• A Week Of Fun

    • OUT OF THE KITCHEN!!

    By The Cook | December 28, 2008


    Ok, so I know this blog is normally about fun things to do in the kitchen!  But if your family is anything like mine, we’ve spent entirely TOO much time in the kitchen this past week.  So the assignment…find some of those toys or board games that you got for your kids for the holidays, and sit down and play them!  Our kids only have one more week off before they head back for the long, dreaded winter months.  So take a moment to enjoy them.  If there is a new board game that none of them have played, teach them.  If there is a game you had when you were a kid, pull it out and see just how much better you are at it!

    Do you remember the old Operation game? Well now it’s a bit more “hi-tech” with green goober stuff to pull out!  I NEVER was very good at Operation as a kid, but honestly, I pulled every single item out in one turn without getting buzzed!  Who knew age and patience could play such a factor?

    Go ahead, challenge your kids to something new!  Winner get’s ice cream! Or hot chocolate if you live in Chicago like we do!!

    Topics: Uncategorized | No Comments »

    Santa’s Whiskers

    By The Cook | December 24, 2008

    Is there anything better for Christmas Eve than “Santa’s Whiskers”?? Even though in my humblest of opinions…a cherry macaroon looks far more like his cherry nose with the coconut as his whiskers…these look nothing like I thought they would! But fun and interesting, and if nothing else…the name is right!!

    Ingredients

    1 cup butter or margarine, softened
    1 cup granulated sugar
    2 tablespoons milk
    1 teaspoon vanilla or rum extract
    2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
    1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
    1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons finely chopped red candied cherries
    1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons finely chopped green candied cherries
    3/4 cup flaked sweetened coconut

    Directions

    1. In a mixing bowl, using an electric mixer at medium speed, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add milk and vanilla or rum extract, blending well. Stir in flour, pecans, and red and green candied cherries.
    2. Shape dough into two 8-inch rolls. Roll in coconut. Wrap in plastic wrap or wax paper and freeze until firm.
    3. Preheat oven to 375*F (190*C).
    4. Unwrap rolls and cut into 1/4-inch slices. Place slices 2-inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets.
    5. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

    Makes 5 dozen.

    Topics: December Cookies, Dessert | No Comments »

    My Letter To Santa!!

    By The Cook | December 23, 2008

    Dear Santa,

    I’ve been a good mom all year. I’ve fed, cleaned and cuddled my children on demand, visited the doctor’s office more than my doctor, sold sixty-two cases of candy bars to raise money to plant a shade tree on the school playground. I was hoping you could spread my list out over several Christmases, since I had to write this letter with my son’s red crayon, on the back of a receipt in the laundry room between cycles, and who knows when I’ll find anymore free time in the next 18 years.

    Here are my Christmas wishes:

    I’d like a pair of legs that don’t ache (in any color, except purple, which I already have) and arms that don’t hurt or flap in the breeze; but are strong enough to pull my screaming child out of the candy aisle in the grocery store.

    I’d also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the seventh month of my pregnancy.

    If you’re hauling big ticket items this year I’d like fingerprint resistant windows and a radio that only plays adult music; a television that doesn’t broadcast any programs containing talking animals; and a refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the phone.

    On the practical side, I could use a talking doll that says, “Yes, Mommy” to boost my parental confidence, along with two kids who don’t fight and three pairs of jeans that will zip all the way up without the use of power tools.

    I could also use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting “Don’t eat in the living room” and “Take your hands off your brother,” because my voice seems to be just out of my childrens hearing range and can only be heard by the dog.

    If it’s too late to find any of these products, I’d settle for enough time to brush my teeth and comb my hair in the same morning, or the luxury of eating food warmer than room temperature without it being served in a Styrofoam container.

    If you don’t mind, I could also use a few Christmas miracles to brighten the holiday season. Would it be too much trouble to declare ketchup a vegetable? It will clear my conscience immensely. It would be helpful if you could coerce my children to help around the house without demanding payment as if they were the bosses of an organized crime family.

