Christmas Cupcakes

A friend brought these over! Thought I would share! Aren't they cute?

Monkey Bread

Monkey Bread

Ingredients

• 1 (3.5 ounce) package cook and serve butterscotch pudding mix
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 3 (10 ounce) cans refrigerated biscuits

Directions

1. In a plastic bowl with tight-fitting lid, combine pudding mix, sugar, cinnamon and pecans if desired. Pour the butter into a shallow bowl. Cut the biscuits into quarters. Dip several pieces into the butter, then place in bowl; cover and shake. Remove to a greased 10-in. fluted tube pan. Continue until all the biscuit pieces are coated. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes. Cool in pan for 30 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate.

My mom used to make this for Christmas morning. We called it pull aparts. No we do cinnamon rolls because kyle's family did cinnamon twists. Compromise. I think I need to make this.

Oops didn't realize I had already added a pull apart recipe... this one is slightly different so I will leave it..

Cristmas Recipes

What are your favorite Christmas foods??
Anyone want to share a recipe?

Pie Crust Recipe

Basic Flaky Pie Crust

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup shortening, chilled
• 3 tablespoons ice water

Directions

1. Whisk the flour and salt together in a medium size bowl. With a pastry blender, cut in the cold shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Drizzle 2 to 3 tablespoons ice water over flour. Toss mixture with a fork to moisten, adding more water a few drops at a time until the dough comes together.
2. Gently gather dough particles together into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 30 minutes before rolling.
3. Roll out dough, and put in a pie plate. Fill with desired filling and bake.

If you use ice water and chilled shortening you can skip #2.


LOVE this pie crust recipe!!

Popcorn Treat

1/2 - 2/3 cup unpopped popcorn kernels
10 oz bag of miniature marshmallows
1/4 cup butter or margarine
chocolate chips
nuts or toffee covered nuts(or any chip/nut variation you want)

Pop the kernels.
In saucepan melt butter, add marshmallows and stir until melted. Cook marshmallows until the mixture is slightly caramelized and bubbly.
Combine popcorn and melted marshmallow while stirring.
Stir in Chocolate Chips and nuts.

This recipe is from Kyle's Dad.
I have to make sure there are people to help me eat this, because if there isn't I end up eating the whole thing!

Hootenanny

or as they are more commonly known as:

German Pancakes

6 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 cube margarine (1/2 cup)
1 cup flour
1 cup milk

Combine eggs, milk, and salt in blender. Beat until fluffy. Tap flour a little at a time, beating until well blended. Melt margarine and pour in 9x13 baking dish. Pour in batter. Bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes. Or until hills are golden brown.

Zucchini Bread

The garden is in and this year I'm going to be better prepared for all the zucchini.

2 cups grated zucchini
3 eggs, beaten
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 tsp vanilla
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp baking powder

1 banana,mashed (opt)
Mix well and add 3 cups flour. May add a cup of nuts if desired.
Put in a greased, floured pan and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Lemon Bars

2 cups flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup melted butter
4 TB flour
1 tsp baking powder
6 TB lemon juice
2 cups sugar
3 eggs beaten

Mix 2 cups flour, powdered sugar, and melted butter together until well blended. Pat mixture in bottom of a greased 9 x 13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
Combine sugar, 4 TB flour, baking powder, lemon juice and eggs until thoroughly blended. Pour over partially baked crust and bake an additional 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove for oven. Cool slightly. Sprinkle with sifted powdered sugar if desired. Cut into squares and serve.

Baked Casareccia (Ziti)

Oh, Amie! I had to post this from your other blog because I love it soooo...MUCH! I add zucchini because that's what the Italian's do here.

16 oz Casareccia (Ziti if you live in America)
1-1 1/2 lbs ground beef (I like ground pork better)
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
basil -to taste
1 1/2 cups sour cream
26 oz of marinara sauce
10 oz mozzarella (or more if you like lots of cheese)
2 zucchinis (quartered)

Preheat Oven at 350 degrees.

Boil Ziti to Al Dente
brown beef, onion, and garlic together.
add basil and marinara sauce
simmer for 15 minutes
season zucchini with salt, pepper and garlic, cook in olive oil

In a 9x13 baking dish mix every thing together cooked pasta, marinara sauce, sour cream, zucchini and half the cheese. Pour in baking dish and cover with the rest of the cheese.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cheese starts to brown slightly.

Funeral Potatoes

Oops, sorry Kat... Well, I know it's too late now... but if you didn't find one you liked (this is my mom's recipe) here you go:

1 28 oz frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
2 cups sour cream
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Combine all ingredients except potatoes. Fold in thawed potatoes that are broken apart well. Melt 1/2 cube butter or margarine and add 1-2 cups crushed corn flakes. Coat corn flakes in butter and then sprinkle on top of potatoes. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Serves 12.

Optional you can add 1/4 or 1/2 cup of chopped onions to the thawed potatoes, if you like it with onions.

In need

Ok girls, I figured I would start this off. I am doing something that I have never done before. I am actually making a traditional Easter dinner this Sunday. (we are celebrating Easter a week later because my husband is coming home on Saturday, buying half priced Easter stuff didn't hurt either ha)

So I have never cooked a Ham (I don't like Ham) but my husband loves it! And of course you have to make funeral potatos (or whatever you call them) But I don't have a recipe for this delicious potato dish. 

Help!

the few..the proud..
the women of the kitchen.
or rather..the women wishing they were of the kitchen,
but finding themselves a little in distress when it comes to figuring out what to make for dinner.

thus, the new blog..the new venture.
we all want new recipes, new ideas & let's face it...
a place to come for a little girl time, away from the woes of everyday life.

so delve in.
read. share. experiment. become an author.
we're just a couple of women who enjoy a little time in the kitchen...
a little time with our girlfriends...
and dare i say it,
a little moment where our cooking might possibly trump that of our husbands.