Category Archives: Christmas

by Stef | November 23, 2012 · 9:25 am

Haute Apple Pie in Taste of Home!

Well now that Thanksgiving is in our short, but distant past, Christmas season is rolling in with full force. We are excited to kick it off with a picture of Stef, with her son and niece, gracing the pages of the December/January issue of Taste of Home magazine! And also online, HERE.

Honey Crunch Cookies are a great alternative to an Oatmeal Scotchie. Made with rice cereal and butterscotch chips, they are a great option to add to your holiday cookie tray. For the Taste of Home recipe, click here.

We look forward to sharing holiday gift guides, cookie recipes, party ideas and other Christmastime cheer with you over the next month!

3 Comments

Filed under Christmas, Holidays

by Stef | December 23, 2011 · 8:00 am

Mexican-Themed Christmas Fiesta

As I mentioned last week, my family and I decided to celebrate in a different way this year, Mexican-style! We celebrated this past weekend with festive drinks, food and desserts. It was a Feliz Navidad indeed.

To start the party out, I served Cranberry Pomegranate Margaritas using a recipe I found on the blog, My Life as a Mrs. Potent, but festive!

After making a special trip to my new favorite grocery store, El Rey, I put together a spicy Mexican meal that got us all in the Christmas mood. The shining star of the meal was the Chipotle Pulled Brisket Taco. Cooked in a slow-cooker, the beef was juicy and tender with a little kick.

Chipotle Pulled Brisket Tacos
Serves 6-8 people

3 lbs brisket
1/4 C apple cider vinegar
1 can diced tomatoes
1 TBSP chili powder
1/2 TBSP minced garlic
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp sea salt
1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely diced
1 TBSP adobo sauce
guacamole
Queso Fresco
flour tortillas, warmed

In a slow cooker, place brisket. Pour in apple cider vinegar and diced tomatoes, including the juices. Add minced garlic. In a small bowl, mix together chili powder, cumin, coriander and sea salt. Shake evenly over beef. Add chipotle peppers and adobo sauce. Make sure tomatoes and peppers are evenly spread across the brisket. Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours. 30 minutes before serve time, take two large forks and shred beef. The beef should easily tear apart. Mix throughly, reduce to warm and cover until serve time.

Place guacamole in bottom of warmed tortillas. Layer beef into taco. Sprinkle Queso Fresco over the top and serve with Spanish rice.

We rounded the meal out with an easy and beautiful Dulce de Leche dessert I found over on Oh My Sugar High. This dessert took less than 10 minutes to whip up and wasn’t too heavy after a big meal. I plan on making different variations in the future!

Wishing all of you love and joy this holiday season.

From my table to yours, Feliz Navidad!

6 Comments

Filed under Christmas, Cook, Drinks, Holidays, Main Dish, Treats

Tagged as Cranberry Pomegranate Margaritas, Ducle de Leche dessert, Feliz Navidad, Pulled Brisket Tacos, Spanish Rice

by Anne | December 21, 2011 · 8:35 am

{Homemade gifts} Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

Over the past month, I have made and frozen dozens of cookies. This weekend I pulled out all of the cookies to put together cookie plates for neighbors and friends but I quickly realized that I was short cookies. Looks like my husband and I may have stolen too many cookies out of the freezer!

I had a day to come up with something else to deliver to friends. I pulled out my favorite Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread recipe and purchased disposable holiday tins from Michaels. They came together so quickly and were the perfect gift.

Need a last minute gift? Try making your favorite recipe and find a creative way to package it. Everyone loves to receive something homemade.

Have a wonderful Holiday!

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Filed under Christmas, Cook, Treats

Tagged as chocolate chip zucchini bread, holiday treats, homemade holiday gifts

by kkregel | December 19, 2011 · 8:43 am

DIY Monogram Holiday Gift Tags

Keeping with the theme of personalized gift tags that Stef started, I dressed up my presents this year with monogrammed tags. If Stef’s tags were perfect for the wee illiterate, mine are just a tiny step forward – equally charming for eager toddlers as they are for adults. And the best part is that they’re super easy to put together!

