St. Patrick's Day Mint Chocolate Cake Truffles

You wouldn't know it by looking at me, but I am part Irish. The 50% Hungarian part tends to cover up the 12.5% Irish part in the looks department. Though I grew up with far more Hungarian food and culture, I still love celebrating St. Patrick's Day. I think it's so popular in the U.S. because so many Americans have Irish roots. The treats I made this year to celebrate definitely don't have Irish roots but they're delicious and festively decorated, you could say they're Americanized :)

You may know them as "cake balls" but I just like the way "cake truffles" sounds much better. These have sort of been a craze for a few years now. They are by no means difficult to make, just a little time consuming because you dip each treat in candy coating. I started making them about 3 years ago so I've had time to figure out what works, and what doesn't, by trial and error. My tips have been included with recipe instructions below :)

Another one of my other favorite St.Patrick's Day treats to make is Chocolate Guinness Cake, I'll have to share that recipe too, it's one I've made several times and not just for St. Patrick's Day! Being a vegetarian, I'm not a huge fan of corned beef and cabbage. I'm actually trying to recall what in the world I ate when I visited Ireland in 2006...beer I guess!

What foods do you make in honor of St. Patrick's Day? Do you have any family traditions to celebrate the holiday?

St. Patrick's Day Mint Chocolate Cake Truffles, makes 50.

1 box chocolate cake mix (water, oil, eggs in whatever quantity the mix calls for)

3/4 tub store bought chocolate frosting

1 teaspoon mint extract

1-2 packages white almond bark, or candy coating

Green food coloring

Crisco

Mini Cupcake Papers

Bake cake in 9x13 pan according to box directions. Once completely cooled, dump cake into a large mixing bowl. Add frosting and mint extract. Mix until well combined. 

Form dough into small balls and arrange on a cookie tray, they can be placed very close together to save room. (Don't make these too large if you want to fit them into mini cupcake papers, you still have to coat them in almond bark so they'll get even bigger yet.) Clear a shelf in your freezer and put the tray in until balls are firmly chilled.

Once cake balls are firm enough, start to melt your almond bark according to package directions, I prefer microwave or stovetop. While melting, leave cake balls in the freezer to keep firm. If they are too soft they'll fall apart and make a mess in your melted almond bark.

Dip each ball into the melted almond bark. I like to use two toothpicks to do this. I spear the ball with one, dip it into the bark (using a spoon to scoop the almond bark over the ball), let it drip and solidify for a bit before placing it on a wax paper covered surface to dry. I use a second toothpick or my finger to pull the speared toothpick out. This leaves a hole in the top of the cake ball, which I try to immediately fill with extra almond bark, I use my finger to dot it on top. If you don't, sometimes the cake mixture will ooze up through the hole. Plus it looks prettier completely covered. Continue this process until all cake balls are covered with white almond bark. (If you have issues dipping make sure your cake balls are still cold/firm enough and your almond bark is still warm/melted enough.)

Add a bit of green food coloring to the remaining almond bark. You'll see it will seize up because it doesn't like liquids added to it. Add a little Crisco at a time, until it's back to the desired consistency. Spoon the green almond bark into a plastic ziplock sandwich bag and snip a very small corner. Use this as a piping bag to decorate the truffles with green stripes by making a constant back and forth motion over the cake balls. Once dry, place into festive cupcake papers. Enjoy!

Friday Finds

If you live in Clovis, you're well aware that shopping options are limited. Since moving here I've become an avid online shopper, furniture shopping being no exception. But there are some local options, both mortar and brick stores such as The Mariachi Frog and online options such as Craigslist and Facebook's Virtual Yard Sale. You definitely have to sort through some less than appealing pieces when searching these places online, but once in a while you find some gems. You just need a little bit of inspiration and imagination to see their potential! 

I found these two wingback chairs on Craigslist, $200 for the pair. The upholstery looks to be in good condition so if you wanted to give these chairs a quick update, you could simply paint the wood white to freshen them up. If you wanted a more in-depth project you could give reupholstering a go. I know it's not on the wingback chairs in the inspiration image below, but I loved that gray and white patterned fabric on the day bed, so I hunted it down. It's available at Dwell Studio for $42 a yard. Crate and Barrel also makes an occasional chair in the exact same fabric. I love it, but it's $1000. 

