Best wishes of the New Year! Stay safe & enjoy!

Hugs;

Pammie

More Appetizer recipes!

Knowing New Year’s Eve is fast approaching, I wanted to give you time to buy & prepare any appetizers you might want to make!

================

Warm Bacon/Blue Cheese Dip

8 oz. bacon, cut into small
pieces & cooked crisp
4 cloves garlic, minced
5 oz. blue cheese, room temp.
8 oz. cream cheese, room temp.
2 T. chopped fresh chives
–
Dippers: cut fresh veggies
–
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
In a bowl combine garlic with
blue cheese, cream cheese, chives &
cooked bacon. Fill ramekins (small
oven-proof bowls) with cheese mixture.
Do not overfil. Cook 20 minutes until
you see the cheese start to melt. Serve
warm with fresh veggies. Garnish with
additional chives, if desired.
Makes 10 servings.

(recipe: realhousemoms.com)
————————–
Three Olive Topenade

1 C. kalamata olives, pitted
1 C. large green olives, pitted
1 C. California olives, pitted
1 red bell pepper, roasted/cut
into 1″ pieces
4-5 cloves garlic
1 T. parsley, loosely chopped
1 T. basil, loosely chopped
3 tsp. lemon juice
2 T. capers
5 T. olive oil
–
In food processor place olives,
capers, garlic & red pepper – pulse
in 1-second intervals 10-15 tiems
& scrape down sides of bowl. Add
herbs, lemon juice & olive oil – pulse
another 10 times, stopping in the
middle to scrape down the bowl
sides. You want the pieces to be
1/8″ to 1/4″ in size and you want
to see all the colors of the olives &
peppers.

(recipe: realhousemoms.com)
————————————-
Smoked Salmon Dip

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
juice from 1 lemon
2/3 oz. fresh baby dill, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded/minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 lb. (about 1 C.) hot smoked
salmon (meat should be cold – hot
refers to the cooking process)
1/4 C. cooked bacon, crumbled
–
Dippers: crackers, crostini
–
In bowl of stand mixer, cream together:
cream cheese & lemon juice on High
speed several minutes until well
combined & fluffy. Scrape sides of bowl
then add dill, jalapeno & garlic – blend
until well mixed. Add salmon chunks &
bacon – mix until just combined. The
more you mix, the less salmon chunks
you will have.
Serve with crackers or crostini (or spread
on a bagel for breakfast!) Makes 2-3 C.

(recipe: selfproclaimedfoodie.com)
————————————
Spinach-Artichoke Puff Pastry
Pinwheels

1 (10 oz) pkg. frozen spinach,
thawed/excess water squeezed out
2 (6 oz, ea) jars marinated artichoke
hearts, drained
4 oz. cream cheese, room temp
1 clove garlic
1 C. Gruyere cheese, shredded (OR
substitute your favorite cheese)
–
1 (14 oz) pkg. puff pastry, thawed
(should contain 2 portions)
1 egg, beaten
==
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
LIne a baking sheet with parchment
paper. In (7 C) food processor, combine
spinach, artichokes, cream cheese &
garlic – blend until smooth. Roll out
puff pastry to 10 X 10″ square (if it’s
already pre-rolled, use as is). Spread
half of filling across pastry, leaving a
1 inch strip at one end. Sprinkle with
half the cheese. Brush the 1 inch strip
with water. Starting at the end OPPOSITE
the water/strip, roll pastry up, press
gently to seal end. Brush the ‘roll’ with
beaten egg. Using a sharp knife, slice into
1/2 inch slices & arrange on a parchment-
lined baking sheet. Brush tops of slices
with more beaten egg. Bake 18-22 minutes
until lightly golden. Repeat with second
sheet of pastry & remaining ingredients.
Makes 30-35 pinwheels.

(recipe: realhousemoms.com)
———————————–
Southwestern Yogurt/Chicken
Dip  (uses grill)

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1 (7 oz) tub plain Greek yogurt
4 tsp. southwestern seasoning
spice blend*
1 C. canned black beans, rinsed/
drained
1 C. whole corn, drained
1 C. fresh tomatoes, diced
1/2 C. red, yellow or orange bell
pepper, diced
1/4 C. Pepperoncini peppers,
chopped (about 3 peppers)
4 scallions, chopped
1 lime, juiced (optional)
2 T. fresh cilantro, chopped-
garnish
–
8 oz. tortilla dipping chips
or pita chips
–
Heat lightly greased grill or
grill pan to medium-high heat.
Brush chicken with olive oil &
season with salt/pepper. Grill
breasts 7-8 minutes on each side.
Remove from grill & let cool 5-
10 minutes, then shred into bite-
sized pieces using a fork. In
medium bowl mix yogurt & spices.
Combine yogurt mixture with
shredded chicken, black beans,
corn, tomatoes, bell peppers,
pepperoncini & scallions. Squeeze
lime juice over (if desired) & toss
well to combine. Set aside 30
minutes to allow flavors to develop.

To serve:
Transfer dip to serving bowl & garnish
with chopped cilantro. Place bowl on
a platter & surround with tortilla or
pita chips (OR serve as individual
tortilla cups with chicken dip &
garnish with a cilantro leaf.)

Serves 6-8

*You can make your own seasoning
blend:

Mix together:
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. cumin

(recipe: perdue.com)
——————————-
Restaurant-style Queso Blanco
Dip  (Crockpot recipe)

1 small onion, diced
1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1 (14.5 oz) can petite cut
diced tomatoes with jalapenos,
drained
1 (4.5 oz) can chopped green chiles,
undrained
1 C. milk
1 1/2 tsp. Mexican seasoning
1/2 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
2 lb. white American cheese (from the
deli)
–
tortilla chips, for dipping
–
Place onion in medium microwave-
save bowl; cover loosely with heavy-
duty plastic wrap & microwave on
High 2 minutes. Combine onion,
garlic & next 5 ingredients in 4 qt.
crockpot. Tear cheese slices into
large pieces & add to crockpot,
stirring until blended. Cover & cook
on Low 2 hours (do not overcook).
Stir dip before serving; keep warm.
Serve with tortilla chips.
Makes 6 Cups

(recipe: mrfood.com)
———————————
Easy Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas

3 C. boneless/skinless chicken breast,
cooked/cubed
1/4 C. unsalted butter, melted
1/2 C. red pepper sauce
6 flour tortillas
3 C. Monterey Jack cheese (or
Mexican cheese blend) shredded
–
Ranch or Blue cheese salad dressing,
for dipping
–
In medium bowl place chicken. In
separate bowl stir melted butter &
pepper sauce until completely combined.
Pour sauce over cubed chicken & stir
to coat completely in sauce. Place large,
nonstick skillet or grill pan over medium-
low heat & allow to come to temperature.
Spray surface lightly with nonstick cooking
spray. Place 1 tortilla in skillet then
immediately add 1/2 C. shredded cheese to
cover one half of tortilla; spread 1/2 C.
buffalo chicken on top of cheese then fold
uncovered half on top of chicken/cheese.
Press down on tortilla using a spatula
to force cheese & chicken into contact
with heat, sealing top & bottom. Cook
on first side 2-3 minutes until golden
brown & crispy. Flip tortilla & cook 2-3
minutes on other side. If tortilla becomes too
brown before cheese melts, lower
temperature. Transfer cooked tortilla to
cutting board & cut into wedges. Serve
with Ranch or Blue cheese dressing for
dipping. Makes 8 quesdillas

(recipe: everydaydishes.com)
————————————
Avocado Chipotle Shrimp
(appetizer)

1 T. olive oil
1 tsp. chipotle chili powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 T. brown sugar
1/2 lb. shrimp, raw/peeled/
deveined (size 51-60)
2 T. oil
juice of half lime (reserve other
half for avocados)
2 T. cilantro, chopped
2 avocados, pitted/cubed
juice of half lime
10-12 cherry or grape tomatoes,
halved
salt/pepper, to taste
–
1 bag tortilla chips (Scoops)
–
Mix olive oil, chili powder, salt,
garlic powder & brown sugar in
medium bowl until completely
combined. Add shrimp & stir to
coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap &
refrigerate at least 1-4 hours.
After shrimp has marinated at least
1 hour, remove from fridge & drain
any excess liquid from bowl. Place a
large skillet over medium-high heat &
add 2 T. oil. When oil is hot, carefully
add shrimp & cook 1-2 minutes per side,
depending on size of shrimp. Transfer
to medium bowl & squeeze juice of half
lime over top. Sprinkle with chopped
cilantro & stir to combine – allow to cool
slightly. In another bowl stir avocado,
lime juice & tomatoes -season with salt/
pepper, to taste. Place approx. 2 tsp.
avocado mixture into each tortilla chip
‘scoop’ & top with a shrimp. Serve
immediately. Makes 25-30 servings.

