Turkey and Artichoke Stuffed Shells

These shells are a family favorite and bound to be one of yours, too! (Click on the word shells and it will link to the recipe.)

Creamy Pesto Pasta with Grilled Chicken and Roasted Asparagus

2 chicken breasts, grilled
1 bunch of asparagus, roasted
1 lb. pasta, cooked
1 container each Buitoni Alfredo & Buitoni Pesto (found in refrigerated pasta section)

Grilled Chicken
Season each side of chicken with salt, pepper and McCormick's Montreal Chicken seasoning. Grill 7-8 minutes on each side. Cut into strips and return any that are undone to the grill for another minute or so on each side. When all strips are finished, cut into bite sized strips. (I use an indoor grill because that's all I have right now.)

Roasted Asparagus
Trim asparagus and put on foil lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast at 425 for 15-20 minutes depending on thickness of stalks. (You could also use zucchini) Cut into 2 inch pieces.

Pasta
I like to use bow ties or penne. Cook according to pkg.

Toss chicken, vegetables and pasta in a bowl. Spoon 1/2 of the container of alfredo and a heaping spoonful of pesto over the other ingredients. Mix together.

Vegetarian Minestrone Soup

6 c. vegetable broth (we used chicken broth b/c that's all I have)
2 carrots, chopped
2 large onions, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped (whatever does "ribs" mean?)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small zucchini, cubed
1/2 c. dry barley
1 can chickpeas, drained
1 T. parsley
1/2 t. dried thyme
1 t. dried oregano
28 oz. can crushed Italian tomatoes
1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
grated cheese

1. Combine all ingredients except cheese in slow cooker.
2. Cover. Cook on low 6-8 hours, or until vegetables are tender.
3. Sprinkle with cheese.

e-notes: We have done this twice and really enjoy it. I think I do 2 zucchinis just because. I also add dry noodles because my kids are much more apt to eat anything if there is a hint of noodles in it. About an hour before eating (at like 5 hours), I add a 1/2 cup of dry macaroni noodles. Yum.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

4 chicken breast halves
2 15 oz. cans black beans, undrained
2 15 oz. can Mexican stewed tomatoes
1 c. salsa
4 oz. can chopped green chilies
14 1/2 oz. can tomato sauce
tortilla chips
2 c. grated cheese (we didn't do this much)

1. Combine all ingredients except chips and cheese in large slow cooker/crock pot.
2. Cover. Cook on low 8 hours.
3. Just before serving, remove chicken breasts and slice into bite-sized pieces. Stir back into soup.
4. To serve, put a handful of chips in each soup bowl. Ladle soup over chips. Top with cheese.

e-notes: We made this today and really liked it. I did not put the chips in bottom, but, rather, let us all "crush" in our own chips. The kids loved this part of it. It's tasty stuff.

Cinnamon Rolls

I was originally given this recipe as part of a wedding present. On the recipe card they are called Heavenly Cinnamon Rolls. They are heavenly indeed! I used to always use the icing at the bottom of this recipe, but I have since started using a favorite cream cheese icing recipe. To me it has a thicker, more spreadable texture, and a lot more flavor. I have included the cream cheese recipe after the original. Mmmm. I wish you could smell my kitchen right now.

This recipe makes 24 large rolls.

Scald 2 cups milk (5 minutes in microwave on HIGH). Then add 1 stick butter and stir until melted. Add 1 T salt and ½ cup sugar. Mix must be warm not hot. Add 3 beaten eggs. Dissolve 1 ½ to 2 T yeast in 1 cup of warm water. Add to mixture. Add 8 to 9 cups of flour (do this 2 cups at a time, stirring well after each addition--I add the flour two cups at a time and stir about 8 cups with a wooden spoon. I then knead one cup of flour in with my hands). Let rise 2 times. Divide dough in half. Roll out on a greased or floured surface into a large rectangle. Spread about a ½ stick softened butter over dough then sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Roll into one long roll and cut in 1 inch pieces. Lay on cookie sheets and bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, until just golden brown. Do not over bake! Roll other half of dough the same way. Frost while hot with ¼ cup melted butter, a little milk, 2-3 cups powdered sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla, dash of salt.

Cream Cheese Icing

1 box powdered sugar

1 8oz. block of cream cheese

1 T milk

1 cap full vanilla

Combine all ingredients well. Use for cookies or cinnamon rolls.

All Bran Muffins

I am sure this recipe came off of a box of All Bran at one time, but it is never on the box when I buy the cereal nowadays. My kids LOVE these, and they are great if you are trying to add more fiber to your diet. I make the mix the night before and cook the muffins in the morning. They turn out great every time.

