Time to Bake Holiday Cookies

Happy Holidays! It's that time of year that brings out the baker in many of us and I am one of those people that love to bake and decorate for the Holidays. Christmas especially. This month I am partnering with Reynolds through Allrecipes to try out the Parchment sheets and Parchment paper when I bake. I have to say it sure made baking and the clean up a breeze. First of all, it was so easy to just transfer the  hot cookies on the parchment paper to a cooling rack and then take another parchment paper that I had already loaded with cookie dough right onto the cookie sheet and keep on baking. My racks and my cookie sheet pans stayed clean and I could keep using them. So Easy!

 Here are a few of the cookies and their recipes that I baked using the parchment paper and baking sheets. I will use them from now on. These worked so good that I really hope you will give them a try for the next time you bake. It sure made my kitchen less of a disaster area, which is usually the case when I bake.

Chocolate Mint Crinkle Cookies
Mint and chocolate come together in this delicious cookie. Crispy on the outside and almost like a chocolaty,
mint cake in the middle that makes for a delicious treat. Yummy!

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 4 eggs
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Directions

Step-by-step View

Directions

1. Combine the granulated sugar, eggs, melted chocolate, shortening, baking powder, and peppermint extract in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Gradually beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour.

2. Cover and chill for 2 to 24 hours or until dough is easy to handle.

3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with Reynolds(R) Parchment Paper; set aside. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in powdered sugar and place 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets.

4. Bake about 9 minutes or until edges are just set. Transfer the cookies on the parchment paper to a wire rack; cool completely.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies
Remember those peanut butter blossom cookies we all had as kids well this is even better because it has chocolate mixed in with the peanut butter creating a rich chocolate and peanut buttery cookie. We really loved this one!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• Dark chocolate "kiss" candies

Directions

Step-by-step View

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two cookie sheets with Reynolds(R) Parchment Paper.

2. Beat the shortening and peanut butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the brown sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Beat until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Beat in the egg, milk, and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour and cocoa powder as you can with the mixer, using a wooden spoon at the end if necessary.

3. Place the granulated sugar in a small bowl. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Roll the balls in sugar to coat. Place the balls 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets.

4. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are firm. Immediately press a dark chocolate candy into the center of each cookie. Slide the parchment with the cookies on it to a wire rack; cool completely.

Here is a handy tip from Reynolds that I did. I baked half the cookie dough and froze the rest so I can have cookies when ever I have craving.

• Make the dough ahead of time and then simply place the parchment paper-lined cookie sheets in the freezer.  Let dough freeze 1 to 2 hours or until firm; then transfer the dough balls to freezer-safe storage bags. You can bake a few at a time as directed  and there's no need to thaw – so whenever the urge for a freshly baked treat strikes, you'll be ready.                         

#AllstarsReynolds, #MealMagic, 

Disclaimer: I am an Allstar brand Ambassador (a voluntary position) and I'm not compensated for my work with Allrecipes.com. Products received from advertiser are only for experiences-base reviews on my blog. The review, content and opinions expressed in this blog are purely the sole opinions of mine. To learn more about the Allrecipes Allstar program please visit Allrecipes Allstars

Lily's Story

I know this isn't about cooking but I had to share it as it's part of my life and maybe it might encourage others to give a feline Leukemia cat a chance at having a good life, no matter how long it is....

Lily 

It was Christmas Eve 2011 in Florida and my husband went into the garage and opened it up to clean the litter boxes for our 3 remaining cats, we had just lost Momma, a Siamese cat that we had loved and taken care of for 20 years and we were devastated by her loss.  As Tommy was cleaning the litter boxes a tiny, little orange fur ball came running up to him out of nowhere and rubbed up against his leg. She was so tiny, cute and friendly. He couldn't believe it.  My husband grabbed her up and brought her inside to me and we fell in love with her immediately.   She purred in my hand as I held her for the first time. I felt the weight of losing Momma just fall off my shoulders and I knew this little fur baby was going to be part of our family. She was a miracle of sorts, our little Christmas Angel. I set her up in our master suite and gave her some food and water. She was so happy and content. I was afraid that our other cats would hurt her since she was so tiny. We have an older cat that is very aloof so I wasn't worried about her and Lily. Though we do have 2 big boys that weigh in in at 12 and 21 lbs. The biggest is Sammy, our Maine Coon, he is a lover but he doesn't realize his strength or that he is huge. So we had to keep them apart.  Spot is much gentler but 12 lbs is pretty big when you only weigh a pound or two. Plus, her being a stray I wanted to make sure she didn't have some illness she could spread to our boys. So they played underneath the closed door. Lily was very playful even as a tiny, tiny kitten. She would put her paw under the door and play with Sammy and Spot for hours. The boys loved the new game and wondered about this new little kitten.

