December 2008

Peppermint Bark

December 28, 2008

Peppermint bark is tasty, festive addition to your holiday treats. Pre-made peppermint bark can be purchased at many retailers, but it’s typically pretty pricey. With two bags of chips, 8 candy canes and less than an hour of your time, you can make this fun holiday treat at home. Even though Christmas Day has come […]

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Chocolate Crinkles

December 19, 2008

These cookies are a fun alternative to your standard chocolate cookie recipe. The chocolate crinkles are soft with a somewhat cake-like consistency. They have a nice cocoa flavor without being too rich or too heavy, while the confectioners sugar gives the cookies a pretty, snow-dusted appearance. Chocolate Crinkles from Family Fun Magazine Yields 40 cookies […]

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Spinach and Artichoke Dip

December 19, 2008

I’ve received the Kraft Food and Family magazine for a few years. It’s a free, seasonal publication that contains easy recipes for everyday meals, appetizers and desserts. I have a number of Kraft recipes in my “Recipes to Try” binder, including this simple one for Spinach and Artichoke dip. This spinach and artichoke dip recipe […]

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Stuffed Mushrooms

December 19, 2008

Stuffed mushrooms are a favorite appetizer of mine, and I was thrilled to receive this easy recipe from a friend of mine. I’m not a fan of seafood, so I was happy to find a recipe that did not require it. As written, this recipe seems to produce more stuffing than is needed. I’ve tried […]

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Sugar Cookies

December 17, 2008

It’s not Christmas without decorated sugar cookies. I’ve made these cookies with my Mom for as long as I can remember. When I was growing up, we’d make seasonally themed sugar cookies: hearts, strawberries, ice cream cones, fall leaves, mushrooms, snowmen, stars and Christmas trees – Mom had a cookie cutter for every occasion. Whenever […]

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Artisan Bread

December 11, 2008

I love bread. Despite my love of bread, I did not try making it until I found this recipe. There was something intimidating about working with yeast (silly, I know) and I didn’t want to deal with hand-kneading bread for several minutes. Last winter, I stumbled upon a review for Artisan Bread in Five Minutes […]

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Pasta e Fagioli

December 9, 2008

Sunday marked the first snowfall of the year. A cold, wintry day calls for a warm hearty dinner. I love this recipe for Pasta e Fagioli. Since this soup is best when simmered for about an hour, it’s perfectly suited for weekend evenings when one has time to hang out in the kitchen. Preparing the […]

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Sunday Dinner

December 7, 2008

It’s been a wonderful weekend and I’m cooking up a storm. Stay tuned tomorrow for recipes for homemade artisan bread and pasta e fagioli!

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Tomato Cheddar Soup

December 4, 2008

Last winter, I fell in love with a tomato cheddar soup at Au Bon Pain. The soup was quite simple, but it was tasty. I figured that it would be easily enough to replicate, so I set out in search of a recipe. I ultimately settled on one from the website for Whole Foods Market, […]

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Light Alfredo Sauce

December 2, 2008

I maintain a “recipe to try” binder that contains recipes I’ve pulled from magazines or found online. Since I’ve had good luck with many other Cooking Light recipes, I decided to give this low fat light alfredo sauce a try. I served it with herb-seasoned baked chicken and steamed broccoli on cellentani pasta. The Alfredo […]

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