Sweetheart Swap Link-Up

Welcome!

And Happy Early Valentine's Day!

Scott asked me what I wanted to do and I said I didn't care.  I asked where my present was and he asked if I really wanted something.  I said no.  We'll probably make pizza.  We go all out for fake holidays.

Actually, Scott said, "Well, it's Valentine's Day, you know."

Yes.  I know.  I have a classroom party I've been dreading for weeks now.  Trust me, I could not forget Valentine's Day.  Schools, unlike us, really celebrate those fake holidays.  (Don't get me started on how much I detest Dr. Seuss' birthday…)

Anyway.

For the Sweetheart Swap, I ended up with TWO partners.  Twice the goodies?  Absolutely. I'll take it.

S from WyldyChylde sent me this box of goodies.  

Then, I got this package from Rachel.

She even included a toy for Scout..he loves that squeaky heart!

Too action-packed to get a proper picture…

Thanks guys!  Rest assured, the candy was enjoyed.

If you participated in the swap, now's the time to link up with Meg and me.  Thank you all so much for taking part.  We hope you had a great swap experience!

Red Velvet Popcorn

A few weeks ago, Scott and I went to see Wolf of Wall Street.  Now, the only theater playing this was almost an hour away.  It became an all-day affair.  

Let me paint you a picture:

In Alaska, we lived 5 minutes from one of those 16 screen, brand-new, stadium seating multi-plexes.  

We would go to a late movie, the ones starting at 9:30pm, and the idea would be suggested around 6 pm…"Wanna go to a movie?"  

"Sure."

I'd put on my sweatpants, we'd leave the house at 9:15pm, and be in bed by midnight.  Plus, that theater was never very crowded because it was in "the valley".  

(I'm sure I've told this story before.)

Anyway, here, if we want to go to a nice theater, it's an hour drive.

We did it though and, since we had to plan the entire day around the movie showtime, we went to Target first.  

Scott said he was going to take a nap in the car while I went in (the long drive exhausted us both).  Twenty minutes later, my arms full of clothes, I found him in the Valentine's aisle, his arms also full.  Clothes, socks, soap…he'd been taken in by Target.

As we walked to the register, nearly dropping things (you don't get a cart unless you mean business and I was trying to avoid that), he said, "It's so quiet in here".  I said, "And that's the appeal of Target…straight-up middle class.  It's quiet.  It's pleasant.  You don't leave with a headache and an impending anxiety attack.  Welcome."

Anyway, while we were at the movies, we ate one of the BIG buckets of popcorn (it was a long movie).

The next day,  I made this dessert popcorn.  It was after we'd eaten it all in one day, Scott told me he doesn't like popcorn.  

Red Velvet Popcorn

1 T. butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup cream cheese frosting + extra for drizzling

1/2 cup powdered red velvet cake mix 

1 t. vanilla

2 T. corn syrup

2 cups mini marshmallows

Sprinkles

2 bags popped popcorn (Pour the popped popcorn into a bowl, and then put the popped kernels into another, bigger, bowl to separate the unpopped kernels.  You don't want to chomp down on a kernel!)

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and corn syrup together.  It doesn't have to boil or anything.  Stir in the cake mix and frosting.  Once combined, add in the marshmallows.  Stir well and let them melt.  When the mixture is nice and smooth, pour it over the popped popcorn and fold with a spatula to coat.  Decorate with sprinkles.  Warm the extra frosting in the microwave and drizzle it over the popcorn. Serve warm or store in an airtight container once cooled.

Valentine's Day Blog Swap!

It's only the beginning of January, but the stores are already stocked for Valentine's Day…

<center> <a href="http://myborrowedheaven.blogspot.com/search/label/Sweetheart%20Swap" target="_blank"><img alt="Sweetheart Swap" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl3pOTcqOgEP0cNiRgY7NEekgQ3un0N_PC67nxaOJAY-VvYGGRB3cWs9SKA5P-niMzwEA9kVoyHgIXSdID0QWV4aI1FqjdWhuqWW1JHEmPQejERCVHIjByyvTUeWw5R5ZmIlpEYPKSDFs/w325-h300-no/swap.jpg"/></a></center>

Valentine's Day seems to come at that perfect time during the winter lull after the holidays, when you're tired of your New Year's resolution and could just really use a piece of candy.  This year, Meg and I thought it would be fun to help some of our online friends find blogger valentines, so…this is the Sweetheart Swap!

Here are the basics:

- Sign up between today and Monday, January 13 with the form below.

