Cherry, White Chocolate & Almond Biscotti

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biscotti, breakfast, brunch, brunch recipes, Christmas, Christmas Brunch, Christmas tradition, food, Holiday, holiday tradition, Italian, recipes

It’s time for the annual teacher’s holiday breakfast today. Last year I made almond biscotti with chocolate chips, some were even chocolate dipped. This year I made that again, but I also made a cherry, white chocolate & almond biscotti. Mmm… I used the same recipe as last year just switching around a few ingredients. I didn’t have very good lighting here, and there’s no natural lighting right now, so I apologize in the lack of quality photography.

Cherry, White Chocolate & Almond Biscotti

Ingredients:
6 Tbs. fresh whipped heavy cream, 1 c. sugar, 1 egg, 1 egg yolk, 2 tsp. almond extract, 2 c. flour, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1/4 tsp, salt, 1/2 c. white chocolate chips, 1/2 c. dried tart cherries, 1 beaten egg white

Directions:
In a medium bowl, cream together whipped heavy cream, sugar, egg, egg yolk and almond extract together. In a small mix together flour, salt and baking powder. Slowly mix dry ingredients into wet mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and almond bits. Roll dough on a floured surface and separate into two balls. Roll each ball out into logs and place on parchment paper lined baking tray. Pat logs to flatten and then brush beaten egg on tops and sides. Bake for 30 minutes at 325°F, let cool for 15 minutes and slice diagonally. Bake for 10 minutes more.  Decorate and serve.

I hope there are a few pieces left over so I can eat them tomorrow morning with my tea before I dive into my last minute Christmas preparations…

What Christmas traditions do you have at work?

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Meet Me Under the Mistletoe

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Christmas, Christmas cheer, Christmas decor, Christmas Ornament, Christmas party, Christmas tradition, classic Christmas, craft, happy holidays, holiday craft, holiday ornament, holiday tradition, mistletoe, Ornament, Xmas craft, Xmas ornaments, XMas party

Mistletoe Craft or Ornament
I love to hang mistletoe in my home… any excuse to kiss Hubster is good. 😉 Okay, so I don’t need an excuse, but I think it’s a cute festive decoration.

Meet Me Under the Mistletoe

 

I started with three fuzzy green pipe cleaners and bent them in half to create the “stems”. Then, tied a long piece of burgundy ribbon around the middle of the pipe cleaners to create the hanging piece. I took a smaller piece of burgundy ribbon and tied it lower of the stems, to create a “bunch”. I cut heart-shaped leaves out of green fleece, cutting down the middle of the heart, but not through the base of the heart. Next, I staggered and glued two hearts upside-down on each pipe cleaner. Then I glued 5 white pearls at the bottoms of each stem to create “berries”. I carefully arranged each stem into place, spreading out each branch.

Mistletoe Bunch

 

Then it was time to hang it over my head and see it Hubster got the hint… which was a pretty big deal since it was during yesterday’s football game. Then I hung it in the doorway leading into the living room.

What classic Christmas tradition do you love?

Merry Christmas To Me – New Chandelier Earrings

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chandelier earrings, Christmas cheer, Christmas gift, Christmas present, Christmas tradition, craft, crafting, earrings, frugal, gift giving, handmade earrings, homemade earrings, jewelry, jewelry crafts, jewelry making, present, shabby chic, stock stuffers., Xmas gift, Xmas present

10 more days until Christmas, that means only 9 more shopping days! Admit it, most people spend money on themselves while the are holiday shopping, whether it’s an item on sale that you need or a promotional discounted second item you keep for yourself. If most of us cannot resist the temptation, it must be human nature for a little bit of immediate gratification to be wrapped up with our generosity. Making gifts for others is no exception, I still have to make something for myself now and then…

Earrings are my weakness; chunky chandeliers hanging from my ears. I have a plethora of earring findings and beads on hand at all times, but I had found the base for these on clearance a few months back. With all the layers of bulky sweaters and thick scarves it is a little hard to feel glamorous, but it’s time for my ears to sing. I used the same beads for the wine glass charms I made recently; the assortment of colors blended together, challenging me to incorporate colors not normally in my clothing palette. These earrings surprisingly coordinate with purples, browns, creams, grays, yellows, browns and pinks, since the beads shimmer and reflect different colors.

