MERRY Christmas!

My kitchen is weeping (Like a little girl) after looking at all the fantastic goodies that Santa brought for it to play with.

Holy McMoley! Do you know how many things that I have made in my head? Countless, I tell you!

We also got some organization cabinets to organize his Army stuff and my kitchen stuff. And so you know how it goes. When you are cleaning is when your house is at the absolute worst! Add into that unpacking from a 11 day vacation and Christmas. That makes for my house looking like your scariest nightmare! It's insane!

BUT, whenever we get it all together I will be cooking up a STORM!

Folks, I hope that your Christmas was full of the Spirit and lots of good eats!

It's like a chocolate milk shake

only it's hot! ~Nicole

This hot chocolate recipe is insanely good. It's super easy and should be added to your Christmas traditions. It would be a great Christmas Eve/Morning family thing.

This recipe is also just one more in a LONG list of reasons why I love my crockpot!

Here's what you need:

I always think that there is one special thing in a recipe that is the secret ingredient. Every part of this recipe is the secret ingredient. Seriously don't leave anything out!

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 can sweetened condensed milk

2 cups milk chocolate chips (the whole bag)

6 cups of milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

I used whole milk and the second go round I used semi sweet chocolate chips. I think that you could change up the milk you use and the chips. The hubs LOVES dark chocolate so I want to try that!

Anywho, dump everything in the crockpot and put on low for about two hours. I like to give it a stir about half way through to see how the chocolate is coming along. If it's still a ways away from being a lovely melty state then put it up to high.

It's going to need a little bit of whisking to get everything incorporated.

Add your marshmellows or whipped cream and you have heaven in a cup.

The little bits of chocolate are sooo delicious!

Seriously, if you take this to your Christmas party or family gathering you will get hugs and presents. It is so easy but so delicious. People rarely take the time to make hot chocolate that doesn't involve an envelope anymore. It's simple and fool proof and is so much better than the Swiss Miss.

Santa will thank you!

Gingerbread Bites

I haven't been able to do much baking lately much to my disapointment.
I was pretty happy to make some dough today. This is my first gingerbread dough and I'm pretty happy with it.
The idea for this came from Pinterest via this website. The premise for these are Gingerbread Cheesecake Bites. I don't think that title is quite right. It doesn't have the feel of cheesecake to me. It's for sure cream cheesy, just not cheesecake-like. I will play around a bit with the cheesecake part and try it again. So for now this is just Gingerbread Bites!

Here's what you'll need:

Gingerbread Bites

Gingerbread Dough

*Can be used for a gingerbread cookie, this dough will hold up nicely to those lovely cookie cutters you have!*

3 3/4 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup molasses

1 stick butter, softened

2 eggs

2 tsp ground ginger

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

Cheesecake Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese

4 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat to 350

Let's Bake!

  

Cream brown sugar and butter until combined.

It's important that the butter be softened. It will incorporate and look like this.

Add eggs and molasses. Mix well!

As I have said before I am sort of a molasses snob, so I should let you know that I used blackstrap molasses. Feel free to use the kind that you like!

Add your spices and then slowly add in flour. The dough will become stiff and pull away from the bowl. Put the dough in the fridge for at least 20 minutes that will help it stiffen up a little more.

Now roll the dough into teaspoon sized balls.

Make a well in your cookie dough. Pampered Chef makes a nifty little thing just for this purpose but I don't have one. I just used a small spoon!

For the filling

Combine powdered sugar, cream cheese and vanilla extract

I would suggest putting this in the fridge for a little while too. Otherwise you will (like I did) make a mess all over the kitchen.

Put the cream cheese mixture into a ziploc back and snip off a corner for a throw away pastry bag. Pipe mixture into each.

Bake for 10 minutes and let cool!

These are great little bites! The cookie is delicious and surprisingly moist for a gingerbread.

Make sure to let them cool or else they will make a mess!

These are great little Christmas cookies!

Thanksgiving snafu

So, I cooked and cooked and cooked stuff for Thanksgiving.

