31 DAYS OF COOKIES: DAY 1: Cream Cheese Christmas Cookies

Cream Cheese Christmas Cookies

 

 

 

 

 

These look so nice for Christmas with the red and green sprinkles. We found this recipe on allrecipes.com and we LOOOOVVEED them! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese 1 cup white sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup chopped pecans 1/2 cup green sugar crystals 1/2 cup red sugar crystals 1 cup pecan halves

Directions:

1.	Cream together the butter and cream cheese. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until light and fluffy.
2.	Combine the flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in chopped pecans. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
3.	On four sheets of aluminum foil, shape dough into four 6 inch rolls, 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap each roll tightly in foil and refrigerate over night.
4.	Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line cookie sheets with foil. Remove rolls of dough from refrigerator one at a time. Coat each roll with red or green sugar crystals; cut dough into 1/4 inch slices.
5.	Place on prepared cookie sheets; top each cookie with a pecan half. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until bottom of cookie is lightly browned when lifted



Turkey Pot Pie

One of our FAVORITE after  Thanksgiving recipes! We always have more leftovers than we can handle and this is one delicious recipe that always helps us out!

Ingredients:

1 recipe pastry for a (10 inch) double crust pie 4 tablespoons butter 1 small onion, minced 2 stalks celery, chopped 2 carrots, diced 3 tablespoons dried parsley 1 teaspoon dried oregano

salt and pepper to taste 2 cubes chicken bouillon 2 cups water 3 potatoes, peeled and cubed 1 1/2 cups cooked turkey, cubed 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/2 cup milk

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Roll out bottom pie crust and place in the 10 inch pie pan and set aside.
2.	Place 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet. Add the onion, celery, carrots, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until the vegetables are soft. Stir in the bouillon and water. Bring mixture to a boil. Stir in the potatoes, and cook until tender but still firm.
3.	In a medium saucepan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in the turkey and flour. Add the milk, and heat through. Stir the turkey mixture into the vegetable mixture, and cook until thickened. Pour mixture into the unbaked pie shell. Roll out the top crust, and place on top of filling. Flute edges, and make 4 slits in the top crust to let out steam.
4.	Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and continue baking for 20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown     We found this recipe of allrecipes.com and fell in LOVE with it! You will too!

Cutest Cupcakes EVER! Chick and Egg Cupcake

Chick and Egg Cupcake

Ingredients

• 1 vanilla cupcake, recipe follows
• About 1/3 cup White Fluff Frosting, recipe follows
• Green coconut grass, recipe follows
• 6 small candied malt balls (2 yellow, 2 pink, 2 white)
• 1 yellow chick peep
• White Airhead candy

Directions

Frost a cupcake with fluff frosting. Press a circle of coconut grass on top. Nestle the malted eggs on top of the grass. Gently press the peep onto the center of the grass. Cut the white Airhead into a 1/2 oval shape; trim one side so it has a cracked egg jagged edge. Place egg next to chick.

Vanilla Cupcakes:

• 2 2/3 cups sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2/3 cup water
• 2 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/3 cups cake flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 12-cup cupcake tins with paper liners. (To avoid cupcakes sticking if they overflow slightly, lightly spray the tops of the pans.) Put tins on a baking sheet. Set aside.

Process sugar and butter in a food processor until very creamy, scraping sides as needed, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the eggs and yolks, one at a time, pulsing after each addition. Add the milk, water, and vanilla and process to blend.
Whisk both flours, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the dry ingredients, in 3 batches to the wet, pulsing, and then scraping batter off the sides of the processor as needed after each addition. Process until the batter is very smooth and pourable like pancake batter, about 2 minutes.
Evenly pour the batter into the prepared cups, filling them 3/4 of the way full. Bake until the cakes are just firm and spring back when gently pressed, and the tops are golden, 18 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly in tin, and turn out of tin when cool enough to handle. Cool cupcakes completely on a rack before frosting.
Yield: 24 cupcakes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 30 minutes
Ease of preparation: easy

Fluff Frosting:

• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 5 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup marshmallow fluff
• Pinch fine salt

Whisk the milk and vanilla extract together in a small bowl.

