Tag Archives: Christmas

Smells Like Christmas Spirit

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Filed under Around the House

There is nothing that makes my home feel more in the Christmas Spirit than a good simmering potpourri. Once as the yuletide scent hits the room you will find me Singing & Dancing while baking cookies, wrapping gift, and making new holiday creations.

I feel like this time of year all my favorite stores have a distinct Christmas smell. So I wanted to create my own. Experimenting with cranberries, oranges, cinnamon, rosemary, and vanilla, I came up with my “Christmas Scent”.

The fun part is there is NO WRONG WAY to make your Christmas Scent. Play with your favorite smells and ingredients.

Fruits: Slice up fresh oranges or throw in dried oranges. You can use mandarin oranges, tangerines, clementines or lemons. They all work and smell wonderful.

Fresh Rosemary or Pine: This adds the depth scent and screams Christmas.

Cranberries: These are not a must but I believe they make your potpourri beautiful and add to the aroma. This time of year cranberries are easy to find.

Vanilla: use the extract or pop open a vanilla bean

Cinnamon: The powder or the sticks. The sticks are easy to find on Amazon or even your local grocery store.

Whole Cloves: A few go along way!

Simmering Potpourri

Cut oranges in slices. Add all your ingredients to a large pot (or slow cooker). Add water to fill pot to 3/4 full.

Bring pot to a boil. Then take the potpourri to a simmer. Enjoy it for hours. Keep an eye on it to add water as needed. Never leave it unattended for an extended period of time. You don’t want the water to completely evaporate.

Make it a Gift

Add all the potpourri items to a cellophane bag and tie it up with a cute bow. Tie on the directions. You have a gift all ready to go.

Keep Singing & Dancing,
Amanda

Cranberry Pecan Baked Brie

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Filed under Simple Beginnings

A couple weeks ago, I hosted a Noonday Party. It was a fun evening of trying on jewelry, catching up with friends, and noshing on some goodies I had prepared. One appetizer I introduced to the group is my Cranberry Pecan Baked Brie. Let’s just say that there were no crumbs left on the plate.

The way the cranberry pecan topping plays with the brie truly makes happiness. I served the brie with a sliced baguette and crackers. And now this little number will be added to other upcoming festivities this season.

Super easy, great presentation, and a crowd pleasure for sure.

Keep Singing and Dancing during the Holidays,
Amanda

What you Need:

For Brie
1 (8-ounce) wheel brie cheese, rind trimmed
2 T brown sugar, packed

For Cranberry Pecan Drizzle

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 T honey
2 T maple syrup
1 T unsalted butter
1/4 t ground cinnamon
Pinch of nutmeg
Zest of 1 orange
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1/4 cup dried cranberries

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Place brie on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Place into oven and bake until softened. This should take about 12-15 minutes. Remove brie from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg and orange zest. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer. Occasionally stir, until foamy. Then stir in pecans and cranberries.

Serve brie warm topped with pecan mixture. I like to serve with crackers or a baguette.

White Chocolate Cranberry Almond Cookies

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Filed under Sweet Tooth

I love baking cookies during the holidays.  I make my traditional sugar cookies recipe that I have been making since I was a little girl.  We add in the some Ginger Molasses Cookies.  Sometimes I like to add in Pretzel M&M Hugs

This year I experimented with some of my favorite ingredients- Almonds, Cranberries, and White Chocolate.  It was a win in the kitchen.

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1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 t  vanilla extract (I used Mexican Vanilla)
2-1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 t baking soda
½ t salt
2 cups white chocolate morsels
1 cup sliced almonds
1 1/2 cup dried cranberries
8 oz  melting white chocolate (for drizzle)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line your baking sheets with parchment paper.  
Using your mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla.  
Then add flour, baking soda and salt.  Mix well.  Now stir in almonds, 1 1/2 cup of white chocolate morsels, and 1 cup of dried cranberries.  
Drop rounded spoonfuls of dough, 1 1/2 inches apart, onto baking sheets.  Then take the extra white chocolate morsels and dried cranberries and add a few pieces on top to each cookie.  This will make your cookies have a great look of fullness of pieces.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.  Cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes and remove to wire racks to cool completely.  
Melt the melting while chocolate and drizzle over the cookies.  

Merry Christmas Cobbler

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Filed under Sweet Tooth, Sweet Tooth- Desserts

Seriously, Cobbler is just happiness.  And top it with ice cream- enough said.  Merry Christmas Cobbler is a holiday favorite in this house.  Basically if you want to taste Christmas- here you go!  Perfect to pop in the oven as you sit down to dinner and it’s ready for dessert.  Serve in fun individual containers.  (This is such a favorite that Chris requested it for his birthday in March!  And we still called it Merry Christmas Cobbler.)
Happy Christmas Eve! -Amanda

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Merry Christmas Cobbler

2 sticks of butter, softened

1 box yellow cake mix

1 t nutmeg

1/2 pecans, chopped

1 can peach pie filling

1 can whole berry cranberry

Cut butter into cake mix using a pastry blender.  Make sure the butter is thoroughly mixed into cake mix.  Add nutmeg and pecans.  Mix well.  Put peach pie filling and cranberries into lightly greased greased glass pan.  Crumble cake mixture over filling.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Serve warm topped with vanilla bean ice cream.