Breakfast Casserole

Merry Christmas!!

There are certain Christmas traditions you can't live without. Crab legs on Christmas Eve and breakfast casserole Christmas morning are a couple of mine that I look forward to every year. Since Matt and I are spending our first Christmas together in Pittsburgh this year I had to introduce him to the casserole. (The crab legs will have to be next time we go to Virginia).

Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients

1 Pound Sausage

1 8-Count Crescent Rolls

2 Cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

4 Eggs Beaten

3/4 Cup Milk

1/4 tsp Salt

1/8 tsp Pepper

Directions

Preheat Oven to 425. Crumble sausage in frying pan and cook. Drain well.

Butter a 9x13 baking dish. Line with crescent rolls. Press the dough together so that there isn't any holes and it becomes one.

Sprinkle sausage and cheese over the dough. Beat together eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Pour over casserole.

Bake for 15-20 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes, then cut into squares.

You can prepare this the night before if needed. Also, adding onions, green peppers, cilantro, and tomatoes is really delicious. Basically anything you add to an omelet can be added to this casserole. 

I hope everyone has a great Christmas with your loved ones and you are enjoying all of your Christmas traditions!

Enjoy! :)

Simple Pretzel Snacks

Merry Christmas Eve!

These little treats are the perfect dose of salty and sweet. I have made these for showers, birthdays, and many, many Christmases. It's becoming a tradition. If you are looking for something quick to make, these are a nice 10 minutes activity! They are also nice because you can use any chocolate disc/M&M color combination! This year I used the mint M&M's for these... seriously try it... it's good!

Simple Pretzel Treats

Ingredients
Pretzel Snaps
Wilton Chocolate Discs
M&M's


Directions
Preheat your oven to 350. Spread pretzels out on baking sheet. Put chocolate discs on top of pretzels. Put in oven for about 10 minutes until chocolate starts to melt. (Note: keep a close watch if you are using the white chocolate, you don't want them to turn brown!) Take out and while chocolate is still warm press an M&M in the center of chocolate. Let cool and devour. 

Enjoy! :)

White Chocolate Craisin Chunk Cookies

Now it's starting to feel like Christmas!

These cookies are a staple at Christmas in my family. They are also my go to cookie recipe when I need to bring a tasty treat somewhere. Christmas cookie and ornament exchange? Check. Last day at work? Check. Birthday? Check. Check.

What's even better is how versatile this recipe is. Not in the mood for craisins? Throw in some raisins. Feeling a little nutty? Add walnuts or pistachios. Not a fan of white chocolate (are you crazy?)? Change it out for dark chocolate. The possibilities are endless!

White Chocolate Craisin Chunk Cookies

Ingredients
2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda 
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 6-ounce package Ocean Spray Craisins
2/3 cup white chocolate chunks or chips 
1/4 cup chopped nuts of your choosing (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 375F. Using an electric mixer, beat butter or margarine and sugar together in a medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, mixing well.  Combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt in a separate mixing bowl.  Add to butter mixture in several additions, mixing well after each addition.  Stir in dried cranberries, white chocolate chunks and nuts, if desired. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake for 8 minutes or until golden brown, cool on wire rack.

Makes approximately 2 1/2 dozen.

Santa called. He would like a dozen of these waiting by the chimney. 

Enjoy! :)

Fudge: 2 Ways

Hello. My name is Stacy and I am addicted to this fudge.

There. I said it. Once you guys try it you will understand why. Yesterday I brought the remaining cookies to work with me. The fudge stayed at home. When asked my response was, "what fudge? I didn't make any fudge" or "ohh man, I'll bring it in tomorrow." Nope. The fudge stayed at home.

I was always nervous to make fudge. Until now. This fudge is so quick and easy to make, no candy thermometer needed. [I know, awesome.]

And.It's.SO.Delicious.

Once you make this you will automatically want to try it in every variety you can think of. Like I did. Hence why there are two different kinds here. Mary said she has tried several other concoctions that have all turned out deliciously as well. I think I will try dreamsicle (also an addiction) and chocolate mint next.... Yummm.

Peanut Butter Fudge

Ingredients

3 Cups Sugar

3/4 Cup (1 1/2 Stick) Butter or Margarine

1 Can (5oz) Evaporated Milk

12016oz Bag of Peanut Butter Chips

1 Jar (7oz) Marshmallow Fluff

1 Tsp Vanilla

Directions

Line a 9 inch square pan with foil.

