Feeding The Masses

WOW have I got a smirk on my face this morning! A smile that I just can't wipe off.. and don't want to! Good morning everybody! Welcome to a very short and exciting work week! Christmas is this week and I'm as happy as a kid on Christmas morning. Not so much for the presents, if I was good enough all year to get any, but more so for spending time with family, a warm home lit with tiny Christmas lights, full bellies and the downhill slide to Spring!!! I've got Spring on the brain all winter long!

I wanted to bring up a fantastic recipe that I have found this year and made Sunday evening. I initially made it for a present for a hard to buy for fella on my Christmas list, but it wound up making enough to put into 14 little bags for the boys here at work. I always like to bring a little something special for work peeps and this recipe is the perfect fit this year!

I have to add the link because I cannot and will not take credit for this recipe but I will pass it on for sure!

My Amish Friend's Caramel Corn

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/My-Amish-Friends-Caramel-Corn/Detail.aspx

Matter of fact, I think I'll just let you go on and print her copy. The only things I have to add is the use of my sister, the expert popcorn popper! She stepped at just the right time. I cannot remember the last time I popped popcorn and she is an avid, almost daily popcorn popper and eater! This recipe was fun, tastes fantastic and goes a long way!

Tis The Season For Giving

Morning All! Here's a thought.. if you are having trouble coming up with a good deed or maybe with something that you can do to help someone out this Christmas listen up. I'm listing a few ideas for you. Please feel free to leave a comment on how you have made someone else's hectic Christmas time a little bit easier or comment with more suggestions.

1. Offer to pick up last minute items for some one elderly that you know.

2. Take a box filled with apples, oranges, tangerines or candy to your office and write "stocking stuffers" on it. Just in case there's someone you work with that's having trouble and can't afford for themselves or their kids. Sit the box where you can't see who takes what.. like in a breakroom or lobby area.

3. Offer to wrap gifts. That's what I have done for the fellas here at work. I know that guys sometimes aren't the best or maybe hate to wrap presents. Last year I bought after Christmas, 75% off boxes and paper so it's truly not costing me much to help them.

4. Offer to help an elderly person fill out their Christmas cards and even take them to the post office for them. Or help a child send Christmas cards to a few of their friends.

5. Donate $15.82 for seven meals or more or less to help feed the homeless in your area. In Nashville you go can right to http://www.nashvillerescuemission.org/page.asp?SID=1&Page=14 and donate online. They also have a wish list on the website of items you can donate.

A little goes a long way when it comes from your heart.

Handmade Christmas Cards

Hello All! Merry Christmas! It's not too late to get Christmas cards in the mail to your most favorite people! Why not save money this year by limiting the number of cards you send out and making the cards yourself? That is what I chose to do and plain as they may be they represent more to me than buying cards. Even your kiddos can help! Here's what I did:

Handmade Christmas Cards

20 pieces of card stock - whatever color you have
20 envelopes to fit whatever size your cards are
1 potato
craft paint - whatever color you have
a paring knife a paper plate
glitter - if you have it

Cut and fold each piece of card stock to fit the envelopes that you have on hand. Slice the potato in half and gently mark whatever shape you choose. Carve around the shape that you marked so that the shape is raised like a stamp. I chose an easy shape... a star. Squirt some craft paint onto a paper plate. Dip the potato shape into the craft paint and stamp it onto the front of your cards. Sprinkle glitter onto the shape while the paint is still wet. Allow the paint to dry and write your greeting on the inside. See there... handmade Christmas cards... ready to mail.

After I made my cards I thought of a meaning. The front of my cards have only one star. The wording "only one star.. that's all it took" has been stuck in my head ever since. It only took one star to lead rich men and poor men on a long journey through the night in search of the same thing...our Savior. Can you imagine doing that today? Hearing the word that the One that was sent to save us all had been born and following just one star all night to see Him for yourself. That this didn't exist before. That there was no hope for our souls. The word of Jesus' birth has been instilled in my life since I was born... the reason we celebrate the holidays every year... all these years. Only one star... that's all it took.

Brandy Cherries

Hiya! Now if you know me... well then you know me! But you will also know that I love to tweak recipes. While I was thumbing through recipes and cookbooks last week I came across a recipe for Chocolate Covered Cherries that looked delish on it's own. It got me to thinking about soaking the cherries in liquor, like some soak in moonshine or whiskey. The only problem in my mind was the clash of whiskey and chocolate. It didn't sound good to me. So I took a little trip to the liquor store and started looking around for something that wouldn't knock you down when you ate it. I wanted the punch to perfectly accent the sweetness.

So with the help of a friendly neighborhood liquor store worker I found what I was looking for... Cherry Brandy. I went home and immediately popped open two jars of cherries, poured out the liquid and filled them with the brandy. Let me tell you, they are lovely on their own because they still taste like cherries, they just have a tiny twang to them... perfect!

So here's the rest of the recipe using brandy soaked cherries or not they are still YUM!

Spiked Chocolate Covered Cherries

30 - cherries with stems, drained (which is 1 small jar)
1 Tablespoon + 1 1/2 teaspoons butter, softened
1 Tablespoon + 1 1/2 teaspoons corn syrup
1 cup powdered sugar
5 squares chocolate candy coating

Combine sugar, butter, corn syrup and powdered sugar in a bowl until it forms dough. I formed a dough ball, wrapped it in plastic wrap and refrigerated for about 30 minutes. Wrap each cherry with about a teaspoon of dough. I patted out the dough using powdered sugar so it wouldn't stick to my hands. Chill on wax paper until firm.

Melt candy coating in microwaveable bowl on low temp, stirring until melted. Dip each cherry into chocolate and place on wax paper to dry. Store in an airtight container.

There are really good! And if you're going to the Stidham's Christmas Party don't take these because I am :) Or maybe we could just have a competition! Have fun!