12 Days of Christmas: Day 8

Hello everyone! Happy Tuesday!

Today, I'm going to share something to the point for Day 8 of my 12 Days of Christmas!!! I'm loving the season even more when my family is Healthy! No snifflies or upset tummies to compete with the Joy of the season!

12 Days of Christmas: Day 7

Hello everyone! Happy Monday! Hope you all are enjoying your day!

It feels like my day has never ended! LOL. I went to bed last night at 6:30, woke up to a phone call at 8:30 pm that kinda made me irritated, so then I couldn't get back to sleep. Finally decided to lay down at 3:45 am, but hubby is sick and his snoring kept me awak, and then at 4:45 am, I am still awake and baby Jack decides he is too. So then I need to feed him a bottle, and by that time, I just didn't have a chance to get to bed. Thank goodness for that 2 hour nap! Draggin' today though...hopefully can get to bed early tonight

Anyways, we are on day 7 of our 12 Days of Christmas and I have the CUTEST santa pictures to share with you! We took the kids to the mall yesterday as is tradition and visited with Santa. The kids were very taken with Santa and were just so darn cute! Love family traditions and being able to capture them on film each year! Hope you enjoy & have a fabulous day!

12 Days of Christmas: Day 6

Hello Everyone!!! Happy Sunday! ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL? LOL...I wish I could say I was, but I'm thinking the Vikings are not being aired today because they play at noon, and they aren't scheduled on any station...so boooooo to my Sunday game day!

Oh, well, it gives me a great opportunity to share with you Day 6 of my 12 days of Christmas!

So one of my all time favorites are the movies we watch during the holidays! I have my favorites with the kids, my favorites that remind me of growing up, and then my favorites because they are absolute classics! So I'm going to share a few of my faves with you all today!

My ALL TIME favorite!

These are movies I can't go a holiday season without watching... These are the ones I watch with my kids each year...

12 Days of Christmas: Day 5

Hello everyone! Happy Saturday!

Can't believe next week is Christmas already! Absolutely crazy! Time is flying by and we don't even have snow yet! It snowed yesterday, but didn't get anything to stick! Booo!!! LOL

Anyways, I'm on day 5 of my 12 days of Christmas. Today I want to share with you one of my passions of the season. I absolutely LOVE looking for a special holiday outfit to wear for my family. Even if it's only a new pin, dress, sweater, or a pair of socks...doesn't matter, I absolutely LOVE shopping for it! This year I also discovered Polyvore, which is a site to help you visualize the perfect Christmas Attire! If you haven't checked out the website, you should, it's so fun to be a "fashionista", if only for a day! LOL...You can find the link to my "Closet" here...

Vintage style Christmas

Vintage Holiday by heather-rolin featuring longchamp tote bag

Comfy Cozy Christmas

A Comfy Christmas by heather-rolin featuring kate spade tote

Glitz & Glam Christmas

Splashes of Red by heather-rolin featuring kitten heels

12 Days of Christmas: Day 4

Hello everyone! Happy Friday!

Welcome to my Day 4 of my 12 Days of Christmas...Everything about the Holidays scream music. It's the theme to any movie on TV or commercial. It's in an elevator ride or mall or car on any given radio station. And to me, nothing screams Christmas like listening to your favorite songs or hymns!

For me, my favorite song is What Child is This...but I also love Away in a Manger and Do You Hear What I Hear...I could listen to them over and over again. Which I do, every year on my City on a Hill CD that I've had for the past 10 years! I've even effected my oldest son, since he is now obsessed with this CD and has been for 2 years! LOL...So if you don't have this CD...it is a MUST in my opinion!

City on a Hill

Happy Holidays!!!

12 Days of Christmas: Day 3

Hello & Happy Thursday! Today I'm sharing with you day 3 of my 12 days of Christmas FAVORITES!

I'm so excited because we are finally getting snow! It may not amount to much, but it is so pretty to look at during the holidays! Call me crazy, but I'm a HUGE snow lover. So my 3rd favorite thing during the holidays, is a winter wonderland! I'm keeping my fingers crossed and praying that God will grant us a white christmas!

Walking in a Winter Wonderland!!!

12 Days of Christmas: Day 2

Hello everyone!

Happy Holidays to you all! Hope you are enjoying the season and finding time for family, friends, and remembering the true meaning of Christmas!

This year, I discovered something new. Something INGENIUS! And something so addicting! If you haven't yet discovered it, you will. My new favorite thing is Pinterest. This is a site that can't be discribed quickly. So what I will share with you is a few of the Holiday Treats that I made this year with my family with recipes I found on Pinterst!

