Happy Holidays!

I am ready to make cookies today! I've assembled all of the ingredients, butter is almost at room temperature, counters are cleared off but best of all I'm grateful to be healthy this Christmas after finishing breast cancer treatment.  I don't have all of my stamina yet so I cut back on all of the types of cookies we usually make for the holidays. We also purchased pre-cut Sugar Cookies at GFS to save some time. Here are the cookies we are making this year:

Coconut Dream Bars
Spritz
Russian Teacakes
Rugelach
Fantasy Fudge
Pecan Pie Bars

Granola Trail Mix

I've been looking for a healthy snack so I combined my Granola and Trial Mix recipes today.  This was an opportunity to use the variety of seeds and nuts I'd purchased for making bread. I think I'll try this as cereal with Almond Milk tomorrow morning. I'd like to experiment with cinnamon and vanilla or almond flavoring next time. Thanks Melanie, for sharing your granola baking secrets!

2 cups dry rolled oats

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup whole almonds

1 cup pumpkin seeds

1 cup peanuts

1 cup coconut (optional)

1/4 cup ground flax seed (optional)

1/4  cup oil (flax seed, coconut,  or canola)

1/2 cup honey

1 cup dried cranberries (or other dried berries)

Chewy Lemon Sugar Cookies

When life gives you lemons, make cookies!
I've been looking for a recipe for a soft lemon cookie and discovered this great recipe from The Craving Chronicles. I made a couple modifications, (like adding love) and can't wait to try these again!

2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sugar, plus 1/3 cup for rolling
2 ounces cream cheese, cut in 8 pieces
zest of 1 large lemon
6 Tbsp (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon extract
a dash of love

Preheat oven 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Place sugar and zest in mixing bowl, combine until fragrant. Add cream cheese and butter, mix until creamy. Add oil, egg, lemon juice, milk, vanilla and lemon extract, mix until combined.
On lowest setting, add flour and mix only until ingredients are combined.  If you over mix flour it will toughen the texture.
Place remaining sugar in a small bowl. Using  small cookie scoop, portion out 12 dough balls per baking sheet. Roll each dough ball in your hands, then roll in sugar to coat. Space about 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Makes about 24 cookies.
Bake 1 sheet at a time for 11-13 minutes, until set and just beginning to brown on the bottom. They might not look done, but don't over bake! Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. store in airtight container at room temperature.

Dawn's Deviled Eggs

Photo from Pinch My Salt

A friend shared her Deviled Egg Recipe using Slaw Dressing, which creates a creamy, tangy filling.  I am fond of the Macaroni Salad recipe using Slaw Dressing so I know this will be a hit. We will try this along
with many other new recipes this Easter.

12 hard-boiled eggs, shelled 

1/4 cup Miracle Whip
1/4 cup Marzetti's Slaw Dressing

Squirt of mustard

dash vinegar

Malted Marshmallow White Chocolate Royale

Malted Marshmallow White Chocolate Royale on the Food Network
Malted Marshmallow White Chocolate Royale

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Prep Time:10 minInactive Prep Time: -- Cook Time:10 min
Level:
Easy
Serves:
4 servings

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

Peach Cobbler on the Food Network

Peach Cobbler on the Food Network

Peach Cobbler
2012 Ree Drummond, All Rights Reserved

Prep Time:15 minInactive Prep Time:15 minCook Time:35 min
Level:
Easy
Serves:
9 servings

Ingredients
Butter, for greasing baking dish
Fruit:

Buttered Rosemary Rolls

Buttered Rosemary Rolls on the Food Network
Buttered Rosemary Rolls
2012 Ree Drummond, All Rights Reserved

Prep Time:5 minInactive Prep Time:3 hr 0 minCook Time:20 min
Level:
Easy
Serves:
15 rolls
Ingredients
15 frozen, unbaked, un-risen dinner rolls 
Melted butter 
Coarsely chopped fresh rosemary 
Coarse sea salt
Directions
Place the dinner rolls in a large lightly 
buttered skillet, allowing some space between

Fruit Salad with Orange-Vanilla Syrup

Fruit Salad with Orange-Vanilla Syrup on the Food Network

Fruit Salad with Orange-Vanilla Syrup
2012 Ree Drummond, All Rights Reserved

Prep Time:30 minInactive Prep Time: hr minCook Time:15 min
Level:
Easy
Serves:
12 servings
Ingredients
Orange-Vanilla Syrup: 
1 cup sugar 
Zest and juice of 1 orange 
1 vanilla bean 

Sharing the Love

When Tommy was 5 years old we traveled to a darling little resort town in Eureka Springs, AK with some friends where I found this can of love, or rather, it found me. It has always remained full of love no matter how much or how often I used it.

I sprinkled it in Tommy's cereal and Richard's tea. I added it to most recipes. I gave the kids a spoonful if they were ill or would just pour it on their tongue when they were sad.  I sprinkled it on skinned knees and boo-boos.  We passed it around the table with the salt and pepper at family gatherings. It has become a permanent fixture in our home.

For years I tried to find the company behind this ingenious product. I wanted to sell them on my recipe site so more families could enjoy this wonderful tradition. I finally found the owner and it was like finding a friend. One day I was ordering a shipment and told Peggy about my new journey and what had happened at the first chemo treatment.  I overheard bits of a conversation with the patient next to me. A nurse summoned a social worker who asked if there was a family member or friend available to pick her up. The patient just stayed in a fetal position and kept saying that there was no one.  I got distracted with everything they were doing to me and lost tract of the elderly woman but worried about her for days. How was she going to take care of herself, stay hydrated,  keep up with the meds and get food? Peggy said it sounded like that woman needed a can of love. She takes cans of love everywhere because she usually runs into someone who needs it. What a brilliant idea!

I began sharing the love with family and friends, teachers and students, nurses and doctors; people who give to others and may need replenished. Some looked inside the empty can and said they didn't see anything. I just reminded them that you can't see love and that the more you used the more you would have available. You can never use too much and will never run out of love.  It makes everything taste better and people feel better. It's truly magical!

Everything happens for a reason. Don't you agree?

Buying that can of love in Arkansas 20 years ago, getting cancer, finding Peggy - 

EVERYTHING!