I took all the pictures of the prep work and did so good of doing each step. THEN I forgot to take the finished product. UGGG.

Good news is that I need to make it all over again!

Research and Development and I have been working on this recipe for a while. He is not a fan of nuts in anything. He'll eat a peanut or an almond and such but he doesn't like it in his food. Sweet Potato Souffle usually has nuts in it.

It was a bright awakening finding a sweet potato around here. I'm from eastern NC. North Carolina is the leading state for sweet potato growing. At home you can get beautiful sweet potatoes anytime you want them and they are CHEAP. Never, ever ever have I ever before paid $.68 a pound for sweet potatoes. That.was.insane! At home there are times when you can get them for $.08 a pound back home.
Anyway! Since we're Tarheels at heart we LOVE sweet potatoes.

Here's what you need:

Sweet Potato Souffle (or casserole is you prefer)

4 cups cubed sweet potato

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 tsp salt

4 tbsp butter, softened

1/2 cup milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Topping:

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup all purpose flour

3 tbsp butter, softened

1/2 cup chopped pecans (if you like, we do not)

Preheat to 325

Your cooking time will depend on the size of your cubes.

My cubes usually take about 20 minutes of boiling!

Boil your lovely cubes.

Take your lovely masher and mash your potatoes. How much you mash with your masher is up to you. You can have chunky potatoes if you like, or smooth. Decide for yourself.

Add sugar,

Eggs,

 salt, butter, milk and vanilla. Mix well!

Spray your dish and add the mixture! (Yes, yes that is marshmellows in the background!)

Now for the topping!

Brown sugar, flour and butter.

I tried this once with melted butter, I will not let you make this mistake.

Just sort of mix together.

Incorporate. Then you will sprinkle this mixture over the potatoes.

This turns into a crispy surprise. It's like a candy shell, you won't regret it.

Cook for about 25 minutes or so.

Now, if you aren't a marshmellow person just cook it for another 10 minutes or so.

Add the marshmellows! Cook another 10 minutes.

Sorry about this picture. It's like a mug shot for souffle. Normally I would have left for another 2 or 3 minutes for the golden browness, but I was feeling rather impatient.

I need you to make this so you can taste it.

The sweet potatoes are delicious. That little bit of vanilla makes all the difference in the world. The little crispy layer adds just that crunch and it's hidden beneath the marshmellows and that makes it a sneaky little crunch!

When we make this I warm it up for breakfast in the mornings!

This.is.serious.

Very, very serious!

The following post is my secret weapon.

I have about 3 secret weapons, this is the most closely guarded.

My secret weapon is Molasses Cookies.

They are loved by all, even if you don't know it yet...you love these cookies.

It's very important to follow the directions just as they say. If you leave out anything they don't come out just so. They are not hard, just specific. Ok, you ready??

Molasses Crinkle Cookies

1 cup very soft butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup your choice molasses*

1/2 cup dry milk powder

2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

2 1/2 cup all purpose flour

*You may not be a health food store freak like me, so let me explain. There are a ton of different kinds of molasses. Molasses are GREAT for you. For me, when my iron is low I try to add a bit of molasses to my diet. I like molasses milk instead of chocolate milk! ANYWHO, use the molasses you like! It's amazing how very different the cookies taste with different types of molasses. If you are new to molasses I suggest you just use a random variety from the grocery (Like Karo would be fine). If you are a molasses pro, go with the blackstrap molasses. Your cookies will be SOOO moist and rich! But I think if you're not used to the rich, thick blackstrap molasses it might be shocking for you.*

Let's get started!

Cream the butter and brown sugar until it's smooth. The softer the butter the easier this will be.

Just beat until well incorporated.

I always have dry milk powder at home. I have found no other use for it than the cookies!

Add your dry milk, egg and molasses. Mix those well.

Add your baking soda, salt and spices. Then add your flour a little at a time. Dough should be very stiff.

Now, put the dough in the fridge for at least 20 minutes. Longer would be better. You want this dough super cold. If you try to roll out the dough before it's cold, you will regret it.

