Gingerbread Cookies

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
1 tbl vinegar
2 1/2 cups flour

 

Beat shortening and sugar with electric mixer for 30 seconds.  Add baking powder, ginger, soda, cinnamon, and cloves.  Mix until well blended.  Add molasses, egg, and vinegar.  Mix well.  Add flour a 1/2 cup at a time until to hard to mix with electric mixer then knead the rest in.  Let chill in fridge for 3 hours.  Roll out on a floured surface and cut into desired shapes.  Bake at 375 degrees for 5-6 minutes or until egdes just start to turn brown. 

 

**I have made these 3 times in the last week and forgot to take a picture every time.  They are very addicting.  Little kids may not like them that much because of the molasses flavor, but Brindley (10 years old) liked them enough that she asked if she could make them for her class party.  They were a hit with her class.

 

This recipe came from my Better Homes and Garden Cookbook.  The dough will for a few days in the fridge too.

White Chocolate Popcorn

2 bags microwave popcorn (8-10 cups popped)

2 cups white chocolate chips

Separate unpopped kernals from popcorn.  Melt chocolate chips in microwave by heating them at 50% power for 1 minute.  Stir chocolate.  Continue heating in microwave in 30 second intervals at 50% power, stirring them after every thirty seconds till the chocolate is smooth.  Do not over heat, the chocolate will burn. (If the chocolate goes grainy you have overheated it).

Pour chocolate over popcorn and stir till popcorn is well coated.  Spread popcorn out on a parchment lined cookie sheet and let it dry.  Enjoy!

Stir in Ideas:

Chocolate chips, crushed candy canes, nuts, M&M’s, any chewy candy, sprinkle with colored sugar

You can also drizzle melted semi-sweet chocolate over it while it is on the cookie sheet.

Strawberry Yogurt Salad

1 Large Container Strawberry Yogurt
1 Large Conatiner of Cool Whip
2 Small boxes of Coconut Cream Pudding (Instant)
2 lbs Strawberries

(Sorry I don't know the exact measurement of the containers.  Nest time I am at the grocery store I will check so you know for sure what size they are.  Other wise,  They are the Large Containers!)
Mix Yogurt and and pudding until well blended then fold in cool whip.  Wash strawberries and cut them in the desired size you would like. (I quarterd most of mine then sliced the rest to put on top.)  Fold  in strawberries.  Let chill in fridge for a few hours and serve.

**Very Easy salad.  The kids loved it and loved helping to make.  I got this recipe from my mom.  It is the one that I made for Thanksgiving.  It goes great with most anything.  I think it could be considered a dessert too.  Maybe add a graham cracker crust.  Hmmm, I might have to try that.

Cake Mix Cookies

1 box cake mix
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup applesauce
2 eggs
2-3 tbs water
chocolate chips or nuts, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets

Use a liquid measuring cup to measure oil & applesauce, add 2 eggs, then fill to the 1 cup line with water (or applesauce?).

Mix liquids together then add to cake mix. Stir well. Fold in desired fillings.

Scoop the dough into walnut sized balls. Place the cookies 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Variation ideas:
add 2/3 cup oatmeal to any recipe
Chocolate/devils food cake with peanut butter chips
Chocolate/devils food cake, balled and rolled into powdered sugar to make crinkle cookies
Chocolate/devils food cake with mint chocolate chips
Chocolate/devils food cake balled with a rolo candy in the center of each cookie
Lemon cake mix with 1 tsp lemon extract, balled and rolled into powdered sugar to make crinkle cookies
White cake mix with butterscotch chips and toasted pecans
M&Ms
Caramel bits

*When you have no time to make cookies, this recipe is really speady.  This recipe came from another blog I follow: Andrea's Secret Recipes.

December Weekly Menu 2

Before I post the menu......JIM, did you see the results of the voting?!  Uh ha!  BROWNIES ARE THEIR OWN CLASSIFICATION!  Thanks to all who voted!

