Top 12 outfit posts of 2011

Here are my favorite 12 outfits of the year! Why 12? Well, when I looked over the 118 outfit posts from 2011, these 12 just stood out to me. ;) Enjoy!







What do you think? I think all in all it was a great outfit year! ;)

Gluten free Layered Chocolate-Peanut butter Fudge: Cookie #6

Again, not a cookie, but these are too good not to add to my holiday treats! I shared this Kraft recipe with you in a post last month, and I'm still blowing peoples minds everywhere I bring them! They are beyond easy to make!


Recipe:

What you'll need:
1 pkg. (8 squares) Baker's semi-sweet chocolate
3/4 cup canned sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup cocktail peanuts, chopped
1 pkg. (6 squares) Baker's white chocolate
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

Make it:
Microwave semi-sweet chocolate and milk in microwaveable bowl on high for 2 mins. stirring after 1 min. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Sir in nuts. Spread onto bottom of foil-lined 8-inch square pan.

Microwave white chocolate in separate microwaveable bowl on high 1 to 1 and 1/2 mins. stirring after 1 min. Stir until melted. Add peanut butter, stir until melted. Spread over semi-sweet chocolate layer.

Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm. Cut into squares.

So here they are! I ended up with 6 kinds of yummy gluten free cookies and treats this year. I am very happy with the results and can't wait to pass more out and the 4 Christmas parties we will be attending on Saturday and Sunday!


*back to 1 post per day starting tomorrow! phheewwww ;)

Glueten Free Chocolate Covered Pretzels: Cookie #5

I know, I know, technically these are not a cookie. I can not leave these out though because they are so darn good! I made them last year too, but tweaked the recipe to make it gluten free and used different candy.

Recipe:

Small circle pretzels (I used gluten free pretzel twists)
peppermint kisses (I used regular kisses and rolos)
red and green m&m's. (the holiday kind were out, so I had to get red and green the old fashion way, separate colors! ;)

Line a baking tray with parchment paper or use a nonstick pan. Put down the pretzel and then the kiss in the middle - throw in the oven (325 degrees) for a few minutes. Once you see the top of the kiss start to melt take them out, I have learned the hard way that if you leave them in too long they will never melt and instead get really weird. Once they are out very quickly place the m&m on the top in the middle using it to squish the kiss to fit the pretzel. When they are all done out them in the fridge for about 5 minutes to cool and viola! These are so cutesy holiday and you can freeze them which makes them even better :)

**I put mine outside instead of the fridge and it worked just fine!




**Check back today at 5:00pm to see the last holiday treat I made this season!

Gluten Free Snickerdoodles: Cookie #4

This is my first year making snickerdoodles and this recipe did not disappoint! I found it on Celiac.com .

Recipe:

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups granulated cane sugar
1 cup shortening, butter or other non-dairy alternative (e.g Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks/Shortening Sticks)
2 large eggs
2 ¾ cup Jules Gluten Free all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cream of tartar
¼ tsp. salt

Topping:
2 Tbs. granulated cane sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:
Cream shortening and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and beat until combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk dry ingredients together: Jules Gluten Free All Purpose Flour; baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. Add to wet ingredient bowl and mix until thoroughly incorporated.
Cover tightly and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 400 F (static) or 375 F (convection).
Shape dough into 1-inch balls by rolling in the palms of your hands. Roll each ball in the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 8-9 minutes, or until lightly browning and puffed. Remove to cool on a wire rack; the cookies will sink slightly in the middle when cooled – this is normal.
Yield: approximately 3 dozen cookies.

These are delish and the kids (and hubby) love them!

** Last 2 cookies tomorrow at 7:00am and 5:00pm

Gluten Free Almond Spritz Press Cookies: Cookie #3

When I was little my mom made these cookies every year. She would make trees and wreaths and we each got our initial cookie to boot! ;)
This year I wanted to try to do these traditional cookies but alter them to be gluten free. The day I was making these, my mom was not home to give me the recipe. I searched around online and found this version on food.com.



Recipe:

1 cup shortening (I used organic butter)
3/4 cup sugar (I used raw sugar)
1 egg (I used omega-3 eggs)
2 1/4 cups sifted flour (I used gluten free flour)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon almond extract
food coloring (I used natural coloring)
Directions:

1
Cream shortening, adding sugar in gradually.
2
Add unbeaten egg, sifted dry ingredients, flavoring and a few drops of food coloring. Mix well.
3
Fill cookie press. Form cookies on ungreased cookie sheets using the tree plate. Decorate with tiny multi-colored sprinkles.
4
Bake at 400°F for 6-8 minutes. Cool just slightly and remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. (If you wait too long, they will break when you try to move them.).

