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Oreo Spider Cookies & Cream Cookies – Halloween Recipe
We are getting into one of my favorite times of the year! I am a HUUUUGE fan of Halloween – but the cute, not the creepy! It may only be August (well, it’s practical September now!), but Joshua already has his costume picked out. At first he didn’t want to dress up. He thinks he is too old to go trick or treating (begin the violins because I’m totally crying over here), but once he saw this ‘costume’ he changed his mind. Well, at least about the dressing up part.
I may need to bribe him with a batch of these cookies & cream cookies. They were that good. Total bribe material. Filled with Oreos and white chocolate these cookies are the perfect mix. I’m not an awesome cake/cookie/cupcake decorator, but these are so simple that even I can decorate them.
3/4 cup
butter softened
3/4 cup
brown sugar
3/4 cup
sugar
2
eggs
1 tsp
vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups
flour
1 tsp
baking soda
1/2 tsp
baking powder
1 tsp
salt
1
sandwich bag filled with Oreos coarsely crushed (I used about 12)
12 oz bag
white chocolate chips-
Oreos -
Black Decorating Gel -
Candy Eyes
Servings:
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use non-stick spray. We like giant cookies so we used a whoopie-pie pan.
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In a bowl, mix together butter, brown sugar, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
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In a second bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
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Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and combine.
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In a sandwich bag, crush the Oreos. You don’t want them to be finely crushed, you want to have chunks of Oreo in your cookies!
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Add the Oreos and the white chocolate chips to the batter and mix well.
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You will want the cookies to be large enough to hold an Oreo spider. We used a whoopie-pie pan on one batch and the other we used a large ice cream scoop.
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Bake for 8-10 minutes or until they just begin to brown. Let them cool completely on the cookie sheet.
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Once the cookies are cool, use the decorating gel to ‘glue’ on an Oreo to the center of each cookie.
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Add a dot of decorating gel to the back of each of the candy eyes and stick it into place. And 8 gel spider legs finish your cookie.
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Let the cookies sit and the decorating gel will harden.
I recommend that you use:
- I’m all about the parchment paper! I buy the Kirkland brand on Amazon as it’s much bigger than what I can find in stores.
- I ordered this Whoopie Pie pan several years ago and I use it all the time! I think I’ve only used it once for actual Whoopie Pies but it’s our favorite pan to make cookies and brownies.
- The Wilton Black Decorating Gel is my go to!
- We use these fun candy eyes on all kinds of things. They make everything adorable.
Don’t forget to pin!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.
4th of July Chocolate Covered Oreos
I’m all about simple. But I’m also all about delicious and definitely all about pretty. So it’s no wonder that one of my favorite treats to make for any holiday or get together is chocolate covered Oreos. Simple, quick, and totally looks like a lot of effort went into them.
And truthfully, don’t tell anyone, but it isn’t a lot of effort. Shhhh! Just smile and say “Oh, just something I whipped up…”
Scatter them on a platter, fill a big mason jar or layer them in a bowl – however you arrange them, they are sure to be a show stopper!
- Oreos (We like Golden Oreos but it doesn’t matter which kind you go for! These are SWEET. The Double Stuffed give some great height, but the regular Oreos can help keep the sweetness under control a bit. But still totally sweet and amazing…)
- Melting Candies in Red, White and Blue
- Sprinkles! I was originally looking for star sprinkles at my store and they didn’t have any, but I ended up being in love with these little pearls!
- Wax paper. Don’t let this fool you - it’s a must!
Lay out your ingredients on the wax paper. You will need separate small bowls for each color.
Melt your candy melts according to package instructions. I buy mine on Amazon, but if you are looking in your local big box store check in the party aisle or the cake decorating aisle. They are usually not with the boxed cake mixes and icing.
Dip your Oreos in the color of your choice and set on the wax paper.
Before the the candy hardens (and it will harden quickly!) top with your favorite sprinkles.
