Holiday Gift Guide: Kids 3-7

Aside from one baby in the family, every kid I buy Christmas presents for is between 3 and 7 years old. While I could make some strong guesses about what older kids would like or what we loved in the very young years, this is what we love right now and what I'm buying this year. 

(Amazon-related posts do have some affiliate links but there is nothing here I haven't bought recently or in the past :)

Leap Frog Globe -- We got this two years ago and they play with it a lot. It is also priceless when it comes to homeschooling. If I can give you one piece of advice: make sure your child knows what a map and a globe are before they go to school. Every kid needs a globe, in my opinion, and this interactive one is perfect for preschool age and up. 

Kinetic Sand/Play Doh -- I think kids fall into two categories. They are either into kinetic sand or they're into play doh. Wells was into sand. Sutton is into play doh. Play dough is a lot less messy and I don't flip out if the dog accidentally eats a piece. 

Lincoln Logs -- They love these. We have a few sets and there's a reason they are classics. 

Magnatiles/blocks -- Anything magnetic is a winner. Magnatiles are always popular for a reason. 

Fort building kit. My niece and nephew are about the same ages as Wells and Sutton and I could think of no better gift. I wage battle against whatever forts are being built every single day. There is always one around. 

Playdoh cake oven. Sutton likes Playdoh and it's less clean-up than kinetic sand. This is the set I chose for her. I've never, in this many years, bought anything "Playdoh" for Christmas, so we'll see how it goes. 

Soccerball. This ended up not being the exact one I ordered but you cannot go wrong with a colorful soccerball. Wells needed a size up and all the kids in the neighborhood play with them. 

Beyblade arena. Wells has wanted one of these for a year or more. He has loved Beyblades and needs a place to battle. I remember watching boys play with these years ago in school, so it's a gift that isn't super trendy and kids love it. 

Lego 3 in 1 Creator sets. Wells always gets some legos for Christmas and birthdays...and Easter and everything in between. I don't go all out on expensive sets anymore because they pieces do just end up everywhere and all mixed together. These are always under $15. 

Playdoh dentist set. I got this for our 3 year old nephew. Sutton is obsessed with dentist-related items and I figure the more you can desensitize a toddler to the idea of the dentist, the better. 

Disney Princess doll. Sutton is really into Belle right now so I got her this and then also a mini Elsa one. She had a regular-sized Elsa Barbie last year from a friend and that doll fell victim to puppy Maverick. 

Melissa and Doug stickers. I was introduced to the wonder of Melissa and Doug stickers at our co-op this fall. Every kid loves stickers, and these are incredibly high-quality and a great value. I appreciate the way Melissa and Doug always has a boy version and a girl version of their toys. 

Honorable mentions include a snake bite kit because Wells thinks it would be very useful to carry around with him "just in case" and the Ninja Turtles Hungry, Hungry Hippos that I have not pulled the trigger on yet. They're in the cart.

I don't care if you're a "fur mom"

To get all three of them in the same picture would've been...impossible. I came close last week. 

I said long ago that I didn't want to be referred to as a fur mom. I don't like it, personally. However, I will take this opportunity and this platform to announce that I've long been "mommy" to the dogs.
And, in fact, just the other day, as Scout attempted to take off across the yard, I grabbed him and said menacingly If you run away, you'll never see daddy again. Think about that. I think he understood. At least the "daddy" part.

Therefore, I've been "mommy" and Scott has been "daddy" since we got our dogs. It's just how we refer to ourselves. Not, like, in the third person. But as in Go see mommy, she has your treats or Don't worry, you're going with daddy when Scott goes hunting.

And, we refer to Scout, Jett, and Wells as "brother" interchangeably. Be nice to brother. Or Hi brother Jett! I just woke up from my nap! Or Don't worry, brother is coming too. Or Let me feed brothers first. 

It's literally just part of my day-to-day vernacular now because it's how I talk to Wells.

However, Mother's Day and Father's Day always brings out the fur mom and fur dad crowd, right?

Here's the thing: I don't care if you refer to yourself as a fur mom or a fur dad. This is truly a That's-for-you, not-for-me situation.

I do not actively refer to myself as a dog-mom. I always say "I have two dogs".

Scott has sent me Mother's Day flowers from the dogs before. I've given him Father's Day cards from the dogs. We've never equated it to being actual mothers and fathers. It was just our version of a nod to the holiday.

It's also not really a comparison thing. In my mind, I can't relate the two: being a human's parent isn't the same as being a dog or cat's parent. It'd be like comparing the measurement of heat to the measurement of length: you can't do it.