See the difference? It is so easy after the dough is cold.

Here's what you do:

Spoon out some dough and roll into a ball. I took these cookies to a gathering, so I went with a teaspoon of dough for easy pick up. They are beautiful cookies, they always come out looking perfect and not all crazy shaped.

You roll the cookies in granulated sugar.

Then place about 2 inches apart on your sprayed cookie sheet!

Put a drop of water on each cookie. Here's what I do, I put my finger in water and just put a little indent in the cookie. It makes them come out perfectly shaped. Not alot of water here, just a drop.

Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes!

MMMM, sooo good!

They are truly delicious!

They are what the hubs wanted after Basic!

Molasses Crinkle Cookies

1 cup very soft butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup your choice molasses*

1/2 cup dry milk powder

2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

2 1/2 cup all purpose flour

Preheat to 375˚

Cream the butter and brown sugar.

Add dry milk, egg and molasses, mix well.

Add baking soda, salt and spices. Add flour gradually.

Beat until it has a dough like consistency.

Put dough in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.

Spoon out dough and roll into a ball and then roll in granulated sugar until coated.

Put on cookie sheet and add a drop of water on each cookie.

Bake for 10-12 minutes.

You need this in your life!

Oh boy! I cannot wait for you to read and try this. God Bless Pinterest!

I had a Butternut Squash that I had to do something with and pinterest was up to the job!

So here's what we're going to make (We as in you too!) You need it, no kidding!

Roasted Butternut Squash Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter Sauce!

This sounds fancy schmancy, but it is so easy! If you take this to an event you will be hailed a hero and master chef (that's what I'm going for anyway).

Here's what you need:

1 butternut squash

olive oil

1/2 cup parmesean

1/2 tsp nutmeg

pasta dough (don't freak out, it's easy and the recipe is below, seriously stick with me here)

2 tbsp ground sage (or about 12 sage leaves)

1 stick of butter (channel Paula)

OK, let's get started!
PreHeat to 425 degrees!

This is the hardest part folks. Take your peeler and peel the squash.

Cut in half and scoop out the stuffin's!

Cube the squash, try to keep with a consistant size. Drizzle with EVOO and a little S&P. Another requirement is to rock out on your pink iPhone to Pandora!

Cook for 25 minutes!

Oh, what a great color!

Add the nutmeg, parmesean and S&P. The Squash is tender enough that just stirring will make the squash the consistency of mashed potatoes.

Your filling is ready!

Now to the pasta dough, here's what you need:

2 cups flour

3 eggs

That's it, for real!

Flour

I added the eggs one at a time. You will have to mix and using a spoon push the flour into the mixture. Mix until the dough has formed a ball:

Amazingly quick and easy!

I don't have a pasta roller (yet) so I just rolled out the dough. Get it as think as you can without having holes in the dough.

With a biscuit cutter cut a cute little circle. Add a little squash and brush with a little water on the edge of the circle.

Pinch around the edge to secure. I started with these half circles but changed to having a piece of dough, squash and a piece of dough on top. I liked those better. Still the same concept.

In the mean time, in a pan add your sage and stick of butter and melt. You want the butter to turn to a beautiful shade of brown.

Now that you have your ravioli, drop into boiling water. Be sure your water is salted. It only takes between 2 and 3 minutes for the ravioli to be done. When the ravioli pops to the surface, it's done.

From the pot, but your ravioli into the pan with the brown butter sage sauce.

That's IT! It's really easier than you think! AND SOOOOO delicious!

You could easily use this as an entree and be fully satisfied. We made it a side item!

It was just as good as it looks.

I am so excited about making my own ravioli.

Here's what you do to freeze it. Make the pasta, don't cook it!

Lightly flour the biggest sized cookie sheet that will fit in your freezer and line up your ravioli on the cookie sheet. Once the pasta is frozen you can stack them in a freezer safe bowl and they won't stick together. Just take them out of the freezer, put them in boiling water for about 3 - 5 minutes. What a great, easy, quick dinner for those nights where you're in a hurry!

Try it, tell me how it was!