Neighbor Christmas Gifts

The holidays are just a few days away and I wanted to share with you my two favorite dessert recipes.

I decided to make friend/neighbor gifts out of these and here is what I did and the recipes as well.

The first one I made was these delicious Oreo Stuffed Brownies,

recipe here and I got plastic bags at Hobby Lobby and cute Christmas twine there as well.

Stack them on top of each other and they make a beautiful gift!

Oreo Stuffed Brownie Christmas Gifts

The other treat I wanted to share with my friends was this Buttermilk Banana Bread that just makes me SWOON.

The recipe is here.

I wrapped them up in wax paper and used the same string to tie the ends.

I printed off some free printables found here.

BUTTERMILK BANANA BREAD

I hope you, your friends, and neighbors all enjoy.....I know mine sure did!

Buttermilk Banana Bread

Buttermilk Banana Bread

I have such a HUGE love of bananas and I thought it was weird how I could love bananas in everything from oatmeal, to smoothies, ice cream, and pancakes, but I have never LOVED a single banana bread recipe I've ever made. I was thinking for a few years there that I just didn't like banana bread, but lo and behold....it was just that I had never found the RIGHT recipe.

Well, this one blew my socks off and I have already made it 3 times in the month of December.

Yeah...it's THAT good.

This banana bread makes me SWOON.

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 cup mashed bananas (I use about 3 average sized bananas)

4 tablespoons buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 3/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

Grease and flour 1 large loaf pan (9 1/4 X 5 1/4-inch) or mini loaf pans.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together. 

Add eggs, bananas, buttermilk and vanilla until the batter is well mixed. 

Add in the flour, baking powder, salt and soda. 

Mix until well combined. 

Divide batter into greased and floured bread pans and 

bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes (if using 1 large loaf pan) 

or 35 minutes for mini loaves and until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cut it up and rejoice over the deliciousness that you just created!

 

 Recipe Source: Melskitchencafe.com

Beef Tamale Bake

Beef tamale bake

I really enjoyed this recipe because I love the combination of peppers, beans, corn, and meat. It reminded me of a tex mex dish. 

Cornmeal toppings:

1 cup yellow cornmeal

½ tsp salt

4 cups water

Other ingredients:

 1 pound lean ground beef

1 cup chopped yellow onion

½ cup chopped green bell pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

1 Tbsp chili powder

½ tsp dried oregano

¾ tsp salt

Fresh pepper

1 can (14.5 oz) crushed tomatoes in thick puree

1 can (16 oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups corn kernels (fresh, frozen & thawed, or canned & drained)

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

To Make:

Preheat oven to 350 F. 

Make the cornmeal topping: In a saucepan over medium heat, mix all ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cook stirring until thickened, about 5 minutes.

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook beef, onion, bell pepper, and garlic breaking up the meat with a spoon, until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. 

Stir in the seasonings, tomatoes, beans, and corn and simmer 5 minutes.

In a 9X13 inch baking dish, lightly coated with cooking spray or oil, place meat and vegetable mixture.

 Spread cornmeal topping over the mixture and sprinkle with cheese.

Bake, uncovered, until bubbly and cheese is melted, about 30 minutes. 

Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe Source: The big book of casseroles by Maryana Vollstedt

Cider Glazed Chicken

Cider Glazed Chicken

We have had an abundance of cider in our house this month and I found this recipe that gives a basic chicken dish some great flavor and a different idea for dinner!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter, divided

1 pound chicken breast cutlets (about 4 cutlets)

3/4 teaspoon salt, divided

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup refrigerated apple cider

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Preparation

Melt 1 teaspoon butter in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. 

Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan. 

Add cider and mustard to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; cook 2 to 3 minutes or until syrupy. Add chicken to pan, turning to coat. Remove from heat; set aside.

Source: My Recipes.com

Corn Chowder

Corn Chowder

I've made many various types of corn chowder, but I've still been on the hunt for one with exceptional flavor. I am thrilled that I have finally found the recipe, and of course it is from Pioneer Woman, my cooking inspiration!

I made this up and the husband loved it and raved, which is big for a soup because he usually doesn't mind them much ( I think it was the chipotle peppers that did it!) I also brought some over to a friend and although they are not soup lovers themselves, they raved too.

I'm confident that this is my new go to corn chowder recipe!