Chic Chandeliers

Since the bases were on clearance and the beads and other findings were left over from other projects, these cost me about $3 a pair, not too shabby for a chic new accessory.

 

Whether making these for yourself or someone else, these chandelier earrings make a great stocking stuffer… even if you don’t wait to wear them.

Did you purchase anything for yourself while holiday shopping? If so, what did you get and are you going to wait to use it?..

Twelfth Day of Christmas – Espresso Jar Candle

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12 Days of Christmas, 12th day of Christmas, beverage, candle, candle making, Christmas cheer, Christmas decor, Christmas gift, Christmas party, Christmas present, Christmas tradition, coffee, door prizes, espresso, gift, gift giving, gift in a jar, handmade, holiday craft, holiday party, home decor, homemade, hostess gift, hot beverages, house warming, house warming gift, jar candle, jar craft, party favors, present, scented candle, twelfth day of Christmas, twelve days of Christmas

On the twelfth day of Christmas Young Wifey shared with me her Espresso Jar Candle, Gingerbread Man Ornaments, Fleece Blankets, Bottle Cap Magnets, Fleece Sphere Ornament, Button Wreath Ornament, Christmas Mouse Cat Toy, Melted Frosty Ornament, Crocheted Fan Bookmarks, Crocheted Snowflake Ornaments, Wine Glass Charms and Glass Globe Ornaments…

Today’s post is very late, due to an earlier science experiment that went wrong and resulted in a few small burns on my hand… Ouch!.. The first brand of wax dye I tried was not very good and caused the wax to bubble and splatter out of the pot, which caused me to spill the candle fragrance on the counter. I’ve made dozens of candles before and I felt like a clueless newbie. I’ll be contacting the wax dye company tomorrow.

It took a while for me to start the second batch, this time I only added fragrance. I also had gloves on this time. Also, I didn’t wait for the wax to set before photographing… once the jar cools, I’ll clean up the outside where I spilled some wax. I’ll update with a better photo once the candle is cleaned up and I have some natural light to photograph.

Espresso Jar Candle

 

These Espresso Jar Candles are so cute and easy to make. These candles make a great Christmas present, housewarming present, hostess gift, party favors of door prizes! Coffee lovers beware! Do not attempt to drink this!

How To:
Use clear drying craft glue to attach coffee beans to the inside of the jar, in a pattern you like. I covered the bottom of the sides with coffee beans and glued a few randomly up the sides. Center candle wick in middle of jar, and glue base down. Allow all glue to dry completely (it took three hours for all traces of my glue to disappear). Cut wax into small pieces and heat over medium heat until all melted. Keep still until candle is set. Tie a piece of holiday ribbon around the neck of the jar and attach a gift tag.

Approx. Cost
Airtight glass jar = $1, large block of wax = $7.50, small bag of whole coffee beans = $1, package of candle wicks = $1, craft glue = $1 a bottle, bottle of candle fragrance = $1, bottle of wax dye = $1    Such a cute gift for about $3.25 a candle

This post wraps up 2010’s 12 Days of Christmas countdown, I hope you saw a few ideas that you can use, or inspired you to create something else! Happy Holiday season everyone!!!

2009′s Christmas Countdown – On the twelfth day of Christmas Young Wifey shared with me, her chocolate Christmas fudge, chocolate bonbons, coconut clusters, cranberry almond bark, chocolate amaretto cherries, pecan turtles, raspberry chocolate truffles, gingerbread fudge, peppermint bark, dark chocolate peanut butter balls, cracked glass candy, and her peanut butter fudge recipe…

Eighth Day of Christmas – Fleece Sphere Ornament

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12 Days of Christmas, 8th day of Christmas, Christmas, Christmas cheer, Christmas craft, Christmas gift, Christmas ornaments, Christmas party, Christmas tradition, Christmas tree, classic Christmas, craft, crafting, eighth day of Christmas, holiday craft, holiday ornaments, Holidays, Ornament, party favors, twelve days, XMas, Xmas craft, Xmas ornaments

On the eighth day of Christmas Young Wifey shared with me her Fleece Sphere Ornament, Button Wreath Ornament, Christmas Mouse Cat Toy, Melted Frosty Ornament, Crocheted Fan Bookmarks, Crocheted Snowflake Ornaments, Wine Glass Charms and Glass Globe Ornaments…

I saw this post in early November and thought it would make a cute Christmas craft, it is especially easy for kids to help make. Attach to present gift tags, hang from the windows or pass out as party favors!

