‘Tis The Season For Broken Promises

Every year we put ourselves through the torture of making promises that in most cases we know we’re going to break. Lists of stuff that ‘are going to help me better myself’. We can all laugh because we know it’s not going to happen. At least in most cases.

This year I’ve not written a resolution list. I said SCRATCH that. In it’s place I’m not holding myself to anything just writing stuff that I’d like to do at some point this year, nothing over the top just stuff I already know I plan to/want to/learn to do.

• First off not to stress about planning the quickly upcoming wedding.
• Have fun in life, laughing whenever possible.
• Read at least one book (I used to read at least one – five books a week).
• Write some new recipes/make my spin on previously written ones.
• Have some fun with my blog (my goal write something I’m really proud of at least once a month).
• A goal I have in mind fingers crossed have 4,ooo views by next year.
• Learn to be comfortable in who I am as a person.
• Let my inner child out on occasion so I don’t ever ‘grow up’.
• Order a glass of wine with dinner. Oh yes it will happen.
• Let my secret odd fashion sense be seen. And don’t feel judged for it.
• Help somebody else have a dream come true (no matter how big or small the dream may be).
• Be the best version of myself.
• Keep up on current events, no longer being one of those people who hide from what’s going on outside of me and my life.
• Be there for people who want me in their life.
• Keep romance alive in the world (my world at least).
• Pamper myself from time to time.
• Find a good Yoga that helps my joints loose, and will help with the pain.
• Take walks on the beach  this summer with Mac.
• Cook lots of new meals, stuff I’ve never tried, foods I’ve never thought of (I did this last year and it was incredibly fun) Who knows I may try being vegetarian again, it felt good for a bit.
• Get new beautiful tattoos, and flaunt them for others (maybe even share the stories and meanings that go with them in detail).
• Try as many new experiences as possible (that’s just a goal I always have, and it’s always such a blast).
• Don’t be the person others want you to be and think you are, good rule of thumb always be yourself.
• Change my last name.
• Make sure that every kiss is never alone but in two’s and three’s (everyone needs a partner).
• Learn how to sign my last name (M’s are a lot more difficult that F’s also eight letters is a higher number than five).
• Continue my addiction to water.
• Clean out the spare room, get rid of excess junk and make it a usable space.
• Not cut only trim my hair. Ultimate goal, luscious long locks.
• Continue not dying my hair, natural color is much more beautiful on me.
• Add more scarves to my amazing collection.
• Get more lovely scents for my bubble baths (Lavender, Vanilla, Mint anything yummy like that).
• Buy more SmartWool socks (best socks in the world).
• Learn what type of fashion genre I have.
•  Watch really good movies.
• Be as artistic as possible.
• Try getting at least  one inside plant to last more than a few months.
• Make my home perfectly us.
• Do as much as possible.
• Have as much fun as possible.
• Relax as much as possible.
• Kiss often.
• Cuddle much.
• Love deeply.
• Make this year as memorable as the last.

Do any of you have goals, or resolutions?
May you all have as good a New Year as I plan to.

