Holiday Dinner Dash

The time has come. It is just barely two weeks until the day in which a large majority of main stream folks celebrate a fat guy who brings gifts or a baby of immaculate conception. Either way, it means it is time for holiday parties and no one besides Brie Vandicamp and Martha Stewart have the time to prepare anything to take to a party. So, in traditional Bobbi Noodle fashion, I shall reveal the secrets to the holiday festivity foods...

CUPCAKES:
Get yourself a simple boxed mix, just not white or yellow--hello tacky.
Use half oil half butter.
Use given egg amount.
Add TWO teaspoons canned frosting--vanilla, chocolate, whatever works with your cake flavor---not white--once again, tacky.

The frosting adds mositure and fluff to your cupcakes making them just a little different. The crowd will have no idea they were made by Betty and not you.

FROSTING
Once again, not white--it's tacky. Any frosting you like is good, the whipped ones will seem tacky too, stick to traditionals and add to them--nuts, chips (chocolate, not Lays), a little flavoring--via coffee syrups or extracts. Also, food coloring will ALWAYS give you a fun, festive, homemade look.

BROWNIES
Slightly alter box directions-
Use given amount of eggs.
Cut water amound down by a third and bump up the oil.
Add two tablespoons of a flavored coffee syrup (vanilla, hazelnut, and raspberry work well)
Pour in pan and add a topping--pb, chips, chunks, nuts, reeses, whatever floats your boat.
Cut when cool with a PLASTIC knife. It helps them keep their shape.

PEPPERMINT BARK
My personal fav...
Melt dark chocolate chips in micro, spread evenly on a baking sheet. Freeze ten minutes.
Melt white chocolate chips in micro, spread evenly over dark chocolate layer.
Crush a few candy canes in a baggie, in a towel, with a happer, sprinkle on top of white chocolate. Freeze for another ten. Break and serve. Easy and theraputic.

And there you have it folks. Three ways to cheat yourself into a party that is bound to have food just as good if not better than your sorry excuse for "home baking."

xoxo
Bobbi

Confessions of a Shoeaholic

Hi. I'm Bobbi [Noodle], and I'm an addict.

I think I began collecting shoes religiously five or so years ago, but it was not until this past summer that my addiction began to truly affect others.

I used to buy heels.  Sometimes they were little black Guess stilettos, or a pair of ballet flats that happened to be only 5 dollars.  But now, I've really gone and done it.

I'm Bobbi and I'm a bootaholic.

Uggs. Frye Boots. Cowboy boots of any shape and color, price is no object.  When I see them, it's like my pinky toe cries out "mine bitches!"

And just like that, the plastic jumps from the innards of my wallet and the boots are mine.  While there may not be any shame in owning a pair of thigh high mocchacins (they were on sale!), there is shame in the fact that my addiction cannot be conquered.  In fact, I'm not even sure where to begin overcomming addiction.  They don't make shoeaholics self-help books.  There are no boot-buyers support groups.  I think I'm on my own with this one.

It is moments like this my wallet and I long for my peanut butter addiction to return.  But until then, at least I'll go broke in style.

Chalked Full O Love

Today I ate quite possibly the most delectable cookies I have ever consumed.  The decadent German Chocolate Cake Cookies by Liz Lovey are not only heavenly, but also full of love, organic materials, and animal rights friendliness.  The cookie line includes a gluten free variety, and being one with a nasty intolerance to the weaty ingredient, I'd challenge anyone to find a better cookie sans gluten. 

LL's cookies come from a little town in Vermont, are vegan, and totally organic.  They are delivered in pairs, perfect for sharing with your hubbie, date, bff, or a stranger to spread the sugary love.  They are decked out in lovely colorful cello bags, or can be ordered in sampler sets sent in pink doughnut style boxes.

The next thing from Liz's arsenal: chocolate goodies--mint, pb, mangoes, organic oreo style cookies, and ginger candy all come heavily coated in organic dark chocolate.

Liz truely is spreading the love as I, a now loyal customer put on the pounds.

Addicts-Not-so-Anonymous

I have had two true addictions in life: weight loss and peanut butter (in that order).

Towards the end of high school, in attempts to health up my diet, I went with the trends: low carb, high greens.  The result was around a ten pound loss.  My new shape and sugar free rush was amazing.  I began to obsess over eating healthier foods.  Leaner meats.  Less processing.  No chocolate.  I hadn't done drugs, but now knew I didn't need to, this was the best feeling of my life.

College hit. So did addiction number two.  I cannot truly explain the joy of eating peanut butter. Creamy or chunky, 100% or full of additives, it didn't matter.  I was no pb snob.  It was creamy and sweet, nutty and fabulous.  The only problem--it was never enough.  In class, I'd pull out a mini jar from the convenience store and a plastic fork--spoons were too easy.  I had to work for my pleasure.

Needless to say, 30 pounds plus, I quit. Cold turkey.  And quittin' ain't easy.

I am here today to fess up to my latest addiction: etsy.  I have become a slave to the internet's largest handmade community, and I need help.  Every day I sit in front of my screen, clicking, refreshing, hoping, praying, screaming in frustrating agony at my laptop.  I just cannot take my eyes away.  Only for moment like this and when my bladder beckons to I have the mental strength to change the page.

My name is Bobbi Noodle, and I'm an etsy addict.