Peep-mania!!

Until recently I thought that Peeps had a pretty limited purpose. These marshmallowy munchkins usually make an appearance for holidays such as Halloween, Christmas, and Easter. However, much to my surprise and delight, these little critters are making a commotion and pushing the stereotypical, peep perception. I am proud to present a collection of the most creative, most fantastical, most unique Peep dinoramic debuts!! Enjoy!!






There are no words for this one!!!




Peep Olympics




Monty Peeptons Flying Circus



By far one of my favorites! An homage to Super Mario




Love love love this one!!! Peep's take on UP!

 


The Peeps of Wrath

  

The Peep-sons-LMAO




A precious nod to my favoritest book, "Goodnight Moon"

 

Peepsalot

 


A True "Peep Show"




And my absolute favoritest!!!!!



Hey baby...I hope you're taking notes ;)

In pictures: the world’s most romantic travel destinations

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Some of the world’s most romantic travel destinations in pictures…

Cala Dogana, Levanzo, Sicily

Photo: Wagman30

Paris

Photo: bEbO

Oia, Santorini

Photo: Marcel Germain

Oahu, Hawaii

Photo: B Tal

Maldives

Photo: Muha

Ulun Danu Temple, Bali

Photo: Jennifer Phoon

Château de Chillon, Switzerland

Photo: Pear Biter

Venice

Sprinkles and Chocolate bark?? How have I not heard of this amazingness before???

via http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2mqqPT/sweetapolita.com/2011/09/cake-batter-sprinkle-bark/

Cake Batter & Sprinkle Bark

2011

51 Comments

I think I’ve found my sugar & sprinkles soul sister recently. I really do. The funny thing is, I had popped by Jessica’s blog from time to time when I would spot her yummy treats linked by friends on twitter, but I didn’t really get a chance to sit down and really take a good long look through her recipes until this past week. That’s when I came across the sprinkled masterpiece of epic proportion: her cake batter chocolate bark. Much like Jessica, I wasn’t what I’d really consider a “bark person” until this recipe came along, but what’s so fabulous about it, aside from the obvious delightfulness, is that it took me 5 minutes active time to make this (and about 5 to eat it–whoops). That’s the incredible thing about this, and about bark recipes in general: you take existing chocolate (of any kind, but the better the chocolate, the better it will be, since it’s really the only ingredient), melt it down, spread it out, add some bits & bites of yumminess, set it, break it and…ta-da!

The possibilities are endless, which is why making your first batch of bark can be a wee bit dangerous. You may find yourself rummaging frantically through cupboards, pantries, and old handbags, looking for random candy bits, nuts, dried fruit, or pretty much anything tasty to create your next batch. It’s so fun, simple, quick, and rewarding, which is why I fear I’m hooked. If you don’t believe me, you can see what else Jessica has discovered, or what Naomi, Michelle, or Maria have to say about their experiences with bark. Go on, you’ll see.

My kind of party.

