Tasty Treat ideas for the holidays Part Two! White Chocolate Candy Cane Pretzels!

What up yo!?

Please don't look at me with those mean eyes! I know it's been a few days since I said I was gonna post part 2 and 3 of the Tasty Treat ideas for the holidays. But, but, I was busy! Honest I was! I swear I wasn't watching Dexter marathons 'till the wee hours of the morning. I was doing majorly important grown up stuff. Ahem... moving on...

Here is another recipe, it's pretty similar to the original post of Chocolate covered pretzels two ways. (Ha I said 2 ways)

Behold! White Chocolate Candy Cane Pretzels!

You will need:

Two 11.5 oz bags of white chocolate chips, I used Ghirardelli white chocolate chips and it was the BEST white chocolate I have ever tasted! Yummy!

One 12 oz bag of pretzels

6 candy canes, crushed ( just use a big 'ol candy cane stick crushed up)

Two teaspoons of vegetable oil

A few wooden skewers

A microwaveable bowl

Spoon to stir chocolate

parchment paper

Directions:

1. Place parchment paper over where pretzels are to dry (Over a cookie sheet, plate, or even over the table itself)

2. Crush the candy canes (without the wrapper for cryin' out loud!) in the food processor or just place them in a ziploc back and whack away till they're crushed.

3,. Pour half a bag of chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl. Add half a teaspoon of vegetable oil and microwave in 30 second intervals until melted. That means every 30 seconds stop the microwave and stir the chocolate, then let it go for 30 seconds more, then stop and stir, and so on until chocolate melts. My chocolate usually never takes more than 1:30 to melt but your microwave oven may differ. Please be very careful to not burn the chocolate as it will get hard and bitter. I only melt half a bag at a time because I can only work so fast before the chocolate begins to harden, but if you have help just follow the same instrucitons and do one whole bag at a time adding one teaspoon of vegetable oil per bag of chocolate chips.

4. When the chocolate is melted, start dipping pretzels in until fully coated. I use the wooden skewers to help me turn the pretzels and coat them well, but you can use anything you want even a fork. Drip off any excess chocolate and place pretzels on parchment paper to dry.

5. While pretzels are still wet, sprinkle with crushed candy canes.

6. Allow pretzels to dry and set for at least 4 hours. Now, I know that sounds like a long time but you can cheat (Shhhhhhhhhh!) and speed up the process by placing the pretzels in the fridge for 30 minutes and voila! 

I saw Walgreen's selling white chocolate or milk chocolate covered pretzels with crushed candy canes so I decided to make my own. You could certainly try this with milk chocolate if you want.

The end result is very cute and classy.

7. You can package pretzels in cute little treat bags, gift boxes, plastic containers, or even in cellophane tied with a colorful ribbon. And speakin' of ribbon! I published an article on 101 things to do with ribbon! So check that out!

This recipe makes approximately 6 good sized gifts depending on how many pretzels you want to give per person.

Here are some more pics!

Yummy candy cane stick!

Crush it up baby!

Pretty Peppermint Pretzels! Say THAT 3 times fast!

Hope you like the recipe and the idea, let me know if you try it out how it comes out!

XOXO Enjoy!

P.S. I'm reviewing a program about cake and cookie decorating and will be posting a review soon so stay tuned for that!



It's been a few days but i'm back with some tasty treat ideas! Part One

Sup 'ma peeps!

It's a few days since Thanksgiving but as promised here are some pics and recipes for some tasty treats that would make great, inexpensive gifts for the holidays! This will be part one because there are three different treats. Hope you enjoy as much as I did!

Chocolate Covered Pretzels, Two Ways

You will need:

Two 11.5 oz bags of chocolate chips, I used Ghirardelli milk and white chocolate chips

One 12 oz bag of pretzels

Two teaspoons of vegetable oil

One ziploc baggie to drizzle white chocolate

A few wooden skewers

Several microwaveable bowls

Spoons to stir chocolate

parchment paper

Directions:

1. Place parchment paper over where pretzels are to dry (Over a cookie sheet, plate, or even over the table itself)

2. Pour half a bag of chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl. Add half a teaspoon of vegetable oil and microwave in 30 second intervals until melted. That means every 30 seconds stop the microwave and stir the chocolate, then let it go for 30 seconds more, then stop and stir, and so on until chocolate melts. My chocolate usually never takes more than 1:30 to melt but your microwave oven may differ. Please be very careful to not burn the chocolate as it will get hard and bitter. I only melt half a bag at a time because I can only work so fast before the chocolate begins to harden, but if you have help just follow the same instrucitons and do one whole bag at a time adding one teaspoon of vegetable oil per bag of chocolate chips.