What You’ll Need:
printer
scissors & Exacto knife
decorative papers
kraft paper or cardstock
twine
glue stick

Instructions:
1. Choose your favorite bold font and type the letters of your gift recipients into a Word document. I used Book Antiqua in size 150 pt.
2. Print off the pages of letters and cut them out.
3. Flip the letter over so that it appears backwards on the side of the paper that you don’t want to show. This will prevent smudgy pen or pencil marks on the “good” side when the letter is flipped over and oriented correctly. Cut out the letter using a scissors and an Exacto knife for inside spaces.

4. If you wish to have another color or pattern as an outline, repeat by tracing and cutting slightly larger than the edges of the actual letter.
5. Use a glue stick to affix onto cardstock or kraft paper tags.
6. Using a hole punch, punch a hole in the top of the tag and tie twine through.

HAP Holiday: Cookies, Wrappings and all the Trimmings!

Looking for more holiday ideas? Check out these ghosts of HAP Christmases past:
Cookies
Orange, Cranberry & Chocolate Chip Cookies
Christmas Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Valencia Delights
Lemon Ginger Tea Snowballs
Gingerbread Crinkles
Almond M&M Cookies
Easy Christmas Snacks
Gilded Lavender Butter Cookies

Wrapping
Unique Gift Wrapping Ideas
Last Minute Gift Wrap Ideas
Photo Gift Tags

Decor
Christmas Typography Sign
Quilled Paper Ornaments
DIY Winter Wreath
Holiday Tablescape

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Filed under Christmas, DIY, Holidays

Tagged as christmas wrapping ideas, gift wrap ideas, monogram gift tags

by Stef | December 16, 2011 · 8:00 am

{Holiday Gift Wrap} Photo Tags

It is hard to believe Christmas is right around the corner. Luckily, I’ve been ahead of the game this year (thank you Amazon) and my gifts are all purchased. This week I started to embark upon the task you love to hate and hate to love – wrapping. I toyed with the ideas of creating some of my own cute wrapping paper this year, but time got away from me. Instead, I am sticking to store-bought paper and some very personalized tags.

With little ones running around that don’t yet know how to read, I’ve created photo gift tags that they can identify themselves. It would also be fun to use old family Christmas photos or goofy pictures of your friends.

What you need:

Photos (or images printed on thick paper)
Colored Card Stock
Two-inch or larger square paper punch (or other shape)
Double sided tape, photo squares or a glue stick
Hole punch
Ribbon
Scissors

Place your photo inside the paper punch. Line up to frame the face and cut.

Using the same paper punch, cut shapes out of colored card stock.

Using tape or a glue stick, attach the card stock to the back of the photo. If you prefer, write a small note on the card stock.

Using the hole punch, place a hole in the upper corner of the tag. Slide through ribbon and attach to package.

How are you wrapping up your Christmas gifts this year?

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Filed under Christmas, DIY

Tagged as christmas wrapping ideas, holiday gift wrap ideas, photo gift tags

by Anne | December 14, 2011 · 8:56 am

{Homemade Holiday Gifts} Chocolate Caramel Drizzle Chex

I love delivering homemade goodies to friends and neighbors this time of year. I usually stick with the traditional cookie plate, however this year I came across this Caramel Chocolate Chex recipe and k new I wanted to try it. It is incredibly easy to make and is a perfect little snack!

Chocolate Caramel Drizzle Chex

3 cups Corn Chex cereal
3 cups Rice Chex cereal
25 Caramel Chews
2 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Milk
1/4 cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips

In a large, microwavable, bowl mix the 6 cups of Chex cereal.

In a medium bowl, microwave the caramels, butter and milk for 2-3 minutes stopping ever minute or so to stir. The mixture is done when the caramels are smooth and the mixture is well combined.

Pour the caramel mixture over the cereal and gently stir until evenly coated. Then, microwave the caramel coated cereal for 3-4 minutes, stopping to stir after each minute, until the mixture just begins to brown.

Spread the cereal mixture on wax paper in order to cool.

In a small bowl, microwave the chocolate chips for about a minute or until smooth and melted. Drizzle over the cooled cereal. Let the chocolate harden, then store mixture in an airtight container.

