Cookies & Cream Fudge

I have been wanting to make Cookies & Cream Fudge for several months now and I finally made some yesterday evening. This fudge is perfect! It isn't painfully sweet like a lot of fudge I have tried and it has a nice firm, but soft texture. It's the perfect fudge, in my opinion. If you are a fan of cookies 'n' cream flavors, or like white chocolate and/or Oreo cookies, you will go crazy over this fudge.

And what makes the fudge even better is the fact that it is laughably easy to make and only requires a few ingredients. I am always drawn to the sinfully thick slices of fudge you find at fudge shops, but I am turned off by spending $5 or more for a single slice of fudge when you can easily make a huge batch for less. Seriously folks, you have got to try this recipe. I poured mine into an 8x4'' loaf pan which yielded deliciously tall slices, just like your favorite fudge shop. Here I have cut each slice into three pieces for a more manageable bite. I served these up to the hubby and some of his friends and they were quickly devoured!


Cookies & Cream Fudge
yields 2 1/2 lbs of deliciousness

18 ounces Nestle white chocolate chips (about 3 cups)
1 (14 ounce) can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups coarsely broken Oreo cookies (about half of a 1 lb. 2 oz. package)

Line an 8x4'' loaf pan with aluminum foil and spray with a non-stick spray. Alternatively, you can also use an 8-inch square pan.

Break Oreo cookies into 4 to 6 pieces gently with hands and set aside. You want coarsely broken cookies as small bits with crumbs will turn your fudge gray and result in a grainy texture.

In a heavy saucepan over low heat, melt white chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, salt and vanilla extract, stirring constantly. Once the white chocolate chips have melted completely, remove from heat and gently fold in the crushed cookies until well incorporated.

Spread the fudge evenly into your lined pan. Chill until firm, at least 2 hours, before cutting.

Lift fudge from your pan and gently peel off the foil. Cut fudge into 12 thick slices. Each slice can be left whole or cut into 2 or 3 smaller pieces. Store the fudge, covered in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!

Bookworm

I have loved the look of the these floating bookshelves since I first discovered them at the Curiosity Shoppe almost three years ago. These genius little gems are designed by Ezra Waltermaurer of Little Fish Furniture. Their quirky design are perfect little conversation pieces and make the ideal shelf to display any of your favorite flowers or knick-knacks. I just love them!

I have been wanting to try my hand at creating a few of these bookshelves myself. I found a tutorial to create a similar look of a stack of books. For those who aren't so craft savvy, you can find the books for sale at the Curiosity Shoppe or directly though Ezra's Etsy shop.

Wouldn't they look sweet with a little vase of billy buttons?

Billy Button Love

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I am currently mad about the fun, retro look of Billy Buttons. I love their simple, sleek shape and their gorgeous mustard color. Mustard is one of my absolute favorite colors for fashion and design. I love mustard paired with gray and it looks oh so sleek with white.

I love the effortless beauty of a few billy buttons in simple white vases. The ever popular, totally affordable FÄRM vases from IKEA are perfect for this application.

I have several of the IKEA vases and am dying to get some dried billy buttons to fill them with.

Dreaming of Green

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With the days getting shorter and the weather being dreary and raining more often than not as of late, I have been craving sunlight and greenery. I have fallen in love with the idea of filling my apartment with sweet little living accents.

I am dying to take on the project of creating a few little terrariums for my apartment. I love the fact that you can use almost any glass container to create a unique, one of a kind accent for your home. Craftzine has a great tutorial for how to create a mason jar terrarium. There is also a fantastic video on Design*Sponge by the folks at Sprout Home which shows how to build and care for a terrarium. I'd love to create a few in sweet little mason jars as well as some in more elaborate apothecary jars. I love how to can make them look wonderfully serene or totally kitsch by adding a few little plastic gnomes and deer. There are so many great tutorials and tons of inspiration online for those who are interested in creating their own terrariums. And for those who like a less hands-on approach, this Etsy seller has some fantastic terrarium creations for sale.

Another little project I'd like try is growing paperwhites. From the tutorials I've seen, like this great one from John & Sherry at Young House Love, they are incredibly simple to grow! You can grow these gorgeous flowers in anything from water to rocks to potting soil. And even more fabulous is that they thrive indoors in the winter. I will definitely be testing out my green thumb on these beauties soon.

What are your favorite ways to add a little life and color to your home?

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