Cutest Ever Party Idea!

How cute is this RAINBOW party from Homemade by Jill??  She's sooo clever!  What an easy and darling theme for a party.  I love it!  You can see individual posts about most of the party ideas if you go to her site.  The post about the finished product - is here.  There are so many different things you could do with the Rainbow theme.  I think I see a multi-colored birthday party in my future...  Maybe Hailey's 5th b-day!! ;)

"Shower Food"

This is one of my MOST FAVORITE chicken salad recipes.  My grandma made it often & I LOVED it every time.  My grandma made the most delicious food.  Her food was always simple and yummy.  Anyways, I could eat this salad for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Really!  I could!!  My husband thinks it's strange to have fruit, veggies, pasta, etc. in one dish - and he lovingly (*wink *wink)  refers to this salad as "shower food" cause I make it a lot for bridal and baby showers.  He thinks it's only a food girls would like.  He's weird!  Serve the salad with warm, homemade rolls and jam, a glass of lemon water and a sugar cookie and you've got yourself a perfect menu for any "GIRL" gathering...

Here's the recipe:

I got it from my grandma, OraLee,  who received it from a dear friend, Helen Bauer.

Chicken Salad
Boil 8 chicken breasts with salt, pepper, onion, covered well with water.  Cook for 1-2 hours until chicken is well done.  Remove chicken from broth, cool, remove skin and bones, and cut chicken into bite sized pieces.  Cook 4 cups raw bow-shaped pasta in boiling salted water for about 12 minutes.  Drain, rinse in cold water and cool.  Makes 4 cups cooked pasta.  DO NOT OVERCOOK!

Put in large bowl:
8 cups cut up chicken
4 cups bow-shaped pasta
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 Tbsp chopped green onion
2 8 oz. bottles Kraft Cole Slaw Dressing
2 cups mayonnaise (Best Foods)
2 dashes thyme
2 pinches ginger

Stir the above carefully so pasta will not be broken, refrigerate overnight.

Before serving add:
2 cups diced celery
4 cups unpeeled diced apples
1 1/2 cups slivered almonds
4 cups red grape halves
2 20 oz. cans Dole pineapple tidbits, drained.

Stir together carefully, and serve on lettuce leaf.  Makes 24 cups of Salad.
Will serve 32 servings 3/4 cups each.

(I usually always make half the recipe, and I always use boneless skinless chicken breasts...)

Printing Time...

Get your printer warmed up!!  Look at these cute cute FREE printables I found around blog-world!  So fun!  Gotta learn how to use print-shop or whatever type of program you use to make fun stuff like this...

LUNCH BOX LOVE NOTES from Eighteen25

TEACHER CALCULATION NOTES also from Eighteen25

BEACH BAG NAME TAGS from Little Birdie Secrets

GOOD DEED PUNCH CARDS from Eighteen25 again

LOVE AT HOME subway art from Brown Paper Packages

(LOTS of color combos to choose from!)

For the FREE downloads of each of these printables, click on the link above each printable.  That will take you to each blog site where you can get directions and see more pictures of how each printable was used.  The calculator printable from Eighteen25 was tied to a jumbo red calculator - sooo cute!  The beach bag name tags turn out really cute too.  Click on the link to see how they turn out!  Also, I haven't quite figured out how to download the Love At Home printable.  I want to frame one for my mantle, but haven't figured it out yet - so if anyone tries and gets it, leave a comment and let me know how it works! 

HAPPY PRINTING...

Another Peanut Butter & Chocolate Recipe...

So yesterday I posted about the most delicious PB & Chocolate cupcakes, and then today when I checked Our Best Bites, they had a PB & Chocolate Bar/Cookie recipe that looks like it might be to die for...  I personally would make it with CREAMY peanut butter, but it looks delicious either way.  YUM!  Now I have 2 desserts I would like to make over the next couple of days.  Sounds like a l-o-n-g run is in my near future if I'm going to keep making & eating desserts like these!

