DIY Cocoa Spicy Sugar Scrub Hostess Gift Basket

Thanks to Coca-Cola for sponsoring this holiday post. All ideas and opinions are my own!

We know it shouldn't be this way, but for many of us, the holiday season can often be as crazy as it is joyful. From parties and travel to shopping, decorating, and even just dealing with unexpected weather, these weeks can often take a lot out of us.

This is why I'm so thankful for those amazing people in our lives who always seem to go above and beyond. They're the people you know you can always count on for help no matter how big or small, and the ones who go out of their way to make this season better, happier, and more magical for all of us.

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DIY Hanging Sunflower Pendants (Sunflower Kissing Balls)

These colorful hanging flower balls (also known as "kissing balls") are a simple and fun decoration to hang over a buffet at a party, during a Fall-themed wedding, or to just hang on a doorway or front porch as seasonal decor.

I shared a sunflower version of this idea on the TODAY Show this morning, since we were celebrating the (unofficial) start of Fall, but feel free to swap different flowers depending on the time of year.

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DIY Gift Idea: Candy Cane Sugar Scrub

I love peppermint. I drink peppermint tea constantly, love minty hot chocolate, and will never turn down a peppermint patty or a junior mint.

And I LOVE this yummy and easy homemade peppermint scented Candy Cane Sugar Scrub!

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DIY Message in a Coke Bottle Advent Calendar

A few years ago, my husband surprised me with my first advent calendar. Growing up in a Puerto Rican household, advent calendars weren't a part of our holiday traditions, but I'd read about them in books and seen them in movies, and was completely obsessed with the idea of counting down the days to Christmas, one tiny surprise at a time.

I told Eugene this when we were dating, and would repeat it every so often when I'd see a calendar on display in a store or someone's home.

And then one December morning (after a few days of buzzing around on some kind of mystery mission) he woke me up with a homemade advent calendar he'd ordered from an artist he found online!

Each morning that month, I'd open up the little drawer of the day to find a tiny handwritten note listing an item like "1 bottle sassy red nail polish" or "1 tube luxurious French hand cream."

(Yup...these were his actual notes!)

He'd then reach into this bag of goodies he kept hidden in his closet, and present me with the gift of the day.

It was, as you might imagine, basically the best thing ever.

Advent calendars--which mark each day of the Advent season with a small hidden gift or image--are such a fun way to bring the family (or even a group of friends!) together during the holidays. They serve double-duty as both decoration and gift, and are a sweet way to have a quick moment together each day during the bustle of the holiday season.

Eugene's little notes gave me the idea to create a "message in a bottle" style advent calendar this year, using classic glass Coca-Cola bottles.

You've probably seen the "Share a Coke" bottles with names on them basically everywhere, but did you know that you can actually order and personalize the bottles with any names or words on them that you'd like?

The minute I found out about this, my brain went into total overdrive at the possibilities (Place settings! Stocking stuffers! Party favors! An entire mini fridge filled with "Alejandra" bottles!)

With this in mind, I ordered up 24 bottles, each personalized with a number 1-24. I tucked little rolled-up notes inside each one, tied with string so they come out easily and closed them with a cork from the crafts store.

Arranged on a mantle or shelf, they're a fun and festive decoration that's really simple to put together. (No major craft skills required here!)

The bright red of the Coca-Cola label is festive enough, but you can also add glitter or fake snow to the bottom of each bottle to dress it up even more, and add a few twinkly lights around the display for a little extra holiday sparkle.

From December 1st through the 24th, your family members can take turns opening up a new bottle each day to reveal the surprise.

And what to put inside?

Well that's totally up to you!

You can follow Eugene's lead, and have each note reference another small gift that you keep elsewhere. Keep it simple with cute small gifts like travel sized bottles of lotion, nail polish, candy or chocolate bars, tiny toys, or costume jewelry.

Or the message itself could be a gift--perhaps promising a day out, a pair of movie tickets, a coupon for a song download, or a digital gift card

Or how about a treasure hunt? With each note revealing a riddle or clue to a bigger gift or surprise that is then revealed on Christmas Day.

