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Hi, everyone!

Have you ever wondered how interior decorators do their Christmas trees? Or how in the world you can make your Christmas tree look like they do in those fancy home catalogs? One of the secrets is that decorators don’t just use ornaments alone. They add layers and texture with decorations like picks and clips.

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And now for your weekly oh-my-gosh-I-have-to-make-that-recipe moment. I’ve shared some of my holiday favorites throughout the month and here’s one for all you German Chocolate Cake fans…German Chocolate Caramel Cake!

German Chocolate Caramel Cake

This recipe is prepared with the Temp-tations® Floral Lace 18-Piece Bake and Serve Set (K41206).

Ingredients:

• 1 German chocolate cake mix
• 1 bag caramels, unwrapped (about 50)
• 1/3 cup evaporated milk
• 1 (6-oz) package semisweet mini chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Make the cake according to the package instructions. Pour half the cake batter into a pan and bake for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, place the caramels and milk in a saucepan and cook on low heat until melted, stirring often.
2. Sprinkle the baked cake with chocolate chips and pecans and cover with the warm caramel. Pour the remaining cake batter over the mixture and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until the top cake layer is baked through. Let cool and serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

It might be July, but I’ll bet visions of sugar plums—and German Chocolate Cake—will be dancing through your head tonight. I’ll see you tomorrow night for You’re Home with Jill(R) at 7pm ET.

From my home to yours,

—Jill