Christmas decor!

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White lights.

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Pearls and silver.

 

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Ornaments... 

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♥♥♥ 

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Floating candle with cranberries...

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Beautiful Flowers

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David Austin English Rose. Grace

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ZsaZsa Bellagio 

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Hollyhocks 

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 Lisianthus

Blue Hydrangeas 

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Amazing Places!

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Guardian, Norway

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Ponte Rialto and gondola at sunset in Venice, Italy 

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Beautiful 

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The Wonder of Yellowstone 

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 Crimson Forest, Hokkaido, Japan

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Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup

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INGREDIENTS

• 1 large onion, peeled
• 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced or chopped
• 2 celery sticks, chopped (optional)
• 3 chicken breasts, whole (could be boneless and skinless too for a broth with less fat)
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (optional)
• 2 tbsp Vegeta or 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 7 cups of water if using Vegeta, otherwise 1 cup water
• salt and pepper to taste
• ½ tsp dried rosemary (optional)
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups (about 4 oz) wide dry egg noodles
• parsley for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add the onion, carrots, chicken, celery, olive oil, vegeta or chicken broth, salt, pepper, water, bay leave and rosemary to your crockpot. Cook on low for 7 hours or 4 hours on high.
2. Remove the onion and take out the chicken to either cut into pieces or shred with two forks. Add chicken back to crockpot and add egg noodles. Cook for another 1 hour on high or until noodles are cooked.
3. Garnish with parsley.

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Layered Pumpkin Dessert

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Ingredients

• 1 cup Flour
• ½ cup Butter (softened)
• ½ cup plus ¼ cup Pecans, chopped
• 8 oz. Cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup Powdered sugar
• 3 cups Whipped topping, divided
• 2½ cups Milk
• 3 sm pkgs. White chocolate instant pudding mix (or vanilla) - 3.4 oz. boxes
• 1 - 15 oz can Pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp. Pumpkin spice

Instructions

1. Layer 1: Mix flour, butter and ½ cup pecans together. Press into a sprayed 9x9 OR 9x13 pan. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees, then remove and let cool.
2. Layer 2: Blend cream cheese and powdered sugar, add 1 cup of the whipped topping then spread over cooled crust.
3. Layer 3: Mix milk, pudding mix, canned pumpkin, pumpkin spice and 1 cup whipped topping until smooth. Spread over top of layer 2.
4. Layer 4: Spread remaining 1 cup of whipped topping and sprinkle pecans.
5. Let chill for 3 hours or until set.

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Slow Cooker) Sweet potato, chicken, and quinoa soup

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INGREDIENTS

• 1 and 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup quinoa (I used a black bean quinoa package)
• 2 large sweet potatoes (1 pound or ~3-1/2 cups)
• 1 can (15.25 ounces) black beans
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) petite diced tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 packet (1.25 ounces) chili seasoning mix
• 5 cups chicken broth*
• Optional: fresh parsley

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Spray the slow cooker with nonstick spray. Remove the fat from the chicken breasts and put them into the slow cooker along with the rinsed quinoa.
2. (I found a black beans seasoned quinoa package which I used and loved, but regular quinoa will work as well, just make sure to rinse it well.)
3. Remove the skins and chop the sweet potatoes into cubes adding them into the slow cooker.
4. Drain and rinse the black beans and add those in. Add in the undrained petite diced tomatoes, minced garlic, chili seasoning mix, and chicken broth.
5. Place on high for 3-5 hours (It took 4 hours on high for my crockpot.)
6. Using two forks, shred the chicken and stir all the ingredients together.
7. Add salt and pepper and if desired fresh parsley.
8. Serve immediately.

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See’s Copycat Fudge

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Ingredients

• 3 (12 ounce) packages semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 (7 ounce) container marshmallow cream (see Note for substitutions)
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups pecans or walnuts, chopped
• 4 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk

Instructions

1. Line a 9x13 baking dish with foil or parchment paper. This makes it easier to remove the fudge and cut it. This makes a full 9x13 pan of fudge so if you want shorter pieces you could use a bigger pan.
2. Place chocolate chips, marshmallow cream, butter, vanilla, and nuts in large bowl. Set aside for later.
3. Pour sugar and evaporated milk in a very large pot. You need a larger pot than you think because when the mixture boils is will expand a lot. Bring mixture to a boil and boil briskly for 7 minutes stirring continuously. Remove from heat and pour into the bowl containing the first mixture. Mix until incorporated completely. Work quickly because fudge will start to set up. Pour into prepared pan and refrigerate until set.
4. Slice into squares and serve. You can prepare this ahead of time and freeze if desired.

