Rootbeer Cookies

Indeed. These things are delish! I'm not a fan of rootbeer when I'm just drinking it, but I love these cookies. They are really soft and really tasty. I also like that whenever I've taken them to a party or somewhere people aren't expecting the rootbeer flavor when they bite into them. A very pleasant surprise indeed!

from the kitchen of

Nancy Jackson

Ingredients (Cookies)

• 1 c. butter
• 2 c. brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 c. buttermilk
• 3/4 tsp rootbeer concentrate (Make sure if you're using a bottle of concentrate that has already been in your cupboard for awhile that it isn't old. I've known people who have used old concentrate and they end up pouring almost the entire bottle in before they get even a hint of rootbeer flavor. That and the color doesn't turn out nearly right.)
• 4 c. flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
  
  

Ingredients (Frosting)

• 3 1/2 c. powdered sugar
• 3/4 c. butter
• 3 Tbsp water
• 1 1/4 tsp rootbeer concentrate
  
  
  

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients for the cookies in a large bowl or in a KitchenAid.
2. Drop the dough onto a greased cookie sheet (about a tablespoon size of dough balls) and bake for 10-12 minutes at 375 degrees.
3. While the cookies are baking, place the dough in the refrigerator. (It is good to keep your cookie dough in the refrigerator between batches to keep the dough firm.) Combine all the ingredeints for the frosting in a medium bowl and mix together well, whether it be with your KitchenAid or an electric hand mixer.
4. Frost the cookies after they have been given time to cool. Enjoy!

Bowtie Grape Salad

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! We sure did. Lots of family, food, and fun. I can imagine all the yummy treats that were made by all of you and all the happy people who got to eat them!

We had a party on Christmas Eve with my husband's family. The entree for the meal was pulled pork sandwiches, so I brought this pasta salad. This recipe is from my sister-in-law and it is really yummy!

from the kitchen of

Angie Sargent

Ingredients

• 12 oz. bag bowtie pasta, cooked and drained (I used a standard box of pasta - 16 oz - and it worked just fine for this recipe.)
• 4 c. grapes, sliced in half
• 2 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
• 1/2 can cashews
• 1 bottle of your favorite poppy seed salad dressing (Our favorite is Brianna's - it is awesome! You can find it with the other salad dressings at any grocery store.)
  

Directions

1. Make sure all your ingredients are prepped and ready to go. (Pasta cooked and drained, chicken cooked and cubed, and grapes sliced in half.)
2. Toss the pasta with the chicken, grapes, and the poppy seed dressing. Chill for at least an hour.
3. Add cashews right before serving so they don't get soggy.

If you would rather make your poppy seed dressing from scratch and not use a bottled dressing, here is a good recipe for that:

• 1 red onion, quartered
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp poppy seeds
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 c. vinegar
• 3/4 tsp ground mustard
• 1 1/2 c. oil

In a blender combine a quarter of the red onion and all other ingredients. Blend well and add the rest of the onion. Don't blend this onion in, it will just sit in the dressing to give it extra flavor. Chill the dressing overnight. Before you use it, remove the 3/4 of the onion you added at the end. And that's it!

Hot Spinach & Artichoke Dip

I don't know what it is about a good spinach and artichoke dip. It's one of my favorite things to order as an appetizer at restaurants. I found this recipe from Knorr and realized it's not only delicious, but I can make it at home when I want it instead of heading across town to get some at a restaurant. Can't beat that! I served this dip at my family's Christmas party on Sunday and everyone really liked it.

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I wanted to serve this dip with a large baguette that I would slice, but my husband found one better at Albertson's. They had bags of already sliced baguette and they were the perfect size. I didn't even have to go through the effort to slice it! It was so soft and perfect for the dip. Talk about a time saver!

