Spotlight: The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery

I can't remember when I first learned to cross stitch, I just always remember doing it! I probably learned when my mom was working on this big americana sampler that we hanging in our hallway. I remember  what it looked like and watching her work on it so clearly, yet can't think what my first project may have been. I kind of equate cross stitching with knitting and crocheting. They are all cathartic in a sense, portable, able to be done while doing something else (you all know how much I love multitasking!) and can be set aside for as little or as long as you want, waiting for you to return. I always have a project going and it's so easy to pick it up whenever I need a break, have to sit somewhere for a long time, or just need to take my mind off of things. I even took one to Africa and worked a bit every night with a headlamp under my mosquito net.

For those who equate cross stitch with grandma, it's time to check out what it's all about these days! Don't get me wrong, fabulous vintage patterns have their place (finally starting my Mad Men deer by the way, remember that hunt?!), but the patterns being created these days are just too cute to resist picking up this craft, or getting back into it.

latte love by the frosted pumpkin stitchery

Today I want to introduce you to a couple ladies I recently discovered through the workroom, Amanda and Ashleigh of The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery! This BFF duo creates cute, one of a kind cross stitch patterns for stitchers of all experience levels. 

springtime sampler

Some of you who follow me on facebook and instagram have asked about the project I've been sharing (above top), which is the springtime sampler from the frosted pumpkin stitchery. Think of it as a virtual stitch-a-long! When you sign up during the sampler presale, you receive a color key and chart of all the sampler borders, then you receive  a chart every week for a month or so with the pattern for one row of the sampler.

You can follow along on facebook, instagram and flickr to see everyones progress as you go (above bottom). The Springtime Sampler was released in April and while many people have completed, I'm way behind — but it doesn't matter! 

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NEW SUMMER SAMPLER PRESALE STARTS TODAY!

Their first seasonal sampler was a winter wonderland and they will be continuing with summer and fall, too. In fact, the presale for their Summer Sampler begins today!! It is on sale for $12.95 through the end of this month with the first full week beginning with the start of summer, which gives you plenty of time between now and then to get all your supplies and prepare your borders! 

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fruit of the month club

Some of their samplers are monthly, including their most epic pattern, the fruit of the month club (shown above)! There's no way I can pass this one up, but it will have to wait until after the move! This pattern was released before as a year long stitch along, but was recently re-released as an entire pattern which you can find here.

Another monthly sampler that is currently in progress is their woodland sampler (shown below). How adorable is that?! It's never too late to begin and get caught up! You can purchase this pattern at any time through the year and will receive the current and previous months initially, then receive each following month as they come.

woodland sampler

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Want to learn more about the ladies behind the patterns? Read on!

Who is The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery?

The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery is Amanda & Ashleigh! We are two best friends!

Where do you currently call home?

We both live in Northern California

How long have you been operating?

Since 2011

Is Frosted Pumpkin a full-time adventure or do you have a day job?

Since the first of the year it's become our full time job! Ashleigh works at a ceramic studio on the weekends and Amanda occasionally designs quilts.

How did you come up with your shop name?

We both love sweets and fall- our dream baked good is anything with frosting and pumpkins!

What, if any, formal training have you had in the arts?

Ashleigh has a degree in graphic design, Amanda went to school for printmaking

"This is how we work: Ashleigh designs a chart (this is the full summer sampler!) and we set up camp at Michael's and pick colors!"

What made you decide to start your business?

We really loved to craft but it was hard to find kawaii cross stitch patterns!

Where do you sell and market your patterns?

Thefrostedpumpkinstitchery.bigcartel.com (you can also find some patterns on Kitschy Digitals)

Five things you love:

Amanda: I love Halloween, donkeys, camping, sock yarn & Porkchop!

Ashleigh: Road Trips, peach tea, my pups Zula & Panda, being crafty & Autumn

What is your favorite leisure time activity? 

Amanda: knitting socks!

Ashleigh: Crocheting or cross stitching

Favorite junk food?

Amanda: pickle chips! 

Ashleigh: Reese's peanut butter cups

If you could trade places with any other person for a week, with whom would it be?

