Gingerbread Treats & Weekly Link Party

It's a seasonal favorite--Gingerbread! Enjoy the festive flavor combination of ginger, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and molasses in the form of these unique treats! Santa can have his plain old cookies and milk because you've got him beat with these delicious gingerbread goodies. Happy Christmas!

1. Gingerbread Cookie Boxes / Gluesticks
These edible gift boxes are so cute! Tuck a handful of candy inside and you have the perfect gift for neighbors, family, and friends! So creative!

2. Gingerbread Hot Chocolate / Somewhat Simple
Sigh. Doesn't this warm drink sound heavenly? This recipe takes hot cocoa to a whole new level!

3. Gingerbread Muffins / Simply Stacie
Here's a treat that's perfect for Christmas morning! And they'll go perfectly with that morning coffee you'll need when the kids wake you up a little too early on Christmas to open presents. I wouldn't mind waking up for these, though!

Personal Note: Thank you so much for linking up with us each week. It's always a highlight to see what you're creating, baking, and making each week. Sorry that I'm running a little late this week. The whole family has the flu. Yuck! I know! And right before Christmas. I'm keeping this week's party short and sweet with just a few features that I hope you'll enjoy. I'd also like to take a moment to wish you and your family a happy and healthy Christmas. Merry Christmas, sweet friends!

Recipes: Loaded Mashed Potato Cakes and Mashed Potato Puffs

Give mashed potatoes a whole new look and flavor by cooking them into simple and tasty Loaded Mashed Potato Cakes or Mashed Potato Puffs. Yes, this post is a doubleheader with two delicious recipes for mashed potatoes. And both recipes are easy ways to transform your leftovers or even fresh mashed potatoes into a brand new dish!

Buttermilk biscuits, green beans, ham, mac and cheese, and mashed potatoes are just some of the delicious comfort foods we enjoy for family dinners here in the South. For fresh potatoes with a homemade taste, I recently discovered Simply Potatoes®. They're made with real ingredients and are quick and easy to prepare--no peeling, shredding, or whipping required!

Simply Potatoes Mashed Potatoes are creamy and delicious as is for those big family dinners. From the microwave to the table, they are ready in minutes! Mashed potatoes certainly haven't always been that easy to prepare. Thank goodness for convenient, new products! And, yes, delicious as they are, they're also tasty in recipes like the Loaded Mashed Potato Cakes and Mashed Potato Puffs I'm sharing with you today.

Looking for something new and different to do with mashed potatoes? Perhaps you're menu planning and you'd like to step away from traditional mashed potatoes. Maybe you just need change! Or maybe you prepared mashed potatoes at your last meal and ended up with a bunch of leftovers that you just aren't sure what to do with. Fresh or leftover, if you have mashed potatoes, I've got you covered with two delicious ways you can prepare them that'll have your guests begging for more!

10 Christmas Cookie Recipes & Weekly Link Party

It's the busiest baking season of the year, and cookies are on the list! Bake an impressive variety of Christmas cookies to savor and share during the holdiay season with this collection of delectable cookie recipes.

From shortbread to chocolate chip, this list has all the classics along with a few unique surprises mixed in. Whether you're attending a cookie exchange, baking homemade gifts for others, or just mixing up something to serve at your holiday festivities, you're sure to find a recipe below that will dazzle and delight this Christmas! Happy baking!

1. Christmas Shortbread Cookies / Somewhat Simple
A list of Christmas cookie recipes just wouldn't be complete without shortbread. My favorite part about these is that with a drizzle of icing and a dash of sprinkles they've been made to look like little Christmas trees! Oh so cute and delicious!

2. Chocolate Star Cookies / Artful Homemaking
Don't these look amazing? And with their sweet chocolate stars, they're perfect for the holidays!

3. Raspberry White Chocolate Cookies Bars / Housewife How Tos
Want something a little different than traditional cookies? Try cookies bars instead! These look and sound wonderful with their decadent flavor combination of raspberry and white chocolate.

4. Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies / Crafting A Family
Peanut butter and chocolate are always a winning combination! Kids will love getting involved with this recipe. I bet a favorite part is popping chocolate kisses right on top of the warm cookies.

5. Snowball Russian Tea Cake Cookies / Brooklyn Farm Girl
These bring back so many memories for me. When I was a child, my mother would make these every year at Christmas. One taste and you'll know why. And Pamela's look like perfection! Click on over to grab the recipe. Perhaps they'll become a new tradition for your sweet family.

6. Old-Fashioned Christmas Cookies / Little House Living
Visit here for three old-fashioned recipes that have been passed down and lovingly preserved in this blogger's recipe collection. NOTHING beats a tried and true recipe that carries with it the kitchen memories of multiple generations.

7. Chocolate Chip Celebration Cookies / Mrs. Kringle's Kitchen
You can't go wrong with a classic! With both chocolate chips and festive chocolate candies, these cookies are bursting with chocolate goodness.

8. Black and White Chocolate Shortbread / Mrs. Kringle's Kitchen
These chocolate shortbread cookies have been dipped in white chocolate and sprinkled with festive toppings. They're a fun holiday cookie to prepare, wrap, and give to others.

9. Snickerdoodle Cookies / Mrs. Kringle's Kitchen
Here's another holiday classic! And the cinnamon will have your whole house smelling like Christmas.

10. Simple Pie Crust Cookies / The Life of Jennifer Dawn
With just a few scraps of pie crust and a little fruit jam, you can bake a batch of unique cookies that are sure to delight the pie loving members of your family.

Homemade Scrubs & Soaks and Weekly Link Party

Tis the season for handmade gifts! Does anyone else love making simple, thoughtful gifts for family and friends.

Homemade sugar scrubs and soaks are one of the easiest handmade gift ideas. One batch can yield enough for several containers making it quick and easy to put multiple gifts together all at once. The recipes being featured at this week's link party all make fantastic gifts for teachers, neighbors, friends and even sweet-smelling stocking stuffers for family.

Don't forget to pamper yourself a little during this busy holiday season. Hold a few portions back of these homemade scrubs and soaks to give yourself a spa-like treatment after a hectic day. Your skin will thank you!

Winter weather can be harsh on skin. Homemade scrubs and soaks to the rescue! Theses recipes have amazing health benefits without the artificial ingredients found in similar store-bought versions. Go ahead pamper yourself and those you love this holiday season with a batch of one of these fantastic recipes!

1. Coconut Lime Sugar Scrub / Natural Beach Living
It might be cold outside, but this scrub will have you daydreaming of tropical destiantions with it's combination of coconut and lime. Click on over for the full recipe!

2. Mint Lavender Mineral Bath / Life-N-Reflection
This bath soak turns your bath at home into a spa-like retreat. And your going to love the little containers that Kristy chose to store it in! These really would make perfect stocking stuffers!

3. Cinnamon Vanilla Sugar Scrub / See Vanessa Craft
Here's a scrub that's perfect for the holidays! With cinnamon, sugar, and vanilla I'm sure this one smells good enough to eat. Both your nose and your skin will thank you!

4. Lavender Sugar Scrub / The Life of Jennifer Dawn
Who loves the relaxing scent of lavender? This scrub is perfect for you! Go ahead! Mix up a batch. You deserve some pampering.