I know this idea might seem overly obvious, but sometimes the best traditions are born from the simplest ideas! For example, every year during the week before Christmas, we curl up on the couch to watch Polar Express -- my very favorite holiday movie -- with a big bowl of popcorn. It's one of those…
It's no secret that I love peppermint treats during the holidays, and this candy cane cookie mix makes a festive -- and tasty -- gift in a jar! Layer a few simple ingredients and add this printable cookie tag to share a little bit of holiday cheer. These are especially good for neighbors, teachers or other…
Mmm, these chocolate-filled snowballs are a fun twist on our traditional walnut snowballs (also called Russian tea cakes or Mexican wedding cakes)! The one thing I learned the hard way is that while we cook our snowballs at 300 degrees for 35 minutes, these need to be baked at a higher temperature so that they'll…
The following post is from Shaina of Food for My Family and Olmanson Photography: Soft shortbread, dotted with peppermint candies and dipped in dark chocolate makes a wonderful addition to your Christmas cookie tray. A while ago I had a friend tell me they weren't going to waste dessert on shortbread, describing it as "bland"…
I've always been a fan of the original Nestle Toll House recipe, but it's only been recently that I've actually perfected my chocolate chip cookies. It turns out the secret is in the method rather than the ingredients...and using mini chocolate chips helps too! The extra chocolate makes these rich and gooey, and they're especially…
Peppermint-chocolate pretzel treats are one of our very favorite Christmas treats -- to make and to eat -- and the combination of M&Ms and peppermint Hugs makes that version extra sweet. In this version, I decided to play up the salty element instead, using milk chocolate Kisses and roasted peanuts. That combination makes these less…
As part of this year's 101 Days of Christmas series, I'm sharing a roundup each Sunday with more ideas from around the blogosphere! I've always loved making chocolate-dipped treats and homemade candy, but it's one of those time-consuming things I usually put off for another time {that never comes}. Putting this post together sure had…
Crunchy and super sweet, this candy is more than a little bit addictive, so you'll want to make it and gift it right away rather than keeping it around the house! Although it still contains nuts, this recipe, adapted from Betty Crocker, is peanut-free for those dealing with peanut allergies (you'll obviously want to check to…
The following post is from Shaina of Food for My Family and Olmanson Photography: A recipe for orange-kissed cranberry quick bread that can be gifted in a jar as a mix or already baked into loaves. I dislike shopping malls, especially around Christmas. Being jostled from behind and elbowed as I stand in line or…
I've never made homemade popcorn balls before -- although we've happily eaten them as part of various gift baskets over the years -- so when Good Cook asked if I'd like to try their popcorn ball-making kit for our series, I was excited to give it a try. Although there are "classic" recipes for popcorn…