Creamy Fudge

3 – (6.8 oz) Symphony Bars

4 cups Sugar

2 Cups Cream

2 sticks of real butter

1 tablespoon vanilla

Directions:

Stir together Cream and sugar in large heavy buttered pot. Place over medium heat and stir constantly just until it comes to a rolling boil. Once it starts to boil, DO NOT STIR, and put the lid on for ONE minute and then remove the lid.

Continue Cooking to a soft ball stage, and Do not Stir: Use your Candy Thermometer.

I cook mine to about 230 degrees. Every thermometer is different, so test yours, or do the cold water test. Take off the heat, and add 1 cup (2 sticks) of butter that you have cut up in chunks, and the vanilla…. let sit in the hot candy mixture for ONE minute – WITHOUT STIRRING!

Now – Without scraping the pan, pour over 3 big (the 6.8 oz) symphony bars that you have broke up into a large bowl. Beat until very smooth with beaters. Pour into a greased 9×13 pan. Put in the fridge until nice and set up…preferably over night.

*I line mine with parchment paper, that way you can lift the entire slab of fudge from the pan, and cut them easily. This fudge rarely turns to sugar, and is very creamy and smooth. Nuts are optional. Makes a large batch. Once cut, put in a container with a sealed lid, and keep refrigerated. YUM!

*recipe from a neighbor

Peppermint Pound Cake

I’ve been on a peppermint roll lately! Recipes with peppermint have been sounding really good to me this holiday season. This recipe did not come from a cookbook or from the internet…it came from a Christmas kitchen towel a friend had given me. I added a glaze and crushed candy canes as a finishing touch. If you like peppermint, you’ll enjoy this, and even if you are not a big peppermint fan, I think you’ll still like this because the peppermint flavor is definitely on the lighter side.

PEPPERMINT POUND CAKE

• 3 cups sugar
• 3 sticks butter (1 1/2 cups), softened
• 5 eggs
• 3 cups flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1-2 teaspoons peppermint extract (just use one teaspoon for a light peppermint flavor, or 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons for a stronger peppermint flavor)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a bundt or tube pan (I used a 12-cup bundt pan, but I think it would work fine in a 10-cup pan, too–the baking time would be slightly longer).

In large bowl, blend sugar and softened butter. Add eggs one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Alternate adding flour and milk to mixture, blending well. Add peppermint and vanilla extracts, and stir until blended. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees for 70-80 minutes (for a 12-cup pan, baking time will be about 70-75 minutes; for a 10-cup pan, it will be more like 80 minutes). Let cake cool in pan for 10-15 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely. While cake is cooling, you can make the glaze…

CREAMY PEPPERMINT GLAZE

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup marshmallow creme (half of a 7-oz. container)
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 5 Tablespoons milk or half and half
• 3 crushed candy canes, for garnish

Blend softened butter and marshmallow creme together until smooth, then add peppermint extract and mix well. Add in powdered sugar a cup at a time, blending well after each addition. Add milk or half and half and blend well.

Shortly before you are ready to serve the cake, spoon the glaze over the top, letting it run down the sides (you’ll have some glaze left over). Then sprinkle top of cake with crushed candy canes, and serve. (Note: this glaze is a little gooey because of the marshmallow creme, so you may need to wipe your knife occasionally as you’re slicing the cake).

Peppermint Bark Chocolate Chip Cookies

3 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or unbleached all-purpose flour)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups peppermint bark, roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 375F degrees. Position the racks in the middle of the oven, and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.

In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy, then beat in the sugar until it is the consistency of a thick frosting. beat in the eggs one at a time, incorporating each fully before adding the next and scraping down the sides of the bowl a few times. Stir in the vanilla until evenly incorporated. Add the dry ingredients in 3 increments, stirring between each addition. At this point you should have a moist uniform dough. Stir in the peppermint bark by hand, mixing only until evenly distributed. Reserve a bit of the bark to sprinkle on top of the cookies after you have dropped them onto the baking sheets.

Drop a heaping tablespoon of dough for each cookie onto the prepared baking sheets 2 inches apart and bake for about 10 - 14 minutes, until golden on bottom and top. Cool on wire racks.

