Honey Lime Fruit Salad

Blah blah. I have no witty nonsense today. Just this yummy fruit salad. Joe and I made it for our failed picnic. There is this other "perfect" fruit salad that calls for vanilla pudding mix. What the heck is that? This is perfect with honey and lime juice. Way better for you than pudding mix on fruit. Plus I'm pretty sure this dressing would be perfect on any fruit. Not sure how pudding would be on everything. So yeah, this is the best. Light and sweet and tart. Om nom nom get in my belly!

Recipe from Oh! You Cook!

Jelly Doughnut Muffins

You know what my least favorite thing to move is? Food. I hate moving food. So when I was sure I was moving, I started to make plans to eat all my food. Baking supplies are the worst to move. I was searching for recipes that would use baking supplies I had without going out and getting more. I found a lot of recipes but jelly doughnuts won. Why? Because. Jelly. Doughnuts. They were yummy and moist and the jelly was the sweet little nugget on top. Next time, I will definitely go with a pastry tip instead of just poking a hole in the top with a knife and using a baggie filled with jelly. #poorcollegekidproblems Anyways. Aren't they cuuuute?! You know you want one.

Recipe from Brandy's Baking.

Friday Faves

How do these weeks keep going by so fast. It doesn't seem real.

1. S'more Blizzards

Dear Dairy Queen, I hate you. You are one rude son of a bitch. S'mores blizzards? Thanks for ruining my life. Seriously. How am I supposed to move on from s'mores blizzards? You suck, DQ.

2. Family Video

Another week of manager rentals, an awesome review with our district manager, and a 50 cent raise? What a great week! If I haven't said it before, I love my job at Family Video! 

3. Nephew Time

I got to have lunch with my sister and my mom this week and I got to cuddle the baby. I made him dance to Wagon Wheel and shared my water with him when he ate a crayon. Oh Liam, you are going to be so fun when you start dating. I'm going to tell everyone you ate two crayons in a restaurant. 

4. Pioneer Woman's Shrimp Tacos

Joey and I made them this week. This is not my photo. Because I'm lazy and my camera is way over there. I'll share my pictures in a post, I promise. I think I enjoyed time with my bestie more than the tacos. Sorry Joe. I know you loved them.

5.  Toby

My inner bear's name is Toby. He's a polaaa beaaaar. 

Strawberry Chiffon Pie

I am so excited to share this pie with you. You came here, probably looking to laugh a little because let's face it, I'm hilarious but instead, I'm going to tell you about this pie and you're going to want some right now. Please don't hate me. This pie is seriously the best desert I've ever put in my mouth. I am completely obsessed. It is light and fluffy. The strawberry flavor is sweet but not overpowering. It is ridiculously easy to make. The graham cracker crust is buttery and addicting. I ate like half a pie in a day. That's how amazing this is. It is just too good. I'm sorry for ruining your life. This recipe recommended making it in a spring form pan but instead we made it in two pie plates. Definitely worth it. There is just so much filling. Also, I did not add red food coloring. I like the natural pink from the strawberries and I didn't think red dye would really matter.

Again, I'm so so so sorry for ruining your day. But not really.

Caramel Bananas

You know what's nice? Hugs. Warm and cozy and just what you need. Hugs are just so nice. Single girls are home alone with no hugs. Tis very very sad. You're all alone and you need something warm and cozy. So instead you make caramel bananas. They take like no time at all to make and they are sweet and warm and gooey just like a hug. Am I saying I eat my feelings? Maybe. But don't judge because they are so yummy you just need to try them, mmkay? You might even give up boyfriend hugs for these lovelies.

This recipe is from SophistiMom.

By the way, do you like my plate and napkin? World Market yo. Just for you guys so my pictures would look fancy. You like?

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

I've been going through my boards on Pinterest because sadly, I love to pin food but on my dessert board alone, I had more than 700 pins. 700! That's a dessert a day for two years! So I went back the first pins on that board and started looking for easy stuff that would be fun to try to clear out my board.  One of my first pins were these little truffles. I had a couple of reincarnations that I might try at another time but for the moment they've all be moved to another board for the future. They are super tasty but they have the texture of cookie dough so I recommend adding a little more flour to make them stiffer or dip the whole truffle in chocolate. I didn't have any shortening to thin my milk chocolate out with so I decided the drizzle would keep the truffles from becoming too chocolate-y. Don't they look so cute? Obsessed. Plus they really do taste like cookie dough!

Mug Brownie

I like the whole dessert in a mug trend. It's perfect for lazy people like myself. I did post this tasty mug cake so you know this already. I found this mug brownie online the other day and I was like "hey I have all this stuff!!" so I proceeded to make it. It's good to note that this is not tasty without the salt so make sure you add that. And it's also a little too big for one person so share with a friend. I'm sorry this picture isn't super tasty. How do you make a brown blob tasty looking? I pulled it when it was still a little gooey because that's how my oven brownies are.

