If you are really crunched for time, a delightful gift idea that is
easy to make is a sweet "sundae" of festive candy. Using a clear
glass, fill it full of your favorite holiday candy, top it off with
ribbon and a stick of candy and "Voila" you have an eye-popping gift!
The glasses I used were tall beer glasses. But, ice cream sundae or ice cream soda glasses would be fun also. The candy can be bought at any local grocer during the holiday season. But, I have found WalMart to be one of the more competitive in price.
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Pineapples & Palm Trees
~
Debbie ~
Skip the cold and crowded shopping frenzy by giving a homemade gift with
this old-fashioned popcorn recipe. Besides being inexpensive and easy,
you get to spend your holiday time in the peace and quiet of your warm
and cozy kitchen. I found this recipe on Allrecipes. Starting with fresh homemade popcorn, it is covered with a salty/sweet
coating of caramel, chocolate and roasted peanuts. Once the popcorn
coating sets, you can package it festively in a fun container dressed
up with cellophane and ribbon. I found the Popcorn container as well as
the cellophane and ribbon at the Dollar Tree.
Allrecipes - Caramel Popcorn
INGREDIENTS
16 Cups Popped Popcorn
1 Cup Roasted Peanuts
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Butter
1/4 Cup Light Corn Syrup
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Cup Milk Chocolate Chips
1 Teaspoon Shortening
INSTRUCTIONS:
Step 1: Grease cookie sheets.
Step 2: Pop popcorn.
Step 3: Place popped popcorn (make sure there are no kernels) and roasted peanuts in a microwave safe bag.
Step 4: Combine sugar, butter, corn syrup, vanilla and salt in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 4 minutes until bubbly.
Step 5: Stir baking soda into bubbly mixture.
Step 6: Pour bubbly mixture over popcorn and peanuts and shake bag to coat.
Step 7: Roll down edges of bag and place in microwave and heat for a total of 2 minutes, shaking bags 3 times to mix.
Step 8: Spread mixture onto sheets to cool.
Step 9: Combine chocolate and shortening in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave 90 seconds total, stirring once until melted.
Step 10: Drizzle over popcorn mixture and let cool to set.
Step 11: Break popcorn mixture apart and enjoy!!
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Pineapples & Palm Trees
~
Debbie~
How
would your life be changed if every person you met you asked yourself,
"Why has God invited this person into my life? What blessed influence
am I to give or receive?" Well, that's what Debbie Macomber inspires
you to think about throughout this book. The premise being that God
makes no mistakes when inviting people into your life whether they be
family, friends or rivals. The challenge is to pay close enough
attention as to why He feels they are important enough to be on the guest list
He has created for you. Thought provoking and encouraging, this book
will help you embrace not only the lessons the "easy to love" people bring
into your life but the more difficult ones as well!
My Book Club decided to read this newest non-fiction of Macomber's after having read her "One Simple Act" which we found just as inspirational. Both books are great for gift giving and "God's Guest List" is especially great for anyone struggling with a difficult relationship.
I usually purchase books through Amazon for convenience although any local bookstore should carry this one. If you are interested in purchasing from Amazon please click below...
God's Guest List: Welcoming Those Who Influence Our Lives
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Pineapples & Palm Trees
~
Debbie ~
One of the ways that has helped me to enjoy my own parties and make my guests feel more "at home" is a self-serve wine bar. When stocking the bar I like to offer both "dry" and "sweet" in both red and white wines. The best way to know how much to
stock for your party is to watch what guests drink at parties you
attend. Pick up on what they rave about and then take note to buy the same
for your next party.
At the end of this post I have included a popular wine from each grouping that I have found to be crowd pleasers as well as suggested temperatures to serve. Since temperatures vary according to individual tastes, an easy rule of thumb is sweet red and white wines should stay refrigerated until the guests arrive, dry red wine should be refrigerated 20 minutes before the guests arrive and dry white wine should be taken out of the refrigerator 20 minutes before the guests arrive.