Bring sugar, butter, and milk to a full rolling boil in a large saucepan on medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil 4 minutes (or until 234 degrees on candy thermometer) stirring constantly!

Remove from heat. Add peanut butter chips, marshmallow fluff, and vanilla, and stir until melted.

Pour into pan and let cool.

White Chocolate Fudge with Reese's Pieces

Ingredients

3 Cups Sugar

3/4 Cup (1 1/2 Stick) Butter or Margarine

1 Can (5oz) Evaporated Milk

12016oz Bag of White Chocolate Chips

1 Jar (7oz) Marshmallow Fluff

1 Tsp Vanilla

1 Bag (Less or More if Desired) Reese's Pieces

Directions

Line a 9 inch square pan with foil.

Bring sugar, butter, and milk to a full rolling boil in a large saucepan on medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil 4 minutes (or until 234 degrees on candy thermometer) stirring constantly!

Remove from heat. Add white chocolate chips, marshmallow fluff, and vanilla, and stir until melted.

Pour into pan. Pour Reese's Pieces on top of fudge and work throughout fudge with a knife so they are well distributed. Try to have Reese's Pieces in each bite. Let cool.

Simon says go make this fudge for the holidays.
Enjoy! :)

Melted Snowmen Cookies

This past weekend, Mary and I had a holiday bake-a-thon! We baked and decorated and ate until our cookie trays were full and our teeth were aching. (I guess not aching too much since we have already planned a round two for when more family comes in town!) Over the next couple days I'm going to share with you all the cookies and treats we made to make your holidays even sweeter!

Mary and I in our matching Holiday jammie pants ready for a day of baking!

First I have to start out with this guy...how cute is he??? I almost didn't even want to eat him! (I said almost...)

I stumbled upon these melted snowmen cookies back in June and have been pacing back and forth the last six months until it was acceptable to make them. Since I have also developed a very unhealthy pinterest addiction, they taunted me ever day from the other side of the computer. Just screaming to be made!

Well Mary and I did just that and they turned out so cute! We ended up using a sugar cookie recipe we already had and went to the trusty internet for a royal icing recipe. Each one had it's own personality and was completely worth the back ache decorating these cuties caused us.

Melted Snowmen Cookies

(cookie decorating inspired by Crazy Domestic)

Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

3 1/2 Cup Flour

1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 Cup Shortening

1/2 Cup Butter

1 1/2 Cup Sugar

2 Beaten Eggs

1 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

Directions

Beat shortening and butter until creamy. Mix sugar, eggs, and vanilla then add to shortening mixture. Add dry ingredients then blend into creamy mixture.

Refrigerate dough for one hour for easy rolling. Roll and cut into desired shapes.

Bake at 400 degrees for 6-8 minutes or until light brown around edges.

Alton Brown's Royal Icing

Ingredients

3 Ounces Egg Whites

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

4 Cups Powdered Sugar

***(This was a little too sweet for Mary and I so we added a little bit of melted butter and milk to cut the taste)

Directions

In large bowl of stand mixer combine the egg whites and vanilla and beat until frothy. Add confectioners' sugar gradually and mix on low speed until sugar is incorporated and mixture is shiny. Turn speed up to high and beat until mixture forms stiff, glossy peaks. This should take approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Add food coloring, if desired. For immediate use, transfer icing to pastry bag or heavy duty storage bag and pipe as desired. If using storage bag, clip corner. Store in airtight container in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

How to assemble the cookies:

Either free hand cut the cookies or use a cookie cutter. Mary and I used a pint glass and coffee mug to obtain circles. Bake, cool, and apply white icing to the cookies according to the cookie recipe. Take a microwave safe plate and spray with cooking spray and space marshmallows out on plate. Put in microwave for about 30 seconds...keep an eye on them because once they start to expand you need to take them out! Spray your hands with cooking spray and take the marshmallows and place them on the edge of cookies. Then continue to decorate your snowmen.

You will have so much fun making these, this I promise you! Leave comments and let me know how it goes!

Enjoy! :)

Asian Turkey Burgers with Spicy Lime Mayo

Seriously, make these for dinner tonight. Do it.

I found these on one of my favorite food blogs www.howsweeteats.com and knew I would be making them within a week's time... orrrr the very next day. These were so delicious I didn't even have time to whip my camera out before we inhaled them! I don't even like mayonaise and I probably could have eaten this by the spoonful.