You can also drizzle your Oreo with the other colors of melted candies.
Let the Oreos harden on the wax paper.
That’s it! Steal one for yourself while you can and set out the rest for a festive display!
This post may contain affiliate links.
Peanut’s Inspired Valentine’s Chocolate Covered Donut Holes
Can you believe that Valentine’s Day is just around the corner? Gosh, I can’t. Every year we have our traditions like making Valentine’s. Josh is older now, but I’m so glad that he still does it with me! His class has long stopped the traditional Valentine’s Day party (I know, it’s sad), but we like to still make some and drop them off at the retirement center near our house. Spreading love…that’s our plan!
One of our other traditions is watching the Peanuts special! It really doesn’t matter what holiday it is, I’m all about the Peanuts special! I think everyone has some Charlie Brown in them. He’s always there and while we may laugh at him a bit, we are always rooting for him! One day he will kick that football!
[Tweet “Did you know that the Little Red Hair Girl was based on a woman Schulz worked with and even dated? He even proposed! #PeanutsValentine”]
So the other night Joshua and I spent our evening watching A Charlie Brown Valentine and making an easy treat to package up - Chocolate Covered Donut Holes! YUM! They are quick, super simple, totally festive and so sweet you just need one to satisfy your sweet tooth!
You will need:
- Donut Holes or regular donuts if you want to coat the tops of them
- Candy melts - I used red and white
- Valentine’s Day sprinkles
- Valentine’s Day straws (optional)
I cut the straws in half and inserted them into the donut holes. You can either have them as donut pops or just use the straws to make dipping easier for little hands!
Spread out a sheet of parchment paper and melt your candy melts according to the package instructions. Dip your donut holes into the melt. Set them on the parchment paper to harden.
We dipped ours in red and after it hardened (it won’t take long!) we dipped them again in white. You can do a solid color or pipe zig zags or even three colors! Get creative!
When you have enough candy coating on them, sprinkle them with sprinkles. Let them sit until the candy has hardened.
Super simple and super fun!
[Tweet “Valentine’s Day treat idea: Chocolate covered donut holes…with heart sprinkles of course!”]
Aren’t these sweet? (Hahaha. I’m so funny!)
All of these goodies came in my mailbox the other day and I’m so excited I get to give a set away! It’s the perfect prize pack for gifts for your kiddos, great treat holders for holding your Chocolate Covered Donut Holes, and a few goodies for you to keep for yourself!
- Oriental Trading’s treat box to color, crayons and stickers
- Snoopy and Woodstock Pez
- Simon and Schuster’s Happy Valentine’s Day
- A Charlie Brown Valentine from Warner Home Entertainment
- Whitman’s Chocolates featuring a Snoopy Plush
- Valentine card from Hallmark
And don’t forget that there are TWO prime time specials from the Peanuts gang. Be My Valentine Charlie Brown is the 13th special based upon the famous comic strip. It’s been airing since 1975! The second, A Charlie Brown Valentine is the 40th special! Originally aired in 2002, it’s already a loved classic.
Disclaimer: I am a Peanuts Brand Ambassador. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own however I did receive gifts for my honest opinions and ideas. All Charlie Brown love, Woodstock obsessions and Snoopy infatuations are all my own. 🙂
DIY Instagram Coasters - Perfect Gift Idea!
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.#SaveYourMemories#CollectiveBias
Do you have your gifts all picked out yet? If not, don’t worry! I have a great DIY project for you that is not only beautiful, but they are so personal! They completely qualifiy as the perfect gift idea, because it’s a useful, practical way to showcase important moments. What could it be? DIY Instagram coasters!
This project is inexpensive, quick and really, really, really easy. In fact, the hardest part is picking out your favorite photos! My younger brother recently took a trip to England with his college. I’m guilty of not printing out my photos as often as I should. I have photos saved on phones, Instagram accounts, and on memory cards still loaded in the camera. And I know that if I have stored photos that my brother definitely has some stored photos! So I really wanted to get some in a place that he can show them off, help remember his trip and have something useful. (You know, to help protect all of that really nice, garage sale and taken from your mom’s basement college furniture…) 🙂
So you only need a few supplies - tile coasters, furniture pads, Mod Podge and a foam brush. Oh and an awesome printer!
