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Category Archives: Gift Ideas

Written on December 12, 2009 by Kate

Just when I thought I was done… I swear, every December around this time when I think I’m done (or almost done) Christmas shopping, it seems I’m always adding more – the neighbors, co-workers, or my son’s classmates get added to my never-ending list. If you’re in need of some simple and inexpensive favor-type gifts, check out all of these adorable do-it-yourself ideas from a group of very talented bloggers!

Rudolf’s Spares, Reindeer Food & Reindeer Poop!

These three are cute and simple to put together. I’ve even seen these for sale at Hallmark for about five times the cost of what you could make them for. You just need red hots or Fireballs for Rudolf noses, oatmeal and glitter for reindeer food, and Whoppers or a chocolate-covered candy for Reindeer Poop (which, by the way is such an 8-year old boy thing to give out!). Each treat has a poem that goes with it and printables all over the web. I love the beautiful packaging by, Miriam, a Stampin’ Up consultant. She posted the three poems on her site.

A Little Snowman Inspiration

Snowman Soup (see collage below) is another popular favor to put together, and there are a ton of examples if you search the web. Quick and inexpensive to put together, you include a packet of hot chocolate, marshmallows, chocolate chips, and a candy cane. They sell these small tin buckets at Target in the dollar section, or you can put the contents in a cellophane bag. The top right corner of the collage is called “Snowman Kisses” (which are white Tic Tacs). Check out Kristen’s step-by-step tutorial on how to make these cute packages. The bottom right printable is from a talented blogger and graphic designer at Happy Bird’s Crafting Haven. I love graphic artists who are willing to share their work with those of us graphically challenged people! She made these printables to fit perfectly over the Ghiradelli Chocolate Squares. If you haven’t bought the limited edition peppermint bark by Ghiradelli, they are an amazing treat. Go through all of Happy Bird’s seasonal posts for more great ideas and printables that she generously shares with her readers!

Still want more ideas?

Betty Crocker shows you how to make a candy sleigh. Candy trains are also fun for kids to make for friends, or can be a great craft to keep them busy over winter break.

Finally two more great printables!

Caramel popcorn and chocolate-covered pretzels are two of my favorite recipes to make with my son. Neighbor kids always come over asking when we’re going to make more. Emeril’s caramel popcorn recipe is my go-to recipe for cooking with kids. It is all done in the microwave and tastes great! I love the popcorn bag printable pdf file by Monita at her Mushy blog. The lunch bag goes right into your printer. The Merry & Bright tags from Giver’s Log (one of my favorite blogs!) can be used for any ho;iday favor you come up with!

Hope you’re inspired! I know I am!

Candy, Gift Ideas, Holidays, Parties, Table Setting Ideas

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Written on November 30, 2009 by Kate

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This month’s theme for the “Flavor of the Month” group, hosted by Bridget from Bakeat350, is “traditions”. We have so many favorite traditions in our family… new pajamas on Christmas Eve, gingerbread parties, and counting the naughty words as my dad puts up my tree to name a few. But some of our best traditions are baking our favorite holiday treats.

Peppermint is one of my all-time favorite holiday flavors. Peppermint ice cream, peppermint mochas, candy cane martinis, add peppermint and I’ll probably eat it. Every year I make up a batch of peppermint bark to have on hand when friends stop by. Last year my girlfriend came over to help make the bark and we endured a minor catastrophe. The batch was immediately thrown out and we moved on to the next recipe. The chocolate seized… Gasp! Rule #1 Chocolate and water never mix. I should know better! I still have no idea how it happened, and to this day blame it on the Kendall Jackson!

When my Bon Appetit magazine arrived in the mail last week, I couldn’t wait to try their new twist on peppermint bark. These peppermint bark cookies keep with the traditional chocolate and candy cane ingredients, but place them on top of an amazing shortbread. They are so simple to make and absolutely to die for. This is one of those recipes you whip up that make people think you’re a fabulous baker. This weekend I baked up a batch minus the girlfriend, and minus the KJ and guess what… the chocolate was on its best behavior! This is the perfect treat to make for a cookie exchange. Set them out on a plate for guests, or better yet wrap them up with a bow and get rid of them. These are dangerously good!

