(UPDATED with More) Cookie/Candy Swap Recipes

Some of you have requested recipes so I'm posting a couple that I have here with me at work and I will post the recipes for the cranberry bark and peanut clusters either later tonight or tomorrow. I will update this post with the other recipes.

Rice Krispy Peanut Butter Balls

1 18 oz jar of crunchy peanut butter

4 to 4.5 cups of Rice Krispies

1 cup powdered sugar

1 stick of butter, melted

1 bag of chocolate chips

In a large bowl, combin the PB, Rice Krispies, powdered sugar and butter together. Once combined, making your PB balls. You may find the mixture a bit too sticky, you can add a bit more powdered sugar or PB. When I made them, it was a damp day so I added a little bit of both. Put in fridge to firm up (about 15 minutes).

While waiting for the PB goodness to set, melt your chips. Slightly cool your chocolate and dip!

Place the PB balls on a pan lined with wax paper and cool in fridge until firm.

Hot Cocoa Cones

For each cone you will need:

Two 12" plastic disposable pastry bags

About 3/4 cup of hot cocoa mix

(I buy a big Swiss Miss canister from the warehouse store)

1/2 cup mini marshmallows

Extra goodies: mini chips, christmas sprinkles, gumdrops, candy cane bits... whatever you want (optional)

1. Pour the cocoa mix into one of the bags. Trim top (if you need to) and fold the bag top down and seal with tape

2. Place the cocoa-filled bag into the second bag and place the mini marshmallows on top

3. Sprinkle your extra goodies on top (optional)

4. Tie the top with curling ribbon and attach tag with instructions

Peanut Clusters

Nonstick cooking spray

60 caramel candies, unwrapped

3 TBSP water

2 12-oz pkg chocolate chips

3 cups salted peanuts

4 TBSP butter flavor Crisco shortening (optional)

Cover cookie sheets with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray

In a medium saucepan over medium low heat, melt caramels with water, stirring often. Once melted, remove from heat and stir in peanuts. Drop by rounded tablespoonful onto prepared cookie sheets (for easier handling, spray spoon with cooking spray too). Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until set.

Melt chocolate chips with shortening (adding the shortening is optional. Makes the chocolate a little "looser")

Dip caramel peanut cluster into chocolate (or drizzle on top). Place on foil-lined sheets and chill clusters for 30 minutes. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Cranberry Chocolate Bark

1 (6 oz) pkg (1 cup) of chocolate chips (semi-sweet or bittersweet taste the best)

2 oz sweet baking chocolate, cut into pieces

1/2 cup whole almonds, toasted

1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries

1. Line cookie sheet with foil. In small saucepan, melt chocolate chips and chocolate pieces over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth

2. Stir in almonds and cranberries. Pour onto foil-lined cookies sheet; spread to 1/4 inch thickness. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until firm.

3. Break bark into pieces. Store in covered container in refrigerator

Enjoy your day!

Jen

Cute Stuff Inside... Cookie Swap!

I'm joining Marsha's virtual cookie swap. Okay, I'm going to "swap" candy. I didn't make cookies this year. I am all cookied out. Another thing to note: my confections did not photograph as well as I would have liked them to. I guess they were camera shy but they all taste YUMMY!

First up... my Cranberry Almond Chocolate bark.... a big hit. I need to make more. I have to make one whole batch for my brother; he really loves it. There's some white chocolate cranberry bark mixed in there.

Next in line... my chocolate covered Oreos. I have several molds for these. I just got the gingerbread house and christmas tree this year. No recipe needed. Buy some Oreos (double stuff works best), some good quality chocolate, melt, pour into molds, set and eat!

Anyone for some caramel peanut clusters drizzled with chocolate? Yummy but watch out! You can break a tooth or at least lose a filling or two!

Maybe Chocolate Pecan Buttercrunch is more your style? It's pretty darn good! Easy recipe too. Just need to watch that buttercrunch cook. Low and slow and you're in business. Want the recipe? Go to King Arthur Flour and search for "Dark Chocolate Buttercrunch". You WON'T be sorry!

