Name: Rice Krispies Treat Turkey
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 8 ct package of Kellogg's Rice Krispie Treats; 10 oz package of Wilton chocolate candy melts; 8 large candy eyes; 8 small candy eyes; 11 oz package of Brach's Autumn Mix OR candy corn; 8 popsicle sticks

Rice Krispie Treats Turkey – Thanksgiving Rice Krispie Treats

October 9, 2018 By Melissa Leave a Comment
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A Rice Krispie Treats Turkey makes a great Thanksgiving treat for kids and adults.

If you are looking for cute Thanksgiving desserts, you have come to the right place. These decorated Rice Krispie treats or Rice Krispie treats on a stick are made to look like fun Thanksgiving turkeys. We used pre-made Rice Krispie treats that you buy at the grocery store or Amazon but you could easily make your own rice Krispie treats and cut them into small rectangles.

Rice Krispie Pops are an easy Thanksgiving treats to make. Be sure to see the full printable directions below that detail how to decorate rice Krispie treats and dipping rice Krispie treats in candy melts. I have included some photos to show the full process.

Ingredients to make Rice Krispie Treats Turkeys

Turkey Rice Krispie Pops Ingredients:

8 ct package of Kellogg’s Rice Krispie Treats

10 oz package of Wilton chocolate candy melts

8 large candy eyes

8 small candy eyes

11 oz package of Brach’s Autumn Mix OR candy corn

8 popsicle sticks

Rice Krispie Treats Turkey Directions:

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Open the 8 Kellogg’s Rice Krispie Treats and discard the wrappers.

Insert a popsicle stick into the base of each Rice Krispie Treat.

Place the treats on the plate and set in the fridge for 15 minutes.

Pour the Wilton chocolate candy melts into a microwave-safe dish. Heat in the microwave in 30-second increments stirring occasionally until melted.

dipping rice Krispie treats in candy melts

Remove the melted chocolate from the microwave and dip each Rice Krispie treat. Use a coat to carefully coat each treat and allow the access chocolate to drip back into the bowl.

Place the chocolate covered treat on the lined baking sheet and give the turkey 1 large candy eye and 1 small candy eye, a candy corn nose and 6 candy corn feathers.

Repeat with all 8 Rice Krispie Treats.

I hope you enjoy these easy dipped Rice Krispie treats on a stick. This recipe makes 8 Rice Krispie Turkeys

Looking for more easy Rice Krispie Treat Ideas? Check out these Rice Krispie Treat recipes.

Candy Corn Rice Krispie Treats

Salted Caramel Rice Krispie Treats Recipe

Rice Krispies Treat Turkey

Servings: 8

Ingredients

8 ct package of Kellogg's Rice Krispie Treats
10 oz package of Wilton chocolate candy melts
8 large candy eyes
8 small candy eyes
11 oz package of Brach's Autumn Mix OR candy corn
8 popsicle sticks

Instructions

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Open the 8 Kellogg's Rice Krispie Treats and discard the wrappers.
Insert a popsicle stick into the base of each Rice Krispie Treat.
Place the treats on the plate and set in the fridge for 15 minutes.
Pour the Wilton chocolate candy melts into a microwave safe dish. Heat in the microwave in 30 second increments stirring occasionally until melted.
Remove the melted chocolate from the microwave and dip each Rice Krispie treat. Use a coat to carefully coat each treat and allow the access chocolate to drip back into the bowl.
Place the chocolate covered treat on the lined baking sheet and give the turkey 1 large candy eye and 1 small candy eye, a candy corn nose and 6 candy corn feathers.
Repeat with all 8 Rice Krispie Treats.

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Chocolate Date Balls – Double Chocolate Energy Balls Recipe

October 4, 2018 By Melissa Leave a Comment
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This no-bake energy bites recipe is super simple to make and makes a great snack for kids and adults. It is made with just a few simple whole ingredients that are great even on the go. These oatmeal energy bites are best though stored in the refrigerator.

Even though they do have chocolate, they are still more healthy energy balls than those with processed ingredients.

You can see the full printable recipe for the chocolate date balls below.

Chocolate Date Balls Ingredients

1 cup pitted dates
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup instant oats
2 teaspoons coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
a pinch of salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Double Chocolate Energy Balls Recipe Directions

Chop up 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips and set aside.
Add dates to a food processor and blend until they become smooth paste/dough.
Add in the cocoa powder and coconut milk, pulse until combined.
Dump the date mixture into a large bowl, add the instant oasts and the pinch of salt.
Knead with the back of a spoon until combined.
Roll the mixture into small bite-sized balls.
Then roll each ball in the chopped chocolate chips.
Enjoy immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

Looking for more no-bake treats?

Check out this no-bake pumpkin oatmeal cookie recipe.

Easy Chocolate Date Balls

These chocolate date balls are so easy to make and are a great snack. This double chocolate energy balls recipe is great for adults and kids.

Ingredients

1 cup pitted dates
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup instant oats
2 teaspoons coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
a pinch of salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

Chop up 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips and set aside.
Add dates to a food processor and blend until they become smooth paste/dough.
Add in the cocoa powder and coconut milk, pulse until combined.
Dump the date mixture into a large bowl, add the instant oasts and the pinch of salt.
Knead with the back of a spoon until combined.
Roll the mixture into small bite-sized balls.
Then roll each ball in the chopped chocolate chips.
Enjoy immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

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No Bake Pumpkin Cookies Recipe – Easy Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

October 2, 2018 By Melissa Leave a Comment
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This no bake pumpkin cookies recipe makes easy pumpkin oatmeal cookies for a fall favorite treat.