French Toast Dumplings

Breakfast food and I are good friends. IHop knows me too well. And above all else, french toast and I share a special bond. I just love french toast. It is so yummy. So when I ran across french toast dumplings, I told Joe they had to happen. So I do have to give you some tips because the recipe was not easy as it looks. Here is are the finished dumplings.

Don't they look yummy?

This batch was super mushy. Lesson learned: less than a minute on each side.

The only word I have for this batch is goo. They disintegrated as I pulled them out. Use a bigger pan and don't over crowd it.

Perfect! Cooked for a minute on each side. I also had a lot of space around each dumpling when I dropped them in.

My biggest tips for success: Big pot and work in batches, no more than a minute and a half on each side, keep your heat very low, and let them sit for a few minutes once you coat them in cinnamon sugar. It really makes a difference in the texture. But even the mushy batch was tasty. Maybe just because of the relationship I have french toast.

Lemon Pie Bars

Joe loves lemon anything. I think I could make lemon flavored grass candy and Joe would at least try it.  I first made this for Joe when he moved into the house he lives in now. He had his parents over for dinner and I made these for desserts. They are so light and tasty. They are the perfect spring treat and they are perfect for my spring bucket list. Their crust is like pie crust but thicker, more like shortbread. Joe and I have always talked about adding blueberries so maybe we will do that this summer and try it again. They are super simple, the prep time is next nothing, and Joe has all of the ingredients all of the time. They are just perfect.

Homemade Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs

What makes the novelty Reese's so yummy? I think it's the ratio of peanut butter to chocolate. Except at a dollar a pop, they are less than satisfying. So I tried making some myself. The results were super yummy. Not exactly the same but none the less, super tasty. I thought they were pretty rich but Joe thought they were just right. I think next time I might add some more peanut butter and thin my chocolate out a little more but otherwise they were are an extremely tasty treat. If you want a thinner chocolate, go for a double boiler and some wax from the baking aisle instead of shortening or a little more shortening. That might give it a little thinner coat of chocolate. They taste like a big buckeye if you've ever had one of those. Plus they are super cute for Easter. :)

Friday Faves

What a week. I was hoping to make this exclusively all about my trip to Kentucky but there are other things that happened that made it less than perfect. So instead this is just a normal Friday Faves. I'm not bitter...

1. Pine Mountain Settlement School

It was simply life changing. I wouldn't trade seeing that community in person for anything. I am so amazed at how much this school does with so little.

2. Nationals

We stopped in Indy at nationals on our way back from Kentucky. It was so cool. Sorority-girl-squeals worthy. The building is absolutely gorgeous. Definitely a highlight of my time as a collegian.

3. Changes

I don't know how to describe the feelings I'm feeling these days. It's like when you prepare for the worst and it doesn't happen. I'm just sitting there, expecting to screw my whole life up again and when it doesn't happen, I'm left sitting there wondering how that happened and how do I manage to continue not screwing it up. 

4. French Toast Dumplings

I feel a little bad showing you these, knowing the post won't go up until the end of the month. They are little balls of love. This will happen in my life again.

5. Retail Therapy

I was going to take a pic but that's work so I found this picture instead. I drug Joe through JC Penny's last weekend and it was absolutely amazing. I don't care how superficial it is. I love trying on clothes. And then I walked around Target for like 2 hours today. It's spring break. I don't care if you judge me.

Berry Oreo Balls

I was so excited when I started this journey. I was inspired by a really common sorority treat that involves crushing a package of Oreos and mixing it with a block of cream cheese and topping it with chocolate. And I was like, "Hey, you know what would make this a special Valentine's day treat? Using the berry ice cream flavored Oreos!" And then it of course was not that easy. It took me approximately a million years to crush the Oreos. And in case you've never attempted to melt white chocolate chips, it's really hard. I burned three attempts at it. The last attempt melted them but it was not pretty. In short, these Oreo balls were supposed to be a beautiful Valentine's day treat and instead they are not so pretty. But they are incredibly tasty. The berry flavor is really yummy and I'm sure you could find an easier way to make these than my epic fail journey. To make your own Oreo balls, just crush a package of Oreos and mix it with an 8 oz. package of cream cheese.

Creamy Rice Pudding

The Scene: It's -4 with the windchill out. We've been getting snow for two days. The roommates have gone out and I've decided not to risk my life driving to my 6-9 history class. I know I should be upstairs getting some reading done or maybe a draft done for the next paper I have due but I want something to eat plus I've been fighting off a headache all day. I miss days like this at home. Laying on the couch with the dog. Having Dad to make dinner and watching the news in a house where I don't pay the heating bill.

This recipe is so freaking good. I absolutely love the rice pudding. Dad used to make this for me and Jessica all the time. It's creamy and warm. The flavor is like warm vanilla ice cream over rice. So so yummy. I just love this stuff. And a whole batch to myself means snacks all the time. I've even been known to eat it for breakfast. It's just a nice warm way to wake up in the morning. The recipe we use comes from da internets. The only tip I have for you is to follow the instructions exactly. It may seem like it will never get thick and creamy but it will. Also, stir stir stir. It will never come together if you don't stir. I hope you enjoy this big batch of love.