Therefore, I don't think dog moms and dads should *seriously* be celebrated as the equivalent of human moms and dads on these Hallmark card holidays (because really now, that's what they are), but I also don't think they should be scoffed at.

Because, for some of us, our pets are literally all we have. I don't say that in a disparaging way. It's just the truth. Scout was my first baby. The first living thing I ever mothered. Jett came next. I took them seriously. Because I couldn't have a baby, yes. But I also took them seriously because they were all I had. Scott was deployed three times in the first four years we had the dogs. They were by my side every day. They were the ones I came home to and they were the ones who kept me company. They were the ones who I had to hug through fertility treatments, it's worth saying. I wouldn't have made it through those years in Colorado without them.

After we had Wells, I had to let them grow up a little bit. At first I was worried they'd think I didn't love them anymore and I plainly remember thinking how Wells just needed me so much more than they did (obviously!) so they needed to be on their own more. Plus, they so prefer Scott to me. It's not even a question. Also, they are very much their own dogs with their own preferences and I don't really infringe on that at this point. They're adults.

Getting back to the point of this post, I've seen a lot about both sides of being a fur mom or a fur dad over this last week. I think I always assumed that I would feel some sort of offense at the phrase after having my own child, but I don't. I don't call myself such, but I also don't care if you do. There's a lot of battles out there that need to be fought on the internet, but I'm happy to say that this isn't one of them for me. It might be the only instance where I can clearly state: you do you.

Our Nation's Founders

Happy 4th all! I found this on Pinterest and figured it'd be just perfect to share on this particular day.

Scott's Holiday Turkey

Recipe challenge, week recipe forty-five.

Sometimes I feel like a terrible blogger.  Well, maybe not blogger. Instagrammer.  I documented nothing on Thanksgiving, even though I took pictures.  Sometimes I really do wonder what the point of Instagram is....I look at it multiple times a day and it's really just a guilty pleasure. I'm not sure why I don't post more.  I'll chock this up to thing #246 I'm trying to figure out about myself.

Scott came home from 5 weeks away the day before Thanksgiving. It was drizzling freezing rain for most of Thanksgiving so we didn't go anywhere. We took the dogs for two walks. It was 20 degrees out.  He opened some birthday presents (it was his birthday too, so thank goodness he made it home). I ate a lot of pecan pie.  We watched the entire season of Homeland, thus far (#PeterQuinn4ever). I made Scott watch Love Actually (Hugh Grant at his finest).

Scott always makes a turkey and this year, not knowing what time his flight would get in, I decided to take on the task myself.  I bought a 2.2 pound turkey breast because we waste a lot of turkey every year. This is really because I'll eat a few pieces but I don't really like turkey. I'd probably prefer ham. Or beef.

Scott did make it home in time to take over turkey prep and he was disappointed there was no dark meat; if I had known that was what he liked most about turkeys, I definitely would've bought a bigger bird.  Maybe for Christmas.

This is the recipe he used and I was very skeptical.  I was planning on the Creole Butter and the turkey bag, because we do that every year, but he had this other combination of stuff he wanted to inject.  It worked out really well in the end, it smelled amazing, and I don't even mind cooking turkeys now that we have an oven with a perfect turkey button.  It does the legwork for you.

Leg work.  Turkey leg. Ha ha.

We use turkey bags, and the perfect turkey button has a probe that goes into the thickest part of the turkey and that measures the temperature. There's no guesswork and even I can cook a turkey now. I did not stuff it or inject it, but I did cook it. Perfectly.

Scott's Holiday Turkey

Turkey, size of your choice (this was a small turkey, but you can use the same method with larger birds)

1 bottle of Tony's Creole Butter + flavor injector

Turkey bag with plastic tie

Vegetables of your choice: roughly chopped onion, carrot, celery, and garlic.

2 T. sherry + 2 T. soy sauce +2 T. red wine vinegar (mixed together in a small bowl)

1 T. flour

Open up the turkey bag and put 1 T. of flour inside.  Close the bag and shake it up to coat the sides. Place it in a roasting pan and then place the turkey in the bag. Put vegetables into the cavity and/or around the turkey.  

With your flavor injector, inject the bird with the sherry/soy sauce/vinegar mixture (this is the part I was skeptical about). Pick 3-4 different spots.  

Then, inject the turkey with the Creole Butter.  There are instructions on the bottle.  It's one ounce of marinade per pound. 