Chocolate-Frosted Peanut Butter Bars

(BY OUR BEST BITES)

Cookie Base
1 cup real butter (2 sticks) at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups brown sugar

1  1/2 cups peanut butter (chunky or smooth)

3 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoons table salt

3 cups all purpose flour

3 cups quick oats

Fudge Frosting
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a rimmed cookie sheet (standard half-sheet pan) lightly with non-stick spray and set aside.

Cream butter and sugars for 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy.  Add  peanut butter and vanilla and beat until combined.  Add eggs, one at a time and beat between each addition. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt and add mixture to dough.  Beat to combine.  Add oats and mix until incorporated.  Press dough into prepared pan into a flat layer.  Bake for about 10-12 minutes.  The center should be puffed and set, but still soft.

While crust is baking, prepare frosting.  Whisk together powdered sugar, cocoa powder and salt.  Add butter (make sure it’s soft!), boiling water, and vanilla.  Beat until smooth and glossy.

When cookie crust is done baking, if desired drizzle about 3/4 cups melted (just nuke it in the microwave) peanut butter on top and then spread on frosting.  Let cool (or leave slightly warm) and cut into squares to serve.  If also desired (and what’s not to be desired here?) serve with vanilla ice cream and hot fudge.  Moan while eating.

PB and CHOCOLATE!

I can't think of a better combination than Peanut Butter and Chocolate...  It's my FAVE!  I could eat peanut butter and chocolate in ANY combination ANY time of the day.  I am totally in love with these mini-miniature Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.  Have you tried them?  They are tiny!!  But the chocolate to peanut butter ratio is perfect.  I love anything bite-size!  Especially these:

Well, the other day my friend made me these DELICIOUS peanut butter/chocolate cupcakes! 

They were so yummy.  The peanut butter frosting was not too overwhelming - it was perfect.  And then there was a peanut butter surprise in the middle of the chocolate cupcake.  They were heavenly!  Thanks Amanda!  So, she sent me the recipe & I would like to share it with you.  The recipe came from Annie's Eats.  You won't be disappointed if you are a chocolate peanut butter fan...

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
Ingredients:
For the filling:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
¾ cup creamy peanut butter
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ tsp. vanilla extract

For the cake:
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 cup sour cream
2 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cups sugar
2 large eggs

For the frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
½ cup creamy peanut butter
3¼ cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.

To make the filling, combine the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, butter and vanilla extract in a bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined. Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls (at least 24) and set aside on a baking sheet.

To make the cake batter, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; whisk together and set aside. In a liquid measuring cup, stir together the sour cream, milk and vanilla extract. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar, and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and the sour cream mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix just until incorporated.

Spoon a tablespoon or two of batter into the bottom of each cupcake liner. Place a ball of the peanut butter filling in each cupcake well and top with the remaining batter so that all the cups are filled. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, butter and peanut butter until smooth. Slowly mix in the confectioners' sugar, beating until smooth and well blended. Mix in the whipped topping until smooth and fluffy. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired.


I will be making these cupcakes in the next little while, maybe even today, and when I do I will take some pictures for you.  They are so yummy! 

Fonts...

I'm sure everyone already knows about the great FREE font website, Kevin and Amanda, but if you haven't, you need to go check it out.  It's a great place to download the cutest, free fonts!  Some of my favorite fonts from their site are: 

And as mentioned above, they're FREE.  There are hundreds of free fonts - including hand written fonts.  You, yes YOU, can submit your handwriting & Kevin and Amanda will turn it into a font!  SO awesome.

Check all their fonts out and download a few for yourself. 

P.S.  They have a recipe site as well...  I've heard it's good!

P.S. Our Best Bites Giveaway...

If you go over to Our Best Bites, they are doing a huge giveaway to celebrate reaching 30,000 facebook fans...  They are giving away a swim suit from Lime Ricki (super cute), Kitchenaid mixer, $100 gift card to Target, Cuisinart ice cream & sorbet machine, their cookbooks, and lots of other cool things.  You just have to be a facebook fan and then leave comments on their giveaway post.  There's instructions on their site - go check it out!  I think it ends on Sunday.  GO, FIGHT, WIN!!