Merry Christmas!

This year, we are about 600 miles away from home. What does that mean? It means that we're only about 10 hours away. What it really means is that my husband and I are on our own for the holidays...for the first time! We moved here only two months ago (seems a lot longer), so money's a little tight, especially for it being the holidays. We mostly decided not to go home because we thought it would snow...it supposedly snowed last year the week before Christmas...and since we have never driven in snow, we didn't want to risk our lives. Well, it didn't snow. It wasn't even really that cold! Oh well. But we are definitely going next year! So I'm calling dibs on my sister's bed and on my brother's spare room!  

We didn't really do much this weekend. I do not like large crowds, it's a little phobia of mine! And I do not like holiday crowds. No matter what type of deals there are, you will not see me waiting in line or fighting crazy people for something I could buy any time of the year...even if it twice as much...or even on line! No thank you! What we did do was drink lots of coffee and hot chocolate! Calories don't count during Christmas!!!! We also made popcorn! Not the fancy kind you pop in them there microwaves (I have a little redneck in me)...we made popcorn without a popper, on our stove!!! 

I worked in a movie theater in high school, so I've made a crap ton of popcorn on a fancy machine...I even have the scar to prove it (cleaning it was also a bitch!). The only reason I loved working at the movies was because I could eat all the popcorn I wanted! Delicious buttery popcorn! I can never get tired of it. Never ever! So, we usually buy a box or two of microwave popcorn every other time we go to the grocery store because my husband is addicted! It gets expensive...and very unhealthy! So we decided to stop...cold turkey...no popcorn. This broke my heart, and my stomach. No megusta! 

So the only "healthier" and cheaper alternative would be using an air popper. Well, I already have too many gadgets, and I couldn't fit another gadget anywhere. So we figured why not make popcorn the good old fashion way and use a pan! So we did!!! It may not be soooo healthy, but it is healthier than buttered popcorn, and cheaper than microwave popcorn. So how did our first experience making popcorn go? I shall tell you.

It was very easy! I did go a little overboard adding a shit ton of kernels to the pan! It was pretty cool watching the kernels pop! Now let me tell you what happened once we thought they were done popping...the pan we used is a bit heavy, and since I have dainty muscles, I had my husband remove the lid while I poured the popcorn in our bowl. Well, as soon as he lifts the lid a little, kernels and popcorn start shooting out at us...going everywhere!...all over the counter and floor, inside the burners, under the dishwasher and the island! It was hilarious! Who would have thought hot popcorn kernels would hurt! The pictures don't do it justice.

 So overall, our Christmas Eve wasn't too bad. We had freshly made popcorn (which really was delicious!) and watching the Dog marathon (don't judge me. Yes, he's a nasty looking human being...but I just love the show!) and cuddled on the couch under our very warm blanket! (My hubby didn't even really complain much even though I did! My left ovary has been hurting, I think I'm dying!...but that's a whole different story.)

Peppermint Bark

All I can say is yum! Who doesn't like peppermint bark?! And it is super easy to make. All you need is chocolate and candy canes...actually, white chocolate, milk chocolate, and candy canes. I'm not a fan of dark chocolate, which is something most bark "recipes" call for, so I use milk chocolate. I've read that you can't taste the difference once between milk chocolate and dark chocolate once it's combined with other ingredients, but I can taste the difference. Maybe it's in my mind, but there is definitely a distinct taste, and I do not like it! Anyway, use whatever chocolate you want.

I prefer peppermint bark that are in cute little shapes! So what I do is line a baking sheet with wax paper, place the cookie cutters on the wax paper and then place the entire thing in the freezer while I prepare the rest of the stuff. I then take the wrapper off the candy canes and crush them with a food processor (or inside a ziploc bag with a rolling pin). I like to separate the bigger chunks of the candy cane from the powdery parts, so I use a sifter for that. Then you place the milk chocolate in a piping bag (or ziploc bag) and microwave it in 10 second increments (so that it doesn't burn...burnt chocolate is no good!) kneading it as you go. Then you just pipe it inside the cutters. At this point, I like to sprinkle them with the candy cane powder, just to give it more of the peppermint flavor. After that, I place the tray back in the freezer while I melt the white chocolate (same way as the milk chocolate). After it's melted, I just pipe again inside the cutters and then sprinkle them with the crushed candy canes. After that, I place the tray inside the freezer again for a couple of minutes. After they set up, just push them out of the cutters (sometimes they try to stick to the tray, if so just take a toothpick and wedge it between the chocolate and the cutter, it'll separate easily then). Voila, that's it. simple as that!

*I prefer using Ghirardelli chocolate chips...the higher the quality of chocolate, the better it tastes!