Pretzel Salad has been a tradition at my house for years. It wouldn't be a holiday meal without it. If there is turkey there is this salad. Over the years I have changed it slightly, using different flavours of strawberry jello like strawberry banana and I have also used raspberry jello with raspberries.
Monday, December 23, 2013
Saturday, December 21, 2013
Dollar Tree Christmas Wreath
One of my favorite bloggers and friends Cynthia of Feeding Big made this wonderful Christmas wreath from using material that she bought at the Dollar Tree. I have been obsessed with the Dollar Tree and spend a lot of time going through the aisle. I buy dishes, crafts, some food items and my cleaning items from there. So when I saw her wreath I knew that I had to make one too.
By the time I got to the store a lot of the Christmas decorations where gone but I did find some. I also cheated just a little bit as I bought some of the ornaments from Walmart as they had a package with a green ornament that I wanted. I liked them as it brought a little bit of different colour then the gold and red. For my base I used an evergreen wreath that I twisted the evergreens to make them tight around the wire. This I bought from the Dollar Tree too.
I thought that I took a picture of the materials that I used but I either deleted them or put them in a file that I can't find.
Materials:
16 evergreen wreath
Assorted sizes and colour ornaments
1 sprig holly berries
ribbon to make bow - approx 1 foot in length
hot glue gun
Directions:
I twisted the evergreens around the wire wreath so that it was solid. Don't worry if some are showing as you can see some of the every green in my wreath.
Glue large ornaments to wreath with glue gun covering 3/4 of wreath. (I realized that I hadn't bought enough balls and decided to leave room for a bow.)
Continue to glue ornaments in random arrangement over the wreath. Try not to leave to many holes.
Pull holly berries off sprig and glue to bottom of the wreath. I tried to glue them all about the same distance apart.
Tie a 4 loop bow and glue to wreath where there are no ornaments.
This wreath cost me about $10.00 to make. You can still make one before Christmas either for yourself or give as a gift.
Shared at these awesome parties: Lou Lou Girls Fabulous Party, Dat be Nice
By the time I got to the store a lot of the Christmas decorations where gone but I did find some. I also cheated just a little bit as I bought some of the ornaments from Walmart as they had a package with a green ornament that I wanted. I liked them as it brought a little bit of different colour then the gold and red. For my base I used an evergreen wreath that I twisted the evergreens to make them tight around the wire. This I bought from the Dollar Tree too.
Dollar Tree Christmas Wreath
I thought that I took a picture of the materials that I used but I either deleted them or put them in a file that I can't find.
Materials:
16 evergreen wreath
Assorted sizes and colour ornaments
1 sprig holly berries
ribbon to make bow - approx 1 foot in length
hot glue gun
Directions:
I twisted the evergreens around the wire wreath so that it was solid. Don't worry if some are showing as you can see some of the every green in my wreath.
Glue large ornaments to wreath with glue gun covering 3/4 of wreath. (I realized that I hadn't bought enough balls and decided to leave room for a bow.)
Continue to glue ornaments in random arrangement over the wreath. Try not to leave to many holes.
Pull holly berries off sprig and glue to bottom of the wreath. I tried to glue them all about the same distance apart.
Tie a 4 loop bow and glue to wreath where there are no ornaments.
This wreath cost me about $10.00 to make. You can still make one before Christmas either for yourself or give as a gift.
Shared at these awesome parties: Lou Lou Girls Fabulous Party, Dat be Nice
Gingerbread Eggnog Waffle with Pear Sauce
I make waffles often and lately I have been trying to spice them up a bit so that they aren't just plain waffles. I had a couple of pears in the fridge that were just on the verge of being way to soft and thought that they would taste yummy with waffles.
As I was starting to get the waffles ready, I spotted the Torani Gingerbread Syrup on the counter top and thought that would be perfect with the pear sauce that I planned to make. I already was going to add eggnog to the waffle batter and gingerbread syrup would go great with the eggnog. The results... YUM. This is perfect recipe to make for the holidays.
Ingredients:
For waffles:
2 eggs separated
1 1/4 cup flour (I use 3/4 cup white flour and 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour)
2/3 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup egg nog
1/2 cup milk
3 tbsp oil
2 tsp Gingerbread Syrup (I use Torani)
For pear sauce:
2 pears diced
1 tbsp sugar (to taste)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp tapioca
For Gingerbread Glaze:
5 tbsp powder sugar
1 tbsp gingerbread syrup
1 tbsp egg nog
enough milk to make glaze thin enough to pour
Directions:
Pear Sauce:
In saucepan add diced pears, sugar and nutmeg. Over medium-high heat cook until pears are soft. Stirring often. Add tapioca to thicken. Bringing to boil and cook until sauce is thickened about 3 -5 minutes. Set aside.
Gingerbread Glaze:
Mix powdered sugar, gingerbread syrup, nutmeg and eggnog in small bowl. Add milk to make a glaze, you want it thin enough to pour.
Waffles:
Separate eggs in two bowls. I use my mixing bowl for the whites and another moderate size bowl for the yolks
Beat egg whites on high until light and fluffy. Set aside.