(recipe: everydaydishes.com)
————————————–
Chicken Spread with Roasted
Vegetables

1 small zucchini
2 C. broccoli florets
1/2 medium red onion, diced
large
1 red bell pepper, seeded/diced
large
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 T. olive oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. dried basil
2 tsp. lemon juice (or red wine
vinegar)
2 boneless, skinless chicken
breasts, cooked
salt/pepper, to taste
–
Crackers, crostini or fresh veggies
for spreading mixture on
–
Preheat oven 400 degrees F.
Remove ends from zucchini & cut
in half lengthwise. Using a spoon,
remove all seeds & chop into 3/4″
pieces – place in large bowl. Add
broccoli florets, onion, bell pepper &
whole garlic cloves – drizzle with olive
oil & toss to coat. Spread vegetables
evenly on large rimmed baking sheet &
sprinkle with salt. Roast 18-22 minutes
until softened & brown around edges.
In large bowl stir cream cheese, garlic
powder, onion powder, basil & lemon
juice(or red wine vinegar). Place cooked
chicken in food processor & pulse until
very finely chopped – combine with
cream cheese mixture. Remove veggies
from oven & cool slightly then add to
food processor & pulse to desired
consistency. (You want to leave some
texture to veggies, but they still need to
be spreadable). Fold chopped veggies
into chicken mixture; season to taste
with salt/pepper. Cover & refrigerate
at least 2 hours. Remove from fridge
half hour before serving.
Serve with crackers, crostini or fresh
veggies. Makes 8 servings

(recipe: everydaydishes.com)
—————————————
Baked Rueben Dip

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 C. sour cream
1 (8 oz) can sauerkraut, rinsed/
drained & chopped
1/2 lb. deli sliced corned beef,
finely chopped
1 C. (4 oz) shredded Swiss cheese
1 T. finely chopped onion
1 T. ketchup
1 T. spicy brown mustard
–
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
Spray 2 qt. casserole dish with
nonstick cooking spray. In large
bowl combine all ingredients –
mix well & spoon into prepared
dish. Bake 25-30 minutes until
bubbly & golden. Serve warm.
Serves 6

(recipe: mrfood.com)

===================

I know that’s a LOT of recipes – ENJOY!!!

Hugs;

Pammie

 

Savings and Searchings

Yesterday I ventured out to KMart and our local drug store (CVS); needed to go both places (and because they also had some great sales!). Found men’s gloves on sale (for youngest 2 sons), snow scrapers with brushes (also for 2 sons), husband needed new pillows (on sale) and it just kept going. Got to the register and the cashier asked if I had any bonus points (not that I knew of) so he checked – turns out I had $15.00 in bonus points! Kept going with the sale; by the time he was done I not only saved $$$ but also got a coupon for another $10.00 off (good the next week) – can ya say “SCORE!”? Went to CVS and it was another repeat; I used a $5.00 ‘CVS Extra Bucks” at the register and the cashier & manager were both saying: “We’ve never seen THIS before!” Turns out I got back another 2 coupons: one for $2.00 off and another for $8.00 off! YES! Shopping coupons and sales is a GREAT thing! Yes, I was HAPPY I went shopping!

Sometimes, when knitting, I kind of get bored with the patterns I’ve used a lot so I go looking for new ones. I have a large (probably 2 foot tall) pile of knitting books, booklets, etc. so I started going through those. That brought me to a pattern I had a photo of, but no pattern – that, in turn, started a search. (yes, you guessed it – THAT started ANOTHER search!). I ran across a pattern I’d done a good 5 years ago for a baby afghan. To shorten this story, that pattern was pretty complicated (got it from a lady at church who said: “Oh, it’s EASY!” – yeah, right…). Her comment challenged me to figure it out (which took a few hours) – finally boiled it down to something I COULD do and I made that blanket. Seeing a photo of the COMPLETE pattern spurred me on to “WHERE is that little booklet I originally had in which I’d broken down that pattern into something I could knit?” Much searching, (also finding about 8-10 other patterns I want to experiment with) finally found it! (I had been thinking the booklet cover was PINK – turns out the color of the blanket is PINK, not the booklet, but now I found it!) After looking it over, NO – I don’t think I want to tackle that one any time soon… As you can guess, I’ll be trying out those ‘found’ patterns a little later today. (Grin)

Since we’re getting close to New Year’s Eve (and probably parties) – here’s more PARTY recipes for ya:

==================

Pineapple Lush Dessert Dip

1 (3.4 oz) pkg. vanilla instant
pudding mix
1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple
in juice, undrained
1 C. Cool Whip, thawed
–
Suggested dippers:
vanilla wafers
–
In medium bowl add dry pudding
mix to pineapple – whisk 2 minutes.
Stir in Cool Whip. Makes 26 (2 T.each)
servings.

(recipe: kraftrecipes.com)
——————————
Chicken Parmesan Snackers
(appetizer)

2 oz (one fourth of an 8 oz pkg)
mozzarella cheese
1 cooked, small boneless/skinless
chicken breast half, cut into 16
thin slices
1/4 C. pasta sauce
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
16 cracked pepper & olive oil
wheat crackers (or just wheat
crackers)
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Cut cheese into 8 slices, then
cut each slice in half. Place
chicken in small bowl & toss
with pasta sauce. Place crackers
in single layer on a baking sheet;
top with chicken mixture, cheese
& oregano. Bake 5-6 minutes
until cheese melts.
Makes 8 servings (2 crackers each)

(recipe: kraftrecipes.com)
——————————–
Hawaiian Pineapple Spread

2 (5 oz, ea) jars Kraft Pineapple
spread
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
6 slices cooked ham, finely chopped
1 C. mozzarella cheese, shredded
4 green onions, sliced
–
Dippers:
Assorted crackers and/or
fresh cut up veggies
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Mix all ingredients until blended;
spread on bottom of a 9-inch
pie plate sprayed with nonstick
cooking spray. Bake 20-25 minutes
until heated through.
Makes 28 (2 T. each) servings.

(recipe: kraftrecipes.com)
————————–
Lasagna Bites
(appetizers)

6 lasagna noodles
kosher salt
2 C. ricotta cheese
1 egg
1 T. chopped parsley,
plus more for garnish
ground black pepper
1 C. marinara sauce
1 C. shredded mozzarella
cheese
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Spray large baking sheet with
nonstick cooking spray. In large
pot boiling, salted water, cook
noodles to al dente. Drain &
lie flat on baking sheet. In
medium bowl combine ricotta
cheese, egg & 1 T. parsley; mix
until well combined then season
with salt/pepper. Cut lasagna
noodles in half crosswise. Spread
a thin layer of ricotta onto each
noodle then roll up; cut rolled
noodle in half, crosswise. Place
‘bites’ on same greased baking
sheet & spoon marinara onto each
bite then sprinkle with mozzarella.
Bake 15-20 minutes until cheese
has melted & bites are warmed
through. Garnish with more parsley
& serve warm. Serves 8

(recipe: delish.com)
———————————
Crispy Dry Rub Chicken Wings

12 chicken wings/drums
1 T. baking powder
1 tsp. garlic salt
–
(dipping sauce recipe to follow)
–
Preheat oven 250 degrees F.
In a bowl combine wings, baking
powder & garlic salt – toss to coat.
Lay wings in a single layer on a rack
over foil-lined sheet pan. Bake 30
minutes; turn heat up to 450 degrees F
& bake an additional 35-45 minutes
until golden brown & crispy. Serves 6
=
Honey Dipping Sauce:

1 C. honey
2 T. water
2 tsp. red pepper flakes
–
In small saucepan, combine
ingredients & simmer 2-3
minutes, being careful not
to let it boil over. Remove
from heat & let stand 30
minutes. Pour into bowl
& serve with wings.

(recipe: perdue.com)
———————————-

2-ingredient Lemon Bars

1 box lemon cake mix
1 (15.75 oz) can Lemon Pie filling
–
(optional toppings:)
powdered sugar
whipped cream
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Spray 9 X 13″ baking dish with
nonstick cooking spray. In large
bowl mix cake mix & pie filling
until moist & well blended –
do not over stir. Pour batter into
pan & bake 20-23 minutes until
golden brown on top. Sprinkle top
with powdered sugar (optional)
and/or whipped cream.

(recipe: thesisterscafe.com)
——————————–

Bacon-Pierogi Bites

14 slices bacon, cut in half
1 (12 oz) pkg. mini potato &
Cheddar pierogies*, thawed
1/4 C. light brown sugar
–
sour cream – for dipping
–
Preheat oven 400 degrees F.
Spray a rimmed baking sheet
with nonstick cooking spray.
Wrap bacon around center of
each pierogi & place on prepared
sheet; sprinkle tops evenly with
brown sugar. Bake 18-20 minutes
until bacon is crisp. Serve with
sour cream, for dipping.
Serves 4

*sold in frozen foods – usually
by frozen potatoes/hashbrowns

(recipe: mrfood.com)
——————————
Cheesy Crab Poppers

1 (8 1/2 oz) pkg. corn muffin mix
1 C. Panko bread crumbs
1 C. shredded sharp Cheddar
cheese
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, melted
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 C. milk
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 (10 oz) container lump crab
meat, drained well
2 C. vegetable oil
–
In large bowl combine corn
muffin mix, bread crumbs,
Cheddar cheese, cream cheese,
butter, egg, milk, scallions, salt
& cayenne pepper – mix well.
Gently stir in crab meat until
combined; form mixture into
1 1/2 inch balls.
In a deep skillet or soup pot, heat
vegetable oil over medium-high
heat until hot. Place several crab
balls in oil, making sure not to
overcrowd. Cook 4-5 minutes until
golden brown, stirring occasionally-
remove to paper towel-lined plate
to drain. Repeat with remaining
balls. Serve warm. Makes 30

(recipe: mrfood.com)
—————————–
Bread Bowl Fondue

1 ( 1 to 1 1/2 lb) loaf plain
rye bread, unsliced
2 C. (8 oz) shredded Cheddar
cheese
1 (16 oz) tub sour cream
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 C. sliced scallions (7-8)
3 oz. bacon bits
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp. caraway seeds (optional)
–
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
Cut top off bread loaf, about
1/3 of the way down (set top
aside). Hollow out inside of bread,
leaving about 1 inch bread around
edges (like a wall). Cut bread that
was removed from insides into
1-inch cubes; spread cubes on a
baking sheet. In large bowl, mix
remaining ingredients until well
blended. Spoon mixture into
hollowed-out bread loaf & replace
top on bread. Wrap bread bowl
in double layer of foil. Bake
60-70 minutes. Place bread cubes
in oven during last 15 minutes of
baking, until crisp. Carefully remove
foil from bread bowl & place on
a serving plate. Serve with toasted
cubes, for dipping. Makes 5 1/2 C.

