Christmas Movie #5

Hello all!  I hope you've been enjoying the Christmas Movies so far!  This next one is another favorite of mine, but it definitely is not a movie for young kids.  It is Christmas Vacation

I have to thank my husband and his family for this one.  I hadn't seen it before I met him, but now it's one we own and pull out every year!  Enjoy!

What we'll be sipping on...

Bailey's Hot Cocoa

Since this is a movie for adults... I think a drink for adults will hit the spot!

Ingredients...

Milk (a mug's worth per drink)

1 tablespoon Bailey's Irish Cream (per drink)

1 tablespoon Quick powder or any other hot chocolate powder (per drink)

Directions...

Heat milk on the stove, over medium high heat until small bubbles start to appear around the edges (this is called scalding the milk- it makes it hot and kind of frothy).  Keep an eye on it, you don't want the milk to burn.  Carefully pour milk into your mugs.  Add one tablespoon each of Bailey's and Chocolate powder (if it's been ''one of those days'' add more).  Stir.  Top with a dollop of whipped cream and sprinkle with a bit of chocolate powder.

Enjoy!

 

Christmas Movie #4

Tonight's movie was The Santa Clause

What can I say about this movie?  Original, good humored, and definitely a family favorite!  I have even enjoyed the other movies in the series.  It was fun watching it with my kiddo.  I hope it will become one of his favorites.  

What we snacked on...

Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Sandwiches

If you love chocolate and peanut butter, you will love this quick and easy treat!

Ingredients...

Buttery crackers (Ritz or Townhouse)

Peanut Butter

Chocolate bark

Directions...

Spread peanut butter on a cracker and top with another cracker (make a sandwich).

Melt chocolate in a small bowl in the microwave according to package directions.

Dip and spread chocolate all over the cracker sandwich.

It's messy, but sure is worth it! I think next time I'll make some with Nutella...

Enjoy!

Christmas Movie #3

Tonight's movie was Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

This is absolutely a childhood classic!  It was made for TV in 1964 and has come around every year since!  I can't imagine a person who hasn't seen this movie.  What could be better than a story about Santa's most famous reindeer, and elf who wants to be a dentist and an island of misfit toys?  Love it!

What we'll be snacking on...

Two Minute Mug Brownies with Ice Cream

Found the recipe here.

Ingredients...

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 T unsweetened cocoa powder

pinch of salt

2 T canola oil

2 T coffee or milk

Directions...

Combine all dry ingredients in a mug or ramekin.  Mix until there are no clumps.

Stir in wet ingredients until everything is incorporated and no dry clumps remain. 

Microwave at 30 second intervals, checking doneness.  The top of the brownie should spring back to light pressure.  

Top with ice cream, whip cream, caramel... whatever you enjoy with your brownie.  Devour Enjoy!

Christmas Movie #2

My second movie for this Christmas season is The Holiday.

 This is an adorable romantic comedy centered around the Christmas holiday.  Two single ladies (Camron Diaz and Kate Winslet) switch houses for Christmas.  The last thing they want or expect is to fall in love.  But love has a funny thing about turning up when you least expect it!  Curl up with your sweetie and enjoy this one!

What we'll be snacking on...

Rol-etzels

My Mom makes these for Christmas presents because they are incredibly addictive, so make a ton!  They'll disappear faster than an ice cube on a hot day!

Ingredients...

Rolos

Pretzels

Directions...

Cut sections of foil or parchment paper and line a baking sheet (sections allow for fast and easy removal).

Lay out pretzels in a single layer.  

Top with Rolos

Place in a preheated 200* oven for about 5 minutes (really just long enough for the chocolates to soften).

Take out of the oven, allow to cool for a minute and then press the rolos into the pretzels.  Remove the sections of foil to a cooling rack.  

Pop them into the fridge for 30 minutes or until chocolate is set.

Enjoy!

Christmas Movie #1

Our first Christmas movie of the season is a classic, well sort of.  It is The Muppet Christmas Carol based on Charles Dickens' Christmas Carol.

This is one of my favorite Christmas stories, and what better way to introduce it to kids than with Muppets?

This version follows the original story fairly closely, but lightens it up quite a bit with that trademarked Muppet humor and music.  You can't go wrong with Michael Cain as Ebeneezer Scroge, Kermit as Bob Cratchit, and Gonzo as Mr. Dickens himself.

What we'll be snacking on while we watch...

Homemade Apple Chips

We LOVE this recipe.  Sure you can buy them, but they will be loaded with preservatives and sugar to keep them "fresh". The only other option would be to make them yourself, and let me tell you it couldn't be easier.   The apples are sweet enough on their own, and you control the texture (crispy or chewy) as well as the flavor (add your favorite spices).

Ingredients...

Firm apples (Honeycrisp, Fuji, Gala, or Granny Smith apples work well)- one apple per person

A sprinkle of cinnamon (optional)

Directions...

Slice the apples thinly (about a quarter of an inch) across the width of the apple.  

Using an apple corer tool or a small cookie cutter, punch out the cores (if you don't have either of these, you can use the tip of a sharp paring knife).

Place the apples on a foil or parchment lined baking sheet.  As they dehydrate, they'll shrink in size, so pack on as many as you can in a single layer.  And don't worry if they break or aren't cut perfectly.  The ugly ones taste just as good as the pretty ones when all's said and done.

Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon (or any other baking spice you prefer- nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin pie spice...) or leave plain.

Place the cookie sheet in a preheated 200* oven.

Flip apples every 30 minutes until they reach desired texture.  It took me somewhere between 90 minutes and 2 hours.  If you want them soft and chewy take them out sooner, if you want them crispy leave them in longer.  But be sure to watch them- they can go from crisp to burnt in no time flat!

It seems these disappear as soon as they come out of the oven, but if you have leftovers (I seriously doubt that will happen), you can leave them in a container (covered for chewy, open for crispy) on the counter top for a couple of days!

The 12 Days of Christmas

Every year, following Thanksgiving, we are bombarded with Christmas.  

Christmas in the stores, Christmas on the radio, and Christmas on the TV!  

I usually don't watch a whole bunch of the Christmas programming.  While it's definitely feel-good, sometimes it gets a bit too cheesy for me.

So I've put together a list of my favorite holiday movies- those that we pull out year after year.  Over the next 12 days (can you believe that there are only 12 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS?!?!), I'll be sharing the list with you.  I hope you enjoy the movies and maybe you'll watch along with me.