Here’s how simple they come together…

Bake up the shortbread exactly as the recipe states. Once you take it out of the oven, sprinkle broken up pieces of chocolate over it. Wait a few minutes and the chocolate will easily spread using an offset spatula.

Immediately after the chocolate is spread, sprinkle with candy cane pieces and drip melted white chocolate all over the top.

See the recipe below for all of the details, and don’t forget to check out everyone else’s traditional recipes.

Peppermint Bark Cookies

(Bon Appetit, December 2009)

Ingredients

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg yolk

6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup finely chopped red-and-white-striped hard peppermint candies or candy canes (about 3 ounces)

2 ounces high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan with nonstick spray. Line bottom of pan with long strip of 9-inch-wide parchment paper, leaving overhang on both short sides of pan. Whisk flour and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in sugar. Continue beating until mixture is light and fluffy, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl, about 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla, then egg yolk. Gradually add flour mixture, beating on low speed just to blend.

Drop dough by tablespoonfuls into prepared baking pan, spacing evenly. Using moistened fingertips, press dough to form even layer over bottom of pan. Pierce dough all over with fork.

Bake cookie base until light golden brown and slightly puffed and edges begin to come away from sides of pan, about 30 minutes. Place pan on rack; immediately sprinkle bittersweet chocolate over. Let stand until chocolate softens, about 3 minutes. Using small offset spatula, spread bittersweet chocolate over top of cookie in thin even layer. Immediately sprinkle chopped peppermint candies over.

Stir white chocolate in medium metal bowl set over saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from over water. Using fork, drizzle white chocolate all over cookies. Chill until white chocolate is set, about 30 minutes.

Using paper overhang as aid, lift cookie from pan and transfer to work surface. Using large knife, cut cookie into irregular pieces. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 week ahead. Store in refrigerator in airtight containers between layers of waxed paper or parchment paper.

Mix it up

For a variation on this cookie, sprinkle the melted dark chocolate with chopped peanut brittle or peanut butter cups instead of the peppermint candies.

Baking Groups, Candy, chocolate, cookies, Gift Ideas, Holidays, Recipes

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Written on November 9, 2009 by Kate

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Many of you know that my Monday post is almost always a martini or a cocktail of some sort. Martini Mondays make me actually look forward to Monday, and not dread the inevitable craziness that the beginning of the week brings. Today, not only do I have a great martini to share, but I also have something fabulous to give away.

But first off, let’s talk martinis! I was recently thinking back to the cake batter martini that my mom and I created about a year ago, and was inspired to create a sugar cookie martini for the holiday season. Like the cake batter martini, it’s definitely a dessert in itself. I splurged on a bottle of Godiva white chocolate liqueur last week and it is amazing. I have big plans for this bottle this season, including a Candy Cane Martini and a White Blizzard Martini. So go get yourself a bottle, I promise I’ll help you put it to good use.

Sugar Cookie Martini

2 oz. Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur

2 oz. Bailey’s Irish Cream

2 oz. Butterscotch Schnapps

2 oz. whipping cream

2 oz. milk

Combine ingredients in a martini shaker with ice. Shake and pour.

Cookie Decorating Give-Away!

Update… We have a winner! Random.org choose comment #43 to get this great giveaway! Congrats Mama Ruck! Have fun with all of your holiday baking!!

Now onto something equally great, this cookie decorating give away. The people at Storey publishing have been generous enough to give me an extra copy of one of my favorite cookie books, Cookie Craft, so that I can share it with one lucky reader. Not only is It is filled with a ton of beautiful cookie photographs, but the authors provide detailed directions on many decorating techniques, including piping techniques, covering cookies with fondant, and making three-dimensional cookie creations. This book will inspire the beginner or the pro this holiday season. You are going to love this!! Okay, so who wants it?

(Update: I received the book in the mail today and discovered that they sent me the Christmas Cookie Craft Book, even more perfect for the holiday season and just as fabulous as their first!)

But wait that’s not all (Do I sound like an informercial?)… I couldn’t just give away a cookie book without a couple of tools, right? A few months back, I wrote a post about a must-have tool for decorating sugar cookies, squeeze bottles, and I shared the perfect set I had found by Kuhn Rikon, a Swiss cookware company. I love this set and use it all of the time! It comes with five bottles and a variety of tips. They are easy to use and easy to clean! The people at Kuhn Rikon are also giving me a set to include in this cookie give away. Finally, it didn’t seem right to not include a few cookie cutters, so I’m throwing in a 20 piece holiday cookie cutter set from Michaels. It includes every Christmas cutter you need.

