Do It Your Freaking Self - Recipes Archives - Page 4 of 5

Hank the Octopus Bark

on June 22, 2016

Make this fun Hank the Octopus Bark for your next Finding Dory party! Fun and colorful party snack kids can help with.

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First off, let me tell you that I was first in line to see Finding Dory…. well maybe not because I do not deal with large crowds of kids. I went on a Monday and it was mostly to get out of the ridiculous heat or I would have gone later because I unfortunately am really bad at making time for myself. Can we talk about the fact that it was 112 degrees in LA that day? Thank goodness I don’t wear makeup or it would have been melting off. Seriously.

Okay, so Finding Dory. If I had gone at opening night, I would have pictured myself like Moses parting the red sea… of children. I’d be all like “Get out of my way. I need this in my life more than you do.” Because that is how I roll.

Now, I’m not going to give away the movie if you haven’t seen it yet (What is wrong with you?!?) but I will say that next to little baby Dory the breakout character for me was Hank the Octopus (septopus?). I mean, I love octopi (unless it’s like Sharktopus or something) anyway, so his character was a total bonus.

And keeping with my current love of chocolate bark, (Click here for some Dory Bark) I was inspired to make this Hank the Ocotpus Bark. He’s a little salty so I put some pretzels in it and kids will love adding the cute candy eyeballs.

ByChelsea

Finding Dory Bark

on June 13, 2016

Make your own chocolate bark inspired by Disney/Pixar’s Finding Dory. Finding Dory Bark is a fun activity for kids and a fun addition to theme parties!

Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Swimming, swimming, swimming!

Oh Dory! I’m so glad she’s getting her own movie. She totally deserves it. I can’t count the times I’ve quoted her when I’m having a rough day. Or just needed a friend. You see, Dory didn’t really have a reason to care about Marlin or him finding his son, but she did. She cared enough to go on this insane adventure for someone she barely knew even when she couldn’t remember what was going on. She just went because her heart told her to. And now I’m excited to see her favor returned.

I mostly love this movie because of the theme of conquering fear. I know a lot of us deal with it. I personally have a very visceral reaction to stepping out of my comfort zone and facing the unknown. Fear isn’t just being in a moment of fight or flight, it can also be a mindset which we see all too well in the character of Marlin and I love that Marlin is able to conquer that fear a bit with a little help from Dory. He could have given into despair, but she unknowingly helped push him to save his son and grow as a fish.

ByChelsea

Red White and Blue Cookies

on June 3, 2016

Red White and Blue Cookies are sure to be a hit both in your kitchen and at your Memorial Day or 4th of July cookout!

Okay guys, normally I would make cupcakes for events like Memorial Day and 4th of July. You know, those events where you’re getting really patriotic and celebrating (or mourning) but I’m not gonna lie, these cookies came out of laziness. Pure and Simple. Problem is though, when you have a blog, people kind of expect you to at least attempt to make things look good and well, I hate to disappoint. It’s a blessing and a curse.

So yeah, these Red White and Blue Cookies came out of laziness. And you know what? They turned out great! Could I have made cool pinwheels or super fancy iced sugar cookies? Probably. But when you’ve worked all weekend (late nights too) and wake up at 10 for a BBQ that is supposed to start at noon, well… fancy flies out the window. SO! If you need a quick cookie recipe that makes a big impression without taking a ton of time, keep this in your arsenal. It makes the easiest softest cookies ever!

ByChelsea

Rainbow Unicorn Cupcakes

on May 26, 2016

Have I expressed my love for Unicorns yet? Because I love them. Even though they are jerks.

I bought these super cute Unicorn party picks from Kikkerland FOREVER ago. I didn’t really have anything in mind for them, just that I liked them. And while I’ve had plenty of opportunities to use them, I’ve never felt the event was special enough.

And lets be honest here, Unicorns do not belong on cheese. There is nothing special about a unicorn toothpick in cheese unless it is the magical kind with zero calories and still tastes amazing (which doesn’t exist, unlike Unicorns). So here’s to some fun and delicious rainbow unicorn cupcakes that are totally worthy of my unicorn toothpicks. I did worry a bit about the heads being angled downward because I STABBED THE CUPCAKE WITH THE HORN!!!

And if you’re looking for a simple easy Unicorn inspired recipe you can do with the kiddos, try this Unicorn Bark.