Oh crumbs–it’s almost gone? How did that…who took my…where did the…
Who me?
I hope you love this recipe as much as I do. There’s something seriously therapeutic about tossing handfuls of sprinkles onto shiny, gorgeous, silky melted quality chocolate. There may be something even more therapeutic about snapping off a rainbow-coloured piece of that same chocolate and tasting rich chocolate and crunchy bits of sprinkles all at once. I’m not sure life gets any better than that.
Why not make a batch of this, wrap it in a fun crystal clear cello bag and tie it with some fun polka dot ribbon for birthday party favours?
I’m off to whip up a collection of birthday cakes for a special friend this weekend, but I’ll be back very soon with that vanilla cake post I mentioned on Wednesday and then next week I’ll be celebrating my very 1st blogiversary!
If you haven’t had the joy of browsing Jessica’s heartfelt, humorous, and incredibly delicious blog how sweet it is before, I definitely recommend it. You will likely come across several other cake batter recipes–this girl can concoct some seriously decadent creations. Come to think of it, she and I could create some serious mischief together. We should get on that.
Have a wonderful weekend, friends!
Cake Batter & Sprinkle Bark         {click to print}
Ingredients
6 ounces (180 grams) high quality dark or extra dark chocolate, chopped (I used Callebaut Chocolate – Pure – Bittersweet – 1 kg)
12 ounces (360 grams) high quality white chocolate, chopped (I used Callebaut Chocolate – Pure – White – 1 kg)
3 teaspoons white cake mix
sprinkles of choice (I used classic jimmies, non-pareils, and my favourite Wilton gold edible star sprinkles)
Method
1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
2. Chop chocolate.
3. Melt dark chocolate either in the microwave or a double boiler. If using microwave, place chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe container (I use a Pyrex glass measuring cup), and heat for 20 second intervals, stirring each time with a silicone spatula. Be careful not to burn the chocolate–when there are just a few small bits left unmelted, you can simply continue to stir until it is completely smooth.
4. Pour melted dark chocolate onto your parchment/mat and spread (with a small offset spatula for ease) until desired thickness is achieved. Freeze for 20 minutes to set.
5. Melt your white chocolate. Whisk in cake mix slowly, stirring well until smooth. Let it sit for approximately 3 minutes (or at least until it slightly thickens).
6. Remove pan with set chocolate from the freezer and pour white chocolate on top, repeating the same spreading technique as you did with the dark chocolate. Toss sprinkles on right away. Freeze for 20 more minutes.
7. Once set, break or cut into pieces. Store in the refrigerator.
8. Try not to beat yourself up when you repeatedly sneak and snack on pieces every time you open the refrigerator for something else.
9. Enjoy!
*slightly adapted from how sweet it is “cake batter chocolate bark”
Good luck & enjoy!
Love, Rosie xo

Mini Lasanga?? Must try!!

Via: http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2V3tbd/www.jerseygirlcooks.com/2011/01/mini-lasagna-cups-or-12-minute-lasagna.html

Mini Lasagna Cups or 12 Minute Lasagna!

Lasagna has to be one of my family's favorite meals. Maybe not my son's but we're not going to talk about his favorite boxed mac and cheese today. I have always reserved this special dish for holidays and weekends because making it can be time consuming. Well not any more! This week I made these cute mini lasagnas which were baked in 12 minutes flat.

Last week I happened to be cruising the food blogosphere when I ran into Petite Lasagnas on Can You Stay for Dinner?. Since then, my life has changed. After looking at the gorgeous pictures, I decided to make them my own and this is what I came up with. The nice thing is that you can make your own sauce in advance or use a good brand of jarred sauce to make this recipe super easy. I always keep some homemade meat sauce in the freezer so these are a perfect week night dinner. My husband came home to a nice surprise as lasagna is not our typical weeknight meal.

If you would like to lighten up these lasagnas, you can use low fat ricotta, low fat mozzarella cheese and veggie or turkey meat sauce. I'll admit that I made the fattening kind this time with ground beef and sausage in the sauce. It was worth every calorie!

All week I have been dreaming about the different mini lasagnas I can make. Spinach, roast veggies and mushrooms with cheddar cheese have been floating through my brain. I am thinking about mini assorted lasagnas for the Superbowl. I really have to put an end to this mini lasagna OCD. I will give you a few tips on making these cute little cups that I promise everyone will devour. Then I will move on to the recipe.

When making these, make sure to spray your muffin tin well. If you are using jarred sauce, heat it up first. To make sure the wontons are not dry, wet the second layer before putting them in the cups. This made the noodles nice and moist. I used Naysoya wonton wrappers and they are very easy to work with. Be creative and experiment with different fillings. Almost any sauces or cheeses can be used. Enjoy!
Mini Lasagna Cups (inspired by Petite Lasagnas from Can You Stay For Dinner?)

Cooking spray

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

1 small egg, beaten

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tsp Italian seasoning, divided

24 wonton wrappers ( I used Nasoya)

2 to 3 cups meat or marinara sauce, heated (depending on how saucy you like your lasagna cups)

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12 cup muffin pan with cooking spray. Mix ricotta, egg, Parmesan cheese and 1/2 tsp seasoning in a small bowl and set aside. Reserve the rest of the seasoning. Place 1 wonton wrapper in each tin, pressing firmly against each muffin cup. Spoon some sauce into each cup using half of the sauce. Spread the ricotta mixture into each cup using it all up. Sprinkle with half the mozzarella. Dip the remaining wonton wrappers in water individually before placing each one of top of the cheese. Top with the remaining sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with remaining seasoning. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until cheese is melted and tops are golden. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes before carefully removing from the pan. Makes 12 individual lasagnas.