Notes
Marshmallow Cream Substitute: 1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow cream can be substituted with 4 cups of mini-marshmallows or 1 (10 ounce) package regular marshmallows which has about 40 marshmallows in it.

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Dessert Quesadillas

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Ingredients

• 2 medium (Mission Super Soft) flour tortillas (spread olive oil on one side of each tortilla)
• ¼ cup of chocolate chips (semi-sweet or dark)
• 1 banana, sliced
• 3-5 strawberries, sliced
• ¼ cup of peanut butter, smooth
• 2 teaspoons sugar (separated into 1 teaspoon portions)
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon (separated into 1 teaspoon portions)

Instructions

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees.
2. Rub olive oil on one side of each tortilla. Place one tortilla on cutting board with olive oil side down.
3. Spread peanut butter on the tortilla. Place banana slices on peanut butter, then strawberries on the bananas. Sprinkle chocolate chips over the fruit.
4. Close the quesadilla with the other tortilla. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon and sugar mixture over the quesadilla.
5. Place in oven and bake for 7 minutes, flip the quesadilla, sprinkle with other half of cinnamon and sugar, and return to oven. Bake for an additional 8 more minutes (make sure the chocolate has melted and the quesadilla gets a little bit crisp).
6. Remove from oven, let cool just a bit and cut into sections.
7. Enjoy!

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Lauren’s Enchilada Stuffed Mushrooms

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INGREDIENTS:

• 20-24 baby bella mushrooms
• 6 oz. softened cream cheese
• 1/4 cup grated parmigianno regianno cheese
• 1 teaspoon taco seasoning
• 1 green onion, sliced {white and green parts}
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese, divided
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 1 cup red enchilada sauce
• any desired toppings: sour cream, salsa, cilantro, etc.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease baking dish with non stick cooking spray and set aside.
2. Remove stems from mushrooms and wipe caps with damp cloth to remove any dirt. Place into baking dish.
3. In a small bowl, stir cream cheese to soften. Pour in parmesan cheese, taco seasoning, green onion, 3/4 cup cheddar cheese, salt and pepper. Spoon filling into cleaned mushrooms. Pour enchilada sauce over top. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheddar cheese. Bake 20 minutes until browned and bubbly. Serve hot.

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Beautiful Nature!

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Beach Time

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View of Ravello - Campania, Italy 

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Golden sun rays, Schwarzald, Germany 

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Light Explosion 

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Spray Falls ~ Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan 

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Pop Up Pancakes

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Ingredients:

• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup flour
• 6 eggs
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• dash salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400* and grease your muffin tins.
2. I like to mix all the ingredients in my blender. I have tried to whisk it or even use my small electric mixer, but a blender seems to do the best job getting it smooth.
3. Pour the mix into your greased muffin tins. Or your baking pan, as my mom likes to bake these in a jelly roll pan.
4. Bake them for 15 minutes in a 400* oven, or until puffy and golden on top. Use a knife to pop or pry them out, hopefully they were greased well enough and should pop right out. They puffiness will die down as they cool, and they become more like a cup.
5. Now they are ready for toppings. I love syrup, powdered sugar, and fruit. You could even use fresh Strawberry Jam. We usually load it all on and dive in. 

