Christmas Recipes

Because I think we all get tired of making some of the same ol stuff each year (but mind you, perhaps NOT tired of eating it!)  I wanted to share a few recipes I've stumbled across that you might find helpful for your last minute parties or get togethers.

These first two were stolen from Lazy Mom, who always includes simple, yet delicious ideas!  You can read her entire post, but here are a couple of my favorites from her post, along with a few favorites of my own.

Graham Cracker Toffee  I haven't tried this one...yet...but it may be coming to an event near you!

Holiday Pretzel Treats  Now these I have tried.  At least a version of them.  We've used Pretzels/Rolos/Nuts.  And Pretzels/Kisses/Nuts.  But the M&M idea makes them adorable!  And these truly are easy.  (And I'm a big fan of the salty/sweet combo!)

Oreo Balls  I honestly don't find these incredibly easy.  Sure, sounds easy enough, but blending up oreos takes some time with my blender.  And I usually have somewhat misshapen concoctions by the time the warm white chocolate starts to warm the oreo ball back up and cause it to lose it's shape.  But if you're distracted by the fact that I just said "white chocolate" and "oreo" in the same sentence, these are still a great snack for you!  YUM! 

Puppy Chow  Still a favorite for me! (I think Chex themselves actually call it Muddy Buddy.)

Harvest Spiced Nuts  This is a Pampered Chef recipe, and these are delicious!  Stir in other nuts, or dried cranberries to change it up a bit.

• 1 egg, separated
• 8 oz. pecan halves
• ½ c brown sugar
• ½ tsp Pantry Cinnamon Plus Spice Blend (can substitute Pumpkin Pie Spice)

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line Stoneware Bar Pan with an 11-inch piece of Parchment Paper. Using egg separator, separate egg into Classic Batter Bowl. (Reserve yolk for another use) Whip egg white using egg separator until frothy.

2) Add pecans to batter bowl. Toss to coat evenly with egg white using Mix N Scraper. Sprinkle brown sugar & Spice Blend over pecans; toss to coat evenly. Pour pecans out onto Parchment Paper separating into a single layer.

3) Bake 18-20 minutes or until nuts begin to brown. Remove pan from oven. Carefully slide Parchment with pecans onto Non-Stick Cooling rack. Cool completely. Place in serving dish or package into a festive container to give as a gift. Yield 4 cups Store in tightly sealed container at room temperature. Delicious to nibble, garnish or have with ice cream!

 

Merry Christmas!  And let's all just enjoy bulking up for the winter together.  It's only natural, right? 

My Corner

I will use this to update you on any recipes or crafts failed projects I would like to share with you!

Recipes:

• Christmas Snacks (A collection of Christmas goodies)
• Walking Tacos (As delicious to eat as they are fun to picture. I was introduced to this at a Colts game, and my life will never be the same. Obviously you can edit this based upon what you prefer on your tacos. But you get the idea from the attached recipe.)
• Apple Bacon Pizza (Recreated from one we tasted at Grey Goose in Lextown)
• Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins (Found in a couple of places, including the linked blog.  These are yummy, and so easy!)
• Lazy Cranberry Chicken (Found on a blog.  I wasn't sold on the ingredient list, but we tried it and it was good!  And super easy!)

Crafts/Projects:
.:crickets chirping:.

And here's a skinnier longer haired version of me in an apron!

Apple Bacon Pizza

It has taken me a while to post this, so my memory of the recipe is sketchy at best.  But I wanted to post an experiment I conducted a few weeks ago in an effort to recreate the awesome Apple Bacon Pizza we enjoyed at Grey Goose in Lexington.

Ingredients:
Refrigerated pizza dough
Oil
Garlic (two cloves, pressed)
Green apple (sliced)
Crispy precooked bacon
Cinnamon
Spices (I used paprika and apple pie spice)
Honey
Cheeses (I used mozzarella and feta)

Directions:
Preheat the oven according to the crust directions. 
Sprinkle the pan with cinnamon
Spread the pizza crust out in the pan
Coat the crust with garlic infused oil
Bake the crust for 5 minutes.  (This helps make sure the crust gets crispy underneath the toppings)
Top the partially baked crust with:
 - 1 Cup of mozzarella cheese
 - Green apple Slices
 - Crispy, crumbled bacon
 - Drizzled honey
 - Sprinkled spices
 - Top with additional cup of mozzarella cheese and feta cheese to taste

Bake for an additional 12-15 minutes, or until cheese is melty and apple slices are softened.

We really liked it!  Next time I'll be more generous with the sweet spices, and might throw some brown sugar in.  I might even use brown sugar, sweet spices, and butter to make a crumble for the top.  So - this recipe is by no means complete - but if this sounds yummy to you - then give it a try, and edit to your own tastes.

Here are some pics!