Sunday, November 30, 2008

Recipe: Rocky Road Fudge



This is the easiest fudge recipe you'll ever make.

1 (12 oz.) pkg. (2 cups) semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 can Pillsbury Chocolate Fudge Creamy Supreme frosting

1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

3/4 cup chopped nuts (I like walnuts)

Line 8-inch squared pan with foil; extending foil over edges; lightly butter foil. Melt chips in large saucepan over very low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat; stir in frosting. Add marshmallows and nuts; mix until well coated. Spread in buttered foil-lined pan. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Remove fudge from pan by lifting foil; remove foil from fudge. Cut into squares. 36 candies.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Recipe: Cheese Danish

This goes out to Tami! My cousin Tanya gave me this recipe and it's so easy to make.

2 (8 or 10 oz. each) package of crescent rolls
2 (8 oz. each) package of cream cheese
1 c sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 egg

Glaze: 2 Tbs. warm milk, 1 c powdered sugar

Pull apart 1 pkg. of rolls and put on bottom of 9x13 greased pan. Mix all ingredients and pour over rolls. Then take second container of rolls and pull apart and lay on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Put glaze on hot out of the oven. Good served warm or cold . I like cold. This would be good for Christmas morning.



Monday, November 24, 2008

Breakfast Casserole



This is a great casserole to sever for you Christmas morning.

6 slices bread, cubed (I use white bread)

1 pound sausage (Bob Evans) browned and drained

8 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese

2 c milk

1 tsp. salt

pepper to taste

Cube bread and place evenly in a greased 13x9 pan or baking dish. Sprinkle evenly w/ sausage and cheese. Mix egg, milk, salt and pepper. Pour over ingredients in pan. Bake 45 minutes at 325 degrees until set. Cut into squares. Serves 8-10.

Holiday recipe: Broccoli Salad



This is one of my favorite salads to have over the holidays. It's very simple to make.

1 1/2 heads of broccoli

1/2 pound bacon - fried and crumbled

1/2 c salted sunflower seeds

1/2 c chopped onion

Dressing - 1 c miracle whip, 1/3 c sugar, 2 Tbs. vinegar (I use red wine vinegar)

Mix all together and refrigerate for a few hours. Enjoy!

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Christmas Cookie and Candy exchange!



This a great way to celebrate Christmas. Find out how many people would like to participate in the exchange and then have everyone bring 1 dozen cookies in per person including yourself. If there are more than 6 people, then lower the exchange to 1/2 dozen. Bring an extra container to place the cookies in. It's best if you don't bring store bought cookies or candy.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

To evoke a winter holiday mood.



Fill a pot with water; add cinnamon sticks, whole cloves and let the mixture simmer on the stove.

Party favor!


If you can't think of something to bring to a party or dinner, you should try the Sparkle juice from Meiers. It cost under $5.00 and it has an excellent taste. We always have it for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. The kids love it too! You can find it at the local grocery stores.

Quick tips: Breads



Freeze ahead breads for Christmas gifts!

Yeast breads, coffee cakes, muffins and quick breads. Cool completely; do not frost or decorate. Place coffee cakes on foil-wrapped cardboard before freezing. Store in freezer up to 3 months. Unwrap slightly and thaw at room temperature for 2-3 hours. Serve at room temperature or reheat, wrapped in foil, at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Quick tips: Cakes



Frosted or unfrosted, (Butter cream frosting freezes best; egg white frosting and custard fillings do not freeze well.) Special tip: Cool cakes completely; place frosted cakes in the freezer to harden the frosting before covering. Place layer cakes in a cake container to prevent crushing. Store in freezer unfrosted up to 6 months, frosted up to 3 months. Thaw covered at room temperature for 2-3 hours. Thaw loosely covered overnight in the refrigerator.

Quick tips: Cheesecake


Freeze ahead cheesecake
If baked, cool completely before wrapping. Store in freezer up to 5 months. Thaw wrapped in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours.

Tips: Bake ahead Christmas cookies!



Bake ahead those Christmas cookies now! Package cookies in containers with tight-fitting lids. If cookies have been frosted before freezing, freeze them on a cookie sheet, then package the frozen cookies between layers of wax paper in a container. Storage time: (Unfrosted) up to 12 months, (frosted) up to 2 months. Thawing hints- Thaw in the container at room temperature. If cookies should be crisp when thawed, remove them from the container before thawing.

Quick Tip: Pies



Pies - Baked pumpkin or pecan pies and either baked or unbaked fruit pies.

Freezing tips - Cover pies with an inverted plate (foil or paper) and then wrap. Store in freezer (baked) up to 4 months. Unbaked: up to 3. Thawing hints - Baked: unwrap and heat at 325 degrees for 45 minutes or until warm or room temperature. Unbaked: Unwrap, cut slits in the top pastry and bake at 425 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until the center is bubbly.

Monday, November 3, 2008

Quick and easy appetizer



Spread thin ham slices with Philadelphia Brand cream cheese. Roll up and secure with toothpicks and then chill for an hour. Cut into 1 1/4 pieces. You can sprinkle with Mrs. Dash seasoning on the top of the rolls to add a little extra flavor.