Instagram Update

It's been a while since we did an Instagram update around here. While there isn't much to actually update y'all on post-grad wise, I have been trying to find ways to spend my day that make me happy and creative instead of staying home all day. Make sure to follow me on Instagram @leahshkolnick for more frequent updates! 

New Sam Edelman flats // Q&A a day 5-year journal

Job Application // motivation

Dress to Impress // National Pink Day

Baking // Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Weekend Wear // Pops of Color

Red Toes // Custom Dr. Scholl's

Oreo Truffles

{Ingredients}

When you're in college and a craving hits, you either have to gather up the cash and order-in online or get creative and improvise. One night, I came home and my friends had made these. Yes, they weren't rounded into balls, truthfully who can resist trying them before they are rounded anyway, but they tasted just as good on their paper plate as they do rounded to perfection. Ever since then, they have been a sure win for when I'm in the mood to bake something with all of the fun included and not as many ingredients. I made these for work last Friday, and made a double batch because of the knowledge of their success.

As seen above, the ingredients are plain and simple

Oreo Truffles: Double Batch

1. Two containers of Oreo's "Double Stuf" cookies.

2. One 16 oz. container of Creme Cheese-- regular or whipped works

Really, that's it.

{ Step 1: Crush the cookies one bag at a time until they are nice and crumbled to your liking }

{ Step 2: Mix in all of the creme cheese with the two bags of crushed Oreos }

{ Step 3: Roll into balls about the size of when your thumb touches your pointer finger }

{ Step 4: Pop these babies in the freezer for a few hours and enjoy! } 

Ugly, yes, but they sure are delightful to the taste and the perfect size to indulge in to get that sweet decadent flavor of the childhood cookie that we all enjoyed so much. 

Have fun and enjoy!

Pecan Pumpkin Butter Dessert Bars

While baking is a passion of mine that I have all year round, during the fall and winter months around the holiday season, this passion is piqued even more. The smells in the kitchen, the way a plate of baked goods look on a special plate, and the smiles seen while devouring every morsel makes it quite enjoyable, as well.  Though pecan and pumpkin flavors are quite common during these months, there are many other ways that these popular flavors can be incorporated into our favorite dishes in more innovative ways.

{Photo from Bakerella}

As a lover of Bakerella's baking blog, I came across these bad-boys last year. Anxious to try their creative approach to blending the two holiday loves of pecan and pumpkin together into a delicious dessert bar, I whipped up a batch for a school bakesale and actually ended up winning. Naturally, when I went home for Thanksgiving last week, I made some again to this time share with my family, instead. 

With this recipe, you will need: yellow cake mix, sugar, flower, milk, eggs, butter, cinnamon, and Muirhead's pecan pumpkin butter. 

This recipe is fairly easy, and will leave you (and your friends and family) feeling like you are the next Betty Crocker.

First, take the cake mix, and remove a cup of the cake mix from the box and mix in a separate bowl with the egg and butter mixture.

Then, press the mixture into the bottom of a 9 by 13 pan.

Now, mix the pumpkin butter with the rest of the eggs and milk, and spread over the ingredients already in the pan.

Finally, for the crumble on the top, mix the rest of the dry ingredients together (including the rest of the cake mix) until it looks like how you would like it and sprinkle on the top of the pumpkin butter layer in the pan.

Bake at 350* for 35 minutes, or until the top crumble is golden brown.

Take out of the oven and let cool. Cut into equal square portions, and enjoy. I hope that this recipe becomes a new favorite holiday staple in your household, as it surely is now in mine.