make hot cocoa mix from scratch

In order to celebrate the season the best way I know how, I'll be posting the 12 Days of DIY December here. Check back every day for something new to make, bake, or create to get ready for Christmas!

There's a reason that a cute mug and the fixings for hot cocoa have become ubiquitous as Secret Santa gifts and on the bake sale tables of winter fundraisers: it's adorable, inexpensive, easy, and who doesn't love hot chocolate? Add in the mug, some marshmallows, maybe a candy cane, and you have a delicious treat suitable for just about anyone on your list. But this year, you're going to kick it up a notch. How, you ask?

This year you're going to make your cocoa mix from scratch.

Say what! I'll be straight with you, dear readers, I didn't even know you could make a cocoa mix from scratch. I was vaguely aware that people made hot chocolate from scratch, but it all seemed like way too much work when a few spoonfuls of the stuff from a can was so tasty. But it turns out you can totally make your own cocoa mix from scratch, and it's not even that hard. All you need is chocolate (duh), cocoa powder (easy), cornstarch (got it), sugar (no sweat), and a little salt. Et - voila! Hot cocoa made from delicious chocolate and adjusted to the sweetness level of your choice. The full recipe is here on Serious Eats - which, FYI, is probably my favorite food-related site out there, so definitely poke around after you've made a cup of your delicious homemade cocoa.

If you're really looking to take this to the next level, might I suggest combining two of the 12 Days of DIY projects: homemade hot cocoa + homemade kahlua? Heaven.

decorate with diy holiday letters

In order to celebrate the season the best way I know how, I'll be posting the 12 Days of DIY December here. Check back every day for something new to make, bake, or create to get ready for Christmas!

Perhaps it's the English major/editorial assistant in me, but I absolutely adore decorating with words. Cross-stitching a cute little motto? Heck yeah! Typographical art? Sign me up! Which means I definitely have my eye on those cardboard and wooden letters you can get at craft stores. They are just begging to be zhushed up for the season.

Spray-painting them gold would be an excellent and glittery choice, but you could also mod podge on some scrapbook paper for a lovely seasonal pattern. I kind of love the idea of using the pages of a book (A Christmas Carol, anyone?) to add another level to it. Paint on some candy cane stripes! Make them look like a wreath! The possibilities are endless. This one would be a little bit tougher, but I am totally obsessed with it:


Shiny!

Premade letters don't have to enter into the crafting. I absolutely adore this example of some very simple text (it might even just be posterboard?) in a non-traditional holiday color that would definitely brighten up your room for the holidays (pun intended!).



If you're really hardcore, you could attempt the light-up DIY marquee letters that are all the rage these days. Basically, any time you take some letters, make them pretty, and spell out a word, I'm ready to embrace it. Hang it on your wall, set them on your mantel or a windowsill, just share the beautiful wordy love.

Not sure which word you would use? Try some of these: Merry, Joy, Xmas, Noel, Ho Ho Ho, Santa, Jingle, Holly, Snow.

learn to cross stitch

In order to celebrate the season the best way I know how, I'll be posting the 12 Days of DIY December here. Check back every day for something new to make, bake, or create to get ready for Christmas!

I have a secret to tell you about cross stitching. The only two things you really need are a pattern and patience. That's it!

Cross stitching is a great craft to try out because of the low entry cost. No expensive supplies or special machines - just get yourself a hoop, some fabric, a needle, and some embroidery floss and go. There are tons of lovely patterns available for purchase, and plenty that are shared for free too!

Patterns: Wigglytuff, Tattoo font, Joker & Harley

 These are some of the cross stitch projects I've done. They look pretty good to me, and I really just jumped in a total beginner. It's been a lot of fun, though as a word of warning, recognize that a more complex pattern might take longer than you expect. I almost squinted my eyeballs out of my head to get that Wigglytuff done in time for the birthday!

When looking for a pattern, it's best to find one that's marked suitable for a beginner, though if you can get a look at it and see what kind of stitches it requires, you should be okay. If it's all the basic full stitch, no matter how complex it looks, just keep making Xs and you're good to go! Just take your time and keep a close eye on the pattern. I'm partial to this one for sale on Etsy, but there are also a lot of great free patterns collected on this Pinterest board. A lot of cross stitch patterns easily available are a little more old-fashioned/country-style than my personal tastes run to, but just keep looking! There's a great community of crafters who have created patterns suitable to all tastes.

Pick out a pattern today and start today - a cross stitch is a great decoration and a great gift.

make a holiday wreath

In order to celebrate the season the best way I know how, I'll be posting the 12 Days of DIY December here. Check back every day for something new to make, bake, or create to get ready for Christmas!

Hanging a wreath on your door is the best way to say "hello, holidays!" Growing up, my family always hung a big real evergreen wreath on the outside of the house, but wreaths made from fresh boughs get expensive and (sadface!) they only last for one Christmas. There are plenty of beautiful wreaths available in stores (I drooled over more than a few last time I was in Target), but there are so many ways to make your own wreath. I'm hoping to craft one this month yet, so here are a few ideas!

