When I saw the Candy-Cane Hershey Kisses, I just couldn't say no. When I saw this recipe on the bag, I knew I had made the right decision.

Confession: I only ate one. I am blessed this year to have a lot of people to bake for, especially since I'm trying to break my cycle/battle with food.

The one I had though? Delicious. Be careful. I had to chew on some gum to keep myself from eating all of these. If you like peppermint... they are THAT addicting.

Ingredients:

- 1 bag of Hershey brand Candy-Cane Kisses
- 1/2 butter, softened
- 1 C sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 C all-purpose, unbleached flour
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp milk (I used skim)
*red or green sugar crystals, powdered sugar, or festive sprinkles

Directions:

- Preheat your oven to 350.
- Beat butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla in a large bowl.

- Add flour, baking soda, and salt to butter mixture. Add milk as needed, alternating with flour mixture. Use your mixer as long as possible, if not until the mix is well blended.

*I refrigerated the dough for a bit since I had to take care of Michael and rolling the cookies was a bit time consuming. You do not HAVE to refrigerate the dough, but I would say it makes it a bit easier.*

- Shape dough into 1" to 2" balls. Roll in sugar or sprinkles if you wish to make the cookies much more festive.
- Place on a nonstick cookie sheet, or lightly sprayed cookie sheet, and bake for 8 to 10 minutes.

This is where I had some trouble. My first batch turned out like this...
So, the kisses looked more like melted candy canes or discolored witch's hats.

My second batch was slightly better, but sadly not as perfect as I'd like. I put the kisses in the fridge, and wonder if I had put them in the freezer if they had turned out perfect. So...

- Remove your cookies from the baking sheet to a cooling rack. Let sit for 2 to 3 minutes before placing candy-cane Hershey kisses in the center.

These are fabulous cookies for a party or to give away. Enjoy!


There's still time! Enter the Atkinson Drive and Exquisite Crafts giveaways!

These were so easy and fun to make. I hope you get a chance! I can't wait to use them to bedazzle (like that word? bedazzzzzzle) some gifts, not to mention our Christmas tree! I imagine these would have been extra fun if Michael was old enough to help me. These days I have to wait until he's asleep to do crafts/baking.

Here's what you need:

- 1.5 C cinnamon (I bought a large container at our local Sam's, but you should check dollar stores as well!)
- 1 C unsweetened applesauce
- 3 tsp (1 tbsp) ground cloves (or more... and this is *optional*)

Directions:

- Preheat your oven to 200.
- Mix together 1 C applesauce and 1 C of cinnamon. You really have to push and fold the mix to get it all together. Feel free to use your hands. Prepare that they will smell like a candle for a while if you do, no matter how much you wash them!

- Once the two cups are thoroughly mixed, add your next 1/2 C of Cinnamon and ground cloves.
*Note: Pictured is me adding the cloves with the initial first mix. I think it would work either way, but I have a feeling if I had waited to add the cloves their smell would have been a little more noticeable.*

- Next, sprinkle cinnamon over a surface (as you would flour, and I put wax paper down to help with the mess). Roll out your dough until it's about 1/4 inch thick or so.
*Add cinnamon or applesauce to reach the right texture. You don't want it too dry or too damp. It should be just right!*

- Use the cookie cutters that you would like to make your ornaments!


- Use a skewer to poke a hole in the ornaments, very carefully. Make SURE it goes all the way through. If it doesn't, that will make it rather difficult to string them up!

- Bake in the oven for at least an hour. I checked on mine and they seemed to be in excellent condition, but yours may need to bake longer depending on the climate of your home. It's also suggested to just leave them in the oven overnight (so... it's easiest if you make them at night), just to be safe and make sure they completely dry out.

- String works best, but ribbon works, too! Make your ornaments a little more glamorous by adding decorative string/ribbon!



Some of mine did come out a little cracked. I think my dough may have been just a TINY bit dry. Luckily, I only made about 1/3 to 1/2 of the mix, so I have some left over to fix! I would suggest doing this... unless you're doing this as an activity with kids... in which case, make them ALL!

The original idea for these came from the fabulous mind of: Katy Elliot.

And don't forget to enter the fabulous giveaways going on from Exquisite Crafts and Atkinson Drive! Only a couple days left! Don't miss out.

That's right. We have TWO giveaways going on AT THE SAME TIME. I know... don't be overwhelmed by the awesomeness. I'm going to make things easy on you.

