Recipe: Cheeseball

This is my absolute favorite recipe of all time! I make it all the time and I freaking love it. I'm not going to say that mine is better than everyone else's, but I will say that I personally like mine the best. I'm a somewhat picky eater and I feel like everyone always puts weird things in their cheeseballs. I like to make mine all about the cheese! But don't get me wrong, there is so much flavor going on in this thing. I hope you like it as much as I do.

Ingredients:
8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
8 oz grated cheddar cheese
½ Tbsp Onion Onion or onion powder
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp lemon juice
Chopped pecans

I just want you all to know that I am only guessing on the amount of the onion, sauce, and lemon juice. I tend to just throw some in. It always turns out fine for me so don't be afraid to do that. Measurements do not have to be exact. Sometimes, I even like to add some Garlic Garlic in there.

Steps:
1. Work all ingredients together except the pecans.
2. Make into a ball.
3. Roll in chopped pecans.
4. Wrap in saran wrap and chill.
5. Serve with crackers.

I serve mine with crackers. You can literally serve this with ANY crackers. I know some people serve theirs with pretzels too. You can always make your cheeseball in different shapes and sizes. After all, I made mine into a football for Superbowl Sunday. I even saw somewhere that someone made theirs into a turkey for Thanksgiving. I love that idea. Be creative!

Super Bowl Cookies: Footballs and Stadiums

I love cookies. Of all things to make for a party, I love making cookies the most! I make them for baby showers, birthday parties, Christmas, etc. So surprise surprise, I made cookies for Super Bowl.

I started out with my amazing, from scratch, sugar cookies (don't worry, I'll share that recipe eventually). These are not terribly difficult to make, but you could also make them from a mix. I'm pretty sure Betty Crocker has one that's good. So anyway, after you have that done, you need to roll out your dough on a flour-covered surface. I am ashamed to admit that I didn't plan enough ahead of time. I couldn't find a football cookie cutter anywhere and I didn't have enough time to order one. Anyway, I did find a small wooden football at Hobby Lobby. So what did I do? I bought that little wooden football and I traced it with a pairing knife in the dough. See? Resourceful! (However, I must warn you that when you cut the dough with a knife and don't use a cookie cutter, sometimes the edges turn out a little cracked) Then, I made rectangles by outlining an old gift card. I like to freeze my dough for a couple minutes before I put it in the oven.

After they were done cooking, I let them cool for a while. I've used lots of different kinds of icing for my cookies, but I decided that for this, plain old store bought icing would work just fine. I got one tub of vanilla and one tub of chocolate.

To decorate the footballs, I put some icing in a squeeze bottle and outlined the footballs with chocolate icing. I then placed the bottle in the microwave and warmed it up. This makes the icing a little runny. This is a pretty quick and easy process. I filled the inside of the footballs and then spread it out a little with the tip of the squeeze bottle. Then, I let the cookies sit for a while while the icing hardened a little.

For the stadium cookies, I started by outlining the stadium sections in white. Put at least half the tub of vanilla icing in your squirt bottle. Then I warmed the vanilla icing like I did the chocolate and filled the stadiums. Then, I poured as many sprinkles as I could fit on those cookies and let them dry and harden up.

Use the squirt bottle with the vanilla icing in it to add the laces to the football. Those are now done.

The next step is to color some of the vanilla icing green. Make sure that you have enough white to make the lines on the field. Then use the remaining vanilla icing and green food coloring to make green icing. I did the same thing I did with the rest of the cookies. I outlined the section, warmed the icing, and filled them. Let them dry. Then use the remaining white icing to make lines on the 'field'. When you're done, you should have cookies that look just like a stadium and footballs.

I hope you enjoy your cookies as much as we will! I think they'll really add something to our Superbowl party.

