Unicorns are FOUR-real: Chocolate Chocolate Cupcakes

Thatbaby has been very into unicorns this past year.  I'm not sure where it came from, other than the fact that unicorns are everywhere.  Including some of his favorite television programs like Peg and Corn, or Go Away Unicorn.  In any event, it's been unicorns, unicorns, everywhere unicorns around this house.  He even asked for a unicorn donut for his birthday breakfast.

So it should come as no surprise that he really wanted a unicorn birthday party.  And we aim to please round these parts.  It doesn't help that unicorns are everywhere right now, making this one of the easiest parties to plan.  Much easier than "Dinosaur Ice Cream" at least.

He knew for sure he wanted a unicorn bounce house at his party.  So unicorn bounce house it was.

Thatboy and I also stumbled across this Giant Unicorn sprinkler which we thought would be hours of fun for our kids all summer and set it up in the backyard - asking our guests to bring bathing suits.

They did.  It was really hot that day, so it was nice for the kids to have a break from that hot house that was the jumper and cool down a bit.  

Goodie bag treats were also really easy thanks to unicorns everywhere.

Each kid got a stuffed unicorn, a unicorn bath bomb, unicorn putty, unicorn stickers, unicorn fruit snacks, unicorn erasers, and a unicorn rubber ducky.

Unicorn decorations were everywhere, so it was easy to grab table coverings and centerpiece decorations.  I even found a balloon arch that matched the colors on the invitation, which became the colors of the party.  Thatboy and I are getting to be pros at blowing up balloons to create balloon arches!  They're my new favorite way to bring some fun into a party.  And the kids love tear them apart at the end.

I even picked up some bright pink unicorn planters on clearance and painted them to match the party colors, placing them on the table with skittles and lollipops.

The unicorn dessert table was Thatbaby's pick - watermelon, unicorn popcorn, unicorn rice krispie treats, even unicorn poptarts.  There was also unicorn ice cream which we kept inside until it was time to serve it.

Unicorn horns were made with pretzel sticks, wrapped in caramel, then dipped in melted chocolate.

I made little unicorn marshmallow pops which the kids thought were awesome.  Because who doesn't love marshmallows?

And I had unicorn macarons made by Candy's Sweet Treats.  These were not only beautiful, but absolutely delicious.

The kids weren't in love with unicorn kisses flavored water I purchased, choosing the "green fruit punch" requested by Thatbaby.  The grownups however?  They loved them.

The piece de resistance however were the unicorn cupcakes, a special request by Thatbaby.  He wanted unicorn cupcakes instead of a unicorn cake, and when I showed him pictures of cupcakes with colorful frosting swirls he told me he wanted chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting.  So these weren't the most colorful part of our party, but they may have been the most delicious.  Chocolate and gold look so festive together anyway.  I whipped out my Dorie Greenspan "Baking from My Home to Yours" book and found the perfect recipe.  Chocolate chocolate cupcakes.  

Chocolate Chocolate Cupcakes (By Dorie Greenspan)

1 cup flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 stick+ 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup buttermilk

5 oz bittersweet chocolate, divided

1 Tbsp confectioners' sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 and line muffin pan with cupcake liners.  Melt 2 oz of the bitter sweet chocolate and let cool.
2. Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. Beat 1 stick of butter in an electric mixer at medium speed until soft and creamy.
4. Add sugar and beat for 2 minutes.
5. Add the egg and beat for 1 minute.
6. Add the egg yolk and beat for 1 minute.
7. Beat in the vanilla.
8. Reduce the mixer to low speed and add half of the dry ingredients. mixing only until they disappear.
9. Add the buttermilk and mix until incorporated.
10. Mix in the rest of the dry ingredients.
11. Stir in the melted chocolate with a rubber spatula and divide batter among the cupcake liners.  Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until a spaghetti noodle inserted into the center comes out clean.
12. Let the cupcakes cool for 5 minutes in the pan before removing them to cool completely.
13. Once the cupcakes are cool, melt the remaining bittersweet chocolate in a double boiler.  Transfer the top of the double boiler to a counter and let the melted chocolate stand for 5 minutes.
14. Whisk in the confectioners sugar.
15. Whisk in the remaining 2 Tbsp of butter.  Dip the tops of the cupcakes into the ganache and give a little twirl as you lift out.  Let the glaze set.

