Butterbeer-Regular and Adult Only Style

Today I feel really happy.  I think it is the "Almost-Thanksgiving-Cheer" that is in the air.  Today at school, my students took a quiz, and tomorrow we are going to be watching Boy Meets World as a little treat before break.  Plus, it just does not make sense to start a new unit right before the break.  I can't wait! On top of all this excitement, tomorrow is PJ day! I know right, it's going to be great.

Also, I found out that next semester, when I do my full-time student teaching at a high school, I will be teaching Algebra for juniors/seniors, AP Statistics, and AP Calculus.  The drastic change from middle school math is really exciting.  I met with my new cooperating teacher yesterday and now I am just super excited.  I love all these subjects and I can't wait!  There are only a few things keeping me nervous: 1. I haven't taken stats for ages and if anyone other there has any tips or good resources, I would love the help, and 2. I need to get a lot of nice, professional clothes so that I don't look like a student! Other than that, I am ready and excited!

And, today my family welcomed it's newest little member into the mix! My brother and his wife gave birth to a beautiful, healthy boy this morning.  So, once again, I am an Aunt!  I can't wait to go home for Thanksgiving break and meet my new little nephew.  I just need to make it through one more morning of school and then I am free!

With all this excitement, I am also pumped to share my final part of the crazy Thanksgiving Feast-Harry Potter Style.  For drinks, we decided on, of course, Butterbeer!  I have a bunch of friends who have had Butterbeer at Harry Potter World, and they all agreed that this was even better.  These recipes are great and since one is alcoholic and one is not, everyone can try some!

Butterbeer (adapted from MuggleNet)

 Adult Version:
2-3 shots butterscotch schnapps
12 oz cream soda
Topping: Whipped Cream

Directions:
1. Mix the schnapps with the cream soda and then top with whipped cream!

Not-so-Adult Version:
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup butterscotch ice cream topping
24 oz cream soda
Topping: Whipped Cream

Directions:
1. Melt the butter and butterscotch topping together in a small saucepan.  Once melted, remove from heat and mix in the cream soda.  Top with whipped cream!

Enjoy :)

Golden Snitch Cake Pops

The grand finale of the Thanksgiving Feast-Harry Potter Style had to be one epic dessert.  I mean, I was in charge of dessert, and I was truly concerned with coming up with something good.

I knew about cake pops, I had seen cake pops, and I had eaten cake pops, but I had never made my own.  I saw pictures on Pintrest of Golden Snitch Cake Pops and I just knew that I had to make them.  They would be the perfect dessert for this meal, plus I could make enough for 30-40 people easily.  I investigated many designs and after long consideration, I came up with a great combination of cake, frosting, and design.  Check it out!

Golden Snitch Cake Pops

 Ingredients:
1 batch of Homemade Yellow Cake (recipe follows)
1 batch of Buttercream Frosting (recipe follows)
3 bags of Wilton Yellow Chocolates
16-20 oz Marzipan
Popsicle sticks

Homemade Yellow Cake:
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup powdered milk
1 tbsp baking powder
3/4 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 eggs

Directions:
1. Whisk dry ingredients together.  Beat in wet ingredients.  Pour into a 13 by 9 inch pan and bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp half and half

Directions:
1. Beat butter until light and fluffy.  Slowly beat in the powdered sugar.  Beat in vanilla and half and half.  Continue to beat for a few minutes until fluffy.

Snitch Directions:
1. Make the cake, let cool.
2.  In a bowl, crumble the cake and mix in the frosting.  Cover and let sit in the fridge overnight.  This will make the cake balls much easier to work with.
3.  Melt the chocolates in a microwave safe bowl.  Simply microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until melted.
4.  Form the cake balls into round balls that fit in the the center of your palm.  Stick a popsicle in the chocolate so that you get a little on the end and then stick into the cake.  The chocolate will help the popsicle stick stay.
5.  Dip the cake balls into the chocolate so that they are evenly covered and place on wax paper to harden.
6.  Roll out the marzipan with powdered sugar.  Cut out your wings.  I made tear-drop shaped wings.  7.  Use a toothpick to create holes in both sides of the cake pops.
8.  To stick the wings in, dip the end you are going to place in the cake into the chocolate and then stick into the hole you created with the toothpick.  Hold for a few seconds to make sure it sticks.  Then place back on the wax paper.  Now they are ready to serve!

Enjoy :)

My First Turkey

I participated in making my first turkey this past weekend.  The Little Sisters of Delta Theta Sigma threw a Thanksgiving Feast-Harry Potter Style for an event we call, Dinner/Auction.  We have dinner, we have an auction, and its a great fundraiser.  We dressed up like Harry Potter characters and it was a blast!  For the next few days, I will be updating this menu with posts on the Thanksgiving recipes that we made for this awesome feast.  Stay tuned...

The Menu:

Thanksgiving Stuffing

Roasted Herbed Carrots

Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Golden Snitch Cake Pops

Butterbeer