Merry Christmas! Let's Recap

Merry Christmas y'all! I hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday, filled with lots of love, family and good food. I certainly have! Christmas Eve was wonderful, followed by a fantastic Christmas day. Both days were spent in the company of wonderful family. I have to admit, the days leading up were extremely busy and at times pretty hectic, but it was the wonderful kind of busy and hectic. My days were filled with the usual mommy duties, as well as baking goodies, lots of grocery shopping, buying gifts and then wrapping. And, let me tell you, the wrapping? I don't know what it was about this year, but I made myself look like a total...

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12 Days of Christmas Baking - Day 12 Cinnamon Sugar Scones

In search of the perfect breakfast treat for Christmas morning? Well, let me make a suggestion. Cinnamon Sugar Scones. They are easy to whip up, perfect for eating while you wind down from unwrapping presents and start gearing up for the big meal of the day. An added bonus is these scones won't weigh you down and hurt your appetite when the feast is finally ready. I came up with this recipe several years ago when I was craving Bojangles cinnamon biscuits. And, for those of you non-southerners who don't know about Bojangles, it is a fried chicken fast food restaurant that has awesome sweet tea and killer biscuit sandwiches, especially...

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Blogger's Day Of Silence

Our country as a whole has taken the shooting Friday at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut very hard. In fact, the whole world has been affected by the tragedy. That impact has led many in the blogging community to declare a day of silence. Some bloggers chose yesterday, some have chosen today. I am part of the community that is taking part in today's Day of Silence. In addition to being done out of deep respect and sadness, this is being done in an effort to raise money that will go to an organization in the memory of this tragedy. The organization is called The Newtown Family Youth and Family Services. Here is the official...

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12 Days of Christmas Baking - Day 11 Spicy Sausage Balls

Well, I'm doing a little happy dance because the Christmas shopping is officially done. I ended up ordering a few things online today (Yes, last minute I know!) because I couldn't find the styles I wanted at the big box store and I wanted to avoid high prices and a major crowd at the mall. Now, let's hope everything arrives by the predicted Christmas Eve. I decided to come home from my shopping this afternoon and celebrate with one of my family's holiday favorites Spicy Sausage Balls. They have been a holiday staple ever since I can remember. In fact, my earliest memory of eating and loving sausage balls was when I was about three or four...

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12 Days of Christmas Baking - Day 10 The Easiest Peanut Butter Fudge Ever!

I know, I know fudge isn't baked, therefore it doesn't technically fall into the Christmas baking category, but it's so good, you'll overlook that minor detail right? Fudge is definitely popular at Christmas and makes an awesome homemade gift if the recipient has a sweet tooth. I happen to have a massive sweet tooth if you can't tell based on the recipes I've shared so far. I am also a major peanut butter lover. Seriously, I can eat the stuff straight out of the jar with a spoon. I'll take it smooth or chunky, but my preference is smooth, especially in cookies or fudge. Chocolate ranks pretty high on my list of sweet favorites, but when...

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12 Days of Christmas Baking - Day 9 Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

I absolutely LOVE Peanut Butter Cup Cookies. I am a huge peanut butter cup fan, and adore peanut butter cookies. These cookies give me the best of both worlds. They are pretty great any time of year, but they're perfect for gift giving because their size and shape makes them easy to stack and package. Plus, who doesn't like peanut butter cups? I will make a little confession, the first time I made these I wasn't sure if the peanut butter cups were supposed to be inserted into the cookie before or after baking so I tried both, and guess what? Either way works! The chocolate will bubble up a little if you stick the peanut butter cups in...

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Taking a break in remembrance and giving thanks

Like many, I am with a very heavy heart after the news of the tragedy that struck the little Connecticut town and the sweet children of and staff of Sandy Hook Elementary School. Those children probably went to school this morning excited for the weekend, never suspecting that it would be anything but a normal school day. Parents never expected to send their kids off to witness what could arguable be the worst tragedy and hardest thing some of them will ever face. The parents of those other 20 children I'm sure never imagined this morning would be the last time they would hug their precious babies and get to hear them say, "I love you." At...

