You asked for it! Lemon Fudge

Good afternoon! Did you have a good New Year's celebration? We went and spend a couple of hours with friends, then came home. Kenn was in bed and I was on the computer when the new year came. Big, fat, hairy deal, as my homey, Garfield the Cat, would say. :D

ANYWAY. I have had SO many requests for this fudge that I decided I'd better post it. There is no link; I found it in one of TASTE OF HOME®'s many holiday books, CHRISTMAS COOKIES & CANDIES. (There are LOADS of these books, in all shapes and sizes!) As with any cookbook, some are wonderful recipes, and some not-so-much. :D This one, however, is a definite winner. I've been making it for several years now. The first year, I wasn't sure how "thick" it had to get, so it was a bit runny. Now that I know it means THICK, it comes out perfectly. :D

Here's the recipe, ALL credit to TASTE OF HOME.

Lemon Fudge
1-1/2 teaspoon + 1/2 cup butter, divided
1 package cook & serve lemon pudding mix (4-serving package)
1/2 cup milk
3-3/4 cups confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon lemon extract

Line a 9" pan with foil. Grease the foil with the 1-1/2 teaspoons of butter; set aside.

In a large heavy saucepan, combine the pudding mix, milk, and remaining butter. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat; beat in confectioner's sugar and extract. Pour/spread into prepared pan; refrigerate until set.

Makes 1-1/2 pounds

That's how I wrote down the recipe, and how I do it. I don't THINK I changed anything when I wrote it into my book.... :D

Seriously. Make this fudge. It's a beautiful taste on a candy tray, not to mention a great color. Make it for Easter, even! You're going to be asked for the recipe, I can almost guarantee. :D I find that men, especially, love this fudge - but this year, everyone is raving about it. It's funny how it changes from year to year, what people eat the most of! :D

Have a WONDERFUL day! Be blessed, my friend!

Italian Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Potatoes & Onions

HAPPY NEW YEAR'S EVE!!!!!! Have you enjoyed your holiday season? Are you really stressed during the Christmas season? Wish you had it more together? Well, I recommend my friend Krisann, the Christmas coach, and our site at ChristmasOrganizing.com if you need help. Seriously - I've been working with her for 10 years, and she has so much to offer you!

ANYWAY. :D Today's recipe is one my sister found at Pillsbury, for Italian Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Potatoes & Onions.

I fixed this for dinner one night when she had to work a little later than normal; she'd already gotten the ingredients, and had the recipe on her computer. So I followed the recipe - although I didn't MEASURE anything, I stuck to the recipe. I wasn't sure how I'd like the sweet potatoes with the Italian herbs, but decided I did like them.

The pork was really good, too - I played with the time a bit, because I started it too high, but it turned out perfectly. ;D I'm blessed that way sometimes! LOL! I'm going to give this a YES, PLEASE! for its ease and pleasing flavor in a short time. Not a lot of prep work, either, which I am beginning to really appreciate. :D Thanks, Kelli! :)

OK, I'm outta here. The year is ending just as crazily as it began! :) Happy New Year, dear friends. Thank you for being on this adventure with me!

Candy Cane Kiss Brownies

Good Friday Morning! I don't know where you are; here in middle Tennessee, it's a brisk 31 degrees with a wind chill that's making it feel like 21! Today's not supposed to get very warm, which is OK with me. :D Now, if I could just get a LITTLE snow. (I know some places have been hammered with a blizzard; I used to enjoy them, if we didn't lose electricity!) Please stay safe and warm as you finish your Christmas preparations!

Now, then. On to today's recipe review, for these Candy Cane Kiss Brownies from Bake it in a Cake.

I made these while I was visiting in Texas. The first time, my sister was hosting a Stampin' Up! party for me, and we were going to serve these - but no papers to line the mini muffin cups. Rule number 1: USE PAPERS. The Kiss has some type of ingredient that caused it or the area immediately around it - not sure which! - to really harden. The bottoms STUCK to the tin. So, I created a trifle with one brownie crumbled up, then a layer of cool whip, another brownie, more cool whip, a drizzle of chocolate syrup, and a Kiss on top. Everyone loved them! (My sister loves mint and chocolate. :D )

Well, I couldn't let this go; I had to try and get a true reviewable brownie. :D So I went to Walmart and picked up more Kisses and mini muffin papers. Monday, I got to work!

My only revision was a big one: I used a brownie mix to simplify everything. I was in an unfamiliar kitchen with limited time - I didn't have a lot of time to explore their kitchen while Naomi and I were together! Brownie mix was the way to go. And I did use the peppermint extract in the frosting.