I changed a couple things to this recipe (mostly because I didn't have the items on hand and Matt was hungry and could not wait any longer). Here is how I made them:

Asian Turkey Burgers with Spicy Lime Mayo
Adapted from How Sweet Eats

Burgers
1 Pound Ground Turkey
2 Garlic Cloves, Minced
A Handful of Chives, Thinly Chopped
1/2 Tablespoon Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
1/2 Tablespoon Toasted Sesame Seeds
4 Whole Wheat Buns

Spicy Lime Mayo
1/4 Cup Mayonnaise
1 Teaspoon Sriracha Sauce
Lime Juice

For the full recipe, pictures, and how to assemble the burgers please check out Jessica's blog at How Sweet Eats! You will not be disappointed!

Enjoy! :)

Guest Blog: Holiday Biscotti

To kick off the holiday baking season I have asked my extremely talented cousin, Afton, to share one of her favorite things to make this time of the year!

I hope yall enjoy! :)

Hello all from Stacy’s cousin’s kitchen in Virginia Beach, where I have just set my Holiday Biscotti back in to the oven. (Yes I said back in.)  For those of you who haven’t made biscotti before, the word biscotti literally means “twice-baked” in Italian!  Being someone who likes to take food items I come to love and learn to make them myself, I decided a couple years ago that I wanted desperately to learn to make this delicious, coffee-side treat. 

Now, while the possibilities of what biscotti contain are virtually endless, most people have probably tried some manipulation of an almond/hazelnut/chocolate combination.  While I had sampled all different types of biscotti over the years, when I stumbled upon the recipe I am about to share it was love at first bite.  A perfect combination of salty, tangy, and sweet, I bring to you my Holiday Biscotti, as adapted from Food Network’s Giada De Laurentis:

Holiday Biscotti

Recipe adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

Prep Time: 25 minutes Cook Time: 55 minutes Level: Intermediate Serves: 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest—don’t skip this, it really rounds out the flavor of the batter

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

3/4 cup pistachios, coarsely chopped-as much of a pain in the butt as it is, I shell the pistachios myself; buying the “kernels” is more expensive and brings too much salt to the recipe (enlist a friend or family member to help you shell!)

2/3 cup dried cranberries –I look for unsweetened (which Craisins ARE NOT) again just so not to add anything extra to the recipe.  If you can’t find them, sweetened will work.

12 ounces good-quality white chocolate, chopped; or white chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  

Line a heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper (If you do not, the biscotti WILL stick to your sheet.)  Whisk the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl to blend. Using an electric mixer, beat the sugar, butter, lemon zest, and salt in a large bowl to blend. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time. Add the flour mixture and beat just until blended. Stir in the pistachios and cranberries.

Form the dough into a 13-inch long, 3-inch wide log on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until light golden, about 40 minutes (Oven time will vary.  In NJ using my mom’s gas oven this takes between 35-40 minutes.  In my electric oven in VB I pulled it today at about 25 minutes.  Rule of thumb: don’t go too far.) Cool for 30 minutes.  

Place the log on the cutting board. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut the log on a diagonal into 1/2 to 3/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange the biscotti, cut side down, on the baking sheet.  You should now be able to see the pretty green and red that the pistachios and cranberries bring. Bake the biscotti until they are pale golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer the biscotti to a rack and cool completely.  

Note: I have made these biscotti many times and not dipped them in chocolate.  The chocolate will of course add another layer of flavor, and it adds the white to complete the festive color trio of green, red and white.  However, these biscotti are delicious just the way they are, as well.

Stir the chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering, not boiling, water (this is called tempering) until the chocolate melts. (For those of you who have not worked with white chocolate much, it is rather fussy. If you overheat it or bring it up too fast (i.e. with boiling water) it will seize, which is a nice way of saying “clump up into chalky balls.” (Rule of thumb: simmer your water, stir a lot, and as soon as it’s melted, TAKE IT OFF.)

Dip half of the biscotti into the melted chocolate. Gently shake off the excess chocolate. Place the biscotti on the baking sheet (still lined with parchment) for the chocolate to set. Refrigerate until the chocolate is firm, about 35 minutes.

The biscotti can be made ahead. Store them in an airtight container up to 4 days, or wrap them in foil and freeze in re-sealable plastic bags up to 3 weeks.



I will chat with you all again soon.
Happy Holidays!

-Afton