Crave Wednesday: Red Velvet Cupcakes

 Happy Valentine's Day friends! I hope you are surrounded by people you love, and who love you in return.

We had a series of several changed and canceled plans this past weekend, which left us with an unexpected free Sunday.
We decided to take the boys to the Air and Space Museum because they'd never been, and they love the airplane museum in Palm Springs.

There's a special exhibit right now on "Speed" and Thatboy just couldn't pass it up.

The boys loved racing their cars down various ramps set up.

They rode motorcycles the only way I'm comfortable with them doing so.

They learned to change a tire, just like a pit crew.

 Of course, this was the Air and Space Museum, so we did eventually move on to the airplanes and space shuttles.

 We watched a 4D movie on the Apollo moon landing, which Thatbaby did not appreciate.  So while Thatboy and Thatkid stayed for some more 4D fun,  the little guy and I went to the kids' playroom where he flew planes, controlled a wind tunnel,  played with legos, and did some photo ops.

After the museum, we headed over to the grass for a picnic.

 And then it was time to fly our own planes.

I love spending time with my family, and that's going to continue today.  Gone are the Valentine's days with just Thatboy and I. Now we celebrate as a family.  And I have lots of family fun in store for my boys today.  Including special Valentine's Day treats.

I know red velvet on Valentine's Day is cliche.  But I'll be honest with you,  I love red velvet any day of the year.  So the excuse of Valentine's Day?  Red! Rich! Velvety!  I'll take it.  Trite doesn't have to mean bad.   Besides, aren't you looking for an excuse to eat cream cheese frosting?

Red Velvet Cupcakes (from Cooking Light) 

2 cups cake flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened + 3 Tbsp 

2 egg yolks

1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract 

1 cup buttermilk

1 oz red food coloring

3 egg whites

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

8oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese

2 cups powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350. Combine flour, 1/2 tsp salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cocoa. 
2. Place 1 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup butter in large bowl and beat at high speed until blended. 
3. Add egg yolks, one at a time,  beating well after each addition. 
4. Stir in 1 tsp of vanilla. Reduce mixer speed to low. 
5. Add flour mixture and buttermilk amending between the two, beginning and ending with flour. Beat until just combined. 
6. Stir in food coloring. 
7. Using clean, dry, beaters, beat egg whites and cream of tartar at high speed until stiff peaks form. 
8.  Fold 1/3 of egg whites into batter,  then gently fold in  remaining egg whites.
9. Place 24 paper muffin cup liners in muffin cups. Coat with baking spray. Spoon batter into cups and bake for 23 minutes.  Cool in 1n pan for 10 minutes then remove to wire racks to cool completely. 
10. Place remaining 3 Tbsp butter and cream cheese in a large bowl and beat at medium high speed until smooth. 
11. Add powdered sugar, 1/4 tsp vanilla, and a pinch of salt.  Beat until smooth. 
12. Place frosting in a ziplock bag.  Snip the corner off and pipe frosting on top of cupcakes. 

A Wee Bit of Irish: Champagne Cupcakes with Strawberry Cream Filling

St. Patrick's Day once again fell on Thatmom's birthday.  Like it does every year.  But this year, it happened to fall on a weekend, which is nice because it meant the whole family can spend the whole day together!

We met for a late breakfast at Pannikin - Thatmom's favorite.  Thatbaby loves sharing breakfast with Thatmom.  They like the same things - muffins and eggs.

