treats Archives - Dine and Dish

To Your Mom, With Love {Harry & David Mother’s Day Giveaway} – CLOSED

Kristen — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 02:49:26 +0000

This giveaway is now closed. Congrats to Brooke who won this Tower of Treats gift for her mom! Thanks to all who entered.

Friends… I hate to break the news to you, but May is right around the corner. Do you know what that means? Mother’s Day will be here before you know it! I am always thinking about my mom and how much I love her, but it never fails that Mother’s Day sneaks up on me and I fail to get her something to really show her how much I love and appreciate her….

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Blame It On Pinterest {Recipe: Millie’s White Cupcakes}

Kristen — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 19:35:16 +0000

Pin It

I’m going to blame it on Pinterest…

You know the feeling that what you are doing just isn’t adequate? That feeling. This Halloween, that feeling is thanks to Pinterest.

I volunteered to make the snack for my son’s 4th grade Halloween party. I’m a simple gal when it comes to baking and treats. I have no talent when it comes to decorating fancy cookies. I’m not a creative crafter. And I sure as heck can’t turn a blob of fondant into something fancy like a pumpkin patch.

So, last night, after fretting all week about what to make, and wishing I lived back in the days when a sucker wrapped in tissue with eyes marked on it with pen was fancy, I decided to just do something simple and make cupcakes. Not even cupcakes that look like jack-o-lanterns… simple, plain, white cupcakes with orange butter cream frosting.

Oh, and I sampled them to make sure… you know… they were decent enough to feed 4th graders. They were delicious. I bet that’s more than can be said for some of those fancy Pinterest treats. At least that’s what I’m telling myself.

I like to say I’m setting the bar low to make other mom’s feel good about themselves. That’s why I do what I do and go the simple route. I’d hate to be responsible for the over achieving behavior caused by creating elaborate treats no one can replicate. Sounds like a good enough reason to go simple to me!

If you too want to go plain and simple, you can find the recipe for Millie’s White Wedding Cake on my past blog post. Also, Amanda has a pretty darn good buttercream recipe that really can’t be beat.

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Fun at the Drive-In (Recipe: Homemade Kettle Corn)

Kristen — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 19:48:39 +0000

Ahhhh Drive-In’s… what says summer better than a night out, under the stars, watching a movie on the big screen? Really? Not much else does. I don’t know why drive-ins are a dying breed because I can’t think of a much better way to watch a movie in the summertime!

I remember my first drive-in movie experience. I don’t remember anything about the movies, except that the double feature was The Neverending Story and The Dark Crystal. I do remember tossing a ball and frisbee around with my sister, eating tons of food my mom had brought from home, and being told to squash down in the back seat when we paid so I looked younger.Fun times, fun times.

Boulevard Drive-In, in Kansas City, KS, is a gem of a place nestled between a rail road track and the interstate highway. It is a clean, well maintained drive-in and as we found out last night, a great place to give the kids a unique, old-fashioned movie experience.

We quickly discovered on our first trip to the drive-in as a family that there is an art to the whole drive-in experience. First of all, at least for Boulevard Drive-In, bring cash as they don’t accept credit cards. (Being debit card carrying people, we had to borrow cash from my friend Candace, whom we were meeting there…and for extra snacks, I dug through every last little crevice in our minivan to find just enough to buy everyone a Blow Pop and another small treat).

Arriving early to the drive-in is a must. Even though the movie started after it turned dark (around 9:20pm), the fun starts way before hand. Tossing a football around, playing on the playground equipment, getting your space situated, people watching, listening to the 50’s tunes and retro jingles about concessions on the speaker… all of that is essential to a fun and entertaining time at the drive-in!

Some people are pretty serious about seating. We decided to go the easiest route and use blankets, the back of our minivan and lawn chairs. Some people like to be high in the sky and sit on top of their vehicles. Others, whom I am guessing are more experienced at the whole drive-in movie thing, convert the backs of their trucks into what has to be the most comfortable movie watching set up ever… a Queen Size bed.

Boulevard lets you bring in your own food, but no grilling. We enjoyed pizza and beverages (while those around us were smart enough to bring a margarita or two… I wasn’t thinking!)

If you get the chance this summer and there is a drive-in near you, I would like to encourage you to take the family out for a unique night of fun. Support the drive-ins around you so that they will be around for many years to come!

This recipe for Kettle Corn is right on… just like what you get at the fair, but without needing a kettle to make it! I made this to take to the Boulevard Drive-In for the movie, but it was devoured by my kids before we could even get out the door!

Sweet and Salty Kettle Corn (adapted from Rachael Ray)

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup popcorn kernels
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon salted butter, melted
1 teaspoon coarse salt

In a large pot with a tight-fitting lid, heat the oil over medium-high heat. add the popcorn. When the oils sizzles, sprinkle the sugar over the kernels. Cover and shake the pan until the popping slows down, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and toss with melted butter then the salt.

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