“Although I call it a grappling hook launcher, it is basically a souped up version of any pneumatic gun. I took the best aspects of many different spud guns to make one of the best possible systems doing my best to avert creating any weak spots and not using any dangerous PVC (which shatters when over pressured and does not work well in the cold). This system is designed to be robust and efficient in every aspect of its construction. It is not hard to build and the most trouble anyone would have is gathering all the materials needed.” w/ photos + video

“In the world of cookies it would seem that adding candy to cookie dough might be overkill, but not so. Candy plus cookie equals, three words: holy freak’n goodness, especially when it comes to these M&M Pretzel candy… Now that I have your curiosity peaked… take a bite out of these and enjoy a sweet and salty combination that will last as long your will power will allow.” w/ photos

“These s’mores cookies are almost a riff on traditional chocolate chip cookies. Graham cracker crumbs replace some of the flour in the recipe and in addition to the chocolate chips in the cookies, mini marshmallows and chopped up Hershey bars are pressed into the tops and give them all the flavors of classic s’mores. The cookies are on the thin side, but thick enough that they have crisp edges and chewy centers. I also found that refrigerating the dough for 15-20 minutes before baking made them ever so slightly more thick. Yesterday, I visited my neighbor with a few of these cookies and she was just as big a fan as we were. It’s very easy to understand why this recipe is so popular.” w/ photos

“By the way, and totally rhetorical, what genius came up with the saying, “You can’t have your cake and eat it too”? You wanna bet?!? What other purpose does a cake serve?… Humongous thanks to the genius behind these bars, Jenny, from the Picky Palate. Her bars made all the tiny party-goers really really happy.” w/ photos

“Hungarian Ernő Rubik invented the Rubik’s cube in 1974. He was born on the 13th of July, 1944. Myself and my other half set about making a birthday cake, worthy of the great man, himself. Battenberg cakes are constructed of rectangular pieces of alternatively colored Victoria sponge cake, sandwiched together by jam and held together with walls of marzipan. We decided that the different pieces of cake could by dyed the traditional six colors of the Rubik’s cube – white, red, blue, orange, green and yellow. Then to make the cake a little more Rubik’s like, we decided to have each slice of the cake reveal a different combination of colored squares, just like a Rubik’s cube. To achieve this, we cut the colored rectangles of sponge into different lengths. This was definitely a case where I needed the engineering mind of my other half to figure out the maths of this cake. It took a little planning to get it right, however I think it might just be a worthy birthday treat. I’m not sure if Ernő has a sweet tooth but hopefully he might enjoy this puzzling cake.” w/ photos

“While trawling the frozen snacks aisle earlier this week, my ever-wandering eye landed upon a gold mine — a mini, oblong, pig-filled gold mine. Mini corn dogs! Perfect for covering in chocolate! Although, I feel that way about pretty much everything, don’t I? As is the case for most things that I cover in chocolate, the ingredients and recipe are significantly cheaper and easier than flying to Korea.” w/ photos

“In my humble opinion, Butterfingers are the best candy in the universe along with red gummy bears. Ok I’ll just admit that my favorite candies list is a mile long. When it comes to candy, I have an incredibly difficult time not throwing it in and on every single dessert I make. (just in case you haven’t already noticed) If I’m going to make chocolate covered strawberries, there’s no way I’m just dipping the strawberries into chocolate because in my fat filled and Butterfinger loving mind, that’s just makes me want to cry or sit in the corner and eat a pack of fun sized Butterfingers. Mmmm sugar and fat makes the world go round. So my friends, I present to you the ultimate Butterfinger lovers chocolate covered strawberry. Seriously I could just die in the corner with these strawberries along with a package of gummy bears.” w/ photos

“When Fruit Gushers first came out, they were sooooo much cooler than just regular fruit snacks. However, I was always afraid that I would sqoooosh them in my lunch bag and the goo in the middle would go everywhere and then I would open up the pouch they were in and it would be a mess. But my mom never actually bought them for us, so crisis averted. Even though the novelty of Gushers has worn off, they make a good chocolate-covered treat.” w/ photo

“If you are helping with a school party, are hosting a graduation party, or are looking for a teacher’s gift, why not try your hand at making these edible leather books? I used raspberry, cherry, strawberry, and apricot fruit leather and found that the apricot leather was tougher, thicker, and dryer than the others. I had to add some honey to the pages to make them stick. Try to find fruit leather that are very fresh (look for the expiration date on the package) for the best results. The leathers should be pliable and a bit sticky on one side. Don’t ask me why they are sticky on one side, I couldn’t tell you, but they tend to be, and it works very well for this recipe.” w/ photos

“Who says nachos have to be made out of chips? Wedges of sweet, juicy watermelon drizzled with yogurt, sprinkled with dried cranberries and toasted almonds and dusted with cinnamon makes a great, summery snack – especially on those days when you can’t take the heat.” w/ photo