Valentine's Heart Cookies (and baking with kids)

I haven't told you this yet here at four thirty four, but I make my living as a part time nanny for 3 kids. I love the job so much, they are like my second family. I am always looking for fun new things to do with the kids. They love to bake almost as much as I do (how lucky is that!?) so most holidays we make sugar cookies. Baking with 3 kids is crazy, but making the mess is half the fun. You know there will be flour on the floor, frosting in at least one person's hair, sticky handprints everywhere, and sprinkles all over the counter. But it's ok because you also know you will be making memories and having lots of fun. 

This recipe is really easy, it is my go-to sugar cookie recipe.

(Sorry for the picture quality in this post, I didn't bring my nikon to work, so they're just camera phone pics.)

Cream together 3/4 cup softened butter and 1 cup of sugar in an electric mixer. Beat on high until light and fluffy (2 minutes or so). Add in 2 eggs, 1 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract and 1/8 tsp of almond extract. I like to add a tiny bit of almond extract to all my vanilla baked goods (I do it in my blueberry muffins, too!). I feel like it adds another layer of flavor without being overpoweringly almond-ey. 

Refrigerate for at least an hour. Roll out on a heavily floured surface. Let somebody with cute pudgy hands help you roll it out (optional). 

Cut the cookies out (I let the kids do this all on their own, they love it!) and bake at 400 F for 6-8 minutes. Let them get very slightly golden, and take them out before you think you need to. This will result in a nice soft cookie. Let them cool. Make the frosting while they are cooling. 

For the frosting, cream 2 sticks of butter with 1/4 cup of milk and 2 tsp vanilla extract. I always use clear vanilla in my frosting because it doesn't color the frosting at all, and I like how it tastes better. Let somebody small decide how much food coloring to put in (optional). End up with extremely pink frosting (again, optional). One cup at a time, add in the powdered sugar and mix on low. Beat the frosting on high for 3-5 minutes to get it light and fluffy. 

Frost the cookies and decorate with sprinkles.

 Let those cute pudgy hands help with this, too. Don't get mad when they eat the frosting and the sprinkles off the cookies. Their pudgy little hands look cute covered in pink frosting, as does their tiny face.

 Somebody ate some frosting off of this cookie. Oops!

Bake something with somebody that you love this Valentine's day (big or small- the mess is worth it!) 

How to Make the Best Rice Krispy Treats EVER!

I recently saw a pin on pinterest that said using marshmallow cream instead of marshmallows will result in the most ooey gooey wonderful delicious Rice Krispy treats you've ever tasted! I had to know it was true, so I tested it out. I got the ingredients for regular Rice Krispy treats, and the ingredients for the "new-and-improved" version. 

First I made the regular Rice Krispy treats. I just used the recipe on the back of the box. They were yummy (because, Rice Krispy treats are delicious). When I was done, I made a batch of the new and improved version. They were really good, but they didn't hold together very well. I had my husband do a blind taste test, he said the original recipe was good, but the marshmallow cream version melted in your mouth. He could tell right away which one was classic and which was marshmallow cream. The pan of the marshmallow cream version was gone first, so they were obviously a success. But I knew they could be improved. I made a few more batches, and figured out....

 The Five Secrets to a Perfect Rice Krispy Treat. 

1.) Use half marshmallows and half marshmallow cream. 

This way, you get the melt-in-your-mouth quality of the marshmallow cream, but it still holds together like the original version.

2.) Use fresh marshmallows. 

This is not the time for the old, half eaten bag in the back of your pantry (save those ones for hot chocolate.) The fresh marshmallows are softer and will therefore make a softer treat. 

3.) MORE BUTTER!

 (this is basically the solution to all your cooking problems, ever.) 

4.) Don't use the microwave. 

It is too easy to overcook the marshmallow mixture this way, which results in hard, stringy treats. Don't do it. Stovetop is the way to go. 

5.) Thoroughly butter the pan. 

Rub softened butter all around in your 9X13 before you pour in your rice crispy mixture. Don't use non-stick spray. Butter is always better (see rule #3) 

Want my recipe? (you know you do!)

First butter your 9X13 baking dish with 1-2 TB of softened butter.  I use my hands because butter is an excellent moisturizer (probably) and I just find it easier that way. I wash them first, OK? 

In a saucepan, melt a stick of butter, a 7 oz container of marshmallow cream, and 3 cups of mini marshmallows. When they are soft and the marshmallows are almost completely melted (a few lumps is OK, you don't want to cook it too long), remove it from the heat and add your rice crispy treats. I just add them all at once, then gently stir together. Pour into the 9X13 and press down with buttered hands (again, because it's easiest, and also the moisturizer thing.) 

Let them cool, then cut into squares. 

Click for a    PRINTABLE RECIPE 

Hope you enjoyed this post, and use these tips next time you make rice crispy treats. You won't regret it! 

