Brown Sugar Pound Cake

I'm kind of glad that the weekend is over actually. It's seemed really drawn out and rather boring, I'm ready to get busy doing things again! My mom gave me a little loaf pan for Christmas last year and I just noticed it the other day up in my pantry and realized that I've never used it, so I just had to think of something to make! I decided on a really great brown sugar pound cake that I saw in a Betty Crocker magazine a few year back. This is really good! I'd definitely recommend giving it a try!

Ingredients:
2 1/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 1/2 Cups Packed Brown Sugar
3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Cup Butter or Margarine, softened
4 Eggs
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
3/4 Cup Milk

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom & sides of baking dish with shortening and dust with flour. In medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In large bowl, beat brown sugar, granulated sugar, and butter or margarine until light & fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. Beat in flour mixture alternately with milk. Bake 1hr. to 1hr. & 10 minutes.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies

I hope everyone had a great Christmas! This Christmas felt pretty odd to me, not being with my family in Vermont..but my hubby and I tried to make the best of it. My parents sent us all the presents they had gotten us through the mail and they arrived last week, all wrapped and ready to put under our tree. Of course we didn't need a thing from them, but we definitely appreciate all the hard work and thought that they put into doing this for us to make Christmas seem a little less weird. I'am just so blessed to have the most wonderful parents in the world, I love them so much..and I wish I could see them everyday. They really made Christmas special for us though. We woke up on Christmas and came downstairs to get our stockings that my parents had sent us (my mom is so sweet, she wrapped every little thing in our stockings to make it extra special for us!) and took them back up into our bedroom and opened them in bed, it was great! Then we came downstairs and made hot chocolate in our new Starbucks mugs that they got for us (we opened those on Christmas eve - have to keep tradition alive!) and we came and sat on the living room floor together and opened our gifts! They got us so many things that we LOVE, they are so thoughtful. They make me feel like i'm still a little girl EVERY Christmas! It's the one time of year I feel like that. My mom is so cute, she still to this day writes "from Santa" on all of our gifts and I will always love her for that! She is the best. Next year, you better believe we will be with them though! It's just not quite the same. Anyway...I have been craving oatmeal cookies, and I haven't made any in SO long! I had some chocolate chunks leftover so I decided to bake some up this evening =) It was a crappy day, the high got up to 77! HELLO..that doesn't say winter to me AT ALL! It was SO humid also. I think somewhere in the 50's is my perfect temp =) These cookies were awesome and my hubby and I will enjoy them later tonight with some hot chocolate and a Christmas movie!! p.s. - don't you LOVE the leopard plates? my mama got me those for Christmas! I have a few random shots below from the past couple of days, mainly for my mom to see in addition of the others I'm sending her..enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 Sticks Margarine or Butter, softened
3/4 Cup Packed Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Egg
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
3 Cups Old-Fashioned Oats, uncooked

1 1/2 Cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunks

Directions:

Pre-Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, beat margarine or butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. In small bowl combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Gradually add into wet mixture. Add oats; mix thoroughly. Add chocolate chunks; mix thoroughly. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto un-greased cookie sheets. Cook 8 to 9 minutes or until golden brown.

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The babies were so excited for their presents, aren't they sweet?
She loves her Beggin' Strips!

My sweet husband put my favorite picture of my parents on the coffee table for me so that they could be close to us while we were un-wrapping gifts =) p.s. Thanks for the mugs daddy & mama! A shot of the living room right before we opened gifts, my hubby had xmas music playing over the tv! Look - Santa ate his cookies! ;o)

Opening our stockings in bed, so fun, so many cute things! Mom, you are so sweet! Hot chocolate for a Christmas Eve movie =) Some of my Christmas decorations! Our new stockings that my parents sent!

Our tree! And a cute little orange kitty asleep on the arm of the chair =)

My husband and his dad playing air hockey together when we were at his house doing our gift exchange with them. BY THE WAY - my hubby WON! GO BRANDON!!

