Mandi Ehman's Blog, page 41

Easy Eggnog Fudge {101 Days of Christmas}

I love eggnog and I love fudge, but what really makes this recipe great is that it uses just a few simple ingredients and doesn’t require a candy thermometer, so it’s easy to whip together whenever you have a craving for eggnog!

This is also a great recipe to make with kids (or to have older kids make on their own!) because it’s so simple and straightforward.

Ingredients:

15-ounce can sweetened condensed milk 14 ounces white chocolate 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon eggnog flavor 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, plus extra for sprinkling

Directions:

Line a loaf pan with foil.

In a medium saucepan, combine sweetened condensed milk and white chocolate. Heat over low, stirring until smooth.

Remove from heat and add salt, eggnog flavor and nutmeg, mixing well.

Pour into prepared pan and sprinkle with additional nutmeg.

Refrigerate overnight. Remove from pan and peel off foil. Cut into individual pieces.

Variations:

Use 1/2 teaspoon rum extract instead of eggnog flavor. Mix in 1 cup mini marshmallows.

Click here to add this recipe to your Plan to Eat account.

Recipes from the archives:

Join us as we celebrate 101 Days of Christmas with new DIY projects, gift ideas, traditions and more every day from now through Christmas!

Mandi Ehman is the blogger behind Life Your Way. She and her husband have four beautiful girls plus one baby boy, and together they live, work and homeschool on a little slice of heaven in wild, wonderful West Virginia. Mandi loves coffee, chocolate, easy meals, beautiful things and minimalist spaces.

Meet the 101 Days of Christmas sponsors:

King Arthur Flour's Baker's Hotline: free professional help with any holiday baking challenge
World Vision Gift Catalog: share a full life with children in need by giving unique, life-changing gifts
Plant Therapy Essential Oils: 100% pure, undiluted oils you can trust at a price you can afford
Life Your Way Christmas Shop: get your 2014 Christmas planner today


Easy Eggnog Fudge {101 Days of Christmas}

© 2010-2014 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved

      Commentsme either! this sounds really good! by TurnerI didn't know there was eggnog flavoring! I'm going to have to ... by Kristen 

Maple chip biscuits {101 Days of Christmas}

I am not sure there are words to adequately describe just how tasty these are, but I promise you need to try them.

With all the crispy, buttery goodness of homemade biscuits plus the unmistakable flavor of maple syrup, these mouthwatering biscuits would be perfect for Christmas morning (move over, cinnamon rolls!) or a Christmas brunch. I think I might just make these instead of our traditional french toast casserole this year!

Ingredients:

Biscuits:

2-1/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour 4 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 5 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces 1 cup milk cold 1/4 cup maple syrup 1/2 cup Maple Flav-R-Bites

Glaze:

1-1/2 cup powdered sugar 3 tablespoons milk 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

In a medium mixing bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt.

Cut in butter with two knives or a pastry blender.

Make a well in the middle for the milk and maple syrup, mixing until a ball is formed. Gently fold in maple flav-r-bites, careful not to overmix.

Using an ice cream scoop or big spoon, drop generous size biscuits on a cookie sheet or stone. Press down gently with the bottom of a flat glass.

Bake for 12-15 minutes until the biscuits begin to brown.

While the biscuits are baking, mix together the glaze ingredients. Remove biscuits from the oven and drizzle with glaze.

Recipes from the archives:

Join us as we celebrate 101 Days of Christmas with new DIY projects, gift ideas, traditions and more every day from now through Christmas!

Mandi Ehman is the blogger behind Life Your Way. She and her husband have four beautiful girls plus one baby boy, and together they live, work and homeschool on a little slice of heaven in wild, wonderful West Virginia. Mandi loves coffee, chocolate, easy meals, beautiful things and minimalist spaces.

Meet the 101 Days of Christmas sponsors:

King Arthur Flour's Baker's Hotline: free professional help with any holiday baking challenge
World Vision Gift Catalog: share a full life with children in need by giving unique, life-changing gifts
Plant Therapy Essential Oils: 100% pure, undiluted oils you can trust at a price you can afford
Life Your Way Christmas Shop: get your 2014 Christmas planner today


Maple chip biscuits {101 Days of Christmas}

© 2010-2014 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved

     

Gluten-free gingerbread {101 Days of Christmas}

Gingerbread is one of the quintessential flavors of Christmas, and King Arthur Flour’s Gluten-Free Baking Mix makes it easy to adapt this Christmas favorite for family or friends who can’t have the traditional cookies.

