christmas time is here

Do you like our homemade decorations? We're keeping it classy this year.

Blog excitement: I've teamed up with ZipList, which powers the recipe boxes and shopping lists you find online at sites like MarthaStewart.com and WomansDay.com. It allows you to save recipes from any of these websites (and mine) and they all get saved in one place. No more hunting around to locate your favorite recipes! Assuming you like one or two of the recipes I post, just look for the blue "Save Recipe" button to get started. If you want to access your online recipe box or shopping list, just click the "recipe box" link on the right side of my blog. You can also access your recipe box and shopping list from any partner website, as well as from ZipList.com and using free mobile apps from ZipList.

Secondly, this is the time of year when my saltine toffee posts blow up, and I wanted to add a couple more notes to the recipe:
1. Use a heavy pot. Make sure it's big, too--bigger than you think you'll need.
2. When you're melting the butter and sugar together, whisk the whole time. That means constantly, folks.
3. Bring your toffee to a steady, but NOT rolling boil, and continue to stir constantly. That's when the timing begins.
4. If you're having trouble getting the foil off the toffee, freeze or refrigerate it for 20 minutes or so before attempting to peel--that should help immensely!

While I'm tying up some loose ends, I need to tell you a little bit more about Hickory Farms. Congrats to Sugar Cookies to Peterbilts, who won my giveaway. As you know, they offer a variety of specialty foods and holiday food gifts that are perfect for any budget and for everyone on your list. This year, they're introducing a host of delicious new artisanal products dubbed Hickory Farms Reserve, which will feature premium salami and eight all-natural cheeses handcrafted by award-winning masters. The Hickory Farms Reserve collection is available in select stores, from the catalog, and online.

Hickory Farms is a charitable company and they have a partnership with Share Our Strength, a leading national nonprofit organization that works to stamp out childhood hunger. For each Party Planner gift box sold this holiday season, Hickory Farms will donate $5 to Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry Campaign. To date, Hickory Farms and its customers have donated $1.9 million. Plus, Hickory Farms has eight products that they offer free shipping to military APO and FPO addresses. I like that.

Now go make some toffee and come back soon for a Christmas contest!

Disclaimer: Compensation and products for review were provided by Hickory Farms via MomTrends. I received a free sample of the product for the purpose of this review and to facilitate a giveaway. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions of Hickory Farms.