Irish Cream Brownie Bites

There is some serious sunshine and snow-melting temperatures happening in my city right now, and I am seriously happy about that. And while my chillens were at school today, I whipped up these little Irish Cream Brownie Bites for an after school treat to celebrate the coming St. Patrick's Day, as well as this cute little craft project. Instead of using the alcohol Irish Cream, I used the Irish Cream coffee syrup for all of the flavour without the alcohol. And take heart  if you don't have time to bake or baking is not your thing....then buy the two bite brownies in the grocery store and add the easy Irish Cream Chocolate Glaze at home and garnish with the chopped chocolate. That way...you can still rock the Irish Cream Brownie Bites without the stress...'cause who needs stress? Life is supposed to be fun!

This is the very simple garnish I used for these morsels....chopped Andes chocolates. Chocolate and mint together is always a good thing in my books. And I picked up this package at the dollar store and it was just waiting to be used on some dreamy concoction.

And let's keep this really simple...like using your own brownie recipe for this. That way you don't have to worry about navigating a new recipe in addition to a new glaze and garnish.

Irish Cream Brownie Bites

Brownie Bites

1.Use your favourite brownie recipe or brownie mix and bake in mini-muffin pans. Or buy brownie bites.

2. Bake according to directions and let cool.

Irish Cream Glaze

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons Irish Cream Coffee Syrup {The refrigerated kind found in the dairy section.}

4 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 cup icing sugar

2-3 tablespoons water

To Make Glaze:

1. Melt butter, Irish Cream Coffee Syrup, and cocoa powder gently on the medium heat, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Add 1 cup icing sugar and 1-2 tablespoons water and stir until smooth and forms a thick glaze. If too think, thin glaze with water 1 tablespoon at a time. Remove from stove and let cool slightly. 

3. Dip brownies into glaze as shown. Garnish with chopped Andes Mints.

Now reap the rewards of all that glaze-making and dipping activity. These are so, so good!

I hope you like these small bites of yumminess!

Have a fantastic day!

Looking for more brownie ideas?

Check out my 'Brownies' board on Pinterest....it's full of good stuff!

Linkin' up with:
Tatertots and Jello, Link Party Palooza,The Party Bunch, The DIY Dreamer, Wow Us Wednesdays, Gingersnap Crafts, Inspire Me Please,  Kitchen Fun With My 3 Sons, Inspiration Gallery,  Tidy Mom,

Gold Dipped Kitchen Utensils & $300 Pot of Gold Giveaway

I love simple DIY projects for gifts, and these gold-dipped kitchen utensils are just the right amount of cute for  a great hostess or house-warming gift. Since gold has made such a huge comeback in home decor after years playing second fiddle to silver and pewter,  I think that any hostess would love some dressed-up kitchen utensils in the season's hottest metallic shade. And with a little ribbon flourish, they would look fun and festive as a package decoration on top of a container of cookies, cupcakes or even a cookbook And we are having some super-duper fun on the blog today as .And I have teamed up with a group of amazing bloggers to share 14 other GOLD inspired DIY projects too...along with a $300 Pot of Gold Cash Giveaway!

These are super simple to make. Here's what you will need and the instructions.

Gold-Dipped Kitchen Utensils

You will need:

Wooden kitchen utensils. {I got mine at Dollarama}

Spray paint.

Painter's tape or packing tape.

To make:

1. Make sure utensils are clean of any dust.

2. Using painter's tape or packing tape, tape off the part of the utensil that is not being painted.

3. In a well-ventilated room, spray paint utensil, following instructions on spray paint can.

4. Let dry. Spray again as needed.

5. Tie ribbon on narrow part of handles. Add to a package, book or homemade baking as a gift.

Now for the GIVEAWAY. You can enter to  WIN a $300 Cash Pot of Gold! 

The giveaway will run from March 10th to 11:59 pm on March 17th.

