Hi Everyone! I hope you are all having a good week, and are staying warm! As we wait for yet another snow storm to come our way this week, I have the easiest (and one of the tastiest, at least in my opinion!) treats to share with you today! I can hardly think of a better combination than pecans, caramel and chocolate, and that’s exactly what these little turtle clusters are made of! They are seriously hard to stay away from because they are oh so good! You can of course use homemade caramel to make these, but because the whole caramel making process still intimidates me (I will get there one day!) I used store bought soft caramels that I melted, and it worked really well!

1/2 cup pecan halves

Soft caramels (I used a 5.5oz bag)

Chocolate (I used 4oz of milk chocolate)

To make these, first arrange the pecan halves into clusters on a lightly greased surface. Then, melt your caramels (you can do this in the microwave, but since I always seem to burn things in the microwave, I simply placed them in a heat proof bowl that I set over a pot of gently simmering water, and let them melt. If they are not melting well, you can add a little bit of water to help them). Once you have your caramel, carefully spoon some over each pecan cluster (I did about 2 tsp over each, but do as much as you like). This is a pretty messy process, and if the pecans spread out as you pour on the caramel, just gently re-group them. Then, melt your chocolate. I used milk chocolate, but you can use whatever kind of chocolate you have on hand. Either melt it in the microwave, or the same way I melted the caramels. Once you have your melted chocolate, spoon it over the caramel. Let sit until the turtle clusters are firm (if you can wait that long!)

Good Morning, Everyone! Since February is here and Valentine’s Day is just a couple of days away, I thought I would share three different Valentine’s paper decoration ideas with you today. One of my favorite things about Valentine’s Day is all the pink and all the hearts everywhere, and these three different paper garlands include both of those things! They are all a really easy and fun craft, and you only need a couple supplies and a few minutes to put these together!

DOUBLE HEART GARLAND

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To make this garland, pick two different colors (I did red and pink) of card stock. Cut the card stock into equal sized strips (mine were about an inch wide), making the red strips about an inch longer than the pink strips. Then, take two pink strips and two red strips and gather them together with the two pink strips on the outside of the bunch. Using the hot glue (you could also use regular glue, or even something like this coloured Glue for contrast, I just like that the hot glue holds well and dries instantly), glue them all together at one end. Then, bend them down to create a heart shape, securing it at the bottom with hot glue again. Once you have a couple of hearts made, attach them to each other on the sides using more hot glue.

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OMBRE HEART STRAND

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To make this Ombre Heart Strand, pick card stock in three different shades of pink. Cut it into equal sized strips (mine were about an inch wide). Next, make a heart shape out of two strips of the darkest shade, securing it with hot glue on the top and bottom. Then glue on two strips of the medium shade on to the bottom of that heart, bend them down to make a heart and secure it with more hot glue. Make a third heart the same way out of the lightest shade of pink, and keep going until your strand of hearts is as long as you want it!

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HEART PAPER CHAIN

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To make this heart paper chain, cut equal sized strips out of card stock. Take two of them and form a heart shape, securing it at the top and bottom with hot glue. Then, make another heart shape out of a different color using two strips of card stock again, but before securing the bottom part with hot glue, loop it through the first heart. Continue the process to make a heart paper chain!

And there you have it! Three different Valentine’s Day garlands! They would look cute hung on doorways, all around the entryway or on windows. So if you’re looking for a fun and easy way to decorate, try these out!

Hi Everybody! I have been looking for the perfect bread recipe over the past couple of months, trying out different versions and baking techniques to find the best one. There have been several disasters along the way, as well as some successes (one of my favorites being THIS Easy Homemade Artisan Bread), with this bread being one of my favorites so far. I had heard a lot about THIS New York Times recipe and wanted to try it out, and here are the results! This recipe does take a little bit of patience to make, since the preparation, rising and baking time can add up to almost 24 hour, but it is actually extremely simple to make, and the dough does most of the work on its own! I loved the texture and consistency of this bread, and loved how beautifully golden brown the crust turned in the oven. Here’s how the bread is made and some of my notes on the recipe…

