Merry Christmas & Happy New year!

Wishing all my viewers a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! I hope you all have a wonderful and safe holiday with your family and friends. I hope you can try out some of my recipes over the holidays and please let me know how they turned out. Enjoy from our house to yours!

Newfie Snow Ball`s

Newfie Snow Ball`s

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

 

 

 

 

3 cups of granulated sugar                         720ml 

3/4 cup butter                                             180ml

1 1/4 cup milk                                            300ml

3 cups quick rolled oats                             720ml

        1 cup coconut, unsweetened fine               240ml        

12 tbsp cocoa                                             180ml

 

 

 

 

In a large pot combine sugar, butter and milk. On med high heat you want to melt and bring the 3 ingredients  to a boil.

 

When it boils,  remove from heat, don't stir the mixture, pour in the oatmeal, coconut and cocoa, then mix well until all blended together.

 

Allow mixture to cool down so you can roll the mixture into balls with a scoop and roll into coconut.

 

Place on a platter and put in fridge or freezer  till they set.

 

 

I don't like my snowballs to chocolaty so I cut the cocoa in half. These are very easy to make. I love these.

You can also just drop the mixture on platters and not roll into coconut, they are great they way as well.!

Enjoy!

 

 

 

                                                           Mixture all blended.

 

 

 

 

                                                           Snowballs



 

 

 



Mini Pecan Tarts

Mini Pecan Tarts

 

 

 Ingredients

 

Tart Shells

 

 

1/2 cup butter, softened                 125ml

1/2 pkg cream cheese, softened      250g

1 cup all purpose flour                   250ml

 

Filling

 

 

2 tbsp butter                                  30ml

3/4 cup packed brown sugar       175ml

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla                                   5ml

3/4 pecans, chopped                   175ml

 

icing sugar optional 

 

 

 

Baking Directions

 

 

Pre-heat oven to 350F. For tart shells, beat butter and cream cheese in a bowl until smooth. Add flour, mix until a soft dough forms.

 

Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Place balls of dough into ungreased cups of mini muffin pan. Dip mini tart shaper in flour, press into dough to form tart shells.

 

For filling; place butter in small bowl, microwave on high for 30 seconds or until melted. Stir in brown sugar,egg and vanilla.

 

Chop pecans then add to the filling and mix.

 

Fill each tart shell with nut filling using a small 1 inch scoop.

 

Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Place on cooling rack. Sprinkle with icing sugar if desired.

 

 

I turn my oven down to 325F. I find with my oven 350F is to high! These are amazing tarts. Great for any party or occasion.! One of my favourite recipes.  I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

 

 

 

                                                            liquid mixture

 

 

                                                           dough in tins





 

 

 

                                                           finished tarts 



 



Peanut Butter Blossoms Kisses

Peanut Butter Blossoms Kisses

 

 

 

Ingredients:

 

 

48 Hershey chocolate kisses - 1 bag

1/2 cup shorting                                        125ml

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter                   200ml 

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar             80ml

1 egg

2 tbsp milk                                                30ml

1 tsp vanilla extract                                   5ml

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour                    355ml

1 tsp salt                                                     5ml  

   

granulated sugar

 

 

 

Baking Instructions

 

 

Heat Oven to 375F. Remove foil wrappers from the kisses.

 

Beat shortening,and  peanut butter in a large bowl until well blended. Add granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk, and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt. gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.

 

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in a bowl with granulated sugar and place on ungreased cookie sheet.

 

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet onto cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

 

Make sure you quickly put the kisses on the cookies press down a bit so they will stay on, you wait for them to cool the kisses won`t stay stuck on them.

 

Makes 4 dozen.

 

I always use my kitchen aide mixer to mix all my doughs. Makes it much easier on the hands, These are very easy to make and are great treat parties or Christmas tins. Actually they can be made anytime of the year! I love these. Enjoy!

 

 

                                                           Batter

 

 

                                                         rolled in sugar

 

 

 

                                                           placed on stone

                                                           placed on cooling rack

                                                           topped with kisses



Cake balls's

Cake Ball's

 

 

 

Cake balls are a lot of work, but they are an amazing treat to make for any holiday. You can decorate them with what ever you please, even make faces on them, mine are just simple drizzled chocolate!

 

 

Ingredients

 

1 box of cake mix, 2 layer any kind you want

1 container of icing for 2 layer cake

chocolate melting disks - bulk barn

 

If you make a chocolate cake use chocolate icing, a vanilla cake use vanilla icing. Try and stay with the colour icing as the flavor of cake mix.

 

Baking Directions

 

 

Bake the cake mix as directed on the box. Let the 2 cakes cool completely.

Crumble them in a large bowl, then add container of icing, mix together well.

Roll into 1 inch balls.

Make sure you place them on a platter  so they aren't piled on top of each other.

Place them in the freezer until frozen.

Melt chocolate disks in a double boiler. take so many cake balls out of the freezer and roll them in the melted chocolate and return them back to the freezer. 

Let them harden for an hour then melt another colour chocolate and drizzle with a spoon over top of them. Or you can also make faces depending what holiday it is. Let your creativity go wild.

 

                                                            

 

                                                           Drizzled with white chocolate

 

 

Sorry I was so busy baking I didn't do the step by step pictures, but they are very simple to make.

 

 



Gingerbread Men!

Gingerbread Men

 

 

Ingredients

 

 

1 cup butter,softened                 250 ml

1 cup golden yellow sugar        250ml

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract                   5ml

2 cups all purpose flour            500ml 

1/2 tsp baking powder              2ml

2 tsp ground ginger                  10ml

3/4 tsp cinnamon                      4ml

1/2 ground cardamon               2ml

1/4 tsp nutmeg                          1ml

1/4 tsp salt                                1ml

 

 

 

 

In a large bowl or mixer cream together butter, and sugar till well blended. Add in egg and vanilla mix well. Add remaining ingredients until batter forms.

 

Preheat oven to 375F.


Roll out dough on some flour for easy cutting. Then place on an ungreased baking pan. Make sure they are spread apart.

Bake 10-12 minutes.

Then decorate as desired. I use icing and smarties or m&ms for the buttons, this time I sprinkled some coloured sugar on them as well before I baked them.  They look great!

I hope you enjoy!

I really like this recipe, very easy to make are are delicious. If you want them darker then instead of yellow sugar use the brown sugar. I will never go back to buying the ingredients in a box again!

 

                                                            Dough



 

 

 

                                                           cut out on stone

 

 

 

 

                                                           decorated. 

Blueberry and Lemon Tarts

 

 

 

1 can of blueberry or Lemon pie filling

 

Dough for tart shells

 

1/2 cup butter, softened                 125ml

1/2 pkg cream cheese, softened     250g

1 cup flour                                     250ml

 

Preheat oven to 325F.

Beat butter and cream cheese in bowl or mixer until smooth. Add flour, mix until dough forms.

 

Shape into 1 inch balls. Place the balls into mini muffin tin, ungreased. Use mini tart shaper to push down on the balls to form your tart shell.

 

Use a 1 inch scoop and put the pie filling in each tart shell. I can will make  mini 48 tarts. Half a can will make 24.

 

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

 

Place on a cooling rack.

 

 

                                                             

                                                           Dough

 

 

                                                           Shells

 

 

                                                           Blueberry

                                                           Lemon

 

 

 



Christmas baking! Short Bread cookies

Short Bread Cookies

 

 

 

Ingredients

 

 

1/2 cup Corn starch          125ml

1/2 cup icing sugar           125ml

1 cup flour                        250ml

3/4 cup butter, softened    175ml

 

 

Sift together corn starch, icing sugar and flour. Blend butter until soft. smooth dough forms. Shape into 1 inch balls or use what ever cookie cutter you would like. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet spaced out.

Bake on 300F for 15-20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Then place on a cooling rack. makes about 24 cookies.

 

If dough is to soft to handle then cover and chill for 30-60 minutes.

 

Decorate as you please.

 

I use maraschino cherries, cut them in half. Place them on your cookies before you bake them. Same as the sugared candy, or nuts. I put them on before I bake them.

You can also dip the ends in melted chocolate as well when they are cooled.

 

There are a few things I do a little different. I use my kitchen aide mixer so the dough is like a whipped shortbread, the dough is fluffy and I used baking stones as well. Makes a big difference to me.

 

 

   Dough with everything mixed

 

 

 

Rolled dough using cookie cutter.

 



                                                      

 

                                                                                                         

 

 

  Cookies on cooling rack.

 

 

Christmas Baking!

I am so sorry, been awhile since I blogged, my bad! Over the next week I will be sharing 9 different recipes I make in my house over the holidays! I hope you enjoy them all. They are very easy to make!

Apple Pie filling, Apple tart filling & topping for ice cream- mulit-purpose filling!

Multi purpose Apple filling!

 

 

If you are using this recipe for a pie you would cut the apples larger, for topping for a desert you want them to be larger as well! If you are using this recipe for tarts you want to chop the apples into smaller pieces. You can also substitute apple juice over the maple syrup. But I prefer the maple syrup.

 

 

Ingredient's

 

Granny smith apples approx.  8 or 10,                 depends what you are making it for.

1 tablespoon butter                                              enough to cover the bottom of the pan,
1 tablespoon  cinnamon                                       taste, add more if desired.
3/4 brown sugar                                                   taste, add more if desired.
1/4 cup maple syrup                                           



Peel, core and slice the apples set aside.  In a frying pan on medium temperature you melt your butter to cover the pan so the apples don't stick. Then add your apples.  Stir the apples for a bit to get the juices flowing, add the cinnamon, brown sugar & maple syrup. Keep stirring and mix well, reduce the liquid to desired consistency. Let cool for a bit, add over ice cream or pour into your pie crust or into your tart shells.


Tart Shell Recipe   Makes 24 mini tarts, double recipe to make 12 large tarts
Pampered chef recipe


1/2 cup (125ml) butter, softened
1/2 pkg  (250g) cream cheese, softened
1 cup (250ml) all-purpose flour

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350F. Beat butter and cream cheese in bowl or mixer till smooth.  Add flour, mix until dough forms.  Shape balls into 1 inch balls for mini tarts and 2 inch balls for large tarts. form tart shells, then place mixture in the shells.


Simple Pie Crust Recipe

2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup butter or shortening
5-7 tablespoons cold water

Directions:
1) Pour flour into a mixing bowl with the butter.
2) Cut butter into the flour
3) Add salt and water
4) Mix until dough is formed.
5) Roll out on flat surface
6) Place dough into pie plate
7) Bake at 375F until brown
8) Then add filling and bake till warm.  If you use dough on top for the weave look bake until dough is brown.




                                                    Apples cut into slices set aside.

                                                
                                                   Apples when the juices start flowing.

                                                    Finished apple mixture.

                                                  Ice cream in bowl. As much as you like.

                                                   Apple mixture over ice cream!
                                                

 

 

This is such an easy an delicious desert to make.  Our family loves it. Wish I could take the credit for this one haha, but my husband deserves all the credit! Thanks for making this delicious treat! Enjoy, hope you love it as much as we do!

 



Coconut Bread

Coconut Bread

 

 

 

This recipe is amazing. You can make many different treats with this recipe! I bake mini loafs and have them as is.  I also will add some chocolate chips to the batter and have them baked in the breads or you can drizzle chocolate over top of the bread.  I also cut 2 pieces of the bread and lay it on a plate and put cut strawberries and whip cream on them, an amazing desert! 

 

 

 

Recipe

 

 

Butter or margarine     1/2 Cup

Sugar                           1 Cup

Eggs                            2

Milk                            1/2 cup

Vanilla                        1 teaspoon

 

All purpose flour        1 1/2 cups

Baking powder           1 teaspoon

Salt                             1/2 teaspoon

Coconut                      1 cup

 

 

Cream together butter, sugar, eggs, milk and vanilla.  

In a small bowl mix flour, baking powder, salt and coconut. 

Then add the wet ingredients. Stir till well blended.

 

Pre-heat oven to 350 F.  Grease a bread pan and pour mixture.

 

I use the pampered chef mini loaf stone and get 4 mini loaf's of bread.

 

The large loaf bake 60 to 70 minutes.

 

Use a tooth pic to check to make sure they are cooked, comes our clear they are done.

 

If you use a mini loaf pan cook for 30 to 35 minutes.

 

Put on cooling racks.

 

 

 

 

 

                                                    

                                                   Wet ingredient's mixed together.

 

                                                 

 

                                           

                                                 Wet and dry ingredient's mixed together.

 

                                                   Finished mini loafs

 

 

 

                                                   Single mini loaf.

 



 

 

 

Enjoy this yummy treat!

 

 

 



Crock Pot Orange Chicken!

New Recipe Orange Chicken for the crock pot!

Well I thought this was going to be an awesome blog, had beautiful step by step pictures and the food did not turn out very good! I wasn't impressed.  So it definitely did not make it in my blog!  I Saw it posted on facebook and thought I would give it a try!

So I am hoping to get something else posted this week to for you to view!

Homemade Meatballs

Homemade Meatballs!

 

 

 

I haven't made these in awhile and had a craving for them, so here we are lol. I thought I would share my recipe with you since it turned out amazing.  I always try and spice my meat with different spices to always keep things new. I feel these were the best ones I have made to date! They were so flavourful and moist, even my hubby & kids commented on how good they were!

 

I think as you are reading my blog you will notice I cook in bulk lol, having 3 growing kids, being 1 young adult and 2 teenagers, I am a big fan of left overs. 

 

Ingredient's

 

5 or 6 pounds of lean ground beef (fresh)

3 or 4 cloves of fresh garlic

2 teaspoons salt

3 teaspoons pepper
4 or 5 teaspoons of Cajun spice

1 1/2 cup of bread crumbs

2 eggs

2 tablespoons olive oil
fresh mushrooms
parmesan cheese

2 or 3 large cans Marinara sauce (I used 2 large jars of  Classico 4 cheese  sauce)

1 bag pasta (boiled and strained, what ever kind u want to use)



Prep & Cook

1)In a bowl combine the ground beef, garlic, salt, pepper, Cajun spice, bread crumbs, eggs and mix    well.
Spices are a personal thing, you can always add more salt, pepper or Cajun spice if desired. 
Also you can add more bread crumbs, but don't over do it because it will dry out your meatballs.
2) Roll into balls, size is up to you on how big you want them, I made mine about 2 inches round since they will shrink in size while in the oven.
3) Place the finished meatballs in an oven proof pan and cook for 1 hour or until cooked, drain off grease.
4) Pour you sauce over top all the meatball's, set aside.
5) Clean and slice mushrooms.
6) In a frying pan add your olive oil, heat, then add in 2 cloves of garlic, cook till slightly browned.
7) Add in your mushrooms and season with salt and pepper, stir till mushrooms are cooked and browned.
8) Pour over top of the meatball mixture.
9) Add parmesan cheese, as much as you want. I just lightly covered the mixture,
10) Put back into the oven at 350F for 15 to 20 minutes, just for the sauce to get hot
11) Boil pasta, drain and leave in pot.
12) When meatballs are cooked add to the pasta in the pot and gently mix until
13) Enjoy with what ever extra toppings you desire, parmesan cheese, olives, tomatoes, sky is the limit.

