Homemade Holiday Candies

 The holidays are near and that means it is time to start thinking about gifts to buy and treats to make. This year why not save a little money and give a gift from the heart with these homemade holiday candy recipes? These are decadent, delicious and easy to recreate at home in your own kitchen. Make a few varieties and package them in a pretty container for a great gift.

This collection has something wonderful for everyone! From cheesecake balls that are dreamy to simple dipped marshmallows that always delight and even a candy for the coffee lovers. 

While you are here you can't forget to visit some of my favorite bark recipes.

Everyone loves this celebration bark.  Fruity Pebbles bark is a perfect no bake candy option for cereal lovers.

Cheesecake Balls by Rich and Delish

These cheesecake balls are so creamy and dreamy! You are sure to love this recipe for homemade candy.

Dark Chocolate Dipped Marshmallows by Saporito Kitchen

This recipe is simple and delicious! Let the kids help with this one.

Homemade Snickers by The Short Order Cook

This homemade snickers bar recipe is perfect to make and freeze for later. Make these ahead of time for a homemade gift from the heart.

Honey Lollipops by The Monday Box

Homemade honey lollipops are perfect for sucking or stirring tea with! These would be great sticking stuffers.

Saltine Toffee by Spend with Pennies

Toffee made with saltines is a perfect treat to make and share.

Strawberry Hard Candy by In the Kitch

These hard candies are perfect for holidays. They are so fruity and flavorful!

Disneyland Copycat Churro Toffee  by In Fine Taste

No need to plan a trip to Disney to get your churro toffee fix. This is a perfect at home dupe!

Homemade Torrone Italian Nut Nougat by xoxo Bella

This homemade Italian candy would be so nice to share with your friends and neighbors this year.

Cookie Dough Truffles by Fantabulosity

These truffles are just the thing to serve to anyone who loves cookie dough flavor!

Rocky Road by Flavor the Moments

Homemade rocky road has never been easier than it is with this tasty recipe!

Peanut Butter Balls by Bitz n Giggles

If you love peanut butter flavor then you will want to make these delicious little treats this year!

Homemade Payday Bars by Sweet Peas Kitchen

This recipe is a perfect copycat for homemade, fresh payday candy bars!

Angel Candy by DIY and Fun

You are sure to love the layers of this candy! It is so tasty!

Turtles by The Cagle Diaries

Simple and delicious are always a good idea! This recipe for homemade turtles is sure to be a favorite!

Vegan Twix by Spabettie

If you are a fan of twix bars, you will want to make these for a sweet, homemade holiday candy to share.

Dalgona Coffee Candy by Corrie Cooks

Coffee fans would love to get a tub of these instant pot candies for the holidays!

Find more homemade candy recipes here

Cotton Candy Ice Cream Cones

Boozy Butter Creams

Festive Cranberry Cocktail Recipes

 The holiday season is near, and if you are gathering with friends to exchange gifts, or hosting a party, you are going to want to pin this list of festive cranberry cocktails for later. This list has some of the best options to help you ring in the holidays in style.

If you have been visiting me for a while, you know I love a good cocktail. This year I would love to include more cranberries into my happy hour, so I started visiting with some of my favorite bloggers to find the best recipes. I know you will find a few items you love on this list.

Cranberry Sage Cocktail by Salted Plains

Perfect Cranberry Cosmo by xoxo Bella

Cranberry Sangria by Flavor the Moments

Blushin Russian by The Good Hearted Woman

Frozen Cranberry Mimosa by Stephanie’s Way

Winter White Cosmos by Aleka’s Get Together

Cranberry Pear Mimosas by Entirely Elizabeth

Sorcerer's Stone Cocktail by Cooking with Curls

Cranberry Orange Margarita by Emily Fabulous

Cranberry Orange Daiquiris by Small Town Woman

Cranberry Moscow Mules by Our Crafty Cocktails

Mezcal Cranberry Cocktails by Gastronom Blog

Sparkling Cranberry Champagne Cocktails by Homebody Eats

Blackberry Cranberry Moscow Mules by The Forked Spoon

Cranberry Margaritas by A Splash of Taste

Don't these drinks sound perfect for the holiday season? Which would you like to make first? Don't forget to click over to view the full recipes and save them to your cocktail board.

While you are here you can find some of my favorite drink recipes here:

Wild Blueberry Gin Fizzers

Boozy Freezer Pops

Cherry Orange Soda Syrup

Brown Sugar Sugar Cookie Recipe

A classic cookie get a delicious deep flavor with this recipe for brown sugar sugar cookies! This cookie is perfect for a fall day. Make a batch to savor over coffee with a friend, or as the ultimate after school snack for the kids. The entire family is sure to love this easy cookie.

Photo Credit: Sara Lehman.

Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Cookie Ingredients:

2 ⅓ cup flour

1 stick of softened butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

½ cup of sugar

1 large egg

⅓ cup of maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoon maple extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

Pinch of salt

Icing Ingredients:

1 cup of powdered sugar

1 to 2 tablespoons of milk

2 teaspoons of maple extract

Directions:

Cream butter and both sugars together. Beat for 2 minutes.

Add egg, continue to mix for 1 minute and then add maple syrup.

As you are mixing add the vanilla and maple extracts.

Begin adding the flour, baking soda, salt. During this step I like to switch from my mixer to a mixing spoon to stir as the dough will be very creamy and soft and a little sticky.

