Christmas Dinner 2014

I cooked Christmas dinner this year, and I made -for the first time ever - chicken cordon bleu, a pan of baked veg (using fresh beets for the first time ever), and Greek bread. I'll see about some pics soon.

Christmas Penguins You Can Eat!

Are these not some of the cutest things you've ever seen? And, they're edible! I mean...come on!!!  :) My Aunt Margaret gave me a cute Penguin cookie cutter so I made Gingerpenguins for Christmas ... and I made Olive, Cream Cheese, Carrot Penguins for my work Christmas party - they were a HIT!

Yay!

Spices!

As I just texted my immediate family members, I am nothing if not my father's daughter!

Not only do I love to cook with fabulous Penzys Spices ... but I appear to have begun a similar collection of them, though it does not really compare, to my father's collection ... and safely stored away - until they are used to refill my spice racks bottles - in a plastic tub in my pantry!

:o)

Better With Time

Some dishes - regardless of their awesomeness - are quite simply, even better the next day -- after they have really had a nice long "soak."  Two dishes instantly pop into my mind when ruminating on this topic ...

1. Chicken Salad (it helps that I made some chicken salad yesterday and just ate a sandwich of it for lunch) and 2. Chili

Something extra delicious happens when the different ingredients in both of these dishes are allowed to marinate together for longer periods of time.

I'm not even taking in to account the awesome marinades that exist for meats and things, even before they are cooked.

A few others I love - if it's possible - even more the day after they are made...

Tuna Fish
Hungarian Goulash
Coleslaw 
Pasta Salad
Potato Salad
BBQ Chicken - though this isn't so much for the extra time the flavors have to combine as it is the fact that I LOVE cold BBQ chicken ... hahaha

What about you???

Salad Jar's

Ok, I'm giving the Mason Jar Salad Lunch a go ... they look so pretty!

For my first time out of the gate I'm doing it without the Salad Dressing in the jars ... next time we'll try it with the dressing at the bottom.  :o)

Tuna Noodle Casserole and Other Comfort Foods...

Comfort foods ... there are so many out there!

One of my favorites is Tuna Noodle Casserole. It's specifically grand and comforting in the winter months. Cold dark months ... warm, cheesy and tasty casserole ... yup!

Ingredients:
Noodles (Typically I use egg noodles, though any type will do) - 1 lb
Cream of Mushroom Soup - 1 Can
Tuna Fish - 1 to 2 Cans
Peas - 1 Can
Milk 1/4 of a cup (or so)
Garlic Powder - to taste
Fresh Ground Pepper - to taste
Salt - to taste
American Cheese

How To:
Boil pasta, when it's cooked drain it and return it to the pot. 
In the pot combine pasta with cream of mushroom soup, tuna fish, peas, milk, and spices. Stir it up. When it's well mixed, put mixture in a casserole dish. Cover the mixture with American Cheese. 

Place in over at 350degrees and bake for approx. 20 minutes (until the dish is hot throughout and cheese has melted, perhaps even started to brown up a bit).

Remove and devour! 

YUMMO!

Genius...Individual Salad Storage (ready to go ...)

This is genius!
And I am SO doing it (once I acquire a few mason jars that is).

The Arrangement From Bottom to Top:
Dressing
Shredded Carrots
Sunflower Seeds
Hard Boiled Egg(s)
Baby Spinach

Or whatever you want to put in the jar actually ...

Directions:
Arrange ingredients in a large mason jar.
Store in fridge for up to one week.
When ready to eat: shake jar and pour contents into bowl (or onto a plate) and dig in!

You can make any arrangement you'd like; just remember to keep the dressing AWAY from the greens.  

Saaaaa-weet!

Gingerbread Ducks … you read that correctly!

Oh yeah … so, I wanted to make Gingerbread Men Christmas cookies this year, so I went out and obtained all the ingredients I didn't already have (molasses) to make them.

Made the dough ... did you know that gingerbread is mostly molasses??? 

Then I pulled out the cookie cutters only to find that I did not own a gingerbread man cookie cutter … hmmm. What did I make you ask? I made Gingerbread Bells, Stars, Snowmen and DUCKS!  

Word. Or is it quack?