April OKMH

It's that time again!

It was a very happy month! Mostly because Allison really embraced my nerdom and spent so much lovely time on mine! I don't have much to say on it because there was so very much squeeling and screaming during the opening process. Megan helped with many of the photos, so there's a lot of my face squeeling, as well.

For starters there was a hilarious cat card. Who doesn't love static cats?

Then I had a little jamming karaoke time with a highly realistic microphone that was HAND CRAFTED just for me by a certain lovely 4 year old.

And then, squeeling of all squeels... where... here's the video.

 

I was excited. For those who can't understand the video... she made me a scarf. Which is an EXACT. REPLICA. Of the 4th Doctor Who's scarf!!! And if you don't watch The Doctor, we can't even be friends anymore. Okay, fine, we can be friends, but I'm going to talk about it a lot and try to get you to watch it ALL. THE. TIME. So buckle up.

I also got some of these (also hand crafted just for ME) - TARDIS coasters. The drink is bigger on the inside.

And to keep in theme with our shared interest in #catsarejerk (Because... obviously.) So Allison also sent an adorable, hand-made Jewish kitty that I can vent to about my jerky cats (who have most recently eaten a foam roller for my running stretches...).

Finally, this woman knows her audience. She handmade a whole mess of class mustached disguises to warm my upper lip on my chilly runs. Believe me, my clever disguises might confuse you, but that's actually me in every snap below!! (gasp)

And not pictured because I eated it all... a homemade assortment of lemon and raspberry marshmallow and some prickly pear jammy jam (GET IN MAI BELLY).

Thank you SO MUCH to my friend Allison for sending me so many incredible treats. 

Check out my "box" to Megan here.
Check out Mads' reveal from Megan here.
Check out Jeanne's reveal from Mads here.
Check out Kat's reveal from Jeanne here.
Check out Kirsten's reveal from Kat here.
And check out Allison's reveal from Kirsten here!

Sweet Week: Peanut Butter Cheesecake Pudding Cookies

As if this cookie title weren't long enough... right?

Anyway - I really get into Valentine's Day. I hate that I like it. But I do. Always have. I love the idea of it. And people may say that you don't need a special day created by the card companies to tell someone that you love them. But even though we shouldn't need a special day to phone our mom or take her out to brunch, we have Mother's Day. And so we have Valentine's Day. Love it or hate it, it persists. Even the people that abhor the day acknowledge that it exists by hating it. And so I love it.

And as much as I love Valentine's Day and the mush and the chocolate and the flowers, I love peanut butter and chocolate. Like macaroni and cheese. Like Rose and The Doctor. Like baseball and Cracker Jack. They just go together. Reese's is just about my favorite thing, ever. And so when I saw this cookie recipe on Pinterest, I had to try it. The hubs still complained that these weren't Snickerdoodles (coming soon, dear), but he ate these quicker than anything. I had to make a second batch in order to get enough to actually dip in chocolate. And then I had to hide half the batch in order to have enough to take pictures.

These are a great treat to make for your favorite sweetheart this Valentine's Day. And if you want to find any other delicious treats to win over your LUVAH, then check out the other shexay posts all this week for Sweet Week!

Sunday:
Red Velvet Vanilla Marble Cupcakes by Kristen at Comfortably Domestic
Retro Raspberry Divinity by Jeanne at Inside NanaBread's Head

Monday:
Mini Meringue Strawberry Pie by Katie at The Hill Country Cook

Tuesday:
Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti by Madeline at Munching in the Mitten
Samoa Crack Dip by Carrie at Bakeaholic Mama

Wednesday:
Avocado Peppermint Chocolate Mousse by Lauren at Climbing Grier Mountain
Cherry Garcia Chocolate Bark by Megan at Wanna be a Country Cleaver

Thursday:
White Chocolate Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream Frosting by Mads at La Petite Pancake
S'more on a Stick by Kat at Tenaciously Yours

Friday:
Lemon Marshmellows by Allison at Decadent Philistines Save the World
Mini Chocolate Mouse Pies by Kirsten at Comfortably Domestic

Saturday:
Berry Smoother Ice Cream Pie by Anne at From My Sweet Heart

Happy Valentine's Day, Lovers!

 
Peanut Butter Cheesecake Pudding Cookies
Recipe from Something Swanky
I got just over 4 dozen cookies 

1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs (room temperature)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cup flour
1 3.4 oz package instant cheesecake pudding mix
2-3 cups melting chocolates (I used Wilton in light cocoa, red, and pink)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat together the peanut butter, shortening, and both sugars until creamy and fluffy.
2. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly between each addition.
3. Add the vanilla and baking soda and mix briefly. 
4. Add the flour and pudding mix and mix well.
5. Scoop in rounded tablespoons on a parchment sheet or silicon baking sheet. Use a fork to create a criss-cross pattern onto the dough.
6. Bake cookies for 8 - 12 minutes, or until the edges are just barely starting to brown. Allow to cool on a cooling rack. Repeat until all dough is cooked.
7. Melt chocolate according to package instructions. Dip cookies or drizzle chocolate on top. Allow the chocolate to set on wax paper.
8. Give to your sweetie.