Chewy Brownie Cookies

Chewy Brownie Cookies

2/3 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 tbsp water
3 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup baking cocoa
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp soda
2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet
chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecan, optional

In a large bowl, cream the shortening, sugar, water, and the vanilla until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs. Combine the flour, cocoa, salt, and baking soda. Gradually add to the creamed mixture. Beat just until blended. Stir in the chocolate and the nuts if desired. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375 F for 7-9 minutes. Do Not Overbake. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool. Makes 3 dozen

These are SUPPOSE to have chocolate chips in them..HOWEVER..I went to get my chocolate chips out of the freezer..and my lovely husband had a snack attack and there were NONE in the freezer so I had to substitute with the m&m's...otherwise I'm sure they would look alot better..

They are good and chewy tho!!!

Give em a try!

Santa Hat Confections

These "cookies" are so melt in your mouth yummy!

Dan's family refers to them as styrofoam cookies.

Give em a try they are fun to make!

I didn't have any red sugar, so I took food coloring paste and put it in a bag

of white sugar and I squished it all around. I didn't get red, more of a darker

pink..but ole well I think they are still cute :)

Ingredients

• 2 egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup sugar
• Red colored sugar

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 200º F. With an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until soft peaks start to form. Beating all the while, add the cream of tartar and vanilla extract, then slowly add the 1/2 cup of sugar. Continue to beat until the peaks stiffen.

2. Spoon the meringue into a quart-size plastic bag. Snip off a corner and pipe 2 dozen 1 1/2-inch-tall Santa hat triangles onto a parchment-lined baking sheet (you should have about 1/4 of the meringue left).

3. Sprinkle the triangles with the red sugar, then use the remaining meringue to give each one a pom-pom and trim. Bake the hats until they're hard but not browned, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the hats in it for an hour to crisp before removing.

Cake Mix Cookies

Earlier today I thought I'd make some cute santa hat cookies for Caleb to
take into his class for his Christmas party. But to my sadness..he was too cool
for those little Santa hats :( He was bummed that "those" were the cookies
he "had" to take into class...so here I sit..midnight making a whole new, different
batch of cookies. I needed something quick and easy because we had a cub
scouts meeting tonight and didn't get home until 9pm. So I remembered I had 2
cake mixes in the cupboard so I did a quick cake cookie mix search. (Thank
God for google!) I remembered a friend from Canada made these for us when
she visited us here in the states, so I knew they were pretty yummy.
(Thanks Amy) So this is what Caleb is now taking to class. He is long fast
asleep but I'm sure he will be happy in the morning to know he doesn't have to take
those "santa hat's" to school lol.......

CAKE MIX COOKIES

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1 package of cake mix (any flavor)
1 large egg
1/4 cup of oil
1/4 cup of water
1 cup of chopped nuts, raisins, oatmeal, coconut, chocolate chips, M&M'S® etc. (anything you like in cookies)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine cake mix, egg, oil, and water. Beat until well blended. Stir in remaining ingredient (s).

Drop by teaspoon about 1 inch apart onto greased cooke sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes or until done. Makes about 4 dozens. Yummy!

Peanut Butter Chippers

Peanut Butter Chippers

6 tbsp butter, softened
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup milk chocolate chips

In a small bowl, cream the butter, peanut butter, and the sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, and the salt. Gradually add to the creamed mixture. Mix well. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 F for 11-14 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks. Makes 3 1/2 dozen

Under the peanut cookies you can see m&m cookies, yep I made those too but I cheated :) I bought chocolate chip cookie mix (got a great sale!) and mixed walnuts and m&m's into it. Fast an easy!!!