I didn't get a chance to blog about it, but I made this super cheap and easy yarn wreath for Halloween. All you need is a foam wreath form and some yarn! I added black ribbon and some paper letters for a little extra flair. It took me around an hour to wrap the wreath to my satisfaction, and I was really happy with the results! This would be great in a forest green for Christmas, or maybe a sparkly white or gold. If you go green, I think it would be utterly charming to add some of those round red pushpins like little holly berries! Add a big bow, and you're all set.



This year I've had ornament wreaths on the brain. Everybody here knows I love a little glitz and glam, and it's just so sparkly! This tutorial makes it seem pretty easy (though not as easy as the yarn wreath!), so I might make a trek to Target and the local dollar store to pick up some fun ornaments. (I have other decorating plans involving ornaments as well, so I could use a stash).

And, of course, you can always grab a simple vine wreath and zhush it up with ribbons and glitter and bling! As long as you have a glue gun and are ready to experiment, making your own holiday wreath can be a snap. Put it on your door, or just on a wall, and be ready to welcome the holidays in!

the procrastinator's gift guide

It's that crazy time of year; Christmas is this weekend! In my house, the Christmas-feeling has been pretty slow to come about...the outside lights and decorations have been up for a while, but we just bought our tree on Friday and put it up on Sunday. To be fair, we weren't procrastinating: my sister was away at college, and we couldn't pick out a tree without her! But now that she's home, Christmas prep had to get done fast or risk not getting done at all. On the theme of procrastination, working in retail has opened my eyes to how much some people put off their Christmas shopping (and see the opposite, the people who are done by December first!) Plus, if you hadn't noticed, I have a tendency towards a bit of procrastination myself...so why not wait until a few days before Christmas to write a gift guide?

So here you are, the Procrastinator's Gift Guide: what to get when you don't have much time to get it.


Love this blinged out wreath made by Projects for Your Nest...probably too late to make one, huh?

1. Baked goods

The season of giving is also the season of eating! Homemade treats are relatively inexpensive (depending on what you choose) and can generally be completed in an afternoon. As a bonus, you might have enough left over to have some holiday treats for yourself! I just made these peanut butter balls, which were a little labor intensive with all the rolling but super tasty...I made a second batch for a holiday party and added a pretzel stick in each one. It added a touch of salt to counteract the sweetness, made them easy and fun to eat, and upped the adorability quotient by at least 40%! Last year, these peppermint bark cookies were a big hit at our cookie exchange party. Baking something is a delicious and heartfelt way to show you care at the last minute.

2. Books

Give the gift of literature! A good book is a gift that's useful, entertaining, and can be the source of many conversations between the giver and recipient. Granted, this option does require you to know your intended recipient's taste in books fairly well, but there's nothing like giving a book you loved to someone that you know will love it too.

3. Hot drinks

You'd be pretty hard pressed to find someone who doesn't enjoy any hot drink during the wintertime. So whether it's coffee, tea, cocoa, or cider, grab a few packets, arrange in a cute mug, and instant gift! Delicious is almost always a good way to go when you're in a crush for time.

4. Gift cards

Yes, gift cards get a bad rap, but there's a reason they're a classic choice for the harried (and possibly confused) gift-giver. A gift card says "I know where you like to shop, but I'm sure you know what you need more than me." Personally, I have both enjoyed and been disappointed by gift cards, and they're a last resort in my own shopping adventures. But I know that if I honestly have no idea (or no time) to get someone the perfect gift, at least I can rest safe in the knowledge that they'll be able to treat themselves to something they've really been hoping for. (This is assuming that you give them a gift card to somewhere they actually shop, which is crucial.) Get a cute tin or holder for it to jazz the card up a bit!

None of the gift ideas seems quite enough? Mix and match! A new book and a gift card to Starbucks, or some fancy hot cocoa and cookies to enjoy it with: the possibilities are nigh endless. Even though you have mere days until Christmas, you still have time! Take heart procrastinators, because in the end, it's the thought that counts...unless you're getting me a gift card for Yankee Candle or something, because that's just not cool.

winter wonderland: nantucket cranberry pie

I hope all of you had a fabulous holiday! It was a time of much eating and enjoying; the feast my grandma created was, as always, amazing and delicious. She's promised to send me the recipes for my two favorite Thanksgiving dishes: stuffing and the cranberry Jell-O mold she makes every year. Saturday night was Thanksgiving: The Reheating at my house, supplemented with some fresh treats. We made mashed potatoes, corn, and I knew I needed to whip up a dessert that could stand toe-to-toe with the pumpkin and Dutch apple pies we were served on Thanksgiving.


Yep, this is my Saturday night hobo cooking gear: a drama camp t-shirt, an old peasant skirt, and my apron

This is the Nantucket Cranberry Pie from Pioneer Woman (my all-time favorite recipe blog! I have never been disappointed with anything I made from one of her recipes...every time I try a new one, I'm sure it's going to be delicious. Do you have a blog like that?) It's tart and sweet and fresh and super easy. Plus, ultra seasonally appropriate!

My mom picked up my camera while I was making it yesterday, so I have some actual in-progress shots of the highly technical process.



First, add cranberries and some chopped pecans to a buttered pie plate. Be liberal with sugar! My family thought this looked like a winter scene, and I totally agree. Slap that on your holiday card!