Okay, so now your part… All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post telling me what your favorite kind of cookie is to bake during the holiday season. I’ll post the winner after 5PM this Sunday, November 15th. The winner will be selected by random.org. Can’t wait to see who the lucky winner is, and can’t wait to hear all of the fabulous cookies you’re baking for the holiday season!

Cheers to a lucky week ahead!

Drinks, Gift Ideas, Give-Aways, Martinis, Products, Recipes

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Written on November 3, 2009 by Kate

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I knew the day was coming, I just didn’t realize how soon it would happen. I’m not prepared. What do I say? Is honesty always the best policy? Are there exceptions when you consider the fact that we’re only young once? I have absolutely no clue! What I am certain of, is that being a parent is, by far, the hardest job on Earth!

My son came home a few days ago and reported in his very matter-of-fact way that a few of the other third graders were saying that there was no such thing as Santa. So I said what I was always told, Santa comes to those who believe. I’m not sure that satisfied him (or me for that matter), but it at least bought me a little time.

My son is very intellectual. I’m sure if he thought about it, he’d question the physics of a sleigh in flight, and the improbability of it soaring all over the earth in the span of one evening. I’m sure he’d argue that all of the world’s presents could not fit in such a small space, and certainly he could look at my chimney and realize that you’d have to be a size double zero to fit down it. I guess, the truth is, that we believe in it because we want to believe. It is only when peer pressure kicks in and forces us out of this magical state that we, sadly, come to the realization that it isn’t real.

This leads me to these beautiful, milky-white cupcake stands, pictured above, that I’ve been pining over for quite some time. Does the same logic apply…if I believe in the Cupcake Fairy, is there a chance that she will leave these in my kitchen one night while I’m fast asleep? These have been out of stock for a long time and are finally available again. And if the Cupcake Fairy doesn’t come soon (or Santa – hint, hint Mom!) , I may have to break down and buy them.

These custom fairy cake toppers, from Wee Cute Treasures, are handmade in Ireland, and available on Etsy. How cute would these be on top of a birthday girl’s cake? Cupcake Fairy, can you add one of these to my wish list?

I do have a bit of an obsession with cake stands. I think the simple ones make the biggest statement and are the most versatile. Here are a few of my current favorites.

(Left: Pottery Barn White Top Right: Farmhouse Wares Scalloped Bottom Right: Rosanna Rococo Black)

Gift Ideas, Parties, Products, Table Setting Ideas

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Written on August 28, 2009 by Kate

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Lego ice tray, ice invaders, alphabet ice, guitar cubes , ice princess wands, gin and titonic, tetris cubes,

In Southern California, we’re usually spoiled by beautiful weather, but the past couple of days it has been unbearably hot. I’ve decided that my morning routine is pointless. I shower first thing because I feel sticky, but by the time I’m done drying my hair I’m dripping sweat. When I get to the flat- ironing stage, I’m worse off than I was before I showered. Why do I bother? And to all of you out there that have good, straight hair that doesn’t require blowing drying, or flat-ironing, I envy you!!

To beat the heat, my boy and his friends are usually satisfied with an arsenal of waterguns, a Slip and Slide, and a bucket of water balloons. (Is it just me, or does every parent spend several hours filling water balloons, only to have them last a few short minutes?) Water balloons just don’t do it for me - what usually works is having a spray mister in one hand and a frozen cocktail in the other. Ice cubes work too, but funny ice cubes work even better. If you’re laughing, you’re not complaining about the heat. And if you opt to make these icy shots instead of ice (I won’t tell!), you’ll not only be refreshed, but you will hopefully forget you were hot in the first place!

See which ones are your favorite…

Drinks, Frozen Treats, Gift Ideas, Martinis, Other, Parties, Products

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Written on April 2, 2009 by Kate

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I love candy and Easter offers up so many of my favorites, it’s really hard to pass up. Robin eggs, Reeses Peanut Butter eggs, and Reese’s Pieces eggs never last long in my house. I’m usually a simple girl – all of this grocery store candy satisfies my need for chocolate. This year, however, a few of my favorites are a little more upscale than what Target offers.

