Snowball Cookies

When I bake cookies with children, this is one of my favorite cookie recipes. It does not have a ton of ingredients. The recipe is easy enough for older children to work on almost independently. Younger children can help and even handle the dough, since there are no eggs in this cookie recipe if they eat some dough there are no worries! Of course the most important reason I like this cookie recipe is that the cookies taste great!

Snowball Cookies

Makes about 5 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups butter, softened

¾ cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon salt

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups mini chocolate chips or mini M&M’s

Additional powdered sugar for dusting

Preparation:

1.     Preheat oven 375 degrees F. 
2.   Mix the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt in a mixer until creamy. 
3.  Gradually beat in flour
4. Stir in Chocolate Chips or M&M's
5.  Shape into 1 to 1 ¼ inch balls. Place on ungreased baking sheet. 
6. Bake 10-12 minutes until cookies are lightly browned. 
7. After you remove cookies from oven sift powdered sugar over hot cookies. Allow cookies to cool slightly on cookie sheets, then remove cookies and allow them to cool completely on wire racks.  
   8.      Once cooled, sift additional powdered sugar on cookies.

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Note: If you do not have a sifter you can use a colander to “sift” the powdered sugar.

Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake

Although pumpkin cheesecake is a nice holiday treat I like regular cheesecake as well. This combines both!
The flavors of a traditional cheesecake topped with a pumpkin cheesecake.  Enjoy!

3 (8oz) packages of cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup low fat sour cream
1 (8oz) can pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 graham cracker crust, prepared. (I used a recipe off the graham cracker crumbs box)

1. Press graham cracker crust onto the bottom and up 3/4 of the sides of a 9 inch springform pan.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (165 degrees C).
3. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Blend in eggs one at a time. Fold in sour cream. Remove 1 1/4 cups of batter and spread into bottom of crust; set aside.
4. Add pumpkin puree, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg to the remaining batter and fold gently until well blended. Carefully spread over the batter in the crust.
5. Bake in preheated oven in a water bath for one hour, center will still jiggle. Turn oven off and open door and allow cheesecake to sit in oven for an additional hour. Refrigerate and cool completely before serving.

Sweet Potato Casserole

This sweet potato casserole is a big hit when I serve it for Thanksgiving. The consistency of the potatoes is great...not too runny and not too dense....perfectly light and creamy! The topping is sweet but not overly sweet. This is a perfect side dish for Thanksgiving. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
6 medium sweet potatoes
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup milk (I use fat free)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
topping:
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preparation:

1. Wash sweet potatoes and pierce with a fork. Roast sweet potatoes in a 350 degree for about an hour to an hour and a half...until a fork can be easily inserted in the potato. Allow the sweet potatoes to cool so, they are easier to handle.
2. Remove skin from sweet potatoes and cut the sweet potatoes into chunks.
3. With a mixer on medium high speed mix together sweet potatoes, sugar, eggs, sea salt, butter, milk and vanilla.
4. Spread potato mixture into a casserole dish coated with cooking spray. I used a 12x4x9 oval 2 1/2 quart Corning oval dish.
5. With a pastry blender, mix together brown sugar, flour, butter and chopped pecans until crumbly.
6. Sprinkle topping evenly across sweet potato mixture.
7. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35-45 minutes until temperature reaches 165 degrees F and topping is golden brown.

Notes:

• To save time sweet potatoes can be boiled to soften them but....roasting does taste better.
• I roast the potatoes the day before and store them in the refrigerator until I am ready to make the casserole.

Brine for a Super Moist Thanksgiving Turkey!

A brine is a great way to ensure that your Thanksgiving bird will be delicious and moist. This is a simple process....but it does take up some space in the fridge so be prepared! A turkey marinated in a brine solution will also cook a little faster. I suggest not stuffing the bird  because, in my case the bird was done before the stuffing. I also found that there were less drippings from the bird that was soaked in a brine solution. With all that said this had to be one of the most moist turkeys I had ever eaten! I will never roast a turkey again without putting it in a brine solution first.

Turkey Brine

Ingredients:
1/2 gallon vegetable broth
1/2 gallon apple juice
1 cup sea salt
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon dried sage
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried savory
1 gallon ice water

Preparation:

1. In a large stock pot combine the broth, juice, salt, rosemary, sage, thyme and savory.
2. Bring to a boil and stir frequently, until salt is dissolved.
3. Turn off heat and cool to room temperature.
4. When brine is cooled place the brine in a food storage container large enough to fit the turkey and brine so that the turkey will be completely submerged in the brine.  Add the cold ice water.
5. Remove the innards and rinse and dry turkey.
6. Submerge the turkey breast side down in brine, make sure cavity is filled with brine. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
7. Remove turkey from brine, rinse and pat dry. Discard excess brine.
8. Cook turkey as desired.

