Prime Rib Dinner and More!!

Holidays are special times for most families, and mine is no exception. We have had some serious big time blowouts and elaborate celebrations over the years and we have had some fairly low key celebrations too. Easter 2018 was one of those low key holidays. My daughter Debbee and her husband Randy invited just the Chef and I over for a quiet evening dinner and it was perfect. The Chef and Nathan got to spend some quality time playing guitar and talking about music. Nathan is learning to play guitar now, and you already know the Chef is quite a skilled player, it's only natural that they would share this hobby! Since Nathan is a middle school student he is learning some actual rock songs, like Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes, and a couple Journey songs. I can't wait to see how he develops as a player especially with the Chef as his grandpa.

Both Debbee and Randy are very good cooks, and spend an equal amount of time in the kitchen preparing meals. Even Nathan, as you already know, has an interest in cooking and learning about new foods, and we always share our Nathan Night adventures. Since Debbee and Randy invited us over for Easter Dinner this year and she decided to go BIG with a beautiful prime rib roast. Although we have all eaten prime rib many times out for dinner, she had never prepared one before. She scoured around for hints and recipes and eventually found exactly what she was looking for. Fresh herbs, garlic, and butter added that extra special touch to a pricey cut of meat. Pretty daring for a first timer but she hit it out of the park with this meal.

Almost as enjoyable as the dinner, was her story about shopping for this roast. She had come across a recipe for "ribeye roast" that looked good to her so she decided to make it. She had not yet put two and two together. At the meat counter she didn't see anything marked ribeye roast so she asked the butcher and he said sure, he had some in the back, what size did she need? She told him how many servings and he came back with a good size roast, and after she and Randy approved, he put it on the scale. Just a quick flash before he whipped it off and wrapped it up, she caught the price- $81.00. She said her heart almost stopped, but she had already gone this far, no turning back now, time to make a prime rib roast. Having spent that much on just the meat, they were determined to not only have the perfect Easter dinner, but to utilize every single piece of that leftover roast the rest of the week, and boy did they ever!!

Herbed Prime Rib Roast

1 prime rib roast (Debbee had an 8 lb roast)

2 sticks butter (NOT margarine), room temperature
7 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped, plus more

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped, plus more

1 tablespoon salt 
1 teaspoon pepper

Allow the prime rib roast to stand at room temperature for about four hours. Two hours before dinner, heat the oven to 500 degrees. 

In a bowl combine the softened butter with the garlic, herbs, salt and pepper. Spread all over the top and sides of the roast, including the ends. Place roast on a rack in roasting pan and place in preheated oven. Roast at 500 degrees for 5 minutes per pound, then turn off the oven and leave the roast inside. DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR!!!! Leave the roast untouched for two hours. Meat should be 135 degrees, or rare. Remove roast to cutting board and reserve the drippings to make the gravy. Slice the roast into servings and serve with mashed potatoes, herbed gravy, and a vegetable or salad. 

Herbed Gravy

Pan drippings
2 tb flour
2 cups beef broth

Place the roasting pan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until a smooth paste forms, then whisk in the beef broth. Cook, until bubbly and thickened. Add a few pinches of reserved fresh herbs right before serving.

Since the roast they purchased was an 8 pound roast and a lot more than we would eat for dinner, Debbee was going to make sure to waste nothing from this splurge. The next day, part of the leftover beef became a beef stroganoff with creamy sauce, and tender pasta.

Debbee's Beef Stroganoff

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon dried sage, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
salt and pepper
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups leftover prime rib, cut into strips
fresh parsley, chopped

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally until browned. Add the shallot and garlic, cook for one minute longer until softened but not brown. Stir in the herbs and salt and pepper.

Add the butter. When melted, stir in the flour and mix in completely. Add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce and mustard and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes until thickened. Stir in the prime rib and cook until heated through. Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream.

Serve over hot cooked noodles, sprinkled with parsley.

The second day was Taco Tuesday with a clever twist on steak tacos. This recipe even used some of the leftover horseradish sauce from Sunday to create a zippy avocado sauce to add a kick.

Steak Tacos with Avocado Horseradish Sauce

olive oil
leftover prime rib roast, cut into bite size strips or chunks, about 1 pound
2 limes
2 tablespoons taco seasoning or chili powder
6 flour tortillas
shredded cheese
pico de gallo- your favorite recipe
Avocado Horseradish Sauce- recipe follows

Cut the limes in half. Cut one half into wedges and set aside for serving. Juice the remaining limes.

In a large skillet, heat a couple swirls of olive oil. Add the prime rib and sear well. Sprinkle the lime juice and taco seasoning over. Continue cooking until heated through.

Warm the tortillas. Place a small amount of cheese on the bottom, top with the meat, a little pico and the avocado sauce. Serve with lime wedges.