Let the turkey rest for about half an hour before you bake it, and then again after it's done.

(I'm no expert on turkey-cooking. These are my layman's directions. I just wanted to impart the knowledge about the injectables we use.)

Basically, Scott has taught me: 1. Use a turkey bag. No need to baste then.  2. Use a flavor injector.  You'll notice the difference.

Peppermint Ice Cream Cake

I have a history with ice cream cakes.  I love them.  I love ice cream.  Regular cake: I could take or leave.  Pie: I'll more often than not just leave.  Cookies are good and all.  Fudge is great.  But ice cream is best.

I've had this ice cream cake idea in my head for over 2 years.  I try to just make ice cream cakes for occasions.  Not for a regular old Tuesday.  Because we will eat the whole thing all at once and that will be it. So, every time an opportunity appears, I ask Scott what kind of ice cream cake he wants.  I give options.  Red velvet or peppermint? Vanilla or peppermint? Birthday cake or peppermint? And he never, ever picks peppermint because…well, I guess he doesn't like peppermint? I don't know.  But for Christmas tomorrow, I decided I'd had enough.  We would have Peppermint Oreo Ice Cream Cake and that would be that.  I have a feeling he'll enjoy it.

This cake can be put together many different ways.  You could layer cookies and hot fudge between the ice cream and Cool Whip, instead of just putting them on the bottom and top.  You could throw some peppermint brownie chunks in there.  Or peppermint fudge.  Or you could top it with crushed candy canes (I don't like candy canes, oddly enough).  Also,  you could switch up the ice cream..stores always have a freezer case full of peppermint and candy cane ice cream this time of year.  I just don't happen to like pepperminty pink ice cream.  However, if you do, go for it.  The sky is kind of the limit with this recipe.  Let me know if you try it and tell me what you did!

Another selling point:  You can make one of these and store it in the freezer (covered well) forever.  Though, it probably won't last very long if you remember that it's there.

Peppermint Oreo Ice Cream Cake
makes a 9x13 pan (I used a 9x6 pan this time and it was just a little thicker)

1 container (1.5 quarts) vanilla or peppermint ice cream, softened (I used vanilla and stirred in a teaspoon of peppermint extract)
1 container Cool Whip, softened
1 package of Candy Cane Oreos, crushed (or those candy cane JoJos I saw at Trader Joe's the other day)
2 T. butter, melted
Peppermint hot fudge (see yesterday's recipe)
Crushed candy canes or peppermint candies, optional

Stir the crushed Oreos with the 2 T. of butter and press into the bottom of the pan.  You may want to reserve some for sprinkling or layering.  Drizzle with a few tablespoons of the hot fudge. Freeze the "crust" in the pan for about 20 minutes so it sets.

Spread your softened ice cream onto the Oreo crust.  Drizzle with a few more tablespoons of hot fudge.  Put the pan back in the freezer for 20-30 minutes.

Spread your softened Cool Whip onto the ice cream layer.  Drizzle with a few final tablespoons of hot fudge and sprinkle crushed Oreos or crushed peppermint candy on the top.  Freeze for at least another hour, covered.

Remove from the freezer at least 15 minutes before serving so it has time to soften just bit.

Peppermint Hot Fudge

Something about this time of year makes all of the peppermint flavored everything just scream for my attention.  I've eaten almost an entire tray of peppermint fudge in the last 5 days.  I just feel this need for it.  This happens every year, though.  I never liked peppermint-anything until Christmas 2010 when I had a peppermint brownie at an army Christmas party and life has never been the same.  

We're having an ice cream cake on Christmas because: 1. Holidays by yourself mean you do what you want. 2. I've had this ice cream cake in the back of my head for 2 years and there's no better time than Christmas for it. 

I want to share the hot fudge I'm using for the ice cream cake today though.  In case you need something to eat with a spoon while you're making your Christmas preparations.  

I first made it using an Our Best Bites recipe 4 years ago and it was perfect for a homemade Christmas gift.  Put it in a little mason jar and tie with a ribbon.  I tweaked the recipe a bit for my purposes this year and it is so incredibly easy to make that you have absolutely no excuse for buying hot fudge anymore.  This is probably cheaper too.  I almost always have these ingredients on hand.  Really, you have no excuse not to give this a try!

Peppermint Hot Fudge

makes about 2 cups

1 can sweetened condensed milk

3 T. butter

3/4 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

1 t. vanilla extract

1 t. peppermint extract

Mix everything together in a saucepan and stir over low heat until it's melted and combined.

Or you can put it in a Little Dipper and stir every so often while it's melting.  Perfect for a fondue!

Christmas Baking: Sugar Cookie Tutorial

Who has their baking done?

I started with these Sugar Cookies.

I kind of went all out.  This is a terrific tutorial, because it explains about the two different kinds of icing.  Outlining icing should be the consistency of toothpaste, and flood icing should be the consistency of shampoo.  That analogy really helped me, because I usually don't measure much when I make icing; I just go by what it looks and feels like.

First, make a batch of white royal icing.  You will need: powdered sugar, milk, meringue powder, vanilla, and food coloring. I used gel food coloring.  Meringue powder and Wilton's gel food coloring can all be found in the wedding aisle at Wal-Mart.

I just start with a few cups of powdered sugar, a 1/2 t. vanilla, 2 T. meringue powder, and 1 T. at a time of milk until it's the right consistency. I use a hand-mixer to make it fluffy and smooth.

Once you have your big batch of white icing, you can separate and color it to fit your needs.  It was kind of a complicated process (like I said, I had time that day), but I make a batch of red and a batch of green, put it into squeeze bottles, and got to outlining.

Make sure you let them dry!

To make flood icing, you water down the outlining icing left in the bottles.  I used almond milk for this.  I had to actually whisk it together in a bowl to make it smooth.  Then, pour it back into your squeeze bottles (remember: consistency of shampoo).  Squeeze some onto your cookies and spread with a butter knife or icing spatula.  

It works best if you use a cooling rack, so mistakes can dribble right down.

Then, you need to let these dry for about 24 hours before you do anything else to them.  

Then you need to let these dry for about 24 hours.  The next day, I added a little decoration.

After they all dried for another day, I packed them in single layers in freezer bags and stuck them in the freezer.  Hopefully they travel well!

Also, I made Molasses Crinkles, Chocolate Peppermint Biscotti, Homemade Peppermint Patties, and some fudge I'll share soon.

Here's some other recipes I HIGHLY recommend if you're looking for a sweet holiday treat.

Eggnog Bread

Oreo Peppermint Creams

Salted Chocolate Walnut Fudge

Sugar Cookie Fudge

Chocolate Peppermint CakePops

Cranberry Eggnog CakePops

Apricot Squares

Peanut Butter Blossoms/Hershey's Kiss Cookies

What are you baking?  What's your favorite must-make every year?

Gingerbread Truffles & Thanksgiving Dessert

Are you in the mood for Thanksgiving dessert? You'll notice, after looking at the links below, that I don't do pumpkin pie. I've never really liked it.  It's totally awesome if you make it and like it.  Just don't let that be the only dessert at your Thanksgiving table.  Please.  I know there's others out there like me...maybe?

These are my personal favorites...

Pumpkin Cookies
If you only ever get to make one cookie in your entire life, it should be these pumpkin cookies.  They are moist, cakey, and you will not be able to eat just 10.  You will need to eat 11.  So, I warn you: Make them with a purpose in mind.

Lemon Chess Pie
I really liked this pie that I made last year.  I asked Scott the other day, "Do you remember that pie I made last year...the lemon one?" and he said, "Yes", without looking up from his computer screen.
I don't believe him.
But you should make it.  It was good.

Pecan Pie
I might make one of these for Thanksgiving Day this year.  I mean, how could you have Thanksgiving without pecan pie?  I ate 3 slices in 2 days last year.  I, appropriately, ended up with a stomachache.

And for you caramel-lovers...

Caramel Apple Galettes

Caramel Apple Cake

Caramel Brownie Pie

We're having a mini-Thanksgiving celebration on Friday night and I have these waiting in the fridge...

It's a basic cake pop recipe, except I'm using gingerbread instead of your regular boxed cake mix.  You can use a pre-packaged mix, but I used this because I'm a superfan and because the magnet with the recipe is on my fridge.
I also made my own cream cheese frosting (do it).
Just mix together your gingerbread crumbs and frosting until it looks like this:

Then you're ready to roll it into balls.

Freeze them for a few hours.

Melt your almond bark or candy melts. I really think almond bark works best.  It heats the best and gets to be the thinnest.  The thinner the chocolate, the easier this will be.

Dip and sprinkle.

Let them harden.

I dipped the tops (once the white dried) in orange candy melts and then directly into sprinkles.

And there you go!

To keep them fresh, store in the fridge or freezer.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Again, the pumpkin cookies.  Make them.