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Mini Pumpkin Pies in a Muffin Tin

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Ingredients:

• pumpkin pie filling for one 9-inch pie
• 2 9-inch pie crust doughs – pre-made from a box or I love this recipe from Martha Stewart
• bowl or round cookie cutter 4 inches in diameter
• muffin tin
• whipped cream

Instructions:

1. Prep your dough. Using a bowl or 4 inch round cookie cutter, cut out 12 circles from your 2 9-inch pie crust doughs.
2. Place each circle into a pre-greased muffin tin. Press them in, letting the sides come up for a fun look. Score the bottom of your dough with a fork to keep the crust from bubbling up as it cooks.
3. Pour your filling into each muffin tin cup. Fill them to the very top. I like to use the recipe for filling from the pumpkin can. But there are a lot of great recipes out there where you can use fresh pumpkin to make your filling. *I did have a little bit of filling left over. I used it with a homemade graham cracker crust recipe*
4. Bake your muffin tin pumpkin pies at 425* for 15 minutes. Then turn your heat down to 350* and bake them for 25-30 minutes. (This is 15-20 minutes less than a regular pie)
5. Let these cool on a wire rack for a couple of hours to let the pumpkin filling set.
6. Add a dollop of whipped cream to each individual muffin tin pie.
7. Now it’s ready for guests to enjoy after a delicious dinner. It’s also great to serve at parties for a fancy dessert.

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White Chocolate S’mores Gooey Cake Bars

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Ingedients:

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1 large egg
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 4 1/2 full graham crackers
• 10 ounce bag white chocolate chips
• 2 cups mini marshmallows
• 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and line an 8×8 inch baking pan with tin foil that’s been generously sprayed with cooking spray. Make sure foil goes all the way up and over the edges for this one. It will be a full pan

2. Place cake mix, egg, and butter into a large mixing bowl. Mix with hands until a nice dough forms. similar to a cookie dough. Press half of the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan. Layer with graham crackers, white chips then marshmallows. Top with remaining half of dough pressing evenly. Drizzle sweetened condensed milk over top then bake for 28-33 minutes, until cooked through and golden brown on top. Remove from oven. Let cool for 5 minutes then take a plastic knife and run along edges to loosen marshmallow (this will make your life easier when pulling foil out of pan to remove bars Let cool completely then remove bars from pan with foil edges. Cut off all edges if desired, about 1/2 inch each side. I save the edges to snack on too. Cut bars into squares and serve. They are delicious room temperature or chilled.

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Candy Cane Christmas Tree Cupcakes

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To decorate, you’ll need:

• Cupcakes
• Sugar Cones
• White Candy Melts
• White Sugar crystals
• Frosting
• Pink Sugar crystals
• Candy Canes
• Fondant
• Icing colors (I used Wilton Dusty Rose & )
• Snowflake Sprinkles
• Confetti Sprinkles

Directions:
Cut off ends of the sugar cones, so the tree section is around 3 inches long. Use a serrated knife to carefully saw through without shattering the cone.
Dip cone sections in melted white candy coating. If you use a tall plastic cup, it will be easier to coat the entire cone.
Remove and let excess coating fall off.
Sprinkle white sugar crystals or sanding sugar over entire surface of the cone. Sprinkle over a large bowl and you can reuse the sprinkles.
Set on wax paper to dry completely. When dry, you can redip the bottoms to make sure the cone is completely coated.
Use 6 inch long candy canes and break the handles off so you are left with a straight piece that’s around 5 inches.
Cover cupcakes with tinted pink frosting.
Fill a small dish with the pink sugar crystals or sanding sugar and press cupcake tops into the dish until the entire surface is covered with sugar cyrstals.
Dip one end of the candy cane in some of the melted candy coating and insert the other end straight into the cupcake.
Place a Christmas Tree on top of the candy cane and let the candy coating dry and work like a glue.
If you want decorations, it would be a good idea to add them before you attach the tree. Just dot a small amount of coating on the surface and attach a colored sprinkle.
For presents, tint white fondant and shape the fondant into small squares by hand. Then use some of the white fondant, roll it out and use a knife to cut thin strips for ribbon. Attach the white fondant ribbon to the presents with a small dab of water. Then attach the snowflake sprinkles the same way.
Remember, use dense cupcakes instead of light and fluffy ones so the trees will not want to tip.
Or skip the candy canes, use the entire sugar cone and make big trees. Then you won’t have to worry.

Either way… enjoy!