Amanda: Hermoine for sure! She's my very favorite.

Ashleigh: I would have to say Tina Fey. I would love to be as witty and creative as that lady!

dessert of the month club

Share some of your favorite music 

Amanda: I alternate between the soundtrack to Animal Crossing, to Motley Crüe to Waylon Jennings. It really depends on my mood that day!

Ashleigh: Some of my favorites are Old Crow Medicine Show, Adele, Miranda Lambert, Billie Holiday and Mumford & Sons

What would you like to learn?

Amanda: I'd like to learn how to weave!

Ashleigh: I would like to learn play the violin (super random!)

What does the future hold for you and your creative endeavors? 

We are going to keep releasing new patterns, maybe an ebook! We have lots of ideas and hopes and dreams!

You can follow The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery on facebook, flickr and on instagram with hashtag #thefrostedpumpkinstitchery. You can also visit Amanda's blog, Hey Porkchop, for tons of other crafty adventures!

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So, are you ready to begin?! You can start with this FREE pattern of the Frosted Pumpkin mascots, Sugarloaf and Threadly, and sign up for the summer sampler here! Tell me, did I make a cross stitcher outta you? :)

Happy weekend, friends!

In the Kitchen: Ham and Broccoli Shells with Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce

I've been hoarding recipes. I know, it's so selfish of me. My husband teases that I never learned to share because I was an only child, but what does he know. He is a boy, after all.

In all honestly, I've been trying to wait (impatiently) until I was out of my dark, poorly lit apartment kitchen and into my new, bright airy naturally lit kitchen so the photos could actually look appetizing, but it's just taking too long!

Since we're stuck here, packed and ready to go, with nothing else to do for the next three weeks, I thought I would put the time to good use and do a little much-overdo blogging! So, allow me to apologize for the ugly photos you are about to see, but I promise the deliciousness of the recipe will make up for it all.

This is one of those you-can-use-cauliflower-for-anything kinda recipes. Are you into those? You know, cauliflower rice, cauliflower tortillas. It seems to be the new world's most versatile food, but I might just be behind on the times as I usually am!

The sauce for this easy, oven-baked casserole is made rich and creamy without having to use tons of cream, sticks of butter or tubs of cheese, but by using pureed cauliflower. I personally guarantee (should I create my own seal of approval?!) that no one (especially your kids!) would ever guess what it is made out of.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 head cauliflower, chopped

6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

1/2 large white onion, chopped

1 teaspoon each salt and pepper

4 teaspoons flour

4 cups milk

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

8 ounces pecorino or romano cheese, grated

1/2 lb pasta shells

1/2 - 1lb ham, chopped

1 - 2 bunches broccoli, cut into florets 

Preheat oven to 400°. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add cauliflower, garlic, onion, salt and pepper and cook until slightly softened, about 10 minutes.

Sprinkle with flour, stirring to coat, then add milk and slowly bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently until cauliflower is very soft, about 15 minutes. Be sure to heat slowly and stir often to avoid burning the milk on the bottom of the pan.

Remove from heat and stir in the nutmeg (don't leave this out!) and half the cheese. Puree until smooth in the pot with an immersion blender, or carefully transfer to a blender or food processor.

In the meantime while preparing the cauliflower sauce, cook the pasta until slightly tender but not fully cooked, about 5 minutes. Mix the pasta, ham and broccoli in a large deep casserole dish. I use about one full pound of ham cut into bite sized cubes and two good sized bunches of broccoli. 

Pour the sauce over top and stir gently to mix evenly. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and bake until bubbly, 20 - 30 min. Broil for 2 -3 minutes to brown top and let stand for 5 - 10 minutes before serving.

As I make it, this dish will easily feed six people (with a side dish) or a family of two to four at least twice. We have it with a side salad, if I'm feeling healthy, or cheesy garlic bread, if not :)

Though I have yet to try either, I see no problem with making this ahead and leaving it in the fridge for a day/overnight or freezing before baking.

Enjoy!

365 days without dad marks my return to the world

It was one year ago today that I held my dad's hand as he took his last earthly breath. And I'm sure all you who were with me through it are saying the same thing I am. A year, really? Crazy, I know.

