3rd Annual Country Women's Christmas Candy Making Party

I just returned home from my annual candy making party. It was another great time filled with holiday festivities and spirit and great company.

My sweet friend ended up with a house full of sick kids this year. So we held the party at the church instead of her house. We missed her a lot but the set up at the church went great! I wanted the day to still feel cozy cottage like. So I tried to decorate and bring in the Christmas spirit. My precious mother in law came to the church and helped me set up. We hung a wreath on the door to welcome my guests. Then we wrapped the three large tables in wrapping paper. We used chair back covers to cover the chairs and then wrapped pretty bows around the chairs. This added a special touch. I set up a small fiberoptic Christmas tree. Then to add the final touch I set up a CD player with Christmas music and turned on my candle warmer with a Scentsy Caramel Pecan scent. *Perfect!*

To make things easy and the least divided as possible I brought my microwave to set up in the room with us so that no one had to leave to melt all of the different ingredients. This was really nice as it kept us all visiting and laughing together.

I always love to see who is able to come, both those who I know and then those who I don't. This year we had two ladies come that I was able to meet for the first time. I just Love that this party pulls people out of the woodwork and brings people back year after year.

We made A LOT of wonderful treats this year. Several repeats from years past and a few new treats as well. all of the recipes are things that we can make with a microwave, plenty of chocolate, and several glass bowls. Here are the recipes:
Here are the links to the recipes:
Chocolate Peanut Butter Candy
Chocolate Peppermint Bark
Holiday Truffles
Toffee Peanut Clusters
Oreo Cream Cheese Truffles (AKA: Hosts of Ghosts for Halloween)
Chocolate-Dipped Pretzel Rods
Butterscotch Treats

1 C. Butterscotch pieces Nestle Tollhouse

1/2 C. Creamy peanut butter

3 c. Corn flakes

On cookie Sheet with edge, cover bottom w/ wax paper, set aside

Put PB and Butterscotch pieces in a 2 qt pan. Stir and melt on Medium heat, when all melted, remove

fromt heat, add corn flakes stirring until well coated. You can add more cornflakes until they are all

coated.

drop by teaspoon on cookie sheet, place in fridge- and they'll set.

It was a wonderful afternoon filled with the treasured sights, sounds, and smells of Christmas. I am so grateful for the chance that I have to give back to my wonderful friends, old and new.

Merry Christmas Dear Friends!

2nd Annual Country Women's Christmas Candy Making Party

The title is long, but the party itself goes by too quickly. Last year I held the party in my home. This year my sweet friend Karin offered to have us come to her home. Thank you so much Karin! Her kitchen and dining area was perfect for the great turn out that we had!

The Country Women's Christmas Candy Making Party is a Christmas tradition that I started for the women in our community to enjoy. I came across a Taste of Homes Country Women's Christmas Cookbook and wanted to try several of their recipes. But I knew I would Never make them all on my own, nor would it be any fun if I tried them alone. So, I invited the ladies in town to join me in the fun.;) Last year I had around 5 or so ladies come. This year we had around 20! Yippee!

The sweet smells of chocolate, peanut butter, and peppermint filled the air. Mingled with the sounds of Christmas carols, visiting friends, and laughing children. Can't get much better then that! This year I invited anyone who wanted to to bring soup and cookies to share with everyone as we made the candy. That was a really nice addition. Especially for those of us who hadn't had dinner.

In the end we made 7 recipes from Taste of Home online. We doubled the recipes and everyone walked away with plenty of goodies as well as leftovers to take to neighbors. Truly a MERRY CHRISTMAS Celebration!

Here are the links to the recipes:
Chocolate Peanut Butter Candy
Chocolate Peppermint Bark
Microwave Marshmallow Fudge
Holiday Truffles
Toffee Peanut Clusters
White Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles (AKA: Bloodshot Eyeballs for Halloween)
Oreo Cream Cheese Truffles (AKA: Hosts of Ghosts for Halloween)

From Christmas Candy Making Party 2010

From Christmas Candy Making Party 2010

From Christmas Candy Making Party 2010

From Christmas Candy Making Party 2010

From Christmas Candy Making Party 2010

From Christmas Candy Making Party 2010

From Christmas Candy Making Party 2010

From Christmas Candy Making Party 2010

From Christmas Candy Making Party 2010

From Christmas Candy Making Party 2010

From Christmas Candy Making Party 2010

REMINDER FOR NEXT YEAR:
* Cover at least 10 cookie sheet sized pieces of cardboard with heavy duty tin foil to use as makeshift cookie sheets.

Country Christmas Candy Making and Advent Candle Event

I have a fridge filled with a beautiful variety of chocolates and a house that smells of peppermint. Do you know what that is like? .... heaven, indeed.

I held the first annual Country Women's Christmas Candy and Advent Candle making event in my cozy cottage this weekend. It was a great success! I believe that it will only get better as the years progress. My dear mother in Law and close friend, Harmony, were with me from the beginning to the end. I am happy to say we also had other women come and go throughout the day. We started around noon and ended after 4:00 in the afternoon. There was never a dull moment and we all had a wonderful time.


The house was filled with the Christmas Spirit as we baked along side one another. The sounds of the season filled the air as an undertone to the stories, laughter, and sisterly encouragement shared between each woman. The tables were spread from one end to the other with baking supplies and eventually platters filled with colorful candies. All ready to be dished up on plates and shared with families throughout the town. Some of us also walked away with a candle stick marked with 12 little cinnamon candy pieces to advent the days leading up to Christmas.


We made 8 different kinds of chocolates. I was lucky enough to find the recipes all online so I can share them with you. Here it goes:
Chocolate Peppermint Bark
Toffee Peanut Clusters
Yummy Cracker Snacks
Orange Coconut Creams
Chocolate Peanut Butter Candy
Peppermint Fudge Truffles
Holiday Truffles
Cashew Cluster (not online) Just melt white chocolate and mix with cashews

When all of the candy was finished and the women back to their homes, Leif and I finished dishing up individual plates and made little tags for the families who we Home and Visit Teach. We climbed in the car with our boys and delivered all of the candy. It was the perfect way to share the true meaning of Christmas with our children. My hope is that next year more of the ladies will be able to share the gift of giving with their own families at the end of the event as well as my own.