Dill Dip

This is my Grandma's yummy dip and the key ingredient is the Bon Appetit....

Dill Dip

1 c. sour cream
1 1/2 tsp. dill weed
1 T. minced onion
1/2 c. mayo
1 1/2 tsp. Bon Appetit
1 T. dried parsley
Mix above ingredients together. Chill for about 1/2 hour before serving. Serve with vegetables.

Other dips that would be so yummy on this New Years EVE......
Avocado dip
Cookie dough dip
Toffee Apple dip

and some new ones I haven't tried that sound so yummy....
Corn avocado salsa
"V"Dip

Peppermint Bark

I got this off the Remembering Natalie Blog....if you haven't read this story...do it now...it will touch you! I know this family and went to school with Natalie and her husband. Her Mom shares thoughts and memories and lucky for us...yummy recipes!

Natalies Saltine Cracker Peppermint Bark
1 Cup butter
1 Cup light brown sugar
1 pkg. milk chocolate chips
40 saltine crackers
1 Cup chopped candy canes/nuts {which ever you prefer}
*Line a jelly roll pan with aluminum foil and spray with pam. Lay out the saltine crackers flat to cover the pan.
*Melt the sugar and butter together, heat until "foamy". Pour mixture over the crackers evenly.
*Place in oven @ 350 for 10 minutes. Remove from oven sprinkle choc. chips over entire pan while still hot and let sit and melt until spreadable.
*Sprinkle chopped candy canes over the top and let cool then break apart into various size pieces!
Enjoy!

Christmas Morning Monkey Bread

Monkey Bread

18 Rhodes Rolls, Frozen
1/2 c. Brown sugar
1 c. butter
1 pkg. NON-instant Vanilla or Butterscotch pudding
Spray pan with cooking spray. Mix ingredients together. You may add nuts if you want. Pour over the rolls. Spray plastic wrap and lightly cover the rolls. Let rise overnight. Removve plastic and bake 30-35 min. in 350 oven. A bundt pan works best.

Treat boxes

In case someone is looking for ideas of treats to do for neighbors or friends. I made up a list of the ALL STARS in my book. I used these boxes and these are the treats I made for my friends and family!

Bottom Layer: (line box w/wax paper)
Zimm's Fudge (3-4)
Hollywood Squares(3-4)

Top Layer: (wax paper in between layers)
Oreo Truffles (2)
Peanut Sittin Pretties (2)
Snowman Donuts (2)
Pretzel Hugs (3-4)

{Happy Gift Giving}

Zimm's Fudge

This recipe comes from Aunt Phyllis and it is oh so yummy! It was pretty easy too, coming from someone who has never made candy that makes you use a candy thermometer (even though we skipped that option).

Zimm's Fudge
4 cups sugar
1 pint of cream
1 cup butter
24 oz. of Hershey's w/ almonds
Boil sugar and cream until it is 230 degrees or softball stage (we kinda guessed). Break up the candy bars and butter in a mixer and add hot ingredients. Beat really hard so it doesn't separate. We beat it on 2 in our Bosch for like 5 minutes, at least! Then you pour it in a 9x13 pan and chill! SO YUMMY!

UPDATE On Hollywood Squares

SO GOOD! I made these yesterday (see recipe post below), to make sure they were yummy for gift giving and oh my goodness! They taste just like the big Reeses Christmas trees. YUM! I highly reccommend these for your goodie plates!

Just FYI!

Hollywood squares

{recipe & pic from} The Homesteading Housewife

Hollywood Squares

Ingredients:
2 cups peanut butter
2-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup butter, melted
Topping:
2 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate
1 tbsp. peanut butter
Directions:Combine all ingredients except topping ingredients. Mix well and press into a buttered 9-inch pan. Melt the topping ingredients together (the microwave works well for this) and spread over the top of the peanut butter mixture. Chill until topping is firm.Cut into squares.Enjoy!!

PB Fudge Treats

{recipe and pic from joy the baker}

Don't these look so yumm-o!
Grab this recipe HERE

Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup{recipe from} The Sisters Cafe

4 chicken breast halves (I've used 3 big ones and had it turn out great)
2 15-oz cans black beans, drained
2 15-oz cans Mexican stewed tomatoes
1 cup MEDIUM salsa (not mild)
1 4-oz can chopped green chilies
1 14 ½-oz can tomato sauce
Tortilla chips, not optional :)
2 cups grated cheddar cheese (I prefer sharp)
Combine all ingredients except chips and cheese in large slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 8 hours. Just before serving, remove chicken breasts and slice or shred into bite-sized pieces. Stir into soup. To serve, put a handful of chips in each individual soup bowl. Ladle soup over chips. Top with cheese.