Sharpie Mugs that WON'T wash away

For Christmas this year, I received a lovely gift. There were 2 mugs, with mine and my husband's name beautifully written on them, and some hot chocolate. I could tell my aunt used a sharpie to write our names on them, and then baked them, (as is a popularly found on Pinterest.) I loved the mugs, and immediately used mine for some tasty hot cocoa. I put it in the dishwasher, and when I took it out, the design was completely gone! GASP! I was sad that she put all that effort in, and it just got washed down the drain. So I did some research, and found that OIL based is the key to getting a mug design with staying power. I bought 2 oil based sharpie paint pens and some sticker letters at the craft store, and got down to business. 

I am a lousy artist, so I used the sticker letters to guide me. I stuck them on the cups (an A for mine and a T for the husband's)

 Then made dots all around the letter, so that when I peeled it off, the outline of the letter would be visible. 

After I peeled off the sticker letter, I put the mugs in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, then let them cool completely before taking them out. 

I have put these mugs through the dishwasher 3 times, and the design hasn't faded at all, so I'm hopeful that it will last. I just love how they turned out! 

French Onion Dip

(Also known as "What I Did With All Those Diced Onions) 

This onion dip is so absolutely divine. It has so much more flavor than what you can get from the packets, but it not much more difficult. I will never buy a packet of onion dip ever again. Really. I love being able to make things that are usually full of preservatives and sodium, (and other weird stuff.) at home with real food! It seems like it always tastes better without all that stuff anyway. (Who needs disodium guanylate anyway?)  Only 5 ingredients required for life changing deliciousness. Who's with me? 

First, dice your onions.  

(Hey, wanna know how to do it without crying like you're watching the beginning sequence of Up? Read this post!!) 

Then, caramelize them in some butter. I used a combo of butter and olive oil. Make sure you cook them low & slow, so they will be sweet and delicious. It took me about 30-45 minutes over medium low (on the low side) heat. 

Mix together the cream cheese, mayo, salt, pepper, and cayenne with an electric mixer. I added a few dashes of cayenne because I like the spice, but go light on it if you don't. Please don't leave it out, even if you just add a teeeeeeeensy bit. You won't notice the spice, it will just be another delicious layer of flavor. Beat it for a minute or two on a high speed to get out the lumps. 

Let the onions cool a bit, then add them to the cream cheese mixture. Mix together and enjoy with potato chips. I like the kettle cooked kind, because they are stronger (so youcan get more dip on them) and also really delicious.

I love this stuff. Hope you enjoy it! (I may or may not have eaten only onion dip for lunch yesterday.)

Here's a printer friendly version!

I made some soap!

I have been wanting to try my hand at making homemade soap for years, but never got around to it. I finally decided to bite the bullet and head to the craft store soap aisle. I came home with a 2 pound brick of goat's milk melt and pour soap, some fragrances, and a heart shaped silicon mold (I think it's supposed to be for baked goods, but it worked perfectly!).  I just used melt and pour soap, because I am not skilled enough to start from scratch. Maybe someday. I couldn't decide what kind to make, so, obviously, I made 6 different varieties. I didn't want to make a whole batch of soap and decide I didn't like the fragrance. One bar of each scent is way less commitment.

The neat thing about melt and pour soap is that it's just that... you melt it, add your chosen mix ins, then pour in a mold. 

All of the fragrances were so nice. The cinnamon oatmeal smells like a yummy cookie, the vanilla latte is the perfect kitchen soap, and the lavender and the sweet orange are great natural fragrance choices. I love oatmeal as a mix in because it is slightly exfoliating and it makes the soap super pretty and natural looking. If you are making more than one variety like I did, make sure to get everything all ready to go before you melt the soap. You don't have a lot of time until it starts to set up. 


I melted the soap according to the package directions. I used 12 oz (2oz per bar). I could've used more, it was about halfway up the sides of the silicon mold, but I wanted to do small bars for my first time. I got 6 paper cups (don't use plastic because you might need to microwave them if you don't work fast enough and the soap hardens a bit) and poured 2oz into each one.Then poured each one into the mold.Wait for it to harden, then pop out and use.



Then I added the mix-ins to each one:
Lavender mix ins: few drops of purple coloring, 10 drops of lavender essential oil, and a large sprinkle of dried lavender buds (which I got in the spice section of Target). 

Vanilla Latte mix ins: a few drops of vanilla soap fragrance, a tablespoon of ground coffee. 

Sweet Orange mix ins: 10 drops of sweet orange essential oil and a few citrus scented soap petals. 

Cinnamon Oatmeal mix ins: dash of cinnamon, a few drops of vanilla soap fragrance, and about a tablespoon of ground oatmeal (I ground a few tablespoons of oats in my blender until it was a fine powder. I thought you needed a fancy blender for this, but my cheap, crappy blender did just fine) 

Almond Honey Oatmeal mix ins: I added about a tablespoon of ground oatmeal and a few drops of almond honey soap fragrance. 

Almond Poppyseed: the same as the almond honey oatmeal except I added poppy seeds instead of ground oatmeal. 





The heart shape makes it perfect for Valentine's gifts. I know I'm not a soap expert, so if I can do it, you can do it. Try making some soap!