3 Homemade Instant Hot Cocoa Mixes (Recipe)

Nothing warms my fingers, tummy and…well, the rest of me…quite like rich creamy hot cocoa during the cold Minnesota winters.

I’ve tried a lot of homemade hot cocoa recipes but nothing compares to this one. I found the base of the hot chocolate recipe at Mom Advice (scroll down near the bottom of the page for Amy’s recipe).

Tips for PERFECT Cookies Everytime (Video)

Are you cookie challenged??? Do all your baked sweets end up a hot mess???

Kraft put together a video of some holiday cookie baking tips to get your baking back on track. I love giving the gift of baked goods for Christmas. These tips are just in time for the holidays so now your cookies will go from a hot mess to yummy deliciousness.

Putting Together our Holiday Wish List

I’m late to the game but I’m just now putting together our family’s wish list. We’ve already gotten a few items but the tough part is narrowing down the list to the items I think the kids will actually play with. They “want” everything advertised on television but other than that, they don’t really talk about wanting any one particular item.

I knuckled down yesterday to start “THE list”. I searched Amazon, Wal-Mart and a few other websites adding interesting items to my Amazon wish list just to get an idea of the holiday possibilities.

5 Smart Snacking Tips

Image via Wikipedia

Snack your way to a thinner you on Thanksgiving day. I find it very hard to cook Thanksgiving dinner without “sampling” all of the goodies. The aroma and visual presentation is just too tempting to pass up.

The problem? Those bite-sized morsels add up FAST. Then I sit down to consume even more food during the actual “dinner” with the family. I even go back for seconds!

No Bake Pumkin Pie Video Recipe

Image via WikipediaThis week's focus will continue to focus on food to celebrate the family gatherings around the dinner table later this week. I hope to help you find great tasting recipes that are simple to prepare and (if possible) save you a few calories without sacrificing any flavor.

Today's recipe focuses on the timeless tradition of Pumpkin Pie. This is an easy no bake recipe from Kraft. Simply mix, layer and chill until you're ready to serve. What's simpler than a dessert like this???

Mashed Potato Layer Bake from Breakstone

The Meredith Corporation (parent company to local television stations, Better Homes & Gardens, Ladies Home Journal, etc) is sponsoring a Blogger Challenge Sweepstakes. Three foodie bloggers were tasked with creating a menu of their family’s favorite foods while incorporating Breakstone sour cream into each recipe. Amanda’s Cookin’, My Baking Addiction, and Iowa Girl Eats took the challenge and now it’s up to public vote to see who’s winning menu reign’s supreme.

Vote once a day for weekly prizes until December 20th.

Thanksgiving Pumpkin Bread Recipe

Pumpkin. Raisins. Cinnamon and nutmeg. I can smell it now!

Pumpkins are everywhere this time of year. Why not make some use of those orange delights with some tasty Pumpkin Quick Bread?

This is a quick holiday recipe certain to warm not only your kitchen but you tummy as well!

Hot Buttered Rum Recipe

Need something to warm you up during a cold wintery day? How about a mug of hot buttered rum?

MMMMM.

This is NOT a figure friendly recipe but you can reduce the fat by using a fat free or lower fat ice cream like Edy’s Slow Churned ice cream. This ice cream is creamy like regular full fat ice cream but has fewer fat grams per serving. (Every little bit helps!)

$50 Holiday Photo Card Giveaway

Halloween’s out of the way so now it’s time to start thinking about the holidays.

In particular, the traditional holiday greeting card. I know lots of people who put in lots of time and planning when it comes to Christmas cards but then again, I have a few friends who seem to throw together a great Christmas photo card on the fly!  I’m not one of those people.
When I put out a Christmas card, it’s usually something I agonize over. Should I pick a candid photo from earlier in the year? Should I choreograph a photo? What should we wear? How should we be posed? You get the idea.

How to Make a "Green" Holiday Ornament

FAST Fabric Ornament

One of our many holiday traditions includes getting the kids a new holiday ornament. Every year I either make the ornaments or we buy them one that reflects their personality. Usually it's something like a Scooby or Baby's 1st Christmas ornament.

The last few years, I've taken to making the ornaments but I suppose they reflect more of my crafting style at the time instead of their personality. Oh well, at least I try! I've made ornaments from gold wire, bells, mini glass balls, and other mediums. Some have endured the years. Others haven't faired so well. Anyway, I enjoy making them and the family seems to like them, so it's a win-win situation.

Since I've been learning to sew over the last year, this year's ornaments are...

...Fabric ornaments.

FREE Handcrafted Monogrammed Holiday Ornaments

Monogrammed Holiday Ornament

Each year my kids get a new ornament for the Christmas tree. The last several years, they've been handmade ornaments and this year will be no different.

This year it's Letter Ornaments and I thought I'd share with you how to create these simple yet beautiful ornaments.

This is also a "green" craft project. All the material used have been upcycled from things already lying around the house. This is a FREE personalize ornament costing only a little time and effort but looks beautiful!