Linus Said it Best....What Christmas is All About

Everyone has their own thoughts and beliefs of what Christmas is truly about.  I think Linus says it best.....



Merry Christmas to All and to All a Goodnight:)


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Green & Black's Organic Chocolate to share with you! Giveaway!

Just when I thought I'd had enough chocolate for the entire year, look what showed up at my doorstep........

About a month ago during a 'Tweet-Up' on Twitter with FoodBuzz and Green and Blacks, I was lucky enough to win a gift pack from Green and Blacks.  I had completely forgot about it until yesterday when this package showed up at my doorstep via FedEx. 

Thirteen bars of chocolate with flavors from Cherry, almond, dark, peanut, milk, white, hazelnut & current, ginger, and a few more, a Green & Blacks chocolate cookbook, an apron and a shopping bag were included in this gift pack.

Well, what's a girl to do?!  Share of course!  I will give away a couple of chocolate bars and the choice of either the shopping bag  or brown apron you see in the photo, to you, one of my readers, selected randomly.  ALL you have to do is leave a comment in the section below answering this question:

Milk Chocolate or Dark Chocolate?

I'll announce the winner on Sunday the 26th.  Don't forget to sign in with your email address! {otherwise I have no way of contacting you} {U.S. residents only}

Merry Christmas Eve!

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Healthy Cooking's Cookie Exchange Party-Lots of great cookie recipes!

It was time for the annual Healthy Cooking Group's annual cookie exchange the other night hosted by two members of the group, Danielle and Alice.  With a group of about 11, we all had plenty of treats to take home with us.....some healthy, some not!

The party started right, as it always does, with cocktails and appetizers.

The Festive Cranberry Relish made an appearance with some pita crackers, actually this appetizer is so popular, two of them made an appearance.  I can never get tired of this recipe.....

Danielle also served some some jumbo shrimp and some wrapped asparagus........

Can't have a party without cheese, right?!

And then, we got around to the sweets....

Alice's Coconut Macaroons {recipe below}.  Oh my gosh!  These were so good!  If you're a coconut lover like I am, you need this recipe.

My Cowboy Cookies {on the white platter} came to the table, along with Danielle's Devil's Food Chocolate Cookies.

Charlotte brought some Speculaas {spice cookies, recipe below}.  These were also fabulous.

Debby's Mirages with cherries and chocolate, that I hope to get the recipe to.

Leslie's platter of Granpa's Cookies {recipe below}.  Which looked similar to my Cowboy Cookies, except hers included applesauce and banana, I believe.

Then there was the fudge Jeri brought.  Nothing healthy about this platter, but OH.  SO.  GOOD!

Before we dug in, we talked about our recipe and what was included in it. 

I can't say no to sweets.  And now I have a platter of them to go along with the toffee Bryce bought at the FFA cake auction, sitting on the counter at home, just waiting to be eaten.  Yikes!

Coconut Macaroons:

4 large egg whites
1.5 tsp vanilla
2/3 c. sugar
1/4 c. flour
3.5 c. coconut

Using a mixer, beat whites until frothy. Beat in vanilla, sugar, and flour. Then stir in coconut.

Plop spoonfuls onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper ( or grease a cookie sheet). Bake at 325 for 20 minutes or until golden. (I baked at 300 on convection for about 15 minutes).

Speculaas: {Spice Cookies}

4 cup flour (pastry whole wheat)
1 tsp baking powder
2 sticks softened butter
2 cups brown sugar
2 tsp lemon zest
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp almond extract ( I used vanilla)
2 large eggs
1/4 cup ground almonds (I used hazelnuts)

Whisk together flour and baking powder
In the electric mixer, beat butter until creamy, and add brown sugar
Add lemon zest, spices and almond extract
Add one egg at a time
Add 1/3 of flour mix
Gradually add remaining flour until just blended, and add a little milk if necessary.
The dough should be pliable and smooth, not sticky
Add almonds / nuts
Refrigerate for about 1 hour

