Autumn Beef Stew

This is a Rachael recipe. I have never made a recipe of hers that was bad. My boys did not care for the potatoes and said there was something different about them. I did not tell them there was parsnips mixed with them, I just said there was cheese in it. :o)


2 bulbs garlic
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for drizzling
Salt and pepper
1/4 to 1/3 pound bacon (not too smoky in flavor), cut into lardons (fat matchsticks) I did not use bacon in mine.
1 stick butter, divided I only used 1/4 of a stick and a little more olive oil
2 1/2 to 3 pounds beef chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes
Flour, for dredging plus 2 tablespoons
3 carrots, sliced in 2-inch chunks on an angle I wished I used more
2 apples, such as Honeycrisp, peeled and chopped
2 to 3 ribs celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 fresh bay leaves
2 to 2 1/2 cups cloudy organic apple cider
2 cans beef consommé
Herb bouquet, a few sprigs each of thyme, parsley and sage tied together with kitchen string
2 1/2 pounds (about 5 potatoes) russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 to 3 large parsnips, peeled and cubed
1 1/2 cups sharp white cheddar, shredded
1 cup whole milk
Freshly grated nutmeg I did not add nutmeg
1/4 cup chives, finely chopped I added parsley on top of mine.


Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut ends of garlic bulbs to expose cloves. Drizzle with EVOO, season with salt and pepper, wrap in foil and roast to tender, 40-45 minutes. Remove garlic and reduce heat to 350°F.

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of EVOO and bacon. Brown and crisp bacon then remove and reserve. Pour off some of the fat out of the pan and add a couple of tablespoons butter.

Pat meat dry and season liberally with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour and add to hot pot in batches. Cook to crispy and deep brown. Add more butter as needed, 2 tablespoons at a time. Reserve browned meat with the bacon.

Add carrot, apple, celery, onion, bay, salt and pepper to the pot and partially cover. Cook to soften vegetables for a few minutes then sprinkle with 2 tablespoons flour. Stir a minute then add cider, consommé, the roasted garlic cloves and stir to combine. Add reserved beef, bacon and herb bouquet to pan, bring to a boil then cover and transfer to oven. Braise meat for 2 hours, until very tender and the sauce has thickened. Let stand 20 minutes while you cook potatoes.

Boil potatoes and parsnips in salted water until tender. Drain and return to hot pot; mash with 2 tablespoons butter, cheese and milk. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg; stir in chives.

Serve stew in shallow bowls with potatoes alongside.

Cinnamon Glazed Popcorn

I seen this recipe on 100 days of real food and thought I would share it with you all. It looks really yummy and I hope to get the chance to make it before Christmas, if not I will be making it after. If you make it come back and let me know how you liked it. Also pop on over to her page and check out her recipes.

http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/12/12/recipe-cinnamon-glazed-popcorn-mix/Cinnamon Glazed Popcorn MixIngredients

• 4 cups plain popcorn (about ¼ cup of kernels)Hint: We use “The Popcorn Trick [1]” for easy plain popcorn
• ¾ cup raw cashews
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons honey
• ½ teaspoon dried cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Parchment paper recommended for baking

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
2. In a small pot over low heat melt the butter and honey together. Mix in the cinnamon, ginger, and salt.
3. Put the cashews in an extra large mixing bowl. Coat them with about a tablespoon of the butter/honey mixture.
4. Spread the coated nuts onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and bake for 6 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, in the same large bowl evenly coat the plain popcorn – minus any unpopped kernels – with the remaining butter/honey mixture.
6. After the cashews have been in the oven for 6 minutes, take out the tray, add the popcorn to it, and mix it all up together. Stick the tray back in the oven and set the timer for 4 minutes.
7. After 4 minutes open the oven and stir or shake the mixture around on the baking sheet. Set the timer for 2 more minutes.
8. Once again open the oven and stir/shake the mixture so there are no hot spots that could get burnt. Set the timer for 1 more minute at which point the mixture will once again need to be checked/stirred.
9. Repeat the process of checking/stirring the popcorn mixture every minute then take it out of the oven once it turns a dark brown (it can burn easily toward the end!). My total bake time was 6 minutes for the nuts then an additional 7 or 8 minutes once I added the popcorn.
10. The popcorn and nuts will be slightly wet right out of the oven, but will harden as they cool

