Got Ideas?

So it's been almost two months since I've made a post. I've been super busy working and going to school and my mind is exhausted...Put on your thinking caps! What are some ideas you guys have for some new posts??

Ice Cream Cone Cannoli

Thank God for Pinterest, I find all sorts of fun things and neat recipes to make. My latest that I just finished today: Ice Cream Cone Cannoli's! I call it the American Cannoli (Too lazy to make the real shell =P)

Thank God for Pinterest, I find all sorts of fun crafts and food recipes on there! I don't want to just Pin things and never do them! So I'm going to slowly do one at a time. I found these Ice Cream Cone Cannoli's, I call them American Cannoli's -- because we're too lazy to fry up the real things ;)

What you need:

• 24 oz whole milk ricotta
• 3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 12 count sugar cones (CONE's not cups or bowls)

1. Place your ricotta in a strainer lined with a cheese cloth or paper towel. Let it sit for a few hours, or overnight, squeezing to help release the liquid.
2. When the ricotta is strained, stir in your sifted powdered sugar and chocolate chips until combined thoroughly.
3. Place in a piping bag or zip-lock until ready to use.
4. Melt some chocolate chips for the cones and dip the cones in it, using a spoon to spread it evenly around the cone.
5. Dip the cone with melted chocolate into chocolate chips. (I placed them on a pizza sheet and then into the freezer after this so they'd harden and stay in place.)
6. When you're ready, just fill your cones with your filling and wallah!

makes enough cream for 12-14 cannoli

* Optional ~ you can add a few tablespoons of granulated sugar (I did to mine so it'd be a bit sweeter and I also added another 3/4 cup of powered sugar to thicken the ricotta!)

^ My Cannoli's :-)

The other photos are from Cookiesandcups.com

Two Posts In One Day!

I've been busy working just about 9 days in a row - phew. I finally had a breather today! So as an update, I bought a car last week! Wahoo! A Hyundai Santa Fe, SE! It's used, a 2008, but I love it! It's bigger than the Honda CR-V I initially wanted. However, it's MUCH more quiet on the road, I'd say like 80% more quiet... that's how noisy the CR-V was!... it has a V6 so it has a lot more power, has more room for storage, AC vents in the back row for the kiddos, 300 XM Radio channels, radio controls on the steering wheel and a cool blue lighted interior at night..and I just like the look of it over-all, better than the CR-V. I decided I didn't want the Hyundai Elantra because I needed an SUV for my job, and for the future of course! I'm okay with sacrificing 10 MPG over space and more comfort. I wanted a white one, but I ended up liking this one better, with the the darker interior. The exterior color I was not 100% in love with, but it's growing on me!! It's called "Sage" but during the day it's a blueish green, and at night it's a blueish gray, haha. Oh well, here's to my first car payment years, and owning my first "real" vehicle.

DIY Glass Accents

Thanks to Pinterest, I found this cool & fool proof, project! I like to be creative and crafty, but sometimes my crafts don't turn out so well and I give up...but this was super easy and fun to do! Oh, and it's CHEAP! Such great Christmas presents if you're in a scramble, and created from your own imagination and heart! So perfect! :) And they're practical and cute!

First, you need to get your choice of glass wear..I got these different shaped glasses at the dollar store!

Buy assorted rubber bands - also at the dollar store.

Then, you take your glasswear and you make whatever pattern you want from your rubber bands. You can do so many creative looks...and even add in lace or sticker letters for writing, whatever you can think of!! These were my first run so I just stuck to simply rubber bands.

You need this spray paint - Glass Frosting - it's the most expensive part, but $6.99 at Hobby Lobby, not too bad. Plus a 20% off coupon...so it's like $5.00.

Then you spray paint your glasswear...up and down, up and down.

Then you let them all dry...Oh and I found those tall ones at the .99 cent store...I thought the pink glass would be awesome to do!

And the top photos of the post are the finished projects. I put flowers in the tall vases and then tea light candles in the round glasses! :) The photo quality is bad, they look much cuter in real life! :)

Happy Do-It-Your-Self-Ing!!

So hard to choose!

I went to two different dealerships to "play the game" of buying a new car. Got close, but no cigar. So while I rejected both dealerships offers, I'm reconsidering if I even would want an SUV right now. The Honda CRV is nice and practical, but it's not the most luxurious small SUV out there... especially for the money they want. I wanted a SUV because I wanted more room for my lifestyle, but when I think about it - I nanny 3 girls, and we all fit fine in my current 2000 Nissan Altima (even when Cooper's car-seat is in the middle of their car-seats in the back! With the nice trunk room, strollers fit fine, backpacks can be thrown in there, and also instruments (K plays the violin) and we have no problem finding room to be comfortable. I am not planning on having a family of my own soon, but even if I did, I'd be fine with having a car and saving gas money! If I were to get a car I think I'd go with the 2012 Hyundai Elantra. I love the way it looks similar to a BMW or Mercedes...and they start at only $16,500. If you want an automatic transmission, of course (I need one) you're going to be adding $1,000+ so I'll round it up to $18,000 total (and that's where you get to haggle the sales people to lower it as much as they will). It gets 40 mpg Highway and 29 City...which is awesome and way more than my car gets now, and I only fill up (usually) twice a month, averaging around $100 for gas, so I'd be saving that way as well. So stressful making up decisions but I plan on test driving this car soon to make up my mind.

Black or White, Black or White, Black or White?

Ok I need your opinions! I'm going to get a new car (hopefully within the month)...
A 2011 Honda CRV (also hoping I will be able to get this). But I am having trouble choosing a color! I've always wanted a black car. Black is my favorite color (even though, technically, it's the absence of color..but that doesn't matter) and I love the way it looks, but now I'm thinking that a white one looks better? And definitely going for a grey interior, because heck, I nanny 3 kids and stains are bound to happen and are less noticeable on grey than on nice tan seats. So....HELP. What color do you like? Black or White?

I love me some Caramel Apples!

I was browsing around on other blogs and I found this - I absolutely HAVE to do this, it seems super easy! I LOVE caramel apples! :)

Inside Out Caramel Apples

3 large Granny Smith apples

1 large lemon (or lemon juice)

2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tbs butter

2 tbs light corn syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Chocolate sauce (optional)

Cut your apples in half and use a melon baller to scoop out the insides, leaving the walls intact at about 1/2 to 1/4 inch thickness.

Squeeze the juice from the lemon onto the apples and allow to set. This will keep them from turning brown right away.

In a sauce pan over high heat, add the brown sugar, butter, heavy cream and corn syrup. Stir until the brown sugar has dissolved. Then leave it to boil, untouched (don’t stir), until it reaches 230 degrees, about 7-10 minutes. Remove from heat and add the vanilla, stir until it stops bubbling. Allow to cool for about 10-15 minutes.

Using a paper towel, wipe your apples down, removing the lemon juice as much as possible. If the inside of your apple is too wet, the caramel wont stick.

Pour the caramel into the hollowed out apples until just below the top.

Sprinkle with pecans if you desire.

Chill in the refrigerator until the caramel has set, about 20 minutes.

Cut into slices and drizzle with chocolate sauce if desired.

The caramel in this post is easy to make, but it does have a bit of a maple flavor and isn’t a traditional caramel. The reason I used this, instead of a more traditional caramel, is because it’s so easy to make. Traditional caramel burns easy and has a small amber window of doneness before it’s ruined.

But you have other options, if you want to make these.

You can use a more traditional caramel, like easy melts from the store. But it makes the apples more tricky to cut when cooled.

If you buy caramel sauce or use the meltables, make sure it is really firm at room temperature or it will just run all over the place once you cut the apples into slices.