Avocado Horseradish Sauce

1 medium avocado, peeled and pitted
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
salt and pepper

Cut the avocado into chunks and place in food processor with remaining ingredients. Blend or pulse to desired consistency. Serve immediately.

Finally, the remaining prime rib roast was sliced into super thin slices, heated in simmering au jus, and piled onto French rolls for some easy and fast French Dip Sandwiches. You can have this meal on the table in minutes with one simple shortcut- canned au jus or au jus mix packets! So easy and so delish!

I was truly impressed not only with Easterdinner, but her creative uses for those leftover. She used up every bit of the meat too! So, tell me, if you had to recycle some leftover prime rib roast, what would YOU come up with?

The Holy Grail of Holiday Drinks- The Tom and Jerry

Before I know it, summer is going to be here, with the humidity and oppressive heat. I'll be moaning and groaning about it, most certainly. The Minnesota girl in me is built for cold weather and snow that's for sure, so it should be no surprise really, that while the rest of the state is looking towards spring, new flowers, leaves unfurling, gardening, even tornado season, I'm obsessing over something you only say in the coldest times of the year. It all started about a year ago. I was minding my own business, wandering an antique store here in Des Moines, looking for vintage cookbooks and doilies when I came across something that brought all the childhood feels flooding back- a Tom and Jerry punch bowl set. Holy balls!! I wanted to take it home with me but it wasn't in my budget that day, and someone else took home the prize- it was gone the next time I went.

Saddened by this lost opportunity I began browsing Ebay and online posts. I wanted one sooooo bad. A many times as I went back to the antique store, I never found another one. My dream of owning this precious piece of memories was fading quickly. I'd already worked out the recipe for the batter. The drink, you see, is a holiday tradition- a little bit like a hot boozy eggnog but not quite. Eggs, butter, sugar and warm spices are mixed into a batter that combines with brandy or rum and steamy hot water for a perfect cup of holiday cheer. Some families have their traditional recipes. My family bought the batter at a local grocery store. It was only available for a very short time and always sold frozen. My grandmother always called it "batter crap" ,my mother carried on that tradition and to this day my dad, sister and myself still say that.

I was minding my own business one day when I got a text from my sister. "Are you home?" she asked. I was not, of course, I was out and about food shopping and having a bite of lunch. "Well, I bought you something. I want to bring it to you." I had noooooo idea the surprise I was in for that day. She sent me two pictures and told me to pick which one I wanted. 

My heart stopped, I swear. The end of the search. The object I had been crushing on for years, the missing link, the be all and end all. The Tom and Jerry punch bowl set!!!!!! I picked the white set, and she kept the green set. The happy ending is mine. Tom and Jerrys shall be enjoyed in my home once again. I cannot tell you how many cups of this iconic holiday drink have been served by my family at Christmas time. I'm not sure any human has ever counted that high! Seriously! The Tom and Jerry is as much a part of my life, my memories and my DNA as blonde hair and freckles. 

The batter is made as follows:

12 eggs, separated

1 pound butter

3 pounds powdered sugar

1 teaspoon each: ground nutmeg, ground cloves, ground allspice, cinnamon

2 teaspoons vanilla *

big pinch salt 

*I used 1 teaspoon liquid vanilla and 1 teaspoon vanilla bean powder because I wanted the little flecks of vanilla in the batter, but you can use all liquid if you prefer.

In a large bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

In another large bowl, beat the egg yolks until lemon colored and very thick. Set aside.

In a third bowl, beat the butter and the powdered sugar and spices together. Mix in the egg yolks and vanilla. Stir in the egg whites until completely blended. Pour mixture into a freezer safe container and store in the freezer.

To make a classic Minnesota-style Tom and Jerry, place 1-2 ounces of brandy, whiskey or spiced rum in a coffee mug. Add 2 tablespoons of the batter mixture and top up with simmering water or milk. My family always used water. Stir and enjoy.

Doesn't that just make you feel all warm and happy and cozy inside? I know it sure does me!!

Annnnnd just like that, it's Autumn again

Just like that....poof.....summer is gone. Leaves are turning. Sweaters and hoodies are getting pulled out. Pumpkin spice everything is all around us. It's autumn, without a doubt my favorite time of year. It's my favorite for lots of reasons- my birthday is in the autumn, so is my oldest daughter's, the food we start to prepare, and bake, are homey and spicy and comforting, and best of all, my wedding anniversary will forever be a happy autumn day for me. As soon as September hits I get that urge to start baking again. The air conditioner is off for the season and the warm oven will keep us cozy for the time being, with the delicious aromas of baking- bread, cookies for The Chef, cinnamon and spice, roast turkey and pork. It's all so delicious and wonderful.