(recipe: mrfood.com)

=========================

I still have more appetizer recipes
so I’ll probably post them (you could
always tuck them away for later!).

Our weather is cold but not unbearable-
snowed a tiny bit last night (maybe an
inch?). Living in Michigan all my life, I’ve
gotten used to our winters (except when
we get dumped with tons of snow OR
have a ‘Deep Freeze’ with temps at or
below zero – then I complain!

Stay warm, take a little time for yourself
to relax, re-coup, and get on with your day.

Hugs;

Pammie

Getting Closer to the New Year…

With the New Year fast approaching, I thought I’d post more appetizer & dip recipes for you.

===============

4 Ingredient Cheese Ball

24 oz. cream cheese, softened,
(3 pkgs)
1 jar Kraft Roka Blue Cheese
Spread
1 jar Kraft Old English cheese
spread (or American cheese spread)
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
sliced almonds (or walnuts, pecans,
etc.)
–
assorted crackers, for dipping
–
In large bowl using elec. mixer, beat
all ingredients (except nuts) until
smooth. Place a large piece of
plastic wrap in a small bowl &
scoop cheese mixture into wrap.
Using the plastic wrap, shape
cheese mixture into a ball.
Refrigerate 1/2 hour. Remove
ball from fridge & take off
plastic wrap. Place sliced almonds
on a plate (or pie plate) & roll
cheese ball in nuts to coat. Place
ball on a serving plate & serve
with assorted crackers. Makes
1 ball.

(recipe: myrecipemagic.com)
—————————-
3-Ingredient Nacho Dip

1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese,
room temp.
1 (16 oz) jar salsa (your choice)
1 (8 oz) pkg. shredded 4-Cheese
Mexican blend cheese
–
corn chips – for dipping
–
Optional toppings for serving:
diced avocado,
sliced olives, cherry tomatoes
cut in half, chopped green onions
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Spread cream cheese evenly in
bottom of a medium baking dish*.
Pour salsa over top & spread to
cover the cream cheese. Sprinkle
shredded cheese on top. Bake
15-20 minutes until hot & bubbly.
Garnish with optional toppings
shredded cheese on top. Serve
with corn chips for dipping.
Serves 10

* poster used deep dish pie plate
(recipe: theseasonedmom.com)
—————————-
4-ingredient Chicken Taquitos
(appetizers)

10 (6 inch) soft flour tortillas
1 C. cooked, finely diced chicken
1 C. (Sargento) 4-Cheese Mexican
shredded cheese
1/3 C. salsa or taco sauce
–
Optional garnishes:
salsa, guacamole, sour cream,
sliced black or green olives,
sliced green onion
–
Preheat oven 400 degrees F.
In large bowl stir chicken, cheese &
salsa. Divide chicken mixture evenly
down the side of each tortilla. Roll
up tortilla & place on foil-lined
baking sheet; repeat with rest of
ingredients. Spray tops of taquitos
with nonstick cooking spray (to
help them brown & crisp in oven).
Bake 15-20 minutes until crispy.
Makes 10

(recipe: theseasonedmom.com)
————————–
Crockpot Chicken Nachos
(appetizer)

1 (1 oz) pkt. taco seasoning mix
2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken
breasts
1 (16 oz) jar salsa
8 oz. tortilla chips
2 C. shredded Cheddar cheese
–
Additional toppings:
sliced black olives, sliced green
onions, guacamole, sliced avocado,
sour cream, salsa, chopped jalapeno
peppers
–
Spray insides of crockpot with
nonstick cooking spray. Place
chicken in bottom of crockpot;
sprinkle with taco seasoning &
pour salsa on top. Cover & cook
on High 2-3 hours (or Low 6-8
hours). When chicken is done,
using 2 forks – shred chicken &
return to crockpot. Keep chicken
warm in crockpot until ready to
serve with nachos. Place tortilla
chips on a large serving platter.
Spoon hot, shredded chicken over
chips & top with shredded cheese.
(Cheese will melt from heat of
chicken – OR you can place the
nachos under the broiler for
a few minutes to get the cheese
crispy & browned on top).
Garnish with additional toppings
of your choice. Serves 8

(recipe: theseasonedmom.com)
————————–
Southwestern Egg Rolls
(appetizer)

1 C. finely diced, cooked chicken
2 tsp. taco seasoning mix
1/4 C. whole kernel corn
1/4 C. black beans, rinsed/drained
4 T. salsa (plus additional, for
dipping)
4-Cheese Mexican blend shredded
cheese (about 1/3 C.)
8 egg roll wrappers*
–
garnish: sliced green onion
–
Dipping: salsa, sour cream,
guacamole
–

Preheat oven 425 degrees F.
LIne a baking sheet with foil &
spray with nonstick cooking spray.
In large bowl mix chicken, taco
seasoning, corn, beans & salsa.
Spoon about 2 T. mixture on
bottom third of one egg roll
wrapper; top with about 1 tsp.
cheese. Fold sides toward
center & roll tightly. (Keep
the remaining wrappers covered
with a damp paper towel until
ready to use to prevent drying
out.) Place egg roll, seam-side
down on baking sheet – repeat
with remaining wrappers. Spray
tops of egg rolls with nonstick
cooking spray (helps them turn
golden brown & crispy). Bake
10-15 minutes until lightly
browned. Makes 8
Recipe can be doubled.

*You can find egg roll wrappers
in most grocery stores in the
fresh vegetable section.

(recipe: theseasonedmom.com)
——————————-
Pepperoni Pizza Sliders
(appetizers)

12 slider buns (or Hawaiian
rolls, sliced)
3/4 to 1 C. pizza or pasta sauce
1 (6 oz) pkg. pepperoni slices
1 (8 oz) pkg. fresh mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 C. butter, melted
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Lightly spray 9 X 13″ baking
dish with nonstick cooking
spray. Cut slider/buns in half &
place bottoms in prepared dish.
Spread pizza/pasta sauce on
bun bottoms. Top each with
pepperoni slices using as
many as you like. Slice
mozzarella into 12 slices &
place 1 slice on each bottom;
replace bun tops on sliders.
In small bowl combine Parmesan,
melted butter, garlic powder,
basil & oregano – mix & spread
over tops of rolls. Cover with
foil & bake 25 minutes. Remove
foil & bake 5 more minutes.
Serve immediately.
Makes 12 sliders

(recipe: julieseatsandtreats.com)
——————————
Creamy Mushroom Tartlets
(appetizers)

1 T. butter or margarine
1 (8 oz) pkg. fresh mushrooms,
finely chopped
1/2 C. (Kraft) Philadelphia Chive &
Onion cream cheese spread
1/4 C. grated Parmesan cheese
1 (8 oz) tube refrigerated crescent
dinner rolls
2 tsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Melt butter in large nonstick
skillet on medium heat. Add
mushrooms; cook 5 minutes
until tender, stirring frequently.
Add cream cheese spread &
Parmesan; cook & stir 1 minutes
until cream cheese melts. Remove
from heat. Unroll dough into 2
long rectangles; firmly press
perforations & seams together
to seal. Cut each rectangle into
12 squares. Place 1 square in
each of 24 mini muffin cups
with corners of squares extending
over rims of cups. Firmly press
dough onto bottom & up side of
each cup. Spoon about 1 1/2 tsp.
mushroom mixture in each cup.
Bake 10-12 minutes until golden
brown. Sprinkle tops with parsley.
Cool in pan 5 minutes before
serving. Makes 12 servings.

(recipe: kraftrecipes.com)
===================

I had great plans of going to KMart for
some SALE shopping today but woke
up to more snow on the ground – sigh.
We’ll see about the shopping – hopefully
the roads will clear up a little. My middle
son will be having his 29th birthday
January 4th, so I’d like to see if I can
find a few things for him. THIS son is
one that loves lots of things but also
is happy with things he NEEDS. We
helped him out with a little bill paying
for his Christmas gift (that’s what he
asked for) but also gave him SOCKS,
which he needed. (I love this son for
his honesty – he opened the socks &
said: “I really need underwear…” so
guess what he’s getting for part of
his birthday presents! He also REALLY
needs gloves & a snow brush/scraper.
Both younger sons seem to lose those
items EVERY winter – sigh. (the snow
brush I have in my car is a good 30+
years old and still works just fine! I even
use it to brush stuff off the floor of my
car during the non-winter months – it’s
really held up!

Not much going on around here lately –
I cooked a half ham yesterday, just so
we’d have meat to go with all the leftover
sides that are still in our fridge! (and, it
makes great sandwiches, too!). Looking
at some (new to me) knit patterns to
start another ‘needy’ scarf – I have tons
of yarn so knitting scarves makes sense
in the winter. I LOVE my knitting – I
don’t knit for me – I knit for charity
simply because I can knit all the patterns
I like AND THEN GIVE THEM AWAY! To
me, it’s a win/win situation.

Hope you are staying nice & warm (and
healthy)!  Don’t know about you, but
my scale is registering more pounds
than I’d like right now – almost time
to start working on losing some weight-
again!

Hugs;

Pammie

The calm after the holiday

Here in Michigan we’re digging out, again, from all the snow we got the last week or so. First we got EIGHT inches in one day, then Christmas Day we got a good 4 inches more. NOW we’re into the ‘deep freeze’ – it’s not snowing but it’s REALLY cold! Today at around 8:30 a.m. it was -4 (and that’s not counting the wind chill factor). It’s kind of one of those “don’t go out unless you HAVE to!” things. The roads are clear – now – so driving is better but you’d better wear LOTS of layers of clothing/coats/jackets/hats/scarves/gloves-mittens, etc. I babysat yesterday from 10 a.m. – 4:45 p.m. but needed to get gas first; let’s just say I was very glad to have a heavy coat with a hood so that I could pull the hood up over my hat – pumping gas on a very cold, windy day is not recommended; from the weather report, it’s going to be COLD all week. (looking at my cell phone, it just says COLD for each day, so you know it’s not your regular temperatures.)