The first is a Sweet N' Salty treat using pretzels, Kisses & M&M's, the recipe is found HERE. Holiday Pretzel Treats

Bite-size, Holiday Shaped Pretzels
Hershey's Kiss or Hershey's Hug
M&M's candy

Instructions
1. Heat the oven to 170F. Set a number of bite-size, waffle-shaped pretzels (one for each treat) in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, then top each pretzel with an unwrapped Hershey's Kiss or Hershey's Hug.

2. Bake for 4 to 6 minutes (the white chocolate will melt more quickly), until the chocolates feel soft when touched with a wooden spoon. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and quickly press an M&M's candy into the center of each Kiss.

3. Allow the treats to cool for a few minutes, then place them in the refrigerator to set, about 10 minutes. Place handfuls of the candies in clear plastic bags and tie on colorful ribbons.

(Picture from Source)

My next treat is Candy Cane Blossoms, recipe found HERE or on a bag of candy cane hershey kisses.Candy Cane Blossoms

1 bag Hershey;s Kisses brand Candy Cane Kisses
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 egg
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons milk
Red and Green colored sugar

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove wrappers from candies (approx. 35)

2. Beat butter, sugar, vanilla, and egg in large bowl until well blended. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; add alternatively with milk to butter mixture, beating until well blended.

3. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Roll in red and/or green colored sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

4. Bake 8 - 1o minutes or until edges are lightly browned and cookies is set. Remove from oven; cool 2 to 3 minutes. Press candy piece into center of each cookie. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

Yields approximately 35 cookies. (Picture from source)

12 Days of Christmas: Day 1

Hello everyone! Hope you are all enjoying a wonderful start to your Holiday Season! We've been super busy, but still enjoying each other and the true meaning of the Season!

Just wanted to quickly pop in and share with everyone our Christmas Tree of 2011...Each year I collect new orniments that are special to me, but I don't do that until after Christmas is over, so I can get in on the fabulous discounts! LOL...So here are some from last year! I absolutely LOVE a Christmas tree, so I figured I could start of my 12 days of Christmas with one of my favorite things! Enjoy!

The snowman is an orniment I got for my son. We get an orniment for the kids each year and label the name and year on the back, so that when they are older and have their own family, that they have orniments to start them out.

The sleigh is a handmade orniment from a friend that I cherish.

The reighdeer orniment is one handpainted by me and is in a set of 4. I made one of santa, a snowman, a house, and this one. I really love how they turned out! Wish I had more patients to create more to hand out as gifts each year! Maybe when the kids are older! The glass Santa orniment is also part of something I handpainted, with a snowman, but the snowman this year took a fall and is no longer with us! LOL...The joys of a 2 year old running around cleaning house with a broom! Oh well, I can always do another!

Danza's Birthday Cake!

Hey everyone! I haven't been keeping up with my blogging. Sorry, the fall is just a busy time for us here in Minnesota! Hunting Season was upon us, with no luck. Then it seemed to be the ickies sickies season here at the Rolin house. We are doing much better now, but now the Holiday Season is upon us once more and we are getting ready to celebrate with our families.

Even though I'm busy busy, I've made a resolution to keep up with my blogging in 2012! Crazy that that is the year already! Wasn't I just in high school? Instead I turned the big 30 a couple of weeks ago! Just absolutely craziness!

Anyways, what I would like to share with you all today is a Chocolate Marble Cake I made for a friend of mine who's daughter is turning 4 years old today! She showed me a picture of what her little girl wanted and it was a pretty busy cake, and she required the color purple as that is her favorite color. I didn't have the picture to reference, but I had a good idea of what she would like, and here was what I created for her! I carved her initial out of cake using a cardboard stencil I made, frosted it and then covered with fondant and border.

Here's a really great recipe I found for Marble Cake...so moist and delicious!

Marble Cake {Adapted from Martha Stewart}

Makes one 9-inch Layer, {Triple Recipe for 3 layers}

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 ¾ cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup buttermilk, room temperature
¼ cup milk
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon Dutch-process cocoa powder
¼ cup hot water

Cake Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9" cake pan with parchment paper and spray with baking PAM; set aside.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
3. In a stand mixer, {fitted with the paddle attachment} beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined, scrap down the sides of the bowl, beat another minute. Add vanilla.
4. Add flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with the buttermilk and beginning and ending with the flour. Add ¼ cup of milk at the end. Set aside 1/3 of the batter.
5. In a bowl, mix cocoa and 1/4 cup plus 2 TLB. hot water until smooth. Add the cocoa mixture to the reserved cake batter; stir until well combined.
6. Pour white mix into bottom of cake pan in one layer, and pour the cocoa mix on top for the 2nd layer. To create marbling, run a table knife through the batters in a swirling motion.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Transfer pan to a rack to cool 10 minutes. Turn out cake from pan and cool completely on the rack.

