Easter Egg Wreath

Materials:

- Foam wreath (I used a 12" green foam wreath)

- Plastic Easter Eggs (I used about 60)

- Hot glue

- Matching ribbon

Directions:

- Glue Easter Eggs first around the inside of the wreath, then along the outside, then fill in the middle.

- Use  ribbon to loop around the wreath then tie in a bow to hang.

Flip it!

- Use a variety of different sized eggs!

- Mix in Easter grass or other fun decorations!

 

Easter Peep Candle Holder

 

Simply line up peeps around the edge of a vase and add a tea light.  

The key for me was not taking the individual peeps apart; just leave them together and they will stand up more easily!

I actually made this vase/candle holder by spray painting a red candle holder I got from Goodwill and added a vase (also from Goodwill) with transparent E6000 industrial strength adhesive.  I use it all year round to decorate by filling it with different things depending on the season or upcoming holiday!

Chocolate Peppermint Blossoms

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened baking cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt 
42 Peppermint Kisses

Directions:

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- In large bowl, beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes 
- Mix in egg and vanilla until well blended
- On a low speed, beat in flour, cocoa and salt until blended
- Shape dough into 1-inch balls; place on a non-stick baking sheet about 2 inches apart
- Bake for 12 minutes
- Meanwhile, unwrap the Peppermint Kisses
- If you want the kisses to melt down (as shown in the picture), press a kiss into each cookie as they come out of the oven.  If you want the kisses to maintain their kiss shape, wait about 3 minutes before pressing a kiss into each cookie.

Flip it!

- Try using peppermint extract instead of vanilla!
- Use your favorite type of kiss!  (I have found the Peppermint Kisses to only be available around Christmas time.)
- Roll each dough ball in sugar before baking for a glittery effect!

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

Ingredients:

- Ritz Crackers
- Peanut Butter
- Wilton's Melting Chocolates
- Sprinkles (optional)

Directions:

- Spread peanut butter across one cracker (as much or as little as you like) then add another cracker on top to create your cookie.
- Melt chocolate according the package instructions.
- Dip one half of each sandwich in the chocolate and place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.  
- Let the chocolate harden entirely (I put them in the refrigerator to speed up the process).
- Dip the other half of each sandwich in the chocolate to cover the rest of the cookie and replace on the parchment paper.
- Add sprinkles before the chocolate hardens if you like.

Flip it!

- Try Nutella instead of peanut butter!
- Try white instead of milk chocolate!
- Use different sprinkles depending on the occasion!

Salami, Feta, and Green Olive Appetizer

Ingredients:

8 oz. Salami
8 oz. Feta Cheese
36 Green Olives

Directions:

- Slice the salami into 36 slices.
- Cut the Feta into 36 cubes.
- Drain the green olives if necessary.
- Assemble the appetizer by putting one olive, one block of cheese, and one slice of salami on each toothpick.

Flip it!

- Use any combination of your favorite meat, cheese, and olives!

S'more Bites

Ingredients:

- Graham crackers
- Mini-marshmallows
- Wilton's chocolate melts
- Vegetable shortening (optional)
- Sprinkles (optional)

Directions:

- Melt chocolate according to package directions.  If the chocolate seems too thick for your preference add a small amount of vegetable shortening until it is the desired thick/thinness.
- Break graham cracker sheets into fourths along the perforated lines and place on parchment paper.
- Dip half of a mini-marshmallow and place on a graham cracker fourth (the chocolate will "glue" the marshmallow to the cracker).  Repeat until you have 3 marshmallows on each graham cracker.
- Drizzle chocolate onto each cracker in your desired pattern.  I used a squeeze bottle which made this step very simple.
- If desired, add sprinkles before chocolate drizzle hardens.

Flip it:

- Make for any occasion by changing up the color of the sprinkles!
- Try using cinnamon graham crackers!
- Try using chocolate or other flavored marshmallows!
- Use any color or flavor of Wilton's melts to decorate!

