Category Archives: finances

Homemade Holiday Gifts that Rock: Easy Chocolate-Dipped Pretzels

November 18, 2009christmas, finances, friendshipKirsetin

Aren’t these chocolate-dipped pretzels just so pretty? Wouldn’t you want to receive them for a gift? So why not make some this year–a few to give, and a few to keep? Dipping pretzel rods is significantly easier than dipping the traditional twisted pretzel, so I suggest you stick with the pretzel rods if you’re a newbie. But if you want to get creative down the road, you can adjust this idea to any sort of pretzel out there. (You can also use milk chocolate, but then you’ll get your best results with a double boiler. Start slowly, try this for a time or two, and work your way up if you want to try the milk chocolate!)

Easy Chocolate Dipped Pretzel Rods

Pretzel Rods (about 4 dozen)
Chocolate CandyQuick (in the bakery aisle at the grocery)
Crisco
toppings: vanilla CandyQuick (or melts) and nonpariel sprinkles are my favorite

You also need: waxed paper and a ziplock baggie (or an icing decorator bag)

Heat the CandyQuick in the microwave, according to directions on the package. If you need to thin the chocolate, add a little bit (just the tip of a spoonful) of Crisco to the heated chocolate and stir. Quickly dip a pretzel rod in and roll around, making sure to coat all sides (but not the part you’re holding!). Hold the pretzel rod up & let extra chocolate drizzle back into the container. Carefully place the chocolate-coated pretzel rod onto the waxed paper. Repeat. Reheat the chocolate CandyQuick as necessary but be careful not to overheat it.

NOTE: IF YOU’RE USING NONPAREILS for your topping, you must sprinkle them onto the pretzels before the chocolate cools. You can still do several at a time, but keep your eye out to make sure you don’t get busy dipping & forget to sprinkle your topping.

IF YOU’RE USING WHITE CHOCOLATE for your topping, no worries. The dark chocolate must cool first, anyway, before you begin getting fancy with the swirly white stuff. Once you’ve finished with the first step, and the dark chocolate has cooled, you can get ready to drizzle.

Melt the white chocolate (CandyQuick or melts) in the microwave. (Again, you can use white chocolate chips, but then you’re better off with a double boiler. This is much easier.) If you need to thin the white chocolate, add a dab of Crisco and stir. Put the melted white chocolate into a ziplock baggie (sandwich size) or icing decorator bag. If you’re using the ziplock, snip a tiny corner off. Drizzle the white chocolate, slowly, back and forth over the pretzel rods.

Let everything cool, place pretzel rods in a container, wrap with cellophane and a festive bow: Voila! You’re practically Martha.

Another Homemade Holiday Gift that Rocks: Homemade bread and jam

If you have additional ideas, leave them in the comments section. I’ll post links to great homemade gift ideas on Friday.

How An Allen Wrench Saved Me $600

November 12, 2009finances, home projectsKirsetin

Once upon a time, in a memory long ago, I thought I would grow up and spend money on fine furniture like this lovely side table for the dining room. You can purchase this treasure at Ethan Allen for a little over $1000. Yep, you read that right. It’s a pretty piece of painted wood to store stuff in and put food on. They even throw in the cute wine rack: $1049.

But Ethan Allen, as fine as it is, isn’t as trendy as say, Pottery Barn. And, oohhh, who doesn’t love Pottery Barn? You could buy this beautiful side table there for only a few dollars MORE. Candles and wine not included: $1399

But a funny thing happened on the way to growing up. Although I still think both of the above buffets are absolutely lovely, I have, along the way, acquired three helpful boys with the ability to destroy anything new within moments of said item entering our home. And so I ask myself, “Is this the best use of my $1000?” Ummm, what do you think?

So I looked around, and I saw this fantastic buffet for less than HALF the price of the others at the always wonderful Cost Plus/World Markets.

And you know what that means, don’t you?

Uh huh. It means screws and allen wrenches and an hour of looking at an incredibly lame instruction guide. It means a little sweat and a little frustration.

But it also means I won’t tear my hair out the first time I find matchbox or lego scratches. It means that instead of hanging onto this piece long after we’ve worn it out, because Dear Lord I paid over $1000 for it, instead I will happily repurpose it or give it away when its time comes. And in the meantime, darn, isn’t it cute?

The brown plates, though, they might have to go. I was trying to be practical, because I use them ALL of the time and where can I store them (?), but I think it’s too much dark in here. What do you think? Find them another home or leave them be?

The Most Important Tip for Newlyweds

August 5, 2009finances, marriage, Wedded BlissKirsetin

I’m about to do something I loathe: I’m going to offer you a little unsolicited advice. I loathe this mostly because I loathe receiving it. If I want your opinion, I’ll ask. Otherwise, I find it rather insulting to be offered advice nilly willy, as if I haven’t the brains to think something through for myself.

For this topic, however, experience counts. No matter how smart you are, how savvy, how very much in love with your husband-to-be, you can’t hold a candle to experience. So here it is, the one thing I think every newly married couple absolutely ought to do:

Nope, it’s not here.

It’s over here, in my post at Wedded Bliss.