 scrapbooking paper (scrap paper is fine too, you'll need 4x4 squares) 4x4 tiles (13 cents and up at home improvement stores) foam brush felt pads (any size, four per tile, found at Home Depot, Lowes etc.) clear acrylic spray Cut as many 4x4 pieces of scrapbooking paper as tiles. Using the foam brush, cover each tile with a thin layer of Modge Podge. Quickly press the paper unto the tile. Let the Modge Podge/paper dry for 15 minutes. Next, apply a thin layer of Modge Podge over the entire surface of the tile and paper. Let dry, then repeat. Finally, spray each tile with a thin layer of clear acrylic to seal. Add the felt pad to four corners of each tile and...Voila -water-resistant coasters that can be customized to match any season or decor!

Rock Candy is easy to make and tastes delicious! This activity is also a great science project that teaches about crystal formation. In  a metal saucepan, heat about two cups of water and slowly add 4-6 cups of water. Keep stirring and adding sugar until the solution is saturated (no more sugar will dissolve). This will create a syrup-like mixture. Divide the mixture among 3-4 glass jars and add food coloring and flavoring as desired. Soak wooden skewers in cold water and roll them in sugar to seed the crystals. Let the sugar dry completely, then insert 1-2 skewers into each jar. Put the jars in a warm, and if possible sunny place. After about one week, gently remove the skewers and enjoy your homemade rock candy!

Here is a fun way to turn an inexpensive clipboard into a message/photo board: Cut a piece of scrapbook paper to fit the shape of the clipboard. Cover the board with a thin layer of Modge Podge and carefully place the scrapbook paper on the clipboard. Decorate the paper with die-cuts, stickers etc. and cover everything with another layer of Modge Podge. Add a ribbon to the board's clip and place on a plate holder (available at craft stores, Walmart, etc.) to display. Now you can clip photos, shopping lists, recipe cards, and other fun things on this pretty, yet functional, clipboard. You can also cover your clipboard with chalkboard paint and then embellish it with stickers and ribbons, for an erasable message board.

Swim lessons at the Y are a wonderful idea for little ones. Swim lessons at the Y in the middle of winter - still a great idea, but getting from the building to the car - brrr! To keep Boo warm after her swim lesson, I sewed a hooded towel/cover up for her, based on tutorials I found here and here .This was super-easy to make with inexpensive towels and fabrics scraps at a fraction of the cost of commercially made, personalized hooded towels. The hooded towel above is based on the tutorial found here. A hooded towel all wrapped up - a gift to a preschool friend who loves ladybugs.  This hooded towel also served as a cover-up. I added the butterfly applique and letters for personalization.

Making marbled paper is a fun and educational activity that builds vocabulary and small motor skills! To create the marbled effect, pour liquid laundry starch into a shallow baking sheet. The liquid should cover the sheet about 1/4 inch deep. Next, mix a tablespoon of acrylic paint with two teaspoons of water, and stir well. Repeat for additional colors you would like to use. Drop as many colors as you like on the laundry starch surface. Next, use a chop stick or the wrong end of a pencil to create swirls and other paint designs. Cover the design with an 8 1/2 by 11 piece of paper and lift it up by the edges a few seconds later. Briefly dip the paper into a pan filled with cold water to wash off the starch. Let the paper dry on newspapers or on a thick old towel. Throughout the whole process, talk to your child about the colors and patterns she is creating. Discuss the names of the colors and point out the color names on the paint containers. After the paper dries you may have to ca...

Making homemade butter is a fun and educational activity that increases vocabulary and knowledge of science concepts, such as states of matter. Pour 2 cups of heavy cream into a plastic jar with a tight-fitting lid. Add a pinch of salt. Now, shake the jar, roll it on the floor to your child, then shake it some more. After MUCH shaking, you will see the liquid cream change into solid butter and liquid buttermilk. Pour off the buttermilk, then put the lid back on the jar and shake it some more.  Carefully, pour off more of the buttermilk. Add about 3 tablespoons of ice water to the jar and...Shake again. Pour off as much of the buttermilk/ice water mixture as you can, then place the butter into a bowl.   You can now add spices and herbs (I used organic chives, parsley, and red pepper flakes). Just add as much as you like. Here is a link to some great flavored butter recipes . Enjoy!