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I am freaking out because CAMP is NEXT WEEK. I feel like there are still millions of things that I could do for it and somewhere, sometime, I just have to stop and go with what I've got! But, not today because I am still working on little treats to give my youth camp leaders each day to keep them motivated.
A couple of weeks ago, I made them all these totes so that they would be able to carry all of their odds and ends for the girls that they will be over this year. I gave them to them a week ago so that they will be able to have them to pack in. I am happy to say that they really liked them. So, here are some of the things that I am working on now. In the Spring, I came across these gardening kneeling pads at Dollar Tree. I don't see them on the website any more, but there were still quite a few at the store the other day.
I had seen a quote on Pinterest that I really liked, and since the theme for camp this year comes from James 1:5...
"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God who giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not and it shall be given him."
...I thought, what a great combination with this quote that I read! Here is the quote:
"When Life gives you more than you can stand, KNEEL!"
I just knew that the kneeling pad and the quote had to go together! I toyed with the idea for a while, and so far I have tried two ways of doing them. See which one you like.
First, I pulled out my Cricut and cut out the letters and used Mod Podge to stick them on. (It is also available at Dollar Tree and you can order as few as 4 bottles online!) I used about 3 coats of Mod Podge all over the pad after sticking on the letters, allowing it to dry between each coat. This gave a smooth, less likely to rub the letters off finish.
So, I liked that one, except for the crooked part. But, it was very time consuming. So, I decided to try to do one with Sharpies! I was afraid that the bumpy nature of the pad would make it too difficult to write neatly, but it wasn't that bad! It actually looks darker in person compared to this photo.
After making these, I turned my attention to the little treats of encouragement for the girls. I decided to give them Goldfish Crackers, Starburst and Doritos. I came up with some little notes to go with them. I am providing you with the printables below if you would like to use these ideas. I used 4" x 6" card stock, but printed with the 3 x 5 setting and clicked "fit to page".
The last one with Doritos is my favorite. I hope everyone gets it!
You know, "adorable" ...
Anyway, those have been my camp brainstorms so far! I hope my ideas spark some ideas in you! Let me know what you think!
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While on our long road trip in May, my husband and I stopped and purchased some cookies that were a sandwich cookie with a raspberry topping. They were pretty good, but they had that hard, store-bought crunch and the raspberry topping was just a little too gummy. As I munched on them, I thought to myself that I could probably come up with a homemade version that would be so much better! (I mentioned my intent to do so in this post.) So, even though I am trying not to turn on my oven, this idea kept nagging at me until I just had to try it. The result was worth the few minutes of extra heat! Here is how I did it:
You have to bake them for about 17-20 minutes in a 350 degree F. oven. I was so happy with the way they looked when they came out.
Next, I filled them with the lemony frosting, added the top and put a dollop of my homemade strawberry jam in the middle. (You can find tips for making your own jam here. Printable canning labels for your jam are here!) The shortbread came out crisp and delicate. The filling and the jam add the perfect sweet combination to go with the buttery shortbread. My family loved them! I love when I get great results on the first try!
Here is the recipe!
I will put a list of some of the tools I used below just in case you need them, you can click and order. I hope you give these special little cookies a try! They would be great for a tea party, a baby shower, bridal shower or just because. If you want to find a cute way to serve them at a party, just go to Beau-coup! Look at this cute idea! I can see cookies or Hot Cocoa Bombs sitting at each person's place in these little domes!
