With Christmas approaching, I have been searching for a good ginger cookie recipe. Gingerbread is an essential element of Christmas baking, and I wanted to find a cookie that embodies that flavor. My friend Carolyn provided me with this delicious ginger cookie recipe that I will now be adding to my holiday baking rotation.

These ginger cookies are quite easy to make. When I first dropped the balls of dough on the cookie sheet, I wondered how they could possibly end up flat. Since the cookies flatten out quite a bit during baking, it’s good to leave about 2 inches between the balls of dough. The cookies are quite soft when they first come out of the oven, so it helps to leave them on the cookie sheet to cool for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

The consistency of the resulting cookie is perfect. It’s crisp, but not crunchy. The top of the cookie is beautifully crackled, but the inside is still somewhat soft.

Ginger Cookies

Yields 4 dozen cookies

1 cup sugar
3/4 cup shortening
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup molasses
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices. Set aside.
3. In an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the sugar and shortening on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in the egg and molasses and vanilla.
4. Mix in the dry ingredients.
5. Roll dough into tsp-sized round balls.
6. Roll dough balls in sugar.
7. Place dough balls on cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, my husband and I really enjoy Mexican food. This turkey taco recipe is a favorite of ours! It comes from Rachel Ray’s 365: No Repeats cookbook. While I am not a fan of her show, some of Rachel’s recipes are quite tasty and easy to whip up in a short amount of time. This meal can actually be prepared within 30 minutes, making it a perfect weeknight meal. These turkey tacos are delicious on their own, or with beans and rice. Of course, a margarita is always a welcome addition.

I have changed very little from the original recipe. In fact, my only modification is that I omit raisins. According to a site note in the cookbook, the raisins “help keep the meat moist and balance the spice,” but I’ve never bothered with them. The resulting turkey taco meat, seasoned according to the original recipe, is flavorful and moist. I like using ground turkey when I cook for two reasons: 1) It’s much cheaper than ground beef and 2) It’s a healthier option. My guests are usually surprised to find that this tasty recipe contains turkey and not the standard ground beef.

Enjoy!

Turkey Tacos

Yields 4 servings (2 tacos per serving)

1 package super-size taco shells (I like the Ortega Stand ‘n Stuff)
1 package (approx 1 1/3 lbs) ground turkey
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tsp poultry seasoning
3 garlic cloves, chopped or pressed
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 cup tomato sauce (I use a single 8 oz. can of plain sauce)

Shredded cheese, shredded romaine lettuce, diced tomatoes and salsa for garnish.

1) Heat taco shells in oven according to package directions.
2) Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the turkey and break up the meat.
3) Season the meat with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning.
4) When the meat is nearly browned, add the garlic, onions, chili powder and cumin.
5) Cook for 5 minutes, or until the onions are soft, then stir in the stick.
6) Stir in the tomato sauce and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.
7) Fill taco shells with meat sauce and top with desired garnish.

I made my first quiche on Sunday! Not only was it remarkably easy to make, but it got rave reviews from our company.

I first perused my cookbook collection, but was disappointed that the recipes called for large amounts of cream or milk. Since I have an intolerance to milk, I try to limit the amount that I use when cooking. Convinced that I could find a tasty recipe that had far less milk, I hit up allrecipes.com.

I settled on a heavily modified version of Easy Broccoli Quiche. While reviewers loved the general idea of the recipe, most said that the mix was too wet. My changes are detailed in the recipe below. As a time-saver, I used a refrigerated Pillsbury pie crust and frozen baby broccoli florets. If you’re looking to save even more time, frozen chopped onion could be used in a pinch.

I will likely add another egg next time, as the egg mixture didn’t rise to completely fill the crust. Aside from that minor criticism, I have no complaints. The egg mixture baked up nicely and was quite flavorful.

I took this photo right before everyone went back for seconds – there were no leftovers!

Broccoli Quiche

Yields 6 servings

2 tablespoons butter
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 cup chopped broccoli (fresh or frozen)
1 9-inch unbaked pie crust
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar Jack Cheese
3 eggs, well beaten
3/4 cup skim milk
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. If using frozen broccoli, thaw before chopping.
3. Melt butter in large saute pan over medium-low heat.
4. Add onions, garlic and broccoli. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft.
5. Whisk together beaten eggs and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in vegetable mixture and cheese.
6. Place unbaked pie crust in pie pan.
7. Pour egg mixture into crust, and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until center has set.

Since our evening was quite busy, my husband and I opted to have appetizers for dinner. We both love Mexican food. It’s tasty, fun to make and pairs perfectly with a yummy margarita. We decided that quesadillas would be a quick, filling appetizer-for-dinner.

I adapted this recipe from the “Black Bean Quesadilla” recipe in Favorite Brand Name Mexican. My husband bought this cookbook for my birthday, and I love it. Not only does it contain quite a variety of recipes, but it’s well-organized and chock full of lovely photos. I really like to see picture of what I’m making.

The original recipe does not include corn and only calls for 1/2 cup of black beans. Adding the corn and doubling the amount of beans makes for a very filling quesadilla. I also increased the amount of cheese by about 1/4 of a cup, because I like cheesy quesadillas. Extra cheese also helps to hold things together.

This is not a recipe that needs to be followed carefully. Have fun changing proportions and switching up ingredients to include your favorite mix of flavors!

Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas

Cooking spray
4 8-inch flour tortillas
1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar or Mexican blend are perfect)
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup corn (if using frozen, thaw first)
2 green onions with tops, sliced
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp dried cilantro
salsa and sour cream for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray large nonstick baking sheet with cooking spray. Place two tortillas on baking sheet.
2. Combine beans, corn, green onions, cumin and cilantro in a small bowl; mix lightly.
3. Spoon corn and bean mixture onto tortillas. Sprinkle cheese over mixture.
4. Top with remaining tortillas and coat tops with cooking spray.
5. Bake 10-12 minutes or until cheese is melted and tortillas are lightly browned.
6. Cut each quesadilla into 6 wedges. Top with salsa and sour cream, if desired.

As much as I love to make things from scratch, I?m usually a brownies-from-a-box kind of girl. Grab a box of Betty Crocker mix, throw some sort of chocolate chips on top, and you have a warm, chocolate-y dessert with minimal effort in less than 45 minutes.

I was swayed to attempt making brownies from scratch after my friend Meg brought these amazing chocolate mint brownies for dessert. These brownies require more effort then their boxed counterparts, but resulting dessert is certainly worth it. Since we?ll be visiting with friends for dinner tonight, I opted to make a special dessert treat.

The dense fudge-like brownie is covered with a sweet peppermint frosting and topped with a layer of hardened chocolate. The resulting dessert is more like a piece of candy than a typical brownie. While the final dessert product doesn?t need to be refrigerated, I prefer to store the brownies in the refrigerator and serve them cold. Served straight out of the fridge, these brownies have the taste and consistency of a decadent slice of fudge.

When I received a copy of this chocolate mint brownie recipe from my friend, she had made a few alterations to the original. I have found that her modified measurements (more milk in the frosting, and more chips and butter in the topping) result in smooth, spreadable frosting and enough chocolate topping to easily cover the entire 9×9 surface. Without the changes, I would imagine that the frosting would be too stiff to spread easily and there wouldn?t be enough chocolate topping to cover the brownies. Besides, is it ever possible to have too much chocolate?

Mint Chocolate Fudge Brownies

Adapted from familyfun.go.com

Yields about 2 dozen brownies

Brownies
1/2 cup butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mint Frosting
1/4 cup softened butter
2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
4 to 5 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

Chocolate Topping
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
4 tablespoons butter

Brownies
1. Heat the oven to 350? and grease a 9-inch square baking pan. (lining with foil and coating the foil in cooking spray works well too)
2. For the brownies, place the butter and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute, stir, and microwave for 1 minute more. Stir until smooth.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs.
4. Stir in the chocolate and the vanilla extract.
5. Stir in the flour and salt until thoroughly combined. Pour into the prepared pan, then bake for 25 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool for at least 1 hour.

Mint Frosting
1. Cream the butter and confectioners’ sugar.
2. Add the milk 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until it is smooth and spreadable.
3. Beat in the peppermint extract.
4. Frost the cooled brownies, cover, and chill in refrigerator for at least1 hour.