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12 Days of Christmas Baking - Day 8 Cake Truffles

Cake Balls, or as I call them Cake Truffles are all the rage these days. I'm not sure if she made them famous, but Bakerella sure is well known for them. Her website is loaded down with her Cake Ball and Cake Pop creations. Everywhere I turn I see Cake Truffle related goodies, whether it's a Cake Pop maker, Cake Ball/Pop molds, kits, you name it it's out there. I just love the things, I make them if I am going to a holiday party. I make them for any kind of party really. I have even been know to give them as party favors. Cake Truffles take only a few ingredients and are rather simple to make. I will admit they can be a bit messy, but...

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The 12 Days of Christmas Baking - Day 7 Sugar Cookies

Everybody loves sugar cookies right? No, seriously, they do don't they? I won't call them my favorite cookie, I reserve that title for chocolate chip cookies. Sugar cookies are pretty great though, especially when they are crispy around the edges but still just chewy, with that buttery goodness. Not only am I an avid baker, but I love to decorate cookies (and cakes). As a result, I have a little bit of an addiction to cookie cutters. You name the occasion I probably have a cookie cutter for it, holidays especially. Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and most especially Christmas. When a holiday rolls...

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12 Days of Christmas Baking - Day 6 Spinach Pinwheels

Many of us do a good bit of entertaining between Thanksgiving and New Year's, whether we're hosting a cookie swap party or just have friends and family who drop by unexpectedly. Because of that, I think it's not a bad idea to have an arsenal of easy to prepare appetizer recipes at the ready. Even better when those appetizers require minimal ingredients and result in something tasty that your guests will love. One such appetizer for me is Spinach Pinwheels, which are super easy and contain two of my favorite ingredients crescent rolls and spinach. I will admit that I have never eaten spinach plain, unless you count eating it raw in a salad...

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12 Days of Christmas Baking - Day 5 Gingerbread

Once the Halloween decorations are taken down and we start talking turkey my food cravings change, as do my baking habits. I begin to crave warm, hearty stick to your ribs comfort foods even more than usual. And I put the chocolate chip cookie recipe aside for a while. I put the brownie and cupcake making on the back burner momentarily, and I start making Spicy Gingersnaps, soft and chewy they are sooo good! Come Thanksgiving and my house is filled with the wonderful smell of sweet potato pies. And lest we not forget my famous no-bake oatmeal cookies aka boiled oatmeal cookies. There's always a batch of gingerbread or two in there somewhere....

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12 Days of Christmas Baking - Day 4 Coconut Biscotti

Biscotti is the perfect little sweet treat to go with that morning cup of coffee if you want a little something to munch on but don't want to actually eat breakfast. A cookie or even a mini muffin is the route I tend to go if I want something in the morning to go along with my coffee. I am only an early riser if absolutely necessary so I don't find that I often need breakfast. I can usually get by with a cup of coffee until lunch, but sometimes I just want a little something to nibble on and although I don't make it often I find biscotti to be the perfect thing. Christmas is the perfect time to bake up a batch, or three of biscotti. It has...

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12 Days of Christmas Baking - Day 3 Eggnog Cookies

Each season has its signature foods and drinks. For Christmas one of those signature items is Eggnog. It seems to be a drink you either love or won't touch. I fall into the won't touch category. I simply do not drink it, not even a sip or two. Consistency is the main reason. If it was a warm drink I don't think the consistency would bother me, and before you say it, I know, it is occasionally served warm. Well, a few Christmases back a friend's wife sent over a big plate of various cookies, most were decent but nothing to die for. Except one cookie really stuck out with me, and that was the Eggnog Cookie. I had never had these before...

