• Recipe: Peanut Butter and Candy Cane Cookie Cups

    These are super easy and add fun to the any meal or snack.  We made these during our Christmas Baking Day.  I remember first making these yummy treat when I was in high school.  It is one of the easy recipes that I continue doing because they are such a hit with family and friends. It is basically a sugar cookie dough baked in a mini muffin pan with a Peanut Butter Cup or Candy Cane Kiss added at the end once it has started to cool.

    Peanut Butter & Candy Cane Cookie Cups

    • 1 package (18 ounces) refrigerator Sugar Cookie Dough OR here is our recipe for Sugar Cookie Dough if you want to make it from scratch.
    • All Purpose Flour (optional)
    • 12 unwrapped Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
    • 12 unwrapped Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses

    1.  Preheat oven to 350° F.

    2.  Grease 24 (1 inch) mini muffin cups or you can put them directly into a greased mini muffin pan.

    3.  Make Sugar Cookie Dough according to directions or if you have purchased it from the store unwrap it.  Sprinkle the dough with a little flour to minimize sticking (if necessary).

    4.  Use a small cookie scoop or spoon to drop about 1 rounded tablespoon into each of the 24 mini muffin cups.

    5.  Bake at 350° F for 8 to 10 minutes.  Remove from oven. Let cool for about 5 minutes.  If you do not let it cool long enough the Peanut Butter Cups and Candy Cane Kisses will melt completely, you want them to remain recognizable. Press the 12 unwrapped Reese’s Peanut Cups and 12 unwrapped Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses into the mini sugar cookies.  You should have half Peanut Butter and half Candy Cane.  Let cool for an additional 5 to 10 minutes then gently remove them from the pan and place on a decorative dish or wrap in a pretty bag to give to family and friends.

  • Gift Giving: 12 Days of Christmas

    This year we decided to spread the Holiday Cheer out at our house this year by doing the 12 Days of Christmas.  Christmas morning can be so busy and this allows an opportunity to spread the fun over 12 days instead of packing everything into one day.  Starting December 13th the girls will be able to open one a day until Christmas.  The cost was less than $20 total, including boxes and wrapping paper.  Most of the gifts were bought on clearance over the past year.  We did a joint stack for both of our girls, however, you can choose to do a stack for each person.

    Here is what our 12 Days of Christmas includes:

    • Day 1:   A Labrador Puppy Christmas Ornament for each (purchased with rewards last year after Christmas on clearance).
    • Day 2: A CD with Songs and Stories – 1 on Traveling and 1 on Classical Stories and Songs (purchased with rewards in $1 section)
    • Day 3: Travel Game for 2 – Connect 4 (found on clearance at Bi-Lo for 49 cents)
    • Day 4: 4 Plastic Christmas Cups – Red with Snowmen (purchased with rewards on clearance last year)
    • Day 5: Books – 1 on “Helping Others” and 1 on “Forgiving” (purchased at Dollar Tree)
    • Day 6: Christmas Craft with Stickers (purchased with rewards on clearance)
    • Day 7: 2 Mini Mouse Candy Canes filled with Christmas Tree Candy (purchased with rewards on clearance)
    • Day 8: 2 Snowman Coloring Books and 1 Princess & 1 Cars Coloring Craft Ornaments (purchased with rewards on clearance)
    • Day 9: 2 Snowman Headbands (purchased with rewards on clearance)
    • Day 10: Rub on Color Pattern Craft (received free with a Buy 1 Get 1 Free Deal)
    • Day 11: A pair of Fuzzy Slippers for each – 1 Pink Set and 1 Purple Set. (Picked Up on Black Friday)
    • Day 12: PJs for each to wear Christmas Eve – 1 with Owls and 1 with Rockets (Picked Up on Sale and used a Coupon)

    Other Ideas for 12 Days of Christmas:

    • Hair Accessories
    • Facial Cleansers or Make Up – if you have a teenager just starting to wear makeup or want to update your collection my Mary Kay contact is doing a 12 Day of Christmas set!  If your husband is looking for something awesome to get you he may want to contact Ann too.
    • Socks or Tights
    • Chapstick
    • Socks
    • Gloves or Scarf
    • Card Game
    • Construction Paper
    • Markers or Crayons
    • Matchbox cars
    • Small Toys
    • Baby Doll Clothes
    • Christmas Underwear
    • The ideas are endless!

    I wrapped them in the original boxes or found ones around the house to put the items into.  The Christmas paper was purchased on clearance last year with rewards.  Many of the items we purchased on clearance throughout the year and / or used CVS – ECBs and Walgreens – Register Rewards.  I cannot remember the price for all the items but with the rewards it may have been under $10 out of pocket for the entire set of 12 gifts and some days had multiple items in them.  We did a joint stack for our girls to save money, however, the items we picked match their individual interests (for example the craft with one being princess and the other being cars).  When the girls walked into the room and saw the stack of gifts they were super excited.  Now they are counting down the days to Monday, December 13th to start the 12 Days of Christmas celebration.