Spot & Lily

Sammy , Terry tortoise & Lil

After the holidays I took Lily to her first vet appointment to get tested and checked out. They drew blood and said that we would get the results in a few days. We kept the cats separated from Lily, though they played under the door every chance they got. It was so much fun to watch these big boy cats melt for this little orange Marble tabby baby girl.  Well the days went by and then the phone rang that rocked our world. The called to tell us that Lily had Feline Leukemia. How could this tiny, playful and healthy looking kitten be so sick with Leukemia? We just couldn't comprehend it. The Vet told us it would be best to put her down right away which felt like someone punched me in the stomach. My heart sank and the tears came. We were so in love with Lily that we couldn't consider putting her down.  So we researched about Feline Leukemia (FIV) and asked friends and another vet about it.  One of our friends had a cat that had it and lived for 9 years and the vet said that some cats never really get sick but will carry it and that Lily maybe one of those lucky ones. You never know. So we took that chance on Lily and prayed she wouldn't get sick. We monitored her every day.  We made sure our other cats had all their shots then we introduced Lily to our 2 boys. You could see the boys realize that this little kitten was what has been playing with them under the door for the past month as they accepted her eagerly. She soon became the leader of their little pack. It was amazing to see these big brutes being so gentle and playful with her. She stole their hearts immediately just like she did ours. Lily was our little angel.

Lily playing with Sammy

As the days went by Lily grew stronger and more loving. She would run around the back yard chasing Sammy and Spot to the point that they were exhausted. Then one day Lily was introduced to the lizards by Spot and she would chase the lizards around till finally she caught her first lizard. It was game on every morning and evening to the point where we would refer to it as  Lily's Lizard Patrol.  She seemed perfectly healthy and very happy and to this day I am so glad that we brought her into our family. She took control of the boys and even our Tortoise (Terry) would follow her around.  Lily had a very strong and fun loving personality and she would make these funny faces that would cause us to laugh out loud. She had a jealous face that tugged at our hearts when we would show too much attention to one of the boys and she had a happy face that made me want to smile, too. She was definitely a gift from God. I have never had a cat like her before. She wasn't afraid of people and would come right up to our guests and even let them hold her. We gave her a collar with a bell on it so we could always tell where she was and she would prance around with that bell just jingling away. The boys were her protectors and guarded her when ever she went outside. They were loyal and they truly loved Lily.

She is one of the few cats that I have had that loved to be picked up and loved on. I am having a hard time writing this as Lily recently became sick and it all happened so fast. One weekend she was running around chasing the lizards and the boys and then a few days later she refused to eat and would go lay down. The next day I took her to the vet and told him that something is wrong with Lily. She won’t eat and she loves to eat but she was drinking water. He said he needed to run some blood tests and he would call me tomorrow. 
 Oh no! Here we go again with more tests and waiting for the results. She was still getting around that day and during the night. The next morning I got up and she was lying in the middle of the hallway. I bent down and petted her and she purred and purred so much so that I sat down with her in the hallway and loved on her.  She tried to get up but fell over. I stroked her to calm her down but inside I was crying and shocked  that she couldn't get up when the day before she was getting around just fine. Now, she could hardly hold her head up. I gave her some droppers full of water and this Nutrition Gel the Vet gave me the day before. But she just laid there limp.  I stayed with her all that morning and afternoon because as soon I would get up she would whimper and whine.  I called the Vet that morning and the nurse said he would call me back shortly.  Well he didn't call back till after 4 pm and he told me her tests came back and her Hematocrit was a 2 and her RBC were a 7. So that meant there was nothing we could do and that she was dying and she was probably suffering because her brain wasn't getting enough oxygen and her body was giving out on her. He recommended for us to put her down as that was the most humane thing we could do for her. I looked at her and picked her up and held her close and she was purring and whimpering at the same time. My heart broke because I realized then the Vet was probably right. It was time to let go of our sweet Lily. How do you let go of someone that you love so much? She was such a big part of our lives in so many ways.  My husband and I cried and held our sweet girl close then we took her to the vet as her whining and crying was getting more and more and she couldn't lift her head at all now. We had to let her go. She was one month short of 3 years of age when she passed.  It was so quick and I am glad she didn't suffer for long. she was only sick for a couple of days. 
So now our sweet Lily is at the rainbow bridge playing, eating and I hope chasing some lizards again.  At times, I swear I can still hear her bell run through the house.  Our boys seem so lost without her here to keep them in line. Btw the boys are still Feline Leukemia Free. She didn't infect them and they played all the time. 
We all miss Lily so very much.  May God bless her and take good care of her till we can see her again

