Bits of Happy

What the …….! . Is it really Christmas this week? I don't know where the time went. and I am feeling a bit of the holiday pressure. Every year I tell myself that I won't give in…I have nothing to stress about. Guess what, I am just at tiny bit stressed..But thats cool. I might feel the pressure, I might feel a little agitated or like someone close to me is going to end up getting punched( sorry if its you). but I aways try to stop and take in the little stuff, take in the happy.. This is why I started my bits of happy post every week. It's a way to wrap up the week and a way to remember how awesome my life is and the little things that make me happy. Wow.. maybe my next career move will be a motivational speaker. That or a window washer…. You get to look through windows without seeming like a creeper. And you know when you breathe on a window and use your finger to draw something, then it goes away but you can see it when later when there is more condensation?  I would draw pictures and leave weird words on people's windows……that would be amazing…..Anyways…….

IMG_5580Sylus…the house dinosaur. He has been chillin under the christmas tree as of late.  I think he is drinking the water cause it always seems empty..

IMG_6006Catching the ice crystals before the sun melts them away.

IMG_6011Early morning hike with my favorite people in the world…. and the trash dog. Yes, he has found some stink on the trail and is rolling around in it. Thats' my pup.

IMG_6025I finally finished this sweater! It came out so good! I made it to big so it actually is a sweater dress for now(which is amazing) and she will grow into it to wear as a sweater. I am pretty proud of myself for this one!

IMG_5969A pizza, cookie, and christmas movie party!!!!! We watched the Polar Express and trashed my tiny house. Good times!

IMG_5605A surprise purple potato.

IMG_5764This Yule log.…I sent a pic to my Dad and he asked if it was a real piece of wood. That's  a success right? Or does it mean that my Dad needs to get his eyes checked? '

IMG_5979We got to keep this one for a couple days this week. Do I need to explain why this make me happy?

IMG_5998I mean…. for real…..she is too much. Sometime I think I don't want to have my own kids cause I am afraid I might not love them as much as this little.

IMG_6026I like to eat large quantities of green stuff……This stainer is full of lovely greens from my farm share. All for me! With shredded carrots, shredded roasted beets and a big scoop of lentils……Meal of my heart.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND HAVE A FANTASTIC WEEK!

P.S.. remember not to stress too much and try to find the happy and pretty in everyday. And don't just eat a bunch of crap…eat some freaking veggies too! (See, I am motivational)

Fluffernutter and Nutella Yule Log

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.I am awesome. It's ok for me to say that today because this is probably the coolest and most fantastic thing I have ever made in my entire life. Phew, I had to get that off my chest.For the last week I have been thinking a lot about what holiday treats I want to make. I have been planning on making a full fledge yule log with the rolled sponge cake, the filling and the candy mushrooms and taking a whole day to do it. Well that is just not happening this season.. The next week is nutters and I have so much other baking to do that I just don't have time to do a log…bummer

Oh, but how my mind never stops.. See, it's not the cake that I wanted to make, it was more making a cake look like a piece of wood that was appealing to me.  So I must try, or better yet, create my own version of a yule log…………...

Problem solved. Peanut butter, fluff, nutella and a wrap.  And oh what a piece of wood I made.(insert dirty joke here) A yule log,(or yule branch), but whatever. Its food that looks like a piece of wood. I am happy. 

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Simple ingredients…I pictured 2 flour wraps because I was going to make 2, but ended up only making one, so one wrap per log works…… A glob of fluff, a glob of peanut butter… A smaller glob of nutella and a sprinkle of a crunchy cereal (I used crispy rice cereal) The cereal is not essential, but it add a little bulk and crunch to the log and when eating wood, there should be a little snap crackle and pop.  If you want to make this into a vegan log, use vegan marshmallow cream. You can even omit the mallow and use a banana, or jam, or anything you want. Heck, you can make a smorgasbord of logs…That would be fantastic. A bundle of logs of all different flavors….I am doing it!!

 Trim off two opposite  side of the wrap and put them aside, you are going to use one of the trimmings in a second. Smear the peanut butter, fluff, and a bit of the nutella all over, even to the very edge of the wrap.

        Sprinkle the crunches on top  and then starting rolling from one of the non trimmed edges,  Try to get it as tight as you can. 

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  Take one of the scraps and smear some more peanut butter and nutella all over it(leave our the crunches) and roll. You will end up with a branch nub. Attach the nub. I smeared more fluff to the bottom and it stuck on pretty well, but (not shown here) I took a little piece of a spaghetti and stuck it in the nub to keep it in place. If you don't use the fluff in your log, I would use the spaghetti(It is edible and will soften from the peanut butter so you don't have to worry about taking the noodle out)

Looks good right…You can go ahead and stop here if you want to…Its pretty great, but one more minute and…

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A bona-fid Yule log…well its kind of more like a branch, but whatever.

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 I used the other end of the spaghetti noodle dipped in the nutella to make the lines. I just free formed it and it really transformed the log into a LOG!!! Just to jazz it up  I added a handful of crunchy rice with the extra glob of pb and fluff, mixed it up and made little piles of  yule log landscape.   Added a few dried  cranberries and pistachios for color…. It like taking walk through the woods. After the mister ate the crispy mounds, I sprinkled some flaked coconut around it and that looked pretty fantastic too.

Needless to say that if you make this, your day will be excellent.Make it for a friend, you will bring them joy. Its hard not to smile when looking at food that looks like wood. Happy.

These little logs would make fantastic party snacks. Fast and tasty … can't get better than that.  Think about walking into an office party, or better yet, a school party….All the other parents will think you are awesome and then probably start to hate you..Hey, it's not your fault that you are cool enough to read my blog.(it's ok, you can share the website) SO make them for friends, for family, for anyone.. Just don't try to start a fire with the logs….It might not turn out so well.

Have fun splitting wood!!!

-C


Yule Log

One wrap makes one log

  • 1 big glob of Peanut Butter
  • 1 big glob of marshmallow cream (vegan or what not)
  • 1 small glob of nutella (again, vegan if needed)
  • 1 medium flour wrap
  • 1 handful of crunchy rice cereal
  • a spaghetti noodle

Note..Use these flavors or make up you own…...PB and Jam…PB and Banana.. PB and Apples ….Cream cheese and Jam.. the possibilities are endless.

With a sharp knife, trip two opposite sides of a wrap and set trimming aside for later. Spread the peanut butter, fluff, and nutella(or whatever ingredients you want) all over wrap, up to the  very edges. Sprinkle crispy rice all over.

Starting from one end, roll wrap leaving the seam on the bottom. With one of the wrap trimmings, spread more peanut butter fluff and nutella all over and wrap as well. Place a dollop of fluff on the bottom of the small nub and place on the roll where ever you see fit. For a better hold, snap small piece of spaghetti noodle and stick through nub into log.

For the tree markings, dip a toothpick or spaghetti noodle into nutella and lightly draw little lines on the log…..And you are done. If you want to jazz it up, sprinkle rice cereal or coconut or whatever you want to make the log look more nature like, do it. .

And now its time to eat your log…..

CRUNCH CRUNCH CRUNCH!!