Thank you for joining us for our blog series entitled The ART of Holiday Living!  What a fun 30 days it has been.  From mini cards to mini albums…our hope was that you were inspired in some way.  Wishing your the merriest of holidays.  Cheers to 2012.  Check back with us for our next blog series toward the end of January.  Thanks for visiting.  Diana

Sometimes simple is BEST!  Sometimes a picture paints a thousand words.  Tell your story one day at a time.  ”Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving.  What you have caught on film is captured forever.  It remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.”  Aaron Siskind

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What you are giving is not nearly as important as how you gave it. You gave it with love. You gave it with sincerity. You gave it with joy.

Give all of those things when you make a photo tag, a photo bookmark, a photo card or a photo book.

Grandma and Grandpa, Aunt Sue and Uncle John, they will all adore the thought and effort that went into this special gift.

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of Holiday Living!

Specialty drinks top off your entertaining.  It’s fun to start of tradition.  Holiday guests will look forward to the beverage for which your home is know.  Cheers!

Eggnog Coffee

1  1/3 cup eggnog

1  2/3 cups hot strong brewed coffee (French or other dark roast)

Whipped cream and ground nutmeg, optional

Place eggnog in a large saucepan.  Cook and stir until heated through (Do not boil.) Stir in coffee.

Pour into cups or mugs; serve immediately.  Garnish with whipped cream and nutmeg if desired.  Yield, 4 servings.

Poinsettia Mimosas

1 Bottle Champagne

3 cups cranberry juice

1/4 cup Triple Sec

3 Tbsp. Grenadine

Make sure all ingredients are nice and cold.  Mix together and serve!

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When’s the last time you had a blast in the snow? If the only words that come to mind when you think of winter are ice, inconvenient and dreary then you need a Winter Style session stat! Imagine the stunning backdrop of snowfall, the toasty warmth of a knit hat and scarf and the pure joy on your child’s face as they catch snowflakes on their tongue all captured for you in stunning clarity.

Join us for a Winter Style session, complete with turtlenecks, puffy coats and flushed cheeks. The warmth you’ll feel long after when you remember the snowball fight, captured in candid yet detailed precision will make you wonder why you don’t wish for snow all year round!

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How about more mini cards?  With the use of gift bags, most of us need a mini card to coordinate.  Today’s offering is a display of handmade mini cards.

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What’s more fun than to personalize your holiday gift giving?    Adding initials or monograms to your gift makes it more meaningful.  The most mundane gift can be transformed into a treasure by personalizing it. Need some ideas: necklaces, luggage bags, room decor, key chains, charms,  mugs, picture stands, photo frames, pillows, coasters?  Even a holiday ornament can be personalized. Put on your thinking cap.  Here are some visuals to get you started.

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The offering today is a bit of This & That.  ENJOY!

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Hi again!  Need something to do with those leftover candy canes?

Peppermint Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 C. crushed peppermint candy
• 1 1/3 C. granulated sugar, divided
• 3/4 C. butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. peppermint extract
• 3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Directions

Grind or crush the peppermint candies in 1/3 cup of the sugar until powdery (a few tiny pieces are okay). Mix flour and salt together in a small bowl and set aside. Mix the butter, eggs, and remaining sugar together in a large bowl. Add in vanilla and peppermint extracts. Add the flour mixture 1/3 at a time to the butter mixture. Form the dough into small balls, about an inch wide. Roll the balls of dough in the crushed candy mixture and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 8 minutes at 350 degrees. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for one minute, remove and roll them in the candy sugar again. Cool on wax paper

Frozen Peppermint Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 C. chocolate wafer cookie crumbs (about 24 wafers)
• 1/4 C. sugar
• 1/4 C. margarine or butter, melted
• 1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
• 1 14 oz. can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
• 1 C. crushed hard peppermint candy
• Red food coloring, optional
• 2 C. (1 pint) whipping cream, whipped or non-dairy whipped topping

Directions

Combine crumbs, sugar, and margarine. Press on bottoms and halfway up sides of two 9-inch springform pan. In a large mixing bowl, beat cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk. Stir in crushed candy and food coloring if desired. Fold in whipped cream.

Pour into prepared pan, and cover. Freeze 6 hours or until firm. Garnish as desired. Return leftovers to freezer.

All recipes courtesy of Recipe 4 Living.

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