Makes 2 to 3 dozen medium-large cookies.

*recipe from a family cookbook

Impossible Cheesecake

I got this recipe from my mother in law. This happens to be my husband's favorite cheesecake ever... since he's had it for as long as he can remember. We made it for Thanksgiving to take to a friend's and it was a hit! I think it's called "impossible" because it's quite the contrary... easiest cheesecake ever! I hope you love it as much as we do.

Add all of the following to a blender:

3/4 cup milk

2 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup bisquick

Blend in blender for 15 seconds. Then add two 8 oz cream cheese blocks, softened. Blend for 2 minutes.

Bake in 9 inch greased pie plate for 40-45 minutes at 350. Cool.

It will look like this just out of the oven. I left it in the fridge to cool overnight where it settled and looks more like a traditional cheesecake by morning.

Topping:

1 cup sour cream

2 TBSP sugar

2 tsp vanilla

Blend together and spread on top of cool cheesecake. Serve with sweetened strawberries.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

One of my friends brought this to a luncheon yesterday and I just fell in LOVE with it!  And it's so easy!

Strawberry Spinach Salad

1/2 spinach leaves and 1/2 red leaf lettuce

Cucumbers quartered with skin on

strawberries sliced and quartered

almond slices

craisins

Dressing - Brianna's Poppyseed Dressing

Tons of Crock pot recipes...

I’m sure that most of you have already seen, this fabulous list of Crock pot – Slow cooker recipes floating around. It is wonderful to have all these at your fingertips. I’ve kept my list in my email account, but my friend…had a better idea. She posted the list on her baking blog, so I thought that I would do the same, for those of you who haven’t already snatched this up. Just click on a meal link below. I made the lasagna last night and it was really good, maybe even better than most I've had before.

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** Crock Pot – Beef

All Day Crock Pot Beef Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry Beef and Pasta Casserole Beef Diablo Beef Fajitas Beef Ragout Over Rice Beef Tips Beer Braised Beef in Crock Pot Burritos Crock Pot Style California Tamale Pie Cattleman’s Beef and Beans Cheeseburger Sandwiches Cheesy Meat Loaf Chili Beer Brisket of Beef Classic Swiss Steak Complete Crock Pot Dinner Corned Beef and Cabbage Country Swiss Steak Cowboy Casserole Cranberry Pork Roast Crock Pot Beef Burgundy Crock Pot Beef ‘n Peppers Crock Pot Beef with Mushrooms Crock Pot Beef Roast Crock Pot Cabbage Rolls Crock Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage Crock Pot Creole Steak Strips Crock Pot Delight Crock Pot Easy Swiss Steak Crock Pot Enchiladas Crock Pot Fajitas Crock Pot Fajitas II Crock Pot Italian Beef Crock Pot Meatballs Crock Pot Rump Roast Crock Pot Sauerbraten Crock Pot Spaghetti Sauce Crock Pot Swiss Steak Crock Pot Taco Casserole Fiesta Tamale Pie Glazed Corned Beef Glazed Corned Beef #2 Harvest Dinner Harvest Pot Roast with Tomato-Wine Sauce Hot-and-Spicy Sloppy Joes Lean Crock Pot Beans Nina’s Beef and Beans Pot Roast Dinner Old Time Beef Stew Pot Roast with Noodles Ranch Style Beef Reuben Casserole Roast Cooked with Coke Roast with Veggies Sage Pot Roast Salsa Swiss Steak Savory Pepper Steak Savory Stewed Beef Slow-Cooked Beef Stifado Slow Cooked Pepper Steak Slow Cooked Steak Rolls Slow Cooked Swiss Steak Supper Slow Cooker Italian Spaghetti Sauce Slow Cooker Lasagna Slow Cooker Swiss Steak Slowly Deviled Beef Smothered Steak Strips Spaghetti Sauce Italiano Spicy Wine Pot Roast Stuffed Cabbage Casserole Stuffed Pasta Shells Swiss Bliss Swiss Steak Teriyaki Steak Three Pepper Steak Three-Way Beef Yankee Pot Roast and Vegetables

