Blog Award =D

Glory Be! I've been bestowed with another blogger award!

Whoop-De-Doop!!!

I am so proud to be the recipient of the Liebster Award! The word Liebster means 'Beloved' in German--and a show of love and support is what this award is all about.The idea is to bring attention to new blogs

with fewer than 200 followers.

 

The rules of winning this award are the following:

 

1. Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award

by linking back to them.

2. Reveal your top 5 picks and let them know

by leaving a comment at their blog.

3. Post the Award on your blog.

4. Enjoy the love of some of the most supportive people on the Internet!

So I want to give a BIG THANK YOU! to Michael at The Big Green Bowl for choosing me. I am truly honored.

{Actually, Michael's Big Green Bowl just fell off her cupboard and broke recently.  Oh how sad!  But her uncle found a replacement, so the joy is returning to her kitchen.}

I've enjoyed getting to know Michael more via email.  She's a preschool teacher like I use to be! And she has some great recipes at her site - PLEASE pay her a visit!

It is hard to pick only 5 blogs to pass this award to! The ones I chose are

ones I have enjoyed visiting, and I think you will too.

Here they are....

The Sweet Swiper

Grandma Loy's Kitchen
Amee's Savory Dish
Crazy for Crust
A'lil Country Sugar




 

Introducing....

WELCOME OCTOBER!!

I love to see a 'mess' of pumpkins!

(This picture reminds me of a very relaxing week at a cabin on the Lake of the Ozarks we enjoyed with friends last Oct - AAAHHH!!)

 Hello Friends & Fans (One of the same=)....

I wanted to give you a 'heads up' about something I'm initiating

in this new month.

I began my blog over 2 years ago at the encouragement of my daughter Deb...The Queen Mommy (check her out!)

One of the things she's always 'pushed' for me to share are helpful hints.

I use to share tips - dubbed "Marsha's Musings" - with a group of church ladies and it was fun....

So...beginning tomorrow, I will be sharing "Tuesday Tips" for a few weeks to help ease all the things you do as a mom/woman running a household, especially with the holidays quickly approaching. 

I hope you'll find some practical & frugal ideas for things like meal planning, cutting $$ from your grocery bill, cleaning and more.

And please....I would love for you to leave comments to share your ideas for making things easier in your busy lives, especially with the holidays looming ahead of us soon.

I just might want to 'borrow' some of your ideas to share...

giving you credit of course.

Rolo Brownie Bites with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

I swooned and thought I'd died and gone to heaven when I came across these tasty tasty two-bite treats at Cook Lisa Cook. 

What a brilliant combo of my favorite flavors...chocolate and caramel.

(I think I've always been partial to caramel because my dear mama was too!)

There isn't much more I can say...these adorable little bites of DE.LI.CIOUS speak for themselves!

A brownie mix and Rolo candies!  It just doesn't get much easier than that!!!

And the caramel cream cheese frosting puts them over the top!

Of course, they're great without the frosting, but what the heck...they're little, so you can make them prettier...and who could believe it....tastier too??? 

Unwrapping the rolos is a great job for kids...go borrow your neighbors if you don't have any others available...they would love to do that for a yummy 'fee' of enjoying a few candies...

ROLO BROWNIE BITES WITH CARAMEL CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

1 box fudge brownie mix, and ingredients called for per instructions (or your favorite homemade recipe)

24 Rolo candies (plus extra for snacking!=)

4 Tbs. butter, softened to room temperature

4 ozs. cream cheese, softened to room temperature

2 Tbs. caramel sauce (ice cream topping)

1 c. powdered sugar

Remove all the wrappers and refrigerate the Rolos. Preheat oven to 325. Prepare brownies according to package directions. 

Grease a 24 cup mini muffin pan with cooking spray and fill each cup 3/4 full with batter.  Bake 15 - 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Remove from oven and immediately press a Rolo, smaller side down, into the center of each brownie bite until the top of the Rolo is even with the top of the brownie bite.

Cool for a couple of minutes then carefully remove the brownie bites from the pan to a cooking rack.  Allow to cool completely.

Frosting: Whip the butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Add the caramel sauce and blend.  Add the powdered sugar and whip until creamy and smooth.  Using a pastry or plastic bag with a piping tip, pipe the frosting onto the top of each brownie bite.  Chill in the refrigerator to set the frosting a bit before serving.

Linked to Sweets for a Saturday

Melt in Your Mouth Monday

Totally Tasty Tuesday

Recipe of the Week

Weekend Potluck

Cow Pies

(Please check out this link to Grandma Loy's Kitchen - she featured a number of my recipes at her "Skipping Through Blogland"this week...I'm thrilled!)


Did I get your attention?

YES! This recipe is named Cow Pies!

It would be a fun thing to make for a kid's party...especially a party with a barnyard theme.

My granddaughters helped me (or maybe it's more like I helped them) when we spent a day together in the kitchen this summer.

These are easy peasy and delicious!  Even with a crazy name like Cow Pies!

A very delicious chocolatey treat. And even though the recipe calls for raisins and slivered almonds, just use what you have.... 

broken pretzels or your favorite nuts. We used rice krispies and peanuts.

COW PIES

2 cups (12 ozs) milk chocolate chips (or use semi sweet)

1 Tb. shortening

1/2 c. raisins

1/2 c. chopped slivered almonds

In a double boiler over simmering water (we used the microwave on low) melt the chocolate chips and shortening, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat; stir in raisins and almonds.  Drop by tablespoonsful onto waxed paper.  Chill until ready to serve. 

Yield: 2 dozen

Linked to Full Plate Thursday
         Sweets for a Saturday
Gooseberry Patch Roundup - Kid Friendly
Weekend Potluck

Chocolate Swirl Delight

It's CHOCOLATE WEEK at The Better Baker!

"There are four basic food groups: milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, and chocolate truffles." - Anonymous

All 3 recipes I'm sharing this week have been in my drafts since the end of July when I enjoyed time with two of my granddaughters here for a fun Play Date at Nana's.  It's time to share!

My granddaughters, Charlie, 12, and Chloe, 10, made this lovely dessert and then they got to take it home so I didn't get to eat any of it, but it wasn't difficult to figure it was an amazing dessert.

It is a very simple 4-ingredient recipe, but let me tell you..it's also VERY elegant.

Swiss Cake roll slices line the springform pan and then it's filled with chocolate pudding, topped with whipped topping and chocolate bits!

HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY GO WRONG???

SEE WHAT I MEAN?????

This is all there is to it....

(What sweet girls too!)

CHOCOLATE SWIRL DELIGHT

(From The Better Baker and Taste of Home)

1 pkg. (13 ozs) Swiss Cake Rolls

2-3/4 c. cold milk

2 pkg. (3.9 ozs each) instant chocolate fudge pudding mix

2 c. whipped topping

Cut each cake roll into eight slices; set aside any chocolate coating that separates from rolls for garnish. Line a 9-in. springform pan with cake slices, completely covering the bottom and sides.

In a small bowl, whisk milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set.  Pour over cake.  Spread with whipped topping; sprinkle with any reserved chocolate coating.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. 

Yield: 12 servings

TIP:  I sprayed the springform pan with cooking spray, then lightly wiped it out with a paper towel before adding cake slices. They did not stick.

We also shaved (using a potato peeler) half a candy bar to add to the sprinkles on top.

Linked to Totally Tasty Tuesday