"Clean out the Cabinet!" Bark

 Yes, I know. You're saying, "you should've posted this before Christmas!" As I said last week, the entire time between Thanksgiving and last week, things have been crazy!
Christmas always seems to bring out the urge to make sweets in me. Of course I didn't exactly have everything to make what I wanted so I decided to "just WING IT"! I would use that as my slogan and my life's mission statement but I'm afraid Nike would sue me. I call this "Clean out the Cabinet" bark because that's pretty much what I did. It's very festive, don't you think? You could make this for Christmas, birthdays, Easter.... I just used what I had so it was multi-colored mini m&m's but feel free to use red and green m&m's or chocolate chips or Reese's Pieces or sprinkles.
Here is the recipe:
-1 (16 or 24 oz) package milk chocolate bark
-1 (16 or 24 oz) package of white chocolate bark
- half cup peanut butter (optional )
- 15 oz bag pretzel sticks, broken into pieces (you won't use the entire bag, maybe half unless you're a pretzel fanatic)
- chocolate candies (m&m's, Reese's Pieces, whatever you like)
Line a 10"x15" jelly roll pan (it looks like a cookie sheet with sides) with wax paper. Break up the pretzel sticks and place a layer on wax paper. I didn't put a quantity because you may want more pretzel pieces. I just spread them out in a single layer. In the top of a double-boiler, melt the milk chocolate and peanut butter. If you don't have a double-boiler, you can melt chocolate and peanut butter in the microwave. Just microwave 30 seconds, stir, repeat until all melted. Pour over pretzels. Let this layer harden. Melt white chocolate and pour over hardened milk chocolate. While the white chocolate is still warm, sprinkle m&m's or whatever your choice of candies over white chocolate. Let this layer harden. I know, it'll be extremely hard to wait! When the top layer has hardened lift out of pan by the wax paper and break into bite size pieces. Enjoy!!

Pour melted chocolate/peanut butter over layer of pretzels in waxpaper-lined pan.

Close-up of chocolate (gotta have a close-up of the chocolate!)

Layer of white chocolate with mini m&m's sprinkled on top

Break into pieces when all hardened. YUM!

A Rose by Any Other Name

My finished baby washcloth bouquet

The far right and far left "flowers" are bibs.

Close-up of washcloth "flowers"

I know what you're thinking, she's fallen off the face of the earth. Lots of stuff going on with the kids, my health, unexpected death of a friend before Christmas, home break-in, blah, blah (I won't go into the details). It's just been chaos. My apologies for not keeping up-to-date here.
I've been plum worn out! My little escape has been Pinterest. Not feeling very creative, I decided to poke around Pinterest to see what other people are up to. Check back next week as I make my "thumbs up" and "thumbs down" review.

I had a baby shower to attend so I looked around. Found some cute ideas. I always modify the ideas on Pinterest. I don't know why. Just think of cuter or tastier or more efficient ways of doing things. Things I've done for years, they are "new" ideas there. Maybe I should've written a book. Anyway, I found an idea to make a bouquet out of baby clothes. Ah shredded paper in green and yellow. You can also cover the butcher paper with a baby blanket or towel but I forgot to buy one.  Notice that I did use 1 floral stem that I kept the flower heads on. I just thought it would add a little fullness. I cut each stem (there were 6) to intersperse in floral foam around the entire bouquet (sorry I didn't make photos of that). You can sort-of tell from pic of final product. It was the only bouquet at the shower! Just something different    to make since everyone is making the diaper cakes now. I made a diaper cake for a shower 8 years ago. Guess I should've gotten photos and started a business before it became popular!

Here is how to make the washcloth flowers: fold 1 washcloth in half, then fold again halfway, leaving open edge.

Start at 1 short end and roll up, making "center" stick out a little like a rose bud does in the center.

Bind one end with a kid-size ponytail holder. This makes your rosebud.

Roll down some of the edges to make your petals. The end with the ponytail holder goes into the floral stem.