So. With that said, I'm going to say this is a YES, PLEASE! recipe, although I'm not sure I'd put the Kiss inside the brownie again. It got too hard. I will probably make the recipe exactly as written once before I make that final call. The frosting is straight buttercream; I loved it! BIG punch of peppermint! If you're looking for chocolate with a hint of peppermint, do NOT use the peppermint extract in your frosting! It definitely takes it to being peppermint with a hint of chocolate - but it was something I definitely enjoyed. I crushed some mints, too, and used the chunks/sugar to decorate the tops of the frosted brownies.

Wow. I'm kinda wordy today! :D I also want to share my beautiful niece with you; I didn't do it often enough. She loves to kick, so she gets to lie on the changing table and do so whenever the adult-in-charge decides. :D She doesn't smile for the camera; she knows she's going to get a flash in her face. :D But I caught this one!!

Have a WONDERFUL day! Be safe out there, if you still have shopping to do. And please, enjoy each moment. Be blessed!

Coconut Clouds

Have you missed me?!?! :D I know, I disappeared - but MY GOODNESS, taking care of a little one made me pretty brain-dead. But I'm home, and eager to share with you!

Today's recipe is for Coconut Clouds - another Taste of Home recipe.

This was the first time I decided to try these cookies, for the open house.

It will not be the last. :D They got a definite YES, PLEASE! from many people, including my sister, Debbi. :D (My youngest nephew, N., thought they should make all the good things in the photo I last posted. After all, they had all the ingredients, right? :D How fortuitous that Grandma and Grandpa were coming to visit in a few days! :D )

This is my dad. He and Mom are wonderful to help me with any project I care to beg - er, ASK! - for help with. :D Here he is, frosting the Coconut Clouds for me. :D

I did not change a THING with this cookie. The cookie itself is delightfully cake-y, and very nice alone. However, the coconut frosting and the toasted coconut on top definitely make this cookie something special. It is COMPLETELY coconut-tasting. If you don't like coconut as a flavor all alone, don't make this cookie. If you do, you MUST make it. :D

OK, I'm outta here. Kenn and I are going to spend the rest of the day together; I was gone a LONG time. It will be nice to be with him, then our church family later tonight. And tomorrow is our cookie exchange! I'm trying three all-new recipes, so be on the lookout! :)

Are you ready for Christmas?

Goodness!

Wow, what a whirlwind few days. I'm now in College Station for two weeks, taking care of my newest niece. Today is the day we're really getting to know each other; it's interesting, to say the least. :D She's just about 3-1/2 months old. Isn't she beautiful?

Today's not going to have a recipe or a review. I'm just going to show you an overview of the sweets table; I don't think I ever got a shot of the hot station. Trust me when I say there was enough food for an army - we officially had 114 sign in, but I'm pretty sure there were a few more people. :)

That's it for now; Naomi's not feeling well, so I'm on standby. She's fussing herself either awake or asleep; I'm not quite sure which. :)
Have a wonderful day!

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Happy Monday Morning! I'm on my way to Texas this morning; stay tuned for updates on how the open house went. (I'm setting this up to show up, so you can have some entertainment while I'm traveling. :D )

Today's TNT recipe is for Peanut Butter Blossoms, from my Hershey's Cookbook. But again, Hershey's has put their recipes online, too! :D

I don't think I ever tweak this one! It's wonderful. And putting chocolate with peanut butter made Kenn start eating PB cookies. ;D

OK, I'm gone. Literally. HA! (I crack myself up!) Have a WONDERFUL day! Be BLESSED!!

Toffee-Pumpkin Pie Bars

It's FRIDAY! :) Welcome to the weekend.

Today's share is a recipe I found in a Christmas Cookies booklet; lucky for both you and me that Better Homes & Gardens puts their recipes online, too! :D

It's called Toffee-Pumpkin Pie Bars, and this is what I made instead of pumpkin pie for our family celebration last Thursday.

I'm going to give this a YES, PLEASE! It was a really nice change of pace; it tastes a lot like pumpkin pie without ALL the pumpkin or fuss. :D I really liked the gingersnap crumb crust.

I didn't tweak it at all. We didn't use the optional caramel topping - TOO much sweetness! We DID use French Vanilla Cool Whip - and did it taste decadent. :D

OK, I'm off! This weekend, open house craziness. Phew. :D Have a WONDERFUL weekend!!! Try something new, and let me know about it!!! :)