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  • SC = Store Coupon
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  • PG = Proctor and Gamble
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  • WYB = When You Buy
  • B1G1 = Buy One Get One Free
  • .75/1 = 75 cents off one item
  • .75/3 = 75 cents off three items
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A Great Frugal Treat For Others

on 12.3.2009 at 2:49pm
Jenny 37 Comments

cranberry-holly-jollies-008-400x223

For everyone that had great plans to give Chocolate for Christmas gifts, Christy at Southern Plate has come to our rescue.  She has a great Frugal Recipe to make “Holly Jollies“.  Total for all these gifts is probably under $10-$15 for most of us couponers!  What makes it even better, she made all of this in about half an hour!!

If you want just the quick recipe scroll all the way to the bottom of her post.

Now Christy…  what’s with the house brands??

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    • Linda

      This is absolutely wonderful! We tried our hand at truffles, which didn’t turn out very yummy – too bitter. Then we tried chocolate covered cherries, and they were pretty good but extremely labor intensive. This recipe sounds so easy and yummy, too!! Thank you so much for sharing it!

      • Jessica

        Linda, I make truffes all time and they are a major hit! I use 1 brick cream cheese, 1 row of oreos (crushed and mixed into cream cheese) and then I melt 4 squares of bakers chocolate (semi sweet but you could do milk chocolate if you prefer sweeter) and dip the balls in that. Sometimes I do variations :)

        • Cori

          Yummers!

        • Freedom

          we do this as well but we dont evemn bother with the chocolate. We just use 2 bricks of cream cheese a little vanilla and a pack of double stuffed oreos. I think the chocolate is too messy!!

    • http://allfrugalstuff.blogspot.com Amanda

      So simple and inexpensive, great gift idea!! Thanks so much for sharing!!

    • Tanya

      Showing my ignorance, what is Almond Bark? :)

      • Amy

        Yea .. why not chocolate?

      • http://masondixonmagnolia.blogspot.com Amy

        Almond bark is sold near the chocolate chips around the holidays. It comes in bricks and tastes like white chocolate. It doesn’t melt as easily as white chocolate, so it is better for coating pretzels, etc. Ritz Bitz are also yummy dipped in it :)

      • Freedom

        Almond Bark is sold in white and regular. Looks just like chocolate but hardens nicely. Is made for baking and dipping and coating.

        • Amy

          I’ve made truffles, turtles and dipped all kinds of other things using regular chocolate morsels .. sometimes with shortening to add “shine” .. never had trouble .. wondering the price difference .. especially with all the deals I got on morsels!! :) ??

    • http://www.bitsofwhitt.com Lara

      I can vouch that Christy is a couponer, as she’s my friend and I learned some of the “tricks of the trade” from her!

      Also, almond bark works well, as I believe it adheres to the ingredients better than regular chocolate would. It’s easy to find in any supermarket! And Christy’s recipes are awesome, if y’all haven’t figured that out yet!

      • TONYA

        How long does this keep I have some from last xmas never opened can’t find a date on it?

        • Lara

          Now THAT I’m not sure about… anyone?

      • Misti

        ALL of Christy’s recipes are great! and, I confess sometimes I go to her site and just read random recipes because she’s completely HILARIOUS! Her writing is amazing, she makes you feel like she’s sitting across your kitchen table teaching you how to make something (and at the same time telling you all about the history of the recipe, or how her kids ate half the chocolate chips before she could catch them, or why southern cooks are naturally frugal-its hereditary!) Go to her site if you need any ideas for anything! She even taught me how to make GRAVY! the REAL stuff not the mix LOL!

    • Buffy

      I will be trying this recipie out!!! :)

    • Kristi

      What a wonderful use for all those inexpensive plastic cups I’ve been bying at Walgreens as filler items! Now I don’t even have to worry about getting pretty Christmas containers to put these yummy looking treats in!

    • Priscilla

      Does anyone know:
      Can chocolate chips be used in place of the almond bark or will the consistency be different?

      • Mina

        We toss some of those Candy Melt disks in with chocolate morsels to get better candy making results.

    • http://proudpatriot07.wordpress.com AmyLauren

      Those looks so yummy. And thanks to the previous commenter, Kristi, for the suggestion about using the expensive Christmas plastic cups to give them in :).

    • http://proudpatriot07.wordpress.com AmyLauren

      BTW this is perfect for all of us who experienced that stupid Fannie May issue yesterday. This will probably be even cheaper than the S&H on one of those boxes of candy…

      • Angela P

        ROTFLMAO!!!

    • Sam

      Great post! I am cracking up over the Jesus-snuggie comment. That was hilarious..

      • Bre

        Glad I wasn’t the only one! Will be making this with my daughter this weekend! LOVE IT!

    • Michelle in Martinez

      here’s another recipe that just came to my inbox that is super fast, super easy and looks so pretty! hopefully we can find these on sale or use a coupon:

      http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/detail.aspx?ID=143921&hbx=dcmmvbbdec09

    • Jamie

      Wow.. SO SIMPLE!!!!…. With coupons and store brand products, it seems so inexpensive. I definitely will be making some for my extended family’s Christmas presents!
      Thanks for the great recipe!

