Kahlua Gingerbread

I’ve been enjoying Kahlua Gingerbread all month…sooo yummy! Have you tried it? My favorite way to drink Kahlua is over ice with a splash of creamer! mmmmm….

Kahlua Gingerbread would be the perfect cocktail for your holiday party. Try serving it in a martini glass with some colorful sugar (or sprinkles) around the rim. I also added a mini candy cane to mine!

Here is another recipe to try:
Kahlua Cookie Martini
1/2 part Kahlua Gingerbread
1 1/2 parts Absolut Vodka
Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and enjoy.

Peeps Snowman

Grammy brought these over last night! Yum Yum! PEEPS

Coton Colors

Looking for the PERFECT gift for your good friend? You know, the one that spends all of her free time trying out new recipes?…she is the cook, the baker, & the entertainer!

Check out Coton Colors. Inspired by all the celebrations of life, Coton Colors offers a collection of hand-crafted pottery, decor and gifts available in retails stores across the U.S. Coton Colors was founded in 1995 by an entrepreneurial artisan based upon her love of celebrating every occasion.

One of my favorite collections by Coton Colors is the Happy Everything Collection. Check out the Original Happy Everything Platter. It is a 16-inch round ceramic platter with a velcro strip that allows you to add little attachments to match your occasion. The platter comes with the Birthday Cake attachment, and there are over 80 additional attachments you can purchase separately!

Cookbooks are always a good gift idea! Check out the Happy Everything Cookbook. It is comprised of 250 full color pages broken up into chaptered menus. There are lots of delicious recipes plus creative inspiration and humorous anecdotes. If you are like me, you will really appreciate all of the beautiful photography in this cookbook. Coton Colors Founder and Owner, Laura, and her dear friend, Susan Murray, a.k.a. ‘The Curious Cook’ offer a peek into the often unpredictable occasions of their lives. Be prepared to feast on something FABULOUS!

Some of my other favorites from Coton Colors include the set of chevron bowls. See below… soooo pretty!

& in my own kitchen I use the GORGEOUS measuring spoons. Everyone should have pretty kitchen utensils:

HAPPY SHOPPING!

20 Christmas Dessert Ideas

1. Sugary, Chocolate dipped Marshmallows with Peppermint Sticks, 2. Hot Chocolate Truffles, 3. North Pole Cupcakes, 4. White Chocolate Peppermint M&M Cookies

5. Santa Hat Cupcakes

6. Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies

7. Old Fashioned Butter Mints

8. Nutter Butter Snowmen

9. Candy Cane Blossoms

10. Peppermint Crunch Puppy Chow

11. Candy Cookie Cones

12. White-Chocolate Cherry Shortbread Cookies

13. Peppermint Stick Platter

14. Eggnog Fudge

15. Christmas Tree Meringue Cookies, 16. Snowmen on a Stick

17. No Bake Cookies and Cream Bars or “Lumps of Coal”

18. Gingerbread Cheesecake Bites

19. Christmas Wreath Cookies

20. Peppermint Sugar Cookie Bars

More Food from AZ Vacation

commodore


mahi taco

Old Town Whiskey, Saguaro Hotel

veggie burger

Lunch time! We arrived at our hotel around 2:30 on Wednesday. Here are a few pics of our meal outside. It was amazing to sit outside in the sunshine after being in 30 degree weather the same morning! (& my veggie burger was HUGE)

whiskey burger

duck fries

bloody mary

Salted Caramels + Washi Tape

I purchased a huge container of individually wrapped caramels last week and added colorful washi tape for a BLUE baby shower I hosted over the weekend.

It was simple & fun! I am thinking of decorating the rest of the caramels with red & green shades for the holiday season.

Cooking for kids: simple and quick meals

Fast food outlets are everywhere these days and are a big temptation for hungry teens in need of a carbohydrate fix. To curb these unhealthy eating habits, teaching younger children about the importance of nutrition and how to prepare a healthy meal will get them off to a good start, so that by the time they hit their teenage years, they are confident in the kitchen and knowledgeable of the benefits of healthy eating.

Quick and easy recipes

There are lots of delicious meals that are quick to prepare and do not require much skill, so they are ideal for beginners. Staple foods such as potatoes, whole-wheat pasta and brown rice will provide nutritious carbohydrates for long-lasting energy. These foods are extremely versatile and can be teamed with lean meat and fish or a variety of vegetables and sauces to create meals that are easy to prepare and deliciously tasty.

Breakfast

Oatmeal provides plenty of nourishment at the start of the day, and kids love adding delicious ingredients to make it special, including yoghurt and berries – blueberries, raspberries or blackberries are ideal. Mixed together, oatmeal with fruit and yoghurt can make a scrumptious breakfast treat. Smoothies are also popular and, as long as they are supervised when using a blender, children can add healthy ingredients of their choice. Try one cup of frozen tropical fruit, one tablespoon of oat bran or oats, and 100 milliliters each of orange juice and milk – use soya for a dairy free version. Blend it all together until smooth and let the kids help themselves.

Lunch

It’s all too easy for everyday lunchbox food to become predictable and boring. Endless consumption of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches is not exactly exciting and as parents cannot supervise their child at lunchtime, this can result in kids straying toward the nearest vending machine. Getting children involved in preparing their own lunchbox is a great way of encouraging them to choose healthy options and also have fun in the process.

For a different take on the sandwich, try getting kids to use whole wheat bread with a hummus spread (plain or roasted pepper). Teach them to carefully grate a carrot, not their fingers, and sprinkle the carrot shreds on top of the hummus. If there is mustard and cress available, they can snip some of these greens and scatter them on the bread. Simply cover the finished sandwich in plastic wrap and it is ready for a lunchbox or picnic basket.

Salads

Great for any meal, salads that use pasta, rice or couscous as a base are easy for kids to assemble and also give them the opportunity to try out different ingredients. Have fun by helping younger children cook their favorite pasta shapes. When cool, they can stir in a couple teaspoons of pesto, then add the contents of a small can of tuna or salmon, some cucumber chunks and halved cherry tomatoes, and mix together. After seasoning, a little French dressing finishes this dish nicely. The dish can be chilled in the refrigerator and will keep for up to two days.

There are many dinner recipes that are easy for kids to make, sometimes with a little help. Preparing nutritious meals can be a fun activity for young ones – they will be surprised and delighted as their culinary skills improve.