Peppermint Saltine Toffee Bark

This time of year, it's so easy to get caught up in making things perfect.  There are all these expectations about food and decorations and traditions - and it can get overwhelming.

I've realized how easy it is to make blogs a highlight reel. I don't want this to be so realistic it's painful, but I do want to seem like a real person, not a manican with a perfect life. My food doesn't always turn out. I don't always get in my run. I don't always look cute.  I know you know that, but I always try to post the good stuff. I know when I read some people's blog, I think "yeah right, you're that perfect."  I'm sorry, but there is no husband like that, ma'am ... Arguments are part of life and you have to argue at some time!  But I digress. 

So these next couple paragraphs are some things I've been thinking about that aren't necessarily highlight reel worthy.  We'll see how this goes ;)

I don't think we get Christmas. We get the tastes of peppermint and eggnog, we manage the money for gifts and presenters, we analyze the lights and ornaments, but we miss the joy. We get the idea if instant gratification, but we miss the fulfillment of contentment. 

I won't lie, I've felt pretty out of the loop. We just decorated our tree, I just put snowflakes in my room, I haven't poured over the Christmas books like I used to, and I haven't baked with any holiday candies this year - at all.  There is a part of me that screams I'm ruining the Christmas spirit by my poor follow through on traditions. The moment when I realized Christmas was a week away and we have no snow. Do you know how disappointing that is?  

But the worst feeling?  When I no longer get the butterfly stomach and absolute impatience that I always used to have.  I would wait at the window until family arrived.  I would have a countdown. I felt like I would burst I was so excited.  Am I losing my Christmas spirit?!  Is this part of growing up?!  Why is it like this?!  

That childhood innocence is fading and I miss it. I lost the freedom to dream unrealistically and to be confident in those dreams. When I let myself be more concerned with appearance and reputation, I put relationships and activities second. Christmas is not about impressing family, it's about enjoying family.  Sometimes, enjoying family means half lit trees and toll house cookies. That's okay. That's more than okay. 

We did a devotional about how it is important to have schedules, but we need to let some things just go.  Schedules are to be our guides, not our masters.  I tend to be mastered by my schedule and I realized a lot of my disappointment about Christmas were because I was tied to the "schedule."  I knew Christmas was about family and not location or tradition, but this year, I'll get to live it out.  My cousin, Gracie, broke her growth plate in her foot and will not be able to come up this year - at all.  We might go down, we might not, but either way, Christmas will not be what I was expecting - at all.  And it isn't super fun.  For me, Christmas is about the relationship with Gracie.  The snow forts, the snow ball fights, the make up sessions, the late night talks in our spare room; and that won't happen this year.  But I want to go in with an attitude of gratefulness, because that schedule in my head?  Things won't be as fun if I let it be my master.  Christmas will be special, just in a different way, if I enjoy Christmas for what it is, not what I think it should be. 

Also, speaking of Gracie, here is a pic of the magnet board I made her.  Not going to lie, I really like how it turned out.

But with every rainbow there is a storm ... I accidentally ruined my Vanity jeans with the black magnet paint.  Long story short, I wasn't painting in them, but the paint got on them.  It was sad. :(  Oh well, it could've been worse!  I just painted the whole thing several times with magnetic primer and then, using painter's tape, painted the stripes on.

And lastly, sorry I haven't been able to comment back or on your blogs - our Internet has been down until this morning (apparently, but I bet it will quit as soon as I hit publish;)  But, if the Internet had been up, I probably wouldn't have gotten the snowflakes hung in my room.

Gosh, I haven't even talked about the bark.  It's really good, can we just say that?  I've seen the white chocolate/peppermint combo EVERYWHERE and I decided I would jump on the bandwagon, too.  Have you ever had saltine toffee?  It is absolutely incredible.  I just subbed white chocolate chips for the regular chocolate ones and then used crumbed candy canes instead of toffee.  The batch I brought to a party?  It was gone. 

