I got called out last month.

Name is hidden to protect the identity of my most favorite baby onesie maker in the whole world.

Crazy, amazing needlepoint skills.

And I have to make her happy until I’m 100% sure I’m done having kids.

But she was totally right.

My Pintertest Kitchen was not the healthiest.

So here, my friends, is my first ever reduced calorie recipe review.

Favorite baby onesie maker, this is for you.

I knowwww, right?

The name alone almost made this a deal breaker.

But also so intriguing that I had to try these two ingredient marvels.

Not bad, I tell you.

Especially at only 138 calories per brownie.

Not awesome.

But not terrible.

Worth making.

We can’t have the world, people.

It’s black beans we’re dealing with.

Recipe here.

This was my favorite of the three recipes I tried.

Especially at 128 calories/muffin.

BUT.

The original recipe post has a pretty critical typo.

Baking with 2 TABLESPOONS of wheat flour looks like this:

Baking with 2 CUPS of wheat flour looks like this:

MUCH better.

Also, I was almost out of honey after the first round so
I subbed 2/3 honey for 1/3 honey + 1/3 sugar-free vanilla Torani syrup.

Next time I will use the full 2/3 honey because I feel like they would have been better had they been sweeter.

Dense but good, especially considering the calories.

Recipe here.

You have to scroll down a bit.

And be sure to adjust the wheat flour.

Unless you’re into inverted, soupy muffins.

And well, we can’t win them all.

These coconut cookies didn’t work out.

But it could have been my burn out after the double batch of muffins.

Or the fact that meringue and I don’t really get along.

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Your turn.

What have you been up to?

It’s Easter week.

I should be making eggs.

Or some cute spring-y craft.

But I just wanted cake batter.

So consider this a 100% selfish PinterTest Kitchen.

But I will not apologize.

Who apologizes for cake batter?!

Crazy people do.

People who, as children, hid their Easy Bake raw cake mix packets under their beds to eat at night do NOT.

That’s for sure.

Not that I would know anything about that.

So.  Well.  Where was I?

Hope Leadership tried four recipes during last night’s meeting.

While Hope Leaders of the Future set up a horse ranch in the playroom.

Kobi deserves some treats for his cooperation.

Back to the Funfetti.

So I assumed a step-by-step on each might be a little umm… BORING.

I fell asleep just thinking about it.

So I will give my honest review of each.

Ready?

Let’s do this.

So, no offense, cake batter cookies.

But not our favorite.

SUPER sweet.

Which is probably due to an entire box of cake mix required for the batter.

And super sticky, hard-to-work with.

My scoop is still grumpy.

Next time I would add a few tablespoons of cake batter to a standard sugar cookie recipe.

And add lots of sprinkles.

Sorry.

It’s not you, it’s us.

We were 50/50 on this one.

A little on the sweet side.

And I think it may have needed more time to set.

Because I just had some for breakfast and it’s 100% better.

Still pretty sweet.  But solid, at least.

Thanks for playing, birthday cake fudge.

This was not bad.

The least cake-batterish tasting of all the recipes.

If I made it again, I would add more cake batter mix to the white chocolate.

I did like the contrast between the dark and white chocolates.

I did not like searching all over the Peninsula for vanilla flavored almond bark.

Goodbye, cake batter bark.  It’s been real.

WINNER! WINNER!

I want to eat this for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Really, REALLY delicious.

And so easy.

10 mins start to finish.

Out of all the recipes, the one I’m most likely to repeat.

Like now.

For breakfast.

Along with my cake batter fudge.

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Your turn!

What have you been making?

Link up below!

Aloha!

We went missing in case you didn’t notice.

Missing in Maui.

Post on that forthcoming.

In the meantime, I’m in denial that I’m home.

So I’m baking with tropical booze.

I pinned these a while back.

And they were calling my name.

In honor of our week in island paradise.

And my back-to-reality denial.

I made a few adjustments, based on the comments under the original post.

And my new need to add sour cream to every cake batter I prepare.

I also doubled the recipe because as it was, it only yielded 14 cupcakes.

Which is an unacceptable quantity for these tasty, tropical treats.

They are a big, huge Aloha win.

Ono.  Hawaiian for delicious.

And fish.

Which has nothing to do with delicious.

Silly Hawaiians.

OK, ready?

First of all, the recipe calls for 155 ingredients.

But I tell you it is worth it.

Pretend there is sour cream there, too.

I added it later.