I also sometimes make my meatballs a larger size and just have them on the side without pasta and have garlic bread with them! Tastes just as yummy!

Sorry I wasn't thinking but should have taken a picture of the rolled meatballs before the sauce lol, I wasn't blog thinking until I had the sauce on them.





                                                      Mushrooms frying

                                            meatballs mixed with sauce and mushrooms   

                                                       parmesan cheese added on top

                                                     pasta cooked and strained

                                             finished product (topped with olives optional)

 

 

 

Enjoy!

Stuffed Peppers with honey garlic sausage!

Stuffed Peppers with Honey Garlic Sausage

 

 

     We knew we had some red, yellow, orange and green peppers and wanted to do something with them, but not the “same old stuff”. Normally we have prepared stuffed peppers with tomato based sauces, spicy meat, ground beef, rice and various cheeses and they are always a hit.

While we had all of the fixings to make our normal “go to” stuffed peppers we decided to do something different, we enjoy walking out in the kitchen and looking through the fridge, freezers and cupboards to see what building materials we have and then combining them in interesting ways.

Because the peppers have a nice sweet flavour, instead of the spicy or tomato based stuffing we decided to try something that was a little sweeter to match the natural flavor of the peppers. So here is the recipe we have come up with! Hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

 



 

 

 

 

Ingredients 

 

Rice (5 minute rice)

Mushrooms (fresh)

Sweet corn

Parmesan cheese (shaker)

Medium cheddar cheese

Provolone cheese slices

Honey garlic sausages.

Peppers

 

 

To prep:

 

 

1) Remove the meat from the sausage casings

2) Clean and chop mushrooms - you want them fairly small as it is going in a stuffing and you want 

    lots of all the ingredient's in your peppers. 

3) Depending on the type of corn you have (frozen, cob, canned) get a cup ready to add to the mix

4) Grate some of the medium cheddar cheese ½ cup or so should be fine.

5) Match the number of provolone slices to peppers, they will be going on the top at the end.

6) Cut the tops off the peppers (keep them) cut neatly around the top and you can get most of the seeds out easily

 

 

 

To cook:

 

1) Add some olive oil to a hot pan

2) Add a teaspoon of garlic and fry for a few seconds 

3) Add the mushrooms, mix thoroughly

4) Add sausage meat 

5) It has all of the flavors you need so you do not have to add any additional spices

6) Add corn

7) Fry until sausage meat cooked completely

8) Depending on how much liquid is left in the pan add enough water for 2 cups of rice

9) Add rice and simmer for 1 min

10) Cover and remove from heat for 5 mins

11) Once rice is mostly done add the medium cheddar cheese and the parmesan cheese

12) Mix while bring back up to temp

13) Once the mixture is hot, stuff the peppers, put lids on put in oven

14) Cook for 10 – 20 minutes depending on how far done you would like your peppers

15) Take out, take off lids, put on provolone cheese and cook until cheese brown peppers with honey 

       garlic sausage.

 

 

We didn't drain the grease from frying the honey garlic sausage, you can, it would be healthier for you, just the extra grease adds more flavour to you meal. If you keep the grease then use less water when you add the rice and if you drain the grease make sure you add more water when you add the rice to balance the liquids.

 

We always find that having the left over peppers the next day had so much more flavour because it sat all night so all the flavours blend longer.  You could always make them a day a head and eat them the next day, or you can make the stuffing the day before and let it sit in the refrigerator over night and stuff the peppers the next day. What ever you find easier.

 

I want to thank my husband for all his help with making this meal! I enjoy our time cooking, having a glass of wine and catching up!

 

 

                                                        

                                                   All ingredient's cooking in frying pan. 

        

                                                   Peppers stuffed with sausage stuffing.

      

                                               Peppers with the lids on ready for the oven.

      

 

                                             Finished product! Enjoy, these were amazing!