Top 11 from 2011

Well, this year is quickly coming to an end and I thought it would be fun to see what recipes were the most popular for 2011. This year has been an adventurous one for me, with some disappointments, but many accomplishments. Though I did not with the casting of the Real Women of Philadelphia contest, I will however be published in their cookbook coming out in 2011. My venture onto Facebook has also been a success and this was met with great relief, LOL.

With a new year on the horizon, I am full of excitement and anticipation about new food trends, and recipes that I will be sharing with you. I hope that 2012 is as successful, if not better than 2011. Thanks to everyone who takes the time to read my posts and leave a comment. Without you, this top 11 wouldn't be possible. So, let's start things off with

11- Pork and Shrimp Steamed Dumplings



10- Banana Chocolate French Toast

9- Peppermint Stick Sandwich Cookies

8- Pie in a Jar

7- The Sky is Falling Apples! Wraps

6- Spinach Artichoke Mac and Cheese

5- Pastitio

4- Tomato Herb Foccacia

3- Banana Split Cake

2- Baked Honey Mustard Chicken

And the top recipe of 2011 is..... Mini Sausage Meatball Minestra

Buche de Noel~ Yule Log Cake

Merry Christmas Everyone!!

Well OK, Christmas was a few days ago, but with all the excitement, I didn't have time to wish all of you a Merry Christmas! Since we were celebrating at my parent's this year, Mom decided that we should also celebrate my 34th birthday; which happens to be today!.

Growing up, my Mom would always make her wonderful Buche de Noel, for us to eat after our Reveillon. Reveillon means 'let us wake up', which is a French Canadian Christmas celebration. We celebrate the coming of Christ, with a fabulous feast at midnight, on Christmas Eve/Day. Buche de Noel was always a mandatory dessert, but as we got older, most of the family lost their interest in sweets. So now, Mom doesn't make our Yule Log Cake, except if I am lucky enough to join them for Christmas. It has turned into my birthday cake, which is fine with me.

If you've never had yule log cake, you are really missing out on something spectacular. Not only does it look stunning, it tastes just as good. A moist chocolate sponge cake topped with slightly sweetened whipped cream, is rolled into the shape of a log. There are many versions, white sponge, ice cream; but I am partial to the one Mom makes every year.


Buche de Noel- Christmas Yule Log

Cake:
2/3C flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
4 eggs
1C sugar
2 Tbs water
1/4 C unsweetened chocolate, melted

Filling:
1 1/2 C of heavy whipping cream
3 Tbs confectioners sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Grease and line, a jelly roll pan, with waxed paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. In a large bowl, beat eggs at high speed until light in color, about 5 minutes. Gradually add sugar, beating until thick. Blend in water and melted chocolate. Fold in dry ingredients, thoroughly. Spread in prepared jelly roll pan and bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Loosen edges and turn cake out immediately onto a large tea towel, generously dusted with confectioners sugar. Remove wax paper and trim any crisp edges.

Beginning with the narrow end, roll up cake, with towel loosely. Cool slightly. Whip 1 1/2 C heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add confectioners sugar and vanilla and beat until stiff. Unroll cooled cake and spread evenly with sweetened whipped cream. Re roll cake and even out the ends, by removing a tiny slice of cake. Frost cake with chocolate frosting and decorate with mint leaf candies and cinnamon candies. Refrigerate until serving.

This post linked to

These Chicks Cooked
Full Plate Thursday
Turning the Table Thursday
Creative Thursday
Bake with Bizzy
Sweets for a Saturday

Shabby Apple Giveaway Winner!

First off I would like to wish everyone a very Merry and safe Christmas. We are headed North to celebrate with my family, so I will be taking a bit of a break, until after the holidays.

Now, onto the winner of this beautiful bracelet from Shabby Apple. Thank you to Shabby Apple for offering such a wonderful item, in the midst of the Holiday bustle. I used a random number generator and the winner is....



