Recipes

Favorite Christmas Cookie Recipes – Last Installment

Posted on by keepingupwithkate91

As promised, here is the last installment of my Christmas Cookie recipes.  These last three recipes have been added in the last 10 years.  Of course, there is a little story behind each recipe.

Buttery Shortbread:  This is the easy recipe of all the cookies I make – and the richest.  If I don’t have time to make cookies – I still find time to make these cookies.  I even have a 12 days of Christmas pan I use for them.  If you don’t have a speacial shortbread pan, I’ve used glass  pan pans.  This recipe is from some dear friends who I met during my time in Dallas.  It actually comes from England.  2 Cups of Flour, 1/2 Cup Cornstartch, 1/2 Cup Sugar, 2 sticks (1/2 lb) butter – unsalted (melted).  Preheat the over to 300 degrees.  Sift the flour, cornstarch and sugar into a medium bolw.  Stir in the melted butter (I microwave the butter).  Knead lightly; press into 8 inch round cake or pie pans.  Prick the dough all over with a fork (if using a pie pan I prick the dough so it looks like slices of pie).  Back for 35 minutes, until set but not browned.  Remove from the oven and cut.  Let cool on a wire rack.

Great Big Oatmeal Cookies:  These cookies are courtesy of The Great American Home Cooking Recipe cards.  Yes, those requests to join a recipe club.  I never joined, but I kept the recipe because the cookies had coconut in them.  One year instead of making the Oatmeal Crispies (see my first Christmas cookie recipe post) I decided to make these cookies to see how everyone liked them.  They were a hit; although my Dad still prefers the Oatmeal Crispies.  1 1/2 cup flaked coconut, 3 cups rolled oats, 1 1/4 Cups flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 cup unsalted butter (softened), 1 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar, 2 large eggs (room temp), 1 tsp vanilla & 1/4 cup milk.  Spread the coconut and oats over a large baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until toasted, stirring often.  Cool.  Mix the flour, baking soda and salt.  Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl at medium speed for 1 minute.  Add the eggs and vanilla to the butter mixture.  Beat int he milk.  Stir in the flour, then the coconut and the oats.  Drop dough in 1/4 cup amounts, 3 inches aprt onto baking sheets.  Bake for 12 minutes at 350.  Let cool 1 minute; transfer to a rack.

Laurie Womer’s Coffee Bean Cookies:  My Mom found this recipe in The Patriot Newspaper – Harrisburg, PA.  This came from a reader in Lower Paxton Twp.  My Mom knows I enjoy my coffee and thought these would be a hit.  She made these cookies for me one Christmas and gave me the recipe.  The are obviously great with a nice cup of coffee.  1/2 cup butter (unsalted) (softened), 1/2 cup solid shortening (Crisco), 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, 2 large eggs (room temp), 1 tsp vanilla extract, 2 1/4 cup flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1 cup chopped almonds, 1 cup chocolate covered coffee beans, 1 cup Heath Toffee bits.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees  Beat the butter and shortening on medium speed of an electric mixer until creamy.  Gradually add sugars and beat well.  Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.  Combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; add to butter mixture, beating well.  Stir in almonds, coffe beens and Heath bits.  Cover and chill dough for several hours or overnight.  Drop dough by heaping teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets.  Bake 10 – 11 minutes or until golden.  Cook on cookie sheets for 1 minute; remove to wire racks and cool completely.  Makes 4 dozen.  Note:  Find chocolate covered coffee beans at local coffee houses or coffee kiosks at some grocery stores.

Happy Baking!  Enjoy!!  Let me know if you try any of the recipes and if they were a hit or not.

Favortie Cookie Recipes – Nostalgic

Posted on by keepingupwithkate91

Throughout the years, I’ve added recipes to the base cookies.  I started adding to the baseline when I lived in Virginnia and I made cookies for some of my co-workers.  I really got into it when I lived in Dallas.  One year, two of my friends and I made cookies for everyone on each of our team.  It even included decorated, sugar cookies (that was a lucky year for my team – I didn’t make them again).  The following Christmas I was on my own and back to my Black & Decker hand mixer – the following January I purchased my Kitchen Aid…what a difference that made.

I’ve decided to break-up my additional cookie recipes into 2 blogs:  One Nostalgic (this one) and One New Age (more like recent in the last 10 years – and it will give me another blog).

