Social Media 2-For-Tuesday

Can't wait to see everyone's New Year's Eve celebrations on Instagram tonight. It is also a great time to gain new Pinterest followers since Sverve will be offering Pinterest Sweepstake Campaigns starting in January.

Welcome to ~SoMe2~ #14!! 

This week, link up your Pinterest and Instagram accounts,

then tell your friends (and your friends' friends) to link up, too!

Read more »

Attracting Birds in the Winter

What happens to birds in the winter? How can I attract birds to my garden in the winter? How do they stay warm? These are great questions and I have some tips on how to create an inviting area for the birds in your yard. 

Read more »

Locks of Love Before and After Haircut

My good friend and blog contributor, Elise cut off 14.5 inches of her hair for Locks of Love.
Do you have at least 10 inches of hair that needs to be cut? Most stylists are familiar with the Locks of Love guidelines but just to be sure you can print out the guidelines and review with your stylist.

Read more »

Best of 2013

 

Looking back on 2013 the blog was a bit neglected due to moving to Maryland. I bounced back in October and I am glad to be back. Maryland has offered up so much inspiration and I look forward to 2014. Thanks to those who have been with me and a warm welcome to those who have just recently joined.

Read more »

Creative Muster Linky Party

Creative Muster Linky Party #51

(begins every Tuesday at 6pm EST and ends Sunday at midnight)

Have you stocked up on all of the great baking staples that are on sale right now? I think I bought enough flour and sugar to last me all year. Stephanie from Year-Round Giving has been stocking up too. Her stockpile of baking supplies came in handy when she had a craving for these White Christmas Cluster's. I love going shopping in my pantry, it's so much fun!

By linking to this party you are giving Fluster Buster and co-hosts permission to use your images in featured links.

Host

Fluster Buster

Co-Host

Year-Round Giving

<div align="center">
<a href="http://www.flusterbuster.com" rel=”nofollow” title="Fluster Buster"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHJGyjC8lqyFZLjWTbOGFRiKjIsmWeSxMexdChgXVggcgd7USnMT5G30g40I9J9LDrfPiWgz1jBxD4-CzpC1HdMG4urjDtHiJoVxBehoXwTk5H3sKWLwkD3MfnYiTRdnDQQ1c-Gt-0pDKi/s1600/Party+Button.jpg" alt="Fluster Buster" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Unique Holiday Baking Recipes

When it comes to baking for the Holidays there are your staples: sugar cookies, Russian tea cookies, and little gingerbread men. If you are looking for something different to add to your Christmas all day bake-a-thon here are several simple recipes for you to choose from. Keep for yourself, give as gifts, or make for a holiday bake sale either way these treats will be a stand out!

If you love white chocolate this cluster is for you. You can add what ever your favorite nut is and the Craisins give the cluster that Christmas color. You will actually be surprised how easy this recipe is to pull off. You don't need chocolate molds to make this candy. You can use a common household item that you may already have. See the recipe and the "how-to" here: White Christmas Clusters

Best chocolate chip cookie ever! Take your chocolate chip cookies up a flavor notch by adding a spice that is probably already in your spice rack. Half the amount of chocolate chips so the chocolate won't steal the show. And that gives you a perfect cookie for Santa! See the recipe here: Holiday Spiced Chocolate Chip Cookies

I know those canisters of Betty Crocker frosting are tasty and convenient but have you tried making your own frosting? It is easy, just throw the ingredients in a Kitchen Aid mixer. Here is a the basic recipe and you can get fancy with some seasonal variations: Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting

These super delicious sticky spiced chocolate pecans will leave your friends licking their fingers trying to guess the secret spice ingredients. See the recipe and the secret ingredients here: Spiced Chocolate Pecans

This isn't just any oatmeal cookie. This is the best oatmeal cookie with or without Craisins. The oatmeal to cookie batter ratio is pure perfection. Raisins are good but not good enough to be laced through this fine cookie. See the recipe here: Best Oatmeal Craisin Cookie

Now that you have recipes and inspiration get in the kitchen and start having some Holiday baking fun!

 Follow my Blog on Bloglovin

The Sunday Post

This is a "Pin"able image for you to use to fill your newsfeed with Faith!

Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting

My talented friend, Elise made some pumpkin cupcakes a few weeks ago with this vanilla bean buttercream frosting and it was so delicious that I said, “We have to blog this.” If you are a blogger and have said those words then you know it is good. It is so good I wanted to top everything with it like coffee, pancakes, or just pipe the stuff directly into my mouth.

