Double Butterscotch Cookies

HAPPY FRIDAY! :) Do you have big plans for the weekend? We're going up to Indiana for a few days, and we're both SO excited we can't stand it. :D We need a break. :)

So, anyway. I figured I might as well end the week with another cookie. :)

These are Double Butterscotch Cookies from Taste of Home.

Now, let me just tell you. Cookie recipes where I have to refrigerate the dough are SO not my favorites - and to have to roll them into logs?!? Yeah. I usually pass.

However, I was making these for a meeting, and others were bringing cookies, too, and I didn't want TOO much chocolate. Besides, Kenn loves butterscotch. :)

SO. I made this. And yes, I'm still awful at rolling ANYTHING round. I know how to do it in theory, but my execution is horrible. :::::sigh:::::: :D

HOWEVER. The recipe gets a YES, PLEASE! - I only baked 2 of the 3 rolls of dough for the meeting, and froze the third. It baked up just fine when I wanted to make Kenn a treat about 6 weeks later. They're crunchy and chewy, and just different enough to be special. :)

OK, my friend. I'm outta here! Have a wonderful weekend! BE BLESSED!

Peanut Butter Cheesecake

Happy Wednesday!!!

It's absolutely beautiful here in Middle Tennessee; I can't tell you how nice it's been the last couple of days. Ahhh, FALL. The trees are starting to show those tinges of color change, and there are leaf falls happening when the wind blows. :)

Today's post is a recipe review for Peanut Butter Cheesecake from Taste of Home.

This is good. It's VERY rich, decadent and creamy. But I just wasn't knocked out. If I'm going to burn these kinds of calories, I want it to be something that I will close my eyes and groan over. This didn't really do that for me. I think it might have been all the textures in it. I like my cheesecake mostly creamy, I think. This had chunks! :D

So, I'm going to say NO, THANKS - but it's all because of my personal taste. If you try it, let me know what you think!

Have a wonderful day! Be BLESSED!

Cherry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

Happy Friday!!!! How has your week been? Can you believe it's the last Friday of January already?!?!? One-twelfth of the year is GONE almost! :D Time does fly - faster the older I get. :D

So, this is the last review from what I served Saturday for my hostess club Stampin' Up! get-together. It's a cherry cream cheese coffee cake from - guess who! - Taste of Home. :D

OK. I did three tweaks, one kinda big and the other two are tiny. :) The big one is I didn't use almond extract in the crust, I used vanilla. I just don't particularly care for almond extract - I don't use it in my sugar cookies or icings, and just don't tend to use it, period. I know that lots of people think the cherry and almond go together, but to my palate, the almond extract is overpowering. So there. :D

The two little ones are that I used Splenda-sweetened cherry pie filling, and the almonds I used were sliced, not slivered. :D Oooooh. LOL

This is definitely a YES, PLEASE! It's not too sweet - there's a total of a cup of sugar in the whole thing! - so it's really nice for a breakfast treat. It didn't take as long to make as I thought, either. The crust part IS very sticky, however; I tried spreading it into the springform with my hands, and ended up deciding that an offset spatula was going to be my best friend with this one. :D

I'm kind of wondering why this wouldn't work in a 13x9 if you don't have a springform. It might not come out as "pretty" when you slice it, but I couldn't get it off the bottom of the springform as a whole, either. Also, I might use my largest springform pan the next time I make this, and maybe double the fillings. It's a lot of crust - but it's GOOD. I just tend to like filling better. :D I also think I'll try blueberry instead of cherry - or maybe half and half!

I know this was a hit! I also know I'm going to make this on the beach as a keep-in-the-fridge, go-to quick breakfast when we have guests. So, if you make it, let me know what you think! :)

Have a WONDERFUL weekend! Try something new! :) Be BLESSED!

Lemon Lover's Cookies

It's WEDNESDAY! :D Are you having a good week?

Today's review is for another Taste of Home recipe, this time for Lemon Lover's Cookies.

Yes, they're very, very lemony. And if that were all that was required of a good cookie recipe, then I'd give this one a different review! :D I'm saying NO, THANK YOU to these cookies.

Why? Because they broke if you looked at them the wrong way! They shattered coming off the cookie sheet; they crumpled when you moved them - and heaven forbid you should try to pick one up to frost it!

No, the taste was good, but it wasn't worth the frustration and waste. I broke about a fifth of the number of cookies I made. Yes, it was that bad! (Can you tell I was frustrated? I made these for my cookie exchange on the 21st of last month, and it's still irking me. LOL!)

OK, I'm outta here! Have a WONDERFUL day, and let me know if you're trying something new! Be BLESSED!

Colossal Caramel Apple Trifle

It's FRIDAY!!!! :D Have you had a good week? Did you get everything done that you wanted? Do you have big plans to relax this weekend, or anything FUN!??! :D We're wrapping up our show this weekend - it seems our weekends are busier than most of our weekdays.... :D

Anyway! Today's recipe is yet another TASTE OF HOME recipe, this time for Colossal Caramel Apple Trifle. And for another recipe for basic crepes from allrecipes.com. That one's for my own idea, which you'll get for FREE! :D

First, let me say: when the original recipe says, "Colossal", that is what it means!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's made for church potlucks, and it would feed fifty people!

We got the ingredients to make the WHOLE thing, then I spent some time studying the recipe.

First modification: we didn't want to make it in a big trifle bowl - let alone a punch bowl! - because we need portion control around here. So I decided to make them in individual trifle bowls.

For the cake layers, I made a yellow cake in a jelly roll pan; when I was ready to assemble the trifle, I used one of the trifle dishes to cut out the cake circles, and then even cut them in half lengthwise - it was a lot of cake for those dishes! We used sugar-free pudding, and lower-sugar apple pie filling.