Book Review: Call Me Irresistible by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

This book is funny, heart-wrenching, and relatable (especially if you've ever felt like you weren't good enough for your parents). Some people are born with every chance in the world to be great. They come from rich, intelligent, talented parents. And yet, they're nothing but a failure in comparison. That's the way Meg has turned out. When she finally makes her way to Texas for her best friend's wedding after her parents have cut her off completely, she stirs up trouble that no one is ready for. The wedding falls apart, everyone blames Meg, and now she's stuck in a town where everyone hates her and no money. I laughed. I cried. I felt anger. This book was much better than I expected it to be and I was kept interested the entire time. If you're looking for a good book, I say read it.

Superbowl Decor: Goal Posts

I mostly bought everything for Superbowl Sunday this year instead of making everything like I do for most events. I just wasn't feeling it this year. It's our first year in the house and we'd just finished the biggest holiday of the entire freaking year! I mean, it takes me a full month to recover from Christmas. It's rough. So anyway, I wanted to make something big (but easy) because if I bought EVERYTHING, it was going to start getting really expensive. I saw something similar to this on Pinterest and thought I'd give it a try. Here's how to make some awesome goal posts to go at the end of your food table.

Supplies:
5 feet of 1-inch PVC piping
2 1-inch PVC elbows
1 1-inch PVC tee
rubber cement (or anything else to hold the piping, elbows, and tees together)
Sunbeam Krylon Fusion spray paint
Small planting pot or vase and filler

Instructions:
1. Cut your PVC piping into 2 1-foot sections, 2 6-inch sections, and 1 2-foot section. This should take up your entire 5 feet. I suggest cutting the 1-foot and 6-inch sections first because the length of the 2-foot section doesn't need to be exact.
2. Take all of your pieces (including the tee and elbows) and lay them out. Then glue the piping to the tee and elbows forming your goal post.

3. Spray paint one side of the goal post. Let dry. Spray paint the other side of the goal post.

4. Once your goal post is dry, place it in your small planting pot or vase and use your filler to keep it in an upright position.

Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Dip

I'm not sure if you've ever had this before, but it's awesome! My friend made it for me one time when we were having a movie night. Well, for Christmas this year, my family got together the weekend after Christmas and since we'd all just had a huge meal on Christmas day, we decided to just make appetizers instead of dinner. I decided to bring this, but I wanted a crockpot recipe. There is no reason this shouldn't be good in a slow cooker, right? I tried it out. And it totally worked! Yay! I'm making this for Superbowl Sunday. I can't wait.

Ingredients:
3-4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, shredded
1 cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce
1 8 oz package of cream cheese, softened
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 jar of ranch dressing, I used Marzetti's (my favorite), but I've also made it with generic and it was just as good

Steps:
1. Put water in a large pot, enough to cover the chicken. Bring the water and chicken to a boil. Boil for about 15-20 minutes or until chicken is completely cooked. Shred the chicken with a fork.
2. Add hot sauce, cream cheese, and dressing to mixing bowl. Mix on low speed until well blended, 30-60 seconds.
3. Mix in cheese.
4. Add chicken to cream cheese mixture.
5. Mix until blended to desired consistency. If you would like your chicken chunky do not mix long at all. If you would prefer a creamier, dip-like texture, mix a little longer.
6. Transfer mixture to slow cooker. Cook on low for 4-5 hours, then keep warm. Serve with crackers, rolls, celery sticks, Tostitos scoops, Fritos scoops, pretzel chips, etc.

Bonus Tip: I made this the day before, refrigerated it, and then stuck it into the slow cooker on low 4 hours ahead of time and then turned it to warm. It turned out great.

Bonus Tip: I also tried cutting up the chicken instead of shredding it and then adding it to the rest of the ingredients after it was blended and then folded the chicken in. Then, we put it on buns and they made great Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches! Awesome, right?

Simple Homemade Dog Toy

When we got our new puppy last year, we were trying to keep costs down a little on toys. After all, dogs aren't really cheap, especially when you first get them. You have to pay for the dog itself, vet visits, a bed, crate, food, treats, toys, leash, collar, registration with the city, etc. Anyway, I found a picture of something similar online and decided to make it myself. We actually had a pair of jeans that belonged to my husband we were going to throw away. They had a hole in them so he no longer wore them.

