Hot Cocoa Bar

This was another fun Pinterest find, this year.  I love the idea of a Hot Cocoa Bar!  So fun and of course really yummy, too.  Of course, you can customize this any way you want as far as ingredients are concerned.  I've also seen some really cute printables to label all of your ingredients for your guests and create a fun and interesting table, as well as invitations to invite friends if you're doing this as a theme for an entire party.  Check out Etsy for these full sets and search the internet for some of the free versions that are a little more limited in what printables are included.

My cocoa recipe was simply the cocoa found on the side of the Hershey's Baking Cocoa can.  Trust me, you'll never go back to powdered mix from a box again after you use this recipe.  It's really easy to make just one cup or an entire batch.  I used a Crock Pot to keep my cocoa warm throughout the afternoon, which worked really, really well.

To compliment my cocoa, I set out large marshmallows, Pepperidge Farms Piroutte cookies, butterscotch chips, white chocolate chips, Heath Bar bits, and semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Bacon Crackers

I stumbled on these little gems back when I was a faithful (read: daily... every.single.day) reader of Pioneer Woman's blog.  I don't get over to her blog nearly as often as I like these days, but I still love to check on new recipes from her.  :)

These little guys joined us for New Year's Eve 2010 and made a reappearance for Christmas 2011.  They were a HUGE hit!  But, really, what's not to like about them -- bacon? Club crackers? Parmesan cheese?  YUM.

No one says it better than PDub, so head on over to her blog and catch the recipe there!  :)

Reindeer Cookies

These Reindeer Cookies were one of the hottest pins on Pinterest right before Christmas.  I thought they would be a big hit with the kids at our Christmas dinner.  These little guys were incredibly easy to make, though a bit time consuming.  It would be a really fun afternoon with the littles in your life, though!

I actually wanted mini M&Ms for the little noses, but couldn't find any in the grocery store.  Next year, I'll begin looking a little sooner and try to come up with some, because I think that would be more tasty than a red hot.  ;)

I've also seen this same concept done with white almond bark to create little snowmen, with mini M&Ms for buttons down the front and using Wilton Food Writer Edible Color Markers to draw in eyes and nose.

Ingredients
Nutter Butter Cookies
Chocolate Almond Bark

Wilton Candy Eyeballs

Pretzels

Red Hots

Directions:

According to package directions, melt about 3 blocks of chocolate almond bark.  Completely coat 1 Nutter Butter cookie.  Working quickly before almond bark hardens, place your pretzel for the antlers, and then place your eyes and nose.  Continue this method until your almond bark becomes a little too stiff to coat nicely.  Allow the cookies to harden on wax paper until set and then store in an airtight container.


Note: I used about 6 blocks of chocolate almond bark to coat an entire package of Nutter Butters.  3 blocks of almond bark was a good amount to melt at a time; I found I was just getting to the unworkable point as I got to the end of the first batch of melted bark.

Kentucky Butter Cake

I'm really not sure how so many baked goods and dessert type recipes end up on my blog.  I really do cook real meals, but I think I just don't consider taking photos of those meals because they're so "normal" for me.  Baked goods are actually not my favorite "in the kitchen" creations.  But they do turn out delicious!

Up today is a Kentucky Butter Cake.  I'm not even sure how I stumbled on this recipe online, but it sounded quite amazing and I was intrigued.  I adapted it a bit to cut some of the sugar out (and believe me, it's plenty sweet enough with my cuts).

(cell phone photo after we cut into it)

Ingredients:
Cake:
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup real butter
1.5 cups sugar (original recipe: 2 cups)
4 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Butter Sauce:
3/4 cup sugar (original recipe: 1 cup)
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Cake:
Preheat your oven to 350*.  Grease and flour a bundt pan.
Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
Cream butter and sugar.  Now, add eggs and mix until blended.  Add buttermilk and vanilla; mix.
Begin adding the flour mixture into the creamed mixture by cupfuls; mix well between additions.
Pour into your prepared bundt pan and bake for 1 hour.

Butter Sauce:
About 10 minutes before your cake is finished baking, begin on the butter sauce.
In a small saucepan on medium heat, mix sugar, water and butter, bringing to a low boil.
Stir until sugar is dissolved and vanilla.
Immediately upon removing the cake from the oven, poke holes in the top of the cake (a small wooden spoon end or a bamboo skewer works great for this because you want to get as far into the cake as possible).
Drizzle butter sauce evenly over cake.

