Easter Cookie Decorating Kit

An Easter Cookie Decorating Kit that is super fun & easy to make....you in?

When my kids were younger, one of their very favourite activities in the kitchen was to decorate cookies. They didn't care what kind of cookies....as long as there were frosting and sprinkles involved, it was total awesome-sauce for them!

One of the reasons that I love blogging is that I have an outlet for my creative brain activity to go!

It comes out in creations and colours and fun photos like this project.

Chickadee Pencils

I just love this sweet little craft...Chickadee Pencils.

So cute and pretty to look at.

I think I may love Easter crafting more than Christmas crafting because of the beautiful pastel colours...they are so refreshing at the end of Winter.

This project is easy to make and kind on the budget; all of the materials can be found at the dollar store. 

 

12 Fun Popcorn & Candy Ideas For Oscar Night

Oscar night is coming and I cannot wait! It's a great night at home in front of the TV and it celebrates one of our family`s favourite pastimes....movies.

I know that I am not alone in this....lots of people enjoy Oscar night.

{Plus...not all of us are lucky enough to be invited to Elton John's Oscar Party!}

Not only is a night of glitz and glam, but it also brings attention to lesser known movies that deserve the recognition....like Slumdog Millionaire a few years ago.

 

I spent some in time in the blogosphere putting together some fun ideas and inspiration for an Oscar Night gathering...whether it be with your own little family, with girlfriends or a partner.

I love this idea of putting out different types of popcorn, small brown bags & scoops for people to help themselves. If you don't have large glass vessels to hold the popcorn, I think baskets lined with waxed paper or napkins would work equally well.

{Source}


Easter Pretzel Hugs

Since these small morsels are a favourite of my kids, I just knew that a request for an Easter version was right around the corner.

 I did change things up a little this time by using yellow melting wafers instead of Hershey's hugs.

And using the melting wafers takes less time because there are not hugs to unwrap...bonus!

And Easter candy is sooo pretty to look at with all the pastel colours.

Banana Split Bars

We are totally bananas for these banana split bars. They are such a nice treat in winter....like a bit of a hot summer day on a spoon. This recipe encompasses everything yummy about the original dessert...bananas, pineapple, maraschino cherries and whipped cream...but without the brain freeze!

This recipes comes from my Great Aunt Kay...who wrote this in a family recipe book for my wedding shower in 1995. It is a really delicious dessert that takes very little time to make and requires no baking at all.

Here is the super easy recipe that requires no baking!

12 Great Ideas for Family Day....

On the third Monday in February {this year February 18th}, some provinces in Canada celebrate a special day called "Family Day". There is no school for kids and lots of businesses observe the holiday so families can have time together. Having a special day in the middle of winter to celebrate family is awesome-sauce...with a cherry on top!

To complete the awesomeness, I have rounded up some fun outdoor and indoor ideas for families to enjoy on Monday, Frebruary 18th...or any time!

 

1. Besides the ususal skating and tobaggoning, how about some winter hula hopping?

Easy Shrimp & Pasta Dinner...

I love easy dinners for my family!

And you can never go wrong with these 3 favourites...pasta, shrimp & cheese.

This is also the perfect in make- ahead food...you can make this the day before it`s served or in the morning to serve at dinner.

 You can use any pasta that your family likes. I used bow-tie pasta, but penne or fusilli  pasta would work just as well.

Our Love Story...

Do you know that I met my husband on a blind date on December 31, 1991?

True.

 A mutual friend, unknowingly to us, had invited me & a friend and my husband & a friend to her apartment to hang out  early on New Year's Eve...prior to parties and festivities that would take place later in the evening.

Although I had seen my husband before and I thought him handsome, I was slightly mad at my friend for arranging this meeting because I had plans to go to a party later with my girlfriends.

I guess the joke was on me.

I never made it to that other party, but instead hung out with my future husband...talking & laughing the night away.

Adorable Cupcake Tags From Living Locurto

Are these not the most adorable Valentine's Tags ever?

Imagine my surprise this week when I received an email this week from Amy at Living Locurto telling me that my Cupcake Garnish post  had  inspired her to create these cutie pie tags?

I was completely flattered and thrilled.

Valentine's Day Brunch

Valentine's Day Brunch was a tradition that my late Aunt Janet liked to host every year for her girlfriends.

And although she passed away at the young age of 48 over 10 years ago, I think of her and honour her with a Valentine's brunch of my own.

The menu is simple...waffles with strawberries & whipped cream and bacon with a few little treats.

I make it for my own little family each year because it's nice to have a something special to look forward to in the middle of winter.

This year, I used shades of pink & red to make the table shine.

Chocolate Dessert For Two & Please Vote For Me

I love the flavours of chocolate & cream together.

They make such a rich and decadent combination.

Recently, the Dairy Farmers of Canada contacted me and invited me to be a part of a blog tour featuring recipes made with cream.

I am so thrilled for the opportunity to join other bloggers for this  tour.

The challenge we were given for February was to create a "Chocolate Dessert For Two" where the star ingredient was cream.

I submitted this easy recipe for a dessert soup.

It's a very simple recipe that takes no more than 10 minutes, requires no baking skills and no special equipment.

And part of the challenge is a friendly face-off with 2 other bloggers for the favourite recipe.

How To Make Valentine's Straw Flags + Free Printable

Have you noticed those cute straw or cupcake flags?

 Have you wanted to try them but don't know where to begin? I am going to show you how easy it is and share a FREE printable so you can make some adorable straw flags for Valentine's Day!

Step 1. Print out the free printable sheet of Valentine's Flags you can find here:

{This sheet is enough for 9 flags.}

Make A Valentine's Frame

It's time to get a little crafty around here!  I spent some time creating this Valentine's frame and I thought it would be a cute project to share.

I was inspired when I saw the frames at Michael's for $1.50.

I picked it up and brought it home....not sure what I was going to do with it.

However, I wanted a new Valentine's frame to house the latest photo of the kids together, so I came up with this.

Why I Love Canadian Beef & Safeway Canada

Did you know that there are 83,000 beef farming families in Canada? Yes. It's true. Farming families of all ages & sizes work hard on a daily basis to bring the best quality Canadian beef to our tables.

Recently, the folks at Canada Beef Inc. and Safeway Canada contacted me and invited me on a blogger tour to learn more about Canadian Beef. I jumped at the chance because we love our beef in this house, and I am also a Safeway shopper.....landing there  a few times every week to pick up fresh produce, fresh flowers, or some kind of meat for supper.