Hot Cocoa Cookie Cups

How cute are these hot cocoa cookie cups?! They're such a fun holiday dessert and goes great with real hot cocoa. The chocolate ganache in the cups is to die for! 

What you need:

Pillsbury refrigerator sugar cookie dough

3 tbs sugar

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tbs cocoa mix

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

White chocolate chips

Mini pretzels

Jet-puffed mallow bites

Optional- peppermint extract

- preheat oven according to packaging on cookies. 

- spray mini muffin tins with non-stick spray. Roll dough into 1 tbs balls (half the size of each muffin tin). Roll dough into sugar and place into the tins.

- bake for half the time the packaging says or until the edges turn golden. Cups needs to cool completely before removing. If the cups don't dent in enough, take the bottom of a teaspoon and press it into the middle of the cookie.

- place chocolate chips in a bowl and set aside.  In a saucepan, bring whipping cream to a boil. Add the cocoa and mix well. If desired- mix in 1/4 tsp of peppermint extract. Pour over the chocolate chips and let it sit for 2-3 minutes. Stir until the chips are melted.
- use a teaspoon to scoop the chocolate ganache into the cups.  Top with marshmallows. Break the mini presents to make handles.  Melt the white chocolate and use it as glue to stick the pretzels to the side.
Yields 2 1/2 dozen

Peanut Butter Ritz Cookies

Okay, this is by far my favorite holiday treat and it takes like 10 minutes to make! Salty, peanut butter and chocolate are my weakness and I could eat dozens of these. It might seem like a simple, boring treat but it seriously is the best! If you don't try these I will be very disappointed!

What you need: 

Ritz crackers

Peanut butter

Wilton's chocolate melts- I made a lot so I used almost 24 oz

Holiday sprinkles

Place a good amount of peanut butter on a ritz cracker and sand which it with another cracker. Place in a bowl of melted chocolate (melt according to pkg) and use a fork to move it around and remove it. Place on wax paper and quickly add sprinkles. Let it cool, completely before eating.

Oreo Cookies Balls

I spent most of my day baking in the kitchen yesterday, and the best part was that I never even turned my oven on! These cookie balls were so easy and fast and tasted so yummy. Plus you can always decorate them fancy so that it looks like it took a lot of sweat and tears to make this dessert.

What you need:

36 Oreos- finely crushed (best way is put Oreos in a gallon size bag and roll with a rolling pin)

8 oz cream cheese- softened

Wilton's chocolate melts- I used 8 oz chocolate, 8oz white vanilla and bought a small bag of red for decorating

Holiday sprinkles

Combine Oreos and cream cheese. Stir together until mixed well. Roll into 1 inch balls and place on cookie sheet lined with a silicon mat or wax paper. Place in freezer for 10 minutes. Take out and roll each ball into melted chocolate (melt according to pkg). Quickly add your decorations. Place in fridge for at least an hour or until ready to eat. They taste the best when they're cold!

Makes approximately 40 balls

Soft & Chewy Gingerbread Cookies

I'm usually not a big fan of gingerbread, but this year it's all I want! It must be this pregnancy, it's got me all mixed up. These are the best gingerbread cookies I've had because they're so soft and chewy. I can't stop eating them.. I think my baby is going to come out part gingerbread girl!

What you need:

2 1/4 cup flour

2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup softened butter

1 cup sugar 

1 egg

1 tbs water

1/4 cup molasses

3 tbs sugar

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees

-In a medium bowl, mix together flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, ground cloves,mane salt.

- In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Beat in the egg. Then mix in water and molasses.

- Gradually stir in flour mixture until all ingredients are mixed well.

- In a small bowl, add sugar.

- Take the dough roll in 2 inch balls and roll it into the sugar then place on a non-stick cookies sheet.

- Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let it cool for a few minutes before transferring over to a cooling rack.

*makes 3 dozen*

Crockpot Hawaiian Chicken

This is Hawaiian chicken, or as my family likes to call it- Deacon's chicken. Deacon is my cute little nephew that has horrible food allergies. There are very few things the poor kid can eat and he loved this so I think we were all happy with how this dinner turned out.  And let me mention that you throw chicken in the crockpot with just 3 ingredients! It's so easy and flavorful!

What you need:

2-4 chicken breast

1 cup pineapple juice

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup soy sauce

Cook on low for 6 hours, shred and serve over rice

*if you use more chicken then I would double the juice 

Energy Bites

These energy bites are healthy, yummy, and fills you up. And who doesn't need a little pick me up in the morning, middle of the day or even at night? Because I always do!  Yay for something that gives you energy!

What you need:

1 cup dry old fashioned oats

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup ground flax seed

1/3 cup honey

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1 tsp vanilla extract

Stir all ingredients together in a bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.  

Roll into balls.

Keep in fridge, makes approximately 20 balls, stays good for about a week.

Ritz Chicken Casserole

This casserole is the best fall comfort food!  It's just a few ingredients and it's so delicious!

What you need:

a package of egg noodles

3 cups cooked shredded chicken

8 oz sour cream

can of cream of chicken soup

a package of shredded cheese

1 stick butter

1 sleeve ritz crackers

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 glass pan with nonstick spray.

- Cook the egg noodles and place them on the bottom of the pan.

- In a bowl, mix together chicken, sour cream, cream of chicken soup, and cheese.

- Layer chicken mixture over egg noodles.

- In a ziploc bag smash the ritz crackers into crumbs.  Melt butter and add into bag and shake around.

- Sprinkle over the casserole.

- Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Apple Pie Crepe Filling

Crepes, apples and fall! Yum!  This crepe filling is so good that I'm tempted to go make crepes right now!

Peel and chop two green apples.  Put in a saucepan.  Add 3 Tbs brown sugar, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp cinnamon sugar (optional).  Stir all together and let the spices soak in together for at least 10 minutes.  Turn on the stove and cook on low for a few minutes until apples soften.  Serve warm with crepes, powder sugar and vanilla ice cream. 

DIY multiple burlap wreath

It's September!  Which means it's time to start my fall crafts.  Burlap and college football scream fall so I put the two together to make this pretty wreath.  I always saw these wreaths all over Pinterest and was intimidated by them because they look so complicated, but after looking at a few tutorials, I found my own easy way of doing it and it turned out great!  

Go Utes!

What you need:

16" wire wreath

3 rolls of wired burlap in different colors- 30 feet each and about 2.5" in thickness

any accents you want 

Fold the end of a piece of burlap into fourths.

Tie in a know over the middle two wires of the wreath.

With the back of the wreath facing you, take the burlap and start weaving it through each frame making big enough loops.

When you're ready for another roll, tie it on like before and start weaving. 

Make sure you're bunching it close together.

 When going back to use the other burlap, twist it in the back so it will stay and weave it.

Keep going all the way around.

Add your accents and you're done!

Lemonade Ice Cream Pie

Ice cream, lemonade and pie.. 3 of my favorites!  This recipe goes way back, just scroll down and look at the recipe card that I found in my mom's kitchen.  I love that there aren't even any directions on it.  It just goes to show how easy it is!  Once you make this, you'll never have to look at the recipe again!

What you need:

1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream

1/2 can of lemonade concentrate (pink, lemon, or lime)

food coloring- matching the lemonade color

2 graham cracker crust (pre made of course!)

Let the vanilla ice cream melt all the way and add in melted lemonade (to taste).  Add food coloring and whip until smooth.  Pour into crust and freeze for at least 3-5 hours.  Serve immediately cause it melts fast!

Family Pictures2015/Kayden turning 2!

I can't believe my baby boy is turning 2 this week!  Kayden is the smartest, sweetest, cutest and most perfect little boy!  We are so grateful that we get to be his parents.  I love everything he does, from giving me kisses, saying thank you mamma, twirling my hair when he gets sleepy, singing songs, playing every sport imaginable, to even sending him to time out (because he loves it and it's adorable to see).  

This year for family pictures, I did something a bit different.  I didn't even want to try to start thinking about coordinating colors or go out shopping for new outfits, or try to be all formal- because that is not us.  What is us is that we love sports and we love our teams.  I thought what's better than wearing our favorite team? Um.. nothing!  I threw on my favorite Kansas Jayhawks shirt, Parker put on his sacred Utes polo and Kayd had to wear his "kick goal" shirt (REAL Salt Lake).  

So this is us- the Holt family!

And thank you to my good friend http://www.ourpolka.com.  Eden got so many great shots that I just had to share some!  

Happy Birthday to our beautiful blue eyed boy!

Sugar Cookie Bars

These sugar cookie bars are a game changer!  They're baked in a jelly roll pan/cookie sheet so they feed a huge crowd!  They are so easy to make and don't require a lot of ingredients.  Plus they are so delicious- but anything with cream cheese I'll devour!

What you need:

cookies:

1 cup butter- softened

1 1/2 cup sugar

8 oz cream cheese- softened

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract

1 tsp baking powder

2 1/2 cup flour

frosting:

1/2 cup butter- softened

8 oz cream cheese softened

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 1/2 cup powder sugar

- Preheat oven 350 degrees.

- Cream together butter, sugar, cream cheese, egg, vanilla, and almond extract.  Add baking powder and gradually add in flour.  Spread evenly into a greased jelly roll pan/cookie sheet.

- Bake for 20 minutes.

- For frosting- beat together butter and cream cheese then add vanilla and powder sugar (add food coloring if desired).

- Wait for cookies to cool then spread frosting on.

Summer Kabobs

It is grilling season people! Hamburgers are great and all, but there's more to summer than just grilling up hamburgers.  Shish Kabobs are my new favorite thing to cook!  It's so easy to throw together a marinade for any meat you want.  This chicken marinade is bomb.  It's got a chili lime taste that everyone will love.  The steak marinade was delicious and I'm already craving it and might have to make it again really soon.

Steak Marinade:

1 lb steak- cut into cubes

1 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup vinegar

1/8 cup brown sugar

2 Tbs olive oil

1 tsp finely chopped garlic

1 tsp ground ginger

some salt & pepper

- Mix all the ingredients except the steak together.  Put steak in a large ziploc bag and pour sauce over.  Shake really well covering all the pieces of steak.  Let it sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours.  Add each piece of steak onto a bamboo skewer and grill for at least 10 minutes.

Chili Lime Chicken Marinade:

1 lb boneless chicken breast- cubed

1 tsp finely chopped garlic

3 Tbs freshly squeezed lime juice

1 tsp red pepper chili flakes

3 Tbs fresh cilantro- chopped

2 Tbs olive oil

salt

- Add all ingredients except chicken.  Put chicken in a large ziploc bag and pour sauce over.  Shake it well and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.  Put onto bamboo skewers and grill for at least 10 minutes.

**TIPS**

- If you pierce each piece of meat, the juices from the marinade will soak into it making it more flavorful.

- Soak the bamboo skewers in cold water for 30 minutes so that they won't burn on the grill.