Christmas Goodies!!!

Brownie Lollipops Use any good fudgey brownie recipe or mix from box. Cut out brownie rounds with any size biscuit cutter. Insert lollipop stick. Dip in chocolate and/or caramel sauces to make extra yummy!

Sugar Spritz Cookies photo from verybestbaking.com

Eggnog Spritz
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup butter -- softened
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
For Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter -- softened
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon rum extract

Heat oven to 400F. In large mixer bowl combine sugar, butter, egg, salt, spices, and vanilla. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until mixture is light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add flour. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed, 2 to 3 minutes. If dough is too soft, cover and refrigerate until firm enough to form cookies, 30 to 45 minutes. Place dough in cookie press. Form desired shapes 1 inch apart on cookie sheets. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. For Glaze, in small bowl stir together powdered sugar, butter, water, and rum extract until smooth. Drizzle or pipe over warm cookies.
Recipe from here

Finnish Ribbon Cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raspberry or apricot jam
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon water
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light. Beat in the yolk, vanilla and lemon zest. In another bowl, stir the flour and salt together and gradually add to the butter mixture, blending thoroughly. If the dough is too soft to handle, chill for 10 to 15 minutes.
Divide the dough into 3 even pieces, then roll each piece into 3 ropes about 3/4 inch in diameter. Place the ropes 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. With the side of your little finger, press a long groove down the center of each rope, taking care not to press all the way down to the sheet.
Bake the cookies for 10 minutes. Remove the sheets from the oven and carefully spoon the jam in the grooves down the center of each cookie. Return the baking sheet to the oven for 5 to 10 more minutes until the cookies are firm to the touch and light golden brown. While cookies are baking, in a small bowl mix the confectioners' sugar with 1 tablespoon water until smooth. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, drizzle each ribbon with the glaze. Immediately cut the cookies at a 45-degree angle into 1-inch lengths.
Allow cookies to cool for a few minutes, then carefully transfer the cookies to a wire rack; they are fragile while warm and will break easily. Cool completely.
Recipe from here

Mexican Wedding Cookiesphoto from joyofbaking.com

Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus more for coating baked cookies
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting hands
1 cup pecans, chopped into very small pieces
Directions
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Line cookies sheets with parchment paper.
Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar at low speed until it is smooth. Beat in the vanilla. At low speed gradually add the flour. Mix in the pecans with a spatula. With floured hands, take out about 1 tablespoon of dough and shape into a crescent. Continue to dust hands with flour as you make more cookies. Place onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 40 minutes. When cool enough to handle but still warm, roll in additional confectioners' sugar. Cool on wire racks.
Recipe from here

Thai Peanut Chicken & Noodles

You can make this restaurant favorite at home in just 30 minutes!

Makes: 5 (1 1/2-cup) servings


INGREDIENTS:
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6 oz. (2 3/4 cups) uncooked fine egg noodles
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped gingerroot
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon oil
2 cups small fresh broccoli florets
1 1/2 cups (about 4 oz.) sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup fresh baby carrots, quartered lengthwise
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into thin bite-sized strips
1 (9-oz.) pkg. frozen diced cooked chicken breast, thawed
1/4 cup coarsely chopped dry-roasted peanuts
Chopped fresh cilantro, if desired

DIRECTIONS:--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Cook noodles as directed on package. Drain; cover to keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, in small bowl, combine peanut butter, gingerroot, pepper flakes and 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce; beat with wire whisk until blended. Gradually beat in remaining soy sauce and water until smooth. Set aside.
3. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add broccoli, mushrooms, carrots and bell pepper; cook 4 to 6 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Add chicken; cook and stir until thoroughly heated.
4. Reduce heat to medium. Stir peanut butter mixture; stir into mixture in skillet. Add cooked noodles; toss gently to coat. Cook and stir until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with peanuts and cilantro.

This is my version of the recipe. I used half a bag of stir fry veggies from Costco and whole wheat angel hair pasta. It was delicious and the peanut flavor wasn't too strong. And my kids loved it!



www.pillsbury.com

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

I've been craving pumpkin lately. My son wanted pumpkin pie but I wanted something a little gooeyer. These are so yummy and chock full of chocolate chips. You've got to try these!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice (I did half of each)
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups granulated sugar
1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels


Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease thirty-six 2 1/2-inch muffin cups or line with paper bake cups.

