Reindeer Cookies

3/4 cup peanut butter
1 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup shortening
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 egg
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt

Chocolate-covered mini pretzels
Mini brown M&Ms
Regular-sized red M&Ms

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Combine brown sugar, peanut butter, shortening, milk, and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until well blended. Add egg; beat until just blended.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to creamed mixture at low speed. Mix just until blended.

Form dough into 1/2-inch balls. To make reindeer-shaped cookies, pinch the bottom of the ball slightly to form a point, then gently flatten with your hand. Space cookies about 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 7 to 8 minutes, until set or just beginning to brown.

Remove from oven and immediately (and gently) press two mini pretzels into the tops of the cookies for the reindeer's antlers. Press two mini brown M&Ms in for the eyes and one red M&M for the nose (or any other color... some of mine ended up with green noses. They might be South Pole reindeer.).

Allow to cool 2 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a wire rack or paper towel to cool completely.

Makes about 40 reindeer cookies.

from Bakergirl

JT -- I made these at Kris' house.  They came out cute, but you have to work fast!  I couldn't find mini M&M's or mini chocolate pretzels (check Trader Joe's next time!), so I made substitutions.  They came out cute.  They don't travel real well - the pretzels are a bit loose.  Also, the pretzels tend to get stale.  Chocolate covering would help on both counts.

REINDEER BITES

-1 box Nilla Wafers
-8 oz chocolate, melted
-1/4 cup toasted coconut

Melt the chocolate in the microwave and few seconds at a time, stirring in between.  Toast the coconut in a pan over medium-low heat until golden brown…make sure you keep stirring!!!  Once the chocolate is melted and the coconut is toasted, dip the Nilla wafers in chocolate and then dunk in the coconut. Set on a piece of wax paper (or foil or parchment…whatever) til they harden. This is a great meal little snack to have if you’re craving chocolate, vanilla, sugar, or just plain goodness. Or really anytime.
From Heather'sDish

JT -- I made these at Kris' house.  They are very easy to do and tasty too.  I added some shopped up roasted almonds.  I found they looked better if I dipped them in chocolate, layed on parchment, then placed a bit of coconut and/or almonds right on the cookie.  The Nilla wafer has a tendency to go soft pretty quickly.  I think they might hold the crisp better if the whole cookie was covered in chocolate (or maybe I shouldn't store them in the same bin as the peanut butter cookies!).

SOUTHWEST SPAGHETTI SQUASH

SERVES 4 

Ingredients

1 spaghetti squash (3 pounds)
1 (14 ounce) can Mexican-style tomatoes, undrained
1 (14 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup monterey jack cheese, divided
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1Preheat oven to 350°F.
2Cut squash in half lengthwise.
3Remove and discard seeds.
4Place squash, cut side down, in greased baking pan.
5Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour or until just tender.

6Using fork, remove spaghetti-like strands from hot squash and place strands in large bowl.

7Add tomatoes with juice, beans, 1/2 cup cheese, cilantro, cumin, garlic salt and pepper; toss well.
8Spray 1 1/2 quart casserole with nonstick cooking spray.
9Spoon mixture into casserole.
10Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese.
11Bake uncovered, 30 to 35 minutes or until heated through.
12Serve immediately.

PUMPKIN SPICE CHOCOLATE CHIP CAKE

PUMPKIN SPICE CHOCOLATE CHIP CAKE

1 pkg. yellow cake mix
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
2 eggs
1/4 c. water
1 (16 oz.) can pumpkin
1 (16 oz.) pkg. chocolate chips

Blend cake mix with dry ingredients. Mix in eggs, water and pumpkin. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into greased and floured 10 inch bundt pan. Bake 350 degrees 45 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool on rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely. Mix glaze and drizzle over cake.

GLAZE:
1 c. powdered sugar
2 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. cinnamon
Few drops of orange food color

Applesauce Cookies

Makes 24

Ingredients:
3/4 cup shortening
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup applesauce
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F ( 195 degrees C ). Grease cookie sheets.
2. In a large bowl, cream the shortening, sugar, and egg. Stir in the applesauce. Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; stir into the creamed mixture. Then mix in the raisins and nuts.
3. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove to cool on wire racks.

Servings Per Recipe: 24
Calories: 158  Total Fat: 6.8g  Cholesterol: 9mg  Sodium: 81mg 
Total Carbs: 23.4g  Dietary Fiber: 0.6g  Protein: 1.7g

from Allrecipes.

My Mom made these cookies and they are really good. The texture is was makes them special for me - they are sorta crispy on the outside, but fluffy on the inside. So good!

