My Favorite Recipes of 2011

I love countdowns and Best of's...

I remember when I was growing up always secretly watching MTV's countdown of the best music videos of the year. MTV wasn't allowed in our house back then...and now with shows like Jersey Shore...ha ha...there's no way it would be allowed now either.

So here's my own G-rated countdown that even my mom would approve of. Yesterday I listed Your Favorite Recipes of 2011 and today are some of my favorites that may have gotten overlooked. I was pregnant most of 2011, so you were subject to my cravings and food aversions.

We did, however, share some of the same favorite recipes of 2011. For the first couple of months of my pregnancy it was hard for me to even look at food let alone actually cook anything, but I came back with a vengeance with I nearly ate this entire Peanut Butter "Cheese" Ball by myself. Then, all I wanted was something savory and this Bloomin' Onion Bread was just what I craved. Finally, the S'more Cookies, come on...who wouldn't love those.

It was so hard to choose but here are a couple more of my favorite recipes from 2011...

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes:

I tried to replicate a treat my husband had at work. We stuffed as much cookie dough into a cupcake as we could.

Creamy Sausage and Tomato Pasta:

Dinner doesn't always have to be extravagant. This is one of those meals with simple and fresh ingredients that I fell in love with.

Saltine Cracker Toffee:

Every time I make this recipe from my grandma, I almost eat the whole pan.

Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu:

WAY easier than the traditional Cordon Bleu and just as tasty. This is a comforting meal that my family loves.

Roy's Chocolate Souffle: 

This molten lava cake is from one of our favorite restaurants, Roy's. I was amazed when they actually gave me their recipe. Don't ask how many of these I've eaten...

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins:

These are one of my all-time favorite muffins. No wonder they are all over the Internet. They are perfectly moist and full of spices with a cream cheese center.

 Taco Pasta:

Here's another dinner that has made it into our regular dinner rotation. It's hard to please picky eaters and this one made my whole family happy.

                                                      Cranberry Bliss Bars:

These chewy blondies are festive and unique. This Starbucks knockoff will be on my holiday baking list every year from now on.

Slow Cooker Chicken Caesar Sandwiches:

Pregnancy proved to make me lazy or maybe just really tired. All I know is that I got some major mileage out of my crock pot this year. This was one of my favorites...

Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes:

With just a few ingredients, I was surprised how easy and good these were. If you are scared of making cheesecake, these are the fool proof way to go.

Can't wait to make some more food memories with you all next year. There are a lot of good things to look forward to in 2012!

Your Favorite Top Ten Recipes of 2011

I have a lot of favorite but these were the recipes that you guys kept coming back to in 2011. I have to say...you all have good taste!

#1 Favorite: Ham and Cheese Sliders

I'm a little surprised that these were the overall favorite from 2011. Not that they aren't good but they are actually from 2010 and they didn't involve peanut butter or chocolate which is always popular. Pinterest revived some interest in them and they are still one of my favorites that satisfy the kids and adults as well.

#2 Favorite: S'mores Cookies

Cookie dough, graham crackers, and marshmallows...these were a hit with my friends and a hit with you guys. Perfect for a summer barbecue or New Year's Eve bash.

#3 Favorite: Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

After increasing the cheesecake layer so that the crust to cheesecake ratio satisfied me, these are perfection in my eyes. Although these are also from 2010, I've made them several times this year and always get asked for the recipe.

Favorite #4: Peanut Butter "Cheese" Ball

You guys must love peanut butter and chocolate as much as I do to make this your #4 favorite. I mean you have to be serious about your peanut butter and chocolate love to indulge in this and I did - I think I ate the whole thing by myself. This was the only thing to finally fulfill my peanut butter pregnancy craving.

Favorite #5: Bloomin' Onion Bread

I haven't met many carbs that I haven't liked, but some I like more than others. This appetizer is visually appealing and HELLO, cheese and bread...yes, please.

Favorite #6: Caramel Apple Cupcakes

These cupcakes screamed fall and they blew up on Pinterest. Who knew so much goodness could come from a cake mix.

