Chocolate Scones with Candy Cane Kisses...

Today is Day 3 of "GIFTS FROM THE KITCHEN WEEK" at Echoes of Laughter...and I bring you Chocolate Scones with Candy Cane Kisses. {and while I share yummy treats with you, it also becomes my "My Pants Get Tighter Week".}

Anyhoo...it's no secret that I love scones. And I am so sorry if you have only had scones that are dry and sawdust-y type things because they are supposed to be tender and lovely to eat, with  freshness to make you swoon in delight, and if these are not the types of scones you have tried....then you are totally getting a bum wrap!

I put these flavours together for Christmas, and then wrapped it all up with more drizzled chocolate on top and chopped candy cane kisses.

The results are yummy!

 

Chocolate Scones with Candy Cane Kisses

{makes 16 small scones}

 

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup white sugar

2 1/2 tablespoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup cold butter

2/3 cup milk or cream

1 large egg beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup coarse chopped Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, if desired

 

For the tops of scones:

3/4 cup white chocolate, melted for drizzling {I used white chocolate wafers}

1/2 cup finely chopped Candy Cane Kisses

 

Directions:

 

1. Preheat oven to 375. In large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, white sugar, baking powder & salt. Cut in cold butter with 2 forks or pastry blender until mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Mix in 3/4 cup chopped candy cane kisses and walnuts.

 

2. In small bowl, whisk together milk or cream, egg & vanilla. Pour into flour mixture. Mix until just blended. {Add a little more milk or cream if mixture seems too dry.}

 

3. Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface and knead gently 6-8 times. {Tip: flour your hands and the dough won't stick to your hands as much!}

 

4. Divide dough in half. Pat each dough ball into a round circle about 7 inches around. With sharp knife, cut each circle into 8 wedges.

 

5. Place wedges {you can use a knife for a spatula to move the pieces} on large cookie sheet.

Bake for approx. 12-15 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean and scones are puffed up and golden. Cool scones on wire rack.

 

6. To finish scones, drizzle white chocolate on top and finish with a sprinkle of chopped candy cane kisses. Let chocolate 'set' before serving.

 

And now you have a treat that is full of Christmas cheer to share with friends, co-workers or neighbours.

 

Be sure to visit Day 1 and Day 2 of "GIFTS FROM THE KITCHEN WEEK".

 

 

This post is linked to these parties:
52 Mantels, The 36th Avenue, The Frugal Girls, Craftberry Bush, Not Just A Housewife,  Tidy Mom,
Tatertots & Jello, Six Sisters' Stuff, Positively Splendid, I Heart Naptime, Kitchen Fun with My 3 Sons, Cozy Little House, The DIY Dreamer, Uncommon, Lil Luna, Gingersnap Crafts, Clean & Scentsible, Someday Crafts, Chef in Training, Under The Table & Dreaming, 52 Mantels, 36th Avenue, Frugal Girls, Today's Creative Blog, Inside Bru Crew Life, 33 Shades of Green, Skip To My Lou,  Not Just A Housewife, Project Inspire, Aalderberry Hill, Between Naps on the Porch,  Somewhat Simple,

Sweet Candy Cane Sauce...

15 minutes.

15 minutes and 3 ingredients.

That is all it takes to make this nifty little sauce!

Doesn't that make you smile? No long list of ingredients or hours of time.

Anyone can make this wonderful little gift for those who love candy canes.

And I don't know about you...but I love peppermint... it's one of my favourite Christmas flavours.

 

 Are you ready for how easy this is?

 

Sweet Candy Cane Sauce

{Makes approx. 3 cups of sauce}

Ingredients

1 jar {7 oz.}marshmallow creme

1.5 cups of heavy whipping cream

1.5 cups of crushed candy canes

 

Directions:

 

1. In medium sauce pan, add marshmallow creme, whipping cream and crushed candy canes.

 

2. Heat over medium heat until marshmallow creme and candy canes are melted and mixture is smooth.

 

3. Pour sauce into jars and refrigerate.

 

Helpful Hint: An easy way to crush candy canes is in the blender on the ice crush setting. Also, you can add a little red food colouring to make the sauce look more pink.

 

 

Now you have a wonderful sauce that is terrific over ice cream and brownies. Or it is great for dunking Oreo cookies for a special Christmas treat. It could also be added to hot chocolate, or even poured over waffles with strawberries and whipped cream for a special Christmas breakfast. Yummy!

 

Sweet Candy Cane Sauce looks lovely packaged in mason jars with a ribbon and a small tag and candy cane.

