Coconut & Cherry Kisses

December 15, 2011 By Kate 2 Comments

It is my most favorite time of year – Christmas cookie baking time! Oh sure, I love Christmas – the tradtions, the excitement from the kids, the gifts, the music, the trees – all of  that is wonderful. But there is just something abouth making Christmas cookies that lets me know all is right with the world.

I spent the entire day this past Sunday making cookies. The kids came in and out of the kitchen and anxiously helped whenever the opportunity arose. It was a great day. I’ve made a few more cookies the past couple days as well, just because there’s no such thing as too many Christmas cookies in my world.

Needless to say, I’ll be posting a bunch of cookie recipes the rest of this week and next. Ready? Here we go…

Coconut & Cherry Kisses

  • 1 7 oz. package shredded coconut
  • 2 T. cornstarch
  • 1/2 c. sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/2 t. vanilla
  • 1/2 t. almond extract
  • 1/2 c. red candied cherries (and/or green candied cherries), chopped

1. Pour coconut into a mixing bowl and stir in the cornstarch. Add the sweetened condensed milk and the extracts, stirring until combined. Fold in the chopped cherries.

2. Drop about a teaspoon of batter at a time onto a greased or foil-lined cookie sheet. If the batter spreads when you drop it, mound it a little with your fingers.

3. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes at 325 degrees, just until the bottoms get lightly browned and the tops are set. Transfer to a wire rack to cool after 1 minute.

These are not what you’d call “subtle” cookies. They are definitely sweet, but so good!

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Mac & Cheese Soup with Veggies

December 7, 2011 By Kate 7 Comments

Here’s the thing about having kids – they expect and need complete meals. Whereas I could happily eat hummus and pita chips (and nothing else) for dinner every single night of the week, they really shouldn’t. Although my parenting style has been known to fall along the lines of “do as I say and not as I do” for many things, I would just feel guilty if I snacked my way through dinner while serving them plates loaded with meat and veggies.

As much as I love cheese soup, I can admit that, on its own, a big bowl does not equate a full meal. So when that was what sounded really good to me the other night, I decided I could tweak it to make it a full meal that would be both filling and satisfying while still giving me that taste I was craving. It turned out really good and we all liked it. Plus, what kid wouldn’t dig in to a bowl of mac & cheese soup?

Mac & Cheese Soup with Veggies

  • 2 T. butter
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 3 stalks celery, diced
  • 3 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 1 t. salt
  • 1 t. paprika
  • 1/2 t. pepper
  • 8 c. chicken stock
  • 1 1/4 c. elbow macaroni
  • 2 c. frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
  • 3 T. cornstarch
  • 1 1/2 c. milk
  • 2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
  • 3 T. fresh parsley, chopped
  • Additional salt and pepper, to taste

1. Melt butter in a large pot. Add onions, celery and carrots. Season with salt, paprika and pepper and cook until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Pour in chicken stock and bring to a slow boil.

2. Add noodles and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. After noodles are fully cooked, add the broccoli. Dissolve cornstarch in milk and slowly stir into slowly boiling soup. Cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and stir in cheese until fully melted. Add parsley and additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Enjoy!

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Mediterranean Hash

December 1, 2011 By Kate 1 Comment

Have you ever bought an ingredient just because it was on sale and looked really good? I hate to admit it, but I have a tendency of falling into that trap, especially when I break the cardinal rule of never grocery shopping while hungry. That’s exactly what happened earlier this month when I made a quick stop to pick up some yogurt and milk and my eyes landed on a container of Feta cheese. Although I had no idea how I’d use it, I couldn’t resist!

So, I’ve had this container of Feta sitting in our refrigerator while I tried to decide on a great way to use it. Finally, I decided on something a little different that just sounded so good to me for some reason. It turned out exactly as I hoped. The Feta added a perfect little kick to the dish.

I used sliced Chicken & Spinach sausage because I had some on hand, but I think the meat could definitely be swapped for something else. Chicken would great.

Mediterranean Hash

  • 2 lbs. baby red potatoes, quartered
  • 2 T. olive oil
  • 1 small onion, thinly sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 T. butter
  • 1 lb. chicken sausage, sliced (or substitute with another meat of your choice)
  • 2 c. frozen spinach, thawed
  • 1 t. salt
  • 1 t. Rosemary
  • 1/2 t. pepper
  • 1 6 oz. can sliced black olives
  • 1/2 c. crumbled Feta cheese

1. Place potatoes in a large pot filled with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes, just until fork tender. Drain and set aside.

2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add onion and garlic and cook for 3 minutes. Add butter and cook until melted. Stir in sausage, spinach and seasonings. Cook for 5 more minutes, then add potatoes. Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until potatoes and browned and crisp.

3. Remove from heat and stir in olives. Top with Feta and serve immediately.

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