some holiday humor! :)

today’s holiday theme

Was changed up after a conversation with a friend, she challenged me to be a snow angel! LOL

to quote pinterest, “Nailed it!” heehee 😉

IOTD

Santa Tracker 1 new tracker

Santa Tracker 2 **this one is my favorite

Maneki Neko seasonally dressed

sent to me via email from a friend, thank you! 😀

Daily holiday themes! lol

I love this week! Every year I celebrate by theming my outfits; yesterday was Candy Cane Monday, today is Grinch/gold tuesday.

Tomorrow is the twenty fourth…hmmm….Reindeer or silver bells? LOL 😛

Millionaire Shortbread Cookies

Millionaire Shortbread Cookies

Total Time: 3 hr 25 min
Prep: 15 min
Inactive: 2 hr 30 min
Cook: 40 min

Yield: 36 bars

Ingredients

Shortbread Layer:

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, plus extra melted for coating the pan

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for coating the pan

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

Cookie Butter Layer:

1 1/2 cups sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup light brown sugar (not packed)

3 tablespoons cookie butter, such as Biscoff or Speculoos

1 teaspoon fine salt

Chocolate Layer:

4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Flaky salt, such as fleur de sel

Directions

For the shortbread layer: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Using a pastry brush, butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and coat with flour, tapping off excess.

Put the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse. Add the butter and pulse until the dough just comes together. Press the shortbread mixture into the prepared pan and bake until golden brown around the edges, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

For the cookie butter layer: In a 5-quart saucepan over moderately-low heat, combine the sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar, cookie butter and salt. Slowly bring the mixture to a boil, stirring continuously. Continue stirring over the heat until the mixture becomes thick and amber in color, about 15 minutes. Pour the mixture over the cooked shortbread and spread evenly using an offset spatula. Cool to room temperature.

For the chocolate topping: In a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate with the oil. Once the chocolate has melted, pour it over the cooled caramel layer. Cool at room temperature for about 10 minutes, and then put in the refrigerator to cool completely, allowing the chocolate to slightly harden but not too hard. Cut into 2-inch pieces. Garnish with flaky salt before serving.

Recipe courtesy of Chef Marc Murphy

Thank you, Skeen! xoxo

Quick and Easy Peppermint Fudge

                         Thank you, Skeen! Isn’t he awesome??? 😀                          

Quick and Easy Peppermint Fudge

Total Time: 2 hr 10 min
Prep: 5 min
Inactive: 2 hr
Cook: 5 min

Yield:
10 to 12 servings

Ingredients:

Cooking spray, for spraying the foil

3 cups semisweet chocolate chips

One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

Red and white peppermint candies, crushed, for topping

Directions:

Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil. Spray the foil with cooking spray.

In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine the chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk and stir until it’s all melted and smooth. Pour it into the prepared pan and spread to even out the surface. Sprinkle on the crushed candies. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Lift the foil out of the pan and peel it off the fudge. Cut into small squares.

Recipe courtesy Ree Drummond

Secret Santa

I’m probably the easiest person to have as a Secret Santa person. 😀

Why?  I collect Hello Kitty and Wonder Woman. so far no Wonder woman stuff and really no hello kitty stuff. I’m also a girlie girl. But so far… I’ve been getting candy. Um. I’m a diabetic! 😦  (the candy isn’t sugar free either)

But woohoo today I got some bath and body lotion, be Enchanted, oh my it smells so good and feels awesome.

and more candy, but it’s hello kitty candy? LOL 😛

and I know, be quiet, at least I’m getting pressies. 😉

 

mmm

A drink recipe for today’s National cover everything in chocolate. 😀

A tradition I miss…

Who else remembers going walking and singing through the neighborhood with friends and family?

I would go with a youth group I was a member of and at the end of the night, we’d have a small holiday party. Others that we met along the night were invited and it became more of a community get together.

unfortunately, there is not a lot of community anymore. And those that are-seem to be inclusive.

Why not try to do something different this year for your annual get together; get some easy music that can be sung and it doesn’t matter if you think you’re good enough or not. The idea is to go sing, have some fun and then have your get together. I understand safety is a prerogative, so only go to neighborhoods that you know.

Also for your information;  the History of Christmas Caroling