Peppermint Bark

Peppermint bark is extremely popular this time in the year. I decided to make some for the teachers at my school. I love how easy it is and how pretty it looks. Here's how I made it:

1 (1-pound) package white candy coating bark
1 (1-pound) package chocolate candy coating
1 (1-pound) package crushed peppermint candies

Melt chocolate candy coating in double broiler and spread in pan (I lined the pan with wax paper). Chill in refrigerator until set, about 30 minutes. Melt white chocolate in double broiler and mix in peppermint candies. Pour over dark chocolate layer and chill until set. Break into pieces.

Chili

David was not a big fan of chili, but I really wanted it one night, so he said he would eat it. Most chili I had before was made with a seasoning packet, but I wanted to create a made-from-scratch chili with the perfect amount of spices to create a rich flavor. So I experimented a little bit and when I served the chili that night, David couldn't eat enough! He requests this chili all the time and eats a ton of it at each meal. I was so happy that I got him to love chili. I make it any time of the year, but I love it on days like today when it's cold outside. David likes to fry corn tortilla chips and dip them in the chili, and I must agree that they're a great complement to the chili. I don't measure my ingredients, but here's a general guideline of how I make it:

1 to 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 onion, chopped
Garlic
1 can pinto beans
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 bottle dark beer
A couple dashed of cayenne
Chili powder, cumin, and oregano to taste (I would guess that I use at least 2-3 tablespoons each
of chili powder and cumin and 1 to 2 teaspoons oregano)

Cook ground beef until browned and no pink remains; drain.
Saute onion and garlic until onion is tender.
Combine pinto beans, black beans, kidney beans, diced tomatoes, and beer in a large stockpot. Add ground beef and onion and garlic mixture. Add desired amounts of cayenne, chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Cook until thoroughly heated. Reduce heat and simmer as long as desired.

This is another great meal that freezes well! I would say that you could get about 6 servings from this recipe.

Source: Erin's Life in the Kitchen

Carrot Cake Cookies

I love these cookies. My mom used to make them all the time when I was little, and I decided to include them in my Christmas baking this year. The dough will be a bit dry at first because it gets its moisture from the carrots. This is a very soft cookie. It also lasts several days longer than most cookies and tends to taste better after a day or so because the flavor of the spices start to come out. The citrus glaze also adds a lot of flavor to the cookie. I brought these to a Christmas party and gave them as part of my baked goods gifts and people loved them. I will definitely start making these cookies more often.

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 ¼ cups packed brown sugar
½ cup margarine or butter, softened
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 ½ cups loosely packed shredded carrots
½ cup dark seedless raisins
1 (3 ½ -ounce) can flaked coconut (1 1/3 cups)
1 (3-ounce) can pecans, chopped
Citrus Glaze (recipe follows)

About 2 ½ hours before serving or early in the day:

Into a large bowl, measure first 10 ingredients and ¼ cup water. With mixer at low speed, beat ingredients until well blended, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Stir in carrots, raisins, coconut, and pecans until well mixed.

Preheat oven to 350. Drop dough by rounded tablespoons, about 1 inch apart, onto ungreased large cookie sheets; flatten slightly. Bake cookies 20 to 25 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned but still soft in center. With pancake turner, remove cookies to wire racks to cool.

When cookies are cool, prepare Citrus Glaze. Drizzle glaze over cookies; let dry 30 minutes or until glaze is set. Store cookies in tightly covered container.

Citrus Glaze: In small bowl, mix ¾ cup confectioners’ sugar, 2 ½ teaspoons lemon juice, and ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth.

Macaroni and Cheese

I love macaroni and cheese. I've never gotten sick of it. I was searching for a recipe that would be a bit different, and I came upon this one from Emeril. I love the way the Essence adds some kick to the topping and the bread crumb and cheese mixture adds a lot of crunch to the texture. I don't measure the Essence exactly, but use spices according to my personal tastes to determine how much I use. This mac and cheese also freezes well. I often make half of the recipe because it makes so much. Here's the wonderful recipe:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ pound elbow macaroni

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups whole milk

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Pinch cayenne

2 ½ cups grated Cheddar cheese (about 6 ounces)

½ cup fine bread crumbs

1 teaspoon ESSENCE

Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 2-quart baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter and set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water. Drain well.

Melt the remaining 5 tablespoons butter in a heavy 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour, and stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, cook over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, being careful not to let the flour brown. Using a whisk, add the milk in a steady stream and cook, whisking constantly, until thick and smooth, 4 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the salt, pepper, cayenne, and 2 cups of the cheese, and stir well. Add the noodles and stir well. Pour into the prepared dish.

In a mixing bowl, combine the remaining ½ cup of cheese with the bread crumbs and Essence. Sprinkle evenly over the macaroni and bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let rest 5 minutes before serving.