 

I think this sauce would make such a great little gift for kids, or a family gift with some brownies or Oreo cookies!

 

Have you started any 'gifts from the kitchen' projects?

I would love to hear what you are making!

This post is linked to these great parties: Gingersnap Crafts, Wow Us Wednesdays, Lil Luna, Clean & Scentsible, Uncommon, The DIY Dreamer, 52 Mantels, The 36th Avenue, The Frugal Girls,
Craftberry Bush, Not Just A Housewife, Tidy Mom, Tatertots and Jello, Six Sisters' Stuff, Positively Splendid, I Heart Naptime, Craft-O-Maniac, Kithen Fun with My 3 Sons, Cozy Little House, Beauty and Bedlam, Lil Luna, Chef in Training, Under the Table & Dreaming, Dixie N Dottie, Someday Crafts, 52 Mantels, 36th Avenue, Frugal Girls, Today's Creative Blog, 33 Shades of Green, Skip To My Lou,  Not Just A Housewife, Project Inspire, Alderberry Hill, Between Naps on the Porch, Homestories A to Z, Somewhat Simple,

Yummy Homemade Granola with Pecans & Craisins

Happy Monday!

Welcome to HOMEMADE GIFTS FROM THE KITCHEN WEEK at Echoes of Laughter!

I am going to be sharing some tasty treats from the kitchen that will make terrific Christmas gifts for neighbours, friends, teachers, etc.

Although the gifts I will be sharing for the rest of the week will be super simple and only take 15 minutes to make, this one takes longer...mostly because of oven time.

But the effort and time is so worth it.....this granola is the perfectly blend of sweet and crunchy and was a huge hit at my house.

 

Homemade Granola with Pecans & Craisins

{makes approx. 8 cups}

Ingredients
1/3 vegetable oil
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups rolled oats {I used large flake oats}
2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup craisins or raisins
1 cup chocolate chips, if desired

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300. Lightly coat 2 cookie sheets with non-stick cooking spray.

2. In large bowl using a whisk or spoon, combine vegetable oil,brown sugar,  honey, vanilla, cinnamon & salt.

3. Add rolled oats and chopped pecans. Stir to coat oatmeal and pecans with oil & sugar mixture.

4. Dived mixture between 2 cookie sheets and spread evenly. Place in 300 oven for 15 minutes...stirring occasionally.

5. Add 1/2 cup shredded coconut between each sheet and bake another 15 minutes or until granola is golden brown. Watch carefully so it does not burn!

6. When done, cool slightly on cookie sheet and then pour into big bowl. Add 1 cup of craisins or raisins and chocolate chips if using.

 There a lot of recipes for homemade granola, but my family loved this recipe and it was gobbled up in no time! It tastes so good with Greek yogurt!

 I packaged the granola into 2 cup size mason jars. I purchased the oval labels at Staples and designed the tags at avery.com.

 And here's another tip: if you don't have fabric scraps to decorate the top of the jars, thick paper dinner napkins cut into circles work just as well....that is what I used here.

This granola can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks...if it lasts that week! {Wink}

Please meet me back here tomorrow for a great 15 minute gift from the kitchen!

{Be sure to visit Day 2 and Day 3 of Gifts From the Kitchen Week}

This post is linked to these great parties: Bru Crew Life,  Today's Creative Blog, Homestories A to Z,
Craft-O-Maniac, Gingersnap Crafts, Wow Us Wednesdays, Lil Luna, Clean & Scentsible, Uncommon, DIY Dreamer, 52 Mantels, The 36th Avenue, The Frugal Girls, Craftberry Bush, Not Just A Housewife, Tidy Mom, Tatertots and Jello, Six Sisters' Stuff, Positively Splendid, I Heart Naptime, Kitchen Fun with My 3 Sons, Cozy Little House,Chef in Training, Under The Table & Dreaming, 52 Mantels, Stone Gable, 36th Avenue, Frugal Girls, Today's Creative Blog, Not Just A Housewife, Project Inspire, Aalderberry Hill, Between Naps on the Porch,

Organize Now: November Is For Getting Ready for Christmas...

For the past few years on this blog, I have been spreading this message:

November is about getting ready for Christmas.

December is for enjoying Christmas.

 I have shared  how I used to leave things to the last minute and chronically under-estimate the time it would take to do things....so therefore, I was not enjoying Christmas at all. I found I was tired and stressed out.

I began to think that perhaps there was a better way to 'do' Christmas.

And there is.

And the SECRET is this:

*Start early.*

*Give yourself deadlines.*

*Do only the things you enjoy. Let the rest go.*

Part of starting early is to use the month of November to do the 'work' of Christmas.

