Peanut Butter Parfait

I saw this on the cover of a Paula magazine and decided I had to try it. As anyone who ever reads this blog knows, I LOVE chocolate and peanut butter. It is just an amazing combination. This is a nice creamy dessert, but it's a little rich, but so worth it!

Peanut Butter Parfait

2 cups cold fat-free milk

1 (3.9 ounce) box instant chocolate-flavored pudding mix

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 (8 ounce) container cool whip, thawed

1 cup chopped peanuts

1/2  package Nutter Butter cookies-crumbled

In a medium bowl, combine milk and pudding mix;  beat at medium speed with an electric mixer for 2 minutes. Set aside.  In a medium bowl, combine peanut butter and powdered sugar;  beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.  Add cream cheese, beating until smooth.  Fold in the cool whip, mixing to combine.  In serving glasses, layer pudding, peanuts, peanut butter mixture and crumbled cookies, as desired.  Garnish with cookies and chopped peanuts.  Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Turkey Shirt

Okay, it's been a long while since I've posted anything, and especially anything sewing. I really have baked stuff and I have several things ready to go up, but it has been crazy around here. Anyway, we had playgroup at my house this week and I was complaining how I never have time to sew anymore. One of my friends told me that her friend made a turkey shirt for one of her kids. She kind of described it to me and this is what I came up with:

I think it turned out pretty dang cute! I cut out feathers from 4 different fabrics and used wonder under and ironed them onto the shirt first. Then I zigzag stiched around each of them. Then I attached the turkey legs, body and face, and stiched around them. It was a fairly simple project. Except, the 3T shirt kept bunching up when I was sewing and that made it a little difficult, but it was worth it! I am so proud! Here's a close up of the stiching.

My next "turkey" project is a bow that my husband's aunt showed me last year. It is a turkey bow and I just got the ribbon to do it...now all I have to do is find the time! My in-laws come in today and I actually have to leave RIGHT NOW to go pick them up!

Bananas Foster Cheesecake

DESSERT FIRST...
I made a nice dinner tonight and we had some friends over. I plan on posting pictures and recipes of the whole meal, but dessert has always been my favorite, so let's start with that!

The cheesecake is a recipe I got from my Nana and I've adapted it a little bit so I can be creative. I'll put the original recipe for "Nana's Chocolate Chip Cheesecake" some other time. This cheesecake is so creamy and I use cinnamon graham crackers for the crust for that extra little something. The cheesecake is topped with sliced bananas and a homemade caramel sauce. The sauce thickened up a little too much for me this time, so I'll tweak it a little next time.

Bananas Foster Cheesecake

Crust:
1 c. graham cracker crumbs (I use cinnamon)
2 T. sugar
1/4 c. melted butter

Filling:
3 (8 0z) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1 1/3 c. sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Caramel Topping:
1/2 c. (1 cube) butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. karo syrup
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. (or more) vanilla

Bananas

For the Crust: mix all ingredients with a work and press into bottom and partway up sides of springform pan.

For the Filling: Mix all ingredients until smooth and pour into the prepared crust. Bake at 325 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until the center is done but still a little jiggly. Let cool completely. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

For topping: Slice bananas and set aside. To make the caramel: melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add brown sugar, karo syrup, and sweetened condensed milk. Bring to a boil and boil for 1-2 minutes. Take off heat and add vanilla. Let cool for 5 minutes. Put a pool on the bottom of the dessert plate, place the cheesecake on top. Add sliced bananas and drizzle with more caramel sauce.

Fluffy Skirt

This is the first official time I'm posting this type of skirt, but I have made several. Jaci has a couple in different colors and then my aunt asked me to make on for her grandaughter for a wedding. They are SO CUTE! The first one I ever did was a little different; just a plain straight skirt that I didn't totally love. Soon after that I expanded by trying it by makinge a tiered ruffled skirt and then added the gathered tulle to each ruffle. I love the result! It is a fun, twirly and fluffy skirt that my daughter LOVES to wear!


I absolutely love Halloween colors; bright orange, purple and green off set by black. For this skirt I found this cute fabric at Hobby Lobby and made the gathered skirt. Then I gathered 3" wide black tulle and sewed it around the skirt.


I have done more sewng than this, but one dress I made for Jaci that is adorable, is a little big, so that one will have to wait until it can be modeled for pictures. I also made her Halloween costume and trick or treat bag, which turned out super cute, but I'll wait to put those pictures up a little closer to Halloween.

