The Mom's Cheat Sheet » Christmas

Truffles – Simple and Delicious

admin — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 10:04:24 +0000

For Christmas this year, I decided to try my skills at making truffles. I’ve always enjoyed baking cookies, bars and cakes, so I hoped that this wouldn’t be too much of a challenge. Well, not only was it easy – but the truffles turned out incredibly well!

This is the easiest recipe, and you’ll be amazed at how well they turn out. In fact, I’m wincing at the thought of telling friends and family just how easy they were to make… I’d almost rather have them think I’m some sort of gourmet in the kitchen!

Truffles:

1 – 1/3 cup chocolate chips*

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

3 Tbsp butter

1 tsp vanilla extract **

1 cup vanilla or white chips*** (these can be found at most grocery stores, in the baking aisle next to the candy making supplies)

Over low to medium heat, melt the chocolate chips, whipping cream and butter. Stir together until smooth. Add the vanilla, let cool. Refrigerate for about 1 hour – until almost solid.
Microwave the vanilla chips according to the directions on the package, stirring to make sure the chips are smooth and melted.
Shape the truffle filling (from the refrigerator) into balls. Dip each ball into the melted vanilla chips. Place on wax paper to cool.
If desired, sprinkle topping (like chopped almonds or other sprinkles) on top of truffles. Make sure and do this right away, since the vanilla candy coating cools a few seconds after dipping the truffles in it.

*Try substituting white chocolate chips for regular.

**Try substituting either peppermint or almond extracts instead. White chocolate peppermint is a great combination! I recommend reducing the extract to ½ tsp peppermint, rather than 1 tsp vanilla. Also try chocolate almond truffles, and use ½ tsp almond with ½ tsp vanilla, using semisweet chocolate chips as well.

***You can dip the truffles in whatever candy coating you find – you can usually find vanilla, but other times there are chocolate ones available or even colored chips. Have fun and be creative!

Enjoy!

-Grace

Eggnog Pancakes

admin — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 13:49:49 +0000

It’s New Year’s Eve! If you have any leftover Eggnog, here’s a great use for some of it. These pancakes are festive, fun, and delicious. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Eggnog Pancakes:

2 cups Egg Nog

½ tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

½ Tbsp sugar

1 cup flour

1 egg

Mix all of the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl, until batter is smooth. Pour ½ cup amounts into greased frying pan over medium heat. Flip when batter begins to bubble in the center.

Enjoy!

-Grace

Slow Down This Christmas Season

admin — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 18:52:18 +0000

It’s Christmastime! Everywhere we look there are people out Christmas shopping, going to parties, and preparing for the holidays. There is decorating to be done, cookies to be made, and presents to be wrapped. With this special time of year comes an increased pace to our daily lives, which can sometimes bring stress.

Now, not all stress is a bad thing. The “stress” of buying presents can be a very fun activity, and an opportunity to bless your friends and family. The business of preparing for a party can be exciting and fun, and it’s very rewarding to have friends and family over to celebrate. However, sometimes we can let the stress of this season impact us negatively, and by doing that we tend to miss a lot of what this time of the year is really about.

I tend to be a very active person. I like to go places, do things, and participate in a lot. Christmastime for me is an opportunity to engage in more activities than we normally do, whether it’s in or outside of the home. This can be fun, but I’m constantly reminding myself that sometimes less really is more. I want to slow down, but sometimes I get so caught up in wanting to create “the perfect Christmas” for my family that I lose sight of what’s important.

How can we slow down during the busiest time of the year?