Laura's Gingerbread

My favorite Little House book is The Long Winter.  I used to read it, repeatedly, while eating gingersnaps dipped in milk for breakfast.  My dad used to feed me cookies for breakfast when I was in elementary school.  My mom was already on her way to work, most likely, so this is why that happened.  (My brother would eat pop-tarts, so gingersnaps probably weren't that bad, in the grand scheme of things.  I hated breakfast...pretty much until I was 25 or so, so again, gingersnaps = not so bad.)

It's odd that I would eat gingersnaps while reading that book because the last thing the Ingalls family was eating that year were cookies.

Later, when I read Little Town in the Ozarks, it turned out that gingerbread was Laura's signature dessert.  I made ginger cookies once (a family recipe), but I never posted it.  Maybe I will soon because they're Christmas cookies.

I found this magnet with the gingerbread recipe on it at the gift shop in Mansfield.  Good thing, too:  I didn't want to buy the whole Little House Cookbook just for one recipe.  The other recipes in that book  involved lots of salt pork and lima beans.  None of that would be happening around here.

This gingerbread was delicious.  It was moist and flavorful and the kitchen smelled amazing while it was baking.  I did leave out of the cloves, because I only had whole cloves.  They probably would've made it super spicy...I think I'll add more ginger next time too.

I baked it at 350* because that's what I assumed "moderate" meant.  It took 45 minutes.  Maybe at 375* it would take 30 minutes?  Let me know if you try it!

About the recipe...
I did the 2 teaspoons of baking soda in a coffee mug with 1 cup of boiling water (uh, water microwaved for 2 minutes).  It does run over, so be careful!
I used a potato masher to combine the shortening, brown sugar, and molasses.
I stirred it all together with a wooden spoon.  I thought about using the KitchenAid, but well, you know...trying to keep things authentic around here.

I could easily see this being a go-to dish for the holidays.  Maybe with some cream cheese frosting for Thanksgiving?  Yes.  I think so.

4th of July and a puppy

I'm so awful at recapping events.  I rarely take pictures of anything important.  With that being said, here we go.

1.  This was the first 4th of July since 2007 that I was in Pennsylvania.

2.  I tell myself I want to go home somewhat often because it's "not that far" because nothing is far compared to Alaska..but the truth is, I never want to make that drive again.  Leading to..

3.  I spent most of the trip back to Missouri terribly carsick.  I didn't throw up (that hasn't happened since Cruise-a-geddon 2012), but I was so dizzy and nauseous.  Throwing up would have been a relief.

4.  It goes without saying that I missed the gym while I was away (for four whole days *eye roll*).  However, part of that goes back to: If I'm working out, I'm drinking lots of water.  I let myself get dehydrated one too many times on our few days away. Leading to #3 on this list, I suppose.

5.  We got a dog.  His name is Scout.

This is called "I'm small and I'm lost."

This is called "I kept my owner up all night (the male one, not the female one) and now I think I'm tired".  As long as he's not hurting himself, I can sleep through his little howls, whimpers, and barks.  Scott's the weak one.  (I have no pity for living things...kidding).

This won't become a dog blog (I know this because when the lady we bought him from called me "mom", I was all like, "Wtf? I'm a person").  However, this blog is about my life experiences (see everything I've ever written about Alaska for proof), so here's my thoughts so far:

Postive:  He's so freaking cute.  And he loves to cuddle.  His preferred sleeping position is on top of Scott.

Negative: His preferred sleeping position is on top of Scott.  Not in his crate.

Positive:  We're keeping him off of all furniture, except for the old couch in Scott's office.  We're staying strong.

Negative: He really likes that couch... and pillows... and blankets.  Not his crate.

Positive: He came partially house-trained, at 6 weeks old.

Negative:  He hates the air conditioner unit, so taking him out the back door is difficult.  I don't want to give him a complex.

Positive:  We're pretty much guaranteed a decent dog.  His uncle is a champion.  His parents are show dogs.  Scott wants a hunting dog and I'm really hoping we get what we paid for with this one.

Negative:  He kept me so busy that I didn't even get to watch True Blood and Dexter in their entirety the other night.  I'm not sure how I feel about this puppy...kidding.

The Life of Clare: Raw Christmas Puddings

Needing a healthy-ish treat for a last minute get-together?  I think you need to try Clare's recipe.  I adore that she calls them "puddings", as I would probably call them "that ball thing of chocolate and nuts".  Let's go with "puddings".

Having tried these, I can personally say that this combination of raw food is delicious (and would be a great pre-workout snack...because I know you're all working out this week, right?).