For the cupcakes you’ll need:

2 sticks, salted butter, melted and cooled

2/3 cup pineapple juice

4 tbsp Malibu rum

2 tsp vanilla

6 eggs

3 cups flour

2 cups sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

.5 tsp salt

1/2 cup sour cream

zest from one lime

1 cup crushed pineapple

1 cup shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350.  Line cupcake pan.

Beat together melted butter, pineapple juice, Malibu rum and vanilla.

Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until blended.

In separate bowl, blend flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

With mixer on low speed, add dry ingredients to wet, gradually.

Add sour cream and lime zest.

Fold in pineapple and coconut.

Fill liners 3/4 of the way and bake 20-22 minutes.

While cupcakes are still warm top with

Malibu Syrup:

1/2 c sugar

1/4 c water

2 tbsp Malibu rum

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp butter

Bring sugar and water to boil over medium heat.

After 2 minutes, add Malibu rum, vanilla and butter.

Let cook 3-5 minutes more until syrupy.

Lightly glaze tops of cupcakes with syrup.

Frosting time!

Lime Cream Cheese Frosting

1 stick butter

8 oz cream cheese

2 cups powdered sugar

juice and zest of one lime

1 tsp Malibu rum or vanilla

Combine all ingredients, except powdered sugar.

Add powdered sugar gradually to reach desired sweetness and consistency.

100% Delicious.

100% Ono.

Can’t recommend them enough.

Your turn.

What have you been up to?

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Grab a button and link up below!

Dave and I started dating on Valentine’s Day, 1993.

Well, for the first time.

The early 90′s were a tumultuous time for us.

Summer camps.

Other girls.

Other guys.

Meddling friends.

Meddling parents.

Meddling youth group leaders.

The problem was never with us.

Obviously.

I came across my diaries when we moved last April and couldn’t help but chuckle.

September 5, 1992

“Yesterday was the best day of my life!!!  Dave transferred into my algebra class.”

March 29, 1993

“Me and Dave are going out!!!!  It’s been about 1 1/2 months now.  February 14 was the best day of my life!”

July 3, 1993

“We got in a really big fight at Hume Lake and broke up.  It was the worst week of my life.”

I had problems, clearly.

You know what doesn’t have problems?

This.

Delish.

100% Pintertest approved.

 Let’s walk through it together, ok?

Super easy.

You don’t even have to turn on your oven.

You’ll need:

3 bags Pink Wilton candy melts

3 bags chocolate chips

Wilton cherry candy flavoring

Cherry M & M’s

assorted Valentine’s sprinkles

—————-

First, line large baking sheet.

I just discovered Reynold’s Pan Lining Paper.

A foil parchment heavily fusion.

Get some.

Next, melt 3 bags chocolate chips as per microwave instructions on back of bag.

Spread melted chocolate onto lined pan and let set in fridge for about 30 minutes.

On to the pink candy melts.

Melt three bags as per microwave instructions on back of the bag.

Add about 1 tsp. cherry candy flavoring and stir into melted candy.

Spread on top of chilled chocolate.

Quickly sprinkle with chocolate cherry m & m’s (I found mine at Target) and pink and red sprinkles.

Let chill in fridge for another 60 minutes.

Break into pieces and you’re done.

Make some for your Valentine.

It will be the best day of their life.

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What have you been up to?

Grab a button and link up!

A wise person once said that it’s easier to ask for forgiveness that permission.

So, Grandmums.

Can I post your most famous cookie recipe for all to see?

Thanks.

And sorry.

Soooo.

That’s covered.

These cookies are good.

Famous around these parts.

I like to say they put Grandmums on the map.

Although she has a few other credentials.

Raising three boys.

Moving 8 zillion times early on as a Coast Guard wife.

A faithful, charter member of a church for 60+ years.

Vacation Bible School teacher for 500 summers.

Served on 500 church committees.

Married 56 years.

Grandmother x 5.

Great-grandmother x 2.

And she still babysits.

At 86.

Impressive life resume.

And these Snickerdoodles?

They belong RIGHT under her name.

Top credential.

She gave me the recipe in 1999.

At a bridal shower before my wedding.

And I have ZERO clue how I missed it until now.

It was tucked away behind pasta salad recipes.

And chicken parmesan.

And jello salads.

Cinnamon and sugar perfection.

Eureka.

The world is now changed as I know it.

And so is yours.

You’re welcome.

Grandmum’s Snickerdoodle Cookies

1 cup shortening

1 1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 3/4 cup flour

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

cinnamon and sugar for coating

Sift flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.

Pretend there is a picture of that.

Bust out your Crisco.

In separate bowl, cream sugar and eggs together with the shortening.

All by hand.

Because that’s how Grandmum’s does it.

Add dry, sifted ingredients and mix until incorporated.

