Christmas Decor - Inside and Out

As in previous years, I took a walk out to the woods at the back of our property last weekend to gather branches to make a decorative planter for the front door.

I was lucky this year to find four different types of evergreen trees, along with dogwood, birch, and pine cones. I dragged my haul back to the house and laid it out in the basement to dry for a day.

The planter I use is already 3/4 full of soil as there are live plants in it during the rest of the year. I put scrap 1x6 pieces over the dirt to get a level surface and then added 3 florist foam bricks on top to anchor the branches.

My method is to start with birch along the back, then pine branches fanned out in front of them. I position cedar along the front edge as it drapes down nicely. I then randomly fill in the open space using all four of the different types. Finally I add in the decorations. This year I chose baubles and faux iced berries that I purchased during a Christmas open house at Bradford Greenhouses. I also added in dogwood branches for colour (love how it turns bright red in the winter!) and white poinsettia flowers.

On the door, instead of a wreath, I hung a rustic window frame that I also purchased at the open house. It has a metal wreath and stylized reindeer in the center. I added a big red bow to make it pop.

Inside, we have several areas of the house with vignettes. Our stocking wall is getting very full - with two new dogs this year we now have 6 stockings! Above the stockings is the Merry Christmas sign I made with my Silhouette cutter and scrap wood.

I would love to show off our tree, but it's been through an ordeal this year. The little dogs won't leave it alone so it's been stripped of ornaments along the bottom, and has been relegated to the dining room where it's safer. Maybe next year...

Caramel Heavenlies

I discovered a new recipe this week - Caramel Heavenlies. I can't take credit for inventing them, but I think they might become my go-to for parties and potlucks from now on. They have lots of good stuff  in them - marshmallows, almonds, coconut, and brown sugar.

Ingredients

1 pkg graham crackers
2 cups mini marshmallows
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350°.

Line a rectangular baking pan with foil, letting foil extend over sides by an inch. Lightly coat foil with cooking spray. Arrange graham crackers in rows, completely covering the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle graham crackers with marshmallows.

In a small saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Stir over medium heat until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat; add in vanilla.

Spoon the sugar/butter mixture over the marshmallows. Sprinkle with the almonds and coconut. Bake for 14-16 minutes or until the topping has browned.

Cool completely in the pan. Using the foil, lift cookies out of pan. Cut into triangles and discard foil.

Christmas Snowball Cookies (Egg Free)

I'm determined to make a wide variety of cookies this year, even if it means cutting back on sleep. Raise your hand if you've made shortbread dough at 5 in the morning! Sometimes you do what you have to do.

First up: Christmas Snowball Cookies. These have a texture like shortbread and melt in your mouth. And they don't need eggs or baking soda/baking powder, so if you find yourself running short, they're the perfect solution.

Ingredients

1 cup of butter, softened slightly
1/3 cup of sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups of flour
2 cups of finely chopped walnuts or pecans
1½ cups of icing sugar (i.e. powdered sugar or confectioner's sugar) for dusting cookies

Cream together butter and sugar. Add in the vanilla and salt. Gradually add flour, mixing well. Stir in the nuts until evenly distributed. Wrap the dough in plastic food wrap and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Scoop out dough balls using a small cookie scoop or teaspoon. Roll the dough between your palms to make a round ball.

Place the cookies on parchment lined baking sheets. Bake until they are just beginning to brown, approximately 12 to 14 minutes.  The underside of the cookies should be only lightly browned.

Cool cookies on baking sheets for about 2 minutes - they should still be warm to the touch. Gently roll the cookies in a bowl of icing sugar.

Place the sugar-coated cookies on wire racks or back on the pans to cool completely. Once cool, roll the cookies in icing sugar one more time.

Makes about 6 dozen cookies.