Black Sheep Dancing

Why be like everyone else when you can be yourself?

Category Archives: Dessert


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Some bunny’s been here

Happy Easter!

Wait.

What?

Yes, I’m a little behind the ball in life, but sometimes that is how life goes sometimes.

Easter was lots of fun. It’s a very important time, as the Easter Bunny is Santa’s helper too. He reports directly to the big man (year round) to let him know who is being naughty and who is being nice.

You have to build you bunny nest:

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And make some eggs:

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Oh, and of course you have to wear your Easter bonnet!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And eat some yummy dessert:

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I think it turned out pretty cute!

I used

Sam’s Famous Carrot Cake from Allrecipes.com

and

Half a recipe of Cream Cheese Frosting II  from Allrecipes.com.

Directions to make the bunny:
1. Bake a cake round (flavor of your choice) and let it cool. Slice in half so you have two semicircles and glue them together with frosting with the cut side down.

2. Cut a v-shape about 1/4 of the way up the top so you make a small notch to separate the head from the body.

3. Ice the cake and use shredded coconut to cover so it looks like fur. I used a marshmallow for the tail and nose thing, jelly beans for the eyes and nose nose, and toothpicks for whiskers.

4. Cut ear-shapes from paper and color with pink crayons. Place these at the top of the “head”.

5. For grass, toss shredded coconut with green food coloring until color you desire. I used chocolate eggs and jelly beans tossed around for added decoration.

6. Eat.

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Key Lime Cookies

So, now that I have a bazillion jars of that Pineapple Lime Marmalade, I had to find a way to use it up. It’s pretty limey, so I don’t see myself using it every morning on my toast. Sometimes, but not every day. But what to do with it?

I already discovered it is yummy with cream cheese and crackers. Mmmmmm….but then I thought, what about thumb print cookies? Thumb print cookies rolled in coconut! Man, it was ON!

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 3/4 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup Pineapple Lime Marmalade
  • 1/2 to 1 cup shredded coconut

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
  2. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and egg yolks. Mix in flour until a soft dough forms. Scoop with a small scooper and roll dough into 1 inch balls. If dough is too soft, freeze and start again. Roll cookies in coconut and place balls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Use your thumb to make a well in the center of each cookie. Fill the hole with 1/2 teaspoon of marmalade.
  3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown on the bottom. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.

These turned out AWESOME. However, you must like key lime pie to like these cookies. If you don’t, well, more for us I guess.


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Breakfast Pie

Growing up, when we went to my Grandma’s house, I remember always having dessert for breakfast. Why wouldn’t you have cookies to start you off right for the day? Or pecan pie? Or brownies? My absolute favorite were the cut out cookies shaped like cardinals. As a kid I thought this ritual was normal. Now that I’ve gotten older, I have realized I just had a very wise, very cool grandmother.

Remember how Sunday I picked black raspberries with my mom? Well, I took home what we picked, and I had to use them up before they went bad. Did you know there are hardly ANY recipes for black raspberries? Everything for the red ones or blackberries, but not black raspberries. Argh.

I contemplated making:

  • Black raspberry syrup
  • Cobbler
  • Muffins
  • Popsicles
  • Cookies
  • Pancakes
  • Jam

But in the end, I went with the trusty dusty black raspberry pie. I used my usual crust and made it all cute with little hearts. (Awwww) I used a recipe for Blackberry Pie, sub black raspberries.

Ready for the oven!

A little extra, so I made a jar pie.

Isn’t it beautiful? The crust turned out perfect, and it didn’t boil over. This pie just looks amazing. I can’t wait to dig in and try it!


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Happy 4th!

This 4th of July was a much needed break. Spending time with friends and family while cooking and spending time on the Ponderosa is always a good time, but it really felt good this weekend.

When I arrived back home, mom and I did a quick trip to a tag sale. I finally found some canning jars! The whole shopping trip was 18 quart jars, two half quart jars, a full sheet new in the packaging, a vintage 50’s hat, two necklaces, and a set of six vintage ice cream bowls for $3. Score!

Sunday mom and I went out to our berry patches to pick some red raspberries and black raspberries.

Not too many red ones, but we got four pints of black ones! Well, four until I tipped mine and it landed in a big ole patch of poison ivy. I almost broke out in tears, I was so sad to see them all go to waste.

We had our get together Sunday too. I made my Confetti Potato Salad and this REALLY cool cake I found over at Glorious Treats.

 

 

 

Isn’t it so adorable? It was really easy to make too. My pans were 9″ instead of 8″, but I like the longer blue part anyways. Everyone was so impressed, and I thought it photographed really well. To decorate I got the pinwheel in the floral department at the grocery store and I made the two stars with red wrapping paper, star cookie cutter, glue and a bamboo skewer.

Now I just need to decide how to use all those yummy black raspberries. Jam? Syrup for pancakes? Infused vodka? Frozen yogurt? Only time will tell!


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Happy Birthday, Munchkin!

It’s hard to believe my munchkin is already five! How time has flown! Since this year seemed to be the first year he really knew what was going on, I finally bit the bullet and expanded the party beyond our closest family and friends to his little friends from school.

Now every party needs a theme. I asked Keeler what he wanted. He specifically said:

  1. Dragon cake
  2. watermelon
  3. tag

Well, we were able to do two of the three. I found a pattern online for the cake. Not as hard as it looks. Watermelon – yep. Ran out of time for a game of tag.

The cake, sans frosting.

 

Awaiting wings.

I used tootsie rolls for the claws, icing for the eyes and chocolate chips for the pupils and nostrils. The spine scales were crackers I made earlier this week.The cake was just a basic yellow cake I made from All Recipes and the icing was from a can. Real high tech around here.

