Waiting for tonight...

I get to open a present tonight. I signed up for a stocking swap with the ladies on the HGTV board.

Mine has been here for almost a week and I want to open it NOW. The scheduled opening time is 8pm tonight. (I think I should check to see if that is Eastern time or Centeral? hum....)

John is on the Mend

And he has a shadow....

I Want THESE Cookies

Susanne McMinn has one of the best Blogs! Check out her life on her little piece of heaven.
Now back to these cookies - Drunken Rum Cookie Logs Click the link or the picture for the recipe along with special holiday baking instructions.

You can find this and so much more on her fourm.

Stuffed Shells - the end of a busy day

John had knee surgery yesterday. And as a result I have been cooking. I like to cook, but I want to get some things done for Christmas.

I did put in a bit of effort on tonight's dinner but I also had help.

While I mixed up some marinara sauce, Tony cooked the shells and stuffed them with meat that John had mixed and froze a few weeks ago.
I however can NOT leave things alone. I added a chunck of fresh motz and some sharp cheader on top.

Live is just better with cheese. So it follows that life is More Better with More CHEESE. hee hee
And while I had the kitchen trashed making candy, cookies and bagles I whipped up some FRESH Bread to go with the pasta.
We should have had a salad with this. Maybe tomorrow. I'm tired.

Tomorrow: Wrap presents, clean out woodstove, make shopping list for holiday meals and maybe get a quilt bound?

Gail's Pecan Sandies - YUM

This was cooking Saturday - Bagels, Bread, Stuffed Sells, Candy, Cookies and cookie dough for tomorrow.

Here are the Saturday Cookies -

Note to self - a pretty pweeny batch, make 2 if this is all your cooking. But with everything else - more than enough.

Mix the dough and roll into small balls - after cooking these cookies should NOT be browned.

Once the cookies are completely cool - roll each in powdered sugar. They are REALLY good.Pecan Sandies
1 cup soften Butter

1/2 cup Powdered Sugar

1 t vanilla

2 1/4 cup flour

1/4 t salt

3/4 cup finely chopped nuts

-Beat butter, sugar and vanilla

-Add flour and nuts

-Mix well (use the warmth of your hands to mix if the dough is dry)

-Bake 8 to 10 min, bottoms will begain to brown

- cool on rake completely and roll in powder sugar

This ones for Carol

This is the easiest Christmas Candy EVER! Make 1/2 a batch if your not sure. Or if you tend to eat all the sweets in the house until they are gone.

Start with a sleeve of crackers on greased foil in a jelly roll pan.
(A cookie sheet will do, if its big enough. Just bend up the edges of the foil to avoid a mess!)

Melt 2 sticks of butter (NOT Margine) and then add 1 cup packed brown sugar.

Bring to a boil and stir 3 min. The goo will start to firm up as it cooks.

I Missed a pic. Pour the goo over the crackers and bake at 375 for 10 min.

-- missing picture --


Sprinkle on 12 oz of chips and bake for 1 additional min. Take out and spread the chocolate. Then freeze.

Here in IL in December - I just place the pan on the workbench in the garage for an hour or so...

When the choclate and toffee are set. Bring the batch back into the house, peal off the foil and break into random pieces. (try not to eat too much right away....)

This is sooooo good. I found it on a blog last year, made notes on a scrap of paper. I just found the reciepe in a kitchen draw. I am making a card for my file now.

EASY Christmas Toffee
1 sleeve of saltine crackers
2 sticks of butter (not margine)
1 cup packed brown sugar
12 oz shoclate chips (nuts to sprinkle - optional)

-preheat oven 375 degrees
-layer jelly roll with foil, grease foil
-arrange crackers on foil
-melt butter, add brown sugar / boil for 3 min, stiring
-pour over crackers / bake for 10 min
-sprinkle with chips and return to oven for 1 min
-spread soften chips, sprinkle with nuts if desired
-harden in freezer
-break into radom shapes, enjoy!

the stocking is done

And I dont like it!! That shape is just wrong!

I hope my swap partner likes the contents.