YIELD: 6 to 8 servings

ESSENCE:

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container. This makes about 2/3 of a cup, but I never actually make it like this. I just add the spices to the cheese and bread crumb mixture the way I want them.

Chicken Stuffed Shells

This is a popular dish with David and me. We are both huge fans of any kind of Italian food, and we eat pasta pretty often. These stuffed shells are pretty easy to put together and it's so good! I got the recipe from Amber's Delectable Delights, but I did make a few changes after making it for the first time. It's also a great way to use up leftover rotisserie chicken. I used the chicken from my roasted chicken a few posts below. The rotisserie chicken adds a lot of flavor to the dish. This dish also freezes well. Here's my version of the stuffed shells:

18 to 20 uncooked jumbo pasta shells
2 teaspoons olive oil
2-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups cooked chicken (I use leftover rotisserie chicken)
1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs
Marinara sauce (I always do a homemade version)
salt, pepper, parsley, oregano, and basil to taste
Parmesan and/or mozzarella cheese for topping

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a large baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Cook pasta shells according to package directions and drain. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Combine chicken and garlic and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in ricotta, chicken, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, oregano, parsley, and basil. Spread about 1/2 cup marinara sauce in the bottom of the dish. Fill cooked shells with chicken mixture and place filled sides up in baking dish. Pour desired amount of sauce over shells (I always use a lot of sauce). Bake covered with foil for 18 to 20 minutes; remove foil and bake until filling is lightly browned, about 5 more minutes. Sprinkle with desired cheese toppings and serve.

I always make homemade marinara sauce to go with these types of dishes. I never measure, but here is my "recipe" for marinara:

Saute 1 large onion and about 2 cloves of garlic in olive oil. Add 2-3 cans tomato diced tomatoes (If I buy these from the grocery store, I use 15-ounce cans, but often David's grandmother gives us canned tomatoes from her garden so I use those). Add 2 (15-ounce) cans of tomato sauce and 1 (8-ounce) can of tomato paste. Then add spices: oregano, basil, salt, pepper, and sugar to taste.

This makes a ton of sauce. I like to freeze it in small containers to bring out when I need it.

Fudge- my favorite Christmas treat!

Fudge is a Christmas tradition in my family. My grandmother always made it and she passed the love of candy making to my mom, who passed it on to me! We always have a batch of fudge in the winter. I used a recipe for Creamy Fudge on allrecipes. It was pretty easy to make and it didn't take very long. I let the fudge set up in the refrigerator for about 2 hours before cutting it into 16 pieces. This fudge was very soft and creamy, which is the way I like it! It didn't have the gritty texture that fudge can sometimes have. I used pecans for the nuts. The recipe said to use 1/2 cup chopped nuts, but next time I will add more. I will probably use 3/4 to 1 cup nuts and see how that makes a difference. I think it would also be good with walnuts. I will definitely be making this fudge again!

Here is the recipe for Creamy Fudge:
1 (7-ounce) jar marshmallow creme
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2/3 cup evaporated milk (5 fl oz can)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk chocolate chips
1 cup semisweet chips
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I think pecans or walnuts would be best, and next time I will increase to
3/4 to 1 cup)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Line an 8x8-inch pan with aluminum foil. Set aside.
In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine marshmallow creme, sugar, evaporated milk, and butter, and salt. Bring to a full boil, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat and pour in semisweet chips and milk chocolate chips. Stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Stir in nuts and vanilla. Pour into prepared pan. Chill in refrigerator for 2 hours, or until firm.

YIELD: 3 pounds

Pineapple Casserole

I never had Pineapple Casserole until David's mom made it one year for Thanksgiving. With pinapple, cheese, and Ritz crackers, I knew it has to be good! This dish became one of my new favorites. It often makes an appearance at Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter dinners, and I like to make it throughout the rest of the year as well. The Ritz crackers give it a nice crunchy texture and the pineapple makes it sweet. I love the flavor the cheddar cheese adds. The cheese and pineapple are a great combination of flavors. We had the Pineapple Casserole with the Rotisserie Chicken and rice. This recipe is from the cookbook published by the Junior League of Columbus, Georgia. I made a few minor adaptations:

Hot Pineapple Casserole:
1 (20-ounce) can pineapple tidbits, drained, reserving 3 tablespoons juice
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 to 1 1/2 cups Ritz cracker crumbs (I usually use about 3/4 of a sleeve)
1/4 cup butter or margarine, cut up

Place pineapple and reserved juice in a greased casserole dish. Mix flour and sugar and sprinkle over pineapple. Sprinkle cheese on top. Top with cracker crumbs and cut-up butter. Bake in preheated, 350-degree oven for 30 minutes.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Source: Cookbook from the Junior League of Columbus, Georgia