3 Things

1.  My Blog Got a Make Over

Did you notice? Viva la Violette created it for me. She's so wonderful and now my blog is so pretty! (I won the makeover in a giveaway. Because as much as I adore fancy blogs, I'm WAAAAY to cheap to pay for one. And that's why I feel so lucky to have won!) And now it has all sorts of fancy buttons and backgrounds and stuff. My blog is so high class. Now it totally thinks it's better than me. It doesn't matter. I will not be changing out of my flip-flops this summer just to impress my blog. Forget it BLOG. I'm still the boss of you.

But I have a question for you, Best Blog Readers in All the Land -
My old blog header had some pictures:

Should I add some new pictures to my new header (that match the color scheme) or do you like it simple and without pictures? I kind of like the extra splashes of color that pictures add, but I'd love to hear your thoughts!


2. Homemade Magic Shell

I think I might have had the real Magic Shell ice cream topping only once or twice when I was growing up. At a friend's house. And because we never had it in our house, I always thought it was extra delicious and fantastical. Isn't that always the way it goes?

When I had my own kids I really wanted them to enjoy the fantasticalness of Magic Shell. But that's before I saw how much it costs. One bottle, sure, I can afford that. But that's just like a free sample from a drug dealer. Then they're hooked and I'm at the grocery store 3 and 4 times a week going broke getting them their Magic Shell fix.

Sucks to be you, kids. Enjoy your Magic-Shell-free childhoods.

But then I saw this and our lives changed forever. It's so easy!

Two ingredients:

Coconut Oil (Did you know it has all sorts of health benefits? Check it out here!)

 Chocolate Chips

Measure out 1/2 cup coconut oil (in solid form) and 1 1/4 cups chocolate chips.

Microwave until the chocolate chips are just starting to melt (about a minute). Stir it all up until it's nice and smooth and melted.

Pour over ice cream.  

Wait for it to turn that magical waxy shade of hardened chocolate. 

This was my kids' favorite part: "It's changing! It's changing! It's changing!"

And then they cracked into it with their spoons and were so amazed! 

Add another mental point to my Coolest Mom Chart. 

It's a mental point because it's a made up chart that doesn't exist. 

*note to self: make a Coolest Mom Chart. Like a Potty Chart, or, say, a No Whining Chart, but for all the cool things I do for my kids. And then whenever my kids whine about something ridiculous I will simply direct them to the charts. And then they will know for sure that I win because I will have more stickers on my Cool Mom Chart than they have on the NO FREAKIN' WHINING CHART.

ANYWAY! What were we talking about? Homemade Magic Shell! It tastes just like the real thing! But if you want, you can go check out the ingredients for the real Magic Shell here. See! Almost exactly the same!

You can store your Magic Shell in a microwave safe container. I refrigerate mine, but I don't think it's necessary - the Smuckers site says you don't need to refrigerate the real Magic Shell.

And then whenever you are in need of some chocolate fantasticalness, just microwave it until it turns into its liquid state (I'm soooo scientific), pour it over ice cream, and crackle away!


3. Possibly the Coolest Kitchen Gadget EVER.


I love cherries. Do you? And how do you do you feel about the whole eat-the-cherry-and-then-spit-out-the-pit-nonsense? Not the best thing, but you have to deal, right?

That's what I thought. Until my sweet cousin, Rachel, bought me this:

That's right! It's a QuickPit. It's so fun to use! You stick the cherry in, pull the trigger, and BAM! Out pops the pit! 

See that hole? Yep, it's where the pit used to be until I BLASTED THAT SUCKER RIGHT OUT! 

Watch the how-to video here. Notice how she does it all calmly and slowly. And then picture me doing the same thing with some gusto. Dang! I aim my cherry gun at a white bowl and shout BAM! BAM! BAM! as I shoot those cherry pits out! And then I get to make myself a beautifully pristine bowl of pitless cherries. Now THAT is some fun delicious snacking!

Awesomeness. What's your favorite fun kitchen gadget?