Candy Recipes and Blog hop winner

I want to thank everyone for all your great comments.  I really appreciate all your kind words.  I had a couple people ask for the recipes, and thought I would share with all. At the bottom of the post is the winner.

Peppermint Bark

This recipe and the next one are so simple.  Just melt vanilla Melty Chips  in double boiler and add crushed candy canes.  Mix  and then spread on a sheet of wax paper.  Sprinkle crushed candy canes on top and let cool.  

Almond Cranberry Bark

Just melt vanilla Melty Chips  in double boiler and add chopped  almonds and cranberries.  Mix  and then spread on a sheet of wax paper.  Let cool.  This is one of my favorites.

Mom's Best Peanut Brittle from All recipes.com

We love this recipe, and it has won first place at our local county fair twice.

Ingredients

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup peanuts
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions

1. Grease a large cookie sheet. Set aside.
2. In a heavy 2 quart saucepan, over medium heat, bring to a boil sugar, corn syrup, salt, and water. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in peanuts. Set candy thermometer in place, and continue cooking. Stir frequently until temperature reaches 300 degrees F (150 degrees C), or until a small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water separates into hard and brittle threads.
3. Remove from heat; immediately stir in butter and baking soda; pour at once onto cookie sheet. With 2 forks, lift and pull peanut mixture into rectangle about 14x12 inches; cool. Snap candy into pieces.

English Toffee

Ingredients

• 1 cup real butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 tablespoons water
• 3 Hershey Chocolate Bars
• Chopped nuts ( I use just a touch of almonds)

Directions

1. Grease a large cookie sheet. Set aside.
2. In a heavy 2 quart saucepan, over medium high heat, bring to a boil first four ingredients. Stir constantly until mixture is the color of a brown paper bag  ( 300 degrees F)
3. Remove from heat; immediately pour onto cookie sheet. Spread mixture and add chocolate bars.
4. Once chocolate is melted, spread evenly and sprinkle with nuts. Cool. Snap candy into pieces.

Peanut butter balls

Ingredients

• 3 cups powder sugar
• 1 stick of butter
  
• 1 1/2 cups Jiff Peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon vanilla

Directions

1. Cream ingredients together.
2. Refrigerateat least 1 hours
3. Roll into balls
4. Dip into melted chocolate or chocolate melty chips.
5. Cool on wax paper.

Now for our blog hop winner:  Random.org chose #21

Congrats to Heather, who said... Great projects! I love the tree box!


Heather, I just emailed you.  
Thank you to everyone.  I appreciate your comments.

Thank You Gifts Blog Hop

Welcome to the "Thank You Gifts Blog Hop".  I am so glad you are here visiting my blog.  Thank you to Joy for hosting this hop.  If you are not starting at the beginning, please feel free to start with Joy's blog.

Today I am showing three different ways to creatively give candy. First is a house box.  Second the traditional  candy box that I made.  Finally, a tree box. 

Here is the directions for the house.  I used Winter Woodlands  building  # 3.  You can make this on any size bug, but I would recommend resizing it with DS or the gypsy.  For starters,  you can make the house taller than it would be on its own and I also resized the door to not have the step.

 Next I scored and cuttlebugged all that need to be done. 

 Don't those windows look cute?

 Here it is done.  I used part of a circle punch on the side to make it easier to pull the boxed out.

I used my scorer to make the box insert.  I just measured two sides of the house and measured how high (tall), I wanted the box to be.  Then I just scored and cut and assembled. Now it is ready to fill with candy.  The ribbon holds the candy in the house pretty well, so it doesn't drop out.

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Now for the Candy box.  I looked all over for a box like this one.  I just couldn't find one I liked.  So I made my own, using my gypsy and George & Basic Shapes.  Here is how it looks before I folded it together.

My sides fold in double, so it is firmer and sturdier.    I used my ATG to put it together and the tape holds it perfectly.

 I made several colors.  The heavier the card stock, the better they look.

Your options are limitless for the goodies you can put in these boxes.  We did Cranbery Almond White Chocolate,  Peppermint bark, English Toffee,  Chocolates, and Peanut Brittle. Let me know if you want me to post the recipes and I will  if I get enough requests.  Lastly I added a pretty ribbon/bow to each.

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Lastly,  if you have the gypsy, then you should have Tags, bags, boxes and more.  This tree is there and is super easy. I use the window option and have now cut out over 30. I used acetate for the window.  I have filled them with various small Christmas candies, like M&M's,  gummy bears/ snowmen & trees, chocolate covered pretzels, candy corn. 

Joy	http://joyslife.com/
Ruthie	http://septemberninth.blogspot.com/
Angela	http://creativecraftin.blogspot.com
Carrie	http://thegreenbeanscrafterole.blogspot.com
Denise (that's me)	http://cricutmyway.blogspot.com/
Gale	http://www.thehappystamper.com/
Janis	http://pausedreamenjoy.blogspot.com
Jen	http://scrapaholicjen.blogspot.com
Jenny	http://crazyaboutcricut.blogspot.com
Jin	http://underacherrytree.blogspot.com
Julie	http://cricutchick.blogspot.com
Lori	http://scrappinmystressaway.blogspot.com
Mari (Momo)	http://madebymomo.blogspot.com
Misty	http://abusyplace.blogspot.com
Natalie	http://timelesslegacydesigns.blogspot.com
Raven	http://love4stamps.blogspot.com/
Theresa	http://www.thescrapbookingqueen.com/
Tracy	http://www.craftjunkietoo.com/
Yolanda	http://yoliebean.blogspot.com

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 Thanks for following this long post.   Gale is next click here to go to her blog.