Preheat oven to 350F
Roll out the dough and use cookie cutters
Place on lined baking sheets
Cook about 20 min at 350F, depending on thickness
Let cool
Sprinkle powdered sugar for decoration



Grandpa's Cookies


1 C apple sauce
1 C brown sugar
1 stick of butter
1 ripe banana
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 C kodiak pancake mix (you can get it at safeway)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnimon
1/2 tsp salt
6 C oats
1 pkg chocolate chips
2 c raisins (optional, I prefer the cookies without)

Beat together butter, sugar, bananas, and applesauce until creamy.
Add eggs and vanilla and beat well.
Combine pancake mix, salt, baking soda, and cinnimon, and add to to above mixture.
Stir in oats and chocolate chips
Drop round scoops onto cookie sheet and bake about 12-15 min or until done at 350 degrees


Saltine Toffee

2 sticks of butter

1 cup of packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp. baking soda
Saltine crackers
1 (12 onz) bag of chocolate chips
1/2 cup of nuts (optional)

Preheat oven at 375. Arrange the saltine crackers on a cookie sheet lined with foil paper and sprayed with Pam. Melt the butter, add brown sugar and bring to boil under medium heat. Let it boil for ONE MINUTE ONLY. Remove from the heat, add baking soda and mix briskly, pour over crackers, spread over the crackers evenly and bake for 10 MINUTES ONLY. Take the pan out of the oven and sprinkle the chips, wait until they are soft and spread with a spatula. Sprinkle the nuts and let us cool. Once cooled break into pieces and enjoy



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The Pressure's On! Cowboy Cookies for Healthy Cooking Group

The pressure is on again....Healthy Cooking Group's annual healthy cookie exchange.  I know, it's kind of an oxymoron isn't it.  One year, I remember baking a zucchini cookie that was about the ugliest cookie you've ever seen.  They stuck to the waxed paper and everything.  So this year, I baked one of my favorite recipes, Cowboy Cookies, but made them a little healthier by cutting down on the butter, sugar and adding some chopped apricots and whole wheat flour.  Chocolate and apricots is one of my favorite flavor combinations of all time, so why not put them in a cookie together?!

Here's what you need........

Plus some chopped, dried apricots........

Paige helps out by creaming the butter, vanilla and egg.

Mix all the dry ingredients {recipe below}.  Then mix the creamed butter and dry ingredients together.  You're going to have to use your hands for this, there's no other way, because of the lesser amount of butter and only one egg, your hands need to help bind the ingredients into small walnut sized balls.  Paige is an expert Playdough baller and she was a BIG help in this portion of the recipe.

Bake at 350 for 11-13 minutes.

And boy, are these good!  I love the chopped apricots!  You can substitute any dried fruit if you wish.....dried cherries would be fantastic as well!  Especially for Christmas!

Healthy Cooking Meeting, here we come!

Cowboy Cookies

1 1/3 cup quick cooking oats
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
½ cup pecans or walnuts, chopped {optional}
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped , or any dried fruit or even shredded coconut!
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips {I used milk chocolate}
3/4 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
¼ t. salt
½ cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 t. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheets. In a large bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, white sugar, pecans, chocolate chips, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a medium bowl, cream together butter, egg and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients. You may need to use your hands to finish mixing. Shape into walnut sized balls. Place 2” apart on prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 11-13 minutes. Enjoy!

Related posts you may also enjoy:
October's Healthy Cooking Meeting
Healthy Cooking Group Night
My Healthy Cooking Group


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Pelted

This is about as close to snow as we get here in northern California.  Hail.  It comes down hard and fast, though it's not the golf ball sized hail balls the Midwest seems to get, but everyone still runs for cover.

