A Homemade Christmas Gift: Holiday Simmering Packages

Dec 5 | Easy DIY, Holiday Crafts, Holidays, Homemade Christmas Gifts

Warm up your house with the scent of Christmas with these Holiday Simmering Packages!

I thought you guys would like to see what my mom made for a few of her girlfriends for Christmas this year!  They’re Holiday Simmering Packages!  They’ll make any home smell wonderful, just like Christmas!  (They’re not meant for drinking, but for simmering on the stove.) I think I’m even going to make up a few for my girlfriends!

For her recipe, my mom used her dehydrator to dry the oranges, lemons and apples, but you could also dry them in your oven or just use fresh peels!

Warm up your house with the scent of Christmas with these Holiday Simmering Packages!
Print
Holiday Simmering Packages
Ingredients
  • 3 Cinnamon Sticks
  • 1-2 dry orange slices
  • 1-2 dry lemon slices
  • 1-2 dry apple slices
  • 2 tsp. whole cloves
  • 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
  • 2 tsp. whole spice
  • 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
  • 1-2 crushed bay leaves
  • 2 tsp. dried mandarin orange peel
Instructions
  1. Place all the ingredients in a plastic bag.
  2. Put a label on the bag with these instructions:
  3. Place ingredients in a pot of water and simmer, adding more water as needed! Makes your house smell wonderful!

 

Easy DIY Candy Cane Reindeer

Dec 3 | Easy DIY, Holiday Recipes, Holidays

I have got the cutest holiday project for you today! It’s so simple too! I think they’d make a good project to do with kids. Maybe as a craft at a holiday party?  Or maybe wrap them up to add a cute touch to a hot chocolate gift? Regardless of what you do with them, they’re awesome because they involve chocolate and peppermint! 🙂

Here’s how to make simple Candy Cane Reindeer:

INGREDIENTS:

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Line a cutting board or cookie sheet with wax paper.
  2. Heat chocolate candy chips by microwaving for 30 seconds stirring and repeating until melted.
  3. Take 2 candy canes and dip the bottoms (straight parts) in chocolate and shake off excess.
  4. Place together on wax paper so hooks of each go off in opposite directions.
  5. Place an unwrapped Hershey Kiss on the chocolate covered canes.
  6. Repeat for remaining canes.
  7. Using a toothpick, take a dab or melted chocolate and glue the red candy on top of the kiss as the nose.
  8. Using a toothpick, take a dab or melted chocolate and glue on the eyes.
  9. Take the white chocolate chip and place on wax paper and heat in microwave for 15 seconds.
  10. Take another toothpick and paint a white mouth on each reindeer.

Aren’t they cute? Are you going to give these Candy Cane Reindeer a try?

Related holiday recipes:

This is the cutest holiday DIY that I ever did see! These candy cane reindeer are so simple to create too! Perfect addition to hot chocolate.