Buckeye Brownies, left, and Katie's Pumpkin Bars

Katie and I love to spend evenings and weekends baking and often do so together. Sometimes we can get her sons interested and they lend a helping hand, other times they are more interested in the end product. Both of our chef hubbies just want the baked goodies. We spend a lot of time hunting for good new recipes, changing things up, creating. We have old favorites and new discoveries every year. Today we are going to make two easy desserts to kick off our baking season. First is a pan of Buckeye Brownies, a super easy brownie recipe that's great for pot lucks and holiday get togethers. Chances are if you're a Midwesterner you've had Buckeyes on holiday cookie trays before- creamy peanut butter balls dipped in chocolate. This brownie recipe makes it easy with no messy dipping. The second is a revival of a craze that swept the internet and Pinterest right off their feet a couple years ago- cake balls, with easy to make Pumpkin Spice Cake Balls. Are you ready ?? Let's hit the pumpkin patch. No seriously, we are not really hitting the pumpkin patch. I mean, you totally can if you want to but we'll be using some cheater packaged cake mixes that are going to bail us out!!!

Katie's Buckeye Brownies

1 package brownie mix (9x13 pan size)
ingredients as directed on box
2 cups creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1-2 tablespoons milk 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups chocolate chips
3/4 cup heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment or spray with cooking spray and set aside.

Following the package directions, prepare the brownie mix. Spread into prepared pan and bake as directed on package. Let brownies cool completely.

In a large bowl, cream the peanut butter and butter together until fluffy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, vanilla and salt.  Spread the peanut butter filling evenly over the cooled brownies.

Place chocolate chips in a medium boil. Heat the cream until almost boiling. Pour over the chocolate chips. After a couple minutes, whisk the mixture until smooth. Cool slightly, then pour evenly over the peanut butter filling. Spread evenly. Pop in the fridge to set. Cut into small squares to serve- these guys are RICH.

For our cake balls we are using Katie's recipe for the easiest pumpkin bars in the world. Again, it starts with a cake mix but uses no eggs or oil. Of course, we trash the healthy stuff with all the frosting and melted chocolate but hey, one cake ball never killed anyone, right? These are fun to make with kids if you can get them to decorate FAST. The chocolate sets up very quickly. For delicious pumpkin bars, use the frosting to top the bars and sprinkle with chopped nuts. I think this is a recipe you will use again and again.

Katie's Pumpkin Bars Cake Balls

1 package spice cake mix
1 can pumpkin  NOT pumpkin pie mix
4 tablespoons water
1 can cream cheese frosting
2 packages orange candy melts
sprinkles and decorations

Heat oven to 350 degrees. 

Combine the cake mix, pumpkin and water, whisk together. Spread into 9x13 pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake 20-25 minutes until tests done with toothpick. Cool completely.

Crumble the cake into a large bowl. Stir in the frosting, starting with half the container, adding more as needed until a firm dough forms. Scoop into truffle size balls. Freeze two hours or longer.

Melt the candy melts as package directs. Dip the cake balls in the melted chocolate, and decorate immediately with sprinkles, candies, nuts, whatever you like. Store in the fridge.

Both of our families love these cake balls. It's a holiday request every year, every holiday. You can use any baked cake you like if pumpkin isn't your thing. Just follow the directions on the package to make a 9x13 cake.

Family Cookbook- Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake

Ohhhhh how I love cake. Everyone who knows me knows about my passionate love affair with cake. I guess that's a hazard when you're a baker. In school I was a bit of science geek and well, science goes hand in hand with baking. In most other forms of cooking you can wing it, and eyeball ingredients as you go. Not so true in baking. There is absolutely science involved- getting the right combination of fats to flour to liquid to leavening. Sugar to make it palatable. Salt to make the flavors stand out. Fat to keep the texture soft and moist and melt in your mouth. We haven't even got to the frosting yet!

Cake as a food has been around since ancient times. Back in those days, cakes were more like bread and likely to be sweetened with honey. Fruits and nuts often were the only flavoring available to make cakes a little more interesting. Cake a little closer to what we are used to made its appearance in Europe in the 1600s, when the technology of the day included ovens in homes and metal food "molds" and pans. Early icing recipes started to show up in kitchens too, but most were boiled and created something like a candy coating. These cakes often used yeast to rise. The mid 1800s brought us...... cake as we know it today. All the heavenly happiness of leavening ingredients like baking powder and baking soda, cocoa and chocolate, and.........Lord help me.......buttercream icing. 

The Fannie Farmer Cooking School Cookbook was published in 1918 and cakes made regular appearances in the home of people all over the country. Decades later we would see a wide variety of cake mixes on store shelves, packages of flavored frosting mix, and eventually, those plastic tubs you just need to open and spread on your cake.

It's no surprise that my kids inherited my love of cooking and baking. My oldest daughter Debbee baked this fantastic Bundt cake for our family's Christmas dinner and everyone raved. Not too sweet and not overloaded with frosting, if there is such a thing, it was a great way to finish off that big turkey feast. The cake is buttery and soft like a pound cake with so much fresh orange flavor, lots of juicy fresh cranberries and a drizzle of creamy glaze. We enjoyed the cake for our dessert but it would also make a lovely coffee cake for breakfast or brunch.

Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake

1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup sugar
1 stick butter
1 cup sour cream
3 eggs
1 tablespoon orange zest
1/4 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
2 tablespoons sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Thoroughly coat a Bundt pan with cooking spray for baking. Sprinkle the two tablespoons of sugar in the pan. Set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar together with a mixer until light and lemon colored. Beat in the eggs one at a time until incorporated. Add the zest and orange juice. Stir in the sour cream and vanilla.

Add the flour and baking powder. Mix for several minutes until incorporated and smooth. Stir in the cranberries.

Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes until cake tests done. Cool on a rack for about 5-10 minutes, then invert and remove the pan. Allow cake to cool, the drizzle with glaze.

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons half and half

Stir together until smooth. Drizzle over cake. You can also use orange juice instead of the half and half and sprinkle some additional orange zest over for even more flavor.

Family Cookbook- Debbee's Ooey Gooey Chex Mix

Remember when cereal snack mix only came in one flavor? That savory salty Worcestershirey crunchy mix was a staple in my family for the holidays. I'd always pick out the wheat cereal squares, or the Cheerios, because yes, we sometimes broke the recipe rules and added Cheerios in there as well. They were so good, they always soaked up the seasoned buttery sauce and turned brown and super crunchy, and don't forget the pretzels. I always crunch off the salt first before munching the pretzel. Yum.....memories.

Sooooo gooey and yummy

Then sometime later came the delightful "Muddy Buddies" or "puppy chow"- chocolate and peanut butter coated cereal shaken with confectioners' sugar to coat. So decadent and chocolaty and oddly enough, fairly nutritious with the fortified cereal and protein packed peanut butter. Lots of variations came around with different nut butters and added goodies like candies and sprinkles. Lots of fun, lots of holiday themes.

Measuring out alllll that crunchy cereal

Fast forward to the Pinterest Era where recipes evolve and take on new versions, new ingredients and new names. Oddly enough there seems to be a trend on Pinterest to nickname recipes "crack." If it tastes good it must be crack? I'm not a fan of this trend but I'm a fan of many of the recipes, like this chewy and gooey cereal snack mix recipe my daughter Debbee shared during our family baking day this past Christmas. She found it on a couple Pinterest pins called Christmas Crack but since we don't like to name our food after street drugs, we don't call it that. It's ooey gooey because it really stays a bit gooey after it cools, and it's so buttery and delicious you can't stop eating it. Plan on making more than one batch because you will be addicted!

Oooey Gooey Chex Mix

6 cup corn Chex Cereal

6 cups Golden Grahams cereal

2 cups coconut

2 cups slivered almonds

1 cup light corn syrup

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup butter

Combine cereals, nuts and coconut in a large bowl.

In medium saucepan mix syrup, sugar and butter. Bring to a boil. Boil for two minutes. Allow to cool for two minutes. Pour over cereal mixture, stir to coat. Spread out on sheet pans to cool.

Store this mix in airtight containers or zip top bags. You can jazz it up a bit by drizzling the cooled mixture with melted chocolate too.

Family Cookbook- Debbee's Frosted Cranberry Cookies

My Chef is always teasing my about cookies. He will break out into his goofy rendition of the Cookie Monster classic- "C Is For Cookie, Cookie Starts With C"........ or even his version of the Barbra Streisand tune "You Don't Bake Me Cookies Anymore"when he feels he has been neglected and no cookies have been baked in a while. Poor guy. This year he got what he wanted- several delicious cookies we made on our family baking day. My oldest daughter Debbee brought this recipe to the baking party. Tender buttery cookies with a hint of cranberry tartness from the jellied cranberry sauce, a chewy texture that I love, topped with a light icing and sprinkled with sparkling chopped craisins.

Debbee is busy making treats on family baking day

Cookie making is an easy skill to master. Using a mixture is key- you get the light and fluffy texture of the butter and sugar creamed together. Eggs and vanilla go in next and the dry ingredients are gradually added in to make a tender dough. This dough is rolled into balls and flattened slightly with the bottom of a glass for uniform shape and size and even baking. Cool on a rack before drizzling with icing and sprinkling with the chopped sugared berries. They are gorgeous! Be sure to make plenty- even a double batch- if you're sharing. They disappear fast.

Frosted Cranberry Cookies

2 1/4 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup butter, room temp

3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup jellied cranberry sauce

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup craisins, chopped

2 tb sugar

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tb milk

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 375. Line baking sheet with parchment and set aside.

In medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Using a mixer, beat the butter and sugar til light and fluffy.Add cranberry sauce, egg and vanilla. Mix in the dry ingredients 1/2 cup at a time until all combined. Drop by tablespoon onto prepared baking sheet or roll into small balls. Flatten slightly. Bake for 10 minutes. Cookies do not brown. Cool 5 minutes then remove from pan.

In a small bowl toss cranberries with sugar. Set aside. Combine icing ingredients in another bowl. Frost cooled cookies with icing and top with cranberries.

These delicious cookies are perfect on a holiday cookie tray or just to fill te cookie jar at home for your family. I loved the sugared craisins on top. They added an unexpected sweet and chewy pop. We made these cookies on our family baking day and they were a huge hit. In our house, these guys got gobbled up right away. Since craisins and canned jellied cranberry sauce are available year round I'll be baking these guys again and again for The Chef.

Crockpot Au Gratin Potatoes

It's Christmas Day. I'm up early, not to open presents, as I have no little ones at home anymore, but to get started on my potatoes to take along to my son's house later today as we get together to celebrate all that we have to be thankful for, enjoy the kids and all their new toys and goodies, and share our annual Christmas Dinner. The Chef is still snoozing away and I have the television quietly playing A Christmas Story. I always watch it at least once or twice and since it's just me and the fur kids up and around, this is the perfect time. I love the story of the movie but I especially love the kitchen. How awesome would it be to cook in a kitchen like that with that fantastic old gas stove? It also does not escape my keen eye that the mom goes down to the cellar to get jars of home canned vegetables for meals prepared during the movie. Simpler times, indeed, but surely there was a lot of hard work involved.

For my contribution to out holiday meal this year, I am going to be taking advantage of one of the most handy convenience appliances ever invented- the crockpot. I remember my dad buying a crockpot back in the 70s and it changed the way my dad cooked meals. As you might remember, my dad, back in the 70s, was what we today would call a foodie- very interested in cooking and cookbooks and fine dining. I inherited every one of those genes. My dad sought out crockpot recipes to try every week. Short ribs with onion gravy, chicken cacciatore, all kinds of roasts and stews and soups, even bread pudding and desserts. We even had overnight crockpot oatmeal, and believe me, if you ever have a crowd overnight like the holidays and need a breakfast idea- toss together some oats, raisins or craisins, chopped apples or pears and some brown sugar and cook that on low overnight. Breakfast is ready and holds at serving temp as the family wakes up. Delicious! Anyway, the crockpot is a veritable savior for busy cooks and families on the go. Assemble your meal ahead of time, pop it in the crockpot, turn it on and out the door you go, returning home to a perfectly cooked meal. Tender roasts, slow simmered sauces, even desserts, and these days the internet and Pinterest are goldmines of slow cooker recipes. 

Many times for the holidays I'll make a family favorite, Fat Ass Potatoes. This year however I wanted to try something new. I've made au gratin potatoes in the oven dozens of times, and it's easy enough to put together, but when you have a large group all juggling dishes for oven time, why not try making some adjustments and making these cheesy delights in the crockpot? Saves time, saves oven space, and can be served right from the crock. This truly is one of the easiest potato dishes ever. Unlike traditional au gratin recipes, there is no need to pre-cook the potatoes or make a pot of bechamel before assembling. Instead, the slow cooker does all that for you, cooking the potatoes evenly and turning the evaporated milk and cheese into a cream sauce. If you like, you can briefly saute the onions to get a little color in them but I just used them fresh and loved the flavor. Most of the ingredients you might even hand on hand. This dish comes together quickly and you can get it all assembled, pop it in the crock and head back to bed for a snooze before the big get together. I used a big oval crockpot but you can use a smaller one if you need to feed a smaller crowd- just adjust down the milk and use a little less.

This recipe is so easy you'll never go back to the mix junk again. It's better for you too- you know exactly what goes in the pot, you can choose the variety of potato you like best (I used russets) and you can use whatever cheese you have on hand and your family loves. For my recipe I also used Signature Seasoning from Sinful Food and I highly recommend it. You can use whatever seasoning mixture you have but Sinful Foods mixture is so savory without being too salty.

Easiest Ever Au Gratin Potatoes in the Crockpot

4-5 lbs of potatoes, scrubbed, skin on

1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1/4 cup butter

Sinful Food Signature Seasoning

handful chopped chives

3 cups half and half or light cream
3/4 cup flour

Scrub the potatoes thoroughly. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise, then slice crosswise into half circles. Cut the onion the same way and separate the slices into half rings.

Ready to go in the crockpot

Using a large slow cooker layer about 1/4 of the potatoes and onions. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, some chives and season with the Sinful Food seasoning. Repeat the layers until all ingredients are used, pressing down on the potatoes if necessary. Top with remaining cheese, the last of the chives and Parm, and seasoning.

