Recipe Shoebox

Lemon Cream Pops

noreply@blogger.com (Lara) — Wed, 29 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

With popsicle season arriving quickly, I am having fun digging out some of our favorite frozen treat recipes again. I credit these creamy pops as the recipe that won my family officially over to the joy of homemade popsicles. They were sweet, but not too sweet and the silky texture was downright addicting! Next time I will try them with limes instead!

Recipe Source: Taste of Home

Click here for printable recipe.

Posted by Lara.

The ingredients:
1 can (14-ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (it took me 2-1/2 lemons to get the right amount)
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon peel

Directions:
In a bowl, whisk all of the ingredients together until sugar is dissolved.

Pour into 6-7 ice pop molds or 3-ounce paper cups and insert sticks.

Freeze for 6-8 hours or until solid.

Enjoy!

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Homemade Twix Bars

noreply@blogger.com (Lara) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Lucky me, I have a couple of children who love to bake even more than I do. My waistline isn't sure it's such a blessing, but man oh man, my tastebuds sure do appreciate their culinary interest. These bars are ones my daughter whipped up one day right before guests arrived. Unfortunately she had not read ahead in the recipe to notice that they needed time to set up beforehand, so we served them to our guests as a not-so-lovely chocolate-caramel soup. We cleaned up from dinner that night, set them aside, and totally forgot about them until a couple of days later when we rediscovered them as perfectly set-up chocolate-caramel bars of goodness! After tasting them the second time, there was no forgetting them anymore and it did not take long for the rest of them to disappear. These were one of the best desserts I've had in a long time!

Click here for printable recipe.

Posted by Lara.

The ingredients:
SHORTBREAD LAYER:
1-1/2 cups butter, softened
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tsp. vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt

Beat together butter and sugar and add vanilla. Stir in flour and salt until smooth. Press dough into a 9x13-inch baking dish (or up to a 12x16-inch pan) and poke several times with a fork. (How big your pan is, will determine how thick your layers are.)

Bake at 325-degrees for about 22-25 minutes, or until light golden brown. Set aside and allow to cool completely.

CARAMEL LAYER:

1-1/2 cups butter
1-1/2 cups sweetened condensed milk
1-1/2 cups brown sugar
6 Tbs. corn syrup
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla

In a saucepan over low heat, melt butter then stir in remaining ingredients, except vanilla.

Stir in remaining ingredients except for vanilla and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir at a low rolling boil for about 7 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

Pour caramel over cooled shortbread and allow to set up for several hours or overnight. We placed ours in the fridge to hasten the process.

CHOCOLATE LAYER:

3-4 cups chocolate chips (we liked ours with dark chocolate)
2 Tbs. shortening

In a medium microwaveable bowl, melt chocolate chips and shortening together on high heat for two minutes, stirring every thirty seconds. Return to refrigerator to set, then cut into bars. Makes about 30 bars.
Store bars in a tightly covered container in the fridge with wax paper between layers. Allow to sit at room temperature for a few minutes before eating.

Enjoy!

NOTE: For an extra special treat, try these in a candy mold. We coated the outside of the mold with melted chocolate, allowed it to set up, then placed a very small piece of shortbread (or Rice Krispies) and a spoonful of caramel into the mold and covered it with chocolate. My daughter won a cooking contest with these tasty and pretty treats!

Recipe Adapted from: Boy Cheese Sandwich

Turkey Taco Casserole

noreply@blogger.com (Lara) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 10:00:00 +0000

We love Mexican food around our house, but recently needed a change up from our normal enchiladas or taquito routine. This Turkey Taco Casserole is layered like a lasagna and totally hit the spot in our family! It came together pretty quickly and filled an 8x8-inch baking dish to the brim with warm cheesy Mexican goodness. The spiciness level was perfect for our family and we enjoyed it topped with plain greek yogurt, avocados, lettuce, and tomato! Enjoy!

Click here for printable recipe.

Posted by Lara.

The Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground turkey
1 Tbs. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1-1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 cans (4-oz. each) diced green chilies, divided
1 can (15-ounces) diced tomatoes, drained (oops, I forgot to drain mine)
1 can (16-oz) refried beans
1-1/2 cups Mexican blend cheese {or cheddar cheese}
2 flour tortillas, cut into 1" strips
1/2 cup salsa, plus more for serving
Desired toppings: Sour cream (or plain greek yogurt), sliced avocado, additional salsa, chopped tomatoes, shredded lettuce

Directions:

Cook the ground turkey in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the turkey is almost cooked through, add the chili powder, cumin, salt, and cayenne pepper. Stir well. Then add one of the cans of diced green chilies and the can of diced tomatoes. Stir and continue cooking until everything is well combined and the turkey is cooked through. Remove from heat.

In a greased 8x8-inch square baking pan, spread about 1/3 of the turkey mixture along the bottom.

Then spread about 1/3 of the refried beans over the top of the turkey. (I heated my refried beans briefly to make it easier to spread)

Then layer 1/3 of the remaining green chilies, 1/2 cup cheese, and four of the tortilla strips.

Repeat layers twice more, spreading salsa over the last layer just before adding the cheese.

Cook at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes. Allow casserole to cool and set for about 20 minutes before serving.

Serve warm with desired toppings. We liked it with sour cream, sliced avocado, chopped tomatoes, lettuce, and more salsa.

Serves 6.

Enjoy!

Recipe Source: Eat, Live, Run

Pink Lemonade Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (annalisa) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 12:00:00 +0000

My friend came over for dinner one night and brought some pink lemonade cookies that she had made from a package. I really liked them and decided to look for a recipe online to make them from scratch. I found a recipe that looked good and started experimenting with it. I wanted the cookies to be a little tarter, so I switched the amount of sugar and the amount of the pink lemonade powder. (You can adjust the sugar and pink lemonade to your preference.) I loved the way they turned out! Here is the recipe the way I liked it best :)

Posted by AnnaLisa

Adapted from a recipe at apronstringsandpearls.

