Could it really be two short weeks until Christmas?!

Here is a peak at how we do Christmas. First and foremost a Christmas tree; my favorite part of the season and this year we switched up the decor. All red, white and gold ornaments with a fun garland made of felt rounds stitched together. I got the garland on Etsy at TwoOtters.

Next up! Cookies! And Cookie Parties! Tonight I had the girls over to trade Christmas cookie recipes and do a little taste-testing. Eight delicious cookies, lots of laughter and Christmas joy! I love baking this time of year and though my back kills me lately I can’t resist! My recipe is below-

White Chocolate Cherry Shortbread (BHG)

• 1/2 cup maraschino cherries, drained and finely chopped
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup cold butter
• 12 ounces white chocolate baking squares with cocoa butter, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 drops red food coloring (optional)
• 2 teaspoons shortening
• White nonpareils and/or red edible glitter (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spread cherries on paper towels to drain well.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in drained cherries and 4 ounces (2/3 cup) of the chopped chocolate. Stir in almond extract and, if desired, food coloring. Knead mixture until it forms a smooth ball.

3. Shape dough into 3/4-inch balls. Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Using the bottom of a drinking glass dipped in sugar, flatten balls to 1-1/2-inch rounds.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until centers are set. Cool for 1 minute on cookie sheet. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool.

5. In a small saucepan, combine remaining 8 ounces white chocolate and the shortening. Cook and stir over low heat until melted. Dip half of each cookie into chocolate, allowing excess to drip off. If desired, roll dipped edge in nonpareils and/or edible glitter. Place cookies on waxed paper until chocolate is set. Makes about 60.

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The holidays have snuck up on me this year and while I was thinking about how much I can not wait for Christmas, I find that Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away! Now that I have had some Fall fun, I am definitely ready to hop into the Christmas season (which begins strictly the day after Thanksgiving in my house!).

Are you ready!? With the help of Etsy I am sure you can find plenty of good buys, inspiration, ideas and much more. Here are a few of my faves!

Soft White Yarn Wreath from Saffron Fields

Rustic Garland from Sunshine Safari Homegoods

Let It Snow Rustic Christmas tree Pallet Art from Songbirds & Lace

Christmas Bunting from Sew Realicoul

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And here they are! The final recipe decisions for the fourth!

Caramel Apples & Blueberry Peach Cobbler

It doesn’t get much more American than these two special treats! This lovely cobbler was only 300 calories per serving (and no, that does not include the ala mode option, sorry!). The recipe was found on CookingLight.com when they flashed the photo in front of me and I knew I must create this dish!

With fresh made whipped cream (thanks to my lovely lil sis in law) or a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream… it seemed to go over well with the family. So I was happy! The topping is a light, spongey (for lack of a better word) cake and fits perfectly with the peaches. I didn’t use fresh peaches because you need 5 lbs! So I bought some large jars in extra light syrup at Costco and drained them before creating the “filling.” This recipe will be kept for future gatherings and I highly recommend it!

And well, the caramel apples took me (and my brave hubby) some time to create — we made almost 2 dozen! But it was all worth it to see the smiles on the kiddos’ faces (and the adults too!). There was not one left by the end of the celebration! Just to show you how a simple apple on a stick can bring joy, I have created a collage below. Enjoy!

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Inspiration for the big day! I love how the internet allows us to share our creations and fun stuff! Check out the photos and links below to see what these awesome blogs and women from all over have come up with to celebrate Independence Day!

Happy Independence!

LINKS:

1. Ice Cream Bars on a Stick **Super Easy
2. Red, White & Blue Skewers ** Super Easy
3. Mason Jar Drinks with Festive Toppers
4. Licorice Stacks ** Super Easy
5. Red, White & Blue Jello Stars
6. Patriotic Fans *Martha Stewart
7. Hanging Star Medallions *Martha Stewart
8. Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

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More and more every year, I appreciate the Mother that God provided for me. A Mother who never failed me, never gave up on me, always loved me, always supported me and always guided me to live a godly life. I imagine that many of you can agree with me when I say that there really is nothing like having an amazing Mother.

These are the most special and amazing Mother’s in my life…

This year, I want to give back to all of the Mother’s who live to bless their children, their husbands, their family, their friends and all of the people surrounding them. Proverbs 31 describes those Mothers perfectly and in honor of Mother’s every where, I created some special cupcake toppers using that passage in Proverbs. Much love and time went into these cuties and you will even find a step by step photo instruction guide right here on my blog (to follow). Instructions below…

This download is from my heart and very much FREE for those of you who desire to bless the Mother(s) in your life with them – -and if you feel so led, I have included a Paypal link for donations for the Community Pregnancy Center. Basically, if you enjoy this free download and desire to give back as well, you are welcome to shoot a $1, or whatever you feel led, my way. But the money is not for me… I will match every single dollar that is donated and send it off to the CPC who supports Mothers and soon-to-be Mothers in many ways.

CPC offers free ultrasounds, peer counseling, parent education, housing & medical referrals, diapers & other baby needs, all while sharing God’s love with these precious Mothers. For more information on this amazing organization click here. I want to invest in our future Mothers and our future generation to grow up in healthy and happy homes!

Thank you for visiting, for downloading and for any donations!

And now for what you have been waiting for — to download this file, please go HERE and you will be able to download for free. The file is in PDF format so you will need Adobe (which you can get for free here if you do not already have it). Below is a photo tutorial of what your finished product will look like if you have a scalloped circle punch. There is always plenty of space for a 2″ circle punch or you can even use pinking scissors to cut around if you don’t have a punch! Anything will work lovely!

STEP 1: Download and Print your downloaded file onto white cardstock paper (this is a heavier paper than just printing paper and will work best for the toppers.

Step 2: With scissors or a cutting board, cut along the rows so that you have four rows (as seen above).

Step 3: Using your punch or scissors, center the image and cut out the individual toppers.

Step 4: Break out your toothpicks and tape or any other adhesive.

Step 5: Lay your toppers face down (making sure they are positioned so that the toothpick will be adhered at the exact center of the topper).

Step 6: Lay your toothpick down so that the top tip reaches the center of the topper and tape down with about a 1/2″ of tape/adhesive.

Step 7: Bake some cupcakes and top them off with these beauties!!

Again, thank you SO much for stopping by and I hope that you all have a very blessed Mother’s day! I hope that these toppers will also be a blessing to you and your family — remember that these can be used for other special times! Birthdays, Anniversaries, Engagements, Women’s Retreats — pass on the word and share the file!  ENJOY!

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