Check the potatoes often once you've hit the two hour mark.

In a medium bowl whisk the flour with about a cup of the cream until smooth. Whisk in the remaining cream. Pour the cream mixture over all. Slice the butter into pats and place all over the top to the potatoes. Pop the lid on and cook at High for about 2-3 hours until tender. Check your potatoes at two hours- some crockpots vary in temp, and you may need to go as long as 3 or 4 hours.

If you like them extra cheesy, toss another handful of cheese
on top at the end of cooking, cover and let melt.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free as part of a random drawing. There was no requirement of using the products and then providing written promotion. This post is entirely of my own writing. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe are of good quality and safe. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Recipe Re-do: Santa's Whiskers

One of our family favorites for many years, Santa's Whiskers is an old recipe from an old old version of the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook. You know the book- the red and white checked cover, widely thought of as THE handbook for new cooks just starting out on their own. For many years I made this version of the recipe which is a sugar cookie base with red and green candied cherries and nuts mixed in, then rolled into logs, rolled in coconut, chilled, sliced and baked. While the original version is pretty easy, you do have to plan ahead so allow the logs of dough to chill completely. My revised version is a drop cookie dough with all the delicious ingredients mixed in. Super easy to make ahead and then scoop and bake as needed or make up at the last minute and bake immediately.

This is a large family sized batch, great for cookie exchanges, bake sales and family baking days. I used a tablespoon-sized cookie scoop for even cookies. They bake up soft and chewy so be sure to store in an airtight container or ziptop bags to stay fresh.

Our Family's Santas Whiskers

2 cups butter, room temperature

3 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

4 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped red candied cherries

1 cup chopped green candied cherries

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 cup flaked coconut

Using a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Gradually mix in the combined flour, salt and baking powder until dough is completely mixed.

Stir in the cherries, nuts and coconut.

Scoop the dough onto parchment lined baking sheets and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool 5 minutes on pan, then remove to rack to cool.

Crazy Easy English Toffee

Our time living at the lake was a unique time for both the Chef and myself. West Central Iowa was a kind of crazy mix of hometown mom and pop cafes and upscale lake resort restaurants, hole in the wall taverns with killer pizza and authentic Mexican restaurants bustling with regular customers. Some of the best hand-breaded tenderloins you could ever taste are served up in these small towns, and on the reverse end of the spectrum quaint little tea rooms with incredibly delicious homemade cheesecakes and daily lunch specials take you back in time. The coffeehouse craze extends to small town Iowa as well and many of these towns have coffee shops that make Starbucks look amateur.

Right up the road from the little lake house is the teeny town of Dexter. Blink and you'll miss it kind of small, home to a well known steak restaurant, an American Legion hall, and a gas station/convenience store/pizza shop. Typical of rural Iowa, not a whole lot going on in the gourmet world here, unless you make it all the way to the western edge of town and a small sign happens to catch your eye as you travel- Drew's Chocolates. Drew's has been in business since 1927 and in all these years not much has changed. Certainly not the quality, the attention to detail and the love the owners put into each hand-dipped chocolate. Drew's is the real deal folks. The shop is in the basement of their home. The teeny tiny showcase and sales area is cozy and welcoming and the fragrance of luscious treats envelopes you. 

They use the same chocolate tempering machine they have used since the beginning and dip each piece of candy with the same dipping fork they have always used. The same recipes. The caramels are so creamy and perfect. So are the fruit creams, nuts, all kinds of nuts dipped by hand into that creamy chocolate, and the toffee- the best English toffee you will ever have. For real, the best. Perfect little rectangles of buttery crunchy almondy happiness covered in milk or dark chocolate will definitely bring a smile to your face.

I don't get out that way very often anymore and I do really miss stopping in and getting a small box for a special treat. Here in the city there are lots of options for candies but none are quite as good or anywhere near as dear to my heart as Drew's. 

As a baker I often feel the pull to expand my skill set and learn to work with candies more frequently. Since the creation of Pinterest candy recipes, such as fudge, are a dime a dozen and get easier by the day. No more boiling pots of chocolate and sugar to soft ball stage and beating by hand to just the right consistency. Now it's a matter of opening a can of sweetened condensed milk and melting with some chocolate chips. Add nuts. Done. Don't get me wrong, it's delicious, and blissfully easy. I remember my late mother in law making divinity every year at the holidays. She carefully beat those egg whites and cooked that syrup until the exact temperature was reached and then combined them into fluffy clouds with never a mistake. Today? Jello. Use Jello. "Perfect No Fail Divinity." Heck I have even found a recipe for making caramels in the microwave!