 It is open world-wide! {Void Where Prohibited.}

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 Get more "GOLDEN" inspiration from these 14 other talented ladies:

From left to right, they are:

  DIY Gold Polka Dot Mug & Irish Coffee Recipe from A Pretty Life in the Suburbs

  "Mommy Loves Me" Heat-Transfer Onesie by It Happens In A Blink 

How To Take Pictures During The "Golden Hour" by Lindsay Faber Photography 

Gold-Dipped Tear Drop Earrings by Happy Go Lucky 

Gold Lettered Vintage Plates by The Sweet Escape 

DIY Gold and Silver Key Fob by 4 You With Love

"Don't Miss The Colours of the Rainbow" Printable by Clean and Scentsible

  Gold Dipped Kitchen Utensils by Echoes of Laughter 

Golden Pencils by The DIY Dreamer

  Gold Speckled Eggs by Craftberry Bush 

Gold Circle Pendants by Northstory 

Kate Spade-inspired Coasters by Suburble 

Gold-and-Black Layered Bracelet by Happy Hour Projects

  Vintage Key Art by Satori Design for Living 

Gold Bowties by Fynes Designs

Thank you so much for visiting and have a wonderful day!

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Tatertots and Jello, Link Party Palooza,The Party Bunch, HomeStories A to Z Tutorials & Tips Party, The Scoop, The DIY Dreamer, Wow Us Wednesdays, Inspire Me Please,  Kitchen Fun With My 3 Sons, Inspiration Gallery,  Tidy Mom,

Pecan Chocolate Banana Bites

I love chocolate and banana together! They just go together...you know? You may remember a few weeks ago, I made these uber moist and delicious Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins which are so good! And these little bites are great too, but add the delicious crunch of pecans and they are to-the-moon and back dang awesome! With the addition of pecans, they taste as luxurious as a chocolate bar, but without all the fat & calories. I love these because not only are they tasty, but they are a small dessert or treat that doesn't have refined sugar or gluten. They are perfect for serving to kids or at a party. They require no baking, so are a nice hot weather dessert as well. And simple to make...and I love simple!

The recipe is super easy...so easy that even kids can make 'em. Heck, you could even add a bunch of different toppings like coconut or craisins and go-to-town crazy with different flavors and textures.

The possibilities are endless!

Pecan Chocolate Banana Bites

Ingredients

Bananas,

Chocolate, melted. You can use whatever chocolate you like...organic, dark, milk, etc.

Chopped pecans

Small skewers or toothpicks, optional

Directions:

1. Peel and cut bananas into 1 1/2 inch chunks.

2. Spear with toothpicks or skewers.

3. Dip in melted chocolate.

4. Roll in pecans. Then place on waxed paper-line plate to let set. {A few minutes}

5. Eat. Can be store in the fridge.

And look at the pecan-chocolate-banana deliciousness.

 You will need to hide these if you want some for later....in a super secret location.

Looking for more PECAN deliciousness?

Maple Pecan Porridge

Pecan Coffee Cake Muffins

Chocolate Pecan Tarts

Easy Butter Pecan Tarts

Pecan Haystacks

Chocolate Jam Pecan Bars

Sinfully Good Southern Pecan Pie

Linkin' up with:
One Project At A Time,The Party Bunch, Monday Funday, Block Party, The Sunday Showcase, Tatertots and Jello, Link Party Palooza, Super Saturday, Our Sunday Best, HomeStories A to Z Tutorials & Tips Party, The Scoop, The DIY Dreamer, Wow Us Wednesdays, Gingersnap Crafts, Inspire Me Please,  Kitchen Fun With My 3 Sons, Inspiration Gallery,  Tidy Mom, Show Me What You Got,

Coffee Crisp Brownies & Celebrate Coffee Crisp's 75th Birthday with Uniquely Canadian Moments Contest

Anyone who knows me also knows how much I love chocolate. Chocolate bars, chocolate cake, brownies...basically chocolate in all forms. One treat that I have been enjoying since I was a kid is Coffee Crisp. It was one of my favourite bars in my Halloween bag of treats and I still like to grab a bar every once in a while at the grocery store. Did you know that Coffee Crisp is celebrating its 75th birthday this year? That's right...this bar has been a true Canadian original for 75 years. To celebrate this milestone, Coffee Crisp is introducing its delicious new limited edition Latte bar AND a fun new Uniquely Canadian Moments Contest. Of course, when I discovered a brand new Coffee Crisp flavour, I just had to make something yummy with it, so I decided on these crazy good brownies, which my kids have voted as their favorite treat so far this winter.