3. When the chocolate is melted, start dipping pretzels in until fully coated. I use the wooden skewers to help me turn the pretzels and coat them well, but you can use anything you want even a fork. Drip off any excess chocolate and place pretzels on parchment paper to dry.

4. While pretzels are still wet, add Christmas sprinkles, colored sugar, nuts, or anything else your heart desires. (Except bugs, or sticks, or rocks but why would your heart desire that? What's wrong with you!?)

5. Allow pretzels to dry and set for at least 4 hours. Now, I know that sounds like a long time but you can cheat (Shhhhhhhhhh!) and speed up the process by placing the pretzels in the fridge for 30 minutes and voila! What I did was half the pretzels I added sprinkles to and the other half I added melted white chocolate drizzle on top. Very cute and classy. You could also do a reverse "zebra" pretzels dipping the pretzel in white chocolate and drizling milk chocolate on top.

6. You can package pretzels in cute little treat bags, gift boxes, plastic containers, or even in cellophane tied with a colorful ribbon.

This recipe makes approximately 6 good sized gifts depending on how many pretzels you want to give per person.

Here are some more pics!

           This would be a great project to do with the kids!



                             These are the sprinkles I used!

               Drizzilin' white chocolate. Do the drizzle, yeah!

                                 Purdy!

Pretty Christmasy huh!?

Here's some ideas on how to store these pretzels for giving as gifts:



Hope you found this recipe and tips helpful! And please check out part 2 and part 3 coming up shortly!

XOXO

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sup peeps! How's ya'lls Thanksgiving goin??? Mines goin' great! And by great I mean i'm as stuffed as a turkey on...well on Thanksgiving...

We've been having a great time at my parents house with lots of great food, family and fun. I'll be posting some pictures of the celebration up tomorrow, along with some pictures and recipes of some yummy sweet treats.

Hope your day continues to be filled with lots of fun and you keep gettin' jiggy with yo bad self... Or not whatever it's up to you. Eat, drink, and don't get married under the influence of food or alcohol (what??? IDK)

'Till next time! Oh and go Cowboys!

Just a quick post, I promise!

Hey guys!
So this is my second post for the day woohoo!
I just wanted to let you guys know that I am now writing for Squidoo, which is very exciting. I have created my first lens (webpage) called "Hottest Christmas gifts for guys in 2011." Here is the link. So if you have time, why not mosie on over and check it out! (Yeah I said mosie, what of it??)

I hope you guys like my work. Leave a comment down below and tell me what you think.

Till next time!

XOXO

5 tips to keep the weight off this holiday season!

photo courtesy of loss.weight.diet.org

Hey guys! I'm writing to you in a deep state of sickness, yeah still got that dumb cold! But I didn't want to pass up the opportunity to write a few tips for keeping the weight off this holiday season and especially this Thanksgiving week. These tips are my own, they are not copied from any pish-posh website. Hope you enjoy them and they are useful to you.

5. Drink lots of water!
I know, I know, you've heard it a million times. Here's why it works: Water helps keep you hydrated, which keeps you "regular" which flushes out all the excess waste. It also helps speed up your metabolism and keeps your hair and skin looking great. So chug, chug, chug! I personally carry a water bottle around with me all day which keeps me from grabbing a soda when i'm thirsty.

4. Don't stop going to the gym! (Or start going, if you're not!)
With all the noshing taking place during the holidays you're bound to grab a bite of this or a spoonful of that and the calories/carbs add up. Keep your jeans from bursting at the seams and keep going to the gym at least 3 times a week. I find that going in the mornings helps me "get it out of the way" and I can continue with my daily routine. If you don't lose weight during this time at least you won't gain and THAT is enough incentive for me to keep going!