1 ¼ cups flour
½ cup sugar
1 T baking powder
¼ tsp salt
2 cups All Bran cereal (the sticks)
1 ¼ cups milk
1 egg
¼ cup vegetable oil

Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine cereal and milk. Let stand about 5 minutes or until cereal softens. Add egg and oil. Beat well. Add flour mixture, stirring only until combined. Pour into muffin tins. *I prefer not to use muffin papers for these because the muffin tends to really stick to the paper. I like to spray the muffin tin with non-stick spray and the muffins come out great. Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes.

Walnut and Date Whole-Wheat Round

unsalted butter, at room temp, for greasing the baking dish (or just Pam)
2 c. whole-wheat flour, plus a little bit more (can use white wheat or traditional)
1 T. brown sugar
1 t. salt
1 package (1 scant T.) quick-rise yeast (I used instant)
1 c. hot water
1 c. pitted dates, cut into quarters
1 c. walnut halves, toasted in a 325-degree oven for 10 minutes

Lightly grease a 9-inch round cake pan and lightly sprinkle the bottom with flour.

Combine the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in the large bowl of a stand mixer. Add the hot water and beat on low speed; the dough will form and pull away from the sides of the bowl within 3 minutes. Add the dates and walnuts. Beat on low speed for 5 minutes, stopping to scrape down the beaters when the dough gets bound up.

With lightly-floured hands, gather the dough into a ball and roll it around in the palms of your hands to smooth it. Form into a ball and place in prepared pan; the dough shouldn't touch the edges of the pan. Use a sharp knife to cut a shallow cross in the top of the dough. Sprinkle the top lightly with flour. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise at room temperature for 30 minutes or until it expands to fill to the edges of the pan. (In my cold house, it took nearly an hour.)

After the dough has risen for 15 minutes (or 45 minutes in my case), position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees. Discard the plastic wrap and bake the bread for about 35 minutes, until the top feels firm and is lightly browned. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

This bread will remain soft for 2 days if stored at room temp. It can be wrapped and frozen. I thought it was GREAT. C didn't like the texture of the dates, but since he doesn't generally like dates, I wasn't surprised. The toasting of the nuts made a big difference. But YUM.

Honey Citrus Pork Chops with Cranberries

1/3 cup fresh, frozen, or dried cranberries; chopped
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 pork chops (boneless)
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons honey

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 9x9 inch glass baking dish.

2. In a bowl, mix cranberries, marmalade, and cloves. Make a pocket in each pork chop; fill pockets with cranberry mixture. You can use both bone in or boneless chops. I find it's easier to make a pocket with the boneless pork chops.

3. Place the pork chops in prepared baking pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon 1 tablespoon honey over each chop. Bake uncovered about 45 minutes or until pork is no longer pink in the center.

Notes: For a more intense flavor, use 1/4 cup dried cranberries or cherries instead of fresh or frozen cranberries and do not chop.

Homemade (Lite) Macaroni and Cheese

4 c. cooked elbow macaroni (about half of a 16-ounce box)
2 c. shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
1 c. low-fat cottage cheese
3/4 c. non-fat sour cream
1/2 c. skim milk
1 1/2 t. butter, melted
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten

1/4 c. dry breadcrumbs
1 T. butter, melted
1/4 t. paprika

Combine first 9 ingredients; stir well, and spoon into a 2-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Combine breadcrumbs and next 2 ingredients; stir well. Sprinkle over casserole. Cover and bake at 350º for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 5 minutes or until set.

We really like this and feel it's a great alternative to Kraft. Of course the low-fat options could be replaced with their full-fat friends (with added creaminess, I'm sure), but it's nice to know that the low-fat stuff works. Also, I think the original recipe called for about 1/2 c. of chopped onion, but as C doesn't like onion, we just omit it.

Chilled Sesame Asparagus

In response to the last post...

1 ½ to 2 pounds fresh asparagus, trimmed
2 T plus 2 tsp. dark sesame oil
1 T plus 1 tsp. rice vinegar
1 T plus 1 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. sugar
1 T sesame seeds, toasted

Cook asparagus in boiling water about 4-5 min. Or until crisp-tender. Plunge asparagus in ice water to stop the cooking process; drain, cover, and chill 2 hours.
Whisk together sesame oil and next 3 ingredients. Chill for 2 hours.
Arrange asparagus on a serving dish; spoon dressing evenly over top. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

What to do with asparagus?