Anyways...I'm off to go deliver the cake! Have a great weekend!

Hugs,
Heather R.

Chocolate/Peanutbutter Ricecrispy Cake & Chocolate Chocolate Cupcakes

Hey everyone! Happy Wednesday! Hope you have a gorgeous day!!!

I wanted to share with you the cake I made this past weekend for my 2nd son's birthday party!!! He will turn 2 tomorrow, but we were able to celebrate this past weekend with a GORGEOUS day!!!

Here is the cake & cupcakes...The top cake is chocolate ricecrispies with peanutbutter and then frosted...I added polls and ribbon for an old fashioned look...love how this turned out! Super nummy nummy!!!For the Rice Crispy Treat Cake:

3 Tlb. Butter
1-10 oz. Bag of Marshmallows
1/2 c. Peanut Butter
6 c. Chocolate Rice Crispies

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add marshmallows and stir until melted. Add peanutbutter, stir until creamy. This process will take about a minute...once you have your marshmallow/peanutbutter cream, add the rice crispies until well combined. Spread or mold into a well greased pan. For this, I used an 8" cake pan that was 6" tall...Allow to cool completely before frosting!!!

Choccolate Buttercream:1/2 c. Butter @ Room Temp
2 Tlb. Shortening
1/2 c. Cocoa Powder
1 tsp Vanilla
Pinch of Salt
4 c. Powdered Sugar
2-4 Tlb. Heavy Cream, Half & Half or Water

Cream together, butter, shortening, cocoa powder, salt & vanilla until nice and smooth. Add powdered sugar. Add 1 Tlb. of cream at a time until desired consistancy. Frost & Enjoy. Makes enough for 18 cupcakes that are heavily frosted.

Chocolate Cake: Adapted slightly from I Am Baker
1/2 c. Veggie Oil
3 Large Eggs @ Room Temp
1 tsp. Vanilla
2 c. Sugar
1 c. Buttermilk, well shaken
1-3/4 c. Flour
3/4 c. Cocoa Powder
1 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 c. Freshly Brewed Hot Coffee

Preheat oven to 350 degrees & prepair and line cupcake pans.

In a stand mixer, cream oil, eggs, vanilla and sugar until well combined and creamy, don't overmix.

In a separate bowl, sift together dry ingredients. Add alternately to stand mixer with buttermilk. Use paddle attachment until well combined, then add hot coffee. Batter will be thin.

Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full with batter and bake 18-22 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Makes 24 cupcakes. (Also makes 1-9" 3 layer cake, bake cakes in a 350 degree oven for 30-35 min.)

HErbalife Tuesday: Week 8

Happy Tuesday everyone! Hope everyone is enjoying a beautiful day!!!

I'm so happy and excited to share with you all today that on week 8, I have lost another 5.5"!!! This is super exciting since last week I thought I hit a platue...I've also lost 5 pounds!!! Woot Woot me!!!

Anyways, I'm well on my way, even though I have a ways to go, I'm celebrating all the little things!

So, here's another delicious shake recipe for you to try at home if you want!!!

Monster Cookie Shake Recipe

8oz. water
1 T PDM
2 Scoops Vanilla Shake
1 T Peanut Butter
1 T White Choc Pudding
1 T Oatmeal
3 Swirls of Chocolate Syrup
3 Swirls of caramel syrup
Ice and Blend

Calories: 360 Proteins: 22 g

Herbalife Tuesday: Week 7

Hello everyone! Happy Tuesday! Hope this post finds you well!

Well...I'm going to let you all on a little secret of mine. A few weeks ago, I attended an Herbalife party. I'm a huge skeptic of diets and pills of any kind. So I went, just to listen and help support a friend of mine that opened up Krave in Osakis, MN. So going there and listening to her talk of how Herbalife changed her family and possibly saved her daughter's life...I was sort of in awe. I've heard of it very briefly in the past, and I found out a week later that my friend's weight loss was attributed to Herbalife as well. So, after attending as a skeptic, I then found myself leaving as a customer, and then going home as a distributor!

To cut a totally long story in half, I decided to try Herbalife. Last summer, I worked out from June-end of September, never lost an inch, never lost a pound. My midwife and I chatted endlessly about what was going on with my body, and nothing ever seemed to get a point on. So I said, why the heck not. I have been working out since my 6 weeks post pregnancy apt. and still hadn't lost a pound or an inch, and so, I figured I had nothing to lose.

