Fantasy Fudge

This is a must have for the holidays! Enjoy!! -Laurel

3 c. sugar
1 1/2 sticks butter
1-5 oz. evaporated milk
 Boil 4-5 min. Add 1-2 oz. chocolate chips and 1-7 oz of mashmallow cream, add nuts.

Pasta Momma

I was watching the Food Network and all the superstars were telling everyone what the Best Thing They Ever Ate was. This one jumped out at me and I had to recreate it. It is so easy and a new breakfast item.~BJ

Pasta Momma
recipe created by BarbaraJo

1 box of spaghetti
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese or Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. basil
2 TBS. olive oil
1 TBS butter
8 eggs
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder

In a bowl whisk the eggs, milk, garlic, basil, cheese and salt and pepper. Boil pasta as per instructions. Drain and place in a hot skillet with butter and oil. Add the egg mixture to the pasta. Stir around until eggs are cooked and cheese is melted. Serve Hot.

Popcorn Balls

Picture from Paula Deen

These are so good. Tori had a class Christmas party today so I whipped up a batch of Popcorn Balls. What child wouldn't want a popcorn ball?! These one's are from Grandma Matheny's vault and are to-die-for. ~BJ

Popcorn Balls
recipe by Grandma Matheny

2 cups sugar
2 TBS vinegar
1 cup water
1 cup Molasses

cook in a heavy sauce pan for 10 minutes (softball stage).

Add:
2 sticks of butter

cook for another 10-15 minutes (medium hardball stage). I use a glass of ice water and drop some of the mixture into the water to test the consistency of the sauce. Once it forms into solid drops and is still chewy when you take it out of the water, it is done.

Pop 2 bags of popcorn.

I poured out the popcorn onto a cookie sheet and then poured the liquid on top of the popcorn. Then gently form into balls and wrap in plastic wrap or serve. 

*Tip- let the mixture cool before sticking your hands into the popcorn or you could get burned. 
Makes about 15 balls.

Whipped Shortbread Cookies

Easy recipe and they are highly addictive. -Laurel

4 sticks of butter
1 c powdered sugar
3 c flour
1 tsp almond extract
Beat the butter add the powdered sugar and flour. Whip it for 10-15 minutes till it's light and fluffy. Drop on a un greased cookie sheet and bake at 275 for 10-15 minutes. Add a butter cream frosting.

Rolo Turtles

Yay! These are super easy and make great Christmas presents! -Louisa

All you need to do is get a bag of pretzels and lay them out on a cookie sheet (with wax paper underneath) and put Rolo candies on top. Bake for 5 minutes at 250 degrees. Take out and immediately place M&M's on top of the Rolo's. Put in refrigerator to cool if desired.

Candy Cane Kiss Cookies

Picture from Our Best Bites

My NEW love!!! Everyone loved these babies in my family. You have to make these, plate them up and share them with your neighbors for the holidays. SOOOO good! ~BJ


Candy Cane Kiss Cookies
Recipe by Our Best Bites

1/2 c. butter-flavored shortening
1/2 c. real butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
optional: 1 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 c. flour, lightly spooned into measuring cups and leveled with a knife
1/4 c. + 2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 c. dark chocolate chips
48 Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses, unwrapped

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream together softened butter, shortening, brown sugar, and white sugar for 1-2 minutes on medium-high speed or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla. Meanwhile, combine the baking powder, baking soda, salt, flour, and cocoa powder. Add to the butter/sugar mixture and mix until combined. Mix in the chocolate chips.

Drop the dough by the tablespoonful onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the centers are set but still soft. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 1-2 minutes. Top each cookie with an unwrapped Candy Cane Kiss. Allow to cool completely, long enough for the Kiss to harden. If necessary, after the cookies have cooled, they can be placed in the refrigerator or freezer to re-solidify the Kiss.

Stuffed Shells

Not my picture. Picture taken from google images. 