BEVERAGE TUBS
(Purchased at Home Goods)
While most red wine should be served at room temperature, white wine needs to be kept chilled. A metal or plastic beverage tub filled to the
brim with ice is perfect for keeping drinks cold throughout the evening. A trick I learned from my son if your beverages are room temperature
and you want to make them ice cold fast is to fill the tub with half
water and half ice. Place the bottles in the ice water
up to their necks and they will chill much quicker than if they were
sitting in ice only. If chilled bottles weren't invitation enough, add
greenery to the tub to make it even more inviting.
BEVERAGE DISPENSERS
(Purchased at Home Goods)
An apothecary beverage dispenser is another way to serve wine. Although
it is great for serving red wine at room temperature, it can
be challenging to
keep white wine cold . Some dispensers actually have the
middle of the inside of the glass molded so you can place ice cubes in
it. This enables the beverage to stay chilled without touching and
being diluted by the ice as it melts. The dispensers I have do not have
that
wonderful feature so what I do is make my own wine ice cubes to add to
the dispenser.
What I do is buy an extra bottle of wine that I will be serving in the dispenser. Then I fill a couple of plastic ice cube trays with this extra bottle of a wine the day prior to the party. Being alcohol it doesn't totally
freeze, but instead becomes halfway between an ice cube and a frozen slushee. Right before guests
arrive I pour the chilled wine into the dispenser and then drop the slushee cubes into the dispenser also and the wine stays cold for hours!!
GLASSWARE
(Purchased at TJMaxx)
More than once I have underestimated how many wine drinkers there will be and have had to scramble in the cupboards for extra glasses in the middle of the party. Having learned my lesson I now put out more than enough to satisfy a thirsty crowd.
CORKSCREW & NAPKINS
In addition to glasses, remember to put out a corkscrew and napkins for the convenience of your guests! All of this takes a little more up front organization to create a self-serve bar, but the convenience to the hostess as well as the guests, is well worth the extra preparation in advance.
ACCESSORIES NEEDED
Wine
Wine Glasses
Wine Bucket or Dispensers
Corkscrew
Napkins
WHAT WINE SHOULD I SERVE:
Dry White Wine - Chardonnay (Chilled-Serve at 55 degrees-Refrigerate until 20 minutes before serving)
Sweet White Wine - Riesling (Chilled-Serve at 40-45 degrees) - Make sure the label on the bottle does not specify "dry". If it does say "dry", then it will not have a "sweet" taste.
Sweet Red Wine -White Zinfindel (Chilled-Serve at 40-45 degrees)
Dry Red Wine - Cabernet Sauvignon (Serve at 65 degrees - Put in refrigerator approximately 20 minutes before serving - Uncork before guests arrive in order to breathe)
New Year's Eve - Champagne (Chilled) or *Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut Sparkling Wine (Chilled - Serve at 40-45 degrees)
*Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut is my personal favorite as it is slightly sweeter than traditional champagne. It is also slightly pricier at $15/bottle at my local store but on those special occasions it is worth the splurge!
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Pineapples & Palm Trees
~
Cheers ~
~
Debbie ~
This potato salad is an old family recipe that goes great with
leftover turkey sandwiches. Although my Mom has handed the recipe down
to me, I still always ask her to make it for family gatherings since everything
always tastes better when mom makes it! After all these years
my brother-in-law and I still fight over who gets to take the leftovers
home. Sometimes my Mom will even make a second bowlful, hide it in the
fridge and pull it out when the dispute begins. There really is a
world of difference between her homemade potato salad and store bought.
Try it and see for yourself!
INGREDIENTS
6 Potatoes, Medium (Peeled and diced) - I use Yukon Gold Potatoes
1/2 Cup Onion (Finely chopped)
1/2 Cup Celery (Finely sliced)
5 Eggs (Hard boiled)
Salt & Pepper to taste
Dressing Recipe
3/4 Cup Mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. Sugar
1/4 Cup Evaporated Milk (Comes in small can)
2 Tbsp. Cider Vinegar
Optional Garnish - Parsley & Paprika
INSTRUCTIONS:
STEP 1: Peel and dice 6 medium potatoes, then boil until soft. Drain.