This wonderful giveaway comes from the creator of Exquisite Crafts, April. April started crafting when she was very young, letting her grandmother show her the way. She learned to knit four years ago and hasn't stopped yet! But April doesn't just knit. Ooooooh, no. She makes some positively adorable earrings!





Might I mention her Dr. Who, Harry Potter, and Hunger Games obsessions [amongst other things]?





Why show you all these adorable things? Because you can win something, of course! April is giving away one pair of earrings to a lucky winner! Here's what you have to do.

1. Be a follower of The Newfangled Housewife.
2. Like Exquisite Crafts on Facebook.

That's it! If you want to add your name to the pot a couple more times, you can also:

1. Like The Newfangled Housewife on Facebook.
2. Follow The Newfangled Housewife on Twitter.
3. Follow Exquisite Crafts on Twitter.
4. Tweet about this giveaway (make sure to tweet @Newfangled_Wife and @exquisitecrafts)

Make sure to leave a comment on this post or the Exquisite Crafts Facebook page to let us know what you've done!

WAIT! Don't leave yet.

April has another treat for you :). Use the coupon code HOLIDAY12 for 12% off your order in her Etsy Shop! This offer is good through December, so make sure you take advantage!

Happy shopping and good luck with the giveaway! The winner will be announced December 10th along with the Atkinson Drive giveaway winner!

Hello ladies [and possibly gents]!

You may remember that Sam from Atkinson Drive started off December with a Wife of the Month post. You may ALSO recall that she's doing a giveaway for Newfangled Housewife readers!

Well, since this was my first time with rafflecopter I may have made a few glitches. Not to worry! Here is a brand-spankin' new one. If you already entered, I am really sorry for the inconvenience. If you didn't, you're one lucky-duck because you now have longer to do so!

A Christmas Giveaway

Since I have the honor of being December's Wife of the Month, I am going to start the month off right with a giveaway! Don't we all love free stuff? Especially during the holiday season when our wallets seem to get smaller & smaller! Today, I am giving one lucky winner a FREE item {worth up to $10} from my Etsy shop. This is GREAT for those of you who have yet to get your Christmas cards!!! ;-)

I am also offering ALL Newfangled Housewife readers 10% off in my shop through December 17th. Just use the coupon code HOUSEWIFECHRISTMAS at checkout to redeem your discount.
a Rafflecopter giveaway


The winner of the giveaway will be announced December 10th. You have until the night of the ninth to enter, so don't waste any time! Not to give too much away... but the winner of THIS giveaway will be announced on a post featuring... wait for it... ANOTHER GIVEAWAY! 'Tis the Season and I thought it would only make it that much more amazing if you were spoiled. Just because I'm so grateful for you!

And a special thanks to Sam for agreeing to join in the Christmas spirit! Don't forget to check out her Etsy shop as well as her blog!

As you may recall, I'm trying to make my sweets a little less sweet. This is very hard to do during the holidays. I mean, come on. Usually I tried to lose all my weight BEFORE the holidays plus some so I had room to gain a couple of pounds. Seriously. I'm like a bear hibernating this time of year... only I'm not going into hibernation, so the fat tends to... well... ya get the picture.

Since that's not the case this year, this scone recipe was part of my "cutting back". I knew there was no way I was going to part with these babies.

I. Love. Scones.

Oh, and I love pumpkin.

Double ut-oh.

So, here's my healthier version... and might I just say, they were just enough to keep other sweet-cravings at bay... for now.


Ingredients:

- 1 C all-purpose, unbleached flour
- 1 C whole wheat flour
- 1/3 C sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 C pumpkin puree
- 3 tbsp half & half (low fat)
- 1 egg
- 6 tbsp cold butter, cut into pieces

Directions:

- Preheat your oven to 425. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper if you have it. Spraying with cooking spray is not necessary if you have a non-stick sheet.
- Whisk together your half&half, egg, and pumpkin. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together your flours, baking powder, sugar, salt, and spices. Add your cut-up butter.
- Use a pastry cutter to mix your butter in. There should be no pieces larger than tiny peas left. It really just feels like course crumbs or a thicker mix.
- Next, add your pumpkin mix into your dry mix. You may have to use your hands to really get it together nicely.
- Now you want to put some flour down. DO NOT put down as much flour as I did. This caused the bottom of the scones to be... well... VERY flour-y. Put a good amount down, but certainly not this much. I was half asleep when I did this... that's my excuse.
Now, roll out your dough until it's about 12 inches long and somewhere between four to six inches wide. Then you want to cut it into three sections, and cut those sections in halves or thirds. Halves will get you some funky-looking scones (note mine)... so I ended up cutting some of them into fourths just to make them look a little more "normal". But... normal is SO overrated.


