Small gift box filled with Chocolate Kisses

 These are great gifts for someone you just want to make feel special.  The size is perfect for chocolate kisses.

Stampin Up sells these box kits.  You put them together and decorate them the way you want.  I don't think they sell this one anymore but they always seem to sell some kind of box. 

Click here to see the latest boxes

You say Over Baked cookies~ I say round Granola Bars

Last week when I was baking cookies, I decided to turn the oven off and let them sit in there for a couple more minutes because they weren't quite done.  That would have worked out perfect if I hadn't forgot about them and went shopping for a hour.  When I got back from the store my house smelled so good.  Like someone was baking fresh cookies, OMG my cookies, I forgot about them.  I ran to the oven to see if I could save them.  They weren't burnt but they were brown and looked like they were as hard as a rock.  I got them off the cookie sheet and in to the refrigerator.  I wanted stop the cooking process and hopefully these cookies were be great for dunking into a glass of milk.    They were bad cookies but great granola bars, you know the hard bars...not soft and chewy.

Rhonda's Salsa

Ingredients

3- 14.5oz  cans of diced tomatoes (drained)
3 4 chipotle jalapenos
2 garlic cloves
3/4 bunch of cilantro
2 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 yellow onion
5 broiled green chili's or 1 small can (4 oz drained)
1 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika

I blend all the ingredients except the green chili's.  I put them in last so the salsa is a little chunky

*If  you like more salt, pepper or cumin, add it one 1/2 teaspoon at a time.

*** This was the first time I put fresh green chili's in my recipe. I lined the cookie sheet with foil and then put the green chili's on top of the foil. Next, I broiled them until they were all black. Then I took them out of the oven and wrapped the green chili's up in the foil. Now they are being steamed and the skins will come off easily. I seeded the chili's and peeled the skin off. I decided to put all the blackened skin in the salsa to see how it taste. It was good, I actually couldn't taste the difference, maybe I needed more. I just like the look of black specks in the salsa.

Thanks for spending some of your day with me, Rhonda

Tortilla Soup

I decided to make Tortilla Soup with the leftover meat I had from making tamales. 

Recipe

4 cups cooked and shredded pork or chicken

5 cups of water

1 can black beans

1 cup frozen corn

2 chicken bouillions cubes

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon paprika

2 teaspoon chili powder

1/3 cup cheddar cheese

1/2 red bell pepper diced

1 yellow onion chopped
4 oz can of diced green chili's

Add all the ingredients except the cooked chicken into a large pot and cook for 45 minues on medium heat.  Add the cooked chicken and cook for another 20 minutes.
Salt to taste, remember the tortilla chip are salty.

Garnish with crushed tortilla chips, cilantro, sour cream,cheddar
cheese,  green onions and lime.

Rice Crispy Sushi

Kids and some adults go crazy for Rice Crispy Sushi.

 Click here for the directions There are a lot of different ways to make sushi.  I have tried them all and they are all great.
Click here to see a great you tube video with instructions.

Directions
1.  I made Rice Crispy treats and rolled them out to 3/4 in. thick
2.  Then I used a glass or a round cookie cutter and cut them into circles.
3.  I use butter or powdered sugar to work with the rice crispy.  It keeps them from sticking to your cookie cutter or round glass.
4.  I wrapped a fruit roll up (foot long) around them, topped them with a Swedish fish  and tied
another thin strip of the foot long roll up around the sushi.
 I found that tying the knot is hard and now
I just tuck the fruit roll up string under the sushi.  It is much easier.

Tamales

I finally made tamales by myself.  I have always been afraid to take on such a big task.    I cooked the pork and chicken on Thursday.  I soaked the corn husk and made the masa on Friday.  It was such a disaster, everything went wrong.  It was probably one of my biggest cooking nightmares.  When I was measuring the masa I couldn't remember how many cups of corn flour I put in the bowl, so after that I was just winging it. I added more broth,  that didn't help, now I have to add more corn flour.  The mixture still wasn't right, so I added more lard.  I just couldn't get the consistency right, and never did!   So, I was having a hard time spreading the masa and then the meat juice was dripping all over.  I was just too tired to deal with it.  At 8:00 p.m. I had decided to just make the one batch (about 12) and throw the masa and husk away.  And I don't throw food away!I   That is just how bad it was.  I just couldn't roll one more tamale.
  

The first batch was steamed and ready to eat.   They were sooo delicious after I  made a couple Rhondafications.  This is the problem I had,  the meat mixture was runny so I couldn't put enough meat in the tamale.  So, I just put some of the left over meat on top of the tamale and added sour cream.  Who doesn't add sour cream and cheese to Mexican recipes.   

So, I refrigerated the masa and meat mixture and put the corn husk away until Sunday.  Sunday I had to soak the husk again.  I had no problem spreading the masa on the husk and the meat wasn't as juicy.   I don't know what happened.  But working with the  cold masa and meat mixture was much easier.  Who Knew? I don't know if that will always be the case but it was that day.
The corn flour I used was Meseca Masa Harina.  I have a lot left over so you know I will be posting pictures of my homemade corn tortilla's soon.  I just need a couple weeks to recover from the tamales.  Click here for the tamale recipe.  I did make a lot of Rhondifcations but that is because I can't help myself. 