    Well, Santa, the buzzer on the dryer is ringing and my son saw my feet under the laundry room door. I think he wants his crayon back. Have a safe trip and remember to leave your wet boots by the door and come in and dry off so you don’t catch cold. Help yourself to cookies on the table but don’t eat too many or leave crumbs on the carpet.

    Yours Always,

    MOM…!

    P.S. One more thing…you can cancel all my requests if you can keep my children young enough to believe in Santa.

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    Topics: My Thoughts | No Comments »

    Magic Reindeer Food!!

    By The Cook | December 19, 2008

    INGREDIENTS

    DIRECTIONS

    Drop the oats and the glitter into the ziplock bag and close it!! Pretty tough huh!!

    You can make a cute little cards to go with them explaining what to do. Here is the poem that came with the Reindeer Food in the picture.

    Sprinkle on the lawn at night
    The moon will make it sparkle bright
    As Santa’s reindeer fly and roam
    This will guide them to your home.

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    Topics: Family Fun, Friday Fun | No Comments »

    Peanute Butter ONLY Cookies

    By The Cook | December 12, 2008


    I must say…I was a doubter! Why? Just take a look at the recipe for these babies…there is no flour! But, I have to say…they are impossibly possible! They taste so good (unless you over cook them, then pass them to the boys for hockey pucks) and they are so moist and squishy!

    My husband’s favorite cookie is the Peanut Butter cookie, and these…are his favorite! Enjoy!

    Ingredients

    Direction

    Do not brown, do not over bake.

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    Topics: December Cookies, Dessert | 2 Comments »

    Fudgey Crinkles

    By The Cook | December 11, 2008

    These were one of my favorite cookies of my “single” years!  Since then, I’ve never made them again.  How bad is that?  But now with snow on the ground, and baking cookies in the air…methinks it’s time to dust off the recipe and make some.  I’m not even sure my kids have ever tried them!

    Ingredients

    * 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    * 2 cups white sugar
    * 1/2 cup vegetable oil
    * 4 eggs
    * 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    * 2 cups all-purpose flour
    * 2 teaspoons baking powder
    * 1/2 teaspoon salt
    * 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

    Directions

    1. In a medium bowl, mix together cocoa, white sugar, and vegetable oil. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into the cocoa mixture. Cover dough, and chill for at least 4 hours.
    2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Roll dough into one inch balls. I like to use a number 50 size scoop. Coat each ball in confectioners’ sugar before placing onto prepared cookie sheets.
    3. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Let stand on the cookie sheet for a minute before transferring to wire racks to cool.

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    Topics: December Cookies, Dessert | 1 Comment »

    Pumpkin Chocolate Chip

    By The Cook | December 10, 2008


    I have always been a huge fan of anything pumpkin! It’s just Autumn to me! I don’t always like all of the spices that go along with it, but a good pumpkin touched with cinnamon…YUM!

    INGREDIENTS

    * 1/2 cup shortening
    * 1 1/2 cups white sugar
    * 1 egg
    * 1 cup canned pumpkin
    * 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    * 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
    * 1 teaspoon baking powder
    * 1 teaspoon baking soda
    * 1 teaspoon salt
    * 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
    * 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    * 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
    * 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

    DIRECTIONS

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
    2. In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the pumpkin and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon; gradually mix into the creamed mixture. Stir in the walnuts and chocolate chips. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.
    3. Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until light brown. Cool on wire racks.

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    Topics: December Cookies, Dessert | No Comments »

    Sugar Snowmen

    By The Cook | December 9, 2008


    Look at these awesomely cute babies! Can I just say I will be making these for Christmas Eve as well as for my youngest’s pre-school Christmas Party.

