December meeting recap!

Well, a week later, I guess I'll actually get the meeting recap written! Whew, the holidays are cuh-razy!

So last Thursday, Dec 13th, was our December meeting... aka Recipe Swap & Spa Day! So, so fun!

First of all, let's talk about the food. YUM. We had an amazing spread & it was all delicious (& I know this because I may have sampled everything :)  I'll be posting all the recipes soon... stay tuned!

And the craft was super-cute, as always... Abbey had everything we needed to make personalized glittery ornaments for the Christmas season. The tutorial will be posted in the next few days...

For our Spa Day, we had four stations:

1. Paraffin hand-waxing -- a great thing for scratchy, dry winter hands!
2. Foot soak -- ahhhh, who doesn't love to soak their toes every once in a while?
3. Mary Kay -- a huge thanks to Elizabeth, one of our MOPS moms & a Mary Kay consultant!
4. Hair stylists -- three stylists, Rachel, Danae & Ashley, were kind enough to donate their time to MOPS to make us mamas look fabulous! Be sure to pay these ladies a visit the next time you need to be spruced up... check our facebook page for their contact information.

A few of the MOPS mamas get a trim from our wonderful stylists!

Tasty Tuesday: peppermint obsession, anyone?

Here's a compilation of all things peppermint for this Tasty Tuesday!

First up, the old faithful peppermint bark. So. stinkin'. good. And easy too... 

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The Ingredients:

• 1 package (12 oz) of white chocolate chips
• 24 peppermint candies
• 1 tsp peppermint extract or a few drops of peppermint oil (optional)

The Directions:

Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. 

Unwrap candies & put them in a ziplock bag. Wrap in a towel & smash repeatedly until candies are crushed (this is a great way to relieve holiday stress, by the way :). Or you can put them in a food processor, but that's not as much fun.

Microwave white chocolate chips for 45 seconds. Stir. Continue microwaving & stirring at 15-second intervals until completely melted & smooth.

Pour the crushed candies into a strainer while holding it over the melted chocolate. Shake the stainer until you've sifted out the larger pieces. Put the larger peppermint pieces aside. Add a few drops of peppermint extract or oil if desired. Stir chocolate. 

Spread chocolate into baking pan. Sprinkle with reserved larger candy pieces & press lightly. Let it stand for about 1 hour or until firm. Break into pieces. Store in airtight container at room temperature.

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And while you're making peppermint bark, you could just go ahead & do a batch of peppermint popcorn...

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The Ingredients:

• Same as above (white chocolate chips & peppermint candies)
• 1 tsp peppermint extract or a few drops of peppermint oil
• 2 bags of microwave popcorn, popped

The Directions:

Follow the instructions for peppermint bark above to melt chocolate & stir in crushed peppermint. Add oil or extract. Pour chocolate/peppermint over popcorn & stir until well-coated. Spread on wax paper until hardened.

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Or you might want to give these peppermint sugar cookie bars a try... 

The Ingredients for the cookies:

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

5 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup crushed or chopped after-dinner butter mints

The Ingredients for the frosting:

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 tsp peppermint extract

pinch of salt

4 cups powdered sugar

2 to 4 tbsp milk

Red food coloring, if desired

1/2 cup crushed peppermints or candy canes

The Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a large 11x17 pan. Line with parchment paper & grease paper as well. Set aside

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt & baking soda. 

With an electric mixer, cream butter & sugar until light & fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add in vanilla. Add in flour mixture, mixing until just combined. Stir in butter mints.

Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake until light golden brown & a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (about 20-25 minutes). Transfer to wire rack to cool completely. 

While cookie is cooling, make frosting. With an electric mixer, beat butter until fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add peppermint extract & salt. Add powdered sugar, a little at a time, beating until well-combined. Add milk a tablespoon at a time until frosting is smooth & fluffy. Add a few drops of food coloring if desired. 

Spread frosting over cooled cookie & sprinkle with crushed peppermints. Cut into bars (makes 32 bars).

(Click here for source). 

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And finally, we have peppermint eggnog... 