COMBINE all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in medium bowl. Combine eggs and sugar in large bowl. Add pumpkin and oil; mix well. Stir in flour mixture until moistened. Stir in morsels. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

BAKE for 20 to 25 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Cool in pans on wire racks for 5 minutes; remove from pans.

www.verybestbaking.com


Here they are in all their ooey-gooey goodness!

Spinach Bacon Frittata

This dish was delicious! My picture doesn't do it justice, kinda looks like puke-in-a-pan. I actually made this recipe up all by myself too. Sometimes I get an idea and it works, other times not so much. (Those are the dishes you won't read about:)




Here's what I did: Saute green onions in butter till soft. Add fresh spinach, cut up, cook till wilted. Add cooked bacon pieces and cooked diced potatoes. Stir together to warm through. Whisk 5 eggs and then add to pan. Let sit on med. heat, covered, till cooked through. Add cheese(I used cheddar and mozzarella) on top, about 1 cup, melt. Slice and serve. I served this with fresh tomatoes and it was so yummy!

Mississippi Mud Cake

I haven't tried this yet but I will very soon. It looks delicious and who could go wrong with chocolate and marshmallows?



Ingredients

Cake:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, cut into big chunks
½ cup cocoa
4 eggs, beaten well
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups sugar
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Mississippi Mud Frosting:
One 16-ounce box (about 3 2/3 cups) confectioners’ sugar
½ cup cocoa
½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted
½ cup milk or evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups mini-marshmallows, or 3 cups marshmallows, quartered


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Directions:
To make the cake, heat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 13-by-9-inch pan. In a medium saucepan, combine the butter and the cocoa and cook over medium heat, stirring now and then, until the butter is melted and the mixture is well blended, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the beaten eggs, vanilla, sugar, flour, salt, and pecans, and beat with a wooden spoon or spatula or with a mixer at low speed until the batter is well combined and smooth, and the flour has disappeared.

Quickly pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake at the 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cake springs back when touched gently in the center and is beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Prepare the frosting while the cake bakes; so that you will be ready to poor it over the hot cake. In a medium bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar and the cocoa, and stir to mix them well. Add the melted butter, milk and vanilla, and use a large spoon or mixer at low speed to beat everything together well. Set aside until the cake is done.

Remove the cake from the oven, scatter the marshmallows over the top, and return the cake to the hot oven form about 3 minutes, to soften the marshmallows.

Place the cake, still in the pan, on a wire rack or a folded kitchen towel. Pour the frosting all over the marshmallow-dotted cake, and cool to room temperature. Cut into small squares and serve.

Twice-Baked Potatoes

Since I'm from Idaho I thought I'd better represent that good ol' potato! This is one of my favorite ways to fix this wonderful tuber. I don't make it often enough which is seriously a shame because my kids loved it and they ate it all up, Yum:)

The recipe is very simple: Bake the potatoes. Slice them in half. Let them cool a bit. Scoop out the insides and then mash with a good amount of sour cream, a little milk, add some seasonings (I like garlic salt, pepper, chives are good too). Whip it all up and scoop it back into the potato skins. Bake for about 20 min. Cover with shredded cheddar and bake for another couple minutes.

Ahhh Comfort Food!

I absolutely love "Comfort Food". And one of my favs is bread pudding. I made a simple "bread & butter" dish and it was yummy! The lemon sauce is a must for you to have the ultimate comforting bread pudding experience.

Bread & Butter Pudding

6 slices white bread
2 T butter
1/4 c raisins
2 eggs
2 c milk
1/4 c sugar
1/2 t nutmeg
1 t vanilla
Dash salt

Cut the crusts from the bread and butter each slice on one side. (I never bother cutting the crusts off) Place 3 slices, butter side up, in bottom of 1- to 1 1/2-quart buttered casserole. Sprinkle with raisins. Repeat with second 3 slices of bread. Beat eggs slightly and add milk, sugar, nutmeg, vanilla, and salt. Pour over bread in casserole. Sprinkle top with extra nutmeg, if desired. (I also sprinkle cinnamon) Let stand 1/2 hour. Bake in 350 deg. oven for 30 min. or until custard is firm. Serve with Quick Lemon Sauce.

