The holidays are about gathering with the ones you love, celebrating and of course, EATING! There’s nothing like sharing stories and making memories around the table. I love trying new recipes from friends and family and preparing treats to share.
My new goal in life is to create a beautiful, pinterest-worthy charcuterie board! For this year’s parties, I’ll be taking a cheese board and filling with Castello cheeses, fruits, nuts and crackers. That adds a little something for everyone! Castello offers a Cheese Board Builder website that customizes flavor options, types of cheese and gives suggestions that coordinate with dietary restrictions. It was very helpful when trying to pair cheeses. The site even gives you a grocery list! Now, if only someone would do my grocery shopping for me! Once you’ve selected your cheeses, add some fruits like pear, apple, grapes and your favorite type of nut. Garnish your board with some green herbs like rosemary to give a little color. Finally, top your board off with seasonal picks like these Snowflake Hors D’oeuvres Picks from Cracker Barrel! Cracker Barrel has it all, don’t they? Use code SHOP30 for 30% off their site
Other favorites that I like to bake during the holidays are Christmas sugar cookies, chocolate peanut butter balls, chocolate covered pretzels, and who doesn’t look the chocolate covered Oreos? Did I mention chocolate?! Another must have on my grocery list to help me with all my baking needsis Pam Cooking Spray! I couldn’t survive in the kitchen without it! I have had many times where I have been out of stock and everything sticks to the pan which isn’t fun for anyone! Pam is so easy to use and a healthier option that using regular butter.
Festive donuts and milk make mornings a little sweeter with these two! Sorry to their teachers but Monday mornings will have to include these as motivation for all of us to get up and at ’em! I always buy them new holiday glasses to use each day! Cracker Barrel has these vintage inspired Reindeer and Santa milk glass bottles! They are the perfect size for little hands and something that we can use each year.
And don’t let Santa forget to pamper your pups! As I’ve mentioned before, we are a crazy animal house with two dogs and a cat! Our oldest dog is 12 and we are really focused on providing her with healthy foods, giving her plenty of exercise and all the love we can! Wellness: Core Natural Pet Food offers a simple, holistic approach to pet food with real ingredients! Both of our dogs loved this food and it even help our Coon Hound from trying to eat everything she could find around the house! One area that we have had to pay extra attention to as our dogs have become older is their dental care. Along with having them cleaned at the vet, we try to give them bones that will help clean their teeth as well! Whimzees are such a treat for my pups and I feel good about giving them a product made from all natural ingredients, GMO-free, grain-free, and contain no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.
Once my treats have been made, I focus on adding a little Christmas cheer around the house! Really, we keep it pretty simple as we will be traveling some over the break! I always put up a wreath, hang all the Christmas cards we receive and of course have a tree full of handmade ornaments and ones we’ve collected over the years. Christmas Central is a great resource with holiday decor! Its a one stop shop for wreaths, artificial Christmas trees, lights, ornaments and even outdoor decor! This wreath was my favorite!
I hope that your holidays are full of friends, family, good food and memories made! Are you making any special treats? Leave a comment below!
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*This post is sponsored by Babble Boxx but all opinions are my own*