This is the week I always feel ‘out of sorts’ – it’s not a regular week day, it’s not exactly a holiday; you kind of forget which ‘day’ it is without the ‘usual’ activities (for me it seems strange not having a Knit Night OR my special needs group). Cooking is really not needed as we plow through the leftovers (not complaining, mind you). I plan on finishing the knit  ‘young girls white & pink scarf’ I started last week, another needy donation thing.

One more photo from Christmas; you’ll note the baby has pink ‘goo’ smeared all over him (that’s my Pink Fluff dessert they decided to let him try). This photo was taken just before he had a quick bath & bed, so for him, it was the end of a VERY busy day.

He had on a really cute one-piece outfit that made him look like he was wearing a tuxedo!

===========

With New Year’s Eve festivities approaching, I thought I’d post appetizers & dips for those of you who are having parties

============

Sausage & Cheese Dip

1 lb. breakfast sausage
8 oz. Velveeta cheese, cubed
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, cubed
1 1/2 C. sour cream
1 C. shredded cheese (your choice)
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 C. sliced green onions
1/4 tsp. curry powder (optional)
1/4 tsp. Creole or Cajun seasoning,
to taste (optional)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. dried minced onion
2 tsp. dried parsley
===
Assorted crackers, chips or mixed
raw vegetables for dipping
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Brown sausage in an oven-safe
skillet or casserole dish; drain &
return sausage to skillet. Add cheeses
& cook over Low heat, stirring often,
until cheese has melted. Blend in
remaining ingredients; taste &
adjust to your liking. Bake, uncovered,
30-40 minutes until heated through &
bubbly around edges. Serve warm with
suggested dippers. Serves 4-6

(recipe: deepsouthdish.com)
—————————————-

Ham & Cheese Pinwheels

1 tube refrigerated pizza dough*
3/4 lb. ham, sliced very thin
8 oz. Swiss cheese, sliced very thin
8 T. butter, melted
2 T. brown sugar
1 T. Dijon mustard
2 T. poppy seeds**
1 T. chopped parsley (optional)
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Spray 9 X 13″ baking dish with nonstick
cooking spray. Unroll dough into large
rectangle about 13″ X 8″. Layer ham on
top of dough to cover it completely; layer
cheese in same fashion over ham. Starting
at one long end, tightly roll up dough, jelly
roll style, pinching the end to seal. Cut the
loaf crosswise into 12 equal pieces & arrange
on prepared dish. Whisk butter, brown sugar,
mustard & poppy seeds together & pour
evenly over rolls. Bake 25-30 minutes until
golden brown. Sprinkle top with parsley,
if desired. Makes 12 pinwheels.
Rolls can be stored, unbaked, up to 24
hours refrigerated, covered with foil, before
baking.

*You can substitute pizza dough with crescent
rolls, using 1 1/2 tubes (8 oz, ea)

**You can substitute sesame seeds for poppy
seeds

(recipe: dinneratthezoo.com)
————————————

Chicken Zucchini Poppers

2 C. zucchini, grated (skins on),
about 2 small
1 lb. ground chicken
1/4 yellow onion, finely minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded/finely
minced (optional)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 T. Parmesan cheese, grated
–
Preheat oven 425 degrees F.
Spray baking sheet with nonstick
cooking spray. Mix zucchini, chicken,
onion, jalapeno, garlic, salt, paprika
& pepper until combined. Scoop
heaping tablespoons of mixture onto
prepared sheet, spacing at least 1 inch
apart. Bake 18-20 minutes until centers
are firm. Remove from oven, move oven
rack to top position; set oven to Broil.
Sprinkle tops of poppers with Parmesan
cheese. Broil poppers until tops are
light brown & crispy. Makes 36
Serve alone or with your favorite dipping
sauce.

(recipe: everydaydishes.com)
——————————-
Bacon Deviled Eggs

1 dozen large eggs
4 slices bacon
2 T. mayonnaise
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tsp. white wine vinegar
1 tsp. dill pickle relish
salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
scallions, chopped – garnish
–
Place eggs in large pot & add
water to cover eggs by at least
an inch. Bring water to full,
rolling boil; set timer for 2 minutes.
After pot has been at a full boil for
2 minutes, remove from heat &
place on cool part of stove – reset
timer for 10 minutes. At 10 minutes
carefully drain hot water & cover eggs
with cold water until they are cool
enough to peel – peel eggs. Rinse
peeled eggs under cold water to remove
any shell. Cook bacon over medium heat
until crispy, turning halfway through.
Drain on paper towels & cool – reserve
drippings for filling. Cut each hard boiled
egg in half lengthwise; remove yolks to
small bowl (reserve whites for filling).
Place cooked yolks in a bowl & mash
well with a fork; add mayonnaise, bacon
drippings, mustard, vinegar & pickle
relish – stir until combined. Season with
salt/pepper & spoon or pipe filling into
reserved egg white halves. Crumble bacon
into large pieces & stick bits of bacon on
top of each egg half; sprinkle with chopped
scallions, if using. Makes 24

(recipe: everydaydishes.com)
———————————
Honey Teriyaki Chicken Wings

Wings:
4-5 lb. chicken wings, rinsed/dried
salt/pepper
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

Sauce:
1 C. soy sauce
1/2 C. orange juice
juice of 1 lemon
1 T. garlic, minced
2 T. fresh grated ginger
1/2 C. honey
3 T. rice vinegar
1/4 C. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 C. water
2 T. cornstarch
sesame seeds – garnish
–
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
Place oven rack in center of oven.
Spray baking sheet with nonstick
cooking spray. (if you are making
5 lb. wings, you will need 2 sheets).
Do not over crowd wings on pan or
they won’t become crispy. You can
place a wire cooling rack on sheet
to enhance crispness. In large bowl
place wings; lightly salt & pepper.
Sprinkle baking powder over wings,
tossing to lightly dust each wing –
place on prepared sheet. Space
wings as far apart as possible; bake
45-55 minutes, turning once or
twice during cooking time. (NOTE:
each time you turn the wings, spoon
off any liquid that accumulates on
bottom of pan – this helps wings
develop a crispier texture.
In medium saucepan add soy sauce,
orange juice, lemon juice, garlic,
ginger, honey vinegar, brown sugar &
red pepper flakes – cook over medium
heat – bring to full rolling boil then
reduce heat to medium-low & simmer
sauce 8-9 minutes to reduce & thicken.
In small bowl stir water & cornstarch.
Remove sauce from heat momentarily-
whisk in cornstarch mixture & stir until
completely combined – return pan to heat.
Turn heat to medium & bring to boil.
Reduce heat to Low & simmer 1 minute.
Remove sauce from heat & cover.
When wings are cooked through & crispy,
transfer to a large bowl & toss desired
amount of sauce with them. You can also
spoon sauce over wings directly in pan
if desired. Reserve extra sauce for dipping.
Transfer coated wings back to baking
sheet & return to oven 8-10 minutes until
glaze becomes dark & sticky. Remove from
oven & spoon a little sauce from pan onto
wings for extra flavor. Sprinkle tops with
sesame seeds & allow wings to cool a
few minutes before serving. Serves 12

(recipe: everydaydishes.com)
————————————

Cranberry-Eggnog Muffins

2 C. flour
3/4 C. sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 large egg
1 C. eggnog
1/4 C. butter, melted
3/4 C. whole-berry cranberry
sauce
–
Preheat oven 400 degrees F.
Grease or line with paper
liners 12 muffin cups.
In large bowl whisk first 5
ingredients. In another bowl
whisk egg, eggnog & melted
butter until blended – add to
flour mixture & stir just until
moistened. Spoon 1 T. batter
in bottom of each cup. Drop
1 tsp. cranberry sauce into
center of each & top with
remaining batter & cranberry
sauce. Cut through batter with
a knife to swirl. Bake 15-18
minutes until a toothpick
inserted into center of muffin
comes out clean. Cool 5
minutes on a rack before
removing from pan to cool.
Serve warm. Makes 12 muffins

(recipe: tasteofhome.com)
===================

I’m sure there will be more dips &
appetizer recipes in the next few days
so, hopefully, you’ll find something you
like!

Enjoy these next few days before more
holiday activities (if you’re partying on
New Years). Remember to STAY HEALTHY
(if you can) and take a break/relax a bit
just to re-charge your energy!

Hugs;

Pammie

and a WONDERFUL TIME was had by all!

The image is a little dark, but we got (almost) the entire family! From left: My husband, next to him our oldest son, in front of him is baby’s Grandma #2, behind her is me, in front of me is oldest grandson’s Grandma & her husband, then oldest grandson (11 1/2), seated is other (baby) grandpa #2 and the baby’s Momma (baby was sleeping). Our middle son & his girlfriend were working, youngest son wasn’t feeling well – but we got ALMOST everyone in the photo!

We had food galore! Oldest son (the chef) also made a boatload of Lobster Mac & cheese (first time I’ve had that) plus lots of other foods too numerous to mention/list. Let’s just say no one went home hungry!

==============

Apple Cobbler Shortbread Squares

Crust:
1 stick butter
1/4 C. granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 C. flour
1/4 tsp. salt

Filling:
3 large apples, peeled/cored/
thinly sliced
3 T. granulated sugar
2 T. flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Topping:
1 C. light brown sugar
3/4 C. flour
6 T. butter, softened
–
Preheat oven 300 degrees F.
Spray 8 X 8″ baking dish with
nonstick cooking spray. In medium
bowl beat 1 stick butter, 1/4 C. sugar
& vanilla until creamy. Add 1 C. flour,
1/4 tsp. salt – mix well. Press mixture
evenly into baking dish. Bake 15 minutes.

