Best Valentine's Gift Ever

Best Valentine's Gift Ever

So this year for Valentine's day I decided to make a love jar... WHICH is clearly the best gift/craft idea ever!


So what is a love jar? It's basically a jar full of love!! And it's super easy to make. Just get a jar, decorate it, and fill it with lots of little notes of love for the recipient. It's so fun, and definitely a fun project for kids-- they can think of little notes to write AND decorate the jar. They'll love it and you'll love to make it.

*Obviously I forgot to take a picture of my finished jar*
So here is the partially decorated jar...

 The empty jar with love-themed stickers and rose petals in the bottom...

One of my many love notes (to make them into a heart, fold a strip of paper in half, then curl each end inward)

About half of my love notes...

And Love Jars don't have to just be for Valentine's day. They can be wedding gifts, birthday presents, anything gifts. I'm making a different style jar (it's not a jar at all) for mother's day, and maybe a few birthdays, I'll post pictures.

xoxo
DR

Valentine's Day Recipes

Valentine's Day Recipes

I made a couple goodies for Valentine's day.

White Chocolate Chip Cookies

What you Need:
1 cup butter
1 (and a little bit) cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons coco powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup white chocolate chips

What you Do:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine all ingredients and fold in white chocolate chips.
3. Round into teaspoons and place onto un-greased cookie sheet
4. Bake for 8-10 (no more than 15) minutes, or until cookies are set
5. Cool for 5 minutes before removing.
6. Enjoy!

Romantic Cheesecakes for Two :)

What you Need:
1/4 pkg. of Philadelphia Brick Cream Cheese, softened
1 tablespoon sugar
1 square Baker's Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted
1/2 cup thawed Cool Whipped Topping
1 teaspoon Oreo Crumbs or 2 Oreo Cookies

What you Do:

1. Beat cream cheese, sugar and chocolate in a bowl with whisk.
2. Stir in Cool Whip
3. Place cookie/cookie crumbs into a lined muffin cup
4. Top with cream cheese mixture
5. Refrigerate 2 hours
6. Enjoy!!

Both of these are super yummy. Enjoy!!


xoxo
DR

Happy Valentines Day to All, and to All a Good Cupcake

Happy Valentines Day to All, and to All a Good Cupcake

Tomorrow is Valentine's day, the first "holiday" of the year (other than New Years- obviously), and to celebrate I decided to make Red Velvet Cupcakes, and share my recipe with the world-- lucky you!

Red Velvet Cupcakes
What You Need!
1 pkg. chocolate cake mix (I used chocolate fudge for more chocolate fun)
2 Tbsp. red food colouring
1/2 pkg. Brick Cream Cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cup icing sugar
1/2, COOL WHIP

Make It!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. (Or 325 for medium sized cupcakes)
Prepare cake batter as directed on package for 24 cupcakes, blending food colouring into batter before spooning into prepared muffin cups.
Cool for a decent amount of time.

MEANWHILE, beat cream cheese and butter in bowl with mixer, until well blended. Gradually beat in sugar. Whisk in COOL WHIP. Spoon into resealable plastic bag; seal bag. Cut small corner off bottom of bag. Poke a hole in the top of each cupcake with handle of wooden spoon. Inseart tip of bag into hole of cupcake to pipe approx. 1 Tbsp of crosting into centre of cupcake.

Frost cupcakes with remaining icing.

If you want, you can top with white chocolate curls.

Keep refrigerated.


There you have it friends! Enjoy these cupcakes. THEY'RE FLIPPING AMAZING!! :D


Happy Valentines Day!!
xoxo
DR

Song of the EPIC Week

Song of the EPIC Week

Alright peeps,
If you can recall, my MAIN goal for 2010 has been to be more positive. Well goal is in full effect! And this week has been major proof :)

This past week I have made new friends, and also made an influence in a few peoples lives. Now I won't bore you with the details right now (partially cuz I'm pretty stinking tired- and my stomach hurts haha), but it's really cool. And a few weeks ago I posted a blog on "letting go" well I've let go, moved on, and I'm stoked for what's to come in the future!!!

Anyway, some cool points to my EPIC week have been:

• Meeting and befriending some swell kids (Rob and Brody)
• The BEST hang out day ever (let's just say we hit up every fast food joint on one block in 4 hours)
• Got my G licence
• Finding out Taylor Swift has a "line" of greeting cards- they are beautiful and have the cutest messages (but really would you expect anything less of Taylor Swift? Didn't think so)

I've also decided to start a song of the week, since I know I can't handle a song of the day. And this week's song is "Blind" by Ke$ha. As everyone must know I love her, but this song totally goes along with my whole letting go and I feel it says most of what's on my mind right now.

As of yet, my plans for this upcoming week are going to be AWESOME and... It's pretty stinking close to February!! You know what that means?? Valentine's Day, Reading Week, MTV Audition, and maybe The Tyra Show (?!?!)!!

xoxo
DR