Carnation Cake

Now for the Crafty Corner Section of my blog.   I found this great guy Jonathan Fong on YouTube.  I have watched all his Wow-To Video's and they are all great.  I did my usual Rhondafication and used fake flowers instead, and love it.  I do think real flowers are so beautiful and will really make someone feel special on their special day.  Click here to watch his video, enjoy!  You can judge for yourself  real flowers or fake?
Thanks for spending some of your day with me, Rhonda

Strawberry Pretzel Jello

This jello recipe is a Gartner Family favorite.

Layer 1
1- 6 oz box of strawberry jello
2 cups boiling water
16 to 20 oz. of frozen sliced strawberries (sweeten or unsweeten)
Layer 2
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
8 oz. Cool Whip
1/2 powdered sugar
Layer 3
1 1/2 cups crushed pretzels
3/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup sugar

Mix strawberry jello and boiling water together, add sliced frozen strawberries.  Refrigerate overnight or until firm.  Next make the cream cheese mixture... make sure cream cheese is soft or it will be lumpy.  If this happens it is fine but doesn't look as good.  Refrigerate again.  I usually make the pretzel topping 3 hours before we are going to eat it.  That way the pretzels are crunchy. 

M.O.D. Crispy Chocolate Chip cookies and almost fell on the ground

Since I am the "Master of Disaster," .  I decided to start sharing some of my M.O.D. moments with you guys.   So, here is a picture of a cookie sheet with 1 cookie out of place.  Can you look at the picture and figure out what happened?  If you guessed that when I pressed the cookie onto the sheet the pan almost fell off the counter, that would be correct.
 Anyways, I was able to save the cookies to only over cook them.  I took them off the cookie sheet right away and rushed them into the refrigerator.  I needed to stop the cooking process.  It worked, they are crispy but this delicious.  Oh~ not to mention they don't look good at all.

Apple Boats

             

It was my turn to bring snacks for the boys on my sons soccer team and we could only bring fruit.  I felt really limited because I wanted the boys to be excited to get my snack but didn't think fruit would do the trick.   So, I went to my favorite website for help.  I couldn't believe it when I saw these Peanut Butter stuffed apples and Baked Meringue Apples on her Website.  I thought that was a brilliant idea.  I made a couple modifications or should I say Rhondifications and I had the best snacks for the boys.  I have an icecream scoop from Pampered Chef that was perfect for scooping out the perfect amount of apple and then I feel the apples with strawberries and raspberries.  Next time I will use grapes and blueberries.  I wrapped them indivually and passed them out to the boys.  Thank God I brought extras because even the parents wanted snacks that day.  Coach Neil went gaga over these Apples, he called them Apple Boats and name stuck.  So, next time you have Snack Duty, give these Apple Boats a try.

Baked French Toast

Recipe adapted from The Pioneer Woman 

Baked French Toast  

• 1 loaf Crusty French Bread 
• 8 whole Eggs
• 2 cups Whole Milk
• 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
• Warm Syrup optional
• Sprinkle Powdered sugar on top of your slice.
• butter for greasing the pan

*** I used a loaf of Cinnamon Raisin Bread instead of crusty French bread...it tasted great.

Ree's recipe has a topping but I didn't want the extra calories since I thought the Baked French Toast tasted great without it.   Click here for her recipe

Preparation Instructions

For the French toast: Grease the baking pan with butter. Cut bread into cubes or tear into chunks,  and evenly distribute in the pan. Crack the eggs in a big bowl. Whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. Pour evenly over the bread. Cover the pan tightly and store in the fridge until needed (overnight preferably). Or you can make it and bake it right away.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Bake for 45 minutes for a softer, more bread pudding texture or for 1 hour-plus or more for a firmer, crisper texture.

After you have plated the french toast you can sprinkle with Powdered Sugar, syrup is optional.  Since I used the Cinnamon bread in place of the french bread.  I think the syrup makes it too sweet.

Nestle Toll House

  World's Greatest Chocolate Chip Cookie

                           Recipe adapted from Nestle Toll House

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 1 Cup Butter (softened) and 1 cup Crisco Shortening
• 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs
• 4 cups  NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• Add  1/2 cup M&M for color (optional) 

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

PAN COOKIE VARIATION: Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan. Prepare dough as above. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack. Makes 4 dozen bars.

SLICE AND BAKE COOKIE VARIATION:
PREPARE dough as above. Divide in half; wrap in waxed paper. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. Shape each half into 15-inch log; wrap in wax paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.* Preheat oven to 375° F. Cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices; place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

 

I use a Pampered Chef  Medium Scoop, this makes it super easy and the cookies are all the same shape. 

FOR HIGH ALTITUDE BAKING (5,200 feet): Increase flour to 2 1/2 cups. Add 2 teaspoons water with flour and reduce both granulated sugar and brown sugar to 2/3 cup each. Bake drop cookies for 8 to 10 minutes and pan cookie for 17 to 19 minutes.

* May be stored in refrigerator for up to 1 week or in freezer for up to 8 weeks.

Cranberry Pecan Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup Crisco® Butter Flavor All-Vegetable Shortening
• 3/4  cup sugar
• 3/4  cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 2   large eggs
• 2  teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Flour
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 1  teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4  teaspoon salt
• 2 3/4  cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1  cup dried cranberries
• 1  cup chopped walnuts - I didn’t have walnuts so I used pecans

PREPARATION DIRECTIONS:

1. HEAT oven to 350ºF. Coat baking sheets with no-stick cooking spray.
2. BEAT shortening, sugar and brown sugar in large bowl at medium speed of electric mixer until blended. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in small bowl. Beat into shortening mixture until smooth. Stir in oats, dried cranberries and walnuts. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2-inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
3. BAKE 10 to 12 minutes or until light brown.