Supplies:
old pair of jeans
scissors

Instructions: Okay, this is going to be rough, but I think you can handle it.
1. Cut up the jeans. I did nice long strips up the leg. There isn't really a wrong way to do this, but they need to be at least 8-10 inches long.
2. Tie a knot in the middle if your strip is shorter. Tie a knot at each end if your strip is longer.

It's really that easy. This toy is free. It's cheap. And if your dog is anything like mine, will still enjoy playing with it.

Why I Take So Many Group Shots

Sometimes, I like to write posts that have to do with photography tips. As a beginner myself, I think it's nice to read from other beginners about what they've learned. That being said, this is not a post about photography tips so if that's what you're looking for, read some of my other posts.

There are multiple reasons why I love to take so many group shots. These are just a few. I try to take group shots at almost every family function.

I like to remember the fun times in my life. I like to see how people grow and change as their lives grow and change. Sometimes you can get this in a picture and sometimes you can't, but one thing I do know is that as long as you're prepared, you can usually get everyone together for a group picture.

There are so many people that don't like to have their picture taken so if you're taking a lot of pictures whether you're on vacation, at a party, at the zoo, etc, these picture-haters may tend to avoid you. Even people who hate to get their picture taken will usually participate in a group photo.

Sometimes when you're the one taking all the pictures, you get home and realize that you're not in any. How can you tell you were even there? Well, if you get everyone together for a group photo, it proves it. You were there!

The easiest way to take a group photo is to just use the timer on your camera (I would bet that almost every camera has one). Some, like mine, even have a setting where the camera will take multiple shots (usually between 2 and 10, depending on what you want). Most phones and tablets have this feature (even my son's LeapPad2). If yours doesn't come like this, usually you can download an app.

The way that I have recently started taking group shots is with my remote shutter release. It was my uncle that actually got this product and he showed it to me. I thought it sounded great since I take so many group shots so I bought it. I got it off of Amazon here. If I do have a tip for your on using this though, it's to make sure you hide it well or stand behind someone else.

Do you like to take a lot of group shots? What are some of your tips?

Paper Heart Chain

I was online looking for a cheap and easy way to decorate for Valentine's Day when I found this. I looked, but couldn't find the original link (sorry!).

Anyway, it was pretty easy. It only took me about 15-20 minutes.

You Will Need:
scissors
stapler
ruler
8½ x 11-inch paper (I used 3 pieces, but you may want more if you want to make your chain longer)

Steps:
1. Cut your paper like this:

2. Follow the pictures above=Take 2 pieces of paper and staple them together. Bend them down, put 2 more pieces of paper in place and then staple again. Continue until you're out of paper or the chain is as long as you want it.
3. Hang your chain up someplace as a decoration.

Homemade Puzzles

You Will Need:
popsicle sticks
4x6 photos
xacto knife
glue

These are very easy. I made them for my 3-year-old son for his first airplane ride. You will see that mine were made using red and green popsicle sticks. It would have been better to use lots of different colors, but I bought mine at Dollar Tree and they only had Christmas ones.

Step 1: Pick out 4x6 pictures to use. I went through my photo bin (a bin full of photos that I never used) and picked out pictures that had my son in them.

Step 2: Find out how many popsicle sticks you will need for each picture and lay them out.

Step 3: Flip your picture upside down. Put glue on the back of your picture. Try not to put too much glue, but definitely make sure that there is enough that each stick will get some.

Step 4: Put the popsicle sticks on the back of your pictures and let dry.

Step 5: Cut through the picture with your knife and cut each popsicle stick free. If your edges look rough, you can always clean them up with a little sandpaper. Also, if you missed any pieces and your pictures are coming off in places, use some glue to touch this up.

TIP: Try to use pictures that don't have too much detail in them. This makes the puzzle a little easier for toddlers.