Nothing says fall like pumpkin spice and these easy pumpkin spice oatmeal cookies sure hit the spot. You get all the flavors of fall in these little pumpkin oatmeal cookies and you don’t even need to run to Starbucks for a Pumpkin Spice Latte. LOL

I am always on the lookout for easy no bake pumpkin dessert recipes like this one. These cookies require just a few simple ingredients and some mixing. These are so easy to make that the kids can easily help. The recipe makes approximately 1 1/2 dozen pumpkin oatmeal cookies.

Be sure to scroll down for the printable recipe for these pumpkin spice oatmeal cookies.

No Bake Pumpkin Cookies Ingredients

1/2 cup pumpkin purée

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1/4 cup smooth peanut butter

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 cups quick oats

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch of salt

Directions to Make No Bake Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

1. Line a cookie sheet with wax or parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan, add the pumpkin purée, butter, peanut butter, milk and sugars.

3. Bring to a boil under medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Stir in the vanilla extract.

4. Add the quick oats, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and salt to a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.

5. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the oats and mix well.

6. Shape into 2 inch cookies and place on the lined cookie sheet.

7. Allow to cool completely and ENJOY!!

Looking for fall treats? Check out the pumpkin recipes and more.

Pumpkin Parfait Recipe

Pumpkin Roll Recipe

Cinnamon Apple Chips Recipe

Candy Corn Rice Krispie Treats

Harvest Trail Mix Recipe

No Bake Pumpkin Cookies

These easy no-bake pumpkin cookies made with oatmeal and pumpkin are a perfect fall treat. Makes approximately 1.5 dozen cookies.

Ingredients

1/2 cup pumpkin purée
1/2 cup 1 stick butter
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups quick oats
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt

Instructions

Line a cookie sheet with wax or parchment paper and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, add the pumpkin purée, butter, peanut butter, milk and sugars.
Bring to a boil under medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Stir in the vanilla extract.
Add the quick oats, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and salt to a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
Pour the pumpkin mixture into the oats and mix well.
Shape into 2 inch cookies and place on the lined cookie sheet.
Allow to cool completely and ENJOY!!

Click on image to pin for later

no bake pumpkin cookies with oatmeal and pumpkin spice

Easy Cinnamon Baked Apple Chips Recipe

September 27, 2018 By Melissa 6 Comments
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Looking for a yummy fall treat? Check out this Cinnamon Easy Baked Apple Chips Recipe.

One of favorite fall family activities is to go apple picking. We are lucky to live near some nice orchards. We usually come home with a ton of apples. Since this is more apples than we can easily eat, I am always on the look-out for great apple recipes like this.

One easy way to use up some of those apples is to make baked apple chips. These work great for a snack or to send in with school lunches. The apples are baked so a bit more healthy. We added some cinnamon and sugar though to make them a sweet treat! Your whole family will love them.

Be sure to pin this baked apple chips in the oven recipe to keep on hand.

Easy Baked Apple Chips Ingredients

You need just 3 ingredients to make these dried apple chips in the oven. I love that the recipe is so simple and makes the best apple chips in oven.

4 apples (our favorites are Gala and Honeycrisp)
2 TBSP sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
zip lock bag

If you want healthy apple chips, you could reduce or omit the sugar. I would still add cinnamon for a bit more flavor.

How to Make Apple Chips – Easy Baked Apples

Preheat Oven to 200 degrees.
Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Slice apples thinly. I use my Cuisinart Food Processor to cut the apple slices thinly enough to bake.
Pour sugar and cinnamon in a ziplock bag.
Add sliced apples and shake.
Place apple slices in a single layer on the parchment lined cookie sheet.
Bake apple slice at 200 degrees.
Bake on one side for 1½ hours then flip them over to the other side and bake for another 1 hour.
When the final hour is complete, turn off the oven leaving the apple slices inside overnight.
Store in a ziplock bag.

Cinnamon Baked Apple Chips

Author: Melissa

Ingredients

4 apples
2 TBSP sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
zip lock bag

Instructions

Preheat Oven to 200 degrees.
Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Slice apples thinly.
Pour sugar and cinnamon in a zip lock bag.
Add sliced apples and shake.
Place apple slices in a single layer on the parchment lined cookie sheet.
Bake 200 degrees.
Bake on one side for 1½ hours then flip them over to the other side and bake for another 1 hour.
When the final hour is complete, turn off the oven leaving the apple slices inside overnight.
Store in a ziplock bag.

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Want more easy and tasty recipes?

Check out these fall recipes.

Candy Corn Rice Krispie Treats

Harvest Fall Trail Mix

Pumpkin Parfait Recipe

Peanut Butter Jelly Bars Recipe

September 5, 2018 By Melissa 13 Comments
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Looking for an easy back to school treat? Be sure to check out this Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars Recipe. These PB&J bars are simple to make from scratch with just a few ingredients including, of course, everyone’s favorite….. peanut butter and jelly! We love that these easy peanut butter bars include your favorite jam or jelly. These chewy peanut butter bars are a satisfying after school treat or could be packed for lunch. [Read more…]

Cord Keeper DIY Silhouette Project, Plus a Silhouette Mystery Box Reveal

August 31, 2018 By Heidi Leave a Comment
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I was so excited when my Silhouette Mystery Box arrived on my doorstep. As I have mentioned before, my Silhouette Cameo cutting machine is my favorite crafting gadget and Silhouette America just started offering mystery boxes. Starting in September, you can purchase both small and a large mystery boxes from Silhouette America. This is a great way to try lots of fun products at a discount. The small boxes are $49.99 and they include over $100 worth of products and the larger boxes are $99.99 and they include over $200 worth of products. Use coupon code: BARGAIN to take advantage of these savings.

My small mystery box contained two neat starter kits-the Chalkboard Starter Kit and the Glass Etching Starter Kit. It also contained a Sticker Sampler Pack (which included those scratch off sheets like you can find on the lotto tickets!), Printable Adhesive Kraft Paper, Foil Transfer Sheets, Leatherette Sheets and Glitter Sketch Pens. This was quite the haul of fun products!