Filling:
In large bowl combine filling ingredients;
mix until apples are evenly coated.

Topping:
Mix ingredients until crumbly; sprinkle
half over crust.

Increase oven temperature
to 350 degrees.

Place apple mixture in even layer over
crust; sprinkle with remaining topping.
Bake 30-35 minutes until a toothpick
inserted in center comes out clean.
Let cool 2 hours then refrigerate 2 hours.
Cut into bars – serves 12

(recipe: mrfood.com)
———————————

Leftovers – Egg Rolls

6 egg roll wrappers*
1 C. leftover cooked turkey,
shredded
1 C. leftover mashed potatoes
1 C. leftover cranberries
1 C. leftover stuffing
vegetable oil
1/2 C. leftover gravy (for dipping)
–
Place an egg roll wrapper on a clean
surface – lay it out so that it forms
a triangle in front of you.  Spread a
thin layer of cranberries on, then
add a few T. mashed potatoes, stuffing
& turkey. Fold up bottom point &
tightly fold in sides. Gently roll, then
seal fold using a few drops of water
on edges; repeat with remaining
leftovers.
In large skillet over medium heat,
heat oil (it should reach 1 inch up
sides of pan) until it starts to bubble.
Add egg rolls & fry until golden,
1 minute per side. Transfer to a
paper towel-lined plate to cool
slightly. Serve with heated gravy.
Makes 6

*can find them in the produce
section of grocery store

(recipe: Facebook)
—————————–
Leftover Turkey Pot Pie

3 t. olive oil
3/4 C. diced onion
1 1/4 C. diced carrots
3/4 C. sliced celery
3 T. flour
3 C. chicken broth
2 1/2 C. chopped, cooked turkey
1 1/4 C. frozen peas
salt/pepper, to taste
–
Topping:
1 C. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg
1/3 C. milk
–
Preheat oven 400 degrees F.
In large pot over medium heat
heat oil until shimmering. Saute
onion, carrots, celery until
softened. Stir in flour until no
lumps remain. Add about 1/4 C.
broth & stir until a thick sauce
forms. Add remaining broth &
bring to boil. Reduce heat to a
simmer & allow to simmer until
thickened, about 10 minutes.
Turn off heat & stir in turkey/peas;
season with salt/pepper. In separate
small bowl beat egg & milk – pour into
flour & stir to combine. (it should be
a sticky dough). Drop dough, 2-3
T. each, on top of turkey mixture.
Bake 17-19 minutes until topping
is golden brown.

(recipe: iamhomesteader.com)
————————————-
Crockpot Chicken & Stuffing
Casserole

3 large carrots, peeled/sliced
1 (12 oz) bag frozen broccoli florets
(about 4 C.)
1 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken
thighs or breasts
1 (10.75 oz) can cream of mushroom
soup
1 (10.75 oz) can cream of chicken soup
1/4 C. water
3 1/2 C. (about 7.5 oz) dry herb-seasoned
stuffing mix
1/3 C. butter, melted
–
Spray insides of crockpot with nonstick
cooking spray. Place carrots & broccoli
on bottom. Season chicken with salt/
pepper & place on top of vegetables.
In medium bowl whisk soups & water –
pour over chicken. Sprinkle dry stuffing
mix on top of chicken & drizzle with
melted butter. Cover & cook on Low
6-8 hours (or High 3-4 hours).
Serves 8

(recipe: theseasonedmom.com)
———————————–

Tropical Fruit Salad

4 kiwis, peeled/sliced
3 navel oranges, peeled/sliced &
cut in half
2 mangos, peeled/cubed
1 pineapple, cut into bite-sized
chunks
2 C. seedless red grapes
1/2 C. sour cream
2 T. honey
1 tsp. orange zest
–
Combine fruits in a large bowl &
spoon onto a serving platter. Mix
remaining ingredients until blended;
drizzle mixture over fruit just before
serving. Serves 10 (1 C. each)

(recipe: kraftrecipes.com)
————————————

Double-Pork Hash

5 slices bacon, (thick-cut)
1 (8 oz) boneless ham steak,
cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 C. red bell pepper, seeded/
diced (1/2 inch)
1 (20 oz) bag refrigerated hash
brown potatoes
salt/black pepper, to taste
–
IN large skillet over medium heat
cook bacon, turning once, until
crisp (about 8 minutes). Transfer
to paper towels to cool/crumble.
Pour fat from skillet into a small
bowl (you should have about 5 T. ;
add vegetable oil, if needed to achieve
5 T. Return 3 T. bacon fat to skillet –
over medium heat add ham & cook,
stirring occasionally, until beginning to
brown, about 2 minutes. Add onion &
red pepper, cook, stirring occasionally,
until onion is golden, about 7 minutes.
Add hash brown potatoes; cook until
underside is mostly golden, about 7
minutes. Drizzle remaining 2 T. bacon
fat over hash. Using a metal spatula,
turn hash over in sections. Continue
cooking, stirring occasionally, until
hash is completely golden brown, about
5 minutes. Sprinkle with crumbled
bacon & season with salt/pepper.
Serve hot. Serves 6

(recipe: Smithfield)
—————————-

Sweet Potato Turkey Patties

1 lb. ground turkey
1 clove garlic
1 T. maple syrup
1/4 C. chopped chives
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
salt/pepper – to taste
2 C. grated sweet potato
2 T. olive oil
–
In food processor add turkey, garlic,
maple syrup, chives, red pepper flakes,
poultry seasoning, salt/pepper – process
until combined then transfer to large
bowl. Add grated sweet potato to bowl
& fold into turkey mixture until well
combined. In large skillet heat olive
oil over medium-high heat. Once hot,
form mixture into patties & place in
skillet. Cook 2-3 minutes per side. Add
a splash of water to skillet, cover &
cook another 5 minutes to help cook
thoroughly without burning outside of
patties. Remove cover, let liquid cook off;
transfer patties to a paper towel-lined plate
to drain.

(recipe: runningtothekitchen.com)
———————————–
Turkey Tetrazzini

half of (16 oz) box spaghetti noodles
3 T. butter, divided
2 C. cooked turkey, chopped
1 C. mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, chopped
salt/pepper
1 (10 oz) can cream of mushroom
soup
1 C. milk
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
1/8 tsp dry mustard
1 C. sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 C. mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 T. Parmesan cheese, shredded
1/2 tsp. dried parsley
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Cook spaghetti noodles accordg.
to pkg directions; drain & place in
a 3 quart casserole dish that has
been sprayed with nonstick
cooking spray (OR you can use a
7 X 11″ pan). Add 1 T. butter to
noodles & toss to melt butter.
Heat a large skillet & melt 2 T.
butter in skillet; once melted,
add mushrooms & onion (salt &
pepper a bit). Saute over medium
high heat until onions are translucent.
Add soup & milk – whisk to combine.
Add poultry seasoning & dry mustard –
stir to combine. Add 1 C. Cheddar
cheese & stir in – once melted, remove
pan from heat. Sprinkle chopped turkey
over noodles in dish. Pour soup mixture
over turkey, sprinkle with 1 C. mozzarella
cheese & 1 T. Parm. cheese on top of
sauce. Sprinkle dried parsley on top &
bake 30 minutes until cheese is melted &
sides are bubbly. Serves 6

(recipe: jamiecooksitup.net)
———————————-

Crockpot Double Chocolate Cake

1 (2 layer) chocolate cake mix
1 (3.9 oz) pkg. chocolate instant
pudding mix
1 C. sour cream
1 C. water
2/3 C. oil
4 eggs
1 1/2 pkgs. (4 oz, ea) semi-sweet
chocolate (6 oz) chopped
1 C. Cool Whip, thawed
–
Mix dry cake mix & pudding mix
in a large bowl using whisk until
blended. Add next 4 ingredients;
mix well & stir in chopped chocolate.
Spray insides of crockpot with
nonstick spray & pour mixture in.
Cover & cook on Low 4-5 hours
(or High 3 – 3 1/2 hours) until top
surface of cake has no wet spots
& cake begins to pull away from
sides of crockpot. Serve warm
with Cool Whip topping. Serves 16

(recipe: Kraft recipes)

==================

Yesterday was a day filled with LOTS of action:
husband & I struggled for HOURS getting the
foods prepared to take to oldest son’s house –
Christmas Eve my (wonderful – NOT!) back went
‘out’ again, so standing was very painful but we
managed to work around it: I sat while cutting
up potatoes (husband peeled – for mashed pots).
We did our best to make oldest son’s sudden change
in ‘eating time’ from 2 p.m. to 1 p.m. but several
small disasters lost us some time, so we didn’t get there
until around 1:30 – oh well . . . Green Bean casserole
decided to overflow all over inside of microwave
(where I’d put it to speed up the cooking time), corn
casserole took longer to cook than usual – stuff like
that. Oh – and then there was the WEATHER! The
temps were hovering at 19 degrees F. and it began
to snow MORE! Driving was very slow and treacherous-
his street was almost impassable, but we made it!
It snowed while we were there, probably another 1-2
inches – it’s supposed to be VERY cold all week (right
now NOAH National weather service is saying it’s
2 degrees F. outside with wind chill making it feel
like -13 degrees F! (the HIGHEST temp this week is
Friday at 16 degrees F. so not to thrilled with that,
but HEY! What can ya do?  I’m babysitting tomorrow,
hopefully only 10:15 – 3:30, but we’ll see. Baby got
TONS of toys so I’m sure he will be very amused while
playing with all of them.

