Ghost Cookies

I found these cute Nutter Butter Ghost Cookies on the Mystery Lovers' Kitchen Blog and thought not only would they be easy to make with the kids but also yummy. Of course they were both and were perfect to deliver to the "Happy Haunting Ghostly Phantom" houses. I recommend giving them a try.

Cornbread Chicken Pot Pie

This recipe is a good way to use up some Thanksgiving turkey. It's simple and my girls and husband really like it (ZMan doesn't like anything). I use whatever vegetables we have around.

Cornbread Chicken Pot Pie
1 10 3/4 oz can cream of chicken soup
1 8 oz can whole kernel corn, drained
2 cups chicken or turkey, cubed
1 8 1/2 oz pkg corn muffin mix
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix soup, corn and chicken in 9 inch pie plate. Mix muffin mix, milk and egg. Pour over chicken mixture. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with cheese.

Serves 4

Millionaire's Shortbread

I saw this recipe made on the Food Network and it sounded yummy and fairly easy. I made it tonight and it is so good....

Ingredients

Shortbread:
2 sticks butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for preparing pans
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for preparing pans
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Caramel Layer:
2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons butter

Chocolate Topping:
3/4 pound good-quality milk chocolate

Directions

Shortbread:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 2 (8-inch) square nonstick pans and coat with flour, tapping off excess. Place the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse once. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles peas. Press the shortbread mixture into prepared pans and bake until golden brown around the edges, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

Caramel Layer:
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the condensed milk and 2 tablespoons of butter. Slowly bring the mixture to a boil, stirring continuously. Continue stirring over the heat until mixture becomes thick and amber in color, about 15 minutes. Pour the caramel over the cooked shortbread and spread evenly using an offset spatula. Cool to room temperature.

Chocolate Topping:
In a glass bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate. Once chocolate has melted, pour it over the cooled caramel layer. Cool at room temperature for about 10 minutes, and then place in the refrigerator to cool completely, allowing chocolate to slightly harden but not get hard. Cut into 2-inch squares and enjoy, or store in an airtight container, at room temperature, or my favorite - keep in the refrigerator for a yummy sweet and cool treat!

Makes 2 dozen

Recipe courtesy Claire Robinson

Cheddar-Potato Soup

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced celery
6 cups reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups mashed potatoes
8 ounces shredded Cheddar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon dry mustard
Hot sauce, optional

Add oil to a large pot set over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery and saute for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they start to soften. Add stock and mashed potatoes and bring to a simmer.
Using a hand blender or regular blender, puree soup until smooth (when using a regular blender, work in batches to prevent messy cleanups!). Add Cheddar, salt, white pepper, dry mustard and hot sauce. Stir to combine and allow the cheese to melt.

Barbeque Beef

3-4 pound beef chuck roast
onion

Cook in crockpot on low for 10-12 hours (I cooked it overnight).

Shred the beef and add the following sauce and cook for another hour.

1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup Hines chili sauce
1/4 cup vinegar
2 tsp salt
4 tbsp lemon juice
4 tsp worshire sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar

Strawberry Banana Bread

Strawberry Banana Bread

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups ripe bananas (about 6 medium sized, mashed)
4 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 cups flour
1 1/2 pounds frozen sliced strawberries thawed

1. Grease two 9x5 loaf pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Incorporate the bananas and scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each one. Set aside.

2. In another bowl, mix together the salt, baking soda, and flour. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir until fully incorporated. Add the strawberries. Pour into prepared pans and bake for 60 to 75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a rack before inverting onto a plate. Makes 2 loaves.

This recipe was shared with my by Daniele from a message group I am on. She gave it to me a few years ago and I love it and it's been a big hit with friends and family.

Santa's Favortie Candy Cane & Chocolate Chip Cookies

Santa's Favortie Candy Cane & Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

2 3/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup chopped candy canes

Cream the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, add vanilla and peppermint extracts. Combine the dry ingredients and stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in the chocolate chips and candy cane.

Drop spoonfuls of dough onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.