Chocolate Chunk & Andes Mint Cookies

So...I didn't get around to making the pretzels today because we were just too busy. I might be able to squeeze them in tomorrow, but i'm not sure. We're going to my sister in-law and brother in-laws house tomorrow for a small get together, and I was looking for a dessert to make and I was just browsing through all the chips (of the chocolate and other variety) and first spotted the semi-sweet chocolate chunks, which I thought would be good for a change, then I saw the andes mint pieces but I knew I had some unopened andes mints that my mom sent me for Christmas and knew I could just chop some of those up..so that's what I did! I was worried that the mint would be too over powering but it's not, I think the addition of the semi-sweet chunks really balances everything out. I just want to take a quick time out to wish everyone a very happy and safe holiday and hope that you all have a wonderful time with your families and of course, enjoy some yummy food!!!

Ingredients:

2 1/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Salt
2 Sticks Butter or Margarine, softened
3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
3/4 Cup Packed Brown Sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 Eggs

1 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunks

14 Andes Mint Candies, chopped finely

Directions:

In small bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Add chopped andes mints and chocolate chunks, stir well. Place a sheet of wax paper over the mixture and chill for 15 minutes in the fridge. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. With a spoon, take a medium size scoop of dough and roll into a ball and place onto an ungreased cookie sheet and slighly flatted with your hand. Repeat process until you fill up your cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cookies are golden brown. Make sure to put the dough back into the fridge between each batch. I like to chill the dough each time to make sure that my cookies don't spread too much. It works every time!
Here's my two babies with Christmas presents from my parents!! They have 2 more presents each under the tree from them as well, but they have to wait until Christmas morning for those! They're so happy, they love their grandpa & grandma! =)

Carraba's Dipping Oil

If any of you don't know what Carraba's is, it's a really great italian restaurant. I believe there's several of them in several different states, i'm just not sure where exactly. When you get seated the waiter or waitress gives you a little plate full of different kinds of herbs and spices and then pours olive oil on top and they serve you warm sourdough bread to dip in it. Let me tell you, it is to die for! I really love Carraba's, we don't go there nearly as often as we should..I'm just such a sucker for Olive Garden (!), but when we do go, I LOVE LOVE LOVE having this dipping oil. I searched the net a longtime ago for some copy cat recipes to it and I found tons. It tastes exactly like theirs! This is very good and different, I definitely recommend giving it a try if you've never had it before.

Ingredients:

1 Teaspoon Black Pepper

1 Teaspoon Salt

1 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper

1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano

1 Teaspoon Dried Rosemary

1 Teaspoon Dried Basil

1 Teaspoon Dried Parsley

Directions:

Mix all herbs & spiced thoroughly in bowl. Transfer mixture to plate and spread out, then pour desired amount of extra-virgin olive oil all over mixture. Serve with warm bread of choice. (I recommend sourdough, since that's what Carraba's serves with it.)

Sausage Balls

Well the past couple of days around here have been pretty weird. The night after my husband was sick with a horrible stomach bug, I got sick too! I was getting up all night being sick =( We've been so angry, first off..2 weeks of colds, first he got one, then I caught it from him..then the stomach bug, again..first he got it, then i did. It was horrible!! Every time I thought I saw a end in sight things just got worse again, BUT..I really think it's over this time. We both woke up feeling really good this morning. So, pray for us that we'll stay that way! I really want to get back to cooking, we've just been eating straight soup for days. Anyhow, these are something I've made several times now..I first had them last year at a Christmas Party hosted by my mother in-law (Hi Judy!) , a friend of hers had brought them and I couldn't get over how good they were and I just had to get the recipe. They are perfect for appetizers and couldn't be easier to make. With all the holiday get togethers going on I thought that it would be fitting to post these!

Ingredients:

1 lb. Hot Sausage

8 oz. Extra-Sharp Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1 Cup Bisquick

Directions:

Mix everything together evenly in a large mixing bowl. It may take a little work to get all the bisquick mixed in there, but just be patient =) Roll into about cocktail meatball sized balls and place on a cookie sheet and bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes or until cheese just starts to melt out. Enjoy!!

*p.s. - don't be alarmed by the "burntish" cheese on the bottom, that only makes them all the BETTER!!