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Sweet Potato Fries & Roasted Marshmallow Dip

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Ingredients

• 4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into sticks
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• sea salt
• 1/2 bag marshmallows
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions

1. Put the sweet potato wedges into a large bowl. Add olive oil and sea salt. Toss and coat completely.
2. Line a baking sheet with tin foil. Lay the sweet potatoes out in a single layer. Bake in a preheated 475 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes. It really depends on how thick your fries are.
3. Meanwhile, line a cake pan with tin foil. Arrange marshmallows in a single layer.
4. Add the marshmallows to the oven with the sweet potatoes. Cook until the marshmallows begin to puff and toast. Next time, I will go darker, I loved the toasted flavor in the sauce and think that it could be even more pronounced.
5. Add the heavy cream and marshmallows to the blender. The marshmallows are super sticky, so I just scraped off as much as I could. Blend until smooth. Add more cream if you need to thin the dip out.
6. Take the fries out of the oven. Check for seasoning, and add more salt if needed. Serve with toasted marshmallow dip.

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Mini Bacon Egg Cups

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Ingredients:

• 12 slices bacon
• 8 eggs
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whip the eggs, salt, pepper and cheese with a fork. Spray non stick spray in 12 muffin tins. Wrap each piece of bacon inside the sides of each muffin cup.
3. Fill each bacon lined muffin cup 3/4 of the way with the egg mixture.
4. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the egg cups are golden brown and don’t jiggle. Use a knife to scoop them out of the tins. Serve immediately.

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Christmas atmosphere

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Home For The Holidays!

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Christmas Pony 

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Christmas atmosphere 

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Silent Night.

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Ornament 

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Skillet Lasagna

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Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 pound of Italian Sausage, Italian Turkey Sausage or Lean Ground Beef
• 1/2 a medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 28 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes, crushed tomatoes or diced tomatoes
• 1 8 oz can of tomato sauce
• 1 1/2 cups of low sodium chicken broth
• 2 9 oz packages of Buitoni four cheese ravioli, from the refrigerated section
• 8 oz of fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed
• 1/2 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese
• Flat leaf parsley for garnish

Instructions

1. Add olive oil to large skillet.
2. Sautee onions and garlic, over medium heat, until onions are soft and translucent.
3. Add sausage and cook, breaking up with wooden spoon while it browns.
4. Once sausage is cooked through, add tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, and ravioli.
5. If using whole peeled tomatoes, use kitchen shears to chop them up while still in the can before adding to skillet.
6. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer over medium heat.
7. Simmer until ravioli are tender and sauce has reduced and thickened, 15-20 minutes
8. Remove from heat and stir in mozzarella and parmesan.

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Spicy Shrimp with Lemon

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Ingredients:

• 16 (or more) jumbo shrimp (raw, with tail on)
• 2 Tsp Seasame Oil
• 2 tsp honey/ or sugar
• 2 Tbsp Siracha (hot chili sauce)
• Zest & Juice of half a lemon
• 4 cloves of garlic
• Salt & Pepper to taste.

Method:
– Rinse the shrimp under cold water and pat dry with a paper napkin.
– In a mixing bowl add 2 tsps seasame oil, 2 tsp honey, 2 tbsp Siracha sauce, zest of half a lemon, 4 cloves of garlic grated, salt to your taste & pepper to your taste and the juice of half a lemon.
– Mix all the ingredients together well.
– Add the shrimp and leave them to marinate for a couple hours in the fridge.
– Pierce the shrimp through skewers (around 4-5 on a skewer).
– Heat up a grill pan (or outdoor grill). Drizzle on plenty of olive oil if it’s a grill pan.
– When the pan is nice and sizzling hot, lay on the skewers!
– Then just let them cook on one side until they get nice and opaque, with some black spots here and there. 2-3 mins on each side usually does the trick.
– And pretty much that’s all there is to it! Serve the skewers on a layer of lemon slices that you can just pick up and sweeze over for that extra zing.

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Crescent Pepperoni Roll-ups

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ll you need is:
a tube of crescent dough
four slices of string cheese (cut in half)
your favorite pepperoni
some pizza or spaghetti sauce for dipping.

Instructions:
For full instructions please visit: http://www.clevercraftycookinmama.com/2013/01/crescent-pepperoni-roll-ups.html#.VLFCXyuUeiY

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Christmas!