It's been just shy of six months since I kinda fell off the face of this virtual world we share. So, are the two connected in any way? Of course. Is it so much more than that and a bowl of grits? You bet. I'm not even sure where to begin, but I have a feeling this story may span more than one post. I'm not sure I can get it all out at once.

As I sit here reflecting on the last year, and most vividly the last six months, the one thing that calls out more loudly than anything else at this moment is love. It just so happens to be overwhelming me right now. And yes, ultimately that is a good thing, though it has taken a heck of a lot for me to get there. I'm sure there is some fancy literary term for starting with the ending and then going on to tell the story from the beginning. I'm too tired to google it, but that's what I'm about to do.

So, love. I found it in the truest, deepest form in the most unexpected of places. How did it affect me? In so many ways, because it's not just one kind of love. It's completely multi-faceted. It was total happenstance that two incredibly life-changing events took place for me at exactly the same moment. I knew it would rock my world and shake my foundation, but as I ran head first into my 'new' life, I had no idea how.

I wanted to think I was ready for it, that I was ready for anything, but I soon discovered I really wasn't. I've been going back and forth about how detailed I was going to get here. Those friends who go way back know that opening up personally here was a challenge for me at first, but eventually become therapeutic at a time when that was what I needed more than anything. So, while I could probably write for six hours straight and share every day of the last six months, I'll give you the cliffnotes version. You still may want to settle in with a cup of coffee, as most of you know I have a tendency to ramble. A little…

At first, my 'disappearance' was sparked by the phase of training my husband was about to begin at the time. The 'men in charge' like to dig up dirt to make the hell more hellish and while we've always been smart and secure in that aspect, I figured better safe than sorry. He also left for the field at this time and was gone until this past weekend, so I had lots of time to sit around by myself and think.

Now of course I wasn't just sitting around by myself, I was going going going 24-7, in typical Nicole fashion, but ultimately, something just wasn't feeling right. I do think a huge part of it was suddenly withdrawing from something that was my life for so long, but the rest of it was the continual sinking in and final settling of what I had gone through the last couple years and what my life was now. It's been a year and there's rarely a day that passes that I don't stop, for at least a moment, and think how surreal it all feels. Some days I forget that I'm not in Ohio, until I go outside in early January in a sundress and sandals or I see paratroopers falling from the sky while I'm running at the lake.

I can't pinpoint the exact moment that it began, but one of the biggest things I've been struggling with is my sense of purpose, I guess you could say. In general I just had this overwhelming, burning desire to do something more, be a part of something bigger. I know that part of it has to do with being right up in the middle of the military hub of the universe, but it is more than that. I had and have a few things that I'm thinking about, but one of the hardest parts about it all is realizing that it's not something I can figure out and jump into overnight. It's quite a process of mutually deciding with my husband what will work for both of us and internally debating between how much time and effort I not only have to put into something, but want to put into something.

For example, I'd love to be a combat photographer for the Army until my husband retires and we build our dream art barn and hide away with 50 acres, 50 goats and no other people in sight. However, do my husband and I want to be getting shot at in different countries until then, seeing each other for maybe a month out of every year for the next 10? Probably not. Example two, I'd love to be a doctor, and if I could wake up tomorrow and start doing trauma surgery, I'd totally do it. Do I want to be a doctor bad enough that I'll spend the next 15 years training for it? Not a chance. I could go on, but I did say cliffnotes, didn't I?

So where does that leave me now? I'm not sure. Here's what I've been doing in the meantime…

Running. An old part of my life since renewed. It was October 17. I had such a crazy, insane, stressful day that I felt like my head was going to explode. So, I decided to run and run I did. It was dark, it was raining, it felt awesome. And that was the beginning of that. I hadn't run in over 15 years and never thought I would again. My goal for 2012 is to run 500 miles. A broken foot on Christmas Eve has made my progress pretty slow, but I'm getting back in the saddle and hope to be on track soon.

I've also been volunteering with the family group for the training school my husband is in. This is something I began when I first arrived and have continued to growth with and enjoy. It keeps me very busy, and in it's own way, is making a difference in people's lives. It's given me the chance to meet some amazing people who have changed my life and has taken me places I never expected to go.