Favorite #7: Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

These were from a post way back in 2009 which explains why the photo is not that great. I first had these at a "chocolate party" at my friend Greta's house and had to have the recipe.

Favorite #8: Overnight French Toast Casserole

Sometimes simple is good, that's why I like this french toast casserole with it's classic flavor. And since I'm not a morning person the night before prep is just what I need.

     Favorite #9: Fruit Salsa

This was a summertime favorite, another one from 2010. This is always a hit at baby showers and get togethers.

Favorite #10: Cheddar Bay Biscuits

You guys like those Red Lobster biscuits as much as I do. I love these when I don't want to deal with yeast. They are cheesy, savory, and super easy.

Individual Seven-Layer Dips

We keep it pretty minimal when it comes to toys for our kids on Christmas but yet somehow I feel like there's STUFF everywhere! Anyone else feel this way? We're swimming in Legos over here and just when I think I've cleaned up the last of them, I'll step on one or one of my boys will drop their ships and Lego pieces go flying everywhere. I think my husband spent 6 straight hours on Christmas helping them build Legos.

Seven layer dip is one of my favorites. But after a few people have dipped (hopefully not double-dipped), it starts to look like mush. All the pretty layers turn into an unidentifiable, unappetizing pile. My sister told me about the idea of individual seven layer dips as a party idea. And then, of course, I spotted a vegan version of what she had told me about on Pinterest .

The great thing about seven layer dip is that you can adjust it to your personal tastes. Now, you could make these in glass tumblers too, but we are pretty casual over here so plastic tumblers are the way we roll. These would be great for watching a football game or for a New Year's party.

Individual Seven-Layer Dips

Makes about 8 individual dips

*Note: All measurements are approximate. Depending on whether you want thicker or thinner layers you will need more or less.
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans

1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning

1 cup guacamole or make homemade guacamole

1 (8 ounce) container sour cream

1 cup chunky salsa or pico de gallo; or make homemade pico de gallo

1 cup shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese

2 Roma tomatoes, diced

1/2 bunch of green onions, sliced

1 (2.25 ounce) can of sliced olives, drained

9 ounce plastic tumblers

tortilla chips

Directions:

In a small bowl mix taco seasoning with refried beans. Some people prefer to mix their taco seasoning with the sour cream layer but I wanted a bright white layer so I did it with the beans.

Here's how the layers are assembled:

Layer 1: beans and taco seasoning

Layer 2: sour cream

Layer 3: guacamole

Layer 4: salsa or pico de gallo

Layer 5: cheese

Layer 6: tomatoes

Layer 7: green onions and olives

In each plastic glass, layer about 2 Tablespoons of the beans, followed by 2 Tablespoons of sour cream, 2 Tablespoons of guacamole, 2 Tablespoons of salsa or pico de gallo, and 2 Tablespoons of cheese. Make sure you drain your salsa or pico to get the excess liquid out before you pour it on. Then top with about 1-2 teaspoons of tomatoes, olives, and green onion (If making ahead of time, wait to add these toppings until shortly before serving).

Garnish with one tortilla chip. Store in the refrigerator until serving and serve with chips. Makes around 8 individual dips.

Merry Christmas...

...from my family to yours.

(and baby Gracie - can't believe these family pics are already outdated!)

Pictures by H.A.M. Photography

Cranberry Bliss Bars

While this is the time of year all about giving, I feel in the last week and a half since I've had the baby I've been on the receiving end of everyone's generosity. I've been blessed with extremely giving (and stubborn) friends who lined up people to bring me meals even though I said I would be fine without them; friends who take my boys for playdates so that I can get in a nap and a shower; and friends who offer their gift of conversation.

Life with four kids, now I may be jinxing myself here, seems more balanced. It seems as though it was always meant to be this way...that we were just waiting for baby girl to fill this spot in our family.