- You'll receive your blogger sweetheart by Thursday, January 16th and you can email her back and forth/stalk her social media to learn about her [likes, dislikes, favorite candy?]

- Go shopping!!! Spend about $20 [before shipping] to buy your sweetheart a package full of her favorite goodies.

- Make your sweetheart a Valentine.  We don't have any requirements for what else you put in the swap box, but we do ask that you get creative with the card, and take it back to your old school elementary school days!

- Mail your package by Saturday, February 1st.

- Link up with us to share what you received from your Sweetheart on Thursday, February 13th.

(Again, as I say with every swap I do, worst case scenario = me and Meg sending each other a box of goodies.  Win-win.)

Just fill out the form below!

Having a Valentine party???

I'm not.  Unless you count this 14 Days of Love thing I've been doing for my husband.  (Note: THAT'S where I got the peach rings I devoured last week.  Instead of attaching a note to them that said, "You're just peachy!", I ate them while he was at work.)

However, if I WERE having a Valentine party, I would order some fun party invitations from Tiny Prints.

Tiny Prints contacted me with Valentine Party invitation ideas, so I decided I'd match up some of my desserts to their invitations.
I enjoy a creative challenge.

So, let's have a Valentine party!  I'll pretend that my many (many) real-life friends are coming over...

Sparkling Splendor

I think we should start with an appetizer of Red Velvet Muddy Buddies (recipe at the bottom of post).

Bold Blackboard

For a main course?  Cake, obviously.  Ice cream cake.

Red Velvet Ice Cream Cake

A Hoot

Then, dessert.  For the caramel/chocolate combo lovers out there...

Salted Hot Fudge Caramel Brownies

And for those peanut butter/chocolate combo lovers...

Hershey's Kiss Cookies

Gotta have something for everyone, right??

Triple Sundae

So that's what I would serve you if you came over for a Valentine Party.  

I'd love to have an excuse to use cute, fun party invitations like these.  I'd actually have a hard time deciding between the ones in this post.  Which do you like? 

Red Velvet Muddy Buddies

inspired and adapted from Cupcake Muddy Buddies

1 cup white chocolate chips
3/4 cup red velvet cake mix
1/4 cup powdered sugar
Rice Chex cereal, about 5 cups

In a large bowl, microwave the chocolate chips at 30 second intervals unless smooth.  Stir in the cereal with a big spoon or spatula.  Sprinkle in the powdered cake mix and sugar. (I use a glass pyrex bowl, and then put the lid on it to shake.)

Store in an airtight container for up to a week.  Don't worry, they won't last that long.  (Oh, right.  You're serving them at a "party".  You totally won't eat them all yourself.)

Sharing at YOLO Monday, Mingle Monday

Valentine's Day Bunting

I had grand, grand plans to make a Valentine's Day wreath.

Then, in my "pack up ALL the stuff because we're outta here in 3 months" frenzy, I misplaced my glue gun.  All the boxes looked so neat and orderly.   I didn't want to disturb them.

So I took my 8 sheets of felt and made this instead.

I did have to open a box to find some yarn.

You win some, you lose some, I guess.  Those wreaths actually take a really long time.  This decoration took less than an hour from start to finish.

I love doing projects with felt because it's so darn cheap.  Any cute, inexpensive crafts I should try??  Remember, no sewing machine, please :)

Valentine's Day Treats

Do you have big plans for Valentine's Day?

Um, yeah.  I don't.  Besides the fact that it's a Tuesday, my husband isn't here.  So yeah...

However, that doesn't mean treats cannot be made. 

So, what does any good blogger do when in search of holiday-themed treats?  Head to Pinterest, of course.

Are you making anything special for Valentine's Day??  My dessert of choice is usually of the chocolate variety, but, with a classroom party happening on Tuesday, I took the opportunity to make some unique treats that I wouldn't be tempted to eat all of!

These Strawberry Cake Mix cookies are just plain delicious and super-easy.  All store-bought ingredients, but they look like lots of time went into them.

This fudge was too unique for me to pass up.  It comes straight from Shelly at Cookies & Cups.  Such a cute little candy it is...

Finally, I made some sugar cookies and some Perfect Cream Cheese Frosting.  I dyed the frosting pink and swirled it onto the cookies.  Heavenly.  Cream cheese icing takes sugar cookies straight.to. the.next.level. 

I ate far too many of these.  And then I had to fill the frosting container with soapy water before I had a chance to lick it clean.  That's how good this frosting is.  
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Crazy Sweet Tuesday