Smore Pops (aka Portale Smores!)

I found this recipe over at Ready.Set.Plan, and I thought these were brilliant (her pictures are way better than mine!)!  We don't have a fire pit, but I knew I wanted some kind of Smores, just didn't know how to go about making them until I came across her post.  I made them a few hours ahead before our Housewarming Party started, and I placed them on a platter lined with Graham Cracker crumbs...they were so cute and yummy looking, but I didn't get a picture, just of the finished product. 

All you need is...

Jet-Puffed Marshmallows



Chocolate Almond Bark, melted




Graham Crackers, finely crushed




Popsicle Sticks (or lollipop sticks)

 Directions:
1. Line cookie sheet with foil or wax paper (I didn't have wax paper, so I used foil)
2. Stick popsicle sticks (or lollipop sticks) through the marshmallows.
3. Crush 1 sleeve of Graham Crackers in a bowl, set aside (use more or less depending on how many you make...I made 30 and had plenty crumbs left to use on the platter).
4. Melt Chocolate Almond Bark in the microwave as directed on package (I only melted half of the pkg). Careful not to burn the Chocolate!
5. Dip the Marshmallow into the melted Chocolate, let the excess drip off for a couple of seconds.
6. Roll in the graham cracker crumbs.
7. Set on on the foil lined (or wax paper) cookie sheet until dry.
8. Take the remaining Graham Cracker crumbs and line the bottom of a platter with them, and place S'more Pops on top!

Side Note: They were a lot better if you popped them in the microwave for about 5-8 seconds to warm up the chocolate, and to get that gooey marshmallow yummy-ness that we all love!

Linking up too:
It's a Blog Party - Delicious Dishes
Today's Creative Blog - Get Your Craft On
The Girl Creative Party Blog - Just Something I Whipped Up
At Home With Haley - Recipes I Can't Wait To Try
Just a Girl - Show and Share Day

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip...just as addicting as the real stuff!

Here is another fun dessert that I made for our Housewarming Party.  Let me tell ya, this stuff is just as addicting as real chocolate chip cookie dough that your mom and/or grandma said would make you sick...only this stuff is safe to eat and won't make you sick.  Oh and it's super easy to make!  My friend introduced this stuff to me and I was hooked!

Side note: I have always eatten the batter while I whip up a batch of cookies and have never (knock on wood) gotten sick...man it's so yummy and addictive!

Ingredients!

Melt Butter and Brown Sugar together until sugar is dissolved.
Remove from heat and whisk in Vanilla (sorry no picture!)

Beat Cream Cheese and Powdered Sugar together.

Add in the Brown Sugar/Butter/Vanilla Mixture

Add in the Chocolate Chips, and indulge!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter (I used the real stuff!)

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 pkg of cream cheese, softend

1/2 cup powdered sugar

3/4 cup chocolate chips

'Nilla Wafers or Graham Crackers

Directions:

1. Melt butter and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously, until brown sugar is dissolved.

2. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla. Set aside to let cool.

3. In a separate mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until well blended.

4. Slowly beat in the cooled butter/brown sugar/vanilla mixture until well blended.

5. Mix in the chocolate chips.

6. Pour into serving bowl and refridgerate until it sets or not so runny.

7. Serve with Nilla Wafers or Graham Crackers

This stuff is highly addictive...try to keep your fingers out of the bowl!! :)

Linking up too:
It's a Blog Party - Delicious Dishes
Todays Creative Blog - Get Your Craft On
The Girl Creative Party Blog - Just Something I Whipped Up
At Home With Haley - Recipes I Can't Wait To Try
Just a Girl - Show and Share Day

Sinfully Delicious Oreo Truffles!

I am so glad I found this recipe for Oreo Truffles, because they are sinfully delish!  As soon as you take a bite, it's like chocolate heaven!  They are very, very rich, but oh so good!  Just talking about them gives me a sugar high!  They were a huge it at our housewarming party last weekend, and I just had to share this with everyone!  They are really fun to make, and I've already came up with some ideas to make them more "holiday-ish"!


Simple Ingredients!

 

Add in the Cream Cheese



Roll them into Balls!

 

Dip the balls Chocolate and put on cookie sheet to cool!

 If you're like me and want them to look "pretty" and even more sinful than they already are, you'll need this...


Premier Morsels and 2 tbsp Crisco Shortening, melted together.

Rich, Chocolaty, Sinful, Yummy, Oreo Truffles

Makes approx 48 Oreo Truffles

Ingredients
(1) whole pkg of Oreos (yeah, I said 1 whole package!), finely crushed, divided
(1) 8oz block of Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
(2) 8oz boxes of Bakers Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted

Optional Ingredients for topping:
1/2 pkg of Nestle Toll House Premier White Morsels
2 Tbsp Crisco Vegetable Shortening

Directions:
1. In a large mixing bowl, smoosh the Oreo's until they are finely crushed.  At first I washed my hand and was crushing them a few at a time, but that was getting tiring, so I put them into a ziplock and went to town with my pampered chef meat tenderizer!  It worked wonders! 
2. Leave 3 cups of the cookie crumbs in the mixing bowl and set the remaining aside (approx 1-1/4 cup) to use later.
3. Mix in the softened cream cheese with the 3 cups cookie crumbs, until well blended.
4. Roll into 1 inch balls, and set on cookie sheet lined with wax paper (i used foil and it worked just fine).
5. Melt the Bakers Semi-Sweet Chocolate, both boxes (directions on the box).
6. Dip the Oreo balls into the Chocolate until they are completely covered, and set back on cookie sheet.  I used forks to dip them and take them out, so much easier than your hands!
7. Sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs that you set aside, OR..............

