Peppermint Patties

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon water
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 (1-pound) box confectioners' sugar (3-3/4 cups)
1 tablespoon shortening
12 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
6 hard mint candies, crushed

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, stir together the water, corn syrup, lemon juice, and peppermint extract, then sift in half the confectioners' sugar. Add the shortening. Beat on medium, and then slowly sift in the remaining confectioners' sugar until the mixture is well combined.

2. Knead the mixture into a ball (it will be very stiff; if necessary, add 1/2 teaspoon water to make it workable). Use the bottom of a glass pie plate to apply firm, even pressure to flatten the ball between sheets of waxed paper into a circle about 9 inches in diameter and 1/4 inch thick. Lay the waxed-paper-covered disk on a cookie sheet and freeze it until it's firm, about 15 minutes.

3. Place the frozen disk on a cutting surface and remove and reserve the waxed paper. Cover a cookie sheet with parchment. With a small round cutter (ours was 1-1/4 inches), cut out circles from the disk, then place them on the cookie sheet. Gather the scraps into a ball, use the pie plate and waxed paper to flatten it again, and cut more circles until the entire disk is used up. Freeze the circles for 10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water. Coat the patties one at a time: balance each on a fork and dip it (use another fork as needed to flip the patty in the chocolate), then shake off any excess chocolate before returning the coated patty to the parchment. Sprinkle each patty with a bit of crushed mint candy. Add more chocolate to the double boiler as necessary until all the patties are coated.

5. Harden the finished patties in the refrigerator for at least an hour, and preferably overnight. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge, layered between sheets of waxed paper, for up to one month. Include tags with your gifts instructing recipients to keep the patties refrigerated. Makes 5 dozen.

December 6-12 Menu Plan

Monday: Grilled Salmon, Baked Potatoes, and Green Beans

Tuesday: Italian Breaded Pork Chops, Scalloped Potatoes, and Corn

Wednesday: Stroganoff-Topped Potatoes, Winter Mix Vegetables, and Green Beans

Thursday: Pork Chops with Cream of Mushroom, Salad, and Garlic Bread

Friday: Leftovers

Saturday: Volunteering-Meal Provided

Sunday: Chili Mac Skillet, and Corn

Submitted to:
Visit I'm an Organizing Junkie to see more menu ideas.

Cake Mix Recipes: Molten Chocolate Pudding Cake

1 (18 1/4 ounce) package devil's food cake mix
1 1/3 cups water
1/2 cup oil
3 eggs
2 packages instant chocolate pudding mix(4-serving size each)
3 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare cake mix with water, oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Pour into greased 13x9 inch baking dish. Set aside. Into large bowl, pour milk, dry pudding mixes, and vanilla. Beat with wire whisk 1 minute or until well blended. Pour over cake batter in center of pan; sprinkle with the chocolate chips.

Bake 1 hour or until cake appears baked but pudding wiggles in center. Cool slightly. Spoon the warm pudding into bowls and top with vanilla or peppermint ice cream.

November 2010 Reading List

An Amish Christmas by Cynthia Keller

Meg and her family’s life are in ruins after her husband loses his job and makes bad investments. They lose everything they own but most of all Meg can’t trust her husband because he kept it a secret for months and only told her because they had a couple weeks before they had to find a place to live. As they are traveling to stay with her parents they get into a car accident and the Amish man whose buggy they almost hit takes them home with him. The family ends up staying several weeks with the Amish family during Christmas while their car is being repaired. Meg’s family is reluctant to participate in the going on in the Amish family and Meg is upset as to how selfish her kids are. As they all start to pitch in to help they find joy in the simple life. Meg finds she enjoys baking and the Amish family helps her to find a location and clients to start a bakery along with a place to live.



A Plain & Simple Christmas by Amy Clipston

Anna Mae left the Amish faith to marry and English man and is shunned by her family. She and her husband are very much in love and are due to have their first baby in January. She wants to reunite with her family so that he child will know them. She contacts her sister in-law to help her plan for a Christmas visit.

When Anna Mae and her husband come to visit it doesn’t go so well with her sisters or her father but when they leave early to go home she goes into labor. Since they left during a snow storm and were angry the family becomes worried when they realize that she was probably in labor. He father and mother go to find them and find their car stuck in the snow. He husband had carried her to a barn to stay warm and give birth so that they didn’t get hit if someone didn’t see their car in enough time to stop. He tries to go for help when he find his in-laws and they take her back to their home to give birth. The family comes together and is reunited for Christmas



A Merry Little Christmas (Compilation)

Unto Us A Child… by Catherine Palmer


Jeremiah reluctantly agrees to let a foreign exchange student stay in his guest house after his sons had already spoken to the administrator of the program Lara Crane. As the exchange student is moving in he realizes that it is a family and the couple has 3 small sons. He is not happy about the situation but as time goes by and he sees how much his sons have come to care for the family his heart softening to them also. He finds that he is attracted to Lara and volunteers to help repair a home for an elderly woman she is working on with a couple of other. They fall in love as she realizes that she shouldn’t discriminate against him because he has money. Money can buy some things such as medical care, and plane ticket in emergency situations. He realizes that she makes him a better person by helping him open his heart to others.



