Melt the chocolate on 50% power, stirring every 20-30 seconds until fully melted. Place the chocolate in the molds and use a spoon to cover the entire shell. Make sure you get all the way to the top on every side so your shell sides fit together with no gaps.
Put the shells in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes until they are fully hardened.
Carefully take them out of the molds. Fill half with hot chocolate powder, and mini marshmallows. I also put some crushed candy canes in some of mine for more peppermint flavor.
Put a plate or pan over the heat on the stove on low. Take the empty shell halves and put them on the warmed plate to melt the edges. Put the melted edges right on top of the filled side. Use some of the leftover melted chocolate to bind the two halves together if needed.
Drizzle with additional chocolate and sprinkle with crushed candy canes (or any other toppings you want).
Put your hot chocolate bombs in a mug and pour hot milk or water over the top. Watch while your hot chocolate bomb explodes with chocolatey goodness!
Since we have been home for so long, I've been getting creative with festive breakfast ideas. I made these snowman treats for my nieces when they were in town for Thanksgiving and they LOVED them. They are both super easy to make and only include a few ingredients. The Santa pancake was a little trickier, but so healthy and delicious. I'm sure kids would LOVE it on Christmas morning (my husband also loved it).
Santa Pancake
Ingredients:
Pancakes (homemade, pancake mix, or even frozen pancakes could be used)
Strawberries
Blueberries
Banana
For one Santa pancake you need about 4-6 strawberries (washed, dried, and cut), 2 blueberries (washed and dried), and 1 large banana (cut). You could also use chocolate chips for the eyes if you want or whipped cream instead of banana!
Snowmen Donuts
Ingredients:
Mini powdered donuts
Mini chocolate chips
Candy corn
Cut the white tip off the candy corn and place inside the donut hole for the carrot nose (the yellow shouldn't be showing - all you should see is the orange). Place mini chocolate chips for the eyes and mouth.
Snowmen Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients:
1 package of cinnamon rolls and frosting (or you could make homemade)
Chocolate chips
Mini chocolate chips
Orange tic tacs
Small stick pretzels
Place one cinnamon roll on the pan. Unravel the next one a little and cut off a small piece to make the head a little smaller than the body (you can put the extra pieces together to make another cinnamon roll at the end). Press the ends of the two rolls together on the pan. Repeat for the rest of the cinnamon rolls. Bake as directed. Let cool a little and then frost and add chocolate chips for the buttons and mini chocolate chips for the eyes and mouth. Add a tic tac for the carrot nose. Last, add two pretzel rods for the arms.
Mini Donuts with Chocolate Glaze
Last, but not least these adorable mini donuts. I used this donut maker and found a very similar one here. This is the donut recipe I used:
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. baking powder
2 cups flour
This is the chocolate glaze recipe I used:
1/2 chocolate (can use melting chocolate or chocolate chips - I used Ghirardelli dark chocolate)
2 tbsp. butter
2 tsp. water
2 tsp. light corn syrup (optional but gives them a beautiful shine)
Melt on 50% power in microwave stirring every 20-30 seconds until melted. Dip one side of the donuts in the glaze. I use a fork to dip it more easily then put sprinkles on. You can sprinkle them on or dip them in if you want them to completely covered like mine. Here are the festive sprinklesI used.
Whether you are staying home, or getting together with a few close family members, here are a few ideas for what to wear for Thanksgiving this year! It's all about comfort this year, and I included a lot more casual looks since Thanksgiving looks very different this year. I can't believe Thanksgiving is a week away.
These easy (3 ingredient) pumpkin bars are delicious and perfect for the holidays.
Ingredients:
1 box spiced or pumpkin spice cake mix
1 (15 oz) can of pumpkin puree
1 cup chocolate chips/mini chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 inch baking dish with parchment paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Stir together cake mix and pumpkin until well combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Spread in pan and bake for 30 minutes.
Time has been such a strange thing lately. I feel like I just took these pictures, but somehow it was a couple months ago now. I forgot to share them so I wanted to share the details about this look now. Better late than never, right?
I love a good white dress and when I find a good one, I always scoop it up, no matter what season it is. A good white dress will always be in style. This one is a little low in stock, so I found a bunch of other white dresses I'm also loving.
Happy holiday weekend! Almost every year I make a fruit pizza for the fourth of July! I love how you can arrange the fruit in so many different ways, and my favorite fruits happen to be very patriotic colors (strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries). Fruit pizza is the perfect summer treat because it's fresh and light, and perfect for a hot day. It is always a crowd pleaser!
This year I wanted to try something a little different and little more personalized instead of one big cookie you had to cut into. I decided to make individual little fruit pizzas. I used little springform pans to make them which can be found here (I used the smallest size) and they worked great! I stacked four of them into a cake and then did a couple more on the side - you can do it either way!
Here is the recipe:
Crust:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cream of tarter
Bake 8-12 minutes at 350 degrees.
Frosting:
1 pkg. (8 oz) cream cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 small pkg. (8 oz.) Cool Whip
Make sure the cookie crust is completely cooled before frosting. Arrange the fruit on top and enjoy! Keep refrigerated before you serve!
This recipe is for 2 crusts (top and bottom). You will need 3-4 crusts for 5-6 mini pies. You could also buy remade crusts and use those also.
Mix the flour and salt. Cut in shortening using knives until pieces are the size of small peas. Sprinkle with cold water 1 tbsp. at a time. Flour should be moist and dough should be able to be formed into a ball. Form into ball and divide in half. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 45 minutes or until the dough is firm and cold. If you refrigerate any longer, let it sit out at room temperature before rolling out. Flatten out the crusts using a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface.
