Santa-paws Oatmeal Balls

Gary, being the Southern Gentleman that he is, requested we make a Christmas treat for all of his new friends here in Albuquerque. With all of the chaos, known as December, I needed something quick, easy and delicious! I am pretty sure he has won the hearts of several pups with these Doggie Oaties!

What you will need:

2 cups rolled oats

1 cup applesauce

1 cup peanut butter

Directions:

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. Roll into bite sized balls and bake on parchment lined baking sheets in a 325℉ for 10 minutes.

{I tried to get festive using Holiday cookie cutters--FAIL--Balls work best!}

After the oaties had cooled we packaged them in individual treat bags for easy Secret Santa (paws) delivery!

And, of course, someone had to test the batch before we set out to spread good cheer!



Yes, Mom, I'll take one more!





Recipe from HEAB!

Free, Free, Free. Free, Free, Free....

Free for you and me! (Please sing to the tune of Jingle bells!)

Shutterfly, the internet- based personal publishing service where you can create photo albums, personalize photo cards & stationary, and then share with family and friends, is GIVING AWAY 50 free cards from their new Holiday collection!
For me the best part of Shutterfly, is the convenience! You upload your photos to your account, where they are stored...FREE of charge! From there you organize each album in its own folder, enhance photos with festive borders, crop and remove red-eyes! Your photos are now ready to be shared with family and friends through customized personal web pages or email. AND you can get professional quality prints send directly to the recipient or just stop by Target, Walgreens or CVS to pick up the prints!
Shutterfly has been a great way for me to keep in touch with all of my friends and their growing families, from Coast to Coast! And I am soooo excited to be able to send Holiday greetings from my growing family this year!

Now, the tough part is going to be actually having to choose which card to send from the Shutterfly 2010 Holiday Collection...

And to be honest, I don't think I am going to be able to stop at just Holiday cards....

Because who wouldn't be thrilled to receive a 2011 Calendar 

or a Coffee Mug 

with this guy plastered all over?!

There is Something in the Water...

Or at least there was between 12 and 9 months ago! Because everyone I know is having a baby! So in honor of those cute little Nuggets I am sharing a very simple DIY Baby Shower party favor: Mint Pacifiers.

I flew home to Georgia in September to host a shower for my Dearest friend!

Momma -to- be with Baby Bump at the Brunch

We decided to have a Baby Brunch with Baby Quiche, Baby BLT's (Turkey Bacon, of course!), Baby Bran Muffins, Baby Spinach Salad with Blue Cheese, Berries and Balsamic, and Baby Ducks.

Hostess' with the Momma-to-be: My mom, J and me

Look at that adorable red mohawk!

What you will need: 

1 bag of Candy Melts 

1 bag of Jelly Beans (the larger the better...you will want to have enough to snack!) 

2 bags of Lifesaver Mints (If you can find the rolls of small mints with holes in the center--use those!)
Wax paper
10-20 Small Cellophane gift bags (clear)
Ribbon

1. On a sheet of wax paper place Candy Melts in rows flat side down.

2. Microwave 3-4 Candy Melts for 20 seconds. Continue heating in 10 second intervals until the Candy Melts are soft.

3. Take a jelly bean and dip the tip in the melted Candy Melt (the glue).

4. Press the tip of the Jelly Bean that is covered in "glue" into the center of the Candy Melt on the wax paper.

5. Repeat steps 2-4 until all Jelly Beans are glued to a Candy Melt.

6. Refrigerate for a few hours to allow the "glue" to set.

7. Repeat step 2.

8. Dip one edge of a Lifesaver Mint into the glue.

9. Press glued edge of mint into the center,  bottom side of each Candy Melt with Jelly Bean.

10. Refrigerate over night.

11. Place 1-2 Mint Pacifiers into clear cellophane bag and tie closed with a ribbon.

12. Have the bags of Mint Pacifiers in a bowl or on a table by the door for guest to take on their way out! Any extra can go in a bowl on the buffet table or around the room.

Currently Craving: Bonfires and Smores

With the cooler weather all I can think about is sitting around a bonfire with great friends and enjoying smores!