Orange Creamsicle Cheese Cake

 [Edit: I was informed due to the Orange Juice this is NOT plan approved. I'm so sorry. Maybe you could use flavoring, oil, or a plan approved juice]

We have started a new diet called Trim Healthy Mama. It's been great and we are loving the food but best of all is the weight loss. This week was my granny's birthday and she loves Orange Creamsicle. So here is my invention of a Trim Healthy Mama Orange Creamsicle Cheesecake.

 Orange Creamsicle Cheese cake

Trim Healthy Mamma crust ~ pg. 373

Trim Healthy Mamma cheesecake in spring form pan ~ pg. 373 

Make crust from cheesecake recipe in a spring form pan. Bake & cool.

Make cheesecake. Bake and cool.

Top with Orange creamsickle

Cool in refrigerator overnight

Orange Creamsicle layer

1 ½ c. Orange Juice (about 4 oranges with water added)

1 T. grated Orange rind

1 T. Truvia

2 packs of gelatin

1 can Coconut cream (whipped)

1teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat orange juice and stir the gelatin with the boiling juice until it dissolves. Add truvia or sweetener of choice.

Pour the coconut cream into a large bowl. Beat cream until it reaches soft peaks using more or less to taste. Briefly beat in vanilla extract, if using.

Then gently whisk in the whipped coconut until it's completely combined. Pour over the cheesecake.

Chill it over night.

When ready to serve use a sharp knife and run it around the pan to separate the gelatin layer from the side. Unhinge the pan and gently lift from the cheesecake.

We added ready whip to the top. Yum!

Happy Birthday!

No it's not anyone's birthday. Yet. we always buy or make a birthday card on the person's birthday. so you guessd it, it's always late. My husband's family always does birthday cards. My family never did unless we ere going to a party. I personally LOVE getting mail so I love the idea of sending cards. SO, this year I'm trying to get a head start. I wanted something that looks nice, yet made by my boys. I searched Pintrest for my inspiration. Here is my Card Inspiration Board

Follow Amanda Trapani's board Cards on Pinterest.

I did some pre cutting and the boys assembled them with little help. They love to glue things so this was perfect. 

 the candles were just scraps of printed papers. I cut out flames. Each card has a preprinted "Happy Birthday" block.

These worms were a 1 inch hole punch, a square of printed paper  with ribbon for the gift. I drew the details after the gluing was done. then added eyes

The butterflies were again 1 inch hole punches with heart wings. 

I love how different these trees are. I cut both out exactly the same. The boys just glued them differently. Then we added buttons.

Both the balloons and fish were freehanded cut out. we drew the strings and added a googlie eye. :-)

 I had the boys sign the backs so I would know who made which one.

Our cards will go in our nifty card book similar to this one. 

I hope you enjoyed the cards and are inspired to make your own. Or just send one to a loved one today. 

Christmas Overview

There were so many things we did for Christmas presents I wanted to share but didn't want to "let the cat out of the bag" so here they are...

1. 

Salt dough jewelry

We used extra small cookie cutters and stamps to imprint them. 

Then we painted them with metallic craft paint and strung them on leather string. 

The best part was being able to make something the boys could help with and feel a part of and it still look really nice. 

2.

Photo holder

This one was another Pinterest idea just a board, paint, clothes pins, glue and pictures. the grandparents loved it!

3.

Texas A&M and Dallas Cowboys shot glasses.

Etching Cream and glass shot glasses.

4. 

Flying Bookmarks

Bookmarks of flying boys. another grandparents' gift. We took pictures of the boys laying on the floor. then printed them, cut them out and laminated them with contact paper. Cut them out again, and added twine. 

5.

Miniature ornaments

This is a combination of ideas. Salt dough, bottle caps, and beer bottle caps. the caps have 1 inch circles glued in the middle or snowflake punches. Then I hot glued paperclips on the backs for hooks.

6. 

Wine bottle and Glass holder

Chris got into the gift making too. He made a couple of these to give as gifts. very cool! but don't ask me how. :-) here is the pintrest inspirations

7.

Gift box

 This was a great gift box I found at Target and all the new parents loved it. 

8.

Christmas trees for our gingerbread village

 Green Icing, sugar cones, candy.

 Add excited children

CANDY!

Tasting

Yummy Fun!

Here is their village. The children made house twice while with others, and this is all that was left of their trees. 

What do you do with your gingerbread house after Christmas? 

Thanks for looking at all our crazy ideas. I hope it inspires you to have fun with gifts too.

Christmas Truffles

My sister gave me her "secret" Truffle recipe and I'm going to share it. LOL yes, I asked first. But the real secret I'm going to share is dipping those nasty little things. I hate dipping truffles. Every year I try again, and again. It's such a mess, and I can never get them to look good. The chocolate always hardens too fast. 

mix the truffles and roll into balls. 

heat a crockpot of water with a widemouth jar. I used a my dip crock pot but i'm sure you could use the full size one with two jars! (one white and one chocolate?) 

Add your chocolate. I used chocolate chips once and white chocolate melt once. 

it will take a while to melt, but then you will have time to roll more truffles. :-) 

The chocolate will not get too cool and clump so dip away! I like to sprinkle decorating candy or crushed pecans while the chocolate is still hot. Be sure to sprinkle every 4-5 truffles so the don't cool. 

after the truffles are cool, i like to put them each in a x-small muffin cup then wrap or put on a tray. 

here is the double layer tray I put them on for the cookie exchange. 

The white ones are the Oreo Truffles. But are dipped the same way :-) 

Sara's Truffles

1 bag coconut 

1 bag powered sugar

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon flavoring of your choice. 

Mix well with hands or heavy duty Kitchen aide with dough hook.

Roll into balls and dip in chocolate.

Roll in crushed nuts, sugar, coco, candies, or coconut.

Oreo Truffles

1 package of finely crushed Oreos

1 8ox package of softened cream cheese

Mix well and shape into balls, freeze.

Dip in white chocolate and sprinkle with decorating candies.

Cutting Practice

Learning to use scissors has not been fun. I seriously dislike the tiny paper scraps we end up with all over the house, and they don't seem to get it!
However I ran across a pintrest idea today ~ http://missmancy.com/wp-content/plugins/category-grid-view-gallery/includes/CatGridPost.php?ID=1085

It gave me a the idea to print circles for them to cut. We didnt' have stickers. They LOVE it and did amazing. Yes, I still had tiny papers all over the table & floor. oh well.

He cut each circle twice. 

Lots of practice. hopefully things will only get better.

Find a FREE PRINTABLE HERE and start practice cutting with your little ones. 

Lost Maples

Lost Maples is 89 miles west of San Antonio and is totally worth the trip! 

We watched the Foliage Report on the Lost Maples web site.

 http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/state-parks/lost-maples

We hiked the East trail, both ends were beautiful. it was a little over 4 miles. we packed a picnic lunch  and ate at one of the overlooks. 

The water was a little low this year but there was still some beautiful spots.