I'm learning to speak Russian. It's the language my husband was assigned, so I didn't just randomly decide I had to tackle the Cyrillic alphabet, but it's fun and interesting in it's own unique way. He had a super charged course that made him fluent in six months while I've barely begun the first of six cases, but I'm getting there and I'm not giving up!

Most excitingly, I finally had the chance to take up metal smithing! This is something I've wanted to do for years and while I unfortunately no longer have the perfect, custom-built art barn to do it in, I have the time so am taking advantage of it. I found an amazing local artist who teaches at the community college and have since had three courses with an awesome group of people. Right now, my kitchen island is sufficient enough space to whip up my creations and I'm very excited to share them with you all soon.

I've started to attend church and go to a couple bible studies each week. My spirituality has been an internal struggle, if you will, for most of my life. Every time I've had a resurgence of interest, I never had luck finding the right path. Turns out one of the first people I met here ended up being the one I had been waiting for to lead me down the path. Something clicked in a way that it never had before, and I couldn't ignore that. It's definitely still a journey for me, but there's no doubt I'm finally going in the right direction.

I'm also playing my flute with the church orchestra. Something else I haven't done in over a decade, but it's kind of like riding a bike and is all coming back to me quickly. Easter will be my first performance, wish me luck!

Possibly most rewarding, I'm going to volunteer with the local hospice organization. Honestly, I'm about 50/50 right now as to whether it will be amazingly fulfilling or utterly depressing, but I feel like I'm the kind of person who can do it, so I have to try. Tomorrow is my orientation and training, I'm nervous, but I'm also excited and I'm going into it with an open mind and an open heart.

I've also been considering becoming a paramedic. I'm still pondering this one. While I do think I would love it and the training is realistic in both time and cost, the truth of the matter is this — there's a good chance that in 6 - 10 months from now, I'll be living on 30 acres of land in Nothwestern Tennessee with a field full of goats and chickens, canning more fruit than I know what to do with and catching dinner in my pond. And that might be enough for me. I have a tendency to absorb the energy of what's happening around me and right now, there is a heck of a lot happening around me. When that changes, chances are so will the way I feel, to a degree at least.

My current hope is that all these things I'm getting my hands into right now will keep me busy enough in a positive, enjoyable way and that volunteering with hospice will fill the part of me that wants to do something meaningful. At least enough to get me through the months ahead until my life, once again, takes another turn.

In regards to my shop and my blog and all of that. I'm back, and so happy to be here. I've missed you all so very much and there has been many times when I wanted so badly to just share all I was dealing with or just a random moment, but I'm sure you can all understand both why I couldn't and why I needed to hide away from everything for a little while.

All that and I've barely scratched the surface, but for tonight I'm going to wrap this up. It's been a long day of ups and downs and a bubble bath is calling my name. Thank you so so much to all of you who were supporting me unmeasurably without even knowing it. Just knowing I was missed and thought about got me through many days and nights. I can't wait to catch up and hear what you've all been up to! More soon…

love ~ nicole

In the Kitchen: Stuffed Poblanos

Yeah, they're kinda messy, but that means they're good, right? I've made these three times now (so am finally confident that the recipe is ready to be shared), but have never had a chance to take good photos of them. They just get eaten too fast! Seriously. They are best right out of the oven, bubbly and hot. No time to find good light, pose my pepper and shoot. So, this is what you get. Take it or leave it.

I suggest you take it.

Ingredients

6-8 poblano peppers, depending on size

3 large or 4 medium tomatoes

1/2 medium white onion

2 large garlic cloves

2 tsp dried oregano

2 1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

15 oz corn, fresh (cooked) frozen or canned (drained)

4 boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins or equivalent

1 cup cooked brown rice

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Juice of 1/2 lime

To prepare the filling, in a food processor puree the tomatoes, onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, cinnamon and salt. Bring to a simmer in a large, deep skillet and cook for about 15 minutes over medium heat until some of the liquid evaporates and the mixture is thick and pulpy.