Traditions

As I titled this I could hear perfectly in my head the sound track from ‘Fiddler on the Roof’.
I am a huge fan of having traditions, those special things that you get to look forward every year. Thankfully I come from a family that has many special traditions. All very special to my heart, surrounded by many fun, crazy, odd, and some not so fun memories because of course as a kid/teen some seem stupid, or pointless. As an adult and out on my own, I cling to those traditions because to me they are all about family.
My family.
And I look forward to sharing them with my children someday, sharing my favorite memories, and giving them some of their own to pass on.
‘Tis the season of some of my favorite family traditions.
First is decorating,
Day after Thanksgiving the decor is pulled from the attic, the music starts playing good ole’ Bing crooning, Taking it back to the day with ‘Feliz Navi Da‘, a little Soul thrown in with Fred Hammond. Family movie nights start, ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’, ‘White Christmas’, ‘Boyfriend for Christmas‘ all the wonderful Christmasy movies. A tree gets picked and everyone gathers arguing about what should go where, and whose decorations are who’s. Eggnog normally makes an appearance. Laughter and stories flow freely.
Then we have our Truffles.
Every year we get together and make homemade truffles. Bunches of truffles. Yummy mouth-watering truffles.
White chocolate, milk chocolate, nuts, coconut, our newest addition (and my favorite) cherries.
But it’s not so much the chocolates it’s about getting together cracking jokes and laughing. Which is what my family is best at.
Small tradition but always fun!
We also do a Gift Exchange,
With a family as big as ours it can sometimes be difficult getting everyone good Christmas gifts. To make it easier we started a gift exchange. Usually the night of tree decorating we draw names, the person’s name you draw is the whom you get presents for, however many you want to get, whatever you want to get, as long as it’s under that years set budget. That didn’t mean you couldn’t give other people gifts it just took away from the stress if you couldn’t. This was always one of my favorites.
Next is usually done on Christmas Eve,
It started off when we lived in Salem Or, and my Grandparents lived in Canby. They would drive down and spend the night for Christmas. When we moved to far away for them to come over we changed out tradition to a big slumber party everyone in the family would claim their spot in the living room around the tree, attempting to be as comfortable as possible (specially if you ended up on the floor). As kids our goal was to convince mom and dad to let us open as many presents as possible. Normally we would start out with the Gift Exchange, than presents from the grandparents, than normally whatever was left. My parents tended to be pushovers. I secretly believe they love opening presents and seeing our excitement just as much as we do.
Real and true Stockings,
No matter what stockings were always saved for Christmas day. They always contained an Orange, peanuts, candy cane, tooth-brush (awesome), chap-stick, nail polish, earrings, or necklaces for the girls, little odds and ends, and fun little do dad’s. There was always fun stuff.
Amazing Breakfast,
The most recent breakfast tradition has stuck pretty well, and normally is made only for Christmas (unless it’s another super special occasion), my daddy and I team up and make Crepes filled with yummy sweet goodness, meanwhile mommy makes the fruit topping, and some sort of sausage. Amazing and never lasts long enough.
And of course Dinner,
Usually family, extended family, and occasionally close friends. Always yummy, always fun and full of laughter, joking, and stories.
We have special dishes that are made only for Christmas, traditions started by my grandpa and carried on by me, I’ve made it my mission to carry his dessert dish on. And make some special changes of my own. And no I can’t share the recipe because it’s a ‘Secret’ family recipe.
Those our my favorite special family traditions, ones that I cling to and plan on carrying on in a family of my own, I can one day tell stories ‘Your grandpa used to’ ‘Your grandma always’. I know some things in the past you move away from and would love to forget, but there are those special few things that you will always cling to.

Cappuccino Blossoms

These coffee flavored cookies have relatively small amounts of granulated and light brown sugar because the coffee liqueur and the dark chocolate kisses add a good bit of sweetness. Also, you might want to note that this is an egg-free recipe. Makes 3 1/2 dozen.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup coffee liqueur
• 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons instant espresso
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chopped salted, roasted almonds*
• Parchment paper
• 42 dark chocolate kisses

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugars; beating well. Add coffee liqueur; beat well.
2. Stir together flour and next 4 ingredients. Add to butter mixture; beat at low-speed until well blended. Stir in almonds. (If desired, store dough in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 1 week.)
3. Drop cookie dough by heaping tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto parchment paper-lined or lightly greased baking sheets.
4. Bake at 375° for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden. (Bake chilled dough 11 to 12 minutes.) Remove from oven, and immediately press 1 dark chocolate kiss into center of each cookie. Cool on baking sheets on a wire rack 3 minutes; transfer to wire racks, and cool completely (about 1 hour).
*Toasted, slivered almonds or dry-roasted salted peanuts may be substituted.

Note: Be sure to unwrap candies while cookies bake. You’ll be ready to quickly pop them onto hot cookies.  If you don’t want to use the coffee liqueur, replace it with 1/4 cup sweetened coffee.

Found on myrecipes.com by Marie Rizzio, Interlochen, Michigan

White Chocolate Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Put a twist on classic oatmeal raisin cookies by adding white chocolate morsels and a bit of orange extract. Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon fiori di sicilia or orange extract
• 1 cup uncooked regular oats
• 8 ounces white chocolate, chopped (about 2 cups)
• 1/2 cup raisins or golden raisins

Preparation

• Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl.
• Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugars, beating well. Beat in egg and orange flavoring just until combined. Add flour mixture and oats; stir until blended. Stir in white chocolate and raisins. Cover and chill dough 1 hour, if desired.
• Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls, 3″ apart, onto prepared baking sheets.
• Bake at 350° for 13 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

Pumpkin Cream Sandwiches

These moist pumpkin cookies are wonderful plain or sandwiched with cream cheese filling. If you like whoopie pies and pumpkin spice, this cookie is just for you. Makes 8 servings.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (found in the spice aisle)
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2/3 cup cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

Preparation

Heat oven to 375° F.

Beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until smooth. Add the pumpkin, vanilla, and egg and beat until combined.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a medium bowl. Slowly add the flour mixture to the sugar and butter and beat on medium-low speed until fully incorporated. Spoon heaping tablespoons of the mixture 2 inches apart onto parchment or foil-lined baking sheets. Bake until puffed and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes.