Peppermint Saltine Toffee Bark
Recipe Source: The Sweet {Tooth} Life

40 saltines
1 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups white chocolate chips
1 cup crushed candy canes

Line a 15x10x2 pan with foil.  Arrange the 40 saltines over it, so none are overlapping.  In a small pot, melt butter.  Add sugar and stir for 3-4 minutes, until bubbly and slightly thickened.  Pour over saltines.  Bake for 9 minutes.  Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with white chocolate chips.  Chips will begin to melt, spread them out over the saltines.  Sprinkle candy canes are top.  Let cool for an hour and then refrigerate for at least 4 hours.  Enjoy!

White Chocolate Cranberry Banana Bread + Gift Idea

I cannot believe how close Christmas is.

How on earth did time fly?  When I was younger, time seemed to crawl this time of year. Why is it when you get older, you want things to slow down, but life only seems to move faster?  It is becoming a problem.

Like, we haven't even decorated our tree (which we got a couple days ago thankyouverymuch)  Now that classes and stuff are over, we might have a chance since we won't be driving back and forth all the time. We'll see!  Although I am behind on decorating, I'm going my best to keep up with baking. I like the decorations, but my heart lies in the kitchen (not that that isn't obvious)

With so much ending this week, I decided to make loaves as Christmas gifts for teachers. While shopping for my brother (shhh!) at Walmart (okay, never mind, we don't have to be hush hush about Walmart ;) I found these mini loaf pans. Anything mini is automatically good in my book!  These are so cute and make perfect gifts, since most people don't need a whole loaf of bread for themselves, especially this time a year. 

In this post, I'm just going to share three quick and easy ideas for gifting bread. Emphasis on easy. :)

 

Option #1:  Burlap and Bow.  Wrap your loaf in saran wrap.  Cut a strip of wide burlap and wrap it around the saran wrapped loaf.  Place it in a clean foil pan.  Then place a bow of choice on top.  I didn't love the silver, because it looks blah with the foil and burlap, but it was all we had.  I recommend green (or pink!:)

 



 

Option #2:  Gold Bow Loaf.  For this one, I put the loaf back into the pan and wrapped it all in saran wrap.  Then I tied the ribbon around both sides.  This one is best for traveling and was my favorite.  I would've loved it more with some fun ribbon.

 

 

Option #3:  Red Ribbon Bow.  For this one, all I did was wrap the loaf in saran wrap.  Then I took a long strip of wide ribbon (red sparkles in this case) and tied a bow around the loaf of bread.  I also stuck a little note under the now. This one was the cutest, but colorful ribbon makes all the difference!

 

 

 

 

  

The banana bread is the recipe for my crazy good chocolate chip banana bread, which is soft and moist and sweet thanks to the bananas and greek yogurt. This time, I subbed white chocolate for the chocolate chips and added cranberries. This banana bread recipe is my favorite and one I actually come back to again and again.  As a food blogger, there aren't very many recipes that get made more than once.  Christmas time brings out all the stand byes. There is no time to be wasted on a recipe that might not work, especially when you are giving them as gifts or hosting a dinner. I'm so glad I can still enjoy most of the Christmas meals without having to prep!  I leave the meats and casseroles to the aunts and just bake the banana bread and tie ribbon. :)

 

 

White Chocolate Cranberry Banana Bread

Recipes Source: The Sweet {Tooth} Life.  Adapted from here.

Yield: 3 mini loaves (or one normal loaf)

1/4 cup butter, softened

2 eggs 

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup plain greek yogurt (I used nonfat)

1 cup mashed ripe banana (I used 3 medium)

1-1/2 cup flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

3/4 cup cranberries

 

Beat softened butter and eggs together.  Stir in yogurt, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and mashed banana and beat until smooth.  Add flour, salt, and soda and whisk until just combined.  Divide between three greased and floured mini loaf pans.  Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes in pan before removing and letting cool on a wire rack.  After cooled, slice and enjoy or wrap up and gift!  Loaves can also be frozen. 

Christmas Shortbread Cookies

Say hello to my first Christmas cookie recipe this year.

#catchup

Yeah ... I'm slow when it comes to seasonal desserts. These are worth the wait though!  They are super easy and can we talk abou festive?  Because I worked the red sugar sprinkles in a little too much, these turned a little pink and would make perfect peppermint cookies - just add 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract and bam, holiday cookies at their best.