  

Lily a few months ago

Sammy watching over Lily a few weeks before she passed

Pasta and more Pasta

       

This month was full of Pasta by Barilla.  Some are so easy to do and others a bit more complicated but all were worth it. I also took advantage some of the healthier pasta. Which was nice to have that healthy option.  

First off I made 2 trays of Lasagna. I gave my daughter and her family one tray and kept the other. Both were delicious. I really liked working with Barilla and tasting these dishes.

Wavy Lasagna with Meat Sauce, Fresh Ricotta and Spinach

This lasagna was delicious! I added some Italian sausage and extra garlic to this recipe to suit our taste. 

                       

                                      Wavy Lasagna with Italian Sausage and Marinara Sauce
Was really good. I added some garlic, red pepper flakes and some italian seasoning to the ricotta and it was delicious!

                Whole Grain Spaghetti with Cherry Tomatoes, Marinated Chicken Breast and Pesto

Now this was very tasty and healthy too. We really like this one and all I did was add some extra garlic and some red pepper flakes. YUM!

White Fiber Mini Shells with Cherry Tomatoes, Basil and Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese

This was an easy and flavorful side dish. We like things with a bit of heat so I jazzed this up by adding some red pepper flakes and extra garlic. Excellent.

#allstarsbarilla all the way!

Disclaimer: I am an Allstar brand Ambassador (a voluntary position)and I'm not compensated for my work with Allrecipes.com. Products received from advertiser are only for experiences-base reviews on my blog. The review, content and opinions expressed in this blog are purely the sole opinions of mine. To learn more about the Allrecipes Allstar program please visit Allrecipes Allstars

Summer Pasta Dishes with A Healthy Spin.

Summer is here and we are all looking for dishes that taste good and that are quick and easy. Also, that won't heat up our houses or pack on the pounds. If you are like me and love pasta but need to make it healthier then you will enjoy these recipes. This month I tried the Barilla Plus pastas which are multigrain pasta that actually have protein , fiber and ALA Omega-3. A healthier  type of pasta.  The pasta cooked up nicely and I couldn't tell the difference from regular pasta. The dishes seemed lighter and didn't give us that heavy feeling in the tummy.  Here are a few flavorful pasta dishes that are quick and easy to make.

Recipe: Thin Spaghetti with garlic, Red Pepper and Olive Oil. 

The first dish is a quick side dish that you could easily add some veggies, shrimp or chicken to it and make it a whole meal. Lots of possibilities. I used the Barilla PLUS® Thin Spaghetti and it was excellent.  I made it for lunch with a small green salad. It was garlicky and delicious.

Recipe: Rotini with Asparagus, Salmon and Cherry Tomatoes

My next dish was very healthy with lots of flavor.  For this dish I used the Barilla Plus Rotini which was perfect for this all in one dish which can be served hot or cold.  I served it hot the night I fixed it and the next day I served it cold for lunch and I thought it was even better after sitting all night and serving cold. I loved the combination of the cherry tomatoes, tarragon, Salmon with the lemon and pasta.

Recipe:  Mezzi Rigatoni with Chicken Thighs, Rosemary, Lemon Zest and Roasted Garlic Sauce

I made this today for my neighbor who cut my lawn for me when my husband was out of town. I usually make my own sauce but this is a good sauce to keep on hand for those times when time is a factor.  The flavor was good but next time I will add some onion, mushrooms and some red bell pepper strips. All 3 grocery stores in my little town didn't have the Mezzi Rigatoni so I had to use Barilla Mostaccioli. I am looking forward to trying it with the Mezzi Rigatoni once I can find it.

I enjoyed these pasta dishes and I hope you will try some Barilla Plus Pasta in your next pasta dish.