These are supposedly a knock off of Starbucks' Cranberry Bliss Bars. I've never had Starbucks' version, but these were really good and oh so pretty. I've seen different versions of these all of the Internet and I opted for this one because it was supposed to be chewier and less cake-like than the other versions. It's a buttery blondie base (try not to eat all of the dough) with flecks of white chocolate and cranberries throughout. I'm not a huge lover of white chocolate but I loved these. The frosting is cream cheese and white chocolate with a hint of orange if you want. Or leave it out if you're not a fan.

Cranberry Bliss Bars
Source: RecipeGirl

Blondie Layer:

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) salted butter, cubed
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup dried cranberries
6 ounces white baking chocolate, coarsely chopped

Frosting:

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
6 ounces white baking chocolate, melted
1/2 cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon grated orange zest (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray or line with parchment paper.
2. Prepare the blondie layer: In a medium bowl, melt butter for one minute in the microwave or until melted; stir in brown sugar. Pour the butter and sugar into a large bowl and let cool to room temperature. Use an electric mixer to beat in the eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; gradually add the dry mixture to the butter mixture. Stir in the cranberries and chopped chocolate (batter will be thick).
3. Spread the blondie batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 18-21 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean (do not overbake). Cool completely on a wire rack.
4. Prepare the frosting: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar until combined. Gradually add half of the melted white chocolate; beat until blended. Frost brownies. Sprinkle with chopped cranberries. Drizzle with remaining melted white chocolate. Let the frosting set (speed this up by throwing them into the fridge) then cut into bars- square or triangle-shaped. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

North Pole Cupcakes

The plus about having a baby right before Christmas is that it left a self-procrastinator like myself, no other option but to get everything ready for Christmas beforehand. So now I'm able to relax and worry just about taking care of my baby. Don't get the wrong picture; I'm definitely not sitting on the couch eating bon bons. I feel like I'm wondering around like a zombie with no sleep and showering is definitely optional these days, but at least the frantic shopping days are behind me.

I fell in love with these cupcakes when I spotted them on Pinterest. Although, there aren't any real instructions, they were inspired from Jenny's Cookies and are fairly self-explanatory. I made these with my son and his preschool friends. They are simple and magical!

My Sweetest Recipe...

Named after my grandma Grace, in heaven...

Gracie Belle Denney

7 lbs 8 ounces

Made with love and cooked to perfection...

Eggnog Cookies and the night before baby

I think I'm ready. As ready as you can be. I've have my pre-baby pedicure, my hair done, my other kids stuff in order...and it looks like someone threw up blush and bashful all over my nursery. Mission accomplished.

I should be sleeping right now before my 4:45 am check-in at the hospital tomorrow but I figured the chances of me actually being able to sleep tonight are pretty slim. Anxiety has taken over. I have to keep telling myself people have babies all the time. Please just tell me everything will be okay.

Take a look at this pink cluster in the corner of baby girl's room. I became a little obsessed trying to recreate it ever since I saw it spotted on Pottery Barn's website.

Every time I look at it, I'm reminded why I never do crafts; a) I'm not good at them. b) Anything craft that should take one hour, takes me five.

I made the fabric pom poms myself and then my husband and I spent hours last night trying to hang it all up so it looked pretty. Three hours of my life I will never have back.

These eggnog cookies are great if you like eggnog. My husband chugs the stuff. Being a little more calorie conscious, I can't bring myself to drink more than a sip. Which is a little ironic since I ate about 10 of these cookies. These cookies are festive, soft, and taste like eggnog.

Eggnog Cookies

Source: Cookie Madness

2 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup salted butter, room temp
1/2 cup eggnog
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon nutmeg for sprinkling (optional)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg; mix well with a wire whisk and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter with an electric mixer. Add eggnog, vanilla and egg yolks and beat at medium speed until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed just until combined.
Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased baking sheets, 1″ apart.  Bake for 21-24 minutes or until bottoms turn light brown.

Transfer to cool, flat surface immediately with spatula. Makes about 36 cookies.