Coffee Crisp first appeared in Canadian stores in 1939 and has been one of Canada's most popular chocolate bars since 1948. And over the years, we have seen such special edition flavours as: Orange, Raspberry, French Vanilla, Mocha, Caramel, Chocolate Crunch and now Latte. Mmmm latte.

I have to say that combining brownies with a crispy wafer Coffee Crisp topping is the best idea ever. It is just awesome-sauce good. Really good!

Coffee Crisp Brownies

Ingredients:

Favourite brownie recipe or boxed mix. Baked according to instructions with 1 teaspoon coffee granules added to batter.

1 teaspoon instant coffee granules {*see above}

Favourite chocolate frosting

2 Coffee Crisp bars, chopped into small pieces

Directions:

1. Bake brownies according to directions.When brownies are cooled, frost with favourite chocolate frosting.

2. Sprinkle with chopped Coffee Crisp pieces, covering entire pan.

3. Cut with a sharp knife and serve.

My son even asked if he could take some brownies in his school lunch today as a treat. However, I am sure that he ate them are recess, right? {wink}

Coffee Crisp is celebrating it's 75th birthday and being a Canadian classic by inviting Canadians to create their own memorable experiences in this country...whether it be visiting the Rocky Mountains or whale watching on the coast. Three lucky Canadians will have the chance to win 1 of 3 Canadian experiences, each worth $10,000! 

Please visit www.coffeecrisp.ca to enter today! 

Here is a uniquely 'Canadian Moment' for my family.

We lived on the East Coast of Canada for the first 10 years of our marriage, and moved to the West in 2005.

This is our very first trip camping in the Canadian Rockies, and we had so much fun while being surrounded by the breathtaking beauty of the Rocky Mountains.

If you are looking for more scrumptious Coffee Crisp recipes, Coffee Crisp created these special recipes to celebrate its 75th birthday. Don't they look delicious? Coffee Crisp Birthday Cake and Coffee Crisp Birthday Shot.

Coffee Crisp Birthday Cake

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (100 ml) butter, softened
1 cup (240 ml) sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla
1 Tbsp (15 ml) instant coffee powder
1¼ cup (300 ml) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) baking powder
pinch of salt
1/3 cup (80 ml) sour cream
1 king size COFFEE CRISP bar, chopped finely
frosting of choice

Directions: 
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Beat the butter and sugar until smooth. Add one egg at a time, beating after each addition.
Dissolve the instant coffee in 1 Tbsp of hot water and add to the egg mixture along with the vanilla. Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl and add half to the egg mixture, mixing briefly. Add ½ of the sour cream and mix briefly before adding the rest of the flour
mixture. Mix again before adding the remaining sour cream. Add the batter to a round 9” pan and spread
evenly. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow cake to cool completely,
remove from pan and top with your favourite frosting flavour - we recommend mocha! Lastly,sprinkle with finely chopped Coffee Crisp.
For a double layer cake: Double ingredient quantities and bake two cakes according to recipe. Cool the cake layers completely,
remove from pans. Frost
cooled cakes with your
favourite flavour, then place them directly on top of each other.
Top with finely chopped
COFFEE CRISP and enjoy

 Coffee Crisp Birthday Shot

Ingredients: 
½ oz. (15 ml) coffee-flavoured liqueur
¼ oz. (7 ml) chocolate-flavoured liqueur
¼ oz. (7 ml) Irish cream liqueur
Whipped cream, for garnish
Finely chopped COFFEE CRISP,
for garnish

Directions:
Combine all liqueurs in a shot glass. Top with whipped cream and chopped COFFEE CRISP Say a toast and enjoy!

Don't forget to take your warmest wishes to Twitter and wish this Canadian Classic a Happy Birthday.
Just use #HBDCoffeeCrisp to join the conversation & celebration!