Sources: Danielle Oakley, Clovis Craigslist, Dwell Studio

I also found this awesome roll top desk on Clovis' Virtual Yard Sale. I can imagine it painted white or cream, possibly distressed, with new hardware. Definitely new hardware. I would also make a straight cut to the scrolled leg work to modernize it even more. I think this would be such a fun desk to have! Plus how great would it be to have a desk that hides all your clutter by simply closing it? ;) 

Sources: Hayneedle, Virtual Yard Sale Clovis

What are your favorite places to find furniture in Clovis? Do you prefer browsing in stores or shopping from the comfort of your computer?

How to Refill a Swiffer WetJet

I wanted to share a little housewifey trick I figured out last week. I'm sure lots of you have Swiffer WetJets, as I do. I was reluctant to buy one at first because it seemed both wasteful and expensive to have to buy the individual bottles of the cleaning solution (which I've since learned gives me a massive headache) and boxes of the pads. When I was at the store I came across Mrs. Meyer's cleaning products, my name sake and my savior. I picked up a bottle of the concentrated all purpose cleaner, and I thought, hmm...why don't I just fill up the Swiffer bottles with this? It would be way cheaper and wouldn't give me a headache. Genius!

When I got home and tried to open the cap of the Swiffer bottle, it wouldn't budge. They childproofed it so hooligans like me couldn't get around buying it. So I did what any modern day women would do. I googled it. And there was the answer. Simply bring a small pot of water to a boil, and dip just the top/cap of the Swiffer bottle into it for about 10 seconds. This expands/contracts the plastic (I'm no scientist) and you can unscrew the lid, with a towel because boiling water tends to be hot, and proceed to fill with whatever cleaning solution you like. Tada!

The Mrs. Meyer's concentrated cleaner has you dilute 1/4 of a cup (2oz) into a gallon (128oz) of water so one bottle creates 16 gallons or 2,048oz of cleaning solution. The Swiffer bottle holds 1/3 of a gallon of solution, so once the bottle is open put in 1/3 of a 1/4 of a cup of concentrated cleaner. I don't want to do the math on that. I use a 1/4 cup measuring cup and fill it about 1/3 of the way. Then I fill the Swiffer the rest of the way with water, leaving some room at the top, close it, and shake it up.

At the time I did this, I had 3 empty Swiffer bottles so I imagine I'll just continue to use them all up before refilling them all at the same time. I have also since rinsed out my empty 409 spray bottle and refilled it with Mrs. Meyer's too. It's a good value and it smells like lavender, what more could you ask for?

Now I just have to think up a way to make washable fabric pads instead of disposable ones and I'll be set! Any ideas?!

Finding the Good in Clovis: Ned Houk Walking Path

If you're in the military and have been stationed at a less than desirable base, I'm sure you've heard this phrase over and over..."It's what you make of it." When we found out we were moving to Clovis almost 2 years ago now, I'm not going to lie, we weren't thrilled. Being from New Jersey we grew up with a different way of life. For. Sure. I'd love to be living on the east coast, in a larger city, somewhere with more restaurants, shopping, art, and culture.

I have days where I throw myself a pity party. The days I can't stand it here. The days I day dream about getting a new assignment. The days where it's so windy (and they're often!) red dirt is coming in your doors and windows. But I hate to see the people who let it get to their core. I used to hate the phrase "It's what you make of it." I would roll my eyes. But it's true. I love my husband. He loves serving his country. This is where we are stationed. This is where we will live for 3-4 years. No amount of complaining will make that time go faster. So instead, I try my best to see the positive. I look for the good in this town, and I'd like to share those finds with you.

On days like today, when it's unseasonably warm and not unbearably windy, instead of taking a walk around the neighborhood, Charlie and I hop in the car and drive north to a walking path at Ned Houk Park for a change of scenery. I do love the New Mexico sky.

