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It’s Beginning to Smell a Lot Like Christmas…Cookies!

November 25, 2008 by Laura 24 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

As you all know, I love tweaking recipes and working to create a healthier version of recipes I find. Thanksgiving and Christmas time give me plenty of excuses to exercise this crazy hobby of mine. Nobody around me seems to mind. :)  (Hehe, funny that I used the word exercise…talking about baking cookies! Hey, exercise comes in many forms.)

My favorite part of holiday baking:  I LOVE THE WAY CHRISTMAS BAKING MAKES THE HOUSE SMELL!!!

I’m planning on baking up quite a few treats in the next few weeks to share with neighbors and friends…so be looking for several new recipes coming up here!!!

The first recipe I’ll share is one that smells just like Christmas!! MMMmmm!!

Christmas Spice CookiesYum


It's Beginning to Smell a Lot Like Christmas...Cookies!
 
Save Print
Author: Laura
Serves: 2 dozen
Ingredients
  • 1 cup melted butter
  • ½ cup sucanat or brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon cloves
  • 2¼ cups whole wheat flour
Instructions
  1. Stir together melted butter and sucanat.
  2. Mix in egg, cinnamon, baking soda, vanilla, nutmeg and cloves.
  3. Add flour gradually until mixed thoroughly.
  4. Chill dough at least 2 hours.
  5. Roll dough into teaspoon sized balls. Place on cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Bake at 350°for 10-12 minutes.
3.4.3177

 

Christmas Spice Cookies

These cookies are soooo yummy with a cup of hot cocoa!!! (If you haven’t tried this hot cocoa recipe, you really, really should!)

Upcoming cookie recipe:  Orange Cream Cheese Cut-Outs!!  Possibly my favorite!

P.S. Don’t fall out of your chair, but some of the recipes I’ll share might contain some compromising ingredients like powdered sugar and (gasp!) sprinkles.   What’s Christmas without an occasional red and green sprinkle??

So, what are your favorite kinds of Christmas cookies??!!

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Hey Turkey…You Don’t Scare Me! Bring on the Leftovers!

November 24, 2008 by Laura

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

Let’s talk turkey.

Raise your hand if you like having all those turkey leftovers after Thanksgiving. Mmmhmm, that’s what I thought. Not all of you are raising your hands. C’mon now, turkey leftovers are a great thing. Really. Here, I’ll prove it:

20 Things to Make With Leftover Turkey:

  1. Turkey Sandwiches (oh please, surely I can be more creative than that)
  2. Turkey and Rice*
  3. Turkey and Noodles*
  4. Turkey Salad* on Rolls
  5. Turkey Roll Ups (Spread mayo and/or mustard on a soft flour tortilla, sprinkle on small bits of turkey, cheese, pickle, whatever…and roll it up.)
  6. Turkey Chef Salad  (Greens, turkey, cheddar cheese, boiled egg, carrots, tomatoes, peas…yum!)
  7. Turkey and Biscuits (I’ll share this recipe later in the week.)
  8. Turkey Pot Pie (follow the recipe for Chicken Pot Pie in the Free ebook For the Love of Pie)
  9. Turkey Tortilla Melts (Make these just like a quesadilla, just add turkey pieces)
  10. Turkey Tacos  (Simmer turkey in a little water with salt and chili powder…serve on flour tortillas with taco fixings.)
  11. Turkey Tortilla Soup (follow this recipe, just subsitute turkey instead of chicken)
  12. Turkey Stir Fry (follow this recipe, just add turkey)
  13. Turkey and Dumplings*
  14. Turkey Enchiladas*
  15. Turkey with Spanish Rice*
  16. Turkey Alfredo*
  17. Turkey Quiche*
  18. Turkey-n-Veggie Scramble (add turkey to this recipe)
  19. Turkey Tostadas (Make like turkey tacos above, just fry your tortillas in olive oil to make them crisp.)
  20. Turkey and Rice Stew*

Substitute turkey for chicken in any of your favorite chicken recipes. (*Psst, for those of you who have What to Do With the Chicken in Your Kitchen, you’ll find many of the above recipes in there…just pretend it’s called What to Do with ALL THAT TURKEY in Your Kitchen.) 

