Some people believe that you should eat something round for New Year’s Eve. It is suppose to be symbolic of bringing the year to a full circle. I like the idea of anything that is full circle getting the full comprehension of the year, and especially when it is in the form of cake. Hahhahhahhaa silly me…. I just brought cake into the equation. I needed to find a way to make sense of my cake addiction and New Year’s Eve traditions….. and I just made my own.

Have you ever had a Jarritos cake? A delicious cake made with pudding and citrus soda….. it’s so moist and close to perfect, and I personally love it. Especially when you find the Jarritos at Walmart for .50 cents a bottle. That makes it real easy to pick up a few bottles drink a couple and use one for your Jarritos cake. This is one of the desserts I will be making for New Year’s Eve this year. I will say it is for the kids to eat, but in reality it will be for me. Happy New Year Friends! Enjoy!

Ingredients for Jarritos cake:

• 3/4 – cup Jarritos grapefruit or lime soda
• 1 – box yellow cake mix
• 1 – small box lemon pudding
• 3/4 – cup vegetable oil
• 4 – eggs

Icing:

• 2 – cups confectioners sugar
• 2 – tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 – tablespoons milk

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees fahrenheit.
2. Spray a bundt pan with non-stick baking spray, and set to the side.
3. In a large mixer add all cake ingredients and mix until smooth for about 5 minutes.
4. Pour into the prepared bundt pan and place in the oven for 50 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. 
5. Allow to cool completely before flipping it over onto a plate.
6. Then whisk together the icing ingredients and drizzle over the top of the cake. 
7. Enjoy!

Are you getting ready for the holidays? I like to cozy up to a nice cup of hot chocolate every time the moment presents itself. Just got home from holiday shopping at Walmart? A cup of hot chocolate. Gonna decorate the tree? A cup of hot chocolate. Baking cookies? A cup of hot chocolate. Christmas morning? You get the picture. My grandfather always sipped on a cup of hot chocolate during the holidays growing up and I followed suit, except this year I wanted to make it more interactive for my son, and possibly give my hot chocolate away as a gift. I thought “how can I transform that holiday magic from my cup into gifts for my family and friends?”  I decided to make hot chocolate cubes, that could be stirred into a cup of hot milk, and or be eaten as a lollipop. Wrap them up and tie them with a bow.

Ingredients for hot chocolate cubes:

• Chocolate chips or pieces (semi sweet, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or white)
• Silicone ice cube tray
• mini marshmallows
• candy cane sticks
• christmas sprinkles
• lollipop sticks

Directions:

1. In a double boiler melt chocolate. (If you don’t have a double boiler: place water in a pot over a high flame then place a metal bowl over the boiling water in the pot and put the chocolate in there, stir till melted.)
2. Pour melted chocolate into silicone ice trays (fill 3/4 of the way up) and place in the fridge for 25 minutes. 
3. Remove from fridge and insert candy cane sticks, decorate with marshmallows, sprinkles, and for the cubes without a candy cane stick insert a lollipop stick. 
4. Place back in the fridge for 2 hours.
5. Remove from fridge and let sit for 5 minutes, then carefully push them out of the silicone ice cube tray. 
6. If you wrap them up they work great…
7. Or stir one into a cup of hot milk and embrace the warm chocolate beverage.  They’re great for coffee as well. 
8. Enjoy!

Here’s the skinny… My mom and Auntie Rosie have been on a crafting roll lately…. Every time I check in with my Mom she goes on and on telling me about the candy wreaths her and my aunt have been making, if that’s not enough she’s even sending pictures and blowing up my instagram feed with her crafty creations. I have to admit…. I was a little jealous I couldn’t join them due to an over abundance of work this year. Usually I’m in the thick of the craft projects with them.

A few days later my Mom and I were doing our weekly run to Walmart for all things needed, and she says to me “Are you sure you don’t have time to make a candy tree? We could buy everything here at Walmart, then go home and make some. It won’t take that long.” I got so happy, I smiled and said “Alright. Twist my arm to spend some quality Mom and daughter time making food crafts!” She new I was bummed and was dying to get crafty…. plus I knew I could always share / blog about it.

Once my tree was done, I thought it to be so whimsical and old fashioned at the same time. I imagined it being part of the set of an old Rudolph cartoon with a blaze of snow blowing past it. My Mom and I placed our trees side by side when we were done and photographed them. She made her’s covered in gummy bears and I made mine of sour cherry candies with a white star on top. HAPPINESS = A MERRY CHRISTMAS

What you’ll need for a Candy Christmas Tree:

• glue sticks
• glue gun
• styrofoam cone
• styrofoam circle stand / base for cone (optional)
• green tape (or any other color that suits your needs)
• candy
• sequins ribbon (optional)
• craft stars
• garland / tinsel
• scissors

Instruction:

1. Plug in glue gun and insert glue stick…allow to get hot.
2. Glue base/stand to styrofoam cone.  
3. Working in 2 to 3 inch long pieces, cover the cone from top to bottom in tape. 
4. Once the entire cone is covered, tape up the bottom and top too.
5. Using little dabs of glue from the glue gun, stick on the first piece of candy. Work your way all around to form the first ring. 
6. Then measure the circumference of the tree with the sequin ribbon. Cut where the two ends meet and glue it on between each roll of candy rings. 
7. Once you reach the bottom glue the garland / tinsel around the bottom of the base. 
8. Either glue the star directly on top of the tree or I used pom pom balls between the tree and the star.
9. It’s that simple.
10. Enjoy!

Do you ever make things in advance to try them out? You know, like try a recipe a few weeks in advance before a party. I’m a little crazy like that. Well I don’t know if you can call it crazy…. I like to think of it as uber prepared. That happened this past weekend. It had been a year since the last time I made ponche, I make it annually but like to change little things here and there each year.  I think the truth of the matter is I was looking for a reason to make ponche, and Walmart tempted  me further by having everything I needed to make it right there in the store. As I walked down the isles I filled my cart up with apples, prunes, raisins, sugar cane, and tamarindo. I told myself as I pushed the cart that I was gonna have my Christmas party / posada in a few weeks and I had to give my ponche recipe a spin. That was enough to convince me, as everyone knows you can not have a posada without a good pot of ponche. Next thing I knew I was home peeling my tamarindo pods and coring my apples. A few hours later my house smelled of Christmas…. the weather was cold outside and my hands warm wrapped around my gorgeous ponche.

Ingredients for ponche:

• 2 – gallons water
• 15 – tamarindo pods (peeled and devein)
• 18 – dried hibicus flowers
• 4 – cinnamon sticks
• 20 – tejocote
• 5 – apples (cut in half and cored)
• 15 – guavas
• 1/2 – cup raisins
• 20 – prunes (pitted)
• 3 – piloncillo cones

Directions:

1. Peel and devein tamarindo. 
2. Cut apples in half and core.
3. Place all ingredients in a large pot over a high flame and bring to a boil. 
4. When the mixture starts to boil,  lower flame to low/simmer and cover with a lid.
5. Cook for 3 hours. 
6. Remove from flame and serve hot. 
7. Enjoy!

Here is a little snippet of how to devein a tamarindo pod.

Sometimes, just sometimes life hands over a project that is usually hard and makes it so simple you have to do it.  Allow me to start by saying I have been making gingerbread house every year since me and my fiance got together. Initially (over 11 years ago) I had started by doing the whole thing from scratch, but for some reason one of the walls wouldn’t fit perfectly or it would crack. Then a few years later I found a kit where all the pieces came in the box, and you could assemble the house when you got home with a little help from some royal icing. This year I was strolling around Walmart buying some supplies for some posts among other things, and saw a mountain of gingerbread houses for sale. These were no ordinary gingerbread houses….. these were pre-assembled for you. I quickly threw an arm full of boxes in the cart and said to my fiance…. we have to make a few  gingerbread houses now. Then I tilted my head to the candy isle to go find some supplies to further decorate my house. YES, the box comes with candy and royal icing in it, but I wanted to get a little more fancy with it. Can I just say WALMART has the BEST candy isle EVER! I love all the holiday candy they carry. Among the chocolates and chewy fruit candies I found a cute peppermint candy tree (It was only $1.50, I don’t know why I didn’t buy more) … I knew it was going to look fabulous in front of my gingerbread house.

Tips for making a gingerbread house:

• Construct on a plate or dish that the house will live on. That way you can move it around during the holidays to fit your needs.
• I like to use cereal (frosted mini wheats) as the roof.
• Break to candy canes together to form a heart, then place them on a piece of wax paper and bake for 3 minutes at 350 degrees fahrenheit. Then peel the hearts off and use them as you wish. I used mine as a huge window this year.
• If you make several you can give them away as centerpieces for the holidays. Or take it with you to a holiday party as a gift for the host.
• I sometimes put a round mirror in the front of the house to create an illusion of a  frozen patch of water.
• I cover the plate in shredded coconut to make it look like a snow covered ground.
• Cut pieces of candy to fit the length of the roof or walls.
• Choose a color theme and buy the kind of candy that will help accomplish the look you want.

Here is a little instagram of my finished gingerbread house:

I seriously pride myself on being a potato girl. I never shy away from my favorite carb, nor do my boys. I believe Mando’s first word was “papa” and he wasn’t making reference to his father. My son follows closely in his dad’s footsteps, asking for potatoes with every meal. It’s kinda funny, the times we have been out at a Chinese or Japanese restaurant and my son tries to order french fries, that’s a true sign of a potato lover. There are so many varieties of potatoes in the US, and I have tried a great deal of them.

Not long ago Walmart asked me to try a new potato by the name of Albert Bartlett Rooster Potato, which up until now have only been sold in the United Kingdom. This potato starts off with pink skin and cooks golden yellow, and it is only sold exclusively to Walmart here in the United States. I quickly investigated this product to see what they were all about, and they only cost $2.87 for a 2 pound bag at my local Walmart . With promises of being buttery, nutty, and fresh I had to give them the old Presley try. I examined the packaging and found that this potato is very versatile. You can roast, mash, bake, fry, and boil it…. not quite in that order but you get the picture.  I decided since I don’t have a good mashed potato recipe on my blog, I would try my hand at this recipe. Enjoy it at your holiday table. Enjoy!

Ingredients for loaded mashed potatoes:

• 6 to 8 – Albert Bartlett Rooster potatoes (peeled and cut into 4 pieces per potato)
• 1 – stick butter (sliced)
• 3 – tablespoons sour cream
• salt to taste
• 2 – cups grated cheddar cheese
• 1 – cup bacon (cooked and crumbled)
• 1/2 – cup green onion (chopped)

Directions:

1. In a pot filled halfway with water over a medium flame, bring water to a boil. Meanwhile peel and cut potatoes. 
2. Add in potatoes and cook in boiling water for 15 minutes. 
3. Remove from flame and drain out water.
4. Smash potatoes with a masher and add in butter and sour cream, continue mashing until smooth. 
5. Salt to your liking.
6. Gently fold in 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese.
7. Next mix in bacon and green onion. Continue mixing until fully combined. 
8. Pour the mashed potato mixture into a casserole dish, and sprinkle the top with remaining cheddar cheese.
9. Place under the boiler on high for 5 to 7 or until crisp.
10. Enjoy!

I love having a few pounds of turkey in the fridge. I make sure to make enough during the holiday season for all the leftover meals. There is so much you can do with leftover turkey, but one of my favorites is turkey in mole or turkey mole enchiladas. If I have big pieces then I simmer them in mole, but if I have little scraps here and there I shred them up and make a batch of enchiladas. I know you’re thinking “Who in their right mind has time to be making mole?” Well making mole from scratch is a daunting task, but lucky for all of us mole can be bought in a jar, and with a few added ingredients made into a divine sauce. It’s the best mole shortcut, and only takes a few minutes. What I love best is my local Walmart sells the mole in a jar and all the other key ingredients. This is a great meal to make with leftover turkey, and it veers away from the typical cranberry spread turkey sandwich. I like to invite friends over that I may not have been able to see over Thanksgiving, and let them think I slaved away in the kitchen to make them this dazzling meal. Even though I’m sure I just gave myself away with this post. Hee-Hee, now you know. I am going to include step by step photos of the entire process to show you exactly how to do it. Enjoy your leftovers!

Ingredients for turkey mole enchiladas:

Turkey filling:

• 2 – tablespoon olive oil
• 2 – cup onion (chopped)
• 2 – teaspoon garlic (chopped)
• 6 – cups shredded leftover turkey
• 1/2 – teaspoon oregano
• 1 – teaspoon Lawry’s
• 8 – tablespoons chicken broth
• 2 – cups grated queso quesadilla, or grated jack cheese, or crumbled queso fresco

Mole:

• 1 – jar Dona Maria mole
• 4 – cups chicken broth (boiling)
• 1/2 – cup salted peanuts
• 1/2 – cup raisins

Other Ingredients:

• 1 – cup vegetable oil
• 24 – king size corn tortillas
• toasted sesame seeds

Directions:

1. In a large frying pan over a medium flame add in olive oil and allow to get hot.
2. Add in onions and saute until translucent for about 7 minutes.
3. Add in garlic and continue to stir for about 2 minutes.
4. Add in turkey, oregano, and Lawry’s stir to combine and continue cooking for 10 minutes. 
5. Add in chicken broth, mix, and set to the side.
6. Mole: In a blender add in mole, chicken broth (boiling hot), peanuts and raisins.   
7. Blend on high until smooth. Set to the side. 
8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
9. In a small frying pan over a medium low flame add in vegetable oil and allow to heat.
10. Dip one tortilla at a time into the hot oil and fry on each side for 1 to 2 minutes or until hard but still bendable. 
11. Place fried tortillas in a baking dish. Then a few at a time add 2  tablespoons of turkey mixture to the center of the tortilla. 
12. Top the turkey mixture with 1 tablespoon of grated cheese, then roll the tortilla up to create a tube shape. 
13. Place all the enchiladas in a the baking dish, then pour the mole over the top.   
14. Place in the oven for 15 minutes.
15. Remove from oven and pour additional mole over the top and sprinkle with sesame seeds. 
16. Enjoy!