These are buttery and softer on the inside. They still have that crunch characteristic of all shortbread though.  There are subtly sweet and full of sugar sprinkles.  A fast favorite with my siblings!

These couldn't be easier to whip up. Need cookies for a Christmas party? Crunched for time?  Sugar craving?  These are the answer. You simply cream the butter and sugar until fluffy and add the vanilla, flour, and salt.  Don't forget the sprinkles :)

All you need are six ingredients you have in your cupboard and 10 minutes of hands on time.  These are faster and better than any store bought shortbread cookies you could buy! 

You know, we never have Christmas cookies per se ... we are popcorn, cake, and fudge people. Now, we always have my grandma's Russian tea cakes but those are the only cookies that I associate with Christmas.  These remind me a little if those. Their texture, so buttery and a little crunchy, is similar. 

How about you guys?  Any cookies you associate with Christmas?

Christmas Shortbread Cookies

Recipe Source: The Sweet {Tooth} Life

2-1/2 dozen

 

2-1/2 cup flour

1 cup butter 

3/4 cup sugar 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon vanilla 

2 tablespoon red sugar sprinkles

2 tablespoon green sugar sprinkles

 

Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly grease a cookie sheet.

Beat butter and sugar until fluffy.  Stir in flour, salt and vanilla.  Beat until combined.  Add sprinkles and stir.  Don't stir too hard or you'll end up with colored dough, not just sprinkled :)

 

Roll dough out to 1/4-1/2 inch thickness.  Cut into uniform circles and place on cookie sheet.  You will have multiple batches.  Bake each batch for 10-12 minutes.  Let cool completely before serving.

Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire . . .

'Tis the season for Christmas songs!  'Tis the season to be jolly!  But even better -  'Tis the season for cookies!  Forget chestnuts!  (Actually, I've never eaten chestnuts.  Are they good?)
 

It does look like fun though . . .

Besides, if you are going to roast anything, it had better be marshmallows. And then smash it in between chocolate and graham crackers. Mmmmmm . . . another Christmas memory.

But the cookies.  Yes, this is the month for Christmas desserts full of butter and sugar and icing.  Love it!  But if you're in the McNellis family, you have never left that infamous plate of cookies for Santa.  Poor Santa.  We eat all the cookies before he arrives.  But in reality, we have never celebrated Santa, or done lists, or hung our stockings to be stuffed and opened in the morning.  In our stack of Christmas books, we have the ones titled Is Santa For Real? and The Real Story of Saint Nicholas.  Oh, and let's not forget one of my all time favorite Christmas DVDs - the VeggieTales Saint Nicholas.  I love that one.  Not only does it tell the true story veggie style, but it has the greatest lines ever.  If you have not watched it, this Christmas is the time too.  You will not regret it.

I was thinking about this since we celebrated Christmas early this weekend.  My Mimi made it a priority to honor our earthly parents and our heavenly father as well while exchanging gifts.  I was a bit disappointed in myself for wanting to focus more on the presents.  Isn't that sad?  The definition of gift is something of value given without the expectation of the favor being returned.  That is not the image that comes to mind when I think of Christmas gifts.  I shouldn't think of the presents first - and then Jesus.  Yet it is His birth and eventual resurrection that gives me the joy I feel this time of year.  If we took away presents, would we look forward to it the same way?

Bethlehem Revisited was also this weekend.  Hannah graciously invited me and it was a blast working and talking . . . and talking some more . . . and some more:)  We worked in the marketplace, which is about half way through.  Bethlehem Revisited doesn't end with Jesus' birth, though.  That's because the story really ends at the empty grave.  The miracle was inside the tomb, which signified death, and continues today through us, who are free from death because of that miracle.

Now, back to the cookies.  These really aren't "Christmas" cookies per say, but they remind me of the real surprise being on the inside.  Meet the Cinnamon Sugar Cream Cheese Surprise Cookies.  Or just CSCCSC.   :)

COOKIE:
1-1/ cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-3 tablespoons  milk
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons oil
FILLING:
4 teaspoons powdered sugar
4 oz cream cheese

Mix the first five ingredients.  Add in wet ingredients and stir until just mixed.   Heat cream cheese for 30 seconds and then beat with powdered sugar.  Roll dough into 12-14 circles and drop a spoonful of cream cheese mixture in the center.  Roll up the sides (don't worry if it isn't pretty) Roll in cinnamon and sugar and place on greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 325 for 12 minutes.  Let cool for at least 10 minutes before eating.  