After a few days of turkey leftovers….divide your leftover turkey into freezer baggies (about 2 cups each) and freeze them to pull out later when you can stand to look at turkey again. You’ll be so glad to have the ready-to-go meat later! Then, come back and look at this list again!

What are your favorite things to make with Turkey Leftovers?
—————————————————–

Visit Tammy’s Recipes for more kitchen tips.

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Pumpkin Pecan Pie Squares

November 18, 2008 by Laura 30 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

I recently found this great recipe, then played with it and adapted it to create a healthier dessert! It is very tasty!! Simple and sweet – and just a little nutty (which are some of the exact characteristics I strive for in my life). ;)

I love the crust part the best. But I also love the filling the best. The topping was also very, very good. And of course, I always love the fresh whipped cream the best. Oh, such a great combination of lots of yummy tastes. Try it for yourself and see which part you like best!

Pumpkin Pecan Pie SquaresYum

Pumpkin_Pecan_Pie_Squares
I was trying to go for a dollop of whipped cream…
but I can’t quite do a dollop.
Anybody out there good at a dollop?
(I think it’s fun to say the word dollop.)

Pumpkin Pecan Pie Squares

Pumpkin Pecan Pie Squares
 
Save Print
Author: Laura
Ingredients
  • CRUST:
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • ½ cup oats
  • ¼ cup sucanat
  • ½ cup butter
  • FILLING:
  • ¾ cup sucanat
  • 2 cups pumpkin
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon cloves
  • ½ teaspoon ginger
  • TOPPING:
  • ½ cup pecans, chopped
  • ¼ cup sucanat
  • Whipped cream
Instructions
  1. For Crust: Combine flour, oats, sucanat and butter. Mix until crumbly. Press on bottom of ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.
  2. For Filling: Combine sucanat, pumpkin, cream, eggs and spices in large bowl. Beat at medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes; pour over crust. Bake for 20 minutes.
  3. For Topping: Combine pecans and sucanat in small bowl. Sprinkle pecan topping over filling. Continue baking for 20 to 30 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
  4. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars. Top with whipped cream (just a dollop).
3.5.3229

 

If you recall, I don’t usually like recipes with nuts in them. I surprised myself by liking the pecan topping.

See? Everyone likes to be nutty every now and then…

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Making Cultured Buttermilk, Kefir and Sour Cream

November 14, 2008 by Laura 189 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

Wanna know how EASY it is to make cultured buttermilk, kefir and sour cream? Yeah, it takes about 30 seconds of your time. (Don’t tell anyone that though…they think it’s impressive when you make your own.)  :)

The beauty of making your own cultured dairy products is that once you make one batch, you can save the last cup or two to start a new batch. It saves a lot of money to do this, and it is so easy!

I buy my buttermilk, kefir, and sour cream (also known as kreme fresh) starter online. Here are some great starter packet options:

  • Buttermilk and Sour Cream Starter Culture (yep, you can use the same one for both products)
  • Kefir Starter Culture

To Make Kefir:

How to Make Kefir

Yum

I begin with just under a half gallon of raw milk in a glass jar. (You can make this with pasturized milk too as far as I know.)  I pour the packet of kefir starter into the milk, shake it up, and put a lid on it. Then, I set the jar in the cabinet above my refrigerator for about 24 hours (in the winter, it takes a little longer in my COLD kitchen!). You’ll know it is done “culturing” when it is thick and has some bubbly looking bubbles all through it. And when you tip your jar over, it kind of…glops. (see how helpful I am?)

To Make Buttermilk:

How to Make Buttermilk and Sour Cream

Follow the same instructions as for the Kefir, only use the Buttermilk Culture Starter.

To Make Sour Cream (aka kreme fresh):

Use the Buttermilk Culture Starter with one pint of cream. Follow the same directions as above.

Now, to make more batches of each of these…

Save about a cup each of kefir or buttermilk (or about a third cup of sour cream) from your initial batch.

Use this remaining kefir, buttermilk or sour cream to shake into more raw milk or cream (1/2 gallon of milk…or 1 pint of cream) to begin a fresh batch. Just put it in, shake it up, and let it sit out for 24 hours or so. (Until you’ve got the glop thing going on.)  You can do this up to eight times before you need to begin with a new starter package. (I’ve continued it more than eight times when I’m feeling rebellious. It still works.)

buttermilk1sm.JPG
Here’s the tail end of one jar of buttermilk,
ready to be poured into a fresh 1/2 gallon jar of milk.