Magic in the Middles

Peanut butter surprise... {recipe & pic from} Recipe Girl

DOUGH:
1½ cups (6¼ ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
½ cup (1½ ounces) unsweetened cocoa powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
½ cup (3½ ounces) granulated sugar (plus extra for dipping)
½ cup (4 ounces) brown sugar, packed
½ cup (4 ounces or 1 stick) unsalted butter
¼ cup (2 3/8 ounces) smooth peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg

FILLING:
¾ cup (7 1/8 ounces) smooth peanut butter
¾ cup (3 ounces) powdered sugar
1 Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.
2 Prepare dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. In another medium bowl, beat together sugars, butter, and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg, beating to combine, then stir in dry ingredients, blending well.
3 Prepare filling: In a small bowl, stir together peanut butter and powdered sugar until smooth. With floured hands, roll the filling into 26 one-inch balls.
4 Shape cookies: Break off about 1 Tbsp. of the dough, make an indentation in the center with your finger, and press one of the peanut butter balls into the indentation. Bring the dough up and over the filling, pressing it closed; roll the cookie in the palms of your hand to smooth it out. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
5 Dip the top of each cookie in granulated sugar and place on prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Grease the bottom of a drinking glass and use it to flatten each cookie to about ½-inch-thick.
6 Bake cookies for 7 to 9 minutes, until they're set. Remove them from the oven and cool on a rack.

Yield: About 26 cookies
Cooking Tips
*These cookies freeze well. They would travel well too.

Recipe Source
Adapted from The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion

It's all about the FUDGE

{Recipes from}Kelseys Kitchen

Holiday Peppermint Fudge
INGREDIENTS:
4 C. sugar
2 (5 oz.) cans evaporated milk
1 C. butter
2 C. semi-sweet choc. chips
7 oz. jar marshmallow crème
½ t. peppermint extract
2/3 C. red and white peppermint candy, coarsely broken

DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine sugar, milk, and butter in a heavy 3-quart saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium; heat and stir for 10 minutes.
2. Remove from heat; add chocolate chips, marshmallow crème and peppermint extract. Stir until chocolate and crème are melted and mixture is smooth; pour into a buttered aluminum foil-lined 13x9 baking pan.
3. Sprinkle with candies; cover and refrigerate until set. Cut into squares to serve. Makes 5 to 6 dozen.

Peanut Butter Fudge
INGREDIENTS:
12 oz. chunky peanut butter
1 (12 oz.) pkg. milk chocolate chips
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 C. chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS:In saucepan, combine peanut butter, chocolate chips, and condensed milk. Heat on low, stirring constantly, until chocolate melts.Add pecans and mix well. Pour into 9x9 inch buttered dish

Chocolate Peppermint cookies

{recipe & pic from} My Kitchen Cafe

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

adapted slightly from Martha Stewart Living

Makes 6 dozen (um, not so much - I barely got 3 dozen out of the recipe)

1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 ounces (5 tablespoons) butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
3/4 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
8 large candy canes or 30 peppermint candies, crushed
2 pounds white chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used about 8 ounces white chocolate and the rest white almond bark, since that is what I had on hand - it worked great)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed for 1 minute. Reduce speed to medium-low, and add egg, then yolk, beating well after each addition. Beat in peppermint extract. Slowly add flour mixture, and beat until just incorporated. Shape dough into 2 disks, wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour (or up to 2 days).

Roll out 1 disk of dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes. Using a 2-inch round cutter, cut out circles, and place 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Roll and cut scraps once. Freeze cookies until firm, about 15 minutes. Repeat with remaining disk.

Bake until cookies are dry to the touch, about 12 minutes. Transfer parchment, with cookies, to wire racks, and let cool. (Undecorated cookies will keep, covered, for up to 3 days.)

Sift crushed candy, and separate larger pieces from dust, reserving both. Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl in the microwave (don't overheat or the chocolate/almond bark will sieze!). Dunk cookies into melted chocolate. Using a fork, press lightly on the cookie until completely submerged in the chocolate. Pick up the cookie with the fork, let excess chocolate drip off, and gently scrape bottom against edge of bowl. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets, and sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of either candy pieces or dust on top. Repeat, sprinkling half the cookies with pieces and the rest with dust. Refrigerate until set, up to 3 hours.

andes mint cookies

{these look so yummy}

ANDES MINT COOKIES

{recipe & pic from}becky higgins

3/4 c. butter (or margarine)

1 1/2 c. brown sugar

2 T. water

Melt in a saucepan over medium heat until melted and then add:

2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips, stirring until completely melted.

Cool for 10 minutes. Pour into a mixing bowl and beat in 2 eggs.

Add:

2 1/2 c. flour

1 1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

Mix together and chill for about 45 minutes. Roll into balls (like 1 - 1 1/2 inches big), flatten slightly, and place on cookie sheet (In only use Pampered Chef baking stones).

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes (for my oven, this is the perfect time, keeping my cookies soft; your oven may be slightly different). When cookies come out of the oven, place an Andes mint on top of each cookie and allow to melt for a few minutes. Swirl the melted chocolate like icing. Allow to cool.