    • Tammy

      I thought the Snuggie comment was adorable- out of the mouths of babes! These recipes are just what I have been thinking about this afternoon- what to give as small gifts to the coach, bus driver, mailman, etc. THANK YOU,THANK YOU,THANK YOU!!!

    • http://www.southernplate.com Christy Jordan (Southern Plate)

      I LOVE YOU JEN-EEE!
      ~giggle~ I’m sorry, I’ve been dying to say that! Thank you so much for posting this! I kept getting comments saying they had come from Southern Savers and didn’t put two and two together until Lara emailed me! lol
      I am VERY SLOW lately! Now, I gotta explain myself on the store brands

      ~hangs head in shame~

      First of all, let me say “YOU WERE RIGHT”. When we first emailed you told me you’d break me of store brands and I thought you were crazy, I honestly thought they’d always be cheaper! Since becoming a hard-core couponer (thanks to Southern Savers), I’ve seen firsthand how incredibly inexpensive store brands can be and fully state that I am a believer. I have seen the light thanks to Jenny!!

      Fortunately, I’ve also stocked up a great deal on groceries and staples and am soooooooo thankful for that as well. I’m in the middle of writing a book for Harper Collins and the deadline is in about a month and a half. I have to get the book written, have all photography and food styling done (thankfully I have other folks doing the brunt of that) and have the final, polished product in their hands. ~blinks~ And it’s Christmas! EEEEkers.

      Thanks to Southern Savers, my food stores and stockpiling have really paid off. I have not actually made a full grocery trip in about two months. I *have* been checking in with you and getting the free, nearly free, and can’t-pass-up deals though!

      Course, when it came time to make these, I just made a quick dash to Wally World and grabbed the cheapest at the time.

      Forgive me, Jenny, for I have transgressed against you! How about I buy you off with a Snuggie :) ?

      Love you, Jenny! Thank you for having such a huge impact on families and really making a difference with folks. We all eat better and have more in our pantries thanks to your efforts and time!
      Gratefully,
      Christy :)

      • Jenny

        I forgive you :) No snuggie needed. I might just curl up and never leave my house again if I had one!

        So excited to hear about the book coming soon!!

        • Misti

          I know I just can’t wait to get my hands on the book! Its going to be wonderful Christy! I think I will bundle up on the couch (snuggie perhaps?) and read it cover to cover! This will be so much easier (and warmer!) than sitting at my computer reading your recipes when I need a laugh! love you girl!

          • http://www.southernplate.com Christy Jordan (Southern Plate)

            Thank you both so much! I’m really excited about it. Should be in stores next fall at the latest. Harper Collins has been wonderful to work with. Still can’t believe they’re working with me though!(bless their hearts) lol

            Love y’all!
            Christy

    • http://southernsavers Nancy

      Just a thought that I do with this white almond bark is to crush peppermint candies and peanuts and M&Ms in the melted bark and pour it on waz paper until it hardens and then break it up for a Holiday bark! Taste Yummy :) and for those who want the real thing of chocolate chips use one bag of semi sweet chips and 1/2 block of Parafin wax(sold at any Grocery store) and melt in a double boiler. Makes the chocolate adhere to the item u add whatever in or great for dipping things. Enjoy :) Florida resident but Kentucky girl at heart!!!

    • angeline saby

      i lo lo lo love the idea just thinking on making hot cocoa mix for teachers presents but i think this might be better i think i will do white bark cranberries and chopped almonds also for sorta of almond joyie thingi that my mom loves chocolate bark almonds and shredded coconut.i will get all at aldis they have all this at very low prices.

    • http://ipreferpublix.blogspot.com BrandyK

      Now I know what I’m buying at Publix this week with my overage from benevia. :) Almond Bark and dried cranberries. YUM!!!

    • http://www.palmettostatesaver.blogspot.com Lauren

      Ok – so I am so excited to make these again! We made them last year with Rice Krispies, salted peanuts, and white chocolate. They are delicious and addicting – but they looked horrible! I couldn’t give them away after my son says “But Mom, they look like baby puke!” – so unfortunately my husband and I HAD to eat an entire batch! Two days ago when I was talking about starting my holiday baking, my husband asked if I was going to make the “baby puke things” again! Lol! I love the idea of putting them in mini muffin cups – they look so yummy that way! YAY!

    • Mina

      That was the perfect post for *the day after*. I love the reminder that a gift made by the hand filled with love from the heart beats mass produced gift foods from a catalog any day.

      I’m sitting here enjoying (too many pieces of) the most delicious and gorgeous peppermint bark EVER that my girls and 5yo grandson made yesterday for less than fifty cents.

    • Joy

      Every vote for Jenny to win!!! Second place so far and gaining!!

      http://www.divinecaroline.com/awards/Aug-09/2607-southern-savers

    • Teresa

      We tried our own variations and the best one was Peanut Butter Cups!! Just cover the bottom of the tin with the melted almond bark and put a dollop of peanut butter on top and then cover with more melted almond bark. Yum-o! Definitely our favorite!