I love reading to my boys before bed. I got 12 books and wrapped them to look like Santa coats. Each night I let the boys take turns choosing a book to open for us to read together!
First book was “Tiger Can’t Sleep“. My son’s night time stuffed animal has been a tiger since he was born.
The boys and I made Christmas Cookies to deliver to the neighbors. They love baking with me.
Mini Santa Hat Cupcakes
I decorated mini cupcakes with red buttercream icing. I added a mini marshmallow to the top and white icing around the base of the icing.
Andes Mint Cookies
Ingredients Cookies:
1 Box Devil’s Food Cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 C. butter melted
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
Ingredients Mint Frosting:
3/4 C. butter softened
1 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
2-3 C. powdered sugar
milk if needed
green food dye if desired
Ingredients Chocolate Glaze:
1 1/2 C. chocolate chips
4 Tbsp. butter
Instructions:
1. Cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease cookie sheets.
2. Combine cake mix, eggs, butter, vanilla and sugar. That batter will be stiff.
3. Make dough balls a little large than a Tablespoon and place on cookie sheets to bake. Pat each dough ball down a little bit.
4. Bake for 7-9 minutes and let cool.
5. Mint Frosting: Beat butter for 2 minutes. Add peppermint extract and slowly add it powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency. Add 1-2 Tablespoons milk if it gets too thick. Add green dye for color if desired.
6. Chocolate Glaze: Melt chocolate chips and butter together in a microwave proof bowl. Zap for about 30 seconds, then stir, then microwave in 10 second increments and stir until smooth.
7. Assemble Cookies: Pipe on frosting, smooth over with a knife, spoon on your glaze in the middle, and top with roughly chopped chopped Andes Mints.
Christmas Lights Mini Cupcakes
I decorated mini cupcakes with white buttercream icing. I added a line of black icing around the buttercream, then I added Wilton Light Bulb Sprinkles.
Peppermint Fudge
Ingredients:
24 oz white chocolate chips
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp peppermint extract
1 cup crushed peppermint candy
Instructions:
Line an 8 or 9-inch square pan with non-stick foil.
Combine white chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk and salt in a medium bowl.
Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
Stir in the peppermint extract.
Pour the fudge into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
Top with crushed peppermint candy canes.
Refrigerate for 2 hours until set.
Cut into 1 inch squares.
Andes Mint Fudge
Ingredients:
3 cups Nestle Dark Chocolate Chips
1 cup chopped up Andes Mints
14 oz. Sweetened Condensed Milk
Instructions:
Line 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish with foil, then spray foil with Pam.
In large microwave safe bowl, combine dark chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk.
Microwave for 1 minute, then stir.
Microwave for an additional 45 seconds, and stir until melted.
Once melted, quickly transfer to foil lined baking dish and spread out evenly.
Sprinkle chopped Andes Mints on top of the fudge.
Chill for approx. 2 hours, or until set.
Cut into 1 inch squares.
Candy Cane Hearts
Ingredients:
Mini Candy Canes
semi sweet Chocolate Chips
Directions:
Place wax paper on baking sheet.
Place 2 mini candy canes next to each other in the shape of a heart.
Melt chocolate chips in a microwave proof bowl. Zap for about 30 seconds, then stir, then microwave in 10 second increments and stir until smooth.
Spoon chocolate into the hearts.
Place a few candy canes in a ziplock bag and crush them with a spoon.
Add crushed peppermint to the chocolate in the hearts.
Let the hearts cool.
Sugar Cookie Drops
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 ½ cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
Red, Green food coloring
Red, Green Sprinkles
Variety of Hersey’s Kisses
Directions:
In a bowl cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat until smooth.
In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Stir till soft dough forms.
Divide dough into 3 parts and color each part red, green, and white with food coloring. Place some sprinkles into the white dough. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
Roll spoonful balls of dough in the sprinkles.
Grease a pan and place the balls of dough on the pan.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Bake cookies for 8 minutes or until lightly browned.
Place a Hersey Kiss into the center of each cookie.
Chocolate Covered Pretzels
I dipped pretzels into melted chocolate and then sprinkled crushed peppermint over them.
Christmas Candy Cookies
We placed various types of store bought cookie dough squares into our mini cupcake pan. We sliced the cookie dough and then cut them into fourths. Then we baked them for a few minutes and added the chocolate candies (Hershey’s Kisses and Mini Reece’s Cups). Let cool and removed from pan.