The 3 recipes I’m sharing with you today are Peanut Blossoms, No Bake Cookies, Sugar (not the ones from my Dallas story) and Christmas Crunchies.  Each one has a memory.

Peanut Blossoms:  This is my Mom-Mom’s recipe.  I remember making them as a kid with her (I’m assuming around Christmas time).  At some point, I got the recipe (either from my Mom or my Mom-Mom’s recipe box).  Here it is (this is my  Sister-in-Law’s favorite cookie).  1/2 Cup Butter, 1/2 Cup Peanut Butter, 1/2 Cup Sugar, 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar, 1 egg (room temp), 1 tsp vanilla, 1 3/4 Cup Flour, 1 tsp baking soad, 1/2 tsp salt and 1 bag of Hershey Kisses.  Cream butter, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Add egg; beat and add vanilla.  Add flour, baking soda and salt.  Roll rounded teaspons of dough into balls; then roll in sugar.  Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven, top each with a solid Hershey Kiss (I’ve even tried other Hershey Kisses) press down firmly so cookie bracks around edge.  Return to oven and bake 2-5 minutes longer.

No Bake Cookies (also called stove top):  I remember making these cookies at a friend’s house as a little girl (Becky Legg’s house – wow her last name just came to me…she only lived near me for about a year of so).  I also think we made these cookies in Home Ec in middle school.  These are my brother’s favorite.  1 1/2 cup sugar, 2 TBSP Cocoa Powder, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup butter, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/2 cup peanut butter, 3 cups quick cooking oats.  In a large, heavy saucepan mix and bring to boil sugar, cocoa, milk and butter – stirring occassionally.  Boil 1 1/2 minutes.  Remove from heat and add vanilla, peanut butter and oats; mix well.  Drop by rounded tsps on wax paper or spread in a greased 9x9x1 inch pan.  Cool a few hours or until firm (I sometimes put outside or in freezer to speed up the process).

Sugar Cookies:  My roommate from college used to make these.  The recipe came from her boyfriend (at the time) grandmother.  If you read my previous post, I had the Tollhouse cookie recipe memorized – she had this one memorized.  She would make these quite a bit…good thing we walked everywhere and had fast metobolisms.  These are not your typical sugar cookies – you don’t roll them out – they have a sort of cake consisentency. The original recipe calls for nutmeg – I made them one time not knowing you don’t add the nutmeg…they so didn’t taste the same. 2 Cups Sugar, 1 Cup Butter, 1 Cup Milk, 3 Eggs (room temp), 3 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp vanilla, 4 Cups Sugar.  Cream sugar, butter and eggs.  Sift dry ingredients.  Add dry ingredients alternating with milk to the creamed mixture.  Baked on ungreased cookie sheet at 375.  You’ll have to check on these cookies as the recipe doesn’t have the time.  🙂  These are great cookies to add sugar sprinkles or other decoration.

Christmas Crunchies:    I’m not sure when I started making these cookies.  I don’t think I’ve made them very oftern either.  However, they have a special place in my heart as I received this recipe as a child in a Christmas card from my Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop (price on card was $0.35!).  1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup white (this is what is actually in the card) sugar, 1 egg (well beaten), 1/2 tsp vanilla, 1 cup flour, 1/2 tsp soda (baking), 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp baking powder, 1 cup oatmeal, 1 cup corn flakes, 1/2 cup coconut, 1/2 cup chopped nuts (pecans).  Cream butter, add sugars then egg and vanilla.  Sift dry ingredients together and add to creamed mixture.  Last, add corn flakes, oatmeal, coconuts and nuts.  Roll into small balls and place about 2 inches apart on cookied sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 – 15 minutes.

Do you have any favorite cookie recipes?  What are they?  Let me know if you try any of the recipes and what you think of them.  ENJOY!!

Have a wonderful Saturday!!

 

Favorite Christmas Cookie Recipes – The Early Years

Posted on by keepingupwithkate91

Since I shared some of my FAVs at Christmas, I thought I would share some a little more about each one, this is the Christmas Cookie Edition.

I’ve been making Christmas cookies ever since I was a kid. I remember making cookies with my Mom every year. We kept it simple – 3 types of cookies: Nestle Toll House Choc Chips, Snowflakes and Oatmeal Crispies.