And remember that not every note has to be something material!

Feel free to alternate gift days with simple cute notes, motivating quotes for the day, a picture, or even a tiny short story (look up "micro short stories" online for ideas).

A few other tips:

• Planning an advent calendar can take some time, so start as soon as possible.

• If you don't have the time to order the personalized bottles, you can just use the regular glass Coca-Cola bottles you find in your grocery store, and create your own number labels to either tape around or dangle from the neck.

• To clean the bottles before using, I suggest rinsing with hot soapy water, and drying upside down on a rack. Skip the dishwasher as it can damage the label.

• Don't skip the string around the message or you won't be able to get the note out easily. If you want to make it even easier, leave a bit of the string dangling out of the bottle when you put the cork in.

• And remember that once the season is over, you can pack away the bottles to use again next year.

I hope this inspires you to get creative with your own homemade message in a Coke bottle advent calendar.

Be sure to share pictures or let me know what you include in your own version!

Stay tuned for more holiday ideas from me, and hop on over to the Coca-Cola Pinterest Page for some more fun recipe and holiday inspiration.

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Coca-Cola. Over the next few months, I will be sharing a series of recipes and entertaining ideas featuring Coca-Cola. All recipes and opinions are strictly my own. You can also visit the Coca-Cola Pinterest Page for more entertaining tips, inspiration, and ideas. Thank you for supporting great brands that make it possible for me to create fresh new content for you!

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Inspired Entertaining: DIY Puff Pastry Shells

The other day, I went to three different grocery stores looking for frozen puff pastry shells. I needed them for an appetizer I wanted to make, but couldn't find them anywhere!

Finally, I decided to just grab a regular package of puff pastry dough with the intention of making my own shells.

Here's how you can do it, too:


Step 1. Prep the puff pastry:

NOTE: You want to start off with completely thawed puff pastry. 

• If your box comes with two sheets of pastry (like the Pepperidge Farm kind), roll them out, lightly moisten one sheet, and then layer the second one on top, pressing down slightly with your hands and then a rolling pin to combine them a bit.

• If your box comes with a single large sheet that's been folded up (like Dufour or other all-butter pastry) you want to unfold it, roll it out, moisten half of it, and fold it in half

Step. 2. Cut out rounds: 

• Use a 2 1/2" round biscuit or cookie cutter to cut out as many circles as you can. Arrange on the prepared baking sheet, one inch apart. 

• NOTE: This size is great for 1 or 2-bite hors d'oeuvres. If you want to make larger shells for desserts or appetizers, use a larger cutter to make bigger rounds.

• Reroll any scraps and repeat until you use up all the pastry.

Step 3. Make the well:

• Use a small cookie cutter OR a small round cap from a spice bottle (something approximately 1" in diameter) to make a circle impression in the center of each dough round. 

• Go in as far as you can without cutting all the way through.

Step 4. Pierce the dough:

• Use a fork to polk holes in the center circle. The idea is that this circle can easily be pressed down or removed to make a well to fill for your appetizer or dessert.

Step 5. Bake

• Bake at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes, or until shells are puffed and golden.

Step 6. Remove the center:

• Let cool for a couple minutes, then use a muddler or the end of a spatula to press down the centers. 

•  If you prefer, you can pull the centers out completely (I did a mix of both as some will come out more easily than others).

Step 7. Fill and serve

• Now you can fill the shells with your preferred sweet or savory filling, and serve. Note that at this point you can only add a cooked filling (or one meant to be eaten raw).

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How to Make Cold Brew

This past weekend I posted a few photos of my DIY cold brew concentrate on Instagram and Facebook, and got so many questions about it, that I decided to write up a quick post on it.

Here's what you do. This recipe makes just slightly less than 1/2 gallon of cold brew concentrate, which is enough for about 12 or so large iced coffees, depending on how strong you like them. You can easily double the recipe if you want more (the concentrate keeps well in the fridge for a couple weeks, or it can be frozen).