Chocolate Cake Bites

Ingredients:

- 1 box chocolate cake mix
- 1 tub chocolate frosting
- 1 bag Wilton's chocolate candy melts
- 1/4 cup shortening (optional)
- Sprinkles (optional)

Directions:

- Bake cake according to package directions.  (I bake mine in two 9-inch round pans.)
- Let the cake cool completly.
- In large bowl, break up cakes into small crumbs (I use my hands).
- Mix in the frosting until all the cake is throughly coated.
- WARNING... this is going to get messy!  Portion out a heaping tablespoon (or your desired bite size) and roll into a ball.
- Place the bites on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
- Chill in the freezer for about 45 minutes.  If you don't have the freezer space I have just used the refrigerator for longer. 
- With about 10 minutes left of chill time, melt candy melts according to package directions.  I always add about 1/4 cup of vegetable shortening to make the chocolate a little thinner and more workable.
-  Remove from the freezer and reshape any messy bites into a tighter ball.
-  Using a skewer, dip the bite into the chocolate, tap off any excess, and replace on parchment paper.
- Once you have all the bites dipped, cover the skewer hole with a small amount of melted chocolate (this is what gives the dripped look).
- Let the chocolate cool just slightly and add the sprinkles if desired.
- Cool completely. 

Flip it!

- The same recipe can be used to make cake pops as well.  Follow the same directions, just dip a lollipop stick into the chocolate (this will "glue" the stick into the ball) then dip the ball into the chocolate, again tapping off the excess.  Stand in a glass filled with rice to dry (or something else to weigh down the glass so it doesn't tip)!
- Use any different combination of cake and frosting!
- Use any different color of candy melts for different occasions.  Dip in one color, drizzle in another!
- Use sprinkles to decorate for different occasions!

Southwestern Chip Dip

Ingredients:

1 package Trader Joe's Steamed Lentils (17.6 oz.)
1 container Trader Joe's Black Bean and Roasted Corn Salsa (12 oz)
1 bag Trader Joe's Organic Corn Chip Dippers
 (Feel free to use your own favorite variety of lentils, salsa or chips!)
 

Directions

- Mix lentils and salsa together... that's it!
- Serve with chips.

Flip it!

- Serve with tortilla chips instead of corn chips!
- Use as a filling inside a tortilla!

Valentine Heart Wreath

Materials:

- 3 Packs Dollar Tree Heart Boxes (10 per pack)
- Wire Hanger
- 5" Matching Ribbon
- Hot Glue Gun
- Silver Glitter Spray Paint (optional)

Directions

- Bend hanger into a heart shape.
- Start gluing boxes onto hanger in desired pattern.  When you get to the last few boxes, fit them on first to ensure they fit and cover hanger, then glue into place.  You may have a few boxes left over.
- Lightly spray wreath with glitter spray for a little simmer.
- Loop ribbon and hot glue to back of the middle heart.

Flip it!

- Make a smaller wreath in each color and use to hang on a wall!
- Make a circle wreath! (Original Idea (circle shape).)
- Cover boxes with fun fabric and modge podge!

Valentine Tutu Wreath

Materials:   

1 yard red tutu material
1 yard white tutu material
12 inches ribbon
Wire hanger
Scissors -or- Rotary cutter

Directions:

- Shape the wire hanger into a heart.
- Cut all tutu material into strips 1x6 inches. 
- Fold a strip of fabric in half then use a simple hitch knot to tie it to the wire.
- Alternate 6 white strips, then 6 red strips, 6 white strips, etc.
- Push material together at the knot to completely cover the hanger.
- Add a ribbon to hang the wreath. 

Flip it!

- Use any combination of colors!
- Spray with glitter!

Penguin Appetizer

Ingredients: 

4 oz. cream cheese

1 large can olives

5 baby carrots

Toothpicks

 

Directions:

- Fill a pipping bag with whipped cream cheese.

- Cut half of the largest olives top to bottom, lengthwise.

- Pipe cream cheese into each cut olive until full, smooth if necessary.

- Slice baby carrots into small coins, then cut a small triangle notch out of each.

- Insert a triangle notch into the hole of the 20 remaining olives.

- Feed a toothpick through both olives and the carrot coin to assemble each penguin.

- Make about 20 penguins.

 

Flip it!

- Whip the cream cheese with desired seasonings.

- Use fresh mozerella instead of cream cheese.