Notes:

• If you have not checked it out... the Butterball website is a great source of information. There are guides on how to find the right turkey, buy the right size, thawing times, cooking times, etc.

Soba Noodles with Spicy Cumin Lamb

I saw this recipe in a Cooking Light magazine....I made a few slight changes. This is pretty quick to make and full of flavor. I will try this again down the road and substitute ground sirloin for the ground lamb. Curious if the flavors will be better for me, as I am not a big fan of lamb. If anyone tries it with ground sirloin, please message me and let me know how it turns out. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

7 ounces uncooked soba noodles
1/2 cup low sodium vegetable stock
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon five spice powder
1/2 pound ground lamb
1 tablespoon pure sesame oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 1/2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup snow peas, trimmed
1 medium red bell pepper, sliced
9 baby carrots, halved lengthwise

Preparation:

1. Cook noodles according to directions. Rinse and drain well.
2. In a small bowl combine stock, vinegar, hoisin sauce, garlic and five spice powder with a whisk.
3. Heat a large wok over medium-high heat.
4. Add lamb cooking about three to four minutes until browned. Remove lamb with slotted spoon, set aside.
5. Return pan to heat. Add sesame oil to the drippings in the wok. Swirl to coat wok. Add cumin seeds and red pepper, cook 30 seconds or until the seeds pop. Stir constantly.
6. Add broccoli, snow peas, red pepper and baby carrots to pan. Cook five minutes, stirring frequently.
7. Add lamb and stock mixture cook about two minutes or until liquid is reduced slightly.
8. Serve over cooked noodles.

Contact Form

My apologies to the people who have contacted me via the contact form. I just realized that the contact form emails were going to my SPAM box for the past week. I must have changed some setting by accident!  I have missed some of your mails so, if you emailed me via the contact form and did not receive a response, I apologize. Please feel free to submit your contact form again...it has been tested and up and running.

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork

This recipe is almost too simple.....and too crazy sounding to be good. The recipe works and produces some of the best BBQ pulled pork. The ingredients are listed as approximates below. The actual amounts will depend on how big your slow cooker is and what size pork roast you use. Enjoy!

12-24 ounces of Root Beer
4-5 pound Pork Shoulder Roast (Boston Butt)
A bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce
Hamburger Rolls or Kaiser Rolls to serve pork on (optional)

1. Place the pork in a slow cooker. Cover the pork with Root Beer.
2. Place slow cooker on High for 30 minutes to heat up the Root Beer then reduce to low.
3. Cook for approximately 9 hours on low, until meat is completely cooked ans shreds easily. (Actual cooking time may be more or less depending on size of roast.)
4. Remove meat from Root Beer sauce, drain crock pot.
5. Shred meat, mix with BBQ sauce. Place back in crock pot to heat thoughly about 30 minutes
6. Serve over rolls.

Notes:

• The fat from the meat will easily separate after cooking.
• I have been told this works well with Dr. Pepper

Three Bean Vegetarian Chili

This vegetarian chili is awesome. I love how easy it is to make, it reheats really well and it is a hearty chili. The recipe can be put together rather quickly and to save more time you could always buy precut butternut squash. I always have leftovers when I make this chili and to reheat I just add a little extra veggie broth and it tastes just as good as when it is first made. Finally, this is a filling dish...I usually serve it with some bread and it is a filling dinner! I hope you like it as much as I do. Enjoy!


Three Bean Vegetarian Chili

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 cups low sodium vegetable stock
2 roasted red peppers, diced
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed into bite sized pieces
1 (28 oz) no salt added canned diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can pinto beans rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz) can dark red kidney beans rinsed and drained
2 green onions thinly sliced

Preparation:

1. Heat olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions cook until tender about 8-10 minutes. 
2. Reduce heat to medium low. Add cumin, crushed red pepper, paprika, salt and garlic. Cook 2 minutes stirring frequently.
3. Add stock, roasted red peppers, squash and tomatoes. Simmer 20-25 minutes, stir occasionally.
4. Add pinto beans, cannellini beans and kidney beans. Simmer 25-30 minutes.
5. Garnish with green onions.