Crock Pot – Pork

Casserole in the Cooker Chicken Lickin Good Crock Pot Pork Chops Chinese Style Country Ribs Country Pork with Mushrooms Cranberry Pork Roast Crockpot Apricot Pulled Pork for Sandwiches Crock Pot Festival Sausage Crock Pot Hawaiian Pork Crock Pot Pork Chops Supreme Crock Pot Sausage & Potatoes Crock Pot Sausage and Egg Casserole Crocked Cherry Pork Chops Polish Kraut and Apples Pork Chop Delight Pork Chops and Mustard Sauce Potatoes Pork Chops with Corn Stuffing Pork Stew with Vegetables Rosemary Potato Pork Chops Sauerkraut Supper Slow Cooking Pork Chops Soy-Glazed Spareribs Super Easy Pork Chops Sweet and Spicy Kielbasa or Polish Sausage Sweet ‘n’ Sour Ribs Sweet ‘N’ Sour Sausage

Crock Pot – Poultry

90s Style Crockpot Coq Au Vin Bacon Wrapped Chicken Baked Cajun Chicken Baked Chicken Breasts in Crock Pot Basil Chicken Broccoli Rice & Chicken Caf? Chicken Cantonese Sweet & Sour Chicken Caribbean Chicken Cheesy Crock Pot Chicken Chicken & Cherries Jubilee Chicken a la King Chicken and Cherries Jubilee C/P Chicken & Rice Casserole Chicken and Artichoke Casserole Chicken and Dumplings Chicken Breasts Supreme Chicken Creole Chicken Crock Pie Chicken Curry Chicken Curry #2 Chicken Curry Hurry Chicken Hearts Crockpot Chicken in the Crock Pot Chicken Marengo Chicken Merlot with Mushrooms Chicken Ol? Chicken Paprika Chicken Parisienne Chicken Parmigiana Chicken Sesame Chicken Stew Chicken Stroganoff in Crock Pot Chicken Taco Filling Creamy Chicken with Vegetables Crockpot Buffalo Wings with Blue Cheese Dip Crock Pot Chicken Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore Crock Pot Chicken Dinner Crock Pot Chicken in Mushroom Gravy Crock Pot Chicken Teriyaki Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Crock Pot Garlic Chicken Crock Pot Lacquered Chicken Crock Pot Robust Chicken Easy Chicken Noodle Soup Forty-clove Chicken Garlic Lemon Chicken Ham ‘n’ Swiss Chicken International Chicken Italian Chicken and Potatoes Italian Chicken Breast Lemonemonade Chicken Lemony Roasted Chicken Lo-Cal Crock Pot Chicken Low-Fat Glazed Chicken in Crock Pot Mama’s Chicken Stew Pat’s Creamy Chicken Portugese Garlic Chicken Turkey Casserole Turkey Rice South with Tomatoes Working Woman’s Chicken and Rice

Crock Pot – Fish and Seafood

Bayou Gumbo Bouillabaisse Cheese-Shrimp Chowder Cioppino (Fisherman’s Stew) Crock Pot Bouillabaisse Crock Pot Citrus Fish Crock Pot Clam Chowder Crock Pot Clam Chowder #2 Crock Pot Crab Soup Crock Pot Fish Stew Crock Pot Manhattan Style Clam Chowder Crock Pot Shrimp Marinara Jambalaya Louisiana Gumbo Mediterranean Fish Soup No Clams Clam Chowder Oyster Bisque Seafood Naples Shrimp Creole for the Crock Pot Shrimp Creole Shrimp Curry Macaroni Salad Slow Cooker Seafood Chowder Sweet and Sour Shrimp Swiss Crab Casserole Tuna Casserole Tuna Noodle Casserole