3. Pick the vegetable sides first.
If your host is offering mashed potatoes, corn, bread, stuffing,  brussels sprouts and broccoli, pick the veggies first. Veggies are full of fiber which will help you feel full faster and they won't cause a spike in your blood sugar which will help with that "food coma" later in the evening. If you absolutely must have some mashed potatoes or stuffing get a small serving after you've eaten the vegetables that way you won't feel deprived but you also won't over eat them.

2. Pick 2 out of 3.
If you must make a choice between dinner rolls, dessert, or wine. Pick two out of the three. It is ok for you to give yourself small indulgences just don't go completely overboard.

1. Bring it with you!
If you know your host/hostess won't be offering any healthy appetizers or sides, bring a veggie tray or a side of fresh steamed green beans, roasted brussel sprouts, stuffed mushrooms or even mashed cauliflower. I guarantee people will love the healthier alternatives and these will be the sides that will go first!

Above all, don't stress too much about the food and try to enjoy the holiday for what it is, a chance to give thanks for all the blessings and family we have in our life. Wishing you a healthy and very happy Thanksgiving,

Love4Randomness

Fast Five mini review, plus free movie rentals!?

Hey guys! First of all I want to let you guys know that I am as sick as an owl right now. (Do owls get sick? Yes they sure do cuz I am as sick as one right now..) As I mentioned yesterday I caught a cold and now im miserable, sore throat, runny nose, sore body, the works. So if anything I write is incoherent, incorrect, or just plain idiotic please excuse me.

Last night I went to Redbox and rented a couple of movies, Fast Five and The Caller which I only rented because Stephen Moyer comes out which as all of you True Blood fans know is THE hottest, sexiest vampire, King Bill Compton *swoon*  Anywho, I haven't watched it yet thanks to this stupid cold, but I did watch Fast Five and here is what I thought:

Fast Five is definitely an action packed movie. Fast cars, explosions, money, guns, and most importantly muscles! Oh and who those muscles are attached to as well. Vin Diesel! Paul Walker! The Rock! OMG yes! I mean yea they're ok whatever... Ok ladies if your man wants to watch an action packed movie that is most def NOT a chick flick suggest this one! There's plenty to keep him entertained while you drool over these luscious hunks. Look, the movie was pretty good don't get me wrong I liked it for more than the muscles (and OH THE MUSCLES!) Ahem.. It was enough to keep me interested and I watched it till the end AND I would watch it again any day.

Paul Walker! I'll take him over Vin Diesel Any day! He's so gorgeous!

Muscle to muscle baby! Who would you pick???

I rate this movie a 7/10

Also starring in this movie are Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Jordana Brewster and Tyrese Gibson.

Ladies! This would make a great gift or stocking stuffer for your man for the holidays! Buy it now on Blu-Ray or DVD!

OK, because I am such a good person (No, really, I am... I am!... Ok I try to be...)  I am going to give you guys some codes to use at any Redbox wherever you live for a free one nite dvd rental! I use these codes all the time and I know for sure that they do work. I can assure you that I am in no way affiliated with Redbox, just lookin' to pass a good deal along to my readers.

The rules for these codes are: use one at a time. The free rental is for one night only, you must return the movie by the next day no later that 9 pm your time zone. Also, each code can be used one time with each card. So you if you have 3-4 cards you can keep re-using the codes. So without further ado, here they are:

Codes that can be used at any Redbox

DVDONME

REDBOX (FIRST TIME RENTAL ONLY)

BREAKROOM

Codes that can be used at Redbox locations at Walgreen's

WALGREENS

DVDATWAG

Code that can be used at Redbox locations at Sonic Drive-ins

DRIVEIN

Code that can be used at Redbox locations at McDonald's

DVDATMAC

Code that can be used at Redbox locations at HEB

REDBOXHEB

Code that can be used at Redbox locations at Kroger

DVDKROG

Code that can be used at Redbox locations at Wegman's

DVDATWEG


Thanks for reading and see you next time!


Oh and BTW I am starting a review in Squidoo for a "Hottest holidays gifts for guys for 2011 guide" Ill put a link to that when I finish it.

Peace!

Starbucks Buy One Get One Free deal, review, and gift ideas!