Friday Faves

Is it really Friday again already? Who can tell when every day is homework day?!

1. Saturday with Jessica and Liam

I got a visit from Jessica and Liam on Saturday. We had a blast! We went shopping and Liam got to play with Courtney. I have missed them so much!

2. Rice Pudding

I made some really yummy rice pudding on Sunday. You'll be able to read about it in February. It's so creamy and warm. I just love cuddling up with a bowl as a reward for a long day of trekking through the snow for classes.

3. Valentine's Day

Aren't these ties cool? I'm getting Luke one of these very cool ties with a page on a book of 1942 military chemical warfare. Cyberoptix makes some really cool ties and Luke liked quite a few so it might be my new back up for presents for the boy. 

4. WIVC Training

I spent a lovely hour learning about the Womens Issues Volunteer Corps this week and I can truly say I am so excited by their mission that I can't wait to get involved.

5. Honest Abe

When you're riding the struggle bus and it seems like the week may never get to five faves, you gotta find a mantra to remind yourself that sometimes the walking gets a little slower. The pace this week definitely took a nose dive. But the attitude won't. I most certainly am not ever going backwards.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Om nom nom I love cookies! This is one goal from the winter bucket list that I have really been excited about! Joe and I chose to make oatmeal raisin cookies because we had all the ingredients on hand. I love oatmeal raisin cookies. They are chewy and soft. We used Betty Crocker's recipe because she seems to know what she is doing and they were pretty tasty!

One Minute Mug Cake

I am a very impatient person. Waiting 30 minutes for a regular cake to bake and then another 15 minutes for it to cool is incredibly torturous. Even this one minute mug cake takes a little too long but it is better than 45 minutes. I found the recipe here. Joe and I have done chocolate, strawberry, and lemon. I love the strawberry! The best part is how easy it is to remember the directions: 1 minute in the microwave for 2 tablespoons of water and 3 tablespoons of mix.

Mini Pumpkin Pie Scones

There was a call for healthy fall dishes for a sorority event this month. I spent a lot of time looking for something but not surprisingly, dishes that are both healthy and dessert-y are hard to find. I finally stumbled onto this Starbucks knock off recipe. I figured it looked easy enough that it wouldn't take a ton of extra effort to double the recipe to make 48 scones. I'm really impressed with how they turned out! I didn't do the spiced glaze because I was feeling lazy but they were still really good. My one tip is get yourself a rolling pin. It was hard to make them even without it. Oh and a ruler. It will make cutting triangles easier. Unless you aren't OCD like me and then it doesn't matter. But if you want them all to be the same size, a ruler will make all the difference. You can find the original recipe from Bespangled Jewelry here.

Apple Cherry Pie

Joe and I are finally getting around to checking things off our autumn bucket list. For our pie, we went with apples and dried cherries and it was fantastic! We adapted the recipe a bit from one I found online. Here's the link for the original recipe.

Our adaptations:

• We took the recommendations from the reviews online and changed the cook temperature and time a bit. We baked the pie at 425 degrees for 10 minutes and then we lowered the temperature to 350 degrees for 50 minutes.
• I chose to do a lattice top because I like the way it looks and it helps the liquid evaporate a little better. We also brushed the top with butter and sprinkled cinnamon sugar over the top. It made the top flavorful and it browned really well.

Friday Faves

It's Friday again. I'm finally planning on getting some stuff checked off the fall bucket list. But this week was pretty non-eventful so we will see where my brain goes on this list...

1. Tau Night

Every Wednesday is Tau Night for Alpha Sigma Tau. We hang out with the new members and they get to learn more about our sisters. Paige made caramel corn this week and it was soo good. She's going to give me the recipe but it was super easy so hopefully I'll make it soon and share it with all of you!

2. Sweet Asian Pear Tea

So much love! It is absolutely amazing! I know what I'm getting myself for Christmas!

3. Face Off

Brandi got me hooked on this show. I don't know why it is so interesting except maybe that Brandi and I like to yell at the TV because the contestants aren't like regular reality show competitors. They help each other and crap like that. What is that? But anyways, it's really really cool to see the transformations and I love hanging out with Brandi.

4. Thursday Night Shenanigans

Thursday night at the Saloon is karaoke night. Well... This time it wasn't. Some nonsense about baseball. Lame. Anyways, we always have a good time and I can't wait for Thursday this week!

5. Apple Cherry Pie

Joe and I got pie checked off our list this week. Look forward to a pie post later this week!

Apple Crumb Bars

Remember when I made these awesome blueberry bars? Well, we made them with apples. Delicious! We made two alterations since the first time we tried it. We added cinnamon to both the apples and the dough and instead of mixing the apples with white sugar, we mixed them with the same amount of brown sugar. To compensate for the extra moisture in the brown sugar, I added a pinch more cornstarch. It turned out amazing! I'm kind of obsessed. It's extra yummy warmed up with vanilla ice cream.