3rd Annual Cookie Exchange 2014

We had so many good cookies, bars and fudge this year.  I am so glad I decided to add bars and candy to the selection, especially since Saltine Toffee is my favorite.

Below:
Teresa's Saltine Toffee and Ione's gingerbread cookies.

I filled a piping bag with 1 cup creamy peanut butter.

Next, I piped it on one ritz cracker and put another ritz cracker on top.  Making a ritz cracker sandwich.  Meanwhile I melted chocolate chips in my mini crock pot.  When all the chocolate was melted I dipped as much of the ritz sandwich as possible.  Then I topped with a (crushed ritz cracker). There is usually a small corner where my finger was that doesn't have chocolate, I use a knife and just spread the chocolate on the missed spots. 

Christmas 2017

Fourth Annual Cookie Exchange 

K Train's Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies

I don't know K-Train but I do like her cookies.

 My husband thinks they are the best.  Linda brought them to, "The 3rd Annual Cookie Exchange," and was nice enough to share this recipe.  I hear the Snicker Doodles are amazing so hopefully you will get that recipe next year from the 4th Annual cookie exchange.  

 I will definitely make these cookies the next time I need a chocolate chip cookie fix. 

Bacon Pancakes

Pedro did it again...he sent me an email with 10 amazing idea's. This was one of them and my family loves these pancakes.  

 My husband thinks the size is perfect, he said they weren't all doughy like most pancakes.   The bacon just made the pancakes so delicious!  I will definitely make these again.

  

This is a self explanatory recipe.  Just make your favorite pancake recipe and pour it over the cooked

bacon.  In the recipe Pedro sent me they put the pancake mix on the griddle first and then put the bacon on top.  Then they added a little extra pancake mix on top of the bacon to cover it.  They were longer and skinnier and better looking but I am sure they taste the same and this is easier.

Pumpkin Dump Cake

1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix

1 egg   

1/2 cup butter, melted

Filling        

1 (29 ounce) can pumpkin puree

2 eggs                                                    

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 ground clove                                                   

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon                                                    

1/3 cup white sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar     

2/3 cup evaporated milk                                                 

  

Topping

1 cup cake mix

1/2 (1 stick) softened butter

1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

 Directions

Original recipe makes 1 - 9x13 inch pan Change Servings

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Set aside 1 cup cake mix for the topping. Combine remaining cake mix,  egg, and melted butter or margarine. Pat into a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix pumpkin,  eggs, spices, sugars, and milk. Pour pumpkin mixture over the cake mix crust.
3. In a small bowl, combine 1 cup cake mix, 1/2 cup softened butter and nuts cut until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle mixture on top of pumpkin mixture.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 55 minutes.

Ants on a Log

  Ants on a log

A snack made by spreading peanut butter on celery and placing raisins or chocolate  chips on top. The snack name was first used in the 1950s.     

• Ants on vacation: Without "ants", or no raisins
• Ants on a Slip 'n Slide: Add honey on top of the peanut butter before adding raisins

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ants_on_a_log

Opps, Pedro did it again

My friend Pedro decided to venture out into the baking world and it didn't go so well.  He was making flan when he messed up the caramel sauce. He used brown sugar instead of sugar and it was a disaster.  The caramel was stiff and there was no saving it.  He texted me right again with threats of throwing all of it in the garbage.  I texted him off the BAKING CLIFF, with an easy solution.  I told him to turn his flan into Cream Brulee.  If that makes any sense?  So he baked the flan with no caramel sauce.  After letting it sit for maybe a half hour, (we should have waited longer but we didn't have all night). He sprinkled maybe 2 tablespoons of WHITE sugar evenly on top of the custard.  He put it back in the oven and broiled the sugar, it maybe took 2 to 3 minutes.  You can't take your eyes off it because it can burn.  You will have to turn it a couple time to get all the sugar to melt.

He brought some to my house to share and it was DELICIOUS!  My whole family loved it.

 I have never liked flan but I will use this recipe, skip the caramel sauce & do the burnt sugar on top.

Recipe courtesy of Herb Mesa   Food Network Star

Ingredients

• 2 cups fat-free evaporated milk
• 2 cups fat-free sweetened condensed milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 egg whites
• 3 whole eggs
• 1/2 cup pure cane sugar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
In a bowl, beat together the evaporated milk, condensed milk, vanilla extract, egg whites, and whole eggs. Set aside. In a medium saute pan on medium heat, heat the sugar until syrup-like and brown in color, about 8 to 10 minutes. Keep stirring the sugar as it can burn easily. Pour the melted sugar caramel into a 9 by 13-inch baking dish, coating around the bottom and sides. Pour in the milk mixture. Place the entire baking dish in a larger dish filled halfway up the smaller baking dish with water, but be sure not to let any water spill into the flan mixture. Cover with foil. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the custard is set. Cook's Note: Insert a knife into the center, and if it comes out clean, it is fully cooked.
Let the custard cool 2 hours before serving.

Jeans and Jewels

I had the best time at this years school fund raiser.

"Jeans and Jewels."  

We had the option of decorating a table to reserve seats for our friends.  The auction was October 24th so I choose Halloween decorations.  We ended winning "Best and Most Creative." 

Katie's Turkey Napkin Rings

Katie did it again! 

 I just love everything Katie makes.   I wish we were related so I could get an invitation to one of her GREAT holiday dinners.

Natalie's Pumpkin Pretzels

Natalie made these cute Pumpkins with pretzels.  I was looking for the directions to share with you and came across a recipe that called for white chocolate instead of frosting.  If you want to make these with white chocolate click here for the recipe. 

The only thing I would do different is buy Wilton's  orange candy melts.

Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients

1 pound hamburger
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/3 cup diced onions optional
1 can of corn
2 cups mashed potatoes (my son prefers instant mash potatoes)
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon paprika
salt and pepper

Heat oven to 325
Step 1.  Pour 1 can of corn in a 9x13 glass casserole dish
Step 2. Cook the hamburger, season with the garlic salt, salt and pepper.  Add 1/3 cup diced onions while you cooking the hamburger.  Drain the grease from the hamburger meat.  Pour the cooked hamburger on top of the corn.
Step 3. Make your mashed potatoes.  You will need enough to cover the corn/hamburger, I usually use 2 Cups.  You can use more than that if you love mash potaoes.  sprinkle the paprika on top of the mash potatoes.  Top with the cheddar cheese and bake for about a half hour on 325. 

Pinto beans

 Pinto beans

Ingredients

• 1 lb fresh dry pinto beans, sorted and rinsed
• 3 to 4 tablespoons bacon fat
• 1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes and green
• 5  chicken bouillon
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 celery rib, chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 dash red hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder 
• 1 tablespoon red chili
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 teaspoon salt                                           
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 

 Refried bean recipe                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

Directions: Put beans in a crockpot, and add water to cover. Add all the other ingredients.  Cook on high for 8 hours or until beans are tender.

*** Wash and sort dried pinto beans.  Discard any bad beans. Put in the crock pot, over with water and soak over night.  Don't turn crock pot on. You are only soaking not cooking.  I just put them in the crockpot for this step because the next step is to cook them.