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp instant dry yeast

1 1/4 tsp salt

1 5/8 cup water

Cornmeal and extra flour for dusting

1. Combine the all-purpose flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl (*Note: I would increase the salt amount a little bit next time, so if you prefer a saltier bread, add a little more. Also, the small amount of yeast worked great and the bread rose well, but if you like a stronger yeast taste in your bread, I would add a little more). Add in all the water (I think I would reduce the amount to 1 1/2 cups next time), and stir with a wooden spoon until a super sticky dough begins to form. Then, cover the bowl with some plastic wrap (I also placed a cloth kitchen towel over the plastic wrap) and let it sit in a warm spot (I placed mine in the microwave – I didn’t turn the microwave on, obviously!) for 12 – 20 hours! (I let mine sit for about 12 hours, I prepared the dough mixture in the evening so it would be ready to work with the following morning).

2. Check on the dough once the 12 hours or however many hours you are letting it sit are up, and you should be seeing lots of bubbles on its surface. Take the (very sticky at this point!) dough out of the bowl and place it on a floured surface and gently try to shape it a little bit, and sprinkle more flour over it. Then, place the piece of plastic wrap over it again and let it rest for 15 minutes.

3. Next, form the dough into a ball (you can use more flour if you need to) and place it on a floured cloth kitchen towel (make sure it’s seam down), then sprinkle the bread with more flour and cover it with another towel, and let it sit and rise for about 2 hours, until it has doubled in size.

4. Preheat your oven to 450 deg F, and place a Dutch oven or covered casserole dish inside it as it heats up (I used a covered casserole dish, make sure it’s at least a 3 quart dish). Once the oven is ready, remove the dish from the oven, and carefully place your dough ball inside it and cover it with the lid. Bake for about 30 minutes covered, then take the lid off and bake for another 15 – 30 minutes, until golden brown on top! Let the bread rest and cool before slicing. (*Note: the original recipe said you could use cornmeal for dusting, but I found that flour worked fine.)

Hi Everybody! So the world outside our windows has turned into a winter wonderland… again! This has been one of the coldest, snowiest winters I can remember! And being snowed in definitely calls for some indulgent comfort food, preferably sweet comfort food (at least for me!) which is exactly what I’m sharing with you today! This Grilled Nutella, Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich really needs no explanation. All that sweet deliciousness stuffed between two slices of fresh white bread speaks for itself! It may not be the prettiest looking sandwich, but it is definitely one of the tastiest!

Sliced bread

Unsalted butter

Nutella

Peanut butter

Sliced banana

Optional: chopped nuts, mini marshmallows, honey

To make this sandwich, all you need to do is spread some butter on one side of each piece of bread, then spread some Nutella on the other side of one slice, and some peanut butter on the other side of the second slice. Slice the banana and stuff the sandwich with it, then cook the sandwich in a pan over medium heat for a couple of minutes on each side, until the bread is golden brown and the filling has warmed through! You can also add other goodies into your sandwich, like chopped nuts, mini marshmallows, a drizzle of honey, chocolate chips…. whatever you are in the mood for!

And if you’re feeling particularly sinful, pair this delicious little sandwich with my Nutella Hot Chocolate (find the recipe HERE!)… because you can never have too much Nutella!

Hi Everybody! I hope you all had a good weekend and are ready for another week! After a beautiful warm and sunny day, the weather forecast is calling for snow again tonight, so I may just have to make some more of this hot chocolate that I’m sharing with you today! This is hardly a recipe, but I just had to tell you about it anyway, because it’s just THAT good! It’s hot chocolate with Nutella in it, how could it not be good?! At the end of a long, cold day, what could be better than curling up on the couch with a big cup of this thick, chocolaty goodness!

HOT CHOCOLATE

2 cups milk (I used fat-free)

3 – 4 tbs Nutella

Optional: 1 tbs cocoa powder

TOPPINGS

Whipped Cream

Chocolate sprinkles

Chocolate Chips

Marshmallows

Crushed up peppermint candy

To make the hot chocolate, simply heat up the milk in a small pot, add in the Nutella and whisk until it has melted into the milk. Cook until the hot chocolate has warmed through. You can adjust the amount of Nutella according to how sweet you want your hot chocolate, and if you want to take some of the sweetness away, add in some cocoa powder. And that’s it! So easy and so delicious!