Candy Cane Cookies

I had a very special little visitor come over today. Mommy and Daddy both had to work so he got to come over to Papa and Grandma's to play. We have not seen him in over a week so he was so excited to come over. When Noah and his Mommy (my daughter Kim) came in the house he was so excited to be here that I went to give him a
big hug and a kiss and you know what he did? He ran right pass me yelling..."Uncle Jacob!!" yep, he was so excited to come over to play with Uncle Jacob. LOL Now you understand why I made the cookie dough, yes to bribe him. LOL When that stops working I pull out the books. :o)
Noah loves sprinkles so much that I bought two huge new bottles a few days ago so we could bake cookies. I will admit his cookies tasted really good with all that sugar.
1 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon peppermint extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

red food coloring (I just pour it in, I like it dark red)

peppermint candy canes, crushed

white and red sugar for decoration

           

In a large bowl, cream together the margarine, white sugar and confectioners' sugar. Beat in the egg, vanilla and peppermint extracts. Combine the flour and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until well blended. Cover or wrap dough and chill for at least one hour.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees  Grease cookie sheets. Divide dough into halves. Color one half red by mixing in the food color. Roll a small amount of each dough into a 2 inch long worm. Roll them together in a twisted rope and curve the end like a cane. Place onto prepared cookie sheets.

 Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. In a small bowl, mix together the crushed candy cane and remaining white sugar. Sprinkle on top before baking.

We also made some thumb print ones and added hugs to the center as soon as they came out of the oven.

                                                                                         These are my favorite ones.

Focaccia Bread

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 pinch ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup cheddar


In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt, sugar, yeast, garlic powder and black pepper. Mix in the vegetable oil and water.
When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees Punch dough down; place on greased baking sheet. Pat into a 1/2 inch thick rectangle. Brush top with olive oil. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, cheddar cheese and jalapenos slices.
Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Toffee

I know it has been awhile since I posted anything so I hope this makes up for it. I love toffee, it is one of my favorite....well caramel is also a favorite.
So a lot has been going on at my house. We got a new puppy. It has been a year and a half since we had lost Mia to cancer. We had gone to the animal shelter for the past year just looking. We have gone in private rooms to spend time with puppies and see if they where a good match for us. Well about two months ago we went in and to make a long boring story short we came out with Khloe. Well her nae was not Khloe at the time. The very has no idea what she is, we see dachshund for sure in her, they think maybe Cocker Spaniel, maybe some beagle and even some cattle dog. Yep she is a mess. But we love that homely little thing.
Then my son joined the Air Force and left on the 15th of November and I have gone back to work. Trying to get use to working, keeping up with the house and keeping my photography business alive. I love working and the hours have been great, once I get use to the hours and 4 hours sleep a day I will be back to my normal self and hopefully blogging and working on recipes more. This might be the Christmas we all lose weight. :o) I was saying working is like going to a gym that pays me to workout. I love the job and work with some really sweet people.
So back to my toffee. I was thinking about toffee and what to do differently with it. I love nuts and Coconut but  some of my family members do not like either, I was not willing to leave all of it off so I left the coconut I was going to toast off.
4 cups butter
4 cups white sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup white chocolate

2 cup chopped almonds   

2 cups chopped Macadamia nuts        

In a large heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the butter, sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring until the butter is melted. Allow to come to a boil, and cook until the mixture becomes a medium/dark amber color (don't let it burn, if you smell it the it will be too late)  and the temperature has reached 285 degrees Stir occasionally.

While the toffee is cooking, cover a large baking sheet with aluminum foil put half the nuts on the foil lined pan.               



As soon as the toffee reaches the proper temperature, pour it out onto the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the chocolate and white chocolate over the top, and let it set for a minute or two to soften. Spread the chocolate into a thin even layer once it is melted. Sprinkle the nuts over the chocolate, and press in slightly.
Place the toffee in the refrigerator to chill until set. Break into pieces, and store in an airtight container.

Thanksgiving cookies

I have not been cooking a lot since going back to work but I have been saving a lot of recipes I hope to make before. I seen these today and thought they would be super cute to make.

http://sixinthesuburbsblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/oreo-candy-turkeys.html

This is such a wonderful idea.