You say you fancy chocolate and peanut butter? I have something for ya! Chocolate covered peanut butter krispy balls! Made with crunchy peanut butter, confectioners sugar, butter and Rice Krispies. Dipped in chocolate after they've set. YUM! YUM!

Few more treats to go. Off to the fudge! On the plate we have: chocolate peppermint fudge. Next is the chocolate walnut and lastly chocolate and peanut butter layered fudge.

Are you chilly? Maybe you're thirsty? Can I offer you some hot chocolate? Homemade hot cocoa cones... very easy to make and a good filler in my treat buckets.

If anyone would like recipes, please let me know. I would post them now but I was gone all day and I'm tired but I wanted to get my goodies posted before tomorrow since I'm gone all day then too. Oh, and I hope you can see from what I made... I LOVE CHOCOLATE!!!!

Hope you enjoyed the virtual cookie (candy) swap! It was fun!

Enjoy your night!

Jen :)

Our First Official Snow...

Amelia was ready to go outside at 7:30 Sunday morning. She held off until 10:30. She had a great time outside.

She didn't want to come inside but we had to. My toes were frozen!

Enjoy your day!

Jen :)

O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!

Amelia can't wait to decorate you! We're going to do that next weekend. We just all happen to be home on Saturday so we went to pick out our tree.

Amelia was helping Mama do a little light cleaning this morning. I think she did a great job!

Enjoy your day!

Jen

New Blog Giveaway!

Go and check it out! Sheri is doing a blog giveaway of the cutest bag! Good luck to you all but I think I'm going to win it. LOL! Just kidding!

Got more projects done

I've been busy doing some sewing the last couple of weeks. I worked on a few more pillowcases. I love pillowcases. Nice use of fabrics I like and quick gratification for a project done. The pink/white ones are for me and the blue one in the middle is for Amelia. The fabric collection is called "Amelia" and I also bought some fat quarters a while back from the same collection and I'm going to make Punkie a lap quilt out of them.

And I got Amelia's Mickey Mouse fleece blanket done. I decided NOT to topstitch it. I had problems with the backing fabric shifting on me - even with all the pin basting my husband and I did, so the blanket is a hair off square. AND I had to patch it because as I was cutting off my extra material before turning it out... I cut a hole in it. I was NOT happy. I ran out and bought an iron on patch from Joann's. Good as new! The blanket is soooo warm. I'm going to make a few more for me. One for the couch when we're just hanging out and one for the New Hampshire house. I didn't struggle with it too much so I'm still going ahead with my plans to make them as upcoming birthday gifts. Joann's has the fleece on sale again this coming weekend so I'm going to pick more up. So far I've gotten all the fleece I need for 3 birthday blankets (one birthday falling in August). But for 50% off, it's a good deal. Just have to find a place to store it.

Amelia loves it. That's all that matters to me.

I'm off Monday and Tuesday to do my Christmas treat creating. Can't wait to get started! I know by Tuesday night my back will be killing me but it's worth it!

Enjoy your day!

Jen :)

Sewing Fleece... ??

I have about 3 yards (I think 3 yards) of Mickey Mouse fleece fabric that I bought from Joann's to make Punkie a blanket with. And I've been staring at it for weeks now. I've washed and squared it up and I was going to sew an edge on it and call it a day but now I'm re-thinking my idea. I think I want to back it with a solid piece of fleece. I also want to get my godson some Yankees fleece and do the same thing for his birthday and make a coordinating pillow case. He's going to be 11. I have no idea what to get him so his getting textiles. Same with my god-daughter - she'll be getting textiles too her her January birthday (fleece blanket and coordinating pillow). I want to show off my new found craft.

My question, how easy (or hard) is it to sew fleece? Do I need a special sized needle for my machine? I'm clueless here. The fleece seems really slippery and I don't want to struggle with it right off the bat. My thought is right sides together, sew the edges, turn right sides out, close up hole and tah-dah! a fleece blanket. I MAY topstitch the edges.. not sure yet.

OR

Should I skip sewing the fleece together and just knot it... like I've seen all over the web...?

Can anyone give me some pointers??

Thanks in advance and enjoy your day!
Jen :)