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December

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Festive peppermint candy bowls

Make a super cute Christmas dish using nothing but peppermint candies! It’s a fun and easy craft for kids to help with, and a unique way for adults to serve candy, ice cream, or other goodies to guests. I like serving ice cream in these bowls because the bowl really will impart a delicious minty flavor. Top with chocolate sauce, sprinkle or M&M’s for a tasty treat. Tip: Use spearmints for a fun, festive green bowl, or mix up the two! Mints melt, but not so much that the colors will run, so you can get creative with this! What’s the difference between peppermint and spearmint? Festive peppermint candy bowls What you’ll need 19 Peppermint Starlights, unwrapped (19 mints per bowl) Silicon baking mat (or parchment paper) Baking sheet A small bowl, preferably glass (about 4-5 inches across the top) Directions Preheat oven to 300ºF. Line baking sheet with…

10 ways to instantly upgrade your hot chocolate

Winter has arrived and that means it’s time to break out your fuzziest slippers, coziest sweater, and snuggle up to a piping hot mug of hot chocolate for a few guilt-free hours of Netflix and chill. But no matter whether you use a homemade recipe or open a packet of the powdery stuff, basic hot chocolate can be pretty boring—especially as the winter wears on. Upgrade your old, uninspired recipe with one of these exciting, delicious hot chocolate additions. Also try this Winter White Hot Chocolate with Cinnamon. What to add to hot cocoa Add-in any of these ingredients for a brand new hot chocolate experience: Cinnamon brown sugar  Sprinkle in a bit of cinnamon and brown sugar for a decadent hot chocolate you only thought possible in your winter dreams. Freshly-brewed espresso or coffee The coffee/hot chocolate classic combo never disappoints. Go for freshly made espresso or coffee if…

Sugar frosted cranberries

‘Tis the season for sparkles! These cranberries are so festive decked out in their sugar-coated crunchy goodness. They’re like little edible jewels. They’re the perfect sparkling garnish to a just about any holiday dish. Try them skewered on top of a glass of champagne, or place them on top of your holiday apple pie. But you’ll enjoy them all on their own, too! If you’re thinking that cranberries are too tart to snack on, you would ordinarily be right. But that classic cranberry mouth-pucker is made palatable with a short soak in some simple syrup. The cranberries retain their tartness, but they’re sweet and crunchy all at the same time. You’re basically left with fancy Sour Patch Kids for adults. Set a bowl of these out over the holidays, and you’ll start a new family holiday must-have recipe. Sugar frosted cranberries Makes 12 ounces of berries Ingredients 1/2 cup water…

5 gifts the ‘crunchy mama’ would totally love

Crunchy. Granola. Earth Mama. These labels aren’t usually insults, rather, they evoke an image of someone who does things a little less conventionally for the health of his or her family. Sometimes people who get labeled as “crunchy” don’t even think of themselves that way! They’re just living their best life. Whether it’s an obsession with organic groceries (and hand creams, and clothes, and diapers, etc.) or a chicken coop in their backyard, they’re down to live life the most wholesome way they know how—and that’s by DIY with many of their own foods right at home. Shopping for someone in the crunchy camp can be difficult if you don’t know their personal rulebook. But you can bet they’ll actually use—and actually appreciate—any one of these great 5 DIY in the kitchen gadgets below. 1. Buttercup Homemade Butter Maker ($12.99) Just add fresh cream to the Buttercup Butter Maker by Chef’n,…

The Best Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

In the holiday wonderland of hundreds of types of Christmas cookies, how does one cookie stand apart? It must be one rich, decadent, and fudgy cookie! These Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are seriously the best! They taste just like a brownie only better. They’re lightly crunchy on the outside, yet irresistibly chewy in the center. You’re about to find a new holiday favorite. Tips for baking the Best Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Make sure all of your ingredients are room temperature. Don’t skip Step 4 (chilling the dough). Dough is super sticky and needs to chill or else it will be too difficult to work with. Chilling also helps create thicker cookies with a fudgy flavor. If they’re too warm when they go into the oven, they’ll spread out too thin. Remember to adjust the baking time to your oven. 10-12 minutes is a suggestion. If you bake too long, they’ll lose…