 

buttermilk2sm.JPG
Here’s a jar of milk with a cup of buttermilk shaken into it,
ready to begin the culturing process.
(Yes, I know it looks like a plain ol’ jar of milk.
You’ll have to humor me and act like you can tell .
Nod and say, oh…very nice.)

buttermilk4sm.JPG
And here is my milk turning into buttermilk in the cabinet above my fridge. (With my Chrismas dishes.)
I’ve been advised that this spot is the best one in my kitchen to culture things because it has a fairly consistent temperature.

Oh, and when I do put my culturing dairy products in this cabinet, I LEAVE THE CABINET DOOR OPEN so that I can see it. It’s a bad idea to forget you have buttermilk or kefir or sour cream culturing in a cabinet. A bad, bad idea.

Now you have really, really healthy kefir for smoothies, and really, really healthy sour cream for your tacos, etc, and really, really healthy buttermilk for drinking or for making Creamy Orange Cooler.

See how easy it is?! :)

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My Favorite Chocolate Recipe

November 6, 2008 by Laura 36 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

deathbychoco2sm.JPG

Today I’m sharing my favorite chocolate recipe with you. It is SO GOOD. 

I guess that’s why it’s called Death By Chocolate. What a name. I didn’t name it. I’d have named it something like A Little Piece of Chocolate Heaven. Or Just When You Think It Can’t Get any Chocolatier. Or Chocolate Covered Chocolatey Chocolate. 

Well…anyway. Death By Chocolate is a recipe my mom found somewhere when I was a teenager. I remember her serving it when she wanted to make something special for company. She always put walnuts in hers…and I always picked ’em out. :)  I’m not a fan of nuts in my food. But you can put walnuts in yours if you want to. I’ll just pick ’em out if I come over and share it with you. (Which I’d love to do…come over and share it with you.)

As I remember also…the original recipe called for a box of brownie mix…a box of chocolate pudding…and a container of cool whip. The way I make it now…it is all made from scratch. And Oh. My. Goodness. Do try it. You won’t be sorry.

Death By ChocolateYum

Recipe for Creamy Chocolate Pudding
plus
Recipe for Fudge Brownies (with or without the chocolate chips)
¾ cup heavy whipping cream
½ t. vanilla
1 t. sugar or a few drops of stevia
1 cup pecans or walnuts, optional

Bake Brownies according to recipe. Allow to cool. Make Chocolate Pudding according to recipe. Allow to cool.

In a large glass serving bowl, begin to layer your Death by Chocolate. 

deathbychoco4sm.JPG
Cut or crumble brownies into small crumbs or pieces. 
I usually cut mine into one inch squares. 
Place one third of them into serving bowl.

deathbychoco5sm.JPG
Pour one third of your pudding over the brownie pieces.
Continue this brownie – pudding layering twice more.

deathbychoco6sm.JPG
Choose the cutest person you can find to whip your cream. 
With beaters, whip cream until soft peaks form. 
Add vanilla and sugar or stevia. Mix in with beaters.

deathbychoco3sm.JPG
Spread the whipped cream on top of your brownie-pudding layers. 
If you’re talented and have time…put something fancy on top like put chocolate shavings. As you can see…I’m not that talented.

deathbychoco1sm.JPG
Oh, but look how pretty that is!! 

This is the very bowl my mom always made Death By Chocolate in. I’m so thankful to have this bowl in my own kitchen now. 

Okay…chocolate lovers! Come up with some excuse to make this!!! Invite someone over. Have a party. Invent a new holiday. You HAVE to make Death By Chocolate!! (Ooh, someone should invent a new holiday…JUST to celebrate CHOCOLATE!)

Anyone else a chocolate lover like I am?!
———————————————

This post is linked to Ultimate Recipe Swap.

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Reindeer Brownies

October 29, 2008 by Laura Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

Yum

Kitchen Tools you will need:

 

Mixing bowl
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Wooden spoon
Small pan to melt butter
9×13 pan to bake brownies
Knife
Spatula
Small bowl for frosting
Spoon

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter, melted
2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 eggs
2 t. vanilla
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

Extras:
Green and red M&Ms
Small pretzels
Powdered sugar
Milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Stir together butter, sugar and cocoa.
3. Add egg and vanilla and stir well.
4. Mix in flour.
5. Pour into a greased 9×13 inch pan (glass or stone work best)
6. Bake in 350 degree oven for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick stuck in the middle comes out clean.
7. Allow brownies to cool completely.
8. Cut brownies into triangles.

