image

[[MORE]]

To mean this time of year is all about hanging out with loved ones, eating tasty treats & sipping on some yummy drinks. Vickie, Ashley & I got together to do just that. Holiday entertaining can be time consuming & stressful but our three recipes are fairly easy to make. We have included the three recipes for mulled wine, fruit cake pops & sparkling cranberries below. Enjoy!

[[MORE]]

image

Bar cart: Target (similar here), books: vintage, candle: Anthropologie (find here), moscow mule mugs: Chapters, paper fans: Oh Joy for Target (here)

image

On Ashley: romper: LOFT (find here), earrings: Bauble Bar x Anthropologie (find here), ring: Michael Kors, heels: J.Crew (similar here)

image

image

image

Mulled Wine 

Ingredients:

-4 Cups Apple Cider

-1 Bottle Red Wine (We used a Cabernet Sauvignon)

-1/4 cup honey

-2 cinnamon sticks

-1 orange zested and juiced

-4 cloves

-3 star anise

-garnish of your choice (we used dried oranges)

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil

2. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes and serve warm with the garnish of your choice!

I ended up bringing this mulled wine to a birthday party on saturday & it was a hit! 

image

image

On me: gold polka dot dress: Anthropologie (find here), bracelets: Joe Fresh, bow heels: Betsey Johnson (similar here & here)

image

Sparkling Cranberries

Ingredients:

-2 cups cranberries

-1 cup water

-1 3/4 cup granulated sugar

Instructions

  1. Rinse cranberries & set aside.
  2. In medium saucepan heat 1 cup water & 1 cup sugar until sugar is dissolved & liquid is warm. Do not boil.
  3. Remove from heat & allow to come to room temperature. (cranberries will pop if the syrup is too hot)
  4. Once syrup is cool- pour over cranberries & place something on top of the cranberries to hold them down in the syrup since they will naturally float.
  5. Cover & refrigerate overnight.
  6. Once your cranberries have soaked for allotted time – strain out cranberries in colander & reserve syrup for other recipes.
  7. Pat cranberries dry with paper towel. They should be tacky not wet.
  8. Work in batches of 3-4 cranberries at a time – roll in small bowl of granulated sugar to coat.
  9. Allow sugar to harden onto cranberries on a baking sheet for several hours.
  10. Store at room temperature.

image

image

On Vickie-dress: Kate Spade NY (find here), bracelet: J.Crew (similar here), ring: Gorjana, heels: Forever 21, necklace: Forever 21

image

image

Fruit Cake Pops

Does the thought of fruit cake make you shudder? Have no fear, fruit cake pops are here! No really, all my cheesy rhyming aside, these are actually super tasty! My husband even liked them & he hates fruit cake. 

Ingredients:

-fruit cake

-melting chocolate

-icing (optional)

Instructions:

1. Crumble up the fruit cake into a large bowl. This is where you can choose to add the icing or not.

2. If you don’t add the icing simply roll them into balls

3. If you do add the icing to the crumbled cake mix it with your hands until it is incorporated. Once the icing is mixed in roll them into balls and then pop them in the freezer (20 mins)

4. Melt your chocolate in 30 second intervals in the microwave or use a double boiler

5. Dip the cake pop stick in the melted chocolate and let harden for a few seconds. Then push the stick into the cake ball

6. Dip the entire ball in the melted chocolate and add sprinkles

7. Place the sticks in a foam block (or a deep cup filled with rice) to let harden

<3 Kastles