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This recipe makes four cups of dip.

from the kitchen of

Knorr brand soups

Ingredients

• 1 package (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 c. mayo
• 1 1/2 c. Monterey jack cheese
• 1 package Knorr vegetable recipe mix
• 1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients except 1/2 c. of cheese. Spoon dip into a 2-quart casserole dish, then top it with remaining 1/2 c. cheese.
2. Bake for 35 minutes (or until dip is hot) at 350 degrees.

Cinnamon Roasted Almonds

from the kitchen of

Birgit Kerr

via thepioneerwoman.com

You know the ones! These almonds are about the only thing worth going to a super busy mall during the holidays. There are other recipes for these almonds that call for beaten egg whites. However, I prefer to take the less maintenance approach where I don't have to turn on my oven. I wanted to cry when I saw this recipe!

All you need are five ingredients: sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, raw almonds, and water. I know, right? Awesome. (Thank you to the Pioneer Woman for the picture of the ingredients!)

Here's what you'll need:

• 1/3 c. and 2 Tbsp of water
• 1 c. and 1/3 c. sugar, divided
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 c. raw almonds

Lets get started! Now I have to tell you that this is not the simplest recipe. This is probably one of the tougher things I've made, but they are possible to make! It's all about timing. It took two tries before I got them right. And here is a tip: get everything all portioned out before you start making these. That way you'll be all ready and you can just grab for everything without trying to measure as you go. This is good to do anytime you're making something that is all about timing. Ready? Here we go!

1. Start by getting a medium-sized pot. I used my pot that doesn't have the long handle, usually used for pasta or a big batch of soup at our house. You will also need a big wooden spoon. Add all the water, cinnamon, and one cup of the sugar. Bring all of this to a boil over medium heat.
2. Next add the almonds and crank up the heat to high. And stir and stir and stir! For about 4 minutes you will want to keep stirring. Don't stop stirring!
3. After about 4 minutes the water will have begun to noticeably evaporate. The liquid will start to look like a syrup. If you can drag your spoon across the bottom of the pot and see the pot, you're there. The first time I did this I waited too long and the rest of the steps didn't work, so make sure you have that syrupy liquid in the bottom of the pot.
4. When you get to this point, lower the heat back to medium and add the vanilla and the rest of the sugar. Stir it around to get it incorporated. Yep, more stirring.
5. In about a minute the almonds will be coated with the mixture and the pot will start looking very dry. This is the time to remove them from the pot. After the first batch I made I realized this the hard way. The sugar will start to fall off if you don't take them out soon enough and there may be tears involved.
6. Pour them out onto a cookie sheet and spread them out so they can cool. And you're done! You'll soon be surrounded by children and/or your spouse begging to have some.

If you happen to have any leftover, wrap some up and give them away. You'll be sure to make some new friends, or maybe even a few besties.

Chicken Enchiladas & the Giveaway Winner!

And the winner is:

Britney O.

from Ammon, ID

I will be getting this super cute cookbook to you in the very near future!

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Thank you to all you girls for entering! All the treats you've been making look and sound amazing. I've had a few people ask if Cristy S. would be willing to share her recipe with us. That is completely up to you, Cristy! That fudge really did sound yummy!

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Ok, let's get to another recipe!

This is another one of my mom's recipes she made for us when we were younger. These chicken enchiladas are very easy and kid friendly. But if any of the veggies in this dish aren't too popular at your house you can definitely leave them out without affecting the taste too much. For example, my husband isn't a big fan of olives so I left them out. The green chilies are something you will want to have for flavor purposes. You can't even feel them in the dish, for those who dont' like the texture. You can also add veggies and I'm sure they'll be great!

