Fun Project

From the December issue of Country LIving  Magazine

I don't know about you but after our Christmas dinner is finished no one is ready for dessert. This year the kids requested Italian so we will be extra full of pasta!
It's hard to see this cake above, it's white with white frosting and a little forest on top! I decided I will be making this, along with a few cookies and we should be good to go while we play charades.

The directions were pretty easy. Melt the candy over a double boiler. I know you can do it in the microwave but if you ruin it you have to start all over again. I used a small pan which made it even easier.

These were the candies. I used lime green, a darker green and a turquoise blue. You could use any colors you want......think how pretty a white forest on a white cake with glittery sugar would look! I did not use the entire bag and had plenty leftover melted candy.

You must use parchment paper on the backside of a cookie sheet in order for them to come off without breaking and sticking. I bought the lollipop sticks but I have seen on Pinterst that people have also used pretzel sticks. I wanted mine to be taller than a thin pretzel. Be sure to lay them out on a cookie sheet (to move them around without smearing them) and leave room all around for the trees.

Spoon the melted candy into a zip lock bag and cut a very small hole in one corner.

Next you just drizzle it all over the stick. Sometimes the chocolate was hotter and spread a little too much for my liking. You may have to experiment. Next I put the white sprinkles on (just like the picture) but colored ones would look awesome too.

I like how they turned out, some better than others. But all different, just like real trees!

I was going for a bottle brush tree with the one on the right......

This is one that the chocolate was very warm and it bled together.

I love them! After you have them made you need to let them sit to harden up. I placed them outside on the porch table and they were ready in no time.
Hopefully I will remember to take a picture of the cake on Christmas!

Sunday my daughter, Caitlin and granddaughter, Maddy took me for my birthday, out to dinner and to see the Nutcracker. It has become a annual tradition that I love. Every year we compare notes about costumes, dancers and our favorite dance (mine is Waltz of the Flowers) and how it is the same or changed. It was a lovely evening.

Every year we get more and more cards with pictures of families on them. I love that and it lets us all see how everyone's family is growing. This card is an amazing work of art with so much detail I just love it.

This one is from a quilting friend, Ellen. I just think it is so sweet and now that I am all about those Putz houses it reminds me of them. It would also be an adorable quilt.
What are your last minute things to do this week?

Kelly