Shepherd's Pie

This was a popular dish is my school lunch delivery program. The kids LOVED it! It is simple to make and full of flavor. Enjoy!
Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients:
4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 onion chopped
1 pound 93/7 ground beef
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 tablespoons ketcup
2 tablespoons Worcester sauce
3/4 cup low sodium beef broth
1 (8-10 oz) bag of frozen peas and carrots, thawed
1 teaspoon paprika


Preparation:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain and mash. Mix in butter, milk, finely chopped onion and 1/4 cup shredded cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside.
2. Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat . Add chopped onion and cook until tender. Add ground beef and cook until browned. Drain excess fat.
4. Stir in flour and cook 1-2 minutes. Add ketchup, Worcester sauce and beef broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, add peas and carrots and simmer until sauce thickens about 8 minutes.
5.  Spread the ground beef in an even layer on the bottom of a 2 quart casserole dish. Top with the mashed potato mixture and sprinkle with paprika.
6. Bake 20 minutes.

Easy to Make Turkey Cupcakes

This is a fun little dessert for the kids on Thanksgiving. I saw this in a Betty Crocker magazine a few years back. I like this because it is so simple that the kids can help make the cupcakes. I know that Thanksgiving is still a few weeks away but leftover Halloween candy corn is on clearance at most stores! Enjoy!


Ingredients:
Vanilla or Chocolate Cupcakes
Chocolate Frosting or Vanilla Frosting Dyed Brown
Candy Corn
Chocolate or Brown Sprinkles

Preparation:

 1. Start with plain cupcake.

2. Frost the cupcake.

3. Place frosting in a sandwich or freezer bag and cut a corner.

4. In the front squeeze small mountain of icing for the head. In the back squeeze a half circle of icing for the tail feathers.

5. Place a candy corn beak in the front and place the candy corn tail feathers in the half circle in the back.

6. For the eyes cut the white part off of the candy corn. Put either a dot of icing for the pupil or I made a dot with an black edible food marker.

7. Place some brown sprinkles in front of the tail feathers and place two candy corn in front for the feet.

Baked Acorn Squash

When I was at the farm stand I saw some really great looking acorn squash. Not only did it look great it was very inexpensive! I decided to buy one and bake it up for a nice side dish. Not only is this recipe easy to make it is really great!

Baked Acorn Squash

Ingredients: 

1 medium acorn squash, cut in half and seeded
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar

 Preparation: 

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
2. Spray casserole pan with cooking spay. Place acorn squash cut side (orange side) touching the pan.
3. Bake 35 minutes.
4. Flip acorn squash over in pan, skin side touching the pan.
5. Spread one half a tablespoon on the inside of each half. Sprinkle each half with one tablespoon brown sugar.
6. Place back into 350 degree F oven and bake an additional 35 minutes.

Super Simple Mushroom Fettuccine with Cream Sauce

I recently found this recipe in Cooking Light magazine. I usually stay away from cream sauces because the ones that are tasty are so laden with fat. Once and awhile I will try a light version and usually I am not too impressed. This time was different. This meal was really tasty. The sauce was creamy enough so it actually stuck to the pasta and it was not overloaded with fat. I also liked that this was such a quick meal to make. It was prepped and on the table in around twenty minutes! Enjoy!

Mushroom Fettuccine with Cream Sauce

Ingredients:
6 ounces dry fettuccine or 9 oz fresh fettuccine
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
12 ounces sliced baby bella mushrooms
2 garlic cloves smashed and chopped
3/4 teaspoon sea salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/4 cup white wine
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 cup half and half
1/4 cup fresh shredded Parmesan Cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Preparation:

1. Cook pasta according to directions, omit salt and fat.
2. In a large skillet heat oil over medium high heat. Swirl oil in pan to coat. Add onions, mushrooms, garlic 1/4 teaspoon sea salt and pepper. Saute 10 minutes, until mushrooms brown and thier liquid is released.
3. Add wine and thyme. Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until liquid evaporates.Remove pan from heat.
4. Add hot pasta 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, half and half and Parmesan cheese. Toss together until sauce is evenly distributed. Top with fresh chopped parsley.

Apple Crumble Pie

I had some extra apples on hand and I could not decide if I wanted to make Apple Crisp or Apple Pie. I really like both and I was in the mood for both. I decided to make neither.....instead I made an Apple Crumble Pie....which for me was a good compromise. Enjoy!

Apple Crumble Pie

Ingredients:
1 (9 inch) deep dish pie crust
5 cups apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Topping:
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup white sugar
6 tablespoons butter

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
2. Mix together apples, 1/4 cup white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and 1/4 cup all purpose flour. Place into unbaked pie shell. Spread evenly.
3.  In a separate bowl, cut butter into 1/3 cup white sugar and 3/4 cup all purpose flour. Sprinkle crumble topping over apples.
4. Bake for an hour to an hour and 15 minutes, until top is golden brown and apples are soft.

Note: 

• To prevent crust from browning too quickly place a shield or foil around the edge, remove during the last 20 minutes of baking.