Champagne Ice Cubes

I was skeptical about this idea because I know alcohol doesn't freeze. But this worked! The ice cubes don't harden 100% of the way, so you kind of get a mimosa slushie which I loved!

Ingredients:

1. Bottle of champagne

Directions:

1. Clean ice cube trays out
2. Pour in champagne
   
3. Freeze overnight
4. Serve with orange juice
   

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Homemade Whipped Cream

 

I've never made homemade whipped cream before. I am amazed how easy and delicious this was! It also tasted a lot fresher and "cleaner" than the can. I will definitely be making more of this!


Ingredients:

• 1 c. whipping cream
• 2 tbsp. confectioners sugar

Directions:

1. About 20 minutes before making, put mixing bowl and whisks of beater in freezer
2. Add ingredients together and beat until stiff 

Serve with pie like Key Lime Pie

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Key Lime Pie

To go with our Stone Crabs with Mustard Sauce, we figured no Florida meal was complete without fresh key lime pie. This pie turned out so tart and delicious.

Ingredients:

• Store bought graham cracker crust
• 3 egg yolks
• Zest of one lime (about 1-2 tsp.)
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)
• 2/3 c. store bought Key lime juice (not regular lime juice!)

Directions:

1. Set oven to 350 degrees
2. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks and lime zest at a high speed for 5 minutes
3. Gradually add the condensed milk and beat still on high for 4 more minutes
4. Lower the speed and slowly add in lime juice until just combined
5. Pour mixture into crust
6. Bake for 10 minutes
7. Let cool for 30 minutes, and then set in fridge 

   

   Literally couldn't wait to take a picture before taking a slice

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Original recipe here

Stone Crabs with Mustard Sauce

 

We used to go to Florida every year for Christmas. Now that we go at other times of the year, we have started to bring Florida to us. Stone crabs are one of my favorite meals of the year, and you can't beat fresh crabs. I found this recipe for the mustard sauce and it was perfect. You can also eat them with melted butter.

Ingredients:

• 4 tsp. Coleman's dry mustard
• 1 c. mayo
• 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp. whole milk
• 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Add ingredients together, whisk, and serve!
   
   
   
   

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Original recipe here

Peppermint Bark with a Twist Part II

 

Here's my Peppermint Bark with a Twist - I added a layer of melted Hershey Kiss candy canes between the milk chocolate and the white chocolate. These were delicious, but when I made them again, I didn't have any peppermint. So I decided to mix up the layers so this time the peppermint would be at the top, and then the peppermint pieces wouldn't be necessary.

Ingredients:

• 1 c. milk chocolate chips
• 1 c. white chocolate chips
• 20 Hershey candy cane kisses

Directions:

1. Cover baking sheet in parchment paper
2. Melt chocolate chips in microwave safe bowl, stirring every 30 seconds
3. Pour over parchment paper and place in freezer
   
4. Melt white chocolate chips the same way
5. Pour over now frozen milk chocolate and spread all the way to the sides, and place again in the freezer
   
6. Unwrap kisses, and melt in the same way
7. Pour over white chocolate, spreading to the edges
   
8. Place in fridge until completely hardened
9. Break apart with hands
   

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Christmas Peppermint Sugar Cookies

 

I saw a picture of these where I find everything else - Pinterest. They're adorable. And super easy to make. And addicting. Could be fun to roll in sprinkles for a birthday party, or just in peppermint for another taste.

Makes: 18 large cookies

Ingredients:

• 24 Hershey kiss candy canes
• 1 stick butter, soft
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 2 c. flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tbsp. whole milk
• 1/4 c. red sugar
• 1/4 c. green sugar 
  

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Unwrap Hershey kisses
3. Beat butter, sugar, vanilla, and egg until mixed
4. In another bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and salt
5. Add flour mixture and milk to sugar mixture slowly until well mixed
   
6. Roll into 1 inch sized balls
7. Put colored sugars in different bowls, and mix together green and red if you want
8. Roll balls in sugar, then put on cookie sheet (or, roll in sprinkles or peppermint)
   
9. Bake 9 minutes
10. Remove and cool for 3 minutes
    
11. Press Hershey kiss in the middle of cookie, and then place on cooling rack to cool completely

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Original recipe here

Honey Chocolate Peppermint Rice Krispies Treats

 

I've loved Crunch bars since I was a kid, and I thought these sounded like a perfect combination between candy bar and Rice Krispies treat.