With royal icing piped on top, these cookies are both cute and tasty. My family loved them as much as regular gingerbread, and they disappeared right off the tray at last night’s potluck (yes, Christmas cookies in October…because I’m a blogger!)

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups King Arthur Gluten-Free Multi-Purpose Flour 1 cup almond flour 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoon cinnamon 3 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon salt 6 tablespoons butter, softened 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 large egg 1/2 cup molasses 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together.

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add egg, molasses and vanilla and mix until well blended.

Add the dry ingredients and gently fold together until incorporated.

Divide dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator until firm, about two hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Remove dough from the fridge, unwrap and roll out on a lightly floured surface until dough is 1/8″ thick. Use cookie cutters to cut out your cookies and place them on parchment paper-lined cookie sheets with room to spread.

Chill the cut dough for 15 minutes before baking.

Bake for 10-12 minutes. The edges will look cooked, but the cookies should still be soft in the middle. Move to a wire rack to cool.

Once the cookies are completely cooled, decorate with royal icing. Let the icing harden before transferring them to a platter or cookie tin.

Click here to add this recipe to your Plan to Eat account.

Recipes from the archives:

Join us as we celebrate 101 Days of Christmas with new DIY projects, gift ideas, traditions and more every day from now through Christmas!

Mandi Ehman is the blogger behind Life Your Way. She and her husband have four beautiful girls plus one baby boy, and together they live, work and homeschool on a little slice of heaven in wild, wonderful West Virginia. Mandi loves coffee, chocolate, easy meals, beautiful things and minimalist spaces.

Meet the 101 Days of Christmas sponsors:

King Arthur Flour's Baker's Hotline: free professional help with any holiday baking challenge
World Vision Gift Catalog: share a full life with children in need by giving unique, life-changing gifts
Plant Therapy Essential Oils: 100% pure, undiluted oils you can trust at a price you can afford
Life Your Way Christmas Shop: get your 2014 Christmas planner today


Gluten-free gingerbread {101 Days of Christmas}

© 2010-2014 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved

     

Burlap bow ornaments {101 Days of Christmas}

Although last year was “the year of burlap,” I couldn’t resist trying one more burlap project this year!

These sweet ornaments would look beautiful as the only decoration on a simple Christmas tree or sprinkled among your regular ornaments.

Supplies:

wired burlap ribbon twine hot glue gun

Directions:

Cut two lengths of ribbon, 8″ and 6″ long.

Fold the ends of the longer ribbon in toward the middle, overlapping and gluing the ends in place. Glue this loop on top of the shorter piece of burlap.

Using hot glue, secure one end of the twine to the back of the bow. Pinch the middle together and wrap the twine tightly around the bow twice. Add another dot of glue to hold the twine in place near the top of the bow and form a loop with the twine. Then wrap it around the middle two more times before cutting and securing the end with glue.

Carefully “fluff” the loops of the bows. Bend the tails so that they hang down from the bow. Trim the ends.

Variations:

Use thinner or thicker burlap ribbon to make smaller or larger bows. Use wired ribbon instead of burlap.

Projects from the archives:

Join us as we celebrate 101 Days of Christmas with new DIY projects, gift ideas, traditions and more every day from now through Christmas!

Mandi Ehman is the blogger behind Life Your Way. She and her husband have four beautiful girls plus one baby boy, and together they live, work and homeschool on a little slice of heaven in wild, wonderful West Virginia. Mandi loves coffee, chocolate, easy meals, beautiful things and minimalist spaces.

Meet the 101 Days of Christmas sponsors:

King Arthur Flour's Baker's Hotline: free professional help with any holiday baking challenge
World Vision Gift Catalog: share a full life with children in need by giving unique, life-changing gifts
Plant Therapy Essential Oils: 100% pure, undiluted oils you can trust at a price you can afford
Life Your Way Christmas Shop: get your 2014 Christmas planner today




© 2010-2014 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved

    by Heather @ My Overflowing Cup 

Honor the fallen with Wreaths Across America {101 Days of Christmas}

Our girls are part of our local American Heritage Girls troop, and I love the emphasis on serving the community and honoring our country.

Last year we did those things through many different events, and one of my favorites was the wreath ceremony that took place at a local cemetery in Winchester, VA. There were many Civil War battles fought in and around Winchester and, as such, there are several cemeteries where hundreds of fallen soldiers are buried.