Can I make a request?

I'm looking for yummy recipes/ideas on how to serve asparagus. Thanks!

Chicken Salad (a.k.a. "Yummy Deliciousness")

Hi! I think this is the second time I'm adding a recipe here, so you know it has to be good. It's my most favorite recipe to make. Yummy and easy! This is my version of a recipe I found on AllRecipes.com, perfected over time. :)

INGREDIENTS
4 cups cubed or shredded cooked chicken
1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
1 cup chopped celery
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 apple, chopped
1 cup chopped pecans or slivered almonds
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, mix together mayonnaise with paprika and seasoned salt. Blend in dried cranberries, celery, apple, onion, and nuts. Add chopped chicken, and mix well. Season with black pepper to taste. Chill 1 hour.

NOTES - I've used canned chicken in a desperate moment and it's still yummy
One full cup of mayo makes the mixture too wet for my taste so I use slightly less

This is good on just a slice of wheat or multigrain bread or in a croissant or straight out of the bowl! :)

You Make My Day, Too!

Niki, from KnockOutNikiCrochets, gave The Foodees an award for making her day. Thanks Niki! Everyone, check out her cute blog and her Etsy shop.

Now The Foodees is supposed to, "Give the award to 10 people whose blogs bring you happiness and inspiration and make you feel happy about blogland. Let them know by posting a comment on their blog so they can pass it on. Beware you may get the award several times." Instead of doing this, I suggest that we list some sites that inspire us in the kitchen! Do it by posting your sites in a comment to this post. I'll go first...

Best Ever Sugar Cookie

I got this recipe from a friend, who got it from her sister, who got it from her friend. I have never made them before but had been the extremely lucky beneficiary of these delicious homemade cookies. These are the soft and oh-so-good type of sugar cookies.

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 c. butter

1 egg

2 t. vanilla

1 c. sour cream

4 1/2 c. flour

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

Cream together the butter and sugar (my friend uses unsalted butter). Then add the egg and vanilla. Next, blend in the sour cream.

Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly add to the above creamed mixture.

Bake at 425 for 6-10 minutes.

e-notes: My friend just says the timing is always variable - mostly due to the types of pan she uses. I guess some pans require 6, some 10. Sooooo good.

Here is the recipe she uses to frost these bad boys:

4 oz. cream cheese

1/2 c. butter (unsalted again)

1 pound powdered sugar

1 t. vanilla

Put it all in a mixer and mix - add milk until you get your desired consistency. I could eat this with a spoon. . .

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

2 c. boiling water
1 6-ounce package strawberry (or raspberry) jello (don't use sugar-free)
1 16-ounce package frozen strawberries (or raspberries)
1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple, NOT DRAINED
2 c. crushed pretzels, about size of a pea
3/4 c. butter (I use 1/2 c. and it worked)
3 T. sugar
1 8-ounce package cream cheese (can use lite, but not non-fat)
1 c. sugar
1 8-ounce carton of Cool Whip (non-fat works)

Dissolve Jell-o in the two cups of boiling water. Add frozen berries and pineapple. Take off the heat and set aside.

Crush pretzels with rolling pin. Dissolve 3 T. sugar in hot butter and pour over crushed preztels. Press into a 9x13. Bake at 400 degrees for 5-7 minutes. Cool at least one hour (can use the freezer to freeze more quickly).

Beat together cream cheese and sugar until fluffy; fold in Cool Whip. Spread over cooled crust.

When the berry/jello mix has partially jelled, pour over the Cool Whip/cream cheese layer and then finish the jelling. Chill completely.

Note: The cooling of the jello mixture took me a loooong time. I recommend letting it cool for about 30 minutes and then moving it to the fridge to finish the cooling. But this is sooooo good. It's almost dessert in our household. You might say that we LOVE it.

White Flour Pizza Crust

This recipe makes 2 large pizza crusts

2 cups of warm/hot water
2 tsp. of yeast
4 cups of white flour
1/2 tsp. of sugar
1/2 tsp. salt

Dissolve the 2 tsp. of yeast in 2 cups of warm/hot water.

In a large mixing bowl combine 4 cups of flour, 1/2 tsp. sugar, 1/2 tsp. salt, and water/yeast mixture. Mix until it forms a dough. Cover with a towel and let rise for 1/2 hour to an hour. Do not add anymore than 4 cups of flour (this keeps the crust from being so dense)

Grease pizza pan. Sprinkle a small amount of flour in the large mixing bowl on top of the dough (so that the dough won't stick to your hands as you pull it out). Pull out about half of the dough, and place it on the pizza pan. Sprinkle a little more flour on top of the dough, and start to push and shape the dough into a pizza crust. Add sauce and toppings.