9. Carefully take brownie triangles out of the pan.
10. Mix together frosting “paste”
1 cup powdered sugar
3 T. milk

11. Place two M&M eyes in place using frosting paste.
12. Place a red M&M nose in place using frosting paste.
13. Place two small pretzel antlers in place using frosting paste.

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Pumpkin Pie

October 29, 2008 by Laura Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

Yum

Crust:
1 ¼ c. unbleached white flour or whole wheat flour
¼ t. salt
5 T. butter
4-5 T. water

 

Stir flour and salt together. Cut butter into flour and salt until it looks like large crumbs. Stir in water until a nice ball of dough forms. Roll dough on a floured surface to fit a pie pan. Carefully place dough in pan and cut off excess dough. Shape edges of dough with your fingers. Prick the dough several times with a fork.

Filling:

2 cups canned or frozen pumpkin
2/3 cup brown sugar or sucanat
1 t. cinnamon
½ t. ginger
½ t. nutmeg
3 eggs
1 ¼ c. heavy cream

Whisk together all ingredients. Pout into unbaked pie crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the pie comes out clean. To freeze: Allow pie to cool completely. Cover top of pie with two layers of plastic wrap. Slide pie into a large freezer bag and seal. Freeze until the night before you are ready to serve. Refrigerate over night, then lay out on counter to thaw completely the next day.

To save you the effort of calculating how to double the recipe (cause 1 pumpkin pie is REALLY not enough!):

4 cups canned or frozen pumpkin
1 1/3 cup brown sugar or sucanat
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. ginger
1 t. nutmeg
6 eggs
2 ½ cups heavy cream

Crust for two pies:
2 ½ c. unbleached white or whole wheat flour
½ t. salt1 stick plus 2 T. butter
¼ cup water (plus a little more if you need it)

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Pumpkin Bars

October 29, 2008 by Laura Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

Yum

Kitchen Tools Needed:

 

Mixing bowl
Wooden spoon
Measuring cups and spoons
Small bowl
Small pan to melt butter
9×9 inch baking pan

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour
¾ cup brown sugar or rapadura or 1/2 cup honey
1 t. baking powder
1 t. cinnamon
½ t. baking soda
¼ t. salt
¼ t. cloves
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin
1 stick butter, melted
Powdered sugar
Butter for pan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and cloves.
Melt butter in small pan.
In a small bowl, crack open eggs and beat ‘em up.
Stir melted butter, eggs and pumpkin into flour mixture.
Butter your baking pan.
Spread pumpkin batter evenly on pan.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of your bars comes out clean.
Sprinkle powdered sugar on the top of the bars.
Allow bars to cool before cutting.
Makes 24 bars.

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Hot Cocoa

October 29, 2008 by Laura Leave a Comment

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1/3 cup water
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup sugar (I use rapadura or sucunat)
5 cups whole milk
1 t. vanilla
In large saucepan stir together water, cocoa and sugar. Bring to a boil. Stir in milk and heat until small bubbles begin to form around the edges, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Whipped CreamYum

½ cup heavy cream
¼ t. vanilla
1 T. powdered sugar (or a couple of drops of liquid stevia if you have some)

With beaters, beat cream until soft peaks form. Add vanilla and sugar. Serve in hot cocoa.

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Fruit Topped Cheesecake

October 29, 2008 by Laura Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

Yum

 

2 pkgs graham crackers
2 sticks butter
¼ cup sugar
2 – 8 oz. pkgs. cream cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 t. vanilla
Fresh raspberries, blueberries or strawberries

In a gallon sized Ziploc bag, crush graham crackers with a rolling pin. Melt butter in a small saucepan. Pour crushed graham crackers, melted butter and sugar into a 9 x 13 inch pan. Stir ingredients together and pat it down to create crust. Set aside.

In a medium sized bowl, stir together cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla. In a large bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks form. Add cream cheese mixture to whipped cream and fold in gently. Smooth mixture over the crust. Chill for at least two hours. Cut cheesecake into 16 pieces. Serve each square topped with fruit of choice.

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