Sadly these are my least favorite of this years line up. They were brittle and I lost many getting them off the pan. Maybe I should have searched for a gluten free version and not subbed so many items out?. My son likes them so that's all that matters, but I would recommend you not make the same mistake that I did and find a different recipe.

* Check back today at 5:00pm for the next cookie recipe!

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies: Cookie #2

These are the BEST EVER!!! I made these last year (but not gluten free) so I counted them out of this years line up. Thankfully Dana Vasey was nice enough to share Paula Dean's gluten free recipe with me!




Recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 large egg (I used omega-3)
• 1 cup smooth peanut butter (I used organic salted)
• 1 cup sugar (I used raw sugar)
• 30 chocolate Hershey's Kisses, unwrapped 

Directions

Heat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a mixer bowl, beat together the egg, peanut butter, and sugar until a dough forms.

Shape the dough into small balls and place 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove baking sheet from oven and immediately press a chocolate kiss in the middle of each cookie.

Transfer to a rack and cool.

* 2 more cookies again tomorrow at 7:00am and 5:00pm!

It's holiday cookie time! Cookie #1

This year we are having a gluten free holiday. I shopped for gluten free flour, natural food coloring, soy free (and some dairy free) chocolate, raw sugar, almond milk, organic butter and eggs, and natural organic peanut butter, gluten free pretzels, and yes some regular chocolate like M&M's and Hershey. I am attempting 6 kinds this year, so here we go!


First up, Chocolate Chip cookies (I made these last year too). I simply used the classic Nestle Tollhouse recipe and subbed items to be gluten free flour, raw sugar, enjoy life chips, and organic butter and eggs.

They turned out delish! They were thinner then the regular tollhouse cookies usually are, but I think they taste better! (yeah, I said it!)
You can find the nestle recipe here.

Come back later today at 5:00pm to see cookie #2

WGN morning news

Dress: Tibi c/o Rent the Runway

On Tuesday morning I was out the door by 6:00am and found myself at the WGN studios around 6:45. We had our hair done by the Maxine Salon again (I LOVE the staff there! I will be going there to get my hair done from now on!) and we actually got to get ready in Bozo the Clown's old dressing room! I have to say, it was a bit creepy with the clown stuff all around, but as a kid who grew up watching Bozo, it was still pretty cool!
We were on live at 8:45am and the segment was a little different from the one we did the day before. There was no studio audience and there was a runway for us to walk! Thankfully there was not enough time to get scared as we were brought in the room and then a few minutes were live.
I think we all did a great for our second time live TV! Here are a few shots from the morning:



The Sassy Peach, Blonde Bedhead, The Clever Clipper, myself, Delve Chicago

I had so much fun with these 4 fellow bloggers and will miss seeing them everyday! A GIANT thank you to Chicago Blogger Network, Rent the Runway, and Maxine Salon!! I had an amazing 2 days with everyone and will miss dressing in designer clothes, having my hair done, and being on TV! ;)

You can check out a video clip from the show here.

Here is a coupon code for Rent the Runway that was given out during the show: RTRLOVESWGN for 20% off at Rent the Runway now through Jan. 31


For the last TV appearance you can check out NBC's 24/7 on January 8th at 12:30am.

CBN Rent the Runway party

Tuesday I attended the fabulous CBN Rent the Runway party at Maxine Salon in Chicago. Everyone got their hair done in a beautiful braided styles for the night!
Everything was so gorgeous, the food that was being passed around was amazing, and the drinks were flowing. I got to wear the David Meister dress I had worn on Windy City Live earlier that day (can you even get sick of a sequin dress?!).
I just love the Chicago Blogger Network events. Something about being in a room with a bunch a people that all do a similar thing as you just feels like home. ;) It was great seeing so many bloggers out!



So fun ladies! It was very nice meeting so many new people and great to see the ones that I already know and love!

**WE recorded a segment for NBC's 24/7 that will air 1-8-11 at 12:30am

Windy City Live

Yesterday morning was so amazing! I headed downtown and found myself at the ABC studios around 6:30am. By 7:30 our hair was getting done by the staff at Maxine Salon and then we did a quick walk through on the Windy City Live set.

By 8:50 we were dressed and ready to go on. I swear I was the only nervous one! These girls are amazing and everyone did such a great job!
Here's a shot right before we went on in my gorgeous David Meister dress. This dress retails for $460, but you can rent it for just $75!!


Delve Chicago, The Sassy Peach, myself, Clever Clipper, Blonde Bedhead

Thank you so much to CBN and Rent the Runway for including me.




**I will be on WGN morning news at 8:45am today wearing another beautiful Rent the Runway look!

**Check out my feature on Dea Rose here.