Put pizza in oven on 500 degrees for 12 minutes.

This is ONE of my family's favorites! The trick is, cooking it at a HIGH temp. We had looked for a good white flour pizza crust recipe for YEARS, and finally found one. I will NEVER try another recipe again. I hope that you try it, and love it as much as we do!

Coconut Biscotti

1 1/2 c. flour
34 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. baking soda
1/8 t. nutmeg
3/4 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
2 eggs
1 c. flaked sweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 300º. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups and do not put in mixer, but in some other bowl. Add the next four ingredients (through nutmeg) to the flour and whisk together. Place sugar, vanilla, and eggs in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed two minutes or until thick. Add flour mixture and coconut; stir to combine (dough will be very sticky). Turn dough out onto heavily floured surface; knead lightly 7 or 8 times. Shape dough into a 15 x 3-inch roll. Place roll on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (or greased cookie sheet), and pat to 1-inch thickness. Bake for 40 minutes or until roll is golden brown. Cool 5 minutes on a wire rack.

Cut roll diagonally into 20 slices; stand slices upright on baking sheet. Bake 20 more minutes; cookies will be slightly soft in center but will harden as they cool. Remove from baking sheet; cool completely on wire rack.

I love eating these plain while C loves dipping them in milk.

from-scratch pudding

The flavor and texture of this pudding is deeper and richer than that from a box, since it’s made from actual food. It’s not too much harder to produce, either.

½ c sugar
3 T cornstarch
pinch salt
3 eggs
2 ½ c whole milk
2 T softened butter
1 t vanilla

In a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Beat together the eggs and milk. Combine mixtures over medium heat, stirring almost constantly until the mixture thickens; about 10 minutes. Stir in the butter and vanilla. Pour the pudding into serving dishes and serve warm, or place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding (to prevent a skin from forming) and chill in fridge. Garnish with a dash of nutmeg. Yields 6 half-cup servings.

To make butterscotch pudding, substitute brown sugar for the white. To make chocolate pudding, stir 2 oz. melted unsweetened chocolate into the thickened cornstarch mixture.

Five Bean Crockpot Dish

1 lb. ground beef
1 t. mustard (wet, not powdered)
2 t. vinegar
1/2 lb. bacon, finely diced
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 t. salt
1 c. ketchup
15-ounce can lima beans, drained
15-ounce can butter beans, drained
16-ounce can kidney beans, drained
32-ounce can pork and beans, undrained
15-ounce can red beans, drained

Brown ground beef in skillet. Drain. Stir in mustard, vinegar, and bacon.

Dump the rest (brown sugar through all beans) into crockpot. Add the stuff from the skillet. Mix well.

Cover and cook on low for 3-5 hours. These beans freeze well.

Italian Crockpot Chicken

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (can be frozen)
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 packet of Good Seasons Zesty Italian dressing mix (found in salad dressing aisle)

Combine soup, cream cheese, and powdered dressing mix until smooth.
Pour over chicken.
Cook in crock pot on HIGH for 2-3 hours, or LOW for 5-6 hours.
Serve over rice


When combining the ingredients the mixture may seem thick... Don't worry this will change as the chicken cooks down.

This is a staple in our home! It is so easy and soooooo tasty! My kids love it too. ENJOY!

Jane's Whole-Wheat Grainy Bread

I went to a cooking class a few months ago where this was made. I don't know who Jane is, but she has an awesome recipe. I was in heaven that nite eating the most delicious bread I had had in a long while. I vowed, though, that I would not make it until I got myself some dough enhancer and wheat gluten as I was sure this was one of the reasons my breads had been lacking. So finally we were in Utah and I was able to purchase these items and I made the bread at my mom's house. So good again. You can go online (I'll post a link later) and purchase the enhancer and gluten if you can't find it where you live.