Eggnog Icing
3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup softened butter
1/2 cup eggnog (might need more or less)

In small mixer bowl, beat the powdered sugar and butter until well blended. Gradually beat in eggnog until icing is smooth and the desired consistency. You may need less or more depending on the consistency you like. Sprinkle lightly with nutmeg after you ice the cookies. I used a sifter/strainer to gently sprinkle nutmeg on top. A little goes a long way when it comes to nutmeg. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Phat Cow Fudge

The TaiSlim giveaway is still going on until Friday so don't forget to enter.

PHAT: Pretty-Hot-And-Tempting. A much nicer alternative to FAT.

As I've said before, probably the question I get asked most frequently is "How are you not 500 pounds with everything that make on your blog?"

I love food. I've always loved food. And even when I'm eating really healthy I always treat myself to some chocolate...everyday. The majority of the time, we eat really healthy in my house. Of course I have times when I fall off the wagon hard, but that's okay...and normal.

Food and I have a really good relationship. Growing up, I may have had times where I was "curvier" and I would complain to my mom and she would always say, "Oh honey, you look great." I love that about her. We always ate healthy in my house and were active. So I think since we had that foundation, she knew I would be okay in the long run and it wasn't worth stressing over.

As I am reaching the end of this pregnancy, the pure logistics of how my body is stretching and expanding is really quite amazing. My belly button feels like it's 3 feet in front of me. I know pregnancy is supposed to be beautiful but my body has reached it's capacity and some moments I feel like a freak of nature waddling around. One thing that helps is that my husband looks at me with the same eyes whether I'm 10 pounds or 400 pounds. I love that about him.

So I thought this Phat Cow Fudge was fitting for the occasion. Sometimes I feel fat and sometimes I feel "phat", depending on which hormone is winning at the moment. This could also be named Rocky Road Fudge since essentially that's what it is but Phat Cow Fudge is way more fun. This fudge is creamy, easy, and requires no candy thermometer which is a plus. I like to switch up my Christmas  plates with more than just cookies; fudge adds something nice to the mix. Especially this fudge. Since it's some of the best I've had.

Make sure you remember to freeze your marshmallows so that they don't melt when you stir them in. This recipe makes a ton! Perfect for Christmas plates, not perfect if you are making this just for yourself. Feel free to cut the recipe in half.

Phat Cow Fudge

Source: Eat Cake For Dinner

20 ounces Hershey's® milk chocolate bars, broken into pieces.

1(12 ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, cut into pieces

4 cups sugar

1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk

2 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

4 cups frozen mini marshmallows

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups walnuts or pecans, chopped

*Place four cups of mini marshmallows into the freezer until frozen. 

In a large bowl, place broken milk chocolate bars, chocolate chips and butter pieces; set aside. In a large pan, combine sugar, evaporated milk and 2 1/2 cups mini marshmallows. Bring to a boil over medium heat while stirring constantly, then, continue to cook and stir at a light boil for 7 minutes. 

Remove from heat and immediately pour over the chocolate/butter mixture. With a wooden spoon, stir the mixture until the chocolate is melted and loses its shine. Don't worry if it looks separated, just keep stirring. As it starts to cool it will lose its shine. Stir in the vanilla. Add the frozen marshmallows and walnuts/pecans. Spread into a large buttered cookie sheet (for a full batch I used two 9x13 baking dishes).

Cool completely. You can speed this up by putting it in the refrigerator. Cut into pieces and serve. Store in an airtight plastic container. Makes about 60-70 pieces.

TaiSlim and a Giveaway

***********Giveaway is Closed************

I can't believe I'm having this baby in a week! I'm already starting to think about the battle of losing the baby weight. My oldest brother Keith has been really successful using TaiSlim and I'm definitely going to have to try it out once I have this baby since it targets the mid-section and is safe while nursing.

Today Keith is giving away some introductory Tai Slim product to a lucky one of you. For those of you who would like to learn more about TaiSlim and to enter the giveaway, just leave a comment with your name and email so that you can be contacted with more information. The giveaway will end Friday, December 9th at 8pm, EST. Here's Keith's story...

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

I lost my driver’s license and when I got my new one I was wishing I had lost it again. I was out of control with poor eating habits, lack of exercise, and stress. The picture said it all. I also fudged a little on my weight, I was actually 223 lbs “large and in charge”, but not really.