Crock Pot – Soup, Stew and Chili

Barley Soup Bean Soup for the Crock Pot Bean Soup Italiano Beef-Barley Stew Beef Chowder Beef Ragout Black Bean Chili with Beef Busy Day Stew Calico Ham and Bean Soup Chicken and Vegetable Chowder Chicken Vegetable Chowder Chili Chili con Queso Confetti Yellow Pea Soup Cowboy Sausage & Beans Crock Pot Bean Soup Crock Pot Beef Barley Soup Crock Pot Beef Stew Crock Pot Beef Stew #2 Crock Pot Beef Stew #3 Crock Pot Beef Vegetable Soup Crock Pot Chicken Corn Soup Crock Pot Chowder Crock Pot Broccoli Soup Crock Pot Chili Crock Pot Chili #2 Crock Pot Cock ‘n Bull Stew Crock Pot Corn Chowder Crock Pot Dumpling Soup Crock Pot French Onion Soup Crock Pot Hamburger Soup Crock Pot Hearty Beef Stew Crock Pot Homemade Chicken Soup Crock Pot Onion Soup Crock Pot Potato Soup Crock Pot Split Pea Soup Crock Pot Stew Crock Pot Wild Rice Soup Debbie’s Potato Soup Easy Crock Pot Chili Favorite Beef Stew Greek Beef Stew Healthy Chili in Crock Pot Hearty Bean Soup Italian Bean Soup Italian Sausage Vegetable Soup Jolene’s Chili Lentils & Vegetable Stew Low-Fat Potato Soup Minestrone Soup from the Crock Pot Navy Bean Bacon Chowder Polish Hunter Soup Pork Chop Stew Possum Lodge Firehouse Chili Potato and Mushroom Chowder Ranch Style Stew Red Beans, Barley & Sausage Stew Slow Cooked Texas Stew Slow Cooked Two Meat Chili Slow Cooked Tex-Mex Chili Slow Cooker Mexican Beef Soup Slow Cooker Mexican Beef Stew Southwest Stew Southwestern Corn Chowder Southwestern Chicken and Bean Stew Spicy Black and Red Bean Soup Spicy Cajun Gumbo Taco Soup Tex-Mex Chili Tomato-Bean Stew Tortilla Soup Vegetable Barley Soup Vegetable Beef Barley Soup Vegetable Gumbo Vegetarian Split Pea Soup Waldorf Astoria Stew

Crock Pot – Barbeque

B-B-Q Beef BBQ Chicken in a Crock Pot Barbecue Crockpot Meatballs Barbecued Beef Barbecued Beef Barbecued Beef ‘N Beans Barbecue Beef Sandwiches Barbecued Meat Loaf Barbecued Pot Roast Barbequed Spareribs Crock Pot Barbeque Crock Pot Barbecue Chicken Crock Pot Barbecued Beef and Beans Crock Pot Barbecued Pork and Beans Crock Pot Bar-B-Que Beef Crock Pot BBQ Beef Sandwiches Crock Pot Pork Barbecue Crockpot Pork Barbecue Crockery Cooker Barbecued Ribs Marinated Barbecue Brisket Pulled Pork with Root Beer Barbecue Sauce

Crock Pot – Side Dishes

Aztec Black Beans Barley with Mushrooms & Green Onions Bean and Cornbread Casserole Bean Pot Medley Bean Ragout with Cilantro-Cornmeal Dumplings Best Crock Pot Beans Bourbon Baked Beans California Rice Cavatini Cheese and Potato Casserole Cheesy Creamed Corn Chuck Wagon Beans Corn, Ham and Potato Scallop Cottage Potatoes Cowboy Beans Creamy Green Beans Creamy Scalloped Potatoes Creole Black Beans Crock Pot Baked Beans Crock Pot Beans Crockpot Boston Baked Beans Crock Pot Casserole Crock Pot Cauliflower and Broccoli Casserole Crock Pot Cheese Potatoes Crock Pot Corn Crock Pot German Potato Salad Crock Pot Mexican Dish Crock Pot Scalloped Potatoes Crock Pot Spanish Rice Crock Pot Tijuana Pie Double Squash Combo Enchanted Beans Frijoles (Pinto Beans) Frijoles Borrachos Herbed Squash AuGratin Layered Dinner Mexican Red Beans Mormon Beans No-Fuss Party Potatoes Pineapple Baked Beans Pizza Beans Potatoes Au Gratin Prysnac Serbia (Broccoli Casserole) Rice Risi Bisi Saucy Green Peas with Onions Scalloped Corn Slow Cooker Oven Bean Salad Spanish Rice Spinach Souffle in a Crockpot Sunshine Bean Casserole Thelma’s Beans Vegetable Casserole Vegetable Enchilada Vegetable Spaghetti Wild Rice Casserole Zucchini Parmigiana