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For another great hot chocolate recipe, try THIS Hot Chocolate for Two!

Hi Everyone! Can you believe that we are halfway through January already?! I better get started on those new year’s resolutions one of these days! But first, I have a special recipe to share with you all. I had never eaten venison, never mind cooked it, until I married my husband, who is a hunter. All of a sudden I had a freezer full of meat that I had no idea what to do with or what it tasted like! So over the past couple of years I’ve tried lots of different recipes, learned about the different ways to cook venison and came up with a couple dishes that have become some of our favorites! One of them is this Venison Stew. This is a great cozy winter dinner that’s filled with vegetables and tender meat, all in a rich, flavorful sauce. If you’ve never tasted venison before, it does have a distinct flavor and tends to be pretty tough, but I’ve found that if you season it well and cook it long enough, it’s very good (and you can hardly tell that it’s not beef). It’s also very lean, meaning that your stew won’t be greasy at all. Here is how I make it…

2 lbs venison, cubed

3 tbs olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small onion, diced

3 tbs tomato paste

5 – 6 cups beef broth

1/8 – 1/4 tsp dried thyme

1 dried bay leaf

1/2 tsp granulated sugar

A couple drops of Worcestershire sauce

4 carrots
1/4 cup frozen peas

1/2 tbs unsalted butter

Salt and Pepper

1. Start by cutting your venison into about 1-inch cubes, drying them with a paper towel, then seasoning them with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large pot, and add in the meat, browning it on all sides. You’ll probably have to do this in a couple of batches so you can brown the meat in an even layer (don’t crowd the pot, otherwise the meat won’t brown well). Place all the browned meat on a plate and set it aside.2. Next, in the same pot, saute the diced onions and minced garlic. Cook them until they are softened and translucent, and then whisk in the tomato paste and cook until you have a soft, creamy tomato paste-y mixture. (*Note: you only need a couple tbs of tomato paste, so just freeze the rest in a ziplock bag for future use!) Pour in the beef stock (I used about 5 cups, reserve 1 cup for later), Worcestershire sauce, sugar (I usually just use regular granulated sugar, but I have used light brown sugar before and it added a nice sweetness to the stew. If you prefer a slightly sweeter taste, add in more sugar than indicated), dried thyme and bay leaf and return the meat to the pot with all it’s juices (that’s where all the flavor is!) Bring the stew to a boil, then turn it down to a low simmer and cook for an hour and a half to two hours, until the meat has softened, checking on it occasionally.

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3. While the meat cooks, peel and cut your carrots into chunks (you can also add other vegetables to the stew, I used peas and carrots here, but sometimes I use mushrooms too. If you are not serving this over mashed potatoes, you can also add in potatoes into the stew). Check on the meat, and if the stew is getting too thick, add in the rest of the beef broth. Then, add in the carrots and cook until they are tender (about 15 minutes), and add in the peas for the last 5 minutes of cooking time. Check the seasoning (add in more salt/pepper/sugar if you need to) and remove the bay leaf. To finish off the stew, I always add in a little bit of butter (1/2 tbs) and stir it in until it has melted. It just makes it extra rich and silky! Serve over mashed potatoes or with some crusty bread!

Hi Everyone! Happy Friday! I have a great little sweet treat to share with you to start the weekend off! If you are not a big oatmeal cookie fan, these little sandwiches may just turn you into one! Because what’s not to love about this sweet, cinnamon flavored cream cheese goodness (that I could seriously just eat with a spoon!) in between two chewy oatmeal cookies?! And since there is oatmeal involved, I’m thinking these could pretty much pass off as a healthy breakfast (or so I told myself as I ate one for breakfast the other day!)

WITH CINNAMON CREAM CHEESE FILLING

YOU WILL NEED
6oz cream cheese, softened
4 tbs unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup – 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

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DIRECTIONS
To make these cookie sandwiches, either use homemade or store bought oatmeal cookies. For the filling, combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and whisk on high speed until you get a smooth, creamy mixture. Make sure that both the cream cheese and butter are softened. As for the sugar, I used just a little more than a 1/4 cup, but use as much as you need to adjust the sweetness. Spread the cream cheese filling on one cookie, then top with the other to make a cookie sandwich!

