Brownie Holi-Pops – Just About the Cutest Recipe I’ve Ever Seen

The reason I chose this recipe is the “cookies” are just about the cutest cookies I have ever seen.  They are so adorable they can be used to make a darling centerpiece just like in the photo above.   They are also a recipe that your kids can help make and it can be done in steps over a couple of days if your hours are filled with other holiday related activities like shopping and wrapping.
The first step which can easily be done a day or two ahead is to make a pan of brownies.  Start by heating your oven to 350ºF.  In a 2-quart saucepan combine ½ cup butter and 2 ounces of unsweetened baking chocolate.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly so the chocolate doesn’t burn, until melted.

Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar, flour, eggs, vanilla and salt.

Make sure everything is mixed well.

Spread the batter evenly into a greased 8-inch square baking pan.

Bake for 23 to 27 minutes or until the brownies just begin to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Cool completely.  Making brownies is that simple.  If you are making this recipe over a couple of days you can cover the brownies at this point and continue the next day.
If you are ready to keep going the next step is to crumble the cooled brownies into a large bowl.  This is definitely something your kids will enjoy helping with.  I just broke the brownies into pieces over the bowl and kept rubbing the chunks of brownie between my fingers until coarse crumbs were formed.

Next melt the remaining ¼ cup butter and 1 ounce chocolate in a small saucepan.  Add this mixture and the powdered sugar to the crumbled brownies and mix well.

Shape the mixture into 1-inch balls.  This is a step the kids can help with.

Place the balls onto a waxed paper-lined jelly-roll pan or tray.

Cover with plastic food wrap and refrigerate until firm (at least 2 hours or overnight).   It’s time to dip the balls in candy coating!  Melt vanilla and/or chocolate candy coating according to the package directions.  Working with about one-third of the balls at a time (keep the others in the refrigerator) insert a lollipop stick into each ball.  Push the lollipop stick into the ball so that the end is about in the center of the ball.  You can purchase lollipop sticks at craft stores and some grocery stores.

Dip the balls into the melted coating, swirling or tapping off excess coating.

I found it helpful to use a spoon to drizzle the coating over the ball to get the places that dipping didn’t quite reach.

Sprinkle with holiday nonpareils, jimmies and/or other decorator candies.  Push the lollipop stick into craft foam and let stand until the coating is set.  If you don’t have any craft foam you can place the balls onto waxed paper, they just won’t be quite as round-shaped because the coating may pool under the balls.

Aren’t these just the cutest cookies?  Have fun making a centerpiece with these as the stars!  Won’t your guests think it’s fun to eat the centerpiece?  Now, I will admit these are a little putsy to make but when made spread out over a couple of days it was not a big deal.  And, they really aren’t difficult to make at all.  I think the cute factor is worth the extra effort.  Oh, and by the way they taste good too!

Go out on a limb, take a risk and try something new along with all your traditional favorites this holiday season.  Give them as gifts...they will love them!

An Evening of Fun that is Free and Open to the Public

Northwest Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra Concert

Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra

December12, 2010
4:00PM
Mainstage

Free & Open to the Public

The Northwest Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra presents their Fall concert. The concert is free and open to the public; however donations to support the youth program are welcomed. The performance will include music by Haydn, Debussy, Rossini and Strauss along with some favorite Holiday selections. The NFSYO is comprised of more than 50 talented student musicians in grades 5 to12 from Okaloosa, Walton and Santa Rosa Counties. Come out for an evening of fun and celebrate the Holiday Season.

A Live Phone call or Letter from Santa for your child

If you are looking for something special for your child this Christmas, check out the Live Santa Claus Phone Calls and Pre-Recorded Phone Calls.

Santa Clause phone calls will give your child an amazing experience this Christmas! Your son or daughter will be able to hear from Santa Claus about his reindeer, the kinds of toys the elves are building in the workshop and what the weather is like up in the North Pole.

A Live Phone Call from Santa Claus will let your son or daughter speak directly to St. Nick himself. Your child will be amazed to hear his jolly ho, ho, ho and secrets about the North Pole! During a Pre-Recorded Call from Santa Claus, the North Pole's operator and Chief Elf will happily connect your child to Santa's custom message so he or she can hear about the magical preparations being made for Christmas!

For children all over the world, Christmas is the most amazing time of the year. If you're looking for a truly special gift that will thrill your child this year, check out the Santa Claus Calls and Santa Letters.
Do Something Truly Special This Christmas!

Your child will be amazed that Santa Claus took time out of his busy schedule to write a letter just for her. Each Santa Claus Letter is personalized just for your child and even includes the North Pole's postmark. Imagine how excited your child will be when he receives his very own letter from Santa!

http://www.christmastimegifts.net

Free Screening Mammograms

Free Screening Mammograms

The Suzy Fund & Hard Rock Cafe's Pinktober Fund Help Provide Free Screening Mammograms to Underserved Women in Okaloosa & Walton Counties

Almost 200,000 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year; however, annual screenings offer significant hope in the fight against this life-threatening disease. According to the American Cancer Society, the 5-year survival rate is 98% for localized breast cancer that has not spread outside the breast.