With all they do for us this is a wonderful idea. If we all bought one or even a few for only $15.00 this could help make Christmas wonderful.

http://livingsocial.com/cities/13/deals/166281-15-toward-a-care-package-for-us-troops-+-flag

This is not a very good picture, I had to take it fast because they had already started eating it before it even got set out.
4 boxes cream cheese
1/8-1/4 cup finely minced onions
7 shakes or more Worcester sauce
2 shakes Tabasco sauce
1/2 pound ham finely chopped (or you can grate it)

Mix first four ingredients with 2 tablespoons of the ham. Form into a ball and roll in the remaining grated ham.
Sounds like Kristine cook like me and does not measure so she was guessing on this. This is the best cheese ball I have ever had. My son’s one request before he left for the Air Force was that Kristine make this cheese ball for him.

Gluten Free Four

This is from my friend Lisa..

 

•  
  2 parts extra fine ground brown rice flour
• 2/3 part potato starch (not flour)
• 1/3 part tapioca flour (sometimes called starch)
• That's it!
• Then, for bread:
• 1/3 part millet flour
• 1/6 part sorghum flour
• 1/6 part cornstarch
• 1/6 part potato starch
• 1/6 part tapioca flour
• These are in the book Gluten-Free Baking Classics

Mock Champagne

2 (2 liter) bottles ginger ale, chilled
1 (46 fluid ounce) can pineapple juice, chille

1(64 fluid ounce) bottle white grape juice, chilled

To make Ice ring: Fill a ring-shaped cake pan to 1/2 with ginger ale. Freeze until partially frozen. At this stage you can place edible flowers, or pieces of fruit around the ring. Fill pan with ginger ale and freeze until solid. Place in punch bowl just before serving. 

In a large punch bowl, combine 1 bottle ginger ale, pineapple juice and white grape juice.

Apple Punch

I will post pictures as soon as blogger will stop being a pain and let me.

3 (32 fluid ounce) bottles apple juice, chilled

3 (12 fluid ounce) cans frozen cranberry juice concentrate

3 cups orange juice

4-1/2 liters ginger ale

3 apple

In a large punch bowl, combine apple juice, cranberry juice concentrate and orange juice. Stir until dissolved, then slowly pour in the ginger ale.                Thinly slice the apple vertically, forming whole apple slices. Float apple slices on top of punch.

Monte Cristo

My family loves Monte Cristo's so I figure I would make them. I have been really sick with not too much going on in the taste bud area but I think they were good. The family liked them, Danny even asked for another one. Jacob who hates cheese even ate it with the cheese, Danny just ate around the cheese. We also found out that strawberries dipped in raspberry jam taste pretty good also.
Monte Cristo's are a little bit messy to make but really easy. I bet these would do good if I cooked them a little and froze them then finished frying when needed.
So give these a try they are really easy and not much work at all.

6 slice cooked turkey
6 slice Swiss cheese
6 slice cooked ham
6 slice American cheese
6 slice wheat bread

batter
1-1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1-1/3 cup water
1 large egg beaten
oil for deep frying

powdered sugar
red raspberry jelly

To assemble sandwiches: bread, turkey, Swiss cheese, bread, ham, American cheese, bread; cut in half diagonally. whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together to blend well. add water to the egg and add to the flour mixture mixing well. dip each sandwich half into the batter and deep-fry (oil must cover the sandwich) in oil pre-heated to 360 degrees until golden brown. remove from oil to paper towels. sprinkle with the powdered sugar. serve with warm or room temperature jelly.

Spinach Dip

1 pkg. Mrs. Grass homestyle vegetable dip and soup mix

1 c. sour cream

1 c. mayonnaise 1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen chopped spinach

1 can water chestnuts, chopped

1/2 pound bacon, cooked and chopped up. Thaw spinach. Rinse, drain and squeeze out excess liquid. Combine all of the above ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Chill 3 hours, serve.

Harvest Bark

Chex cereal
mini pretzels
peanuts
candy corn
candy corm M&M's
White chocolate chips
I did not measure anything. Just toss the first five in a bowl and then melt the white chocolate and stir together. Layout on wax paper to dry. Break up and enjoy.

Seven Layer Dip

1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
1 (16 ounce) jar salsa
1 large tomato, chopped
1 bunch chopped green onions
1 small head iceberg lettuce, shredded
1 (6 ounce) can sliced black olives, drained
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

In a medium bowl, blend the taco seasoning mix and refried beans. Spread the mixture onto a large serving tter.
Mix the sour cream and cream cheese in a medium bowl. Spread over the refried beans.
Top the layers with salsa. Place a layer of tomato, green bell pepper, green onions and lettuce over the salsa, and top with Cheddar cheese. Garnish with black olives.