At some point my Mom went to work part-time (I believe I was in high school), so to help her out, my Dad decided to help me make the cookies. My Mom and I used margarine for all of our cookies. All of the recipes called for butter (all were handwritten recipes we used). My Dad insisted we use the butter (even though I insisted we always used margarine) (which makes me believe maybe I was in middle school when my Dad took over)…none of the cookies tasted right that year. So if you go into my parent’s recipe box you will see butter margarine.  **I switched all cookies back to butter about 10 years ago.**

Here are the recipes of the staples (I’ll add another post with ones I’ve added over the years that have turned into favorites as well):

Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip:  2 1/4 cup flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt, 1 cup butter (I use unsalted – softened), 3/4 cup sugar, 3/4 cup packed brown sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 large eggs (room temp), 2 cups choc chips, 1 cup chopped nuts (optional – i prefer pecans – walnuts will work too).  Preheat oven at 375 degrees.  Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl.  Beat butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla until creamy.  Add eggs one at a time.  Gradually add flour mixture.  Bake 9 to 11 minutes.  *I usually pull out of the oven at the lower time as they still bake on the pan when you take them out of the oven*

Snowflakes:  These are also known as cream cheese spritz cookies.  1 cup butter (unsalted – softened), 1-3 oz cream cheese (I always use Philadelphia brand), 1 cup sugar, 1 egg yolk (room temp), 1 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp finely grated orange rind, 2 1/2 cup sifted flour. 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp vanilla, green & red food coloring.  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Sift flour with salt and cinnamon.  Cream butter and cream cheese well.  Add sugar gradually and continue creaming.  Beat in egg yolk, vanilla and orange rind.  Add to flour mix to creamed mixture.  You can either split the dough in half to add the food coloring to have red and green cookies.  Add food coloring and mix in.  Don’t over mix.  If you are going to using a cookie press- I suggest putting the dough in the refrigerator to assist with it going through the press.  We used to make green trees and red bells (usually 2 batches).  Bake at 350 degrees for 12 – 15 minutes (watch initially if small they could burn on the edges).  You can add additional  decoration to the cookies once they come out of the oven – colored sugar, cinnamon or chopped almonds (or before you bake).  Yields 6 – 7 dozen.

Oatmeal Crispies:  1 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp soda, 3 cups oats (quick cooking), 1/2 cup chopped nuts (almonds work well – optional), 1 cup butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup packed brown sugar, 2 eggs (room temp) and 1 tsp vanilla (or mix it up and use 1 tsp almond extract instead of vanilla).  Sift and measure flour, re-sift with salt and baking soda.  Stir in oats and nuts.  Cream butter with sugar and eggs until very light and fluffy.  Add creamed mixture to dry ingredients.  Blend thoroughly & form into 2 logs (you can put in your cookie press and push through to create a log).  Wrap log in either wax paper or plastic wrap.  Place dough in refrigerator either overnight or a few hours.  Cut in thin slices with sharp knife.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  Yields 6 dozen.  **I love this dough raw vs. baked – note there are raw eggs and it is recommended not to eat raw eggs** (that is my disclaimer).  The cooked ones are very tasty with a big glass of milk.

Enjoy.  What are your favorite recipes?

PS:  I have some pictures over the years I’ll post, just have to find them.

 

Yummy – Chicken Recipe – Easy

Posted on by keepingupwithkate91

I had this chicken for lunch today with beets and bok choy.  It was super easy to make.  It was very good.  The recipe is from the Clean program.  Here is the link:  http://www.cleanprogram.com/files/goop-recipes.pdf.  I have enough leftovers for the rest of the week for a salad or with some yummy veggies.

Hummus Crusted Chicken with Rosemary and Lemon

2 boneless/skinless chicken breasts (local and free-range)
2 lemons, (1 sliced into rounds and 1 juiced)
1/2 cup hummus (you can buy it or use the quick and delicious recipe below) (I like the Tribe brand) (roasted garlic is yummy)
4 fresh rosemary sprigs or 2 tablespoons dried
Generous drizzle of balsamic vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Preheat to 450
Place the chicken breasts in a small roasting pan, covering all exposed meat with the hummus (use a spoon or your hands, just make sure it’s layered quite
thick, about 1/4”).
Scrunch each lemon half in your hand and then loosely arrange them over the chicken with the rosemary sprigs, broken into smaller pieces, so the flavor
comes out more.
Generously drizzle the entire mix with lemon juice and then a quick drizzle of balsamic vinegar.
Bake until the hummus is golden brown and the meat is juicy and tender (checking with a knife to make sure it’s cooked all the way through), about
30 minutes.
Finish with another quick drizzle of lemon juice and an optional pinch of sea salt and black pepper to taste.
Make the hummus in a food processor by blending
the following ingredients:
1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained
2 cloves garlic, peeled
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Cinnamon Roll Smoothie Totally ROCKS!