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Glitter Ornament

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Cute paper Christmas tree 

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Silver & Blue Christmas 

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 Red & White Beauty

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Christmas Tree Pull Apart  

Instructions

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The Best Cookies in The World

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Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon plain greek yogurt
• 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1 jar of Nutella, chilled in refrigerator
• Coarse sea salt for sprinkling

Instructions

1. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and set aside. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. The butter will begin to foam. Make sure you whisk consistently during this process. After a couple of minutes, the butter will begin to brown on the bottom of the saucepan; continue to whisk and remove from heat as soon as the butter begins to brown and give off a nutty aroma. Immediately transfer the butter to a bowl to prevent burning. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.
2. With an electric mixer, mix the butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg, yolk, vanilla, and yogurt until combined. Add the dry ingredients slowly and beat on low-speed just until combined. Gently fold in all of the chocolate chips.
3. Chill your dough for 2 hours in the refrigerator, or place in freezer for 30 minutes if you are super eager, although I cannot promise the same results if you do this.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Once dough is chilled measure about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough and roll into a ball. Flatten the dough ball very thinly into the palm of your hand. Place 1 teaspoon of chilled nutella in the middle and fold dough around it; gently roll into a ball -- it doesn’t have to be perfectly rolled! Make sure that the nutella is not seeping out of the dough. Add more dough if necessary. Place dough balls on cookie sheet, 2 inches apart and flatten with your hand VERY gently. (Really only the tops need to be flattened a bit!)
5. Bake the cookies 9-11 minutes or until the edges of the cookies begin to turn golden brown. They will look a bit underdone in the middle, but will continue to cook once out of the oven. Cool the cookies on the sheets at least 2 minutes. Sprinkle with a little sea salt. Remove the cooled cookies from the baking sheets after a few minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.

Notes
If dough is hard once chilled, place out to thaw for 20-30 minutes or until you can work with it.

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Chicken Gloria

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Ingredients:

• 3 skinless boneless chicken breasts, trimmed and filleted in half lengthwise
• 1/3 cup of flour
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 1 (8 oz) container of sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1/2 cup of sherry wine
• 1 small can of condenced cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 6 slices of Muenster cheese
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley for garnish
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper, dredge lightly in flour to coat both sides. Shake off excess.
3. Add oil to frying pan and brown chicken in batches on both sides. You don’t need to cook the chicken completely. It will finish cooking in the oven. Transfer the chicken to a 9×13-inch baking dish.
4. Add the butter to the frying pan and let it melt over medium high heat. Add mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and brown mushrooms until golden. Then add the sherry wine and cook for another minute or two. Add the creamy mushroom soup and milk and mix well.
5. Pour sauce over the chicken breasts, cover with foil and bake in oven for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and top each piece of chicken with one slice of Muenster cheese. You can fold the cheese in half if it is too wide for the breast.
6. Place chicken back in oven uncovered and broil for 1-2 minutes to brown the cheese. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
7. Top with chopped fresh parsley and serve.

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Thai Curry Chicken

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Ingredients:

• 1 lb chicken breast fillets
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 2 1/2 tablespoons panang curry paste
• 1 – 1 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce (to taste)
• 8 small potatoes or 2 large potatoes (optional)
• basil for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. (optional potatoes) Boil the whole potatoes for about 8 minutes. Drain the water and let the potatoes sit to cool down for about 10 mins. Slice each potatoe in half and remove the potato skins.
2. Slice the chicken fillet into thin slices, medium pieces.
3. Turn the temperature to high. When the pan starts heating up, place the oil in. When the oil heats up, place the sliced chicken in. Stir around and let the chicken cook for about 1 min. Add half (or a little more than half) of the coconut milk. Wait for the coconut milk to heat up and then stir for 1-2 mins.
4. (optional) Add the potatoes in. Stir.
5. Add the curry paste and stir/mix it in. Add the fish sauce. Turn the temperature down to medium high. Stir and cook for about 4 mins. The sauce should become a little thicker.
6. Add the rest of the coconut milk in. This is to thin the sauce out. Stir and cook for about another 2 mins.
7. and there you have it, Thai Curry Chicken (w/potatoes)! yum!
8. if you cut out the potatoes, this dish will be a lot faster to make.

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