Penguin Fun Cupcakes

These penguin cupcakes would make the perfect treat for school Christmas/holiday parties, or even bakes sales. 

Chocolate Cupcake Ingredients:

1 1/3 C flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 tsp salt
3 TBSP unsalted butter, room temp
1/2 C sugar
2 eggs, room temp
3/4 tsp vanilla
1 C whole milk

Frosting Ingredients:

1 C soft unsalted butter
4 + C powder sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 TBSP heavy whipping cream
1 package Oreo Cookies
1 package Orange mini M&M’s
Wilton Black Foodwriter

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Chocolate Cupcake Directions:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line cupcake tins with paper liners.
-Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa and salt stirring together. Set aside.
-Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy in a large bowl.
-Beat the eggs one at a time, after each addition, then add in the vanilla.
-Alternating add the flour mixture  with the milk; beating  well.
-Fill the lined cupcake tins 3/4 full.
-Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
-Allow to cool in cupcake tin for 10 minutes.
-Move to a wire rack to cool completely.

Frosting Directions:

-Cream the butter and powder sugar until it looks light and creamy. Add the vanilla extract.
-If it doesn’t cream add several drops of the heavy whipping cream until it creams.
-Test to see if the frosting can form and hold a stiff peak by taking a spoonful of frosting and turning the spoon upside down. If the frosting stays on the spoon it is ready if not then….
– Add more powder sugar 1/2 C at a time…. mix well.
-If ready scoop the frosting into a pastry bag with a large round  tip.
-Twist the open end of the pastry bag to push the frosting to the tip.
-Start by frosting on the outside edge of the cupcake working to the center of the cupcake.
-Take out one Oreo for each cupcake.
-Separate each Oreo into 2 pieces.  Keep the filling on one side of the wafer cookie. Cut the other half of the Oreo cookie into 2 equal pieces.
-Refer to the picture of the cupcakes for visual instructions.
-Using the Wilton Black Food Writer make two small round circles, colored in, for the eyes.
-Check for the placement of the eyes.
-Using 1 mini orange M&M’s, place it on it’s side for the nose. Stick it in the cookie filling so that it will stay. If the orange M&M doesn’t stay in place using a tiny amount of the frosting to lock it into place.
-Place the other two mini orange M&M’s in front of the whole Oreo cookie, in the frosting, on their side for the feet.
-Place the two halves of the Oreo cookie on each side of the cupcake into the frosting for it’s wings. These should be positioned directly behind the penguin head with half of the cookie extending out from the frosted cupcake.

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Posted in Holidays, Recipes | Leave a comment

How to Prevent Holiday Weight Gain

OMG. I don’t know if I didn’t pay attention before because I didn’t really care, or because I always used the holidays as my free pass to freakin’ eat anything and everything I wanted to, but the amount of sweets that get brought into my office on a daily basis is appalling. I mean literally every company that we’ve worked with throughout the year brings in cookies, cupcakes, DONUTS – any imaginable sweet that your little mind can imagine has been placed on my desk with a smile.

Dang it.

First off it’s hard to resist the temptation of sweets any time right? But to have them sitting there, while your at work, (which by the way is my WORST snacking time EVER), it’s winter so it’s cold outside, you have bulky clothes on so you really don’t start to notice the chub of fat growing under your sweater, and work has slowed down so much that you’ve actually started organizing your files – well, temptation just got 1,000x worse my friend. I’ve even moved  these sweet treats off my desk and into the other office area,but the smell still lingers. Not to mention co-workers, “Oh.My.Gosh. Krissy,have you tried the chocolate one yet? Or the butter cookies? They are to die for!

I am seriously hating life right now – I can literally feel my stomach increasing in size as I bite down into a cookie that probably has more calories in one serving than my diet allots for the entire day.

SCREW YOU EVIL COMPANIES SHOWERING US WITH FOOD!