Fleece Sphere Ornament

How to:
Follow Zakka Life’s directions. I used regular thread doubled instead of embroidery thread. Each place I stitched together I attached a shimmery pearl for a little kick.

Approx. Cost:
1 fleece square = 50¢ (or 1 square of felt = 25¢), 1 small package of beads or pearls = $2, 1 small spool of ribbon = $1, thread = left over from previous projects   Each fleece sphere ornament can be made for about 65¢, 40¢ for felt ornaments

For the next green sphere I make, I’ll use silver pearls or beads instead of the white… (mine resembles a tiny cactus). The white pearls would look good with the red fleece sphere.

2009′s Christmas Countdown – On the twelfth day of Christmas Young Wifey shared with me, her chocolate Christmas fudge, chocolate bonbons, coconut clusters, cranberry almond bark, chocolate amaretto cherries, pecan turtles, raspberry chocolate truffles, gingerbread fudge, peppermint bark, dark chocolate peanut butter balls, cracked glass candy, and her peanut butter fudge recipe…

First Day of Christmas – Glass Globe Ornaments

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12 Days of Christmas, children's craft, Christmas, Christmas Ornament, Christmas tradition, craft, figgy pudding, first day of Christmas, frugal, Frugality, gift, glass ornament, handmade, handmade ornament, homemade, homemade ornament, hostess gift, kid craft, Ornament, party favor, personalized gifts

On the first day of Christmas Young Wifey shared with me her Glass Globe Ornaments…

This year for my twelve days of Christmas countdown, I’m sharing homemade gift ideas. Most are simple homemade gifts that the kids can even help assemble. I feel that homemade gifts are much more thoughtful, you can customize them to the recipient’s preferences.

Last year a student made this ornament for me, I thought it was a great idea for a kid to make for a Christmas present. I originally planned to make these with Pumpkin, but he was out hunting with Hubster when I made these. I had scanned the scrapbook paper isle at the craft store, looking over the papers that were printed on both sides. I chose colors that I thought were pretty but not the traditional green and red Christmas scheme, ironically the paper I chose was named Figgy Pudding. It was a sign that it was the perfect paper choice.

Glass Globe Ornament

How To:
Cut scrapbook paper into 1/4″ strips. Cut strips into varying lengths. Curl the strips and make sure some have the front side out and some have the back side out. Remove metal top from glass globe. Carefully slip the paper curls into the globe. Secure the metal top back on the globe. Cut a short piece of ribbon, loop through the metal top and knot the top.

Approx. Cost of Project: 6 Glass Ornament Balls = $5, 2 sheets of craft paper = $2, spool of ribbon  $1
At just over $1 per ornament, you decide whether to give one, or an entire set. Bring a set to a holiday party as a hostess gift. Hand out individual ornaments as a party favor at you holiday party.

Remember to check out my blog tomorrow to see what gift idea I’ll be sharing.

2009’s Christmas Countdown – On the twelfth day of Christmas YoungWifey shared with me, her chocolate Christmas fudgerecipe, chocolate bonbons, coconut clusters, cranberry almond bark, chocolate amaretto cherries, pecan turtles, raspberry chocolate truffles, gingerbread fudge, peppermint bark, dark chocolate peanut butter balls, cracked glass candy, and her peanut butter fudge recipe…

Handmade Ornament

Tags

Christmas, Christmas Ornament, Christmas tradition, gift, glass ornament, handmade, handmade ornament, homemade, homemade ornament, Ornament, personalized gifts

Today was the last day of school before break and merriment was in the air. My students often give me homemade presents for the holidays. This year I received the usual fudge, candies, cookies and candles as well as a jewelry box and a bookmark. They are all truly special coming from my students. The gift I was most impressed with was the handmade glass ornament I received from one student. Her mother purchased empty glass balls and scrap booking paper. My student then cut the paper into strips and curled each of them, stuffing them into the ball. She tied on a ribbon in a coordinating color and had a thoughtful, simple and beautiful gift. It’s such a wonderful and simple idea, I may have to make some with Pumpkin next year.

Handmade Ornament