Halloween Cake

Last month I was going to make a rainbow cake but wanted something I could put together fast. I got to wondering what the effect would be if I just poured different colors in different areas of the pan, I was hoping for a tye dye look and I got it. I loved the effect. So I figure let’s try it again with different colors. I have gone back to work so this might be the last cake I make for a while. Hahaahhhahaha! That was funny, I think I would go nuts if I did not bake or cook….wait…..I am working in a bakery. :o) I might be a little behind in my posting but stay with me and I will get caught up. So go bake a cake for the fun of it.

I baked this one to have for dessert tonight, but my grandson and his Mommy (my daughter Kim) and his Daddy came over for a visit while it was baking. I frosted it and then I made coffee for everyone, you cannot have coffee without cake so I cut into it. :o)

Crazy cake

I was making a cake for a friends son's birthday and wanted to do something a little crazy. I had done a rainbow cake before and the got me thinking about tie dye cakes. That is how this came about. I am going to make an orange, black and green one for Halloween.

All it is is white cake mix made as directed with a little less water.
The color food coloring you like

I mixed the white cake mix up first, then added batter to different bowl in which I added food coloring.
In my prepared pans I layered each color in the pan and when I was done I slightly took a knife to the batter and swirled it to mix them just a little. It looks like a normal cake and then you slice into it and WOW!

I have posted this recipe before but the recipe called for 4 teaspoons of salt and it was so salty it was hard to eat. I knew the flavor was good under all that salt so I had to redo it. I was in such a hurry today to throw it together but it was good.










1 cup yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoons salt, or to taste
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
4 long skewers

1 tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
3 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, and 1 teaspoons salt. Stir in chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat a grill for high heat.

Lightly oil the grill grate. Thread chicken onto skewers, and discard marinade. Grill until juices run clear, about 5 minutes on each side.

Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno for 1 minute. Season with 2 teaspoons cumin and paprika. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add grilled chicken, and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, and garnish with fresh cilantro.

 

Winning Chili

2 pounds ground beef chuck
1 pound bulk Italian sausage
1 Pound hot Italian sausage
3 (15 ounce) cans chili beans
1 (15 ounce) pinto beans drained and rinse
2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 green chile peppers, seeded and chopped
1/2 pound bacon, fried and chopped
4 cubes beef bouillon
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese

                                                       I took leftover and put it on top of chips with cheese and sour cream.

Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Crumble the ground chuck and sausage into the hot pan, and cook until evenly browned. Drain off excess grease.
Pour in the chili beans, spicy chili beans, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Add the onion, celery, green and red bell peppers, chile peppers, cooked bacon , bouillon, . Season with chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, oregano, cumin, hot pepper sauce, basil, salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika, and sugar. Stir to blend, then cover and simmer over low heat for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
After 2 hours, taste, and adjust salt, pepper, and chili powder if necessary. The longer the chili simmers, the better it will taste. Remove from heat and serve, or refrigerate, and serve the next day.
To serve, ladle into bowls, and top with corn chips and shredded Cheddar cheese.

Really cute aprons

http://www.groupon.com/deals/flirty-aprons-santa-cruz?utm_campaign=flirty-aprons-santa-cruz&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&c=button&utm_source=newsletter&division=santa-cruz&utm_medium=email&s=featured_deal&d=deal&sid=10996027&utm_content=santa-cruz_inter&date=20111013&user=c80f6fb626ced320dc6968afe9578908db88507761ad863f964977d3742301b6

Paula Deen Caramel Corn

I have not made this yet but hope to soon, I figure my blog was the best place to keep it until I was ready to make it.
I use to have a really good recipe but the pages of the cookbook have fallen apart and that page is gone. It was from a cookbook I got from my Mother-in-law when she went to Orville. It was one of those church sale cookbooks. It had a green cover is all I remember, it was about 27 years ago.


1 cup butter
2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon baking soda

 

Over medium heat, combine first four ingredients and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in baking soda. Stir well. Pour over 8 quarts popped corn. Stir to coat well. Bake in large roaster or pan at 200 degrees for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on waxed paper to dry.