One thing I will say, you really have to freeze the cake after assembling, and periodically freeze it while icing to make life a whole ton easier. Less crumbs get into the icing, and the finish is much smoother when you spread it when it is harder.

I had lots of grand ideas for the theme, but in the end, the entertainment was bubbles, coloring pages, blow up swords and paper crowns from Oriental Trading Company, and a garden hose. A pop up tailgate tent from CBear served as the “castle”. Everyone had a great time, and I didn’t have to break the bank to do it. Win for everyone!

We also had everyone bring a canned good instead of presents. Hopefully that helps the kids learn about giving, and less toys around the house here to trip over. We’re going to take them to the Mid-Ohio Foodbank.

Food wise, again, I kept simple. I made:

  • Fresh fruits and veggies sliced up

  • Cucumber Slices With Dill (since I have a ton of cucumbers and dill to use up!)

  • Confetti salad – a bean salad from my grandma’s recipe collection
  • Bread from the bread maker
  • Ham and PB&J for sandwiches
  • Amish Macaroni Salad (Everyone LOVES this!)

My family brought:

  • Chicken salad sandwiches
  • Orzo salad
  • Strawberry Salad with feta

Munchkin’s actual birthday is this week. I usually take the day off and we do whatever he wants to do, and we go to the toy store and he gets to pick out his own present. I’ll also take him to the food bank to deliver the food we collected. Should be a lovely day! Last year we went to the park and to the movies to see Toy Story 3. This year? Stay tuned!


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Happy Birthday – No Cake.

This weekend Aunt M came down for birthday celebrations. Mind you, this was her third celebration, but who’s counting? And what do you get someone who has everything she needs? You make dinner, of course!

We had…

Caprese Salad Skewers

Amish Macaroni Salad

Marinated Portabello Mushroom Burgers with Goat Cheese, Spinach, and Beets

Pineapple Salsa

Mojitos

And, for the big birthday, neither myself nor my sis are big fans of cake. Everyone else is welcome to enjoy it, but there are so many better things in the world to eat, why waste time on cake? Although, I must admit, I love to bake them. Anywho, I went with the Southern Style Strawberry Shortcake. I even made the whipped cream by hand. SHUT THE FRONT DOOR! That stuff is so awesome. I may never get my whipped cream from a can again.

After our lovely dinner we had every intention of going to the Gallery Hop, but Munchkin was begging for a movie, so we went to the movie theater. Sometimes caving to wants is easier for everyone involved, and it was super hot out, so that air conditioning was looking more and more appealing. Movie sold out. Boooo. We decided to stop in a nearby store and that’s when the storm hit. Crazy wind, rain, and even hail! The power went out, so we decided to head home. Shopping is no fun in the dark!

Happy Birthday, Aunt M!


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Sunday brunch and gorgeous days

Last week it was 80 degrees and sunny. It was awesome. It was lovely out, and inspired me, so Munchkin and I made some super yummy chocolate bananas foster. Mmmmmm! It may taste more like dessert, but who cares? It was awesome.

Chocolate Bananas Foster

  • Pancakes with chocolate chips in them (I use the 1950’s Betty Crocker Cookbook pancakes, page 72.)
  • 3 bananas, cut to your preference. I enjoy slices
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • walnuts

Directions:

  1. Make your pancakes. Stir the chocolate chips directly into the batter. Keep warm in oven.
  2. Melt butter in a large skillet. Add in brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Cook until bubbly
  3. Add in walnuts and bananas and cook until heated
  4. Place heaping spoonfuls on top of pancakes. Drizzle with chocolate syrup and top with whipped cream


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Amateur Hour

So, this weekend I got to play my  French horn in a talent show. It was the first time I had performed since my son was born nearly five years ago. And I have two degrees in music performance. It was long over due. It was lovely. It was great. The kid who has played with the Moscow Orchestra and Aspen Music Festival totally stole our thunder. (I kid – he was awesome!)

After I played I sat to watch and Munchkin was playing games on my iphone. I got a text message so I went to clear it and he says REALLY loud “No mommy! Don’t take it away! I’m playing Angry Birds!” Nice.

Anywho, I got to meet CBear’s mom for the first time, so of course I had to cook a yummy meal for her, CBear, and my aunt and uncle. It was an All Recipe Extravaganza!

For Dinner:

– Taco Casserole

– Honey Cornbread

– Salad

– Spiced Baked Apples served with ice cream and whipped topping

For the Taco Casserole I substituted the beef for half a bag of veggie burger crumbles and a drained can of black beans and just a bit of cayenne pepper. You know, since I’m a veggie. It was yummy and very homey feeling. I think next time I may add a can of corn, or even some hot peppers. And even better, the whole dinner was pretty cheap to make.

I think the best part about making yummy dinner, is you have a yummy lunch the next day. ALWAYS make extra.


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Waste of Irish Cream

So, on St. Patrick’s Day we had a party at work, and it included a munchie contest. I was so pumped! I remembered a recipe from All Recipes I had made a couple of years ago, making brownies with Irish cream. How yummy, right?

The last time I made it, all I remember is not letting the brownies cool before putting on the frosting and it being a big yucky mess. That’s all I remember.

So, it was time for the party and everyone’s food looked so yummy.

 

 

 

Cookies

 

 

 

 

Oreo Truffles

 

 

 

 

Some sort of salsa thing.

And then there were my Irish Cream Brownies. The brownies that sounded so good.

I thought I would make them cute and cook them in mini cupcake pans. They got stuck. CBear dug them out and then sorta smushed them back together. The remaining ones I baked in a pan, but it still didn’t turn out. The frosting was just okay. Rating for this recipe? FAIL. I could have found so many other things to use my Bailey’s in…like my iced coffee I’m enjoying while writing this post. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!