Click here for printable recipe.

The Ingredients:

1 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. sugar
1 c. powdered sweetened pink lemonade mix
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. lemon extract (or lemon juice. I used juice from a fresh lemon.)
3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease cookie sheet.

- In large mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar and lemonade mix until fluffy.

- Beat in egg, vanilla, and lemon extract.

-Add dry ingredients to the batter, beating until thoroughly combined.

Dough will be crumbly.

-Roll dough into 1" balls and roll in sugar. Place them 2" apart on cookie sheet, and bake for 10-12 minutes (or until edges start to brown.)

Although I didn't try it, I think these cookies might be really good with a lemony glaze on top.

Enjoy!

Nutella Peanut Butter Cookies (Gluten Free)

noreply@blogger.com (Lara) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 15:26:00 +0000

One day my ten-year-old came to me requesting cookies. I didn't have the time to make any, so I told him to find a recipe and feel free to make them himself. He looked through my Pinterest page and got excited about these cookies. Made with Nutella and peanut butter, they are every bit as delicious as you'd expect them to be...even though they are 100% gluten free. Sadly, they only made a dozen so they didn't last long at our house. A few days later I made a quadruple batch for a dinner where there would be someone with a severe gluten intolerance in attendance. Although there were other desserts available, these chewy, yet crispy cookies were the first to go and my gluten intolerant cousin was thrilled to have an easy new recipe to throw into her gluten free repertoire. These are as easy as can be to make, but you do want to take extra care not to overbake these. Enjoy!

Click here for printable recipe.

Posted by Lara.

The ingredients:

1/2 cup Nutella (or other chocolate hazelnut spread)
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar

Directions: Cream Nutella and peanut butter together. Add egg and vanilla; mix well. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth.

Shape into balls and place on parchment paper lined cookie sheet.

Bake at 375 degrees for 7-8 minutes. Do NOT overbake. You want to take these out right before they look set up. Cool on wire rack.

Enjoy!

Recipe Source: Seeded at the Table

Easy Cheesy Beef and Spinach Pasta

noreply@blogger.com (Lara) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 11:46:00 +0000

When our evening schedule gets really jam-packed like it is right now, cooking healthy meals for my family gets difficult . I find myself falling more and more to either convenience foods or to a few quick and easy recipes that I can throw together with ingredients I have in the house (this, this, and this being among our family's favorites). However, lately we have gotten a little tired of the same round robin of quick recipes and I have been on the hunt to add some more into the rotation. This one was one that was a smashing success at our house. It took about 5 minutes to chop the spinach and garlic and the rest of it came together in about 15 minutes! Only 20 minutes of effort and it made a meal that the whole family loved. The combination of cheese, tomato sauce, and pasta proved to be a winning combination and I will definitely be making this again soon!

Click here for printable recipe.

Posted by Lara.

The ingredients:
2 cups uncooked penne pasta
1 lb. ground beef (I used ground turkey)
1 tsp. minced garlic (could use garlic powder)
1 can (15-oz.) tomato sauce ( I used pizza sauce)
1-3/4 cup beef or chicken broth
1-1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning (I used 3/4 tsp. basil, 3/4 tsp. oregano)
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Cook pasta as directed on package. Drain and set aside.

Brown the ground beef or turkey. Drain fat, then add minced garlic, tomato sauce (or pizza sauce), broth, Italian seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper.

Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add chopped spinach and stir.

Add cooked, drained pasta and stir. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top and stir. Makes 4-5 servings.

Serve hot.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted slightly from Joyful Homemaking.

Garlic Chicken Pasta (in the Crockpot)

noreply@blogger.com (Lara) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 09:56:00 +0000

Life with five kids is always hectic, but with spring activities kicking into high gear, I've found that dinnertime is getting the short end of the stick more and more often. This recipe is one I discovered, bought the ingredients for, and whipped out on one crazy night. Just throw the chicken and the bottle of marinade into the crockpot, let it cook all day, cook the pasta, and whip together the sauce in a couple of minutes an voila you have a very yummy dinner that takes about 10 minutes of hands-on cooking time. We loved the flavor of this dish and I am now keeping the Lawry's marinade in the pantry for another insane day.

Click here for printable recipe.

Posted by Lara.

The ingredients:

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 bottle (12 oz) Lawry’s mesquite marinade with lime juice

1 pkg. (16 oz.) pasta

1/2 cup butter

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 Tbs. pepper

2 to 3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 lb. bacon, cooked and chopped

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Place chicken and bottle of marinade into crockpot and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours.

When chicken is tender and cooked through, remove from crockpot, drain the juices, and shred the chicken.

Set aside. About a half-hour before serving, boil the pasta as directed on package. In a small saucepan, melt butter, then add whipping cream, pepper, garlic, whipping cream, and chopped bacon. Whisk together on low heat for 3-4 minutes.

In a large bowl, pour over cooked, drained pasta, add chicken and stir through. Sprinkle a little bit more shredded parmesan cheese on top and serve immediately.

Makes about 6 servings.

Enjoy!

Recipe Source: Becky Higgins

Oatmeal Cream Pies (Little Debbie Knock Off)

noreply@blogger.com (Lara) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:00:00 +0000

I come from a family who loves sweets and a mom that didn't love to bake, so we grew up getting our dessert fix from boxes of Little Debbie snacks. My parents had to hide them so we kids didn't make off with entire boxes of them at a time. My idea of a great day was when dad packed my lunch and put in an entire treat, rather than splitting it in half like my mom did. The Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pies were simple, but always one of my very favorites of all the varieties. Now I'm all grown up and haven't bought a box of Little Debbies in well over a decade, so when I found this recipe on Pinterest I immediately became mildly obsessed with trying them. I talked my daughter into whipping up a batch one day, which instead of alleviating my obsession, seemed to only increase it. They actually taste similarly to the Little Debbie version and while I wouldn't call them healthy, this homemade version certainly doesn't have any preservatives or chemicals of the boxed version. We've since made them a few more times and I can say that these are among my new favorite cookies. I love it with lots of the coconut extract, but you could reduce that if you prefer. You want to cook these only until they look ALMOST done. If you overbake them, they will lose their fabulous chewy texture. Enjoy!