The Ostrich

THE  OSTRICH

A man walks into a restaurant with a full-grown ostrich behind him. The waitress asks them for their orders.
The man says, "A hamburger, fries and a coke," and
turns to the ostrich, "What's yours?"
"I'll have the same," says the ostrich.A short time later the waitress returns with the order.
"That will be $9.40 please." The man reaches into his pocket and
pulls out the exact change for payment.
The next day, the man and the ostrich come again and
the man says, "A hamburger, fries and a coke."
The ostrich says, "I'll have the same."

Again the man reaches into his pocket and pays with exact change.
This becomes routine until the two enter again.
"The usual asks the waitress?"
"No, this is Friday night, so I will have a steak, baked potato
and a salad," says the man.
"Same," says the ostrich.
Shortly the waitress brings the order and says, "That will be $32.62."
Once again the man pulls the exact change out of his pocket and
places it on the table.
The waitress cannot hold back her curiosity any longer.
"Excuse me, sir.
How do you manage to always come up with the exact change
in your pocket every time?"
"Well," says the man, "several years ago I was cleaning the attic and
found an old lamp. When I rubbed it, a Genie appeared and offered
me two wishes. My first wish was that if I ever had to pay for anything,
I would just put my hand in my pocket and the right amount of money
would always be there."
"That's brilliant!" says the waitress. "Most people would ask for a
million dollars or something, but you'll always be as rich as you want
for as long as you live!"
"That's right…Whether it's a gallon of milk or a Rolls Royce,
the exact money is always there," says the man.

The waitress asks, "What's with the ostrich?"
The man sighs, pauses and answers, "My second wish was for a tall chick
with a big ass and long legs who agrees with everything I say.."


WELL  HELLO !!!!!   

So I guess Video Games don't turn everyone's heads to mush!

Online gamers crack AIDS enzyme puzzle

By AFP

Online gamers have achieved a feat beyond the realm of Second Life or Dungeons and Dragons: they have deciphered the structure of an enzyme of an AIDS-like virus that had thwarted scientists for a decade.

 

Photo by AFP

 

The exploit is published on Sunday in the journal Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, where -- exceptionally in scientific publishing -- both gamers and researchers are honoured as co-authors.

Their target was a monomeric protease enzyme, a cutting agent in the complex molecular tailoring of retroviruses, a family that includes HIV.

Figuring out the structure of proteins is vital for understanding the causes of many diseases and developing drugs to block them.

But a microscope gives only a flat image of what to the outsider looks like a plate of one-dimensional scrunched-up spaghetti. Pharmacologists, though, need a 3-D picture that "unfolds" the molecule and rotates it in order to reveal potential targets for drugs. This is where Foldit comes in.

Developed in 2008 by the University of Washington, it is a fun-for-purpose video game in which gamers, divided into competing groups, compete to unfold chains of amino acids -- the building blocks of proteins -- using a set of online tools.

To the astonishment of the scientists, the gamers produced an accurate model of the enzyme in just three weeks.

Cracking the enzyme "provides new insights for the design of antiretroviral drugs," says the study, referring to the lifeline medication against the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

It is believed to be the first time that gamers have resolved a long-standing scientific problem."We wanted to see if human intuition could succeed where automated methods had failed," Firas Khatib of the university's biochemistry lab said in a press release. "The ingenuity of game players is a formidable force that, if properly directed, can be used to solve a wide range of scientific problems."

One of Foldit's creators, Seth Cooper, explained why gamers had succeeded where computers had failed. "People have spatial reasoning skills, something computers are not yet good at," he said. "Games provide a framework for bringing together the strengths of computers and humans. The results in this week's paper show that gaming, science and computation can be combined to make advances that were not possible before."

In a t-shirt tizzy!

So for many of you that know me, it is rare that you will see me in a t-shirt unless I'm lounging, sleeping, or working out. However, for these I might convert...

Lovely quotes I stumbled upon...