Chocolate Topping
1. Pour the chips into a microwave-safe bowl, add the butter, and microwave on high for 1 1/2 minutes or until the chocolate melts.
2. Stir until smooth.
3. Pour the chocolate over the brownies and smooth it with a knife. Refrigerate for 45 minutes or until the coating hardens.

Once the coating has hardened, cut the brownies into 24 pieces. When packaging brownies, place wax paper between layers of brownies to prevent sticking.

My husband and I live one mile from Panera Bread. Having quick, delicious take-out easily accessible is both a good and a bad thing. On cool fall and winter evenings, a tasty sandwich and piping hot bowl of soup really hits the spot. Since broccoli cheese soup is a favorite of ours, I figured we could save some money by occasionally making it at home.

This simple Cooking Light brocolli cheese soup recipe takes about 30 minutes to prepare, making it an ideal mid-week dinner. Served on its own or with crusty bread, it?s warm comfort-food at its best.

The original recipe calls for 2 ? cups of milk and 3 cups of chicken broth. I altered the recipe to use less milk and more broth. I also use skim milk, as opposed to 2%, because that is the kind that we keep in the house. The original recipe also recommends pureeing part of the soup to make it thicker, but I have never done this.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Yields 6 1 1/3 cup servings

cooking spray or olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (16-ounce) package broccoli florets
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
8 ounces light processed cheese, cubed (such as Velveeta Light)

1) Heat a large nonstick saucepan coated with cooking spray or olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; saute 3 minutes or until tender.
2) Add broth and broccoli. Bring broccoli mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; cook 10 minutes.
3) Combine milk and flour in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk until well blended.
4) Add milk mixture to broccoli mixture. Cook 5 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly.
5) Stir in pepper.
6) Remove from heat; add cheese, stirring until cheese melts.

Pumpkin is the quintessential fall ingredient. This recently discovered pumpkin chocolate chip recipe has quickly become my go-to fall dessert and has received rave reviews from all who have tried it. I?ve noticed that the cookies seem to taste better the day after baking. They?re especially tasty with a cup of tea!

Having only recently discovered my love of pumpkin baked goods, I was somewhat taken aback by the appearance and smell of the canned pumpkin and was initially skeptical as to whether the cookies would be edible. The cookie dough has a distinct orangey cast, and only starts to smell like a cookie batter when the spice/flour mixture is added.

Don?t hesitate to add more pumpkin if the dough seems at all dry or not pumpkin-y enough for your liking. I?ve easily added up to an additional ? cup to a batch. Make sure you use pumpkin puree, not canned pumpkin pie filling. My recipe differs from the original only in that I added more cinnamon and more chocolate chips, in addition to the extra pumpkin.

It?s worth noting that these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies freeze well. Drop cookies on cookie sheets (line sheets with wax paper for easier removal) and freeze for about an hour. Remove the dough from the cookie sheet and store in freezer bag. When you want freshly-baked cookies, pop the frozen dough on a cookie sheet and bake in a preheated oven for 1-2 minutes more than your typical baking time.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from the Boston Globe

Makes about 3-4 dozen

2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree (I add more if the batter seems dry)
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 package (or a little less) semisweet chocolate chips or chunks

1. Set the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
3. In an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy. Add the pumpkin, egg, and vanilla and beat just until blended.
4. Mix in the dry ingredients.
5. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand. With a rubber spatula, stir in the chocolate chips or chunks.
6. Drop the batter by heaping teaspoons 1 inch apart on the baking sheets.
7. Bake the cookies for 13 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for a few minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Some people might think it?s crazy to try baking whoopie pies for the first time at 9:30 on a Tuesday night. Well, call me crazy. Cooking, baking and puttering around the house rank among my favorite hobbies. There?s nothing better than trying a new recipe, painting something around the house or getting creative with my sewing machine.

I hope to share my love of cooking, baking, crafting and all things domestic! Please feel free to comment. If you try a recipe, please let me know how it comes out. If you make any changes ? I?d love to know! I?m notorious for selecting multiple recipes and grabbing what I like from each one to make my ideal creation.

I look forward to hearing about your kitchen and household adventures!