50+ restaurants offering holiday gift card specials and bonuses 2019

Whether it’s for your hard-to-buy-for father or your cousin obsessed with California Pizza Kitchen, most of us have a reason to buy a few gift cards this holiday season. But why walk away with just one gift card when you can also score a bonus for yourself? Here are a list of restaurant chains offering bonuses, deals, and specials so that when you buy a gift for them, you get a gift for you, too. Applebee’s Purchase $50 in gift cards and day now through December 31, 2019, and receive a $10 bonus card to use before March 1, 2020. Bahama Breeze Buy $50 worth of gift cards and get $20 in bonus cards free. Bonus cards valid January 2 through March 31, 2020, excluding February 14, 2020. Benihana Get a $10 bonus card with a $50 gift card purchased in the month of December. Bonus card can be used…

How to host a holiday party on a budget

‘Tis the season to eat, drink and be merry! That said, when you’re hosting friends and family for the holidays, your grocery bill can easily double or even triple in no time! All that extra spending can add to the stress of the season, especially if you still have lots of presents to put under the tree. If hosting a holiday party is in your future and you’re worried your budget is more Scrooge than Saint Nick, here are some thrifty tips that can help you save on yuletide expenses without cutting back on that Christmas. Make it a potluck As the host, pick one or two main dish items you can cook (or have catered). Then, give your guests plenty of notice and see if they’re willing to bring some simple hors d’oeuvres, snacks, or cookies. If someone argues that their cooking skills aren’t up to snuff, suggest they…

Kale flavored candy canes actually exist, and that’s just the beginning

When it comes to candy canes, there’s usually not a whole lot left to the unknown. Once you peel back the thin, plastic wrapper, you expect you’ll get to enjoy a nice peppermint-flavored candy. But the world seems to have gone a little crazy lately and so too have our trusty red and white striped Christmas treats. Archie McPhee — the maker of candy cane flavors no one would ever ask for — thinks that peppermint is just a little too predictable. From macaroni and cheese, to pizza, and even ham (hamdy canes, of course), the quirky candy company probably has a candy cane for that. For veggie lovers, the green and white striped Kale Candy Cane ($7) offers “The bitter grassiness of your favorite vegetable.” Also, find comfort that “This set of six  Kale Candy Canes gives you all of the flavor of kale with none of the dietary benefits.” The red…

Cute Christmas Reindeer Cupcakes for Kids

These ridiculously moist chocolate cupcakes are made from scratch and completely adorable. Kids will love the fun, festive reindeer design, but adults with dig the rich, delicious chocolatey flavor. Bring them to a holiday potluck or send them with your kids to school. No matter the holiday occasion, your cupcakes are sure to gather compliments. Homemade cupcakes are always the best, but if you’re crunched for time, there’s no shame in the boxed cupcake mix game either. Just pick up a package of your favorite cupcake mix and frosting and bake according to the box. Let cool, and decorate per the instructions below. Happy holidays! Cute Christmas Reindeer Cupcakes for Kids Makes about two dozen+ cupcakes Ingredients 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda 3/4 unsweetened cocoa powder 1/8 tsp salt 3 tbsp butter, room temperature 1 1/2 cups sugar 2 eggs 3/4 tsp…

5 clever gifts for the wine or beer lover in your life

You can’t go wrong putting a six-pack or bottle of wine under the tree, but you can also get a lot more creative. From freezable beer glasses to wine glass appetizer plates, here are 5 gifts the wine or beer drinker in your life will love just as much as their favorite brewskis, bubbly, or booze. Silicone Wine Glass Mustache Whiskers ($8.99) Set of 6 Never lose your wine glass again. These fun and whimsical wine charms suction to the outside of your wine glass making it easily identifiable in a crowd. Comes in a set of 6 unique, colorful mustache designs. Wine Chiller ($35.00) When the night calls for BYOB, this insulated stainless steel wine chiller will be MVP. Container holds one full standard-sized bottle of wine (750 ml – 25.36 fl oz). Design holds a lid that doubles as a cup, an easy pour spout, an easy clean design. Toss it…