Add flour, salt, baking powder, milk, eggnog, gingerbread syrup and oil to bowl with egg yolks. Mix until everything is combine.
Fold in egg whites.
Heat waffle iron (I use a flip Belgium waffle maker). Add waffle dough per instructions of waffle maker and bake until desired brownness.
Assemble by placing waffle on plate, drizzle with Gingerbread Glaze and add Pear Sauce. You could also serve with a dollop of whipped cream and drizzle more glaze over the whipped cream.
Enjoy
Also check out Whole Wheat Avocado Waffle with Caramel Drizzle.
Linked up to these great parties:
Craft Frenzy Friday
As I was starting to get the waffles ready, I spotted the Torani Gingerbread Syrup on the counter top and thought that would be perfect with the pear sauce that I planned to make. I already was going to add eggnog to the waffle batter and gingerbread syrup would go great with the eggnog. The results... YUM. This is perfect recipe to make for the holidays.
Gingerbread Eggnog Waffle with Pear Sauce
For waffles:
2 eggs separated
1 1/4 cup flour (I use 3/4 cup white flour and 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour)
2/3 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup egg nog
1/2 cup milk
3 tbsp oil
2 tsp Gingerbread Syrup (I use Torani)
For pear sauce:
2 pears diced
1 tbsp sugar (to taste)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp tapioca
For Gingerbread Glaze:
5 tbsp powder sugar
1 tbsp gingerbread syrup
1 tbsp egg nog
enough milk to make glaze thin enough to pour
Directions:
Pear Sauce:
In saucepan add diced pears, sugar and nutmeg. Over medium-high heat cook until pears are soft. Stirring often. Add tapioca to thicken. Bringing to boil and cook until sauce is thickened about 3 -5 minutes. Set aside.
Gingerbread Glaze:
Mix powdered sugar, gingerbread syrup, nutmeg and eggnog in small bowl. Add milk to make a glaze, you want it thin enough to pour.
Waffles:
Separate eggs in two bowls. I use my mixing bowl for the whites and another moderate size bowl for the yolks
Beat egg whites on high until light and fluffy. Set aside.
Add flour, salt, baking powder, milk, eggnog, gingerbread syrup and oil to bowl with egg yolks. Mix until everything is combine.
Fold in egg whites.
Heat waffle iron (I use a flip Belgium waffle maker). Add waffle dough per instructions of waffle maker and bake until desired brownness.
Assemble by placing waffle on plate, drizzle with Gingerbread Glaze and add Pear Sauce. You could also serve with a dollop of whipped cream and drizzle more glaze over the whipped cream.
Enjoy
Also check out Whole Wheat Avocado Waffle with Caramel Drizzle.
Linked up to these great parties:
Craft Frenzy Friday
Friday, December 20, 2013
Crazy Ingredient Challenge ~ Holiday Mix
So, I wrote out my post for this challenge, got right to the bottom and the whole post disappeared. Not to be found. And it was a good post and I am not writing out everything again... So here I go with the post a second time tonight.
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Foodie Friends Friday ~ Anything Goes Linky Party #foodiefriendsfriday
Are you ready for Christmas? Less then one week to go.... I hope this party will give you all some inspirations for your Holiday Cooking and Gift giving as this week on Foodie Friends Friday ~
I can't wait to see what you bring... I work over Christmas but then the weekend my brother and his family may be coming so we can have our Christmas then...
Recipes that got the Most Clicks
Anything Goes Christmas Party
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Last Week's Highlights
Host Favorites
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| Head over to the Daily Dish to see all the Host Favorites from Last Week's Party |
My Favorite
I love these Reindeer Cookies from +Mandatory Mooch, so cute. I think I will make them for my nieces and nephew when they come here next week. I have all the ingredients, I just need time to make them.
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| picture credit: Mandatory Mooch |
Recipes that got the Most Clicks
Adding Links back to Foodie Friends Friday and our Button is our only form of advertising to bring in more people to see YOUR recipes.
Please remember to do this. It benefits you! To thank you, we will continue to feature those with links throughout the year on various outlets.
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Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Repurposed Christmas Tree Ornaments
Have you ever kept something when it was empty thinking that this would be perfect to make something out of. I have done that with Bath & Body Wallflower fragrance bulbs. They look like little tree lights and I when I was using them all the time (we don't have a Bath & Body here anymore) I saved everyone of them. A while back I found my stash and threw a lot of them away as I never used them, keeping only 6. This week as I was thinking of what to make as ornaments ~ I had an uh huh moment.
This moment came when I was going through some of my craft supplies and came across some rub-on that I had from Plaid and Christmas Washi Tape. And that is how this project came together.
Materials:
Used Bath and Body Wallflower fragrance bulbs (other bulbs might work too)
Rub-on transfer (I used Plaid rub on transfers)
Washi Tape
Pliers
Heavy Thread to make holder and hot glue ( I had some leftover from balls that I used in a wreath)
Directions:
Unscrew the lid from the fragrance bulbs. Using pliers pull out wick and plastic piece that holds the wick in place. Screw back the lid on.