- Bake for approximately 15 minutes. Let cool, drool, and enjoy.


For an icing recipe, and the original that inspired this one, check out The Shoe Box Kitchen.

It is now a tradition of ours to go hunting for a real Christmas tree. You may remember this from last year's post, It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

I gave in. Although I grew up with a fake tree, there is nothing like the smell of a real Christmas tree. Plus, the memories you get looking for a different tree every year are priceless...


We did figure out, that people who buy Christmas trees can spend as little as $4,000 on them over a span of 50 years or so. Isn't that crazy? That was a lower-priced tree, too. I'm sure as you get older they only get bigger... that is, if you move up from a smaller place to a larger living space.

Michael, over all, enjoyed himself. He was a bit upset that we didn't get a Christmas tree his size, but once we got home and started decorating the big tree he quickly recovered.

Last, but not least, Michael got to meet Santa. By the end of this trip he was in a bit of a mood, so the look was rather priceless. Once we got home, he suddenly decided he was obsessed with Santa and Reindeer. Need I tell you how many times we read "The Night Before Christmas"? I think we need to get this baby a copy of The Nativity Story.

Kicking off our "25 Days of Christmas" is Sam, from Atkinson Drive! I was so excited when she asked to be December's Wife of the Month. Love her site and her shop. Make sure to check it out!

Oh, and did I mention the giveaway? Better keep reading to see what I mean!

Hello! My name is Sam & I blog over at Atkinson Drive. I am thrilled that Emily has allowed me to share with you this holiday season!

I suppose I should tell you a little bit about myself so we can get acquainted. As I said, I am the creative force behind the Atkinson Drive blog. My wonderful husband and I have been married for just over four years {we got married when I was 19} and have an adorable little guy who's almost three. The husband is the technical director at a large church in the Indianapolis area, and I am fortunate enough to be a stay-at-home mom / housewife. I am obsessed with everything craft/DIY and spend most of my time {when I'm not playing with little man} doing projects, painting, and designing. To learn more about me, click here.

Now to get down to business! We all know how crazy the Christmas season can be, especially when it comes to fitting in all the cooking and baking for friends & family. This recipe has been in my family for who knows how long, and what a lifesaver it has been! What's that? You want to know why it's so great? Well...because there is no baking required...that's right...NO baking!

Here's What You'll Need:

2 C. Sugar
1/3 C. Cocoa
1/2 C. Milk
1/2 C. Butter
1/2 C. Peanut Butter
2 C. Oats

Combine sugar and cocoa in a saucepan. Stir in milk and add butter. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly. Cook for approximately two minutes. Remove from heat; stir in peanut butter. Add oats and vanilla and mix well. Cook over low heat for another ten minutes, stirring occasionally. Drop by tablespoon-fulls onto a wax-paper-lined baking sheet. Chill in the refrigerator until set. Makes 3-4 dozen cookies.

Everyone I know who has ever eaten these cookies LOVES them. They're just enough sweet, nutty, and chewy to suit any taste! Wrap a few in red or green cellophane, tie with a curly ribbon, add a gift tag, and you have the perfect treat for teachers, neighbors, doctors, the mail-person, etc.

A Christmas Giveaway

Since I have the honor of being December's Wife of the Month, I am going to start the month off right with a giveaway! Don't we all love free stuff? Especially during the holiday season when our wallets seem to get smaller & smaller! Today, I am giving one lucky winner a FREE item {worth up to $10} from my Etsy shop. This is GREAT for those of you who have yet to get your Christmas cards!!! ;-)

I am also offering ALL Newfangled Housewife readers 10% off in my shop through December 17th. Just use the coupon code HOUSEWIFECHRISTMAS at checkout to redeem your discount.
a Rafflecopter giveaway


The winner of the giveaway will be announced December 10th. You have until the night of the ninth to enter, so don't waste any time! Not to give too much away... but the winner of THIS giveaway will be announced on a post featuring... wait for it... ANOTHER GIVEAWAY! 'Tis the Season and I thought it would only make it that much more amazing if you were spoiled. Just because I'm so grateful for you!

And a special thanks to Sam for agreeing to join in the Christmas spirit! Don't forget to check out her Etsy shop as well as her blog!