I have never tried the Silhouette Leatherette Sheets, so I decided to try out a project. My kids have all sorts of gadgets and cords, so I decided to make my daughter a cute personalized cord keeper, better known as a cord taco to keep her phone charging cord neat and tidy.

To make this project, I used the Silhouette Leatherette sheets, which came in a package of three (Gold, Pearl and Black), some snaps from the craft store, a snap setting pieces and a rubber mallot that I had on hand. I also personalized my cord keeper and used heat transfer vinyl for this, a teflon sheet and my trusty iron.

I made my own file in the Silhouette Studio Software, on my computer. It was a super simple 4 inch circle. I drew two small holes for the peg of the snaps a little less than a half-inch from the top and bottom. Let me give you a great tip so you don’t waste your leatherette sheets! After making my own file, I cut my design using some scrap cardstock to make sure my snap holes were placed in the correct spot and that the size was right. I did have to make an adjustment and I was able to do that without wasting my leatherette sheets.

I used the faux leather paper setting in my Silhouette Studio software to cut my cord keeper and I was amazed how cleanly it cut the leatherette sheets. When choosing a blade to cut the leatherette, one tip is to keep a different blade for each type of media that you cut and your blades will last longer. I used the blade reserved for fabric projects to cut the leatherette sheet. I label them with a white pen for fabric, vinyl, paper, etc. To finish off your simple project, follow the directions to attach the snap that you purchased from the craft store. I used my rubber mallet and small setting tool to attach them to the cord keeper. If you want to personalize your cord keeper, you can cut a name or sentiment from heat transfer vinyl. Keep in mind that the leatherette sheets will melt if you use too much heat. Be sure to use a teflon sheet or parchment paper in between your project and the iron. Press with your iron for a few quick seconds at a time to press your heat transfer vinyl onto your project. The personalization is optional, but a really fun touch! As soon as I finished this cord keeper for my daughter, my two boys requested one as well!

Use Coupon Code: BARGAIN

Click to Shop Silhouette America’s Mystery Boxes or Other Products

Easy Healthy Salsa Recipe

July 12, 2018 By Melissa 13 Comments
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Looking for an easy healthy salsa recipe? Here is my favorite. It is so so easy to make but tastes incredible. The fresh flavors blend together so well. You can use this salsa as a dip with chips but it is also fantastic on tacos or an other Mexican inspired meal. You are going to love this so much that you will never want to buy store bought salsa again. It really can’t compare. [Read more…]

Easy Patriotic Dessert Marshmallow Pop

June 28, 2018 By Melissa Leave a Comment
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Looking for an easy patriotic dessert for a Fourth of July or Memorial day party? Check out these cute marshmallow pops that will be a hit at your next event.

I am always on the lookout for easy recipes that look cute and are tasty. These patriotic marshmallow pops are just that. You need just a few ingredients and they can be made quickly. They are super cute and fun though and would be great at any Fourth of July party.

Easy Patriotic Dessert Marshmallow Pop Ingredients

Jumbo marshmallows
Blue candy melts
Red candy melts
White sugar pearls
Decorating bag
Lollipop sticks

The ingredient measurements and printable recipe are at the end of this article.

Gather up your ingredients and two small microwave-safe bowls. These marshmallow pops are so easy that kids can easily help you make them. Younger kids could add the marshmallows to the sticks and even dip the ends in the melted candy melts. Tweens and teens could easily make these whole marshmallow pops themselves.

These holiday marshmallow pops are decorated for Fourth of July. However, you can use the same instructions with different color candy melts for birthday parties, baby showers, Christmas and more. You are only limited by your imagination.

Easy Patriotic Dessert Marshmallow Pop Directions

The first step is to stick 3 jumbo marshmallows onto the end of each lollipop stick. Next, in two small microwave-safe bowls, heat 2 cups of each blue and red candy melts on 50% power for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until melted.

Scoop your melted red candy melts in a decorating bag and cut a small tip off the end.

Dip the end of your marshmallow pop into the melted blue candy melts, making sure to cover the top marshmallow in the melted blue candy. Be sure to shake any excess candy melts off and place onto a piece of parchment paper.

You will then sprinkle some white candy pearls onto the melted blue candy melts.

Use your decorating bag to drizzle the red melted candy melts in stripes onto the other 2 marshmallows. Once complete, carefully transfer to the freezer for 15 minutes to harden.

Enjoy a tasty and easy patriotic dessert!

Looking for more patriotic treat and dessert recipes?

American Flag Pretzels

Easy Fourth of July Dessert – Berry Tarts

Red, White and Blue Jello Stars

See the full Marshmallow pop recipe below.

Easy Patriotic Dessert Marshmallow Pop

These cute marshmallow pops are perfect for a Fourth of July party.

Servings: 10

Ingredients

30 Jumbo marshmallows
2 cups Blue candy melts
2 cups Red candy melts
White sugar pearls
1 Decorating bag
10 Lollipop sticks

Instructions

Stick 3 jumbo marshmallows onto the end of each lollipop stick.
In two small microwave safe bowls, heat 2 cups of each blue and red candy melts on 50% power for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until melted.
Scoop your melted red candy melts in a decorating bag and cut a small tip off the end.
Dip the end of your marshmallow pop into the melted blue candy melts, making sure to cover the top marshmallow in the melted blue candy.
Shake any excess candy melts off and place onto a piece of parchment paper.
Sprinkle some white candy pearls onto the melted blue candy melts.
Use your decorating bag to drizzle the red melted candy melts in stripes onto the other 2 marshmallows.
Carefully transfer to the freezer for 15 minutes to harden.