I came home and didn't tell anyone. Not even my hubby (he did find out a few days later after finding my Herbalife "Stash" and he was on board with me trying this. So the very next day became my "Herbalife Tuesday"...I measured every part of my body and weighed myself at the YMCA when I went for my Zumba class (addicted to that by the way!). I haven't looked back since. That was August 7th. I chose the "Quickstart" program because I thought that was most cost effective and I thought that would work the best for me. I do a shake in the morning for breakfast. Shake for lunch, protein full snack, healthy dinner, and a hardboiled egg for evening snack if I haven't met my protein intake for the day. The first week, I lost 5" and 10 lbs. I was in shock, and thought 3 scales at the YMCA was broken!

Here's what my weight loss is looking like for each of the past 6 weeks with the same workout routine at the start of each week:

Week 2: 5.25" and 0 pounds.
Week 3: 5", 0 pounds.
Week 4: 5.5" 2 pounds.
Week 5: 5.25" and 0 pounds.
Week 6: 5" and 0 pounds.

So here I am, at the start of the 7th week, and have lost another 1" and 0pounds. I'm not a huge believe in the pounds the first few months as long as you are losing inches because I can see and feel the changes in my body and I know I'm gaining muscle mass. My belly is leaving me and things are getting toned. I can just say that Herbalife has been a game changer for me, and I'm convinced. I'm not putting as much effor in the workouts as I should be, but inches are still coming off. It is amazing! I've lost 25.5" over my entire body! I am still in shock, but know I will reach my goal. It's hard not to when you find yourself addicted and having fun!!!

Here's one of my favorite shake recipes: Apple Pie!!!

Ingredients:

2 scoops French Vanilla Formula
2 tablespoons Personalized Protein Powder (optional)
6 oz. water
1/2 cup Apple Sauce
1 Tlbs. Vanilla Pudding (powder or pudding form)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 ice cubes

Calories: 230 Proteins: 14 g

Directions:Place all ingredients in the blender and mix thoroughly until the ice cubes are completely crushed.

Anyways...If anyone is interested in learning other tips that have helped me, just feel free to email me! hlr976@hotmail.com

My Etsy Shop: H.L.Rolin Designs

Hello everyone and Happy Monday!!!

Hope you and yours enjoyed a fabulous weekend! We worked on potty training our little Adam. I dedicated the entire weekend to him and his undie ventures! And it was a huge success...keeping my fingers crossed that it sticks!!!

Anyways...a few months back I started an Etsy Store for my artwork. It's going well so far, but just wanted to show you some of the stuff I keep there...Go over, check it out, and maybe find a print or 2!!!

Family Tree Print

A Teacher's Prayer

A-Z Art Print

Strawberry Rhubarb Cupcakes!!!

A few months ago, I wanted to make a Strawberry Rhubarb Pie to use up my Rhubarb supply, BUT....I didn't want to spend the time making pastry...too putsy on hot summer days. I went online for ways to use Rhubarb, and nothing was screaming out to me...I wanted to make cupcakes...so then the thought came to me and I thought GENIUS...Strawberry Rhubarb Cupcakes!!! I created something that will fly off the cake plate!!! I hope you decide to make these and enjoy!!!
The first step is to make a Rhubarb Compote:
1/4 cup Water
3 Stalks of Rhubarb, sliced
1/2 cup Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
1. Chop up Rhubarb and put into a saucepan with sugar and water over.
2. Simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes...breaking the rhubarb up. 3. Allow to cool completely before filling your cupcakes.

Next, make your cupcakes:
1/2 cup Butter at Room Temp
3/4 cup Sugar
1/3 cup Milk
1/3 cup Water
1-1/2 cup Flour
2-1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
1 tsp Vanilla
3 Egg Whites

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line cupcake liners in a muffin tin.
2. Sift dry ingredients into a medium bowl and set aside.
3. Mix Milk and Water in a measuring cup and set aside.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar over slow-medium speed until light and fluffy.
5. Alternately add flour mixture with water mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
6. Add Vanilla.
7. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites with a hand mixer until soft peaks form. 8. Gently fold in egg whites to batter until white disappears.
9. Use an ice cream scoop to fill your cupcake liners...
10. Cool completely before filling and frosting cupcakes!

Note: This makes exactly 12 if filling 3/4...just double or triple recipe to fit your number of mouths to feed!!!
For the Strawberry Buttercream Frosting:
1-1/4 c. Powder Sugar1/2 c. Butter at room temp1 Tlbs. Vanilla
1/2 cup Chopped Fresh Strawberries1 Tlbs. Half & Half1. Cream butter till fluffy.2. Add powder sugar and Vanilla.3. Add Strawberries & Cream and mix until smooth and desired consistency. (For thinner consistency, add 1 Tlbs. of Half & Half.)

To assemble cupcakes:
1. Cut holes in the top of each cupcake.
2. Fill with Rhubarb Compote.
3. Frost cupcakes to desired look.
4. Eat and Enjoy!!!