I’m just gonna lay it out there…….I like powdered cocoa packets you buy at the store. They’re delicious. I like hot cocoa from restaurants too – I know it’s not homemade. That’s okay! It tastes good, so that’s what matters. However, I don’t always have the packets sitting around at home. AND at Christmas when it’s really cold, it’s nice to make a little treat. AND think about how impressed people will be when they know you made the cocoa from scratch. AND it really does taste better. The packets are just convenient. At night when I put Annie to bed, sometimes I don’t have the energy to move my little pinky finger, much less energy to make hot cocoa. This recipe is fast though, so you can make it even if you’re in a state of delirium. [Read more…]

***UPDATE: See this post about our new eating habits. (7/10/11)

I was in Sam’s yesterday and I saw a bag of this. It’s called Chex Muddy Buddy. Now, we’ve always called it Puppy Chow. Why? Well, because it looks like dog food. But let me tell ya, it does NOT taste like dog food. It tastes like manna from heaven. This is one of those foods that I try not to make, because I end up eating so much that I wish I could get my stomach pumped. You don’t need to run to Sam’s to buy it. You can make your own and it is SO easy. You don’t even have to turn on the oven. I had you at “easy” didn’t I? But, I am warning you. Make this at your own risk. If you cannot say no to the chocolate/peanut butter combination, then you need to stop reading this right now and go look on eBay. Thank you.

I always keep Chex in the house. Now, it’s not always name brand……but who cares. I buy what’s cheap. It’s a disease. Anyway, you need Chex, semi-sweet chocolate chips, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Can you tell we’re about to have some fun here? Even if all you did was throw it all in a bowl and eat it with a spoon, it would be delicious. If that’s what you need or want to do, then I am not here to judge you. [Read more…]

Today we’re making Christmas Turtle candy – no turtle meat involved. Ew. Some things just aren’t meant to be eaten. This is just about the easiest candy you can make. Seriously. If you guys are looking for something that is more simple than this, I really don’t know what to do for you. Anyone can make these……even those of you who state you cannot boil water. There is no water included in this one! I hope Rebecca and Tracie are reading this – you can now both make Christmas candy! It’s another Christmas miracle!

These are pretty cheap to make. You’ll need mini pretzel twists, Kisses, and peanut M&Ms. These two candies are always on sale at Christmastime…..and let’s face it – pretzels are cheap. They’re tasty and cheap. My favorite!!!! You could also use pretzels in the shape of waffles, but I couldn’t find those this year. Go ahead and unwrap your Kisses…..it’s a good exercise in restraint. I didn’t eat any, but I was chewing a piece of gum. Tropical Fruit Kisses didn’t really appeal to me. [Read more…]

I make this every year at Christmas. It’s not for me though. Personally, I think it’s disgusting. 🙂 However, I am in the minority. Whenever I take it somewhere, I never bring any back. It’s hard to understand people when they’re talking to you and stuffing their mouth with Peppermint Bark at the same time. I have this thing with mint flavor – I hate it. Yep, that about sums it up. Now, this candy is SO easy to make and it is a really good gift for the mailman. You can put it in your mailbox and not worry about it melting at this time of year. We always gift our mailman at Christmas. Anyway, let me show you how to make this and you’ll be shaking your head in amazement at how easy it is….and then you’ll go make a dozen batches.

This is what you need. Peppermints of some sort and white candy coating. That’s it. Recipes with a small ingredient list always intrigue me. I used candy canes because they were on sale (duh) but you could use peppermint disks instead. Also, you can use the green ones if you’re feeling particularly festive. I don’t like those either. Blech! Oh my gosh! I just thought of this – you could use red AND green ones! [Read more…]

***UPDATE: See this post about our new eating habits. (7/10/11)Today starts a week dedicated to Christmas candy! Everyone loves Christmas candy…..everyone. Seriously, do you know someone who doesn’t? Every day I’ll do a tutorial for one of my favorite Christmas candies. I’m not really sure why they’re called Christmas candy, because really you could eat them any time of the year. I just dude them up to make them look all Christmasy and fancy. So, do not distress! You can eat this stuff all year long. Christmas in July (or January, or April)! Today we’re doing Chex Caramel Corn. I’m still astonished at myself for doing this one as a tutorial. It’s the best Chex mix that I make. I sell a lot of it at Christmas……so it’s like I’m giving away my secret. Count it as your Christmas present. You’re welcome. [Read more…]

***UPDATE: See this post about our new eating habits. (7/10/11)

I make a lot of snack mix. A LOT. Seriously……a lot. I make it for gifts, for potlucks, for car trips, for dessert. There are only about a zillion different types to make. My favorite is Chex Caramel Corn, but that recipe is to follow sometime this Christmas season. Have I mentioned that I make a lot of snack mix? I used a Chex recipe and tweaked it a little bit to come up with this one, using things I had at home. The best part about this recipe is that it’s made in the microwave! Even better, the next few times you use your microwave after this, it will still smell like Apple Pie. It’s a holiday miracle! [Read more…]

***UPDATE – See this post about our new eating habits. (7/10/11)

I love bagels…..something about a toasted bagel just makes me happy. I love getting bagels from bakeries, but ya know sometimes I don’t feel like going out just to get a bagel. That would mean I’d have to put something on besides my PJs. Some days, that just ain’t happening. Can I get a witness?!  Homemade bagels make the ones in the store taste like shoe leather. It’s really not that hard to make homemade bagels, it just takes a little bit of time – just like anything you use with yeast. I LOVE baking with yeast. It’s so magical and bubbly…..and smelly. But smelly in a good way – not like with socks. [Read more…]