Slowly beat the butter and sugar, in another medium bowl, with an electric mixer until incorporated. Raise the speed to high and mix until light and fluffy, about 5 to 7 minutes. (Occasionally turn the mixer off, and scrape the sides of the bowl down with a rubber spatula.) Add the fluff and salt and reduce the speed to low. Add the milk and vanilla mixture, scrape the bowl down, and mix until fully incorporated. Raise the mixer to high and beat briefly until fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Frost cupcake immediately.
Yield: 3 3/4 cups
Copyright 2009 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved

Coconut Easter Grass for Cupcakes:

• 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
• 1 to 2 teaspoons liquid green food coloring
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon liquid yellow food coloring

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place a mesh rack on top, if available.

Put coconut in a shallow bowl. While tossing with a large spoon, add food coloring drop by drop until the desired color is reached. A little more green than yellow makes a pretty grass color. Add a few tablespoons water to moisten the mixture and help disperse the color evenly. If the color is too dark, add additional water, as needed, to dilute to the desired color. Drain the coconut in a sieve or strainer.
Spread the coconut in an even layer on the rack, or directly on the lined baking sheet. Place in the oven until dry, about 10 to 15 minutes. Use immediately, or store in covered container for up to 3 days.
Cook's Note: Food coloring can be messy and can stain your skin. To prevent this, wear latex gloves. You may find it easier to color the coconut in a large zip top plastic bag, tossing it to color evenly.
Yield: 2 cups coconut grass

Recipes found on food.com

Baileys Irish Cream Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

Baileys Irish Cream Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

Ingredients

Crust

1/2 cup toasted pecans, cooled and crushed

2 cups chocolate Oreo cookie crumbs

1/4 cup sugar

6 tablespoons melted butter

Filling

2 1/4 lbs cream cheese, at room temp

1 2/3 cups sugar

5 eggs, at room temp

1 cup baileys original irish cream

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Coffee Cream Topping

1 cup chilled whipping cream

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon instant coffee powder

chocolate curls or Skor English toffee bits, for decoration on top

Directions

Crust

Mix all ingredients.

Press into a 10" spring form pan and up the sides one inch.

Bake at 325 for 7-10 minute.

Filling:.

Filling

Beat cream cheese with electric mixer until smooth.

Beat sugar in gradually, and then add eggs one at a time.

Blend in Bailey's and vanilla.

Sprinkle half of chocolate chips over crust.

Spoon in filling.

Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips.

Bake at 325 degrees approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes or until puffed, springy in center andgolden brown. Place a pan of water on bottom rack of oven while baking to keep it moist.

Cool cake completely.

Coffee Cream Topping

Beat all ingredients and spread over cooled cake.

Top with chocolate curls or Skor bits.

*NOTE: Be sure to make and refrigerate at least one day before serving

GIVEAWAY!!

We LOVE snacks and  Separation and Deployment Support is having a GIVEAWAY right now. It's a care package FULL OF SNACKS!

HERE IS THE LINK -------------> http://www.facebook.com/deploymentsupport

Design Your Kitchen With OMG!

Here at Recipe Swappers, we love having dinner parties. When our guests gather in the kitchen to chit chat, we love showing off some of the cool and unique items we have in our kitchen that were specially made for us. Like our recipe cards, labels and even the dinner party invitation itself. OMG designs is where we go for all of those needs.


OMG designs is an affordable and perfect solution to all your graphic needs. They make everything from logos, recipe cards, dinner party invites and MUCH MORE! Whatever the occasion, they have an idea for you. You'll work closely with the designer to ensure the design meets your expectations and is exactly what you envisioned.

Looking for a recipe card made just for you? You can have your initials put right on them. Here is an example from OMG designs facebook site. These also make a perfect gift.

Has someone been begging you for one of your famous recipes? Ready to share that recipe in a cute and fun way? Here is an example from OMG designs facebook site.

  Have you ever wanted a label made JUST FOR YOU? Display bottles in your kitchen with decorative labels. Here is an example from OMG designs facebook site.