And Thatmom wasn't the only one who got presents.  Thatmom brought Thatbaby a St. Patrick's day hat and Thatbrother and UDubb brought along St. Patrick's day sunglasses (or as Thatbaby calls them, "Oh Was")

After breakfast we went for a hike up in Torrey Pines.  It was a beautiful day and lots of people were out enjoying it.  I like when Thatbaby is able to spend time with Thatbrother and UDubb.  In general, he gets to spend time with Thatmom and Thatboy's side of the family, but only sees my brother and sister-in-law during meals.  And he's still a little shy around Thatbrother, who I'm sure will be his favorite uncle when he's just a bit older.

 

I can't remember the last time we were able to have corned beef and cabbage ON St. Patrick's Day, since we're usually out with Thatmom for dinner.  But since we celebrated earlier during the day, we were on our own for dinner and Thatboy could have his traditional St. Patrick's Day Feast.  We have officially converted from "corned beef and cabbage" to a "corned beef and colcannon" family.  It still has all the same elements - corned beef, cabbage, and potatoes, but in a much tastier form!

For Thatmom's birthday, we had cake.  Because it's not a birthday without cake.  I sent Thatmom a menu from our favorite bakery and had her pick one out.  She went with the "Strawberry cake" - white cake with strawberry filling and a buttercream frosting.  Which is funny, because I had made something similar for my coworkers earlier that week - Champagne cupcakes with strawberry cream filling and whipped cream frosting.  Both cake and cupcakes were beyond delicious.  I love our cake bakery, and everyone else was completely won over.  And my coworkers claimed these to be the best cupcakes they've ever had.

Champagne Cupcakes with Strawberry Cream Filling

2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt + 1/8 tsp
7 eggs, yolks and whites separated

1 1/4 cups sugar + 2 Tbsp
5 Tbsp vegetable oil
2  tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup champagne

1 egg white

2 1/2 cups heavy cream

3 1/3 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup mashed strawberries

3/4 cup white chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 325.  Line two muffin  pans with cupcake liners.  Combine the flour, baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt in a small bowl.
2. Beat the egg yolks and 1 1/4 cup sugar in an electric mixer until thick and light in color.  
3. Add in canola oil and 1 tsp vanilla extract.  Mix until well-combined.
4. Add in the dry ingredients, alternating with the champagne (beginning and ending with the dry ingredients)
5. In a separate bowl beat the egg whites until foamy.
6. Add 2 Tbsp sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. 
7. Fold in 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter until combined, then fold in the rest of the egg whites.
8. Fill the muffin pans 2/3 full with the batter and bake for 15 minutes, or until cooked through.  Cool in pans for 10 minutes, before turning out to cool completely.
9. While cupcakes are cooling, beat the remaining egg whites until foamy.
10. Add the salt and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
11. Beat 1 cup of the heavy cream until it forms soft peaks.
12. Add 1/3 cup powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla and beat until combined. Fold the egg white mixture and cream mixture together.
13. Stir in strawberries.
14. When cupcakes are cooled, cut a cone out of the top of each.  Use a pastry bag to fill each cupcake with the strawberry cream and then place the cone back on top.
15. Make the frosting: Beat the remaining heavy cream until soft peaks form.
16. Melt the white chocolate chips and beat into the heavy cream, continuing to beat until stiff peaks form.
17. Beat in the remaining powdered sugar, using as much as necessary to achieve the desired consistency.  Frost your cupcakes!

Child's Play: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Yesterday I told you about how I like to let Thatbaby be a kid, since we don't get a long time to experience that time of life, and in the words of George Bernard Shaw, "Youth is wasted on the young."

In reality, I'm terribly jealous of Thatbaby's life.  I mean, sure I tell him all the time how hard it is to be a toddler, mostly when he's in hysterics about not being able to consumed massive amounts of sand or dirt, but I'm lying to him.  It's not hard to be a toddler - it's fantastic!  Wouldn't you love for someone to tell you to go back to sleep in the morning?  Prepare all your meals?  Have no responsibilities other than to play with your toys? The kid doesn't even have to wipe his own bottom!

