Rum Balls, Mice, and Birch Bark

So, the mice and the birch bark are actually dead easy to make--all it requires is some chocolate melting abilities.  For the birch bark, you melt Almond Bark (a vanilla flavored white chocolate looking concoction) found in the baking aisle and you dip the pretzels into it and lay them on wax paper to cool. You can do this with your fingers, the bark won't be that hot. Then you can sprinkle them with sprinkles or you can make them look like birch bark by melting some chocolate (whatever is your favorite) and using a spoon to drizzle it in lines. You can also dip the pretzels in the chocolate only if you prefer. It's entirely adaptable....which is where the mice come in.

Mice essentially need you to buy some sliced almonds, some Hershey kisses (or hugs in this case...the striped ones) and some maraschino (or cocktail) cherries with the stems still on, and get some chocolate to melt. Once you melt the chocolate you dip the cherries in, sit them on wax paper to cool, and squish an unwrapped kiss on the front of it for a face. Slip two sliced almonds behind the head for ears (this all sticks because the chocolate is melty) and then draw the face on in melted chocolate with a toothpick.

Here are the rum balls--I am not the biggest fan, but my sister loves them. Therefore, I didn't bother to take down the recipe...though I might do it for posterity sake (after all, I might want to use up some rum and feed these things to other people who love them...I still get to bake and won't get fat from eating half of it!)