For all of your design needs, choose OMG designs!

Want to see more? Visit their page today to see the other AMAZING designs they have to offer

http://www.facebook.com/omgdesigns11

The Hidden Recipe

     I know we all get excited when we "Pin" that next best recipe. I could look online and plan my entire weeks meal plan in 5 minutes. I ALWAYS see recipes I want to try and most of the new recipes I try are from the internet. I do this so much that I often forget about those "Secret Hidden Recipes" that are out there. You know...the ones on the back of the product you're purchasing to make a different recipe.   

         We were in the market and I accidentally knocked over a box of "Lipton Recipe Secrets Soup & Dip Mix, Onion Mushroom". As I picked up the box, I noticed there were recipes on the back. The cook in me just HAD TO LOOK! There was a recipe for "Slow Cooker Pulled Pork". After reading the ingredients, I decided to try it out! IT WAS AMAZING! My little girl, who almost NEVER asks for seconds, ate 2 big sandwiches! I HIGHLY recommend it! I can't wait to get to the market today and make another random recipe selection!

Happy Birthday Dr. Suess!

In honor of Dr. Suess' Birthday, we are making some..

Dr. Suess Cookies

Ingredients
1 17.5-oz. bag Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix, mixed according to package directions
(or your favorite sugar cookie dough recipe)
Liquid food coloring, as desired (McCormick Neon shades work well)
Rainbow sprinkles, if desired

DirectionsPreheat oven to 350°F. Divide dough evenly into five bowls, and color each with a different color liquid food coloring. Roll each color of dough into grape-sized balls. Combine a ball of each color and quickly roll into a larger ball. It will look like a little beach ball. Then roll that ball between your hands and the counter until you have a cylinder about 12 inches long. Starting from one end, roll the dough into a coil, twisting the cylinder as you go. Roll edges of the cookie in sprinkles. Bake the cookies for 10 to 11 minutes, or until done.

Makes approximately 3 dozen cookies

Enjoy!

Shamrock Sugar Cookies

With the busy week behind you, make family time a priority this weekend and gather everyone together for a movie, to bake or just enjoy each other's company. Here is a great recipe to bake together!

Shamrock Sugar Cookies

Ingredients
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
3/4 Cup Kerrygold Irish Butter
3/4 Cup White Sugar
1 Large Egg
1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
Green Food Coloring
Green Sugar Crystals

Directions           In a medium bowl, combine the flour and salt with a wire whisk. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed. Add the egg, vanilla, and green food coloring, and beat until well mixed. Scrape down side of bowl, then add the flour mixture. Blend on low speed just until combined. Do not over mix. Gather dough into a ball. Flatten the ball into a disk and wrap tightly in plastic wrap or a plastic bag. Refrigerate 1 hour until firm.

Preheat oven to 325F.

On a floured surface, roll out dough to a 1/4 inch thickness. With shamrock cookie cutter, cut dough and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Sprinkle with green sugar and bake for 13 to 15 minutes, being careful not to brown. Immediately transfer cookies with a spatula to a cool, flat surface.

Guinness Stew

With St. Patrick's Day coming up,  we will be sharing many Irish Recipes. Be sure to come back and let us know if you enjoy them!

The Guinness' acid and moisture combined with the long, slow cooking help tenderise the tough but flavoursome meat.

Guinness Stew

3 pounds stew meat
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup of flour for dredging
2 cloves of chopped garlic
2 cups chopped carrots
2 cups chopped celery
2 cups chopped sweet onions
1 teaspoon fresh nutmeg
1 cup beef broth
3 large cans of stewed tomatoes
1 large can of Guinness beer
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons fresh thyme
¼ cup flat leaf parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Place the stew meat in a large bowl, and season with salt and pepper. Dredge the seasoned meat in the flour. Place a Dutch oven, or stainless steel pot on medium-high heat with a few tablespoons of the vegetable oil. When the oil comes to temperature, add the stew meat and cook until it is browned on all sides. Add the chopped garlic, and cook for one to two minutes until it becomes slightly brown. Add the chopped carrots, celery, sweet onions, and fresh ground nutmeg. Cook for an additional five minutes.
Deglaze the pot with the beef stock; stir, making sure to get all of the flavor bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the three cans of stewed tomatoes, and the Guinness beer. Cover, and let cook on low for two hours, or until the meat becomes tender.
Uncover the pot, and cook for an additional 20 minutes. Add the heavy cream, and cook for 15 minutes.
Prior to service, stir in the fresh thyme, parsley, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
The stew may be served with mashed, roasted, or boiled new potatoes.
Enjoy!