Congratulations to David, who was trying to win the bracelet for his wife! I'm sure she will be pleasantly surprised. Please return my email ASAP, so I can get your info to the people at Shabby Apple and they can ship your prize to you.



Thanks to everyone who entered and once again MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Super Duper Chocolate Kisses

I've always been a fan of Better Homes and Gardens cookbooks, so a few months ago, I subscribed to their Christmas themed e-news letters. Everyday I was sent emails about tons of awesome baking ideas, decorating ideas and entertaining ideas. While browsing one of the news letters I stumbled upon this recipe and quickly bookmarked it, to make this Christmas. I've always thought the cookies with the kisses on top were so beautiful and these were no exception. Plus, chocolate on chocolate, rolled in chocolate sprinkles???!?!!?? Come on!!

The original recipe calls for packaged chocolate chip cookie dough. I didn't have any, so I just used my go to Nestle Toll House cookie recipe. I added 1/3 C of cocoa to the batter and a bit more flour, to make it stiffer (I'd say anywhere from 1/4-1/2 C more). Queenie, who has been helping me with my Christmas baking this year, really enjoyed forming these into a ball and rolling them into the sprinkles. A bit messy? Sure, but it was worth it, just to be able to spend time in the kitchen with her. These cookies are SO good. You get bits of chocolate throughout, and the dough itself isn't too chocolaty, so it's not like it's a sweet chocolate overload. The kids just love them and I've had to hide them in the freezer, in our basement, so I wouldn't be pestered to have "just 1 more".

Super Duper Chocolate Kisses
adapted from BHG.com
printable version

    1-16 1/2 ounce package refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
    1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    2/3 cup chocolate-flavor sprinkles
    2 tablespoons milk
    40 dark chocolate kisses, unwrapped

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet; set aside. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine cookie dough and cocoa powder. Seal bag; knead with your hands until dough is well mixed. Remove dough from bag.

2. Place chocolate sprinkles in a shallow dish or small bowl. Place milk in another shallow dish or small bowl. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Dip balls in milk to moisten, then roll in chocolate sprinkles to coat. Place balls 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet.

3. Bake in the preheated oven about 8 minutes or until edges are firm. Immediately press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; let cool. Makes about 40 cookies.
From the Test Kitchen

Storage To Store: Layer cookies between waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

This post linked to

Tasty Tuesday
Delicious Dishes
See ya in the Gumbo

Three Farmers Camelina Oil Winner!

Good morning everyone!

I will not be posting a meal plan this week, since we will be leaving Wednesday afternoon, for my parent's house. I would however like to announce the winner of this truly wonderful Canadian Camelina Oil. There were 5 eligible entries and I used a random number generator. The winner is

Remi Lefebvre, who said "I would love to use this oil to fry up some local Nova Scotian tofu! Mmm!" Congratulations Remi and I will be getting in contact with you, to get your mailing info.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to enter my giveaway!!

Easy Chocolate Truffles

Truffles are one of my all time favourite treats, that I rarely splurge on. I just love the creamy chocolate, sprinkled with cocoa powder. On occasion, I buy them, around Christmas time, but this year I decided to make some. Since I'm trying not to over indulge this year, I tried to develop a recipes that would be a bit lighter than original truffles are. So, I ditched the heavy cream and subbed in some 95% fat free Cream Cheese. That, paired with quality 80% dark chocolate and some powdered sugar, to tame the tanginess; these are as good, if not better than your usual truffles.

These truffles are a bit tangy, but not enough to make you say "Eewww". The addition of the powdered sugar rounds out the bitter dark chocolate and tangy cream cheese. Dusted with rich cocoa powder, I decided to add another layer of flavour by lightly sprinkling the tops with a bit of coarse sea salt.

Easy Chocolate Truffles
printable version

1 container of 95% fat free Philadelphia Cream Cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 C 80% cocoa dark chocolate, melted
3/4 C powdered sugar
cocoa powder
coarse sea salt

In a bowl beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar, until fluffy. Add in the melted chocolate and mix until completely combined. Cover and refrigerate for several hours, until stiff. With damp hands, take small amounts of ganache and roll into balls; rinsing hands when too sticky.. Place rolled ganache onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Using a fine mesh strainer, dust the tops of the truffles with cocoa powder. Sprinkle a tiny pinch of sea salt, onto each truffle. Store in an air tight container and refrigerate for up to one week. Can be frozen for up to 3 weeks.

This post linked to

Friday Favorites
Foodie Friday
Sweets for a Saturday

Filipino BBQ Pork Skewers and a Winner

With the Holidays among us, I know that many of us are trying to watch what we are eating, so we don't gain excess fluff, from all the yummy goodies that come with this time of year. I recently heard about Skinny Taste, from some friends and decided to check it out. That's where I found these skewers. I'm always looking for new things to do with Country Style Ribs and this one sounded delicious. I love the combination of flavours in the marinade, so I decided to give them a try.

The meat ends up so tender, from marinating so long; and it's jam packed with flavour as well. A combination of sweet and savoury. The kids really enjoyed this one and there wasn't a skewer left, at the end of our meal. I served it some brown rice, tossed with green onion and pineapple. Perfect! I did end up baking these in the oven, since it was too cold to grill outside (I'm a wimp!).

Filipino BBQ Pork Skewers
Adapted from Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: about 16 skewers • Serving Size: 4 oz • Points: 4 pts

• 2.5 lb pork country style ribs, all fat trimmed, cut into 1" x 1" cubes
  

For the marinade:

• 6 oz 7-up
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 1 lemon, juice of
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp black pepper
• crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Mix all ingredients in a large non-reactive bowl and marinate the meat overnight.
If using wooden skewers, soak in water at least an hour so they don't burn on the grill.
Thread the meat onto skewers and grill. Discard unused marinade. Enjoy!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now for the winner of my 1000 Facebook Follower Giveaway. Firstly, I wanted to say a big Thank You to everyone who entered, tweeted and share my giveaway on Facebook! It has been my most successful one to date!

I used a random number generator to determine the winner and the number that was chosen is.....

Congratulations to Belinda M!!!

I will be contacting you for your mailing info later this morning. Congrats again and Thanks for taking the time to enter!

This post linked to

Full Plate Thursday
These Chicks Cooked
Turning the Table Thursday

Shabby Apple Giveaway

'Tis the season for giving! So, when I was contacted by the wonderful people at Shabby Apple, about doing a giveaway for them, I quickly agreed. Shabby Apple is a super cute online woman's dress boutique, but they don't just stop at dresses. They have the most fabulous collection of vintage jewelry! I quickly fell in love with many pieces while browsing their site. Like these simple, yet elegant earings

 

Gracie Earrings- 14k gold fill links

or this stunning necklace

 

 Silver Long Circle Necklace

And how about this super cute Sterling Silver Cupcake Charm Necklace!!

So, when asked if I'd like to help them giveaway a piece of this beautiful vintage jewelry, I said yes! They've generously agree to give one lucky Hun...What's for Dinner? reader, this beautiful bracelet. It is part of their Alice in Wonderland themed jewelry and this one is playfully called, Poker Face Alice. I just love all the loops and that beautiful gold charms!

 

Gold metal multi-chain bracelet adorned with several gold charms and finished with a lobster clasp closure. Charms:Heart, poker hand, tea kettle, key, and lock.

To enter to win this amazing bracelet "like" Shabby Apple on facebook and then leave me a comment (on this blog) saying you did so.But, that's not all! Shabby Apple is also offering Hun...What's for Dinner readers 10% off your order. All you have to do is enter "whatsfordinner10off", as the coupon code (expires in 30 days). There are so many beautiful products on this site, from dresses for women and little girls, to accessories. It would be a great place to do a bit of Holiday shopping and surprise someone with something extra special! The giveaway will end on December 21st, 2011 and is open to U.S residents only

 disclosure: I received no compensation for this post. I like to offer you, my readers great giveaways.