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The Ingredients:

• eggnog
• peppermint candies, finely crushed
• peppermint sticks
• peppermint extract or oil

The Directions:

Wet the edge of your mug & dip in crushed peppermints. Pour eggnog & add a few drops of extract or oil (remember that oil is MUCH stronger tasting than extract). Sprinkle peppermint on top & add a peppermint stick.  

getting crafty: clothespin wreath card holder

This past Monday was our Moms Night Out for December... our first official Craft Night! We had craft kits available, & several ladies chose to make a super-cute clothespin wreath card holder.

If you couldn't make it to Craft Night & would like to make a clothespin wreath at home, here's the tutorial:

What you need:

• wire clothes hanger
• 36 wooden clothespins
• 72 pony beads
• duct tape
• glue gun
• 4 feet of ribbon

Instructions:

1. Cut the hook off your hanger, discard & bend hanger into a circle.
2. Thread a clothespin onto the hanger (put the wire through the spring coil of the pin) & then add two pony beads.
3. Continue threading materials onto the hanger in this repeating order: clothespin, two beads, clothespin, two beads until you have them all on the wire. If you come across an "ugly" clothespin, just flip it over so the pretty side is facing the front of the wreath.
4. Put a bead on each side of your first & last clothespins, so you have a bead nearest the opening of the wire circle on both ends of your wreath.
5. Overlap the loose ends of the wire & secure with duct tape. You can hot glue or twist the wires to "close" your wreath as well. You only want about a 1.5 inch gap between your beads after the wreath is enclosed, so you may need to trim off a bit of the wire depending on your hanger length. 
6. Use one foot of ribbon to form a loop from which to hang your wreath. Use the glue gun to attach the ribbon loop to your wreath, using the ribbon to cover the duct tape.
7. Tie a bow with the remaining 3 feet of ribbon & use the glue gun to attach the bow to the base of your ribbon loop.
8. Add all your Christmas cards & enjoy!

There's all sorts of variations for this wreath... here are a few ideas if you want to jazz yours up a bit:

You can paint your clothespins:

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Or use mod-podge or glue or double-sided tape to add colorful scrapbook paper  &/or glitter to your clothespins:

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Or scratch the Christmas card holder idea entirely & make a wreath just because they look snazzy. Valentine's Day, Easter, 4th of July... the clothespin wreath possibilities are endless!

(from left to right: source, source, source)

Tasty Tuesday: Surprise Treats

What's better than biting into a brownie or cupcake? Biting into a brownie or cupcake & there being a tasty surprise inside! :)

Here are two recipes for surprise treats that the kiddos (& adults) will love!

This first recipe is for Surprise Brownie Bites with Caramel Cream Cheese Icing. Yes, that's brownie, caramel, cream cheese & candy all in one delicious bite... you're welcome.

On the left is Rolo; on the right is Ferrero Rocher

The Ingredients:

• brownie mix, with eggs, oil & water needed to prepare
• 4 tbsp butter, softened at room temperature
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened at room temperature
• 2 tbsp caramel sauce (store-bought, or boil a small can of condensed milk for 10 mins, stirring constantly until it turns to caramel)
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 24 candies of your choice... pictured above are Rolo (on the left) & Ferrero Rocher (on the right)

The Directions:

Unwrap all candies & put them in the fridge. Preheat oven & prepare brownie mix as directed on box. Grease  24-cup mini muffin tin. Fill each cup 3/4 full with batter. Bake according to directions.

When brownies are done, remove them from oven. Immediately press a candy into each warm brownie. Wait a few minutes for brownies to cool slightly, then remove from pan to allow brownies to cool completely on wire rack. 

To make icing, mix cream cheese & butter until smooth. Stir in caramel. Add powdered sugar gradually  & whip until creamy.

Once brownies are completely cool, put a small dollop of the leftover caramel on each brownie bite (this is optional... it just adds a little more gooey goodness). Using a plastic bag & piping tip, pipe the icing onto each brownie bite. Refrigerate for a while until icing is set before serving.

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Or check out this recipe shared by Emily... she makes these Chocolate Surprise Cupcakes for her family every year during the Christmas season!

