Summertime Treats: Root Beer Float Truffles

   
   Root Beer floats are my husband and daughter's most favorite summer dessert. It's like as soon as

summer gets here they are obsessed with it. Now, me? I like them every once in a while, but I have

to be in the mood for it. My all time favorite treat is chocolate. We'll save that topic for another time,

though.

    I love this recipe because it tastes like ice cream and it practically melts in you mouth. They're

summer bbq's in a truffle, a pool party in a ball, a picnic in a.... Well you get the idea. Alright, you

talked me into it. I'll stop building it up and give you the recipe. What's your favorite summer

dessert? Let me know in the comments below.

Make time: 1 hour

Wait Time: 1 hour

Make about 15-20 truffles (depending on size)

Ingredients: 

1 bag white chocolate chips (11 oz.)

1 bag white candy melts

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Root Beer candy flavoring

Instructions:

1. Pour white chocolate chips into a heat proof bowl.

2. Warm heavy whipping cream to simmer and pour over white chocolate. Stir until smooth.

3. Add 40 to 50 drops of the root beer flavoring, stirring well. Taste after each addition to make sure 

you have the flavor that's right for you. (mine were lighter in flavor.) You can also add more if you 

like, but be careful, too much flavoring will make the truffles too strong.

4. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 min. or until firm.

5. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Roll mixture into balls and place them on the cookie sheet.

6. Place truffles into the freezer for 30 min. Be sure that you don't put them into the deep freezer, The 

extreme cold will make your candy melts crack.

7. Melt the candy melts in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave in 30 second intervals. Stirring 

after each, until smooth.

8. Dip truffles in candy melts and place back onto cookie sheet. Let candy melts set.

9. Place truffles in an air tight container and place in the fridge. Keep refrigerated. Their good for 

about a week. Enjoy!

Butterfly Fairy Charms

    Making jewelry is a hobby that I've been into since high school. The first necklace I ever made

was a seed bead daisy chain. After a while, I lost interest and stopped making them. Later, as an adult

I decided that I was tired of not finding bracelets that fit my tiny wrists and decided to make my own.

     I came up with the idea of the butterfly fairy one day when I was trying to think of a new charm

idea. These were simple and fun to make. I hope you enjoy this tutorial. If you enjoyed this tutorial

comment below and tell me how it went.

Tools you'll need:

1. flat nosed pliers ( purple handle)

2. needle nosed pliers ( pink handle)

3. wire nippers (pink handle)

Supplies to make charms:

1. butterfly beads with a hole going through the middle

2. flower bead caps

3. headpins with a ball at the end

4. 8 mm round beads ( I used natural agate druzy beads

How to assemble:

1. take a butterfly bead and add it onto the head pin.

2. Next, add the round bead.

3. Then top the charm with the bead cap.

4. With the needle nose, pliers make a loop by wrapping the wire around close to the end of the pliers.

5. Using the nippers cut off any excess wire. Be careful and aim away from your face. It hurts when it gets into the eyes. (oops)

6. If the loop is crooked you can use the flat nosed pliers to straighten it.

Congratulations! you just made your first butterfly fairy charm. Did you have fun? I sure did. What 

did you think? Remember to hop over to Instagram and post your finished projects with the hashtag 

adropofsweetness so I can see you finished charms. See you soon.

Dairy Free Blueberry Coconut Smoothie

                                  There is nothing more refreshing in the Spring or Summer than a smoothie.

They are cold and delicious, a lot like a slushy but so much healthier. Smoothies are so easy to make

and so fast to whip up. This Blueberry Coconut Smoothie is not only healthy but decadent and dairy

free. What makes it dairy free you ask? There is no yogurt or animal milk in it. It's made with

almond milk. So, lets get to the recipe and see what makes this smoothie so special.

                              Prep and Blend time: about 5 minutes

                              Servings: 1


                               Ingredients:

                       1 cup frozen blueberries

                       1 1/4 cups almond milk

                       1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

                       1/2 Tb cacao nibs ( the decadent part)

                       1 lemon wedge

                       1 cup ice

                       honey to sweeten (optional)



                            Instructions:

                      1. Add ice, blueberries, coconut, cacao nibs and almond milk into a blender.

                      2. Squeeze juice of 1 lemon wedge into the blander and add honey to sweeten.

                      3. Blend until smooth. To make your smoothie less thick add more almond milk.

                      4. Pour into a fun smoothie glass, add a straw and go to town! Enjoy.


          Now, I want to hear from you. What is your favorite ingredient to put into a smoothie? What

smoothie recipe would you like to see next?  Let me know in the comments below.




