I'm a Sucker for the Sweets... So Help Me Betty Crocker.

I've decided I don't LOVE to cook in the same way that I LOVE to bake. And even more than the baking, I LOVE the assembling, decorating and garnishing! I LOVE making things look pretty. For a recent "Girl's Night Out" that I hosted at my home, I decided to try a few new desserts. My favorite go-to recipes have been used over and over again, and it was time to shake things up a bit.

Here are a few things I whipped up for
Girl's Night Out 2009
(recipes included)!

Tuxedo Brownies

• 1 package (19-21 oz) fudge brownie mix (plus ingredients to make mix)
• 2 squares (1 oz each) white chocolate for baking
• 2 tablespoons milk1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar1 cup thawed, frozen whipped topping
• 1 pint small strawberries, sliced
• orange zest (optional)
• mint leaves
• melted semi-sweet chocolate for baking (optional)
  
  1. Preheat oven to 325. Spray cups of deluxe mini-muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray. Prepare brownie mix according to directions for cake-like brownies. Using small scoop, fill each cup 2/3 full. Bake 14 minutes or until edges are set (do not overbake).
  
  2. Remove pan to cooling rack. Immediately press tops of brownie with tart shaper to make indentations. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Loosen edges and gentle remove the brownies from pan. Cool completely. Repeat with remaining batter.
  
  3. Microwave white chocolate and milk, uncovered on high 1 minute; stir until smooth. Cool slightly. Combine cream cheese and powdered sugar; mix well. Gradually stir in white chocolate mixture until smooth. Fold in whipped topping.
  
  4. Pipe mixture into cooled brownie cups using the Easy Accent Decorator (or other piping tool). Arrange strawberry slices on top. Garnish as desired. Place in airtight container and refrigerate 1-3 hours before serving.
  
  Tip: to get even strawberry slices, slice them using your egg slicer.
  
  Speed version: Purchase brownie bites from Costco instead of making brownies! :)
  
  
  Cool Lime Napoleons
  
  

• 1 package (8 ounces) refrigerated crescent rolls
• 3 kiwi, peeled and sliced
• 1 can (11 ounces) mandarin orange segments, drained and patted dry
• 2 large limes
• 1 container (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds, finely chopped
  
  1. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Lightly sprinkle Stoneware Bar Pan with flour. Unroll crescent dough across length of pan; pinch seams to seal. Lightly sprinkle dough with flour. Using Baker’s Roller™, roll dough evenly to cover bottom of pan. Prick dough using pastry tool. Bake 12-15 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes on Stackable Cooling Rack. Carefully remove pastry from pan to cooling rack; cool completely.
  
  2. Transfer pastry to smooth side of Large Grooved Cutting Board. Using Pizza Cutter, cut pastry crosswise into six rows and lengthwise into four rows to make twenty-four 2 1/2-inch squares. Slice kiwi using Egg Slicer Plus®. Place one kiwi slice and one orange segment onto each pastry square using Bamboo Tongs.
  
  3. Using Lemon Zester/Scorer, zest one lime to measure 1 teaspoon zest. Finely snip zest using Kitchen Shears. Juice limes using Juicer to measure 2 tablespoons juice. In Classic Batter Bowl, combine whipped topping, powdered sugar, lime zest and juice; mix until smooth and slightly thickened using Classic Scraper. Attach open star tip to Easy Accent® Decorator; completely fill with lime mixture. Pipe a 1 1/2-inch rosette onto center of each pastry square, refilling decorator as needed.
  
  4. Finely chop almonds using Food Chopper; sprinkle over rosettes. Lightly sprinkle with powdered sugar using Flour/Sugar Shaker. Place one pastry square on top of another using Mini-Serving Spatula, pressing down lightly. Repeat with remaining pastry squares. Place on Simple Additions™ Large Platter; serve immediately.
  Yield: 12 servings
  
  "Box of Chocolates" Cupcakes
  
  The last treat comes from my newest favorite cook book: Hello, Cupcake! by Karen Tack & Alan Richardson.
  
  Here is the book:
  
  
  
  The first picture is the "box of chocolates" idea presented in the book. The second is my copy-cat version. Really, they are chocolate cupcakes decorated to look like chocolates.
  
  
  
  
  

A New Family Tradition

This past Christmas, we were invited to participate in a wonderful humanitarian service project providing wheel chairs for people around the world who are crippled.

First, we were asked to watch this incredibly touching video. (Take the opportunity to watch it...it's very moving and well-worth your time.)



We were then asked to prayerfully consider what our little family might be able to contribute to add with the donations of my siblings, their families and our parents. The money collected would be pooled together and sent to LDS Philanthropies for the purchase of wheel chairs to be distributed to those in need.

As an adult, I appreciated the significance of the cause and was excited to have a reason to focus on something more meaningful than stocking stuffers. At the time I committed our family to join forces with the rest of my family, I had no idea the impact it would have on my children.

Jacob and Kaylee were so touched by the video and the idea that they could help make a difference in the lives of the individuals pictured in the video that they immediately emptied their life savings, literally every penny, nickel and dime to donate to the cause. They were so thrilled to donate their "widow's mite" to the family effort. They also requested additional jobs to earn more money for donating.

The experience was so powerful for our children that as a grand Price family, we have decided to focus on some sort of humanitarian project each year at Christmas time so that our hearts can be turned to the true meaning of the season. We are already thinking about ideas for next years' project. If you are aware of any special causes, please leave us a comment.

I've included a few pictures of our children helping Nana and Papa to roll the change that was donated to the cause (a good portion of which came from Jacob, Kaylee and Nicholas's piggy banks).

New Year: A New Me!

I know what you're thinking. "Ummm, Jen. You do know it's almost March, right? New Year's resolutions were due back in January." To you, my friend, I shout the age old addage: "Better late than never!"

So, for New Year's this year, we had many of our closest friends over for a New Year's shindig. We stayed up way too late for old married parents and ate our weight in food. We played silly games and talked and laughed until our sides ached. But, it was well worth it. The evening got me thinking about the most important things in my life and the changes I'd like to make personally to be a better me!

Here's my list...in no particular order. It may seem shocking at first glance!

1. Eat More healthy.
2. Drink More water.
3. Spend More time with my kids and husband doing spontaneously fun things.
4. Develop an Addiction for exercising.
5. Have a Love Affair with the scriptures.

Disclaimer: I reserve the right to alter this list at any point and time, or even dispose of it completely. You have the right to discard me as a friend or family member if I dispose of the list!

Here is the inspiration behind the list (see the people in the pictures). From these wonderful people I have learned so much about the person I want to be. Thank you wonderful friends for helping motivate me to be better. I'm looking forward to a better me, come 2010! Thanks for the fun on New Year's Eve 2008/New Year's Day 2009! Hope this year is a good one for all of you.