Caramel Apple Dip

The weekend before Thanksgiving I made a simple Caramel Apple Dip for a church gathering and it was such a yummy treat to share with friends and family that I wanted to share it with you, in case you want to include it in your holiday gatherings!  I made this dip in a cozy pie plate and served it with gingersnaps and apple slices.

Caramel Apple Dip

2 eight oz. pkgs. cream cheese, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

12 oz. jar caramel ice cream topping

3/4 - 1 cup chopped peanuts

Mix cream cheese, brown sugar, and vanilla with mixer until blended.  Spread into 9 inch round pan (I used pie plate).  Spread caramel topping over top.  Sprinkle chopped peanuts over caramel.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.  

This dip is sweet with a touch of salty, and excellent with gingersnaps 

and apple slices!

Progressive Lunch And Holiday Magic!

Remember yesterday I said I would tell you about this lovely lunch?

One of my friends asked me about it this morning at church.  She thought it came from one of the tea rooms in our area, and she was close!  My mom's dear friend Linda is an amazing cook, delightful hostess, and thoughtful friend.  She, her daughter Natalie, and her granddaughter lunch together nearly every day, and every once in a while my mom, grandma, Trevor, and I will join them.  It's always a good time!  And Trev has learned to be a gentlemen in tea rooms and the like which is important!

Anyway, Linda decided to make some of the yummiest recipes from a couple of our favorite tea rooms and had us all over for lunch on Friday, men and all.  We walked in to such a cozy kitchen!

A pitcher of cranberry iced tea was ready and waiting, a perfect drink for a December day in the South...

We dined on our delicious and lovely lunch of Cheesy Chicken Crunch, salad, and fresh fruit.

And the little ones were served kid-friendly fare at their own little table!

We enjoyed laughing over a leisurely lunch and taking in all of Linda's lovely Christmas decorations.  We then headed to Natalie's house to see her cozy and lovely Christmas home.  Everyone drove to our home next to see our little trees a sparkling.  Here I am with my sweet friend Natalie...

And last we headed to my parents' house to see their decorations and have dessert!

Madi had helped Grammie decorate the cupcakes the night before, and the kids got their cupcakes served in a little sleigh...

And along with the little treats, my mom had a variety of hot cocoas to serve.  Some even chose one of my favorite things, a hot cocoa float with a scoop of peppermint ice cream, topped with whipped cream and garnished with a peppermint stick!  The little girls loved these!

As three - actually four - generations spent this afternoon together, I couldn't help but think what a normal Friday looks like.  We rush the kids off to school.  Jimmy goes to work.  I do a few things around the house or run errands then it's time to pick up Trev from Pre-K.  We come home, have lunch, and I teach a piano and vocal lesson.  Then it's time to pick Madi up from school.  Later in the afternoon Jimmy comes home from work in time to teach a guitar lesson.

But that is not what this Friday looked like.  No, this Friday we hovered around the table laughing with family and friends.  The pace was slow, the food divine, the fellowship sweet.

Holidays are magical.

Fun Additions To The Treats For The Sweet Tray!

When I saw these cute (and tasty) Pumpkin SpiceMallows at Walmart today, I couldn't resist adding a jar of them to my 

Treats For The Sweet Tray!

Who can resist anything pumpkin spice?  I know I can't!  

Also, my mom asked me to make her some tags and while I was at it, I made a tag to add some whimsy to my tray.

I've been busy working on other little projects which I'll share with you soon, but I am getting close to being finished fluffing my nest for fall!  Well, as finished as I ever get around here - there's always details to add if I have a moment of creative inspiration!

Treats For The Sweet Burlap Lined Tray!

Remember my hot cocoa tray from last December?  I wanted to do something similar to welcome Fall, so I took my trusty Longaberger tray that has been with me for nearly a decade and lined it with some burlap I had sitting around, then transformed it into an autumn style
Treats For The Sweet Tray!

 I think trays are so inviting, don't you?!  I used peanuts and candy corn, one of my more recently discovered favorite fall snacks, as sort of an inspiration for this vignette.  I used a frame I already had and my alphabet stamps to make a welcoming little sign...

I love using these little stamps.  No need to worry about the imperfections, they add to the old-fashioned charm!

To go along with my theme, I took my Southern Living hurricane, another nearly decade old companion, and put a candle in it.  I then poured candy corn around the candle to fill the hurricane, and it can now glow sweetly in my kitchen!

I also found a darling candy corn votive at Pier One for $1, and a cute little candy corn dish in the Target value section for $2.50.  This made a very inexpensive and fun accent.

That little polka dot Happy Halloween bucket was $1, also found in the Target value section.  It is housing York Peppermint Patties, a favorite low-fat chocolate snack of mine!  At Christmas you may remember I found sweet little gingerbread men marshmallows for my hot cocoa tray.  Well, last week at Walmart I happened to see these cute GhostMallows and thought they would be fun for this Halloween season!

I put them in one of my canning jars next to a container of pumpkin spice hot cocoa (also from Walmart) for a warm and comforting fall drink.

This cocoa is delicious made with a mug of water heated in the microwave, 3 TBSP of the pumpkin spice cocoa mix, a splash of pumpkin spice coffee creamer (my favorite is from Aldi), and a few GhostMallows to top if off.  Such a treat, you should come by sometime for a cup!  We'll curl up in my green chair corner and chat while we sip!

And we'll have to bring the jar of candy corn and peanuts too...this perfect blend of sweet and salty can keep company with us while we catch up!

Right now my Treats For The Sweet Tray sits on my kitchen counter, inviting me to stop, sit, snack, and savor.  I hope you'll come on by sometime to enjoy it with me!

Happy Fall Y'all!  Be sweet and stop in for a treat!




(This is my first blog party...my mom loves getting inspiration from this one...I hope I am doing this right!!)

If You Need A Good Laugh...

Break out your kid's easel and play a game of Pictionary with a bunch of adults!

We had a houseful of friends over last night for a Sunday School class date night.  After a few hours of eating and talking, we broke out the dry erase markers and the Pictionary board and let me tell you, we all laughed so hard that I literally had sore, aching muscles from laughing when I woke up this morning!

Which is an obvious sign of a great time.  :)

Valentine's Par-Tea!

Oh, what fun we had at Madi's Valentine Tea Party!  God blessed us with a bright, warm, sunshiney day and the hours we spent together with these sweet, lovely girls were filled with laughter, smiles, and lots of love!

My parents dropped by right before the party with something special...the aprons I'd had my eye on!  What a fun surprise for my little hostess and me to wear!

We set out a teacup fountain one of the girls had given us as a gift awhile ago.  It was so pretty and the sound so peaceful - truly a thoughtful gift that added atmosphere to our afternoon.

We had chicken salad and meatballs for lunch, and of course special drinks and lots of sweet treats to choose from.

I think the teenage girls' favorite thing was the coffee punch!!  We have this at all of our ladies events at church, and it is a definite treat!  Madi had a teacup of hot cocoa with heart shaped marshmallows.

Another favorite from the party was when we decorated frames as a craft project.  The girls had the best time making these!  We decided to need to have more craft time together soon!

From the food and crafts to the Cupid Shuffle and hula hoops, the laughter and fun and music around the piano, the ring pops and lollipops and all things sweet....

It was Valentine's Par-Tea to remember!

xoxoxoxoxo