christmas potpourri

 

Every year the Youngs bring us a pretty cellophane bag filled with fresh Christmas potpourri.  I put it into the refrigerator and decided to bring it out this morning so we could enjoy it during home church.  This will be last year we'll be delivered such a sweet gift because we are moving in 2021. 

christmas potpourri (my friend Mandy)

1 orange, sliced

1 lemon, sliced

1 tablespoon whole cloves

2 bay leaves

2-4 cinnamon sticks

1/3 cup cranberries

Combine ingredients in a small pot on the stove.  Cover with water.  Heat on a low simmer.  Enjoy as long as it smells good.

gingersnap cookies

 

Our friend Karen delivered these gingersnaps yesterday and my husband said they aren't your average gingersnap which prompted me to snap a photo and ask for the recipe!  They really are pretty too.

gingersnap cookies (our friend Karen)

Combine then set aside:

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon ginger

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream:

3/4 cup crisco (or 1/2 cup butter flavored Crisco with 1/4 cup butter)

1 cup sugar

Add:

1 egg

1/4 cup molasses

Combine the flour mixture with the other mixture. Roll into 1-inch balls.  Roll in sugar.  Place 2-inches apart on a baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

m&m chocolate chip cookies

 

My family enjoyed m&m chocolate chip cookies during the First Presidency Christmas Devotional this evening.  It should be a tradition.  They were delicous!!

m&m chocolate chip cookies (iheartnaptime)

1 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup chocolate chips (I used mini chocolate chips)

1 cup M&Ms

Preheat oven to 375 degress.  Cream butte and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Add flour, baking soda and salt.  Fold in chocolate chips and M&Ms.  Refrigerate dough 15-30 minutes (I refrigerated mine for a couple hours).  Bake 7-10 minutes depending on the size.

nutcracker nordic ware

 

A dear friend of mine gave me my first Nordic Ware cake mold for my birthday.  My daughter's birthday was coming up (last month) and her two favorite things are Christmas and ballet so we smashed the two togther and she made each of her friends a chocolate nutcracker and surrounded each with candies and put them in really fun boxes we ordered form Amazon.com.  The mold has 4 different nutcrackers and they are so handsome! The molds come with instructions on how to make eggnog cake but we decided to go with chocolate in case eggnog is an aquired taste among teens (you never know).

I highly recommend these molds!  So fun and festive.