tutorial: oreo cookie pops.

okay... so for christmas, our budget is... well, snug :)

so i have to get creative with gifts!

for my coworkers, i wanted to share christmas joy without spending enough to cause me to lose joy.

this is what i came up with:

now, they're delicious.

and were very well received.

to make them, i followed an AWFUL tutorial.

so here's a better one :)

step 1: buy oreos. and break them apart (so that the filling is showing).

then, use something (i used a kabob skewer) to carve out some of the filling.

step 2: melt some chocolate (i use wilton candy melts) and dip the end of the sucker stick into it.  then, put the sucker stick in the cookie.

step 3: put the top cookie back on, line them up, and freeze them for a few minutes to help the chocolate set well.

step 4: take them out of the freezer and dip in chocolate. i use a deep and somewhat wide coffee mug, because it's easier to get the cookie covered using less chocolate. again, i used wilton candy melts (dark chocolate mint flavor--YUM!)

step 5: eat! not really, step 5 is actually package in wrappers and tie with ribbon. but with the holiday season, the oreos you can use are really fun... which was the goal of this picture :)

so there you have it. an affordable, delicious gift! enjoy!

and for the teachers out there...

i found an amazing way to make student gifts workable on a minimal budget.

check it out:

first, stockings (i found them at michaels for .49, plus 20% of my purchase and another 15% off for being a teacher!), with names in puff paint (about $2.50 for the puff paint, after discounts).

 then, ornaments--mini clear bulbs, got them for .40 each--used a green sharpie and wrote their names on the front, "first grade 2011-2012" on the back and filled them with red ribbon.

then, fun candy canes that i made into reindeer--about .20 each.

finally, i'll write a letter to each student.  my plan is to put the ornaments on our class christmas tree and have them find theirs... then have stockings be the bag they carefully take the ornaments home in! all for just over a dollar per student. i'll take it!

merry christmas to all :)

(p.s. my best gift i can't share yet... because i haven't given it yet--but just wait--the best is yet to come :))