My Last Post of 2011!

Wow! I can hardly believe that the year 2011 is coming to a close! Where did the year go? It seems like I blinked and Christmas was here, blinked again and New Year's Eve. I've been blessed in 2011 and am so thankful that the Lord has put so many wonderful people in my life, and given me a wonderful family! 2011 holds a lot of memories for me, but I so look forward to making more memories in 2012!

Tonight I get to celebrate with BOTH family and friends! I'm excited! I will be going over to my brother and sister-in-law's for a little while, as they're having an Open House style night at their house. I'm making a dessert to bring there, and am so happy to be able to help out! Then...I will be going to downtown GR with my "Step-Momma", her boyfriend and their neighbors from across the street. I did this last year as well, and it was a lot of fun! What are your plans for New Year's Eve? Whatever they may be I wish you all a VERY Happy New Year!!!!

This recipe is thanks to my friend S. DB.! She used to make this all the time and it's so good? How can you go wrong with CHOCOLATE?

CHOCOLATE LUSH

INGREDIENTS:
1 Stick Butter; melted
1/4 C. Sugar
1 C. Flour
1/2 C. Chopped Nuts

Mix all the above together and press into the bottom of a 9-inch square pan (I doubled the recipe to make a 9x13).

Here's my crust! YUM

MORE INGREDIENTS:

8 oz. Cream Cheese; softened

1/2 of a Large Container of Cool Whip

1 C. Powdered Sugar

2 (3 oz.) Boxes Instant Chocolate Pudding

Blend and spread on cooled crust. Prepare the Pudding and spread over Cream Cheese layer. Top with remaining Cool Whip.

 The Pudding

The Oh So Yummy Cream Cheese Layer!

***NOTE*** Again, I doubled the recipe to fit in a larger pan!

This dessert really does not dissapoint and is sure to be a hit wherever you may serve it!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!





One of My Favorites!!!

My Aunt B. makes this each year at Christmastime for our extended family party. Each year I remember how much I LOVE this Salad and wonder why I've never made it?!?! I wanted to share this recipe with all of you so that maybe some of you will make it and love it as much as I do!

PINEAPPLE PRETZEL SALAD

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 C. Butter; melted
1/2 C. Sugar
1 C. Roughly Chopped Pretzel Rod; not too big

Combine above ingredients and bake at 400 for 7-9 minutes on a cookie sheet. Loosen from pan immediately. Cool completely.

1/2 C. Sugar
8 oz. Cream Cheese; softened
12 oz. Cool Whip
20 oz. Can Crushed Pineapple; drained

Blend the Sugar and Cream Cheese. Stir in the Cool Whip and Crushed Pineapple. Store in the refrigerator. Add the Pretzels just before serving.

It's one of those Sweet/Salty combinations that's just oh SO good!

A Yummy New Treat!

I was looking for new recipes to try the other day and I came across the website: "Just a Pinch Recipe Club" and found some great ones that I'm really looking forward to trying in the next few weeks! I made of them today, and it has turned out pretty well. The house sure smells cinammony! :)

STRAWBERRY BREAD

INGREDIENTS:
3 C. Flour
2 C. Sugar
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Salt
2 (10 oz.) Packages Frozen Sliced Strawberries
1 C. Vegetable Oil
4 Egg; beaten well

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and Flour 2 (8x4) loaf pans (I used my stoneware mini-loaf pan). Combine all Dry Ingredients in a large bowl; mix well. In a separate bowl combine all liquid ingredients and mix well. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour all liquid ingredients into it. Mix by hand. Pour batter into pans and bake for 1 hour, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in pan; then turn onto cooling rack. Cool completely.

***NOTE*** After I had already put these in the oven I had an afterthought that it would be GREAT to put in some Mini-Chocolate Chips as well. It would make it like a Chocolate Covered Straweberry! Too bad I thought of it too late...BUT there's always next time! :)

A Super Easy Treat!

I hope that everyone had a very Blessed Christmas! I know that I did! We had a wonderful trip to Illinois to celebrate with extended family, and the Bos Family Christmas Party today was a lot of fun!

I wanted to post this recipe, per the request of a relative!!! ;)

EASY PEPPERMINT BARK

INGREDIENTS:
24 Candy Canes; crushed into pieces
2 Lbs. White Candy Coating/Bark
1/2 tsp. Peppermint Extract

Melt the Candy Coating in a double boiler; stirring until smooth. Stir in the Extract and Candy Cane Pieces. Pour into a Wax Paper covered Jelly-roll pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Take out and break into pieces.

This was a huge hit at the party, and I KNOW that I will be making it again!

Here's a little preview of what Christmas was like this year!

Cookies, cookies and more cookies!

 The kids playing with cousin J.

 Bos Family Christmas Party



A fun family game! Had to draw a Floor, a Christmas Tree, A Mantel with Stocking, Star and ornaments on the tree! All with the plate on your head and not looking! What a riot! 

Can't Believe a Year's Gone By!

Wow! How time flies by! I can hardly believe that another year is almost over. Where did the time go?

