Strawberry Santas

This is an adventurous project, but the results are well worth it.

Strawberry Santas
15 large strawberries
1 can chunk pineapple
1-8oz block cream cheese, softened
1/2 c marshmallow creme
mini chocolate chips
fancy toothpicks

For starters, I couldn't find fancy toothpicks. They are the ones with the curly plastic on the top that you see in sandwiches. I ended up a little frustrated, but a kind salesperson at World Market pointed me to these cool Christmas picks (which were also 1/2 price) and I liked them much better than what I was originally looking for. Very fancy.


Wash and drain the strawberries and thoroughly drain the pineapple on paper towels. Cut the leaves off of the top of the strawberry and cut about 1/3 off the bottom. The bigger the strawberry, the better the result. The bottom eventually becomes his hat. It is basically an upside down strawberry with the top 1/3 sliced off. Spear the pieces together as shown. They look a little like tiny aliens at this point.


Poke small holes in the pineapple where you want to eyes to go (I used a pick to do that with), and poke the chocolate chips into the holes. It is slippery and some of them will fall out, but just keep trying. They will eventually cooperate. Let them know who's boss.

Then, beat the cream cheese and marshmallow creme together and put into a decorating bag with a small tip. Pipe around it to form the fur on his hat, his hair, and his beard and mustache. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving. Aren't they cute?

Unlikely Candle Holders

I like to use candles in unusual ways. This is an old iron muffin pan that I use for a candle arrangement at Christmas. I just placed a few sprigs of greenery around each candle. They eventually melt down and conform to the the shape of the pan. When they are used up, I let them cool, and they pop right out.

Candles and Cranberries

I got this idea several years ago from my cousin, Connie. It is very inexpensive and it is quite beautiful for a table setting or for a gift. All you need is fresh greenery, fresh cranberries, a wide-mouthed glass container, and a votive candle.

First, fill your container about halfway full with greenery. I use what's in my yard, but you can also use clippings from your Christmas tree. Then pour water over that, almost to the top.

Pour cranberries on top of that. Place the votive candle in the middle of the cranberries. I got these votives 6/$1 at Michael's and they actually have a pretty decent cinnamon smell. It doesn't have to be a floating candle. This is what it should look like:

The container HAS to have a wide mouth or else the votive and cranberries will be too crowded. You can use a Ball style jar and put cute fabric on the lid, screw the top on tightly, tie a bow around it, and give it as a gift, either by itself or with a gift basket. Two of the jars in this picture are Ball jars.

This project is a very quick and easy way to add a nice, natural touch to your Christmas table.

Greenery for Your Mailbox

I love to decorate my mailbox with fresh greenery for Christmas and I like for it to be a little over-the-top-looking. I have NO floral arranging skills, so if I can do it, anybody can. I use oasis that is in a floracage holder. I soak it in water first, then wire it to my mailbox. I start with the large greenery, in this case, magnolia leaves, then fill in with the smaller ones.

I like to add stems that have red berries on them, so I chose several that would stick out in front of the magnolia leaves. I filled in with a wispy pine to help cover the wires.The last thing I added was nandina because I love the red leaves.

Believe it or not, I used 3 garbage bags full of greenery. Sometimes I add a bow, but it doesn't usually need it. What I like best about this is you can be totally creative with no actual rules. Have fun with it!

Poppy Seed Cake

This is a delicious and easy recipe that I have had for years. It freezes well and is great to do ahead.

Poppy Seed Cake
3 cups self-rising flour
2-1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1-1/2 cups milk
1-1/2 cups oil
1-1/2 tsp vanilla
1-1/2 tsp almond extract
1-1/2 tsp butter flavoring
1-1/2 tbsp poppy seeds

Mix all ingredients together, beating for about 2 minutes. Pour into 6 greased mini-pans (only about 2/3 full) and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. Pour glaze over cake while still hot.

Glaze
1 c sugar
1/2 c orange juice
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp butter flavoring
Stir together and pour over cake.

When I pour the glaze over the cake, I pull the cake slightly away from the sides to allow the glaze to run all the way down:

You can also do these in a muffin tin. I used a mini bundt pan and they turned out nicely. They ended up looking better upside down. I found these cute ceramic loaf pans at Michaels for $1 each. After they cool, you can wrap them neatly with plastic wrap and give them as gifts.

We are going to our next-door neighbor's for an open house tonight and I wanted to take her a nice hostess gift. I bought a monogrammed tea towel (at Smith's in Mt Brook) and wrapped it around the cake. I added a small bag of mints and some peppermint bark candy. I always like to use pretty ribbon to tie everything up with. I used a plain tag from the craft store and added peppermint stickers. This is what it looked like:

The only problem with this cake is resisting the temptation to eat all of it yourself! Enjoy!

A Christmas Tree for your Kitchen

I started decorating a Christmas tree for my kitchen several years ago and I have really enjoyed it. I have some new ornaments as well as some unlikely and sentimental ones. Williams-Sonoma carried miniature kitchen tools a few years back, and that's what actually inspired me to start it. It adds a nice cozy atmosphere to my kitchen and it has been fun to buy new ornaments for it.

I have bought several miniature coffee and teacups, like this one:
I got this ornament at Hallmark this year:

I am VERY sentimental. I have Gil, Amby, and Zac's silver baby cups and I polish them every year and put them on the tree. I also have Amby and Zac's baby spoons and forks that I tied on with red ribbon.
My favorite ornament is one I bought from Hallmark several years ago. I love the detail. It connects to the lights and it looks like the oven light is on. There is a pan of cookies in the oven, a pan on top of the stove already decorated, tiny jars of sprinkles, and even a Mr. and Mrs. Santa salt and pepper on the top.

Just some ideas for you to make your kitchens even cozier this season. Or, you could start collecting for next year!