November is about for preparing for Christmas.

December is for enjoying Christmas.

I am going to share with you my list for November and the things that I like to do because they give me joy!

 

In November, my goals are:

 

1} Decorate for Christmas~except for the Christmas Tree. I always wait until after Remembrance Day to decorate.

 

 

2}Take our Christmas card photo.

 

3} Make homemade Christmas gifts. I am so excited for this coming week! This week on Echoes of Laughter is HOMEMADE GIFTS WEEK. I will be sharing 5 homemade gift project ideas. So come hang out with me November 12-16, 2012. And you know what? Because we are all busy people, 4 of these 5 projects will take  just 15 minutes to make! Doesn't that rock? Yay for easy projects!

{You can find the recipe for this Gourmet Oatmeal Cookie Mix here. It was one of my homemade gifts for 2011}

 

4} Start & complete Christmas shopping.Wrap & mail Christmas gifts.

 

5} Prepare the Christmas cards for mailing on December 1st.

 

6} Tackle some Christmas baking projects { I will put them in the freezer}. And how about this? November 19-23 is CHRISTMAS COOKIE WEEK at Echoes of Laughter! Yay! I will be sharing some easy cookie recipes that anyone can make!

 

{You can find the recipe for these easy NO BAKE Cherry Ball cookies here. It was a cookie recipe I shared in 2010!}

 

 

When December arrives~ I aim to:

Spend lots of time with my family.

Decorate the Christmas Tree.

Sip hot chocolate with marshmallows.
Spend lots of evenings in flannel jammies and warm socks.
Take drives to admire Christmas lights throughout the city.

Read Christmas books in front of the fireplace with my sweeties.

Watch Christmas movies.

Have family friends over for dinner.

Bake Christmas goodies.

Enjoy Christmas mail.

In doing this, I hopefully avoid:

Not having time for my children because I am too 'busy'.

Busy stores.
Full parking lots.

Insane traffic.

Feelings of stress and pressure to get things 'done'.

Going out in bad weather.

Impulse shopping that wastes money.

 

 

 

And here's my final advice. It is already November 9th.
Now is not the time to take on any big organizing, DIY or cleaning projects...unless you have tons of time and energy.
Save those things for January when the pressure of Christmas is over.

You only need to organize these things:

1. The calendar with the activities you have chosen for your family to take part in.
2. The budget for Christmas shopping and some shopping dates.
3. A handy dandy little wrapping station which can simply be a box under the bed or something more elaborate. Take inventory of what is left from last year and stock up on wrapping paper and tape.
Schedule a few dates to get the wrapping done!

 

4. Organize for baking projects. Choose a few things to make. And NOW is the perfect time to stock up on baking supplies....flour, sugar, chocolate, etc. are all on sale right now for the Christmas baking season. AND if you hate baking...skip it and buy whatever your family likes! Christmas shouldn't be stressful!

{Source}

 

 

5. Organize supplies and project dates if you plan to make gifts. But only make gifts if you enjoy it!
If it results in tears and stress....skip it!

6. Organize Christmas dinner. Write out the menu. Decide on side dishes and desserts. Add those items to your grocery list. Buy as much as you can in the weeks before Christmas.

7. Organize and plan a day for decorating the Christmas tree! If you don't have time to decorate the whole house, or the main floor....skip it! A Christmas tree with lights is beautiful enough on it's own!

 Most of all.....my advice is this: be flexible and don't put too much pressure on yourself!

This post is linked to these great parties:
Tatertots & Jello, Six Sisters' Stuff, Bru Crew Life, Today's Creative Blog, Homestories A to Z,
Craft-O-Maniac, Gingersnap Crafts, Wow Us Wednesdays, Lil Luna,  Clean & Scentsible, Uncommon, The DIY Dreamer, 52 Mantels, The 36th Avenue, The Frugal Girls, Craftberry Bush, Tidy Mom, Six Sisters' Stuff,

The Best & Easiest Waffles Ever...

I remember when I was a little girl that it was such a special treat when my Grandmother got out her waffle iron and made waffles.

I can still the remember the smell and taste of those waffles...so SO good!

I got my first waffle iron when I was in University...and I have made waffles many, many times.

And tried many recipes...recipes that came with the waffle irons...recipes from cookbooks.

And I can tell you that THIS recipe, from the Joy of Cooking Cookbook, is the BEST waffle recipe.

It is easy to mix up, smells heavenly and tastes delicious.

Crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside.