Posted on by keepingupwithkate91

Holy cow…this smoothie is awesome (and you can’t even taste the protein mix)!  I had to post this recipe for everyone.  Enjoy!!

Cinnamon Roll Smoothie

1 cup almond milk (unsweetened and organic)

1 cup coconut water

1 scoop of protein mix

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 pinch sea salt (I used Himalayan Sea Salt)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract or 1-2 pitted dates

1 tablespoon pecans

Stevia to taste (I used 1/2 a packet)

Happy Hump Day!

Food Journal – Week 1

Posted on by keepingupwithkate91

This is my food journal from August 14th – August 20th.

Day 7 (8/20):  Oh Sunny Day

Breakfast:  Shake:  Unsweetened coconut milk / water, frozen peaches, vanilla extract, organic coconut, scoop of protein and 1 tsp maca powder (can taste it today…will only add to a shake now that has raw cocoa).  I was hoping for a peachy ‘orange julius’ and all I can taste is maca powder.

45 minute walk this morning

Lunch:  Monteray Chicken with broccoli, carrots, zucchini & onions.  Cucumber Salad & a peach

A little pool time this afternoon

Snack:  2 TBS forty spice hummus (yummy) with 3 large celery sticks and almonds

Dinner:  Shake:  Reese’s Power Cup

Water:  under 80 ozs today

All normal supplements taken

Day 6 (8/19):  Very sore right shoulder – not sure how I did it & No Green Tea!

Supplements: 6 Fiber capsules (1/2 hr before breakfast)

Breakfast:  Reese’s Power Cup Shake same as day 2

Lunch:  Salad with 1/2 Cup garbanzo beans, radishes, beets, cauliflower, mushrooms with Spinach.  Olive Oil and Pomagrante Vinegar.  Supplements:  Milk Thistle, Daily Vitamin, Probiotic

Supplements:  3 Fiber capsules with 8 ozs water

Snack:  Raw Cashews

Dinner: Cold Cantaloupe Soup:  Lemon Water, Almond Milk, Protein Mix, 2 Slices cantaloupe (in chunks), 2 tsp flaxmeal and himalayan sea salt. (I like this)!

Supplements:  Daily Vitamin, Vitamin D & Probiotic

Water:  Over 80 ozs.

Day 5 (8/18):  Headache free day

Supplements: 6 Fiber capsules (1/2 hr before breakfast)

Breakfast:  Reese’s Power Cup Shake same as day 2 (minus protein mix…I forogt it).  1 cup of Chai Green Tea

Lunch:  Salad with Grilled Salmon, Radishes with Romaine.  Olive Oil and Pomagrante Vinegar.  Supplements:  Milk Thistle, Daily Vitamin, Probiotic

Snack:  Peach / Raw Cashews

Dinner: Apple / Squash Bisque Soup

Supplements:  Daily Vitamin, Vitamin D & Probiotic

Water:  Over 80 ozs.

Day 4 (8/17):  Feeling the pressure of no coffee

Supplements:  3 Fiber capsules (1/2 hr before breakfast)

Breakfast:  Shake:  Almond Milk, Frozen Cherries, Raw Cocoa. Maca Powder (a superfood; only need 1 tsp; smells funny but you can’t taste it), Protein Mix and Almond Butter.  Supplements:  Krill Oil and Daily Vitamin

Lunch:  Salad with Grilled Chicken, Grilled Peaches, 1/2 Avocado with Romaine.  Olive Oil and Pomagrante Vinegar.  Supplements:  Milk Thistle, Daily Vitamin, Probiotic

Snack:  Raw Cashews

Dinner:  Cold Kirby Cucumber Soup:  Kirby Cucumbers, Water, Lemon, Olive Oil, Himalayan Sea Salt, Cashews and Dill (too much dill)

An hour after dinner ate 1/2 avocado as I couldn’t finish the cucumber soup

Water:  Closing in on 80 ozs.