The HP Envy 4512 All-in-One Printer/Copier/Scanner is an all in one printer, scanner, copier and it did an awesome job printing out some of my brother’s Instagram photos!
I mean look at this! It did a great job printing off these really important photos. I couldn’t be happier!
After your photos are printed, trim them to fit your coasters.
Apply a thin layer of Mod Podge directly to the coaster.
Add your photos and let dry. Gosh, don’t the photos look great? I know as soon as he opens them, he’s going to instantly recognize the photos as ones he took on his trip!
Add a layer of Mod Podge on top of the photos and let dry. This will help seal the photos and make sure that the ink doesn’t bleed from condensation from the glasses.
Once they are dry, add the furniture pads to the bottom of the coaster.
Ta da! That’s it! You are done! I told you, crazy easy!
I was so thrilled with how the coasters for my brother turned out that I couldn’t wait to show them to my friend when she came over later that night. She loved them too and wanted to make a set for herself! She said her printer wasn’t nearly as good as my printer so she printed her photos that day from my house. Not only is the quality great from this printer, but it has a great design and a wonderful touch screen that walks you through processes and gives you great control. She called me from Walmart after she left my house to tell me she was buying her own printer and kicking her old printer to the curb. It’s seriously that good!
I just know that once you try it you will love it as much as we did!
Then you can make a set of DIY Instagram Coasters for yourself and to give as gifts! You can even print out some gift tags here!
Don’t forget to pin!
Random Acts of Kindness This Holiday Season #SpreadCheer
The holiday season is one of my favorites. It seems like people’s attitudes just begin to change and the Christmas spirit begins to take over. I try really hard to instill the love of giving all year around to my son, but during the holidays it’s a great excuse to kick it into overdrive with extra random acts of kindness.
Josh is getting older (bare with me for my pity party for a second…) and some of our Christmas traditions we used to do, he now says he’s too big for. (BOO!!!) I tried to explain to him you are never to old for Christmas and he still does most of our traditions like going to go look at lights, decorating the tree, and watching all of the Christmas movies (and even though he may say some are ‘baby shows’ he totally doesn’t want to miss them!). But some of our traditions like visiting Santa or writing a letter and sending it to the North Pole have been a no-go. (I’m sobbing now…) As sad as I am, the good news that just means we can make new traditions! And this year we’ve decided on small random acts of kindness throughout the month. He may almost be a teenager be getting older (I can’t bring myself to say the ‘T-word’ yet!), but that doesn’t mean we can’t make Christmas magical! Now, I am just teaching him a different kind of Christmas magic.
Random Acts Of Kindness Ideas For Kids:
- Adopt a family - Contact your child’s school to find a family in need. Many stores also have trees set up where you can adopt a child’s wishlist item and donate it in store.
- Don’t forget about seniors! Bring in treats, sing Christmas carols or small gifts to a local nursing home. You can also find out if there are any seniors who don’t have any family close by to see if you can bring them some extra cheer!
- Animal shelters are a fun place to donate to. Plus, while you are there the dogs and cats are pretty excited about some cuddle time.
- If your kids are older, have them organize a kids night! With your help, they can entertain kids (think Christmas movies, popcorn, etc) while their parents get some Christmas shopping done.
- Serve a meal in a homeless shelter. While you are there you can drop off some cold weather essentials like coats, blankets and socks.
The other day we decided to make cookies and deliver them to our neighbors. Betty Crocker has a great campaign right now called #SpreadCheer and they offer everything you need, including cute gift tags.
Betty Crocker has a variety of different cookie mixes like sugar, peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies.