This recipe makes 10 medium-sized enchiladas.

from the kitchen of

Rhonda O'Connor

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Ingredients

4 chicken breasts

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 small sour cream

1 small can green chilies

1 small can black olives, diced

2 c. cheddar cheese

2 c. Montery jack cheese

1 package medium tortillas (pkg of 10)

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Directions

1. Fill a large pot about 1/2 to 2/3 of the way full with water. Bring it to a boil and put the frozen or thawed chicken breasts in. Boil for 45 minutes to cook.
2. After boiling the chicken, place it on a plate and set aside to cool. When the chicken is cool enough to handle begin to shred it with a fork.
3. In a medium bowl mix 1 can of soup, half the sour cream, half the chilies, half the olives, and 1 cup of each of the cheeses. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl mix the other halves of the ingredients, including the last can of soup. Add the chicken to this mixture as well.
5. Spoon the shredded chicken mixture onto the tortillas and roll them up. I was able to fit about three spoons full on each tortilla. Roll up the tortillas and place them in a 9x13 baking pan to bake. (I prefer to use a glass pan for this dish.) As far as placing the enchiladas in the pan, I was able to fit nine rolls from top to bottom. Then I squoze the tenth roll on the side, as seen above in the picture.
6. Pour the mixture from the medium bowl over the rolled enchiladas and spread over everything. If you have extra chicken mixture you can also just spread it over the top to use it. After that mixture is spread, place the pan in the oven and bake uncovered for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
   

A Quick Little Giveaway!

I found this the other day and thought it should be part of a giveaway this year:

It is the Debbie Mumm "Old-Fashioned Holiday Recipes" cookbook and it is so fun! I had to get this for someone. Since Christmas is coming up soon I wanted to hurry and give this away. This giveaway will last just a couple of days this time so I can get it out before Christmas.

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To enter:

• Tell me your name and where you're from.
• Then tell me about something you'll be making for the holidays, whether it be for a party or a treat for the neighbors.
  

A winner will be drawn on Thursday, December 16!

And thanks for participating! I appreciate all of my followers and the comments I get about this blog. I love you all!

White Chocolate Crispies

I received the recipe for these delicious little things over the summer from my mother-in-law. My husband and I were preparing for a family reunion with my mom's family and I needed a treat to share with everyone. These were wildly popular! These krispies would make a great addition to your holiday treat plates for your neighbors. I thought about making these with holiday M&M's in them but haven't done it yet. So if anybody happens to give that a try, let me knwo how they turn out! A single batch makes about 40 crispies.

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from the kitchen of

Julie Miller

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Ingredients
2 pkgs white chocolate chips

4 c. rice crispies cereal

1 c. peanut butter (I use smooth, but crunchy would be good too)

3 c. mini marshmallows
1 medium bag of M&M's (optional but super amazing in these)

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Directions

1. Pour the white chocolate chips and peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl. Melt these two ingredients together by turning on the microwave for one minute, stirring, then about 30 more seconds. Then stir again till everything is smooth and melted together. If it needs more melting, only put it back in for 30 seconds or so. (Chocolate becomes really hard if it is over-cooked. Just like with no-bake cookies.)
2. Pour the marshmallows and cereal in a large bowl and mix them together. Then pour the chocolate mixture over the cereal and marshmallow mixture. Stir everything together so marshmallows and cereal are coated. Pour in the desired amount of M&M's you would like. I usually dump in at least half the bag! They're SO good in there, and you can be the judge of how much you would prefer in there. (The marshmallows are meant to be whole in these treats so don't expect them to melt.)
3. As like no-bake cookies, drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto wax paper and allow them to cool.

Chicken Caesar Sandwiches

We made these sandwiches for dinner the other night and they were so good! I was so glad when we had leftovers. If you like caesar dressing you will really like this sandwich. This recipe makes four sandwiches.

from the kitchen of

Allison Miller

Ingredients

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 large chicken breasts (or 3 small to medium ones)

1 Tbsp olive oil

8 slices of your favorite bread (I bought an Italian loaf at the Walmart bakery for $1.25. Awesome!)

3-4 c. romaine lettuce (I bought a bag of romaine lettuce and it worked great. I had leftover for other use.)
1/3 c. prepared caesar dressing (If you have a favorite, that's great! I really love Carino's caesar dressing so I bought a small container of it. If your favorite caesar dressing happens to be at a restaurant, chances are you can buy some from the restaurant.)