Happy 75th Birthday Coffee Crisp! 

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The Party Bunch, The Sunday Showcase, Kitchen Fun with My 3 Sons, Inspiration Gallery, Inspire Me Please, Tatertots and Jello, Link Party Palooza, Super Saturday, Block Party, Monday Funday, Monday Funday,  Our Sunday Best, HomeStories A to Z Tutorials & Tips Party, The Scoop, The DIY Dreamer, Gingersnap Crafts, Show Me What You Got,

Freshen Your Look for Spring with Murale FAB and FREE Offer

With Spring just around the corner, one thing that I always look forward to is treating myself to a new outfit and some new makeup in fresh colours. It's like a little treat to myself for making it through a long winter. Although I often buy new things for the kids because of growth spurts or wear and tear, I often go on wearing the same old things for too long, so some new clothing and cosmetics really brightens my mood and makes me feel happy. This year, I am looking forward to getting a fresh start for Spring with Murale and a fabulous & free cosmetics bag filled with over $385 worth of gorgeous goodies.

* offer valid on the purchase total of eligible products after discounts and redemptions and before taxes. Gift value approximately $385. Available while quantities last. No Rainchecks

Some of the things I can't wait to try in this special offer are some pretty new nail colours, along with skin care products. My skin is constantly changing and I love having the opportunity to try some products in trial sizes without having to commit to a full sized product and this is the perfect chance for me to try new things! Murale by Shoppers Drug Mart is Canada's beauty destination and provides Canadians with access to some of the world's best beauty brands. Murale carries a wide variety of prestige cosmetic brands including such exclusive names as: Eve Lom, Rodial, Darphin, Juice Beauty, Skyn Iceland and Monteil. And this Spring, Murale is offering 1 free cosmetic bag filled with 27 deluxe samples worth over $385 when you spend $100 or more in stores until March 7th, and online online until March 12, while supplies last. And each cosmetic Fab & Free bag will include a booklet with product information about each deluxe sample and an Optimum bounce back offer. The 'bounce back' offer is a terrific offer where you can receive 20,000 Optimum Points when you spend $125 or more before tax in-store at Murale on regular sized Fab & Free products from March 8 to April 4, 2014.

So if you are looking to freshen your look for Spring,  now is a good time to start shopping at Murale to take advantage of this special offer of a pretty pouch filled with the very latest in skincare and cosmetics so that you can look your very best for Spring too! I love shopping for cosmetics when it's the season for free samples....it just gives me that giddy  'look-what-I-got-in-my-Christmas-sock' feeling!

Disclosure: Although this post has been generously sponsored by Shoppers Drug Mart, the opinions and language are all my own. and in no way do they reflect Shoppers Drug Mart.

   

14 Beautiful Paint Projects for Spring

Spring is the time when I start dreaming about using paint to make things beautiful again. 

Over the winter, with lots of time spent indoors because of the cold, I start to notice what little pieces of furniture or decor items could be freshened up with a great new coat of paint. 

I have spray paint and leftover paint cans in all sorts of colours and I love looking at my collection and playing a game of match this to that with colours. 

It's so fun to re-imagine how things would look wearing a new coat of paint. So I have rounded up some really awesome paint projects to help get us all inspired to be creative with paint. I hope you find something that inspires you!

Now to get started, how about these $1 buckets from the dollar store that I made over with spray paint?

One of my favourite projects ever!

Easy DIY Bucket Planters

Paint Some Terra Cotta Pots

 Create A Herringbone Stencilled Wall

Paint a Nightstand

Paint A Rug for the Porch

Kids Storage Containers

Makeover Wicker Furniture

Refresh a Bookcase

Paint A Tray For A Pop of Colour

Paint a Coffee Table

Paint Porch Furniture

Makeover A Deck

Jazz Up Some Kitchen Utensils

Paint An Old Metal Stand To Make Into A Hostess Station

Paint A Headboard

Which project really inspired you?

I know that I have 2 nightstands that I want to paint. And a picture frame. And hutch. And...

My list goes on because I have so many fun colours I want to try!

Thank you so much for visiting me!

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