Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

My husband hates red velvet.
For some strange reason, he just doesn't like it.
So when we got invited to our Small Group's Super Bowl party, 
I knew it was the perfect excuse to make red velvet something.

I was scouring Pinterest to find something new to make
and I found this recipe.
I thought it was easy enough for me to try, 
so I gave it a shot...

Ingredients:
For the cookies:

• 2 cups flour (all purpose)
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 8 tbsp unsalted butter, room temp.
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temp
• 1 oz red food coloring

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  

In a medium sized bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. 

In another bowl (I used my handy, dandy Kitchen Aid), cream together the brown sugar and butter on medium-high until light and fluffy.

Beat in the egg.  Blend in the vanilla.  With the mixer on low speed, beat in about a third of the dry ingredients, followed by half of the buttermilk, beating each addition until it has been incorporated.  Repeat that step one more time, until all the buttermilk and dry ingredients are mixed in.  

Then blend in the food coloring.

Transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip (if you don't have one, use a ziplock baggie and cut one corner off).

Here's where I stopped following the rules and made my own up. :)  Surprise, surprise.

Lay parchment paper on a cookie sheet.  Using a heart shaped cookie cutter, pipe the batter onto the paper and fill in the heart.  (The recipe said to cut out heart shapes, and I thought that would take way too much time.)

Bake 7-9 minutes or until the tops are set.  Make sure to rotate the cookie sheet halfway through.  Allow the cookies to cool before transferring them to a wire rack.  Repeat with the rest of the batter.

Ingredients:

For the frosting:

• 8 oz cream cheese
• 5 tbsp unsalted butter, room temp
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

Using a mixer (I used my Kitchen Aid again), beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until smooth.  Mix in the vanilla.  Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until it is all mixed in.  The increase the speed and beat until smooth.

Transfer the frosting to a clean pastry bag and round tip.  Match the cookies up by shape and size.  Flipping one cookie over, pipe the frosting onto the cookie.  

Sandwich the cookies together and press.

To store, refrigerate in an air-tight container.

These turned out delicious, if I do say so myself.  They may not look beautiful, but the taste makes up for it! :)

Enjoy your weekend, friends!

Happy baking!

Preparations {and a SALE}

As I make the final preparations, I'm getting more excited to see my family.

They are coming tonight!

This will be my first Thanksgiving meal to cook and prepare.

No worries, I will have some help. :)

I've never roasted a turkey, never cooked a ham {my husband is spoiled}, never made stuffing.

Lots of firsts for me!

But let me tell you what I have made...

every year for at least 10 years...

the pumpkin pie.  

And it will be perfect.

Here's what my preparations have consisted of this week:

Monday night was spent making cookies and other goodies.

These were originally for our small group.  Sadly, it got canceled last night, so they will now be more goodies for the family.  I mean, they are my Dad's favorite cookie...

We got the meal all planned out.

Last night, my hubby surprised me and took me to eat Mexican.  Oh, I'm so glad I married someone who loves Mexican food as much as I do.  Isn't he such a cutie??  #howdidigetsolucky?

I've been trying to take advantage of the spontaneity in our life.  Sometimes I just get so "in the groove" of things that I know what needs to be done and when.  I don't want to take the time to cuddle or just enjoy each other's company, because there are things to be done.  But I've realized this, and now I'm trying to just take it all in.  Life is short and I don't want to regret always passing up opportunities.  So that's why I said "yes" to a spontaneous date out last night.

{Then I stayed up til midnight cleaning and doing everything else while he was sleeping.}

This is what is waiting for me when I get off work early today!  I'm making my pie and brownies for our dessert.  Friday, I will share all the recipes of the goodies I've made for Thanksgiving.  So be on the lookout for those!

I think this is the cleanest our living room has been in a l.o.n.g. time!  Other than our work bags and the orders that are going out today, it looks pretty darn clean.

I am really excited to share with you the details of our weekend.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving with family, friends, or whoever you will be spending it with.

Are you going Black Friday shopping??

**For those of you who don't want to face the crowds {I don't blame you}, you can shop online in my shop.  As I gear up to turn 24 at the end of the month, we'll celebrate year 23 with a sale!**

Starting midnight on Friday, 11/23 and midnight on Monday, 11/26.

With every jewelry purchase, you'll receive a free red or green organza bag!

Use code YAYFOR23 at checkout.

But not until Friday or Monday! :)
Oh, and it may be the last time to get some of these items at these prices!
I'll be revamping my shop after Thanksgiving!
So get them while you can!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Crustless Low Carb Pumpkin Pie

What a week!
Since being back from vacation, this week felt like the l.o.n.g.e.s.t week of my life.
Lots of praying happened.
Lots of phone talking happened.
And what do you know?
I missed sharing a recipe yesterday.
So I'm sharing it with you today.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups fresh pumpkin (or 1 15 oz  can)
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup Splenda Blend for Baking
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 3/4 cup cream (heavy or light)

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together.

Pour into a well sprayed pie pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

There ya have it!!  It's super delicious and tastes exactly like normal pumpkin pie.  But if you're like me, I miss the crust (I love the crust of pies).  So for Thanksgiving, I'm making my famous pumpkin pie (only famous because I make it every year) with crust.

Nutritional Information:

Serves 8 

Weight Watchers Points Plus:  3 per serving

99 calories

8.7 g fat

2.5 g carbs

0.3 g fiber

3 g protein