Hey peeps! So I wanted to write a not-so quick post to let you know that Starbucks (Yay!) has a great deal going on right now. Buy one get one free on any of their holiday drinks! You can pick any size and you can pick from Peppermint Mocha, Gingerbread Latte (Yum), Eggnog Latte, and Caramel Brulee Latte. If you're not into coffee the Peppermint Hot Chocolate qualifies too! This deal started on November 17, 2011 (I know, I know why didn't I tell you earlier??? For crying out loud I didn't find out until today ok!?) and it will end tomorrow November 20, 2011 so make sure you stop by today or tomorrow and take advantage of this fabulous (yes, I said  fabulous) deal! The special is only from 2 pm to 5 pm so don't miss that window of glorious caffeine opportunity!

So, what did I get you ask? I usually get a sugar free latte of some sort because I try not to eat sugar too often cuz it gives me allergies, I break out in fat you see... Sooooooo because I decided to splurge today and because i'm getting a cold (Thanks Lexa!) I went with a friend and got myself a Gingerbread Latte to try out for the first time. But wait! That is not all I got! I also got a Peppermint Brownie Cake Pop. OMG it was sooooooooooo good you guys! It was like the best chocolate peppermint thing-a-majig i've ever had in my mouth! According to Starbucks it is: a chocolate cake mixed with butter cream and candy cane pieces, dipped in white chocolate and sprinkled with candy cane bits. Holy cow, probably has a bazillion calories I didn't read that far, but it's the weekend and i'm getting sick so what the hey. It was rich chocolatey, and peppermint-y and just perfect for getting in the spirit of the holiday season. (FYI I am going to be making these cake pops myself later on and i'll post pictures and the recipe so you can recreate them at home and give as gifts or just eat them in a corner hiding from the world)

How was the Gingerbrad Latte you say M'dear??? Well on this blustery day of 81 degrees here in South Texas I decided to get a hot drink to keep me warm and toasty... Sike... Well I don't care if it's hot I so desperately want it to be cold but it never happens! So I  get hot drinks and wear mittens and scarves and get hot Starbucks drinks ok? No but seriously folks, It was very good, frothy, sweet (but not too sweet which is great) and a little spicy and tasted just like a gingerbread cookie )at least that's what I imagine a gingerbread cookie tasting like, i've never actually had one... blasphemy I know..)
It was topped with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Here are some pics to feast your eyes on:

Purdy red holiday cups!

                                    Mmmmmmmmm!

                             Peppermint Brownie Cake Pop

                                   Sweeeeeet!

I also want to mention that Starbucks came out with a Skinny Peppermint Mocha this year which is made with skim milk, sugar free mocha sauce and sugar free peppermint syrup. The tall is only 100 calories! Also if you do low carb order it breve and there you go perfect guilt free holiday drink! By the way I tried the Skinny Peppermint Mocha iced the other day and it was pretty good, I thought it needed more peppermint cuz I love peppermint but it was a really nice guilt free treat.

Also, (gosh do I EVER stop typing?? I try to make my posts short but I just can't! I have so much to say *sigh*) Here's some really good holiday gift ideas for any Starbucks fans on your shopping list



                             

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Midnight Show Review!!

So, for the record and so you can get to know who I am a little better. I'm a big Twilight Fan! Team Edward baby!

                                                     photo courtesy of: www.scifi.co.uk

Last night I went with my two (younger) sisters to the midnight premiere of Breaking Dawn. (We went to see the midnight premiere of Eclipse last year too.) We got the tickets a week in advance and got some of the last ones at 12:08 am. I was kinda disappointed thinking we were gonna be the last ones to get seated. Well lo and behold! (is that like, a real saying?? Is that even how you spell it?? Moving on..) We got there at about 8:30 pm and there were people waiting outside in three lines and there were also three lines inside. I walked up to one of the theater people and asked where was the line for our theater. Guess what she said! Guess! Theater 8 is already seating! What!? For reals bro!? (It was a girl, but yea) Mega score! We ran, ok walked rapidly to find good seats and sat at the very top. We munched on snacks we sneaked in (hey! don't look at me with that face, I know you've done it too! It was a long three and a half hours ok? Get off my case!) Ahem and we also played a few games on my sisters Ipad to pass the time.