Makes about 12 sandwich cookies.

Click here for printable recipe.

Posted by Lara.

The ingredients:

Soft Chewy Oatmeal Cookies
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1-1/4 cups sugar
3 Tbs. molasses
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 tsp. coconut extract (can use less if you don't care for coconut flavor)
1-3/4 cups + 2 Tbs. all purpose flour (I used half white whole wheat flour and half all purpose flour)
1 cup oats, ground slightly in blender (don't skip the blending--it really makes the texture)
2 tsp. cocoa powder
1-1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ginger

Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 jar (7-ounces) marshmallow creme

Directions:
COOKIES:
In a medium bowl, whip together butter, shortening, sugar, and molasses on medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes. Add eggs, vanilla, and coconut extract. Beat together. Add flour, blended oats, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Beat together until just mixed.

Form about 2-tablespoons of dough into balls (I didn't make them quite this big) and place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until they looking slightly underdone. Take care not to overbake, as they will lose their fabulous chewy texture. Allow to cool in the pan for about 10-minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.

When cookies are completely cooled, place a large spoonful of marshmallow frosting on the flat side of a cookie and sandwich together with another cookie. VOILA! A beautiful oatmeal cream pie cookie that taste similar, but better than the storebought version! Makes about 12 sandwich cookies.

FROSTING:
Whip together butter, shortening, and powdered sugar. When smooth and fluffy, add the jar of marshmallow creme and whip together until well combined.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted slightly from Cooking Classy.

Chicken Gyros

noreply@blogger.com (Lara) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 10:00:00 +0000

This chicken gyro recipe is everything we've been looking for in our food lately--wholesome, not time consuming to make, and still great tasting! My kids went a little light on the tzatziki sauce, but I liked mine oozing with it. You can grill the chicken if you prefer, but ours is out of order so we went with the stovetop instead.

These also make for a great lunch. Just pack the toppings and flatbread in their own little containers and throw together at lunch time. No need to even heat them! Enjoy!

Click here for printable recipe.

Posted by Lara.

The ingredients: (makes 4 gyros)

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into thirds
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lemon, juiced
2 tsp. red wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 tsp. dried oregano
Salt and pepper, to taste
flatbread

TOPPINGS:
1 cup tzatziki sauce (click for recipe or buy it premade from the store)
sliced tomatoes
sliced onions
sliced cucumbers
lettuce

Directions:
Combine garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper and pour into a large Ziploc baggie.

Put sliced chicken breasts inside the baggie, seal, and place in fridge allowing to marinate for about one hour.

Preheat heavy frying pan to high, generously sprinkle salt and pepper over the chicken, and place chicken in single layer. Cook on high for 1-2 minutes or until lightly browned on the one side. Flip and repeat on the other side.

When both sides are browned (don't cook it all the way through yet), turn the heat down to LOW and cook for about 10 minutes or until chicken is tender and cooked through. Remove from pan and allow to cool for about 10 minutes before slicing into smaller pieces.

Heat the flatbread for about 30 seconds in the microwave or until soft and pliable. Layer tzatziki sauce, chicken , tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, and lettuce. Roll and enjoy! To get them to stay wrapped, use a toothpick or wrap it in foil.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Tide and Thyme.

Homemade Tzatziki Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Lara) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 09:59:00 +0000

To go along with the Chicken Gyro recipe, this sauce is the perfect accompaniment to any Mediterranean food or as a dip for your veggies. I recommend using the small side of your grater for the cucumbers.

Click here for printable recipe.

Posted by Lara.

( Makes 3-4 cups of sauce)

The ingredients:
2 regular cucumbers, peeled
1 (32 oz.) container plain Greek yogurt
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp. red wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. dried dill
salt and a little pepper
drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Shred or grate the cucumbers, place them in a clean kitchen towel, and then squeeze to get rid of as much excess moisture as possible. (NOTE: the smaller you grate the cucumber, the better the texture of the sauce)

Mix together the Greek yogurt, shredded cucumbers, garlic, vinegar and lemon juice. Salt and pepper to taste. It’s best to refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving, so flavors can blend.
Drizzle a little olive oil over the top before serving.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Tide and Thyme

Vegetarian Peanut Squash Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Lara) — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 17:10:00 +0000

We've had a couple of mild winters here in the DC area, with nary more than a skiff of snow here or there. Finally it's March and we were all geared up for springtime and it is snowing harder than it has in a long time. My kids are quite excited about the sledding and snowman potential, while I was most excited to be able to sleep past 5:00am this morning!

This soup recipe is one of those that's perfect for a day like today. It's got an Asian-esque flavor that my family adores (even my picky ones) and the only reason why I haven't published it before is that we needed to keep tweaking it until we got the right texture. I have a couple of kids who don't like smooth soups and another couple (including me) who don't like the texture of cooked squash. We finally settled on a 2/3 pureed to 1/3 chunky ratio. It's perfect for everyone, especially if you're trying to eat healthier, but short on time. Using the precubed squash from the produce section, this comes together with very little prepwork and with squash as the base and peanuts for protein, it's a home run healthwise too!

Click here for printable recipe.

posted by Lara.

Ingredients:

1 Tbs. peanut oil
4 cups cubed peeled butternut squash (look for it prepeeled and cubed in the produce section)
1 onion, chopped
2 Tbs. minced garlic (about 6 cloves)
¼ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground cumin
¼ tsp. ground coriander
3 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
¾ cup peanut butter
2 Tbs. tomato paste
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper(or to taste)
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:
In a large sauce pan over medium high heat, heat peanut oil. When hot, add squash, onion, garlic, salt, cumin, and coriander.