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12 Days of Christmas Baking - Day 2 Spicy Gingersnaps

Near the top of my list of Christmas baking goodies is always Spicy Gingersnaps. The spice combination just screams Christmas, not to mention the smell that fills the kitchen while these are in the oven. That molasses, gingery goodness, on man my mouth waters just thinking about it! I find myself craving these cookies..I mean really craving them. I've always been a gingerbread lover. But these are over the top good to me. Just the perfect amount of spices and the texture is amazing, soft and chewy. They almost seem to melt in your mouth. This is a super simple cookie to whip up, you don't even need to break out the mixer, you can stir these...

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12 Days of Christmas Baking - Day 1 Soft & Chewy Snickerdoodles

As we all know, Christmas is fast approaching, which means many of us have started decking the house, hitting the stores, wrapping the presents and best of all, baking! I haven't started decorating yet, and I just kicked off the shopping yesterday. The baking? Would you believe I haven't started going crazy with that yet either? Even if I haven't kicked off my holiday baking frenzy yet, and believe me, it will be a frenzy like it is every year, I am kicking off my 12 Days of Christmas Baking. I will share with you all the wonderful cookies I bake in an effort to plump up my loved ones each Christmas. And, even though it's not a sweet recipe...

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Ole Ole - Rice Cooker Mexican Rice

Yesterday I shared with you my recipe for Taco Pie and hinted at my love for restaurant style Mexican rice. I have tried unsuccessfully to recreate it at home, and although none of the recipes I've tried have been inedible, they just haven't hit the mark. Usually they've been too saucy or too strong on the tomato flavor. The rice I love has a sprinkling of corn and diced yellow onions with a faintly reddish orange color, and is definitely not saucy in the least. So, I decided to do a little experimenting and as luck would have it I hit it pretty close to the mark my first go round. I originally planned to make some white rice in my rice...

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Mexican Monday - Taco Pie

Around here we love Mexican food. The flavors are robust yet simple, and just so fresh. Even though we love it, we don't eat it frequently and when we do we keep it simple, tacos, nachos, black beans, and occasionally I'll make quesadillas, or enchiladas. Those last two are rarities though because Picky Eater isn't a huge fan of flour tortillas. Me? I love 'em! I'll eat them straight from the package, or slathered with some Land O Lakes Cinnamon Sugar Butter, which by the way is AMAZING! From Roots And Renovations Recently, I had a craving for Mexican so I decided to make Taco Pie, a super easy casserole style Mexican dish, with one of...

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Warm Your Bones, Satisfying Soup - Chunky Potato Soup

From Roots And Renovations I have probably said this before and I will probably say it again, I am not, absolutely not a fan of cold weather. Have you heard of seasonal affective disorder, also sometimes known as the winter blues? Yeah, I think I have that. No seriously, I sometimes wonder if I really do have that. I even looked up the symptoms, and while I don't suffer the classic symptoms: oversleeping, overeating, decreased appetite, when the weather falls below 70 and the days are mostly gray and dreary I get the blahs. I don't claim to live a terribly exciting life, and for the most part, season to season my routine doesn't change much....

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Showing Support and Serving Up Comfort Food - Deviled Eggs

I'm writing this with our neighbors in the Northeast, the victims of Hurricane Sandy, in mind. Food bloggers around the country have set aside today as our day to honor and support those who have been suffering and enduring the craziness of Hurricane Sandy. My aunt and uncle planned a quick little get away to NYC last weekend, and despite the aftereffects of Hurricane Sandy they went anyway. I am sure they saw a lot of upset and things that were still not back in order for the Big Apple, but in hearing their recap of the trip it sounds like much of the city has bounced back and gotten on their feet again relatively well. But, looks can be...

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Baked Chocolate Donuts For National Donut Day

From Roots And Renovations Monday morning I discovered that November 5th is National Donut Day, so I was inspired to break out my adorable little Sunbeam Donut Maker and get to baking. As a food lover I think all these National such and such days are pretty cool. They're just a fun and guilt-free excuse to eat some of your favorite foods. After all, if it's a national holiday the fat and calories don't count right? From Roots And Renovations My Big Bad Dad gave me my donut maker for my birthday this year and I love it. I was born and raised in the land of the best donuts EVER aka Krispy Kreme and although Krispy Kreme donuts these are not,...

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