holiday.goodies

The Christmas holiday is right around the corner and many are traveling to see loved ones, as my husband is. But I'm left at home because it's my year to work the Christmas holiday. So the ones of us who will be working & delivering little miracles into the world have decided to have a Christmas celebration of our own. Everyone will be bring some kind of dish, appetizer or sweets and an ornament to exchange with a coworker. I signed up to bring a cheeseball, but I wanted to do something extra too... [see receipes below]

Cranberry & Cheddar Cheeseball
{adopted from Martha Stewarts cheeseball receipes}

8 oz block of cream cheese
8 oz shredded cheddard cheese
2 tbsp peach chutney
1 1/2 tbsp softened margarine
4 dashes of tabasco sauce
1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp black pepper
few dashes of salt
1 cup dried cranberries chopped

Mix all above ingredients except cranberries in a medium size mixing bowl. Be sure all ingredients are well blended. If mixture is to soft at this point, let it stand in the refrigerator for an hour. Then roll into ball like form. Roll cheese ball in a bowl full of chopped dried cranberries to form a layer on outer surface of ball. Or be creative and make your cheeseball into something festive using the dried cranberries as decor.

Here's my ornament cheeseball:

 { funny story: my husband thought this was a real ornament when i sent him the picture & he came home looking for it on the tree! }

 

 

Chocolate Peppermint Pretzels

12oz bag of Hersheys Special Dark chocolate morsels (or any you prefer)
5 large candy canes crushed
your preference of pretzels (i like the mini ties)

Add 6 oz of chocolate morsels to a microwavable bowl. Microwave on 60% power for 30 second increments. Each time stir and add an ounce more of morsels. Do this until all morsels have been used and chocolate is smooth. Dip half of pretzel in chocolate, tapping extra off. Then lay on parchment paper. After doing several take time to sprinkle crushed peppermint over chocolate side. Once all pretzels are complete move to refridgerator to harden. Takes about 30 minutes.

Then they're ready to serve! Mmmm!

Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas Eve & Merry Christmas!!

handmade.ornaments

So if you saw my post from a few days ago, on my 5th day of giving, you saw that I had created handmade candy cane ornaments. At the end of my post I had mentioned that my daughter & I would be making snowflake ornaments.

And that's what we did this weekend. We made handmade snowflake ornaments and she is going to give every family in our family one each. In addition to the snowflakes, we made all kinds of other ornaments, that we painted. :: Pictures to follow ::

5th.day.of.giving

on the 5th day of Christmas

:: i gave away these things ::

Candy Cane ornaments
Handmade, in-fact

:: Tutorial Provided ::

I'm giving these to my co-workers & managers. Spreading the Christmas spirit. Maybe it will entice others too as well!

Things you'll need ::
  rolling pin
  pizza cutter
  straw
  parchment paper
  red model magic by crayola
  white model magic by crayola
  cookie cutter
  ribbon (color of your choice)
  silver glitter glue (optional)

1. Spread out about 2 ft of parchment paper on a flat surface

2. Use rolling pin to flatten clay to a thickness of 1/4" - 1/2" in a rectangular shape

     (( hint: start with the white clay first, then red ))

3. Use your pizza cutter and cut diagonally across your two rectangles, cut strips 1/3" - 1" in width

4. Take strips you've cut, in the same order you cut from the two colors, & place them side by side, alternating colors to create one long rectangle of white & red together

5. As you place the strips together, squish them so they're becoming one piece of clay

6. Once all strips are together, take your rolling pin & roll over your newly created rectangle on both sides

7. Use your candy cane shaped cookie cutter and begin cutting out your shapes

  (( be sure when you cut one, that you cut completely through the clay .. then take shape and place to side on parchment paper ))

8. Use your straw and cut a hole about 1/4" below top edge of candy cane

9. Let you candy canes dry for 24-48 hrs .. flipping over half way through your drying

10. ((optional step)) Use silver glitter glue (or desired color) and write the year, your name, Merry Christmas .. it's up to you

11. Cut your ribbon to desired length for hanging on your Christmas tree

{ i was able to cut 13 large candy canes and 2 small candy canes from my clay roll out }

And the result :: All of my candy canes look different, with varying widths of white & red .. but all so cute!

  

{ the tutorial that inspired me :: snowflake ornament - which i plan on making with my step-daughter this weekend for family! }