Start off with 1/4 lb of espresso ground coffee. Choose whatever kind you like (I've even done this with flavored coffee). Note that some will taste better than others, so play around until you find your favorite.

I'm a big fan of Bustelo, but I suspect that's a nostalgia thing for me.

Combine the coffee and 1/2 gallon of cool filtered water (that's 8 cups) in a large container or pitcher.

Give it a good stir and then cover with a cap or plastic wrap. Leave at room temperature for 8-10 hours.

You don't want to go much more than that as it will get too strong and a bit bitter. I like 8 hours exactly.

Strain the coffee through a cheesecloth set over a fine mesh sieve. This part takes a while, but it's key to avoid grainy coffee. You can also use a French press to strain out the coffee grinds.

Note that I don't have photos of this step because it's messy, and I needed both hands.

[UNRELATED TIP: I save the grinds, mix them with coconut oil, and use them as a body scrub!]

Once strained, transfer to a large seal-able container, and store in the refrigerator. I store mine in a large beverage dispenser with a spigot, for easy pouring.

To make the coffee:

This is all up to taste, but here is what  I like to do:

Fill a glass to the top with ice. Pour in cold brew concentrate until it reaches halfway up the ice-filled glass. If you're adding sweetener, add it now. Note that simple syrup works best here since it will dissolve easily.

Now, add water until it almost hits the top, saving room for milk or cream. Add milk or cream. Give it a little stir, and drink!

Some other ideas:

• I like to add a little vanilla extract and ground cinnamon to my coffee before I add the water. It's delicious! 
• I hear that condensed milk is also awesome in this, although I've never tried it myself. 
• Note that depending on how strong or weak you like your coffee, you should add more or less water or coffee concentrate. Play around until you find what works best for you!

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Love Always Order Dessert? Let's connect! Follow me on Twitter or Pinterest, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates. And if you ever need any entertaining or cooking advice, please don't hesitate to e-mail me. Thanks for reading!        

DIY Cold Brew Concentrate Recipe
Makes 1/2 gallon 

Ingredients
1/4 lb espresso ground coffee
8 cups water

Directions
Combine coffee and water in a large container and let steep at room temperature for 8 hours. Strain through a cheesecloth-lined mesh sieve, and chill.

Follow directions above to prepare iced coffee. 

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Cinnamon Tortilla Crunch Cereal

Cinnamon Toast Crunch was one of my favorite breakfast cereals when I was a kid.

My mom didn't purchase it often (since it's basically a box filled with sugar), but when she did, my brother and I would tear through it in a couple days, filling ourselves generous bowls for breakfast, snacks, and dessert.

I loved the way the cinnamon and sugar coated every little square, and drinking the sweet cinnamon milk that was left behind.

It's been years--possibly even a decade--since I've tasted the cereal, but it suddenly popped back into my head while I was researching an article about different ways to use tortillas.

I figured that by cutting tortillas into tiny squares, coating with melted butter and baking until crisp, and then coating with cinnamon and sugar, I could create a fun homemade version of the cereal I loved--a Cinnamon Tortilla Crunch!

I went to work, and after a couple tries, I figured out the perfect way to create a crunchy, sweet cinnamon tortilla breakfast cereal.

This works well with both corn and flour tortillas--perfect if you have a bunch leftover from Cinco de Mayo!

The corn have a bit more of a "tortilla chip" taste to them, while the flour are more neutral and closest in flavor to the original cereal. Of the two, I prefer flour, but corn is a great option to keep it gluten-free. My FAVORITE version uses half-corn/half-flour tortillas. If you can find those, definitely give them a shot as they combine the best of both worlds. (My favorite brand for these is La Tortilla.)

Now this is by NO means a healthy cereal (is there even such a thing?!), but it's a really fun treat to enjoy as dessert or on a special occasion.

And you can control the amount of sugar you add, or even play around with the spices. I bet a touch of cardamom or ginger would be a fun twist!