I want to thank all of you that stop by and utilize my blog! I love the land of blogging, and plan to continue with this one. I wanted to wish you all a VERY Merry Christmas! I hope that you are surrounded by friends and family, laughter and love this Season. I am blessed that I have a wonderful family to celebrate the birth of our wonderful Savior Jesus Christ with, and am looking forward to seeing more family tomorrow and having a Christmas party on Monday with extended family!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!

A Delicious Bread!

I made this bread tonight as part of the Goody Plates for Christmas! My house smelled delicious! This recipe makes 2 large (9x5) loaves, but I used a Pampered Chef Mini-Loaf Stoneware pan...it has 4 wells and made 4 perfect little loaves! The perfect size for gift giving. I needed to double up the recipe...but I made it in 2 separate batches. They turned out wonderfully, and I even have 1 left over to share with my family next weekend when we do our family Christmas on Friday! YAY! :)

PUMPKIN-CRANBERRY BREAD

INGREDIENTS:

3 C Flour

1 Tbs + 2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice

2 tsp Baking Soda

1 1/2 tsp Salt

3 C. Sugar

1 (15 oz) Can Solid Pack Pumpkin

4 Eggs

1 C. Oil

1/2 C. Orange Juice (or Cranberry Juice or Water WHATEVER YOU PREFER) (I used OJ)

2 C. Fresh, Frozen, or Dried Sweetened Cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease & flour two 9x5" loaf pans. (Or you can use parchment paper instead of grease) OR you can use Mini-Loaf Pans

Combine Flour, Pumpkin Pie Spice, Baking Soda &  Salt in large bowl.

Combine Sugar, Pumpkin, Eggs, Oil & Juice in large mixer bowl, beat until just blended.

Add Pumpkin mixture to Flour mixture; stir until just moistened. Fold in Cranberries, then spoon batter into prepared loaf pans.

Bake for 60 to 75 minutes (depending on your oven) or until pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove from pans to wire rack to cool completely. (If using Stoneware Pans you can remove immediately, or the loaves will continue baking)

 

I cannot wait to share these yummy goodies!

A Yummy Supper Tonight!

I haven't posted a Supper recipe in a while. I work all day on Friday's and totally forgot to put my chicken in the crock-pot this morning. :( DUH!!!! But, I was stoked to find out that I could quickly make the meal I made tonight, like 3 hours quick!!!! SAVE!!!!!

It turned out quite tasty. It was supposed to be crock-pot BBQ Chicken...but I used a Sweet Baby Ray's Marinade instead and I think that it turned out so much better. The chicken was so moist. I paired this with canned peaches from my brother and sister-in-law (Thanks M & S!) and Redskin Ranch Mashed Potatoes.

CROCK-POT CHICKEN MY WAY

INGREDIENTS:
4-6 Large Chicken Breasts
1 Bottle Sweet Baby Ray's Honey Teriyaki Marinade

Place Chicken in the bottom of Crock-Pot, cover with Marinade. Cover and cook on Low heat for 8 hours or High heat for 3 hours.

Baking The Days Away!!!!

Wow!!! I can hardly believe that it's the middle of December already? Where did the year go? Lucky for us here in Mid-Michigan we don't have any of that nasty little 4-letter S word on the ground right now. But that could change at the drop of a hat. It has been raining here a lot lately, and I DON'T care for that at all! I heard someone in the grocery store the other day say, "If it's going to be this cold outside it might as well just snow!" My feelings on that are not the same...I can stand the cold and do without the white stuff!!!!

In preparation for Christmas, baking has been the undertaking in my kitchen! Every year I LOVE to try new things and give the gift of goodies to friends and neighbors. This year is not any different! I just have a few more people to add to the list. The bro is happy that he has a sister that loves to cook and bake, so that he can share the wealth with his bosses at work. :) And I'm lucky that I work at a place where both my bosses have HUGE sweet toothes and will love this gift! So, I will be sharing a few posts of recipes with you!

The first is one of my favorites!

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DOUGH TRUFFLES

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 C. Butter, softened

3/4 C firmly packed Brown Sugar

1 tsp. Vanilla

2 C. Flour

1 (14 oz.) can Sweetened Condensed Milk

1/2 C. Mini Chocolate Chips (I use more...like 1/2 a bag!)

1 1/2 Lbs. Chocolate Bark Candy Coating, melted

In a large bowl cream butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed until creamy. Add vanilla. Gradually beat in flour and add milk. Add chocolate morsels and pecans, mixing well. Shape into 1-inch balls. Place on waxed paper; chill 2 hours.

***Note:*** Since the dough is sticky, roll your fingers into flour. This will make it easier to roll.

Melt chocolate bark candy coating in a double boiler. Using 2 forks, dip cookie balls into candy coating to cover. Place on waxed paper and chill to set. Store in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

These freeze very nicely as well! It's a good thing they do, otherwise I couldn't promise that any would end up on the goodie plates or making the trip with my family to Illinois to my extended family! Give them a try, you won't be sorry!