Instant Cappuccino Mix

Instant Cappuccino Mix (nice and spicy)
Serves: 24

Ingredients
1 cup powdered
non-dairy creamer
1 cup instant chocolate drink mix
3/4 cup instant coffee granules
1/2 cup SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon or more
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg or more

Directions
1. In a medium sized glass jar, combine the non-dairy creamer, chocolate drink mix, instant coffee, SPLENDA® Granulated Sweetener, cinnamon and nutmeg; mix well.
2. To prepare, place 2 tablespoons mix in a mug, pour in 3/4 cup
boiling water, and stir until dissolved. Serve hot.

Inspired by Home Cooks

Ginger Molasses Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup shortening
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 tsp grated orange peel
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
In a large bowl, cream the butter,  shortening, and 1 cup of sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the egg, molasses, and the orange peel.  Combine the dry ingredients.  Gradually add to the creamed mixture.  Mix well.  Roll into 1 1/4 inch balls.  Then roll the balls into the remaining sugar.  Place the sugared balls 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 F for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are firm and the surface cracks.  Remove to wire racks and cool.  Makes 5 1/2 dozen

Recipe Source:  Taste Of Home

How to decorate Sugar Cookies

"I sure do like those Christmas cookies, Sugar!
I sure do like those Christmas cookies, Babe!
The ones that look like Santa Claus,
Christmas trees, bells, and stars;
I sure do like those Christmas cookies, Babe."

Christmas Hugs,
Cindy

A sneak peek at our Country Christmas

Thought I would share some of my holiday decorating in my family room today.  I hope you enjoy your little peek.

This is a little cabinet that I purchase last year at a Antique Shop in town, for Christmas I added some vintage tin toys and trees.  I wish I had a better shot of this cabinet because it is so adorable.  And I didn’t have to purchase one thing to put it together.

This cabinet is one of my favorite country pieces, and it’s alot of fun to decorate.  But since this picture I have made several changes to it. (Note: update this picture with the latest addition)

This is my grapevine tree that I purchased this summer.  I love it.  I have clear lights on it with my popcorn and cranberry garland.  It’s simple but so pretty.  The little snowman tree skirt, I won as a door prize at a antique shop Christmas open house, it is quilted in old tattered fabric and it’s adorable.  It couldn’t be more perfect since I collect snowmen…

 

This is one of my newest additions this year.  I usually have this window frame out in my herb garden throughout the year, but decided to bring it in and clean it up and add my wreath.  Just added a few of my rusty jingle bells and created a window sill scene and this sits atop my little cabinet with the vintage toys.

Sitting on my coffee table I have a tray nestled with some greenery and such.  Nothing fancy about it, but I have a “thing” for pitchers…..and love displaying them throughout the house.  Added a few candy kisses in a antique mason jar.

Wooden candy canes stuffed in another antique mason jar.

 

Atop my TV cabinet, I have sprinkled it with a few snowmen from my collection.  Don’t you love my Christmas sign with the snowman.  It was a gift from my son several years ago.  The frame is trimmed in a plaid fabric with a felt  tattered snowman appliquéd to it. Another favorite!

 

Now for my tree….I wish I had a better shot, to depict just how pretty it is….but I am not a photographer, I would like to get a shot at night when it is all light.  My tree is all aglow with gold lights, as they put the illusion of old-fashioned candles on the tree.  I get LOTS of compliments on it.  Buried deep in the limbs I have placed my handmade Santa Claus’ from my collection as well as my bears.  The ornaments on my tree are all hand sewn, or wooden, sprinkled with some old antique Brite balls.

Well these are a few of the vignettes' that I have sprinkled around the room.  What do you think?  If you missed the earlier post on my decorations in the kitchen, scross down a couple of post.

Warmest holiday

hugs,

Cindy

Visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads

Christmas has come to my kitchen….it dances with candy canes, gumdrops, and gingerbread men…….and it just cozy to me. 