Note: Don't worry if it is a little dry. However, if you need to, add a little more milk and/or oil.  It thought it was too dry after making one cookie and added about a tablespoon more of each.  When they were done, the first one was actually my favorite because the cookie part was more like shortbread with cream cheese inside.  The other ones were more gooey, but still yummy.  You can omit the filling for a more snickerdoodle type cookie.

Sorry I have no pictures. This only makes a dozen (I got 14)  and my family ate the whole thing at dinner.

Lads and Cranes

Christmas of 2011 - Every Christmas, me and my cousin Gracie put on a Christmas play.  Now you have to know Gracie to put this into context.  She is barely 5 foot and has got a grin and a heart as big as Mt. Everest.  You think I'm crazy, Gracie is just as much,  if not more.  But behind that bouncy, impulsive personality is an incredibly dedicated and disciplined gymnast.  The work she puts into that sport is incredible.  She is there almost every day after school for at least 3 hours running though routines, sweating through conditioning and focusing on getting better.  And gymnastics isn't a sport you just pick up.  You have to sacrifice a LOT of time.  You have to be really strong and extraordinarily flexible.  Did I mention dedicated already!?!?!?

Yet she is so much fun.  We are total goofs together and still have heart to heart talks.  We always plan The Play over email a couple weeks before Christmas, but on December 25th, we tend to adlib our way through it.  The results are hilarious.  Like last year, we had done the first part where we helped some orphans or something and then the next part was when she was supposed to be an old woman and my other cousins were supposed to laugh and tease her.  Well, Gracie hobbles in (a.k.a through the master bedroom door) and onto the stage (a.k.a the living room.  Are you sensing authenticity yet:) ?)  She sits down, mumbling the entire time, clutching a stick.  It falls to the ground and she leans down to pick up, groaning, "I dropped my crane!"

Pause. 

The audience crammed on the couch starts chuckling.  "Cut," she hollers.   "That didn't happen.  I meant cane, cane."  My family members are laughing and I try to stifle my own outburst as I wait to send my cousins/bullies in for their scene.

She begins again, warbling just like the stereotype old lady.  "When I was a lad - "

"Lass!" my uncle yells.  (Heis known for his serious sense of humor!)

"Whatever!"  Gracie tries to retort through her own laughter.  "Lass."  She regains her composure.  "I used to throw . . . snowballs." 

Pause.

Then she starts rolling on the ground laughing.  This would be an instance of adlibbing gone wrong.  Both of us could not stop giggling.  When we finally caught our breath, one of my cousins who was supposed to be a bully comes up to me and asks, "So when do we get to laugh at Gracie?"

We dissolved into giggles once more.








"A joyful spirit is good medicine."












This weekend, my Mimi and Papa were here to celebrate Christmas with us.  They aren't big fans of being snowed in on Christmas.  (Remember the ice storm?!)  So we have our tree set up with lights and ornaments, but only after Dad went to the store and got more lights:)  We have this tendancy to blow out lights at Christmas.  This year's tree is proabably the largest we have had.  Thankfully it isn't as full as last years, but it is SO tall.  It scrapes our ceiling and our ceiling is up there!  I think the tree is almost 10 feet tall.  Normally we wait until the second week of December to put it up, but because my Mimi wanted to do some activities with the tree, we put it up early.  This year, she gave us a trainset to put around the tree.  You know the kind that goes on its own?  That was really fun and we all enjoy making it blow smoke and whistle and see how fast we can make it go before Mom comes in and tells us to slow it down!

Do you have any tree traditions?  All the kids get to put ornaments on the tree and it is teamwork from all of that get the tree in the house and in the stand.  It makes for fun memories, especially as the tree gets bigger!  We all thought it would be easier to lift the tree and rotate it, etc., as we got older, but it seems we can never get ahead of the tree!