Parmesan Knots

Since I shared a soup recipe with you, on Tuesday, I thought today I'd share a great accompaniment to soups. In my mind there is only on thing to serve with soup and that's some nice fresh bread. Whether it's rolls, a loaf of crusty bread, bread sticks, or biscuits; there's nothing better than a nice buttery piece of bread to sop up that yummy soup. So, you can bet you'll find some wonderful fresh baked goodness on our table, when it's soup night.

I love to surprise the kids with new bread shapes, for them to dip into their soups. Sometimes it's clover rolls, sometimes pull aparts; this time I decided on knots. These are super easy to make and only take about an hour from start to finish. I love to serve these with a nice Italian inspired soup, such as Pasta Fagioli, Italian Wedding soup or Minestrone. The addition of melted butter and Parmesan, while they are still hot, give these knots an amazing flavour and keep the crust nice and soft.

Parmesan Knots
printable version

1 1/2 C warm water
1 Tbs yeast
2 Tbs sugar
3 1/2 C flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/3 C grated Parmesan cheese, plus some for sprinkling
3 Tbs butter, melted

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar and let it sit and bubble for a few minutes. To a bowl, add the flour, garlic powder, salt and Parmesan.Mix well. Add yeast mixture and knead for 3 minutes. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes. (I do all of this in my mixer)

 Lightly spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Divide the dough in half, then divide each half into 8 pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a long 1/2-inch thick rope. Take both ends of the dough and wrap them as if tying a knot. Place on prepared baking sheets and brush with half of the melted butter.

Raise for 10-20 minutes. Preheat your oven to 375 and bake for 20 minutes, or until golden. Once you take them out of the oven, brush them with the remaining butter and sprinkle with extra Parmesan cheese.

This post linked to

See ya in the Gumbo
What Makes you say Mmmmm?
Hearth and Soul
Tasty Tuesday
Delicious Dishes
Bake with Bizzy

Meal Plan Monday~ Dec 12, 2011

Happy Monday!!!

Can you believe there is only 13 days until Christmas?!?!?! I am not at all ready for it. I have one batch of Christmas cookies made and really no desire to make any more. It's quite sad, actually. I just can't seem to get into the Christmas mood this year. Not sure if it's the lack of snow, that's giving me the blues..... Even after getting our tree this past weekend, I'm still not excited and anxious as years past.

This week is going to be somewhat crazy. Hubby and I need to finish up our shopping, I need to get moving on my Christmas baking, we'll be holding marathon wrapping sessions when the kids go to bed and the kids have planned for us to attend Family Movie Night, at Mr.B's school. I think I'll be sticking with easy family favourites this week. Here is the plan, in no particular order

• Porcupine Balls with brown rice and peas
• Sweet and Sour Pork Chops with mac'n'cheese and broccoli
• Waffles with fruit salad
• Creamy Shells with Tomatoes and White beans with bread machine garlic bread
• Pizza and snacks at Family Movie Night
• Roast chicken breast with potatoes au gratin and honey thyme  butternut squash
• Leftovers

Don't forget to head over to OrgJunkie.com, for more great meal plans!!

Peppermint Crunch Cookies

With 15 days left before Christmas, I really can't seem to find the Christmas spirit. I'm not sure if it's the lack of snow, or how overwhelmed I am feeling this year. The days just seem to be getting shorter and my 'to do' list seems to be getting longer. One of my favourite things to do during the holidays is bake and for some reason I'm just not 'feeling' it. But when the mood strikes I like to be able to whip something up that looks amazing and tastes just as good, in a small amount of time.

With Mr.B in school full time, Queenie has become my shadow. That means anywhere Mommy goes, she is sure to follow. So, you can bet that when the mood to bake strikes, she's right there beside me wanting to help. At first it was a tad overwhelming, since I'm a little bit of a control freak. I always see how things should go in my head and get flustered and upset if they do not go that way. Which is bound to happen, with a 3 yr old in the kitchen, LOL. What I love about these cookies is that they are pretty much fail proof. And they are so simple that Queenie could help and pretty much make the cookies by herself. That's what I love about recipes from Life Made Delicious; they are simple and easy, yet stunning and delicious. Your kids are sure to love helping out with these and what a better way to celebrate the Holidays, than with some family baking time.

Peppermint Crunch Cookies
Adapted from Life Made Delicious

1 pkg Pillsbury* Refrigerated Sugar Cookies
1 1/2 cups (375 mL) white vanilla baking chips or semisweet chocolate chips
8 round hard peppermint candies, crushed (about 1/4 cup/50 mL)

Heat oven to 350ºF. In large bowl, break up cookie dough. Stir or knead in 1/4 cup all-purpose flour until well blended. Shape dough into 36 (1-inch) balls. Bake 10 to 14 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from baking sheets to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 5 minutes.
   
In small microwavable bowl, microwave vanilla chips and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil uncovered on Medium (50%) 2 to 3 minutes, stirring once halfway through microwaving, until melted. Stir until smooth.
   
Dip half of each cookie into melted chips mixture, allowing excess to drip off; place on waxed or parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Sprinkle each with about 1/2 teaspoon crushed candy. Let stand until set.

“Disclosure: I am part of the Life Made Delicious Blogger program and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.”

This post linked to

Bake with Bizzy
Foodie Friday
Friday Favorites
Sweets for a Saturday

1000 Facebook Followers Giveaway!!

***Giveaway is now closed***

When I decided to take this blog to Facebook, I was a bit nervous and apprehensive. What if no one was interested in what a Stay at Home Mom of 2 was cooking during the day? What if they thought I was a big joke and my food was too? I never in my life thought I would be at 1000 'likes' on Facebook in such a short time. I was sure it would take at least a year and I cannot say how excited I am about it. I just wanted to say a big THANK YOU, to everyone who takes the time to visit Hun...What's for Dinner?, either here, or on Facebook. Without you, this culinary journey wouldn't mean as much. So, as a thank you, I'd like to give one of you the chance to win a little something, from me. Baking is my passion, so I thought a giveaway full of cute Christmas themed baking goodies would be the way to go. Here's what the winner will be getting

• a medium sized Wilton cookie pan
• 2 sets of 3 Christmas themed Wilton cookie cutters (I especially love the gingerbread boy and girl with a bite missing, LOL)
• 100 large Wilton cupcake liners and 100 Wilton mini cupcake liners
• a set of 3 Wilton goodie boxes and a set of 20 Wilton goodie bags
• Holly mix decorations and red/green jimmies (not shown)

All you need to do is leave me a comment here (on my blog), telling me what your favourite Christmas treat is.

Want extra entries? Leave me a comment for each of the following you do, and it will count as another entry

• Follow Hun...What's for Dinner? through GFC (by clicking JOIN in the right side bar), or e mail subscription ( also found in the right side bar)
• Follow Hun...What's for Dinner? on Twitter and/or Facebook
• Tweet about this post using the following text " @HunWFD is celebrating 1000 'likes' on Facebook, with a #Holiday #baking themed #giveaway!! http://tinyurl.com/6o88su8"
  
• Blog about this giveaway, or share it on Facebook 

Good luck to everyone and I will be drawing a winner next Thursday Dec 15.

Lemon Thyme Rice Pilaf and a Giveaway

It's the month of December, so you know what that means.... it's the time for giving! A few weeks ago, I was approached by the Three Farmers, about whether I'd be interested in trying out their Camelina oil. I was immediately on board, since Camelina oil has only been on the market in Canada since Dec 2010. So what's so special about this oil? First of all, it is made and distributed right here in Canada! It's beautiful yellow colour will draw you right too it. It is made from Camelina seeds, which are a member of the mustard family; hence the nice yellow colour. It has a very distinct and wonderful flavour- almost nutty, with a hint of fresh asparagus. And the part I love best is that it's traceable! That means that every bottle made can be traced right back to the exact farmer who grew the seeds. There are only 3 Farmers growing Camelina in Canada, which also makes this a unique product. Not to mention, this oil

• has a high smoke point, which makes if perfect for frying
• it contains Omega-3, Omega-6 and vitamin E
• it is cold pressed, which gives the beautiful yellow hue and nutty flavour
• it does not congeal when refrigerated

I've been using this oil for a few weeks now, if a variety of ways. Today I'd like to share a recipe in which I think this oil shines. Used in this rice pilaf, it complimented the lemon and thyme flavours, without getting lost or overpowering them; like other oils might.