Easy 4th Of July Dessert – Red White & Blue Dessert Recipe

June 19, 2018 By Melissa 5 Comments
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Here is the wonderful and easy 4th of July dessert recipe.

The fresh berries are perfect for any red, white and blue theme including Memorial Day and Fourth of July. These are so tasty though that they would be great for any get-together or party. This recipe requires just a few simple ingredients but still looks quite fancy. You can whip this up in no time at all and be out having fun in the sun with your friends. This would be easy to bring to a potluck as well. Be sure to scroll down for the full printable recipe. [Read more…]

Homemade Father’s Day Gift -Free Printables Necktie for bottles or cupcakes

May 21, 2018 By Heidi 26 Comments
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Are you looking for a simple way to make Father’s Day special for the Dads in your life? Then check out these adorable free Father’s Day printables that make a great homemade Father’s Day Gift. We include both necktie-shaped bottle tags and cupcake toppers. I included four different tags. Some are more elegant and some are more playful and you can choose which ones fit the Dads in your life. These are so easy to make that even the kids could help cut these out or help assemble them making them a great father’s day gift from kids. Plus, you probably already have most of the supplies to complete this project at home! [Read more…]

Teacher Appreciation Flowers – Easy Teacher Gift Idea

May 7, 2018 By Melissa Leave a Comment
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These teacher appreciation flowers with printable tag make an easy teacher appreciation gift.

Giving a teacher flowers is a simple and lovely gift that can be given during teacher appreciation week or as a year-end teacher gift. This teacher gift requires just a few materials and is easy to assemble with our printable tag.

You can download the printable tag for the flowers for teachers below. Each tag says “Teacher, Thank you for helping me BLOOM this school year!” The download includes 4 tags for the flowers so you can give them to multiple teachers. This is great if you happen to be in charge of teacher appreciation week and need Teacher Appreciation Week gift ideas for many teachers. You couls also use them for each teacher if you have multiple children. It is easier to just buy multiples and make this cute gift for a bunch of teachers.

Bloom Teacher Appreciation Flowers Gift Tag

Teacher Appreciation Flowers Materials:

Bloom Teacher Appreciation Flowers Gift Tag Printable (best printed on white cardstock)
Hole Punch
Scissors
Ribbon
Vase
Flowers

Teacher Appreciation Flowers Directions:

1. Use scissors to cut along the dotted lines on each printable tag.
2. Use the hole punch to create a hole in the top left corner of the tag. Use the space along the
bottom of the tag (or the back) to write a short note or sign your name.
3. Cut a piece of ribbon and place both ends through the back of the tag creating a loop. Place the
loop over a jar or vase of fresh flowers, and pull the ends through the front of the tag tightly. Tie
a ribbon to complete the attachment.

This is quite an inexpensive teacher appreciation gift idea but still looks beautiful. What teacher would not love having fresh flowers in their classroom or to bring home.

Best Teacher Appreciation Gift Ideas

DIY Teacher Cup Gift – with free “tea-rific” teacher printable gift tag

More Teacher Gift ideas here (Even though these are Christmas Gift Ideas, many work for teacher appreciation or year-end teacher gifts)

Sausage Asparagus Skillet Recipe with Quinoa

April 26, 2018 By Melissa
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This Sausage Asparagus Skillet Recipe with Quinoa is so quick and easy to prepare and an easy family favorite meal.

Looking for a healthy and easy meal? Check out this Sausage, Asparagus & Quinoa Meal Recipe. This meal is so simple to make but flavorful and sure to become a family favorite. We all love quinoa in my family and this is a great way to prepare it. My youngest requests it often.

Here are a few in process pictures but be sure to check out the full printable recipe below.

Sausage Asparagus Skillet Recipe with Quinoa Recipe Directions

In a medium saucepan, bring the 2 cups of chicken broth to a boil.
Add in the 1 cup of uncooked quinoa. Lower the heat and allow the quinoa to simmer, stirring occasionally, until cooked, about 10-15 minutes.
In a separate pan, saute the fresh asparagus and smoked sausage on medium heat until the asparagus is tender, about 10-15 minutes. I’ve found I didn’t need to add any oil with the sausage.

Next, add in the 2 cups of cooked quinoa and continue to saute 5-6 minutes
Serve immediately. However, leftovers also reheat well.

This easy recipe is perfect for busy nights but still healthy and flavorful. You really can’t go wrong. If you are looking for a new way to try quinoa and asparagus, you really can’t go wrong with this recipe.

Sausage, Asparagus & Quinoa Meal Recipe

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

25 mins

Course: dinner

Servings: 4

Author: Melissa

Ingredients

1 C. uncooked quinoa makes 2 C. cooked
1 C. fresh asparagus washed and the ends cut off
8 oz smoked sausage cut into quarters
2 C. chicken broth
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, bring the 2 cups of chicken broth to a boil.
Add in the 1 cup of uncooked quinoa. Lower the heat and allow the quinoa to simmer, stirring occasionally, until cooked, about 10-15 minutes.
In a separate pan, saute the fresh asparagus and smoked sausage on medium heat until the asparagus is tender, about 10-15 minutes. I've found I didn't need to add any oil with the sausage.
Add in the 2 cups of cooked quinoa and continue to saute 5-6 minutes.
Serve immediately.
Leftovers also reheat well.

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Want more easy and tasty recipes? Here are a few of our favorites.

More Easy Dinner Recipes

Easy Fish Tacos Recipe

Quick and Easy Red Pepper Chicken Recipe

Easy Kung Pao Chicken Recipe

Easy Crock Pot Chicken Tostada Recipe

Baked Coconut Chicken Tenders Recipe

Simple and Affordable Iced Tea Cup Teacher Appreciation Gift or Year-End Gift with Free Printable Tag

April 17, 2018 By Heidi 28 Comments
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This year Teacher Appreciation week is May 6-12 2018. It is coming up soon so we thought we would share this cute and easy gift idea.