I did make some changes and rather than post all the changes at the bottom, I'm just going to do it along with the recipe. Here it is:

5 c. hot tap water
2/3 c. canola oil
1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. molasses
2 T. salt
3 T. SAF instant yeast (instant, NOT rapid rise)
12-14 c. freshly ground whole wheat (My mom has a grinder so I was able to do this. However I won't be doing that here most likely. Boohoo)
3 T. dough enhancer (My mom said to use 1/3 cup - about 5 T. - since her wheat is old)
3 T. wheat gluten

THESE INGREDIENTS ARE WHAT MAKES THE BREAD GREAT, BUT THEY ARE OPTIONAL:
1/2 c. cracked wheat
1/4 c. oat bran
1/4 c. wheat bran
1/4 c. wheat germ
1/4 c. ground flax (I used whole flax seeds)
1/4 c. millet
1 c. rolled oats
1 c. sunflower seeds
2 T. buttermilk powder
1/4 t. vitamin C crystals (I didn't use)
1 T. lecithin (I didn't use)

(There are about 4 cups here worth of "optional" ingredients. You can of course play around with this greatly and add some of the stuff, all of it, none of it, different grains, etc.)

Step 1: Grind 9 c. of whole wheat.

Step 2: Combine hot tap water, oil, honey, molasses, 9 or so cups flour, and dough enhancer and gluten. Mix together. Then add the yeast (the oil and salt will kill the yeast if not mixed in first). Add optional ingredients now.

Step 3: Mix on low speed and at the same time add flour until the dough begins to clean the sides of the bowl (flour amount will vary due to humidity and the protein and moisture content of the wheat). A stickier dough will make a more moist bread - so sticky is good.

Step 4: Knead for 5 min. on low speed.

Step 5: Oil hands and counter. Remove dough and mold into loaves. Recipe will make 12 mini, 5 medium, or 4 large loaves. Place in pans greased with oil (we used Pam). Cover loaves with a clean cloth and let rise for 30 minutes or until almost doubled (It took about an hour at my parents' house). Brush with egg white whisked with a fork, then sprinkle with rolled oats. If you don't do this, you can brush with melted butter.

Step 6: Bake at 350 for 30 min. Immediately remove from pans and place on rack to cool. Slice and enjoy!

The bread will last 1-2 week in the fridge, and 3 months in the freezer.

There ya have it.

Honey-Glazed Salmon

Honey, hoisin sauce and citrus juices caramelize to form a sweet complement that stands up to the distinctive taste of fresh salmon.

2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp fresh orange juice
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 pound salmon fillet(s), with or without skin, four 6-oz pieces
1 sprays cooking spray

Preheat broiler.

1. Combine first 7 ingredients, and stir well with a whisk.
2. Place fillets on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Brush with honey mixture; cook 12 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

Note: This recipe is best with fresh citrus juices.

Kolachkes, Polish Cookies

The last post of 2007, on-theme.
A cookie with one of the craziest recipes you'll ever see (it's a cookie?), but one of our favorites. One of us is half-Polish, so it's like family.
Makes about 4 dozen

1/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
About 1 cup fruit preserves
Sugar Glaze (recipe follows)

1. Heat oven to 400°. Combine sour cream and yeast in a small bowl. Set aside until slightly bubbly, about 10 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in egg until smooth. Set aside.
2. Using two knives or a pastry cutter, cut butter into flour until it resembles coarse meal. Stir in sour-cream mixture until dough comes together.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough 1/4 inch thick. Cut into 2 1/2-inch rounds. Transfer to ungreased cookie sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart. Cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Let sit for 15 minutes.
4. Make a depression in center of each cookie. Fill each depression with 1 teaspoon preserves. Bake until edges are golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on pans for about 5 minutes; remove cookies to a rack to cool. While cookies are still warm, drizzle with sugar glaze.

Sugar Glaze for Kolachkes
Makes about 3/4 cup
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
2 to 3 tablespoons whole milk

Combine sugar and butter. Add corn syrup, stirring to combine. Drizzle in milk a little at a time until the glaze has a runny consistency.

Happy New Year!

Too Many Cookies to Choose From!

For the last couple of years, we've subscribed to The Food Network's "12 Days of Cookies" newsletter. The 2007 series has already concluded, but you can access all the recipes for this year and previous years too. This year we are partial to the Nanaimos and the Zimtsternes.
Knock yourself out!

Wheat Pizza Crust 2

Erin first posted a pizza crust recipe here, but I deem this different enough in ingredients and technique to be worth posting. Makes one 14" crust.

Dissolve together:
1 c warm water
1 T sugar
2 1/4 t yeast

Mix in:
1 t salt
3 T olive oil
1 c whole wheat flour
1 1/2 c white flour

Dough will be soft (but not sticky) and forming a nice ball.
Allow to rest in bowl ten minutes.
Dust cooking stone with cornmeal and press dough out with oiled fingers.
Top with sauce and desired toppings. Bake at 425 F for 14 minutes.