Elise is at it again this week and snapped some great pictures of the cupcakes she made. This frosting will taste wonderful on any cupcake. I am going to make this frosting to top chocolate cupcakes for New Year’s Eve.

Elise gives us a couple of examples of how versatile this frosting can be by adding other other flavors to the recipe below.

Add ½ tsp peppermint extract for Candy Cane Frosting

Add 1 tbsp fresh nutmeg for eggnog frosting

This frosting is super easy to make. One ingredient you may not be able to find in your local grocery store is Nielsen Massey Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Paste 4 oz You can get on Amazon or be on the look out in the Home sections of Ross, TJ Maxx or Home Goods. If you find it anywhere else please comment below where you found it for other readers. Not only does the Vanilla Bean Paste give the frosting amazing flavor but you can see the specks of the vanilla bean laced through the frosting.

Give these cupcakes a real flavor wow factor and use fresh nutmeg.

A big thank you to Elise for sharing this amazing frosting recipe, giving us flavor variations, and giving me a break from the kitchen this week.


This post may contain affiliate links which means if you click on the link and make a purchase I earn a small commission. Thank you for supporting Year-RoundGiving.com

Holiday Spiced Chocolate Chip Cookies

I know these cookies are not the most photogenic so I hope you landed here because the title "Holiday Spiced Chocolate Chip Cookies" enticed you. Well even though the picture doesn't make you drool I promise you these ARE DELICIOUS!

I used the basic Ghirardelli Chocolate Chip cookie recipe on the bag of their Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate baking chips. The two differences in my recipe is that I used less chocolate chips and added cinnamon. The cinnamon gives it a nice hint of the holidays and by using less chocolate chips the chocolate doesn't steal the flavor show.

This makes a large batch so after my cookie thieves devoured my last batch of Oatmeal Craisin Cookies in less than 24 hours I have started freezing half the batch of cookie dough to bake another day. 

If you are looking for more baking inspiration browse through my Bake Sale Recipes here. 


Recipe Adapted from The Ghirardelli Chocolate Company

Have a favorite Holiday Cookie?
 

White Christmas Clusters

Tis the season for great baking item sales at the grocery store. This time of year is great to stock up on baking supplies like, sugar, chocolate chips and nuts. One afternoon I was craving chocolate and opened the door to my pantry and put this super easy recipe together.

I reference the boiler method for the chocolate. If you don't know what that is read my recipe for Chocolate Dipped Potato Chips. Yes, I love Ghirardelli chocolate and will melt it down and dip anything in it.

If using an ice tray lightly spray vegetable oil onto the tray. This will help when popping the candy out of the tray and will not affect the taste. Just like removing ice from the tray twist the tray. The candy should come right out.

You can fit the batch into 1, 14 cube ice tray but if you want smaller candies and more quantity fill only half way. If you don't have ice trays or chocolate molds you can spoon out the candy onto wax paper.

If you prefer chocolate molds Amazon has a really pretty CK Products 1-1/4-Inch Snowflake Chocolate Mold or Christmas Tree, Bells, Wreath, and Candy Canes Chocolate Mold  

 

These little clusters have a beautiful presentation on a china plate. If you know someone that is a white chocolate fanatic these would make a wonderful homemade gift. You can pick up little boxes at your local craft store. Line the box with wax paper and BOOM you have a delicious gift.

Above, the first picture is of the double boiler method. The steam heats the chocolate in the glass bowl melting it down. Keep stirring so the chocolate doesn't burn.
The funny thing about the ice tray is that I don't think my kids know it is really for ice.

For all things beautiful and delicious follow me on Pinterest.





This post contains an affiliate link. Which means if you click on it and make a purchase I earn a small commission. Thanks for supporting Year-RoundGiving.com.  

 

Date Night Giveaway

Need a break from Holiday shopping? Need some alone time with your spouse after having the entire family over for Thanksgiving? I got you covered. Enter below to win 2 AMC movie theater tickets and 2 large fountain drinks. Winner will be selected December 9th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Silver Tickets:
Present at box office.  Good at any AMC Theatres, AMC Loews, AMC Showplace, Cineplex Odeon, Magic Johnson and Star theatres, excluding Canadian theatres. Subject to surcharge for 3D, IMAX®, ETX, alternative content, dine-in theatres, and premium services; location surcharges may also be applied at select theatres. AMC reserves the right to change any surcharge fee without notice. Unauthorized reproductions not allowed. Valid seven days a week. Please visit amctheatres.com for additional information

*This is not a sponsored post. Prize is provided by Year-Round Giving