Are you scrambling to find affordable gifts for Teacher Appreciation Week? We have the perfect Teacher Appreciation Gift for you! I just love these double-walled cups and I made this one into an iced tea themed gift for around $5! I use these cups all summer long when I’m on the go and they wash up so nicely. You can fill them with water or any other beverage and I like that they are double-walled and don’t sweat. This one fits perfectly in the cup holder of my car too. This iced tea gift for teachers would make a great year-end gift too or if you have aids or other teaching staff to recognize these won’t break the bank. When I use this for a year end gift, I usually drop a Target gift card in the cup as well. This ships free if you spend $25 or have a Target Red Card. [Read more…]

Easy Easter Cupcakes – Carrot Garden Cupcake

March 27, 2018 By Melissa 8 Comments
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Looking for cute and easy Easter Cupcakes? Try these super cute Carrot Garden Easter Cupcakes. The orange Mike & Ikes with edible Easter grass decorate the cupcake and look like a garden the Easter bunny would love! Kids and adults alike will enjoy eating these cute and tasty Easter cupcake decorations. Plus they are not too hard to make. Cute and easy…the perfect combination. [Read more…]

DIY Upcycled Chalkboard Easter Eggs

March 21, 2018 By Melissa 11 Comments
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My entire family loves Easter and we always seem to acquire so many plastic Easter eggs after the holiday has come and gone. I always try to think of fun and creative ways to upcycle these boring plastic Easter eggs and this year I decided to do Chalkboard Easter Eggs. These are so easy to make and you and your kids can have so much fun decorating them with designs and cute, short sayings or designs! [Read more…]

Homemade DIY Mint Bath Salts Recipe

March 12, 2018 By Melissa 7 Comments
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Easy mint bath salts recipe with free printable. Makes a cute favor or gift.

With St. Patricks day coming up around the corner it’s such a great time to whip up some homemade gifts to give out to your loved ones. I made these Homemade DIY Mint Bath Salts as a present to myself and they turned out so cute I made a few more batches! I just love how relaxing scented bath salts can be. [Read more…]

Jelly Bean Bark Recipe -Easy Easter Treat

March 8, 2018 By Melissa 5 Comments
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Looking for an easy Easter treat? Then you will want to be sure to this Jelly Bean bark recipe. It has just two ingredients! Seriously, is so easy anyone could do it. So cute and so easy and just perfect for an Easter celebration. You could bag this up and give as homemade gifts as well. [Read more…]

DIY Spa Sock Cupcake Tutorial & Cupcake Wrapper Template

February 6, 2018 By Heidi 16 Comments
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I just love making these spa sock cupcakes and who doesn’t like warm fuzzy socks? I wrapped this sock cupcake for my daughter’s teacher for Valentine’s Day, but you can make these for any holiday or occasion. These cute treats make great, inexpensive gifts for your kids’ teachers, for friends, bridal or baby showers, or even inexpensive party favors for your tween or teen’s birthday party. They are quick and easy to put together and I just love how they look wrapped in cellophane and tied with a pretty ribbon. If you are using these as favors, these would also look adorable if they were set up on a tiered cake plate or on a cupcake tree. [Read more…]

Easy Valentine Day Sugar Cookie Recipe – Conversation Heart Bears

February 6, 2018 By Melissa Leave a Comment
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This Valentine Day Sugar Cookie Recipe is so easy to make but turns out so stinking cute. Conversation hearts are quintessential Valentine’s day to me and I love how each sugar cookie bear has their own conversation heart. Other than the basics for the sugar cookie recipe all you need extra is the bear cookie cutter and the conversation hearts. Kids would love to help make these in the kitchen. Be sure to scroll down for the printable recipe.

Valentine Day Sugar Cookie Recipe Ingredients

1 ¼ Cup Flour
¾ Cup Sugar
½ Stick Unsalted Butter
1 Egg
½ teas. Baking Powder
½ teas. Salt
½ teas. Vanilla
Conversation Candy Hearts

Teddy Bear Cookie Cutter

Parchment Paper

Valentine Day Sugar Cookie Recipe Directions

First Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Then in a medium size bowl, beat butter and sugar with mixer then add egg and vanilla. Mix until fluffy.

Next stir flour, baking powder, and salt together. Once mixed, add to wet mixture.Mix until dry ingredients are incorporated.
Take dough and roll into a ball and place on floured parchment paper. Take rolling pin and roll out until it’s about ¼ inch thick. If it’s sticking to rolling pin, add a little flour to top of dough

Cut out bears using the cookie cutter and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet.

Place a conversation heart in the middle of the bear and bend its arms up to the heart. Then take a toothpick to poke the eyes and nose. Then place in oven and bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges become golden brown.

Be sure to store cookies in an airtight container for maximum freshness. This recipe makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Be sure to check out more Valentine’s Day ideas.

Star Wars Printable Valentines

EOS DIY Printable Valentine

Valentine’s Day Mocktail

Pony Bag Toppers for Valentine’s Day

DIY Spa sock cupcake

No Candy Crafty Valentine Ideas For Kids

Easy Valentine Day Sugar Cookie Recipe - Conversation Heart Bears

This easy and cute Valentine's Day sugar cookies are so fun with cut out bears and conversation hearts.