When Pink Fingers Turn Green...

Valentines Day, the day of <3 LOVE <3 and the time of year where everything is pink and red! Cookies, cakes and treats are all given that food colored tint to have them match the theme of the holiday! If you are a regular in the kitchen like me, you find your finger tips are stained pink for some time due to the over using of food coloring! When Valentines Day is over, the pink finger turn GREEN! St Patrick's Day is just around the corner and its time to whip out that green food coloring and go with the flow. Even my husband and friends are on board by turning their beers green. It's funny because they don't food color their beverages for any other holiday. lol. Anyway, don't whip out that food coloring just yet! Now that it is time to turn everything 'green', I thought I would share a really cool recipe that is already green and delicious!.

Irish Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients

• 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
• 3 cups water
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 2 onions, quartered
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 5 carrots, sliced
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen green peas
• 4 potatoes, quartered
• 3 cups baking mix
• 1 1/3 cups milk

Directions

1. In large, heavy pot, combine soup, water, chicken, celery, onion, salt, poultry seasoning, and pepper. Cover and cook over low heat about 1 1/2 hours.
2. Add potatoes and carrots; cover and cook another 30 minutes.
3. Remove chicken from pot, shred it, and return to pot. Add peas and cook only 5 minutes longer.
4. Add dumplings. To make dumplings: Mix baking mix and milk until a soft dough forms. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto BOILING stew. Simmer covered for 10 minutes, then uncover and simmer an additional 10 minutes.

Recipe Found on AllRecipes.com. Made it, tried it and it is delicious!

Tomato, Mushroom and Mozzarella Pizza

Melt smoked mozzarella or Gouda over tomatoes, mushrooms, and olives to intensify the flavor of this sauce-free pizza...

Tomato, Mushroom, and Mozzarella Pizza

Ingredients

• 2 (10-ounce) portions frozen pizza dough, thawed
• flour for work surface
• 2 cups seeded and chopped plum tomatoes
• 1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms
• 2/3 cup black olive halves
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups shredded smoked mozzarella or smoked Gouda

Directions

1. Arrange oven racks in the lower and upper thirds of the oven. Heat oven to 475° F.
2. Roll out the dough on a well-floured surface to make two 12-inch squares or rounds. Transfer to two ungreased baking sheets.
3. Top the dough with the tomatoes, mushrooms, and olives. Drizzle with the oil and season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
4. Bake the pizzas for 10 minutes. Remove from oven.
5. Top the pizzas with the mozzarella. Return to oven and bake 3 to 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the edges of the pies are lightly browned.

Rainbow Cake in a Jar

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My husband is in the military and when he is deployed I know he misses homemade food. We send him care packages regularly with snacks and other non perishable items but every few packages I like to slip a little homemade treat in there for him. We love making 'Cake in a Jar'. My daughters and I enjoy baking different recipes in the jar and decorating them as well! Here is the recipe for 'Rainbow Cake in a Jar'....