 Please leave a comment for this blog candy. I love comment.   Followers are always welcome.  Thank you for stopping by.

Thank You Gifts Blog Hop on Dec 12th

Ever wondered what you can do inexpensively to say thanks to a teacher, mail carrier, a good neighbor, or the other many people who do so much in our daily lives? 

Well there are some talented ladies who are going to give you tons of great ideas on December 12th.   Thank you Joy for this great blog hop.

Welcome to the Advernt Calendar Blog Hop

Welcome to the Advent Calendar Blog hop. 

I am so glad you came to my blog.

Today I wanted to share a favorite family tradition in our home. We make a tree ornament count down, filled will candy. Each night we gather as a family and turn out all the lights, except that of our tree and the paper village from Winter Woodlands on the top of the piano (pictures on that will be next week). We read a short Christmas story, often a tear jerker. They are touching and wonderful stories. We then sing a couple of songs that my kids choose. Last year, my youngest son chose "We wish you a Merry Christmas" every time. Lastly, one of my kids gets to find the number that corresponds with how many days until Christmas. We start on November 30th and so that night will be ornament # 25. We just love it. 

Last year we moved from the hodge podge of mixed and matched  tree decor  to a tree of  all ornaments of  gold and silver.   This year we did the same, but added some red to the mix. I just love this time of year.  My kids now set up a small fake tree with their cute school and family ornaments for them to enjoy.  

Here are the other people in the blog hop. Please feel free to start at the beginning and enjoy yourself as you see so much wonderful inspiration. At the bottom of this post I have some blog candy and the next blog button.

Angelica http://handmadebyangelica.com/

Dawnica http://dawnicakorner.blogspot.com/

Gale http://www.thehappystamper.com/

Janie http://www.typicalscrapbooker.blogspot.com/

Joanna http://scrap-making.blogspot.com/

Joy http://joyslife.com/

Mary http://cardztv.blogspot.com/

Melissa http://www.apaperjourney.blogspot.com/

Michelle http://www.mumoftwoblog.blogspot.com/

Nicole http://primpedinpaper.wordpress.com/

Raven http://love4stamps.blogspot.com/

Theresa http://www.thescrapbookingqueen.com/

Tracy http://www.craftjunkietoo.com/

Yolie http://yoliebean.blogspot.com/

Denise (you are here) http://cricutmyway.blogspot.com/

Ruthie http://septemberninth.blogspot.com/

Now for my project:

Step 1:  First I started off with a 12 x 12 sheet of paper. I just loved all the glitter on this and thought it would make a beautiful border.

Step 2: Since there are five in my family, I cut the paper 6 x 6.  You can choose 4 x 6  if you want it shorter.

 

Step 3:  On one side I ran my glue runner and then reinforced it with lots of Scotch Quick Dry Adhesive. For this project the quick dry works the best for me.   I also add a little glue runner on the middle half of the other side (the side by the glue bottle). 

Step 4:  When you glue the first sides together it will look like a toilet paper roll. 

Step 5:  Add some more of Scotch Quick Dry  to the bottom  by the area you used the glue runner and hold shut for a couple of seconds until it stay closed.  Let set to dry completely.  It shouldn't take long this stuff dries quick. 

Step 6:  Meanwhile, while it is drying, make your tags.  I used my gypsy to reshape a scallop circle into an oval.  I then put  numbers in them middle of each  regular oval, so I would not have to glue individual numbers on.     I did not  have glitter paper for the bottom layer, so I made my own. with my xyron sticker maker, glitter and then pressed them in my cuttlebug to firm up the glitter. 

Step 7:   Lastly, feel with candy and close up the top in the opposite direction than the other end. It will look like a sour cream tube.  You can use glue to close it, but I just punched two holes and tied some ribbon on with the tag in a double knot.

Now they are ready to hang on the tree and to enjoy as you count down together.

 Now for the blog candy.

Thanks for stopping by.  It would make my day if you became a follower.  Please leave a comment to be eligible for the blog candy.  It is a stack of 24 sheets of paper and some ribbon.  I will be drawing the winner on Monday night and announcing it by Tuesday.  

Hope you have a great day.  Your last stop is Ruthie.

Blop Hop Sneak Peak

Here is a sneak peak for the Advent Calendar blog hop tomorrow. Hope you are able to visit all the wonderful blogs.

Advent Calendar Blog Hop

I can't wait till Saturday for this blog hop.   I am so excited, because this is my favorite time of year.  I love doing fun things like this with my kids.  I am thrilled to be in the hop, and  can't wait to see 15 other great projects.  I hope you join us then.