Gourmet Candy Apples

Each year, a week before Christmas I attend a gourmet candy apple making event with my BFF and her family.  It's become a huge tradition that I cannot wait to involve Adders in next year.  This is what you can expect once all the madness is over:

Sunday was the event and oh how I look forward to this every year.  You know the apples you see in the mall that look so heavenly?  The ones covered in caramel, chocolate of every variety, as well as many other tasty toppings.  That's what we do every year and then some of my nearest and dearest are lucky enough to taste these tasty apples every year.

Here's the crew (minus a few)

We start around 9:30 Sunday morning by getting the apples out and making sure any damaged aren't used.  We then pound sticks into the apples and start dipping into caramel.  The caramel apples are then passed onto someone with a free hand who holds the apples until they're cool enough to sit down.  After the apples cool completely you have to reform as some caramel pulls off the apple.  

Then, it's time to decorate.  We usually start by dipping into milk chocolate, adding any toppings and then drizzling dark chocolate, white chocolate, mint chocolate and even more milk chocolate.

The best part is that I get to eat these for a solid week.  Yes, I will have gained a pound or five but it's so worth it!

Adalyn Meets Santa

My office hosted a children's holiday party complete with activities, games, candy canes, breakfast of pancakes which are flipped at you, as well as Santa.  This was Addies first Santa meeting.

Christmas Cheer Blog Party - Holiday Decor

Today is the final post in the Christmas Cheer Blog party.  It's been a great way to connect with other bloggers on ideas and a great motivation tool for me to get the house up to the festivities.  So today's post is hosted by Michaele over at Michaele Noelle Designs.  Come link up with us!

Here are some of the decorations that can be found around our house in time for the holiday spirit.  Some you've seen on previous posts regarding the Holiday Mantle, Holiday Vignette, Christmas Tree, Christmas Craft, and the Christmas recipe.  Check out those posts and see all the pictures here.

Holiday Vignette with Subway Art

Holiday Mantle

Christmas Craft

Christmas Tree

Mod Podge Scrapbook on Letters

Pinecones & Cranberries

Santa

White Poinsettia

Apothecary Jars filled with ornaments and Candy Cane Kisses

I hope you've enjoyed reading about my Christmas Decor.  I hope to go all out next year since this year I've done much more crafts than in years past.  We're having an annual holiday party in a few weeks to plan for with our decor!

Wordless Wednesday: Future NY Times Bestseller Here

The girl loves books.  Oftentimes she crawls as fast as she can down the hallway to her room and this is how I find her.  In the middle of her favorite books!

Don't forget to sign up for the Ultimate Christmas giveaway if you haven't already.  Today is your final chance!

Christmas Cheer Blog Party - Christmas Recipes

Today marks the final week of the Christmas Cheer Blog Party and we're celebrating with Christmas recipes!  Today we're linking up with Natsha at Schue Love.  If you missed out on our previous posts you can read about them here, here, here, and here.  Come link up!

I love Christmas food and especially love the Christmas treats.  I typically stick with the same 5 cookies that I make every year but this year I found a great recipe I'll be incorporating into my rotation.  A good friend of mine made these and I was in heaven!

I recently found the Candy Cane Kisses and I can't stop eating them.  So when my friend made these Candy Cane Blossoms with the Candy Cane Kisses I couldn't wait to try them out.

1 bag Hershey;s Kisses brand Candy Cane Kisses

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 egg

2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons milk

Red and Green colored sugar

Preheat over to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove wrappers from candies (approx. 35)

Beat butter, sugar, vanilla, and egg in large bowl until well blended. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; add alternatively with milk to butter mixture, beating until well blended.

Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Roll in red and/or green colored sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 - 1o minutes or until edges are lightly browned and cookies is set. Remove from oven; cool 2 to 3 minutes. Press candy piece into center of each cookie. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. Yields approximately 35 cookies.

Come back on Thursday for the final link up of Christmas Decor and don't forget to enter in the Ultimate Christmas Giveaway which ends tomorrow.