Hot cocoa

Here's the Hershey cocoa recipe with a twist:

Mix together in pot on stove on medium heat until boiling and boil for 2 min the following:

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
dash of salt
1/3 cup hot water

then add and heat - but don't boil: 4 cups milk
Once heated to temp desired, add: 3/4 tsp of vanilla for traditional hot cocoa

The twist : spice it up!!

add: 1/2 tsp of peppermint or strawberry
and 1/2 tsp of vanilla
top with redi whip and sprinkle a tad of cinnamon or cocoa to decorate and add a peppermint stick to stir with.
Quick, easy, and the family LOVES the new twist on the holiday classic.

Kinderpunsch -alcohol-free hot punch

"Kinderpunsch" is an alcohol-free hot punch, served mainly in Christmas markets in Germany.
Substitute grape juice for apple if you'd rather.

Ingredients:
1 cup water
2/3 cup white sugar
2 pinches ground cloves
1 cinnamon stick
3 cups apple juice
1 lemon, sliced

In a 3 quart saucepan, bring water, sugar, cloves and cinnamon to boil.
Stir in juice and heat through. Do not boil. Take spices out and pour over lemon slices in serving bowl. Serve warm. Makes 1 1/2 quarts

Very sweet- and tasty! I made it with the apple juice - never tried it with the grape.

Reindeer Snack

There are two versions, a sweet one and a spicy one.

Sweet one.
3 cups popped popcorn
3 cups bugles- regular/original flavor
2 cups pretzel sticks
1 cup Cheerios cereal
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups red and green candy coated chocolate candies

1. Heat oven to 300 degrees
2 Mix popcorn, bugles , pretzels, and cereal in large bow. Mix remaining ingredients separately and drizzle over popcorn mixture. Tossing until evenly coated. Spread in ungreased jelly roll pan , 15 1/2 by 10 1/2 inch
3 Bake uncovered 15 minutes , stirring twice; cool. Store loosely covered at room temperature up to 2 weeks.



SPICY

Everything is the same except use the Nacho cheese flavor bugle snacks and replace the cinnamon with 1 garlic clove very finely chopped ( or 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder)

Special touch:
Make party favors out of this mix- Warp 1 cup portions in holiday themed plastic wrap and tie with green and red ribbon. Personalize packages by attaching small gift tags with a guests name written on each.

Gourmet Reindeer Poop

Gourmet Reindeer Poop

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons cocoa
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 cups oatmeal -- not instant
1/2 cup chopped nuts -- optional

Directions:

Mix butter, sugar, milk and cocoa together in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients. Drop by teaspoon full (larger or smaller as desired) onto wax paper and let harden. They will set up in about 30-60 minutes. These will keep for several days without refrigerating, up to 2 weeks refrigerated and 2-3 months frozen.

Pack into ziplock sandwich bags and attach the following note to each bag.

A Little Poem For The Gift Tag:
I woke up with such scare when I heard Santa call... "Now dash away, dash away, dash away all!" I ran to the lawn and in the snowy white drifts, those nasty reindeer had left "little gifts".

I got an old shovel and started to scoop, neat little piles of "Reindeer Poop!" But to throw them away, seemed such a waste, so I saved them, thinking-you might like a taste!

As I finished my task, which took quite awhile. Old Santa, passed by and he sheepishly smiled. And I heard him exclaim as he was in the sky... "Well they're not potty trained, but at least they can fly!"

Link to source page:

Gourmet Reindeer Poop

SNOWMAN SOUP - gift idea with a poem

SNOWMAN SOUP

1 package hot chocolate mix
3 Hershey Kisses
15 or so marshmallows
1 candy cane

Place all the above in a mug, attach the following poem.

THE POEM:
Was told you've been real good this year.
Always glad to hear it.
With freezing weather drawing near,
You'll need to warm the spirit,
So here's a little Snowman Soup,
Complete with stirring stick.
Add hot water, sip it slow,
It's sure to do the trick!