Goey Goodness

              Every time we have extra marshmallows lying around that no one knows what to do with, I try to think of a yummy treat that I can make using them. (That's how I came up with the snack I made in my Popcorn Balls! post.) This time, I made Chocolate Chip Sanwhich Cookies. These treats taste similar to S'mores, but with cookie dough instead of graham crackers. Here's how you can make them:

What you'll need: 1 pack of store bought chocolate chip cookies, 1 bag of miniature marshmallows, butter or margarine, a microwave-safe bowl, a spoon

Step 1: Bake the cookies (see the back of the package for cooking directions)

Step 2: When the cookies are done baking, take them out of the oven and let them cool slightly. 

Step 3: While waiting for the cookies to cool, let's start making the filling! I poured 1 cup of mini marshmallows into the microwave-safe bowl, but you may need more depending on how many cookies you baked.

Step 4: Let's add a little slice of margarine (or butter) to the bowl. Youu don't need a lot, just enough to keep the marhmallows from sticking to the bowl. 

Step 5: Now, stick the marshmallows in the microwave! I like to heat mine at 10 second incriments and stir the marshmallows  before heating them again. 

Step 6: When the cookies are cool enough, transfer them to a large plate and turn them over so that the flat side is facing upward. 

Step 7: Add a dollop of the marshmallow fluff to one of the cookies...then, place the other cookie on top! Repeat with the other cookies.





Step 8: Enjoy!

A few helpful tips:

• Once you melt the marshmallows, the fluff cools and turns sticky quickly. If you have this problem, just add a little more butter/margarine to the bowl and heat it again.
• When building the sandwich cookies, make sure that you let the cookies cool enough or may end up with cracks.  

Super Bowl Treats

Today the big day, it's Super Bowl XLVII!

One big part of the Super Bowl tradition is watching it with your friends, and if your planning on inviting company over, you're also going to need food. Here are some of my favorite appetizers and desserts.

• Oreo Balls - Cream cheesse and Oreo crumbs formed into a ball. These little treats are full of flavor and melt in your mouth!
• Sausage Balls - A sausage ball is like a sausage biscuit in ball form. You combine sausage, biscuit mix, and even cheese if you want to. 
• "Pigs in a Blanket" - I love these things! "Pigs in a Blanket" are mini hot dogs rolled into Pilsbury crescent rolls. Yep, it's that simple!
• Sausage Dip - My aunt used to make sausage dip for the family every year at Christmas time. I don't have the exact recipe that she used, but this looks similar. 
• Peanut Butter Blossoms - These peanut butter cookies are the best! It's a peanut butter cookie with a chocolate Hershey's Kiss in the middle. You can't go wrong with peanut butter and chocolate.

And as far as drinks go...

My favorite punch is what my cousin and I nicknamed "Power Punch", but what most of you might know as "Punch Bowl Punch." Here's how we make it:

What you need:

• Your favorite flavor of Hawaiian Punch
• Pineapple Juice ( I use the big cans of DOLE Pineapple Juice, but you can use whatever you'd like )
• Ginger ale soda
• KOOL-AID (optional)

We add Hawaiian Punch, ginger ale, and pineapple juice into a large pitcher and stir until it tastes good. Everyone likes different amounts of soda to juice, so I usually just recommend adding each liquid until you think it tastes right. 

KOOL-AID addition:
If you want your punch to be super fruity and a little sweeter, you may want to add KOOL-AID. Make sure that you pick a flavor (or two :) ) that will compliment the Hawaiian Punch flavor.

I recommend mixing 1 - 2 packets of the powder with sugar and water (see the back of any KOOL-AID packet for the exact measurements), then adding the KOOL-AID to the pitcher containing the original punch mixture.

Enjoy the Super Bowl!

A young entrepreneur impresses the "sharks" with bottle cap business

Have you ever heard of SNAP CAPS? You're answer might be yes, or you  might say no, but the point is that it's founders are making money- and lots of it.

 Maddie Bradshaw, now age 16, came up with the idea for her interchangeable bottle cap necklaces at age 10. After becoming very popular, the business, SNAP CAPS, has become available in stores nationwide, and have made over five million dollars in sales!

Maddie, her younger sister Margot (SNAP CAPS current VP), and their mom were on "Shark Tank" in 2012. My mom saw the episode the other day and told me about it. I thought that their story was very cool considering the fact that I am a young entrepreneur, too.

Here's a video of them on "Shark Tank":

I do not own this video, I did not create or upload this video.
Here's a link to the SNAP CAPS website: http://www.m3girldesigns.com/

The iPhone: Is it really all that?

These days, smartphones and tablets are becoming more common than the regular cell phone and a desktop or laptop computer. The internet is replacing the traditional newspaper and consumers want things faster. Some can't live without their smartphone, while others don't see what all the hype is about.

One of the most popular smartphones on the market right now is Apple's iPhone. I own the iPhone 4 and am here to offer my opinion. So, is the iPhone really all that?

Yes.

However, I'm sure those of you reading this article right now are expecting more than a one-word explanation of why this phone is so great. There are several things that I love about my iPhone, which I have had for a couple months now and am well-acquainted with.