Rolo Pretzels
I placed wax paper on a cookie sheet and spread out square pretzels. Then I added a Rolo to each pretzel and melted in the oven for a couple minutes. Add another pretzel to the top of each Rolo and let them cool. Sweet and salty… my favoite!
This is the first Thanksgiving dinner that I have ever made. My family came for a visit from the west coast, so I had a lot of help 🙂 I also tried to make some fun Thanksgiving Treats to snack on during the beginning part of the day!
Carmel Apple Turkey
My boys LOVE carmel and apples so I made this little guy to snack on.
Thanksgiving Cornucopia
I used Pillsbury Crescent Dough to shape and bake the Cornucopia, then added the fruit that my family likes.
Fruit Dip
I also made my fruit dip that the boys LOVE! Mix one package of cream cheese with one jar of marshmallow cream!
Vegi Dip
Mix one tub of sour cream with one Ranch packet for the vegetables.
T is turning 6 today. He absolutely loves his Legos, but lately he’s been obsessed with the new Chima Fire & Ice Legos. He is such a fun boy who loves playing outside with his friends. I found these Lego Molds to put candy melts in. Then I could decorate his cake and cupcakes with them.
Buttercream Recipe
Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 cup Crisco
4 cups powdered sugar (2 lbs)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tablespoon milk (if thick)
Directions:
Cream together the butter and Crisco with a mixer.
Slowly add in 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time.
Add the vanilla, if it seems too thick you can add a bit of milk.
Marshmallow Fondant Recipe
Ingredients:
16 oz. Mini Marshmallows
3 TBSP water
2 lbs Powdered Sugar (4 cups)
Crisco
Directions:
Grease a large glass bowl with Crisco.
Pour in the marshmallows and water; then microwave at 30- second intervals, stirring after each interval, until melted.
Reserve about 1/4 cup of the powdered sugar. Place the red of the powdered sugar in a large bowl of a standing mixer.
Grease the paddle attachment with Crisco and pour in the melted marshmallows on top of the powdered sugar.
Beat until a dough form; there will be a lot of loose bits and sugar in the bottom of the bowl.
Grease a clean work surface with Crisco and dump out the fondant and all the loose bits. Grease your hands liberally with Crisco and knead the mixture together, just like kneading bread, for about 5 minutes until smooth.
Grease hands again as needed. As the fondant becomes smoother, use the reserved powdered sugar to coat the surface to keep it from sticking.
Once smooth, you can divide and color the fondant. While working with one piece, cover the remaining fondant with plastic wrap to keep it from drying out.
When you have your colors finished coat the fondant in a light layer or Crisco; wrap in plastic wrap and place in a large baggie for at least an hour, preferably overnight.
Store at room temperature for several months. To us it, dust the surface and rolling pin with powdered sugar and roll out to 1/8 of an inch.
Candy Flames
I melted red and orange hard candies in the oven and then let them harden before I broke them to look like flames.
He got more Chima Legos too.
Thanks, Aunt DeAnna for my Thor hammer night light.
The boys and I made homemade gifts this year. We make several snowflake canvases to give to friends and family. To make these canvases, we cut and placed masking tape on the canvas in the shape of a snowflake.
Then we used different shades of blue paint to cover the entire canvas.
After the paint dried, we gently pulled off the tape to reveal our snowflakes.
J loves Minecraft so he decided on a Minecraft party this year. He is 10 years old and he loves Legos, science, and video games like any other 10 year old boys.
He wanted his cake to look like the cake on the game so I tried my best.
Buttercream Recipe
Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 cup Crisco
4 cups powdered sugar (2 lbs)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tablespoon milk (if thick)
Directions:
Cream together the butter and Crisco with a mixer.
Slowly add in 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time.
Add the vanilla, if it seems too thick you can add a bit of milk.
I tried to make a Nether Portal, Spider, and Creeper Face for decorations.
I copied pictures of the food items from the game and placed them with the food set out on the food table.
He got more Legos… he was so excited!
I made games this year since it was nice outside for the kids.
Creeper Toss
Minecraft Chess
Cubes to play with.
Jewel Mining
I made a TNT pinyata for J.
Brewing Stand
This was such a fun party for the kids!
Happy Birthday to my double digits boy… I love you!