Then you might want to wimp out and ditch “by hand” method for your mixer.

Grandmum’s wouldn’t want you to get carpel tunnel anyways.

Chill dough for about 30 minutes.

Next to disgusting looking left-overs that really are delicious.

Roll into walnut sized balls and coat in cinnamon and sugar.

Bake @ 400 degrees for 7-8 minutes.

Resist the urge to bake them longer.

Even if they don’t look finished.

Soft and chewy > crispy.

TRUST me.

I’m a snicker doodle eating expert.

Right, Grandmums?

Grandmums?

Welcome to the second edition of the PinterTest Kitchen!

A place to document your Pinterest adventures.

The good.

The bad.

The one’s that have no alibi.

I pinned these cute little mini apple pies a few weeks ago and was itching to try them.

But unfortunately, they had ZERO alibi.

Not pretty.

U-G-L-Y.

But I think it’s my fault.

Too much butter?

The wrong apples?

A spinning headache.

The result?

A big mushy mess that set our smoke detector off.

Here goes nothing.

You’ll need:

2 tart apples

1/2 cup sugar

3 tbsp melted butter

2 tsp cinnamon

1 store bought pie crust

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Unroll one refrigerated crust and place on floured surface.

P.S. The store bought pie crust is my favorite ingredient.

Real, from-scratch crusts give me severe anxiety.

Coat with melted butter.

Sprinkle cinnamon + sugar mixture on top.

Cut crust into 8 pieces, about 1″ wide.

Cut apple into 8 equal pieces.

Roll each piece individually, sugar-side touching the apple.

Coat one side in butter.  Dip coated side in cinnamon + sugar mixture.

Lay each mini apple pie on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

End result, pre-fire alarm, should look something like this:

Bake at 425 degrees for 13-15 minutes.

Have 8-year-old with dishrag ready to silence alarm.

The original recipe was much prettier.

She used red apples.

My Granny Smiths were mushy and nasty.

I’m thinking I should have peeled the apple?

And used less butter.

Also the crust baked unevenly. Flaky in all the wrong ways.

I think I’m better off buying TJ’s Apple Blossoms.

And just adding a cinnamon + sugar topping.

Same diff.  Less noise.

What did you make?

Link up!

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I have a secret.

Yesterday, I did not own a Crockpot.

Tonight, I want to run off to Bora Bora with it.

Head over heels in L-O-V-E.

Why did I wait so long?

No clue.

I’d been pinning lots of yummy slow cooker recipes.

With no slow cooker.

Pointless pins.

Until today.

Hamilton-Beach black and silver beauty.

Welcome to your new home.

Sorry to make you work so soon.

I have another secret.

I listen to Jay-Z.

While slow cooking.

“You should know that I bleed blue.  But I ain’t a Crip, yo…”

Ready for the recipe?

We just had it for dinner.

It’s a good one.

And ridiculously easy.

As I imagine every slow cooker recipe is.

I think I might slow cook every day for the rest of my life.

In Bora Bora.

Original recipe here.

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 bottle BBQ sauce (I used Kraft).

1/4 cup white vinegar

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. garlic powder

Dump ingredients (sans chicken) in slow cooker.

Stir.

Add chicken and coat in sauce.

Cook on low 4-6 hours.

Done.

And delicious.

Have you heard about the wonder that is Pinterest?

No?  Do you live under a rock?

That was rude.

Sorry.

But seriously.

Get an account.

And get pinning.

But only if you’re a girl.

Boys that pin make me nervous.

I pretty much only pin food.

Which is helping my Couch to Couch effort tremendously.

I saw this pinned on Saturday morning.

And it was chilling in my fridge 1 hour later.

And made again.  And slightly altered.

And made again.  And slightly altered.

And perfected three batches later.

1 bag small pretzels

2 bags milk chocolate chips

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1 cup light brown sugar

finely ground sea salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line cookie sheet with aluminum foil.

Cover cookie sheet in an even layer of pretzels.

Repeat.

You’ll have a double layer of pretzels, stacked on top of each other.

Melt 2 sticks unsalted butter on medium heat.

Once butter is fully melted, add 1 cup brown sugar.

Stir often until caramelized.  About 10-15 minutes.

At the same time, set up a double boiler for the chocolate chips.

Fill small sauce pan 1/4 full of water and set on medium heat.

Place a heat proof bowl on top.

Remove caramel from heat just after it begins to bubble.

Carefully pour caramel into baking sheet, over pretzels.  Cover evenly.

Caramel mixture hardens relatively quickly so move fast.

Spread mixture evenly over pretzels with a spatula.

