Peppermint Bark

Every Christmas, for as long as I can remember, my family (mom, sister and dad) made cookies and treats every year: press cookies, sugar cookies, butter cookies, molasses cookies, dipped pretzels, pecan balls, etc. My sister, Katie, and I would stand on chairs next to my mom and help her make the dough, lay the cookies on the sheet and then later frost them or cover them in copious amounts of sprinkles.

Well the tradition continues, my mom still makes all the cookies each year. I had to start making new cookies because no one really needs two batches of press cookies, molasses cookies, and sugar cookies, right? This year I decided I would try to make peppermint bark! I always loved Lammes Candies' version, but I wanted to add chocolate! I made this last night with the fudge! I think it's a winner and maybe a new Christmas tradition - for me!

Love my Christmas plates!

I hope you and yours have a very safe and Merry Christmas!!

Fantasy Fudge

My Dad always makes the most delicious fudge! Honestly, everyone loved it and no matter where I had fudge it just wasn't as good as my dad's. =) I am not sure if that was a younger mentality of "everything my dad does is better than your dad" or if his really was better. When I got married and moved into our house I decided I wanted all the recipes my parents made and that fudge recipe was the first one I wanted. So I copied it down and went home to make it. Guess what I noticed! That delicious fudge recipe is on the back of the jar of marshmallow creme! I guess it really was in my head, or Kraft has the best recipe!

Fantasy Fudge

3 cups Sugar

a 5oz can of evaporated milk

3/4 cup of butter

1 jar of Kraft Jet Puffed- marshmallow creme

1.5 boxes of Bakers Semi Sweet chocolate - chopped (12 squares)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup chopped nuts of your choice (i, personally, leave out the nuts)

1. prepare a 9x13 pan (if you like it thin) or a 9x9 (if you like it thick). My dad never lined the pan with anything, but I decided to use foil this time

2. chop all the chocolate into pieces, so it melts faster

3. Melt the butter, sugar, and milk in a saucepan stirring constantly

4. Bring it to a full boil for 4 minutes or until your candy thermometer says 234* and remove from heat

5. Stir in the marshmallow creme and the chocolate pieces. (Be VERY careful not to splatter because it is HOT!)

6. Pour mix into your prepared pan and spread it out evenly

7. After letting it cool for about 10-15 minutes (maybe longer, i didn't time this) cut the fudge; it makes it easier to cut it again once it's hardened. (I did not do this last year and I had to give everyone crumbles and broken fudge)

8. let is cool and you are ready to serve! mmmm...enjoy!

I didn't take a picture of it ready to go, maybe I will add that in later!

Google Challenge

Challenge: On Dec 16th send us (Google Nexus) a pic of your best gingerbread creation.

12/21/10 Update: We didn't win. =(

Here are the winners:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kayluhb/5260911717/sizes/l/in/photostream/

http://twitpic.com/3gjc3k

http://twitpic.com/3gd9q3

Husband wanted to do this challenge and tweet a pic to them of our "gingerbread creation." He wanted to do something original and settled on re-creating the Android sculptures on the Google campus, out of gingerbread. He drew out all of the shapes by hand and then cut them. Sunday night, Husband and I both made the dough and stuck it in the fridge for the next day! I cut the dough with the shapes he made and baked the cookies Monday night and frosted some of them and finished Tuesday evening! Below are the actual sculptures in the display we sent in! Yes, he's a geek and yes, I am a geek's wife who is willing to make these for him! =D

The real thing... We tried to proportion everything, but the gingerbread man is never in the same pic with the others, so we don't know just how big he actually is .

Our printed background and strategically placed gingerbread cookies! ;-)

Donut...Andy the Android (with his Nexus One)... Cupcake...Eclair...Froyo...Gingerbread

Hi Everyone!

I have decided to change my blog name! I have no real reason, but I just wasn't satisfied with my old name! I thought of something I like better! So, please follow this blogspot!

Thanks, Christine

Christmas Cookies

I was not able to make my (re-vamped) turkey cookies this year because I ended up getting sick. The next week Michael and I went on vacation, so I will just have to wait until next year. That being said, I was very excited to do my Christmas cookies. I decided to make a few different kinds and shapes. I made an android ornament for Michael, lol! I think my favorites are either the zebra with holly, the poinsettia or the little Santa belts (which turned out cuter than I thought they would be).

Nursing Scrub Cookies

Katie is finishing up her first semester at UT nursing school; hopefully these cookies were able to provide her with a yummy studying break! =D