Holiday Recipes

Christmas Traditions + Peppermint OREO Cookie Ball Pops

December 15, 2015

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #OreoCookieBalls #CollectiveBias

Family holiday traditions are so important I remember after Ryan and I got married, we talked a lot about establishing traditions for our family because we were being pulled in so many directions from both of our families. I think we attended over 10 Christmas gatherings between our two families and a work and church party. It was nuts. It left very little time for our own Christmas celebrations, so we talked heavily about it that year and decided to make a list of traditions that we will make time for every year no matter what. These have become especially important since having our babies.

Christmas Traditions Every Family Should Have:

-Decorating the Christmas Tree together

-Driving around town to look at Christmas lights

-Seeing Santa Claus

-Baking Sweet Treats

This year, We chose to make our own rendition of the OREO Cookie Balls! We ran out to Walmart to purchase our ingredients and made Peppermint OREO Cookie Ball Pops and a few Peppermint OREO Cookie Balls. They were delicious! My favorite part was the memories we made in the kitchen together. My son was covered in melted chocolate and my husband enjoyed eating them once they were made. This recipe is so easy to make! The only tip I have is that if you choose to use peppermint sticks instead of regular sucker or cake pop sticks, dip the OREO Cookie Balls once in your white chocolate and then once they cool, insert the peppermint stick before dipping them a second time. This gives them more coverage which is best when dipping anything dark into white chocolate. It also held the peppermint sticks better (because they are so thick) if they were already dipped once.

Ingredients:
-1 pkg (8 oz.) brick cream cheese, softened
-36 OREO Cookies, finely crushed (about 3 cups)
-4 pkg. (4 oz. each) semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted (I used vanilla almond bark)

Optional Ingredients:
-1 teaspoon Peppermint Extract
-Peppermint Sticks
Make it!
-MIX cream cheese and cookie crumbs until blended.
-SHAPE into 48 (1-inch) balls. Freeze 10 min. Dip balls in melted chocolate; place in single layer in shallow waxed paper-lined pan.
-CUSTOMIZE it with your own ingredient additions or decorative skills.
-REFRIGERATE 1 hour or until firm.

What is your favorite holiday tradition? Check out more delicious holiday OREO Cookie Ball recipes here!

How to Spread Christmas Cheer + Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls Recipe

December 14, 2015

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ShareTheHoliday #CollectiveBias

The holiday season is such a special and fun time for families. It is so easy to get caught up in absolutely spoiling your children and loved ones this time of year, but I think it is very important to focus on other people and their needs as well. For some, the holiday may not be so warm and fuzzy and Hallmark movies and baking cookies to wrap up in your Rubbermaid TakeAlongs. It is a very painful time for many.

I know several people who have lost children during the holidays, lost a parent, gone through a divorce, lost their job, etc. It can be a very tough time. To me, life is about focusing on other people more than ourselves. Yes, it is important to take care of ourselves first so we can care for ohers, but imagine how wonderful this world would be if everyone focused a little bit more of their time and energy on other people.

A couple of weeks ago at my church, our song-leader challenged us to make someone’s day by doing a random act of kindness. My mom had actually talked to me about this very thing several days prior and we had already made up in our minds that we would do this in our town. Here are a few ways to brighten someone’s day and spread Christmas cheer this holiday season:

Pay for someone’s meal

Deliver a goodie basket

Pull up someone’s trash can

Visit an old people home

Take a meal to someone who is sick

Open a door

Let someone go before you in line

Write someone a hand written letter

Drop a $5 dollar bill on the sidewalk or a shopping mall… just because

Bake a sweet treat and deliver it to friends and family

This past week, I thought I would bake my grandma’s favorite “candy” which is technically her yummy chocolate covered peanut butter balls recipe. They are a family favorite and I can’t get enough of them. I love making her recipes and learning how to cook and bake like her because to me, she is the best. After I ran to Walmart to grab my ingredients and Rubbermaid TakeAlongs, I baked a batch of these delicious treats (and ate one), I placed them in pretty red and green Rubbermaid TakeAlongs and put a big bow on top. I delivered them to a family friend and a family member who is struggling this season. It definitely brightened their day and it really made me so happy!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 1/4 cups creamy peanut butter
1 box powdered sugar
1 1/2 sticks of butter
Chocolate flavored almond bark

Directions:
Mix all ingredients with a hand mixer while you melt the almond bark. Roll the mixture into 1 inch balls and dip them into the almond bark. Place them on wax paper to dry. They dry very quickly.