Cashew Butter Cookies

1/2 cup vegetable shortening, at room temperature
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup cashew butter
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups flour
1 cup roasted unsalted cashews, chopped, plus 48 cashew halves (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets or line them with parchment paper.

Combine the shortening, butters and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or a hand-held mixer; beat on medium-high speed for about 4 minutes, until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, incorporating well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract, baking powder, baking soda and salt; mix well. Stop the motor and use a spoon to stir in the flour and chopped cashews.

Scoop out the dough by heaping tablespoonfuls, roll into 1 1/2-inch balls and place 1 inch apart on the baking sheets (the cookies do not spread). Flatten slightly with the tines of a fork and press a cashew half onto the top of each cookie, if desired. Bake for 6 minutes, then rotate the sheets front to back and top to bottom; bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until the cookies start to brown. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before storing.

Note from e: These are NOT inexpensive cookies. First, you need the cashew butter. We found this at Whole Foods, but I'm sure most health food stores have it near the peanut butter. It cost $5 for the 8 ounces (enough for the cup). Also, the cashews are expensive. We also got them from Whole Foods and spent about $2.50 for the cup (which was about 4 ounces, I believe). But they are good and just different from your regular peanut butter cookie.

Chocolate Andes Mint Cookies

This recipe is super easy, and always a hit. Lately I have kept the ingredients on hand for a quick dessert when I need to have one for something. Sorry I don't have a picture--they are gone as quickly as they are made!


1 pkg. devils food cake mix
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1 cup milk chocolate chips
36 Andes Mints (or buy the bag of Andes candy pieces by the chocolate chips--I find that this is easier)


Mix cake mix, eggs, and oil together. Batter will be thick. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by te4aspoolnfuls on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 7 minutes, until tops of cookies just "crack." Do not overcook! Remove cookies from oven and either place a mint or a spoonful of mint pieces atop each cookie. When candy is softened, swirl gently with knife. Cool completely to set candy (put them in the fridge for quick setting).

Chicken Garlic Pizza

from allrecipes.com

1-2 skinless, boneless chicken breast
2 T. butter or margarine
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 T. chopped green onion
1/2 t. dried basil
2 diced tomatoes
1/2 c. chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 c. ricotta cheese
1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese
pizza crust - homemade is the best!

Place the chicken breast in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook until no longer pink, about 20 min. Drain and cool slightly, then cut into stips.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet over medium heat, melt the butter with garlic, onion and basil. Pour into a chilled dish to cool and refrigerate until set.

Preheat oven and pizza stone to 450. Roll out pizza dough and spread the herb butter mixture over the surface using the back of a spoon. Arrange chicken on top, then dot with ricotta cheese. Top with tomato slices, cilantro and Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 15 - 20 minutes in the oven.

e-notes: so ben and i have made this twice and really, really love it. here is what i have done. the first time i basically did it like it said, although i did 1/2 the butter and then omitted the cilantro. adding cilantro with the basil/garlic mixture sounds a little weird to me?

the second time (tonite) i changed things a little bit and liked how it turned out much better. i once again omitted the cilantro and 1/2ed the butter, but then instead of letting it chill in the fridge i poured it over my already cooked and chopped up chicken (i then put that in the fridge since i did this step in the early afternoon). later on i rolled out the dough and spread out the ricotta - rather than making dots with it, i spread it out over the entire dough (i don't know if i used 1/2 c. or more - just enough to spread it all out). then i put on the chicken and diced tomatoes. i cooked it for about 10 minutes and then put the parmesan cheese on it for the last 5 minutes. it's a pretty pizza and tastes good.

Peppermint Cookies

So Erin asked that I post the recipe so that she could check beforehand to see what she has on hand before going to the store. So here is the recipe, as found on the back of the Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips:

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 c. dark brown sugar, packed
1/3 c. white sugar
2 t. vanilla
1 large egg
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 3/4 c. flour
1 c. old-fashioned rolled oats
1 c. coconut
1 1/4 c. chopped pecans
1 1/2 c. Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips

Sorry, but I am being lazy and will not type out the recipe. It's found on the back of the bag.

e-notes: I halved the recipe and it worked just fine. I did not put any chips on top of the cookies as the bag says to do. I also did not do the nuts.

but yummy! this will be a new holiday tradition in my house. i really like them.

PB and Honey - Christmas-style

so obviously this isn't a recipe - just a fun idea to do with a simple PB and honey. i can't take credit for it - credit good ol' Martha.

i also saw snowflake quesadillas that i might try. i'll post that, too, if it works out!