Ingredients:

• 2 c. chocolate chips
• 1 stick butter, soft
• 2 tbsp. peanut butter
• 1 tbsp. honey
• 4 c. Rice Krispies
• 1/4 c. peppermint pieces

Directions:

1. Put chocolate, butter, peanut butter, and honey in microwave safe bowl 
   
2. Melt in 30 second intervals, stirring every time, until completely melted
   
3. Add to Rice Krispies along with half of the peppermint
   
4. Pour into a greased brownie tin 
5. Top with rest of peppermint 
   
6. Put in the fridge for 3 hours
7. Bring to room temperature before cutting 

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Original recipe here

Mixed Berry Chocolate Bark

I love the combination of chocolate and fruit, but it's really hard to dip small berries into chocolate. So I figured make a bark out of it!

Ingredients:

• 1 c. mixed berries
• 1 c. chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Make sure berries are fresh and dry
2. Put wax paper over baking sheet
3. Put chocolate chips in microwave safe bowl and melt in 30 second intervals, stirring each time, until fully melted
4. Pour chocolate over wax paper and spread evenly with a spatula
5. Top with berries
6. Put in fridge until hardened
7. Break apart with hands, and keep in fridge 
   

These are delicious, and I wonder if it would be even better (and keep better) with dried fruit. Might try that next time!

Optional: top with peppermint

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Cinnamon and Nutmeg Sugared Peppermint Chocolate Bark

I had had a lot of sugar left over from the Cinnamon and Nutmeg Sugar Coated Almonds. I've been making a ton of bark, so I figured I might as well make bark out of this!

Ingredients:

• Sugar from Cinnamon and Nutmeg Sugar Coated Almonds 
• 1 c. chocolate chips
• 1/4 c. peppermint dust (optional)

Directions:

1. After removing almonds from baking sheet, spread out leftover sugar mixture
   
2. Put chocolate chips in microwave safe bowl and melt in 30 second intervals, stirring each time
3. When fully melted, pour chocolate over sugar mixture 
   
4. Optional: add peppermint on top
   
5. Put in fridge until hardened
6. Break apart by hand

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Cinnamon and Nutmeg Sugar Coated Almonds

I've always loved the sugar coated almonds at the airport or Six Flags, but never thought to make them myself. They're great because they make a huge amount and it's a good gift to give around the holidays. They also make your house smell fantastic.

Ingredients:

• 1 c. sugar
• 1 c. brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. cinnamon
• 1 tbsp. nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1 egg white
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 4 c. almonds
• 1/4 c. water

Directions:

1. Spray slow cooker with cooking spray
2. Mix together sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt
   
3. In another large bowl, whisk egg white and vanilla together. Add in almonds and stir.
4. Add almonds to slow cooker
   
5. Top with sugar mixture and stir completely so everything is coated
6. Set slow cooker to low
7. Cook for 2 hours, stirring every 20 minutes
8. Pour in the water and stir evenly
9. Cook for one more hour, again stirring every 20 minutes
10. Top a baking sheet with wax paper and spread almonds on top. Let sit overnight 
    

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Original recipe here

Chocolate and Sea Salt Cuties

 

I saw a picture of these on Pinterest (what else) and was completely intrigued. They are super delicious! The orange seems to dry out after awhile, but then after biting in everything gets juicy and fresh again. Also a very cute presentation.

Ingredients:

• 2 cutie clementines
• 1/4 c. melted chocolate
• 1/2 tbsp. sea salt

Directions:

1. Cover baking sheet with wax paper
2. Peel clementines
3. Put chocolate in microwave safe bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals until fully melted
4. Immediately dip half of clementine in chocolate and place on wax paper
5. While chocolate is still hot, sprinkle sea salt over
6. Put in the fridge until hardened

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Chocolate Belly Buttons

These are such a classic. I love the difference between the milk chocolate and the white chocolate, and the red M&Ms and the green M&Ms. They have Christmas written all over them!

