Delicious Dish Tuesday... Peppermint Bark

Before the Holiday Season comes to an end I wanted to share with you my (fairly) quick and easy recipe for Peppermint Bark.  I fell in love with peppermint bark years ago after trying some from Williams Sonoma and was determined to figure out how to create my own.  While I don't think mine is as good as the stuff I can get at Williams Sonoma (I swear they put something extra in there to make it so delicious and so addicting) but I think it is still pretty darn good!!

Peppermint Bark

Ingredients:
1, 12 oz bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1, 12 oz bag white chocolate chips
1 tsp. peppermint extract
8 candy canes, crushed

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 250.
2. Line a 9"x13" pan with foil, letting it hang over the sides

3. Spray foil with non-stick cooking spray.
4. Pour the semi-sweet chocolate chips in an even layer over the foil.

5. Place in oven from 5 minutes until almost melted.

6. Remove from oven and smooth with knife.

7. Place in fridge until cold/firm (about 20-25 minutes)
8. Melt white chocolate chips in a double boiler until chocolate is almost melted.

9. Remove from heat and stir in peppermint extract.

10. Let cool a bit and spread over chocolate layer.

11. Sprinkle with crushed candy.

12. Chill until both layers are firm and you can break into bite-sized pieces.

13. Enjoy!

Do you have any favorite holiday recipes?

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

It's finally here... the week of Christmas!! As excited as I am for Christmas to finally be here because it means getting 4 uninterrupted days with family I am also nowhere near ready for it to be here as there is still plenty of shopping, wrapping, etc. to do before heading to Jersey on Wednesday morning to start the celebrating the holiday with my family.

I truly love the holiday season and the kid that it can bring out in all of us.  Last week I got together with some of my best girls for a little holiday get together and I seriously had the best night ever just being silly and catching up with them.  Of course there was some adult talk... weddings, man troubles, job searching updates, work updates, etc. but you know there was also a lot of fun in the mix.  At one point when my friend's Dad was taking pictures of us he said "What are you girls, 13?" and you know what... I am ok with him saying that.  At age 30 it is nice to know that I still have a little bit of a kid left in me and that I still have the ability to let loose and not let life get me down.  A major thanks to my friend EO for hosting and to KT for my "owl-dorable" necklace she got me as a Secret Santa gift!!

Getting into the holiday spirit with our Santa hats!!

Girls will be girls

No Christmas Party with my Girls is Complete without Peppermint Patty Shots!

Love these girls to death!!

Yup... age 30... Santa hat, unibrow, sunglasses and blue hair... that is totally how I roll

One of the other things I love about Christmas is sending and receiving Christmas cards.  This year besides sending cards to all of our friends and family, I participated in a card swap put together by the girls over at The Sequin Notebook.  B & M put together a fun swap where they paired people with others all over the country and we sent each other Christmas cards.  I was paired with Tif over at Bright on a Budget to swap cards with.  Tif is a mom, a young professional and just finished getting her MBA!  She has an awesome blog where she shares some great DIY projects, advice for mommas, fashion tips... and just all around shows that it is possible to have it all.  If you get a chance you should definitely go check her blog out!! 

My card from Tif! 

Card from the gals over at The Sequin Notebook

What are some of  your favorite things about Christmas? Does this holiday bring out the kid in you?

#tbt... Christmas Through the Years

Seeing as Christmas is only 1 week away (cue panic because I am not even close to being ready for the holiday), I figure it is only fitting that this week's #tbt post is dedicated to Christmas through the years and by through the years it is going to be from like 2006 - Present because those are the only pictures I have here in my place!

What do the holidays look like at your house? Or at your families' houses?