DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

   This diy comes from www.heartlandpaper.typepad.com .  This tutorial is for not just 1 ornament but three.  Good luck and happy paper folding. We've created 3 fun ornaments for you to make with your friends and family. We hope you enjoy making them for your holiday season. 6 Pointed Star Ornament This star is so easy to make, but has a huge wow factor! You will love how easy it is to make if you have a Scor-Pal Tool. Just mention KSL at the stores until December 15th to get 20% off a scor pal. Download 6 Pointed Star Ornament Instructions Ribbon Candy Ornament: Download Ribbon Candy Ornament Instructions Vintage Ball Ornament: Download Vintage Ball Ornament Instructions

   This comes from http://www.chow.com/ .  Enjoy and good luck! Homemade Amaretto Recipe Difficulty : Easy Total Time : 20 mins, plus macerating, filtering, and infusing time Makes :About 4 cups The beauty of making your own amaretto lies in controlling the sugar content of this almond liqueur. In a side-by-side tasting of our homemade amaretto and popular commercial brands, ours was less sweet and had a true almond flavor. For the sweet tooths out there, just add more sugar. What to buy : Apricot kernels are the dried seeds of fresh apricots. They have an almondlike yet bitter flavor and can be found online. Bottled or purified water is important because any impurities in the water may affect the final flavor of the liqueur. Special equipment : You’ll need a flat-bottomed, basket-style paper coffee filter. (The smaller, cone-style coffee filters are not big enough and tend to fall over during the filtering process.) Try bumming one from your local coffee shop or bu

   Besides all the popular winter holidays, there are lots of other reasons to celebrate throughout the month of December. Check them out. December 1: Special Kids Day - If you have any special kids in your life, make this a day for them to remember. December 2: International Day for the Abolition of Slavery - You may have thought that slavery was abolished long ago, but it still goes on. December 3: International Day of Disabled Persons - Spend the day like a disabled person would. I bet you will appreciate everything you are able to do that other people might not be able to. December 4: National Cookie Day - What else would you do on National Cookie Day? December 5: Bathtub Party Day - A party in the bathtub? That just sounds wrong. December 6: St. Nicholas Day - It's like having a Christmas before Christmas. December 7: National Cotton Candy Day - Try to not get sick from eating too much sugar. December 8: Wild Card - Believe it or

   December is a time to celebrate our faith, be with our family, and enjoy great food. But, there are more food holidays in this month than you might think. Actually there is a national food holiday for everyday of the year. In this article, you'll not only find out which food holidays are in December, but you'll also find suggestions on how to celebrate each holiday. National Pie Day December 1 : Pies are so easy to make, especially if you start out with store bought pie crusts. Just make a quick filling, bake, and enjoy. National Fritters Day December 2 : Try a nice apple fritter for breakfast with a big cup of coffee. National Apple Pie Day December 3 : Apple pies are so easy to make, but since you just made a homemade pie, why not pick up a Mrs. Smith's pie? Just bake and add a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. National Cookie Day December 4 : This is definitely the time to bake cookies. Get out your favorite recipe and make a large batch for friends

How to Ship Cookies and Other Treats for the Holidays Merry holiday wishes alone will not protect baked goods in their travels through the mail. They can lose their crunch, go stale, or just get tumbled around enough to crumble those perfect linzer cookies you're so proud of. Here are the tips you need to know to ship your baked goods and have them arrive on time and intact for Christmas. SELECT YOUR COOKIES Unless you are spending big bucks to ship with an overnight service, plan to mail baked goods that will taste fresh and stay crisp for about a week. "When you bake at home, you don't think about shelf life," says Jenna Park, co-owner of Whimsy & Spice bakery in Brooklyn, New York. "But definitely for shipping you have to." You don't want to ship any cookie or baked good that won't hold up for three to five days sitting around your house in the container you plan to ship in. Not sure? Do a test batch and see what happens. N

   In the Czech Republic , preparations for Christmas begins right from around mid-November. Houses are thoroughly cleaned, carpets washed and furniture dusted. Gift shops and departmental stores are seen to be decked for the occassion. The festive spirit is apparent with buyers turning up at the stores every evening to purchase gifts, new apparels and various items of decoration. Also bought are sweets like Linzer cookies and Vanilla roll or food items such as " Vanoka", traditional Christmas loaves. These are either bought or even baked at home.    The Advent period begins here four Sundays before Christmas Eve. During this time, a wreath is made of several evergreen branches fastened together, decorated with ribbons, pinecones and other trinkets and four candles placed around it, each representing one of the four weeks of the Advent period. Children are gifted beautiful Advent calendars to count the days to December 25. Every day they open one of the 24 small

      This comes from http://www.chow.com/ .  Enjoy these wonderful, edible holiday gift ideas.  Simple and Tastey! Caramel Corn Recipe Difficulty: Easy Total Time : 15 mins, plus 1 hr baking time Makes :15 cups This easy treat—popcorn slathered with buttery caramel—had the CHOW staffers lurking around the test kitchen awaiting the next batch. The caramel corn will last up to a week, making it the perfect gift to package and mail during the holidays. Game plan : If you’re popping your popcorn on the stovetop, place 1/4 cup vegetable oil in a large pot with a tightfitting lid over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add 1/2 cup popcorn kernels, cover, and shake to evenly distribute. Once the kernels start popping, gently shake the pot until the popping dies down, about 2 to 3 minutes. . INGREDIENTS •15 cups popped plain popcorn (from about 1/2 cup kernels) •1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar •12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), cut into 6 pieces, plu