                             

                             

Granny Stripe Baby Blanket

                   A few months ago I decided to crochet a baby blanket for my brother's newborn baby

boy. I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to give something handmade. I guess my brain is just

wired that way. How about you? Do you just have to give the gift of handmade? There's just

something that is put into the item that makes it that much more special.

                  When I was little I had a quilt that I just loved. It was a yellow hand-tied quilt with squares

with different shades of yellow. I always used that blanket. It didn't matter what time of year it was it

was always there. Eventually, it got old and thin. Sadly, I don't know where it is. Maybe it's still with

my mom or maybe it was tossed. There is one thing I am sure of, though, it got a lot of love.

               Okay, back to the baby blanket. I used a multi-colored yarn for the body and a white yarn

that I had in my stash for the border. Now, to be honest, I don't remember what the pattern for the

the border is called. I do know that is was a simple pattern and an easy stitch. The granny stripe is

achieved by making three double crochets in each space of a cluster. It's super easy and it works very

quickly. You can find it just by searching the internet. It's pretty popular.

               What was your favorite blanket as a child? Share in the comments below. Do you have a

a project that you're working on right now? I would love to hear about it.

Summertime Treats: Orange Creamsicle Truffles

                             Summer is around the corner. I mean, literally, it's next month. How did the school

year go by so fast? Soon backyard BBQ's and cool treats will be in full swing. Are ready for the

onslaught of pool parties and picnics? I don't know about you, but I am always on the hunt for a new

sweet treat during the summer months. Ice cream flavored treat and just ice cream in general seem to

be the most popular choices.

                             Growing up orange creamsicles were one of my favorite treats. the orange outer

shell mixed with the creamy vanilla center. I kinda want one right now. I wanted these truffles to

remind me of those yummy treats and they do! Even my daughter was excited to try them. And if

you like them you will probably like my Blueberries and Cream Truffles too. Okay, here is the

recipe. I hope you like it. Wait! I have a question for you. What's your favorite summer time treat?

Tell me in the comments below.

Ingredients:

1. package of orange candy melts, about 11 oz.

2. 1/2 cup white chocolate chips

3. 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

4. orange candy flavor

Instructions:

1. Heat heavy whipping cream in a small sauce pan until simmering.

2. Pour whipping cream over candy melts in a heat safe bowl and stir until completely melted.

3. Cover bowl and place in the refrigerator for about an hour, or until the mixture is set.

4. Roll mixture into balls and place them on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper. Freeze until set. About 30 minutes.

5. Melt white chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl or mug and microwave in 10 second intervals until smooth.

6. Drizzle white chocolate onto the truffles and place them back into the freezer until set.

Store them in an air tight container in the fridge for about a week. Makes about 20 pieces. Enjoy!

Rose Quartz Garden Bracelet and Simple Drop Earrings

             A few weeks ago I was standing in my craft room staring blankly into the closet.

I was looking to see what I had and what would spark inspiration. Have you ever had one of those

days where you want to be creative but you don't know what to make? Well, that was how I was

feeling. Let me tell you, I get stuck, really get stuck. I will find myself looking at those

wonderful things to create with and no ideas at all. Nothing. A creative void of emptiness and there

no escape..... Okay, that might have a little bit of an exaggeration, but you get the idea.

     
            After pulling myself out of my funk I decided to take all of  my beads out and see what I had

to work with. Turns out I had quite a bit. Looking at greens, purples, and pinks and then looking at

them again; (dramatic pause)and maybe a few more times after that. I found the perfect color

combos for my next couple of projects.

        Now to lay out all the pieces and put it all together. You know, putting jewelry together is a lot

like putting a puzzle together. You lay the pieces out, organize and start assembling. Then you make

a huge mess and then look for all the pieces, find you are missing some and spend half an hour

looking for all the tiny pieces. Finally, you get everything together and you are super excited.

            The earrings are very simple and elegant. They were so simple to make. Just take a headpin ( 

these have a little ball on the end). Add some beads in a cute design and attach to the fish hook 

earrings with some pliers by making a loop. So easy and you can customize the colors.

