End of School Year Teacher Gift

The end of the school year is coming up fast. I wanted to do something fun for a couple of my son's High School teachers that wasn't cutesy and I thought I'd do the same for my 2 elementary school kids teachers a few weeks before school gets out.

I was inspired by this blog and since I wanted the tag to say the last 2 weeks (I have WAY too much going on the last week) instead of the last week I decided to make my own tag.

Here it is if you'd lilke to print it for yourself! Enjoy!

To download just click on image then right click and save to your computer

Semi-Homemade Brownie Bites

This week was a killer week and I expect that the next few weeks will be much the same.  So with that in mind I'm trying to simplify my craziness and come up with a few semi-homemade creations.  I was asked to bring something sweet to our final PTA meeting of the year...I had a couple of hours that I could spend in the kitchen or at my son's baseball game.  I decided on the latter and while sitting at his game it hit me...not the ball, but a great idea for something sweet!  Something I could do quickly and would even taste yummy.  
Brownie Bites with my secret-cream topping recipe and strawberries.

I dropped by Sams Club (I think Costco carries them as well) and picked up their little tub of brownie bites.  I also picked up a tub of these scrumptious cake bites...wasn't sure how they would taste but seemed to be a crowd pleaser. 

This is what the cake bite tub looked like at Sams

I bought the brownie bites home, stuck them in a brown candy cup and then whipped up my secret cream cheese topping.  Piped a little dollop of the topping on the brownie bite, fanned half of a strawberry on top and VOILA...my sweet was complete! 

I'm thinking it might be nice to help simplify your life along with mine so...here ya go!  

My secret recipe...

Brownie Bite Cream Topping

1-3oz. pkg.cream cheeses (softened)

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

3/4 cup whipping (heavy) cream

Beat cream cheese, 1/3 cup sugar and the vanilla in small bowl with electric mixer on low speed until smooth.  Beat in whipping cream on medium speed until stiff peaks form.  Place (or use a pastry bag for piping) a dollop of cream on brownie bite, top with a strawberry, raspberry or other favorite fruit.  Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.  Cover and refrigerate any remaining bites.

And now...what's next!

Teacher Appreciation Week Successfully Complete!

Last week was our Teacher Appreciation Week...SHAZAM was it fun!  Teachers, students and parents all had a great time with the theme of Super Hero Teachers.

Each day of the week there was a little something that every student could do to honor and say thank you to their teacher.  

Monday morning all of our teachers came to school and were surprised with Super Hero Classroom Signs on each of their doors.  Here are just a few of the clever pieces of art!  Some of the teacher faces were even added to the super hero action figures!

Each teacher had a Super Hero Info Sheet by their classroom door that gave their students hints of favorite things.  Sure made it easy gift giving for parents like me.

A super hero lunch was served each day of TA week for all teachers and staff.  Most of the meals were catered by local businesses in the area.  They wanted to express their thanks for great teachers too.  The teacher's lounge was decked out in super hero quotes and pictures and other great fun.  The teachers also found a little surprise every day in their mail box.   

Lots of parents doing lots of great things to show their appreciation for GREAT TEACHERS!

My 4th Grader decided to honor her teacher every day of TA week with a little something...

Day One

Kate became a reporter and asked her teacher...

Kate loves her teacher and it's easy to see why after reading her answers.  Kate will often come home from school exclaiming, "I just love Miss Grant!"  

eighteen25 had this cute "picked a teacher" template.

Berry chapstick, berry scents and hand sanitizer were all found at Bath and Body Works.

Day Two

Kate decided that Miss Grant needed some new school supplies for the classroom.  Of course chocolate was an important part of the "vital tools" needed for every super hero teacher.

Day Three

Kate, along with most of the other students in class, loves to be Miss Grant's sidekick.  Kate always has stories about adventures during the day and how Miss. Grant encourages them to help each other.  We decided Miss. Grant needed an energy drink after all that hard work.

Day Four

Today was the day that the students were encouraged to bring their teacher's favorite treat to class.  Miss Grant listed her favorite treat as a Symphony Bar...and who can disagree with that yummy choice!   I believe that every student, Kate included, brought Miss Grant a Symphony Bar.  She is stocked up for the rest of the year!  She should have lots of chocolate energy for her super hero work.  


