The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 10: Chocolate Orange Fudge
Inside: It just wouldn’t be Christmas without fudge, so here’s our offering–Chocolate Orange Fudge!
Chocolate Orange Fudge
I love those chocolate oranges that are so popular this time of year, so it only stands to reason that Chocolate Orange Fudge would make a great recipe for Christmas. Here is my attempt at an easy recipe:
- 2 cups of heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup of Truvia (erythritol stevia blend)
- 2 teaspoons of orange zest
- 1 teaspoon of orange extract
- 6 ounces of unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped fine
- ¼ teaspoon of fine sea salt
- Line an 8 x 8 square pan with parchment paper, lightly buttered.
- In a small saucepan, stir together heavy cream, sweetener, orange extract, and orange zest and bring to a simmer.
- Remove from heat and add chocolate and salt. Stir until chocolate is totally melted and mixture is smooth.
- Pour chocolate mixture into parchment-lined pan and spread evenly to the edges.
- Cover and refrigerate until set, several hours or overnight.
- Cut into 16 pieces.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
This day in past posts:
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 10: Simple Ornaments 2017
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 10: Festive Simmering Potpourri 2018
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 10: Christmas is for the Birds 2019
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 10: Jute Basket Ornament 2020
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 9: Raffia Bows
Inside: Sometimes it’s the little things that make all the difference. Like trimming the tree with raffia bows.
Raffia Bows
I admit it–sometimes my creative juices have all dried up, and I’m hard-pressed to come up with something clever, original, beautiful, compelling, etc. . . For a lot of reasons, this accurately describes this year. (More on that later.) But as I’ve been playing around with crafty materials, I kept thinking, “simple raffia bows on the tree.” So, for lack of a better idea, I tried it.
And I kind of liked it.
Enough to use it for a simple Christmas craft post.
So here it is, plain and simple:
Take long wispy strands of raffia, and create a bow with long tails. Place these at various places on your tree, or for that matter, other areas of Christmas decor. Notice how the bow streams down, like a natural tinsel.
Pretty cool. Pretty easy. Something anybody can do.
Give your tree a natural look with raffia bows!
This day in past posts:
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 9: Tortilla Cinnamon Rolls 2017
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 9: My Ragtag Collection of Ornaments 2018
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 9: Nutballs 2019
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 9: Christmas Morning Casserole 2020
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 8: Christmas Towns
Inside: We’re eight days into our 12 Posts of Christmas, sharing a few fun facts about Christmas towns from around the country. A future destination, perhaps?
Christmas Towns Abound
It’s likely you’ve heard of North Pole, Alaska, (pictured above), but have you heard of North Pole, NY? Or would you believe there is not only a Santa, Idaho, but also Santa Claus, Indiana, as well as Santa Clause, Georgia, and yet another town with the same moniker in Arizona?
And not only that, but we’ve got towns named after Rudolph and Dasher. (That would be Rudolph, Wisconsin, and Dasher, Georgia, respectively.)
On a more spiritual note, you can find two namesakes for that ancient little town Bethlehem: Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and Bethlehem, North Carolina. In my own home state, I discovered today, we have a town by the name of Noel, Missouri!
And how about the actual name of the holiday? There are several contenders: Christmas Valley, Oregon, and Christmas Cove, Maine, as well as Christmas, Michigan, and Christmas, Florida.
For those who love the symbols of the season, we have Eggnog, Utah, and Mistletoe, Kentucky, and also Evergreen, Alabama, and Holly Springs, Mississippi.
But regardless of these names both fun and fanciful, perhaps the best Christmas town of all is the place where you call home. And I hope wherever that is, you have the most wonderful, blessed, peaceful Christmas ever!
For more information on these and other Christmas towns, go here.
This day in past posts:
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 8: Spending Christmas with Charlie 2017
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 8: Maple Walnut Fudge 2018
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 8: A Couple of Misfits 2019
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 8: The Write Gift 2020
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 7: Holiday Scents
Inside: The Christmas season is the perfect time for holiday scents from these wonderful essential oil blends. Try one of these today!
Holiday Scents
Winter is the perfect time to diffuse essential oils, and what better time than the holidays with these festive blends to lend a cozy atmosphere to your home!
With the house shut tight against the cold and the furnace running so much of the time, I like to keep my diffuser going. Here are some of my favorite blends to celebrate the Christmas season.
Sweet Dreams
This is so nice to diffuse at bedtime with the sweet orange and lavender scents mingled together. Really nice!
- 3 drops sweet orange oil
- 3 drops lavender oil
Lemon boost
For lemonade fans. Lemon always makes me think “clean,” and the peppermint adds a hint of coolness to the blend.
- 3 drops lemon oil
- 2 drops peppermint oil
Winter Joy
I have diffused this a lot around Christmas. Frankincense has that ancient, healing quality, as the wise men obviously knew! Add in the sweet orange factor and the peppermint cool, and it’s a wonderful, uplifting blend to diffuse even after Christmas!
- 3 drops frankincense oil
- 3 drops sweet orange oil
- 2 drops peppermint oil
These festive blends are just a sampling of my favorites. While I’ve highlighted the aromatic qualities, essential oils are known for their healing properties, too. It’s a fun hobby to take up, and I enjoy experimenting to find my favorite scents. A good blend can go a long way in elevating your mood as well, something to be mindful of as we head into the post holiday season!
This day in past posts:
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 7: Cutest. Sleigh. Ever. 2017
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 7: Christmas Literature 2018
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 7: Homespun Christmas Ball Ornaments 2019