{Peeps de Résistance}

Hey! Tomorrow is Easter!!!

I’m betting this slipped your minds.

I mean, it’s not like the stores have chocolate coated, pastel aisles or anything.

Remember when there were chocolate bunnies, Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs, Cadbury Eggs, and Jelly Beans?
A small section of one aisle contained the above plus some Easter Baskets and some of that creepy green grass. (You know it’s creepy- and my cat likes to eat it. He’s creepy too).

Holy Consumerism, Easter Bunny! Now there are about 4 aisles chock full of stuff that no kid needs, but every kid wants!

I will admit, I do enjoy trolling the Holiday sections at the store. I’m usually looking for candy and items good for baking.

Shocking, I know right?

Anyway.. it is far, far too wet around here to have a Easter Egg Hunt. We’ve had a deluge of rain in the past weeks. 

And of course, the ones hunting the eggs would also be far to old to do so (17, 15, and 14), with the exception of my 8 year old nephew, that is. But don’t tell them that. They like to hunt eggs.

Who can blame them? It’s good, clean fun. And always entertaining when we find that last egg, smashed, melted, and moldy in our yard in mid-July.

You know you find them too, don’t judge!

In the attempt to pull said teens away from the video gaming console, I’m having them spend 5 minutes making these.

I've seen the same made many times with chow mien noodles, but I choose pretzels.
Cause they taste better with chocolate. You know they do.

Chocolate Bird’s Nests.

Here's what you'll need:

a bag of thin pretzel sticks

melting chocolate (chocolate chips should work too!)

jelly beans

and, of course, Peeps.

Melt chocolate according to package instructions

Break pretzel sticks up

Toss into chocolate, using a fork to coat.

Arrange on parchment paper, non stick foil, or wax paper to resemble a bird’s nest. Add jelly beans. I used these pretty Starburst Crazy Beans.

Top with a cute lil Peep.

Allow to dry and you are done-zo!

Cute, easy, and tasty. What more can you ask for.

Totally adorable with tags for place cards too. You know, have your place card and eat it too?

That’s a common saying right? Right??

Have a blessed Easter.

Tina <3

{Peanut Butter Buttercream}

I hear tell of people who do not enjoy peanut butter.

Though this is a very foreign concept to me, I can only assume it is true.

Try as I can, I can not understand this.

Peanut Butter is creamy. Dreamy. Goodness.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Peanut Buttery…….

You know what goes great with peanut butter?

Leaving it’s side kick jelly out of the equation.

CHOCOLATE.

 

Lovely things come out of this combo.

Like Reese’s cups.

And Buckeyes. 

Here, however, we are talking about chocolate cake, with peanut butter icing. 

You heard me right.

Peanut Butter Icing.

Did the clouds just part and the birds begin to sing?

Yes, I think so.

Super, super simple.

You just use the basic icing recipe I posted for the Oreo Cupcakes, and add 1/2 to 3/4 creamy peanut butter to taste.

Here it is:

Peanut Butter Buttercream

2 sticks (1 cup) butter (softened, but still cold, not room temp)

4 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 Cup to 3/4 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter

pinch of salt

milk

Whip the softened butter in the mixer until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, salt. Add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you reach a nice consistency. I normally use about 4. Beat until smooth. Start by adding 1/2 cup peanut butter- add more to taste. 

Ideally, you would top these cupcakes (or cake if you are so inclined) with mini Reese’s cups. 

I had none.

Woe is me. 

While I think this is best on Chocolate, don’t discriminate.

Yellow loves peanut butter too.

And for those of you who don’t love peanut butter… I’m still confused. 

Luckily I have this icing to console me.

~Tina