Take a moment (or two, or three…) to just sit and stare at your Christmas tree. Brew some coffee or make some hot cocoa, and just sit by your tree.
We spend enough time decorating it, so take the time to really enjoy it. Sometimes it’s nice to just be still, take it all in, and quietly watch the snow fall outside.
Go for a drive and look at Christmas lights. My kids love looking at all of the decorations that people put out this time of the year. Try going for a drive “just because,” rather than on the way to or from some place. It’s nice not to rush or worry about being on time, but rather to take a cruise around the neighborhood and check out your neighbor’s cool reindeer display.
Don’t do something because you “should.” I tend to put expectations on myself that are unnecessary simply because I think that I “should” do something. If you don’t get around to doing something, that’s ok. It’s a busy time of year, and no one can get around to doing everything all of the time. If your Christmas cards don’t go out till mid January, that’s ok. If you don’t send them at all, that’s ok too.
Feel free to cut corners. Buy a gingerbread house kit, grab the pre-made sugar cookie dough, and do whatever else you can to make something enjoyable, rather than a chore. Now, if you enjoy baking things from scratch and have the chance to do this – by all means, go for it! Just make sure you are doing it because you want to, not because you feel like you can’t cut corners this time of year. I used to love going out to a Christmas tree farm and spending the day picking out the perfect tree, but since having kids my husband and I have settled for driving over to the grocery store parking lot where the Boy Scouts sell trees. One day I’d like to go back to the Christmas tree farm, but for now it works for our family to take a shortcut.
Focus on having Christmas – not doing Christmas. There are many things that go into celebrating the holiday season. Decorating the house and cooking for company can be a wonderful, fun way to celebrate, as well as traditions like gingerbread houses and baking Christmas cookies. One thing that I remind myself, though, is that I shouldn’t get so caught up in “doing” Christmas that I end up missing it. Take time to enjoy the little things, and if you need to skip something, that’s ok. It’s better to scale back and do less – but enjoy it – rather than check everything off the list but end up feeling stressed beyond belief.

With everything that goes on this time of year, it can be tempting to focus solely on getting it all done, checking things off of the “to do” list, and worry about how many shopping days are left. I encourage you to take some time to slow down, relax, and enjoy this season. It comes and goes so quickly – so take some time to stop and smell the Christmas cookies.

-Grace

Magic Bars – A Suprisingly Easy Dessert

admin — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 09:06:57 +0000

My husband recently attended a work Christmas party where the employees brought in baked goods and competed for a prize. Since I love to bake, we thought this would be fun to do together.

After searching through my recipes, I just couldn’t find anything I thought was suitable. I decided to look online for different recipes to try, and we came across this absolutely delicious recipe.

Although we didn’t win (we came in second, though!), I think the real prize was the leftover Magic Bars he brought home from the party. These things are amazing, and I can’t believe how easy they are to make!

Magic Bars:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1 1/3 cups sweetened flaked or shredded coconut

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (you can also mix white chocolate with milk chocolate – we did this, and they were fantastic!)

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

1 – 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place the rack in the center of the oven. Have ready a 9 x 9 inch square baking pan or Pyrex dish.
Melt the butter and pour it into the bottom of your pan. Sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs evenly over the butter. Sprinkle the coconut over the crumbs. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the coconut. Sprinkle the nuts over the chocolate chips. Finally, drizzle the sweetened condensed milk over all the ingredients. Do not mix the ingredients together, just layer them.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the squares comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Cut into squares. Store in the refrigerator. These bars can be frozen.

Enjoy!

-Grace

Magic Bars Recipe [Joy of Baking]

Christmas Gifts That Anyone Can Make

admin — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:57:37 +0000

Everywhere I look, people seem to be Christmas shopping. Malls are packed, traffic is heavier, and the wait at Starbucks is longer. The hustle and bustle of Christmas can be fun, but sometimes I think that it detracts from what is really important during Christmas. Yes, it’s fun to find that perfect gift for your loved one and bring it home to wrap… but sometimes it’s even more meaningful to make something yourself.

Let me just say that I do not consider myself to be very crafty. I have some talents – but none that involve me spending time in craft and fabric stores. To tell the truth, those places intimidate me! However, though I may not have a knack for certain projects, I do like to try new things.

I found this post from Real Simple, and am very intrigued by it. We have quite a few people to shop for between our two families, and homemade gifts are appealing for both their sentimental nature as well as their cost effectiveness. I’m particularly interested in this Family Recipe Book, as well as the Chocolate Chunk Hot Cocoa Mix. These look projects that even I could pull off! And for those of you with a little more skill and knack for making things, take a look at the other twelve gift ideas here – this is a great list.

14 Simple, Beautiful Homemade Holiday Gifts [Real Simple]

10 Great Etsy Gifts for Pregnant Friends

admin — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 10:13:02 +0000

I absolutely love Etsy, and can often find some pretty amazing stuff there. I thought I would compile a few of my favorite things for those of you who are pregnant (or know someone who is expecting). Whether you’re dropping hints for your husband, or buying a gift for a pregnant friend or family member, here are a few great gift ideas from Etsy this season.

1. Watchful Owl Maternity T-shirt: $23 from Jellybean Apparel. This is just one of the many cute maternity t-shirts you can find on Etsy. The whimsical little owl is just too adorable! Find it here.

2. Hospital Gown – Zebra Print: $36.50 from Forever My Baby. When you’re in the hospital during labor and delivery, even the little things can make a big difference. Once I realized that you can buy your own hospital gown (rather than wearing that horrible sheet the nurses give you) I was instantly excited. I remember feeling terribly frumpy and unattractive in the hospital, and perhaps giving birth in style is one way to help with that feeling. It’s worth a shot, right? Find it here.

3. Expecting Parents Christmas Ornament: $12 from The Urban Garden. Now, this is a great idea for yourself or as a gift. What a wonderful keepsake to remember this holiday season. Each year as you unpack your ornaments and decorate the tree with your family, you can look at this ornament and remember back to when you were pregnant with your child. Find it here.

4. Retro Metro Belly Band: $10 by Cutie Fruity. Belly bands are a maternity must-have, since you can extend the life of your pre-pregnancy jeans as well as ease back into them after the baby is born. I remember looking around for one when I was pregnant with my last daughter three years ago, and I only found expensive ones in solid colors. Now, it seems they are growing in popularity as well as availability. You can find them in cute patterns and fabrics, not just white or khaki. Find it here.

5. Custom Due Date Necklace: $24 by Julie The Fish. This is an adorable necklace that is hand stamped with the baby’s due date, and comes with little baby feet charm. Perfect gift for an expecting mom! Find it here.

6. Nursing Cover: $20 by TAG Line Designs. I’ve seen plenty of nursing covers out there, and this one is particularly adorable. Find it here.

7. A Print On Wood: $35 from Sascalia. This is something that caught my eye, so I thought I’d include it. Wouldn’t this be beautiful in a nursery or sitting room? Find it here.

8. “If you can read this, then you’re too close” Maternity T-shirt: $25 by Baby Bubble Clothing. How many of you have had strangers come up and rub your bump? I’m not sure what that’s all about, but some of us aren’t so keen on getting our bellies patted while we’re in line at Starbucks. This T-shirt is a cute, polite way to make a statement! Find it here.

9. Scrabble Pendent – PSST… I’M PREGNANT: $5.95 by Pieces of Me Pendants. I saw this and thought, “What a fun way to announce your pregnancy!” Whether you wear it yourself, or give it to your mother-in-law on Christmas morning, you could really have some fun with this. Find it here.

10. Nursing Bracelet: $15 by Organic Mamas. What a clever idea! Those early days of newborns can be so hard, what with sleep deprivation and the adjustments of a new baby. Nursing is just one of the many things a new mom has to keep track of. This bracelet is a cute and clever way to help out with that. Find it here.

There are many more of these finds on Etsy, so have some fun and look around their website when you get the chance. Happy shopping, and have a Merry Christmas!

-Grace

Start Planning Your Christmas Shopping – And Start Clearing Out Old Toys

admin — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:00:39 +0000

It may still be October, but it’s time to start thinking about Christmas. As I was watching my two year old play with her My Little Pony today, I thought about how she would enjoy one or two more and have several to play with – what a great Christmas idea for her! I started getting excited, thinking about what to get her for Christmas (and I’ll admit that my secret reason for getting My Little Ponies for her is because I used to love them when I was a child).

Not only is it time to start thinking about Christmas gifts for the kids, but it’s also time to start thinking about Christmas purging. I’m talking about going into the playroom or the basement and surveying all of your kids’ toys before you go out and buy new ones (and before you start giving grandparents ideas…). To stay organized as you add to your collection of childhood fun, I have a few thoughts on the subject.

Collect all the toys they no longer play with. When the kids are asleep, take a bag into their play area. Pull out everything you hope to either throw away or donate, and put it in the bag. Don’t do anything with this bag for a week or two, though. My rule is that if my kids actually remember some random Happy Meal toy and ask me where it is, then I’ll return it to the toy room. If they forget about it, then I will get rid of the old toys.
Remove toys that are too young for your kids. I don’t know about you, but my kids are growing up more quickly than I realize some days. I still have a bag of Mega Blocks in my toy room, even though they are moving on to Duplos and Legos. Look through your children’s toys, and pull out toys that are too young for them. Store them if you plan on having more kids, or donate/yard sale/give them away. Once in a while if my kids catch on to what I’m doing, I just remind them, “You’re a big girl, right? You have some new toys you received for your birthday. “I’m going to put away these baby toys – you’re too big for these now!” And they usually are fine with that explanation.
If you are already maxed out for space, let the grandparents know. It’s wonderful if you have family who enjoys blessing your children with many gifts, but don’t be shy about letting them know your limits. For our family, we are running out of room for larger toys. My kids have a craft table, two easels, a huge Barbie house… and the walls are closing in on us. A grandparent may really enjoy buying some huge present for your child, but if you don’t have the room in your home let them know. Mention toys that take up less space – craft supplies, puzzles, games, etc.
Before Christmas hits, have new storage/organization ready. If you’re looking at a play area that can’t hold one more toy, consider being proactive with your space. If you know what your kids are getting for Christmas, think about how to organize it now, rather than the day after Christmas. Go ahead and put up a shelf for the new games they are receiving, or assemble some storage cubes to hold new toys and stuffed animals from the grandparents.
When you go shopping for the kids, add to what they already have. If I buy my four year old some Barbie furniture for her Barbie house, it won’t take up any space or become just another random toy. She already has the doll house and the Barbie dolls, so more furniture would be pretty cool for her. Another example: my four year old recently received a bike for her birthday, so I went to Target yesterday and bought her a bike helmet, bell, and basket for her bike. She’ll love the gift, and I love that we’re not buying more toys!
Make stockings practical – but still fun, of course. Feel free to make fun of me on this one, but I like to put practical stuff in my kids’ stockings. Don’t worry – I don’t fill their stockings with diapers or plain white socks. But I do fill their stockings with cute Disney socks (Target – $1!), a new toothbrush, hair bows, and even fruit snacks. Once fall hits, I stop buying fruit snacks as regular snacks. After a couple of months without them, they think it’s a novelty to have a stocking full of Princess fruit snacks. I’m sure tricks like that won’t last very much longer, but I’ll do it while I can. Just remember that stockings don’t have to be filled with a bunch of cheap little toys. In a month’s time, these cheap little toys will be the things that you find strung along your house, stuffed in random baskets in the play area, and then they become forgotten. And then you have to pitch them next October!

As the holidays are upon us, enjoy getting ready for them. And if you shop early (now is still “early,” right?), remember to do what you can to minimize the chaos on the day the presents arrive. Although it’s always fun to head to the playroom with a bunch of new things to play with, it’s even more fun to do it knowing that toys are not coming out of your ears, and you actually may have a place for all of this new stuff!

-Grace

Delicious Pumpkin Cake

admin — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:12:37 +0000

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and it’s time to start thinking all of that yummy food! Whether you are hosting your own dinner, or bringing a dish to your family’s home, this is the perfect dessert to include. When I first tried this cake, I was blown away. I now serve it every Thanksgiving, and my family looks forward to it each year.

Pumpkin Cake:

1 box yellow cake mix (save 1 cup)

1 egg

½ cup (1 stick) melted butter

29oz can real pumpkin

3 eggs

2 tsp cinnamon

½ cup brown sugar

Small can of evaporated milk (3 or 4 oz)

1 cup cake mix (saved from above)

¼ cup soft butter

½ cup sugar

Crushed pecans or walnuts

Mix the first three ingredients (saving the 1 cup of cake mix for later). Press into the bottom of a 9X13 inch pan or Pyrex dish.
Mix the pumkin, eggs, cinnamon, brown sugar, evaporated milk, and reserved cake mix. Pour over crumbs.
Mix the last three ingredients together for the topping. Sprinkle the topping on top, and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.
Serve with whipped cream and vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy!

-Grace