The amount of money they spend on cookies probably could pay for my pedicure, or at least a paint change. Or “we donated a toy in the name of your agency”, or “how about we buy you lunch” – I mean there are soo many alternatives to freakin’ sweets. They are seriously my downfall. I. can’t. say. NO.

So instead of continuing to blame the reps who are just doing their job, and realizing that a lot of people actually want to eat and enjoy these evil sweet treats, I decided to figure out how I could resist the temptation and maybe come out of holidays a few pounds lighter, instead of heavier.

HOw _to_keep_from_Gaining_weight_during_the_holidaysImage from betches.com


Portion Control. Who am I kidding – like I would completely resist those freakin’  butter cookies that were homemade? Heck to the no. It’s Christmas after all! But I don’t have to eat the whole row of cookies in one sitting. Allotting myself calories to enjoy some sweet temptations will actually prevent me from caving in and going all fat-girl and wiping out the entire box. 2 small butter cookies will satisfy my sweet tooth, without completely ruining my diet for the day.

Avoid Going Places Hungry. It’s like Christmas parties galore this time of year, all filled with calorie-full drinks and sweets on tables as far as the eye can see. If you are attending a party where you know there will be lots of unhealthy options, eat a small meal  or  snack before hand (high in protein) to avoid binging on all the party food. You can still enjoy (see tip 1) but this will help you avoid the pitfalls of eating/drinking in a social gathering. Not to mention when one drinks, all inhibitions go out the window. (In fact, play it safe and just don’t drink at all. Trust me on this one).

Pace Yourself. If you must attend a party where you will be served a full meal (and by full I mean, all the fat, gravies, and pasta that all dieters crave but are not permitted) just learn to pace yourself. Set your fork down after every bite. I mean every one. Savor each bite, chew it completely, and pay attention to what you’re eating, not just the conversation around the table. You’ll be able to enjoy all the fixin’s, but in moderation.

Distract Yourself. GET AWAY FROM THE FOOD! Seriously, you there – put the plate down and slowwllyy walk away from the food tables.There are plenty of other things to do at parties (and work) besides gorge yourself on sweets. Be social – go around the room and talk ,play a game with the kids, heck, take a walk if you need to. Distractions keep your mind from wandering to those cookies on the dessert table. Ever notice how you get soo busy at work somedays you look up and it’s like 4 o’clock, and you’re like, “Crap, I didn’t even eat lunch.” (yes that does happen). It’s not that you weren’t hungry, or didn’t want to eat – your brain (and body) was distracted.  So do this. All the time.

 

IF you follow these few simple steps, I promise it’ll be harder to gain  weight this holiday season -which is what we all want right?! Seriously, you might be able make it out unscathed. ‘Tis the season for miracles!

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in Fitness/Health | Leave a comment

DIY Wire Christmas Trees

Supplies:
Colored Wires
-Scissors

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Directions:
-We are going to start by forming our star
-Cut your gold wire into a piece that is about 3 inches long
-Form your wire into 5 points to form a star, this may be a bit difficult and it may not look perfect, don’t worry about that just do the best you can! Be sure to leave a little tail at the bottom of your star to be connected to the tree later on.

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-Next, cut your green wire into about 6 inch pieces and form it into a cone shape, starting at the bottom and slowly making it a thinner cone toward the top
-Twist the tail of your star and the tip of your tree together to make the star your tree topper.
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Posted in Crafts/DIY, Holidays | Leave a comment

LG Twin Wash Doubles Up on Laundry Duty

This is a sponsored post. Though I have been compensated for my time, all opinions are my own.

If it’s one thing I’ve always wanted to go a bit faster (besides Mondays and dentist appointments) is laundry! Well LG has designed a new bold washer that can make that happen! With the TWIN Wash™, TurboWash™ 2.0 and TurboSteam™concept ofdoing laundry, LG has discovered new territory when it comes to the washing machine category.