Peanut Crescents Cookies

Peanut Crescents

1 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 cup finely chopped
salted peanuts
Confectioners' sugar

In a small bowl, cream the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the water and the vanilla. Gradually add the flour. Mix well. Stir in the peanuts. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle. Shape rounded tablespoonfuls of the dough into 2 1/2 inch crescents. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 F for 15-18 minutes or until set. Do Not Brown. Roll the warm cookies in the confectioners sugar. Cool completely on wire racks. Roll the cooled cookies again the confectioners' sugar. Makes 3 dozen

The Christmas Season can begin...We watched Rudolph!!

Well it's official! The Christmas season kick off has begun!!

We watched Rudolph!!
Now we're on the look out for Frosty the Snowman!!

When I took this picture, I shut the flash off.

It was so cozy when we watched the show.

The only lights that were on was the Christmas tree.

So I included the second photo for the feel of the atmosphere lol

We got our tree up

Well the tree if officially done!!
We've discovered we have more ornaments then our tree can hold lol..but we love each and every one we own :)
This year Caleb wasn't all that interested in decorating the tree. He put a couple ornaments on but that about sums it up...guess my baby boy is growing up :(

Carter bugged me for 2 days to put the candy canes on...i think it really had something to do with the fact that once the boxes were open they could be ate :)

and 5 minutes later....
Guess all that tree decorating was hard work!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Our Christmas Count Down

For the past couple years I've been trying to figure out how to make
a Christmas Countdown that would be simple but possiably reused...
FINALLY!!!
I don't know where I seen this idea...(Sorry I can't give credit where credit is due!!)
I thought this was a neat idea!! It's recycling, simple, cutesie/old fashioned "feel" to it...
WHo woulda ever thought to use toilet paper rolls!!
Isn't that a nifty idea!!
Now that I did a simple one, I'm thinking...hmm this could be done up really cool if you have any spare time on your hands to add great whimsy to them!! For me...well maybe another time..but for this year, these are perfect! :)
So does that mean I have officially "altered" toilet paper rolls??? LOL..
Don't it look cute!!!
All I did was tuck fold the bottoms of each end.
I stuffed candy and other goodies
in it, along with a small activity!
I was able to stuff 2 packs of funsize m&m packs into them!!
**** COUNT DOWN/HALLOWEEN TIP HERE!!! ****
On Halloween when you take your kids trick or treating,
once it's all over give them a freezer bag with their name on it.
Ask for 25 pieces of candy. When they are done seal them up and throw them in the
freezer!!
You now have your Christmas Countdown candies. They still get to eat "their"
candy...just not all at once!!! :)
Thanks Suzanne for this tip you shared with me years ago!!
P.S. Don't always expect your kids will be pleased to "hand it over" lol..

I've been wanting to find a website
that has the story of Mary and Joseph and the
birth of Jesus, where you would read a section of the
story each night but I've yet to find a website for that.
So next year I will just break the story down myself, plus have
family activites in there.
I had a hard time tho coming up with something everyday..so incase you need some ideas too I'm including our list.
Have a Merry Christmas..time is counting down..ha ha..
1 decorate the tree
2 watch rudolph
3 curl up with hot coco and read a christmas book
4 send postcards to your friends
5 say a prayer for the troops
6 Set your shoe by your bedroom door for tonite is the nite St Nick comes!
7 work on gifts you're making for family members
8 listen to christmas music and sing along
9 read a christmas book
10 watch a special christmas movie in mom's bed! (I bought the movie "8 crazy nights" and included 2 fun size m&m's)
11 have a cup of warm coco and tell us about your day!
12 say a special prayer for everyone
13 enjoy your treat (put suckers in this one)
14 make cookies
15 read a christmas book
16 say a prayer for the troops
17 read a story about Jesus
18 Take goodies to the neighbors
19 have fun at the school party today!
20 enjoy your treat while we read a christmas book (put a piece of candy inside)
21 play a game of "trouble"
22 help open and hang the christmas cards
23 have coco popcorn and watch and christmas movie
24 Hang your stockings. Read a book about Jesus and verse
25 Happy Birthday Jesus! Be sure to thank him for all he's done for you! Enjoy your day!