(Don't make this in a rush - Even though it may seem easy, I totally forgot the Confectioners Sugar - and well, it tasted like a whole lot of Cream Cheese! LOL)

• Prep/Total Time: 15 min.
• Yield: 16 Servings

1515

Ingredients

• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup (6 ounces) miniature semisweet chocolate chips
• Graham cracker sticks

Directions

• In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugars and vanilla; beat until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. Serve with graham cracker sticks. Yield: 2 cups.

Easter Bunny Bait

Bunny Bait

1 bag popcorn, popped (I used Tender White)
6 oz. white chocolate candy coating
1 bag Easter M&Ms
pretzel sticks, broken into small pieces
colorful sprinkles, if desired

Place the popped popcorn in a large bowl with the broken up pretzels and M&Ms. Heat the candy coating in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each time, until melted and smooth.

Drizzle the candy coating over the popcorn mixture and stir to coat. The pretzels and M&Ms will sink to the bottom, so make sure to get those stirred in and coated with the rest of the popcorn.

Spread out on a large piece of wax paper, top with a few sprinkles (if desired) and let cool. Break into pieces and serve in a large bowl.

I substituted White Frosting (the squeezable kind) for the White chocolate candy coating (because I couldn't find the darn stuff - ANYWHERE) and it came out PERFECTLY!

My kids (8 and almost 4) were VERY helpful in making this.  They broke off the pretzels, my son loved throwing those in as I mixed the goopy mixture (warning: MESSY) and the kids absolutely LOVED IT!

This recipe - I RECOMMEND.  This will be one we make every Easter from now on...our new family tradition!

TIP: Make sure ALL Kernels are gone ... It makes for a painful for surprise - - for your TEETH!

ROCK Hard Rice Krispies (Cake Batter Rice Krispies)

I'm suuuuuuuuuuure I just overcooked my rice Krispies, because the ones on Pinterest look DELICIOUS - so I'm uploading the recipe and I'll give it another go when I'm not so overwhelmed.  I was working on a main meal, dessert, doing HW with Alex and cleaning, so I bit off more than I could chew, literally. haha

So....Here's the RIGHT way to make it.

Cake Batter Rice Krispies Recipe(From How Sweet Eats)

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp. butter
• 1 (10 oz.) bag of mini-marshmallows
• 1/4 cup yellow cake mix (the dry cake mix, not prepared into a batter!)
• 6 cups crispy rice cereal
• 1 (1.75 oz.) container of sprinkles

Method:

Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat and add marshmallows. Stir until they begin to melt, adding in (dry) cake mix one spoonful at a time so its combined. Stir in cereal so it is completely coated with marshmallow mixture. Sprinkle in half of the sprinkles and mix. Press into a baking dish (any size will do) and top with remaining sprinkles. Let sit for about 30 minutes before cutting. I find spraying a knife with nonstick spray helps to cut them.

Ali’s Tip:

I actually increased the cake batter to 1/3 cup for my recipe to give it a little extra cake batter kick (the 1/4 cup seemed just a little too subtle to me), but add as much in as you like!

***Note: Many readers have asked what to do with the remaining cake mix.  If you would like to use it to whip up a batch of cake mix cookies, just measure out 6 oz. of the remaining cake mix, and combine it with 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil, and 1 egg.  Stir until mixed.  Then form into cookie dough balls, and bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.***

***Alicia Note*** I will say...the above paragraph about what to do with the leftover cake batter was GENIUS and they came out soooo good! So I'm definitely making those again!

Okay...Here's Mine :S

 ROFL

Not pretty!  But if they weren't wayyy overcooked, they would have been fine.   When you add the marshmallows - stir constantly and take off the burner as soon as its mixed with the cereal!

A learning experience, and this is round 1...round 2 will be better, I'm determined!

Blue Velvet Cupcakes

Blue Velvet Cupcakes

I'm making these for my son, Alex's school carnival.  The school Mascot is the Panther and their colors are blue and white.  I found these amazing cupcakes on Pinterest!  P.S.  Pinterest is an amazing site (Mostly for women - in my opinion) where you can find recipes, home decor, clothing, craft ideas, etc, and pin them to boards (categories) that allow you a really visually pleasing way of keeping track of all of your favorite things.  I've found so many great recipe ideas that I can't WAIT to try so I will post them on my blog as I complete them.  I've started a Mommy + Kids blog where the kiddos will be helping me with the recipe.  These cupcakes are pretty complicated (For me anyways) so the kids were left out of this one, but if it goes well I will definitely make it again with their help!

Well, here goes nothing, wish me luck!

I'll be back with the step by step instructions and my thoughts on how the recipe went and if I will be making them again! (Pics included!!)

And I'm BACK!

The recipe was so much fun, but unfortunately I cooked this late and was too tired to make the homemade frosting and finally gave up and used the can frosting.... The color was not at all what I wanted, but the taste was WONDERFUL...Definitely cream cheesy so if you aren't a fan, these wouldn't be for you.  They came out really good and Alex had a blast showing them off at his school carnival.   Fun was had by all and the experience was well worth it.

Here's step by step instructions and the way it should turn out, and the bottom pics are mine.  I didn't have violet food coloring so I mixed red & blue but I think I was too heavy on the red and didn't get the deep blue color I wanted.

Still, great fun

4/5 on fun and 4/5 on taste!

A new twist on a Southern favorite! Blue Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare cupcake pan(s) with paper liners.

Cake:
In a mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter, mix until light and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time and mix well after each addition. Mix cocoa and food coloring together to form a paste, and then add to sugar mixture; mix well. Sift together flour and salt. Add flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Blend in vanilla. In a small bowl, combine baking soda and vinegar and add to mixture.

Pour batter into cupcake papers. Batter will be thick! Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

Frosting:
In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy. Frost the cupcakes with a butter knife or pipe it on with a big star tip. Embellish as desired.

Cupcakes will be moist, and slightly dense. Exactly what you would expect from a Red Velvet Cake- gone BLUE!

Note: You can also use 1 tablespoon of Wilton royal blue food coloring gel in place of the liquid.

Ingredients

• FOR CAKE:
• 2 cups Sugar
• 2 sticks Butter, Room Temperature
• 2 whole Eggs
• 1-½ Tablespoon Liquid Blue Food Coloring
• 1 Tablespoon Cocoa Powder
• 1 drop Violet Gel Food Coloring (optional)
• 2-½ cups Cake Flour
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 cup Buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• ½ teaspoons Baking Soda
• 1 Tablespoon White Vinegar
• _____
• FOR FROSTING:
• 1 pound Cream Cheese, softened
• 2 sticks Butter, Softened
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 4 cups Sifted Confectioners Sugar

(This isn't the prettiest picture out on the web though, the one I wanted wouldn't let me save)

AND MINE.........

Lighter blue... but still TASTY!