    What is so cool with these cookies…you can make them as simply as you want to. There are ready made sugar cookie doughs in the refrigerated section of your grocery stores. There are sugar cookie mixes in your baking aisle. BUT…if you are a stickler (like me) for the amazing flavor of a homemade sugar cookie…I’ve got a recipe for you too! Frosting? Again, just as easy or difficult as you wish. Store bought or your favorite buttercream frosting recipe…you choose!

    What makes these cookies so easy? It’s just a cut circle! I’m not going to list the candies you’ll need—take a look at the photo’s and see how you would like to dress up your own cookies. What a fun cookie to have your kids help with. They’ll LOVE IT!

    Sugar Cookies

    Ingredients

    * 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
    * 3/4 teaspoon salt
    * 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
    * 3/4 cup sugar
    * 1 large egg
    * 1 teaspoon vanilla

    Directions

    Whisk together flour and salt in a small bowl.

    Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes in a stand mixer or 6 minutes with a handheld. Beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture, mixing until just combined.

    Form dough into 2 balls and flatten each into a 6-inch disk. Chill disks, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.

    Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.

    Roll out 1 disk of dough (keep remaining dough chilled) into an 8 1/2-inch round (1/4 inch thick) on a well-floured surface with a well-floured rolling pin. (If dough becomes too soft to roll out, rewrap in plastic and chill until firm.) Cut out as many cookies as possible from dough with cutters and transfer to 2 ungreased large baking sheets, arranging cookies about 1 inch apart.

    Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until edges are golden, 10 to 12 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

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    Topics: December Cookies, Dessert, Destinations, Dinner | No Comments »

    Snickerdoodles

    By The Cook | December 8, 2008

    These simple cookies are definitely one of my favorites of all time. When I was younger I was not as big a fan of these cookies as I was for the gooey chocolate chip. But now that I’m older I must say, I LOVE that they aren’t a sweet sweet cookie. There are times I can taste the egg–which isn’t my favorite. The most important rule with Snickerdoodles…DO NOT OVER COOK THEM! Honestly, slightly undercooked is far better than too cooked. But these are so good and so easy…I may just make them tomorrow!!

    INGREDIENTS

    DIRECTIONS

    1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
    2. Cream together butter, shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar, the eggs and the vanilla. Blend in the flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt. Shape dough by rounded spoonfuls into balls.
    3. Mix the 2 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon. Roll balls of dough in mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
    4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until set but not too hard. Remove immediately from baking sheets.

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    Topics: December Cookies, Dessert | 1 Comment »

    Hazelnut Wedding Cookies

    By The Cook | December 7, 2008

    Have you ever had these powdered sugar dusted hazelnut cookies? I grew up knowing them as “Wedding Cookies”, but with the dusting of snow white, they are a great Christmas cookie too. And honestly, PRETTY DARN easy to make! What is your favorite Christmas Cookie Recipe??

    Ingredients

    2 cups all-purpose flour
    1/2 teaspoon table salt
    2 sticks butter, softened
    1 cup powdered sugar, plus additional for coating
    1 tablespoon vanilla extract
    1 3/4 cups hazelnuts, toasted and finely chopped

    Directions

    Heat oven to 325 degrees F and arrange racks in upper and lower third. Combine flour and salt in a medium bowl and whisk until aerated and evenly combined; set aside.

    Place butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add sugar and vanilla and continue to mix until whipped and light, about 2 more minutes.

    Add half of the nuts and mix until evenly incorporated and nuts are broken up, about 1 minute. Add flour and mix until well combined, about 1 minute. Remove bowl from mixer and stir in remaining nuts.

    Shape dough into 1 tablespoon balls and place on baking sheets, spaced at least 1 inch apart. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until underside of cookies are brown, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes on baking sheets.

    Meanwhile, place some powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Once the cookies have cooled, roll them in the powdered sugar until just coated and tap off excess. Let cool completely and recoat in powdered sugar, tapping off excess sugar, before serving.

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    Topics: December Cookies, Dessert | No Comments »

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