The Suzy Fund & The Pinktober Fund

To ensure access to life-saving screening mammograms for women of Okaloosa and Walton counties, Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast partnered with passionate women and community-minded organizations to offer up to 200 free screening mammograms a year, benefiting underserved women of our communities.

“Our mission at Sacred Heart is to provide high quality, compassionate healthcare to all, without regard to the ability to pay. Providing these screening mammograms to underserved women will help save countless lives by identifying cancer in an early, preventable stage.”
~ Dr. Charles Stroble, Radiologist

The Suzy Fund was established in October 2007 in partnership with Zampieri’s Harbor Grille, Qantum Communications, American Laser Centers and Sacred Heart Foundation as a result of the first annual “Breast Party in Town.”

The Pinktober Fund is the result of Hard Rock Cafe’s signature Breast Cancer Awareness program worldwide that raises awareness and funds for breast cancer charities. Each year, Hard Rock Café in Destin hosts special events throughout the month of October with proceeds from each event benefiting the “The Pinktober Fund” at Sacred Heart.

Mammogram Screening Guidelines

Women age 40 and older should have a screening mammogram every year. A screening mammogram is an x-ray exam of the breast in a woman who has no symptoms. The goal of a screening mammogram is to find cancer when it is still too small to be felt by a woman or her doctor, greatly improving a woman’s chance for successful treatment. Women in their 20s and 30s who are not high risk should have a clinical breast exam as part of their regular health exam, preferably at least every three years.

Women at high risk include those who have a known breast cancer gene mutation, have a first-degree relative (mother, father, brother, sister or child) with the designated gene mutation, had radiation therapy to the chest when between the ages of 10 and 30 years old, or have a family history of breast cancer. High-risk women should begin screening mammograms at age 35 or younger, depending on their specific situation.

To qualify for the free screening at Sacred Heart, women must be between the ages of 40 to 65 and reside in either Okaloosa or Walton County. Women on Medicaid or Medicare already qualify for an annual screening mammogram, so the program will target the “working poor” – women who do not qualify for Medicare or Medicaid but who cannot afford a screening exam.

More Information

For more information about the free screening mammogram program or the Olson Women’s Diagnostic Center at Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast, please call (850) 278-3980.

Rain RaIn Go Away

With the warm weather and beautiful beaches, its easy to find activities in Destin when its sunny; but what to do when it rains...shopping of course!  Luckily, shopping and all its thrills are easy to come by in Destin, thanks to an outstanding array of retail options. Smart shoppers hit the biggest areas first to maximize time — an easy prospect when you sweep the offerings at the shopping centers like Destin Commons, Grand Boulevard and Silver Sands Outlet. These places give you the biggest bang for the buck and provide a great overview of available merchandise. If you're devoted to businesses that stock more specialized and unique goods, don't neglect places like Couch and Four in FWB, The Zoo Gallery and McCaskill & Company. They'll entice you with their treasures, certainly, but they'll also promise unusual items to provide lasting memories.

Cyber Monday for Christmas 2010

Wow, I can’t believe that it’s here again. Yes, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. The 2010 season is proving to be more cyber than ever. Retailers Nationwide have noticed declines in sales over recent years. However, the amount of Cyber shopping has also been on the rise over the same time period.

 In fact, Cyber shopping allows many smaller retailers and manufacturers the same sales opportunities as the big boys. In fact, so much that Cyber Monday  has been steadily catching up in sales volume to it’s Black Friday counter-part.

Go to DestinWave.com for Cyber Monday  and check out our retailers. Just click and shop and see what  exclusive sales and deals you will find...remember they can only be redeemable at their online stores and websites. 

Cyber Monday 2010 is on Monday, November 29, 2010

How to Survive the Holiday Blues

We often think of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years as the favorite time of the year. The celebration of life, family, giving, sharing and letting go of the old to starting a new. For some this is the saddest time of the year. Whether it's due to loss of loved one, divorce, break up from a relationship or financial hardship. This time of the year can be pretty hard.

Here are a few suggestions to help Survive The Holiday Blues.

1. 
   
   Spend time with family and friends, people that care about you, who are nurturing and supportive. Go to a Christmas party, share a movie with friends, less time alone the better. If your family is in another state and you are unable to travel. Call family and friends that you haven't talked to in awhile, send emails, write, join a book club. Take a walk in a community park, watch a sunset, attend a concert. Surround yourself with people so you can feel close to the outside world.
2. 
   
   Visit church, the spiritual presence can bring joy to the heart and soul. Listening to the message, hearing a song and during the Christmas season embracing a concert of Christmas Carroll, or watching children put on a play. Not only can this bring a presence of joy, but can provide the of the healing process.
3. 
   
   We've all heard the saying, It's better to give than to receive. Well it's true. Visiting a shelter, volunteering, giving of your time is a wonderful way to fill the void and forget about self for a moment or two. It is a rewarding feeling that can uplift the heart, mind and soul.
   Remember, everyday is an opportunity to make a difference and start a new.