Where Would You Love To Cook Today?

Now this is festive!

It looks like Christmas morning all ready!

So cute!

I have seen this as a gift for neighbors on Pinterest.

Snowman on the fridge.

I found these pictures at:

http://www.roomzaar.com/rate-my-space/Holidays/My-kitchen-at-Christmas/detail.esi?oid=26726375

And there are more pictures of other kitchens.

I think making gift in the kitchen is what I want to make.

So I went over to:

http://eighteen25.blogspot.com/

White Chocolate Popcorn

2 large bowls of white popcorn (air popped)

1 bag of white candy melts chocolate (melted)

candy melts chocolate to drizzle in your color of choice

Pour half of the melted chocolate into each of the 2 bowls of popcorn.

 It will not seem like enough chocolate but continue to stir (for a few minutes) until the popcorn is just coated (too much chocolate will make your popcorn soggy).

Before your popcorn dries, spread it out onto some wax paper.

After it is dry, melt your chocolate to drizzle and pour it into a Ziploc bag.

Cut a small hole in the corner of the bag and drizzle the colored chocolate over your popcorn.

Let it dry again and bag it up into small cellophane bags or bags of your choice.

There is the best Fudge recipe over there too!

And cute labels.

So hurry get surfing and stop by.

Where Would You Love To Cook Today/

Source

Look Santa's going to help cook!

This kitchen looks so cozy I can't wait to start cooking. 

I can even hear the Christmas Music!

Not to sure if this is the table or the island...

who cares its darling!

SO I know the perfect thing to make.

Its from:

http://www.friedalovesbread.com/

I love this blog!

Its even on my blog roll...

so lets make...

drum roll...

Andes Peppermint Topped Brownies

(This is straight from her blog so you can see just how wonderful her blog is!)

A sweet neighbor of mine brought some amazing brownies to a holiday gathering last year.  I usually don't eat brownies that have a thick layer of frosting and sometimes prefer to eat brownies topless.  However, these brownies were different.  I loved the thin chocolate layer and minty taste of these brownies and had to ask her for the recipe.

"There really isn't a recipe," she said.

Huh?  Well, what do you do? I asked.

"I used Andes mint chips."

Huh?  I have never heard of Andes mint chips before....

And guess what?  She dropped off a bag of Andes baking chips the very next day.

The simplicity of using your favorite brownie recipe (or mix) and topping it with these Andes mint chips is ingenious. 

I used my favorite saucepan brownie recipe back from my college days and immediately out of the oven, sprinkled these baking chips on top...

How much you want to use is entirely up to you! 

Wait a couple of minutes for the chips to melt and begin spreading.

Allow the chips to cool and set. 

When cool, the brownies are ready for cutting and serving. 

In this case, these brownies are ready to ship out to my missionary son, who is in the MTC (Missionary Training Center) in Provo, along with some peanut butter cookies that his dad made for him.

Your family, friends, and neighbors will love this simple, easy to make brownie!

Where Would You Love to Cook Today/

Can't you just smell this fresh tree?

I love christmas, and I think it because of everything you do together.

Shopping, baking cookies, planning ....and it all happens in the kitchen.

I not only love the tree but the plate cupboard is darling.

I think i would fill it with my christmas dishes.

Now for a great recipe....

Egg Nog Glazed Spritz Cookies

From: http://happierthanapiginmud.blogspot.com/

Isn't that a fun blog name....LOL

Since these are a grown-up cookie I opted out of the sprinkles for decoration and simply gave them a light dusting of freshly grated nutmeg while the glaze was still wet. I think these would be the perfect cookie for an elegant New Years Eve party. Don't hesitate to try them folks!

