Sweet and Spicy Almonds

December is here. I don't know about you, but for me that means time to put out the Christmas decor, wrap presents, and make lots and lots of party snacks! I am mostly a baker during the month of December, but a party can't just have cookies and cakes:) This recipe for Sweet and Spicy Almonds is perfect for the buffet table at a party, but they would also be really great packaged up and given to one of your favorite people this holiday season...plus they are actually pretty healthy for you too!

 You start this recipe by beating one egg white until it is nice and foamy. Whisk, whisk, whisk until it looks kind of like the the picture below:

 Dump about 2 cups of raw almonds into your bowl with the foamy egg white and toss them around to coat.

 In a gallon sized Ziploc bag, mix together your sweet and spicy coating. I started with 1/4 cup of sugar, and I added a sprinkle of salt, and a pretty good amount of cinnamon. 

 Then to give my almonds a little kick, I added in some crushed red pepper flakes. You could also add cayenne pepper and chili powder like this recipe {Sugar Spiced Almonds} calls for. Honestly you can add any combination and amount of seasonings and spices that you want....play around with it to see what you like best.

 Once you get all your spices added to your bag, pour in the egg white coated almonds. Zip up the bag and give the almonds a good toss to coat them with the sugar/spice mix....this is where the kiddos might want to give you a hand too:)

 Pour the almonds onto a baking sheet and bake in a 250 degree oven for about an hour. You can adjust the time to get the almonds as crunchy as you would like...and make sure to stir them about every 15 minutes so they don't stick or burn.

Let the almonds cool {or sneak a few while they are still warm and toasty} then store them in an airtight container until you are ready to party or you need to give someone a sweet and spicy gift!

What kind of snack foods do you like to make during the holidays?

Guest Posting at Serenity Now

Today I am SUPER excited to be over at Amanda's place {Serenity Now} sharing my tutorial for a Metal Tin Advent Calendar! This is the first day of Amanda's great new holiday series called A Season of Serenity (Now) at Home....and perfect timing for me to be sharing an Advent Calendar since tomorrow is December 1st! Click over, check out my tutorial, and leave some comment love please. And don't forget to check back with Amanda over the next few weeks to see some great giveaways and awesome guest posts as part of A Season of Serenity (Now) at Home!

Mini Muffins Make Me Smile

And hopefully they will make you and the person you share these with smile too...because this SUPER cute decorated egg carton is filled with Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins!

 I pinned this cute egg carton idea from fiskar.com a few months ago. I was waiting for just the right time to make them, and staff appreciation at church turned out to be perfect time for me to whip up some mini muffins and try them out!

To make these, simply cut scrapbook paper to cover the top and front of your egg carton. The inspiration one only covered the top and left the egg carton writing visible on the front...but I wanted to cover most of the writing up for a cleaner look. The inspiration one also added some cute scrapbook paper and little note inside, but I figured the muffins were a good enough surprise inside without the little note:) I used spray adhesive to attach the paper, but a glue stick would work fine too.

Honestly, I was a little skeptical about the mini muffins fitting into the egg carton when I first got started, but as soon as they were cool I started sitting them in the egg carton and they fit perfectly!

Fill up your egg carton with yummy mini muffins, tie them up with some pretty ribbon or raffia, add a little note, and you have a perfectly cute and edible gift to show your thanks to someone!

Here's the recipe for the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins {from allrecipes.com} just in case any is interested:


Ingredients

• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease and flour muffin pan or use paper liners.
2. Mix sugar, oil, eggs. Add pumpkin and water. In separate bowl mix together the baking flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt.. Add wet mixture and stir in chocolate chips.
3. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes.