Food

Hot Chocolate on a Stick {Gift Idea}

17 · Dec 22, 2010 · 101 Comments

Yes you heard me right…Hot Chocolate on a Stick!! This is the cutest idea of the season and I just had to share. I was inspired by Make and Takes via Pen & Paperflowers, thanks ladies!!

First, make the Chocolate Ganache Blocks… {Click on the image to see the recipe}

Next, make the homemade Rustic Marshmallows… {Click on image to see recipe.}

Then you assemble. Place a ganache block on the bottom, a marshmallow on top, then skewer with a stick.

Embellish the stick with Divine Twine or ribbon…

Try to resist eating them all, and package them up to give to your friends and neighbors…

I’ll make it even easier…here is a free printable tag for your tasty little gifts {click on image to print tags}

When you are finished…heat up some milk, pour it in a mug, and give your little treat a try…yum!

And the best part about this treat? It can be given and enjoyed all winter long, not just during the holidays! It would be a fun thing to serve at any New Year’s party!

Ribbon Christmas Trees {Tutorial}

288 · Dec 21, 2010 · 81 Comments

I wanted to do something different with my Christmas décor this year to break away from the traditional red and green. I decided to go with black and white.

But in an effort not to break the bank, I tried to make a lot of the new decorations. One thing that caught my eye this season was the ribbon Christmas trees we’ve seen so often. But I wanted to do them a little bit differently.

Instead of folding the ribbon in half (picture on left), I looped it around (picture on right).

First I spray painted my Paper Mache cones black. Then I cut black and white stitched grosgrain ribbon into pieces ranging from 2.5 –4 inches. I started with the longer pieces at the bottom. After looping the ribbon, I secured each piece with hot glue, and finished row by row, shortening the ribbon lengths as I got higher.

On one tree I alternated colors every row, and on the other I alternated each piece.

I finished the top with a bit more ribbon wrapped around the tip.

Now I have two beautiful trees that go perfectly with my new décor!

Gingerbread Pecan Biscotti {Recipe}

3 · Dec 20, 2010 · 5 Comments

Gingerbread Pecan Biscotti with Peppermint White Chocolate Drizzle

One thing you need to know about me is I’m a dunker. I need a glass of milk with me at all times when having any type of cookie or chocolate. I’ve even been known to pour milk over my cake (you’ve got to try it!). So biscotti is right up my alley, but this time I thought I would make a biscotti that says “Christmas”.

What’s better than the aromatic smell of gingerbread baking? So I searched until I found a recipe for gingerbread biscotti that had great reviews, and I think I found one. This particular recipe isn’t overly sweet or heavy; it’s light and crunchy like a good biscotti should be. And the peppermint white chocolate drizzled over it makes it the perfect little Italian treat.

Gingerbread Pecan Biscotti (adapted from food.com)

2 1/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (I grated whole nutmeg for added flavor)
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
2/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup molasses
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. In your mixer, combine the egg and egg whites, brown sugar, molasses and vanilla until smooth.
Stir the egg mixture into dry ingredients just until moistened; fold in pecans; cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Divide dough in half; shape each half into a ball; on a baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray, or parchment paper; roll each ball into a 14-inch x 1 1/2-inch rectangle.

Bake at 325 for 24 to 28 minutes or until firm to touch; remove from the oven and reduce heat to 300 degrees.
Cool for five minutes then transfer to cutting board. Cut diagonally with a serrated knife into 1/2-inch slices; place cut side down on a baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray; bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned, turning once. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Peppermint White Chocolate

6 oz. Baker’s White Chocolate
1/4 teaspoon Peppermint extract

Place chocolate in microwave safe container, and add peppermint extract. Microwave according to directions and heat in small increments, stirring each time until fully melted. Making sure your biscotti is completely cooled, line up and drizzle chocolate over them with a spoon.

Let the chocolate cool and harden, and place in an air safe container. Or if you’re like me, pour yourself a glass of ice cold milk and enjoy! Also great with any of your favorite hot beverages like cocoa.

{Blog Love} Homework–Today’s Assignment: Be Inspired

0 · Dec 18, 2010 · 4 Comments

Yesterday we featured our favorites from our 12 Days of Christmas Show-Off. But we left a little something out. Okay, a LOT of something out. We found Carolyn, from Homework, when she linked up four great projects to us. We wanted to keep her all to ourselves, but she’s too good not to share!

Homework is a blog full of inspiring tutorials and crafty design projects that are sure to get anyone’s creative juices flowing. Carolyn’s impeccable style and classy eye are evident in everything she does. Here are some examples:

Faux Birch Napkin Rings

Snowy House Place Cards

Special Gift Wrap

Pom Pom Snowman Ornament

Holiday kissing ball

There are many more treasures, so go on over there and tell Carolyn the WhipperChicks sent ya!

12 Days of Christmas Show-Off Features

2 · Dec 17, 2010 · 13 Comments

We want to give a tremendous “THANK YOU” to everyone who participated in our 12 Days of Christmas Show-Off Linky Party. There were so many great projects linked-up. We wanted to feature so many more than we possibly can, so I encourage everyone to go check out the links again, and be inspired!

But we do have a few we would like to show you again. Each of us WhipperChicks chose an absolute favorite, and then we all agreed on several more that we had to showcase as well.

We will start with our personal favorites:

Heather loved this Felt Tree Stocking from Scrapalicious Bytes. The felt Christmas Tree is gorgeous, and the detail perfect. We also really loved her Glitter Ornaments, and Pomegranate Molasses Gift Idea. Actually, we loved her whole blog, so go and check her out!

I couldn’t resist this Paper Fan Garland from Life is Sweet. She made the paper fans into ornaments, and then strung them across her mantle! And the fans are made out of sheet music. Ingenious. Go check out the rest of her holiday décor, you will love it!

Jamie loved this Snowman Kit from The Fickle Pickle. Just add snow! Give these to all your neighbors, and can you imagine all the cute snowmen in the neighborhood dressed up with their hats and scarves? Best neighborhood ever! We also loved her Festive Flowers.

When Katie saw these Ice Candle Holders from Creative Juices Décor her heart leapt like it does whenever she sees a beautiful and unique creation. She said, “What a great idea! Maybe it’s because I live in a desert and can only dream of a white Christmas that made me love these so. I love the idea of walking up to my house and having a row of these along my yard all lit up on Christmas Eve. How beautiful would that be?!? All I can say is I love it, great idea!”

Whitney chose this Anthropologie inspired Ornament from A Blonde’s DIY Life. She said, “I’m not really a “crazy crafter”, so I don’t have fancy tools or anything, so I really liked that this was just a bulb, paint, spray adhesive and glitter… I could so do that! And just look at it, it’s fabulous! I’m definitely a huge fan.” We also liked her Mirrored Wreath a lot too!

Kristin’s favorite was this Window Sill Mantle from Being Grown Up. She said, “I just like that I can relate to her. No mantle for us either and I really admire her tenacity to make things work and figure it out! The overall project was really impressive.”

Christene loved these Gingerbread Truffles from Me and My Pink Mixer. She said, “A great original idea from the tried and true oreo varieties. Can they taste at all as decadent? I don’t know but I’m willing to give them a try!”

Here are a few more we just had to show you! And then come back tomorrow for a very special highlight from our party!