My little Titus is now 5. He loves math, superheros, and Legos. We took the boys to see the new Avengers movie and now it’s a favorite around the house. We had fun planning this Avenger’s party and coming up with all the fun games. We found this awesome Avengers balloon at our local party store and it floated in our house for over 3 months.
I made his name by cutting up and Avengers comic book and using modge podge to stick it to wooden letters.
I made tissue paper pom-poms to look like comic book “POW” bursts and hung them around the house.
I made a photo booth with a black table cloth hanging in the back ground and put some more comic book “POW” bursts on it. I covered boxes with black paper and cut out yellow rectangles as windows for the buildings in the foreground of the photo booth. I had wire rack set up with the boys superheros dress-ups for the kids to use in their pictures.
I made the cake in the shape of a five this year. I covered it with my buttercream and then used fondant to create all the special pieces on top.
Buttercream Recipe
Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 cup Crisco
4 cups powdered sugar (2 lbs)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tablespoon milk (if thick)
Directions:
Cream together the butter and Crisco with a mixer.
Slowly add in 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time.
Add the vanilla, if it seems too thick you can add a bit of milk.
Marshmallow Fondant Recepie
Ingredients:
16 oz. Mini Marshmallows
3 TBSP water
2 lbs Powdered Sugar (4 cups)
Crisco
Directions:
Grease a large glass bowl with Crisco.
Pour in the marshmallows and water; then microwave at 30- second intervals, stirring after each interval, until melted.
Reserve about 1/4 cup of the powdered sugar. Place the red of the powdered sugar in a large bowl of a standing mixer.
Grease the paddle attachment with Crisco and pour in the melted marshmallows on top of the powdered sugar.
Beat until a dough form; there will be a lot of loose bits and sugar in the bottom of the bowl.
Grease a clean work surface with Crisco and dump out the fondant and all the loose bits. Grease your hands liberally with Crisco and knead the mixture together, just like kneading bread, for about 5 minutes until smooth.
Grease hands again as needed. As the fondant becomes smoother, use the reserved powdered sugar to coat the surface to keep it from sticking.
Once smooth, you can divide and color the fondant. While working with one piece, cover the remaining fondant with plastic wrap to keep it from drying out.
When you have your colors finished coat the fondant in a light layer or Crisco; wrap in plastic wrap and place in a large baggie for at least an hour, preferably overnight.
Store at room temperature for several months. To us it, dust the surface and rolling pin with powdered sugar and roll out to 1/8 of an inch.
I had fun making different special foods too.
I thought this was a fun idea for the soda because I was raised up north where we grew up calling it “pop”. Every time I visit my dad and he calls it “pop” it sounds funny to me because I never hear that any more.
Present Time!!!
I try to teach my boys to say “Thank You” and give a hug after each gift that they open.
Josiah gave Titus the Hulk Smash gloves and mask that he’s been asking for.
Gifts sent in the mail from Grandpa Davis…
Game Time!!!
I set up the games so there were 3 Avengers on each table.
Hulk Smash-
We used the Hulk gloves to smash the buildings that I made out of boxes.
Iron Man Repulsor Blasts –
I used a funnel to fill balloons with flour and then cut circles in another balloon to put around the flour balloon ball.
Thor’s Hammer Throw –
I made a hammer with a foam rectangle covered in duct tape and stuck a wooden dowel rod in it. I glue it all together and put a brown ribbon and shoelace on the handle.
Captain America’s Shield –
I found red plastic plates for the kids to decorate and make a frisbee shield.
Hawkeye Shoot –
I used the boys bows and hung some balloons for them to shoot the bows at.
Black Widow Shoot –
I spray painted some dollar store squirt guns black and let them shoot them at the hanging balloons. It was a hot day so these ended up being a favorite… the kids squirted eachother all day.
My Thanksgiving tradition is to make Gingerbread houses; so I decided to build them with my nieces and nephews this year. It was so much fun, now there are 11 cousins and J is the oldest!
We used Graham Crackers and Waffle Cones for our Gingerbread Houses and Christmas Trees this year.
I used a pear for the Turkey’s body and then cut up fruit to place around the pear for the Turkey’s feathers. These cousins just LOVE fruit.
I read “The Night Before Thanksgiving” to the cousins before bed… It is a great book with cousins and other extended family members. These cousins just love reading too.