#allstarsBarilla

Disclaimer: I am an Allstar brand Ambassador (a voluntary position)and I'm not compensated for my work with Allrecipes.com. Products received from advertiser are only for experiences-base reviews on my blog. The review, content and opinions expressed in this blog are purely the sole opinions of mine. To learn more about the Allrecipes Allstar program please visit Allrecipes Allstars

April Fun

Spring is in the air and it's time for brunches. Perfect time to try some of these recipes. This month for Allrecipes Ambassador Program I took part in a  Challenge for Johnsonville Sausages. First,  I made Amazing Muffin Cups for a brunch. They were a big hit with my family and friends. Lots of requests for the recipe, too. The muffin cups are perfect for a brunch or breakfast on the go.  I also made a batch for my daughter to take home so she could have them during the week for breakfast with her smoothie.
Click here for the recipe: Amazing Muffin Cups.

Amazing Muffin Cups

Next I made a recipe as part of a "#6 Ingredientorless" Challenge where I swapped out an ingredient in a recipe and used Johnsonville Sausage instead. I chose to do a Coney Knish. I thought this would be good with a Hot Italian Sausage by Johnsonville and I was right. It was delicious and the spices in the sausage really added a lot of flavor to the dish.  We had family over when I made them and I had to fight them off to get a picture.

Coney Knish

• 6 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 extra large onions, diced
• 1 (17.5 ounce) package frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 5 Hot Italian Johnsonville Sausages
• 1 egg, beaten
• salt and ground black pepper to taste 

• Place potatoes into a large pot and cover with salted water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl. Mash the potatoes.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a baking sheet.
• Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat; saute onions until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Mix potatoes, salt, and pepper into onions. Remove skillet from heat and cool.
• Roll each puff pastry sheet onto a work surface. Cut each sheet into 4 squares. Spread about 1/4 cup potato mixture onto each square in a strip down the middle; top with the sausage. Cover each hot dog with about 1/4 cup more potato mixture. Roll puff pastry around hot dog and filling; place, seam side-down, on the prepared baking sheet. Brush puff pastry with egg.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.

 I also had fun creating  a PEEP Nome village in the spirit of Spring.  Our neighbors got the biggest kick out of it.

I received a sample of Johnsonville Sausages to test some of their recipes  Check out their collection of recipes located at  Allrecipes Johnsonville collection.  

#6IngredientsOrLess, #JohnsonvilleSausage , #AllstarsJville

Disclaimer: I am an Allstar brand Ambassador (a voluntary position)and I'm not compensated for my work with Allrecipes.com. Products received from advertiser are only for experiences-base reviews on my blog. The review, content and opinions expressed in this blog are purely the sole opinions of mine. To learn more about the Allrecipes Allstar program please visit Allrecipes Allstars

 

 

Spring into a Heart Healthy Lifestyle.

 This month with the Allrecipes Allstar Ambassador Program we are working with Mazola ®  Corn Oil to create some heart healthy dishes that taste good. When I heard this I was excited about the assignment as my husband recently had a massive heart attack.   Last fall we took a trip to Los Angeles for a family funeral and my husband had a massive heart attack a few hours after we landed. He had to have a quadruple bypass there, in California. So we couldn't travel back home for at least a month after his surgery. It was like a bad nightmare, though I thank God for all our family and our good friends for all of their help.  I couldn't have done it without any of them.  We finally made it back to Florida and my husband is on the road to recovery and doing better every day. Now we are trying to eat healthier, so this assignment was right up our alley. I hope you will try some of these dishes and not wait till there is a heart attack in your family, like I did. Just a few simple changes can do a lot in protecting your loved ones and yourself from heart disease. Did you know that Corn oil can lower your cholesterol by 10.9 percent compared to Extra Virgin Olive Oil? See more information on the benefits of Corn oil at Mazola.com.

 

I made a Sweet and Spicy Salmon with Grapefruit Salsa. This was very good and an excellent way to jazz up some Salmon. It's great  for a heart Healthy Lifestyle,  The only thing I changed on the recipe was that I grilled the Salmon instead of baking it.. Wow it was good.

Ingredients        

Makes servings USMetricAdjust Recipe (Help)

Sweet and Spicy Rub:                                              

1 1/2 teaspoons paprika                                                                     

1 teaspoon onion powder                                                                     

1 teaspoon garlic powder                                                                     

1/4 teaspoon salt                                                                     

1/4 teaspoon oregano                                                                     

1/4 teaspoon thyme                                                                     

1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper                                                                     

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper                                                                     

1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar     
1 pound salmon fillet                                                    

2 teaspoons Mazola® Corn Oil        

Grapefruit Salsa:                                                   

               

2 cups grapefruit sections                               

1/3 cup chopped green onion                                                   

1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper                                      

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro                                                                     

1 jalapeno pepper, diced
1/2 Teaspoon of sugar if the grapefruit is too tart. (Optional)

Directions

1. Preheat grill.
2. Prepare Salsa: Chop Grapefruit in to chunks then add all the salsa ingedients. Chill.
3. Combine paprika, jalapeno,  onion, garlic powder, salt, oregano, thyme, black pepper, cayenne pepper and brown sugar in a small bowl.
4. Cut salmon into 4 portions and brush with oil.  Rub the rub over the salmon generously coating all the surfaces. Let it rest for a bit .
5. Grill  for about 8 min on each side, until fish flakes easily.
6. Serve Salmon with Grapefruit Salsa.