Day 3 (8/16):  Evening Activity

Supplements:  3 Fiber capsules (1/2 before breakfast)

Breakfast:  Reese’s Power Cup Shake same as day 2.  Supplements:  Krill Oil and Daily Vitamin

Lunch:  Tuna, Broccoli and Brown Rice.  Supplements:  Milk Thistle, Daily Vitamin, Probiotic

Snack:  Raw Cashews (not as sweet a roasted cashews)

Dinner:  Same as breakfast. Iced Gobi Green Tea  Supplements: Daily Vitamin, Garlic and Vit D

Evening Event:  Lemon Water only

Water:  Over 80 ozs

Evening:  2 T Organic Olive Oil and Lemon Water

Day 2 (8/15):  Bootcamp Day

Pre-workout:  1 scoop of prograde pre work mix and water (10 ozs) (not too great but got me through my workout…need to check label to make sure it doesn’t have whey in it).

Breakfast:  Reese’s Power Cup Shake same as day 1 except used Plant Fusion protein vs. Prograde (since it has whey in it).  Supplements:  Krill Oil and Daily Vitamin

AM Snack:  4 slices of canteloupe with himalayan sea salt

Lunch:  Salmon, porcini mushrooms, 1/2 avocado, radishes, romaine with homemade dressing from day 1.  Supplements:  Milk Thistle and Daily Vitamin

PM Snack:  1/2 avocado

Dinner:  Berry Protein Shake (more like a sorbet):  1 cup almond milk, frozen mango, frozen blueberries, frozen dark cherries, 1 scoop of Plant Fusion protein powder, 1 T acai powder, 1 T flaxmeal and added water.  Probably won’t make this anymore…didn’t taste like anything.

Water:  Over 80 ozs

Evening:  2 T Organic Olive Oil and Lemon Water

Day 1 (8/14)
Breakfast:  Reese’s Power Cups for Breakfast (a recipe from my fitness guru)! (time:  10:00 am):

  • 2 Tbsp Almond Butter (I like Justin’s)
  • 1 scoop of protein powder (I like Prograde Vanilla)
  • 1 heaping Tbsp raw cocoa powder (a superfood) (Navitas Naturals from Wegman’s…it is in the vitamin aisle at the Princeton Wegman’s)
  • 1 Cup of Almond Milk (I use Almond Dream unsweetened original) (I use this as it has calcium citrate in it vs. calcium carbonate; I’m susceptible to kidney stones and I’ve been advised to stay away from calcium carbonate in my calcium supplements)
  • 1 Tbsp of flax seed oil (for a dose of Omega-3) (the original recipe calls for a squeeze…which is what I would recommend…I think I used too much) (I used the serving size…a bit too much)
  • Ice (I’ve been making it without ice though and it still tastes great).

Cup of Chai Green Tea, Multi-Vitamin and Krill Oil

Lunch (12:45 pm):

Grilled Chicken, grilled peaches, roasted beets and cauliflower on a bed of romaine.  Homemade dressing of EVOO, EVOO with meyer lemon (yummy…available at Weaver’s at the West Shore Farmer’s Market in Lemoyne, PA), Balsalmic & Red Wine Vinegar, freshly grated pepper,  freshly grated Pink Sea Salt with Garlic and a couple of squeezes of flax oil.  Apple.

Water Intake:  80 ozs

Snack (4:15 pm):  Handful of raw almonds (note: headache around 3:20 pm…drank a cup of goji berry green tea, took a nap with a cold herbal pack).

Dinner (5:30 pm):  1 cup of Apple/Squash bisque and 1 small spinach side salad with dressing from above.

Evening:  2 T Organic Olive Oil and Lemon Water

I think I’m in love…

Posted on by keepingupwithkate91

with my Vitamix blender! I broke down and purchased my Vitamix a couple of months ago. However, I never had a chance to open the box and try it. About a week ago, I finally opened up the box and reviewed the menu book. I got excited all over again as to why I made the purchase in the first place.

Today, I finally used it. First of all it is easier to keep clean then a blender. I had some fruit that I just didn’t feel like eating…so I put a cup of water and about a cup of chopped fruit in the vitamix…and in about 90 seconds or less…I had a nice, shake (as the consistency was more like a shake than juice). Yummy!

This will be my ‘go to’ appliance for my morning / afternoon protein shakes!