Then, mix up a delicious batter of flour, sugar, eggs, butter, and a bit of salt and almond extract. Sniff heartily, then go around the kitchen and make sure all of your family members (including those on the phone) check out how good it smells.



It'll be thick! Pour it in ribbons over your delicious berries and nuts, then spread it over any holes until it looks like this:



Mmmm, lumpy! Don't worry, it'll cook up justttt fine. Place in your preheated oven, and bake for 45-50 minutes, or just under 40 if you've recently replaced the heating coil and your oven is now a Super Oven that burns anything you don't keep an eye on. I didn't get a photo of this one, but a few minutes before you take it out, sprinkle some sugar on top to make a tasty sweet crust on top. Let cool slightly, and serve with vanilla ice cream. Magical!

Oops, I forgot the most important step!



Make sure you have a Very Interested dog to keep an eye on you while you cook.



(Don't worry about Beau, anybody! He's been having some skin problems, which is why he's missing fur, but he's on medication and has been feeling much better.)

And that's a Nantucket Cranberry Pie! It was really delicious, and my dad actually suggested that I send my Grandma the recipe in exchange for the ones she's sending me! Obviously, my family thought pretty highly of it if it could be considered worthy of a family recipe. I definitely intend to make this one a classic in my house; I'll probably make it again for the Thanksgiving III: Electric Boogaloo I'm throwing for the immediate fam in December. Maybe even for Christmas!

Nantucket Cranberry Pie
From Pioneer Woman

• Butter for greasing
  
• 2 cups (heaping) cranberries
  
• 3/4 cups pecans, chopped
  
• 2/3 cups sugar
  
• 1 cup flour
  
• 1 cup sugar
  
• 2 eggs, beaten
  
• 1 stick butter, melted
  
• 1 tsp almond extract
  
• 1/4 tsp salt
  
• 1 tbsp sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350. Butter a pie or cake pan. Add cranberries, chopped pecans, and 2/3 cup sugar. Combine flour, 1 cup sugar, eggs, butter, almond extract and salt in a mixing bowl, then pour over the nuts and berries. Spread gently to cover. Bake for 40-50 minutes, removing 5 minutes early to sprinkle with 1tbsp sugar before returning to the oven. Let cool slightly, and serve!

winter wonderland: sequins

Today I'm back after an unexpected hiatus, but don't worry, I brought something sparkly with me! I think it's fair to say that we're waving goodbye to fall and hello to winter as we near the end of November. Sad as it is to see fall go, I'm definitely looking forward to the holiday season! There's something so unmatchably cheery about this time of year, and I intend to keep a song in my heart and a smile on my face, even as I enter the holiday season as a retail worker. I'll be smiling my way into a 5:30AM shift on Black Friday, and I'm one of the lucky ones! The store is opening at midnight, so I'm glad to at least get a little sleep before I have to go and face the hordes of bargain hunters.

But forget all that stress: I have something shiny to show you.
Yes, winter is the season of sequins! The season brings twinkling lights, shining silver bells, endless drifts of snow that sparkle in the moonlight, and you too can be a sparkly thing this winter. The cold weather makes it all the more important to keep your look "merry and bright" as you go dashing through the snow. (Can you tell that they've been playing Christmas music at work for a month already?)

I have to admit that I've always been afraid to rock the sequins. They're so glamorous, I was worried I wouldn't know where and when to deploy them for maximum sparkle effect without getting too tacky. (And since we're talking about sparkle, I hear that Breaking Dawn thing is going on...to be honest, you couldn't get me into that movie with an entire drag revue's worth of sequins, but lets see how many errant Googlers I can ensnare now that I've mentioned the Twilight saga and Edward's cold glittering body.) But this year, I couldn't be restrained any longer; I went shopping on Friday, and tried on a sequin tank top "just for fun." Is it any surprise that I came home with two of them? Oops.

Source: kohls.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

A sequined tanktop seems like a suspiciously versatile piece of clothing (and yes, I do feel ridiculous saying that). It's obviously appropriate for a holiday party (particularly the red one), and the champagne one will be great for zhushing up a "girl's night out" look. I can even wear it to work, provided I cover up my shoulders, which I would do anyway...have you been in Wisconsin in the winter? Brr!

In order to convince you to start sparkling this winter, here's a set I made with some of my favorite sequin-y statement pieces:

tis the season for sparkle by ficklekitsch featuring a sequin shawl

As you can see, I'm a big fan of sequined accessories. I find an all-over sequin look to be a little overwhelming or at least too much of a statement for most occasions. A sequined cocktail dress would be great for New Year's Eve or a particularly formal holiday party, but you'll get plenty of mileage out of a sparkling clutch or scarf. And who could resist a pair of glittery pumps? Okay, I can, but I really wanted to take them home with me too! There's only so much sparkle a girl can justify in one day's shopping trip.

Do you love to make yourself part of the winter wonderland with some sparkly fashion? Are you afraid (like I was) of looking "tacky" in sequins? I haven't debuted my sequins yet, but I'm actually really honestly excited about wearing them...isn't that just the best feeling?