Making sure the outside of bulb is clean and dry, place rub-on transfer onto the surface of bulb and using stick provide rub the transfer on. If needed, you may have to rub some of the transfer and then pull it off to be able to rub the rest around the round surfaces. I also made sure my rub on was on the opposite side of the raised words of the fragrance bulbs.
Using washi tape, tape the edges of the lid. (I just did the outside of the edges).
Make loop with thread and tie a knot at the end. Glue the knotted end to the top of the lid of the bulb using hot glue and let dry.
The only problem I had was with the Merry Christmas rub-on as it didn't want to transfer properly. Still looks ok and I might use a fine tip marker to fill in any of the letters that didn't all transfer. I really wish that I would have saved all the fragrance bulbs that I had as I love these ornaments.
LINKED TO: Nap-Time Creation
This moment came when I was going through some of my craft supplies and came across some rub-on that I had from Plaid and Christmas Washi Tape. And that is how this project came together.
Materials:
Used Bath and Body Wallflower fragrance bulbs (other bulbs might work too)
Rub-on transfer (I used Plaid rub on transfers)
Washi Tape
Pliers
Heavy Thread to make holder and hot glue ( I had some leftover from balls that I used in a wreath)
Directions:
Unscrew the lid from the fragrance bulbs. Using pliers pull out wick and plastic piece that holds the wick in place. Screw back the lid on.
Making sure the outside of bulb is clean and dry, place rub-on transfer onto the surface of bulb and using stick provide rub the transfer on. If needed, you may have to rub some of the transfer and then pull it off to be able to rub the rest around the round surfaces. I also made sure my rub on was on the opposite side of the raised words of the fragrance bulbs.
Using washi tape, tape the edges of the lid. (I just did the outside of the edges).
Make loop with thread and tie a knot at the end. Glue the knotted end to the top of the lid of the bulb using hot glue and let dry.
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| Finished Ornaments |
LINKED TO: Nap-Time Creation
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Spiced Crock Pot Turkey Breast
Have you used your crock pot to make turkey? When my hubby first came to America I made a whole turkey in the oven.. thinking that I would give him a taste of American cooking. Well, he didn't like it, he thought it was dry and had no flavour. He didn't want to have turkey again. It was a few years later that we decided to try and make it in the crock pot and put in some spices and VOILA it was terrific. Full of flavour and moist. So since that day I have made my turkey in the crock pot.
I know, you are going to say .... everyone does that. This is not new. But what is new is what spices that I use and how I infuse the spices throughout the turkey breast, so that not only the outside has the flavour, every bite has it.
Ingredients:
3 lb turkey breast
1 garlic clove
1 inch fresh ginger
1 tbsp anise
1 tsp grains of paradise (you could use black pepper
1-2 tbsp onion
Salt water
Directions:
Place turkey breast in water to cover and approx 1 tbsp salt. Let sit while you mix your spices.
I use my mortar and pestle and grind together garlic, ginger, anise, grains of paradise and onion. Add a small amount of water to this so it makes a paste.
Take turkey breast out of salt water, remove skin, cut a few slits throughout the turkey.
Rub spices all over the turkey and into the slits that you cut. Cover the breast with the skin and rub some spices over the skin.
Place turkey in crock pot.
Cook on low for 5-6 hours. Remove from crock pot and let sit for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
Cooks notes:
My crock pot is a 6 qt which is probably too big. You could use a smaller one if you have it. I do not add any liquid to my turkey as it has enough already. Most of the time the liquid is covering the turkey breast when it is done.
If you don't have a mortar and pestle, a small food processor would work to grind the spices. I have not tried this recipe with ground spices as I use fresh garlic, ginger and onion and whole anise and grains of paradise.
I know, you are going to say .... everyone does that. This is not new. But what is new is what spices that I use and how I infuse the spices throughout the turkey breast, so that not only the outside has the flavour, every bite has it.
Here is how I do it.
Ingredients:
3 lb turkey breast
1 garlic clove
1 inch fresh ginger
1 tbsp anise
1 tsp grains of paradise (you could use black pepper
1-2 tbsp onion
Salt water
Directions:
Place turkey breast in water to cover and approx 1 tbsp salt. Let sit while you mix your spices.
I use my mortar and pestle and grind together garlic, ginger, anise, grains of paradise and onion. Add a small amount of water to this so it makes a paste.
Take turkey breast out of salt water, remove skin, cut a few slits throughout the turkey.
Rub spices all over the turkey and into the slits that you cut. Cover the breast with the skin and rub some spices over the skin.
Place turkey in crock pot.
Cook on low for 5-6 hours. Remove from crock pot and let sit for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
Cooks notes:
My crock pot is a 6 qt which is probably too big. You could use a smaller one if you have it. I do not add any liquid to my turkey as it has enough already. Most of the time the liquid is covering the turkey breast when it is done.
If you don't have a mortar and pestle, a small food processor would work to grind the spices. I have not tried this recipe with ground spices as I use fresh garlic, ginger and onion and whole anise and grains of paradise.
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