Pecan Clusters

Pecan Clusters
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

7-ounce jar marshmallow cream
3/4 pound chocolate kisses (recommended: Hershey's)
2 1/2 cups sugar
6-ounce can evaporated milk
1/2 stick butter
2 cups pecan halves

Place marshmallow cream and kisses into a large bowl. Set aside. Combine sugar, milk, and butter in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for 8 minutes. Pour over marshmallow and chocolate, stirring until well blended. Stir in pecans. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper.

Mimo's Famous Carmels

I found the carmel recipe at Lorie To-Do and thought I would try it tonight. It was my first attempt at making carmels and it turned out pretty good (a little soft but I think homemade carmels are softer than store-bought).

Mimo's Famous Carmels

2 Cups Sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 Cup Karo Syrup
1 Can evaporated Vitamin D milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix together and bring to boil 1st 3 ingredients. Add milk slowly and keeping it at a boil until firm ball stage.Firm Ball Stage: Have a couple of small cups of cold water handy. When the carmel starts thickening up and the boiling changes to instead of looking watery it looks thicker and more like bubbling lava, take a spoonful of carmel and drop it into one of the cups of cold water. Put your fingers in and play with the carmel. If it falls apart, it's not at the firm ball stage. You want to be able to make a ball with it, that is firm, but not hard. Hard ball stage, you've cooked it too long. DON'T over cook!Take off heat, add vanilla and pour into greased 8x8 pan and cool before serving.

Applesauce Cinnamon Ornaments

Applesauce Cinnamon Ornaments

3 cups applesauce

3 cups ground cinnamon

Mix applesauce and cinnamon together until it is thick enough to hold a form when cut into cookie cutter shapes. Flatten the mixture on a flat surface and cut into cookie cutter shapes.

Place cookie shapes on a cookie sheet to dry for 3 to 4 days depending on the size and thickness of the cookies. If using as a hanging ornament, make hole with toothpick or drinking straw before drying. Once dry, thread hole with festive ribbon!

**This recipe is meant to be used to make ornaments on wreaths, gifts or to hang on Christmas trees. If fragrance starts to fade, drop a little cinnamon oil on ornament.

Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

Take time out to try this fun new idea.

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 cup butter, softened (no substitutes)

1/4 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup powdered sugar

2 tbsp packed brown sugar

3/4 cup minature semisweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup finely chopped pecans

Graham crackers or Honey Maid Chocolate Sticks

In a bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until fluffy. Gradually add sugars. Beat just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Place cream cheese mixture onto a large piece of plastic wrap and shape intoa ball. Refrigerate at least 1 hour longer. Roll cheese ball in pecans. Serve with graham crackers or Honey Maid Chocolate Sticks.

Peanut Butter Fudge

Peanut Butter Fudge

1 cup sugar
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup butter
1 cup peanut butter
1 8 ounce marshmallow creme

Combine first four ingredients in large pot, bring to a boil stirring constantly. Reduce heat and continue at a rolling boil until soft ball stage. Remove from heat and add peanut butter and marshmallow creme. I usually double this recipe because it is not a very big batch.

Grandma's Salad

Grandma's Salad

1 8 ounce carton frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 20 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained
1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl; mix well. Chill overnight. Add crushed graham crackers before serving.

Fresh Cranberry Salad

Fresh Cranberry Salad

2 packages fresh cranberries

12 oz. each - chopped about the size of rice

4 cups sugar

4 cups grapes, halved

1 cup chopped pecans

2 cups whipped cream (no sugar added)

Mix the chopped cranberries with the sugar and put in a colander. Seep all night. Throw away the liquid sugar stuff. Make sure the berries drain rather than set in the liquid. Add grapes and nuts. Whip cream and fold into fruit and nuts.

Pumpkin Pie Cake

Pumpkin Pie Cake

20 z can packed pumpkin

14oz sweetened condensed milk

3 eggs1 C. sugar

1 tsp. salt

3 tsp. cinnamon

1 box yellow cake mix

1cup chopped nuts (optional)

3/4cup melted butter

Mix first 6 ingredients well. Pour in greased 9x13 pan.

Sprinkle cake mix evenly over batter. Top with nuts. Pour butter over top.

Bake at 350 for 50 min or until set.