TIP: If you only have 1 color of popsicle sticks but want to make more than 1 puzzle, you can do what I did and give each puzzle a number. This way, there's an added game in the beginning of sorting each puzzle by number and then putting the puzzle together.

TIP: If you're using these for travel, you could always attach magnets or velcro to the back to attach to something else so that your puzzle won't slide around at all.

Recipe: Homemade Dog Treats

I made these for my pup and my sisters' dogs for Christmas and I gave some to our neighbors that have 3 dogs. I found some mini Christmas cookie cutters at Wal-Mart, but I know that you can find bones on Amazon and some craft stores. The dogs really seemed to enjoy these treats.

Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
½ cup old fashioned oats
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 cup creamy peanut butter

Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silicon baking mat.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats and baking powder. Stir in the broth and peanut butter until the mixture forms a crumbly dough. Press the dough together to form a ball.
3. On a lightly floured work surface, knead the dough for 30 seconds until smooth. Roll out the dough into a 10-inch circle, about ½-inch thick. Using a cookie-cutter, cut out and place on the prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake until light golden, about 20 minutes.

Have you ever made homemade dog treats? Do your dogs like them better than store bought?

How to Take Pictures of Your Kid in Snow

I took pictures of my son last year in the snow and then I did it again this year. I LOVE the snow pictures so I thought I would share with you a couple things I've learned.

First, you need to get all of your equipment ready. Fill your pockets, pack a bag/purse that you can throw over your shoulder, whatever it takes. If you're taking photographs of a child that's old enough to walk, even up to about 10-12 years-old, they will be active. They may not always listen to you when you ask them to be still so you need to be able to move around quickly. I bring with me 2 lenses, my standard portrait lens and my zoom lens. I also bring along a microfiber rag to wipe off my lens in case it gets snow on it (I do my best to avoid this, but sometimes it happens). The last thing I keep with me is an extra SD card, just in case.

The next thing you need to do is to bundle up your kid. I'm talking double socks, scarf, mittens, you name it. You can always take off the mittens when you actually start shooting, but they should be there for before and after the shoot starts. And while we're talking about bundling up, make sure you do this yourself. Your hands are going to be out in the cold so at the very least, you should have some gloves on. BONUS TIP: I actually wrap my scarf around my camera when I'm not using it. If I don't have a scarf with me, I tuck it in my coat and use my own body heat to keep my camera from getting too cold.

Okay, we're finally ready to go outside and take some pictures! You need to choose a location. I like to choose locations that have a lot of nature. I generally start out in my own backyard, but if I do decide to take it further than that, there's a small wooded area about a block from my house. I've also chosen plenty of parks. Since we're talking about snow, city settings don't USUALLY work out. (I say usually because there is always an exception.) The snow is dirty and just doesn't look very pretty.

If your child has a lot of energy, let them run around. You can take a couple pictures while he/she is playing, but this is mostly so that they'll be more likely to listen when you ask them to stay for a couple seconds. A cute active shot you can get is to ask your child to throw snow up in the air. You can usually get a good smile out of him/her and there's snow coming down adding a little something to the shot. You can also get them to play peek-a-boo behind a tree with you.

When it comes to posed photos, it helps to have someone else with you. If you're not the parent, this is easy, get the parent to help you. If you are the parent, see if you can get your spouse or a family friend to help you. Say you choose to have your child leaning against a tree, it helps to have someone behind you to get the child's attention and get them to laugh. You can bring funny sounding toys, play peek-a-boo behind the photographer, tell him/her jokes, say funny words, whatever it takes. Just don't tell them to smile. This doesn't really work. You want a genuine smile. Sometimes, the serious faces those young kids can give you make for good photos too.

I hope these tips are useful for you. Let me know how your photoshoots turn out! What worked for you?

Recipe: Apple Pie Pockets

I actually made these on Christmas Day for dessert. We were having a small get together with just myself, my husband, my son, and my mother-in-law. These are easy and they taste great.

