Come on in... it's Christmas in July!

From abbybatchelder via flickr

From Randy Son of Robert via flickr

From arquera via flickr

Greetings, all! Welcome to the Christmas in July party hosted by the fun and funky Just Add Glitter and Stir. To see a full list of participating blogs, go here.

Here at Beauty Does Matter, we'll be celebrating with some lovely photos and recipes to put you in the holiday spirit. We've got our wreath on the door, some holly, a little music playing (per special request from Jenny), Christmas ornaments, a cute gift idea and an even cuter Santa. Not to mention those recipes...

I decided to share one of my favorite cookies to make at Christmas. I wasn't much good in the kitchen growing up except around the holidays. I thoroughly enjoyed baking cookies - probably because I have a terrible sweet tooth. :)  My brothers and sister and I used to make these cookies every year. They're M&M cookies, so they're pretty much good for any time of the year, depending on what color M&M's you use. We always made them at Christmas, though, and we liked them so much we always made a double batch. As a side note, one of the things I loved about this recipe as a kid was that it was so "old" it had a review of The Monkees on the back. Mom had torn it out of a magazine or something years before.

M&M Cookies

(or as the recipe says "The Most Happy Cookies!")

Ingredients:

1 cup shortening

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

2 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups plain M&M's 

Blend shortening and sugars. Beat in vanilla and eggs. Sift remaining dry ingredients together; add to the sugar and egg mixture. Mix well. Stir in M&M's. (You may reserve some for decorating if you wish, but we always just threw them all in there and sometimes more besides.) Drop from teaspoon onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown. (Note: After baking, some of the candies may be slightly cracked.) 

Makes 5 to 6 dozen cookies, depending on size.

I also thought I'd share a recipe for sugared pecans. My grandma makes these and sends me a container each year. I keep them tucked away and nibble on them for months. They are so yummy - the perfect combination of sweet and salty. And they are a great holiday treat to bring along to a party, as I have done a couple of times.

Sugared Pecans

Ingredients:

2 egg whites
2 Tbsp water
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 pound plain pecan halves

Beat egg whites and water with wire wisk until light and frothy. Mix in sugar, salt & cinnamon and stir until well mixed. Add pecans and stir until pecans are well coated. Place on a tray that has been sprayed with Pam. Bake at 250 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes and stir occasionally. Cool and store in an airtight container.

If you're not into food gifts, perhaps you'll enjoy some fabulous little soaps like these:

From soapylovedeb via flickr

And, of course, no Christmas party would be complete without a Santa... 

Can't you just hear her saying - why me?  :)  

Thanks for visiting and I hope you enjoyed a little bit of Christmas in July!