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The Ingredients (for the batter):

• 2 sticks butter
• 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour

The Ingredients (for the filling):

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup sugar
• dash of salt
• 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

The Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill cupcake tin with liners.

To prepare batter, melt together butter, chocolate & vanilla. Beat eggs & sugar together until combined. Beat flour into egg mixture. Fold in chocolate mixture. Spoon into cupcake tins until approximately 3/4 full.

To prepare filling, combine cream cheese, sugar, egg & salt. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop a rounded teaspoonful into cupcake batter.

Bake at 350 for 30 mins. 

Makes 20-22 cupcakes. 

random acts of kindness

It's so easy to get swept up in the frenzied joy & wonder of Christmas... the shopping, the tree, the lights, the gifts, the parties, the baking, the music. What's not to love?!?

Maggie & Sadie are amazed...

But it can be difficult sometimes to help our young children understand... especially preschool-age... what Christmas really means. With all the hustle & bustle, it's easy to see how it could be confusing for littles... that it's actually NOT all about getting presents or Santa. That Christmas is actually about celebrating the birth of Jesus & understanding what Jesus means to us on a daily basis.

This Christmas, what if we decided to share the light of Christmas here in Anderson, SC? It could be amazing. It really could. Not only for our individual children, but on a much larger scale.

So do something random & nice. And talk to your kids about why it's fun....

• Take a festive holiday treat to your pediatrician's office for the staff
• Tape a dollar with a note saying  "Merry Christmas" to a vending machine
• Pay for the car behind you at Starbucks.... maybe they'll do the same & keep the kindness going!
• Take cookies & thank you notes to our local fire department & police departments

Or you can participate in this wonderful (& well-organized) idea from Courtney at Lil Light O' Mine. She calls it:

And she's provided tons of Light 'Em Up ideas & freebies... a list of 100 random acts of kindness, a planning sheet to help you implement, & even printable gift tags telling someone how much your family appreciates them...

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Tasty Tuesday: Slow Cooker Creamy Mac & Cheese

With all the holiday bustle, sometimes it's nice to just get back to a basic comfort food... & it's even nicer if it can be thrown in a slow cooker & forgotten about until dinner time. This recipe for creamy macaroni & cheese is one of our family's favorites!

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The Ingredients:

• 2 cups (8 oz) elbow macaroni, uncooked
• 4 tbsp butter, cut into pieces
• 2 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 can cheddar cheese condensed soup
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 tsp pepper

The Directions:

Boil macaroni until tender. Drain. In medium saucepan, mix butter & cheese. Stir until cheese melts. 

In slow cooker, combine cheese mixture, eggs, sour cream, soup, salt, milk, mustard & pepper. Stir well. Add drained macaroni & stir again. 

Turn slow cooker on "low" setting & cook for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

y'all come to Craft Night!

Do you have a project that you just can't seem to get done?

Christmas cards to address? 

A cute craft that you pinned on Pinterest, but probably won't actually do? 

Or are you creatively challenged?... you WANT to be crafty, but you're just not sure where to start?

You should come to Craft Night next Monday, Dec 10th! It will definitely be worth finding a babysitter or getting the husband to keep the kiddos...  it's a dedicated time to knock out one of those projects or make something fun & visit with other moms while you're doing it! 

Next Monday, you can bring your own craft or project that you want to work on. Or if you want to try something new, you can purchase one of our kits. And what are these kits, you ask? Abbey, Crafter Extraordinaire has lined up some ridiculously cute options for us.

**If you want a kit, please let us know... we'll reserve one for you! 

kit #1: clothespin wreath

This is a perfect addition to your holiday decor as Christmas cards start arriving... just clip your cards to display all season! This little kit will have all the supplies to make this clothespin wreath!

(kit price: $3)

kit #2: bird nest necklace

The super-popular bird nest necklace is making a reappearance... we made these during one of our meetings & I've gotten so many compliments! Would be perfect for a gift or keeping for yourself...

(kit price: $2)

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kit #3: homemade hot cocoa gift set

Who doesn't love a warm cup of hot cocoa? This kit will have everything you need to put together a pretty little cocoa gift set similar to the ones pictured here.

(kit price: $2)

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