It’s front loading washer’s TWIN Wash™ System is the first of it’s kind which gives you the capability to wash two separate loads of laundry at the same time!(insert Angels singing here). With a space-efficient mini washer in the pedestal, the cycle times are reduced and fewer loads required! The LG  exclusive speed cycle technology TurboWash™ 2.0 uses twin nozzles at the front of the washer to spray a concentrated amount of detergent solution directly onto the clothes; a high pressure nozzle then sprays tiny water particles through the clothes during a high spin cycle for a quick and effective rinsing. It’s like a little bit of heaven in my laundry room!

The built-in  SmartThinQ™ technology gives you the ability to monitor your cycle status with an LG smartphone app and alerts can be sent via WiFi when your load is done. No more ‘fluffing’ in the dryer, or forgetting about a load and coming home to a bunch  of soured clothes – you can now be more efficient in your laundry routine than every before!

If this isn’t on your Christmas wish list, I don’t know what is! These LG machines would be a dream come true to me!

Don’t forget to head on over to the LG Twin Wash Event for your chance to win one of your own!


Posted in Cleaning & Organizing | Leave a comment

Save Money and Time with Members Mark Comfort Care Diapers

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Member’s Mark Comfort Care diapers.

I have talked about saving money on formula, clothes, and everything in between when it comes to your baby – but there’s one topic we haven’t covered yet:  diapers. This is one of the most expensive necessitates for baby (besides formula and well, daycare if you are a working Mom).

I’m not going to get into the argument of disposable vs washable diapers (that’s up to each individually to decide) but personally, I hardly have time to wash our clothes, let alone diapers everyday, so for me: disposable it is. When searching for the ‘perfect’ diaper I had a list of things I absolutely had to have: leakage protection – I cannot even begin to tell you when my older ones were in diapers how many times I got wet! I used to carry an extra shirt in my car it happened so much, no matter how often I changed them! Secondly, I wanted something soft and fragrance free – baby bottoms are delicate, and irritation from diapers can be a real problem. Thirdly, price. Of course I am willing to pay more for what my baby needs, but what if I can find a diaper that was the ‘whole package?’ 

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I mean, who wouldn’t want to do everything they can to take care of this cute little face??!

So as I did my research, I came across Members Mark Comfort Care Diapers. With the silky softness of the diaper, with the SilkSpun™ cover it gives baby girl some luxury softness and the ability to keep the cute little baby bottom cool and dry. They have a hypoallergenic liner, and are perfume and rubber latex FREE – so no worries about irritations or rashes on her delicate skin. It also offers up to 12 hours of leakage protection (woohoo!) and has a flexible leg and Soft-Stretch® waist and sides so that she can move freely, but keeps the diaper from leaking! The Ultra Absorbent Slim Core keeps the wetness locked away, without being soggy and bulky.

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And last, but definitely not least, these premium diapers are a great value. I’m talking, wow that’s a great deal – are you sure that’s marked right?” great deal. The convenience of being to purchase these in bulk at Sam’s Club along with our other necessities and not needing to make a trip back every week also makes it even more of a money saver.

They are made with the same quality, safety, sustainability and responsible sourcing practices as the other name brands, but at a much better value. Plus, they’re 100% satisfaction guaranteed – or your money back!

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Member’s Mark Comfort Care diapers are exclusively available at Sam’s Club. Size’s 1-2 through size 6.

If you’d like to learn more about Member’s Mark Comfort Care diapers, or would like the chance to win Member’s Mark Comfort Care diapers& wipes,join us on
Thursday December 10 at 9:00 – 9:45 am PST / 12:00 – 12:45 pm EST

Be sure to follow @SITSGirls and use the hashtag #ComfortCareDiapers to be eligible to win!

Prizes: ONE (1) winner will receive: Six (6) Boxes of Member’s Mark Comfort Care baby diapers and four (4) boxes of Member’s Mark Comfort Care baby wipes. ARV: $302.

FOUR (4) winners will each receive: One (1) Box of Member’s Mark Comfort Care baby diapers and One (1) Box of Member’s Mark baby Wipes (1000ct) ARV: $57.

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Member’s Mark Comfort Care diapers.

Posted in Parenting | 14 Comments