The cows are sheltered in their safe freestall barn,  Joey was too lazy to walk to his barn and decides to take cover under the huge oak tree in his pasture and Chloe gets the urge for a potty break at this very moment and as I open the sliding glass door to let her out, she decides against it.

As for Dominic, he still goes about his work on the dairy; feeding cows, scraping barns all while getting pelted by hail and soaked by the rain.

The rest of us; Bryce, Paige and cousins, Cam and Leila, who are here for a play date and sleepover found indoor activities to keep entertained......

Trouble x's two....

What is it with boys and video games?  Does this love of video games carry on into adulthood?  If I allowed it, they would be on this Nintendo 24-7.

What do you do to keep entertained on a stormy day?

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Are Carbs Making Us Fat or is Fat Making Us Fat?

Carbs, not fat, are making us overweight.  I was reading an article in the L.A. Times where Dr. Walter Willett, chairman of the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health states:

"Fat is not the problem."  He also says, "If Americans could eliminate sugary beverages, potatoes, white bread, pasta, white rice and sugary snacks, we would wipe out almost all the problems we have with weight and diabetes and other metabolic diseases."

Years ago when the Atkins diet became popular, we learned that reducing carbs results in weight loss.  I don't diet at all, nor do I believe in cutting all carbs from my food consumption, but I try to eat and feed my family as healthy as possible.  Our typical food intake, here at home consists of our home raised beef, lots of fruits and veggies, some whole grain pasta {but not too much because my kids do not like pasta}, whole grain bread, eggs, dairy and of course we do indulge in the occasional cookie and cake once in a while......okay, more than once in while this time of year. 

About a year and a half ago, when we began drinking our own raw milk from the dairy, I stopped buying non-fat milk for myself and began drinking the whole milk with my cereal and coffee instead.  I thought, well, if I start packing on the lbs., I'll go back to drinking non-fat milk.  For the last year and a half, I have consumed the same amount of milk as when I was drinking the nonfat milk and not one pound was gained within this time.   I guess the way we eat, here at home, proves to me what I was hoping for, eating real, whole foods such as fresh, local produce in season, minimally or non processed foods for the most part, beef, chicken, fish, butter instead of margarine, olive oil to cook with, and everything in moderation {including carbs}with some exercise thrown in the mix and we'll be just fine.  This way of eating works well for my family's health and metabolism.


Also according to the article:
Americans, on average, eat 250 to 300 grams of carbs a day, accounting for about 55% of their caloric intake. The most conservative recommendations say they should eat half that amount. Consumption of carbohydrates has increased over the years with the help of a 30-year-old, government-mandated message to cut fat.


And the nation's levels of obesity, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease have risen. "The country's big low-fat message backfired," says Dr. Frank Hu, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health. "The overemphasis on reducing fat caused the consumption of carbohydrates and sugar in our diets to soar. That shift may be linked to the biggest health problems in America today."


What do you think is making America fat?


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Super Easy, Festive Cranberry Relish & Cookie Decorating at Nonny's

Yesterday afternoon we had a cookie decorating party with all the cousins at Nonny's house.  I wanted to bring a little appetizer for us to munch on.  Festive Cranberry Relish is super easy to make, no baking or cooking required, just a food processor, simple ingredients and some fridge time and you're done.  I originally got this recipe from someone at my Healthy Cooking Group and it's a hit at every party I bring it to.  Perfect for the holidays.

Here's what you need {recipe below}......

Chop the cranberries in a food processor...

Chop the cilantro, green onions and jalapeno, grate the ginger, squeeze the lemon

Mix all together with the sugar and refrigerate for at least four hours.

Spoon over cream cheese, I used a low fat version, and enjoy.

Meanwhile, at Nonny's, high anticipation amongst the cousins, to begin the cookie decorating......

Ready, set, decorate!....eating, sprinkling, frosting, decorating, eating some more, you get the idea.......

Until we had a platter of very colorful, decorated sugar cookies.