Bake caramel pretzel mixture for 5-7 minutes @ 400 degrees.

Pour chocolate chips in heat proof bowl on top of sauce pan.

Slowly stir chocolate chips until they melt.

Pull pretzels from oven and sprinkle sea salt on top.

Let sit for a few minutes while chocolate is melting.

Once melted, pour chocolate mixture evenly over caramel pretzel mixture.

Again, use a spatula to cover entirely.

Sprinkle more sea salt on top.

Let chill in fridge for 2 hours.

Pull from foil and break apart.

So good.  So addicting.

So much like Pinterest.

Today I’m going to share a recipe I learned about from my brother’s ex-girlfriend.

Which has the potential to be awkward.

But it’s not.

Because she’s awesome.

He’s awesome.

They both married really awesome people.

And she makes awesome popcorn.

And awesome sweet treats trump awesome awkward every day of the week.

Check out her blog.  It’s awesome, too.

Here’s what you’ll need.

12 cups popped popcorn

1 cup brown sugar

3/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 cup Karo syrup

1 stick real butter (1/2 cup)

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla

Ready?  It super easy.  And super delish.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Pop 12 cups of popcorn.

Steph used a fancy popper.

I got some help from old man Orville.

I bag = 12 cups.

Set popcorn aside.

Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a microwave safe bowl.

Have your assistant keep busy by breaking up the brown sugar chunks.

Cut stick of butter into pats.

Place on top of sugar and cinnamon mixture.

Pour Karo syrup on top.

Microwave on high for 30 seconds.

Stir.

Microwave for 2 minutes.

Stir again.

Microwave for 2 additional minutes.

Mixture will be crazy hot and look like it will bubble over.

But it won’t.

Quickly add your baking soda and vanilla.

It gets fizzy and foamy.

A little mini science experiment, right there in the kitchen.

I was so distracted by all the excitement, I didn’t even get a picture.

My assistant ditched me for her bike so she missed out.

STIR QUICKLY AND POUR QUICKLY over popcorn.

It starts to harden very fast.

So quit looking at the science experiment.

And step on it.

Seriously.

Gently fold the mixture into the popcorn.

Coat well.

Transfer popcorn to a foil lined baking sheet.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Let cool.

Your assistant will miraculously return.

And she’ll bring a friend.

That has no pants on.

It’s been a fun week.

Hope has been hosting local Kids Clubs in neighborhood parks.

I love these sweet little clubs.

Grass roots.  Old school.  Meeting people where they’re at.

Ashlyn was not interested in hearing about the wages of her sin.

So she grabbed the Nikon and went for it.

Trees.

Shoes.

My big, fat thumb.

It’s a genetic trait.  Some have only one fat thumb.

I was blessed with two.

I loathed them as a child.

But I’ve come to embrace them as an adult.

Some people call them toe thumbs.

I’ve also heard them attributed to the Hapsburg clan of German royalty.

But I just Googled it and nothing comes up.

Maybe the Hapsburg’s are denying their toe thumbs?

Rude.

Megan Fox has them, too.

Of course, out of all the physical characteristics we could possibly share.

It’s ugly thumbs.

That’s about right.

I’m making a meal for a family today.

So I’m sharing the recipe.

Because I have nothing else to share.

Except fat thumbs.

It’s my “go-to” bring-a-meal.

My mom’s recipe.

Super easy.

Cheaty Cheaty Baked Ziti.

Tucker’s, you’re getting it next week.  So buckle up.

Bring a large pot of water to boil.

Brown about 1.5 lbs ground beef  in large skillet.

Season ground beef with garlic salt and pepper.

When meat is fully cooked, DRAIN it.

Then add large (4 lb jar) Prego Traditional Spaghetti Sauce.

Friends don’t let friends cook fake Italian food with anything else.

As sauce is simmering add:

one packet Lawry’s spaghetti sauce seasoning mix

and garlic salt and pepper to taste.

After water has come to a boil, add 2 boxes of Barilla rigatoni noodles.

Yes, we are making Cheaty Cheaty Baked Ziti with rigatoni.

Just go with it.

Box says to boil for 10 minutes.

Only boil for 8 minutes.

Noodles will cook more when you bake it later.

Drain noodles and return both noodles and sauce to large pot.

Mix well.

Layer pasta mixture with mozzarella cheese.

Bake for 45 minutes at 400 degrees.

This makes enough for 2 families.

So you can enjoy your Cheaty Cheaty Baked Ziti/Rigatoni.

And they will, too.

Everyone wins.

And this recipe gets two fat, German-royal, toe thumbs up.