Tag Archives: Holiday

Perfect Holiday Gifts With Babbleboxx!

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#BabbleBoxxHoliday

 Okay guys!  We are nine days out from the beginning of Hanukkah and ten from Christmas.   The pressure is officially on to get those presents bought and wrapped!  I promised myself I would be done with my holiday shopping by December 1st and although I did not meet my deadline, I came pretty close.  There are always a few people that I have no idea what to buy that take a bit longer than the rest.  

The team at Babbleboxx just sent me an epic package filled with awesome holiday gift ideas so hopefully it can serve as inspiration for anyone still trying to finish their lists! Continue reading →

#GetCrackin With Some Delish Holiday Recipes!

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#GetCrackin Momtrends

Happy Holidays Gals!  We are four days out from Christmas (Eeeeeek!) and even though I am nowhere near ready and my to-do lists are starting to resemble something from the movie, A Beautiful Mind, I am still super excited!  I know that once I work through these next few days of madness, shopping, wrapping, organizing and cleaning, I get to celebrate.  I cant wait to hang with my family, open presents and eat some delicious food!

I host every year and I have fallen in to a bit of a slump.  Thanksgiving is turkey (obvi) and then Christmas is ham.  Everyone enjoys it (myself included) but I am definitely in the mood to switch it up.  Thankfully, Momtrends has provided some major inspiration!

#GetCrackin Momtrends Event My Cooking Party

Last week they hosted a fabulous event at My Cooking Party where a group of NYC bloggers were taught by the chefs on staff how to make some delicious recipes featuring Wonderful Pistachios.  I love pistachios but I had never cooked with them.  My knowledge of this nut is either roasted and salted or in ice cream form.  I didn’t realize that there were so many ways to incorporate them into both sweet and savory dishes!

#GetCrackin Pistachios Momtrends23161029674_e69beba0af_o23161007804_3365023f6d_o23493422130_cd516348ec_o23493421970_812e4a45b5_oHere are three of my favorite recipes:

Wonderful Pistachio Holiday Palettes
A chic version of chocolate bark! The french call these little treats Palettes and they are simply fine chocolate with artfully arranged nuts and fruit. Stick to Wonderful Pistachios and add some holiday sprinkles to make them your own.
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Ingredients
  1. ¾ cup good quality semi-sweet chocolate chips, or chocolate bar
  2. ¾ cup good quality white chocolate chips
  3. ¼ cup shelled Wonderful Pistachios Roasted & Salted
  4. Dried fruit such as apricots, ginger, blueberries, bananas, plums, peaches, cranberries and cherries
  5. Sprinkles and silver dragees
Instructions
  1. Melt chocolates in separate bowls. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Spoon 1 tablespoon chocolate onto baking sheet for each palette. Chocolate will settle into a circle.
  2. Decorate each palette with Wonderful Pistachios, dried fruit and sprinkles, cutting fruit into slivers or pieces as needed. Chill palettes for 30 minutes. If packaging, package while cold. Serve.
A Little Glitter http://alittleglitter.com/
Wonderful Pistachio Chocolate Brownie Cookies
These easy-to-make cookies pack a ton of chocolate punch with gorgeous green Wonderful Pistachios to make them festive.
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Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
20 min
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
20 min
Ingredients
  1. ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
  2. 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  3. ½ teaspoon baking powder
  4. ¼ teaspoon salt
  5. 16 ounces chopped dark chocolate (about 2¾ cups)
  6. ¼ cup unsalted butter (4 tablespoons)
  7. 3 eggs, plus 1 egg yolk
  8. ¾ cup light brown sugar
  9. ½ cup granulated sugar
  10. 2 cups, shelled Wonderful Pistachios Roasted & Salted, roughly chopped
  11. 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (about ⅓ cup)
  12. 2 teaspoons flaked sea salt
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt; set aside.
  3. Place chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in the microwave until just hot and butter is melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and stir mixture, until completely melted; set aside to cool.
  4. Beat eggs and both sugars in an electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, at medium speed, about 5 minutes, until thickened and light. Pour cooled chocolate mixture in two batches, mixing after each addition. Add flour mixture and mix until just combined. Stir in 1½ cups Wonderful Pistachios by hand.
  5. Drop heaping tablespoons of dough, about 2 inches apart, onto baking sheets. Bake about 10 minutes, alternating pans half-way through, until cookies are puffed and cracked on top. Remove to wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining batter.
  6. Meanwhile, chop remaining Wonderful Pistachios finely. Melt bittersweet chocolate. Place wire rack with cookies on baking sheet. Drizzle chocolate over cookies and sprinkle with remaining finely chopped Wonderful Pistachios and flaked sea salt.
A Little Glitter http://alittleglitter.com/
Turkey Roulade with Wonderful Pistachio Pesto
Pistachios, apples and onions are stuffed in this impressive, but easy main course. A nutty Wonderful Pistachio pesto is the perfect accompaniment.
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Wonderful Pistachio Pesto
  1. 1½ cups baby spinach (about 2½ ounces)
  2. 1 cup shelled Wonderful Pistachios
  3. 2 large cloves garlic
  4. ¼ teaspoon salt
  5. ¼ teaspoon pepper
  6. ¾ cup olive oil
Turkey Roulade
  1. ½ cup dried cranberries
  2. 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  3. 1 yellow onion, diced into ¼-inch pieces (about 1½ cups)
  4. 1 granny smith apple, cored, and cut into ½-inch pieces (about 1 2/3 cups)
  5. 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  6. 4 teaspoons fresh thyme
  7. 5 teaspoons fresh rosemary
  8. ¾ teaspoon salt, divided
  9. ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
  10. 3 ounces day- old french bread, cut or torn into 1-inch pieces (about 1¾ cups)
  11. ¾ cup shelled Wonderful Pistachios, toasted, and roughly chopped
  12. 1 skinless, boneless, turkey breast half, butterflied (about 2½ lbs)
  13. 3 small red onions, cut into wedges
Instructions
  1. To make the pesto, place spinach, pistachios, garlic, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Slowly pour in oil, while machine is running, about 20 seconds. Pulse to completely combine. Set aside in the refrigerator, up to one day ahead.
  2. To make turkey roulade, position oven rack in the center and heat oven to 375°F. Place cranberries in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Let sit for 5 minutes until softened. Drain and set aside.
  3. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium skillet on medium heat. Add onion and cook 5 to 7 minutes until softened. Add apple; continue to cook, 5 to 7 minutes, until onion and apples are golden. Add ½ cup chicken broth, thyme, rosemary, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoons pepper, and simmer. Stirring occasionally and scraping up any bits that stick to the bottom of the pan, about 5 minutes, until broth is absorbed and apples are softened. Transfer to a large bowl.
  4. Add bread and cranberries to apples and stir to combine. Pour in ⅓ cup chicken broth and stir to combine. Add additional 2 tablespoons chicken broth, as needed, until bread is moist, but not wet. Stir in pistachios and set aside to cool.
  5. Place turkey between sheets of plastic wrap, and pound with a meat mallet or rolling pin, to about ½-inch thick. Season each side with remaining ¼ teaspoons salt and ¼ teaspoons pepper. Place turkey, skinned side down on working surface. Spread stuffing over turkey leaving a border uncovered, about 1½-inches all around. Roll up and secure tightly with kitchen twine.
  6. Heat a roasting pan (or large skillet), with 2 tablespoons olive oil, on medium to medium-high heat. Brown turkey roulade on all sides, 12 to 15 minutes. Set aside on a plate. Add wire rack to roasting pan and place turkey on rack. Combine onion wedges in a bowl with 1 tablespoons oil and place in roasting pan alongside turkey. Add ½ cup chicken broth to roasting pan and place in oven.
  7. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until turkey temperature reaches 165°F. Remove from oven, transfer to a cutting board and tent with foil. Allow to rest 10 to 15 minutes, until juices have had time to absorb, before cutting into 6 to 8 slices.
  8. Meanwhile, add remaining chicken broth (about ½ cup) to roasting pan, and scrape up any bits with a wooden spoon. Serve pan drippings alongside turkey with pistachio pesto.
A Little Glitter http://alittleglitter.com/

 This is a sponsored post.  All opinions are mine alone.  Thanks for supporting the brands that support A Little Glitter!        