The good thing about being a parent, is that it forces you to join in every now and again.  Before Thatbaby came around, weekends were a time to clean, organize, run errands, prepare for the week.  That doesn't happen so much anymore.  Now we try to make time to take him to one of the multitudes of parks and playgrounds in our area every weekend.  My house is a disaster area, and Monday mornings come far too soon, leaving me scrambling to get ready, but as I said before, this is only a short period of time, right?  There'll be years to clean the house - and eventually the little guy will be able to shoulder some of the mess, since he is the one who makes a majority of it.

And I still try to find time for some weekend baking - lately I've been all about the cupcakes.  Playing with "fun" flavor combinations, instead of the same old ones that I typically make.  My most recent cupcake exploration took me back to one of my favorite flavor combinations - chocolate and peanut butter.  Thatboy isn't as big a fan of this combination in general, but he's never one to shy away from a cupcake!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

1 2/3 cup flour

3/4 cup dutch processed cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup sour cream

2 Tbsp milk

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, divided

16 Tbsp butter, divided

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs and 1 egg yolk, divided

2 cup confectioners’ sugar, divided

3/4 cup peanut butter

1. Preheat the oven to 350.  Line muffin pans with cupcake liners. Cream 8 Tbsp butter in an electric mixer.
2. Add the sugar and bet until light and fluffy.
3. Add the 2 eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition. 
4. Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
5. In a separate bowl, combine the sour cream, milk and 1 tsp vanilla extract.
6. Alternately add the dry and wet ingredients, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.
7. Fill muffin cups about 2/3 full with batter.  Bake for 20 minutes, or until cooked through.  Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then turn out to wire rack and let cool completely.
8. Combine 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, 4 Tbsp butter and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract in an electric mixture and beat until thoroughly combined. Place in a pastry bag, or ziplock with a corner cut off.
9.  Cut a cone into the top of each cooled cupcake.  Remove the cone and cut off the pointy end.
10. Squirt the peanut butter filling into the hole you've cut into each cupcake and replace the top (round) part of the cone.
11. Beat the remaining 4 Tbsp butter until light and creamy.
12. Stir in the egg yolk and continue to beat, adding remaining confectioners' sugar, 2 Tbsp at a time.
13. Beat until all the sugar is added and the frosting is fluffy.  Frost the cooled and filled cupcakes.

How to be really popular: Almond Cupcakes

One of the benefits of working outside of the home is that when I feel like baking, I don't have to have the end product sitting around the house tempting me!

And the other day?  I felt like baking.

I was inspired.

Because something bright and shiny came in the mail.

I won some new baking equipment from Culinary Flavors!

With a new spatula, and adorable new silicone liners, there was only one thing to make - cupcakes!

I'm a fan of frosting, but it's much easier to transport them to work without frosting.  AND I've found my coworkers are more likely to eat cake in the morning if it's frosting free.

And my coworkers were very happy to eat these cakes.  One of my coworkers confided she was grabbing one each time she passed the basket.

 Almond Cupcakes

1/4 lb butter

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1 1/3 cup cake flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup milk

1 cup blanched almonds, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 375.  Line a muffin pan with silicone liners.  Cream the butter until fluffy.
2. Add the sugar and and cream until light and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition.
4. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl.  Add the the wet ingredients.
5. Add the milk and mix well.
6. Stir in the almonds.  Spoon the batter into the muffin pan and bake for 15-20 minutes.

For All You Land Lubbers

I'm a member of a pretty amazing moms' group.  Thatbaby is one of the youngest in the group, but the moms are all about my age and all really fun.  We get together with the kids, without the kids, in large groups, or even just a couple of us at a time.  But up until this weekend, it's definitely been exclusive to us moms.

This weekend the whole family was invited to a Pirate Party hosted by one of the women in the group.  They had recently returned from a wedding in Barbados where they got to sail on a pirate ship and decided to bring the party home with them.

It was a chance for us to get together and for our husbands to better understand why we drop off the kids with them so we can escape into some margaritas.