 

Cheesecake in a cup

I came on here to make something with pumpkin in it, well it went from Pumpkin Scones to a pumpkin cake, until I found out I had no oil left. But I noticed I had heavy Cream so I made my husband come coffee with whipped cream. Which turned into seeing the box of cream cheese and plain yogurt and then I noticed a can of apple pie filling in the cupboard.
So this is what happens when you put all that together with a granola bar.
This is one of my husbands favorite cheesecake recipe. I guess I should write it down so my girls can have it if anything were to ever happen to me they can make it for him. I know I am strange to think about these things.
This is just something I made up a long time ago there is no recipe and i never measure anything.
Graham cracker pie crust
2 8oz Cream Cheese
1 cup Sour cream (I used plain yogurt this time)
tub of coolwhip (I whipped my own cream this time with powder sugar)
Sometimes I add sugar sometimes I do not.
My husband likes it plain I like it with cherry pie filling on top. I added apple pie filling with this one. i think cherry would had been better and look nicer. :o)

· ·

Shepherd Pie

I made a shepherd pie tonight. I don’t really make these much, I would say maybe 4 times in the past 30 years and I have no idea why. My family loves them. Well tonight’s went over very well. I added a lot of vegetables to it. I have weird kids who just happen to love vegetables. I wanted to add peas to the casserole but all I had was frozen green beans. I have to admit there are a few vegetables I do not like. One is frozen green beans. I love fresh. The other is cooked carrots, I love raw carrots and could eat them all day but cook them and forget it. But I thought they were pretty good in this. Next time I will make sure I have frozen peas. 

6 large potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoon finely chopped onion (I put mine through my bullet and added the juice and all)

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

5 carrots

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 onion, chopped

2 pound lean ground beef

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cup beef broth

small bag frozen peas

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese


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, finely chopped onion and 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add carrots and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, mash and set aside. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add onion and cook until clear. Add ground beef and cook until well browned. Pour off excess fat, then stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add beef broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Spread the ground beef in an even layer on the bottom of a 9x13" pan. Next, add peas then spread a layer of mashed carrots. Top with the mashed potato mixture and sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.You can add any left over vegatables you want to this. If your kids won't eat veggies blend them up and mix with the meat mixture. I have never had a problem with my kids and veggies. As a side dish we had sliced raw carrots and raw snap peas.

Libby's Great Pumpkin Cookies

4 c. unsifted all-purpose flour
2 c. quick or old-fashioned oats, uncooked
1 1/2 c. butter, softened
2 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1 (16 oz.) Libby's solid pack pumpkin
1 c. real semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 c. granulated sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. baking soda
1 egg
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Assorted icings or peanut butter
Assorted candies, raisins or nuts

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine flour, oats, soda, cinnamon and salt; set aside. Cream butter, gradually add sugars, beating until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, mix well.
Alternate additions of dry ingredients and pumpkin, mixing well after each addition. Stir in morsels. For each cookie, drop 1/4 cup dough onto lightly greased cookie sheet; spread into pumpkin shape using a thin metal spatula. Add a bit more dough to form stem.
Bake at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes,or until cookies are firm and lightly browned. Remove from cookie sheets; cool on racks. Decorate using icing or peanut butter to affix assorted candies, raisins or nuts. Yields: about 32 large cookies.
Variation: Substitute 1 cup raisins for morsels.
Note: Dough may be frozen in an air-tight container. Thaw in refrigerator, bake as directed.

French Toast to die for

I thought I would share this recipe I made while camping. I think it was the third day into our last camping trip and I was going to make french toast, well I decided to spread Nutella on one slice and make a sandwich out of it and then soak it in my egg batter and serve with warm syrup. Well then I thought why not spread Nutella on one slice and peanut butter on the other and then put them together and make  nutella/peanut butter french toast. Yes it was really, really good. I had some left over so I wrapped them in foil and put them in the fridge. Well it was only my youngest son and myself who were camping and while playing cards we wanted something to snack on, I figured I would try one cold and oh my were they GREAT! I did not add syrup to them we ate them like a sandwich. My family was coming up the next day so I made a bunch of them for the fridge for later, but my kids ate them all before I got a chance to get one.

Well here is is three months later and I am still thinking about these. I am not a huge chocolate lover, I mean I will eat milk chocolate but not very often. Peanut butter is okay sometimes but not very often. I hate Reese peanut butter cups so I never thought I would like these let alone love them.