2 Golden Delicious apples
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
Flour for dusting
1 pkg (7.5 oz) refrigerated biscuits

1. Heat oven to 350 F. Peel apples; grate them into a medium bowl. In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon. Stir half of cinnamon sugar into grated apples.
2. Roll each biscuit to about a 5 in circle. Spoon apple mixture onto circles. Fold circles over and pinch edges to make half-moons. Place on a baking sheet.
3. Brush pies with water and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar. Bake 20 minutes. Makes 10 pies.

Recipe: Cheesy Pigs in a Blanket

For the past two days, I have shared recipes using crescent rolls. I thought I would continue with that and do one more. If you thought the other two recipes were easy, this one is even easier! I love using the cheddar smokies instead of regular lil smokies. I feel like it gives your average pigs in a blanket the extra umph (if you know what I mean).

Ingredients:
1 can crescent rolls
1 pkg cheddar smokies

Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degreed. Roll out your dough and separate into 8 triangles. Cut each triangle into 3 triangles.
2. Place a cheddar smokie at the largest part of your triangle and roll it like you would a normal crescent roll.
3. Place on your baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges start to brown.

I suppose if you want to make these even cheesier, you could add some cheese before you roll them up. Do you have a different version of pigs in a blanket?

Recipe: Bacon Cheddar Pinwheels

Yesterday, I shared my recipe for churros on a stick using crescent rolls. Today, I'm using crescent rolls in a different way. My obsession runs deep. This is a seriously easy recipe. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 can seamless crescent dough
2 tablespoons ranch dressing
4 slices bacon, crisply cooked, crumbled
½ cup finely shredded cheddar cheese

Steps:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Unroll the dough. Cut lengthwise into 2 long rectangles and press into a 12x4-inch rectangle.
2. Spread dressing over each rectangle to edges. Sprinkle each with bacon and cheddar cheese. Roll up the rectangle. Cut into 8 slices. Place cut side down on cookie sheet.
3. Bake 12-17 minutes or until edges are deep golden brown.

The biggest issue I had with this recipe was when I cut the pinwheels from the large roll. Some of them separated a little. This is an easy fix. Just roll them back up so that they look nice and place them on your baking sheet. Don't be afraid to get your hands a little dirty. How did yours turn out?

Recipe: Churro on a Stick

I just want to start off by saying that I went a little crescent roll crazy on Christmas Eve. We did an appetizer food night instead of dinner so that we could just snack all night. We ended up having crackers, colby-jack cheese, summer sausage, bacon and cheese pinwheels, pigs in a blanket, and churros on a stick. It was quite delicious!

Ingredients:
1 can crescent rolls
8 lollipop sticks
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Steps:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place silicon baking mat on cookie sheet or you could line it with parchment paper.
2. Unroll the dough. Separate the 8 triangles. Starting at the top of one of the lollipop sticks with the longest point of your triangle and wrap the dough around the stick, pulling and twisting the dough as you go. Place on cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining 7 triangles of dough and sticks.
3. Using a pastry brush, brush the tops with melted butter.
4. In a small bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over the tops of the dough.
5. Bake about 6 minutes or until light golden brown.

The only problem I had with this recipe was that it kind of sticks to the stick. Let me know how this recipe worked out for you!

LeapPad2: from a 3-year-old

Mommy: What do you think about your LeapPad?
3YO: I think it's cool.
Mommy: Do you like it?
3YO: Yep, and it has games.
Mommy: What kind of games do you have?
3YO: Uh, Jake and the Neverland Pirates. That's what favorite show I like.
Mommy: Anything else?
3YO: Uh, I have art studio.
Mommy: How do you play it?
3YO: I paint and then erase.
Mommy: Is your LeapPad your favorite toy?
3YO: Yep. I like changing my pet.