Sauté for 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Then add broth, peanut butter, tomato paste, and crushed red pepper, stirring well to combine.

Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until the squash is soft (about 10 minutes).

Blend about 2/3 soup in blender (in small batches), until chunks are gone.

This picture is shown before blending.

Return soup to pot, then sprinkle with cilantro and serve hot with fresh homemade bread (or over pasta).

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted slightly from 100 Days of Real Food.

Indian Rice Pudding

noreply@blogger.com (Lara) — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Lately it seems like it takes all my effort just to be able to pull together an easy-to-fix dinner each night, let alone trying a new recipe and actually taking pictures of it. Couple that with my effort to cut refined sugar out of my diet and this poor blog is getting more neglected by the week. This recipe is one that I've had in the files for a couple of years now and one that I've been making more often now that we're trying to eat more simply. We use brown rice and coconut sugar in place of refined sugar and serve it with some fresh berries for a dessert that's wholesome and delicious! Rice pudding looks humble, but with its subtle coconut flavor and creamy texture it's one the kids love too. I usually make a double or triple batch and put some in their lunches for a special treat!

Picture shown using brown rice and coconut sugar, so it's darker than it would be if you used white rice and white sugar.

Click here for printable recip e.

Posted by Lara.

The ingredients:
1 cup cooked long grain or basmati rice (brown or white rice is fine)

1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup sugar (it was good with coconut sugar as well)

1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 cup golden raisins (optional)
1/3 cup unsalted pistachios, chopped (optional)

Directions:
In a large nonstick saute pan over medium heat, combine the cooked rice and milk. Heat until the mixture begins to boil. Decrease the heat to low and cook at a simmer until the mixture begins to thicken, stirring frequently, approximately 5 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium, add the heavy cream, coconut milk, sugar, and cinnamon and continue to cook until the mixture just begins to thicken again, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Use a whisk to help prevent the cinnamon from clumping. Once the mixture just begins to thicken, remove from the heat and stir in the raisins and pistachios (if using).

Transfer the mixture to individual serving dishes or a glass bowl and place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding, to prevent a film from forming on the surface of the pudding (we skipped the plastic wrap and didn't have any issues).

Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Recipe Adapted from: Food Network

Baked Spaghetti with A-1 Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Lara) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 14:01:00 +0000

When my son was in the hospital for several months last year, we had wonderful friends who brought our family meals 3 or 4 times a week. It was a HUGE blessing to us and allowed us to focus on taking care of our family, instead of stressing about what was for dinner each night. Along the course of those 118 days and nights that he was in the hospital, we had a lot of amazing food brought to us. We sincerely liked everything that was brought to us, but there were a few of the meals which my family raved about so much that I decided I better get the recipe for so I could make it again later. This meal brought over by my friend Melissa was one of those meals. I normally shun cooking anything that calls for condensed soups, but my family was so insistent (my husband in particular) that I make this again, that I set aside my prejudices and took a special trip to the store for the cream of mushroom soup. My family cheered when they realized that this Melissa-invented recipe made not one pan, but TWO pans of the spaghetti. We could freeze one for another day or share the love and bring one to another family just as Melissa had shared with us.

Check out the printable tag at the end of the post, that you can tape onto the spaghetti before freezing or before bringing to a friend!

Click here for printable recipe.

Posted by Lara.

The ingredients:

V-8 juice not pictured

2 onions, chopped
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 lbs. ground beef (or ground turkey)
1 packet dry beefy onion soup mix (Lipton's)
1/2 cup A-1 steak sauce
1 box (16-ounces) spaghetti noodles
1 large can (28-ounces) crushed tomatoes
1 can (14.5-ounces) stewed or diced tomatoes
2 cans (10.5-ounces each) cream of mushroom soup
2 cups of V-8 juice
1 can (2.25-ounces) sliced olives, drained
3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (or mozzarella)
1 Tbs. dried parsley

Directions:
In a large soup pot, saute the chopped onions in oil for 3-4 minutes. Add the ground beef, salt, and pepper and cook until browned.

In another large pot, cook the spaghetti noodles as directed on package.

Drain meat, return to pot and add dry beefy onion soup mix and A-1 steak sauce. Stir and simmer for about 3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, stewed tomatoes, V-8 juice and cream of mushroom soup.

Stir on medium heat for about 5-7 minutes, or until well blended. Add sliced olives. At this point, the noodles should be finished cooking. Drain noodles and combine with sauce mixture.

When everything is combined, divide between TWO 9x13-inch pans (7-8 cups per pan) and top with 1-1/2 cups shredded cheese and 1/2 Tbs. dried parsley each casserole. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10-minutes, or until top is browned slightly.

Serve hot with breadsticks and a tossed green salad!

FREEZER DIRECTIONS: Wrap the 9x13-inch pan of unbaked spaghetti with foil. Freeze for up to 2-months. To use, place directly into the oven from the freezer and bake at 350 degrees for about 2 hours. Remove the foil and bake an additional 10-minutes, or until top is browned slightly.

Enjoy!

***********************

Just for fun, I've made this printable tag you can attach to your 2nd pan of baked spaghetti. Whether you give it to a friend or put it in your freezer, you've got a cute tag with all the directions you need! Simply right click on the image then copy and paste into a word processing program and adjust to the size you need before printing. :)

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Turkey Sweet Potato Chili in a Slow Cooker

noreply@blogger.com (Lara) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 18:58:00 +0000

As the weather turns colder, I find myself turning more and more to meals like this Turkey Sweet Potato Chili. It's hearty, filling, tasty, and full of good healthy foods (like pumpkin, sweet potato, peppers, mushrooms, etc). I've made it several times now and my family has declared it our new go-to not-too-spicy, not-too-sweet chili recipe. All the chopping makes the prep time a little lengthy, but since it makes such a humongous batch (it filled my 4-quart crockpot), that it's perfect for sharing with a friend or for freezing part for another day, it makes the chopping worth the effort. See the easy freezer directions below and enjoy!

