Christmas Goodies!

I'm back! I apologize for not posting anything in over a month! Things have been pretty crazy around here. I moved into a house a couple of weeks ago, and consequently all of my hobbies have been put on hold for awhile. I finally feel like I am unpacked (sorta) now, and am getting into a routine again.

There are also a couple of other reasons to why I haven't posted. Mainly, I'm not sure in what direction I want to take this blog. I have yet to find a unique stride. I wanted this to be more than a copy and paste recipe blog, but I'm lazy and that's pretty much what it is.

Also, I really REALLY want a new camera. My camera is old, and it's really not taking quality pictures. So, I feel like the pictures of my food aren't pretty and make the food look disgusting, and I'm just not that talented (or patient) enough to sit and fix every picture in photoshop before posting. Is that petty?

So-- I want to hear your suggestions. What do you like about this blog? Do you like the easy recipes? Or the tales of myself trying to tackle the more difficult ones? Are you a fan of step-by-step pictures? Or do you just like the recipe to be posted?

I do think it would be fun to have you guys (does anyone read this?) email me your favorite recipes to try. So send me some, please! It would be way more fun to try one of your recipes once a week than it would be hunting for recipes on the internet!

If nothing else, this blog did what I set it up to do. I used to loathe cooking, and now I absolutely LOVE it! I am always in my kitchen making goodies, or cooking a delicious dinner. It's the best part of my day!

Yesterday I made some Christmas goodie plates for my friends and neighbors. Below I have posted 3 of the recipes I made. I also made homemade caramels, which, thanks to a candy thermometer, turned out PERFECT this time!

The cookies you see are my friend Alicia's Mom's cookie recipe. I grew up on these. Whenever Alicia and I were bored, we'd go into the kitchen and whip up a batch of these magnificent cookies. For my wedding, Alicia gave me the recipe as a wedding gift. It's been my cookie recipe ever since, and I'm just not ready to part with it. Sorry.



Anyway-- let me know what you guys think! I need some advice!

Butterscotch Haystacks

These have been a favorite of mine since I was a kid.

Cook time: 10 minutes
Yield: about 3 dozen stacks

Ingredients:

• 1 (11 ounce) package butterscotch flavored morsels
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 (5 ounce) cans chow mein noodles
• 3 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

Directions:

Line baking sheets with waxed paper. In a large pot melt morsels over medium high heat. Stir constantly. When melted, remove from heat and add in peanut butter. Stir until smooth. Stir in chow mein noodles and marshmallows. Drop by spoonfulls onto waxed paper. Refridgerate until ready to serve.

Peppermint Bark

Yield: About 30 pieces
Cook time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

1 bag of white chocolate chips
peppermint candies, smashed (I used 3 candy canes)

Place peppermint candies into a ziploc bag. Take your rolling pin and smash the crud out of them. Pour white chocolate chips into a microwavable bowl. Microwave in 30 second intervals until chips are melted. Stir in smashed peppermint candies. Pour onto wax paper and let cool. When cool, use your hands to break into bite size pieces.

Creamy Chocolate Fudge

Ready in: 2 1/2 hours

Ingredients:

• 1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow creme
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2/3 cup evaporated milk
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups milk chocolate chips
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Line an 8x8 inch pan with aluminum foil. Set aside.
2. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine marshmallow cream, sugar, evaporated milk, butter and salt. Bring to a full boil, and cook for 5 minutes (or until a candy thermometer reads 240--I recommend this method! It takes a bit longer than 5 minutes!), stirring constantly.
3. Remove from heat and pour in semisweet chocolate 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.