12 Days of Recipes: DAY 10

CHOW MIEN COOKIES
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup chow mien noodles
1 cup salted peanuts

Melt chocolate & butterscotch chips in a bowl over warm water. Remove from heat and mix in chow mien noodles & peanuts until coated. Using a cookie scoop, spoon onto a wax paper lined cookie sheet. Refrigerate or freeze.

[This was my Great Grandmother Shepherd's recipe]

Starr Photo

Hi everyone...just posting this new photo of me that my friend Dee-Ann took. Thanks D!

My Very First Bella Cards!

I put together an order for an aquatinance who was in need of some general thank you cards...what a great way to use my Stamping Bella stamps I had just received! Take a look...

I put the package of 30 cards & envelopes all together tied with a brown satin ribbon and gave a white signo gel pen with it...the receiver was all set to address & send these cute cards on their way!

12 Days of Recipes: DAY 9

CRAZY CATERPILLARS
1 bagel
1 hot dog (we sometimes substitute pepperoni)
2 tbsp ketchup (we sometimes substitute pasta sauce)
1 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tbsp mustard
4 thin pretzel sticks

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Split bagel in half and then cut each half into 2 equal pieces. You should have 4 half moon shapes. Cut the hot dog crossways into 12 pieces.

Spread 1 tbsp ketchup over each bagel shape. Sprinkle with cheese. Place 6 hot dog pieces on top of each bagel shape. Place onto baking sheet and bake for 10 - 12 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Top dogs with mustard and decorate with pretzel sticks for 'antennas'. Enjoy ~ Our kids love them!

I just had to include this cute photo of these two on the same day we made their 'caterpillars'...they do the cutest things.

12 Days of Recipes: DAY 8

KING CRAB LEGS
1 can of beer
4 cups water
1 lemon (sliced in half)
1 head of garlic
king crab legs

Add first four ingredients to a large pot & bring to a boil. You will need a steamer pot to fit over the water pot; place the crab legs in here. Cook for approx. 10 minutes or until meat is white & cooked. Remove from pot and break open shells to expose the crab meat. Dip in warm butter if desired.

This meal was unbelievably delicious...we had never cooked crab at home and were amazed with how it turned out. The whole family enjoyed this meal and Ace & Scarlett had fun playing with the claws!

12 Days of Recipes: DAY 7

LEMON POPPY SEED POUND CAKE
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tbsp lemon zest
2 tbsp poppy seeds
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter (softened)
4 oz cream cheese (softened)
4 eggs
2 tbsp milk
2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. For cake, spray fluted pan with nonstick cooking spray. Combine flour, sugar, lemon zest, poppy seeds, baking powder and salt in bowl; mix well. In another bowl, beat butter and cream cheese on high speed of an electric mixer for 1 minute. Add flour mixture; beat on low speed 1 minute or until blended.

In another bowl, whisk eggs, milk and vanilla just until blended. Add egg mixture to cream cheese mixture in 4 additions, beating 2 minutes after each addition.

Pour batter into pan. Bake 55 - 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cake in pan 10 minutes. Loosen cake from sides of pan; carefully invert onto cooling rack, keeping pan over cake. Cool completely.

Place cake on serving platter. Pour glaze over cake.

LEMON GLAZE
Combine 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar and enough lemon juice to make a thick frosting (4 - 5 tsp).

12 Days of Recipes: DAY 6

CHEESY VOLCANO MEATBALLS
1 lb lean ground beef
6 Ritz crackers
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (grated)
3/4 cup pasta sauce
old cheddar cheese (cut into 12 cubes)
hot dog buns

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix meat, cracker crumbs, parmesan cheese and 1/4 cup of the pasta sauce in a bowl. Shape into 12 meatballs, using about 2 tbsp meat from mixture for each.
Place 2 inches apart in shallow baking pan sprayed with cooking spray. Press 1 cheese cube deeply into centre of each meatball.
Bake 14 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through. Meanwhile, microwave remaining 1/2 cup pasta sauce on high for 30 seconds.
Spoon sauce evenly into buns. Fill each with 3 meatballs.

12 Days of Recipes: DAY 5

WARM CARAMEL DIP
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 small can condensed milk
1 cup butter

Place all ingredients in a heavy pot. Cook over med-high heat, stirring constantly (or you will get brown flecks in the dip...still tasted the same). Once the mixture comes to a rolling boil, remove from heat & continue stirring till dip is creamy and the sugar is dissolved. Especially good served with apple wedges. This recipe makes alot of dip, store in fridge for up to 1 month.

12 Days of Recipes: DAY 4

MILK CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
1 cup margarine (room temperature)
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups milk chocolate chips

In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachement, combine margarine with both sugars and beat on medium speed until light & fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add the salt, vanilla & eggs. Beat until well mixed. Add flour & baking soda, mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Keep cookie dough in fridge until ready to bake. Drop dough, using a medium cookie scoop, onto cookie sheet (stoneware works the best). Bake @ 350 degrees for 8-12 minutes. Let cool on wire rack.

Very soft & chewy...excellent every time!

[I guess I like this recipe so well...I posted it here already!]

Letters to Santa

We just finished emailing our letters to Santa. If you'd like to email your own, you can do so here.

12 Days of Recipes: DAY 3

SHRIMP PASTA ALFREDO
1/4 cup butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 clove garlic (crushed)
1 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
linquini pasta (cooked, enough for 4 servings)
1/2 cup red pepper (chopped lengthwise into strips)
1 cup shrimp (I used frozen & uncooked)
handful of spinach leaves
handful of button mushrooms

Prepare pasta according to directions on package, drain & set aside. Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium low heat. Add cream and simmer for 5 minutes, then add garlic & cheese and whisk quickly, heating through. Stir in shrimp, red peppers, spinach & mushrooms to cook for 5 minutes in sauce. Stir in parsley and pasta, toss & serve.

12 Days of Recipes: DAY 2

SKOR TOFFEE CHOCOLATE BARS
3/4 cup margarine
3/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 1/2 cup flour
1 can (300 ml) sweetened condensed milk
2 tbsp margarine
1 pkg milk chocolate chips
1 pkg Skor toffee bits

Cream first 3 ingredients until well blended and mixture comes together. Press evenly into a 9" x 13" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes, or until golden. Cool. Heat condensed milk and margarine in saucepan, stirring constantly over medium heat for 5 - 10 minutes, or until thickened. Spread over baked base. Bake 12 - 15 minutes longer or until golden. Sprinkle milk chocolate chips evenly over top. Bake 2 minutes more until chocolate is shiny & soft. Remove from oven. Spread chocolate evenly. Sprinkle Skor bits on top, pressing lightly into chocolate. Cool completely.

Enjoy!

12 Days of Recipes: DAY 1

I wanted to put a twist on a '12 days of Christmas'...so what could be more fun than sharing some favorite recipes. Here it goes...
BAKED SPINACH & ARTICHOKE DIP
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup shredded cheese - I use the blend you can buy in the store with parmesan, asiago & mozzarella
splash of lemon juice
1 can (14 oz) marinated artichoke hearts (drained & coarsly chopped)
2 - 3 garlic cloves (minced)
handful of spinach leaves (chopped)

Mix ingredients together and bake until bubbly at 350 degrees (approx 20 minutes). Serve with your favorite crackers or baked pita chips.

This is a very popular party dip...it's always the first dish gone! I love it because I can always keep the ingredients on-hand and it doesn't use frozen spinach (the draining drives me crazy). And it's my husband's absolute favorite...sometimes we make it for just the two of us to snack on with a glass of wine :)