I absolutely love Rubbermaid TakeAlongs because they come in Holiday, red and green prints and are microwave, freezer and dishwasher safe! They also feature Quik Clik Seal™ technology that prevents spills and leaks when transporting food. Rubbermaid has been making their food storage containers for 80 years now, and they have really helped me make my holidays a little bit easier. I saved a couple of Rubbermaid TakeAlongs for myself so that I can have them on hand for holiday leftovers or if I get the urge to bake more treats for someone else.

Be sure to take advantage of Rubbermaid’s special Ibotta $1 Off Of Any 2 Rubbermaid TakeAlongs Products rebate offer exclusive to Walmart shoppers.

What would you put in your Rubbermaid TakeAlong? How do you plan to help brighten someone’s day this holiday season?

Baking Christmas Cookies with Betty Crocker

December 4, 2015

This post is sponsored by Betty Crocker but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

One of my favorite holiday traditions is baking Christmas cookies. This tradition began our first Christmas as a married couple – 4 years ago and last year we got H involved by letting him stir the dough. This year, since I have my son and nephew, it was twice the fun! Betty Crocker made things easier for me this year. I loved running out and picking up the Betty Crocker Peanut Butter Cookie Mix and making these delicious Easy Peanut Butter Cookie Cups. They were a huge hit with my family.

This year, we thought it would be nice to box some up in our Ziploc containers and give some to extended family and friends. I think this was G’s favorite part! Or, maybe it was eating the cookies. While Hamp is still a little young to really appreciate baking, G was so into it. He loved helping me put the Reese’s in the cookies and was so proud of himself. We had so much fun baking these treats, but I will always remember this year’s Christmas with all of our family being together. It is loud and crazy around here, but we are getting settled in and loving all these babies running around!

This is definitely one of my new favorite cookie recipes. Betty Crocker knows her stuff, let me tell you! Her recipe calls for cocktail peanuts, but because I was making them for the kiddos, we skipped that ingredient.

Easy Peanut Butter Cookie Cups

Ingredients

1 pouch (17.5 oz) Betty Crocker™ peanut butter cookie mix

: Water, vegetable oil and egg called for on cookie mix package

1/4: cup chopped cocktail peanuts (I skipped this ingredient)

1/4: cup peanut butter chips

1 1/2: tablespoons coarse sparkling sugar

36: Reese’s™ miniatures peanut butter cups, unwrapped; Directions; Heat your oven to 375°F. Place mini paper baking cup in each of 36 mini muffin cups.In large bowl, stir cookie mix, water, oil and egg until soft dough forms. Stir in peanuts and peanut butter chips. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Dip top half of each ball into sugar. Place one ball, sugar side up, into each muffin cup. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Immediately press 1 peanut butter cup into center of each cookie. Cool in pan 5 minutes. Remove to cooling rack to cool completely and enjoy!

Are you trying any new recipes this baking season?

Be sure to print your Betty Crocker Coupon and enter below to win $10 paypal cash to try a Betty Crocker recipe yourself!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Holiday Recipes and Sweepstakes with Mezzetta Memories

November 25, 2015

This post is sponsored by Mezzetta but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Every holiday season I begin putting together new recipes for different things. Thanksgiving, Christmas parties, Family Christmas dinner, etc. There is always a list of events that I need to cook for. I was at the grocery store the other day and saw Mezzetta olives! I made a delicious Holiday Pasta Salad recipe last year and I thought the olives would be a great addition to a Holiday skewer I was planning for this week!