The best part is that Betty Crocker makes it so easy to make cookies.
Even on spur of the moment, Tuesday evenings! AND my independent 12 year old can make them all by himself.
Joshua decided to make sugar cookies to help #SpreadCheer to our neighbors.
One thing I have always done when decorating cookies is that I heat up the icing for a few seconds in the microwave. Then, we just dip the cookies in and it creates a smooth and evenly iced cookie.
Then, just add sprinkles!
Joshua really likes sprinkles. 😉
Print out your free gift tags from Betty Crocker and package up your cookies.
Then deliver to your neighbors. Knock. And hide! 😉 Mission #SpreadCheer was a success!
To help you spread cheer you can get a coupon for Betty Crocker cookie mixes here. And, we are giving away $20 via Paypal!
Green Christmas Idea: Recycled Rudolph Wrapping Paper
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #PowerYourHoliday #CollectiveBias
Christmas and green seem to go hand in hand. Green Christmas trees stand proudly in our living rooms, greenery twists down the banisters of our stairs, and green wreaths hang on doors to welcome friends and family to our home. But Christmas and being eco-friendly can go hand in hand too!
Need some examples?
- Set your Christmas tree lights on a timer. No need to waste electricity here!
- Turn the thermostat down a degree or two. If you are cold, curl up with a blanket and a glass of hot cocoa near the fire.
- Shop eco-friendly products.
- Buy recycled gift wrap. Or wait….don’t buy it!
Did you know that most gift wrap can’t be recycled? Lots of wrapping paper is thin and doesn’t have many fibers making it easy to recycle and some has glitter, plastics and other non-paper materials added to them. Sure you can buy recycled gift wrap, but even better use what you have at home! This super cute Rudolph wrapping paper idea is simple, easy and a great way to recycle. Even better, just pull off the pom pom and it is 100% recyclable!
This project is super simple and really doesn’t take any longer than wrapping with traditional wrapping paper and adding all of the ribbons and bows! Plus, I kind of like the thought of having a bunch of Rudolphs under the tree!
You will need:
- Brown Paper Bags
- Scissors
- Brown Construction Paper
- Black Marker
- Red Pom Poms
- Glue
- Tape
Cut your brown paper bag down the side. Then open it up and remove the bottom of the bag so it will lay flat. If your bag has handles, trim those away too. Recycle your scraps!
Wrap your gift like you normally would!
Draw on two black eyes.
Glue on a red pom pom nose.
Out of the brown construction paper cut out two antler shapes. Don’t think about the shape too much! Each reindeer’s antlers are unique! 🙂
Ta da! Isn’t it cute?
Another great way to go green this holiday is to make sure to pick up Energizer EcoAdvanced batteries. Not only are they good to keep on hand all the time, but especially during the holiday season. You don’t want to have excitement over a new toy to be met with the disappointment of not having batteries!
The Energizer EcoAdvanced batteries are the world’s first AA battery to be made of 4% recycled batteries. It also happens to be the longest lasting Energizer battery! Double win! We bought a few packs of AA EcoAdvanced batteries and also their AAA size. We seem to never have them when we need them so I wanted to make sure that we had a supply on hand!
You can find the Energizer EcoAdvanced batteries at your local Walmart!
My son is a big tech guy so I know that we need a good quality battery that will last (and last and last!) so Energizer is our first choice for quality. I’m so excited to support a brand that holds our passion with keeping our planet in mind. Did you know that Energizer is committed to bringing positive energy to the world without the waste? They are working towards a future where all of their batteries are made with recycled batteries! While 4% may not sound like a lot, it actually is! That means 4% of the total weight or about 10% of the active ingredient in the battery! What an awesome step! In fact, by 2025 their goal is to grow that number to have Energizer batteries made up of 40% recycled batteries. That’s 10 times the amount now! This is definitely a company I feel good about supporting! Not only do our electronics work longer, but their ideas are ones I love!
Even MOO approves!
