Mandy's Orange Spice Tea

The Fall Season is fast approaching! Today it was a little cooler so I lit a candle that smells like mulled cider and I knew what I had to do tonight. Make Mandy's Orange Spice Tea. Mandy is my dear friend and former college roommate. Our first year in college I went home with her during Christmas break and she made this drink for me to try. I'm sure its not an original and most of you have a recipe like this that you whip up during the cool winter nights but this is special to me. Not for the ingredients but for what it makes me remember. True friendship, ah because I have to call her every year to get the recipe! What patience on her part. Last year I some how manged to hang on to it. Thanks Mandy!

Here is the recipe. The measurements are not exact so you can play with it to make it to your own taste.

Fill a medium sized pot with water and bring to a boil

Add 4 - 6 tea bags. (I use 6 but Mandy said 4 :) It depends on how strong you like your tea.

1 Cinnamon Stick

1 tsp. Whole Cloves

Dash of Allspice (my addition)

A little tip, instead of straining all the cloves out I use a loose leaf tea strainer.

Remove from heat and let sit for about 15 min. Then, take out teabags, cloves and Cinnamon stick.

Add

1/2 a can of Orange Juice Concentrate

1/2 cup Sugar - add more to taste

Return the pan to the stove to heat as the frozen concentrate cools it down a lot. Warm up and enjoy!

My favorite mug right now is the one from my last adventure at the Oregon Garden Brewfest. Using this cup makes me think I should add a little Grand Marnier next time after the kids go to bed :)

Baby Kimono

It seems like I have hit the stage in my life where all of my friends are having babies. I wanted to start giving gifts that were a little more personal than a store bought gift. I was so excited when I found a book the other day called Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross. It is full of great sewing projects and the really can be done in a weekend. In fact, I made this cute baby kimono in one evening. I can't wait to try a few more of her projects.

Dulce de Leche Brownies

Today I had a hankern' for something sweet and brownies are usually a good fix for that. Especially since I have about 10 boxes in my pantry from the last time a really good sale hit at the grocery store. But this time I though Id make them a little more calorie laden. So I added a can of yummy deliciousness to it. Okay, its really a can of Nestle's La Lechera Dulce de Leche. I saw it in the ethnic foods area in the store and thought I would see what it was like. I'm sure I could sit down with this and a spoon and send myself right into a sugar coma its so good. But for the sake of having something to blog about I added it to my brownie mix. This is such a simple treat to make and it is sooooo good. I'm sure that it would be even better with brownies from scratch and even homemade Dulce de Leche. However, I have two small children and little time on my hands. I made this batch while my son took his morning nap and let my daughter help mix up the batter. If you want something yummy to eat and don't have a lot of time give this a try!

Gather the supplies

The Dulce de Leche was a lot thicker than I thought it would be.

I put it into a baggie to make it easier to handle. Just snip the end off and its easy to pipe on to the brownies.

Now that I have added the Dulce de Leche I drag a skewer through the lines.

Go in opposite directions to create the pattern.

Now they are ready to go into the oven.

Here they are! The hardest part is waiting for them to cool enough to eat.

My Sweet December Began . . .

It all started the day I found out I was going to be a mother for the first time. My life would never be the same. Things were going to change and I was going to have to figure out how to reinvent myself. I chose to be a stay at home mom so that I can provide for my children in the best way I how. Turns out its a little trial and error but each day I learn a little, I teach a little and we all grow in some way, at least that's the goal.

So here I am. Devoted wife and mother of two wonderful children. My daughter is 2 1/2 and my son is only 8mo old. They have become the most important thing in my life. Now that being said, I need to remember what it feels like to be just me from time to time. This is why I give you My Sweet December. My goal is to share good ideas, fun projects and sometimes a little wondering of my mind.

Thank you for taking the time to check out my blog. I truly hope you are inspired, intrigued and at times entertained. Please check back often to see whats new. Soon, I know you will want to put me on your list of blogs you just have to visit every day! ENJOY!