Fun Recipes for St. Patrick's Day

I was in such a good moos this morning, even though Levi was up in the night and I could not get back to sleep...until about the time I normally get up and then I overslept by 90 minutes. Ouch. But still, pretty good mood. Enter female child. Adios good mood.

I let my buttons get pushed and then it just all went to crap. I struggle a lot with this relationship, if I'm being completely honest. It makes me so, so sad. I know children push limits and lie and are selfish and and and...obviously I know that. But there's an inward, I don't know, sourness, that I just don't know how to handle. I'll probably delete this because I don't want to throw the poor girl under the bus, but parenting her is one of the most difficult things I've ever done. Anyway, know you're not alone if you're really struggling with a child relationship also.

Moving on.

There is not a lick of Irish in me, but I married into a family with pretty deep Irish roots, so now I celebrate with lots of fun little things. I know some people go waaay out for St. Patrick's Day with elaborate leprechaun scavenger hunts and little green footprints on the potty with green water....maybe one day, but I do like to make it a fun day with yummy treats. Because let's face it: it's always about the food. :)

 Whoopie Pies with REAL Creme Filling- no fluff!!

They are to die for. Seriously!

 Sometimes we add a little green to the filling - not sure what happened to the poor sprinkles, never mind that, ha!

 When St. Patrick's Day falls on the weekend, like it does this year, we always make a rainbow fruit plate for a yummy brunch. Doesn't that look so fresh and pretty?

 I saw this idea on Pinterest or on a blog somewhere last year and just had to try it! It was slightly more difficult than I'd thought, ha, but we managed okay. So cute, right? For these, you melted the white chocolate and poured into a baggie, snipped a corner, and coated the pretzels by drawing/tracing their outline- add the sprinkles when the coating is still wet!

I cheated a little for the second round: I simply dipped the pretzels, individually, in the melted white chocolate, and then added sprinkles. Obviously they did not look as much like shamrocks but they were still festive and fun. I can't find a picture of this kind but if I do, I'll add it.

For dinner, lots of times I make this meal:

Or this one:

Well that's not the picture I was looking for but it shows the yummy ribs.. recipe below:

Crock pot Tangy Ribs and the trimmings

Scalloped potatoes recipe HERE 

I'm adding these pics because they make me so happy. This was little Levi for his first St. Patrick's Day last year, and I remember so clearly what a little love bug he was ALL day long. He was so sweet- his bib said "Kiss me, I'm Irish," but I got all the kisses that day. I posted this on instagram...can't believe a whole year has passed, almost!

And this.
Oh my goodness I can't even take it.

We took a little field trip to Massachusetts. I got lost (twice, but who's counting) which irritates me to no end, but I always figure it out. I will add that when I do get lost, it's usually when I'm following Mapquest or something. Ugh. It was such a fun day anyway. How can this be one year ago?!

I'm on IG @bethanylivs_life if you want to follow there. Have a nice day!

2 No-Bake Party Favorites Recipes!

When you've got a big family, there's always someone's birthday party on the horizon! Here are two party-worthy recipes for delicious, easy, no-bake treats that guarantee smiles every time.

Party Favorite #1 ~ Oreo Truffles
These are often referred to as "Orea Balls," but that name doesn't do a thing for me, so we call them Oreo Truffles. If it's got a chocolate candy coating, it's a truffle! (No, it really is...I looked it up!)

INGREDIENTS
1 package Oreos (we use double-stuf)
1 brick cream cheese, slightly softened (lower fat is fine but I don't recommend no-fat)
Preferred candy coating- chocolate chips, bark, bars, you name it!
You'll also need a wax paper-lined cookie sheet/ baking pan

DIRECTIONS
1. Pulverize whole Oreos in food processor (or you can put them in a bag and crush them with a rolling pin); Add cream cheese to cookie crumbs, either for a few seconds in the processor or with a mixer. Mixture will be very sticky, so chill for about 30 minutes or until easier to work with. Shape into bite-sized balls, pressing with fingertips (too sticky for rolling in your palm); place on lined pan.

     **optional for added texture: shape a smaller ball, roll in mini chocolate chips or candy sprinkles, then add more dough to form finished size - I don't have pics of this step because I had to finish fast and my hands were waaaay too sticky to touch my camera, but you can see some sprinkles in the picture above**

2. Return pan to fridge to chill for 15ish minutes - this helps them hold their shape better for the coating.

3. Melt the coating - I place about 6-8 oz at a time in a glass measuring cup and melt in 30-second intervals in the microwave. Dip one ball at a time, gently rolling it in the melted coating with a fork, then lift it up and lightly tap fork against the edge of the cup, shaking off excess coating. Using a toothpick or another fork, carefully push coated ball onto lined pan; add sprinkles. Return pan to fridge again so coating will set nicely, and...devour! I actually have no idea how many this yields because they don't stick around long enough to count! Probably 30ish? This recipe halves easily, too, when you need a few for say...the party you completely forgot about that starts in an hour; and you can adjust the amount of cream cheese to your particular liking. It's a win-win!

     Remember to keep these chilled because of the cream cheese!

Party Favorite #2 ~ Golden Cake Batter Truffles

INGREDIENTS
1 box yellow cake mix (you'll use 1 cup, which leaves leftover mix for future truffles!)
1/2 cup softened butter
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp+ vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup dry cake mix
dash salt
4 Tbsp+ milk
1-2 Tbsp sprinkles or other tiny candies
You'll also need a wax paper-lined cookie sheet/ baking pan

1. Mix butter and sugar until creamy; add vanilla. Next, add flour, dry cake mix, salt and blend well; add milk (you may need more to reach correct consistency). Stir in candies or sprinkles by hand. Shape batter into balls- these roll nicely in your palms- and place on wax paper-lined pan; if batter is too sticky, chill it for several minutes and try again. When finished shaping balls, return pan to fridge for 15-30 minutes to firm up.

2. Melt bark or candy coating according to directions or in the microwave, as I do (see above). Follow the same method for dipping and coating. **PLEASE NOTE - candy bark sets much faster than melted chocolate, so add sprinkles immediately after coating!** Makes about 30 truffles. They are fantastic, however...I think they have a slightly tin taste, so they are a close second to the Oreo Truffles, which none of us can muster up enough willpower to resist.

This recipe was slightly adapted from this one over at Chef in Training. I think I'll try Confetti cake mix next time...or Devil's Food with dark chocolate coating...or use colored candy wafers for coating...

I made these treats for our older middle son's birthday earlier this week to share with classmates, and for his special-requested Death By Chocolate Birthday Party.

Have a wonderful weekend! I've had a sick little guy on my hands this week, and I'm hoping he makes a turn for the better soon!

linking up with  Six Sisters' Stuff, Sew Many Ways
Alderberry Hill, All She Cooks 
Crafts a la Mode