Ireland Shutterfly Book

Yes, I know it was almost a year ago that I went to Ireland, but I finally had some time to put together a photobook of my trip pictures.  I used Shutterfly last December to make a book of our trip to Italy.  I was very happy with the process and the end result.  It was very easy to directly upload my photos to Shutterfly from iPhoto. They had lots of cute template options, but I LOVED that you could easily customized each page and change the layout and background and add decorations.  They had many free options of colors, fonts, and stickers.  It allowed me a simplified way of digital scrapbooking.  Shutterfly also has frequent discount codes which bring down the price - I took advantage of discounts on the book and shipping.

AND they give you an embed code so you can also share the book digitally!  LOVE!

Click here to view this photo book larger

Create a gorgeous, high quality wedding photo album at Shutterfly.com.

Cookie Dough Cupcakes

Pinterest can be such a tease! It tempts you with recipes that are supposed to change your life, but too often I find their amazing claims to be overstated.  However, I was enticed by this recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes at the Kevin and Amanda blog which I located via Pinterest. I decided to try it out over the Memorial Day weekend.

The recipe gives directions to make the cupcakes from scratch.  I confess I was looking for a short cut, so I adapted the recipe to use a mix for both the cookie dough and the cupcakes.  We had a taste test in the teacher's lounge today and they were a hit, so don't think they suffered too much from using mixes. I did follow the directions from another pin "For Making a Box Cake Taste Homemade" which added a bit more richness to the cupcakes.

This recipe is definitely a keeper!

Cookie Dough Cupcakes

For the Cookie Dough:

One package Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough mix (I used the brand from Target)
butter

For the Cupcakes:

1 Box Vanilla Cake Mix (I used Betty Crocker French Vanilla)
3 eggs
milk (use in place of the water)
butter (use in place of the oil)
1 teaspoon vanilla

For the Frosting:

2 sticks of butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
4 cups powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:


1.  Prepare the cookie dough mix.  Follow the directions on the package, combining the mix with melted butter.  OMIT THE EGGS!!  (Yes, you can eat any little leftover bits!)

2. Divide the dough into 24 small balls.  I put mine in mini cupcake tins, but you could put them on a cookie sheet.  Put in the freezer for 2 to 3 hours until hard.

3.  When the cookie dough is frozen, prepare the cake mix.  Follow the directions on the cake mix package for the number of eggs, but replace the amount of oil with melted butter and the amount of water with milk.  Add a teaspoon of vanilla.  Use your mixer to combine according to package directions.

4. Put 24 cupcake liners in a muffin tin.  Add about 2/3 of a cup of batter to each cupcake liner.  Then drop the frozen cookie dough right on top.  Bake according to package directions.

5.  The batter will rise and cover the cookie dough.  There might be a slight indentation on top where a tiny bit of dough will peak through like a belly button when done.  Let the cupcakes cool completely.

6. To make the frosting: Combine the brown sugar and butter with a mixer.  Then add the powdered sugar, milk, salt, and vanilla and blend until smooth.  Reserve about 2 tablespoons of the chocolate chips and blend the remaining chips into the frosting by hand.

7. Top the cupcakes with a mound of frosting and garnish with a few chocolate chips on top.

8. Keep in the refrigerator - I think the "dough" tastes best when it is firm!

This is what they look like inside!  Yummy!

Two Cute New Friends

These two little bundles of cuteness joined my house this weekend. I adopted them from the Royal Oak Animal Shelter. Needless to say, they are proving to be an entertaining distraction from all the things I SHOULD be doing!












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Breakfast at Crispellis

Breakfast pizza - with scrambled eggs, ham, sausage, and cheese. Really good!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

iPad Creativity!

Sorry I've been AWOL for the past few months.  I've been deep into putting together some presentations for our Michigan education technology conference (MACUL).  It is so much fun to be able to share all the creative things that our students have put together on the iPad!  Here are the 2 presentations that I gave at the conference:

Easy iPad Projects for Elementary Students from Karen Bosch

Digital Storytelling with an iPad from Karen Bosch

Even if you aren't a teacher, you may discover some great new creative apps to use!

Gnocchi with Tuna, Mushrooms, and Spinach

I have tried several recipes over recent months trying to upcycle that comfort food standard, the old tuna casserole.  The February issue of Better Homes and Gardens had a recipe for using gnocchi with tuna.  Wow, I have made it twice - easy and creamy and yummy.  The gnocchi are like soft little comforting pasta pillows as you bite in!  I added my own twist to the recipe by adding fresh spinach and some grated Romano cheese.  I also added a crunchy panko crust on top.  I think you could mix in your choice of vegetables - maybe roasted red peppers, olives, or even the traditional frozen baby peas.

Be sure to use good canned tuna in olive oil for this recipe.  I love this Italian Tonno tuna - a bit more expensive but worth it for the flavor.  I used one can of the Tonno and one can of white albacore tuna in olive oil from Trader Joe's which provided a rich balance of  flavors.

Gnocchi comes in packages in the pasta section of the grocery store.  At better stores you can find it in flavors - I really liked the cheese flavor that I tried.  This tomato was pretty good, too.

Gnocchi with Tuna, Mushrooms, and Spinach

Ingredients

1 16 package of gnocchi (shelf stable, not fresh)
1 package fresh sliced mushrooms (I cut them into bite sized pieces)
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup half and half
2 cans tuna in olive oil, crumbled into pieces
1/3 cup grated Romano/parmesan cheese
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped roughly
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)

Topping

1/2 cup cheese (your choice, I used shredded parmesan)
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
1 teaspoon olive oil or melted butter

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Cook the gnocchi in boiled water according to directions.  Drain and set aside.

2.  Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the mushrooms in the 1 teaspoon of olive oil for a few minutes over medium heat until softened.

3. Add the garlic and red pepper and stir for a minute, then add the half and half.  Simmer for about 5 minutes or until the sauce starts to thicken.  Add 1/3 cup grated romano/parmesan cheese and blend. Turn off the heat.

4. If your skillet is large enough, you can toss the tuna, spinach, and gnocchi right into the pan.  Mix together.

5. Put the mixture into a 9 x 12 inch pan. Bake for about 10 minutes.

6. Remove the pan from the oven.  Top with 1/2 cup cheese.  Mix the panko, 1/4 cup grated Romano, and 1 teaspoon olive oil in a bowl.  Sprinkle on top.

7. Bake for another 5 - 7 minutes or until heated through and the topping is golden.

Serves 4 - 6

Recycled Computer Key Magnets

A few days ago, I shared the retirement card I made for my friend using old recycled keys.  Changing computer keys into magnets is super simple and fun craft to make.

You will need old computer keys (just use a screwdriver to pop them off the keyboard, a needle nose pliers, small magnets (I got mine at Michaels - use those coupons to get 40% off!) and hot glue.

The keys will have a "peg" sticking up from the inside.  Take a needle nosed pliers and you can just twist of off - it will break without much effort.

Take your hot glue gun and "flood" the inside about half full with hot glue.  Then "float" the the magnet on top.  Push it down with the pliers so it is level with the edge of the key.

I made a bunch of these and have them on my file cabinet in my computer lab.  The kids (and me) have a lot of fun spelling words out using the keys!

Such a fun craft to make as a gift - spell out a name or appropriate phrase!