Crock Pot – Dessert

Apple Brown Betty Apple Cranberry Dessert Apple Granola Dessert Apple Pecan Bread Pudding Baked Apples Baked Stuffed Apples Banana Walnut Loaf – Crock Pot Blueberry Grunt Bread Pudding Bumbleberry Cobbler Chocolate Cherry Cobbler Chocolate Pudding Cake Crock Pot Apple Cobbler Crock Pot Baked Apples Crock Pot Baked Stuffed Apples Crock Pot Bread Pudding Crock Pot Curried Fruit Bake Crock Pot Peach Cobbler Dessert Delight English Bread Pudding Fruit & Nut Baked Apples Home-Style Bread Pudding Hot Fruit Dessert Indian Pudding Old Fashioned Rice Pudding in Crock Pot Pina Colada Bread Pudding Pumpkin-Date Pudding Pumpkin Pie Pudding Pumpkin Pudding Raisin Bread Pudding Rice Pudding with Bourbon Rice Pudding with Fruit Slow Cooked “That’s Good Peaches” Streusel Pound Cake – Crock Pot Triple Chocolate Mess

Crock Pot – Miscellaneous

Butter Mints Cocktail Meatballs Crock Pot Apple Brandy Brew Crock Pot Apple Butter Crock Pot Apple Butter Crock Pot Applesauce Crock Pot Banana Bread Crock Pot Peach or Apricot Butter Crock Pot Pumpkin Bread Crock Pot Spiced Rum Cider Crock Pot Spinach Dip Crock Pot Tropical Tea Warmer Homemade Hot Dog Sauce Honey Wheat Bread Hot Buttered Punch Hot Mulled Cider Hot Spinach Dip Meatless Sloppy Joes Monterey Spaghetti Pat’s Crock Pot Apple Butter Pumpkin Tea Bread Slow Cooked Pizza in a Pot Slow Cooker Rosemary or Basil Infused Oil Spicy Sausage Pizza Dip Tex-Mex Cheese Dip Tuscan Pasta Wassail

Cinnamon Roasted Almonds

1 egg white

1 tsp. vanilla

3 cups whole almonds

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Lightly beat egg white, add vanilla and beat until soft peaks form. Add nuts and stir until well coated. In a gallon size zip-lock bag shake together the sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt until well mixed. Add almonds and seal bag again and shake up until the almonds are all coated. Spread almonds evenly onto a lightly greased cookie sheet (I cover my pan in tin foil first and then grease it so there is no clean up!) . Bake for one hour stirring every fifteen minutes or so.

*The original recipe came from allrecipes.com but I made changes to just about everything it calls for and added more ingredients as well. I hope you love them like I do!

The BEST Corn Chowder

*Leisa's Notes: I only used 1 whole Chipotle Pepper and that was hot enough for us but if you like it hot go for two. I've used frozen corn before and it was just as good. I don't suggest the canned unless that's all you have.

2 slices Bacon, Cut Into 1/2-inch Pieces (or Smaller)
2 Tablespoons Butter
1-½ whole Yellow Onion, Diced
5 ears Corn, Shucked (about 4 Cups)
2 whole Chipotle Peppers In Adobo Sauce, Finely Diced
1 whole 4-ounce Can Diced Green Chilies
32 ounces, fluid Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1-½ cup Heavy Whipping Cream
½ teaspoons Kosher Salt (more To Taste)
3 Tablespoons Corn Meal OR Masa
1/4 cup water

Slice the corn kernels off the cob. Set aside. Add bacon pieces to a pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Cook for a couple of minutes. Throw in diced onion and stir, cooking the onion for 3 to 4 minutes. Add butter and melt. Add corn. Stir and cook for one minute. Add both kinds of chilies and stir. Pour in chicken broth and cream. Add salt. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Combine cornmeal (or masa) with water. Stir to combine, then pour into the chowder. Cover and cook for 15 minutes over low heat. If chowder needs more thickening, add another tablespoon of cornmeal mixed with water. Cook for another ten minutes.

I served it in a bread bowl. Absolutely yummy!

Recipe from here