Wanted to share with you my most precious presents;
Oldest son & his girlfriend had these photos blown up
& framed on canvas (each is about 1 1/2 feet square):

Bottom photo was Thanksgiving, 2017 (I didn’t know my son was taking the photo!)

To sum it all up – we had a WONDERFUL Christmas!

Hoping you were able to enjoy your
holiday. It’s not the presents under
the tree that counts – it’s who’s
IN YOUR HEART!

Hugs;

Pammie

Merry Christmas!!!

Christmas Eve, 2017

And so it’s Christmas Eve – this day started out with church & singing in the choir. Our choir director and his lovely wife (who is also our accompanist) are in another state for the holidays SOooooooo we did something we have never done before – we sang to a CD of the music. I must say – it took a bit of work as most are not used to that idea, but after practicing, we actually nailed it in the final performance so I was happy (as, I’m sure, was our assistant director!). During church I got a text from middle son asking if he & his girlfriend could take my husband & I out for lunch (as their Christmas gift to us) – so we went to a nearby Middle Eastern restaurant (girlfriend is Vegan & son is getting there). This was my second try at that type of food and I did my best NOT to let them know I really didn’t like ANYTHING I’d ordered – I DID try, though! Not my idea of a good idea; I had Garlic Almond Ghallaba with chicken: “Assorted sautéed vegetables and your choice of meat blended together with rice, almonds & garlic”; it also came with more roasted (BIG CHUNKS) veggies: green pepper, carrots, zucchini, onion. If nothing else, it was filling (I told my husband he gets ALL of my ‘takeout/leftovers’ – I’m really not interested). BUT…it’s the thought that counts, right? (son & girlfriend were really enjoying their foods).

===================

(A few last minute recipes – just in case you might need them)

Caramelized Onion Dip

2 T. unsalted butter
2 T. olive oil
3 lb. yellow onions, cut in
half lengthwise & crosswise
into 1/4″ slices
2 T. brown sugar
salt/black pepper
1/4 C. red wine vinegar
3 dashes hot sauce (optional)
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 C. (8 oz) sour cream
–
chopped chives – garnish (optional)
–
Heat butter & oil in heavy medium
saucepan over medium-high heat.
Add onions & sugar – cook, stirring
constantly, until soft & golden, about
15-20 minutes. Season with salt/pepper.
Stir in vinegar & simmer until mixture is
dry. Add hot sauce (if using). Remove from
heat & allow to cool slightly.
Mix cream cheese until smooth in large
bowl. Fold in sour cream & caramelized
onions – season with salt/pepper. Garnish
with chives, if using.
Can be eaten warm or chilled.
Makes 2 Cups

(recipe: foodnetwork.com)
————————–
Pretzel-ring Beer Cheese Dip

1 1/2 C. shredded Cheddar cheese,
plus more for sprinkling
1/2 C. shredded mozzarella cheese
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 T. chopped chives (more for
garnish)
2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 C. beer (suggested: Guinness)
ground black pepper
2 T. baking soda
1 can Pillsbury Grands! biscuits
egg wash (1 egg + 1 T. water, mixed)
coarse salt, for sprinkling
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.

Dip:
In large bowl combine cheeses,
cream cheese, mustard, chives,
garlic powder & beer- season with
salt/pepper.

Pretzels:
In small saucepan bring 2 C. water
& baking soda to a boil. Reduce to
a simmer. Cut each biscuit in half &
roll into a ball then cut an X slice
across top of each ball. Drop into
simmering water & cook 1 minute.
Remove using a slotted spoon –
transfer to a cast-iron skillet
forming a ring around skillet. Brush
biscuits with egg wash & sprinkle
tops with coarse salt. Transfer
cheese dip to center of skillet &
smooth top. Sprinkle top of dip
with more Cheddar cheese. Bake
until biscuits are golden & dip
is warmed through, 33-35 minutes.
Garnish with chopped chives & serve.
Serves 6

(recipe: delish.com)
——————————————-
Cheesy Cauliflower/Bacon Dip

4 C. small cauliflower florets
(about 1/2 large head)
1/2 C. water
4 slices bacon
1/2 C. finely chopped yellow onions
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, cubed
1 tsp. hot pepper sauce
3/4 C. mayonnaise
1 (8 oz) pkg. (Kraft) shredded Italian
5-cheese blend, divided
1 T. sliced green onions
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
In food processor, process cauliflower
until pea-sized pieces. Place in large
microwaveable bowl & stir in water.
Microwave on High 3 minutes; stir.
(goal is crisp-tender). If necessary,
continue microwaving 2 minutes until
any larger cauliflower pieces are crisp-
tender; drain. Cook bacon in medium
skillet on medium heat until crisp;
remove to paper towel-lined plate.
Discard all but 1 T. drippings. Add
onions to drippings; cook 3-4 minutes
until crisp-tender, stirring frequently.
Add cream cheese & hot sauce; cook &
stir 2-3 minutes until cream cheese is
completely melted & well blended. Stir
in cauliflower, mayo & 1 1/2 C. cheese;
smooth top. Crumble bacon; sprinkle
over dip & top with remaining shredded
cheese. Bake 25-30 minutes until dip
is heated through & top is brown;
sprinkle top with green onions &
serve. Makes 32 (2 T. each) servings.

(recipe: kraftrecipes.com)
——————————

Crockpot Garlic Mashed Potatoes

5 lb. red potatoes, peeled/cut
into chunks
3 cloves garlic
salt/pepper
1 tsp. chicken bouillon granules
1 C. water
8 T. butter, divided
1/3 C. sour cream
1/2 C. milk
–
Place garlic cloves in a small square of
foil; wrap foil up like a Hershey kiss
candy. Place peeled/chopped potatoes
into crockpot & season well with salt/
pepper. Place foil/garlic packet into
potatoes. Place chicken bouillon granules
into a large 2-Cup measuring cup & stir in
1 C. warm water until dissolved – pour over
potatoes. Cut 4 T. butter into small pieces
& place in random spots over potatoes.
Cover & cook on High 4 hours or Low
7-8 (depending on how fast your crockpot
cooks).
When potatoes are fork-tender, remove foil
packet; open it – smash garlic with a fork &
add half of it back into crockpot. (If you want
more garlic taste, add more after everything
is mixed together – best to start with a little).
Pour 1/2 C. milk, 4 T. butter & 1/3 C. sour
cream into crockpot & mix, using elec. mixer
until all is smooth. You can add more milk
if they are too thick. Taste & add more salt/
pepper/garlic, if needed. Serves 10-12

(recipe: jamiecooksitup.net)
———————————–

Cranberry-Orange Cake

1 1/2 C. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 C. sour cream
1 C. granulated sugar
3 large eggs
zest of 1 orange – (about 1 T.)
juice of an orange
1/2 C. butter
2 T. sugar
1 1/2 C. fresh cranberries

Icing:
1 C. powdered sugar
2-3 T. milk/water or orange
juice
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Spray a Bundt pan with nonstick
cooking spray. Sprinkle 2 T. sugar in
bottom of sprayed pan. Sprinkle
1/4 C. cranberries on top of sugar.
Cream butter & sugar until sugar
turns a lemon color, about 4-5
minutes. Add eggs, one at a time,
mix until incorporated. Add orange
juice & zest, then sour cream. When
fully incorporated, add flour, salt &
baking powder – mix well. Stir in
remaining 1 1/4 C. cranberries; pour
into prepared pan & bake 50-55
minutes until a toothpick inserted
near center comes out clean. Let
stand 5 minutes after removing
from oven. Invert cake onto a wire
rack to cool.
Mix glaze ingredients & spread on
top & sides of cake. Serve.

(recipe: allrecipes.com)
———————————

Chocolate Churro Dip

1 tube refrigerated biscuit dough
4 T. unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 C. cinnamon sugar
2 C. Nutella (chocolate-hazelnut
spread)
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Spray an oven-safe 10″ skillet
with nonstick cooking spray. Cut
each biscuit in half & roll into
balls. Dunk each ball in melted
butter then roll in cinnamon-sugar.
Place around the perimeter of the
skillet to form a ring. Biscuit
pieces should be touching. Pour/
scoop Nutella into center of skillet
& bake 25 minutes until biscuits
are golden & cooked through. Let
stand 10 minutes before serving.
Serve warm. Serves 6

(recipe: delish.com)
———————————
Salted Caramel Apple Crumble

Caramel Sauce:
1 C. sugar
1/4 C. water
1 tsp. sea salt
3/4 C. heavy cream
3 T. butter
1 tsp. vanilla

Crumble:
1 C. flour
1/3 C. brown sugar
1/3 C. granulated sugar
6 T. softened butter
1/2 tsp. salt
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled/
cored/sliced
2 T. lemon juice
2 T. butter
1/4 tsp. salt
–
Caramel Sauce:
Heat sugar & water in small
saucepan on medium heat to
melt sugar. Continue cooking &
swirling sugar until it turns an
amber color. Whisk in sea salt &
heavy cream (mixture will bubble
up violently, briefly). Continue
whisking until sauce is smooth.
Stir in butter & vanilla.

Crumble:
Combine all crumble ingredients using
an elec. mixer. Mixture will be crumbly
but stay together when squeezed. Place
sliced apples in a bowl with lemon juice.
Cook apples in a large cast iron skillet
over medium-low heat in butter to draw
out moisture. Sprinkle with salt to draw
out all moisture possible. Drain & place
back in skillet. (about 5-7 minutes cooking
time). Pour 3/4 of prepared caramel
sauce into apples & gently stir. Top with
crumble topping & bake 20 minutes.
Serve with remaining caramel sauce.
Serves 6

(recipe: yummly.com)
==================

Weather-wise, our temps. dropped severely –
it’s now 19 degrees and snowing. We’re supposed
to get 1-3 inches; while we were at the restaurant
it was coming down a LOT. Going home was pretty
slippery  – SO glad we only live about 7 minutes
away AND don’t have to go out again today/tonight!