              The Garden Bracelet has a cute little rose dangle on one end and in the middle is a nice 

a tree branch or vine. Just string some Rose Quartz on two pieces of jewelry wire and attach them to 

the branch with a crimping bead. Do the same to secure both ends. I always give a little tug to make 

sure all the ends are secure. I made and added the dangle or drop the same way I made the earrings. 

Make sure to measure your wrist before you cut the wire to make sure it's the right size.

Now, go to your craft room and get creative. If you get stuck that's okay. Inspiration is everywhere, 

even in your craft room closet. What's your favorite project to work on when you have the creative bug? Have a sweet day!

Green Aventurine for Spring

                                     Green Aventurine is on of my favorite semiprecious stones. It

helps with stress and we all need a little stressful relief every once in a while. The

little red ones next are garnet chips. Aren't  they pretty? Let's just sit here for a

moment and appreciate the beautiful deep red color. What semiprecious stone

speaks to you the most?

                                      When I was little I loved them all. I even had a small rock

collection. I loved examining each one to see what was hidden in them. I still can't

get enough of them. Now, I make jewelry with them. Let's  get started with this

tutorial.  You won't need much and it's  super easy to make.


                  Supplies:
   
              Green Aventurine beads

               Garnet chips

               Glass pearls

               Stretchy jewelry string.

                Brush on nail glue


        Note: You can get all of these these things at your local bead store or craft store.

The nail glue you can get at any retail store.

                  Step 1: measure your wrist to make sure you have enough string and cut the string.

                  Step 2: Sting the Green Aventurine until you are happy with the amount.

Remember, not to put to many or you won't have room for the other beads.

                  Step 3: Add the Garnet then the glass pearls. Test it out around your wrist

before you tie it.

                  Step4: Tie the string in a know a few times. And then brush the glue onto

the knot to make sure it doesn't come untied. Be careful and don't touch to glue. Let

it dry for a few hours and now you have a beautiful stretch bracelet to wear.

There you have it super easy and fun to make. I would love to see your finished

projects on Instagram. Tag droposweetness to share you finished projects. Have a

sweet day!

Top 3 Favorite Teas - Spring Edition

                   Spring is the most beautiful season of the year.Flowers are blooming, grass is growing

and new life is forming. Spring is also a great time to try new teas.There's black tea, green tea, herbal

tea just to name a few. The bitter beverage has been around for thousands of years and has grown

very popular in recent years. It's used in place of coffee, goes well with snacks and and desserts.

Some are also used for medicinal purposes.... but we won't be talking about that today.

                  Today, I want to share with you three of my favorite tea flavors. We'll talk about what they
taste like, how long to steep them, and the best way( in my opinion) to drink them. This is my own

opinion.

                  Jasmine Green Tea: This has to be my absolute favorite tea.Green tea has so many

antioxidants and is so good for you. Now, Jasmine just brings your green tea up to a whole new

level...or two. It's amazing hot, but you can drink it with ice too. I don't add any sweetener to my

teas, but it would be great with honey. Steep for about 2 to 3 minutes. Enjoy with rice dishes slightly

sweet treats.

                 Peppermint: Peppermint tea is an herbal tea. It has no tea leaves in the mix. Just good old

fashioned peppermint leaves.The fresh taste of peppermint is just ans refreshing as mint gum. It's the

best  tea to enjoy on Spring afternoons and tastes best over ice. Steep for about 2 minutes. Don't

steep this one for too long or it will taste bitter; I found this out the hard way.

                Peach: Peach tea is also and herbal tea. It's usually made with peach blossoms and is mixed

with other herbs and flowers. It's best enjoyed cold over ice with yummy snacks. Steep it the same as

the others. Honey is a great choice to sweeten this tea.

                 Well, there you have it. My Top 3 favorite teas for Spring. Teas are nice and refreshing,

perfect for warm Spring days. I like to drink mine outside in the sunlight. How do you like to enjoy

your tea? What's your favorite part about Spring? Let me know in the comments below. Have a

sweet day!

A Personal Note

                First of all, I want to apologize for not posting these last couple of weeks. I've been a little

discouraged in my writing lately. It's frustrating knowing that some people don't support you in your

dreams or don't agree with your ideas. How do you deal with discouragement and frustration?

                Sometimes, I think, people don't see beyond their own opinions and don't try to understand

where you are coming from. So, trying to work on things you love when the other person is not

around seems like the best option. But, it should it shouldn't be this way.  Being able to do what

makes you happy without worrying about what the other person thinks shouldn't be a problem. So,

from here on out let's declare that we don't care about the opinion of others and just do what makes

us happy. If you want to write, then write. If you want to dance, then dance. If you want to start your

own bakery then does it. The point is that if you feel deep in your heart it is something you are meant

to do and it makes you happy then do it.



             On to other news. I also want to touch on what is coming up for the blog and I think you are

going to like it. I'm going to start doing some reviews once a month, starting in March. Now, these

reviews are going to be my personal opinion. I'm not working with any companies for these reviews.

I'll also share with you my favorites from time to time. Don't worry there will still be recipes and

crafty fun.

           Now, my question for you is: What would you like to see reviewed? Baking products, candy

making products, candy in general etc.? Let me know in the comments below. Have a sweet day.

Strawberry Hearts

                        Valentine's Day will be here before we know it. It's the holiday of love, expressing

your feelings to the ones you love and your appreciation of your friends. To me Valentine's Day is not
just for couples. It's for families and friends. To show the ones you love and care for how much you

really do care for them. We give each other flowers, cards, and chocolate. I have something a little

different to share with you today. It's close to chocolate but not technically chocolate. But first story

time.


                        When I was a kid I remember my parents including us kids in a little Valentine's fun.

Besides getting the usual thin cardboard cards with funny sayings and silly characters we would also

get a small gift. I got a few little things, nothing that cost too much, things like pencils and candy.

The one thing that stands out the most and I will probably never forget is a special heart shaped

lollipop that we seemed to get almost every year. To anyone it was just a cherry flavored lollipop

with Minnie Mouse on the wrapper, but to me it was the best lollipop ever. For two reasons; First, I

only got it for Valentine's Day. That made it special in itself. Second, it was a gift from my parents;

the people whom I looked up to the most and I still do. What's your favorite Valentine's Day memory

as a  child?


                     These hearts are yummy and bring back childhood memories. Although they are not

cherry strawberry is the next best thing.



Ingredients:                                                         Makes about 30 candies

1 bag of red candy melts. or white chocolate that you would dye red

sprinkles of course

strawberry candy flavoring

heart candy molds




Directions:

1. Melt candy melts at 30 second intervals, stirring after each until smooth.

2. Add sprinkle the the bottom of each heart mold.

3. Add 10 drops of candy flavoring. Stir well.

4. Put mixture into candy molds tap molds to release air bubbles. This will make the candy smooth

and pretty. And place in the fridge for 30 minutes or until set.

5. To remove the candy just turn the mold upside down and the candy should fall right out. If they

seem to be a little stuck just give the mold a tap or two on the counter and they should pop out.

Enjoy!

Simple Nachos with Grilled Chicken

                                                   

                          I know I said I was only going to post once a week, but I just had to share this with

you. This is how we make our nachos. Now, I know the ones in the picture look a little plain. That's

just how I like mine. You can always add other things and we will get into that on the actual recipe.

First, the story than the recipe.


                         It was game day and. of course, we had to have nachos. What's football without junk

food, fight? Originally, my husband was the first to arrange this wonderful mountain of gooeyness.

He seasoned and grilled the chicken. He also talked me into adding beans. Since then I have taken

over the duties of nacho making. Yes, I realize that bean is usually on nachos, but I never cared for

them until my dear hubby talked me into giving them another try. Now, I can't go without them.


                       The game itself wasn't very exciting to me. I guess I was still a little bitter after my

the team lost horribly that last playoff game. Can you guess which team? I'll give you a hint: Green and

yellow is their colors. That's right. The Green Bay Packers! They were so close and it seemed like

they just gave up that last game. Oh well, there's always next year.


                      This recipe is super simple and very yummy. The kids will love it just as much as the

grown-ups.



Ingredients;

3 Chicken breasts

1 jar of Queso

1 30 oz. can of refried beans

1 can of sliced olives

1 bag of Tortilla chips

sour cream, guacamole, salsa etc. (optional)

garlic salt


Directions:

1. Season both sides of chicken with garlic salt. Cook on grill pan or grill until done.

2. Place chicken on cutting board to cool.

3. Warm refried beans in a medium saucepan until hot. Warm up queso.

4. Cut chicken into cubes and assemble your nachos.

Add any other toppings you would like. Smoked paprika would a nice addition. Enjoy! Serves 4

Not Your Ordinary Cupcake Cupcakes

 

             Who doesn't love a good cupcake? They make great gifts and they're yummy. And perfect for Valentine's Day. There is a slight twist to these cupcakes. There is no frosting.

              Let's get into the recipe, shall we?

       Ingredients:

  1 box cake mix and the ingredients from the the box instructions.

   1 bag of white chocolate chips

    Raspberry jam

    and some really cute Valentine's sprinkles!


          Directions:

       1. Mix cake mix according to the directions on the box.

        2. Bake and cool cupcakes completely.

         3. Fill piping bag with James and fill cupcakes.

          4. Melt white chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl in 30 second intervals stirring after each until smooth.

           5. Spread white chocolate on top of cupcakes as you would frosting.

           6. Immediately decorate with those cute sprinkles. And Enjoy.

Crock Pot Pot Roast

                My family and I love pot roast. It's the perfect meal for a cold stormy day. And that's exactly what we had this week a cold, windy, wet week. You see, there were a series of storms that swept our way and nothing would make us feel better except comfort food. We are on our way out of a drought and the storms have passed, this cluster anyway. Tonight we were still in the comfort food mood and there was an extra roast in the fridge. The only thing I could think of to make was a pot roast. Here's the recipe. Like all my recipes this one is super easy and inspired by other recipes.

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 yellow onion

3 carrots

1 chuck roast, about 3 lbs

3 red potatoes

1/2 tsp garlic powder

seasoned salt

pepper

1 tsp Italian seasoning

2 cups beef broth

2 cups of vegetable broth

Directions:

1. Pour beef broth and vegetable broth into crock pot.

2. Place roast in the crockpot. Season with season salt and pepper.

3. Cut veggies into chunks and add them to crock pot.

4. Add Italian seasoning and garlic powder.

5. Cook on low for 8 hours. Enjoy!

Serves 3 to 4 people

Infinity Scarves!

       You have probably already guessed what this post is about just by reading the title. But, before we get into the details of the infinity scarves let's talk a moment to talk about the weather, shall we? I love rain. I love listening to the rain the smell of rain walking in the rain. There is one thing about it that gets me a little grumpy sometimes. That is when there is too much rain. I know we need it and a lot of rain keeps us out of a drought ( or recovering from one) but I think we have had enough; at least for a little while. A little break would be nice. I want to go out and take pictures of the beach with worrying about my camera getting wet and hubby is missing the surf days. Being cooped up in the house on his days of is driving him crazy. To be honest it's driving me crazy too.

     I love the rain, really I do, I promise. Just a little sunshine, that's all I ask.
     
     Now That my little rant is over on to the real topic.

     I love to sew. I'm not good at it by any means and it makes me nervous sometimes but I love it. It's relaxing and opens my door to creativity. I also love listening to music while I sew. Do you listen to music while you are crating or sewing? What music do you like? I love show tunes when I'm sewing.

     When I was trying to think of something to make for gifts I wanted to make something that was new to me to learn a new skill in sewing. I found the infinity scarves on Pinterest and fell in love. then, I researched flannel and found out how big it is right now. I remember it being big in the '90's. Did you love flannel back then? So, I went to the fabric store and fell in love with three of the most beautiful pieces of fabric I had seen in a long time.

     I bought the fabric and headed home, so excited, I couldn't wait to get started. To the sewing room I went and..... threw the bag of fabric on the futon and walked out of the room. This was going to be the year that I made my Christmas gifts early. This was going to be my year! Hmm....not so much. Because I was so nervous that I was going to mess them all up I didn't start until about two weeks before. And you know what? They were so easy to make, there was no reason to be nervous. I don't know why but sewing intimidates me until I actually start working on a project.

    The moral of the story, friends, is to never be afraid to try something you haven't done before. Oh, and the scarves turned out beautifully.

                                     

Here's to New Beginnings in 2017

Happy New Year everyone! This is going to be an amazing year. No more looking back, only looking forward.

I hope you all had a wonderful New Year. I have a confession to make. I have not posted here in a year. I'm actually pretty embarrassed about it too. There is no good excuse for it; just bad ones I used to talk myself out of posting. That ends now.  Once a week I'll be posting something new. It might be a new sewing or crochet project or a new recipe. If you would like to see something new let me know in the comments.  I would love to hear your ideas.

The New Year brings inspiration and new beginnings. It's a great time to start a project. I have decided to do a 365 photo challenge.  Each day I'll be taking two photos,  one for instagram and one for a photo album I'll be putting together.

Thank you all for hanging in there with me, I know it hasn't been easy. Let's ring in the new year with amazing challenges and growth.