The sign for the walking path also says botanical garden, but don't get too excited. I think it's referring to a few wooden planter boxes at the beginning of the path. Maybe they'll perk up in the Spring but right now they're dead. In all the times I've walked this path, no one else has ever been on it, so I let Charlie off leash, but I always carry it with me incase we come across other dogs. Charlie loves running ahead and exploring but he always happily comes back when I call him :)

I grabbed this from Google Maps to show you where the walking path is at Ned Houk. I had been to the park so many times and somehow never came across this path, until someone told me about it and explained where it is. I'm so glad they did! From Clovis you drive North on Prince, which turns into 209. You turn right into the park after you've been on Prince for about 5.5 miles after the light at Colonial Parkway. Follow the red line through the park, the road will be paved the whole way. You'll see the brown sign (shown above) for the walking path on your right. You can park in the lot just beyond it near the picnic tables. It takes me 20 minutes to get to the park from my house, on the east side of town. One lap around the loop also takes about 20 minutes when walking, so I like to do it twice. The path is dirt so no dice for strollers, but your dog will love it! I've also pointed out on the map where you can find some interesting creatures at the park, miniature donkeys, bison, and prairie dogs. I'm not sure how or why the donkeys and bison got there (they are both fenced in) but they are fun to spot!

Where do you like to go in Clovis? Parks, restaurants, stores, wherever...I'd love to hear about them and share them with others :)

Double-Ginger Chocolate Chunk Cookies

These cookies have been on my "to bake" list since Christmas. Well, I don't have a literal list, but they've definitely been on my mind. While visiting family in New Jersey, I was asked to make a dessert for a Christmas Eve dinner that was being served buffet style to 30 or so people. I wanted to make something festive in individual sizes for ease of serving and eating. I decided on gingerbread cupcakes, which were amazing by the way. The recipe called for a garnish of candied ginger so my mom picked some up for me when grocery shopping. I ended up not using it because I was afraid it would be falling off all over the place, so I brought it back to New Mexico with me since I love ginger. I mentioned my left over candied ginger to my friend Madeleine, who is also passionate about baking, and she sent me this recipe. I had a couple of girlfriends over for dinner last night so I finally gave it a go!

I didn't really know what to except from these cookies but they turned out delicious! They're sort of a spin off on a chewy spice cookie with molasses, ground ginger, cinnamon, and cloves in the dough. I love the addition of the candied ginger and dark chocolate. The recipe calls for cutting up a dark chocolate bar but I grabbed Ghirardelli large dark chocolate chips at the store to save time. Once you finish making the dough, you roll it into balls and then through sugar to coat. I was afraid the balls wouldn't spread out on their own but I trusted the recipe and they did so just fine. Also, stick with the recommended baking time, I thought the cookies looked too soft at 10 minutes but once cooled, they were perfect.

Photos taken with Instagram, my favorite iphone app. Sometimes it's more convenient to grab it instead of my pro camera when I'm on a time crunch.

Double-Ginger Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Prep time: 30 minutes


Baking time: 10 minutes


Makes 30 cookies


2¼ cups all-purpose flour


1 teaspoon baking soda


¼ teaspoon coarse salt


1½ teaspoons ground ginger


1 teaspoon cinnamon


¼ teaspoon ground cloves


1 tablespoon cocoa powder


12 tablespoons unsalted butter
(1½ sticks), room temperature


1⁄3 cup packed dark brown sugar


1⁄3 cup granulated sugar 
(plus ½ cup for rolling)


1 large egg yolk


½ cup molasses


1 teaspoon vanilla extract 


1⁄3 cup coarsely chopped 
candied ginger


1 cup dark chocolate chunks, chop a gourmet chocolate bar (or use dark chocolate chips)


1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, spices and cocoa in a large bowl. Set aside. 


2. With a mixer, cream together butter and 1⁄3 cup dark brown sugar and 1⁄3 cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.




3. Beat in egg yolk. Add molasses and vanilla. Add flour mixture. Mix until no flour pockets remain. Stir in chocolate and ginger. Chill dough until firm.
(I did not chill)

4. Place ½ cup granulated sugar in
a bowl. Roll tablespoonfuls of cookie dough into balls; roll in sugar. 


5. Place 2 inches apart on parchment-lined cookie sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, rotating pan after 5 minutes, until cookies are beginning to crack and edges are just set. Do not over bake.