In the meantime, cook and shred the chicken, cook the rice and prepare the corn. If using fresh, boil the cob and cut off the kernels. If using canned, drain well. If using frozen, no need to thaw.

Once the mixture has thickened, add the corn, rice and chicken and cook until heated through. Remove from heat and stir in the cilantro, lime juice and 1 cup of the shredded cheddar.

To prepare the peppers, place them on a foil lined baking sheet and broil them on high, turning every few minutes, until they begin to blacken and the skins begin to bubble all over. Remove them from the oven and wrap them in the foil. Let them sit for a few minutes and then unwrap and let them cool.

Now you can easily peel off the skins. Be sure to handle the peppers carefully though, as they will be soft and can tear apart easily. Cut a slit up the middle of one side and cut out the seed core, scooping out any excess seeds, leaving the stem in place. I often rinse my peppers under light running water, I find it's the easiest way to get all the seeds out!

Now you're ready to stuff the peppers. Be generous! Don't worry if it's mounding up and over a little bit. Top with the remaining shredded cheese and bake at 350° for about 8 - 10 minutes. Broil for 2 -3 minutes to brown the cheese, serve with a side of black beans and enjoy!

This dish makes quite a hearty helping. Since it's just my husband and I, I usually make the filling and then prepare, stuff and bake half the peppers, using half the filling. Then we'll have it again later in the week or early the next. I reheat the filling a bit, prepare the peppers and pop them in the oven!

If you'd like to see step-by-step photos of this recipe, just leave me a comment below and I'll be sure to take some next time I make it. You can see some pics of broiling and skinning peppers in my previous Cinco de Mayo recipe post from last year here. Only difference is you're keeping the peppers whole, rather than cutting them into strips before broiling.

I'd love to hear what you think of this one, it's a new favorite in our house!

p.s. I'm just too busy this week to get a recipe card done up for this right now, but I should have it up by early next!

In the Kitchen: Spicy Black Bean Pizza

Phew! It's been a crazy few weeks. Don't you hate when those paying jobs have to get in the way of the fun stuff, like blogging? Geez. I've been talking about this pizza for at least a week and here it finally is. Since I first made it about a month or so ago, it's been on our menu three times and has become a household favorite. I'm just gonna simply say yummmmm. Yep, five m's worth. Maybe even six.

Ingredients

Whole Wheat Crust:

1 envelope dry yeast

1 tsp sugar

1 cup warm water

3/4 tsp salt

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 - 2 1/2 cups unbleached white flour

Pizza:

15 oz black beans*

1 cup prepared salsa (homemade or store bought)

2 jalapenos or 1 serrano chile, cut rough chunks

2 large garlic cloves, smashed

1 cup diced bell pepper (red, green, yellow or mix)

1 cup fresh (cooked) or frozen (thawed) corn kernels

4 green onions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 cup shredded mozzarella

1 cup shredded cheddar

2 avocados, diced (optional)

Sour cream (optional)

*You can use dried or canned beans for this recipe. If using dried, soak about 200 grams and cook according to package directions (1 - 1.5 hours). If using canned, drain and rinse well before using.

To make the crust, combine yeast and sugar in water. Stir until dissolved. Add salt, oil, whole wheat flour and 1 1/2 cups unbleached flour. Stir well.

Add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 5 - 10 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 20 - 30 minutes.

If using a metal pizza pan, lightly grease it, or you can use a pizza stone. Stretch and pat or roll dough to a 15" round. Bake at 400° for 5 minutes, until crust is dry and lightly browned. Set aside.

While the dough is rising and prebaking, you can prepare the pizza topping. In a blender or food processor, combine the beans, salsa, chile and garlic, and puree until smooth. Dice the peppers, green onion and cilantro and shred the cheeses.

Spread the bean puree over the prebaked crust and top with the diced peppers, corn, green onions, cilantro and cheeses.

Bake at 400° for 7 - 12 minutes until cheesy is bubbly and crust edges are browned. Allow pizza to cool for 5 minutes before cutting. I know, it's very hard to wait…

Top with cubes of avocado and a dollop of sour cream, if desired, and dig in!

