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!!!

Swirly Cakes!

Good morning everyone! Hope you all are enjoying a gorgeous day!

One of my new found loves is baking, and I'd like to share that with you all today. I started baking for my children's birthday's. Then I was asked to make a cake for something or other, then I was asked by a stranger, and that is how things escalated. I didn't really start getting into the baking thing until December 2010. But after I found I really enjoyed it, I just couldn't stop!

I even took some classes this past summer to learn some different flower techniques. The classes were spendy (you had to buy a certain brand no matter if you had the product already)...So I stopped doing the classes and found YouTube! They have absolutely everything to do with baking on tutorial, and I've learned quite a bit from them...

I won't share all the cakes I've made since I started, but here is my most recent order. I constructed a carousel cake using rice crispy treats, dowels, cake, buttercream and Amaretto mousse for the inside. I painted a wood base to match the theme of this baby shower cake. I made sugar cookies and piped royal icing to match the invitations of the party. The order also included 30 cupcakes-half lemon with lemon buttercream and half Neapolitan {white cake, chocolate filling and strawberry buttercream}...



Chat with you all soon!

Gina K Designs September Stamp Release!!!

Hey Everyone! Just wanted to pop in quick and share some new illustrations I created for the new Gina K Designs September release! Be sure to pop on over and get yours ASAP! In the "Falling For You" stamp kit is perfect for fall, but also has many other uses...images in this kit I created are: Bird, Branch, House, Tall Flowers, Camera, Frog, Ferns, Rooster...The "My True Love Gave to Me" set would be so super cute to use these images for all your Christmas cards!!!

Banana Cupcakes with Honey-Cinnamon Buttercream

Hello everyone! Hope you all are enjoying the start of the school year!

This is my absolutely most favorite time of the year. I love everything about fall. Colors, sweaters, breezy sunny days. Crisp clean air. Football, tailgating, game time food!!! Even the acorns showering my house like hail! I wish it could be like this all year long!!!

We had a 30 degree temperature drop yesterday within the span of 3 hours. It went from super hot with AC going to super chilly, house shut tight and me in my sweats after doing Zumba in my living room! Crazy, but I just love the feel of falling asleep snug as a bug wrapped up tight in my blanket and sweats!!!

Anyways, for me, to kick off fall, I hoard up tons of ideas for crafts, baking and decorating. A few times a week, I pull out a few of my stashed ideas and put them to good use!

So today, I'd like to share with you one of my most favorite recipes! Also a great way to use up your last 2 very ripe bananas!!! Guarantee these will taste delish and not last long...you may even have to double the recipe!!!

These are my Banana Cupcakes with Honey-Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting. The recipe makes a scant 12 count. For more frosting, use another 1/2 recipe...If you have a stand mixer, this recipe literally only takes 5 minutes to make! Super easy peasy!For the cupcakes:

1/4 c. Butter at room temp
1/3 c. Sugar
1 Egg
1 tsp. Vanilla
1-1/4 c. Flour
1-1/4 tsp. Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1/4 tsp. Salt
2 Ripe Bananas, mashed

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin with liners.
2. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in your egg and then add vanilla.
4. In a separate bowl, sift together dry ingredients.
5. Mash up your bananas in another small bowl.
6. Add flour mixture and bananas to your egg mixture in alternate batches (I don't pay too much attention to what you begin or end with, doesn't matter too much).
7. Fill your cupcake liners about 1/2 full with batter. (The batter is thick, I use an icecream scooper and only fill it up 1/2 way with batter for each cupcake...)
8. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Honey-Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting

1-1/4 c. Powder Sugar
1/2 c. Butter at room temp.
1 Tlbs. Honey
1/8 tsp. Cinnamon
1 Tlbs. Half & Half

1. Cream butter till fluffy.
2. Add powder sugar and cinnamon.
3. Add Honey & Cream until smooth and desired consistency. (For thinner consistency, add 1 Tlbs. of Half & Half.)

Hugs, Heather R.

A Year in the Making...

Hello everyone! Long time no talk! I've been MIA for almost a year now. I took a time out for me and my family. Concentrating on us and trying to reconfigure me and my thoughts. I was getting burned out on paper crafting. After 6 months of not creating a card. I went to my stamp room, sat down and tried to make 2 birthday cards for my niece and nephew. The factwas, I had no creativity. No mojo. So then I figured 6 months wasn't long enough. After 9 months of stamping celibacy, I tried again. No such luck. I figured out that my heart and soul is not in the cardmaking and scrapbooking ventures anymore. I just plain stink at it. Seriously, I know it sounds strange, but it is very true!

So now, after nearly a year later, and several attempts to get back into my crafty side, I've come to the conclusion that I have to give that part of me up.
So over the past year, here is what's new, what I've discovered and what my plans are.

The same day I stopped my crafting ventures, I found out I was pregnant with my 3rd child. This was a complete and total surprise to us because we were told we could never have children the old fashioned way. Our first 2 were conceived on fertility and the last time we got pregnant the old fashioned way, it didn't stick. So I tried to eliminate all stress. I stopped working out (which I did virtually everyday sometimes twice a day). I stopped all things that were starting to stress me. No crafting. I even stopped illustrating for a little bit.

When we found out we were pregnant, I was already 2 months along. That was new because with the first 2, I knew before my 4th week that I was pregnant (fertility narrows down a date!)...I just didn't want to jinx this pregnancy. We weren't sure we wanted a 3rd child, but after finding out we were pregnant, we got over our fears pretty quickly and decided God wanted us to have a miracle baby! And boy did I baby everything about this pregnancy. I knew it would be my last if I carried to term. So I cherished every bite of food, every pound, every flutter, every kick, every inch, even every ache. I was in love and the baby wasn't even here yet.

In December, we found out we were having our 3rd boy. Was I disappointed? A tad. I had dreams and visions of prom shopping, wedding shopping, weekend shopping, phone calls, doing hair and buying dresses. I was scared to death of having a girl, but I never had a mother to do these things with, so I thought I needed a girl so I could have what I never had. So when we found out we were having a boy, I wasn't convinced, but I was over-joyed.

So finally, this past May, when we delivered a healthy bouncing baby boy (Jack Mathew, born May 18th at 7 lbs. 5 oz. and 20.25" long), I was in total awe of him and the fact that I had ever wanted to go prom shopping! Those thoughts left my head and I knew it was soccer, football, camping, fishing, hunting and all those boy things from there on. I've always been more of a boy in hobbies anyways. Lance & Adam were also in love right off the get go! They have been on baby Jack like glue since the day he was born! He is one spoiled baby with all the love they give him! Here are some pictures of our new family taken by my fabulous SIL Marissa!


Anyways, after finding out that my hobby in the crafting industry was at a pass...I found some new loves. Family. Reading. Baking. Cooking. Illustrating. So, I'm re-purposing my blog to better fit me and my new loves. I understand if some of you leave, but I appreciate even more those that stay. I love writing and hope you will enjoy all my new found loves and listening to me ramble. Weather it be with inspiration, new genius ideas I've found and want to share with you all, or pictures of cakes I've designed for people or a new recipe I've tried out or can't wait to try out...It's just me and my everyday normality's...That's the new me...