Festive Cranberry Relish


3 cups cranberries (1 12 oz. bag), rinsed and drained
¼ cup green onions (about 4), minced
2 small jalapeno peppers (2 Tbsp.), seeded and minced
¼ cup cilantro, minced
½ cup sugar
2 Tbsp. ginger, finely grated
2 Tbsp. lemon juice

Serve with:

1 8 oz. package cream cheese
Plain crackers

Place cranberries in food processor and chop fine, but not mushy. Transfer to bowl and add remaining relish ingredients and stir. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, overnight is best. Serve over cream cheese with crackers. Garnish with cilantro if desired. Makes enough for 2 packages of cream cheese. Pin It

Top Tips for Visiting Santa and/or Email Santa & Track Santa

Anticipation was high as the time arrived for Bryce's Christmas recital at his school.  He played a reindeer in the "How the Penguins Saved Christmas" play.  To go along with the Christmas production, Santa pays the school a visit after the recital is over, arriving by fire truck. 

The kids usher him in to the classroom, where a cozy rocking chair awaits him.  One by one, each child has their turn to visit with Santa.  Sweet!  No mall visit for us this year!



Visiting Santa can become a fun tradition that your family looks forward to every Christmas season. Seeing Santa can be a little intimidating for little ones sometimes and you want this experience to be fun and exciting for everyone. Here are some tips that may help with the experience….


Top Tips for Visiting Santa:

Talk the Santa visit up a few days prior to visiting him. Sometimes a big man with a long white beard and a red suit can be intimidating to a child. Conversations like “This weekend, we’re going to visit Santa. You can sit on his lap or stand next to him and tell him what you’re wishing for, for Christmas. Santa is really nice.”

If your child has never visited Santa, take him/her to the mall on a day prior so he can see what it’s all about. Let him see all the kids in line waiting for their turn to talk to Santa.

Dress your kids in their holiday outfits. It makes a visit to see Santa more of an event.

Let your child bring something with him/her. A favorite stuffed toy, a blankie or anything that they feel secure with. You can also help your child write a letter to Santa and bring it with you for the visit.

A quick photo is usually the best. Photos taken within the first 10 or 15 seconds are usually the best. After the photo is taken, then Santa can have a fun conversation with your child.

Make it a family Santa photo. If your child doesn’t want to go at it alone, include the entire family in the photo.

If your child is still apprehensive, come back and try another day.

If your child still doesn't want to visit Santa {or you don't want to fight the mall traffic}, you can email Santa directly and receive reply email in return! This is a really fun thing to do! We do both.

And one other thing we enjoy at our house is visiting the official Norad Santa Tracker.  At this site you can take a peek into Santa's village where you might even see some reindeer, track Santa's flight in Google Earth and view other Santa videos too.

What are or have been your Christmas traditions when visiting Santa?

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Craziness, Cookies and 4H

'Twas the week before Christmas and it was CRAZY all around, couldn't sit for minute, couldn't afford to be lazy.

The hour before the 4H meeting came quickly upon us and  I realized with a fuss, that cookies were a definite must!

Oh my, oh my, what shall we do?

No other alternative but to bake, bake, bake.

We could do it, we could do it, I know, for goodness sake!

We somehow managed to bake a batch of sugar cookies & decorate them in time for the meeting.....phew!

But with this, I've finally come to the realization that I really need a better system to keep all of my family's activities and functions scheduled.  My calendar is just not cutting it!  Maybe my Droid can help me.

Our 4H club is really young with most members being of primary age,{5-8 years old} and only around eight members being over 8 years old, so sitting through the meeting portion is much more 'doable' when there's a fun activity at the end to look forward to like the cookie decorating contest we had the other night. 

It's fun to see how creative these kids can be!

By the way, Bryce's cookie is the snowman in the lower right hand corner.

It was too tough for the judges to decide on winners so everyone walked away with some sort of prize for participation.

What scheduling system do you use to keep on track?  I need some help!


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