Say More With Hershey’s KISSES Deluxe! {Plus a GIVEAWAY!}

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I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for Hershey’s KISSES Deluxe. I received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for my participation.Hersheys #SayMoreSince Christmas is two weeks away, I would REALLY love to be able to tell you that I am done with my shopping.  Usually, I am completely finished before Thanksgiving.  Unfortunately, this year that is just not the case.  These last few months have been hectic and shopping had to be put on hold.  Now that the dust has settled a little, I am back to searching for the perfect present for a lot of the special people in my life.

I still have to buy for my family members, my co-workers, Jeter and get a few more things for my little blonde unicorn.  Thankfully, I have made a little bit of a dent in my list. 

I find that every year there are new additions to buy for.  These usually wind up being people that provide services relating to my daughter and my interaction with them can be limited to running in and picking Taylor up and whisking her off to eat dinner, do homework or off to another activity.  There is not usually a huge amount of time for me to thank them for the contribution to our lives and I think that is a shame.  

This year I added Taylor’s new bus driver and her music teacher to the people that I usually buy for (which includes the secretaries at Taylor’s school, all 7 of her teachers, her after-school aides, her security guard, her soccer coach and the mailman).  All of these people are special and I appreciate the things they do for us so much.  I struggle with wanting to buy them something meaningful, that they will enjoy and staying within my budget.

#SayMore Hershey Kisses Deluxe

This year I decided to #SayMore by giving them each a 35 piece Hershey’s KISSES Deluxe gift set.  These KISSES are wrapped in beautiful gold paper and are twice the size of an original KISSES Chocolate.  They have a creamy chocolate center surrounding a whole roasted hazelnut, finished with delicate crisps and smooth milk chocolate.  

Hershey's KISSES Deluxe #SayMore

The gift sets are gorgeous and perfect for the recipient to share with their friends or family.    

Enter below for a chance to win your very own Hershey KISSES Deluxe gift box!  

 

Hershey’s KISSES Deluxe Giveaway

 

*I-C will randomly select fifty winners from all program entries and will handle fulfillment of the winning prizes.

Candy Sleighs

Candy Sleighs!

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I dont know about you guys but every year right before Christmas I remember that I need to make/buy gifts for all the wonderful aids/helpers in my daughter’s school and I panic.  I panic because there are so many people and I have no idea what to get them all.  My daughter is so generous and she wants to give something to EVERYONE.  When we make a list of the people that we should get presents for, the conversation sounds something like this:

“We need to get something for the other lunch aid.  Not my regular lunch aid, but the other one, because she helped me once a few months ago when my regular aid was out and she is very nice.”

Then I stare at my list of twenty people and I wonder what I could possibly give them all for a few dollars each that would not be total garbage.  This year, I found an idea on Pinterest that I am so happy with and I just had to share it with you!

I am not sure who came up with this idea.  I did not.  I am not taking credit.  I am just showing you my take on it.  Periodically I am going to post an idea that I find on Pinterest with you guys.  Hopefully, it can help you, too.

So, to begin you must assemble your supplies.  You will need:

– a glue gun and glue sticks (I have the cheapest one ever that I bought at Michaels years ago.  I have used it thousands of times and it keeps on ticking.  No need to buy anything fancy here.)

– one regular-sized Kit Kat bar for each sleigh

– 10 Hershey miniatures for each sleigh

– a spool of thickish ribbon (I used gold)

– a peel and stick bow for each sleigh

– 2 candy canes per sleigh

 

To begin, let your glue gun warm up and assemble your supplies.  Then take a Kit Kat bar and put a strip of hot glue down each side and attach a candy cane.

Next, you are going to create a pyramid of Hershey’s Miniatures on top of the Kit Kat.  I used four bars for the base.  Hot glue those babies right on.

 

Candy Sleighs

Candy Sleighs

Next you are going to glue ribbon onto the sleigh and top it with a bow.

Candy Sleighs

Candy Sleighs

 

 

Candy Sleighs

Candy Sleighs

 

Candy Sleighs

Candy Sleighs

That is all there is to it!  So cheap and so easy!  Now the lucky recipient can eat the candy or save it as a cute decoration.