Without the milk, this also makes for an amazing crunchy snack to enjoy while watching movies or to sprinkle on top of ice cream or yogurt. So many fun things to do with them!

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Love Always Order Dessert? Let's connect! Follow me on Twitter or Pinterest, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates. And if you ever need any entertaining or cooking advice, please don't hesitate to e-mail me. Thanks for reading!     

Cinnamon Tortilla Crunch Cereal
Makes 4 1/2-cup servings

Ingredients
16 small round tortillas (works with both flour or corn)
6 tablespoons salted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon (add more or less depending on how strong a cinnamon flavor you'd like!)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Stack the tortillas and use a knife to cut into small 3/4" squares. Place in a large bowl and pour in the butter and vanilla. Toss to coat well, then divide onto the baking sheets and spread out evenly into a single layer.

Bake 7-10 minutes, then toss and bake 5-10 more minutes, or until all the pieces are toasted and golden. (Keep an eye on them as they can burn--thinner corn tortillas will cook in less time than thicker flour ones--adjust your timing accordingly!) And note that they'll crisp up a bit as they cool so don't worry if they're still a tiny bit soft when they come out of the oven.

While the tortillas bake, whisk together sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl.

Remove the hot toasted tortillas from the oven and immediately toss into the sugar mixture. Toss to coat evenly, then spread out on the baking sheet and let cool completely.

Serve with milk or on its own as a snack. Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container at room temperature. Best within 3 days.

***Love this recipe? Please do feel free to share it on Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook or your blog by posting a link and up to one image from my post. I do ask that you respect my original work and not republish this entire recipe on your blog, Facebook or any other forums. If you have any questions about how to best share this recipe, please feel free to email me. Thank you!

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Homemade Corn Flakes Cereal

I can't even explain to you how excited I am about this recipe!

I made cereal from scratch.

CEREAL. Not granola, which is cool and all (especially when it tastes like s'mores), but actual proper breakfast cereal!

The same stuff I used to eat when I was a kid and totally cool with eating a bowl of sugar-topped carbs for breakfast.

Yesterday morning I was wandering around my kitchen trying to figure out what to eat for breakfast. I was tired of eggs, didn't want oatmeal or yogurt or really much of anything. I've been fighting a cold for the past couple days, and I realized that what I really wanted was a bowl of cornflakes and milk.

I haven't had a bowl of corn flakes and milk in at least 12 years, but right then at that moment, it's what I wanted. So I said to myself: man...I wish I could just make corn flakes.

And then...wait... can I make corn flakes?

So I started looking online and found a few recipes for homemade corn flakes made on the stovetop. I also found some for homemade bran cereal made in the oven, so I tested out both methods to see which worked best.

After some playing around with the proportions, I found that I preferred the oven method as it produced the crispiest cereal with the least amount of effort (total win!).

I was surprised with how good this ended up being. It stays crunchy in milk and has a lovely sweet and toasted corn flavor that is almost identical to that of the boxed cereal. Eugene loved the flavor on its own, and enjoyed handfuls of it as a snack.

The recipe below makes a small batch (enough for about 2-3 small bowls of cereal), but you can easily double or triple it--just be sure to divide the batter into the same amount of sheet pans so that it doesn't come out too thick.

This would also be great to use as a fun topping on yogurt or ice cream, or to crush to use in cornflake breading recipes.
 
P.S. Did you hear? I'm hosting an AMAZING 3-day culinary retreat this June! And YOU can join me for this super fun weekend of incredible meals, cooking demos, hands-on workshops, shopping, yoga, massage & more! All-inclusive rates start at just $585 per person. Click here for details.

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Love Always Order Dessert? Let's connect! Follow me on Twitter or Pinterest, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates. And if you ever need any entertaining or cooking advice, please don't hesitate to e-mail me. Thanks for reading!     

Homemade Cornflakes Cereal

Recipe by Alejandra Ramos | AlwaysOrderDessert.com

A recipe for homemade cornflakes cereal made from scratch in the oven.