Because we were using the individual trifle dishes, I could only fit one layering of the trifle in. But that was enough!

This is not a light, fluffy dessert, people. It's very filling - and very good! And very, very sweet. I'm keeping this recipe, but in a "good recipe to have" file, not my favorites. I can't imagine making this for anything BUT a ptch-in again, and even then, I'd probably still half the original recipe. It's a LOT of trifle!

I had SO MUCH of the layering stuff left! I got struck with an idea, however: we do a make-your-own-crepe breakfast on Christmas Morning. (We make the crepes ahead, and just warm them up that morning.) Why not put the ingredients out, so we could make a crepe with the pudding and apples as filling?

So that's what I did - mostly so I could show you! :D I put a spoonful of the spiced pudding down on the crepe, then the apples. I didn't add the caramel, because apples already don't do nice things to my blood sugar, and I didn't need the extra problem! :) It was good - but again, VERY filling.

So, there you have it, people. I actually took the concept and created two new dishes. LOL!

Have a wonderful weekend! Try something new! And let me know you're reading this, because I'm feeling like I'm whistling in the dark. :D BE BLESSED!!!

Eggs Benedict Casserole

Good Monday Morning!

Did you have a good weekend? GOODNESS, yesterday was BUSY. I was wiped OUT when we finally got home, but I persevered and put this casserole in the fridge for today's breakfast.

And I'm glad I did. It's a definite YES, PLEASE!

It's Eggs Benedict Casserole, once again from the TASTE OF HOME website.

 I cut the recipe in half, and cooked it in a 7"x11" casserole dish; even if Mom and Dad decided to join us, that was six servings and plenty for us. Mom took a taste, but they decided to stick with their regular healthy breakfast. :D

Although, for me, this is about as healthy as it is good! One serving, according to the website's nutritional information, has only 16 grams of carbs - half of my maximum for breakfast! Hooray! :D

Putting the casserole together the night before makes this an easy, elegant breakfast - Kenn stirred the Hollandaise for me, so I didn't have to do everything. Add some fresh fruit, and this is a wonderful guest breakfast! I think it'll get served in Oregon if we have guests. :D

When I asked Kenn if he wanted me to freeze the rest - which it would, beautifully! - or leave it out, he said it was good and he'd eat some more tomorrow morning. :D It's definitely a winner! Hooray!!!!!

OK, I'm outta here. :D We're putting away Christmas stuff today, and I really, REALLY need to stamp. :D Have a WONDERFUL day! Be BLESSED!

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!

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?

Pumpkin Bars

Good Monday Morning!
Did you have a good weekend? It was absolutely STUNNING here - probably the last fall hurrah of the year. :D Low 70s, sunny - and I know some of my friends were dealing with snow. (I say "dealing"; I'd love to have snow!!!!!!)

ANYWAY. This recipe is a Taste of Home recipe; my mom actually brought home a Holiday Recipe cookbook she found at a garage sale. She's been craving something with pumpkin, and when I looked through the book I found this recipe. It's simple; I found it on their website, too, and here is the link!

As I said, it's a simple recipe. And it makes a big pan. We're going to give this a YES, PLEASE! What I did was mix up the whole batch, then cut the pan of bars in half and cooled and wrapped one half. They're in our freezer, waiting for someone to come visit. :D They were good; the frosting was good, and I *think* I cut the frosting recipe in half - and still didn't use it all. :)

OK, I'm off! Have a WONDERFUL day! Be BLESSED!!!!

Gingered Chicken Thighs

It's FRIDAY!!!! Have you had a good week? Got fun plans for this weekend? If you're in the Middle Tennessee area, come see me tomorrow night; I'm working at Lebanon's Cedar Grove Cemetery Walk!

Anyway. :) Today's recipe is another Taste of Home, for Gingered Chicken Thighs.

I have to tell you: it took me a LONG time to decide this one got a NO, THANK YOU from us. It wasn't BAD, but neither of us wanted to eat the leftovers. :)

Now, I will admit that I used lemon juice instead of orange juice, but that's not what did it for us, I don't think. The flavors were super strong, but good - at first. It just didn't sit right, and when smelling the leftovers, it was totally overwhelming. (Of course, I'm not feeling tiptop right now, anyway.... :D)

Do let me know if it intrigues you enough to try it! I'd love to know what you think. :)

OK, I'm outta here. Have a WONDERFUL weekend! BE BLESSED!!!

S'mores Muffins

Good Monday Morning! And HAPPY OCTOBER!

How was your weekend? Did it go quickly? I swear! As photographers, our weekends are booked so often; they're much more full than I usually enjoy. :D And this one was no exception - but what would I give up?!? Nothin'. :D

Today's review is of another recipe from Taste of Home, for "I Want S'more Muffins". (Yes, I still roll my eyes at that name....)

If you saw my Facebook status last week, you already know my reaction to these. It's not just a YES, PLEASE! It's a OH, MY! YES, PLEASE! :D

The recipe only makes six muffins. And in my case, that's probably an EXCELLENT thing. :D My biggest recommendation is to eat them while they're still at least slightly warm - although they're still wonderful cold.

And if you drop one while trying to tip them out of the pan, it WILL explode on the floor. All over the floor.

Ask me how I know. :D

I think the homemade marshmallow fluff did, indeed, make a difference for me. It's not all hard the next day, and it didn't all melt away. As you can see, it's definitely a s'more. Although I didn't have milk chocolate chips, so I used semisweet. :)

OK, I'm outta here. Have a WONDERFUL day! Be BLESSED!!!!