Sunday:  Beef Roast/Mashed Potatoes and Gravy/Jello/Corn/Rolls
Monday: Leftover Turkey/Taters/Stuffing
Tuesday:  Penne Pasta with Marinara/Garlice bread/Green Beans
Wednesday: Tuna Helper/Green Salad
Thursday: LEFTOVERS!
Friday:  Bean Burritos

Not much planning the meals has been happening lately.  Trying to prepare for the holidays has made it that dinner time comes around and we find what we can to make.  I'm loving having daughters that are getting old enough to fix dinner when I am busy with other things.  I told my Mom the other day, "HA, I have FOUR girls to help me!"  Love my Girls!

And the Apron Goes to....

#15  Who said, 15

I put you on my FB :)

LACY SUSMAN

Congrats!

Watch the mail for your APRON!  It will be delivered soon!

Thanks to all who entered and shared my site!  I have another GIVEAWAY ready, but I am going to wait til after the holidays....so check back....(a hint about my next GIVEAWAY...Handmade kitchen items by Jim's Mom and Grandma!) 

TIS THE SEASON

GIVEAWAY CLOSED!

I am so excited for the HOLIDAYS and all of the

fun traditions that come with it.  I love feeling the joy that is spread by SMILES as people are bustling around doing all of their shopping or enjoying each others company at Christmas parties.  With that said,  it is time for another GIVEAWAY!

Here's Another Apron....a different style than the last, but I wanted one that was for the Holidays.

I Love the Peppermint Candy Print.

 To enter for a chance to win this APRON, all you have to do is:

1.  Leave me a comment and tell me: What kind of COOKIE do you leave out for SANTA?  Is it the same kind every year?

2.  For another chance to win, become a FOLLOWER by clicking the follow button on the right sidebar and sign in!  (Leave me a comment telling me that you are a follower.) If you already are a follower leave me a comment telling me you are.

3.  For a third chance to win, post about this GIVE AWAY on your BLOG or FACEBOOK!  (Leave me a comment telling me you posted on BLOG or FACEBOOK so I can go check out your POST!)
**Leave a seperate comment for each chance to win.  3 chances total.**

This GIVEAWAY will close FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10th at 12:00 PM

December Weekly Menu 1

Sunday:  THANKSGIVING DINNER (my style)
Monday:  Orange Chicken/Rice
Tuesday:  Dream Dinners---French Onion Chicken/Fried Potatoes/Veggie
Wednesday:  Taco's
Thursday:  R.S. Dinner--Ham/Baked Potato/Salad
Friday:  Grilled Cheese/French Fries

Yes, I did a Thanksgiving Meal 10 days after Thanksgiving.  We never have leftovers when we visit family for Thanksgiving and to me, the leftovers are a big part of the Holiday too.  So, with Jim and my girls' help we made a yummy dinner.  I didn't over cook the turkey (like I always do)!!  Everything was so yummy.  I even tried GREEN BEAN casserole for the first time.....thanks to a friend and her family that joined us.  I quite liked it too!

Chicken and Rice Casserole

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1 cup milk

1 cup water

2 cups uncooked white rice

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup

1 (10.75 ounce) condensed cream of mushroom soup

Line chicken in a greased 9x13 casserole dish.  Mix milk, water, soups, and rice.  Pour rice mixture over the chicken evenly.  Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1-1 1/2 hours or til rice and chicken are done.

I haven't made this for awhile.  I broused several recipes.  They were all pretty much the same but they called for one kind of soup, not both.  I have some mushroom soup that needs to be used but I am not a fan of mushroom soup so I mixed it with the chicken which made the mushroom flavor more mild.  The kids loved this and I was able to send leftovers in their "hot" containers for school lunch.

 

Cake or Brownie?

A few weeks ago I told Jim that I had a box of BROWNIES we could make for dessert.  He responded by saying, "BROWNIES ARE MY FAVORITE KIND OF CAKE!"

*****

Ok, am I the only one who thinks that BROWNIES are not CAKE?!  They are in a class of their own!  And after being married to Jim for 12 years, why have I not heard him call BROWNIES...CAKE before?  Anyway, we decided that we wanted to have all of you take a vote on this.  The Question is:  Do you classify BROWNIES as CAKE?  Please VOTE on my Sidebar.  I am very interested in seeing what you all think!