The invitation said to wear your best pirate gear.  So we did.  Thatbaby was reluctant to wear his mask.

Poor kid.  It took him 9 months to figure out his parents are nuts.  You can almost see him begging for someone to save him.  Those poor tortured eyes.

I already knew the company would be great.  I guess I shouldn't be surprised that a bunch of fantastic women would have some pretty cool husbands.  And the food was phenomenal.  They served Caribbean chicken, rice, beans, rum punch, fruit, chips, salads.  Thatbaby gorged himself on watermelon which is his favorite thing right now.

My own contribution was in the dessert field - since you can never have too many desserts.  I decided that cupcakes, which are already a crowd pleaser, would be even more so if I kept them with the theme.  I decided on a nice, nutty pecan cupcake and paired it with a cream cheese frosting.  Playing around with food coloring and my little pirate man was born.

Almost as cute as the little pirates that were running around the party (newly walking babies are tough cookies).

Pecan Pirate Cupcakes

2 cups flour

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 cup milk

1/4 cup melted butter

1/2 cup chopped pecans

cream cheese frosting

1. Preheat oven to 375.  Place liners in  muffin pan.  Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl.
2. Add the egg, milk, and butter stirring only enough to mix.
3. Stir in the pecans.
4. Spoon into the pans filling about 2/3 full.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.
5. Cool completely and frost with cream cheese frosting.

Switch It Up

My anxiety disorder THRIVES on routine. Same thing day in and day out. In the same order. But I know that's unusual. Most people need a change. Routines get old, and it's easy to get bored. And when you're bored, the natural tendency is to quit doing whatever the thing is that is getting so old so fast. Things like healthy eating, working out, and doing things that are good for you.

Being healthy is not a sprint, it's a marathon. Which means you don't always see results as quickly as you would like. Which is disheartening. And makes it even easier to fall back into old patterns.

This week's topic for Eat.Live.Be. is tips to help get you out of a rut.

Honestly, I can't imagine that there will be much variety in the response. The best way to get out of a rut, is to change things up a bit. Shake it up and break it down. It's the reason why I choose different running routes, so I don't get sick of seeing the same thing mile after mile.

It's also why I'm a huge fan of meal planning, so you don't end up eating pasta with marinara every night.

And if you're trying to up your water? There's a ton of things you can do to add some flavor. For the longest time I always kept a pitcher of water in the fridge, and when it emptied, I'd fill it up with a different "flavor." Sliced cucumbers, lemons, limes, oranges, even pineapple. They don't add calories, but they do add a little something to keep it interesting.

Next week's topic is all tips from the experts. And frankly, I'm not sure how to handle this so I am MORE than open to suggestions.

And here are a list of the other bloggers participating:

• Sarah - www.sarahscucinabella.com
• Cate - www.sweetnicks.com
  
• Maris - www.ingoodtasteblog.net
• Chris - www.melecotte.com
• Faith - www.clickblogappetit.com/
• Kristen - www.dineanddish.net
• Emily - http://andersonfamilycrew.blogspot.com/
• Jenna - http://stopdropandblog.com/
• Joanne - http://www.joanne-eatswellwithothers.com/,
• Casey - http://www.thestarnesfam.com
• Patsy - http://familyfriendsandfood.blogspot.com/
• Tri-Fit Mom - http://trifitmom.blogspot.com/
• Claire - http://cookiedoc.blogspot.com/
• Allison - http://sweetflours.blogspot.com/
• Jen - http://njepicurean.blogspot.com/
• Leslie - www.thehungryhousewife.com
• Rivki - http://www.healthyeatingforordinarypeople.com/
  
• Claudia from Journey of an Italian Cook
• Jennifer - http://lick-a-plate.blogspot.com/

Another way to switch things up is to make things that are typically heavy, a little lighter. I can pretend that I made these red velvet cupcakes to be more health conscious, but the real reason? I had no butter in the house. No really, none. I was surprised too. Who doesn't have butter? No butter means I had to improvise a new red velvet recipe, one without a heavy cream cheese frosting. (Did I mention I was out of cream cheese too?) BUT these cupcakes work perfectly with today's post because they are a complete switch up of your traditional red velvet cupcakes. I've never had cupcakes so airy. I especially loved using a royal frosting which gave them a real meringue-y spring. See? Switch Ups are SO 2011.