I'm not sure if you can really understand that conversation I had with my son, but I can honestly tell you, he LOVES his LeapPad. I tried to do some research before I bought anything, looking at the LeapPad vs InnoTab. They seem to be pretty tied. They both have their advantages. What really sold me on one over the other was that the LeapPad was ½ price on Black Friday. And you know what? That was the greatest purchase I made. I'm not sure about you, but when family asks me what they can get my son for Christmas, I always have the hardest time coming up with anything. After I bought this, I could tell them specific games, headphones (because you can't buy normal headphones for a 3-year-old), a carrying case, and a car charger (we had already bought him the rechargeable batteries). He'll spend an hour playing on that thing, LEARNING. I'm not being selfish and just trying to get some quiet time (although that is a perk). The games are super educational and my son has picked up on how to play most of them quickly. When you plug the LeapPad into the computer, it will even send you an e-mail update about what your child has learned since the last time you plugged it in. I'm sold. My son loves it and that's good enough for me!

Do you have any of the toddler tablets? And how do you like it?

Recipe: Sloppy Joe Bowls

I was looking around on Pinterest and found this recipe for Sloppy Joe Bowls. This recipe could not be easier!

You just need two tubes of biscuits, some sloppy joe mix, and cheddar cheese.

Spray the inside of your muffin tins. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Flatten out the biscuits. Place the biscuits in the muffin tin. Put the 'bowls' into the oven for 1 minute. Push the dough down with a spoon since they'll have fluffed up a bit. Then bake for an additional 6 minutes or until the edges start to brown. Now put your sloppy joe mix in the bowls. I'm not going to lie, I get mine from a can. Top it with some shredded cheddar cheese and throw it back in the oven for 2 minutes to melt the cheese.

These would work great for appetizers or game day food.

Say Cheese (Decorating with a photography motif)

If you, like myself, have an interest in photography and want to decorate a studio or just a hobby room or something, I have some ideas for you. I can honestly say that I want ALL of these!

Smile Retro Camera Art Poster Print ($9.99)

Camera Vintage Style Pop Art Poster ($9.99)

Sterling Home Portrait Camera Decorative Accessory, 12-Inch Tall ($48)

Ojia Decorative 18x18-Inch Cotton Blend Linen Throw Pillow Cover Cushion Case, Vintage Cameras ($14.95)

Camera Bookends ($39.95)

How do you decorate with photography in mind?

How to Have the Perfect Snow Day With Your Kids

Recently, we had a heavy snow in our area. At first, I wasn't sure what we were going to do with our day. Our snow day ended up being on a Saturday so my husband was home. It was a whole family event. This is the first winter in a house for our 3-year-old son so this was quite the adventure for him. Here are a list of outdoor and indoor activities to do.

We'll start with outdoor:
Before going outside, make sure you bundle up really well. I'm talking 2 pairs of socks, 2 pairs of pants, long-sleeved t-shirt, sweatshirt, coat, gloves, hat, etc.
1. Snow angels

2. Snowball fight
3. Make a snowman

We made snow angels and the bottom part of the snowman, went inside and did a couple activities, and then went back outside and finished our snowman and had a snowball fight. It's so cold outside that you don't want to spend too much time out there. Even if you feel fine, your child may get much colder much faster than you.

Indoor activities:
1. Make hot chocolate
2. Watch a movie
3. Make a fire (if you have a fireplace)

4. Make paper snowflakes

You can do some of these at the same time. We made a fire in our fireplace, made some hot chocolate, and then curled up on the couch with a comfy blanket sipping on hot chocolate and watching a movie.

Most importantly, just make sure you have fun with your kids!
What do you guys do on snow days?

It's time to turn your hangers around!

Alright everyone, have you seen the thing on Pinterest about turning the hangers in your closet around? Then, after a year, if you have any hangers still turned around, you get rid of those clothes. Well I'm going to try it out this year. I always think I'm going to wear something (or lose some weight and fit back into it), but then I don't. I'm making the commitment to get rid of anything I don't wear this year. What do you guys do to decide whether you keep your clothes or not?