Even my mother took this recipe home with her on her last visit to my house.

 If you have never made waffles before, I really encourage you to give it a try!

It really is easier than you think....you just need a 2 bowls, a spatula and a waffle iron.

Waffle irons are very inexpensive these days....I picked up my latest waffle iron from the local drugstore for just $19.99.

And here's the secret to making almost any recipe....the more often you make it....the easier it becomes!

We have waffles usually for Sunday morning breakfast at our house.

And they don't last long.

 

The Best Waffles

{makes approx. 6-8 waffles}

 

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

8 tablespoons butter, melted {If you don't use REAL butter, I cannot guarantee the taste of the waffles.}

1 1/2 cups milk {we use skim milk because that's what we drink.}

 

Directions:

Measure dry ingredients into a large bowl. Whisk together. Melt butter in microwave. In small bowl, mix together 3 eggs, milk and melted butter. Make well in center of dry ingredients and pour wet ingredients into well. Mix gently with spatula. Let batter rest for a few minutes to give the baking powder time to activate. {You will see bubbles form in the batter.}

 Preheat waffle iron. Using a measuring cup, pour a scant 1/2 cup of batter into the MIDDLE of  each waffle impression. Close waffle iron. It should 'steam' a lot at first...then the steaming should slow down. {This is the batter cooking,} After around 4 minutes, lift up iron and check your waffles. If you want them to brown more, continue cooking for another minute or 2.

 This is how my family likes waffles.....not too brown.

Continue making waffles until the batter is gone. Serve hot with your favourite syrup. Sometimes we have strawberries and whipped cream with our waffles, or blueberry sauce.

This recipe is also a little flexible...you can use 4 6 tablespoons of butter if you would like a lower fat waffle, or a little more butter if you would like crunchier waffles. But we like the recipe above!

And let me tell you, if you can pull off a mean homemade waffle, you will be the favourite Mom on the block. My daughter's friends regularly request homemade waffles at our house when sleeping over!

Do you make homemade waffles?

If not, will you try after this post?

This post is linked to these great parties:
Wow Us Wednesdays, Wow Me Wednesday, Uncommon, Lil Luna, Clean & Scentsible,
Stone Gable, Tidy Mom, Craftberry Bush, Tatertots & Jello , Six Sisters' Stuff, Bru Crew Life,
Today's Creative Blog, Homestories A to Z, The 36th Avenue, The Frugal Girls, Under the Table & Dreaming,

9 Beautiful Advent Calendars To Inspire You...

If you have been reading my blog for the past few years, you know that I am all about doing the planning & work of Christmas in November....the crafts, the baking, the shopping, the wrapping, etc....and leaving December for enjoying Christmas.

That means starting this week, I am busy making plans & preparations for our Christmas celebrations and assigning myself tasks and jobs for each week in November.

{I will be sharing MORE on that this week!}

On my list to try this year is some kind of homemade advent calendar, and as I was admiring the pins on my "Advent Calendar" board on Pinterest, I thought I would share with you my favourites.

 

 

1. The first absolutely adorable calendar is this bright & happy red calendar from Lucy at Craftberry Bush. She covered paper cups and then adorned them with numbers and bright tissue paper. This advent is perfect for children and is very 'suessical' in colour.

 

Craftberry Bush

 

2. This advent calendar is made with white envelopes decorated with numbers and a simple silver star. Inside each envelope is a small piece of chocolate, a suggestion for a family activity and a scripture reading. Perfectly lovely!

 

How Does She

3. This next calendar is so unique...you really must go over to visit the blog to see it, but it is a advent calendar made with Chinese takeout boxes and brilliantly styled into a diorama in a bookcase.

Two Shades of Pink

 

4. Little brown paper packages is the theme behind this next advent calendar, with the little packages hung from a string with decorated clothespins. So pretty and a delight for the eyes!

 

Brandy's Crafts

 

5. How can you not love this reindeer paper cup calendar? This is so perfect for small children who's small fingers still find opening packages a little tricky!

 

Balancing Home

 

6. This next calendar is a project that requires a little work....it uses little sacks and involves using iron-on transfers on the bags. The post includes a free printable for the numbers.

 

Oh Happy Day!

 

7. And here is another fantastic calendar made with 3x3 inch small boxes and a free printable for the numbers.

 

Oh Happy Day!

 

8. Here is a very different box style advent calendar with different size boxes and brightly coloured wrappings piled onto cake plates.  So sweet and simple!