No-Butter Red Velvet Cupcakes
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup Canola oil
1 cup buttermilk (the beauty of powdered buttermilk, even when you don't have butter in the house you still have buttermilk)
2 eggs
1 bottle red food coloring
1 tsp white vinegar
2 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350. Mix flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, salt in a bowl. (If you're using powdered buttermilk like me, put that in this bowl too)
2. Whisk together oil, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla in a separate bowl. (Again, if you're using the powdered buttermilk you can put the water portion in this bowl)
3. Add the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients in several additions, mixing with an electric mixer until smooth and combined.
4. Fill muffin tins 2/3 full with the batter and bake 20-25 minutes. Cool before frosting with your favorite frosting.

How I spent my Thanksgiving Vacation

Most of us grownups work year-round. There are no Christmas vacations. There are no summer vacations. There are no "ski weeks." So Thanksgiving is truly a treat because we get not one, but two days off work in which to accomplish everything that has been piling up for weeks. And it couldn't come at a better time, since the holiday season is running at us full force this year. We're already on the fifth night of Chanukkah!

Wednesday: Inspired by a post on Hostess with the Mostess, I made pumpkin mojito cupcakes to bring in to our coworkers.

Both Thatboy and I got off work early so we could sit in horrendous traffic earlier in the day instead of late at night.

Thursday: Thursday was all about tradition. I got up and watched the Macy's Day Parade in my pajamas. Am I the only one who felt it wasn't as good as it usually was? Even the Broadway numbers, which I usually love, were uninspiring. And I honestly didn't recognize about 90% of the singers, which makes me feel incredibly old. After the parade, Thatdad and I would usually hit up the movies, but since he's no longer here to go with I went on a nice long run instead. Then the whole family showed up for drinking, eating, and general good times.

Friday: One of those days with way too many plans. It began with a "high school reunion" brunch. The quotes are because the only person there I went to high school with was the one throwing the brunch. The rest of the people were just his friends. Then Thatboy and I began our holiday shopping. As usual. We don't hit up black Friday like crazy people at dawn. Instead we go in the afternoon, when there are still sales, and the stores are practically empty. I got some new pj bottoms, a coat, and a new camera. You're going to love seeing the fancy new pictures!

We also saw the new Harry Potter movie. The movie was, in general, all that could be expected, but I do thank that it's difficult splitting the book into two movies. And there was about 30 minutes of "rock sitting" that could have been cut from the movie. Thatboy points out there was a lot of rock sitting in the book too, but I don't think the movie would have lost anything by removing it. Heck, I don't think the book would have lost anything either, and I really liked the book

After the movie I met Prez and Fish for shopping, girl talk, and dinner. Fish had just arrived home from India with loads of good stories. We stayed at the restaurant far past Prez and my bedtimes.

Saturday and Sunday was more shopping - but Thatboy and I have officially finished all our holiday shopping. Which is good, since we exchanged presents for Chanukkah with Thatmom, Thatbrother, and UDubb this weekend. We also set up our tree, which means the holiday season is officially upon us.

In honor of the Holiday season, I thought I would share with you a sure fire party pleaser. Because this is the season of holiday parties and "what do I bring-itis." (Almost as contagious as the flu). Next party you're invited to, bring some of this bean dip and watch how quickly you make it on to everyone's "nice" list. You may even find a few extra presents under the tree.

Bacon Bean Dip
4 slices bacon, cooked, cooled, and crumbled
1 can refried beans
4 oz cream cheese
3/4 cup salsa
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Combine beans, cream cheese, and salsa in skillet. Heat until cream cheese melts, stirring occasionally.
2. Pour mixture into bowl and top with cheese and bacon.