Ingredients:

• One bag of pretzels (either circle or #)
• One bag of Hershey kisses
• One small bag of Christmas M&Ms

Directions:

1. Set oven to 350 degrees
2. Place wax paper on baking sheet, then pretzels on top
3. Top each pretzel with a kiss
4. Place in oven for 3 minutes
5. Remove, and immediately press an M&M on top of each kiss
6. Place in fridge to cool and harden 
   

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Salted Rolo Toasted Pecan Pretzel Bites

 

I saw a picture of these on Pinterest and wanted to try them right away. Turtles are one of my favorite things, but they're always so expensive. Here was a super cheap way to make a ton of them. I also added some sea salt because caramel and sea salt is one of my favorite combinations right now.

Ingredients:

• Bag of pretzels (the # kind)
• One bag whole pecans
• One bag Rolos
• 1/4 c. sea salt

Directions:

1. Set oven to 350 degrees
2. Place wax paper on baking sheet, and then pretzels on top
3. Top each pretzel with a Rolo
   
4. Put pecans on another baking sheet, and bake for 7 minutes
   
5. When you remove the pecans, let cool while you put in the pretzels and Rolos
6. Bake for 4 minutes
7. Remove and press one pecan into each Rolo
8. Sprinkle sea salt over everything
9. Put int he fridge until hardened

Enjoy!

Kelsey

White Chocolate Raspberries

These are one of the cutest snacks I've ever made. And completely delicious. Sure to impress any place you bring.

Ingredients:

• 1 c. raspberries
• 1/3 c. white chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Clean raspberries
2. Place one chip inside of each raspberry

That's it!

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Peppermint Crusted Caramelized Salmon

This is a sweet twist on Caramelized Salmon.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1 tbsp. table salt
• Dash of pepper
• 16 oz. salmon
• Olive oil
• 1 tbsp. peppermint dust

Directions:

1. Combine sugar, salt, and pepper in bowl
2. Cut salmon into filets (I made 3), keeping skin on
3. Cover all sides of each filet in sugar mixture   
   
4. Heat olive oil over medium on a nonstick skiller
5. When oil is hot (hot enough to pop a popcorn kernel), put salmon on, skin side down
   
6. Cook for 5 minutes
7. Flip each filet and cook for another 5 minutes
8. Preheat broiler to 450 degrees
9. Sprinkle the peppermint on top of salmon
   
10. Put salmon in broiler for about 7 minutes, checking often so the salmon doesn't burn 
    

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Peppermint Bark with a Twist

Peppermint bark is one of my favorite Christmas treats (let's be honest, I love all of them). I'm having a love affair with Hershey kiss candy cane kisses right now, so I thought it'd be delicious to add a layer between the milk chocolate and the white chocolate. Verdict? So much better than typical peppermint bark. I'm never going back!

Ingredients:

• 1 c. milk chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 c. candy cane Hershey kisses
• 1 c. white chocolate chips
• 1/2 c. chopped peppermint pieces

Directions:

1. Cover baking sheet in aluminum foil or wax paper
2. Melt chocolate in a microwave safe bowl in 30 second intervals, stirring every time, until completely melted
3. Spread on baking sheet and place in freezer
4. Unwrap Hershey kisses, place in another bowl, and melt
5. Spread on top of milk chocolate and place back in freezer
6. Melt white chocolate chips
7. Mix in half of the peppermint pieces
8. Spread on top of white chocolate
9. Top with the rest of the peppermint pieces
10. Place in fridge until hardened
11. Break apart by hand

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Candy Cane Hershey Kiss Coated Pretzels

One of the reasons I love the Christmas season are the candy cane Hershey kisses. I love white chocolate, and they have just enough of another flavor. I wondered what they would look and taste like melted down, so I figured it out!

Ingredients:

• Mini pretzels
• Candy cane Hershey kisses

Directions:

1. Put wax paper on a cookie sheet
2. Put kisses in a microwave safe bowl
3. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring at every stop, until chocolate is fully melted
   
4. Dip pretzels in chocolate, and then place on wax paper
5. Place in fridge until hardened

Enjoy!

Kelsey