Servings: 2 dozen

Author: Melissa

Ingredients

1 ¼ Cup Flour
¾ Cup Sugar
½ Stick Unsalted Butter
1 Egg
½ teas. Baking Powder
½ teas. Salt
½ teas. Vanilla
Conversation Candy Hearts
Teddy Bear Cookie Cutter

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium size bowl, beat butter and sugar with mixer then add egg and vanilla. Mix until fluffy.
Stir flour, baking powder, and salt together. Add to wet mixture.
Mix until dry ingredients are incorporated.
Take dough and roll into a ball and place on floured parchment paper.
Take rolling pin and roll out until it’s about ¼ inch thick. If it’s sticking to rolling pin, add a little flour to top of dough
Cut out bears using the cookie cutter and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
Place a conversation heart in the middle of the bear and bend its arms up to the heart. Then take a toothpick to poke the eyes and nose.
Place in oven and bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges become golden brown.
Store in an airtight container. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

DIY Printable Star Wars Valentines Cards with Glowstick Lightsabers

January 30, 2018 By Melissa 14 Comments
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We loved the new Star Wars movie and were inspired to make some printable star wars valentine cards that will be a HUGE hit with both boys and girls. These are so simple to print at home and have your child give them to their classmates. The Valentine’s include Rey, BB8, Finn and Chewbacca. [Read more…]

Valentine Quiz for Kids – Easy Valentine Kids Activity

January 23, 2018 By Melissa Leave a Comment
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One thing I am focusing one this year is memory keeping. My girls are growing up so fast and I am sad that I don’t have items like this Valentine Quiz for Kids from when they were young. I am going to make them complete the quiz this year but wish I would have started when they were little.

If you are a room mom or teacher this would be a great activity for a classroom Valentine’s Day party. I am sure most parents would love to receive this.

[Read more…]

Valentine Easy Mocktail Recipe

January 18, 2018 By Melissa 10 Comments
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Looking for an easy mocktail recipe for Valentine’s Day? This is so simple but is perfect for kids and adults and can make for a special Valentine’s meal or party. I love these cute Valentine straws that make any drink special. They come in a large pack but they don’t cost much more than a smaller pack and you can make any event just a bit more special with a fun straw. [Read more…]

DIY EOS Valentine Card – EOS Lip Balm Cards

January 18, 2018 By Heidi 20 Comments
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Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and you will love our cute free EOS Valentine printable cards, made to hold those cool EOS lip balms. My tween loves to collect different EOS lip balms and these make fun Valentine’s Day treats for kids, tweens, teens or adults. These are so simple to make and we have created two different printable cards. One is Valentine’s Day themed and the other EOS Lip Balm card, you can use to give these fun lip balms as small gifts, all year long.

You can buy EOS lip balms just about everywhere. They sell them at Target, Walmart and at most drug stores for around $3-4. I have also found them on Amazon. I sometimes buy them with coupons at Ulta stores too. CVS and Walgreens carries the Beauty 360 brand, made by Revo, which is a similar size to the EOS lip balm brand. You can also buy the Revo brand at the Dollar Tree, under the name Chap Ice for just a dollar! It is about half the size, but at a better price. I have included smaller printable cards to fit the smaller Dollar Tree Chap Ice/Revo lip balms. If you are going to make 6, these packs are a great deal.

[Read more…]

Kids Healthy Christmas Treat Recipe – Grinch Kebobs

December 17, 2017 By Melissa 8 Comments
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Looking for an easy healthy Christmas treat recipe? Grinch Kebobs are perfect. These work well for Christmas dinner appetizers or for class parties. This simple recipe is great for getting something healthy that kids will also love. These are so cute and you know kids will love them! [Read more…]

Easy Peanut Butter Rudolph Cookies Recipe

December 15, 2017 By Melissa 3 Comments
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These adorable Rudolph Cookies are adorable, festive and so easy to make.

These Peanut Butter Reindeer Cookies make a fun treat for kids (and adults) plus they are so easy to make that the kids can help. This recipe requires just a few simple ingredients and you may have most of them on hand already! See the full printable recipe below.

I love that these are peanut butter easy reindeer cookies. Many Christmas cookies are sugar cookies so these have a whole different taste profile.

Peanut Butter Rudolph Cookies Recipe Ingredients

1/2 cup Peanut Butter
1/2 cup Butter
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
1 Egg
1 1/3 cup Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
48 Red M&M’s
96 mini Chocolate Chips
Mini Twist Pretzels

Cream together peanut butter, butter, sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Add egg and vanilla and beat until smooth. Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.

Slowly add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, beating until incorporated. Roll into 1/2-3/4″ balls and place on cookie sheet several inches apart. Sprinkle with sugar and gently make an indentation slightly off the center of each cookie. Bake 12-14 minutes.

After you bake the Christmas Reindeer cookies, it is time to decorate! This is my favorite part.

Place an M&M in the indentation of each cookie.
Insert 2 mini chocolate chips (pointy side down) above the M&M to be the eyes.
Insert 2 pretzel pieces to be the antlers.
If the antlers won’t stick, place some chocolate chips in a sandwich bag and microwave 30 seconds and knead until soft. Clip the very tip of the corner and pipe onto cookie to act as glue.

Peanut Butter Rudolph Cookies Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Easy Peanut Butter Rudolph Cookies Recipe

Author: Melissa

Ingredients

1/2 cup Peanut Butter
1/2 cup Butter
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
1 Egg
1 1/3 cup Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
48 Red M&M's
96 mini Chocolate Chips
Mini Twist Pretzels

Instructions

Break pretzels into pieces to use as antlers.
Preheat oven to 350.
Cream together peanut butter, butter, sugar and brown sugar until smooth.
Add egg and vanilla and beat until smooth.
Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.
Slowly add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, beating until incorporated.
Roll into 1/2-3/4" balls and place on cookie sheet several inches apart.
Sprinkle with sugar and gently make an indentation slightly off the center of each cookie.
Bake 12-14 minutes.
Place an M&M in the indentation of each cookie.
Insert 2 mini chocolate chips (pointy side down) above the M&M to be the eyes.
Insert 2 pretzel pieces to be the antlers.
If the antlers won't stick, place some chocolate chips in a sandwich bag and microwave 30 seconds and knead until soft. Clip the very tip of the corner and pipe onto cookie to act as glue.