HG’s Spinach, Mushroom and Mozzarella Supreme

Ingredients
•2 bags Frozen Chopped Spinach, Thawed, Drained, And Thoroughly Patted Dry (16 Oz Each)
•1-½ cup Canned Sliced Mushrooms (about 2 Medium Cans Or 1 Large), Drained
•3 whole Wedges Of The Laughing Cow Cheese, Any Light Flavor, Room Temperature
•1 cup Diced Onions
•⅓ cups Shredded Fat-free Mozzarella Cheese
•¾ teaspoons Garlic Powder
Preparation Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a pan sprayed with nonstick spray, cook onions over high heat until browned (about 3 minutes).

Make sure all excess water has been removed from spinach. In a mixing bowl, combine spinach, onions, cheese wedges, and garlic powder. Mix well.

In a medium casserole dish sprayed with nonstick spray, spread half of the spinach mixture along the bottom.

Layer half of the mushrooms evenly over the spinach mixture in the casserole dish. Then spread the remaining spinach mixture over the mushrooms. Layer the rest of the mushrooms over that.

Sprinkle the top of the casserole with the shredded cheese. Then place dish in the oven to cook for 25 – 30 minutes (until the shredded cheese layer begins to crisp slightly). If you like, season your serving to taste with salt and pepper.
Makes 6 servings
From HUngryGirl.com

Potato, Chicken, and Fresh Pea Salad

Fast: Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled for maximum versatility. Leftovers make an easy and satisfying lunch.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 1/2 cups)


1 pound fingerling potatoes, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
2 cups fresh sugar snap peas
2 cups chopped skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon minced fresh tarragon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced

1. Place potatoes in a large saucepan; cover with cold water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until almost tender. Add peas; cook 2 minutes or until peas are crisp-tender. Drain; place vegetables in a large bowl. Add chicken, bell pepper, and onion.

2. Combine oil and remaining ingredients, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over salad; toss gently to combine.



CALORIES 316 ; FAT 9.3g (sat 1.7g,mono 5.8g,poly 1.3g); CHOLESTEROL 60mg; CALCIUM 50mg; CARBOHYDRATE 29.2g; SODIUM 680mg; PROTEIN 26.4g; FIBER 3.6g; IRON 2.4mg

Cooking Light, APRIL 2009

Slow-Roasted Mushroom Lasagne

Roasted Mushrooms:

500g button mushrooms, cleaned and thickly sliced
3-4 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Zest of 1 lemon
Salt & pepper to taste

Lasagne:

1 batch slow roasted mushrooms
4 fresh lasagne sheets
150g ricotta cheese
100g soft goat’s cheese
1/2 cup thin or cooking cream
1 large organic egg
1 large onion, roughly diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp butter

method:

1. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C, then toss the sliced mushrooms in olive oil, crushed garlic, lemon and salt and pepper. Scatter the mushrooms onto a baking tray lined with non stick baking paper, then roast for 30 to 40 minutes or till browned on the bottom. Flip over all the mushroom slices and roast for another 10 to 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and cool.

2. Melt the butter in a non stick frying pan over medium heat, then add the onion and garlic to the pan and sauté till translucent and soft. Once soft, mix together with the ricotta, goat’s cheese, thin cream and egg till the mixture is well incorporated.

3. Line a non-stick loaf tin with the first lasagne sheet, then layer with 1/4 of the cheese mixture and add 1/4 of the slow roasted mushrooms. Repeat till you’ve used up all of the mushrooms and cheese, then bake in an oven at 180 degrees C for 30 minutes or till a skewer poked through the pasta sheets goes through cleanly.

4. Allow to cool slightly in the pan before carefully removing onto a plate, and serve while still warm with a fresh garden salad.

from the mighty mushroom

Cold Sesame Noodles

Serves 4

3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1" chunk of peeled fresh ginger, coarsely chopped
1 large clove garlic, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 1/2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
water, to thin
8 ounces spaghetti, or soba noodles
4 scallions {light & dark green parts}, thinly sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded & sliced in matchsticks
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Optional added protein: Cubed extra firm tofu, or shredded cooked chicken breast

Puree the peanut butter, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, rice vinegar, sesame oil, light brown sugar & red pepper flakes in the bowl of a food processor, until smooth. With the motor running, add some water, a few tablespoons at a time, until the sauce has a fluid consistency.
Cook the pasta, according to the package instructions, until cooked al dente. Drain & rinse under cold water to cool. Add the pasta to a large mixing bowl & add in the scallions, bell pepper & cucumber. Pour in about half of the sauce & toss to combine well. Add more sauce, as necessary to get the desired consistency. You may not need all the sauce. But, save it, as it helps to have some on hand to moisten leftovers, which tend to dry out once chilled.
If adding some tofu, or chicken to the salad, add that now. Toss to combine & garnish with the sesame seeds.
from The Parsley Thief

Peach Grilled Cheese

Makes 2 sandwiches

- 4 slices of rustic bread (I used a sourdough loaf)
- 2 very ripe peaches, peeled and sliced
- 4-6 ounces Gruyere cheese, sliced
- Handful of arugula
- Butter

Directions:  You know what to do..

Ingredients from Macheesmo