Easy Taco Chili

1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 (16 ounce) can chili beans, with liquid
1 (15 ounce) can black beans with liquid
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, with liquid
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 (14.5 ounce) cans peeled and diced tomatoes
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chile peppers
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix

In a medium skillet, cook the ground beef until browned over medium heat. Drain, and set aside.
Place the ground beef, onion, chili beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce,  diced tomatoes, green chile peppers and taco seasoning mix in a slow cooker. Mix to blend, and cook on Low setting for 8 hours

Twix Cheesecake

This tasted really good but when it says to leave the center soft don't do it. I have never made a cheesecake that was under cooked like this one. Cheesecakes are one of the things I have never messed up on. Baking wise that is because I have been known to drop a few. So I would bake it until the center is done. I took this cheesecake out of the pan and thought how nice it looked until I went to cut it.
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup white sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 1/2 pounds cream cheese, softened
1 3/4 cups white sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 bag of Twix mini bars chopped (one bag for inside the filling one for on top)
caramel ice cream topping

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly coat a 10 inch springform pan with spray oil. Note: You could use a 9x13 inch pan instead.
To make the crust: Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 egg and 1/2 cup butter or margarine. Spread to the edges of the pan. Prick all over with a fork, then bake 15 minutes at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Allow to cool.
Increase oven temperature to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C). In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, 1 3/4 cups sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, 5 eggs and the yolks and mix thoroughly. Add cream and mix only enough to blend, stir in twix
Pour filling over crust and bake for 10 minutes at 475 degrees F (245 degrees C). Reduce temperature to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C) and continue to bake for one hour. Turn oven off, but leave cake in for another hour. Don't worry if it looks a little jiggly in the center. *(cook until done in the center)
Melt caramel and heavy cream together and drizzle all on top of cheesecake, add chopped Twix on top and drizzel with a little more caramel. Chill overnight. This is important!

Caramel Apple Toffee Brownies

These are perfect, would not change a things. If you know anything about me I change every recipe I get a hold of.
My super picky kid who hates everything ate at least three of these that I seen. He kept saying that he dropped them but I am pretty sure he was not telling the truth. GO check these out and join her page you will love it.






https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hugs-Cookies-xoxo/361999659991#!/topic.php?uid=361999659991&topic=19767

IF YOU WANT TO KEEP IT SIMPLE, MAKE THE BARS WITHOUT THE FROSTING. IF YOU WANT TO MAKE YOUR FRIENDS SWOON AND BEG FOR MORE, MAKE THE FROSTING, TOO!!!! IT IS TO DIE FOR!!!!!
BARS:
1/3 cup soft butter
1 cups packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup All-Purpose Flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup peeled, chopped tart apple (1/2 large apple)
1/4 cup toffee bits (Heath)
Preheat oven to 350°
Line 8x8 baking pan with nonstick foil.
Cream butter and brown sugar in mixer until smooth.
Add egg and vanilla and beat on medium until combined.
On low, add flour, baking powder, and salt. Mixing until just combined.
Stir in the chopped apples and toffee bits until evenly distributed.
Spread in prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes until the center is set. Bar recipe adapted from cookies & cups
Caramel Buttercream Frosting:
First Make Salted Caramel for Buttercream ....Recipe: (You will have extra-try dipping some apples!)

1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice (I OMITTED THIS)
1/2 teaspoon salt, kosher or sea

1. Combine the sugar, water, and the corn syrup in a large saucepan and stir with a wooden spoon over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.
2. Cover the saucepan and let it cook over medium heat for 3 minutes.
3. After 3 minutes, remove the lid, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil.
4. Do not stir from this point on, but instead swirl the liquid around the pan so that the caramel doesn’t burn.
5. Continue to cook until the caramel turns an even amber color then remove from the heat and let stand for about 30 seconds.
6. *** Be careful here *** Pour the heavy cream into the mixture. The mixture will bubble up significantly and is very hot.
7. Stir the mixture, again being careful. Add the butter, lemon juice (IF USING), and salt. Stir until combined.

8. Measure 1/2 cup into a Pyrex measuring cup. Stirring occasionally, allow to cool until thick like molasses and warm to the touch, about 20 minutes. Save the extra in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Perfect for dipping apples, too!!!!

For the Buttercream: (you will have extra)
Electric mix 1 stick softened butter and 4 ounces cream cheese. Slowly add 2 cups powdered sugar and 1/2c. homemade caramel. Whip on high till fluffy. Spread on bars. Top with more toffee bits if you like and save extra frosting for another use! Chill bars before cutting!about a week ago · Report

I could not find my 8x8 pan so these are a little thinner then what they should be, but boy do they taste so good.