Every year See’s comes out with these hollow chocolate eggs with baby white chocolate chicks inside just waiting to hatch. One year I bought enough for each guest and used them as part of the place settings. Now our Easter brunch has grown and become buffet style, but that hasn’t stopped me from buying a pack of these each year.

I love this new little chocolate bunny from Godiva. Take note Easter Bunny, if you’re reading. It happens to be one of my favorite colors on the outside and my favorite chocolate on this inside – white chocolate. Godiva has also come out with darling little chicks this year. I know that most of us are struggling financially, but good shoes, good wine, and good chocolate just can’t be sacrificed.

One of my friends from work brought us back a bunch of Kindereggs a few years back from Europe and we have been huge fans ever since. The fact that they are so hard to get makes us want them even more. They are not supposed to be sold in the US because of a 1938 law prohibiting non-nutritive items in candy and a 1997 ban by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, as the toys inside could be considered a choking hazard for children under the age of three. But don’t despair, there are still websites that will sell them, including E-bay. Mel & Rose’s on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles also sells them and will even ship them out. It may not be the highest quality chocolate, but this one isn’t about the chocolate – it’s about the little toy inside of the egg. And I would do just about anything to have this egg with the Smurf inside to give to my best girlfriend! I’m on a mission!

These flop eared bunnies from Vosges are hard not to love. Every time I look at these I think of my mom as “Grandma Bunny”, otherwise known as the “Easter Donkey”. These come in truly unique flavors, lemon zest + pink peppercorn, smoked almonds + gray sea salt, almonds + carmelized hazelnut paste, and chillies + cinnamon – so different it makes you want to try them.

Finally, Christopher Norman has come up with its own original chocolate bunny. He’s ready for the raceway in his convertible, wicker car. He is pretty cute and any car lover will get a kick out of this one.

Gift Ideas, Holidays, Products, Reviews

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Written on February 10, 2009 by Kate

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When I think of Valentine’s Day, my mind conjures up images of Godiva truffles neatly packaged in pretty boxes. (Secret admirers out there, please take note of the picture to the left.) Seriously, do these look amazing or what? – almost too pretty to eat. Today I’m not talking Godiva though, I’m here to enlighten you about some edible gifts you may not know are out there. Try them if you dare…

Victoria Secret’s introduced a sexy new line which will definitely be popular this February. Check out their Kissable Body Powder . Sounds so strange, it makes me want to try it.

Frosting on cookies, frosting on cake, frosting out of the can, it’s all good to me. How about a jar of Body Frosting ?

For all of the artists out there, Frederick’s of Hollywood is hoping to sell a lot of Body Paint this month.

Some days I think there is no greater gift than a massage. I’m not talking the gift certificate to your favorite spa, but a massage from the one you love. And if you have a difficult time persuading your love to give you a five star massage, may I suggest the Edible Massage Oil.

Hanky Panky Panties Okay these are not edible panties, (I couldn’t let this post go that far) but I had to include them. If only the company paid me for everyone I have converted, I’d be a rich girl. They are not cheap, but they are the most comfortable sexy panties out there. I promise, they’re worth every penny. I’ve cut Starbucks out of my budget, but refuse to part with my Kendall Jackson or my Hanky Pankies.

Gift Ideas, Products

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Written on December 12, 2008 by Kate

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My son was peeking at my laptop as I was putting this post together and took the liberty to remind me that this blog was supposed to be about recipes. (I didn’t know the blog police was living with me) Well, I’ll admit he does have a point, but for me desserts and cocktails go hand in hand. They both satisfy my sweet tooth. If you’re still working on holiday shopping, here are a few things for the people in your life who live by the mantra, “It’s 5 o’clock somewhere!”.

This Osterizer wine opener is the best. Forget all of the expensive ones out there. This is a wine lover’s best friend. And what’s even better is it’s under $20.00. Sometimes Costco carries them, but they’re only a few dollars more online. I keep a few on hand for hostess gifts.

There’s nothing better than an ice cold martini and these glasses from Crate and Barrel are the best way to keep your martini cold for as long as you need.

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Gift Ideas, Products

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Baking my way through the trials and triumphs of life!

Category Archives: Gift Ideas

See the recipe below for all of the details, and don’t forget to check out everyone else’s traditional recipes.

Ingredients

Preparation

Mix it up