 

Better Homes & Gardens

 

9. The last calendar is a book style advent calendar which is a wonderful idea for children.

Each day consists of a wrapped Christmas book which the children can unwrap and then read together. You can use a combination of books from an at-home library, newly purchased books or library books. I would definitely be doing this one if my kids were younger!

 

Babyccino Kids

 

Are you making an advent calendar for your family this year?

Have any of these ideas inspired you?

Please do tell...inquiring mind want to know!

This post is linked to these great parties:
Today's Creative Blog, Home Stories A to Z, Wow Us Wednesdays, Wow Me Wednesday, Uncommon, Lil Luna, Clean & Scentsible, Stone Gable, Tidy Mom, Tatertots & Jello,
Six Sisters' Stuff, Craft-O-Maniac, The Frugal Girls,

Why I "Let" My 16 Yr. Old Daughter Read '50 Shades of Grey'

The week my daughter turned 16, we went to Chapters together one morning to browse. She came and asked me if she could read, "50 Shades of Grey". I said yes. She picked it off the shelf, paid for it with her own money and went home and read it the very same afternoon. Done. Deal.

First of all. Let me just say that it was very polite and respectful of her to ask me. She could have easily read it, without my knowing, in her room at night when I was asleep and I wouldn't have been any wiser. And just like it was respectful of her to ask, it was equally respectful of me as her mother to say yes. And not be judgemental or throw a fit. Or protest. Or say no. Or some other ridiculous show of behavior. And really...is there any 'letting' a 16 year old read anything? If they want to read something...they will find a way. Period. And in case you don't have a teenage girl in your house...I can tell you that hundreds of teenage girls have read this book.

I have always encouraged my kids to read. We are a reading family. Both children have a large bookcase in their rooms drooping with books on every shelf. My daughter read Harry Potter on her own when she was 6 or 7 years old. And numerous other series over the years. So it is not unusual for her to want to read the latest hyped-up series.

So what's the issue? Well, I never thought there was an issue. 50 Shades of Grey is a 300+ page book of fiction. It's a trashy read. A raunchy tale of a screwed up relationship. But I have a blogging friend who blogged that she disagreed with my choice. She thought that if she had read that book as a 16 year old that it would have 'messed her up sexually'. Hmmm.

I mentioned this blog post to my daughter. She was completely offended by this opinion. The first thing she said to me was, "Mom! I know what love looks like! This book is about a screwed up relationship and I have seen just as bad in movies & TV!" {Think CSI, Hunger Games, horror movies that teens love, etc.}

She is absolutely right. She does know what love looks like. The first example she has of a love relationship is the home she has grown up in....a stable, loving family where her father and I have been married for 17 years. We talk, love, argue, yell, hug, cry and laugh...all an example to our children of what a healthy relationship looks like. A 300+ plus page book does not cancel out what you have lived for 16 years. It does not become a model for you in anyway...it just stays as it is....a work of trashy, scandalous fiction that provided entertainment for an afternoon.

However, this topic of conversation did provide an excellent jumping off point or saguay into a more a candid talk with my daughter about dating and relationships in general. We had a great talk about dating, boys, love and relationships. I came away reassured that my 16 year old definitely knows what kind of emotional, physical, and sexual boundaries are okay in a relationship and what are not...something that even adults have a hard time navigating.  We talked about hitting, types of abuse, mind games and torture. Not a pretty subject, but one that every parent should approach with a child who is beginning to date. This is important information your teen needs to know to protect themselves from harm. They need to know that there are sick people out there who will want to do things to hurt them and I want my daughter to know that she can say "NO" and not have to submit to anything that doesn't feel comfortable to her. EVER! And I also realize that I have a very mature 16 year old daughter and while reading this book might have been the right decision for us and it led to a great talk about relationships....it might not be the right decision for another 16 year old who is not dating and not mature enough to handle this very difficult subject.

You also have to know that 16 year old girls are some of the most critical, analytical thinkers out there. Why would I deny my daughter a chance to read a book where she could come away with some very interesting critical analysis of what this work of fiction was about?  I loved hearing her insights and perspectives on the 2 main characters and the storyline.

And if  you haven't had coffee and a chat  with a couple of 16 year old girls lately....you don't know what you are missing, because it is seriously one of the funnest things ever. I love hearing them chat and joke and laugh. They make me laugh.

And I can assure you that for my daughter, "50 Shades of Grey" was over for her the minute she
finished the last page.

Edited Septembers 2013. My daughter recently re-organized her room and while she kept her Harry Potter books, Anne of Green Gables series and Little House on the Prairie collection, this book went into the 'junk to go to Goodwill ' pile. She knows good literature when she reads it.