Lemon Ricotta Cookies

Two Peas and Their Pod posted these Lemon Ricotta Cookies.
I have tried these cookies and even though they are not much to look at they are so surprisingly refreshing and delicious, you can NOT eat just one.
There are a lot of women in my neighborhood that make these for every event that needs desserts and they have a slightly different recipe so if you make these and find it needs to be tweaked I could re-post their recipe too.

We are addicted to citrus at our house. I am always looking for a new citrus recipe. I stumbled upon Giada’s Lemon Ricotta cookies and knew I had to give them a whirl. Ricotta in a cookie? I was curious how the cheese would play out in these cookies.

Giada nailed this one! These cookies are so light and refreshing. They don’t have the typical cookie texture, they have more of a cakey texture. The lemon glaze at the end makes these cookies irresistible! I think these are one of our new favorites! I give them a perfect 10!

Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze
Recipe adapted from Giada De Laurentiis, The Food Network

Cookies:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 lemon, zested

Glaze: 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar 3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 lemon, zested

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Cookies: In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In the large bowl combine the butter and the sugar. Using an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the dough (about 2 tablespoons for each cookie) onto the baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.

Glaze: Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Spoon about 1/2-teaspoon onto each cookie and use the back of the spoon to gently spread. Let the glaze harden for about 2 hours.

Candy Cane Pops

Don't Forget to enter the Giveaway in the post right before this one! Perfect for Christmas!

The Hostess Blog has these very cute Candy Cane Pops!

PEPPERMINT CANDY CANE CAKE BALLS

{inspired by Bakerella‘s cake pops}

YOU’LL NEED:
– 1 box white cake mix (baked as directed on box)
– 1 can vanilla frosting
– 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
– White Candy Melts – 2 bags
– Candy Canes, crushed
– Red Candy Melts – 1 bag (optional, used only for design #2)
– Styrofoam – sheet or blocks
– 6″ white Lollipop Sticks
– Red Ribbon
– Hot Glue (or clear-drying tacky glue)

INSTRUCTIONS:
Here are Bakerella’s original cake pop instructions, (with my addition of crushed candy canes on step #8):

1. After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl.
2. Mix thoroughly with 1 can frosting. (I use the back of a large spoon, but it may be easier to use fingers to mix together. But, be warned, it will get messy. Also, you may not need the entire can of frosting, so start out by using almost the entire can and add more if you need to.)
3. Roll mixture into quarter size balls and place on wax paper covered cookie sheet. (Should make 45-50)
4. Melt chocolate in the microwave per directions on package. (30 sec intervals, stirring in between.)
5. Dip the tip of your lollipop stick in a little of the melted candy coating and insert into the cake balls. (Insert a little less than halfway.)
6. Place them in the freezer for a little while to firm up.
7. Once firm, carefully insert the cake ball into the candy coating by holding the lollipop stick and rotating until covered. Once covered remove and softly tap and rotate until the excess chocolate falls off. Don’t tap too hard or the cake ball will fall off, too.
8. While still wet, roll cake pops in crushed candy canes (for design #1)*
9. Place in a styrofoam block to dry.

* For Design #2, (the “smooth” design) let dipped cake pops dry, then add a few red Candy Melt stripes on top. Using a zip-loc bag with a tiny piece of one corner snipped off, drizzle the melted red candy back and forth across the top of each cake pop.

{Giveaway} Mary Kay - TimeWise (CLOSED)

Another Giveaway just in time for Christmas!!

My friend Michelle is a Mary Kay consultant and she is generously giving away this Mary Kay Time Wise Miracle Set. I actually recently bought this set from her and it has worked miracles on my post-pregnancy skin!!

This is my new go-to cleanser & moisturizer! This would make such a fun Christmas gift for yourself or a friend or family member. Great for a stocking stuffer too!

The TimeWise® Trial Miracle Set™ provides incredible age-fighting results to help you maintain younger-looking skin. The set offers 11 age-defying benefits in one skin care regimen: cleanse, exfoliate, freshen, energize, hydrate, smooth, firm, soften, protect, rebuild and reduce fine lines and wrinkles. The Trial Miracle Set™ includes:

• TimeWise® 3-In-1 Cleanser
• TimeWise® Age-Fighting Moisturizer
• TimeWise® Day Solution Sunscreen SPF 25*
• TimeWise® Night Solution

The retail value is $44. The winner will receive the combination/oily formula or the normal/dry formula, depending on their skin type.

You can enter this giveaway up to 4 times:

For 1 Entry:
Leave a comment with your First & Last Name.
(ex. Jane Doe)

For 2 Entry:
Go to Michelle's Mary Kay site at this link www.marykay.com/mgoudge and register in the top right corner to get all the inside scoop on Mark Kay products!
Come back here and in a separate comment leave your First & Last name and tell me you registered at Michelle's website.
(ex. Jane Doe: Registered at Michelle's Mary Kay site!)

For 3rd Entry:
Follow my Blog on Facebook!
Come back and leave a separate comment telling me you are now following FLOTH of FB.
(ex. Jane Doe: Following on FB!)

For a 4th Entry:
Change your Status on Facebook or Blog about this giveaway.
Come back and leave a separate comment telling me what you did.
(ex. Jane Doe: I changed my FB status and told ALL my friends about this great giveaway!)

Tell all your girlfriends about this one!! This is a great product.

This giveaway will end on Wednesday December 15th and the Winner will be announced Thursday the 16th.

Christmas Mantle

A lot of great mantles to get ideas from!

 http://www.simplifiedbee.com

Check back for a giveaway coming up!

DIY Cake Stand

These Cake Stands are all over Blogland but I found this particular cake stand instructions over at Intimate Weddings But there are many others.
I can't find the one I originally saw...It had a blue plate with flowers on it and it had a glass dome...Has anyone else seen this one? If so please tell me where it is! It's driving me crazy.

Here’s what you need:

• vintage plate
• glass candlestick
• crystal drawer pull (this is optional)
• epoxy glue (slow drying if you are making more than one vintage cake stand)
• ruler
• Sharpie
• Popsicle stick
• Q-tip
• something to mix your epoxy in (I used a recycled aluminum tray)

Get creative and use any plate and any base such as glass, candlestick, etc. use and dome or no dome. Would make a great mother's day gift or christmas gift.

{StOcKiNg StUfFeRs}

According to Real Simple these would make great stocking stuffers:

Wooden Books

Vintage Toys
Bite Sized Dessert
Star Wars Book
Spiced Nuts
Rubber Cases
Pointing Bookmark
Spice Rubs
Magnetic Putty
Lip Gloss
Jumbo Chalk
Box of Jokes
Gourmet Jerky
Hair Tie Ball
Ginger Spread (Probably like Nutella except with a gingerbread flavor)
Glasses Straw
Eraser Ring
Soap shapes
Colored Bubbles
Bubble Bath
Everywhere Balm
Apothecary Soaps
Hand Tattoos