Lemon Thyme Rice Pilafprintable version


2 Tbs Camelina oil
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1 1/2 C raw white rice
1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
3 C chicken stock
1/4 C lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1 pinch of sea salt and fresh ground pepper

In a medium sized pot heat the oil, over medium heat, and add the onion and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add the rice and cook until golden brown, stirring frequently. Add the stock and thyme, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.

So how would you like to win a large bottle of this wonderful oil? The generous people at Three Farmers have generously offered to give one of my Canadian readers a 500 ml bottle of Three Farmers Camelina Oil. All you have to do is follow my blog (here or on Facebook) and leave me a comment (here on this blog) telling me what you would like to make with this fabulous oil. I'll select a winner on Dec 19th. Good Luck!!

This post linked to

Full Plate Thursday
These Chicks Cooked
Turning the Table Thursday

Celery Root Soup

I cannot say enough, how happy I am to have to cold weather back. Although I'm not a big fan of walking to and from school in the snow, I LOVE to make and eat soup. I love sitting down to a comforting bowl of soup, on a cold snowy day. It just warms you up from the inside and soothes any bad mood. Plus, you can take just about anything and turn it into soup, so it's really hard to get bored of it.

I found this recipe in my 50 Simple Slow Cooker Soups cookbook. I love that this cookbook is all about soup, that is prepared in the crock pot. I get to have one of my favourite meals, without all the fuss. On a recent trip to the Farmer's Market, one of the vendors was selling these HUGE celery roots. Never having eaten or cooked with it before, I decided to be adventurous and buy one. I really didn't know what to make with it, until I found this recipe. I knew that we would all enjoy it and was intrigued that the recipe suggested to garnish it with apple. This soup was so delicious and light. I used a red delicious apple and  it added a nice fresh crispy touch to the subtle celery soup. The kids loved picking garnishes for their soup, which helped them enjoy it more than they would have without, LOL.

Celery Root Soup
Adapted from 50 Simple Soups for the Slow Cooker
printable version

2 Tbs butter, or ghee
3 medium leeks, sliced (white and light green parts only)
1 1/2 lbs celery root, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
5 C water
1 C half and half, or soy cream
salt
1 Granny Smith apple, unpeeled and cut into match sticks
1 celery rib, thinly sliced
1/3 cup inner celery leaves

In a large saute pan, melt the butter over medium heat and saute the leeks for about 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Transfer the leeks to a 7-quart slow cooker and add the celery root and water. Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hrs, until the celery root is tender.

Add the half and half, then using a handheld immersion blender, puree the soup. Add the salt to taste. Cook for about 30 minutes longer, or until all the ingredients are hot.

Ladle the soup into bowls and top each bowl with a bit of apple, sliced celery rib and celery leaves.

This post linked to

Delicious Dishes
Hearth and Soul
See Ya in the Gumbo
Tasty Tuesday 
What's Cooking Wednesday

Meal Plan Monday~ Dec 5, 2011

Happy Monday!!

Wow can you believe that December is finally here?!? It all just seems surreal! Our snow has melted again and the temperatures have been quite mild. I've really been having a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit, though I am very excited to be able to celebrate with my family this year. I think once I get the decorations up, this week, it will feel more like Christmas. I just love seeing all the lights, garland and transforming the mantle into a winter wonderland.

On a totally different tangent, Mr.B is doing WAY better. His appetite has returned and he's been making up for the week and a half that he couldn't eat. This makes Momma VERY happy!! There's nothing I hate more than seeing one of the kids sick and not eating. That being said, this week will consist of many dishes Mr.B and Queenie love. Here's what the plan is; in no particular order

• Spaghetti, Meatballs and Sausage with salad and garlic bread
• Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup (new recipe) with homemade bread
• Perfect Fall Pork Chops (new recipe)
• Pineapple Shrimp and Rice Bake (new recipe)
• Salmon Patties with rice and broccoli
• Chickpea Pasta
• leftovers

Head on over to OrgJunkie.com, for tons of other great meal plans, for the week!

And the Winner Is.....

Let me start off by saying a big Thank You, to everyone who entered my giveaway!! After a bit of confusion this morning, I finally picked the winner of Cutie Pies: 40 Sweet, Savory and Adorable Recipes cookbook. I used a random number generator and the winning number that came up is...

 

Peace Love & Poop said...

I love Apple Pie!! Thanks for the chance! (also sorry about the pan) shannonw at peacelovepoop dot com   

 Congrats and I've sent you a message asking for your mailing info. Please reply within 24 hrs, so I can get the cookbook out to you.

Peppermint Stick Sandwich Cookies

Can you believe it's Dec 3rd already?1? Christmas is only 22 days away!!! So, that means I've been in the kitchen experimenting with yummy Christmas treats. I plan of giving many gifts from my kitchen this year and am trying to compile a list of all the amazingly delicious, and beautiful recipes. It's been hard deciding if I go with some of my old favourites, or try new recipes this year. Since we will be spending Christmas with my Mom, she'll have tons of my old favourite desserts and treats. That means I have to come up with new stuff that will make them say YUM!!!

This recipes is a result of a few mistakes with a totally different recipe, LOL. First off, I've yet to find a method to crush peppermints/candy canes that doesn't result in me cursing under my breath, and vowing I will never make anything that requires them again. This year's attempt resulted in quite a bit of tiny peppermint dust and quite a few large chunks of peppermint. So, I tossed everything into a fine strainer and collected the dust in a separate bowl. Then, I fished out the pieces that would be way too big and was left with somewhat perfect peppermint pieces. Not wanting to waste, I decided to add the peppermint dust to the cookie dough. But I failed to notice an ingredient, listed in the directions of the recipe I meant to make, rather than in the ingredient list. That resulted in my cookies spreading too much and they came out pretty flat. That's when I decided to forget the intended recipe and turn these into sandwich cookies. These look so beautiful and taste pretty darn good too!


Peppermint stick Sandwich Cookies
printable version

1 tube refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1/4 C peppermint dust
1 C crushed peppermint candy
1 stick salted butter
1/4 C white chocolate chips, melted
3 C powdered sugar
1-2 Tbs light cream

In a large bowl, break up the cookie dough and gently knead in the peppermint dust. shape into a 1 1/2 inch round log, wrap in plastic wrap and place in freezer for about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Once dough is firm, cut it into 24 equal slices. Place slices onto cookie sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes; until edges start to brown. Let cool on cookie sheet, before removing.

In a bowl cream the butter and melted chocolate, until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, 1 C at a time, beating well after each addition. Once powdered sugar has been incorporated, add the cream, starting with 1 Tbs. Beat for 2-3 minutes, until frosting us super fluffy. If you find it is too thick, add remaining cream and beat until super fluffy. Transfer frosting to a large zip top bag. Cut off a hole at one end and squish all the frosting to that corner.

To assemble: Take 12 of the cookies and flip them over, so the bottoms are facing upward. Pipe equal amounts of frosting onto each cookie bottom. Place a second cookie, flat side down, over the frosting and evenly press gently, to disperse the frosting evenly to the edges of the cookies. Roll edges into crushed peppermints.

This post linked to

Bake with Bizzy
Foodie Friday
Friday Favorites
Sweets for a Saturday
Recipe of the Week 
Things that Make you say:"Mmmmm" 
Baker's Sunday
12 Days of Christmas Cookies