Monthly Archives: January 2011

January 7, 2011 · 10:43 pm

Paula Deen’s, Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies

I am really not sure if these are a true Paula Deen creation because I see the recipe with a different kind of cake mix without the Paula Deen name. Anyhow, I made these Chocolate Gooeey Butter Cookies a few weeks ago and my husband loved them and has been begging me to make them again so I did. They are super easy and from what I have been reading you can use any flavor cake mix. So far I have only chocolate varieties. Next time I may try a golden or butter cake mix and see how they taste. Anyway here is the super-duper easy recipe. Feel free to comment with your individual results and if you tried different cake mixes. Would love to hear your opinions.

Ingredients

1 (8-ounce) brick cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick butter, at room temperature
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (18-ounce) box moist chocolate cake mix
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in the egg. Then beat in the vanilla extract. Beat in the cake mix. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to firm up so that you can roll the batter into balls. Roll the chilled batter into tablespoon sized balls and then roll them in confectioner’s sugar. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake 12 minutes. The cookies will remain soft and “gooey.” Cool completely and sprinkle with more confectioners’ sugar, if desired.

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Tagged as baking, Butter, Chocolate, cookies, Cream Cheese, Gooey, Paula Deen

January 6, 2011 · 8:02 pm

Edible Arrangement of Germs!!!

It is no secret that I am a “bit” of a germophobe. From the first time seeing the concept of edible arrangements I have been really repulsed. I mean I have long been wary of dips at parties and have been known at my own to either put out individual cups for cocktail sauce or have a “no double dipping” sign in a dip. I am sorry that is the way I am. So, back to the edible arrangements, I hate the idea of unwrapped fruit that cannot be washed and even dipped in chocolate, just laying out there. It is even worse when they tell you these are great for someone in the hospital. Yummy, I would really like a piece of juicy unwrapped fruit on a stick that has been sitting out in a patient’s room or a nurse’s station. Can you even imagine the germs attaching to those luscious pieces of fruit???? YUMMY!!!

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Tagged as edible arrangement, fruit, germs, gross

January 4, 2011 · 7:05 am

Epic Fail Or So I Thought!!!

I like to eat and cook healthy things for my family. Most of the time we have good results but most times I use whole wheat flour in cookies it is sandy or gritty and just tastes off. I scoured the internet food sites and found a recipe for chewy ginger snaps that used whole wheat flour. It had nearly 200 rave five-star reviews. What could be bad? Well, I put the ingredients in my mixer, formed the dough into balls, dipped the tops turbinado sugar and baked. The first batch spread all over the cookie sheet to form a rectangular sheet of ginger cookie that was soft but had a very sandy gritty texture and just lacked the deliciousness. Second batch I made smaller balls and did not butter the sheet in hope that they would not spread as much. They did not spread as much but they still spread and ended up almost like a taffy like candy than a cookie. I do not know what I did wrong and I really do not know how they got the rave reviews they did. After the second batch, the rest of the dough went in the sink. Live and learn. I have to update, as I posted this my dear husband came in and told me these were the best cookies to which my daughter agreed. He said even though they were mishapped they were delicious and was so sad that I did not bake the whole batch and told me he loves them. My daughter agreed. Maybe I am too hard on myself. Oh well!

I had high hopes!

They did not pan out!

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Tagged as chewy, cookies, fail, ginger snaps, spreading, whole wheat flour

January 3, 2011 · 1:20 am

The second of January brings the second gorgeous day of the new year!!!

January 2nd and a beautiful mild day. I set out on my walk with my little man Ethan and Sassy Sassafras. Ethan was so happy to go along and skipped almost the whole way. He did stop to throw snow rocks into the lake but they did not make a big splash like in the warmer weather but skipped across the icy lake top. It was Sassy’s first time around the lake and she was just as good as Zazzy (Zoey). At one point Ethan picked her up and wanted to hold her but I appealed to him to let her walk and get good exercise too. I love how taking a nice walk outside just energizes the body and minds of adults, children and dogs alike. We all returned home, happy, refreshed and grateful. Hope everyone is getting out and enjoying the mild temps we are having.

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Tagged as Boy, dog, exercise, January, lake, maltese, Puppy, toddler, walk, warm

January 2, 2011 · 7:16 am

Piles of Pizzelles!!!

As far back as I can remember during the New Year’s holidays I made Pizzelles. My mother had this heavy pizzelle iron that was built to withstand a nuclear war. The recipe we used called for a dozen eggs and made dozens and dozens of pizzelles. During the years I have purchased various pizzelle irons. Some made four at a time, some two, different designs but the cookies taste the same. They take me back in time and make me remember a lot of good times. So today I pulled out one of the irons I have and whipped up a batch of dough.

It called for six eggs.

You whisk up the eggs before adding the sugar.

Gradually whisk in 1.5 cups of sugar.

Add 1 cup of melted butter, 4tlbs of baking powder, 2 tbls of pure anise extract.

Add 3.5 cups of flour a little at a time and mix thouroughly.

You can use a scoop or drop by the teaspoonful on the iron. You will quickly find the right amount needed once you do your first batch.

Please excuse the sloppiness of my Pizzelles, usually they are neatly trimmed and stacked but in the middle of making them, my sons came home, one with his new girlfriend, my husband was building something on the porch and the two little ones kept running in and out, my daughter was running about too and it was like a zoo. I just got them done as fast as I could and put perfection on the back burner. The taste was the same as I remember and that is all that matters. Happy New Year!!!

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Tagged as Anise, cookies, Delicious, Iron, New Year's, Pizzelles

January 1, 2011 · 11:58 pm

What a wonderful day to ring in 2011!!!

Well, it was gorgeous and so mild today. At around 4pm I set off for a walk with Zazzy (Zoey). It was Zazzy’s first time around the lake and she was so good. She stayed right by me, did not wander ahead or lag behind. She kept the pace and really enjoyed herself. Jimi and the boys were working-playing outside. Jimi is building a Bulldog barrier for the porch so no more of the spindles go missing. As I explained in a prior post, my discontinued cedar porch spindles are being eaten by two very mischievous Bulldogs. In the spring we will have to make the decision to have the replacement spindles hand milled out of mahogany or replace them all with a composite vinyl spindles and railing. I am leaving those decisions for the spring and for now we will just build a barrier to prevent further damage.

It was incredibly mild, I did not even need a jacket. The lake is semi-frozen. Definitely would not be on the ice as it looks a bit thawing. I guess we are right on target for the infamous “January Thaw” my mother always spoke about. I took my camera and it was a great walk that definitely worked out my body and mind. I find walking and taking pictures so relaxing and really helps to de-stress and unwind my mind. I especially love being able to look back on various pictures at different times of the year. I love looking at my beautiful bright Peony flowers on a cold winter night, or see my kids splashing and swimming in the lake when we are blanketed in snow.

I really like that I started the new year off with a nice walk. Getting my body back to the routine of my walks felt so good. I mean walking on a treadmill is nothing to the experience of walking out in the beautiful world we live in. When I walk with my camera there is always the anticipation of what I might see and photograph. What great scene may I be able to capture? I hope you all have a wonderful new year. I pray we are all blessed with good health and great love in the new year. God Bless. Welcome 2011!!!