Kate's Symphony Bar was disguised in a Super Hero wrapper. 

Day Five

To conclude Teacher Appreciation Week Kate chose to say "thanks" in a canned way.  She gathered all of Miss Grant's "super powers" and canned em!

We didn't want to forget all of the other important people at school so Kate gave a little treat to the secretaries, custodian, librarian, lunch ladies and principal.  Kate had fun delivering to all her teachers at school.

We need SMORE teachers like you!

Go to livinglocurto for this free download.

I was asked to prepare a few other gifts for a teacher drawing during the week.  I decided a few things from my little business, Chocolates For Breakfast would be great teacher gifts.  

Cake Plates with Sweet Tooth Fairy Cake Bites

I absolutely love Origins products and as luck would have it my brother works for Origins in Princeton.  We love to visit his store and I just happened to have a few products I could part with for our beloved teachers.  One of my most favorite products at Origins is the Gloomaway bar.  The grapefruit bath bar scent is divine and also drives away mosquitoes!  

We wrapped up a few of our Cuddle Me Quilts and 

delivered them for the teacher drawing.  

Ahhh what a nice week we had!

We love our teachers and appreciate 
ALL they do!

Oreo Truffle Tutorial

If you have made Oreo Truffles I am sure you are saying to yourself "Jen, why are you posting this? It's only the EASIEST thing ever to make!" I know, I know, but - every.single.time. I make these truffles for a party or get together I have several requests on how to make them. When I tell them there are only 3 ingredients I hear "but I can't dip them!"

So...Here is a step by step tutorial on how to make Oreo Truffles. You'll wow your friends, co-workers, in-laws...whatever it takes!

This does not take long, I think I can make them in less time it takes to clean the dishes you used, but it does have several steps.

Here are your ingredients, yes, this is it!

Crush the entire package of Oreo's in a food processor (if you don't have a processor I have heard a blender works as well) You want the Oreo's to be very finely crushed like this:

Next you can let your cream cheese soften a little if you want but I always forget and have never had a problem. Mix the crushed Oreo's and cream cheese together. Start slowly and add cream cheese in chunks or you might have Oreo's jumping out of your bowl!

After they are mixed well and look like this you are ready to dip!

I use a small cookie scoop but you can make them as big or as small as you want.

Remember that they need to fit in your candy cups and the chocolate coating does add to their size. Place each ball on parchment paper.

Each recipe makes approx 35 truffles. (Again, depending on the size you make) After you scoop and make the balls put them in the freezer for at least 1 hour but after they are frozen you can bag them up and keep them in the freezer for months before you dip them!

When you are ready to dip, melt your chocolate in a glass bowl - I just melt mine in the microwave and have never had a problem with the chocolate getting hard but some prefer to use a double boiler. Now to dip - my special trick is to throw the ball into the chocolate and using a fork

turn the ball over so that it is covered in chocolate and lift the fork and ball up out of the bowl and gently tap your wrist on the side of the bowl, which will tap the fork and in turn the excess chocolate will fall back in the bowl.

Slide the fork as best you can onto the parchment paper and don't worry. I know it will look ugly and messy and you'll think you didn't do it right. Not true. Look at mine.

So the big trick here to make it look all pretty is the drizzle and the candy cups. Both a must! Put some chocolate chips (or vanilla chips if you are doing milk chocolate truffles - really you can be as creative with color as you want. You can even add sprinkles.) 

Melt the bag in the microwave until just melted. Maybe about a minute or so. Stop after 30 seconds to mush the bag around so they don't burn.

When you are ready to drizzle I suggest you drizzle more then one at a time. Drizzling on just one can cause clumping of the chocolate. I usually do 2 at a time and move to the next two. Very easy!

After the drizzled chocolate hardens (you can put in the fridge for a while if you want to speed up the process) then place in a candy cup.

Now look how pretty these look. Hard to believe they are the same as those blobs from earlier right?

Voila! You are done!

I have had numerous people think these were purchased and not home made and they are always shocked when I tell them I made them.

Enjoy making Oreo Truffles. Let me know how yours turn out!!!