Over the years I’ve baked lots of tasty loaves for friends and co-workers to celebrate the holiday season. This week is no exception for I’ll be pulling out all of my favorite baking pans and an array of Christmas wrapping paper to start my traditional holiday bake. I usually make an assortment of flavorful loaves… a cinnamon swirl loaf, a poppyseed bread loaf, an applesauce nut loaf, and a sweet zucchini breakfast loaf. Some of which are made from the carefully shredded and frozen excess garden produce that I tucked away during the late fall months.
This year I have added a simple, delicious recipe to the mix. This Sweet Almond Pound Cake is moist, dense and full of flavor. While the directions would have you bake the cake in a bundt pan, you can use the same recipe to make this delicious treat in a basic 9×5″ loaf pan. Sprinkle this baby with a bit of confectioners’ sugar or frost with a drizzle of cream cheese frosting before serving or wrapping. A sprinkle of red and green candies makes for a festive addition. Give this loaf to those that you would like to recognize during this gift-giving season or place it on the holiday table for family and friends to enjoy.
…Sending along a wish for the best of health and happiness in the coming year! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Simply Made Kitchen and Crafts!
Sweet Almond Pound Cake
1 package white cake mix
1 (3.4 oz.) package vanilla instant pudding and pie filling (the coconut flavor works well too!)
4 large eggs
1 cup water
⅓ cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp. almond extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 10″ Bundt pan. Combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, water, oil and extract in large bowl. Beat for approximately 2 minutes. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 40-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake for 10-15 minutes. Carefully remove from pan and cool completely. Dust with sifted confectioners’ sugar or frost with your favorite cream cheese frosting.
At a recent holiday party, one of my co-workers was kind enough to demonstrate the assembly of this adorable sock snowman craft. You won’t believe how quick and easy this no-sew project is to assemble. A simple white sock, some string, and a few sewing notions make for the cutest of holiday projects for any age to enjoy. 
By popular demand, I am posting one of my all-time favorite snack mix recipes. It never fails, whenever I make this mix, I am always asked for the details of the recipe. During the holidays, I usually pack this lip-smackin’ snack into decorative jars to pass along as a homemade gift from the kitchen. Light, buttery, and full of that scrumptious honey flavor, this sweet treat is a winner. Make a big batch and keep a watchful eye as it cools on the kitchen counter. The mix has a tendency to disappear as the minutes tick by … Irresistible!
Simply Made Kitchen and Crafts 