Holiday Cake Pops!

Simple Cake Ball Recipe

1 box cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake)
1 can frosting (16 oz.)

Chocolate melts
Wax paperLollipop sticks

1.             After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl.

2.             Mix thoroughly with 1 can frosting. (I use the back of a large spoon, but it may be easier to use fingers to mix together. But, be warned, it will get messy. Also, you may not need the entire can of frosting, so start out by using almost the entire can and add more if you need to.)

3.             Roll mixture into quarter size balls and place on wax paper covered cookie sheet. (Should make 45-50)

4.             Melt chocolate in the microwave per directions on package. (30 sec intervals, stirring in between.)

5.             Dip the tip of your lollipop stick in a little of the melted candy coating and insert into the cake balls. (Insert a little less than halfway.)

6.             Place them in the freezer for a little while to firm up.

7.             Once firm, carefully insert the cake ball into the candy coating by holding the lollipop stick and rotating until covered. Once covered remove and softly tap and rotate until the excess chocolate falls off. Don’t tap too hard or the cake ball will fall off, too.

8.             Place in a styrofoam block to dry.

Santa Hats
Hats: Red Candy Melts and White Candy Melts
Fur: white sugar crystal sprinkles
Balls: white coated expresso beans, gumballs, yogurt covered peanuts will workPaper Lollipop Sticks

Make the Hats: Make a cone shape instead of a ball. Put in the freezer until firm. Then, holding the top part of the hat, dip the bottoms in white candy melts, insert the lollipop stick and set in a styrofoam block to dry. Once dry, dip the tops in red candy melts so that it meets where the white ends. Gently place the balls to the top of the hat while still wet. Let them dry. Then, use a toothpick to generously dab more white candy melts all around the bottom of the hat. While still wet, sprinkle the sugar crystals on.

Photography by Danielle Lamoureaux

Ten Holiday Organization Tips!

Have you been a bit stressed during past Christmas seasons? Does it seem like the holidays bring too much to do? By organizing Christmas this year you can help to make this a low-stress holiday. Here are a few Christmas organizing tips to get organized for Christmas.

1.      Automate your card list

       A good way to store you Christmas card addresses is in a spreadsheet. Use separate columns for each item in the address such as first name, last name, street address, city, province and postal code. Use mail merge with your word processor to create address labels. You can also create columns on your spreadsheet to track gift ideas, friends’ children’s names, ages, birthdays, etc.

This link describes in detail how to do this with Microsoft Excel.

2.      Have a gift-wrap center

       Keep a storage bin for wrapping supplies under your bed or in a closet. Include wrapping paper, scissors, tape, name tags, bows and any other supplies you might need. Do not borrow from these supplies for other areas of your home. If you have to search for a gift-wrap supply each time you need to use it, that’s not organized or easy.

3.      Ask questions

       Ask people what they want for gifts. Don’t get stressed trying to guess when you can ask them. You’re more likely to give them something they really need. To keep the surprise factor, ask for a list to chose from or get some general suggestions and surprise them with a specific item.

4.      Shop on-line

       I hate shopping in general and gift shopping specifically. One can stand in long lines and go from store to store looking for an item in stock; or you can shop online. Often, your favorite store has an on-line version.

      You have a choice, go to your doorstep to retrieve the gift and spend the rest of the time drinking eggnog and watching holiday movies,  or you can fight for parking, sweat in line, get frustrated by items not in stock.

5.      Ask for help

      You are not a superhero.  If you are, you don’t need to do everything yourself. Delegate a few tasks to willing family members. Perhaps you can swap errands with friends. You will stand in line at the post office if she will pick up your recipe ingredients at the supermarket.

6.      Christmas Celebrations for Christmas Card Lists

       Save the envelopes from this year’s Christmas cards for Christmas celebrations. Put them in the box with your unused cards. Use the addresses on them to develop your card list next year. Everything will be in one box and easy to reference.

                                                                                                                   

7.      The Perfect Host
Unexpected guests show up bearing gifts and you have nothing to give them in return. Now what?  Buy a dozen boxes of nice chocolates at the start of the holiday season, wrap them, keep them in a cool place and give them as hostess presents for unplanned gift exchanges. Don’t want to give chocolate? Try wine or white pillar candles instead.

8.      Pre-test new recipes

       If you’re planning a big holiday party, that’s not the time to test a new recipe. If it doesn’t work, you’ll hear about it forever. Test drive a new recipe before the big day.

9.      One for All
If wrapping presents for family and friends makes you feel like you’re working the gift wrap station at a busy department store (all sorts of paper, bows and ribbons strewn everywhere!), it’s time to bring some order to the chaos.  Have a signature wrapping style, for example, always wrap presents in silver paper with matching silver bows and name tags. It’s not only perfect for holidays, but for birthdays and weddings too.  Most important, it streamlines the process.

10.  Record what works and what does not
It can be as simple as a list or as complex as a diary. This can include activities, recipes and anything else that makes up your holiday season. Next year, when you are stretched thin, you should automatically know what is worth investing time and effort in and what is not. This is especially true when it comes time to put away your holiday decorations. This can eliminate stress because you have a written record of what type of organizational techniques to avoid and what has worked in years past.