Buried in a drawer full of utensils in my kitchen there is a candy thermometer hiding somewhere. I know it's there. I've used it. I just haven't seen it in a long time. Making English toffee is my assigned task this week and I figured I would need to dig until I found it or go buy a new one. Daughter in law to the rescue! We had our family baking day planned and she was going to make some English toffee and had a foolproof recipe that you can make without the thermometer! I am saved! Janelle's toffee recipe is crazy easy and makes a good sized batch- enough to split among our four homes. This is quick to put together and doesn't require any hard to find ingredients. 

Be sure and use REAL BUTTER and only real butter for this recipe. Margarine will not work! Margarine is mostly water and you will never get the toffee to reach the correct consistency. This toffee is crispy and crunchy and so so good. 

Crazy Easy English Toffee

1 1/2 cups butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

pinch of kosher salt

2 cups chocolate chips

1 cup chopped toasted nuts*

*Pecans, almonds, walnuts are all delicious in this recipe.

Prepare a large baking sheet by lining with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium saucepan melt the butter. Add the sugar, vanilla and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thick and very dark amber color. If you use a candy thermometer you want to shoot for 285 degrees. 

Pour toffee mixture onto parchment lined sheet and shake pan to spread the toffee out. Immediately sprinkle with the chocolate chips. Let sit for two minutes, then spread the chocolate evenly over the top with a spatula. Sprinkle with nuts.

Chill for one hour, then break into bite sized pieces.

Holiday Baking Day

There is something special about the holidays. Family time, big dinners, lots of visiting friends and relatives, lots of opportunities for sharing treats. Baking and the holidays go hand in hand for many families and this year I'm jumping back into action after a several year hiatus from the annual big baking day. Now, my family is not huge like some, so any time I make a batch of more than one or two treats it's often too much. The Chef and I are the only ones here at our house and even if I shared with all the kids I would still have tons of treats left over so when my new friend Katie suggested we do a baking day together, I jumped at the chance! It's the perfect solution for both families- we can make more different treats and split everything so neither family is overloaded with goodies that will hang around until Easter.

Katie and I became friends at work, chatting over the peculiarities of life with a chef, among other things. The night shifts. Crazy schedules. Messy kitchens. Crabby days off. We completely understand each other and "get" what the other is going through. With the holiday craziness all around us Katie suggested we have the baking day- and it was just the ticket for this still-quite-grinchy baker who needed a little kick in the pants to get in the holiday spirit. Besides, who wouldn't love hanging out with a girlfriend, up to our elbows in cookie dough and melted chocolate?

Of course, it was very difficult muddling through the work week to get to Baking Day. Miserable commutes in the never-ending rain, blustery cold wind, gridlock and backed up traffic. Disgruntled clients, disgruntled employees, hour long phone calls and the usual stresses made it hard but those few spare minutes during the day to jot down a recipe, an ingredient to pick up, or an idea for a flavor combo kept us both focused on the fun ahead.

The Big Day finally arrives! What did we decide to make? Lots of yummy things, of course. Peanut clusters with both white chocolate and one with milk chocolate and butterscotch morsels together. Pretzel goodies- some with white chocolate and m&ms, sprinkles, some with candy cane kisses and some with Rolo and walnut pieces. Fudge with walnuts, with and without sprinkles. Santa's Whiskers- a cookie that I have made for many years, and of course, cut out sugar cookies.

We had loads of help from Katie's three older boys Ben, Jeremiah and Elijah, and their friend Dawson. The boys had fun spooning out the peanut clusters, unwrapping the candies for the pretzel treats, filling baking sheets with pretzels,and of course, cutting out cookies like old pros.

Katie helps Dawson and Elijah scoop out the peanut clusters.

Now I have to be honest about something- we DID use a cookie mix for the sugar cookies instead of making this dough from scratch. I'll just say I am forever sold. The mix required just butter, an egg and a couple tablespoons of extra flour and the best part- no chilling before rolling, so we were able to get the boys busy cutting out the cookies before too long.

We started our day-long baking adventure with a trip to the store to grab the ingredients we didn't already have on hand. Just for fun, we piled it all together to get an idea of the enormity of what we have taken on, but I am determined to shake off my old grinchy attitude and get back in the holiday spirit and Katie has been a great cheerleader in that regard. To keep us fueled through the long day Katie even made a big crock pot full of barbequed pulled pork so we could have sandwich breaks and keep our energy up (and also to stave off treat snacking throughout the day).

The boys did a great job!

The first task of the day was the two kinds of peanut clusters. Super easy to prepare, simply melt your choice of chocolate and stir in dry roasted peanuts until you have the right consistency for your taste. Chocolate chips or candy melts are a snap to melt in the microwave but you can use a double boiler if you prefer. Spoon out onto waxed paper and chill. Katie got the chocolates melted, the nuts stirred in, and then set the younger boys up with a table covered in paper to spoon the clusters onto. They did a great job! The white chocolate clusters are so decadent and the chocolate butterscotch ones remind me of an old family favorite, Kris Kringles. I might have to make those now.