Rainbow Cake in a Jar

Ingredients

• 1 Betty Crocker Super Moist white cake mix
• 1 Tub Betty Crocker Whipped Ready to Spread white frosting
• 3 egg whites (for cake mix)
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil (for cake mix)
• 1 1/4 cup water (for cake mix)
• Betty Crocker NEON food colors in neon pink, neon blue and neon purple
• Regular food colors in yellow, green, red and blue
• 4 (1-quart) wide-mouth glass canning jars
• Non-stick cooking spray

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash 4 one-quart canning jars and dry thoroughly. Set lids and rims aside. Spray inside of each glass jar with a generous amount of non-stick cooking spray.
2. Make cake batter according to directions on cake mix box.
3. Divide batter evenly between 5 bowls (approximately 1 cup of batter in each bowl).
4. Add 15 drops of neon pink food coloring to the 1st bowl. Stir to blend well.
5. Add 14 drops of regular yellow food coloring to the 2nd bowl. Stir to blend well.
6. Add 24 drops of regular green food coloring to the 3rd bowl. Stir to blend well.
7. Add 7 drops of neon blue food coloring to the 4th bowl. Stir to blend well.
8. Add 8 drops of regular red + 7 drops of regular blue + 3 drops of neon purple food coloring to the 5th bowl. Stir to blend well.
9. Spoon about 1/4-cup of each color batter into each of the jars, layering the colors in this order: purple (first), blue, green, yellow, pink (last). Use a paper towel to wipe any spills or drips from the jars.
10. Place the jars in a glass baking dish. Add 1/4" of water to the bottom of the dish surrounding the jars. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Cake tops should spring back to the touch when done, but don't bake so long that the cakes are brown. You can also use a long bamboo skewer to test if it's finished, if you have one.
11. Allow cakes to cool completely, about one hour, before frosting.
12. Spread frosting over top of cake and decorate as desired

Baked Potato Soup

Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients

• 4 (6-ounce) red potatoes
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup prechopped onion
• 1 1/4 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups 1% low-fat milk, divided
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
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• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 bacon slices, halved
• 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 4 teaspoons thinly sliced green onions

Preparation

1. Pierce potatoes with a fork. Microwave on HIGH 13 minutes or until tender. Cut in half; cool slightly.
2. While potatoes cook, heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes. Add broth. Combine flour and 1/2 cup milk; add to pan with 1 1/2 cups milk. Bring to a boil; stir often. Cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream, salt, and pepper.
3. Arrange bacon on a paper towel on a microwave-safe plate. Cover with a paper towel; microwave on HIGH for 4 minutes. Crumble bacon.
4. Discard potato skins. Coarsely mash potatoes into soup. Top with cheese, green onions, and bacon..

 

Black Forest Mini Cheesecakes Recipe

Valentines Day is just around the corner, have you prepared your menu for the romantic dinner? Add these to your dessert menu....

Black Forest Mini Cheesecakes Recipe

Ingredients:

• 18 to 24 vanilla wafer cookies
• 2 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
• 1-1/4 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 eggs
• 1 container (8 oz.) dairy sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• SOUR CREAM TOPPING (recipe follows)
• canned cherry pie filling, chilled

Directions:

• 1. Heat oven to 325°F. Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with foil bake cups. Place one vanilla wafer (flat-side down) in bottom of each cup.
• 2. Beat cream cheese in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar, cocoa and flour; blend well. Add eggs; beat well. Stir in sour cream and almond extract. Fill each muffin cup almost full with batter.
• 3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until set. Remove from oven; cool 5 to 10 minutes. Spread heaping teaspoon SOUR CREAM TOPPING on each cup. Cool completely in pan on wire rack; refrigerate. Just before serving, garnish with cherry pie filling. Cover; refrigerate leftover cheesecakes. 1-1/2 to 2 dozen cheesecakes. 

SOUR CREAM TOPPING: Stir together 1 container (8 oz.) dairy sour cream, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in small bowl until sugar is dissolved.

Guide To Storing Food In Freezer

I have said it before and I will say it again, I LOVE my Food Saver machine. With grocery prices at an all-time high, I save money by buying in bulk, or I stock up with supermarket specials, then freeze the items that I won't be using right away. If you don't have a Food Saver machine, wrap completely-cooled food in heavy-duty plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and place in zip-top freezer bags or air-tight containers to preserve the texture and flavor.