ByChelsea

Greek Yogurt Raspberry Muffin Recipe

on April 24, 2016

Do you ever get the feeling that something super cute is calling out to you? Like you HAVE to buy it and make something with it because OMG so cute!? No? Only me?

Okay, so I was in World Market and this happened to me. I was scanning through the kitchen section because they always have cute things and well… these cake molds literally jumped out at me. Like precariously balanced and fell on the floor jumped. THEN they were 25% off AND I had a coupon. It was fate.

So I bought them. And took them home. And made muffins. Now… One of my great beefs with cupcakes is that while they’re SUPPOSED to be light and fluffy, I really like them dense. So I also have a love for muffins. This Raspberry muffin recipe makes muffins that are super dense and super delicious. Give them a try!

ByChelsea

How to Make Unicorn Bark

on April 19, 2016

I’ll admit I have a special affinity for unicorns. They’re mythical, magical, and they can stab you with their heads. Pretty awesome huh?

No, my house is not completely decorated in them. No, not everything I own has a unicorn on it, but I do love them. The term unicorn doesn’t always refer to the mythical white horse that bleeds silver (thank you Harry Potter) or poops glitter and marshmallows. It can also refer to something special, unique. In the start up world, a unicorn (in Canada they call them Narwhals and that makes me laugh) is astart up that is valued at over $1 Billion. Think about that! (with my pinky at my mouth) 1 Billion Dollars. I wouldn’t have to work at all with that kind of money… like ever… and still have some left over.

For me, I like to refer to people unicorns as those who freaking rock and are magical and not afraid to show it.

More Bark Recipes

Oh, and before you do anything else, Google Scotland’s national animal. DO IT!!!
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ByChelsea

Strawberry Champagne Cupcakes

on April 4, 2016

What do you guys do to combat stress? I know that at this point in my life I should know what good stress is and bad stress is, but honestly, I just feel constantly overwhelmed. Like there’s too much going on and too many plates spinning in the air. There have been quite a few craft fails, late nights, even earlier mornings and not enough kitty cuddles to go around… Oh, and did I mention that my diet totally went out the window? I lived on takeout. I wore the same outfit TO WORK 2 days in a row. Yep folks, this is adulthood.

One of the things I’ve done since I was a kid is when I’m stressed or upset or overwhelmed, I bake. I don’t go on baking bender and make a million cookies in 10 different flavors, but I do like to cook up a mean batch of cupcakes on occasion. I could say that these champagne cupcakes are stress cupcakes, but really… the flavor says otherwise. So grab some dry champagne and give them a try… and a taste at your next brunch. You could even do orange cream buttercream for a traditional mimosa flavor!

ByChelsea

Easter Bunny Chow Recipe

on March 25, 2016

Holidays always involve a lot of tradition, whether its hot cocoa with your family on Christmas Eve, the fireworks on the 4th of July, or Church on Easter Morning. I for one love them.

But sometimes, you create your own traditions. When I moved to LA I didn’t really know many people. No one that I could say I was close to, so I had to sort of make my own. In making my own tribe/family, I also realized that I was making traditions with them as well. One of those for us is an Easter brunch. My friend Natalie always makes Ham Pies (her families’ tradition), we meet at a friends house after church, eat a bunch of casserole, ham, and sweets and really just enjoy spring and being together. Does anyone have a favorite Easter tradition? I’d love to know.

ByChelsea

10 Fun and Easy Pi Day Pie Recipes

on March 13, 2016

Okay friends. Let me introduce you to the pi song.

Yeah, all I remember is that pi = 3.14159. You don’t really need to know more than that, unless you have an awesome memory and love math.

Anyway, I love Pi Day for a few reasons. For one, I love baking… duh. And two, I get a kick out of telling uninformed people that it is officially Pi Day and therefore we eat pi and celebrate math. They think I’m a dork, but whatever.

ByChelsea

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

on March 5, 2016

Note to self, do NOT try to frost these in the morning before having to be somewhere. You’ll have to spend a decent amount of the morning hoping you didn’t ingest too much boozy frosting.

I made these Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes on a whim, and am now in LOVE with using Guiness Draught in my chocolate cupcakes. The way it enhances the flavor is just to DIE for. Paired with a Jameson Ganache filling and a Baileys Buttercream frosting, you’re in for a deliciously boozy treat.

Wheather you’re heading out for a night on the town or having your own green beer fest while watching Gangs of New York, these are a must have for any imbibing spirit!

ByChelsea

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