Search Results for: blog spiced up christmas cookies

Kicked Up Breakfast: Spicy Pancakes

Need a way to kick start your day? Then, try these fabulous pancakes that are delicately spiced with ginger, cinnamon and cloves, and smothered with soft cream cheese. For those who prefer a sweeter topping, I’ve also included a recipe for a delicious Lemon Sauce, which can be drizzled on top of the unique hotcakes in lieu of maple syrup. You can pair the pancakes with a classic Eggs Benedict recipe that is made even simpler by using ready-made cheese sauce. The shortcut doesn’t comprise the flavor of the dish at all. You’re still left with a tasty breakfast or … Continue reading →

Rocky Road Mud Cookies

Consider me a fan of anything that includes both milk chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Putting both into any type of dessert always yields a more richer and more complex flavor. In fact, here’s a little tip: if you add both semi-sweet and milk chocolate chips to your chocolate chip cookies. . .they’ll be doubly delicious. Just add half of each (as opposed to double the amount of chocolate called for.) In any case, these are a great snack to warm up your home on a cold winter’s day. I’m fairly sure I heard them calling for hot chocolate when … Continue reading →

A Very Red Christmas Velvet Cake

Nothing says Christmas like a festively decorated dessert that features the traditional colors of the season. If you are like me and are tired of making (and eating) the same red and green Christmas cookies this next recipe might get you back in the holiday spirit. It’s a take off on the traditional southern favorite red velvet cake. The recipe for the cake is untouched save for the festive green frosting that borders the deliciously moist red interior. You could stick with the traditional white frosting, but I enjoy hearing the oohs and ahhs from my family members as I … Continue reading →

Christmas Morning Brunch Bake and Cranberry Eggnog Muffin Tops

One of our family’s favorite holiday traditions is hosting a big brunch on Christmas morning. It’s the one of the few days when my mom allows others to help her in the kitchen. Preparing this holiday meal has always been a way we spend quality time together and when you’re surrounded by comfort food everyone seems to be in a great mood. The following recipes are ones that we’ve been making for years. And the best part is you can prepare it in advance, which means you won’t be slaving away in the kitchen while the rest of the family … Continue reading →

Have a Merry Choco-Christmas

How much is too much? Is it possible to have too much chocolate? My sister-in-law certainly doesn’t think so. With less than two days until Christmas she is in her kitchen whipping up her famous chocolate macadamia nut clusters. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that if I see one more Christmas cookie I may just run in the opposite direction. But, that’s just because I spent the last three weeks churning out more than 300 cookies to give to friends and neighbors. (Did I mention I sampled a few dozen along the way?) My sister-in-law is by … Continue reading →

Cookies for Breakfast

Come on… admit it… you’ve done it once in your life… downed a few cookies during the first meal of the day. Eggs, bacon… and cookies. No? It’s not exactly the breakfast of champions, but what about bacon and eggs in your cookies? I’m not kidding. I’ve baked more cookies this month alone than I have all year and every person I’ve seen on a regular basis knows this as they have been forced to hear me lament about my kitchen failures, and likewise rejoice (and share) in my cooking successes. Last week when I was kvetching about being up … Continue reading →

Spiced Up Christmas Cookies

In a previous blog I mentioned that everyday spices, such as cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger, contain tiny amounts of vitamins, minerals and potent antioxidants that can help reduce heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Since then I have been trying to find additional seasonal recipes, which feature beneficial spices. Valorie has been kind enough to allow me to share the litany of Christmas cookie recipes I’ve experimented with (or enjoyed via others) this holiday season. The following cookies were included in a Christmas tin I just received from a former colleague of mine. It took me a couple of days but … Continue reading →

It’s Beginning To SMELL A Lot Like Christmas

In a previous blog I told you about my 2-year-old daughter’s insistence that we get our Christmas decorations up on the double. Last night we finished getting up all but a few (I winced each time I unwrapped decoration after decoration–all were neatly swaddled in tissue paper—the pain derived from the thought of how long it would take me to take down all that we were putting up). But, Christmas only comes once a year and since we will be only spending part of it at home this year I figured I would indulge my daughter and get a jumpstart … Continue reading →

Teach Your Kids About Giving to Others

Along with sniffles and sneezes, most kids contract a severe case of the gimmies during the month of December. My 6-year-old could easily be hospitalized for the severity of her case. The other day she whined for a good 20 minutes as she watched in utter horror as I (GASP!) wrapped a (double GASP!) Christmas present for her BFF. She recently begged Santa for the same Littlest Pet Shop set and couldn’t believe that would have the audacity to ask if she would like to help wrap the one I had purchased for her pal. Cue the drama. After the … Continue reading →

Cool Places to Visit Santa

If you have children, then you likely have plans to visit Santa Claus in the next few weeks. Some of you will head to the mall to meet up with Jolly Ol’ St. Nick while others of you might catch the rotund elf in a Christmas parade. For those of you looking to make this year’s visit with Santa extra special for your little ones consider the following holiday events: The Polar Express (Grand Canyon Railway) If you’re near Williams, Arizona this month then you don’t want to miss the chance to ride the rails with Santa. The Grand Canyon … Continue reading →