Day 7 - Yummy Cracker Snacks

This year we decided to add another recipe to our collection of Christmas goodies. We found this recipe online while looking for something fun to try this year.


Recipe for Yummy Cracker Snacks



This actually worked a lot better than I thought it would. We used Ritz crackers and bought Milk Chocolate and White Chocolate candy coating at Bulk Barn.

If we decide to do them again next year we would probably not add the marshmallow cream. You can't taste it very well and it gets messy to work with. But other than that these snacks work really well.


If you decide to make them, you will want to store them in the fridge or freezer depending how long it takes for you to eat them. The chocolate can melt if they are kept out at room temperature.

Day 2= Gingerbreads

Good Morning One and All:


Last night my mom and I finished making some of our traditional Christmas cookies. I one recipe that I would like to share with you is our gingerbread cookies.

We found these online in 2006 after trying unsuccessfully to find a recipe that we liked before. We both are not very fond of gingerbreads that are hard and crunchy. That is where this recipe comes in. It is officially the best tasting and softest gingerbreads that I have ever eaten (although I am willing to try other ones as well I can't get enough of Christmas baking).

Just as a warning....while making these cookies they will not look appetising. The batter looks like spoiled butter that had curdled. That is right, keep going :)

Gingerbread cookies

GINGERBREAD COOKIES RECIPE:

3/4 cup unsalted softened butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup fancy molasses
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp ground cardamon
3 1/4 cups flour

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and the sugar until it turns fluffy. Then stir in the molasses and water. In a medium bowl whisk together the remaining ingredients. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, stirring constantly. Divide the dough in half and flatten to a round disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours. (You can also freeze this dough if you want to use it later than the next day).

Preheat the oven to 325 and lightly grease (cheat: use parchment paper best invention for cookies ever) your cookie sheets. On lightly floured surface roll out one of the disks (leave the other one in the fridge). Roll to a 1/4 in thickness (add more flour if it is impossibly sticky). Cut the cookies in whatever shapes your want and place about an inch apart on baking sheet. Cook for 6-10 minutes. Cookies should be firm but not browned.

Cool the cookies on the cookie sheets for three minutes, then remove to wire racks to finish.


FROST not if desired, this is the best part so much fun. My mom and I just made a thick mixture of icing sugar and milk, but you can also buy piping icing at grocery stores, or find other decorative icing recipes online. But please don't leave your poor gingerbreads faceless.

Hope you have fun making these. And do you have any fun ways that you have decorated gingerbreads (I am always looking for new ideas.) Please comment below

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Avocado & Spinach Pasta Sauce Recipe

I am definitely addicted to pasta, but I am not all that fond of the traditional tomato pasta sauce (except for Mom's homemade pasta sauce that is the best). Because of this I am always experimenting on various kinds of sauces to top my pasta with. Today's pasta got topped with an Avocado and Spinach sauce which turned out really well. Hence I am sharing my recipe with all of you.

Avocado & Spinach Pasta Sauce

Ingredients 

1 avocado

1 tbsp margarine (butter)

2 handfuls of spinach

½ cup sour cream

2 tbsp milk

Spices to taste

Directions:

1.      Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add spices (I used parsley, oregano, cilantro, and basil pesto)

2.      Add the mashed avocado and still until it is hot.

3.      Add spinach and stir until the spinach is covered and wilted.

4.      Add sour cream and milk. Keep stirring until it is bubbly and warm. Add salt and pepper to taste

5.      Serve on pasta

Makes enough for one serving

This time I melted some cheddar cheese onto the pasta as well. My stomach is definitely happy with this.