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 hr 10 min
Yield: 2 cups

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal, divided
• 1 tablespoon granulated white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cups water

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and grease lightly with oil or baking spray. 
2. Whisk together 1 cup cornmeal, sugar, and salt. Add vanilla extract and water, a little at a time, stirring until batter is smooth and thin. If it's too dry, add additional water. You want something the consistency of pancake batter.
3. Pour batter onto prepared pan and spread out evenly. (It won't reach the edges, but that's OK. You want a nice thin layer, about 1/4 - 1/3" thick.)
4. Combine remaining cornmeal with 1 teaspoon of water and mix until the mixture resembles course breadcrumbs (add an additional teaspoon or 2 of water if too dry).
5. Sprinkle the top of the batter in the pan with the cornmeal crumbs (this will help give it a little extra crunchy texture).
6. Bake on the center rack for 10-15 minutes, keeping a close eye on it, until the dough has dried out and cracked. (You're looking for a cracked arid-desert landscape look to it).
7. Remove from oven and lower heat to 250. Let pan cool, then use your hands to tear and crack the dough into small flakes. Return to oven and let bake on the center rack for about 45 minutes or until pieces are toasted, crisp, and golden.
8. Let cool completely before serving with milk or as you would any cereal. Store leftovers in an air-tight container in a cool dry place.

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How to Make Honeycomb Candy

The theme for my latest recipe collaboration with Netflix is the "Science Fair."

This month, Netflix has curated a great line-up of kid-friendly movies and TV shows about different aspects of science and "how stuff works." They're a great way to reinforce what kids are learning at school, or even give them ideas for science fair projects and experiments that they can make at home. 

For my recipe, I decided to pick something that would essentially be like an edible science experiment--Homemade Honeycomb Candy!

Just about everything you do in the kitchen can relate back to science, but I think that the process of making candy is an especially great way to talk about science and chemistry, in a fun, safe, and exciting way.

(Plus...what kid doesn't like candy?!)

Depending on where you are in the country (or world!), this candy goes by a lot of different names--seafoam, sponge toffee, fairy food--but the sweet is the same. It's a kind of hard caramel that is then aerated with the addition of baking soda (Sodium Bicarbonate). When the baking soda combines with the boiled sugar, it creates Carbon Dioxide that form lots of bubbles and puff the candy up. Once it hardens, the bubbles get trapped inside and create a texture that looks just like a sponge or piece of foam.

It's crunchy and sweet, with an almost molasses-like flavor. This is fun to eat on it's own, but it can also be dipped in chocolate for a little extra deliciousness.

Safety Note: This is a fun recipe to make with kids, but use your best judgement about what parts they can participate in. This should only be made with adult supervision, since it involves the stove and hot sugar. Older kids who can safely use the stove should be able to help you with the addition of the ingredients to the pot and keeping an eye on the thermometer, while younger kids can watch from a safe distance, and join in parts like the measuring of ingredients and then the cracking of the candy once it has cooled. If you're uncertain, I would suggest making it once yourself first so that you can feel comfortable with the process, before getting the kids involved.

Check out my step-by-step tutorial and recipe below. I've included notes on different scientific properties that you can point out to the kids as you follow the recipe.

The Ingredients

This recipe calls for three different kinds of sugar (light corn syrup, honey, and granulated sugar) which make up the base of the recipe.

Once the sugar reaches a specific temperature, you'll add baking soda, which will cause it all to puff up really high in the pot.

It's a really cool reaction that your kids will definitely enjoy (even grown-ups think it's a lot of fun!).

The Equipment

Like with all science experiments, you're going to need a bit of special equipment.

• A Pot: The most important is the pot. Even though this doesn't call for a lot of ingredients, the reaction when you add the baking soda requires that you do this in a large tall pot so that you don't end up with a big mess. (I love to use a big soup pot for this.

• A Thermometer: You'll also need a candy thermometer, which you can easily find at kitchen stores like Bed Bath & Beyond or even some grocery stores. It usually costs around $15 and is key for making sure that your sugar hits the right temperature. (These can also be used for measuring oil when frying, so you'll find that it comes in handy!)