Don’t forget to pin our Recycled Rudolph Wrapping Paper!
Easy Bat Marshmallows - The Perfect Halloween Treat
I can’t believe that Halloween is in less than two weeks! We are busy putting together the final details of our costumes, setting up our decorations and getting things ready for school parties. I’m so busy lately. As a blogger, holiday time is our ‘busy time’. It’s also time for holiday school performances, fall breaks, and trying to enjoy those last few nice days outdoors. I really needed a simple treat that kids would love and that I could make in a flash. And I found just the treat!
These bat marshmallows aren’t just cute, but the kids think they are so fun to eat! Plus, you can make up a big batch in no time.
Ingredients & Supplies
- Marshmallows
- Brown Candy Melts
- Halloween Straws or Lollipop Sticks
- Candy Eyes
- Oreos
- Black Decorating Gel
- Parchment Paper
Instructions
- Spread out a piece of parchment paper on your counter. You will want to use parchment paper because once the marshmallows are coated, they won’t stick!
- Melt brown candy melts according to the package directions in a bowl.
- I cut my straws in half. This is really up to your personal preference! Lollipop sticks are another option if you don’t want to use straws.
- Twist the Oreos in half. Don’t worry about buying double stuffed - we won’t use the cream side for this project. We just sandwiched up the two unused cream sides to create our own ‘Double Stuffed Oreos’ and put them back in the Oreo box. 🙂
- Once you have the Oreo cookie, use a knife to cut it in half. I found that even pressure helps to not have the cookie break into several pieces. The Oreo is going to become your bat’s wings.
- Arrange the wings on the parchment paper where you would like to have your first Bat sit to harden. **See note below
- Add a marshmallow to the end of the straw and evenly coat in the melted candy.
(TIP: If you are planning on the bats standing on their own, be sure to use a knife to even out the candy coating on the end so it is flat.)
- Lay the marshmallow on top of the bat wings. Since I cut our straws in half, I added a second marshmallow on the end to help even out the weight. Later I just removed the plain marshmallow.
- Before the candy hardens, add two candy eyes. Allow to sit and harden.
- Once it has hardened, use the black decorating gel to add a smile.
NOTE: The way you arrange your bat wings and position your eyes will depend on how you are going to position your bats for presentation. If you are planning on having them straw/stick down (like we did for our wrapped bats) then you will position them like you see in the photos below. If you plan on the bats standing on their own, you will want to construct the bats ‘upside down’ as shown here
These sweet treats are perfect for setting out at your Halloween party or package them in gift bags to hand out at school events or treat bags.
Looking for more fun Halloween treats?
Oreo Spider Cookies and Cream Cookies
This post contains affiliate links.
Halloween Frankenstein Treats
Can you believe that it is October already? It’s time to get started with the Halloween treats! And these Frankenstein treats are a great place to start! They are so cute and super easy. Heck, if I can do them then you can totally pull it off!
You will need:
Snack cakes of your choice ( Twinkies, Hoho’s, etc. We used Sara Lee Devil’s Food Creme Cakes.)
Semi-Sweet Chocolate (I used Baker’s) or Brown Candy Melts
Green Melting Candy Wafers
Green Sixlets (Find them in the wedding and cake decorating section of Walmart for $1!)
Small Candy Eyes
Black Decorating Gel
White Frosting
Parchment Paper (Parchment paper is so important for this project! Nothing will stick to the parchment paper making it a perfect choice.)
Here is how to make them:
- Put a sheet of parchment paper down on your counter. You will also want to open the candies and put them in their own bowl. This is a simple project, but it’s easiest to have it in an assembly line order.
- Melt the semi-sweet chocolate in a bowl according to the package’s instructions.
- Unwrap the snack cakes.
- Start with the hair. Dip one end of the snack cakes into the semi-sweet chocolates. For Frankenstein, we just dipped the ends. For the Brides of Frankenstein, we dipped about half of the snack cake in the semi-sweet chocolate. You may need a knife to help spread the chocolate.
- Lay the cakes on the parchment paper to allow to harden.
- Melt the green candy wafers according to package instructions into a bowl.
- Once the hair has hardened, you will dip the opposite corner in the green mix.
- Using the decorating gel, attach two eyes on each snack.
- Dip a Sixlet in the green candy melts and attach the nose on each snack.
- Use the decorating gel to create a smile, eye lashes or scar marks on your Frankensteins.
- For the Bride of Frankenstein, use a drawing tip or a ribbon tip and make some waves with white frosting on her hair.
- Add to a treat bag and you are finished!
*Note: These were a HUGE hit! I will be making some for my son’s class closer to Halloween. Next time, I will replace the chocolate with the brown melting wafers. The melting wafers harden much faster and are so easy to work with! But if you love the idea of an extra layer of chocolate, the chocolates work just fine too! 🙂
Don’t forget to pin!
This post contains affiliate links.
How To Make Veggies Fun For Kids
When it comes to snacks and packing lunches for our kids there are so many options! But sometimes when we offer up vegetables instead of treats it is met with grumbles or sighs of disappointment. However creating healthy habits early is really so important. And if that means making vegetables fun to help kids reach for them (and realize “Hey, this is really yummy!”) then I am all for it!
Here is a quick and easy way to kick the plain ol’ celery sticks up a notch in the fun department by creating Celery Friends!
First wash your celery and cut in half. Spread with peanut butter. (If you need to make them nut free try Sunbutter!)
These candy eyes, mustaches, teeth and lips can make just about anything fun!
Use them to make silly faces in your peanut butter.
Other Ideas:
You can really use these in so many ways to make kid’s food fun.
- Make a face in a dish of hummus and pack with carrot sticks.
- Add eyes to cherry tomatoes and put in a side salad.
- Stick funny faces on apples or bananas.
Let children make their own funny faces!
If you are packing a lunch for your child, spread the peanut butter (or SunButter) on your child’s celery sticks. Fill a small container with the eyes and mouths. Wait for your child to come home and tell you how their lunch was the talk of the lunch table! Kids think it’s so much fun to make funny faces with their food. And it’s so much more fun to play with your food before you eat it. Getting your kids to not only eat their veggies but to associate them with positive thoughts? That’s a mom win!
Don’t forget to pin!
This post contains affiliate links.
DIY Frankenstein Mason Jars
It’s getting close to my favorite time of year. I love everything there is to love about fall and Halloween. Pumpkins, trick or treating, hoodies, bonfires …. if it happens in fall, I love it! So get ready for tons of fun Halloween and fall posts coming your way!
Today I’m sharing this super easy DIY project. It costs next to nothing to make and only minutes to put together. You can use this Frankenstein Mason Jar to make a fun treat jar to hand out to teachers or neighbors, to set out at your Halloween party for drinks or just for creating a fun lunch time with the kids.
You will need:
Mason Jar
Green Balloon
Black Balloon
2 Googly Eyes
Scissors
Hot Glue
Sharpie
Here is how to make it:
- First wash and dry your jars so they are ready for serving.
- Then cut off the long skinny part of the green balloon and cut part of the other end of the balloon as well.
You want there to be a hole on each end of the balloon.
- Stretch the balloon over the bottom half of the cup.
- Cut the black balloon like you did the green. On one end you can cut out a bit of angles for Frank’s hair do.
- Stretch the balloon over the top half of the balloon.
- Lift one end of the balloon on the jar and make a very small slit in the green balloon for the mouth. It will stretch and form an ‘O’ shape on it’s own.
- Hot glue two googly eyes onto the balloon.
- Using a Sharpie, draw on stitches.
This project is so fun! You can do it in so many different ways - solid colors, orange and black stripes, or use fun Halloween balloons like polka dots or printed balloons!
Don’t forget fun Halloween straws!
Don’t forget to pin!
This post contains affiliate links.