Grilled S'mores!

Summer will be gone in less than a week.

And while I'm REALLY excited for Fall,

(Hello boots, scarves and sweaters!!!),

I'm going to miss a few things about Summer.

And one of those things is s'mores!

Of course you can make s'mores year-round,

but there's just something about the hot Summer months

that just make it perfect for s'more making!!!

I even started my Summer making them Memorial Day weekend at the beach.

Now if you're like me and crave s'more year round,

I have a super easy solution for you!

Having a nice bonfire to roast your marshmallow is nice,

but it's not a necessity for s'more making.

I bought a grill this Summer and was grilling everything possible.

I quickly realized I didn't need a bonfire to make s'more,

and could use my newly purchased grill instead.

You don't get the same effect as sitting around a fire, but they're just as tasty!!!

The Goods:

Large Marshmallows*

Chocolate Bars

Graham Crackers

*I purchased S'mores specific marshmallows with HIGH hopes,

but sadly they didn't roast as easily as regular large marshmallows.

The weight distribution seemed off or something.

Get all your ingredients prepped before starting to roast your marshmallows.

My grill has easily removable plates,

so I took them off to get closer to the flame.

Roast the marshmallows on a stick like usual.

Once your marshmallow is golden brown and gooey,

 sandwich between two graham crackers and some chocolate.

Take a bite of the deliciousness,

 getting marshmallow all over your face,

and enjoy this yummy treat!

Homemade Hot Chocolate Sticks!

I knew I wanted to make some kind of treat for my co-workers for the holidays

and when I was looking at numerous ideas online, I came up with the idea to make 

HOT CHOCOLATE STICKS!!!

Now you're probably thinking,

Hot Chocolate Sticks? What's that?!?!

Well keep reading and I'll show you!

The Goods:

Dark Chocolate

Lollipop Sticks

Silicone Mold

Milk (For Making Hot Chocolate)

Mini Marshmallows (Optional)

Candy Canes (Optional)

Melt your chocolate and fill silicone mold. 

Once chocolate is set enough, add sticks

and the topping of your choice.

I decided to use only mini marshmallows.

Once completely set, remove from the silicone mold.

Package up into individual baggies.

And because I was giving them as gifts,

I added a mason jar, straw and candy cane too!

One dozen Hot Chocolate Stick treat bags!

These would make a great treat for any holiday.

I'm thinking New Years, Valentine's Day, Birthdays, etc.

Hope you all have a fun and safe New Year's Eve!

Here's to an amazing 2015 my friends!!!

GG's Christmas Fudge

Growing up, I remember my mom making multiple recipes that came from my Great Grandma,
who we called G.G.
They were all so tasty and I'm honored to be the one making them now!

I've shared with you her amazing Banana Bread recipe.

And now I want to tell you about her delicious Fudge!!!

I don't remember a Christmas during my childhood that my mom didn't make this fudge.
In fact, I also recall both my brother and I requesting it for our birthdays once or twice.
It was a big hit in our house growing up, that's for sure!

It's pretty easy to make too.
It's really about timing everything that's key.

Take a look below at the fudge making process!

GG's Fudge

• 10 Big Marshmallows
• 1 Tablespoon Water
• 1 1/2 Cup Chocolate Chips
• 1 Stick Unsalted Butter
• 1 Teaspoon vanilla
• 2 Cups Sugar
• 3/4 Cup Evaporated Milk

1. Put Chocolate Chips, Butter and Vanilla in large mixing bowl and set aside.
2. Slow boil the Sugar and Evaporated Milk. Bring to a rolling boil and stir for about 5 minutes.
3. While Sugar and Evaporated Milk are boiling, melt the Marshmallows with the water.
4. Pour both the Sugar and Evaporated Milk mixture AND the melted Marshmallows over the Chocolate Chips, Butter and Vanilla. 
5. Mix until everything is incorported and creamy.
6. Add chopped nuts if desired (OPTIONAL but I usually use Chopped Walnuts)
7. Spread out mixture in a 9x9 baking dish that's lined with wax/parchment paper.
8. Chill in fridge AT LEAST 24 hours before cutting.
9. Cut into squares and place in mini muffin liners for serving. 

Thanksgiving with Girlfriends 2013

I usually spend Turkey Day at a family member or close friend's home, but last year I hosted my very first Thanksgiving! I did almost all of the cooking myself and was exhausted by the end of the day, but I wouldn't have changed a thing! I had so much fun hosting that I looked forward to doing it again before the day was even over! 

I'll be honest - when people started talking about their Thanksgiving plans this year, I was a little sad that I wasn't going to be hosting again!  That is, until I decided I was going to host a very small Pre-Thanksgiving get together with a few of my close girlfriends.

After very little thought, I decided I'd make a few things, but have everyone else pitch in so it wasn't as much pressure on me. This year, I was in charge of the turkey, stuffing, gravy and cranberry sauce. My girlfriends were responsible for everything else. Take a look below at my fun Thanksgiving with Girlfriends!

A little decor.

The table all set for dinner.

Carving the turkey. 

The FOOOOOOOOOD!

The whole spread and a plate of deliciousness!

Everything came together so well and all the food tasted AMAZING! While I do like sweet potatoes, I've never been a huge fan of  the mashed sweet potatoes with toasted marshmallows on top. After this weekend though, I think I've officially been converted to liking them and couldn't get enough!