Click here for printable recipe.

Posted by Lara.

The ingredients:
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 bell peppers, diced (I used a red and a green pepper)
1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced (take care NOT to touch the seeds or to include them in the chili, because they will make it very spicy)
1 lb. ground turkey
1 pkg. (12-ounces) chicken Italian sausage, halved and sliced
8-ounces mushrooms, minced
2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. chili powder
1-1/2 tsp. paprika
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cans (14.5-ounces each) diced tomatoes
2 cans (15-ounces each) black beans, drained and rinsed
2-1/2 cups beef broth
1 can (15-ounces) pumpkin (make sure it is not pumpkin pie mix)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder
Desired toppings: sour cream, sliced avocado, fresh lime juice, chopped cilantro, crumbled crackers

Directions:

Over medium high heat, in a large skillet add 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil and add onion, garlic, bell pepper, and jalapenos. Saute for about 5 minutes, until veggies are soft.    Add to crockpot.
In the same skillet, heat remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil. Add turkey and mushrooms and stir to combine. When turkey is almost cooked, add in the sliced sausage and saute until the sausage is lightly browned and the turkey is cooked through.

Sprinkle on cumin, salt, pepper, oregano, chili powder and paprika and stir to combine.   Add turkey/sausage mixture to slow cooker.

Add sweet potatoes, tomatoes, beans, broth, pumpkin, cinnamon, and cocoa powder to slow cooker. (Your crockpot will be very full) Stir til combined.    Cook in covered crockpot until sweet potatoes are tender, 4-6 hours on high, or 8-10 on low.     (I cooked mine over the stovetop for about an hour, then put it into the crockpot to keep it warm. )

Before serving, remove the lid and turn the crockpot off and allow chili to sit for 10-15 minutes.    Season with additional salt to taste before serving. Serve with desired toppings. Makes about 16 cups.

STOVETOP DIRECTIONS: If you don't have time for the crockpot, simply follow the directions through adding the seasonings to the meat, then add the remaining ingredients to a large stockpot (instead of the crockpot). Simmer over medium-low heat until sweet potatoes are tender (about 45-60 minutes)

FREEZER DIRECTIONS:   To freeze, simply pour the chili into a freezer container (I used a square disposable pan). Cover with plastic wrap and foil and place in the freezer. When you're ready to thaw it out, just pop it out of the disposable pan and place into a microwaveable bowl. Heat until hot (or if you prefer to heat it over the stovetop....just heat in the microwave until thawed, then you can place it in a pan on the stovetop).

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from: Our Best Bites

***********************

Turkey Lettuce Wraps

noreply@blogger.com (Lara) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 11:00:00 +0000

I am always on a quest to get my kids to eat healthier, but sometimes I feel like it is an uphill battle...especially with certain of my children. One in particular is by far my pickiest eater and when a recipe wins his approval, I consider it a happy day. So imagine my surprise when one night I make this healthy new recipe, filled with broccoli and wrapped in lettuce leaves, and my son goes gaga over them. In fact, all five of my kids loved them and it was good that my husband was out of town that night, because there wasn't a drop left afterward. The next time I made them I learned my lesson and made a double batch. Too bad I only had two heads of Romaine lettuce though, because we soon ran out of lettuce and I had very disappointed kids when I suggested they try wrapping it in a tortilla instead.

Hmmm....it's a super quick meal to throw together AND the kids are happily gobbling up broccoli and lettuce...I think we have a winner here!

Recipe Source: 71 Toes

Click here for printable recipe.

Posted by Lara.

The ingredients:

2 Tbs. olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 lb. ground turkey
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp garlic salt (I used 2 cloves of chopped garlic and another 1/4 tsp. salt)
1 (12-oz) bag broccoli slaw (in the produce section, near the bagged salads)
1/2 cup Teriyaki sauce
1 tsp. sesame oil
Romaine lettuce leaves

Directions:
Heat olive oil over medium-high heat, add diced onions and saute until soft (about 5 minutes).

Add ground turkey, salt, pepper, and garlic salt and cook until turkey is browned and cooked through.

Drain the liquids, then stir in broccoli slaw, teriyaki sauce, and sesame oil and cook for an additional 7-10 minutes.

Serve by the spoonfuls in Romaine lettuce leaves. Makes about 4-5 servings.

Enjoy!

Creamy Mexican Chowder

noreply@blogger.com (Lara) — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 11:00:00 +0000

I had all these grand intentions about the creative cooking I was going to be doing this new year, but life seems to have gotten the better of me and I am lucky to be throwing together a semi decent dinner at all most nights, yet alone typing it up into a blogpost! Finally I decided that the creativity may have to wait for a new day and I may as well post a few new recipes I discovered this fall, but hadn't gotten around to blogging about yet. I've made this soup several times now--for my family and for a church function--and it's already quite well-loved by family and friends. It's creamy and full of great Mexican flavor and perfect for a cold winter's night. We serve it up in our homemade breadbowls to make it extra special! Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from 71 Toes.

Click here for printable recipe.

Posted by Lara

Makes 4-5 servings.

The ingredients:

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 can (16-oz.) chicken broth
1 pkg. (8-oz.) cream cheese, softened
1-1/2 lbs. chicken, cooked and shredded (I threw a few frozen breasts into the crockpot for a few hours)
1-1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 cup chunky salsa
1 can (16-oz.) whole kernel corn, drained
1 can (16-oz) black beans, drained
1/2 cup cream (or milk)
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 avocado, peeled and chopped

Directions: Sauté onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon olive oil until softened.

Add broth, cream cheese, chicken, chili powder, cumin, salsa, corn, beans and cream and bring it all to a boil.

Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add the cilantro and chopped avocado and simmer for an additional 2 minutes.

Serve piping hot in a bread bowl. Makes 4-5 servings.

Enjoy!

Top 12 Recipes of 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Lara) — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 09:36:00 +0000

I've gone through our blog stats and found the twelve most popular recipes of 2012, based on highest number of pageviews! Most of them weren't too much of a surprise, since most of the list were also family favorites or on last year's Top Recipes of 2011. It's fun to see which recipes made you the most excited!

12. Brown Sugar Buttercream Frosting--a great recipe for frosting when you're all out of powdered sugar!

11. Reese's Rice Krispy Treats--Chocolate, peanut butter, and rice krispies.....what's not to love about these fun treats?

10. Easy Chocolate Pretzel Bites--easy peasy and easy to store, we make these every Christmas

9. White Chocolate Strawberry Cookies--Fresh strawberries in a cookie? Yeah, they're good!

8. French Peasant Bread--No kneading needed for this amazing bread. I've got my kids trained to make this for us.

7. Five things to do with Chicken Nuggets--If you're looking for ways to dress up the ever-convenient chicken nuggets and make them into a nice meal....this is the post for you!

6. Angry Bird Pizza--perfect for the angry bird loving kid in your life

5. Chicken Pasta Salad--fresh and tasty, this pasta salad is one of my family's all-time favorite meals!

4. Bratwurst in a Slow Cooker--Who needs a grill when you've got a crockpot to cook your bratwurst?

3. Garlic Chicken Pasta with Spinach--this classic is a reader favorite and a family favorite!

2. Blueberry and Spinach Smoothie--This general recipe makes for a great tasting super food smoothie! We have these 3-4 times a week!

and my #1 recipe for 2012 and all-time is....

1. Chicken Parmesan in the Crockpot--an old family favorite made nice and easy in the crockpot!

Dense Chocolate Chocolate Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Jen) — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Everyone needs a good chocolate cake recipe and this has been my go to recipe for years. (I even had a 5 year old girl convinced that she wanted this cake every year for her birthday cake, she thought it was that good!). I have to admit that I love the ease of cake mixes, but I hate how potentially dry they can be. With pudding, sour cream, and cream cheese added to the mix, this cake turns out perfectly moist and flavorful....just the way I like it!

Click here for printable recipe.

Post by: Jen
recipe source: Philadelphia Cream Cheese Collection

Ingredients:

1 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1 c sour cream
1/2 c water
2 eggs
1 box chocolate cake mix
1 4 oz pkg instant chocolate pudding mix
1 c chocolate chips, optional

Directions:
Peaheat oven to 325 degrees.

Cream the cream cheese until it is is smooth. Mix in the eggs, and water and blend until smooth.

Add in the cake mix and the pudding mix and blend together until all mixed well.

This is a VERY thick batter. It may work your beaters! Stir in the chocolate chips at this point if desired.

Grease and flour your pan. I love to use a bundt pan for this cake, but it works just fine in 2 round cake pans, or a 9x13 pan. If I am not covering the cake with a ganache, or frosting, then I like to flour the pan with cocoa powder so as to not leave a flour residue on the cake. OR if you have the flour/butter spray combo then use that because that stuff is amazing for greasing and flouring pans!

Spread your batter into the pan. This is thick, so you will spoon your batter into the pan and then spread it out.

Bake in a 325 degree oven for 1 hour or until toothpick in center is clean. It will take less time if using 2 rounds or a rectangle pan. I would check around 40 minutes. But check by looking in your oven rather than opening your oven if possible.

Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack. (unless you are using a 9x13 pan, and you want to leave it in the pan) Cool completely.

You can put whatever you want on the top. Frosting, chocolate ganache, fresh fruit, powdered sugar,whipped cream, pie filling, etc... Here it is with chocolate ganache. It will be very chocolaty. In fact when I made this again recently, my 8 year old son requested that I make it not too chocolaty.

I love this recipe because it tastes great and it is great to serve to guests. Plus it looks really cool with powdered sugar!

Merry Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Lara) — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Between my son's diagnosis with leukemia early this year and my husband getting laid off from his job later the same week, it's been a tough year to say the least. However, in amongst the struggles that life brought us this year, we have also never felt so incredibly blessed. We were comforted by God's peace in every step of our journey and we are grateful to so many of you who brought us food, listened to us cry, and most importantly prayed for us. We felt the power of those prayers buoying us up in the darkest moments we faced. Spencer has been in remission for 6-1/2 months now and this holiday season we are just grateful to be all together.

May God bless you and your families with peace and love this holiday season. Merry Christmas!

Love,
Lara

******************************

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

Andes Mint Fudge

noreply@blogger.com (Lara) — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 11:00:00 +0000

What can I say about this fudge?
First let me tell you how incredibly easy this fudge is. No need for candy thermometers or timers with this fudge...my twelve year old daughter whipped us up this fudge 100% by herself (she even took all the process pictures herself).
Second, it's amazingly tasty.
If you like mint and chocolate, then you are in for a treat with this creamy delight!
Lastly, it's beautiful!
With it's different colored layers, it's a gorgeous addition to your goodie plates!
Easy, tasty, and beautiful...
What are you waiting for?

Recipe Source: Finding Joy in My Kitchen.

Click here for printable recipe.

Posted by Lara.

The ingredients:

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided
1 can (14-ounces) sweetened condensed milk, divided
8 oz. white baking chocolate (or 1-1/2 cups white chocolate chips)
1-1/2 tsp. peppermint extract (we like the Watkins peppermint extract from Walmart--it's cheaper and has a better flavor)
2 drops green food coloring
1 tsp. shortening (like Crisco)
1/2 cup Andes mint chips (or regular Andes mints chopped up)

Directions
Line a square 8x8 or 9x9-inch baking pan with tinfoil or parchment paper and lightly spray with nonstick spray.

In a small saucepan, combine 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk with 1 cup chocolate chips. Heat over medium-low heat. Stirring frequently, heat until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
Spread the chocolate mixture evenly in the bottom of the prepared pan.

Place the pan in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes while you prepare the next layer.
Grab a second small saucepan and combine 8 oz. white chocolate (either white baking chocolate or 1-1/2 cups white chocolate chips) along with the rest of the sweetened condensed milk.
As with the first layer, heat over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is melted and smooth. Then add 1-1/2 tsp. peppermint extract and 2 drops of green food coloring.
Add additional food coloring drop-by-drop until the desired color has been reached, then gently pour the green/minty layer over the set chocolate layer, taking care to keep the layers separate.

Place pan in the refrigerator until set (about 10 minutes). Meanwhile, in a microwaveable bowl combine the remaining cup of chocolate chips and the teaspoon of shortening.

Microwave, stopping it every thirty seconds to stir, until smooth and melted (about 2 minutes). Pour the melted chocolate over the mint layer, spreading it carefully. Before chocolate is set, sprinkle the Andes mint chips over the top, lightly pressing them down as you go.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 2-4 hours. Allow to sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before cutting and serving. Store covered in the fridge or freezer.

Enjoy!

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Frosted Pretzels

noreply@blogger.com (Jen) — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 11:00:00 +0000

I love the flavors of sweet and salty together. These are about some of the easiest treats to make and everyone loves them. They are incredibly versatile and can be made for just about every occasion you can think of. All it takes is two ingredients and then your imagination with the sprinkles. Here is an assortment showing pretzels for Christmas, Halloween, 4th of July, and a baby shower. How will you decorate them?!

Click here for printable recipe.

Post by: Jen

Ingredients:

Almond Bark (often found in the baking aisle next to the chocolate. I often can find it at Walmart. You can use candy melts from the craft store as well)

Mini pretzels

wax paper

sprinkles

Directions:

Break up your almond bark into smaller pieces so as to ensure quicker and more even melting. Place them in a large non stick pan and melt over LOW heat.

Stir occasionally until everything is melted. Meanwhile, lay out sheets of wax paper so you are prepared with someplace to put your pretzels.

Add a handful or two of pretzels at a time. Carefully fold them into the almond bark so that nothing breaks. Make sure they are completely coated.

Using a fork, or skewer or something with prongs that won't scrape your pan, remove a few pretzels and tap the excess off. (tap the fork or the skewer against the side of the pan).

Place the pretzels on the wax paper and separate them so they are not touching. After you have placed about a dozen on the paper, decorate with your sprinkles of choice. Make sure that you put your sprinkles on before the almond bark sets. After sprinkling some pretzels, go back to the pan and continue as above. Repeat until all the almond bark is gone. You will have about five or six full 9x13 sheets of wax paper. Make sure that you have room on your table to store them while they are cooling.

I place my wax paper onto a transferable surface so that I can move the paper if necessary. Like my plastic dinosaur placemat?!

Here are Halloween pretzels

Fourth of July or Flag day or Memorial Day pretzels

Pink or Blue baby shower pretzels

have fun thinking up other things to do with various holidays, Just make sure that you use small sprinkles . It will look better.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars

noreply@blogger.com (K) — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 11:03:00 +0000

I pretty much guessed before even making these, that my family would love the salty and sweet combination of these bars. What I didn't expect was how much other people would love them too. I went home from the gathering I brought them to with a completely empty plate and several requests for the recipe.

Recipe adapted from The Family Kitchen

Click here for printable recipe.

Posted by Kristina.

The ingredients:

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1-1/2 cups mini pretzel twists, broken up
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
In a large bowl, beat butter, brown sugar, and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and stir until combined. Fold in chocolate chips and 1 cup of the pretzel pieces.
Spread the batter evenly into a greased 9x13-inch baking pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

In a small microwaveable bowl melt the peanut butter and chocolate chips stirring every thirty seconds until smooth and melted. Sprinkle the bars with the remaining crushed pretzel pieces and drizzle with the peanut butter and chocolate mixture.

Let cool until set, then cut into squares or bars.

Enjoy!

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Peppermint Surprise Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Lara) — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 11:00:00 +0000

I don't know about the rest of you, but I love serving food with an unexpected twist. Something that will stop people mid-bite and say, "Wow! That's not what I expected, but it's really good!" These cookies are just that. They look like a simple peppermint snowball cookies, but lo and behold there's a little chocolate kiss waiting inside to be eaten! In addition to being a fun and unique addition to a cookie exchange, these are also sturdy enough that they would be great for mailing in a holiday package. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from an old cooking magazine.

Click here for printable recipe.

Posted by Lara.

The ingredients:
1-3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. peppermint extract
4-2/3 cups flour
Hershey Kisses (about 60)
4-ounces white chocolate
Crushed peppermint candies (crushed in blender)

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine butter and sugar and mix until well combined. Add egg, vanilla, and peppermint extract until beaten. Add the flour one cup at a time, mixing until all of the flour is well incorporated. The dough will be thick.

Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Shape dough into about 1-inch balls, flatten, then place an unwrapped Hershey Kiss into the middle of each and wrap the dough around until the Kiss is fully encased in dough.

Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees or until the bottoms are barely brown. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

In a microwaveable bowl (make sure the bowl is perfectly clean and dry first or the chocolate will not melt properly), melt the white chocolate by placing in the microwave for two minutes and stopping to stir every thirty seconds. Dip the top of each cookie into the melted white chocolate, then sprinkle with crushed peppermint candies.

Allow chocolate/peppermint topping to set before serving.

Makes about 5-6 dozen cookies.

Enjoy!

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Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins

noreply@blogger.com (annalisa) — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 11:00:00 +0000

A couple of weeks ago I bought some pumpkins from a garden center. One of the pumpkins was a pie pumpkin, which is the kind of pumpkin that you can puree and eat. I didn't want to just eat the pumpkin by itself, so I asked Lara for a pumpkin recipe I could try. This is the recipe she gave me.

They were delicious! I couldn't get enough of them and thought they would make for a perfect Christmas morning breakfast! They're a little dense, but moist and delicious...especially fresh and hot out of the pan! My roommates and I couldn't stop eating them.

Recipe adapted from The Virtual Goody Plate

Click here for printable recipe.

Posted by AnnaLisa

The ingredients:

10 T unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground allspice (next time I will double both the nutmeg and allspice and add a teaspoon of cinnamon)
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 1/4 cups pure pumpkin puree (from a 15 oz. can)
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs

Sugar Coating:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour 12 standard muffin cups.

Make batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and allspice. In a small bowl whisk together buttermilk and pumpkin puree.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down bowl as needed. With mixer on low, add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions pumpkin mixture and beat to combine.

Spoon 1/3 cup batter into each muffin cup and bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean, 18-22 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine granulated sugar and cinnamon. Let muffins cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Working with one at a time, remove muffins from pan, brush all over with melted butter, then toss to coat in sugar mixture. Let muffins cool completely on a wire rack. (Store in airtight container up to 1 day.)

Makes about 15 muffins.

Enjoy!

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Gingerbread Cookie Tree

noreply@blogger.com (Lara) — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Who knew that a few different sized star shaped cookies stacked on top of each other could so easily create such a fun edible holiday decoration as this gingerbread cookie tree? My family was enamored with it and I laughed that it took them a couple of days before they would even venture to start eating it. It would be perfect as part of a gingerbread house display or as a stand-alone "wow" display at a party! You could easily make the trees shorter if you desired by just using fewer cookies. Enjoy!

Recipe Source: Washington Post Food Section

Click here for printable recipe.

Posted by Lara.

The ingredients:

GINGERBREAD COOKIES:
3 cups flour, plus more if needed
1 Tbs. ground cinnamon
1 Tbs. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. sea salt
3/4 tsp. baking soda
10 Tbs. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup molasses
2 Tbs. milk

ROYAL ICING:
1 lb. powdered sugar
2 egg whites
1 Tbs. freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice
dark-green food coloring gel
Colored sanding sugar, for garnish (optional)
Edible silver pearls, for garnish (optional)

6-7 star shaped cookie cutters (I bought a 4-piece graduated cookie cutter set and a 4 piece graduated fondant cutter set (in the cake aisle at the craft store), but I would have bought this inexpensive cookie cutter kit from Amazon that was created for just this purpose if I had seen it first)

Directions:

FOR THE COOKIES:
Combine the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt and baking soda in large bowl. Whisk to aerate and mix well.

Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer; beat on low speed, then on medium speed until well incorporated. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the molasses and milk; beat on low speed until incorporated.

Add the flour mixture in thirds, beating on low speed until well combined after the first two additions and stopping to scrape down the bowl after each addition. After the last of the flour is added, beat on low speed until just incorporated. The dough will pull away from the sides of the bowl and be soft yet very pliable.

Prepare 6 sheets of parchment paper about 18 by 13 inches (baking sheet size). Divide the dough into thirds; place each portion of dough between two sheets of the parchment; roll the dough to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Stack them onto a baking sheet and freeze for at least 1 hour before cutting the cookies.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees, with racks positioned in the upper and lower middle of the oven. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper.

Working with one portion of dough at a time (while the other two remain in the freezer), peel away both sides of parchment paper, but lay the dough back down on one piece of the parchment. (my kids that these frozen dough sheets were hilarious)

Use the seven graduated sizes of cookie cutters to cut 3 cookies each, for a total of 21 cookies.

Cut the cookies while the dough is frozen and position them on the parchment-lined baking sheets. If the dough defrosts too much to easily move cookies that have been cut out, replace the top sheet of parchment and refreeze until the dough is easy to work with. Do that as many times as needed; scraps can be re-rolled twice. Use all of the dough.

Bake the cookies on the upper and lower racks for 9 to 10 minutes, then rotate the sheets top to bottom and front to back. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes, until the cookies have browned but do not appear to be burned on the bottoms; a few minutes after you rotate the baking sheets, check the smaller-size cookies for doneness, removing any that might be done sooner. NOTE: I just baked them one pan at a time for 8-10 minutes)

Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

FOR THE ICING:
(NOTE: I used a regular buttercream frosting recipe for the following pictures. If you use the icing recipe included here it will result in a shinier, smoother icing. )

Working in batches, combine the confectioners' sugar and egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer. Beat on low speed until all is well blended. Add the lemon or lime juice, beating until the icing is smooth and fluffy and holds a soft peak, adding water if needed. The yield is about 2 1/2 cups, about half of which is used in this recipe. You will have leftover icing, which can be refrigerated (see headnote). Cover the bowl with a dampened dish towel until ready to use. (Exposed royal icing will begin to crust over, rendering it lumpy and difficult to apply, and the final product will be uneven.)

To assemble: Use half of the icing to cover the tops of the cookies; sprinkle the exposed star tips with the sanding sugar. Let dry for 1 hour. Alternatively, use enough food color gel to color all of the icing. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a small leaf tip and decorate the star tips. If desired, place silver pearls on some or all of the star tips. Let dry for 1 hour.

Use some of the remaining icing as "glue" to stack and build the cookie tree, using a pastry bag fitted with the round tip to place the icing at the center of each cookie, making sure they are centered atop each other as you work. Offset the stars so their points do not line up directly. Let the cookie tree set for 1 hour before serving.

Display on a platter covered with a mini tree skirt for an extra dose of festivity!

Enjoy!