Day Two of the 12 Days of Christmas Celebration!

 Brrrr....tis cold and snowy here in Central New York.  I am not ready for winter!

But I am ready for some more sharing and crafting fun, so let's get to it!

My recipe for the day is one of my Hubby's favorites.  Chris grew up in northern Idaho, and his Mom would always make him these bars.  To this day, it is a special request at Christmas time. We lost Evie two years ago, but fondly remember her each time we have these. They are quick and easy, and hey, who doesn't love the combination of chocolate and peanut butter!

Evie Montreuil's

Kris Kringle Bars

1 c Karo corn syrup

1 c peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)

6 cups Rice Krispies cereal 

one bag semi sweet chocolate chips

In a large pot, combine the Karo and peanut butter, cook and stir well for 5 minutes. Take pot off the stove and pour in the Rice Krispies, mixing well.  Press into a buttered 9 x 13 pan.  Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly across the top, and place in warm oven just until melted.  Spread the melted chips with a knife, covering the entire top.  To make them extra festive, you can sprinkle with Christmas spinkles or sea salt. Cool completely, then cut into bars. 

I have a fun tutorial for you today.  It would be a exciting thing to do with the kids/grandkids.  A little patience is needed, but in the end, you will be rewarded with these beautiful

 Icicle Ornaments

  

You will need....

One box of Borax

package of white pipe cleaners

String or twine

Hot glue gun

Large pot, large mouth jars and water

 Step 1. Fill your pot with water and bring to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, slowly stir in the Borax. For every 3 cups of water stir in 9 tbsp of Borax. Stir well until the Borax has completely dissolved and it's crystal clear.

While you're waiting for the water to boil, you can start prep work.

Cut pipe cleaners to the length you want your icicles to be. The pipe cleaners will become the icicles and you'll hang them in a pot of water. So make sure when you're cutting the pipe cleaners to allow at least a half inch from the bottom of the pot so they don't touch.

Step 2. Find a knife or cooking utensil that lays across your pot or jar. Then, take some string and tie it around the top of the pipe cleaners and around the cooking utensil so the pipe cleaners floats in the pot without touching the bottom.

 Step 3. Once your mixture is dissolved, you can either leave it in the pot or pour it in a glass jar. I wanted to do multiple batches at a time, so I left some in the pot and poured some in the jar. Next, drop your pipe cleaners that are tied to a utensil in the water, making sure they aren't touching each other or the sides of your container. For a large pot that is about 12 inches in diameter, I put in 8 pipe cleaners, and the glass jar I put in 3.

 I found that the fewer pipe cleaners per container, the more crystalized they get.

Set aside your container in a safe place so it can cool. Now you practice your patience and wait for the crystals to form. I let mine set for a good 12 hours overnight, but I think 8 is sufficient.

When you wake up, they will look like this! Glue a twine or string loop to the top with your hot glue.

Clean Up: Fill the pot again and bring it to a boil and all the crystals will disappear that were stuck on the side of the pot. A bonus with using a glass jar is it forms crystals too! Add a little battery operated tea light and set it out with some evergreen boughs for a soft and classy decoration...what a wonderful added bonus!

These are so pretty with the Christmas lights hitting the crystals...be sure to make a lot...you won't be sorry!

Okay folks, that's it for today!

I'll be back again tomorrow for more recipes and tutorials!

Stay safe and healthy!