Ingredients:

-1 red pepper chopped into one inch squares
-Basil leaves
–Mezzetta Green Olives (cut out the pits)
-Feta Cheese cut into one inch squares

Directions:

After cutting the pepper and cheese, place the ingredients on a skewer. Drizzle with olive oil and season with ground black pepper.

These are so easy and the perfect color for a holiday appetizer. Mezzetta is hosing a Holiday Sweepstakes where you can win an Olive Lover’s Gift Basket with a ton of goodies. Be sure to enter the sweeps here!

Print a 0.50 coupon here!

What is your favorite go-to holiday appetizer?

Potato Side Dish Recipes + $15 Paypal Cash Giveaway

December 15, 2014

Thank you to Betty Crocker for sponsoring today’s post. Paypal cash was provided by Betty Crocker through Linqia.

My favorite thing served at our wedding were loaded potatoes. We had a “Loaded Potato Bar” set up and it was a huge hit with all of our guests. These Betty Crocker Potato Mixes are absolutely great for the perfect Holiday side dish. Out of the 11 potatoe varieties, I chose to purchase the “Loaded” kind so that I can set up a loaded potato bar just like we had at our wedding. I’m a huge potato lover so I am always on the look for potato side dish recipes. I am so excited to try this one out on all of my family.

The Betty Crocker potato mixes are so easy to make! You can bake them or cook them on the stove top. I chose to cook mine on the stove and they turned out great. To make the potatoes, you follow their easy directions on the back of the box.

I found the Betty Crocker potato mixes at Walmart with the boxed dinners. They were actually on display in the center aisle as well.

After cooking the potatoes, I added chives and then set up my potato bar. I included bacon bits, cheese and sour cream. My family is pretty plain and simple, so I didn’t think we needed any other additives. My potato bar was a hit! All of my family loved it and it was so quick and easy to make and set up. I will definitely be doing this again at future parties and gatherings.

Be sure to visit Betty Crocker to download a $0.50 off coupon so you can make my rendition or your own holiday potato recipe!

I am also giving away $15 Paypal cash to one lucky winner! To enter, leave a comment telling me where you would buy your Betty Crocker Potatoes and what kind of dish you would make?

I will choose a winner January 2nd! Good Luck and #GetYourBettyOn!

Congratulations, Darby!

Mezzetta Holiday Recipes

December 2, 2014

Thank you to Mezzetta for sponsoring today’s post.

I don’t know about you, but when I think of the holidays I think of family, reading a good book by the fireplace, drinking hot chocolate and eating lots and lots of food. My family shares the best Holiday recipes from candies to comfort food. We get together every year to throw a big Christmas party and make special treats. To prepare, we decorate, set a theme and prepare a menu. This year, that menu will include my version of a delicious Mezzetta recipe: Pasta Salad.

Ingredients:
1 bag of Whole Wheat Pasta
Light Italian Dressing
Shredded Parmesan Cheese
Mezzetta Peperoncini Peppers
Mezzetta Roasted Bell Pepper Strips
Mezzetta Castelvetrano Whole Green Olives

Directions:

Boil the noodles and drain. Pour them in a large mixing bowl. Chop peppers. Add the peppers, olives and Italian dressing to the mixing bowl (add as many as you prefer) and stir it all up. Top with Parmesan cheese. Store the dish in the fridge until party time!

This recipe is so easy, delicious and it looks so festive for the holidays! This is the perfect side dish to any holiday meal and is a big hit with my family. The Mezzetta peppers and olives make this dish. The flavors are outstanding.

Be sure to enter the Mezzetta favorites holiday gift basket giveaway! There are 31 winners daily. Yes, daily. The basket includes an apron, ceramic bowl, tote bag, metal olive spoon and lots of Mezzetta favorites that you can include in your Mezetta Holiday Recipes!

Also Mezzetta is offering you all a $0.50 off coupon now through December 31st! Be sure to snag one!

What is your favorite Holiday Memory? Does your family have a special Holiday Recipe?