8. If you want to make them even more prettier, melt down about 1/2 the pkg of white morsels with 2 Tbsp of Crisco Shortening in the Microwave, until it's runny. (directions are on the back of the pkg!)
9. Take a spoon and drizzle it over the truffles, sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs
10. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or until firm and serve.
11. Got any leftover?  Put them into a air tight container, or ziplock and put back into the fridge!!


I'm linking up to...
It's a Blog Party - Delicious Dishes
Just a Girl - Show and Share Day
Somewhat Simple - Strut Your Stuff Thursday
The Girl Creative - Just Something I Whipped Up
The Shabby Chic Cottage - Transformation Thursdays
At Home With Haley - Recipes I Can't Wait To Try

House Warming Party!

This is the first little bit of time I've had to blog all week!  Monday was a little busy since October just started, Tuesday me & the other secretary had to go to a meeting super early in the morning, yesterday I was catching up on stuff from Tuesday!

Friday night I was still preparing for our Housewarming Party...cleaning the house so it would look perfect, and everything else in between!  Saturday morning I started cooking the last of what needed to be done, little did I know it would take me every second up to when the party was supposed to start to get everything done!  My Grandparents (the ones who've been married 61 years!) showed up early that afternoon so they would have more time to spend with us.  My Grandma Jean, being the awesome Grandma that she is, helped me out with EVERYTHING that I had left to prepare.  I will cherish that moment forever!!  (When I was little we used to bake all the time, so it really brought back some great memories!)  My Dad and brother Brett came shortly after them, and then my Mom, my other Grandparents (they have been married close to 55 years), and my oldest brother Jerrod and sister in-law came.  Before the party officially started our house was full and we were surrounded by the people we love!  And D, Jerrod, and my Dad were having fun out on the porch getting the party started (early)!  After we were done getting stuff ready everyone started showing up; we ate tons of good and had a great time!  We got a lot of awesome comments on our house. 

Here are some pictures from the party...there weren't a whole lot as we were trying to mingle as much as possible.  I will do a seperate post on the food (the stuff I actually took a picture of!) with the recipes to go with them.  Enjoy!

D's mom and some of our other friends!

my cousin and his wife...totally surprised us!

my oldest brother, Jerrod

me and my friend Holly

me and my other brother, Brett!

me and my friend Ashley



Jerrod keeping it very classy at our house...!



Bernie telling me it was time for bed!

 Here are just a few of the gifts we got, and I can not wait to get them situated in our house!!!


Adorable Ceramic Tile from my cousin and his wife!

 

Cute picture frame from my Dad and his gf
(and i got bernie to pose!)

Cute Fall hanging from some of D's parents friends!
Love it!

Getting ready for our party & Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins!

It's bee a stressful/very busy week.  The other day I blogged that we were going to be getting ready all week for our Housewarming Party tomorrow.  We've been touching up with paint in the kitchen, hanging decor in the spare bedroom and living room, and last night I spent all night getting a couple of things made.  I made my Grandma's Steak Fingers (there were so many, omg!) and some Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins.  Tonight I will spend most of the night cleaning and perfecting everything...the "Susie homemaker" is coming out in me...and it might be driving D a little nuts!!  The other day I was doing something, and he gave me the strangest look and said "that's really not necessary!"  And I was all "yes it is, it's fun!!"  As I've said before I love planning parties, love to cook/bake, and being creative with stuff. 

Ok so back to the yummy stuff I made last night...
My Grandma's Steak Fingers - I'll do a separate post on that after the party!  They are seriously the best, EVER!

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins - There is so much talk around blogland about Fall and pumpkins, that I just had to make these.  I found these muffins over at Orange It Lovely and she found them somewhere else.  They really great flavor from the pumpkin/cinnamon/nutmeg/clove...I just love them, they are really dense!!  Then there is a little surprise of CHOCOLATE mixed in with all of that...I mean c'mon who doesn't like a little chocolate?!  The best thing about making them is that they were really easy to make.  It took less than 10 min to get everything mixed together and into their muffin liners.



Mix Dry Ingredients together, then add Pumpkin & Chocolate Chips.
Mix well, scoop into liners, and bake!



Fresh, right out of the oven!!

Ingredients:
1  package yellow cake mix
1  can pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Directions:
1. Mix together all the dry ingredients.
2. Stir in the Pumpkin and Chocolate Chips, until mixed well.
3. Bake @ 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. (I had to bake them for like 28 min, just watch them closely)
Didn't I say they were super easy?!

Linking up to:
The Girl Creative - Just Something I Whipped Up
It's a Blog Party - Fall Get Together & Delicious Dishes
Just a Girl - Show & Share Day
Todays Creative Blog - Get Your Craft on Tuesday!