Late As Usual

Ok, ok, I know that Christmas is over and done with and believe me I'm pretty relieved all of the craziness is over and life can settle back into its normal routine.

BUT, I just had to share this cute little idea I got off of Pinterest.  I immediately (ding, ding, ding in my head!) thought this would work for gifts.

 

(http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/peppermint-stick-cocoa-10000001011199/)

Of course, I made a few changes for reasons of cost effectiveness.  The container used above is in a cute little quart jar which is great if you are only giving 1 or 2 of these (I did find them at Walmart if you want to use them).  However, I think I made up about 10 of them.  Soooo, I went with the less expensive pint canning jar.  One of these little jars still makes 6 servings of peppermint hot chocolate.

Now here is the reason why I decided to go ahead and share this little project.  (Beside not having the time to write the post 2 weeks ago.)  Wouldn't these be adorable for V-Day too?  Just swap out the bow with something pink or red and voila, a cute little treat. I mean Valentine's Day IS still in the middle of  stinkin' winter.  At least it is in my neck of the woods.

Here's the recipe I used for the pint jars, just double it if you are going with the quart size.

-1/2 c. powdered milk

-1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

-1/2 c. granulated sugar

-1/4 tsp. salt

-1/4 c. miniature chocolate chips

-1/4 c. crushed peppermint candy

Layer the powdered milk, cocoa powder, sugar, salt, chocolate chips, and  peppermint candy.  Instructions:  Mix all ingredients together.  Combine 1/3 cup of hot chocolate mix with 1 c. boiling water.  Store unused portions in air tight container.

Linking to:

At the Picket Fence
French Country Cottage 
Stuff and Nonsense 
2805 
Addicted 2 Decorating 
Delightful Order 
The Shabby Nest 
Tidy Mom 
Tatertots and Jello 
A Southern Fairytale

New Year's Resolution...Breaker

I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year's season.  It was a wild and crazy time around here what with a newborn, surgical recovery, and the hustle and bustle of the season.

I'm relieved that we're easing back into our regular schedule, the decorations can come down (notice I didn't say they were down yet, hmmm), and I can get back to the blogging business that I love.

Moving on, I just thought I'd share some of the goodness we enjoyed on New Year's Eve.  We've made our own low-key tradition of staying in, gorging on appetizers, and watching a movie or t.v.  This year we watched the Big Bang Theory marathon.  Are my husband and I the only ones who laugh our rears off at this show?  Yeah, I know we're a couple of nerds so it may resonate with us more than others. :)

One of the appetizers I decided to do this year (or last now) were some sausage stuffed mushrooms.  These are so good that my hubs who usually hates mushrooms, shoots these down the hatch one after the other.  Not only are they great tasting but they are easy to make too.  We also enjoyed some spinach artichoke dip which you can check out here.

For all of the above reasons, I thought I'd share the recipe with ya'll. Your welcome. 

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms:

1 package (16 oz) of sausage

8 oz. cream cheese

40 large button mushrooms

2 cloves of garlic

1/4 c. of onions

Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped for garnish

Crumble and brown the sausage.  Finely chop the garlic and onions and throw them in with the sausage.  Drain onto paper towels if you are afraid of the fat...I'm not so I skip this step.  Cut the cream cheese into pieces and stir it in over low heat until melted.

Wash, and dry mushrooms.  Remove the stem to create a spot for the filling.  Place the sausage mixture in the mushroom and bake on 425 degrees.  Then turn the oven to broil until the tops of the mushrooms turn golden brown.  I then chop up some of the parsley and sprinkle over the top of my mushroom plate to make things pretty.  Now enjoy!  (Try not to think how many minutes on the treadmill these will buy you.)

Linking to:

Home Stories A2Z
A Bowl Full of Lemons
Sassy Sites 
Tip Junkie 
I'm Topsy Turvy 
Today's Creative Blog 
Blessed With Grace 
Sugar Bee Crafts 
Savvy Southern Style 
Blue Cricket Design 
Lady Behind the Curtain 
The Thrifty Home 
Someday Crafts 
At the Picket Fence
The Shabby Creek Cottage
The 36th Avenue
Somewhat Simple 
House of Hepworths 
French Country Cottage 
Stuff and Nonsense 
2805 
Addicted 2 Decorating 
Delightful Order 
The Shabby Nest 
Tidy Mom 
Tatertots and Jello 
Positively Splendid 
The DIY Showoff 
DIY Home Sweet Home 
Between Naps on the Porch 
A Southern Fairytale 
Boogieboard Cottage