Don’t forget to sign up for our emails below so you are notified of our next simple and tasty recipe (plus lots of other fun stuff!).

Want more easy and tasty recipes for Christmas?

Grinch Cookie Pops

Grinch Kebobs

Reindeer Hot Chocolate – Easy DIY Gift

Peppermint Hot Chocolate

Peppermint M0cha

Need Gift ideas? So so many unique gift ideas for everyone on your list.

Where to find Printed Craft Vinyl Sheets Graphics Supplies, Plus Tips and Tricks

December 14, 2017 By Heidi 13 Comments
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Where to find Printed or Pattern Vinyl Graphics Supplies, Plus Vinyl Tips and Tricks

If you have an electronic cutting machine like a Silhouette, Cricut or Eclips machine, you will love crafting with printed or pattern vinyl sheets. Pattern vinyl looks great on projects alone or mixed and layered with a solid color vinyl for a fun look. I love to adding printed vinyl to my cups, keychains, shirts and it adds another dimension to my project. You can find pattern in vinyl in fun prints like polka dots, stripes, florals, camos, anchors, plaids and more. We made a few fun projects with pattern vinyl and included some resources to help you find pattern vinyl and other vinyl graphics supplies, plus some tips and tricks on how to use it.

To save these resources and tips for later, hover over the photo above and press the “P” button to pin it to your Pinterest Boards.

[Read more…]

Easy DIY Gift for Kids – Reindeer Hot Chocolate

December 8, 2017 By Melissa 13 Comments
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Looking for a cute easy DIY gift for the kids. Check out this DIY Gift of Reindeer Hot Chocolate! This gift requires just a few ingredients and supplies which makes it very easy to make. It so simple to make that kids can easily make them themselves for friends. Just add ingredients and a tag and you are good to go with a simple but oh so cute gift! [Read more…]

No Spread Sugar Cookie and Perfect Icing Recipe, Plus Tips for Cookie Decorating with Kids

December 7, 2017 By Heidi 9 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links that help support this site at no additional cost to you. Please read my disclosure page for more info.

A friend gave me this sugar cookie and icing recipe a few years back when I mentioned that I was having a group of kids over for a cookie decorating party. I wanted cookies that would taste great, hold their shape, be firm enough to decorate, yet still soft enough to eat. I have been using this recipe for several years and it is my favorite. I have hosted cookie decorating parties at Christmastime for the last 5 years and I have been asked for this recipe over and over and so I thought I would share it here. I also am including a few tips below if you are having a cookie decorating party for kids or if you are decorating at home with kids. [Read more…]

Easy DIY Countdown to Christmas Printable – Dry Erase Frame

November 29, 2017 By Melissa Leave a Comment
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Looking for an easy and fun way to track how many days until Christmas? Check out this easy DIY Countdown to Christmas printable that you can easily use with a dry erase marker once you put the printable in a frame. My girls always want to know exactly how many days until Christmas and this is a fun way to track. The frames can be cleaned each day by simply using a paper towel to remove the marks from the dry erase marker. It is so easy you can even have put the kids in charge of this task.

[Read more…]

Choosing the Best Electronic Craft Cutting Machine – Compare Silhouette, Cricut and More

November 20, 2017 By Heidi 76 Comments
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Buying a craft cutting machine can be a big decision. There are several different types of cutters on the market and they all have very unique features. Most crafters opt to purchase a Silhouette or a Cricut machine, but there are more options out there. Your choice will heavily depend on what type of crafts you want to do and what type features you will want in a machine. I will highlight the unique features of each machine to help to make your decision easier.

Silhouette Machines

Silhouette machines are great for the person that likes to design and manipulate their own projects. There is a small learning curve to the Design Studio software, but you can easily change projects to fit your needs by erasing something here and there, adding text or drawing new lines. The Silhouette design store offers turnkey images and projects at a low price, but as you get better, you can easily tweak these projects to fit your needs. You can also cut any font that is installed on your computer.You can work within the free version of the Design Studio software or you can upgrade the software the Designer Edition and this unlocks new features like the ability to cut both Studio and SVG (vector files). The best part is that you do not have to have an internet connection to use your software. If the internet goes down, you will still be able to use your machine.

Tracing is another unique feature of the Silhouette machines. You can trace and cut images that you upload to your computer. For example, if you have a logo that you want to make “cuttable”, you can use the trace feature to make it into a cuttable file. My husband owns a small business and I was able to trace his logo and create vinyl decals, shirts and more for his business. Another example is if you have an image like a cute panda jpg file that you want to cut out, you can upload it to your software, trace it, and use the “print and cut” feature to print the image. Then you cann have your machine cut around the outer edge of the panda. This is one of my favorite features of the Silhouette machine as you can create truly unique projects.

Silhouette has a whole line of machines in different price ranges and with different features:

1. Silhouette Cameo Machines

The Silhouette Cameo is my favorite machine in Silhouette America’s lineup and the Silhouette Cameo 3 is the newest machine. It cuts a variety of mediums such as vinyl, cardstock, vellum, acetate, paper, thin cardboard and more. The cutting area is 12×12, but it will cut longer items by feeding it into the machine without the mat. It also has an SD slot for cutting images without your computer. There is only a slight difference with the Silhouette Cameo 1 vs. the Silhouette Cameo 2. Silhouette made a few upgrades to the control panel and the overall look of the Cameo, but both machines cut essentially the same. The Silhouette Cameo 3 machine has the most new updates. My favorite added features are the blade that automatically changes and the wireless capability. Silhouette is still making adjustments to the wireless aspect of the Cameo 3, but it will be well worth it to get rid of those pesky cords! There are even some brand new limited edition colored machines.