Here's a guide to how long you can store a variety of foods in the freezer and maintain quality.
Meats

Bacon, raw = 1 month
Sausage, raw = 1-2 months
Ham, fully cooked = 1-2 months
Luncheon meats, unopened = 1-2 months
Cooked meats, casseroles = 2-3 months
Cooked soups/stews = 2-3 months
Ground beef, veal, lamb, pork = 3-4 months
Chops = 4- 6 months
Roasts = 4-12 months
Steaks = 6-12 months

Poultry

Ground chicken, turkey = 3-4 months
Cooked, plain = 4 months
Cooked poultry, casseroles = 4-6 months
Cooked, covered with broth, gravy = 6 months
Chicken or turkey, pieces = 9 months
Chicken or turkey, whole = 12 months

Fish and Shellfish

Fish, fatty = 2-3 months
Live clams, crab, lobster, mussels, oysters = 2-3 months
Shellfish, cooked = 3 months
Shrimp, scallops, shucked clams, mussels, oysters = 3-6 months
Fish, cooked = 4-6 months
Fish, lean = 6 months

Dairy

Yogurt = 1-2 months
Ice Cream = 2 months
Buttermilk = 3 months
Milk = 3 months
Cream, half-and-half = 4 months
Cheese, hard, unopened = 6 months
Cheese, soft, unopened = 6 months
Butter = 6-9 months

Fruit and Vegetables

Vegetables, purchased frozen = 8 months
Juices, unopened = 8-12 months
Fruit juice concentrates = 12 months
Vegetables, home-frozen = 10 months

Breads and Desserts

Pie, baked =1-2 months
Cake, angel food, chiffon, sponge = 2 months
Cheesecake = 2-3 months
Quick bread, baked = 2-3 months
Yeast bread and rolls = 3-6 months
Cake, yellow or pound = 6 months
Cookies, baked = 8-12 months

Guide Provided by MyRecipes 

A simple and delicious way to start a birthday

Birthday's are a BLAST and there is no one who gets more excited than I do about planning birthday's. From the day of, to the party and presents...it's all just SO EXCITING! It can also be exhausting and can cost A LOT of money. I am usually the first to wake up in my house and I always feel that 'calm before the storm' feeling. I especially feel that on someones birthday! So I like to start that day off with a special treat for the birthday boy or girl. As a family, we all sit together for a simple breakfast that is absolutely delicious...

Cake Batter Pancakes

Cake Batter Pancakes
makes about 12 pancakes
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup yellow cake mix
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 cups milk (I used vanilla almond milk)
assorted sprinkles
Combine flour, cake mix, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl and mix. Add 1 cup of milk, egg and vanilla extract and stir until smooth. You want the batter to look like regular pancake batter; not too thin, not too thick. This will vary greatly on the brand of cake mix you use. Start with 1 cup of milk and add more if needed. I suggest a small taste test as well to see if the pancakes are flavored enough.
Preheat a skillet on medium heat (I use an electric grilled and turn it to 250 degrees). Fold desired amount of sprinkles into batter. Pour batter in 1/4 cup measurements onto skillet and let cook until bubbles form on top, about 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook for 1 minute more. Serve with vanilla glaze.

Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
assorted sprinkles
Mix milk, extract and powdered sugar until glaze forms. You may need to add a little more sugar or water/milk to reach desired consistency. Mix into glaze and drizzle on pancakes

Bonnie Brae Strawberry Pie

Today I am sharing 'Bonnie Brae Strawberry Pie'. I found this recipe on a site called 'Yankee Magazine' and it is INSANE how good it is! It's the PERFECT recipe for a picnic, for a cookout or even for your Valentine. :) Its refreshing and delicious. A mixture of cooked and fresh berries helped make this pie a family favorite.

Bonnie Brae Strawberry Pie

• Ingrdients
• 1 quart strawberries or 1 large package frozen strawberries, thawed and drained
• 3/4 cup water
• 4 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 cup sliced berries, fresh or frozen, thawed and drained
• whipped cream
• whole berries for garnish

Directions

Combine strawberries and water in saucepan. Cook until just softened, about 4 or 5 minutes. (Let frozen berries thaw; heat but don't cook them.) Mix together cornstarch, sugar, and water until smooth; add to hot berries. Cook over medium heat until clear. Add lemon juice; immediately remove from heat and let cool. Place sliced berries in cooked pie shell. To assemble pie, pour cooked mixture over berries, top with whipped cream, and garnish with whole berries.

