CHRISTMAS CUPCAKES

I love cupcakes! Don't you? They just seem so much easier to make then big cakes. Plus, each one is like it's only little mini cake that you don't have to share with anyone else.

I was looking through Flickr to get some ideas for decorating cupcakes durning the holiday season and found these. I thought they were so cute I just had to share them with you.

I love the Mr. and Mrs. Santa!

These would be darling to take to share with your child's classroom.

When I first saw these cupcakes decorated as tree ornaments I fell in love.

Really the sky is the limit with these. You could make them to match the tree decorations at your house. Put these in a box with tissue around them and they will look like real ornaments.

Oh you know I love glitter so of course I loved the blue cupcake with the sugar glitter on it. Looks like snow sparkling.

Being I am a snowman collectors these really caught my eye.

Look at all these cute cupcakes! They are made using fondant rather then buttercream icing. For those of you who don't know what fondant is, it is a rollable sugar dough that you use to decorate cakes with. You can cut and shape fondant like play-do. Not everyone likes the taste of fondant but you put a layer of buttercream under it and then if you don't like the taste you can just pull the fondant off.

I like the detail of this holly wreath.

I like the way they cut the fondant with a ruffled cookie cutter so there is some movement to these cute cupcakes.

This is little jolly snowman makes me smile.

Look at the expressions on these darling elves.

These little Mr. & Mrs. reindeer are just darling!

I hope you if you have any cupcakes to make this holiday season you will share them with us too. There are so many cute was to decorate them.

A WONDERFUL NEW ON LINE MAGAZINE COMING YOUR WAY!!

That's right! You heard it clearly. There is a wonderful on line magazine coming your way soon. Just click here http://romanticliving.blogspot.com/
to read more about it. Or click on the photo over on my right side bar.

They are also having a wonderful giveaway now. So hurry on over. Tell them I sent you.

A QUICK YET ELEGANT CHIRSTMAS TREAT

Are you looking for a yummy, quick and festive treat to serve your company that stops by or to top off a big dinner? Well, look no further! I have just the treat for you!

Every year at this time Dryer's ice cream puts out their holiday flavors. Once I discovered the peppermint flavor it quickly became my favorite.

It's wonderful all on it's own in a bowl.

But to really impress your guest make these wonderful frozen truffles. They are super easy yet will WOW your company.

FROZEN PEPPERMINT TRUFFLES

Dryer's Peppermint ice cream

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup white chocolate chips

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

Line a metal baking sheet or pan with waxed paper or plastic wrap and place on a freezer shelf until chilled. Remove the ice cream from the freezer and soften just enough to scoop easily. Quickly scoop up 16 one-inch balls (using a small scoop or two teaspoons) and place them on the prepared sheet. (Hint: Place pan on a frozen cold pack while scooping to keep frozen dairy dessert cold.) Freeze 30 minutes or until scoops are hard.

Place the chocolate and white chocolate chips in separate bowls and add 2 tablespoons of oil to each. Microwave one bowl at a time on medium power (50%) for 2-3 minutes.

Remove and stir until melted and smooth, and the bowl no longer feels warm.

Loosen one ice cream ball from the pan with a small spoon and set it in a bowl of chocolate. Using two spoons, quickly spoon chocolate over ice cream until completely coated. Lift out, allowing the excess chocolate to drip back into bowl.

Return the truffle to pan. Continue to dip ice cream balls, one at a time, into the chocolate (eight balls into each type of chocolate).

Return the pan to the freezer for 5-10 minutes if the ice cream softens.

Drizzle chocolate over the opposite color chocolate truffle. Freeze truffles until coatings are hard.

To serve, place the truffles in miniature candy paper liners in a box or tray.

Truffles may be stored in an airtight container in freezer for up to one week.

Makes 16 truffles.

I MADE A SNOWMAN CANDY BOX AND SO CAN YOU!

In a past post I've told you that I have never built a snowman before. Well, now I have! Sort of.

I found this craft over at Joli Paquet the other day and thought I would give it a go.

The photos don't show you how much he sparkles with glitter. Both the box and the snowman shimmer and shine.
This little snowman is made out of paper mache. It's the first time I've made anything from that since I was in grammar school.

Since I collect snowmen I thought this little guy will sit out with the rest of my collection.

I may make some other ones since I make a peppermint bark every year and thought it would cute to hand it out in these little boxes.