Clean the mixer, then, as the cookies bake, beat the cream cheese, heavy cream, and confectioners’ sugar until smooth and spreadable. Spread the flat sides of half the cooled cookies with the cream mixture. Top with the remaining cookies.

Tip: The cookies can be made up to 3 days in advance and kept in an airtight container. Whip the filling and assemble the sandwiches no more than 2 hours before serving.

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving

• Calories: 258
• Calories from fat: 52%
• Fat: 15g
• Saturated fat: 9g
• Cholesterol: 69mg
• Sodium: 179mg
• Carbohydrate: 29g
• Fiber: 1g
• Sugars: 16g
• Protein: 4g

Sugar Cookies

These simple, buttery cookies are always a hit. For a simple variation, roll the dough in cinnamon sugar before cutting. If you have children, these are great cookies for them to decorate with frosting, sugar, and sprinkles. Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Ingredients

• 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation

Heat oven to 350° F.

Beat the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer on medium-high until smooth. Add the egg and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla. Reduce mixer speed to low.

Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and add it slowly to the butter mixture, mixing until just incorporated (the dough will be stiff). Shape into a flat 1-inch-thick disk. Refrigerate, wrapped, for 30 minutes.

Roll out the dough on a floured surface to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into shapes and place on parchment-lined baking sheets. The scraps can be combined and rolled out again. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are a light golden brown. Cool slightly on the baking sheets before transferring to cooling racks.

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving

• Calories: 180
• Calories from fat: 55%
• Fat: 11g
• Saturated fat: 7g
• Cholesterol: 39mg
• Sodium: 43mg
• Carbohydrate: 21g
• Fiber: 1g
• Sugars: 8g
• Protein: 2g

Cinnamon Mini Cheesecakes With Pumpkin Pie Frosting

Cinnamon Mini-Cheesecakes with Pumpkin Pie Frosting Recipe

Ingredients:

Gingersnap Crust:

• 1 cup gingersnap cookie (or graham cracker) crumbs
• 1/4 cup (half stick) unsalted butter; melted
• pinch of salt

Cheesecake:

• 2 bars of cream cheese (8 oz each), room temperature
• 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

Pumpkin Pie “Frosting” (**recommend cooking this first**):

• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Method:

To Make Gingersnap Crust:

Prepare 12 baking cups with paper liners, or grease with cooking spray.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the three crust ingredients until well blended.  Scoop 1 packed tablespoon of crust into each baking cup, and press down to pack firm.  Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees, then remove and set aside.

To Make Cinnamon Cheesecakes:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Begin to boil a large kettle or pot of water for the water bath.

In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese and sugar, then mix on medium-speed until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Make sure to scrape down the bowl in between each egg. Add heavy cream, vanilla and cinnamon, and mix until smooth.  Do not over mix.  Pour batter into each crust-prepared baking cup until 3/4 full.

Once your kettle or pot of water is boiling, carefully place a large baking dish on the lower rack of your oven and pull the rack out a few inches towards you, and then pour the water into it.  (Or use your best judgment on how to do this without burning yourself.  I just heat the water in a kettle, which is very easy to pour into the pan.)  This will create a water bath that will give off lots of steam while the cheesecake bakes.

Then place the cheesecake pan in the oven, and bake for about 25 minutes, or until the edges appear to be set and the center still has a slight jiggle to it.  Turn off the oven and open the oven door slightly for 5 minutes.  Then remove the pan and place on a cooling rack until completely cooled.  Top with pumpkin pie frosting.

To Make Pumpkin Pie Frosting:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In a mixing bowl, whisk together all ingredients until well blended.  Pour into a greased 9-inch pie pan and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the pie comes out clean.  Remove and let cool, then refrigerate.

When ready to “frost” the cheesecakes, remove the pumpkin pie and spoon the filling into a piping bag.  Use as you would regular frosting.
Quick tip: To make most quickly, first cook the pumpkin pie, then the gingersnap crust, then the cheesecakes.

Christmas Sugar Wafers

Make these basic sugar cookies shine and decorate them with vanilla frosting and colored sugar. Try a variety of cookie cutters for a beautifully festive presentation. Makes 24 Cookies.