Layered Pumpkin Loaf

Layered Pumpkin Loaf

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar, divided

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

4 egg whites, divided

1/2 cup fat free milk

1/4 cup canola oil

2 cups flour

2 1/2 tsp. Calumet Baking Powder

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1/4 tsp. salt

1 pkg. (8 oz.) Philadelphia Neufchatel Cheese, softened

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a nonstick 9x5-inch loaf pan; set aside. Mix pumpkin, 1 cup granulated sugar, the brown sugar, 3 of the egg whites, milk and oil in a large bowl. Add flour, baking powder, pie spice and salt; stir just until moistened. Set aside. Beat Neufchatel cheese, remaining 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar and the remaining egg white with wire whisk until well blended.

Spoon half of the pumpkin batter into prepared pan; spoon Neufchatel cheese misture evenly over the batter. Cover with remaining pumpkin batter.

Bake 1 hour to 1 hour 5 minu. or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Fun knife or thin spatula around edges of pan to loosen bread; cool in pan on wire rack 10 min. Remove bread from pan to wire rack; cool completely.

Makes 1 loaf or 16 servings, 1 slice each.

Luscious Four-Layer Pumpkin Cake

Luscious Four-Layer Pumpkin Cake

1 pkg. (2-layer size) yellow cake mix
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin, divided
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup oil
4 large eggs
1-1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, divided
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed
1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping
1/4 cup chopped PLANTERS Pecans

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. Beat cake mix, 1 cup of the pumpkin, the milk, oil, eggs and 1 tsp. of the pumpkin pie spice in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Pour evenly into prepared pans.

BAKE 28 to 30 min. or until wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 min. Remove from pans to wire racks; cool completely. Beat cream cheese in small bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add sugar, remaining pumpkin and remaining 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice; mix well. Stir in the whipped topping.

CUT each cake layer horizontally in half with serrated knife. Stack layers on serving plate, spreading the cream cheese filling between layers. (Do not frost top of cake.) Drizzle cake with caramel topping just before serving; sprinkle with the pecans. Store leftover cake in refrigerator.

Bacon Cheeseburger Roll-Up

Bacon Cheeseburger Roll-Up

1 lb. lean ground beef
4 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onions (about 1 small)
1/2 lb. (8 oz.) VELVEETA Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 pkg. (13.8 oz.) refrigerated pizza crust

PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Cook ground beef, bacon and onions in large skillet on medium-high heat until ground beef is evenly browned, stirring occasionally. Drain; return meat mixture to skillet. Add VELVEETA; cook until completely melted, stirring frequently. Cool 10 min.

UNROLL pizza dough onto baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Press into 15x8-inch rectangle. Top evenly with meat mixture. Roll up dough, starting at one of the long sides. Rearrange, if necessary, so roll is seam-side down on baking sheet.

BAKE 20 to 25 min. or until golden brown. Cut diagonally into six slices to serve.

Spicy Cinnamon Cake

Spicy Cinnamon Cake

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

1 (18-ounce) package spice cake mix

1 (4 serving) package instant vanilla pudding mix

1 cup sour cream

4 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup corn oil

5 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease a 10-inch tube pan. Combine cake mix, instant pudding, sour cream, eggs, and corn oil and beat together well. In a separate bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, and pecans. Pour half of batter into prepared pan and sprinkle with sugar mixture, reserving a little to sprinkle on top. Pour the rest of batter into pan and sprinkle with the rest of sugar mixture. Bake 1 hour. Let cool and remove from pan.

Oven-Baked Dutch Apple Pancakes

Oven-Baked Dutch Apple Pancakes
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

2 cans apple pie filling

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sour cream

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1/4 teaspoon salt

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a 10-inch cast iron skillet, warm the apple pie filling, butter, cinnamon. In a bowl, beat the eggs until frothy. Add the milk, flour, sour cream, lemon zest, and salt. Beat just until batter is smooth. Pour over the hot apple mixture in the skillet, and immediately put the pan in the oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the pancake is puffed up and golden brown. Using a small, fine sieve, lightly dust the top of the pancake with confectioners' sugar. Serve warm.