Christmas Cooking Day

This past weekend I went to St George for a mini-vacation with my friend Rikki. We shopped, ate good food, saw Taken 2, had lunch with my grandma who lives there in the winter, and had Christmas Cooking Day. It's something we used to do in high school but have only done a few times since then because we don't live close to each other. We would spend the day making all the Christmas treats we wanted to try, then that night we would have our friends come over and eat them. It was a great way to try lots of things but not eat them all ourselves.

This is Rikki's kitchen in the middle of the disaster. We had several recipes going at a time and cleaning up seemed pointless. All part of the fun, right?

And here are the finished treats!

peppermint patties

cream cheese mints

Twix bars

kiss pies

brownie cookies with peppermint buttercream

Rikki's daughters wanted to be in a picture

If it was closer to Christmas we would have taken plates of our treats to friends and neighbors, but we thought that would seem weird since it's not even Thanksgiving yet so this was just a practice run. Not giving away those brownie cookies is a good/bad thing. They are going to make me a bigger person. 

We had so much fun this weekend and now I can't wait for Thanksgiving!

broccoli cheese soup in a bread bowl

With temperatures cooling down I've been in the mood for soup, and the first recipe that came to mind was this one for broccoli cheese soup. I got it from my friend Sara a few years ago and I have no idea where she got it... so sorry, no source.

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter

1/2 onion, chopped

16 oz package frozen chopped broccoli, thawed

2 cans chicken broth

1 lb Velveeta, cubed

1 cup milk

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/3 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup water

Directions

Melt butter in a big pot. Add onion and cook until softened. Stir in broccoli and cover with broth. Simmer until broccoli is tender, about 10-15 minutes. Reduce heat and stir in cheese cubes until melted. Add milk and garlic powder. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water and stir until cornstarch is completely dissolved. Pour into soup and stir constantly until thick.

This soup is creamy and delicious, and served in a bread bowl it is just heavenly. I think Velveeta is nasty stuff, but in this recipe it works and you don't get that gross fake cheese flavor. Enjoy!

creamy cajun chicken

On one of our first dates we went to a restaurant called Ruth's Diner (up Emigration Canyon for those in the Salt Lake area). It has been featured on Diners, Drive-ins, & Dives on the Food Network, and for good reason. It has a fun atmosphere with outdoor seating in the summer and live music playing, and the food is delicious. 

I got a cajun chicken and pasta dish that was so good that I have thought about it many times since that night. I decided to see if I could come up with something similar to satisfy my craving until we get a chance to go back.

Creamy Cajun Chicken

I cooked the chicken the night before in my slow cooker. I pretty much only cook chicken in the slow cooker because I love how tender it gets. I don't like the texture of chicken cooked on the stove, and I like that in the slow cooker the flavor of the seasoning you use is infused into the chicken instead of just plain, bland chicken thrown into some sauce.

So for this recipe I dumped a can of chicken broth in the slow cooker, added a teaspoon of cajun seasoning, and then just put some frozen chicken in and let it cook for a few hours. I let it cool and then refrigerated it over night, and the next night when I was ready to make this recipe the chicken was cooked and ready to go.

For the sauce, all I did was add a tablespoon of cajun seasoning to a 16 oz jar of alfredo sauce. This was an experiment because I wasn't sure how much seasoning I would want (I had never cooked with cajun seasoning before), but one tablespoon ended up being perfect. It was just the right amount of spice and flavor without being burn-your-mouth-off spicy. I cut up the chicken and added it to the sauce, and once everything was heated through I poured it over some bow tie pasta. It was delicious! I'm sure Ruth's Diner uses a slightly more complicated recipe than mine and probably even makes their own sauce, but for a do at home replacement this was just what I wanted.

If you like a creamy sauce with lots of flavor, try this recipe! I will definitely be making it again.

parmesan garlic chicken with creamy pesto sauce

The month of January was also known as the Great Purge of 2012 at my house. I went through every drawer, cupboard, closet, and box in my house and threw away or donated everything that doesn't get used. What a great feeling! Because of that I didn't do a ton of crafting in January, but I did cook!

One of my favorite things to eat is the bowtie pasta with grilled chicken and creamy pesto sauce at the Pizza Factory, and I wanted to make something similar at home. It was fast and easy to make, and it's not exactly the same but it turned out pretty good!

For the sauce, all I did was mix a jar of regular alfredo sauce with some pre-made pesto. I'm not exactly sure how much pesto I used because I just added more until it tasted good, but I would say about 1/3 cup. It just depends on how strong you want the pesto flavor to be.

For the chicken I did something a little bit different than the grilled chicken at the Pizza Factory. I have used this recipe for years and I have no idea where I got it. I love it though, and I thought the flavors would go well with the sauce. 

Parmesan Garlic Chicken

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix (I use Zesty Italian)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I use tenders so they cook faster)

Mix cheese, garlic powder, and dressing mix. Moisten chicken with water and coat with cheese mixture. Place in shallow baking dish and bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (tenders take about 12-15 minutes).

I also found this recipe for Pizza Factory breadsticks

I haven't tried them yet, but they would be the perfect way to complete one of my favorite meals!

melt in your mouth pumpkin cookies

With Thanksgiving just a few days away (for those in the US), I thought I would give you one more thing to be thankful for! 

I am a big fan of pumpkin cookies and I've made several different recipes over the years. This one is BY FAR the best I've ever had. If you like pumpkin cookies, do yourself a favor and try this recipe TODAY! The cookies are so good, and there aren't really words to describe the frosting. I eat them for breakfast.

(Recipe from Better Homes & Gardens)

Cookies
· 2 cups butter, softened
· 2 cups granulated sugar
· 2 teaspoons baking powder
· 2 teaspoons baking soda
· 1 teaspoon salt
· 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
· 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
· 2 eggs
· 2 teaspoons vanilla
· 1 15-ounce can pumpkin
· 4 cups all-purpose flour

Frosting
· 1/2 cup butter
· 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
· 1/4 cup milk
· 1 teaspoon vanilla
· 2-3/4 cups powdered sugar
· Ground cinnamon (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, beat 2 cups butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Beat until combined, scraping bowl occasionally. Add eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla; beat until combined. Beat in pumpkin. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour. Drop dough by heaping teaspoons 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until tops are set. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool.

In a small saucepan, heat 1/2 cup butter and brown sugar until melted and smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in powdered sugar until smooth. Spread frosting on cookies. If desired, sprinkle with additional cinnamon. Makes about 60 cookies.

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I double the frosting recipe because it doesn't make quite enough for me. I like to pile it on! Believe me, you will be so happy these little pieces of heaven have come into your life. You're welcome :)

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