Quick Lemon Sauce
1 c powdered sugar
2 T lemon juice
Dash salt

Mix powdered sugar, lemon juice, and salt. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add a little water if necessary to make sauce of thin consistency.

from Lion House Cookbook

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

I love the internet! I was in the mood for some cajun flavored chicken and pasta so I just typed in "Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta" and about 2,000 recipes popped up and I selected the first one and it looked good and it was delicious!

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
N'awlin's style of chicken with an up-dated Alfredo sauce.
by Lorac
25 min | 10 min prep | SERVES 2
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
4 ounces linguine, cooked al dente (I used tri-color rotini)
2 teaspoons cajun seasoning (My fav is Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning)
2 tablespoons butter
1 thinly sliced green onion
1-2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons chopped sun-dried tomatoes (I subbed 1/2 a can of diced petite tomatoes)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Place chicken and Cajun seasoning in a bowl and toss to coat.
In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté chicken in butter or margarine until chicken is tender, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Reduce heat add green onion, heavy cream, tomatoes, basil, salt, garlic powder, black pepper and heat through. (I also added some fresh sliced mushrooms)
Pour over hot linguine and toss,with Parmesan cheese.

© 2007 Recipezaar. All Rights Reserved. http://www.recipezaar.com

Cheesecake!!!

I LOVE Cheesecake. Cannot get enough of it (okay, that's not true, I eat about 1/2 a slice at a sitting because it's usually so rich. So I can get enough at one time but I can eat it daily until it's gone:). I needed to make something for the infamous Parma Scout Auction so I decided that cheesecake would be ideal because it should be a very sought after item. And boy was I right. It got the highest bid of all the baked goods (Mia's ladybugs were next in line because they were the cutest little cakes in the county). The only sad thing is that I forgot to take a pic of the cheesecake I made for the auction. And since I gave it away and I was really in the mood for some good cheesecake, I made an even better one for me and the family. And I did take a pic of that one. So here is the recipe for Turtle Pecan Cheesecake. I hope you can make it and enjoy it as much as we did and will continue to for the next few days. (The one I made for the auction was a knock-off of Applebee's Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake.)

TURTLE PECAN CHEESECAKE
Printed from COOKS.COM

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CRUST:

4 c. graham cracker crumbs
12 tbsp. melted butter

(I used an Oreo crumb crust instead of graham crackers because what's better than an Oreo crust?)

Combine graham cracker crumbs and melted butter; press mixture onto bottom and sides of buttered 10 inch springform pan (2 inches deep). Bake in preheated 350 degree oven 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

FILLING:

1 (14 oz.) bag light (vanilla) caramels
1 (5 oz.) can evaporated milk
1 c. chopped pecans, toasted
4 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1 c. granulated sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. semi sweet chocolate morsels, melted

In heavy 1 1/2 quart saucepan, melt caramels with evaporated milk over low heat, stirring frequently until smooth. (If desired, dip a few pecan halves into caramel mixture and set aside to use later as garnish.) Pour caramel mixture over cooled crust; top with chopped toasted pecans.
Combine cream cheese and sugar, mixing on medium speed with electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla. Blend in melted chocolate. Pour mixture over pecans and caramel in crust, starting at outer edge.

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven 1 hour and 20 to 25 minutes, or until edges begin to crack. Remove from oven and let cool at room temperature for 30 to 40 minutes. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove sides of pan and loosen cheesecake with spatula.


CHOCOLATE TOPPING:

1/2 c. semisweet chocolate morsels
3 tbsp. evaporated milk (see note)
Whipped cream (optional for garnish)
Pecan halves dipped in caramel (optional for garnish)

Melt chocolate morsels (in top of double boiler or on medium power in microwave oven). Add evaporated milk (or 2 percent milk and butter). Stir until mixture is smooth.
Spread chocolate topping over chilled cheesecake. Garnish with dollops of whipped cream and pecan halves dipped in caramel, if desired. Keep refrigerated.

Makes 1 (6 pound) cheesecake: 16 to 20 servings. Cut it small or you'll be throwing away everyone's leftovers.

Side note: I always put a pan of water in the oven when I bake a cheesecake to prevent cracks. It works most of the time.

