DIY Wednesday

I just love this. It is so elegant, simple, and pretty. The colors are perfect too!


DIY Fabric Flower Garland

Triple Chocolate Boomchunkas

This afternoon I tackled my first October cookie recipe. I know, it's still September...but I have quite a few recipes, and today seemed like a good day to get started. I decided to make the most unique recipe from my selection. Triple Chocolate Boomchunkas. A combination of rich chocolate, cinnamon, dried cherries, oats, and pecans, Boomchunkas make for an unique treat. These cookies closely resemble a brownie, and the cinnamon adds a smoky hint that reminds me of Mexican hot chocolate. The cherries plump up during the baking process and reminded me of the flavor of cherry pie. I'm not sure that I'd add the cherries if I made these again- I don't know that they compliment well the other ingredients. But the cookies themselves are very yummy!

Triple Chocolate Boomchunkas

Adapted from Baking: From My Home To Yours by Dorie Greenspan

• 2 sticks of butter
• 9 ounces bittersweet chocolate
• 2 eggs
• ¾ cup white sugar
• ¾ cup dark brown sugar
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup cocoa
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ cup old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
• 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
• 1 cup dried cherries

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with parchment or use a silicone mat.

Place the butter and bittersweet chocolate chunks into a medium sized microwave-safe bowl and microwave on level 7 for 2 minutes. Remove the bowl from the microwave and stir the butter and chocolate until they emulsify and come together. Add the brown and white sugars and stir well to combine. Add the eggs and stir well to combine.

Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add the butter/chocolate mixture to this and stir well to combine. Add the semisweet chocolate morsels, pecans, oats, and cherries. Stir to combine.
Using an ice cream scoop place 6 mounds of dough on the prepared cookie sheet. Each mound should have about 1/3 cup of dough. Using the palm of your hand flatten the mounds out so that they are about 1/2” to ¾” thick and a circle shape. Bake for about 12 minutes in convection oven, 15 minutes in a standard oven. Adjust cook times for your own oven.

*Quick note- the batter will be very sticky and wet before you add the oats, pecans, cherries, and chocolate chips- but it all works out in the end!

Thanks to the folks over at What Geeks Eat for this great recipe!

I've been busy on Etsy...

Etsy "Treasuries" are collections of similar handmade items from different Etsy sellers. It has been so fun finding these unique and creative items! You can look at my Etsy Treasuries here.

October is Cookie Month

Yes. It is true. October is cookie month and I am ready to test out some new cookie recipes and share them with you!

Here's what's coming your way:

Maple Pecan Sticky Bars (Come on, even the name is delicious!)


Peanut Butter and Fudge Brownies with Salted Peanuts (Oh. my.)

Triple Chocolate Boomchunkas (Love the name!)

Best Rolled Sugar Cookies (I've made these several times. I usually wouldn't choose a sugar cookie over something chocolate. But these are amazing.)


I got this fun recipe from one my my readers. Can't wait to try it out:

Homemade Oreos (So fun! I'm hoping to find a good substitute for the veg shortening though- not too big on that...any ideas folks?)

Hope I have a chance to try all these out- it'll only happen if my mom lets me. She might not want all these goodies sitting around the house... ;) Do you have a favorite cookie recipe you'd like to share? If so, send it to my idea box (madeline.oopsydaisy@gmail.com), and I'll be sure to post it sometime during the month of October. Looking forward to your recipes!

Three Little Pigs Birthday Party

This sweet little piggy 4x6 art print was created by corid at Etsy.com.

So, here's a theme that's a bit unique. I was thinking about how sweet and charming fairy tales are...and what an adorable birthday party for a baby girl this might make. I just have to share my ideas with you!

Invitations:

Create these fun invites using the template from this site.

Decorations:

• Decorate using three of these jumbo foil pig balloons from Amazon.
• Paint three large recycled cardboard boxes to look like the three little pigs' houses- one of straw, one of sticks, and one of bricks. If you'd like, cut doors and windows in the houses so that your guests can play in them.
  
• Using a stamp, make wolf tracks across your tablecloth.
• Pink balloons, streamers, etc.
• Make pig party hats as instructed on this website.
  

Activities:

• Make mini houses from straw, sticks, stones, and any other natural elements you can find in your yard. You can also use buttons, toothpicks, etc. Let your guests be creative!

You can find instructions for this easy-to-make pig puppet at marthastewart.com.

• Make pig and wolf paper bag puppets and let your guests act out the story.
  
• Read The Three Little Pigs aloud.
  
• Play "Pig, Pig, Wolf" like "Duck, Duck, Goose"
• Play "Wolves and Pigs," similar to "Sharks and Minnows"

Refreshments:


Pigs love mud- so why not feed it to your guests?! Treat them to these yummy-looking Mini Italian Mud Pies, courtesy of Rachael Ray. (To make them more kid-friendly, use chocolate ice cream instead of coffee, and omit the espresso bean garnish.)

Serve your guests "straw," "sticks," and "bricks," using cheese straws or Golden Oreo straws for straw, pretzels sticks or Pixie Sticks for sticks, and wafer cookies for bricks.

Make these festive piggy cake pops as instructed on Bakerella.

Decorate a sheet cake with three decorated Rice Crispie Treat "houses," made to look like a house of sticks, a house of straw, and a house of bricks. Or...



Make this easy pig cake from Family Fun.


Favors:

• Purchase inexpensive pink headbands and attach pink felt ears with hot glue for pig ear headbands.
• The sweet, vintage Three Little Pigs Goldenbook can be purchased inexpensively at Walmart- send each guest home with a copy!

• Make these cute pig cupcakes from Taste of Home, place in a cellophane bag, and tie with pink ribbon.
  

I also found some sweet little Etsy goodies for your viewing enjoyment...

Three Little Pigs and Big Bad Wolf Finger Puppets

Three Pigs Pigtail Set

Three Pigs Cake Shop Skirt (Love it!)

This Little Piggy Hairclip

I want to go to this place. Now.

Yesterday, I was flipping through the pages of my Every Day with Rachael Ray mag (which was full of fabulous ideas- if you don't have a subscription, pick up the October 2010 issue when you get a chance!) when I stumbled upon what was, for me, one of the most mouthwatering pages in the magazine. Four frosty milkshake glasses were filled with the most amazing looking ice cream treats from restaurants all over the country.

Most impressive of all was the Fluffernutter Shake "an homage to the sweet schoolyard sandwich (peanut butter and marshmallow fluff)." This yummy drink can be found at...get this...Peanut Butter & Co. in New York. I'm a little bummed right now that I don't live in NY, because I want to go there so bad.

You can also get the Peanut Butter & Co. PB in Squeeze Packs for lunches on the go (or just a fun treat!).

On their menu are unique peanut butter flavors such as Dark Chocolate Dreams (tried it- delish!), Cinnamon Raisin Swirl, and even The Heat Is On, a mixture flavored with "fiery spices." You can shop in their online store for peanut butter, baking mixes, jellies, and more. If you don't want to shop online, you can check on their store locater for a store near you. Or, you could always make a quick trip to NYC...If you do decide to go, you'll find an old school, homey diner with peanut butter sandwiches "just like mom used to make," inluding the Elvis- peanut butter, bananas, bacon, and honey, grilled to perfection and served with carrot sticks and potato chips. Yes, I definitely want to go!