Chill in the refrigerator for 90 minutes.

When you remove the dough from the fridge, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Use a cookie scooper to form balls of dough and place them on a cookie sheet, 2” apart.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Allow to cool for 3 to 5 minutes before removing from the cookie sheet.

I added a basic drizzle to our cookies to give them a little extra sweetness and they looked even yummier!

Serve these with milk or coffee. 

You can bake them ahead of time and freeze them, or you can freeze the dough if you like, and then you can bake them as needed. I

If you plan to freeze before baking, scoop your cookie dough out, freeze on a cookie sheet then transfer to a zipper seal bag.

Mark the flavor, baking time and temp with a permanent marker. I always set 6 cookies aside for baking later, you NEVER know when a cookie craving is going to strike HA!

You can find more yummy recipes here.

Mint Chocolate Chip S'mores

Nashville Hot Chicken Fried Potatoes

Strawberry Syrup

Best Boba Recipes

 My 9 year old, Harper, has developed an obsession with boba. She bats her big blue eyes at me and says "Mommy, let's go out for a tea..." almost everyday. It is so funny that I have this little bestie who thinks I am rich. To keep her happy and getting her boba fix at least once a week, we have been making some fun recipes at home. If you are wanting to save some cash and still have a treat, like us, you are going to love this list of the best boba recipes to make at home.

Before we get into this, can you believe Harper is 9 and a half already? It seems like just a few months ago that so many of my friends were chipping in to write posts for my blog so I could bask in the wonder of our new baby Harper.  Now here she is, a full blown tween with a boba tea habit.

Photo Credit: Sara Lehman and various artists.

Jasmine Milk Tea Boba by Greedy Girl Gourmet

Lychee Milk Tea Boba by My Vegan Minimalism

Hokkaido Milk Tea by Aubrey’s Kitchen

Vegan Boba Cake by Rainbow Nourishments

Homemade Black Boba Pearls by Delightful Plate

Fruity Bubble Tea by Kids Activities Blog

The Devil Wears Salad.

Watermelon Fruit Salad with Brown Sugar Boba by The Devil Wears Salad

Strawberry Milk Tea by Moon and Spoon and Yum

Brown Sugar Boba Ice Cream Bars by The Oregon Dietitian

Photo Credit: White Kitchen Red Wine.

Strawberry Milk Tea by White Kitchen Red Wine

Taro Bubble Tea by The Oregon Dietitian

Chocolate Milk Bubble Tea by The Littlest Crumb

Photo Credit:  Entirely Elizabeth.

Earl Grey Milk Tea by Entirely Elizabeth

Iced Boba Coffee by Recipes from a Pantry

Vegan Bubble Tea by Plant Based on a Budget

With so many tasty bubble tea recipes, the hardest part of getting your boba fix will be deciding which of these recipes to make first. Happy sipping!

You can find some of my favorite drink recipes here 
Sour Apple Margaritas
Hillbilly Cider
Bomb Pop Cocktails
Blueberry Lime Vodka Sorbet

Creamy Garlic Mushroom Pasta with Shrimp

 This creamy garlic mushroom pasta with shrimp is a delicious and easy-to-make dish that is perfect for a weeknight meal. It is made with simple ingredients that you probably already have on hand, and it comes together in just a few minutes.

This is such a good instant pot meal! It comes together so fast, and I know your family will love this dish without the red sauce. Add frozen shrimp for a good source of protein.

8 ounces of spaghetti

½ c yellow onion, diced

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 tablespoon of minced garlic

1 cup of half and half

4 ounces of cream cheese, cubed

2 cups of chicken stock

2 cups of large shrimp, tail removed

½ c of mushrooms

½ c grated parmesan cheese

2 tbsp butter

Turn the instant pot to saute.

Add olive oil and onion and saute for 3 minutes, or until the onions are tender, stirring as needed.

Add garlic and saute for 1 minute.

Turn off the instant pot.

Add chicken stock.

Break spaghetti noodles in half and submerge them into the stock.

All noodles should be covered by the stock. Stir them to adjust their placement if needed.

Add shrimp. As I used tail on, I chopped the tails off right before adding to the instant pot.

Add butter.

Place the lid of the instant pot and seal the instant pot.

Set the instant pot to manual and set the timer to 5 minutes.

When the timer dings, quick release the steam.

Remove the lid and add the half and half, parmesan cheese and cream cheese.

Stir.

Add mushrooms and stir.

Replace the lid on the instant pot and allow the cheeses to melt in the pasta for about 5 minutes.

Stir and serve immediately.

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.

Why this is a great instant pot family meal:

• It's a delicious and healthy meal. Shrimp and mushrooms are both low in calories and fat, and they're a good source of protein and nutrients.
• It's a quick and easy meal to make. You can have this meal on the table in about 30 minutes, making it perfect for a busy weeknight.
• It's a versatile meal that can be customized to your liking. You can add different vegetables, herbs, and spices to make this meal your own.
• It's a crowd-pleasing meal. Shrimp and mushrooms are both popular ingredients, so this meal is sure to be a hit with your family and friends.

If you're looking for a delicious, healthy, and easy meal to make, pasta with shrimp and mushrooms is a great option.

Find more great recipes here:

Cracker Crumb Chicken Nuggets

Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings