Peanut Butter Reindeer Cookies

Enjoy!

Reindeer Cookies

(You could make these with sugar cookies too!)
Printable Recipe

3/4 cup peanut butter

1 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup shortening

3 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 egg

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

Chocolate-covered mini pretzels

Mini brown M&Ms

Regular-sized red M&Ms

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Combine brown sugar, peanut butter, shortening, milk, and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until well blended. Add egg; beat until just blended.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to creamed mixture at low speed. Mix just until blended.

Form dough into 1-inch balls. To make reindeer-shaped cookies, pinch the bottom of the ball slightly to form a point, then gently flatten with your hand. Space cookies about 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 7 to 8 minutes, until set or just beginning to brown. 

Remove from oven and immediately (and gently) press two mini pretzels into the tops of the cookies for the reindeer's antlers. Press two mini brown M&Ms in for the eyes and one red M&M for the nose (or any other color... some of mine ended up with green noses. They might be South Pole reindeer.). 

Allow to cool 2 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a wire rack or paper towel to cool completely. 

Makes about 40 reindeer cookies.

Recipe found HERE

Banana Bread

This is the most amazing buttery banana bread I have ever had.  It seems all banana breads taste alike, except this one.  You must try it!
Thanks Sandy for the recipe!!

Banana Bread...good!

 

1/2 cup butter (I strongly suggest you use actual butter)

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 beaten eggs

~~Cream above together

Then add 3-4 really ripe bananas

~~add

1/2 teaspoon soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1-3/4 cup flour (give or take 1/4 cup)

if desired, 1/2 cup chopped nuts

(You don't want to over mix once you get the dry ingred. in there.)

 

Bake at 350° for 55-60 minutes. (check center with a toothpick) 

 

This is very easy and always comes out wonderful! You can double it very easy, but make sure your bananas are really, really (yucky looking!) ripe for the best taste! You can freeze banana's when they are getting too brown to eat, and they make the Best banana bread....that way you can throw them in the freezer a couple at a time until you have enough for a recipe!

Panda Express Orange Chicken

I have not tested this, but I am excited to!

2 lbs boneless chicken pieces, skinned
1 egg
1 1/2 t salt
white pepper
oil (for frying)
1/2 c plus 1 T cornstarch
1/4 c flour
1 T minced ginger root
1 t minced garlic
dash crushed hot red chiles
1/4 c chopped green onions
1 T rice wine
1/4 c water
1/2 to 1 t sesame oil

ORANGE SAUCE FOR STIR FRY:

2 t Minced zest and
1/4 c Juice from
1 lg Orange
1/2 t Sugar
2 T Chicken stock
1 T Light soy sauce

Combine all ingredients in small bowl and set aside.

Cut chicken pieces in 2" squares and place in large bowl. Stir in egg, 
salt, pepper, and 1 T oil and mix well. Stir cornstarch and flour 
together. Add chicken pieces, stirring to coat.

Heat oil for deep-frying in wok or deep-fryer to 375. Add chicken pieces, 
a small batch at time, and fry 3 to 4 minutes or until golden and crisp. 
(Do not overcook or chicken will be tough.) Remove chicken from oil with
slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Set aside.

Clean wok and heat 15 seconds over high heat. Add 1 T oil. Add ginger 
and garlic and stir-fry until fragrant. Add and stir-fry crushed chiles 
and green onions. Add rice wine and stir 3 seconds. Add Orange Sauce 
and bring to boil. Add cooked chicken, stirring until well mixed. 
Stir water into remaining 1 T cornstarch until smooth.
Add to chicken and heat until sauce is thick. Stir in 1 teas. sesame oil.

Serve at once.

Makes 6 servings.

McDonald's Mac Sauce

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons French dressing
4 teaspoons sweet pickle relish
1 tablespoon finely minced white onion
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Stir well.

2. Place sauce in a covered container and refrigerate for several hours, 
or overnight, so that the flavors blend. Stir the sauce a couple of 
times as it chills.

Makes about 3/4 cup.

Three Cheese Potatoes

• 3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon minced chives
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup crumbled cooked bacon
• 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS

• In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Transfer to a double thickness of greased heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Dot with butter.
• Fold foil around potato mixture and seal tightly. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 15-18 minutes on each side or until potatoes are tender.
• Carefully open foil. Sprinkle the bacon cheeses over potato mixture. Grill 3-5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Open foil carefully to allow steam to escape. Yield: 4-6 servings.

Recipe found HERE

Cinnamon Baked French Toast

Recipe and photo from Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

• FRENCH TOAST
• 1 loaf Crusty Sourdough Or French Bread
• 8 whole Eggs
• 2 cups Whole Milk
• 1/2 cup Whipping (heavy) Cream
• 3/4 cups Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
• Topping
• 1/2 cup All-purpose Flour
• 1/2 cup Firmly Packed Brown Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1 stick Cold Butter, Cut Into Pieces
• Fresh Fruit (optional)

Preparation Instructions

Grease 9 x 13-inch baking pan with butter. Tear bread into chunks (or cut into cubes) and evenly distribute in the pan.

Mix together eggs, milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla. Pour evenly over bread. Cover tightly and store in the fridge several hours or overnight.

In a separate bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add nutmeg if desired. Add butter pieces and but into the dry mixture until mixture resembles fine pebbles. Store in a Ziploc in the fridge.

When you're ready to bake the casserole, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove casserole from oven and sprinkle crumb mixture over the top. (If you're using fruit, sprinkle on before the crumb mixture.) Bake for 45 minutes for a softer, more bread pudding texture. Bake 1 hour or more for a firmer, less liquid texture.

Scoop out individual portions. Top with butter and drizzle with maple syrup.

Recipe found HERE

Roasted Broccoli

4-5 Cups of fresh broccoli
olive oil
salt & pepper
grated Parmesan cheese

Cut broccoli into florets and toss with enough olive oil to coat them. Sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Place on a foil lined baking sheet and roast at 425 degrees for 15 minutes or until lightly browned and crispy. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese when it comes out of the oven. 

*For a fresh twist squeeze a little fresh lemon juice on it right as it comes out of the oven then put Parmesan cheese on it. 

Recipe found HERE

Creamy Garlic Pasta

Creamy Garlic Pasta
2 tsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp butter
¼  tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
3 cups chicken stock
½ lb spaghetti or angel hair pasta
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
¾ cup heavy cream
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

In a pot, bring the olive oil to medium-low heat. Add the garlic and stir, allowing it to cook for 1-2 minutes. Mix in the butter until melted. Add the salt, pepper and chicken stock. Raise the heat to high and let it come to a boil. 

Once it is at a rolling boil, add the pasta and cook for as long as the box’s directions indicate. Reduce the stove to medium heat and mix in the parmesan until completely melted. Turn off the heat and stir in the cream and parsley. Serve immediately.

Recipe found HERE

Strawberry Cream Cake

1/2 package white cake mix
1 egg
3/4 cup water
2 Tbs. flour
Mix together the ingredients and blend on high for 2 minutes.  Pour into a greased and floured 13"x9" pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until done.  Cool completely.

8 ounce cream cheese
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 pint whipping cream
Beat the whipping cream on high until soft peaks form.  Set aside.  Beat the cream cheese until smooth and then gradually add the powdered sugar.  Gently fold in the whipped cream until well incorporated.

Spread over the cooled cake and refrigerate.

Topping: 
4 C. sliced strawberries
1/2 C. sugar
2 T. cornstarch
1/3 C. water
12-12 drops red food coloring

In medium sauce pan bring sugar corn starch and water to a boil. Boil for a couple of minutes until sugar is completely dissolved and add food coloring. Remove from heat and cool completely then fold in strawberries. Gently spread on cream cheese layer. This is a much better version than store bought Danish Dessert!!

Refrigerate for 4 hours before serving.
This would be yummy with raspberries too!

Recipe found HERE

Best Coffee Cake Ever

Recipe found HERE adapted from HERE

Best Coffee Cake Ever
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman
Serves 6-8

Note: I made a half recipe and used a 9-inch square pyrex baking dish

FOR THE CAKE:
3/4 stick butter, softened
1 scant cup sugar (I used 7/8 cup, which is 3/4 cup + 2 T.)
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 + 1/8 cup buttermilk

FOR THE TOPPING:
3/4 stick butter, softened
3/8 cups flour
3/4 cup brown sugar (or less — see updated notes)
1 scant tablespoon cinnamon
3/4 cup almonds or pecans, chopped (optional — see updated notes)

Notes:
• Next time, I might not even add nuts on top. I think I might prefer it without.
• Next time, too, I might cut back a wee bit on the sugar in the topping.

Notes updated:
• Made this again without the nuts, and I prefer it this way. It just has more of that classic coffee cake taste to me. Husband prefers nuts, however — he’s only tried it with almonds but thinks he’d prefer pecans (such a picky husband these days… sike, my love, you’re not picky at all). I should note that I’m not a huge fan of nuts in baked goods, so if you like nuts, I say use them!
• I lightly filled a 3/4 cup measuring cup with brown sugar, which made the topping slightly less sweet, which I prefer.

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9-inch square pan (or the equivalent) with butter.

2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Add egg to butter and sugar mixture. Mix on low until combined. Add half of the dry ingredients. Mix until incorporated. Add all of the buttermilk. Mix until incorporated. Add remaining flour and whisk until just combined. Spread batter into prepared pan.

3. Meanwhile, make the topping: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Use a pastry cutter or your hands to mix everything nicely together. Spread topping over batter. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until no longer jiggly. Let cool on wire rack for 10 minutes before serving.

Fried Rice

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice
• 3 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 cup small shrimp - peeled and deveined
• 1/2 cup diced ham
• 1 cup chopped cooked chicken breast
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 carrots - peeled and diced
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup green peas
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup soy sauce

Directions

1. Cook rice according to package directions. While rice is cooking, heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Pour in sesame oil and stir in onion. Fry until golden, then add garlic. When garlic is lightly browned, mix in shrimp, ham, and chicken. Fry until shrimp is pink.
2. Lower heat to medium and stir in celery, carrot, green pepper, and peas. Fry until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in beaten egg and cook just until egg is scrambled and firm.
3. When rice is done, mix thoroughly with vegetables and stir in soy sauce. Adjust seasoning to your preference and serve immediately.

Tater Tot Casserole

2 pounds ground beef
1 can mushroom soup (or make your own with this recipe)
2 cups of frozen veggies (I like carrots and peas) you can also use canned veggies
1 bag tater tots

Mix together beef, mushroom soup, and veggies.  Spread in a 9x 13 pan.  Top with tater tots.  I usually stand them up on their ends so I can fit as many as possible.  There never seem to be enough!  Then I sprinkle the tater tots lightly with Lawrey's seasoning, or you can use salt.  That gives it a little extra flavor.  Bake at 350 until the tots are brown. (About 30 minutes)

Weeknight Lasagna Toss

A Family Favorite of ours!

1 lb. lean ground beef

2   green peppers, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 jar  (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce

1-2/3 cups water

1/4 cup  KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing (I usually omit this)

12 oven-ready lasagna noodles, broken into quarters (sometimes I substitute other pasta)

1 cup  Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

BROWN meat in large saucepan; drain.
ADD peppers, garlic, spaghetti sauce, water and dressing; bring to boil. Stir in noodles; cover.
COOK on medium-low heat 10 to 15 min. or until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with cheese; cover. Let stand 5 min. or until cheese is melted.

Beef Stroganoff

Photo courtesy of. Confabulation in the Kitchen,

Beef Stroganoff:1 lb ground beef (cooked)
1 small onion
1 pkg egg noodles (prepared)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 T beef boulion
1 t garlic
1 c sour cream

Add onions to ground beef. Cook until onions are tender. 

Add soup, boulion, and garlic.  When ready to serve, add sour cream and noodles.

Enchilada Casserole

Brown 2 pounds hamburger with taco seasoning.
16 oz salsa
8 oz tomato paste
sour cream
flour tortillas
2 cups cheese


Mix hamburger, salsa, and tomato paste together and set aside. Butter 9x13 pan. Spread sour cream on tortilla shells.
Layer:
flour tortillas
meat mixture
cheese
flour tortillas
meat
cheese

Cover with foil. Bake at 400 degrees.  Bake 30 minutes.  Take foil off and bake another 10 minutes.

Banana Crumb Muffins

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 bananas, mashed
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon butter

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.
2. In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
3. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake:
Crust:
2 1/4 c flour
3/4 c sugar
3/4 c marg
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t soda
1/4 t salt
3/4 c sour cream
1 t almond flavoring
1 egg

Filling:
8 oz cream cheese
1/4 c sugar
1 egg
1/2 c raspberry preserves (no seeds)

Topping:
1 c Reserved Flour Mixture from crust
1/2 c slivered Almonds (optional)
Dust with course granular sugar (optional)

1. Preheat Over to 350. Grease and flour bottom and sides of 9" spring-form pan.

2. Blend flour, sugar, and butter until pie crust consistency. (Mixture will be dry)  Reserve 1 c for topping. Add baking powder, soda, salt, sour cream, egg, and flavoring. Beat until well blended. Mixture will be think and sticky. Spread into spring-form pan and spread 2" up the sides of the pan about 1/4" thick.

3. Blend cream cheese, sugar, and egg. Mixture will be runny. Pour over better. Stir preserves until syrupy. Drizzle preserves over batter. Top with 1 c reserve flour mixture, slivered almonds, and sugar (optional)

4. Bake 45-50 minutes. Watch the outside crust. You may need to place foil over the edges to keep from getting over cooked.

Walnut Chicken

1 1/2 lb chicken, cooked, cubed
2 T cooking oil
2 med red and/or green peppers
4 green onions
1 c walnuts2 cloves garlic, minced
3 T soy sauce
2 t cornstarch
2 T dry sherry (cooking wine, optional)
1 t ginger
1 t sugar
1/2 t salt
1/2 t red pepper

In a frying pan, toast walnut and garlic.  Once toasted, remove from heat and set aside.  Add oil and veggies to fry pan. Fry until tender.  Add cooked chicken.  Before adding, blend soy sauce and corn starch.  Add to fry pan with cooking wine, ginger, sugar, salt and pepper.  Cook until sauce thickens.  Remove from heat and mix in walnuts.  Serve over rice or I like to serve it over beef ramen noodles.  Mmmmm

Three-Cheese Chicken & Pasta Skillet

2 cups rotini pasta, uncooked

1 Tbsp.  oil

1/2 cup each chopped green peppers and onions

3 cloves  garlic, minced

3 cups shredded cooked chicken

1 jar  (24 oz.) spaghetti sauce

1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves

3   KRAFT Singles, quartered

1/2 cup KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1/3 cup  KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese 

COOK pasta as directed on package.
MEANWHILE, heat oil in large skillet on medium heat. Add vegetables and garlic; cook and stir 3 min. or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in chicken, sauce and oregano; bring to boil, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
DRAIN pasta. Add to sauce with Singles; stir. Top with mozzarella and Parmesan; cover. Remove from heat. Let stand 5 min. or until mozzarella is melted.

Cashew Chicken

Photo courtesy of www.marthastewart.com

1 1/2 lb chicken

2 T dry sherry (cooking wine-optional)

2 t minced ginger

3 1/2 t cornstarch

course salt

1/2 c chicken broth (or I use bouillon and water)

2 T soy sauce

1 T rice vinegar

2 t sugar

1 T + 2 t veg oil

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2/3 c unsalted cashews, toasted

2 scallions (or green onions), thinly sliced

cooked white rice or serving.  

In a medium bowl, toss chicken with sherry, ginger, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch; season with salt. Refrigerate 30 minutes. In another bowl, combine broth, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and 2 teaspoons cornstarch; set sauce aside.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add half the chicken and cook until golden and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate. Add 1 teaspoon oil to skillet and cook remaining chicken (reduce heat if chicken is over-browning). Transfer to plate.

To same skillet, add 1 teaspoon oil, garlic, cashews, and scallion whites. Cook, stirring constantly, until garlic begins to soften, 30 seconds. Whisk sauce and add to skillet along with chicken. Cook until sauce thickens, about 30 seconds. Top with scallion greens and serve with rice.

Easy Baked Manicotti

2 cups spaghetti sauce, divided

1-3/4 cups  Ricotta Cheese

1-1/2 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1/2 cup  Grated Parmesan Cheese

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup  pesto (Or your favorite herbs and spices)

12 manicotti shells, cooked, rinsed in cold water

HEAT oven to 350°F.
SPREAD 3/4 cup sauce onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish. Mix cheeses, egg and pesto until well blended; spoon into resealable plastic bag. Use scissors to cut small corner from bottom of bag.
FILL manicotti shells by squeezing cheese mixture into both sides of each shell; place in baking dish. Top with remaining sauce; cover.
BAKE 40 min. or until heated through.

Church Chicken Cassarole

A Favorite at my church growing up!

1 stick Marg, melted

1/2 box Ritz crackers, crushed

2 1/2 pounds chicken, cooked and cut into bite size pieces

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1-8 oz carton of sour cream

Mix together margarine, and crackers.  Press 2/3 into 9x13 pan.  Reserve 1/3 for topping.  In a bowl, combine chicken, soup, and sour cream.  Spread over cracker crust and sprinkle top with remaining crumb mixture.Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes, or until crust lightly browns and mixture bubbles. 

Ho Ho Bars

Ahh, Brings me back to my childhood!

Base: (I'm thinking about next time using a chocolate cake mix instead, I think it would taste better, but it's still good this way!)
1 stick marg

1/2 c oil

1 c water

3 T cocoa

2 c sugar

2 c flour

1 t soda

2 eggs

1/2 c buttermilk

Filling:

1 c sugar

1 c crisco

1/2 c evaporated milk

1 t vanilla

1/4 t salt

1 t water

2 c powdered sugar

Frosting:

1 c sugar

6 T milk

6 T marg

2 c chocolate chips

For base:

(If using a cake mix, prepare as directed and bake in a jelly roll pan.  I'm not sure on how long to cook it, so just keep an eye on it)  Combine first 7 ingredients; beat well. Add eggs and buttermilk; beat well.  Spread in 15x17'' greased and floured jelly roll pan.  Bake 20-25 min at 350.  Cool for 1 hour.

For filling:

beat first 6 ingredients for 5 minutes on high.  Add powdered sugar. Beat well and spread on cooled brownies.

For Frosting:

Boil sugar, milk, and marg for 1 minutes.  Stir in chocolate chips and beat until smooth.  Drizzle over brownies.

Squash Cassarole (Or Mixed Veggies)

1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz sour cream
squash, cubed
Onions, chopped
carrots diced
celery, diced
any other vegetables you think might go together (green beans, corn, etc)

Topping
1-1/2 c crushed cheese crackers
4 T melted margarine.

• In a large skillet, saute the summer squash, zucchini, onion and  in oil until tender; drain.
• In a large bowl, combine the vegetable mixture, cheese, soup, sour cream and salt. Transfer to a greased 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish.
• Combine cracker crumbs and butter. Sprinkle over vegetable mixture
• Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly.

If you don't wish to pre-cook the veggies, just bake an extra 30 minutes.