- Number 1: The iPhone is VERY user-friendly. I was able to use it without any trouble from the moment I picked it up, even though it was my first smartphone.
- Number 2: Front and back cameras. The iPhone 4, 4S, and 5 all have a front and back cameras. This makes it easy to take pictures of yourself. Also, it allows you to FaceTime, which is video chat that is similar to Skype, but is only compatible with other iPhones.
- Number 3: Camera-quality is great. The camera quality of the iPhone 4 is great. It produces sharp photos with rich colors.
- Number 4: Built-in photo editing. The iPhone allows users to do basic photo edits, such as auto-correct, red eye removal, and cropping right on your phone.
-  Number 5: iTunes and music on one device. Before I had a smartphone, I had a cell phone and an iPod Nano, and I had to hook my iPod up to my computer each time I wanted to download a new song. Now, I don't have to carry both a phone and an iPod because iPhone users are able to transfer their music from their iPod to their phone. Also, if I want to download a new song on the go, I can because iTunes is a built in app as well.
- Number 6: Apps! Have you ever heard someone say, "There's an app for everything?" Well, it's true. Whether you want to get all your information organized in one place (Evernote) or run from monkeys to pacify yourself while on a long flight (Temple Run), there's an app for it. Of course, most (if not all) social media sites (like Facebook and Twitter) have apps that make sharing photos, tweeting, and keeping in touch on the go a breeze.
- Number 7: Fast internet access. The internet speed of this phone is very fast, especially on Wifi ( although service may differ depending on your phone carrier).
- Number 8: iCloud. Cloud storage is another thing that's big right now, and Apple's iCloud allows me to sync my contacts, notes, and more to my online account. In case I ever lose my phone, iCloud also gives me the ability to access the "Find My iPhone" app from my computer.

There are many more great features to this phone, but I don't want to keep you reading forever. I would also like to mention the iPhone 4S, which my mom has. It has a few more features than the iPhone 4, such as a panoramic camera that allows the user to take several pictures and piece them together into one image. The iPhone 4S also has Siri, a helpful electronic assistant.

 I know that the iPhone 5 is out now, but if I am going to give an honest review, I would need to have used it before, which I haven't. If you would like to compare the iPhone 4, 4S, and 5, I recommend this chart on Apple's website, which my parents used to compare iPhone models.

Cool Digital Counting Money Jar

Happy New Year everyone!

Every New Year, people make New Year's Resolutions, some of which we keep, but let's be honest, most of us have trouble keeping up with them. Popular resolutions are to lose weight, eat healthier  be more organized, and of course, to save money. One of the Christmas presents I received this year was Digital Counting Money Jar. Each time you put a coin in, the jar recognizes it's value and adds it to the total amount of money in the jar, which is displayed on the lid. I think that this is a better way to collect money than the normal piggy bank because being able to see the amount of money you have increase helps encourage the person to keep saving. I think that this is a great way for kids (and adults) to save their coins.

OREO Balls

Before Christmas, my mom and I went over a family friend's house to bake treats. We bought a few recipes, and they provided a few as well. One of the recipes that my friends introduced me to, Oreo Balls (also known as Oreo Truffles), became my absolute favorite dessert out of everything we made. They are creamy, have all the flavor of an Oreo, and melt in your mouth. Here's the recipe we used, courtesy of Kraft Foods (www.kraftrecipes.com)

Easy Oreo Truffles

What you need:

All the yummy goodies we baked! (Oreo balls  in front)

36  OREO Cookies, finely crushed, divided
1pkg.  (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
16oz.  BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted

Make it

RESERVE 1/4 cup cookie crumbs. Mix cream cheese and remaining cookie crumbs until blended.

SHAPE into 48 (1-inch) balls. Dip in melted chocolate; place on waxed paper-covered rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with reserved cookie crumbs.

REFRIGERATE 1 hour or until firm.

Kraft kitchens tips

HOW TO MELT CHOCOLATE
 Place unwrapped chocolate in microwaveable bowl. Microwave on HIGH 2-1/2 min. or until chocolate is completely melted, stirring every 30 sec.
HOW TO EASILY DIP TRUFFLES
To easily coat truffles with the melted chocolate, add truffles, in batches, to bowl of melted chocolate. Use 2 forks to roll truffles in chocolate until evenly coated. Remove truffles with forks, letting excess chocolate drip back into bowl. Place truffles on prepared baking sheet; let stand until firm.
HOW TO STORE
Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator.

To learn more about this recipe and get other Kraft recipes, please visit: http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/easy-oreo-truffles-95085.aspx
Enjoy!

Pic Monkey!

A lot of the photos that I have posted on my blog (excluding the ones that go along with recipes I found on the internet that have sources underneath) were edited with PicMonkey, an online photo editor. Using PicMonkey is extremely easy, and it's free! You don't even need to create an account. All you do is upload a photo, edit it, and save the finished product to your computer. However, registration is required if you sign up for PicMonkey Royale, which cost $4.99 per month and gives users even more options. I use the free version, and here are some of its features:

Features of PicMonkey (Free Version)
-  Basic editing options (cropping, rotating, sharpen, resize, etc.)
- Cool effects, such as...

- Touch Up Effects (Blemish Fix, Blush Boost, Teeth Whiten, Weight Loss, Lip Tint, and Red-eye Remover, etc.; Even more effects for Royale users like: Spray Tan, and Wrinkle Remover)

- The ability to add text, with several fonts (text was added to the images above)

- Fun Overlays (Comic Bubbles, Butterflies, and more)

- Photo Frames

- Textures

- Themes (Winterland, several Halloween themes)

- You can also create collages! The four pictures of Chelsea above were put together using the collage option. 

Next time you want to edit a photo, try PicMonkey! I highly recommend it!

Here's the link:

www.picmonkey.com