6. Let cookies cool briefly on baking sheet, and transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Living Room Inspiration

Really, our whole house is a work in progress but right now I'm trying to focus on our living room. It's the center of our house and it needs a lot of love. Since I joined Pinterest almost a year ago I've been making inspiration boards for just about every room in our house. Some rooms even have their own boards just furniture considerations. I love that Pinterest allows me to look at all the pieces I'm considering for a room, I also tag each one with a price and occasionally dimensions so that I have the information I need right in front of me. Here are some living rooms that have been inspiring me, and some furnishings I've found that I'm considering.

I love these two cocktail tables aligned to create a coffee table and found similar tables here for $90 each.

 Sources: Elle Decor via Pinterest and Bellacore

However, I think this glass and metal design might be more fitting as a console table in our living room. Right is Target, 42" long, $130. Left is Bellacore, 46" long $144. I much prefer the design on the right however the wall it would sit on is 48" wide and I'm afraid it will look too big for the space with only 1 inch of clearance on either side. What do you think?

Sources: Target and Bellacor

I also love lots of open white shelving and vignettes of books, art, and objects. This living room on the right is something I could totally imagine myself living in, except toning down the colors and patterns a bit. The coffee table is gorgeous too. I'm going to search for a similar square shape.

Sources: Pinterest and Absolutely Beautiful Things

The wall where our TV lives wouldn't work for built-ins since there is an open doorway on the left side of the wall. So I went shopping for some media/bookshelf units and found some options I liked. The first is from Pottery Barn which ranges in price from $2500 to $3700, without shipping. I love me some Pottery Barn, but this was not in the budget.

The next option I found I came across on a friend's blog, Style Comb. It's from Room & Board and at $1530 with shipping, it's in the budget. While I love how it looks in their San Fransico apartment, I couldn't picture it in my own rural wall to wall carpeted living room.

The third option is actually the first one I found, and the one I ultimately decided on. When I was visiting my parents in New Jersey last summer, I took a trip to Ikea and loved this combination of the Hemnes Living Room Series. You'll have to forgive the photo, I took it with my iphone at the store and they don't have this setup pictured online. What really appealed to me about this choice was, of course the price, but also the ability to break down the set into 3 unique pieces of furniture. Since we move every few years with the Air Force, we might not always have a wall long enough for the whole set together, but we can always use the TV stand in the living room, cabinet in the dining room, and bookcase in an office, if need be. 

I ordered this combination as pictured online and it totaled to $1190 with shipping. The closest Ikea to us is 7 hours so the gas, hotel, and boarding the dog would have added up to the shipping costs. The estimated arrival date is this Friday so I hope to show it off on the blog soon!

Are you as addicted to Pinterest as I am? You can follow me here, and please leave a link to your account in the comments, I'd love to follow you too!

Hello new blog!

For those that know me, I already have a professional blog that I am pretty attentive of, where I occasionally do personal posts but have found myself wanting to blog even more about life: marriage, the military, the process of decorating our home, cooking, fashion, or whatever else may not be conducive to my photography blog. I'm really looking forward to writing this blog. The best advice I have gotten, and can give about blogging, is to post about things you love and are passionate about. And that's exactly what I intend to do :)

So, love and dirty dishes. There is a whole lotta love in this house and usually a whole lotta dirty dishes caused by my constant cooking and baking, coupled with my hatred of handwashing dishes...hense the name. Typically, husband takes pity on me and does the dishes after dinner. How did I get so lucky? Our house, our relationship, our life is not perfect but it is so good and we are so blessed.

Who are "we" anyway? I'm Erica. My husband is Fred. Our child is Charlie, the 60 pound lap dog Border Collie mix. We're high school sweet hearts from New Jersey, currently living in Clovis New Mexico, where husband is a pilot in the Air Force. Those are the basics, you're sure to learn more along the way.

One of my biggest pet peeves about bloggers, are those who hide their name and face behind a computer screen. I don't get it, why would you put all of your personal stuff out there without letting anyone know who you are?

So here we are. This is the most recent picture of all three of us, during a trip to Utah over Thanksgiving :)