All I have left to ‘do’ is wrap presents and (maybe)
put together the 2 casseroles together & refrigerate
overnight (easy day!).

Stay warm, SAFE and remember to relax a bit in
between ‘adventures’!

Hugs;

Pammie

Last minute preparations

Found out yesterday while babysitting that the baby’s mom’s birthday was YESTERDAY! I didn’t know that! Ended up coming home & going on a GREAT site: Groupon.com where I found a $75.00 spa package for $40. If you’re not familiar with Groupon (my oldest son introduced me to it), it’s a site that has lots of people subscribed (free) where they are able to offer really great discounts on all sorts of things. The package I got was a One hour ‘float’ at a really nice spa nearby – you float in an individual tub filled with epsom salts (in your own room); you can choose music or colored lights (or both) or just float in silence – supposed to be very relaxing. I thought: for a mom of a 9 month old, that should help. (can we say: “Score!”).

=============

Today it’s BREAKFAST theme!

Lemon-glazed Sticky Buns

1 (3 oz) pkg. lemon-flavored Jell-O
1 T. lemon juice & 2 tsp. zest from
1 lemon – divided
1 1/2 C. powdered sugar, divided
2 (8 oz, ea) cans refrigerated crescent
dinner rolls, divided
1/4 C. melted butter, divided
2 oz (one-fourth of an 8 oz pkg) cream cheese,
softened
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Spray 9 X 13″ baking dish with
nonstick cooking spray.
In bowl combine dry Jell-O, lemon
zest & 1/2 C. sugar. Unroll 1 tube
crescent dough onto work surface;
firmly press perforations & seams
together to form 12 X 4″ rectangle.
Brush with half the butter then sprinkle
with half Jell-O mixture. Roll up, starting
at one short end; cut into 6 slices &
arrange, cut sides up, on half prepared
baking dish; repeat with rest of dough,
butter & Jell-o mixture. Bake 30 minutes
until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes.
In another bowl mix cream cheese,
lemon juice & remaining sugar until
blended – drizzle over warm rolls.
Makes 12 rolls

(recipe: kraftrecipes.com)
——————————–
Easy Caramel Sticky Buns

16 caramels (unwrapped)
2 T. milk
3/4 C. chopped pecans, divided
1 (8 oz) tube refrigerated crescent
dinner rolls
1/4 C. sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 T. raisins
–
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
Spray a 8-inch round pan with
nonstick cooking spray.
In microwaveable bowl, microwave
caramels & milk on High 1 1/2 – 2
minutes until caramels are completely
melted, stirring after each 1 minute.
Pour into prepared pan & top with
1/2 C. nuts. Unroll crescent roll dough;
separate into 2 rectangles & press
perforations together to seal.  MIx
remaining nuts, sugar, cinnamon &
raisins; sprinkle over dough. Roll up
each rectangle, jelly-roll fashion,
starting at short even – cut into 4 slices.
Place slices, cut sides down, in pan.
(sprinkle any sugar mixture that may
have fallen out of rolls on top). Bake
17-20 minutes until lightly browned.
Immediately invert pan onto a plate &
remove pan. Spread any caramel from
pan onto buns & cool slightly before
servng. Serves 8

(recipe: kraftrecipes.com)
———————————
Eggnog French Toast Bake

10 C. bread cubes (less than one loaf of
Italian or French bread)
8 eggs
3 C. eggnog
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 C. granulated sugar
1/2 C. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 C. butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
(IF baking immediately)
–
Spray a jelly roll pan with nonstick
cooking spray. Spread bread cubes
in pan. In large bowl beat eggs,
eggnog & salt – pour mixture over
bread cubes.
================
(NOTE: IF preparing the night before:)
Stop here – cover bowl with plastic
wrap & refrigerate overnight. In
morning, heat oven 350 degrees F.
Remove plastic wrap & continue to
next step
=================
Mix gran. sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon,
nutmeg, cloves, melted butter & vanilla
together in large bowl – drizzle mixture
over bread cubes in pan. Bake 1 hour
until cooked through & golden brown.
Serves 12

NOTE: If you prefer a bread pudding
texture – bake for only 45 minutes.

(recipe: thegunnysack.com)
———————————————-
Make Ahead Coffee Cake
(overnight recipe)

3/4 C. butter, softened
1 C. sugar
2 large eggs
2 C. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1 C. (8 oz) sour cream
3/4 C. packed brown sugar
1/2 C. chopped pecans or walnuts
1 tsp. cinnamon

Icing:
1 C. powdered sugar
1-2 T. milk
–
Spray a 9 X 13″ dish with nonstick
cooking spray.
In large bowl cream butter & sugar
until light & fluffy; beat in eggs, one-
at-a-time. In another bowl whisk flour,
baking soda, nutmeg & salt; beat into
creamed mixture alternately with sour
cream. Spread mixture into prepared pan.
In a small bowl mix brown sugar, nuts &
cinnamon; sprinkle over top of dough.
Refrigerate, covered, overnight.
==
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Remove coffee cake from fridge while
oven heats. Bake, uncovered, until a
toothpick inserted into center comes
out clean, 35-40 minutes.
Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes. Mix
icing ingredients & drizzle over warm
coffee cake. Makes 15 servings

(recipe: tasteofhome.com)
————————————-
Hash for a Bash

1/2 C. (1 stick) butter
2 onions, diced (about 2 C.)
2 lb. frozen hash brown potato
cubes, thawed*
1 lb. diced, cooked corned beef
(3 C.)
8 eggs
–
Preheat oven 400 degrees F.
Spray 9 X 13″ baking dish with
nonstick cooking spray. In large
skillet over medium-high heat,
melt butter & saute onions 3-4
minutes until soft. Add hash
brown potatoes & cook 10-12
minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add corned beef & cook 5-6
minutes, until heated through.
Place mixture in prepared dish.
With a serving spoon, make 8
evenly spaced indentations,
about 1/2 inch deep in mixture.
Crack eggs, one at a time, &
place one egg in each indentation.
Cover with foil & bake 25-35
minutes until eggs are cooking to
your desired doneness. Serves 8

*If you have leftover baked or
boiled potatoes, you can use
them as a substitute for hash
brown potatoes.

(recipe: mrfood.com)
———————————
Rise ‘n Shine Omelet Cups

5 eggs
1/2 C. chopped, cooked ham
1/2 C. shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 C. sliced scallions
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Spray 6 muffin cups with nonstick
cooking spray. In large bowl
combine all ingredients; mix well
then spoon into prepared cups.
Bake 20-25 minutes until eggs
are set. Serve immediately
Serves 6

(recipe: mrfood.com)
———————————–
Bacon ‘n Eggs Pie

1 (7.5 oz) tube refrigerated
buttermilk biscuits
2 T. butter or margarine
6 eggs
1/3 C. milk
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 oz. cream cheese, cubed
6 slices bacon, cooked/crumbled
–
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
Separate biscuits; press onto
bottom & up sides of a 9-inch
pie plate. Bake 10-12 minutes
until lightly browned. Melt butter
in medium skillet on Low heat.
Whisk eggs, milk & seasonings
until blended & pour into skillet.
Cook 4-5 minutes until eggs begin
to set, stirring occasionally. Add
cream cheese – cook 3-4 minutes
until cream cheese is melted &
eggs are completely set, stirring
occasionally. Spoon egg mixture
into crust, top with bacon.
Serves 6

(recipe: kraftrecipes.com)
——————————-
Bacon/Cream Cheese-stuffed
French Toast

8 slices Challah bread, 1-inch thick
1 (8 oz) tub (Kraft) Philadelphia Chive &
Onion cream cheese spread
8 slices cooked bacon, halved
4 eggs
1 1/2 C. milk
1/2 C. shredded Parmesan cheese
1 C. maple syrup
–
Using a sharp knife, make a horizontal
cut in side of each bread slice to make
a pocket, being careful to not cut
completely through. Fill pockets with
cream cheese spread & bacon, press
cut edges of pockets to seal. Heat large
heavy nonstick skillet sprayed with
nonstick cooking spray on Medium heat.
Whisk eggs, milk & Parmesan in  a pie
plate until blended. Dip stuffed bread
slices, one at a time, in egg mixture,
turning to evenly coat both sides. Add
to skillet, in batches if necessary. Cook
405 minutes until golden brown on
both sides, turning after 3 minutes.
Serve topped with syrup. Serves 8

(recipe: kraftrecipes.com)
====================
Down to just wrapping gifts & baking the
“Happy Birthday, Jesus” cake – YAY! Hope
all of your preparations are going smoothly –
SOoooooo glad I’m finally feeling like ME!
I have ENERGY!!!

Weather-wise, we’re supposed to get cold
temps. (it’s 31 degrees F. with a wind chill
that makes it feel like 22…Brrrrr!). 90% chance
of snow tomorrow after 1 p.m. (that’s good –
we’ll be home from church by then & don’t have
anywhere else to go for the day/night!).

I see gas prices have jumped at bit from $2.39/9
to $2.59/9 but then you’d almost expect it with
the holiday traveling, right?

Stay warm & safe – remember to take a break
every now & then just to keep up your energy!

Hugs;

Pammie

 

WE HAVE TREE!

