CUPCAKES...

Aren't they adorable? I love to see food displayed in antique things like this! ... Scrumptious too!

Cranberry Orange Coconut Sugar Cookie

It was a night in which I wanted something sweet... tardy... and with a sugar cookie batter... so I rummaged through the cabinet .. found some dried cranberries, coconut, white chocolate chips... I went with it. ... well except for the white chocolate chips.. I am invision macadamia nut cookies with those!

I made my sugar cookie batter... just the normal batter (use a bag if you have to), then I added 1 Teaspoon of Orange extract, 6 oz of dried cranberries & about 1/2 c. of coconut. I was going to zest orange instead of extract, convincing the kids to eat an orange wasn't happening at 9 pm last night. Oh well. I made little balls about 1 inch, with a teaspoon, and baked. 7- 9 minutes in a 350 oven.  DELISH!!!

Even my daughter who doesn't like Coconut, ate them! WAHOO!!!!

Chicken Noodle Soup

It has been so bitter cold, that my only thought for food was SOUP... and lots of it. I had about 3 chicken breasts in the fridge that I hoped (fingers crossed) would fair well for a pot of soup.. even if it lasted for only one meal! 

So I survey the veggie line up find a few carrots, and some celery that if not eaten will have to be smeared with PB shortly or its life will have expired.  I know I have some garlic (fresh) and I hope I have some sort of noodle in the cabinet. 

So I am off with the food processor.. amazed how fast the carrots are done, I put the chicken in a pot to start to boil. I lightly salt and pepper the chicken, while I cook get the garlic peeled and then minced. Once the chicken is par boiled, I remove from the pot, and debone. I put some light oil in a pan, with the garlic & chicken  until the garlic is slightly browned. Remove the garlic, chicken from pan & put back in the pot of stock, add alittle water and continue to boil. I chopped up the celery and when the chicken, broth & garlic had boiled for about 15 minutes, I added the celery, carrots for just 5- 6 minutes.  I got the egg noodles boiled up in a seperate pot, since I will allow this to sit overnight and I do not want the noodles to get gross - I keep them separate. 

Once noodles are done. Add them to a bowl. Add chicken on top and  Chicken Noodle Soup is being served....

Clean Chicken Noodle Soup

YUMMY- DELICIOUS!

Banana Nut Bread

My co workers are spoiled... just as much as my kids when it comes to the "baking away the winter blues"... I make little loaves of bread - all types - I either freeze them or bring them to work, and let them criticize me or fluff my ego.

I would love to say its my Gramma's recipe - but I do not recall my Gram ever making Banana Nut Bread. If there are two bananas left and are getting ugly, I pop them in the freezer or bake them up. Its such a yummy comfort wintry food at my house. The kids love it. I often add flax seed or wheat germ to the mix.

Here is my version, off my really greased up post card.

Ingredients

• 2 or 3 ripe bananas, smashed
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 cup sugar (can easily reduce to 3/4 cup)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)
• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour (I mixed mine up with Whole Wheat Flour)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour, and nuts mix. Pour mixture into a greased 4x8 inch loaf pan (or minis- like I did). Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

Dizzy Orange Sponge Cake

Doesn't this look like it would melt in your mouth? Well it does.. sadly.  Its such a light and fluffy Sponge cake, that it doesn't last long at all. I didn't make it, I just ate it. Shared it actually.  But if I am correct, it might not even be sponge cake  - it might just be a light yellow cake with nuts, orange jello (or yogurt) in it and a nice soft cool whip. The icing is cool whip, with pudding mix, and slivers of fruity chocolate.... if that makes sense at all.

After having this - I may make a PIG EATING CAKE... are you familiar with this? Its a great way to make a cake with fruit in it - and call it CAKE...

Here is what I do:

• 1- 18 ounce yellow cake mix
• 11-ounce can mandarin oranges with juice
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 9-ounce carton frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 8-ounce can crushed pineapple, with juice
• 3.4 ounce (4-servings) box instant vanilla pudding

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour cake pans. In mixing bowl, combine cake mix, mandarin oranges, mandarin orange juice, eggs and oil. Beat for 2 minutes with electric mixer.

 

Pour into pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.

 

Cool in pan for 5 minutes, turn out of pan and finish cooling on wire racks.

 

In a mixing bowl, combine whipped topping, pineapple, juice from can and vanilla pudding mix.

Frost cake.

Cranberry Orange Delights

Since my quest to become the "best baker in the house" is relying on others recipes, I decided that the family recipes were taking a back burner when it came to Christmas cookies this year!

I found this recipe at Fake Ginger, which was going to be tested since my ability to handle citrus since my gall bladder left for a better land was an issue. Cranberries though, I can eat them but I am in the minority in the home. The best part about these is that they were to be soft... remain a soft cookie... and when they decided to get alittle hard, I popped them in the microwave for 20 seconds and BAM! back to soft again! ... no one said that bread in the container would ALWAYS WORK!!!!

I rather enjoyed them, and I think the rolling in the orange sugar was the best  ever!  I might just sugar some fresh cranberries the same way!

Cranberry Orange Cookies

 Cranberry Orange Cookies
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup dried cranberries, finely chopped
1 tablespoon orange zest
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon orange zest
Preheat oven to 350.
Using an electric mixer, mix butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add to butter mixture and mix until just combined. Fold in cranberries and 1 tablespoon orange zest. Chill dough while you make orange sugar.
Combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon orange zest. Use your fingers to rub the 2 together until everything is combined and mixture is fragrant.
Shape dough into 1 inch balls and roll in orange sugar. Place on baking sheet and flatten slightly.
Bake 10 – 13 minutes or until lightly golden. Cool on wire racks.