You will need:

5 ears corn, shucked

2 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 medium yellow onion, diced

2 -3 chipotle peppers (in adobo sauce, finely diced)

4 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

4 ounces green chilies, diced

3 tablespoons cornmeal

salt

corn tortilla, for serving

Directions:

Slice the kernels off the corn cob.

Cut bacon into 1 inch pieces and cook in large pot over medium heat until the fat begins to render, about 2 minutes.

Add the diced onion to the pot and cook it until the onion is translucent and the bacon is cooked but still chewy, about 5 minutes.

Throw in the corn kernels and stir.

Mince chipotle peppers and stir them into the corn. Continue cooking for about 3 minutes.

Pour in the low sodium chicken broth followed by a splash of heavy cream.

Stir to combine.

Add the green chilies.

Let the soup simmer for 25 to 30 minutes.

Mix the cornmeal with 1/4 cup water and stir together.

Stir the mixture into the soup and simmer for another 10 minutes, or until thickened.

Taste and add salt if needed.

Serve in bowls with warm corn tortillas on the side.

 I paired ours with rolls and a green salad and it was perfect!

Source: The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from my Frontier by Ree Drummond

Cowboy Quiche

I have always loved the look of quiche, 

but I have never made one before!

I found a recipe from the Pioneer Woman and I changed it up a bit and it was a HUGE hit!

I am now adding this into our repertoire!

Ingredients

1 whole Unbaked Pie Crust (enough For A Deep Dish Pan)

2 whole Yellow Onions, Sliced

2 Tablespoons Butter

8 slices Bacon

1 bunch asparagus

8 whole Large Eggs

1-1/2 cup Heavy Cream Or Half-and-Half

 Salt And Pepper, to taste

2 cups Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Preparation Instructions

Fry the onions in the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat for at least 15 to 20 minutes (maybe longer), stirring occasionally, until the onions are deep golden brown. Set aside to cool.

Fry the bacon until chewy. Chop into large bite-sized pieces and set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Roll out the pie crust and press it into a large fluted deep tart pan (or a deep dish pie pan).

Chop the asparagus into 1 inch pieces.

Whip the eggs, cream, salt and pepper in a large bowl, then mix in the onions, bacon, asparagus and cheese. Pour the mixture into the pie crust.

Place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet, cover lightly with aluminum foil, and bake it for about 40 to 45 minutes. 

Remove the foil and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the quiche is set and the crust is golden brown. (The quiche will still seem slightly loose, but will continue to set once remove from the oven.)

Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes. If using a tart pan, remove the quiche from the pan, cut into slices with a sharp serrated knife, and serve!

Source: Pioneer Woman

Quote Friday

Your toddler will do what they need to do,

and not necessarily what you say.

If you're patient, 

then they will be patient.

If you speak gently, then they will be gentle.

Whatever you want them to be,

you have to start becoming.

Quote Friday

A mother holds her children's hands for awhile,

but their hearts forever.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies 

I am such a fan of pumpkin cookies and I really liked this recipe because it is super simple. 

You will need:

1 box spice cake mix

1 small can pumpkin

1/2 bag chocolate chips

can of cream cheese frosting

To Make:

Mix together (it's going to seem dry at first, but keep stirring, it will come together.)

Then when all mixed up, drop by heaping Tablespoons onto a greased cookie sheet and bake at 375 F degrees for 15 minutes. 

Cool them on a rack and when cooled then drop a spoonful of frosting on top. 

Strawberry Sheet Cake

Strawberry Sheet Cake

How cute is a pink cake?

I made this recipe for a family gathering and it was such a hit!

Every single person wanted some, the kids because it was pink and the adults because it was made from real strawberries.

Tip: To make the sweetened strawberries, just grab a large pinch of sugar and pour it on top of the strawberries.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups self-rising flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 cup milk
• ¼ cup sweetened strawberries, mashed 
• (sprinkle a large pinch of sugar on strawberries)
• 1 small box dry strawberry jello
• 
  

Strawberry Icing:

• ½ stick butter or margarine, softened
• 3-4 cups powdered sugar
• ¼ cup sweetened strawberries, mashed

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients and pour into greased 9x13 pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

                                While the cake is baking, make the icing.
                Mix together all icing ingredients until smooth – may need to add more powdered                  sugar or strawberries for a spreading consistency. Mix well first before you add                                               extra sugar or strawberries.

                                      Once the cake is cool, spread the icing on the cake.
                         Store the cake in refrigerator; it's best when it's chilled for at least 2 hours.

Recipe Source: farmflavor.com