FYI There might be a few spoilers so STOP reading NOW if you haven't seen the movie yet!!!

11.55 pm Previews started, some pretty interesting movies. Did you know Taylor Swift is gonna be the voice for a character in an animated Dr. Seuss film?? Well now you know! I know, I shoulda said spoiler alert... wait I did!

12:09 am Movie starts! Ok let me sum this up for you. It was amazing! Exciting, action packed, full of romance, beautiful wedding scenes, hawt honeymoon scenes *wink* (they weren't too racy, it is a PG 13 film after all whaddya expect??) lots of Jacob, the wolfpack, and we finally, finally get to see Renesmee!!! The birth scene was a little bloody but not too graphic. I have to say this was some of Kristen's best acting in the Twilight films. She was fantastic as a pregnant and very frail Bella. There wasn't a dull moment in the entire movie, it was very close to the book which I personally love because i'm a big fan of the books as well. (Can you say bookworm! Ok, on second thought don't say it) I'm gonna say the ending was the most exciting part of the movie. More exciting than watching THE hotness that is Edward Cullen, more exciting than watching Bella's gorgeous wedding dress, and more exciting than watching a blurry scene where Edward is biting through Bella's placenta to get Renesmee out (WOW THAT sounded sooooooo disturbing *shudders*) By the end of the movie Bella is healing because of Edward's venom that he personally injected into her heart with a big 'ole needle and subsequently(?) biting her all over (Lucky!) She is even looking BETTER than she did when she was human. All part of the beautifulness that is vampire venom. The scene then focuses on her closed eyes.................. wait for it..................... she opens her eyes..................... and they're red!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! End credits. Gaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! The most exciting part of the whole movie because we know that Bella successfully was changed to a vampire! I can't wait to see the second part of Breaking Dawn!!!

Ok, so for those of you that bolted as soon as the credits came on screen, my sisters and I stuck around for a bit and there was a scene with the Volturi receiving a notice from Carlisle saying he added a new member to his coven. You guessed it Renesmee Cullen! Well it turns out Aro says "They have something I want" So yea! there you a go a little tidbit of juicy Breaking Dawn info you might have missed if you ran to empty your bladder, catch a ride, or refill your limited edition Breaking Dawn cup!

I give this movie a score of 9.5/10  That is my personal, normal, Twilight lovin', human being opinion!

And in terms of the Twilight movies that have already come out I rank this second ONLY to the first Twilight, because come on, that's how this beautiful romance started.

If you went to the midnight premiere of Breaking Dawn, or have already watched it leave a comment below and tell me what you thought!

See you next time! Peace!

An introduction!

Howdy! (OMG did I really just say howdy??? Who says that?? Must be the Texas girl in me coming out ya'll)

I thought for my first post I'd write a little bit about my interests. I think that everyone has at least one common interest with every single person on this earth. Seriously, I do.
On this blog you will find posts about many different things, some you will like, some you won't but it's ok! Variety is the spice of life right?? IDK

So this is just a short list of things that interest me..

Coffee drinks, cell phones, singing in my car, dogs, Wikipedia, selling things, music, nail polish, ANYTHING having to do with Christmas, or Halloween, making lists, losing weight, reading recipes, writing recipes, taking pictures, making up nicknames, cake pops, Monster High dolls, collectibles, Lady Gaga, makeup!, writing songs, writing poems, writing grocery lists, (ok that last one not so much) nail design, reading, teaching, King of Queens, YouTube, romance, Edward, (Yes, THAT Edward) cupcakes, Texas, equality, parades, chocolate, Snape!!! (Any Harry Potter fans??) reviews, blogging, food, Starbucks, low carb, babies (except when they cry, or drool, or barf) crafts, glitter, technology, DIY, bling, working out, (I work oooooouuuutt get it?) gifts, candy, jewelry, The Big Bang Theory (the show not like evolution or whatever that's about...) sweet and salty, packaging things, movies at midnight, and sooooo much more . But for now that's a good start. I hope you found at least one thing we have in common, if you did stick around we'll get along great, and if you didn't stick around anyway, cuz well, cuz I SAID SO ok?? Please?? See you in my next post!