(cooling cake after being drizzled with butter sauce)

Allow cake to cool almost completely before turning the pan upside down over a plate to remove.
You can dust the cake top with powdered sugar for a more finished look.

Nachos, revisited.

In a strange twist of fate... I made up my nachos last night on the exact same night that I created them one year ago.  Anyone else hear the Twilight Zone theme song playing the background?  ;)

I snapped a quick photo before devouring after eating a couple pieces and had plans on adding them here, then lost interest because the photos aren't the best.  But when I realized the crazy coincidence, I had to go ahead and push forth with a  new post!  I need to get back to this anyway, right? ;)  Baby steps, baby steps...

Last night, I added some fresh guacamole instead of avocado chunks and left off the sour cream (only because I didn't have any).  I sprinkled Pampered Chef Chipotle Seasoning over the chicken before adding the salsa and cheese.  Everything else is the same as before.

Bath Milk

One more spa type recipe for today!  I've made Bath Milk for baby shower gifts and poured the mix into cute little baby bottles.  I've found the baby bottles at both Hobby Lobby with the baby shower party supplies and online at Oriental Trading Company.  If you're giving this as a gift for a shower, a nice little tag thanking the guests really finishes off the gift.  This is one I've used in the past:

Thanks for joining us in pampering the mom to be;

Now pamper yourself by adding some milk to your bath by tablespoons of three.

 I've also done this similarly as a wedding shower favor with a little tweaking to the verse.

the bath milk in their little baby bottles can be seen in the back corner of our decorated shower table.

Ingredients:
2 cups powdered milk
1 cup corn starch
1/2 cup baking soda
1/2 cup finely ground oatmeal
1/4 cup almond meal*
Optional: 1/2 cup dried rose petals, lavender or rosemary

Directions:
Using a food processor or blender, finely grind the oatmeal.  Add powdered milk and continue processing until well mixed.  Transfer to a bowl; add corn starch, baking soda, and almond meal mixing all ingredients well.  (*To make almond meal, grind up blanched or slivered almonds to a powdered consistency in the same manner as the oatmeal.)

If you are adding dried flowers or herbs, grind them finely with a mortar and pestle, or in the blender, and stir into the powdered mixture.

Store in a tightly sealed container.  Spoon three tablespoons (or more, if you like) under warm running water for a soothing bath.

Salt Scrub

Here's a fun gift I made up for several friends this Christmas.  Super easy and quick Salt Scrub.  This could really be used two different ways by the recipient -- either a scrub in the shower or a spoonful under running warm water in the bath tub.  I needed six half pint jars for my work friends, so I made a batch of one and half the first time around.  It takes about 1/2 cup of Epsom salt for one half pint jar, so I also cut the recipe into smaller amounts a couple of times to make just one or two jars as needed.  This probably took me 10 minutes tops (if that, honestly) to do the quick single jars; when I did the batch of six it took a bit longer simply because of the scooping into several jars.  I love this recipe because it's so quick and the ingredients are easy to keep on hand.  I'll be posting a couple other spa type recipes soon that have some differences and more ingredients.

Where to buy:
The wide mouth half pint Ball jars: I found these at Wal-Mart in the canning section.  Hobby Lobby also has a lot of glass jars of all sizes with different types of lid closures that would be perfect.
The Glycerin and Essential Oil: these came from Hobby Lobby in the soap making section; I used Grapefruit this time.
Epsom Salt: any drug store should carry it; though I admit I've had a bit of trouble in the past.  I think it just doesn't get stocked regularly, so if someone grabs the two or three on the shelf before you get there, you're in trouble.

Ingredients:
2 cups Epsom Salt
2 teaspoons Glycerin
12-14 drops Essential Oils

Directions:
Combine the above ingredients in a bowl.  Adjust the amount of glycerin to the Epsom salt to get a consistency you're happy with -- I found that I used a bit more than 2 teaspoons... maybe 3?  You may also find that you want to adjust the scent with the essential oil as you go as well.  Start out conservatively and add more as you like.  Be sure to mix well, breaking up any lumps of salt.  Spoon the salt scrub into the mini jars; about half a cup per jar.  Tie with ribbon, raffia, or add a piece of scrapbooking paper or fabric under the lid.