Salted Chocolate and Caramel Popcorn

1 bag popped popcorn

2 ½ cups mini pretzels, broken into pieces

1 cup pecans

½ cup salted butter

1 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar

½ cup light-corn syrup

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp baking soda

1 cup milk chocolate chips

½ cup mini marshmallows

Put popcorn into a very large bowl.  Be sure to remove any un-popped kernels.  Add in crushed pretzels, marshmallows and pecans and gently fold mixture together, set aside.  In an large microwave safe bowl, melt butter, it should take about 50 seconds.  Stir in brown sugar, light corn syrup and salt.  Mix well.  Microwave mixture for 2 minutes, then stir and immediately return to microwave and cook 2 more minutes.  Remove from microwave, add in vanilla and baking soda and stir until frothy, about 10 seconds (don’t be tempted to dip your finger in and taste test, it is HOT).  Pour caramel over popcorn mixture and gently stir until evenly coated.  Pour caramel coated popcorn mixture onto a parchment or wax paper covered cookie sheet. Melt milk chocolate in a microwave safe bowl, on 50% power in 30 second intervals stirring after each interval until melted and smooth.  Pour melted chocolate into a piping bag or ziploc bag and cut the tip off and drizzle melted chocolate over popcorn. Place chocolate covered popcorn in refrigerator until chocolate hardens, about 20-30 minutes.  Remove from refrigerator and break popcorn into pieces.  Store popcorn in an airtight container.

Recipe and Photo Source:  http://www.cookingclassy.blogspot.com/search/label/popcorn

Christmas Word Art

Cute Christmas Word Art

Source: http://d30opm7hsgivgh.cloudfront.net/upload/106703370_Z8DmBMQL_c.jpg

Christmas Card Idea

http://d30opm7hsgivgh.cloudfront.net/upload/104688818_glP6A3U3_c.jpg

 The lights on this card are made by thumbprints and paint of many colors.


Source: http://d30opm7hsgivgh.cloudfront.net/upload/104688818_glP6A3U3_c.jpg

Christmas Cupcake Idea

http://d30opm7hsgivgh.cloudfront.net/upload/85522618_Y9spLFfw_c.jpg

Source: http://d30opm7hsgivgh.cloudfront.net/upload/85522618_Y9spLFfw_c.jpg

Christmas in July

My sister-in-law Janae is in town this week! That means crafting and cooking and lots of it!

Today we were crafting and we decided to make a Christmas decoration.We made a Christmas Tree. I am going to use mine as a part of a table centerpiece.


To make them you need:

• styrofoam trees
• yarn
• hot glue gun
• felt
• toothpick
• craft foam
• decorations

All you do is start by tracing the bottom of the tree on your felt. Then glue it to the bottom using hot glue. Next, get your yarn ready and put a bead of hot glue along the very bottom of the tree base and then place your first row of yarn on it. Go around the bottom with the yarn then continue wrapping it all the way up the tree, until it is completely covered. Then put some glue at the top to hold the end in place and cut the yarn to the right length. Using the same glue and wrapping techniques, “decorate your tree”. I used a strand of gingerbread men on ribbon that I found at Michaels. Other cute decorations could be little lights, jingle bells, adhesive backed gems or buttons. Finally, cut to stars from the craft foam. Glue them back to back with the toothpick in the middle. Insert the toothpick into the top of the tree!

Here is a picture of the original Fruitful Find:

Picture Source: http://amillionlittlethings.typepad.com/amlt/2010/12/yarn-trees-.html

Here is a picture of my creation:

Christmas Tree  -  Photo Taken by Cami

This craft was very easy and very inexpensive. I am going to make some more trees to decorate my kids bedroom during the holiday season!


Source: http://amillionlittlethings.typepad.com/amlt/2010/12/yarn-trees-.html