Ingredients

• Cookies:
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Cooking spray

Vanilla icing:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons warm water
• 1 teaspoon light-colored corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Dash of salt

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 375°.
• To prepare cookies, place first 3 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 5 minutes). Beat in 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla. Add egg whites, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through 1/4 teaspoon salt), stirring well with a whisk. Add to butter mixture; beat well. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface (dough will be soft). Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Roll each portion to an 8-inch circle between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Freeze dough 20 minutes or until plastic wrap can be easily removed.
• Working with 1 portion of dough at a time (keep remaining dough in freezer), remove top sheet of plastic wrap. Cut dough with a 3-inch cookie cutter, dipping cutter in flour between each use; place cookies on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Discard bottom sheet of plastic wrap; reserve remaining dough scraps. Repeat procedure with remaining frozen dough.
• Gently gather reserved dough into a ball; repeat rolling, freezing, and cutting procedure.
• Bake at 375° for 8 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. Remove from baking sheet; cool on a wire rack.
• To prepare vanilla icing, combine 1 cup powdered sugar and remaining ingredients in a small bowl; stir with a fork until combined. Drizzle icing over the cookies, or spoon into a small zip-top plastic bag; cut a tiny hole in 1 corner of bag, and pipe designs onto cookies.

Note:  Freezing the dough before cutting makes these low-fat cookies crunchy.

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving

• Calories: 94
• Calories from fat: 22%
• Fat: 2.3g
• Saturated fat: 1.4g
• Monounsaturated fat: 0.6g
• Polyunsaturated fat: 0.3g
• Protein: 0.1g
• Carbohydrate: 17.9g
• Fiber: 0.3g
• Cholesterol: 5.2mg
• Iron: 0.4mg
• Sodium: 75mg
• Calcium: 5mg

Found on myrecipes.com by Kathryn Conrad

Orange-Walnut Tassies

Flaky cream cheese dough makes the perfect nest for a sweet orange and walnut filling. The cream cheese dough needs to be elastic before dividing into portions. You can determine if it’s ready by pressing one finger onto the surface of the dough. If the dough springs back to take its original shape, the dough is ready to be shaped; if it doesn’t, knead a few more times. Using a special tool called a tart tamper makes shaping the dough easier. Makes 2 dozen Tassies.

Ingredients

• Crust:
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (about 4 1/2 ounces)
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons fat-free milk
• Cooking spray

Filling:

• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup light-colored corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• To prepare crust, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, granulated sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon salt, stirring with a whisk. Combine cheese, butter, and milk in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well-blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until blended (mixture will be crumbly).
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead lightly 3 or 4 times. Divide dough into 24 portions. Place 1 dough portion into each of 24 miniature muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Press dough into bottom and up sides of cups, using lightly floured fingers.
• To prepare filling, spoon about 1/2 teaspoon walnuts into each muffin cup. Combine brown sugar and remaining ingredients, stirring well with a whisk; spoon about 2 teaspoons filling over walnuts in each muffin cup.
• Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until crust is lightly browned and filling is puffy. Cool in pans 10 minutes on a wire rack. Run a knife around outside edge of each tassie; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire racks.

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving

• Calories: 78
• Calories from fat: 33%
• Fat: 2.9g
• Saturated fat: 1g
• Monounsaturated fat: 0.8g
• Polyunsaturated fat: 0.9g
• Protein: 1.4g
• Carbohydrate: 12.2g
• Fiber: 0.3g
• Cholesterol: 13mg
• Iron: 0.4mg
• Sodium: 50mg
• Calcium: 11mg

Peppermint Bonbon Cookies

This decadent holiday combination pairs a soft and chewy chocolate cookie with crunchy peppermint candy on top. These gems are great plain or try them with a double glaze.
Here’s a decadent holiday combination: soft and chewy chocolate on the inside with a little peppermint candy crunch on top. These gems are great plain or we offer a double glaze option, too. Makes 2 1/2 dozen.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup finely crushed hard peppermint candies
• 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
• Additional coarsely crushed hard peppermint candies, divided
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar (optional)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons milk (optional)
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate morsels, melted (optional)

Preparation

• Combine first 3 ingredients in a large saucepan; cook over low heat until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and stir in 1/2 cup crushed peppermint and 6 Tbsp. sugar. Let cool 30 minutes.
• Add eggs to melted chocolate, 1 at a time, stirring well. Stir in extracts.
• Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to chocolate mixture, stirring until combined. Stir in chocolate morsels. Cover and chill dough 2 hours or until firm enough to shape.
• Shape dough into 1 1/2″ balls; place on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake at 325° for 12 to 13 minutes or until cookies are puffed and cracked on top. Sprinkle coarsely crushed peppermints onto cookies; press candy lightly into cookies. Let cookies cool 5 minutes on baking sheets. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
• Whisk together powdered sugar and milk; drizzle over cooled cookies, if desired. Drizzle with melted chocolate, if desired. Sprinkle cookies again with chopped peppermint, if desired. Let cookies stand until glaze and chocolate are firm.