MDBD - Holiday Edition

Rather than make a separate post for each cookie Zoey and I made, I figured I would just make one long post. Honestly, Zoey didn't participate in all of the baking. It was just too much for her. She did lick all the beaters though. LOL!

No Bake Cookies

This recipe came from Six Sister's Stuff

Our Ingredients

Ingredients
2 Cups sugar
2 T butter or margarine
2 T cocoa
1/2 cup milk
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup peanut butter (crunchy or creamy)
2 cups quick oats

Instructions

In a medium saucepan add the sugar, butter, cocoa and milk

Over medium heat stir constantly and bring to a boil

Let boil for 1 minute (This is not in the original recipe, but is key to getting them to set up)

Remove from heat  and add the salt, vanilla, peanut butter

Mix well by hand

Then add in the oats and stir in well

Drop from spoon onto foil or waxed paper 

Let cool before eating.

Sugar Cookies

 This recipe is my Grandma Cook's recipe

Our Ingredients

Ingredients

1/2 Cup Butter
1/2 Cup Shortening (I just use a total of 1 C butter)
1 Cup Sugar
3 Eggs
3 1/2 Cups Flour
2 tsp Cream of Tartar (I never use this because I don't have it)
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla

Instructions
Cream together all ingredients but flour
Blend well
Add flour 1 cup at a time
Mix well
Chill dough (for at least 30 mins)
Roll out on floured surface
Cut out using cookie cutters
Bake for 7 - 8 minutes at 375 degrees

Zoey had a blast decorating the cookies

Peanut Butter Reindeer Cookies

This cute recipe came from Baker Girl and is one of my favorite to make at Christmas time

Our Ingredients

 Ingredients

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

Instructions

 

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-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

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

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

Oreo Peppermint Crunch Cookies

This recipe came from Inside Brew Crew Life

Our Ingredients

Our Ingredients

1 box white cake mix

1 stick butter, melted

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 cup Oreo cookie chunks

1 cup Andes Peppermint Crunch pieces

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Instructions 

Combine the cake mix, melted butter, egg, and extracts

Beat until a soft dough forms

Add the cream cheese and beat in gently until combined

Stir in the peppermint crunch pieces and chocolate chips first

Then gently stir in the cookie pieces by hand being careful not to break up the cookie more Refrigerate dough for at least 30 minutes

Roll the dough into 36 balls

Bake on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 9 minutes

Do not over bake. The cookies will be very soft and look undone

Let them sit on the hot cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then gently remove them with a spatula

Very gently tap the tops of the cookies with the bottom of the spatula to even out the tops

Let them sit until completely cool

Chocolate Crackle Cookies

This recipe comes from Martha Stewart (Aunt Phyl's are better)

Our Ingredients

Ingredients 

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled  

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 

1/2 cup Dutch cocoa powder  

2 teaspoons baking powder 

1/4 teaspoon salt  

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature 

1 1/3 cups light-brown sugar, firmly packed  

2 large eggs 

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract  

1/3 cup milk 

1 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for rolling 

Instructions

 Heat oven to 350 degrees

Chop bittersweet chocolate into small bits

Melt over medium heat in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water

Set aside to cool

Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt  

Beat butter and light-brown sugar until light and fluffy

 Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until well combined

Add melted chocolate

With mixer on low speed, alternate adding dry ingredients and milk until just combined

Divide the dough into quarters, wrap with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours

(Here you are supposed to roll the logs out, wrap them back up, cool them again,and then cut them into strips. But I skipped all that) 

Using your hands, roll the pieces into a ball shape (I'd say about 1 inch)

Roll ball in confectioners’ sugar to coat completely

Place the cookies 2 inches apart on a Silpat-lined baking sheet

Bake until cookies have flattened and the sugar splits, 12 to15 minutes

Transfer from oven to a wire rack to let cool completely

 Peanut Butter Rice Krispies

Technically this was a Daddy Daughter Bake Day, but I figured I'd include it

This is Scott's recipe

Our Ingredients

Ingredients

1 Cup Peanut Butter

1 Cup Karo Syrup

1 Cup Sugar

6 Cups Rice Krispies

Instructions

 In sauce pan over medium, combine sugar and karo syrup

Heat until the sugar has dissolved in the karo syrup

Remove from heat

Add peanut butter and stir until melted

Add rice krispies

Press into 9 x13 pan

Rolo Cookies

This is one of my favorite cookies to make. The recipe comes from Six Sister's Stuff