Filling:
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
6 cups fresh blueberries
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. butter
I made 5 mini pies and used one recipe of the filling and 3 crusts (one and a half recipes of above). You could also use this filling recipe to make one 9 inch pie.
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Mix sugar, cinnamon, and flour in a bowl. Carefully stir in blueberries. Sprinkle with lemon juice.
Grease pie tin and place bottom layer of crust down. If there are air pockets, make small holes in the crust with a knife or fork to let the air out. Fill with blueberry mixture. Cut the butter into small pieces and sprinkle on top of each pie. Put top lattice pie crust on alternating over, under for each strip. Sprinkle some sugar or cinnamon sugar on top before baking.
Bake for around 25-30 minutes. Start with tin foil on top of each pie and remove it when there is about 15 minutes left.
Today I wanted to share all my latest beauty favorites! I've tried a lot of new products in the last couple months so I wanted to share the ones I loved and will reorder!
Since being home during quarantine these past few months, I've had lots of extra time to try some new products. Some I had been wanting to try for awhile and others were ones I just happened to find. Today I wanted to share all of the ones I've found that I LOVE.
I've been using TULA products for year, but these three are ones I've tried more recently. First is this Smoothing Primer Gel. When you put this on it gives such a cooling feeling. It is lightweight and doesn't clog your pores but helps your makeup going on super smooth. Next is the Rose Glow Brightening Eye Balm. I've used the Brightening Eye Balm for awhile and I'm obsessed! I wanted to try the newer version to see if it was any different. I honestly didn't see/feel much of a difference, but I love them both. I use them daily. They are super cooling and feel amazing when you put them on. I use mine under my makeup and also as a finishing touch for a little extra glow or highlight. Last is this Blurring and Moisturizing Filter Primer. It also comes in this supersize! I think I prefer this primer to the first one. They are both great, but I even love using this one when I don't wear makeup because it has a glowy finish. Next on my list to try is their brand new sunscreen. I've heard great things about it!
Next is this Charlotte Tillbury Magic Powder. This setting powder is very lightweight and very smoothing. I've never felt like a powder was a necessary step in my beauty routine until I started using this one! I use shade medium.
Now, this is one that I've been wanting to grab for awhile because I've heard it's a great staple and it did NOT disappoint. The formula is great and the color is perfect for everyday. Can't say enough good things about this Charlotte Tillbury Lipstick in shade 'Pillow Talk'. You can also get it in a set with the lipliner as well here.
I'm always looking to try new mascaras and these two are my current favorites. The Taste Surfer Curl Mascarais a clean mascara (which I love) and it isn't very heavy. I use it on days I'm not wearing much makeup or even when I'm not wearing any and just want a little something. It's volumizing, but not as lenghtening. In my opinion this Too Faced Mascara called 'Better Than Sex' is the BEST. It makes my lashes look so much longer and fuller. It's my current go-to!
These products are ones I have wanted to try to awhile and finally got around to ordering. I must say, they are worth the hype. They are GREAT. First is the Tarte Shape Tape. I use color 'Light'. This is such a great concealer and I think it will be one that I purchase over and over again. A little goes a long way. The coverage is great and it wears well throughout the day. Next is the IT Cosmetics CC+ Cream. I wear shade 'Light', but will probably need to get a lighter shade for the winter. This is such a good coverage foundation. It goes on smoothly and makes such a big difference in my beauty routine. I love that it has SPF built in too! Last is the Shape-Tape Glow Wand. I love that this product does the same job as the shape tape, but gives more of a glow. I also love that the beauty blender is built in, which makes it super convenient.
I've been trying to give my hair a bit of a break lately and trying to goin longer between washes. I've never found a dry shampoo I've loved until now. Now I have two I love! The first is this Living Proofone. I've also been loving this Living Proof Full Dry Volume Blast. My hair is VERY straight so I need all the volume I can get. Some products weigh my hair down too much, but this one is lightweight but gives a ton of volume!
So I've been hearing about billie razors A LOT lately. Of course I needed to order one. Honestly, I JUST tried the razor for the first time this week and loved it, but I want to use it awhile longer until I'm sure this is the one I want to stick with. However, when ordering the razor I also ordered this dry shampoo and thesewonder wipes and I AM OBSESSED WITH BOTH! I've been using them both for a couple months. They are both full of natural ingredients and work amazing. This dry shampoo seriously makes my hair look and feel clean. I also prefer the powder to the aerosol (personal preference). I will definitely be reordering! Also I cannot say enough good things about these wipes. I use them every night (when I'm wearing makeup) and they feel amazing. They are full of great, clean ingredients including hyaluronic acid and vitamin C serums (no alcohol) and they work so well. They get my makeup off perfectly every time. I already have my second container on the way!
I had to include some of my OG favorites when it comes to beauty. These are my tried and true favorites I keep coming back to. A few of these items are Beautycounter, which I can't link but if you are interested in trying them, I know a few consultants, so let me know and I can point you in the right direction!
Next are my Cosmakery favorites including this Highlighter in the color 'Lightbulb' and these Sculpting Sticks in shades 'Light' and 'Light Medium'. This is my first highlighter I ever bought and I think I'm on my third or fourth now. It is amazing. These sculpting sticks make it so easy to contour and are just as amazing as their foundation (which I also love). Also Cosmakery brushesare THE SOFTEST things ever. I use mine every single day.
The Beautycounter makeup items I love are the tint skin foundation and the concealer pen. Next, is my favorite Anastasia Brow Wiz. I use shade 'Dark Brown'. Last are my other two favorite mascaras including the IT Cosmetics Superhero Mascara and the Chanel Volumizing Mascara. Both are ones I go back to when I'm looking for a mascara I know I will love.
Let me know if you have any questions! Thanks for stopping by!