Adapted from www.cooks.com

Mia's Ladybugs

We have a Scout Auction that the Young Women are helping with and Mia is donating these adorable cupcakes she made. We had a fun time making them and she thinks everyone will want these and they will fetch a very high bid. I hope so:)

THE Banana Bread

You know that perfect banana bread? The recipe that you search for, trying dozens, trying to find that ONE that reminds you of the banana bread your mom or grandma made? Or maybe the recipe that tastes like it came from your favorite bakery? Well, I found it! And of no surprise, it's from Martha Stewart. Hope it tastes as good to you as it did to me!


Banana Bread

The batter for this easy-to-bake banana bread is enriched with the addition of sour cream.

Makes 1 loaf.

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature, plus more for pan
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups unbleached flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour, my fav)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (about 3)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan; set aside. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, and beat to incorporate.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the butter mixture, and mix until just combined. Add bananas, sour cream, and vanilla; mix to combine. Stir in nuts, and pour into prepared pan.
Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Let rest in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool.

from www.msliving.com

Ham Fried Rice

This is one of my favorite ways to use left-over ham. I just use whatever recipe I find. Usually just veggies, ham, scrambled eggs, rice and soy sauce. It's so simple and everyone likes it. (Everyone except for Ana and I thought you'd all like to see what Ana eats every other day. I try to vary it between Ramen noodles and grilled cheese:) And we had prepackaged pot stickers from Costco. They were so-so. I don't think I'll ever get them again.

Chile Relleno Casserole

4 eggs
2 tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
4 c. shredded cheddar cheese
4 c. shredded jack cheese
1 can evaporated milk
1/2 tsp. pepper
3 (7 oz.) cans whole green chilies





Lightly grease 9 x 13 glass baking dish. Beat eggs, milk and spices in medium bowl to blend. Arrange chilies from 1 can in prepared dish covering bottom completely. Sprinkle with 1/3 of cheese. Repeat layers twice. Pour egg mixture over all. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake until casserole is slightly puffed in the center and golden brown about 45 minutes. Cool 20 minutes and serve. NOTE: Can be prepared 24 hours ahead. 8 servings.

Adapted from http://www.cooks.com/

I didn't use as much cheese as it called for, maybe 3 cups total, and it still turned out great. This would make a good breakfast casserole. It's a little spicy but if you love chiles like I do then you'll like this easier version of Chile Relleno.

For dessert I made Flan! The last time I made flan it did not work. It was a flan-tastic disaster (I'm so funny!) This time I bought the instant kind from the Mexican section and it turned out PERFECT!

What's For Dinner?

I'm asked that question almost daily. Doesn't every mom get asked that? And if most mom's are like me, it's 5:00 pm and I don't have an answer for that question. Some days I'm very organized and I have something ready way before dinner and all I have to do is throw it in the oven and we're good to go or better yet, I have something in the slow cooker.

I was talking to some women at church this last week (I don't actually go to class anymore I just roam the halls chasing Van, 2 months to nursery and counting!!!!) We were talking about not knowing what to make for dinner. I had jokingly suggested that we should have someone designated to call us and tell us what we should be making. That would be much easier than trying to be creative and please everyone all the time. So I decided that I'm going to start posting what we had for dinner. I may even take pictures. If it looks good to you then you can have an idea for your dinner! And maybe you can give me some suggestions too. Of course I'll also include recipes. Oh, and I'll definately fill you all in on the goodies I make. (That's the easy food for me to decide:)

Love to all and happy cooking!!!

*These are the cookies I made last night. They are super soft and yummy!

Soft Baked Butterscotch-Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour (can use all-purpose instead)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
8 tablespoons organic trans-fat free shortening (I use Spectrum Organic)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3.4 ounce box of instant butterscotch pudding
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
3/4 cup butterscotch chips
3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350

In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

In a large bowl, mix together butter, shortening and sugars until well combined. Mix in the butterscotch pudding mix. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until completely combined after each. Mix in vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Fold in butterscotch and chocolate chips. Using a tablespoon cookie scoop, drop the dough onto parchment lined baking sheets. Bake until the edges are golden, but the center still looks slightly underdone - about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove and place the baking sheet on a wire rack to cool for 2 minutes before removing the cookies to a rack to finish cooling.

From http://www.desertculinary.blogspot.com/