Each year, Wreaths Across America coordinates wreath laying ceremonies with volunteers around the country. Volunteers participate in laying the wreaths and then in a ceremony to honor the fallen as well. Our ceremony included members of our local Civil Air Patrol, many of whom the girls know and look up to already, which made it extra special for them.

This year’s scheduled date is December 13th (although last year our ceremony got pushed back a week because of snow), and it’s not too late to

Traditions from the archives:

Join us as we celebrate 101 Days of Christmas with new DIY projects, gift ideas, traditions and more every day from now through Christmas!

Mandi Ehman is the blogger behind Life Your Way. She and her husband have four beautiful girls plus one baby boy, and together they live, work and homeschool on a little slice of heaven in wild, wonderful West Virginia. Mandi loves coffee, chocolate, easy meals, beautiful things and minimalist spaces.

Meet the 101 Days of Christmas sponsors:

King Arthur Flour's Baker's Hotline: free professional help with any holiday baking challenge
World Vision Gift Catalog: share a full life with children in need by giving unique, life-changing gifts
Plant Therapy Essential Oils: 100% pure, undiluted oils you can trust at a price you can afford
Life Your Way Christmas Shop: get your 2014 Christmas planner today


Honor the fallen with Wreaths Across America {101 Days of Christmas}

© 2010-2014 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved

      CommentsThis is a great service! Our local Navy Wives of America ... by Jodi U-S 

Handwritten printable gift tags {101 Days of Christmas}

Growing up, we always bought the packs of colorful, illustrated “Santa” tags for $1-2, but I love that the internet makes it so easy to find pretty, trendy tags that match your style without the designer price of some of the high end brands in the store.

This year, I’m excited to use these “handwritten” gift tags!

I love both the linen background and the font of this set, which will go with pretty much any wrapping paper you choose. Print them, cut around the edges and either tape them to a package or hang them from a ribbon!

Click here to download or print these gift tags.

Printables from the archives:

Join us as we celebrate 101 Days of Christmas with new DIY projects, gift ideas, traditions and more every day from now through Christmas!

Mandi Ehman is the blogger behind Life Your Way. She and her husband have four beautiful girls plus one baby boy, and together they live, work and homeschool on a little slice of heaven in wild, wonderful West Virginia. Mandi loves coffee, chocolate, easy meals, beautiful things and minimalist spaces.

Meet the 101 Days of Christmas sponsors:

King Arthur Flour's Baker's Hotline: free professional help with any holiday baking challenge
World Vision Gift Catalog: share a full life with children in need by giving unique, life-changing gifts
Plant Therapy Essential Oils: 100% pure, undiluted oils you can trust at a price you can afford
Life Your Way Christmas Shop: get your 2014 Christmas planner today


Handwritten printable gift tags {101 Days of Christmas}

© 2010-2014 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved

      CommentsI'm sorry about that, Terri; here's the correct link: ... by Mandi @ Life Your WayDear Mandi, I thought I should let you know that your Click On ... by Terri Borden 

Weekend reading: October 18, 2014

From Instagram: Still organizing/decluttering {the file cabinet and box will go}, but the loft/office/school room is coming together! And the kitchen’s no longer trashed all day every day – woohoo!

Next week we’re heading down to my parents’ new home in North Carolina (our first time there as a family since we split up and made two separate trips this summer!) to go to the NC State Fair. I can’t wait! What’s not to love about rides, games, animals, shows and all the fried food you can imagine?!

The fall foliage should be in its full glory, the weather is supposed to be perfectly fall-like, and I plan to collect as many fresh pine cones as I can find. And we’ll be celebrating the-birthday-I’m-trying-to-ignore as our baby boy turns 1!

What I’m (still!) reading: The Nesting Place by Myquillyn Smith and The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb by Melanie Benjamin

What I’m cooking: I’m not; my mama is! Woohoo!

What I’m pinning: sweet potato cookies, veggie meatballs, frozen applesauce bites (aka, dairy-, sugar- and gluten-free foods for the toddler!)

What I’m thinking about:

On caring for others May God bless you with anger | Sarah Bessey Where to find ethically sourced chocolate candy | The Art of Simple Dear World: Let’s Stop Giving Our Crap to the Poor | We Are THAT Family On simple living 8 Compelling Reasons to Live with Less | Be More with Less A Life of Moderation: My Top Tip for Simple Living | Andrea Dekker On homeschooling It’s Not Selfish | Scholé Sisters At the heart of homeschooling | Simple Homeschool Things to do when you’re feeling discouraged | Simple Homeschool

Have a great weekend!