1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese

8 tomato slices

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Directions

1. Cut the chicken breasts into 1/4 inch slices. Heat the olive oil in a saute pan and add the garlic. Saute for 30 seconds or until you can smell the garlic.
2. Add the chicken and saute until it is cooked through (about 3-5 minutes). Turn off the heat and set aside.
3. Grill or broil the bread slices so they are nice and toasty, about 1 minute on each side.
4. In a bowl, toss together the chicken, caesar dressing, and parmesan cheese. Pile onto four of the slices of bread. Top with romaine lettuce and tomato slices, then cover with the other bread slices. If you have extra dressing and want a little more dressing on your sandwich, spread some dressing on the last piece of bread and place it on the sandwich.
5. Enjoy!

Oreo Truffles

I know, I'm such a slacker.

We're only five days into December and already we've had tons going on at our house! So many wonderful holiday experiences already. We also experienced some heart ache in our family this weekend. We're fortunate to have wonderful family members that are able to stick together during tough times. I love my twin sister and she is so strong.

Now on to a great recipe! This is a yummy holiday treat just in time for all those Christmas parties!

These little Oreo Truffles are small to the eye but huge in taste. I made these for a party last week and they didn't stay on the plate for long! You'll be having people asking you for this recipe when you bring them to your next party.

from the kitchen of

Jena Murri

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Ingredients

1 package mint cream Oreo cookies (regular Oreo's taste good too if you don't care for the mint)

1 package cream cheese

1 package Almond Bark, chocolate flavored

(Baker's white chocolate is also delicious!)

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Directions

1. The first step is to get everything prepped. Remove all the cookies from the package and finely chop them up. You can put them in a bag and break them up by hand. I recommend using a food chooper or processor, or a blender. I use the blender and push the "pulse" button till they turn to the powder that I need.
2. The cream cheese will need to be at room temperature, then microwave it for another 20 seconds so it is even creamier and easier to work with. Put the cookie crumbs in a large bowl and mix in the cream cheese till mixed well.
3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for about 30 minutes so the mix becomes more firm. While that is in the fridge, lay wax paper over a cookie sheet to use for later.
4. When the mix has become firm in the fridge, take it out and begin forming into little balls. You can make them whatever size you want, whether you want golf ball-sized truffles or truffles the size of a large button. I prefer the smaller truffles so they go farther. That and they're a little on the rich side so it would be tough to eat a larger one! Put the truffle balls on the wax paper on the cookie sheet and place in the freezer for about ten minutes. The texture will be helpful when coating with chocolate.
5. After the ten-minute freezing time it's time to melt the chocolate! Remove a couple of pieces of the Almond Bark to start melting. A lot of people have their favorite ways of melting chocolate. Whatever works for you is great! I prefer filling a sauce pan about 1/3 full with water and bringing it to a boil on the stove top. I place a glass bowl over the top of that and put the chocolate inside the bowl. The hot steam from the boiling water gets the bottom of the bowl hot and melts the chocolate. I like this way so I don't scald the chocolate when it's directly in the pan, or melt it in the microwave too much that it gets lumpy. This is what the glass bowl way looks like:
   

I'm able to control the chocolate better this way.
6. When the chocolate is melted, begin to coat the truffles. Roll them in the chocolate and coat them well, then place them back on the wax paper. Add more chocolate as you go and use as much as you need or want to use. I used all but two squares for this last batch I made.
7. After the truffles are coated, place them back in the fridge so the chocolate can cool. You'll notice that sitting out it already starts to cool and get hard. But these truffles need to be refrigerated or they'll soften too much. You'll want to keep them in the fridge until you need them.

And that's it! These are so yummy and will make you very popular.

PS A big thanks to slashfood.com for the picture of the Oreo Truffles!