Our Ingredients

 Ingredients

12 ounces Rolo’s caramels
1 box Devils Food Cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 c. oil

Instructions

Mix cake mix, oil, and eggs

Take a small ball of dough and form a ball around the rolo (Only use enough dough to cover the rolo so it can spread through the cookie) 

This is your best friend. Spray it on your hands every third cookie or so to lessen the amount the dough sticks to your hands

Place on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 7-8 minutes

 

Gingerbread Cookies

So Scott told me that he loved gingerbread cookies, so I thought I would try making some since I had never made them before. However, I looked up some recipes and didn't feel like buying molasses since I would never use it, so I took the easy way out and bought a mix. LOL! Here is the picture of the ingredients, but I won't list the steps and all that. It's on the package. It would be like in school when the teacher read straight from the text book. 

Rum Cake

My grandma cook used to always make pies for the holidays. She also made pies for a restaurant as her job for a good part of the time I was growing up. I spent many hours with her watching and learning how to make pies. Unfortunately, when she passed away 12 years ago (I can't believe it's been that long) I somehow lost the ability to make a decent pie crust, so I have given up and just buy pies. However, this year I wanted to kind of honor her by making her rum cake. I don't remember how often she made this cake, but I remember her making it and me absolutely loving it. The first time I ever tried to make it I hadn't baked much and didn't understand that when it called for a box of instant pudding that I wasn't supposed to make the pudding first. You can imagine how well that cake turned out. LOL!

My Grandma's hand written recipe :)

Our Ingredients - I couldn't find any dark rum w/o going to the actual liquor store and I had Zoey, so I used coconut. I don;t think it made too much of a difference

Ingredients

CAKE
1 Yellow Cake Mix
1 Box Instant Vanilla Pudding (large one)
4 Eggs
1/2 Cup Cold Water
1/2 Cup Oil
1/2 Cup Dark Rum

GLAZE
1/4 lb Oleo (margarine for those who aren't familiar with the term)
1/4 Cup Water
1 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Dark Rum

Instructions

  Combine all ingredients
Pour into a greased bundt pan
Bake for 60 minutes at 325 degrees
Invert on serving plate
Prick top of cake with a fork all around
Drizzle and smooth glaze
Repeat until glaze is gone

Before the glaze was added

Monkey Bread
I love monkey bread and I decide that our family tradition would be to make monkey bread on Christmas morning each year. When I started the tradition, I didn't have a good recipe, so I just sort of randomly started trying them. The first year was a disaster. It was so much butter (I think it was a Paula Dean recipe, so I should have known). The second year I tried this recipe from Family Fun Journal and it was so good that I haven't even bothered to try any others.

(There is no ingredient picture because I wasn't really planning on blogging this)

Ingredients
 2 cans of Grands flaky layer buttermilk biscuits
1/8 cup of cinnamon
1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350
Cut each biscuit piece into sixths.
Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a plastic bag.
Place each cut biscuit piece into the bag and shake to coat.
Place the coated pieces into a bundt pan.
Melt the butter and add the brown sugar.
Stir to combine.
Pour the butter/brown sugar mixture over the pieces in the bundt pan.
Bake for 35-40 minutes.
Turn over on large plate

Zoey's Preschool Program

One of the best things about Zoey being in preschool is the fun little programs and things that she will get to do. She recently had her first program, which was a winter program just before they went on winter break. Each class sang a couple of songs and then the whole school sand "Let It Go" from Frozen.