Just a few of the vignettes that I have throughout my kitchen….this isn’t a great picture, but I put my little four foot tree in a antique red wooden bucket.  My garland on this tree is a hard candy garland, and I have accented the tree with little gingerbread men, and little kitchen goodies.  Although it isn’t very visible it is sprinkled with multi colored lights and it is placed next to my sink. 

 

How cute is this next picture….my mom loved this while she was here.  It was so simple and you probably have everything you need to do it.  Note my tray, it is a yard sale find from this summer, a old cabinet door panel or something that they placed handles on.  Grabbed it for a whopping $1.  Don’t let anyone say I am NOT a big spender.  ( I digress) Anyway, added tons of color by adding a candy garland, candy canes, and glass balls into different style and types of clear jars.  Love them…and with my brown jar lamp shining on them it puts off the perfect effect.  I added my little gingerbread house that I have had for many years…would love to have a bigger one….guess I will be on the lookout during yard sale season for that.  Aren’t my little cinnamon candles the cutest thing you ever saw”?  Not to mention “Sprinkles” my bear.  Silly bear has batter on him…

This is what I look at when I clean my kitchen and do the dishes.  It makes washing up the kitchen not a bad thing.  I just tied some simple gingham/plaid fabric that I ripped to make pretty bows for my glass canisters.  So simple, but oh so country looking. 

Did you see my little prim tree with the gingerbread goodies on it with the rag bows.  It is placed in a ANTIQUE Maxwell house coffee can.   See you can use anything you already have to put together.

Next, we have my stove area,   I just have my bread board sitting on top with my dough tray filled with greens and cranberry  garland.  I have tucked some of my gingerbread men in the greens and added another antique green handled small hand sifter.  I think it looks sweet.  I decided to add my little Cookie Cutter sign that I bought from Gooseberry patch years ago.   Tied a ripped and ragged bow to my antique white pitcher.  One of my favorite pieces.  Last but not least, I added my Paula Deen candle on my little bread board.

Just a thought, I have found you can add a few springs to your shelves and  crocks, etc, and add a instant holiday touch.

 

Now for the centerpiece on my table in the kitchen.   I love old crates and have a ton of them….so I decided to fill one with greens and sprigs of snow-covered  pine,and sprigs with candy ,  accented with snowballs, and wooden candy canes.  And after everything was in the crate, I added “Ginger”, she is simply adorable with her little bow on her head.

So now you have gotten a peek into my kitchen.  What did you think?  

Christmas Hugs,

Cindy

Gingerbread Men Recipe

"Run, run, fast as you can!
Can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man!"

I found this simple little video on creating some adorable little gingerbread men….

Scootin to the kitchen.

 

Christmas hugs,

Cindy

Some holiday projects

that I will be working on this year.  Hopefully I will get them all accomplished before the holidays. 

You can get a tutorial to make this wreath by checking out Eddie Ross.  Although I love this one, I will be doing mine in more traditional colors that will compliment my decor.  I just think this is beautiful and very classy.

 

 

 

 

 

I will also be trying my hand at this wreath for outside.

You can get the tutorial on this wreath by visiting Rachel at Made with Love and Glue. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And I think these are adorable….gonna make these for me

 

Traci at Beneath My Heart has a wonderful tutorial on making these coasters.  So simple and easy and you could make them very expensively.  How cool is that?

 

One other little goodie, I think I might make is a decorated  altered clip board.  This project comes from Jill over at Controlling my Clutter.  You can also find another great tutorial at Candy Shoppe Designs.This is to cute for words.  I plan on making a holiday one to keep my notes attach too during the season.  Take a peek….

 

 

Now I think these are adorable too, and really easy to make, you can find a wonderful tutorial at Mama Thompson.  I think this is something you could even do with your children, and how proud they would be with the finished product.

 

 

 

Mandy over at Moody Girl Projects made these great Christmas Chalkboards, and we all know how much we love those.  I think having a bunch of small  ones throughout the house to write little messages on is a great idea. 

 

So now I have shown you a few things that I plan to make over the next few weeks. How bout you?

Christmas Blessings,

Me