If you would like to make one of your own you can find the step by step instructions at http://joli-paquet.blogspot.com/2008/11/snowman-box-tutorial.html

I also saw some cute candy boxes at a gift store with just a big snowman head. I thought that could be cute to make too.

THE MANY COLORS OF POINSETTIA PLANTS

The flower that makes everyone think of Christmas is the Poinsettia. While I was out shopping today I noticed there are so many different colors of Poinsettias now. Growing up there was only red. Not any more.

I have to admit my favorite Poinsettia is the large red ones.

But you can also get the two tone ones. Red with splashes of cream.

Or this kind with each leaf being a different mix between reds and almost a pale yellow color.

There are cream and white ones.

Or these cute little Christmas Rose Poinsettias. They almost look like a rose that is fully open. They have tight curly red leaves rather then the big pointy ones.

Of course with all the pink lovers out there I'm sure Pink Poinsettias are a big hit.

Now you can get Poinsettias in almost every color you can think of.

Blues, purples, and different shades of every color you can think of. I think some of them they spray the color onto.

I think this is a beautiful one.

Did you know that the flower part of the plant is not the colorful part. Those are actually leaves. The flower is the center part. The little balls.

Those are the part of the Poinsettia that can make your children and pets sick if they eat them so please be careful.

I love Poinsettia plants but the traditionally red ones are the ones most likely to be found at my house.

How about you? Do you like them? Have you ever gotten one of the newer fancy colors?

MY FAVORITE CHRISTMAS COOKIES

I love to bake cookies at Christmas. I have several that I make every year and I always try to make at least one or two new kinds.

But, without a doubt my all time favorite Christmas cookies are Snowballs. I've seen them called by other names but I like Snowballs because that reminds me of winter and Christmas, so that is what I call them.

I've seen several different recipes for this cookie also. I just stick to my tried and true recipe that I have used for over 30 years. Thought you may want to try them out too. So here is the recipe for you to enjoy.

SNOWBALL COOKIES

1 cup butter softened

1/3 cup sugar

2 tsp water

1 Tb. vanilla

2 cups flour

1 cup walnuts chopped

Powdered sugar, enough to roll cookies in two times to cover

Cream butter and sugar. Add water & vanilla, mix well. Blend in flour and nuts. Shape into small balls. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 375 degrees for about 20 mins. Cool slightly. While still a little warm roll cookie in powder sugar. Cool completely and roll in powder sugar a 2nd time.

Eat and enjoy!

A LOST CHRISTMAS IS FOUND! ~ Giveaway winner!

Today I went out to my garage just to dig around and see what I could find. I found an old box tucked way in the back and when I opened it up to see what was inside I could not believe what I found!

It was a box from my Aunt and Uncle who had passed away years ago. Inside I found some fun vintage Christmas treasures!

Like these little Santa and Mrs. Claus salt and pepper shakers. They are so cute how they hold hands when you put them together.

Then there was this other little Santa! He will be perfect in my Santa collection.

These two sweet little Christmas Carolers were in perfect condition!

There was an old Santa candy box, a Santa boot that will hold my candy canes I just purchased, a Santa chocolate mold that looks like it was used as a tree ornament and two vintage Santa cupcake picks.

Three boxes of mini Shiny Bright ornaments and a plastic Frosty the Snowman.

Two Christmas Tree candles from way back when and a little boy and girl ornaments. I think I may remove the hangers and even add some glitter to these two. What do you think? Should I glitter them up or leave them alone since they are vintage. I think they are from the early 70's so they are not that old. Oh wait! That makes them over 30 years old.

Some vintage tin cones! I only photographed this one as the other ones were either plain or looked like this one.

A vintage card holder in the shape of a tree. I'll be using this for sure!

More mini vintage ornaments. Some look like mercury glass.

Two boxes of these vintage flashing bell Christmas lights. I remember these from when I was a little kid. Every year my aunt and uncle had these hung up in their windows. I used to love watching them flash on and off in a pattern that made the bells look like they were ringing back and forth.

I plugged them in and they still work!

Last I found a vintage ornament with red flocking in the pattern of poinsettias.

What a wonderful box of treasures I came across. I have more of their Christmas items in my storage but this one somehow slipped past me.

I am so happy I found this box full of memories from my favorite Aunt and favorite Uncle. I feel like they were right next to me as I opened up the box and found each little treasure.

For those of you who entered my giveaway, the winner is... Donna from Party Wishes. Congrats Donna. Please email me your address so I can get this out to you.