Zoey's class sang a song about a snow man, as well as a different version of Jingle Bells. Seeing Zoey on the stage with her classmates, I was reminded of just how much bigger she is then all of them. She towers over most of them. LOL! Zoey marched her little self right up onto the stage. I was worried she would be apprehensive or shy, but she was not at all. She sat on the front of the stage while everyone else stood behind her. I'm not sure if she was supposed to do that because she is so much bigger than the other kids or if she just decided that was what she wanted to do. She also stomped her feet during the entire performance.

Zoey's BFF, Abbie, and her class performed twice during the show and both times Abbie was standing right in front of where Zoey was sitting. Poor Abbie! Zoey was a bit of a distraction. She started "dancing" along with Abbie's class and her teacher had to redirect her. Not that it did any good. In the video below, check out Zoey and her awesome dance moves!

Now both of those videos were cute, but nothing compares to the hilarity of this last video. This is of Zoey during the big group number of "Let It Go". Scott's mom was laughing so hard there were tears in her eyes. That's my little Zo for you :)

Winter Fun with Zoey's BFF

Anyone who is on Facebook with me (which is probably everyone who reads this blog. LOL) has seen all my posts about Zoey and her BFF, Abbie. Their friendship is something that is pretty awesome to witness. They found each other on their own at school. They aren't even in the same class. They just started playing with each other while we waited to go into school and I guess they also had recess at the same time. Then one day Abbie apparently told her mom that they had made a pact to be BFF's forever. Sweet, right? They are alike in a lot of ways and even have the same TMNT toothbrush. LOL! They are also different in ways that balance each other out.

Anyhow, this winter Zoey has had the opportunity to spend some time with Abbie outside of school. It's also allowed me to get to know Abbie's mom some, which has been nice. I have dubbed her the queen of the crock pot. LOL!

The first activity they did together was the Snowflake Castle, which is a pretty cool thing that is put on by the local senior center. The kids come and they get to make a wooden toy in Santa's workshop. They then can go and see Santa's sleigh and visit him and Mrs. Claus in their house. It's a really cute set up and while Zoey was a little overwhelmed at first, she had a blast. It was even more special that she got to do it with her BFF.

Seriously, how cute are they

Face Painting

Making her toy

Painting their train cars

Having so much fun!!!

Taking a ride in Santa's sleigh

One of the activities that they had at Zoey's school as part of the lead up to winter break was a pj party on the last day before break. On that same day, Abbie's mom (her name is actually Elizabeth but I think when you become a parent you just get called (insert name here)'s mom) and I made arrangements to have the girls get together before school to exchange Christmas presents. We met them for lunch at Panera. It was a fun time and the girls seemed to get a kick out of it. Abbie got Zoey a cute zebra pillow pet (because as she told her mom Zebra and Zoey both start with Z) and a best friend's necklace. Zoey got her a rainbow pillow that says BFF. It is half a rainbow and Zoey has the other half. It has a picture of the two of them in it. She also got her a Frozen cup and bracelet because Abbie is a fan of Frozen. The girls were so cute trying to get their best friend necklace to fit together. Zoey wears hers almost daily (I make her take it off at night and sometimes I forget to give it to her when she gets dressed. Then when she realizes she forgot it she gets upset).

I love this picture!!!

Zoey had to sleep with both her zebra and her rainbow

As if those fun activities were not enough excitement, we couldn't keep these kids apart for the entire winter break. We made a play date for Magic Mountain after Christmas. Zoey and Abbie got to spend time together playing in the jungle gym and playing games. They also rode the roller coaster simulator that I rode when I was pregnant with Zoey (which gave me crazy motion sickness. LOL!). They seemed to have a good time. Zoey did really well, but had a small melt down as we were leaving due to one too many late nights. Scott came with us to the play date, so he got to know Abbie's mom a little better; however, Elizabeth and I mainly chatted and left him out. LOL!

They even wore the same Frozen shirt. That's how in sync these two are. LOL!

 

Roller coaster Simulator

Shooting some pirates

 

The longest game of air hockey ever!

Dance Dance Revolution - It didn't matter that the game wasn't actually going

I don't know what the future holds for these two. Abbie is off the kindergarten next year and Zoey still has another year of preschool. However, I'm hoping that we can continue to get them together and see how their friendship blossoms.