Mandi Ehman is the blogger behind Life Your Way. She and her husband have four beautiful girls plus one baby boy, and together they live, work and homeschool on a little slice of heaven in wild, wonderful West Virginia. Mandi loves coffee, chocolate, easy meals, beautiful things and minimalist spaces.

Meet the 101 Days of Christmas sponsors:

King Arthur Flour's Baker's Hotline: free professional help with any holiday baking challenge
World Vision Gift Catalog: share a full life with children in need by giving unique, life-changing gifts
Plant Therapy Essential Oils: 100% pure, undiluted oils you can trust at a price you can afford
Life Your Way Christmas Shop: get your 2014 Christmas planner today


Weekend reading: October 18, 2014

© 2010-2014 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved

      CommentsHope your toddler loves the sweet potato cookies. by Emily Chapelle @SoDamnDomestic(giggling) Yep – I'm cooking! Can't wait! by Terry 

Weekend Reading: October 18, 2014

From Instagram: Still organizing/decluttering {the file cabinet and box will go}, but the loft/office/school room is coming together! And the kitchen’s no longer trashed all day every day – woohoo!

Next week we’re heading down to my parents’ new home in North Carolina (our first time there as a family since we split up and made two separate trips this summer!) to go to the NC State Fair. I can’t wait! What’s not to love about rides, games, animals, shows and all the fried food you can imagine?!

The fall foliage should be in its full glory, the weather is supposed to be perfectly fall-like, and I plan to collect as many fresh pine cones as I can find. And we’ll be celebrating the-birthday-I’m-trying-to-ignore as our baby boy turns 1!

What I’m (still!) reading: The Nesting Place by Myquillyn Smith and The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb by Melanie Benjamin

What I’m cooking: I’m not; my mama is! Woohoo!

What I’m pinning: sweet potato cookies, veggie meatballs, frozen applesauce bites (aka, dairy-, sugar- and gluten-free foods for the toddler!)

What I’m thinking about:

On caring for others May God bless you with anger | Sarah Bessey Where to find ethically sourced chocolate candy | The Art of Simple Dear World: Let’s Stop Giving Our Crap to the Poor | We Are THAT Family On simple living 8 Compelling Reasons to Live with Less | Be More with Less A Life of Moderation: My Top Tip for Simple Living | Andrea Dekker On homeschooling It’s Not Selfish | Scholé Sisters At the heart of homeschooling | Simple Homeschool Things to do when you’re feeling discouraged | Simple Homeschool

Have a great weekend!

Mandi Ehman is the blogger behind Life Your Way. She and her husband have four beautiful girls plus one baby boy, and together they live, work and homeschool on a little slice of heaven in wild, wonderful West Virginia. Mandi loves coffee, chocolate, easy meals, beautiful things and minimalist spaces.

Meet the 101 Days of Christmas sponsors:

King Arthur Flour's Baker's Hotline: free professional help with any holiday baking challenge
World Vision Gift Catalog: share a full life with children in need by giving unique, life-changing gifts
Plant Therapy Essential Oils: 100% pure, undiluted oils you can trust at a price you can afford
Life Your Way Christmas Shop: get your 2014 Christmas planner today


Weekend Reading: October 18, 2014

© 2010-2014 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved

      Comments(giggling) Yep – I'm cooking! Can't wait! by Terry 

German pfeffernüsse {101 Days of Christmas}

Pfeffernüsse, aka pepper nuts, are a traditional German cookie featuring aromatic spices and a sweet icing. Like any good cookie recipe, there are dozens and dozens of variations of the spices and ingredients used, but all bakers agree that the result is a spicy, dry cookie that is small enough to grab by the handful!

As I was looking through various pfeffernüsse recipes, I was especially drawn to those that feature cardamom. Ever since Shaina made pear italian soda with cardamom cream at our house, cardamom has been among my favorite spices, and since I don’t have anise on hand (another popular pfeffernüsse spice), cardamom was the perfect alternative.

These cookies are easy to make, and I really do love that the cookies themselves are spicy but not overly sweet, especially with the sweet citrus icing on top!

