Christmas Baking

Christmas baking that I did for family and friends!

Pumpkin Goodness

I’ve been busy in the kitchen baking lots of pumpkin goodness and getting it ready to send back home to family for the Thanksgiving.

I filled these cute pumpkin sacks with various treats.Pumpkin cocoa, harvest spice granola bar and Thanksgiving candies. All wrapped up, tied with bows…Ready to be sent, along with lots of love this Thanksgiving. ♥

Halloween Sweet Treats

I made a few sweet treats for Halloween.

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Happy Pumpkin Cupcakes.Pretzel Bones. (Pretzels and mini marshmallows dipped in white chocolate.)Nutter Butter Ghosts.

(Nutter Butter cookies dipped in white chocolate with mini chocolate chip eyes.)Did you make any fun, Halloween sweet treats this season!?

Father’s Day Trifecta

I baked a trifecta of goodies to go in my Dad’s Father’s Day package this year.First, per his request, I made peanut brittle, it was my first attempt at doing so. He has asked me to make him some for a while so I figured what better time than Father’s Day to give it a try. Once he had a piece and gave his approval it made the chaos that had been corn syrup all over my kitchen worth it. 😉 Second, I made Hazelnut Cupcakes with Nutella filled centers and topped with a Ferrero Rocher hazelnut candy. Very decadent. Very delicious.Rounding out the trifecta was oatmeal peanut butter, chocolate chip, pecan and walnut cookies. A mouthful to say and to eat!

The card I sent him said it all. ♥

Ducky Baby Shower

Last month I was asked to cater the desserts for a family friend’s baby shower. She was having her first child, a little girl and the shower theme was ducky with a pink twist! Cake and cookies both were cherry vanilla flavored as requested by the mommy to be.I made six dozen handcrafted chocolate duckies with pink bows on their heads to top the cupcakes.Splish-splash rubber duckies in the bubble bath!An 8 inch double round cake for the family to cut.

Four dozen ducky cookies.

Congratulations to the family on the arrival of your sweet, little chick! 😉

Nutella Cookies

Growing up my Dad always made similar no bake cookies using peanut butter. Over the years it became his signature dessert, so when I came across this version of his recipe it made me think of him. He is also a big Nutella fan so making these for him for Father’s Day this year was a no brainer!

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup cocoa

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup Nutella

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups quick rolled oats

Instructions:

In medium saucepan, combine sugar, butter, cocoa and milk. Cook over medium heat to a boil and boil for 1 minute.  Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 Nutella and vanilla.  Stir until Nutella is melted.  Stir in the oats and quickly drop by heaping spoonfuls on the wax paper, then allow to harden.

 ** I spread an extra 1/4 cup of Nutella on top of the cookies to kick the flavor up a notch and then I sprinkled them with chopped walnuts. **

Filled With {Love!}

I really enjoy making people feel special, making them feel loved. I think a thoughtful gesture and a little attention to detail in someone’s life does wonders for their heart. In turn, wonders for my own as well, so it’s a win-win situation for all who are involved. 😉

I put together these Valentine’s bags for special people in my life, filled with lots of {love!} & {heart!}

 Very Valentine cherry brownie bites.

Red Velvet cookies.

Hand made Valentine’s from Lovey and I.

 Chocolates and mini heart-shaped notebooks.

   

And my favorite of all, a Valentine balloon that self inflates when you open the pouch.

How neat is that?!

You just have to love the novelty gems you can find in the dollar section of Target! 😉

 Along with a few other miscellaneous goodies, I hope it all brings smiles to those people’s faces that I am blessed to have in my heart not just on Valentine’s Day but the whole year through!