Holiday Favorites~ "Old and New"

December 2011
Chocolate Skor Bar Trifle
So easy but oh so good!  Layer cut up devils food chocolate cake mix into squares, layer with that, chocolate pudding, skor or heath (candy bar) pieces- I buy the ones in the package already cut up into tiny pieces then real whipping cream, repeat layers and ENJOY!  It's even better the second day after sitting in the fridge for awhile giving the layers a chance to soak into each other.
If you haven't ever made this...do, you will be a crowd pleaser!
Snow Capped- Gingerbread Sleighs filled with Hot Cocoa and Seasonal Marshmallows and Candy Canes for stirring.
(Those ginberbread shaped and flavored marshmallows are the best, then french vanilla snowmen and red and green stars and trees, found at the grocery store.)  
These were so fun to make, a first for this year but certainly they'll be added to the yearly traditions!
Super Easy and great for giving away- we decided to fill our sleighs with non-perishable items so they could sit on the counter for a few weeks, even as a decoration and still serve a great purpose on those cold winter days or nights...you know how some times you end up with ten goodie trays that never get eaten?  Well this goodie tray will solve that problem.
Decorated Sugar Cookies
Traditional sugar cookies, only this is the best recipe soft, thick and moist!
6 1/2 cups flour, 1 cup sour cream, 2 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp salt, 1 cup butter or marg., 2 cups sugar, 2 eggs unbeaten, 3 tsp vanilla. 350 degrees for 10 min.
Peppermint Rice Krispy Treats dipped in Milk Chocolate then dusted with Candy Cane
 Leah, I knew that ginormous bag of peppermint marshmellows would serve a good purpose!  They looked so pretty too.
 Christmas Crack
Also known as Christmas Crunch if our name for it is found offensive, super easy as "our motto."  Pretzels, Red and Green M and M's, peanuts, Rice Chex, Corn Chex and Cheerios mixed up with white chocolate bark.  I use a big kitchen plastic bag to mix it all up this year and it worked great but feel free to use a large bowl, line counter with parchment paper to pour out to dry it on. An addictive sweet and salty snack for the holidays!
 Santa Cupcakes
These guys are a long time tradition, we use devils food chocolate cupcakes then decorate as shown with vanilla frosting, mini marshmallows, chocolate chips, red hots and red sprinkles.  They aren't just cute but really rather tasty not just for the kids but for adults as well.
Milk Chocolate or White Chocolate Dipped then Sprinkled Oreos
(great to dip in hot cocoa, mmmmm) and then Happy Bars
Happy bars are just the crushed graham cracker crumbs mixed with butter and a tad bit of sugar for the crust, pour a can of sweetened condensed milk over that, sprinkle a cup of chocolate chips over than and then cover the top with coconut and cook em up- always a hit!

Oh My, looks like I forgot to take a picture of the Peanut Butter Balls...
But these are the all time favorite, you can not forget these- kind of like reeses peanut butter cups in a ball. 
18 oz peanut butter, 1 (16oz.) bag of powdered sugar, 1 pkg or 1 1/3 cup of graham cracker crumbs,
 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) softened butter- mix then all up nice and good use your hands don't be shy, roll into small balls, place on wax or parchment paper a top a tray and place in refrigerator or freezer for a few to harden them up a bit and dip to coat in melted chocolate chips or chocolate bark, allow chocolate to harden and yummo.  This batch makes a ton, I actually froze half of the peanut butter balls undipped so the kids can dip some to have on Christmas Eve as well. 
Try out some of these, they just may become some of your easy holiday favorites!

The Nativity, Parade and Santa

December 2011
The kids with Mr. Santa Claus himself, all of the children were so excited to see Santa at church.
Nativity Program Prep. Our neighbor and the gal who head up the Christmas party for the ward this year- Stephanie Sasser asked the primary if we would do the nativity for the evening.
Getting into Costume- isn't Joshie the cutest sheep you ever did see?  A gal from our ward Sarah May/Sumner made them for the production, aren't they awesome?!  I told her that her secret is out now , she does awesome sewing work, turns out she went to school for fashion design, that explains things!  Josh along with Tierden May and Kobie Nielsen were the sheep this year.
Ellie was super excited about playing Mary, with the newest baby boy member of our ward Jonathan (Jack) Sumner as Baby Jesus and Aidan Alamo as Joseph.
BreAnna and Brooke were Angels in the Primary Choir with the rest of the Primary Children.
It was a sweet production and a lot of fun for the kids, a great way to start off the Christmas season being Dec. 3rd- the first weekend of the month, Br. Raymer our MC for the evening read from Luke Chapter 2 and there were musical number through out the program from:
 A new member of our ward Sis Pate I believe her name is sang a beautiful song, along with Jorelle McClellan and the Thornton Family.
 The Young Woman Choir and the Ingham Family also sang and Marella Fernandez played a Christmas song on the piano.
 Then a Special Visitor came to visit after some Christmas Songs to Steer him or direction.
 Jackson Sasser and the Nusbaum Boys sitting on Santa's Lap
Brooklynne was so excited that Santa was coming until he actually came that is, a bit unsure of the red man with the beard.  Christmas Eve she'll have another get go to sit on Santa's lap so we will see how she does then!  Before the ward Christmas party the girls were in the Sumner Santa Parade for Dancemakers NW.
I'll just post all of the pics I took of the entire parade, there is a ton of them but fun to see all who participated in the parade this year.

Matt thinks he's getting one of these red corvettes some day.
And of course Santa was the caboose of the parade and that's a wrap!
Telling Mr. Claus what he wants for Christmas...
Jarom joined his friend D'Shawn at his G-ma's Boeing Employees Christmas Party and met up with Santa as well.