Egg Nog Glazed Spritz-from Land O Lakes
1 C butter, softened
2/3 C sugar
1 egg
1 Tblsp vanilla-yep, a tablespoon
2 1/4 C A/P flour
1 tsp ground nutmeg-freshly grated is best

Glaze
1 C powdered sugar
1/4 C butter, melted
*1/4 tsp rum extract
*1-2 Tblsp water-however much needed to achieve desired thickness

1. Cream butter, sugar, egg and vanilla.
2. Add dry and mix well.
3. Fill press, form cookies on ungreased baking sheet.
4. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes, or until done.
5. Remove from cookie sheet and while still warm, brush with glaze:
6. Mix first three glaze ingredients in a bowl and add as much water as necessary.
7. *I just used the sugar and butter, then added rum until I got a consistency I liked (less than 1 Tblsp).
8. Brush over cookies.
9. Optional-Decorate with sprinkles. Highly recommended-add an extra grating of nutmeg.
10. Let glaze set up.

Where Would You Love to Cook Today?

Is you kitchen ready for Christmas?

Doesn't this one look pretty?

I love the wreath over the sink.

I found this over at:

http://houseofdecorke.blogspot.com/

So many christmas recipes to choose....

but

I think we will make Dutch Babies from:

http://tatertotsandjello.com/

And they are doing and amazing giveaway so make sure you stop by.

One of my favorite traditions is our Christmas morning breakfast. We make Finnan Haddie from my Danish ancestors and we also make Dutch Babies from my husband’s side of the family. If you aren’t familiar with Dutch Babies, they are also called German Pancakes and are a mix between crepes and pancakes — light and fluffy and delicious.

We love to serve them with wedges of lemon, fresh berries, warm syrup and powdered sugar.  (My mom gave me a handmade recipe book with all of our family recipes when I was first married and it’s where all of my family recipes are kept. It’s still one of my most treasured possessions.)

They are Heavenly!!

Of course we make them at other times of the year too, but they really remind me of Christmas morning.

Here’s the simple recipe:

Ingredients: 

1 1/4 cup milk

1 1/4 cup flour

5 eggs

pinch of salt (optional)

pinch of cinnamon (optional)

3 Tablespoons of butter

Directions: 

• Mix all ingredients in a blender
• Put butter in 2 9×12 oven-proof pans or skillets, put in oven and heat to 375 degrees
• When butter is melted, take the pans out and tilt them so butter covers the entire bottom
• Pour batter evenly onto the pans
• Bake in 375-degree oven for 15-20 minutes, until edges are puffed and browned
• Cut into serving-sized pieces and serve hot with powdered sugar, syrup, lemon wedges, preserves or anything else desired

Where Would You Love to Cook Today?

Source

Ok I have to admit todays kitchen was picked for the recipe. 

Usually I love to find the kitchen then pick the recipe but the recipe below was todays inspiration. 

The kitchen is beautiful but I really think what makes it is the dining table and chairs. 

Makes you just want to sit down and eat.

When you see this recipe you will want to stay all day for seconds.

Lasagna Soup

This Yummy recipe came from one 

of my favorite food sites:

http://www.ourbestbites.com/

Lasagna Soup
Recipe Adapted from 300 Sensational Soups, as seen in the February-April 2011 edition of At Home with Kowalski’s magazine from Kowalski’s Markets and found on the blog A Farm Girl Dabbles.

Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 lbs Italian Sausage (I use Italian Turkey Sausage)
3 cups chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
optional: 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
28-ounce can diced tomatoes, preferably fire roasted
2 bay leaves
6 cups chicken broth
8 ounces fusilli or mafalda pasta (or other pasta of your choice)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil, or a heaping tablespoon dried basil
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

8 ounces ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
a few cracks of black pepper

optional: shredded mozzarella for sprinkling on top

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking up into bite sized pieces and cook until browned and cooked through. Add onions and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes.   If you’re using dried basil, add it at this point.  Cook for about a minute. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate.

Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.  You can add the dry pasta to the soup in the last 8-ish minutes of cooking, or do as I prefer, and cook the pasta separately and add to individual servings. Right before serving, stir in fresh basil if you’re using fresh, and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.

To serve, place a generous dollop of the ricotta mixture in each soup bowl, add pasta if you cooked it separately, and ladle the hot soup over the cheese.  Let it sit for a minute for the cheese to get all melty, sprinkle mozzarella on top if desired and eat up.