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For another cookie sandwich idea, check out THESE Ice-Cream Cookie Sandwiches!

Hi Everyone! As the cold winter temperatures continue, I have a recipe to share with you that’s bound to warm you up! At least for a little while! I love good hot chocolate, and this one has got to be one of the best ones I’ve ever had! It’s incredibly rich and decadent, and Nigella Lawson seriously wasn’t kidding when she said, “What you end up with is like a drinkable chocolate sauce”! And what could be better than that?! Flavored with vanilla, cinnamon, brown sugar and honey, a hot cup of this is the most delicious treat at the end of a long, cold day!

2 cups milk

3 1/2 oz chocolate (semi-sweet or dark)

1 tsp light brown sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 tsp honey

1 cinnamon stick

Pour the milk into a small pot (I used skim milk, although Nigella specifically says, “Don’t even think about using anything less than full-fat please, and if you do, I don’t want to know about it!” I thought the skim milk worked just fine!) and add in the chocolate (I used semi-sweet chocolate chips). Stir gently with a whisk over medium heat, and as the chocolate begins to melt, add in the cinnamon stick, brown sugar, honey and vanilla extract. Whisk gently until all the chocolate has melted and the hot chocolate is warm. (If it’s too thick and rich for you, simply add more milk.) Take out the cinnamon stick and pour into two mugs! Add whatever goodies you like on top of your hot chocolate – marshmallows, whipped cream, chocolate sprinkles, a peppermint stick – or all of them!

Hi Everyone! I hope you are all having a good Sunday! It’s another cold day here on the East Coast, but the weather this weekend made it the perfect time to re-organize some things at home, finish up some projects I had started a long time ago, and get started on some new ones! I wanted to share one of them with you today. These DIY Patterned Picture Mats are so easy to make, and are a great way to dress up your framed pictures. I used a fun gray zebra print pattern for my mats, to use with white picture frames and black and white photos, but you could make them as fun and colorful as you like, and even make holiday themed ones (hint: Valentine’s Day is coming up!) Here’s how you can make these…

Plain store-bought picture mats

Patterned paper (scrapbook paper or wrapping paper)

Ruler, pencil, scissors

Glue stick (or double sided tape)

To make these mats, first place the plain mat on top of the decorative paper (both face up) and draw around the mat (also around the picture opening of the mat). Then, measure the width of the beveled edge on the mat (mine was 1mm) and add that measurement to your traced mat on the decorative paper. Carefully cut it out, and lay it on top of the mat to make sure that the decorative paper fits perfectly, that the lines are straight and that it doesn’t cover the beveled edge. Then, glue it onto the mat using a glue stick, then go over it to make sure there are no bubbles or creases (You can place it under some heavy books if you want to make sure it’s stuck on well!)

Hi Everybody! I’m just stopping by to wish you all a great weekend! The past few days have been bitterly cold here on the East Coast. After all my complaining about it never snowing, we FINALLY got some snow! And along with it… some seriously low temperatures outside! It started snowing on Thursday afternoon, and by Friday morning, everything was covered in a beautiful, thick blanket of heavy white snow. And since it looked so pretty and sparkly from the warmth of our home, we decided to go out for a two hour long walk in it, not realizing that it was 5 deg F/-15 deg C outside! It was super cold (so cold that I even wore a hat! And I never wear hats, because I look terrible in them!) and windy, but it was a beautiful day walking through the nature trails around our neighborhood!

What’s better than a big cup of hot English Breakfast tea on a cold, snowy morning?! And yes, that’s still our Christmas tree in the background, I’m trying to put off packing it away for as long as possible. And since there is snow outside, that’s even more reason to keep it up for a couple more days! Also, how cute is this mug? It’s one of my favorite Christmas presents my husband got me this year; it makes my morning tea taste even better!

I love how everything is so still and quiet after it has snowed, and I wanted to share some pictures of our Winter Wonderland with you today. I hope you all have a great weekend, and if you live in one of the areas that got a lot of snow this week, stay warm and stay safe on the roads! Come back tomorrow for a fun DIY project!