Thank you, Clare!

When Kristin put it out there that she was looking for guest bloggers for the Christmas season, I jumped at the chance. She was looking for Christmasy themed things and being a food blogger I had to do something food related. Recently I've started getting into raw cooking and looking at the benefits of cacao, coconut oil etc. So I decided to combine my new found love for raw foods, making something similar to the second layer of this raw chocolate slice, and the idea of my mum's mini Christmas puddings. They worked out better than I could have imagined.  

 It's super easy, doesn't taste like you're eating something that's super good for you (but they are), and they've had many stamps of approval.

   

 To the top of some, I added white chocolate, and then mint leaves and red cherries to look like holly. The others I just rolled in coconut.

Raw Cacao Christmas Puddings

Author: The Life of Clare

Serves: 14

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup activated almonds
• 1/2 cup activated walnuts
• 1/4 cup cacaco
• 1/4 cup mixed dried fruit
• 1/8 coconut flakes
• 7 madjool dates

Instructions

1. Add nuts to the food processor and pulse until crushed.
2. Add a mixture of the remaining ingredients to the food processor, until all are used and the ingredients stick together when pinched between your fingers.
3. Roll into small balls (I made about 14).
4. Now you can choose to roll cacao, coconut, or top like a mini pudding.

3.1.09

Have you ever eaten raw foods? What Christmas treats remind you of your childhood?

Thumbprint Cookies: Bridget from Twinisms

I'm pretty thrilled that Bridget wanted to guest-post for me today.  Her blog has provided me hours of reading entertainment.  Bridget is a fellow Army wife...stationed here in the great state of Alaska.  From reading Twinisms, I've learned that it's okay to drink boxed cheap wine and to someday have twins (my brothers are twins...my days are numbered at this point).

Thanks for stopping by, Bridget!  (And you need to read her review of that show Alaska Army Wives.  She tells it how it is.  I appreciate that in a blogger.)

Thumbprint Cookies

My favorite Christmas cookies are Jam Thumbprints. They are my Dad’s favorite cookie too, which is part of the reason they’re my favorite. I have fond memories of making them and eating them with him. I think he and I were the only ones in the family who liked them. Even now, I make them every year and I’m the only one who eats them. Unless my Dad is visiting, then I have to make sure I get my share!

My recipe is slightly adjusted from Betty Crocker’s New Cookbook, 8th Edition, circa 1996.

Ingredients

1/4 Cup Brown Sugar

1/4 Cup Shortening (I use butter flavor Crisco)

1/4 Cup Stick Butter, softened

1/2 Tsp. Vanilla

1 Large Egg, separated (I usually add an extra egg white for the wash)

1 Cup All Purpose Flour

1/4 Tsp. Salt

1 Cup Pecans, finely chopped

Candied Maraschino Cherries

Directions

1.  Heat oven to 350 degrees

2.  Mix brown sugar, shortening, butter, vanilla, and the one egg yolk in a bowl Stir in flour and salt until the dough comes together.

3.  Roll the dough into 1 inch balls. Beat the egg whites slightly. Dip the balls in the egg whites, then roll them in the nuts. (Pause here to recover from the inadvertent humor in that last sentence!)

4.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet, 1 inch apart.

5.  Press thumb in center of each, making space for the cherries.

6.  Bake about 10 minutes, until lightly brown.

7.  Cool on wire rack for a few minutes, then place the candied cherries in the space made with your thumbprint.

8.  Email me, I’ll send you my address, and you can mail me some cookies.

Christmas Dessert Round-Up

Looking through my dessert posts from last December makes me feel like I was trying to be an overachiever of sorts.

This December, no Christmas treats have been made.  I'm okay with that.  And so are my pants.

Or should I say, my shorts.  Because, friends, I'll be in shorts this weekend.  I better be anyway.  I tell you, we'll need to locate to the Equator after this Alaska stint.

Chocolate Peppermint Cake Pops.

Hershey Christmas Bark.

Cranberry Eggnog Cake Pops.

My favorite Christmas cookie:  Apricot Squares.

My favorite fudge:  Peppermint Fudge.

White Chocolate Chip Mocha Cookies.

Peppermint Brownies.

Salted Chocolate Walnut Fudge.

Soft Sugar Cookies.

Hershey's Kiss Cookies.

Oreo Peppermint Creams. (Oy.  You should make them.)

Eggnog Bread. (It tastes like a giant sugar cookie.)

Eggnog Snickerdoodles.  (Went a little eggnog-crazy back in twenty-ten.)