I made a couple batches of this snack and placed them in colorful treat boxes that I found at Michael’s There were the perfect gift to deliver to neighbors!

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Filed under Christmas, Cook, Treats

Tagged as Chex Mix holiday, christmas treats, homemade holiday treats, treats

by kkregel | December 12, 2011 · 8:01 am

{Obsessed with} Tartan Trimmed Wreaths

Each year for Christmas I tend to get hooked on some slight theme with my holiday decor and this year my obsession has been tartan trimmed wreaths. I’ve been in loving the classic Christmas vibe that a little tartan ribbon lends to the greenery. I went beyond just the front door, decking out several other rooms in wreaths as well to spread the festiveness and Christmas-y smells throughout the house.

The front door wreath, bought from our Boyscout neighbor, got the full treatment with a double tartan bow and lots of glittery mini ornaments.

On the side door and on the mirror in our master bedroom, I hung small candle rings with just a simple tartan ribbon.

For the built-in cabinets in my dining room I created mini wreaths by plucking branches from the backs of my candle rings (you don’t even notice they’re missing!) and arranging them in plain mini grapevine wreaths. Strung up by thinner tartan ribbons to match the smaller size, they tie in nicely with the nearby Christmas tree.

What’s your holiday decor style? Do you switch things up each year or stick with tradition?

3 Comments

Filed under Christmas, Decorate

Tagged as Christmas decor, Christmas plaid, Christmas wreath, holiday decor, tartan ribbons

by Stef | December 9, 2011 · 8:00 am

{Cookie Week} Zesty Mexican Wedding Cookies

This year for my family Christmas party, I’ve decided to switch it up and take a note from our country to the South and host a Feliz Navidad Mexican Fiesta (Stay tuned for more on that). Naturally, my mind turned to a favorite Christmas cookie of mine to finish off the meal, the Mexican Wedding Cookie. I’ve added my own citrusy twist to these nutty little powdered sugar nuggets, making them a great compliment to a fresh margarita.

Feliz Navidad

Zesty Mexican Wedding Cookies
Yields: approx. 2 dozen

1 1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp finely grated lime zest
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 1/4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp fresh lime juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread almonds on baking sheet and toast in oven for 8 minutes, turning once halfway through.

In a food processor, pulse almonds, until finely chopped. In a large mixing bowl, mix almonds, flour, salt, cinnamon and zest until well combined.

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and 1 C confectioners’ sugar until fluffy, 4-5 minutes. Add vanilla and lime juice and mix thoroughly. Slowly add almond mixture and mix until combined.

Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes, until light golden brown. Transfer to wire cooling rack. Dust warm cookies in 1/4 C confectioners’ sugar until coated. Allow to cool. Dust final cookies with extra powdered sugar, if necessary.

Feliz Navidad Amigos! Thanks for sharing Christmas carol cookie week with us!

{Cookie Week} Reindeer Peanut Butter Cookies

On Dasher! On Dancer! On Prancer! On Vixen! On Comet! On Cupid! On Donner! On Blizten! Do you recall the most famous reindeer of all?

Rudolph of course! In peanut butter cookie, chocolate pretzel and M&M form. I was inspired to make these reindeer cookies after viewing the old stop animation Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer movie with my son. The slightest bit creepy (if I dare to say) but festive none the less. Lincoln hasn’t stopped talking about reindeer since.

These adorable cookies are easy and fun to make, especially if you have little elves to help. If you don’t feel like making the peanut butter cookies from scratch, you can always use the slice and bake version, they will look just as cute!

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Reindeer Peanut Butter Cookies
Yields 2-3 dozen

2 C Creamy Peanut Butter
2 C sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 tsp vanilla
Brown and Red M&Ms
Chocolate Covered Pretzels (I used Snyders)

Preheat oven to 350. Thoroughly mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Roll into 1 1/2 inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Allow the cookies to sit for one minute after taking cookies out of oven. Then, insert pretzels at a 45 degree angle in the top of each cookie to make ears. (Be careful, the chocolate will melt if it touches the hot baking sheet!) Insert brown M&Ms for eyes and a red M&M for the nose. Once set, move to wire cooling rack to complete cooling.