It’s not the ‘regular’ one we put up on top of the baby grand piano, but it will do – this is the fiber-optic tree in the dining room (so now nobody can say we don’t have a TREE up!). Managed to finish the ‘green beans’ shopping, found a nice ‘substitute’ for the large Hershey’s Kiss – this is one of those chocolate ‘oranges’ – it comes wrapped looking like an orange & when you open the foil, it’s slices of orange-flavored chocolate. Got the three loaves of bread baked; waiting for the third loaf to cool so I can wrap it & deliver to our neighbors (I only have 2 loaf pans, so had to do the baking in 2 batches). Husband noticed how miserable I was feeling and suggested he go pick up a Jet’s Veggie pizza for dinner (my favorite) so that works!!! He also suggested I start doubling up on taking Vitamin B12 (I had stopped a few weeks ago – no particular reason) so I took 2 just before I left to shop and am feeling a LOT better than earlier! YAY!

Lots of recipes to share and, knowing I’ll be babysitting tomorrow, thought I’d do a double post today, instead.

==============

Cookies/Candy

Perfect Pineapple Fudge

3 C. sugar
1/2 C. Half & Half
2 T. light corn syrup
1 (8.25 oz) can crushed pineapple
(do not drain)
3 T. butter
1 tsp. pineapple extract or vanilla
1 C. white chocolate chips
1 (7 oz) jar marshmallow creme
–
Line a 9 X 5″ loaf pan with nonstick
foil & lightly butter. In heavy bottomed
3 qt. saucepan, combine sugar, Half &
Half, corn syrup, pineapple & butter.
Bring to boil over medium-low heat,
stirring until sugar dissolves. Continue
cooking, stirring frequently, until
contents reach 236 degrees F. (or
soft ball stage: 234-240 degrees F. on
a candy thermometer). Remove from
heat & stir in extract; stir 3 minutes until
candy starts to thicken slightly. Stir in
chips until fully melted & combined then
stir in marshmallow creme. Pour into
prepared loaf pan & let cool to room
temperature. Refrigerate until fudge is
completely set, at least 2 hours. Cut
into pieces; store in airtight container.
For Firmer Fudge: refrigerate
Makes 2 pounds.

(recipe: momontimeout.com)
—————————————
Kiss Me Cookies

1 C. butter, softened
1 C. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. maraschino cherry juice
1/2 tsp. almond extract
6 drops red food coloring
2 1/4 C. flour
1/2 C. chopped maraschino
cherries
Approx. 50 Hershey kisses,
unwrapped
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Spray a baking sheet with nonstick
cooking spray.
In large bowl beat butter, powdered
sugar & salt until well blended. Add
cherry juice, almond extract & food
coloring – gradually beat in flour.
Stir in cherries. Shape dough into
1-inch balls & place 1-inch apart on
prepared sheet. Bake 8-10  minutes
until bottoms are light brown.
Immediately press a chocolate kiss
into center of each cookie (it will
crack around the edges). Cool in
pan 2 minutes then move to cooling
rack to completely cool.

(recipe: Mike Suddaby-Facebook)
—————————————
Pecan Pie Pound Cake

4 sticks butter, room temp.
4 C. sugar
4 C. flour (cake or all purpose)
8 large eggs, room temp
8 oz. cream cheese, room temp
2-3 tsp. vanilla
–
1+ cups chopped pecans
1+ cups brown sugar
–
1 jar caramel ice cream topping
–
Preheat oven 300 degrees F.
Grease & flour a tube pan. In
bowl of elec. mixer, beat butter,
cream cheese & sugar until smooth.
Add eggs, one or two at a time. Add
flour, 1 cup at a time. Add 2-3 tsp.
vanilla & mix well. Pour batter into
prepared pan. Sprinkle top with
pecans & brown sugar – lightly press
into batter. Bake 1 hour 15 minutes.
NOTE: You may want to tent the top
of the pan with foil if it’s browning too
fast or nuts are scorching; increase
heat to 325 & bake another 30 minutes.
Test for doneness with a wooden skewer
(or toothpick). If toothpick comes out
wet, allow to bake a little longer until
toothpick comes out dry/clean. Remove
from oven & allow to cool a few minutes
before removing from pan. When you
invert cake onto a plate, you may loose
a few nuts – turn cake onto another plate
so that the brown sugar/nuts are on top.
Drizzle top of cake with caramel ice
cream topping & cut/serve.

(recipe: americantimesfood.com)
———————————-
Mexican Wedding Cookies

1/2 C. vegetable shortening
1/4 C. water
1 egg white
1 box (15.25 oz) white cake mix
1/2 C. chopped nuts
1/2 C. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
(optional)
1 tsp. vanilla
(powdered sugar – for rolling)
–
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
Place some powdered sugar in
a shallow plate (or pie plate).
In large bowl beat shortening, water,
vanilla & egg white using elec. mixer
on Medium speed 1 minute. Add
cake mix, beat until smooth/no lumps
remaining, about 2 minutes. Add nuts
& choc. chips (if using) – mix to incorporate.
On ungreased cookie sheets, shape dougn
into 1 inch balls & place about 2 inches
apart. Bake about 10 minutes until almost
set. Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar
& let cool. Makes about 4 dozen.

(recipe: southernplate.com)
————————
Coconut Magic Bars

1/2 C. unsalted butter
1/4 C. light brown sugar, packed
2 C. graham cracker crumbs (
about 15-16 full sheets, crushed)
1 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 C. shredded sweet coconut
3/4 C. pecans, coarsely chopped
1 2/3 C. sweetened condensed milk
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
In large bowl add crushed graham
cracker crumbs & brown sugar – stir
to combine.
In a 8 X 8″ baking pan place 1/2 C. butter;
heat in oven until completely melted.
Remove from oven & evenly spread graham/
brown sugar mixture over melted butter.
In Layers:
Alternate chocolate chips, coconut & pecans –
evenly pour sweetened cond. milk over top &
bake 30 minutes until coconut is lightly
browned. Cool completely before cutting into
bars. Serves 16

(recipe: dearcrissy.com)
——————————
Peppermint Snowball Cookies

1 C. butter, softened
2/3 C. powdered sugar (sifted)
2 1/4 C. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. peppermint extract
red or pink food coloring
3/4 C. Andes peppermint baking chips
–
additional powdered sugar for coating
–
In large bowl beat butter & powdered
sugar until light & fluffy. Mix in flour,
salt & extract just until combined. Add
food coloring – a few drops at a time,
until desired color is achieved. Stir in
peppermint baking chips. Refrigerate
dough, covered, at least 30 minutes
–
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment
paper. Scoop out 1 T. dough at a time
& form into a ball; place on prepared
sheet. Bake 7-8 minutes (cookies
should only be very lightly browned
on bottom). Let cool 5 minutes on
sheet. Place some powdered sugar
in a plate or pie tin – Place slightly
cooled cookies in tin & roll around
to coat completely. Let cookies cool
completely. Store leftovers in an
airtight container up to 4 days.
Makes 4 dozen

(recipe: momontimeout.com)
————————————–
Turtle Thumbprint Cookies

1 egg, separated (white beaten)
1/2 C. butter, room temp.
2/3 C. sugar
2 T. milk
1 T. vanilla
1 C. flour
1/2 C. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. salt
16 (unwrapped) caramels
3 T. heavy whipping cream
1 1/4 C. finely chopped pecans
1 tsp. shortening
1/2 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips
–
Using an elec. mixer, beat butter in
large bowl 30 seconds. Add sugar &
continue beating until combined &
creamy. Add egg yolk, milk & vanilla-
beat until well combined. In another
large bowl sift flour, cocoa powder &
salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture
a little at a time (trying to avoid a cocoa
cloud!) – beat until well combined. Wrap
dough in plastic wrap & chill a few hours.
–
In small saucepan over Low heat heat
caramels & whipping cream until smooth.
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Lightly grease cookie sheets.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls & roll in
slightly beaten egg white then in pecans
utnil coated. Place balls on prepared sheets
1 inch apart. Using your thumb, lightly
press center of cookie making an indentation.
Bake 10 minutes until edges are set. (If
indentation has disappeared during baking,
use a measuring spoon to re-create the
indentation.) Spoon warm caramel mixture
into centers of cookies & remove to wire
rack to cool. (If caramel has thickened too
much, just reheat on Low until it reaches
a thinner consistency) – be careful to not
overfill cookies.
Once cookies have cooled, melt chocolate
chips & shortening in microwave in 15
second intervals, stirring in between. Drizzle
chocolate over tops of cookies.
Makes 2 1/2 dozen.

(recipe: momontimeout.com)

——————-

Lemon Coconut Cloud Cookies

1 (18.25 oz) box lemon cake mix
1 1/2 Cool Whip, thawed
1 egg
1/2 C. shredded coconut
3/4 C. powdered sugar
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Spray 2 baking sheets with nonstick
cooking spray.
In large bowl beat all ingredients
except powdered sugar, using elec.
mixer – mix well. Place powdered
sugar in shallow dish. Form
heaping teaspoonfuls of dough into
balls & roll in powdered sugar -place
on prepared sheet. Bake 8-10
minutes until light brown around
edges. Let cool 5 minutes then
remove to wire rack to finish cooling.
Makes 24 cookies

(recipe: mrfood.com)
——————————–
Amish Chocolate Pie

1 C. granulated sugar
2 1/2 T. flour
2 T. cocoa
2 egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla
3 T. butter, melted
1 (10 inch) baked pie crust
1 1/2 C. milk
–
Toppings:
whipped cream
chocolate shavings
–
In large saucepan whisk gran.
sugar, flour & cocoa. In medium
bowl whisk milk, yolks & vanilla;
pour milk mixture into flour
mixture. Turn heat to medium &
stir in butter; heat to rolling boil
1 minute until thickened then pour
into crust & smooth top evenly.
(or tap pie on counter to help
settle the filling). Let cool at
room temperature 2 hours then
chill an additional 2 hours. Top
with whipped cream & chocolate
shavings. Makes 1 pie

(recipe: iambaker.net)
=================

Enjoy your day!

Hugs;

Pammie