This pizza is perfect for the vegetarians in your life. It's rich and hearty and the carnivores at the table won't even miss the meat. However, chicken does pair perfectly with the other ingredients in this dish and gives this pizza a new life for the meat-eaters. Just add bite-sized chunks of cooked chicken on top of the bean puree with the other ingredients and bake as directed.

> Click here for a printable recipe card

And find more delicious recipes here.

In the Kitchen: Chicken and Mushroom Macaroni and Cheese

I won't try to tell you this is one of my 'healthy' meals because… not so much. I mean, it is macaroni and cheese, after all. I will tell you that it's darn delicious though, unless you don't like shrooms, or butter, or cheese. But if that's the case, we may need to end this friendship now.

Ingredients

6 oz whole wheat elbow macaroni

Approx 1/2 lb chicken, cut into bite sized pieces (I use 4 tenderloins)

1/4 of a large yellow onion, diced

2 large cloves of garlic, diced

6 - 8 oz mushrooms, sliced

3 Tablespoons butter (divided use)

2 Tablespoons flour

2 cups milk (divided use)

1 3/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese (divided use)

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 350°. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and spread in an 8x8 baking dish.

In a medium skillet, heat 1 T butter, onion and garlic over medium high heat until it begins to sizzle. Add the chicken and continue cooking. When the chicken is about halfway done, add the mushrooms and heat until they are soft and chicken is completely cooked.

Add the chicken mixture to the noodles in the dish (including any pan juices) and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, heat 2 T butter over medium heat until melted, add 2 T flour and stir to combine. Add 1 1/2 cups milk, paprika, salt and pepper. Increase heat and bring to a gentle boil, stirring frequently until slightly thickened. Lower heat to a simmer and add 1 1/4 cups cheese, stirring until melted.

Once melted, remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup milk. Pour sauce over chicken and pasta and mix gently to combine. Cook at 350° for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and spread remaining 1/2 cup cheese on top. Return to oven and cook an additional 10 minutes. Broil if desired to brown cheese. Serve and enjoy!

This recipes makes a hearty, but not ridiculous, amount. It will serve 2 – 4 people twice or 6 – 8 once, depending on how much you like to eat and what you serve with it. If you don't like mushrooms, just leave them out! The cheese sauce is easy and delicious and can be used with anything you like. You can also easily double the recipe (entire thing or just sauce) which makes a perfect amount for a potluck!

> Click here for a printable recipe card

And find more easy and delicious recipes here.

In the Kitchen: Gooey Peanut Bars

Today I have a simple treat that's as easy as it is delicious. Three ingredients and 15 minutes is all you need to make these sweet and salty peanut bars.

Ingredients

2 cups coarsely chopped salted peanuts*

14oz caramel squares (about 50 pieces)

1 cup mini marshmallows

*Did you know that if a word such as chopped, diced, sifted, etc comes before the ingredient, you are to measure the ingredient after you prepare it as directed. If it comes after the ingredient, you first measure the ingredient, then prepare it. So in this case, you are measuring out 2 cups of already chopped peanuts, rather than measuring two cups of peanuts and then chopping them, which would read '2 cups peanuts, chopped.'

Lightly coat an 8 inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Line the baking dish with parchment paper, letting it hang over two sides, then lightly coat the parchment with the cooking spray. Evenly spread 1 1/4 cup peanuts across the pan.

In a heavy saucepan, combine 1 tablespoon water, the unwrapped caramel squares and the marshmallows. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the caramels and marshmallows melt and become smooth.

Pour the caramel mixture over the peanuts in the baking dish, then top with the remaining 3/4 cup peanuts, lightly pressing them down into the caramel.

Let cool until solid, about 2 hours. Remove the entire square from the pan using the parchment paper flaps and cut into bars. Store leftovers in a airtight container between layers of parchment or wrap individual bars in professional grade plastic wrap for a delicious grab & go snack!

p.s. The pot you melt the caramels in will be really sticky and the caramel hardens quickly on the sides after you pour it out. You may think that you'll never get the pan clean, but just fill it with hot water, let it sit in the sink for about 10 minutes and it will all rinse right away!