If any of you know my husband, you know he is probably the pickiest eater in the universe (this is not a joke). For example, He will not eat any type of fruit, I can count on one hand the types of vegetables he will eat, he rarely likes/eats chicken, no salads, no peppers/pickles/olives, he hates almost every spice in the spice cabinet etc etc. I think you get the idea. So when I say a recipe is APPROVED BY JORDAN, you know it must be good and will be liked by everyone in your household. This recipe was most definitely approved by Jordan. He ate it all! We even had a few couples over last night for dinner, and they ate it all up too. I think everyone went back for seconds and thirds until it ran out. This is a great go-to-recipe when you are short on time and you need a crowd pleaser. Serve it with salad and garlic bread and you have an amazing Italian dinner. Enjoy! --Rachel

Stuffed Shells:

1 (16 ounce) package jumbo pasta shells

2 cups large curd cottage cheese

2 cups ricotta cheese

12 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 pinch garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 (26 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce (I like Prego)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

(You could add a little chopped spinach too if you want!)

Directions

1.Cook shells according to package directions (see note below). Place in cold water to stop cooking. Drain.

2.Mix together cottage cheese,ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, eggs, garlic powder, parsley, and oregano. Put mixture into a zip lock bag and snip the end of the bag.  Pipe cheese mixture into the shells.

3.Spread 1/3 of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 15 x 10 inch pan. Place shells open side up, and close together in pan. Spread remaining sauce over top, and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

4.Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 35 minutes, or until bubbly.

**Note about cooking shells: Make sure you put lots of salt into your water when boiling and stir regularly, otherwise your shells will stick to each other and rip. I only cooked my shells 11 minutes, the were still a little hard, but remember they will cook in the oven.

Chicken Crescent Roll-Ups

There are two things I am obsessed with in the food world: buttermilk and grandma Matheny's recipes. So here is another one of granny's awesome recipes. It calls for store bought crescent rolls but I didn't feel like going to the store so I made mine with the quick and easy breadstick dough. This dish tastes great paired with a fresh fruit salad. -Christine

Chicken Crescent Roll-Ups

1 can crescent rolls

Mix together:
8 oz cream cheese
2 Tbl. butter
1/2 tsp lemon juice

Add to:
2 cups of chicken, cooked and cubed (turkey or ham is great too)
4 oz mushrooms, chopped (optional)
1 cup grated cheese

Drop by tablespoon, filling each crescent. Roll up, starting with wide end. Dip in melted butter. Roll in breadcrumbs (and chopped nuts if desired).

Bake at 375 for 15-20 mins. Serve warm.

Sauce: (note....pour over rolls right before serving)
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
*Mix and heat over medium high heat in saucepan.

Lightened Up Butterscotch Praline Bars

These are so rich and delicious! And so perfect for the holidays (now you don't have to feel so guilty about eating two of these at once!) I found this from mandasrecipecollection.blogspot.com. I don't even know this girl, but she is a great blogger who does healthy stuff....which I like. -Christine


1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 1/2 tbsp melted butter

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups quick-cooking oats

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

cooking spray

1/3 cup fat-free sweetened condensed milk

3/4 cup butterscotch morsels (found in the baking section with the chocolate chips)

dash of salt

1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped

unsweetened coconut for sprinkling on top

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the sugar, butter, vanilla and egg in a large bowl. On top, spoon in the flour, outs, 1/4 tsp salt and baking soda. Combine until a crumbly mixture forms (it helps to use a fork or your hands). Place 1/2 of the mixture in the bottom of a greased 8 x 8 inch square baking pan. Press to form a crust. In another bowl, combine the chips, sweetened condensed milk and dash of salt. Microwave for 1 minute, stirring once, or until chips are melted. Stir in walnuts. Pour mixture over the crust and spread to form an even layer. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture on top, gently pressing it into the melted chips. Sprinkle coconut on top. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Cut into 18 bars. Serves 18.