My next dish was a Pork Carnitas with Cilantro Tomatillo Sauce. This was Delicious and flavorful! Plus, it was easy to make.

 

 Ingredients                        

1 pound pork shoulder

2 tablespoons Mazola® Corn Oil                                                                     

1/4 cup chopped onions      

2-3 cups Chicken broth                                                               

1/2 teaspoon Spice Islands® Garlic Powder                                                                     

1 tablespoon Spice Islands® Chili Powder                                                                     

1/4 teaspoon Spice Islands® Chipotle Chile Powder                                                                     

2 tomatillos, finely chopped                                                                     

1/2 cup finely chopped tomatoes                                                                     

1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro 

1 Jalapeno, finely chopped                                                                    

4 corn tortillas

Directions

1. Cut pork into 1 inch cubes; season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet or Dutch oven. Add pork, onions, garlic powder, chili powder and chipotle chile powder; saute 3 to 5 minutes to brown the meat.
2. Add enough chicken broth to barely cover pork. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Remove lid and continue to simmer an additional 45 minutes or until liquid has evaporated.
3. Combine chopped tomatillos, tomatoes and cilantro in a small bowl.
4. Heat up your corn tortilla, either on the grill or stove.
5. Place an equal amount of pork on each tortilla. Top with tomatillo salsa and enjoy.

I received a sample of Mazola® Corn Oil to test some of their recipes for a Heart Healthy Lifestyle. Check out their collection of recipes located at Allrecipes Mazola Collection. I also made some Blueberry muffins using the corn oil and they were so light and good that they were disappeared before I could take a picture. Now that's good! #AllstarsMazola


Disclaimer: I am an Allstar brand Ambassador (a voluntary position)and I'm not compensated for my work with Allrecipes.com. Products received from advertiser are only for experiences-base reviews on my blog. The review, content and opinions expressed in this blog are purely the sole opinions of mine. To learn more about the Allrecipes Allstar program please visit Allrecipes Allstars

 

 

 

 

 

 

Turkey Tuesdays

I am writing this in shock from a phone call from back home that there was a death in my family. So please forgive me if this isn't the best blog. This month Allrecipes.com and Butterball teamed up for a promotion making Tuesday a Turkey Day. So another words every Tuesday in the month of September we ate Turkey. Below are the different meals I prepared during September. We really like turkey and these recipes were easy for a weeknight and they tasted good, too.

 Hawaiian Turkey Burgers
These were very good with Grilled pineapple, onion, and cheese. The grilled pineapple complimented the Turkey Burger perfectly. Quick, easy and tasty!

Grilled Turkey Cuban Sandwiches

This was our favorite! I roasted a Butterball Turkey breast then made a Cuban with it. Then put the sandwich on the grill and put a brick wrapped in foil on top of it to press it. Perfect for lunch or dinner. Yum!

Smoked Sausage Frittata

We had this for breakfast and it was delicious!  Eggs, Turkey Sausage and some veggies makes a tasty Frittata!

 

Mediterranean Turkey Pasta Salad

We enjoyed this for several days and I even halved the recipe but we love a Greek salad and this one was even better because it had a Butterball Turkey Breast in it. Yum!

 

 

I never realized that Butterball had so many different  products available.  It made doing Turkey Tuesday easy and fun. I know we will be eating more turkey now that I know how easy it is to incorporate turkey into our menus. I hope you will try to do at least one Turkey Tuesday this next month.  This is short and sweet this time.   







 

 

 

I am an Allrecipes Allstar Brand Ambassador (a voluntary position) and I’m not compensated for my work with Allrecipes.com.

Products received from advertiser are only used for experienced-based reviews on My Sweet-n-Spicy Journey. The reviews, content and opinions expressed in this blog are purely the sole opinions of Janet Henderson-My Sweet-n-Spicy Journey