Comments

The Yankee Cook warns that much depends on the strawberries: If they're really juicy, the pie will be on the runny side when made as directed. This is not necessarily a bad thing (in her opinion, there's nothing worse than the overstiff glop that too often passes for pie filling in our time), but if you want a pie that slices neatly, use 6 tablespoons cornstarch unless the berries are quite dry.

ITS 4:30...OH NO..I FORGOT TO THAW DINNER!!!!

         This New Year has brought on many more challenges and I have been CRAZY! And it's only January 6th!! lol You must be able to relate when you look up and realize it's already dinner time and you have planned NOTHING! This is my story...


   My husband is at work, I am at the computer working, the baby is sleeping and my daughter is coloring. The house is quiet and there is definitely that "calm before the storm" feeling. I look up at the clock, 4:30... OH NO! It's already 4:30!!! I forgot to take something out for dinner! What can I whip together that doesn't require it being thawed? NOTHING, due to my obsession with vacuum sealing and freezing EVERYTHING!!

I think for a minute and BAM! A PLAN!!! I run to the freezer and I take out the vacuum sealed head of lettuce and run it under cold water! DONE AND THAWED!

Then I took out the hamburger patties that I had formed into patties and vacuumed sealed. I usually put these straight from the freezer to the grill anyway for cheeseburgers, so this is going to work out great! I go and put those on the grill and I feel a sense of excitement for cheeseburgers. Nice, I have a dinner coming together. OH WAIT! I am at this point realizing my plans for cheeseburgers are not going to work because I don't have any buns. New Plan!

I grill the meat about half way, just enough for it to unthaw and I immediately bring the meat in, stick it in the pan and chop it all together, I reach into the cabinet, grab a packet of taco seasoning. I know what you’re thinking...”YES...TACOS!” Not this time! As any cook can really tell you, taco night usually has to be planned because it has so many components, I of course and missing half of them so it's on to the next plan. I chop the lettuce and put ita bit into each individual bowl, I then cover the lettuce with a little meat, I reach into the fridge, grab some salsa and I spoon a little of that on. I dabble a bit of sour cream on the top and then garnish with a few large tortilla chips.I smile!

 It's now 5:30, my husband walks in the door from work, kisses me on the cheek and we all wash our hands before sitting down to enjoy our Taco Salads! As they are all excited about their meal, I smile back at them, all the while thinking "It's my little secret this wasn’t planned and the last hour of running around was completely worth it!"

We enjoy dinner, some family time and a bunch of laughs! From No plan to a ton of fun in 1 hour! :)

Food Resolutions

For a lot of us, Near Year equals New Food! I too am someone who decided that every New Years Eve. I declare, "Starting tomorrow I will eat healthy, work out and get in shape!" but by January 4th, I am looking for the excuse I need as to why I ate that donut! It's insanity! I have decided I am going to try to figure out a way to eat my favorite foods, work out and just be happy with it. So I figure, it's all timing and PORTION CONTROL! I see NOTHING wrong with eating A donut and then going for a nice loooooong walk! I get to spend time outside, walking the donut off, I got to eat the delicious food I wanted and I make up for it with an even healthier lunch and dinner! That is my solution for now, stay tuned for the results! It's only January 4th! ha ha :) Here is a great recipe to help on those "Donut  Days"

Baked Flounder Fillets in Lemon-Soy Vinaigrette

yield: Serves 2

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Ingredients

• two 6-ounce flounder fillets
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

 

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Arrange fillets in a ceramic or glass baking dish just large enough to hold them in one layer. Mince garlic and in a small bowl combine with lemon juice, soy sauce, sugar, and salt. Whisk in oil until emulsified and pour vinaigrette over fish.

Bake fish in middle of oven until just cooked through and no longer translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.

 

 

Nutritional Information

Per serving: 285 calories, 16 g fat (2 g saturated), 81 mg cholesterol, 1014 mg sodium, 3 g carbohydrates, 0 g fiber, 32 g protein