The picture was painful enough to make me consider I needed to change. I was taking five different prescription drugs for high blood pressure, depression, sleep aids, etc. My personal relationships were being affected. I knew it was time for a change.

I found a product called TaiSlim which has been the catalyst to reduce my desire for food, gave me more energy, and scientifically proven to remove fat from my mid section. The clinical studies prove when using the TaiSlim products I will lose 4X the weight and 6X the fat over diet and exercise alone. That is what happened to me. I feel awesome without feeling hungry or deprived.

In the last 2 months I have lost 20 lbs, but most important and incredible is I took 4” off my waistline. I have eliminated three of the five prescription drugs and anticipate being off all of them soon. I still have  few more pounds to lose. What I love the most is that if I want to I can still enjoy the recipes from "The Girl Who Ate Everything".

The season is upon us, be different, be unique, give the gift of a lifetime to a loved one or to yourself, it will change your life, it will free your life.

Learn more at:

http://www.keithlarson.taislim.com/

or email me at kglarson.az@gmail.com with any questions.

White Chocolate Cherry Almond Shortbread Cookies

Make sure to check out the winner of the Fast Easy Bread Kit on the Giveaway page:

December 1st around our house means it's time to bust out the Christmas decorations and our Elf on The Shelf, Jack. If you don't have an Elf, I highly recommend it. He generates loads of good behavior from your kids and has the power to make them do almost anything since he reports their behavior back to Santa. My husband even jimmy rigged some fishing line across our ceiling so Jack spontaneously flies across our ceiling every once in a while which gets the kids in a frenzy.

December 1st also means I start thinking what cookie to make for cookie exchanges or for neighbor treat plates. I always stress over making the perfect cookie. The recipe has to be festive, taste awesome, easy, unique, and make a lot of cookies. I spotted these cookies on Pinterest and they seemed to fit the bill. Cherry and almond mixed together - which is one of my favorite flavor combinations. I added more cherry liquid and almond extract to bump up the flavor because that's how we do it around here.

It's a shortbread cookie which means the dough is super dry. Don't be worried. This is normal. It should look like this:

It will all come together when you knead it into a ball. Look at those beautiful chunks of white chocolate and cherries.

Then you make really small balls and flatten them with the bottom of a glass.

Dip them in melted white chocolate and sprinkles and you're done!

White Chocolate Cherry Almond Shortbread Cookies

Source: adapted from BHG

1/2 cup maraschino cherries, drained and finely chopped (reserve 2 Tablespoons of liquid from cherries)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup cold butter
12 ounces white chocolate baking squares with cocoa butter, finely chopped
2 teaspoons almond extract
2 drops red food coloring 
2 teaspoons shortening
White nonpareils, sprinkles, and/or red edible glitter (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spread cherries on paper towels to drain well reserving 2 Tablespoons of cherry liquid for later.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar. Using a pastry blender (or 2 forks), cut in the butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. You could also use a food processor here or use your Kitchen Aid Mixer. Stir in drained and chopped cherries and 4 ounces (2/3 cup) of the chopped white chocolate. Stir in the 2 Tablespoons reserved cherry liquid, almond extract, and food coloring. Mixture will be very dry and look like crumbs. Don't worry. That's normal. Using your hands, knead mixture until it forms a smooth ball.

3. Shape dough into 3/4-inch balls. The cookies do not spread much so make sure your balls are well formed. Having slightly damp hands helps here. Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Using the bottom of a drinking glass dipped in sugar, flatten balls to 1-1/2-inch rounds.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until centers are set. Do not overbake! Cool for 1 minute on cookie sheet. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool.

5. In a small saucepan, combine remaining 8 ounces white chocolate and the shortening. Cook and stir over low heat until melted. You could also do this in the microwave, melting in 30 second intervals stirring in between. Dip half of each cookie into chocolate, allowing excess to drip off. If desired, roll dipped edge in sprinkles and/or edible glitter. Place cookies on waxed paper until chocolate is set. Makes about 48 cookies.

Storage: Layer cookies between waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.