While the boys worked on the clusters I whipped up the recipe for Santa's Whiskers, since that needs to go in the freezer to firm up before baking. Katie's Kitchenaid made quick work of the dough, and the rolls were in the freezer in just a few minutes. There is a little back story about the Santa's Whiskers. I first came across it in a Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book from the early 1980s. Similar to a sugar cookie dough, Santas Whiskers are loaded with sweet cherries and crunchy pecans and edged with toasty coconut- the whiskers. So colorful and festive they are sure to be a hit at your home- they have been a favorite at my house for many many years.

Santas Whiskers

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 tb milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

3 ounces red candied cherries, chopped

3 ounces green candied cherries, chopped

1/2 cup chopped pecans

3/4 cup flaked coconut

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add milk and vanilla. Beat in the flour in three batches. Stir in the cherries and pecans. Divide the dough in half. Set aside.

Spread the coconut on a clean baking sheet. Form each half of dough into a log and roll in the coconut until coated. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill for 2 to 24 hours.

When ready to bake, heat oven to 375 degrees. Slice dough into 1/4 inch rounds. Bake until the edges just start to turn golden, about 10-12 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool slightly on the sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Teenage boys come in handy when you have numerous tasks to get through. While The Grinch played in the background Jeremiah and Ben helped out by peeling the wrapper off the Rolos and Hershey Kisses, lining baking trays with foil and pretzel circles, and helping with the centers. They had fun and their help was a lifesaver!

Ben and Jeremiah unwrapping candies.

If you haven't ever had these pretzel treats you need to check them out. Simply place the pretzels on foil on a baking sheet and fill with unwrapped Rolo candies or Kisses- pop in a 350 degree oven for just a couple minutes until melted- watch carefully!

Katie also made pretzel circles filled with melted almond bark and topped with m&m candies or sprinkles. Again, super easy- break up the almond bark, place in a gallon size zipper bag and microwave in 30 second increments until melted. Snip off the corner of the bag and fill the centers.

Growing up my mom never made fudge. She never made candy at all. My grandmother made all kinds of Christmas goodies but I don't remember her ever making fudge either. It wasn't until I married that my mother in law introduced me to fudge. Now she was old school- she made it the old fashioned way with sugar and butter, lots of boiling and used a candy thermometer. Then she'd beat it by hand with a wooden spoon just until the exact second before pouring into the pan as quickly as possible. That stuff sets in seconds! Many a failed batch got thrown out in my kitchen. Many years later I came across a recipe in a magazine that changed fudge for me forever.

The Easiest Fudge in the World

3 cups chocolate chips

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped walnuts

Line an 8 inch square pan with waxed paper. In a medium bowl combine all ingredients except the nuts. Microwave until melted, stirring every 30 seconds. When melted and smooth stir in nuts. Spread in prepared pan. Chill at least two hours. Remove from pan and cut into squares. *Hint- the fudge is easier to cut if you let it warm up to room temp. 

This recipe is so awesome, you can use any flavor baking chips to make different flavors of fudge to suit your family's likes. We decorated one batch with sprinkles just for fun.

When it comes to Christmas baking most people would agree that rolled and cut out sugar cookies are the most popular Christmas cookie. Cut into favorite shapes and decorated simply or elaborately they are the art of almost everyone's holiday treat platter. For years I used the BH&G recipe for rolled sugar cookies but this year Katie convinced me to try a mix. Now.......I'm totally sold. So easy, so fast, no chilling before rolling. You just can't get any easier.

It's more fun when there is flour everywhere.

Mixing the dough was a snap, and then it was time to roll it out and turn the boys loose with the cookie cutters. Stars, wreaths, Santas, angels, trees, bells......sheet after sheet of cookies went into the oven and came out golden brown and perfect. I had a blast with these boys, rolling, cutting and singing along to Linkin Park, Seether and Slipknot- yes, we were rockin' Katie's kitchen.

The best cookies of all are the ones with the little
imperfections when kids are helping.

All cooled and ready to go, but Katie and I had reached the end of our energy level for the day. By unanimous decision we agreed to hold off the decorating til the next day, so we packed up our shares of the treats and I made my way home, exhausted and full of awesome memories. The next day I took it easy on myself- I made a simple powdered sugar drizzle and decorated with sprinkles. Done!

I'm taking it easy this morning.

Katie and her boys' cookies are quite a bit fancier!!

The holidays really are a time for fellowship and making memories. I am so thankful for my new friend and her awesome sons for making a wonderful holiday memory with me. I hope we continue this tradition for a very long time to come.