Raised Doughnuts

I was browsing through the blogs I follow the other day and came across these raised doughnuts on Real Mom Kitchen. I decided that it was a perfect time to try this out. I haven't made doughnuts in years, and I've never tried a raised doughnut, so this was an adventure. It is just a little time consuming, like making any good yeast rolls or bread, just letting it rise. It was fun to do though! They came out nice and fluffy on the inside and so yummy! Maple doughnuts have always been my favorite and these don't disappoint! My 2 year old daughter helped me mix (and eat) the dough and then helped me decorate them!

Now, since it's pouring outside, I think this will be the PERFECT opportunity to go relax with a doughnut and some hot chocolate! (I know, you're jealous!!!!)

Raised Doughnuts

5 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 pkgs. active dry yeast (4 1/2 tsp.)
1 3/4 c. very warm milk
1/3 c. shortening
2 eggs
Vegetable oil

Mix 2 cups of the flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a large bowl. Add milk, shortening and eggs. Beat on low speed 1 minute, scraping the bowl frequently. Beat on medium speed 1 minute, scraping the bowl frequently. Sir in remaining flour until smooth. Cover and let rise in warm place about 1 hour or until doube. (Dough is ready if indentations remain when touched.)

Turn dough onto generously floured suface; roll around lightly to coat with flour. Flatten dough with hands or rolling pin to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut with floured 3-inch doughnut cutter. Cover doughnuts and let rise 30-40 minutes or until double.

Heat oil (1 1/2 - 2 inches) in Dutch oven to 350 degrees F. Slide doughnuts into hot oil with wide spatula. Fry about 1 minute on each side or until golden brown. Remove carefully from oil; drain on paper towls. Roll in cinnamon sugar or dip tops of doughnuts in glaze. See recipes below. One recipe is enough to cover all doughnuts, so if you do both, only make half of each.

White Doughnut Glaze

2 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4-6 T milk or cream

Combine all ingredients into bowl with a fork. If the glaze is too thick add extra milk.

Maple Doughnut Glaze

2 c. powdered sugar
2 tsp. maple extract
4-6 T. milk or cream

Combine all ingredients into bowl with a fork. If the glaze is too thick add extra milk.

Irresistible Peanut Butter Cookies

I know I said no more peanut butter for a while, but too bad! I found these cookies a long time ago, I don't even remember where, and they have been my favorite peanut butter cookies since. They are soft and delicious. I like to add peanut butter chips and reese's pieces to mine to add a little something extra.

The other night, Jaci was tearing up the house, so we decided to make cookies together. She just wanted to keep dumping things in the bowl and didn't want to let ME help!

Irresistible Peanut Butter Cookies

1 1/2 c. brown sugar

3/4 c. creamy peanut butter

1/2 butter flavor Crisco stick

3 T. milk

1 T. vanilla

1 egg

1 3/4 c. flour

3/4 c. baking soda

3/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine brown sugar, peanut butter, shortening, milk, and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat at medium speed until well blended. Add egg. Beat just until blended. In separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add to creamed mixture at low speed just until blended. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten slightly in crisscross pattern with tines of a fork. Bake one sheet at a time for 7-8 minutes or until set and just beginning to brown. DO NOT OVERBAKE! Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove to waxed paper or wire rack to cool completely. Makes about 3 dozen.

A Felt Cherry Pie and a Baby Outfit

Yesterday, my sister-in-law told me I had to look at Martha Stewarts website and see the felt food they made. So, I did, and I immediately downloaded the template and went to the store and bought all the supplies. I also ended up ordering the templates of a bunch of other foods from the lady that was demonstrating. You can find her site here. Anyway, it was fairly easy, the most time consuming part was a little hand stitching. It's not perfect, but it turned out pretty cute, right? My daughter, Jaci, loves her play kitchen, so I made it for her to play with.

Also, I made this a little while ago for my friend that was having a baby. I didn't want to post it before now just in case she saw it, but...she's in the hospital right now and she just had her baby (yay!) so I think it's safe. I love this little outfit! I found the onsie and I cut it off and added the skirt and then added a band and elastic to the bottom to make a diaper cover. Jane (the baby's mom) said she didn't want too much pink, so I was excited to find this onsie, with only a little pink! Welcome, Halle! We're excited to meet you!