2. Silhouette Portrait

The Silhouette Portrait Machine has many of the same features as the Cameo, but it has an 8-inch wide capability. You can get this machine at a lower pricepoint and it will take up less space in your craft area. However, if you think you will want to do larger 3D projects like boxes or gift bags or cut tall vinyl lettering, go for the Cameo. It’s worth it!

3. Silhouette Curio

The Silhouette Curio is a cool little machine, but the software is advanced and I believe it is meant to be a machine that compliments either the Cameo or Portrait. It’s cutting area is 8.5 inches wide, but you can feed thicker materials into the machine. It also draws and embosses and stiples. New tools are still being released for the Curio machine, so stay tuned. If this is your first Silhouette machine, I would recommend the Cameo.

Cricut Machines

Cricut’s latest and greatest machines are the Cricut Explore Machine lineup and the Cricut Maker Machine and they blow away the older Cricut Expression machines. They are best known for producing turnkey projects easily and for it’s quiet cutting. Cricut has created a simplified software and you can purchase files directly from them for a minimal cost or you can upload your own SVG files. You can also cut any font that is installed on your computer. It cuts up to 11.5 x 23.5 and it is fairly simple to replicate the projects from the files that you purchase. While the design software is fairly easy to learn, it does now allow lots of manipulation of your own projects. If you are the designer type you will be disappointed with the limited design features of the software. Also note that you have to have an internet connection to use the Explore. If you have spotty internet, using your machine will be an issue. There have also been some computer compatibility issues with some of the Cricut Machines. Check if your computer’s operating system will work with your machine as there have been a few issues with machines not working with some operating systems.

You can cut all sorts of medium such as vinyl, cardstock, paper, chipboard, leather, thin wood and much, much more. The Cricut Explore and the Cricut Maker both have very strong motors and will cut a variety of thicknesses. The ability to cut thicker mediums is one of the main unique features of these machines and it sets them apart from the Cameo and other machines. I am most impressed with it’s ability to cut wood and leather.

Another feature of the newest Cricut machines that sets them apart from other machines is that they can draw and cut at the same time. They have slots for both a blade and pen. This will be a huge time saver if you are making cards and such that require both of these features. The Silhouette also draws and cuts, but you have to stop and change from the blade to pen and vice versa.

1. Cricut Explore Air 2 Wireless

Gone are the days where Cricuts only cut with cartridges. Users can enjoy cutting and drawing up to 2 times faster with the newest wireless Cricut machine. It is easy to select fast mode to speed up your cutting! The cutting speed is the biggest difference between the Explore Air Wireless 1 & 2. The Cricut Explore Air 2 Wireless machine has bluetooth capability that is built-in and the user can manipulate and cut images wirelessly from a PC, Ipad or MAC, just like the regular Cricut Explore Air Wireless. Be sure to check if your PC or Mac’s operating system is compatable. Certain operating systems do not work with the Cricut Explore machines.

2. Cricut Maker Machine

The Cricut Maker Machine has most of the same awesome features of the Cricut Explore Machines, but it cuts with a whole lot more force. With it’s new knife blade, it cuts with 4000 grams of pressure and can cut through leather, chip board, balsa wood and most other materials up to 2.44mm thick. And while the Cricut Air Explore 2, which cuts with 400 grams of force, can also cut thicker materials, such as balsa wood, aluminum, and chipboard, the Cricut Maker can cut them faster, better, and with more precision. Another major difference is how it cuts fabric. The Cricut Maker has a rotary blade attachment that is included. Quilters will love this feature as it allows cutting fabric without needing you to add bonding to the back of your fabric before cutting. To make this feature work, you will need to purchase the Cricut Fabric Mat. The new Cricut Maker can also do print and cut on colored paper vs. just plain white paper. The Explore Air 2 is only able to detect objects on white paper to cut around them. If you own old Cricut Cartridges from older Cricut machines, you will need an adapter to use the cartridges with this machine while the Cricut Explore 2 has a built-in slot to use cartridges. The cartridge adapter will be out in December of 2017 and will plug right into the USB port. There are a few other smaller differences like the addition of a USB port to charge your phone or ipad and some different storage compartments for tools. Overall, the Cricut Maker is a great machine and a step up from the Cricut Explore 2.

Sizzix eclips2 Machine

Most know Sizzix for creating metal dies that get run through a hand-cranked machine, but then they got into the electronic cutting machine market with the Sizzix eclips2. This easy-to-use machine has simple software and you can cut all sorts of images that you can purchase for a nominal fee from their design store or you can upgrade your cutting software for a fee to be able to cut SVG files. You can also cut any font that is installed on your computer. This machine will cut paper, vellum, cardstock and more and is perfect for the papercrafter, however you are limited to what will fit on your 12×12 mat.

One of the unique features of this machine is that it will truly score your project for fold lines. This is great for boxes as most cutters only cut perforated lines for scoring. This machine does a true score line.

Brother ScanNCut

The Brother ScanNCut Cutting Machine with a Built-in Scanner is very unique in that you can scan an image and cut it out without computer connectivity. This makes cutting shapes very easy and you can even do some editing, right on the provided screen. The brother will cut paper, cardstock, vinyl and chipboard, however and you can use either a 12×12 mat or a 12 x 24 mat to cut your medium. Use the free software to use either pre-loaded designs, designs that you scan or you can covert SVG files to work with this machine. While this machine has been the clear underdog of the cutting machines, if you love the scanning feature, this could be the machine for you.

While the scanning and cutting feature is what makes this machine unique, there has been some trouble with this machine. It only recognizes dark, crisp lines when scanning, so this will be necessary to access this feature.

Another unique feature is that you can also use this machine similar to how you use a regular scanner. You can scan documents or photos and save them right to a USB drive.

If you love this post about comparing electronic cutting machines, check out our posts about Vinyl for Electronic Cutting machines or Where to find Supplies for your Cricut Explore Machine.