 

Yum-Yum Christmas Bars

Ingredients      
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
1-14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup chocolate chips
1 bag M&Ms semi-sweet mini baking bits
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1-1/2 cups flaked coconut
  
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees; place stick of butter in 9x13 pan and place in warming oven until melted. 
- Carefully remove pan and sprinkle graham cracker crumbs on the bottom, press gently down with fingers until the bottom of the pan is covered.
- Gently pour sweetened condensed milk over the graham cracker crumbs.
- Sprinkle the chocolate chips, walnuts, and HALF the M&Ms over the sweetened condensed milk, then sprinkle the flaked coconut evenly over the top, then the remaining M&Ms.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes (or until lightly browned); cool then cut into desired sized bars.  

Flip it! 

- Use different colored M&Ms for any occasion!
- Substitute any kind of nuts!

Cherries in the Snow

Ingredients              

1/2 cup maraschino cherries

1/2 cup sugar 

2 1/2 cups flour

1 cup chilled butter  

4 oz. white chocolate baking squares finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Red food coloring (optional)  Wilton's white candy melts (about 4-6 oz.) 

2 teaspoons shortening (optional)

Red sugar sprinkles (optional)

 

Directions

- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

- Spread cherries on paper towels to drain well; chop into small chunks.

- In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar. 

- Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in drained cherries and white chocolate.

- Stir in almond extract and, if desired, a few drops of food coloring. Knead mixture until it forms a smooth ball.  (It may seem dry at first, like it is never going to come together but just keep kneading!)

- Shape dough into 3/4-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Using the bottom of a drinking glass dipped in sugar, flatten balls to 1-1/2-inch rounds.

- Bake in preheated oven for about 11 minutes or until centers are set. Cool for 1 minute on cookie sheet. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool.

- Melt white candy melts according to package directions.  I like to use a glass bowl over boiling water.  Add shortening (I use 1-2 Tablespoons at a time) until it is the desired consistency.

- Dip one-half of each cookie in the melted candy and lay to dry on parchment paper.  Sprinkle red sugar before the candy sets.

- Once the candy sets, store in an air-tight container.

Flip it!

-Use regular chocolate to dip for a chocolate covered cherry taste!

 

Chocolate Covered Marshmallows

 I like to make these after my Oreo truffles to use up the leftover chocolate... 

saves time and I can't let perfectly good chocolate go to waste!

Ingredients

Marshmallows
Wilton's Melting Chocolates
Sprinkles (optional)
Shortening (optional)

Directions

- Melt chocolate according to package instructions. (I like to use a glass bowl over boiling water on the stove.)
- If the chocolate is too thick, add shortening a few tablespoons at a time until it is the desired thickness.
- Dip marshmallows in chocolate, let excess drizzle off, and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Add fun sprinkles if you like!
- Wait until chocolate hardens and store in an air-tight container.

Flip it!

- Use white or colored chocolates!
- Use chocolate marshmallows!
- Put a mini candy cane in the end to make a lollipop!
- Use any kind of sprinkles for different holidays!

Oreo Truffles

Ingredients

1 Package Oreos
1 Package Cream Cheese (8oz)
Wilton's Melting Chocolates
Shortening (Optional)
Sprinkles (Optional)

Directions

- Crush Oreos in blender, food processor, or with a rolling pin; they should have some small chunks, not crumbs
- Mix Oreos with cream cheese until thoroughly coated
- Chill mixture for 30 min (you can skip this step but the mixture will be more difficult to work with)
- Roll Oreo mixture into balls (about 1 inch, but whatever size you like); the balls may be a little messy
- Place on parchment lined baking sheet and place in freezer; after about 45 minutes, reshape/neaten up the balls
- Melt chocolates (I like to use a glass bowl over steaming water); if your chocolate is too thick, add shortening until it is the desired thickness
- Remove Oreo balls from the freezer and begin coating with chocolate, place back on the parchment after coating (I use a wooden skewer)
- Using a metal spoon, cover the hole left from the skewer with a little chocolate to get the "dripping" look
- Add sprinkles on top if you like
- Let harden and keep refrigerated

Flip it!

- Use white or colored melting chocolates!
- Use vanilla Oreos!
- Use different sprinkles for any holiday!