This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. Thanks for your support! Back in May, my husband and I went to CA to visit my mom and the rest of my family. While we were there, one of my sisters, my nieces and my mom went with us to Superior Dairy in Hanford, CA. It has been in operation since 1929. My mom, being a little hard of hearing didn't hear our warning about the serving sizes in this place. She decided that a banana split sounded really good. The expression on her face when the waitress brought the Banana Split to our table was priceless! I think that her's looks bigger than the one on their Facebook page! Needless to say, she eventually knocked the ice cream over and got down to the bananas before giving up on this huge treat! Did you know that Wednesday was National Chocolate Ice Cream Day? It is so appropriate here in Phoenix to talk about ice cream because of our summer heat! So, that is what we are going to do for today's Friday Fave. What is your favorite ice cream/ice cream treat? Alicia, like her grandma, says that the Banana Split is the thing she loves. The combination of the banana, pineapple and chocolate is just so irresistible! Can you call an ice cream treat healthy when it has fruit on it? Dairy, fruit, it does sound healthy! (Well, the sugar and the fat have to ruin things, don't they?) You can always try eating your Banana Split off of this spoon from DazzelingDezignz4U that I found on Etsy! Madalynn and Lindsey both like to eat dairy-free ice cream. I just learned recently the difference between dairy-free and merely lactose free. So, keep your eyes peeled for whether someone needs to be totally free of dairy products in their diet or if only the lactose is the problem. Lindsey's favorite flavor is Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. I have also seen Cookies 'n Cream in the lactose-free section. So it is possible to get some good flavors besides the basic vanilla and chocolate for people with food allergies. Lindsey has purchased Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough in an Almond Milk variety of ice cream. Maddy says her favorite is Brownie Ice Cream and that the best almond milk variety is Almond Dream. Frankly, I was surprised when my mom ordered that Banana Split because she is usually a Hot Fudge Sundae kind of gal! I get that from her, because I love a delicious hot fudge sundae. The nice thing at Superior was that when I needed more Hot Fudge on my enormous Hot Fudge Sundae, they brought me another cup full (or 2) free of charge! You've got to have lots of hot fudge, REAL whipped cream, the cherry on top, and unlike my mother, sprinkles, not nuts. She loves the nuts. My feeling is that the nuts get in the way of the hot fudge! The ice cream can be vanilla, cookie dough or mint chocolate chip! And, let's get real, I know the lack of health benefits and the calories in my ice cream, so it isn't an everyday treat. But, when it is, here is the spoon for me from BeccaLouiseDesigns on Etsy : What kind of ice cream do you love? My husband loves good old vanilla. Do you have a special place you go for the best ice cream treats ever, or do you make the best ones at home? Leave us a comment and let us know! Have a great weekend and I hope you get to have some ice cream.
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I'm baaack!! This post is very late I know, but it is here for you. I am still reminiscing about France, which makes me reminisce about other things. Like when PH and I first started dating.
In case you didn't know, PH and I met on the internet on an online dating website. Whaaat? Yeah, it happens and it turns out, not everyone is a creep! At the time I lived in Yuma, AZ and he lived in Mesa, AZ, three hours away from me. Before we met in person we talked a lot on the phone. We planned our first date for sometime in August when he'd be passing through Yuma on his way to San Diego. However, a few weeks before that I had a training up in Phoenix for work, and I was going to go up early and stay at my parent's house for the weekend. I decided we should take that week to hang out a lot and see if we liked hanging out a lot.
So we planned a date where we would make Crepes with ham and brie cheese and watch the movie Sabrina. I stole my mom's inverted crepe pan and went to PH's house with it. We mixed up a batch of crepes and when I started making them on the pan I kept burning them or they'd break and it was... super embarrassing!!!!! PH was so nice to me and told me that the crepes were really really good. Then he asked if he could try his hand at the inverted crepe pan. Of course I let him give it a whirl and wouldn't you know? His crepes turned out perfect. That's when I knew I had a winner on my hands.
Beyond just being a fond, sweet memory of when PH and I were first getting to know each other, ham and brie crepes are delicious. PH still loves them, although I have to make him eat them less because, turns out, he's lactose intolerant! (A fact I was unaware of on that date.) Crepes are really so easy and versatile. An inverted crepe pan makes them beautifully thin, but you can use a regular crepe pan too! PH bought me this one for my birthday last year and I just love it!
So, enjoy this delicious French treat for dinner tonight! Finish it off with some sweet crepes. Just use the same crepe recipe but instead of the ham and brie filling sprinkle on some sugar and spritz some lemon juice. Sweet and refreshing, perfect for summer! Bon appetit!
Ham and Brie Crepes
Whisk eggs, then whisk in water and milk. Whisk in flour. Then add melted butter and vanilla and whisk for another 3 seconds. Heat your crepe pan until its a medium heat (flick water on it to make sure it beads.) Pour about 1/4 cup of the batter onto the pan and move the pan around until the bottom is covered in batter. Let batter cook for about thirty seconds. Add some ham and brie to one side of the crepe and then flip the other side over to cover it. Leave another 15 seconds then flip and cook another 15 seconds. Remove from heat and enjoy! |
Creators of Hot Cocoa Bombs! (copyrighted)
Author
Helen Reynolds: Mother of six children , grandmother to eleven! I love to cook, craft and create things and I especially love doing that with my family, So, when my lawyer daughter, Lindsey, my artist daughter, Madalynn, and I came up with the idea of Hot Cocoa Bombs, this blog was born. Then, one more daughter, with her technical and science skills, plus creativity has joined in to round us out! Read more about us here! Archives
April 2024
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