Adapted from Rosa’s Yummy Yums

Ingredients:

cookies:

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter 2 tablespoons castor sugar 3 tablespoons honey 1-1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper

icing:

1 cup confectioners sugar 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

In a small saucepan, combine butter, honey and sugar and heat on low until all three ingredients are melted and incorporated. Remove from heat to cool.

In a medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients. Form a well in the flour for the warm butter mixture. Mix to form a smooth dough.

Shape 3/4″ dough balls and place them on a cookie sheet or stone. Bake for 20-23 minutes until the cookies look dry.

Brush or drizzle icing over each cookie.

Transfer to a rack to cool.

Variations:

For even smaller cookies, roll the dough into a small log (1/2″ in diameter) and cut 1/4″ slices from the log.

Click here to add the recipe to your Plan to Eat account.

Recipes from the archives:

Join us as we celebrate 101 Days of Christmas with new DIY projects, gift ideas, traditions and more every day from now through Christmas!

Mandi Ehman is the blogger behind Life Your Way. She and her husband have four beautiful girls plus one baby boy, and together they live, work and homeschool on a little slice of heaven in wild, wonderful West Virginia. Mandi loves coffee, chocolate, easy meals, beautiful things and minimalist spaces.

Meet the 101 Days of Christmas sponsors:

King Arthur Flour's Baker's Hotline: free professional help with any holiday baking challenge
World Vision Gift Catalog: share a full life with children in need by giving unique, life-changing gifts
Plant Therapy Essential Oils: 100% pure, undiluted oils you can trust at a price you can afford
Life Your Way Christmas Shop: get your 2014 Christmas planner today


German pfeffernüsse {101 Days of Christmas}

© 2010-2014 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved

      CommentsThey look awesome. I like that they have the glaze instead of ... by MegYou could use regular sugar; it will just take longer to melt ... by Mandi @ Life Your WayOh yum! Oh yum! by JoAnn C.Can regular granulated sugar be used in the cookie dough? by Meg 

DIY reed diffusers {101 Days of Christmas}

A reed diffuser is another way to embrace the scents of Christmas throughout the holiday season. While the scent won’t be as strong as a room spray or an electronic diffuser, these will add a light scent to the air, especially when used to a smaller room.

The options for scent combinations are virtually endless, as are the decorating options for your bottle or vase. {And, hey,

Supplies:

jar or bottle, plain or decorated 4-5 reed diffuser sticks 1/4-1/2 cup carrier oil (depending on the size of your container) a spash or two of witch hazel, vodka or rubbing alcohol 20 drops essential oil for every 1/4 cup oil

Directions:

Combine carrier oil, alcohol and essential oils in jar or vase. Add reed diffuser sticks.

After 1 hour, flip the sticks so that the oily ends are sticking out of the jar.

Continue to flip diffuser sticks every 4-5 days.

Add more oil mixture as necessary.

Christmas scents:

Christmas tree: 15 drops fir needle or pine plus 5 drops sweet orange Spicy citrus: 8 drops sweet orange, 8 drops lemon, 3 drops cinnamon bark, 1 drops clove bud Warm & cozy: 8 drops cinnamon bark, 8 drops sweet orange, 3 drops vanilla, 1 drops nutmeg Home for the holidays: 10 drops sweet orange, 7 drops cinnamon bark, 3 drops pine The great outdoors: 12 drops fir needle, 5 drops orange, 2 drops nutmeg Or create your own!

To package as a gift:

Decorate the bottle or vase.

Mix carrier oil, witch hazel and essential oils and pour into a small jar or bottle with a tight lid.

Wrap reeds in tissue paper.

Pack everything together in a box or gift bag for your recipient to assemble.

Projects from the archives:

Join us as we celebrate 101 Days of Christmas with new DIY projects, gift ideas, traditions and more every day from now through Christmas!

Mandi Ehman is the blogger behind Life Your Way. She and her husband have four beautiful girls plus one baby boy, and together they live, work and homeschool on a little slice of heaven in wild, wonderful West Virginia. Mandi loves coffee, chocolate, easy meals, beautiful things and minimalist spaces.

Meet the 101 Days of Christmas sponsors:

King Arthur Flour's Baker's Hotline: free professional help with any holiday baking challenge
World Vision Gift Catalog: share a full life with children in need by giving unique, life-changing gifts
Plant Therapy Essential Oils: 100% pure, undiluted oils you can trust at a price you can afford
Life Your Way Christmas Shop: get your 2014 Christmas planner today


DIY reed diffusers {101 Days of Christmas}

© 2010-2014 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved