Tasty Treat ideas for the holidays Part Two! White Chocolate Candy Cane Pretzels!

What up yo!?

Please don't look at me with those mean eyes! I know it's been a few days since I said I was gonna post part 2 and 3 of the Tasty Treat ideas for the holidays. But, but, I was busy! Honest I was! I swear I wasn't watching Dexter marathons 'till the wee hours of the morning. I was doing majorly important grown up stuff. Ahem... moving on...

Here is another recipe, it's pretty similar to the original post of Chocolate covered pretzels two ways. (Ha I said 2 ways)

Behold! White Chocolate Candy Cane Pretzels!

You will need:

Two 11.5 oz bags of white chocolate chips, I used Ghirardelli white chocolate chips and it was the BEST white chocolate I have ever tasted! Yummy!

One 12 oz bag of pretzels

6 candy canes, crushed ( just use a big 'ol candy cane stick crushed up)

Two teaspoons of vegetable oil

A few wooden skewers

A microwaveable bowl

Spoon to stir chocolate

parchment paper

Directions:

1. Place parchment paper over where pretzels are to dry (Over a cookie sheet, plate, or even over the table itself)

2. Crush the candy canes (without the wrapper for cryin' out loud!) in the food processor or just place them in a ziploc back and whack away till they're crushed.

3,. Pour half a bag of chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl. Add half a teaspoon of vegetable oil and microwave in 30 second intervals until melted. That means every 30 seconds stop the microwave and stir the chocolate, then let it go for 30 seconds more, then stop and stir, and so on until chocolate melts. My chocolate usually never takes more than 1:30 to melt but your microwave oven may differ. Please be very careful to not burn the chocolate as it will get hard and bitter. I only melt half a bag at a time because I can only work so fast before the chocolate begins to harden, but if you have help just follow the same instrucitons and do one whole bag at a time adding one teaspoon of vegetable oil per bag of chocolate chips.

4. When the chocolate is melted, start dipping pretzels in until fully coated. I use the wooden skewers to help me turn the pretzels and coat them well, but you can use anything you want even a fork. Drip off any excess chocolate and place pretzels on parchment paper to dry.

5. While pretzels are still wet, sprinkle with crushed candy canes.

6. Allow pretzels to dry and set for at least 4 hours. Now, I know that sounds like a long time but you can cheat (Shhhhhhhhhh!) and speed up the process by placing the pretzels in the fridge for 30 minutes and voila! 

I saw Walgreen's selling white chocolate or milk chocolate covered pretzels with crushed candy canes so I decided to make my own. You could certainly try this with milk chocolate if you want.

The end result is very cute and classy.

7. You can package pretzels in cute little treat bags, gift boxes, plastic containers, or even in cellophane tied with a colorful ribbon. And speakin' of ribbon! I published an article on 101 things to do with ribbon! So check that out!

This recipe makes approximately 6 good sized gifts depending on how many pretzels you want to give per person.

Here are some more pics!

Yummy candy cane stick!

Crush it up baby!

Pretty Peppermint Pretzels! Say THAT 3 times fast!

Hope you like the recipe and the idea, let me know if you try it out how it comes out!

XOXO Enjoy!

P.S. I'm reviewing a program about cake and cookie decorating and will be posting a review soon so stay tuned for that!



5 tips to keep the weight off this holiday season!

photo courtesy of loss.weight.diet.org

Hey guys! I'm writing to you in a deep state of sickness, yeah still got that dumb cold! But I didn't want to pass up the opportunity to write a few tips for keeping the weight off this holiday season and especially this Thanksgiving week. These tips are my own, they are not copied from any pish-posh website. Hope you enjoy them and they are useful to you.

5. Drink lots of water!
I know, I know, you've heard it a million times. Here's why it works: Water helps keep you hydrated, which keeps you "regular" which flushes out all the excess waste. It also helps speed up your metabolism and keeps your hair and skin looking great. So chug, chug, chug! I personally carry a water bottle around with me all day which keeps me from grabbing a soda when i'm thirsty.

4. Don't stop going to the gym! (Or start going, if you're not!)
With all the noshing taking place during the holidays you're bound to grab a bite of this or a spoonful of that and the calories/carbs add up. Keep your jeans from bursting at the seams and keep going to the gym at least 3 times a week. I find that going in the mornings helps me "get it out of the way" and I can continue with my daily routine. If you don't lose weight during this time at least you won't gain and THAT is enough incentive for me to keep going!

3. Pick the vegetable sides first.
If your host is offering mashed potatoes, corn, bread, stuffing,  brussels sprouts and broccoli, pick the veggies first. Veggies are full of fiber which will help you feel full faster and they won't cause a spike in your blood sugar which will help with that "food coma" later in the evening. If you absolutely must have some mashed potatoes or stuffing get a small serving after you've eaten the vegetables that way you won't feel deprived but you also won't over eat them.

2. Pick 2 out of 3.
If you must make a choice between dinner rolls, dessert, or wine. Pick two out of the three. It is ok for you to give yourself small indulgences just don't go completely overboard.

1. Bring it with you!
If you know your host/hostess won't be offering any healthy appetizers or sides, bring a veggie tray or a side of fresh steamed green beans, roasted brussel sprouts, stuffed mushrooms or even mashed cauliflower. I guarantee people will love the healthier alternatives and these will be the sides that will go first!

Above all, don't stress too much about the food and try to enjoy the holiday for what it is, a chance to give thanks for all the blessings and family we have in our life. Wishing you a healthy and very happy Thanksgiving,

Love4Randomness