Home Staging and Redesign Minneapolis/ St. Paul, MN - Shar Sitter

Need a quick snack recipe and I mean quick? Plus it is yummy!!

I made these for my Christmas plates but they would be fabulous for a New Year's Party, Super Bowl Party or anytime during the year.

Cinnamon Pretzels!

It is such a nice surprise when you think you are biting into a regular pretzel and then find the taste of cinnamon and sugar! Delicious.

Put them in a Decorative Tin and they would make a wonderful Hostess Gift as well.

Ingredients:

2/3 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 pound package small pretzel twists

Directions:

1. In a large roasting pan stir together oil, sugar and cinnamon. Add pretzels; toss well to combine. Bake, uncovered in a 300 degree F oven for 30 minutes, stirring twice. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in an airtight container. Makes 12 cups.

Microwave Directions:

2. In a very large bowl stir together oil, sugar and cinnamon. Add pretzels; toss well to combine. Place half of the pretzel mixture in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on 100 percent power (high) for 3 minutes, stirring after every minute. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Repeat with remaining pretzel mixture.

In reading the reviews of this recipe a couple complaints were that the sugar wasn't sticking to the pretzel. To make sure the pretzels were well coated this is what I did. (I used the oven, not the microwave).

A couple hints of what I did:

1) I used Rold Gold Mini Pretzels as they are a little fatter. (I made one batch with the thinner ones and not as good).

2) I doubled the oil, sugar and cinnamon for 1 pound of pretzels to make the coating thicker.

3) I put the coating in a bowl, poured in 1/2 the pretzels and stirred them until well coated. I used tongs to place them on the pan. Then I repeated the process. Any additional coating remaining in the bowl I poured over the pretzels in the pan. I also set the timer at 10 minute intervals to stir them thoroughly to keep them coated. I had no problems and the thicker coating was the best!!

I cannot stress enough how easy this recipe is and how good they are!! I hope you make them for yourself if nothing else. Enjoy!

Originally posted at "Rooms With Style Blog"

Do You Need A Silent Night?

My life has been nuts lately....what about yours?

Business as usual, shopping, wrapping, baking, blogging, year end planning, marketing, business planning for 2012, and on and on and on.

So maybe you need a Silent Night too.

Let the words and music of Amy Grant give you that....at least for a few minutes.

Christmas just isn't complete without a trip to the 8th Floor Auditorium at Macy's.

Now in its 48th year, the display is located in the 8th floor auditorium of the Macy's store in downtown Minneapolis.

This year's theme is "A Day in the Life of an Elf," which chronicles the lives of Santa's little helpers at the North Pole.

The annual holiday display is free and the event runs through Dec. 30th.

I will be heading to the Auditorim right after attending the Holidazzle Parade outside on the Nicollet Mall.

And of course a gingerbread cookie with Santa to end the evening.....

Macy’s Holidazzle Parade, now in its 16^th year, lights up the Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis, MN at 6:30 PM Thursday through Sunday, through Dec. 23.

A sense of excitement and suspense comes over the thousands of people lining the street when the street lights are darkened. The music starts, necks are strained to look down the street to see the floats adorned in every color coming toward you.

Everything in the Parade is lit up....even the Marching Bands!

Floats of Story Book Characters such as Peter Pan are always a hit but my favorite......

The Christmas Bulbs!! They make me smile every time I see them!

So if you haven't been to the Holidazzle Parade in Minneapolis yet what are you waiting for? With the warm temperatures this weekend it is the perfect time to go! See you there!

What do you love to do? Can you do what you love and bless others at the same time?

I love to read, knit and bake. I take the love of knitting and make prayer shawls for those in the hospitals, nursing homes or just someone needing a pick me up gift.

I take my love of baking and turn it into a blessing for others during the holiday season by providing plates of cookies during Christmas Caroling to those that are shut-in. After being sung to, each person is handed a plate of homemade cookies.

Let's follow my day recently:

Bright and early in the morning with my pastry chef outfit and my cup of coffee, I am ready to go with my very clean kitchen island and heavy duty mixer. (Don't I look just like Vanna White??).

A couple hours later.....look what my friend Patty has done to my clean kitchen!! ;-)

When I started doing this about ten years ago I was asked for about 8 - 10 plates of cookies. Then it was 12- 15, etc. This year was the biggest need ever with many elderly men losing their wives and many very sick people. I was asked for 30 plates of cookies so 30 it was.

Assembly day looked something like this:

We made about 18 different things this year but every year I just have to try a few new recipes. Last year it was 'Sea Salt and Pink Peppercorn Caramels'. This year it was 'Spicy Peanut Brittle' and 'Christmas Mice'.

Can you fine my little Christmas Church Mouse peeking out on the plate? Complete with ears and a tail?

Oh....and of course the empty Tupperware containers after the assembly process was quite the sight!!

So what do you love to do? Can you bless others with it? How about making that a goal for 2012??

Wishing you a very blessed Christmas Season and a wonderful 2012!