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Deadline is Monday, the 31st!!! check it out here
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Displaying those cake pops!

So you finally made some cake pops (or were lucky enough to buy some!).  But now, you have to display them….what to do…what to do…what to do.  Well, here is my idea for those cute little pigs and cow pops!

First start by making the pops and individually wrapping each one, these were done for a bake sale so the tags matched that.

After putting each one into a bag (a slightly tedious process), I arrange them back on the Styrofoam and since they were pigs and cows, I had to put them in an apple basket!  To gain height I took one of my kitchen bowls and placed it upside down.  It was one of those cheap plastic bowls so it was lightweight too.    I then cut up raffia into 2-3 inch pieces and threw it around to make them look like they were in a barnyard and to help cover the Styrofoam. 

Here’s the finished product…what do you think???

 

Ways to use Salted Caramel Sauce

So you bought that beautiful jar of salted caramel sauce in order to help my friend Shawna and her sister Jenny support their awesome cause.  Now, what do you do with it?  Well first of all it will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks and it will also reheat nicely in the microwave for about 30 seconds (just make sure you take the lids off first!) 

One of my favorite recipes from college is Oatmeal Carmelita, mainly because our room won a baking contest with them.  We had used one of my roommate's grandma’s recipes and it wasn’t until recently that I finally found a recipe like it again!  Hope you enjoy!

Oatmeal Carmelitas

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1 3/4 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1 1/4 cups brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)
• 1 1/2 cups Salted Caramel Sauce
• 2 1/2 tablespoons flour

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 9 by 13-inch pan.

Combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, and softened butter in the bowl of a mixer. Mix on low until crumbly. Divide the mixture into 2 equal portions.

Press half the crumb mixture in the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove and cool slightly.

Sprinkle the chocolate chips, and chopped pecans over the cooled crust. Mix the salted caramel sauce, and flour together, and drizzle over the chocolate chips, and nuts. Top with the remaining crumb mixture.

Return to the oven and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until the crust starts to brown. Allow the pan to cool, and refrigerate it until the caramel filling is set.

Cut into bars and serve.

 

Other suggestions:

SALTED CARAMEL MILKSHAKE:

• 1 pint vanilla ice cream
• 1/2 cup milk

• 1/4 cup salted caramel sauce

Combine the ice cream, milk, and caramel sauce in a blender and blend until smooth.

 

And for that matter you could just poor it over your ice cream!

 

other uses:

Dip apples into salted caramel sauce, this definitely is a treat, especially with all those fall apples ripening soon!

Use as a sauce for your cinnamon rolls, whether it be the frozen kind or my favorite homemade cinnamon rolls, just poor it into the pan and throw your cinnamon rolls on top!

top your favorite cupcakes, cakes and brownies with a little of this sauce, it will give them that extra special touch to make them fabulous!

And of course my favorite, eat it straight from the jar!

Stay tuned, this fall during apple season, I will get you the recipe that is so easy you will be making the salted caramel sauce all the time!  Don’t forget, subscribe to our blog here so that you will automatically get those recipes sent right to your email inbox!

comments...

Some of you may have had some problems leaving comments... I have changed our settings so hopefully it will be easier to post a comment on this blog... especially for those of you who are interested in entering our GIVEAWAY...

We look forward to hearing from you!!!!

How about a GIVEAWAY?!?

I thought it might be fun to do a little giveaway today.  What we're going to do is this:
1.  Leave a comment on this post and tell us which item (of all items we've shared so far) is your favorite or
2.  Leave a comment on this post and tell us what types of things you would like to see more of or would be interested in having us make for purchase

-make sure you provide a way to contact you!! (ex- email address!)

-we'll randomly select a winner from this post on Monday, July 31, 2011.  Remember you must leave a comment that fits in 1 of the 2 categories described above to be eligible!!

Oh, I suppose you want to know what you will win?


How about some handmade cards?  I have the following 6 cards that I will send you:

It's hard to read because the picture's so small, but card's sentiments are as follows:

Top Row (L-R) Puppy Love, Bear Hugs, That stinks!

Bottom Row: (L-R) thanks a HOOT, Poodles of laughter, and sorry I Froggot

Good LUCK!!!

Tuesday Tutorial: Homemade Cookies-n-Cream Ice Cream

This summer we purchased an ice cream maker.  Talk about an easy and fun thing to have at home!  I never dreamed making ice cream would be such a piece of cake!We have tried several recipes already, but so far I am quite sure this is the favorite.  This recipe can be found on the Tasty Kitchen in the Pioneer Woman’s website if you would like the original. 
Freeze your ice cream bowl prior to starting your recipe, as it is very important that it is completely frozen in order to make the ice cream come out right.
Begin by adding the milk and sugar to your mixing bowl, and mix with a whisk until all of the sugar dissolves. Add in the vanilla extract, and the heavy cream. Assemble your ice cream maker, and turn it on, adding in your ice cream mixture.
Let the mixer spin for at least 30 minutes, adding the crumbled Oreo cookies about 25 minutes into mixing. It is seriously that easy.  Our Cuisinart ice cream maker (found on Amazon quite reasonable) has an opening at the top for mixing the ingredients in and it really worked very well as you can see.  Place the bowl back in the freezer for at least an hour or overnight (although who can resist a taste right out of the mixer, it’s pretty good this way too, more the consistency of soft serve). Scoop and and enjoy.  Makes about 4 cups, fits just perfect into our ice cream maker.  For a whole load of other good ice cream recipes check out the tasty kitchen website.  If you can dream it, it is probably on there!
 

Ingredients

• 1 cup Whole Milk, Cold
• ¾ cups Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 2 cups Heavy Cream
• 10 whole Oreo Cookies, Crumbled
Jeana's note:

Why stop with oreos?  wouldn't this be yummy with your favorite girl scout cookies crushed inside, or a yummy butterfinger candy bar???

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