• Lined Baking Sheet: You can use any kind of baking or cookie sheet for this, just be sure to line it with parchment paper so that the candy doesn't stick. You can also use a silicon mat, if that's what you prefer.

• Wooden Spoon: And be sure to pull out a wooden spoon or two. You don't want to use anything plastic, as it may melt in the hot sugar.

Step 1
Prepare your lined baking sheet and set it aside. Attach your candy thermometer to the pot. Measure out all of your ingredients and have them ready to go. This recipe goes quickly once it gets started, so you won't have time to stop and measure things out.

Step 2

Combine the sugar and water in the pot over medium-high heat, and give it a stir so that it starts to dissolve. You can point out to the kids how the sugar is dissolving into the water.

Step 3.

Pour in the corn syrup and honey and give it another stir. Mention that honey, corn syrup, and white sugar are three different kinds of sugar.

Step 4

Bring the sugar mixture up to a boil and then continue to let cook. Keep an eye on your thermometer.

You want the mixture to reach 300 degrees F, which is also known as the "Hard Crack" stage. This means that the sugar has been cooked to a point where, once cool, it will make a hard candy (like a cough drop). If you stop before it reaches that point, you may end up with something chewy like a caramel or taffy, which is not what you want for this recipe.

Step 5
Once the temperature hits 300, turn off the heat and immediately remove it the pot to a cool surface.

Step 6

Pour in the baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and use the wooden spoon to quickly stir it in. The mixture will start to foam and rise as the carbon dioxide is formed.

Stop stirring, and let it rise to the top.


Step 7

Pour the candy mixture onto your prepared pan. Don't worry about spreading it out onto the sides--you don't need to do that (in fact, it's better that you don't so that you don't release the bubbles). Just get all of it onto the pan.

Step 8

Give the pan a little bit of a shake to settle the candy, then let cool in a cool dry spot for about 30 minutes, or until it sets and hardens. You can watch it as it hardens, and point out the bubbles created by the carbon dioxide on the surface of the candy.

Step 9

Crack! Once the candy is hard, use your hands to break the candy into big chunks (feel free to snack on it).  Look at the inside of the candy and point out the different bubbles and the change in texture.

Step 10

Eat and enjoy! You can dip it into melted chocolate for an added treat, or just enjoy it as is. Store any leftovers in an air-tight container; if left in the open air, it will absorb moisture from the air and get soggy. 

Note: This post is sponsored by Netflix. Thank you for supporting great companies like Netflix who make it possible for me to keep creating fun new content for you to enjoy. All photos, opinions, and recipes are (of course!) my own.

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Love Always Order Dessert? Let's connect! Follow me on Twitter or Pinterest, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates. And if you ever need any entertaining or cooking advice, please don't hesitate to e-mail me. Thanks for reading!      

Homemade Honeycomb Candy
Making this homemade candy is easy, but it requires a bit of preparation. Be sure to read the complete recipe and measure out all your ingredients first, as once you get started, the process goes by quickly.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar
1/2 cup filtered water
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup light corn syrup
3 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Directions
Line a baking sheet or large pan with parchment paper or a silpat, and set aside.

Affix a candy thermometer to a tall stockpot and set over medium-high heat. Add the sugar and water, and stir with a wooden spoon until dissolved. Add the honey and corn syrup, then bring the mixture to a boil (do not stir). Continue to cook until the temperature on the candy thermometer reaches 300 degrees and the sugar mixture is a golden amber shade.

Immediately remove from heat and add the baking soda. Use a spoon to stir gently. The mixture will foam up high. Once it foams up to the top, immediately pour out onto the prepared sheet pan--note that the mixture does NOT need to reach the edges.

Place the pan in a cool dry area, and let set for about 30 minutes or until hard.

Use your hands to break apart into small pieces.

Enjoy as is (also delicious when dipped in chocolate). Store candy in an air-tight container. Do not leave uncovered as it will absorb moisture from the air and become soggy.

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