Christmas, Don’t Be Late by Jillian Hart

Colton sees Amanda and her children walking along the road in the bitter cold after their car breaks down. He picks them up and takes them home but finds he is attracted to Amanda but both are reluctant to get involved. She has two young Children and one is seriously ill with Cancer and they are not sure if she will make it to Christmas, and she was hurt when her husband ran out on her a couple years ago. He was hurt when a long relationship ended when he realized the woman was only interested in him because of his money and the lifestyle he could provide. He ends up helping to make it the best Christmas for her and the kids since it could be the last they all share together and they fall in love.


Submitted to:

Life As Mom I’m Booking It in 2010!

Cake Mix Recipes: Cheesecake Bars

Bottom Layer:
1 yellow cake mix
1 stick margarine, melted and cooled
1 egg, beaten

Top Layer:
1 pound powdered sugar
2 eggs, beaten
8 ounces cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add cake mix and beaten egg to melted margarine. Spread mixture into bottom of a greased-and-floured 9X13 –inch pan.

In a separate bowl, mix together powdered sugar, eggs, softened cream cheese, and vanilla until smooth. Spread mixture over bottom layer. Bake 30-35 minutes.

First Corinthians 13

Christmas Version
If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows,
strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls,
but do not show love to my family,
I'm just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen,
baking dozens of Christmas cookies,
preparing gourmet meals and arranging
a beautifully adorned table at mealtime:
I'm just another cook.

If I work at a soup kitchen,
carol in the nursing home,
and give all that I have to charity;
but do not show love to my family,
it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels
and crocheted snowflakes,
attend a myriad of holiday parties
and sing in the choir's cantata
but do not focus on Christ,
I have missed the point.
Love stops the cooking to hug the child.
Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the spouse.
Love is kind, though harried and tired.
Love does not envy another's home
that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.

Love does not yell at the kids to get out of the way,
but is thankful they are there to be in the way.
Love does not give only to those who are able
to give in return; but rejoices in giving
to those who cannot.

Love bears all things,
believes all things,
hopes all things, and endures all things.
Love never fails.

Video games will break,
pearl necklaces will be lost,
golf clubs will rust,
but giving the gift of love will endure.

--Author Unknown

Avoiding Holiday Weight Gain

All of the festivities, the family gatherings, and the drinks and sweets can really add up, and by the end of the holidays, it's hard not to feel as if the celebrations didn’t wreak havoc on your waistline.

Up Your Workouts. Add an extra 15 minutes to your workout or workout at a higher intensity for a few days before and after a really big splurge day. Better yet up your workouts for the whole holiday season.

Save Calories. Make substitutions to save some extra calories for the party day. Use skim milk instead of whole, light cream cheese instead of regular, applesauce in baked goods instead of oil. Add more fruits and veggies to your meals and eat them first so you get full on the lower calories before you eat the meat and potatoes.

Avoid an Overly Restrictive Diet. If you enjoy your favorite foods in small portions, you'll feel more satisfied. Trying to stay away from foods you enjoy may leave you feeling deprived, which may cause you to eat more than you intended to.

Eat Before You Go. Rules to live by: never go grocery shopping while hungry, and similarly, never hit a holiday party on an empty stomach. You’ll be less tempted to overindulge if your belly’s full of something healthy. Have a small meal or snack beforehand that includes low-fat protein such as low-fat cheese or cottage cheese or try having a piece of fruit or some cut up veggies.

Bring Food. Bring a healthy dish or lower calorie version of your favorite dish to the party. If you bring a fresh vegetable tray with low-fat dip, a salad with low calorie dressing, or some cut-up fruit, many people will appreciate and choose the lighter item.

Scan the buffet table. Use a small plate to avoid overindulging. Make sure you fill your plate with high-fiber nutritious foods and lean protein. Minimize the amount of treats you eat by enjoying a healthy and delicious buffet selection first such as the vegetable.

Choose One Treat. Once at the party, choose one thing to indulge in and make it good. No chips — you can have those any old time. Pick something you only get during the holidays. Look over your dessert choices and then pick your favorite.

Say No to Liquid Calories. It is easy way to consume more calories than you need, so avoid juice, punch, sports and energy drinks, eggnog, alcohol and soda. They are a disaster at any time of the year, but especially during the holidays. Have a glass of water for every drink you consume.

Don’t Skip Meals. It’s tempting to skip meals to make up for whatever nightmare food you’ll eat later, but just like the empty-stomach rule, if you’re starving, your rational mind will be unavailable for healthy food choices. Eat small meals all day to avoid going nuts at the buffet table.

Don’t Eat Past Your Hunger. If you feel comfortably full, stop eating. Start learning what it feels like to feel “just right” rather than uncomfortably stuffed.

Moderate Eating is Best. That means eating one plate of food, leaving the seconds for another meal.


How do you maintain your weight during the holidays? Do you exercise more or do you give yourself a room to gain a little, knowing you'll get rid of it in January?