STEP 2: Cut 1/2 cup onion into fine pieces.
STEP 3: Slice 1/2 cup celery into fine pieces.
STEP 4: Hard boil 5 eggs, once cooled cut into small pieces.
STEP 5: Put potatoes, onion, celery and eggs into bowl together.
STEP 6: To make dressing, mix together 3/4 cup mayonnaise and 2 Tbsp. sugar until well blended. Pour in 1/4 cup evaporated milk and mix well. Add 2 Tbsp. vinegar. The mixture will
become thicker.
STEP 7: Pour dressing mixture over potatoes, onion, celery and eggs
and blend together thoroughly. Salt & pepper to taste. Refrigerate
overnight in a sealed container so that the flavor will seep into the
potatoes.
OPTIONAL GARNISHING: Parsley & Paprika
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Pineapples & Palm Trees
~
Debbie ~
I discovered this tasty yet colorful appetizer
at a Christmas party last year. Guests were raving about them
and the platter was empty well before the cocktail hour was finished.
This festive combination of cream cheese spread, green
cucumbers and red tomatoes taste as good as they look. Served on a fresh baguette, they resemble a mini open-faced sandwich, and the creamy and crispy texture blends
perfectly into a refreshing taste treat. Made with Italian dry seasoning, they are mild but really flavorful. When I asked the hostess if she would share her recipe she said she actually found it on Allrecipes. I later used the recipe for a party I hosted with the same
raving results!
Allrecipes: Cucumber Appetizer
INGREDIENTS
1 (8 ounce) package Cream Cheese,softened
1 (.7 ounce) package Dry Italian-Style Salad Dressing Mix
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1 French Baguette, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
1 Cucumber, sliced
1 package Cherry Tomatoes
2 teaspoons Dried Dill Weed
DIRECTIONS:
STEP 1: In a medium bowl, mix together Cream Cheese, Dressing Mix and Mayonnaise.
STEP 2: Cut French Baguette into 1/2 inch thick slices and toast on both sides in oven.
STEP 3: Spread a thin layer of the Cream Cheese mixture on toasted French Baguette slices.
STEP 4: Slice Cucumber thinly about 1/8 thick. Cut each slice of Cucumber down
middle leaving one edge intact. Turning one side of sliced Cucumber in
opposite direction of the other so it now looks like an "S" place on
top of Cream Cheese mixture sitting on toasted French Baguette.
STEP 5: Place a tiny dollop of Cream Cheese mixture on top of each side of sliced Cucumber.
STEP 6: Slice a Cherry Tomato and place on top of dollop of Cream Cheese mixture on each side of sliced Cucumber.
STEP 7: Sprinkle with Dried Dill Weed.
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Pineapples & Palm Trees
~
Debbie ~
This is by far one of the most Christmasy and colorful salads you can
dress up your holiday table with this year. Filled with juicy red
strawberries, healthy green spinach and creamy white feta, it is as
pleasing to the eye as it is to the taste buds.
The best part is it's so easy to make. And if you are like me, every
little bit of extra time helps when it comes to getting the Christmas
to-do list accomplished! While my blog is Christmas oriented, I must
admit this is also a fantastic summer salad! And for those who love
nuts, adding some walnuts makes it even tastier!
INGREDIENTS
1 Container Spinach
1 Container Strawberries
6 Oz. Feta Cheese
1 Bottle Poppyseed Salad Dressing
INSTRUCTIONS:
Step 1: Slice strawberries into bite size pieces.
Step 2: Mix sliced strawberries and feta cheese into washed spinach.
Step 3: When ready to serve, add Poppyseed dressing to salad mixture making sure to mix well with all ingredients.
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Pineapples & Palm Trees
~
Debbie ~
