Hi Friends! I haven't posted any recipes lately, but I still love coming over here to grab a tried and true recipe that my family loves. Look around and see what grabs you! I also want to invite you to my other blog where I write about life in Alaska, family fun, crocheting and the like. Click here {My Northern Cottage View} to join me.

Have a blessed day! Joyfully, Jackie

Chocolate Candy Cane Kiss Cookies

Meet our guest chef today {tee hee}! My dearest daughter, Katie, made these for the first time and believe me, they were delicious! She tweaked this recipe from allrecipes.com and I think she's on to something. These will make great gifts to give away --- if they make it outside the door!

{Chocolate Candy Cane Kiss Cookies}

Ingredients
3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
36 candy cane Kisses
1 or 2 candy canes

Directions
1. In a saucepan over medium heat, cook the sugar, butter and water, stirring occasionally until melted. Remove from heat, stir in the chocolate chips until melted and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
2. Pour the chocolate mixture into a large bowl, and beat in the eggs, one at a time. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt, stir into the chocolate mixture. Cover and refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. Roll cookie dough into walnut sized balls and place 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, be careful not to overbake. When cookies come out of the oven, press one Kiss into center of cookie. Crush candy cane in a zip bag, then sprinkle a pinch on the Kiss once it has melted.

{YUM YUM!}

Holiday Chicken Salad

Click here for recipe. It's the one I use minus the green pepper. Very yummy!

Banana Bread Muffins

This is a VERY yummy recipe I have used for years.

Banana Bread Muffins:

3 large bananas - mashed*
5 tbsp melted butter
1 egg
1/3 to 1/2 C sugar (depending on your taste)
1 1/2 C flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Walnuts if desired

Mix together first three (3) ingredients then add dry ingredients and continue to mix by hand until well blended. Add chopped walnuts to the batter to make these even better!

Bake in a cupcake/muffin tin (I use the cupcake papers) at 375 degrees (f) for about 20 minutes. They are finished when toothpick test comes out clean.

Makes 12 large muffins (or you can make 15 or 16 medium).

Enjoy!

*Note: You can freeze over ripe bananas in the freezer. Then when you want to make this recipe, take three bananas out of the freezer and microwave them for about 1 minute on a paper towel.

Snickerdoodle Muffins...YUM

Hi Friends, I have a guest chef today! {Hee hee.} She is our very own Hannah Rose - my daughter, Katie's, best friend and my honorary daughter. She mentioned these muffins on facebook so I asked her to send me the recipe and a picture of her and the muffins. And like a good daughter, she did! {Thanks, sweet girl!} And boy do these look good! Sooooo...here's the recipe:

Hey Mama Jax!

Here's the recipe...

Snickerdoodle Muffins
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
¾ tsp baking soda
¾ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp cream of tarter
¾ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 and ¼ cup sour cream
2 and ¼ cups all purpose flour
+1 cup sugar and 2 TBSP cinnamon mixed together for rolling

1. Cream the butter and sugar until soft about 3 to 5 minutes. Add in the vanilla. Add in the eggs one at a time and mix until each is incorporated.

2. In a separate, mix together the flour, nutmeg, baking soda, and baking powder and cream of tarter.

3. Add the flour mixture and the sour cream alternately to the egg-butter mixture in the additions. Start with the flour and end with the flour. Scrape the bowl occasionally.

4. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out muffin batter one at a time and drop into a shallow bowl filled with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Roll the muffin around in the mixture until it is covered completely in cinnamon sugar.. Place muffin into a greased muffin tin.. Depending on the size of your tins, you should get about 12 to 14 muffins. Bake them for approx. 20-22 minutes in a 350F oven or until they are golden brown.

I just had one...and they are awesome!!! Super light and fluffy.

Love ya!!

{Hannah Rose}

Potato Soup - So Yum!

Is there anything better than potato soup on a chilly day? Any soup for that matter! Here is a yummy recipe you might want to try:

Ingredients

2 - 4 stalks celery diced
1/2 large onion diced
4 large new white potatoes peeled & cubed
(or your favorite type of potatoes)
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp celery or table salt (or to taste)
1 TBSP chopped fresh parsley (I sub with dried dill)
chicken broth (or water or combination of both)
1/4 butter melted
3 TBSP flour
1 C milk
1 C half-and-half (I use fat free)

Add 1 piece crisp bacon crumbled per bowl of soup or green onion or grated cheese (or all three!) to each bowl, if desired

Directions

1. In a large pot combine celery, onion, potatoes, pepper, salt and parsley or dill. Add enough chicken broth to cover the vegetables completely. Cover and cook until all are tender. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. In a small skillet melt butter. Once melted add flour and mix until a paste like consistency is formed. Add milk (not half-and-half) all at once and stir over low heat until thickens.

3. Add milk and flour mixture to the vegetables and liquid and stir gently. Add half-and-half and keep warm until serving. If you want a thicker consistency, scoop out a cup or two of the soup mixture and blend in a mixer, then add back to soup pot. If desired add bacon, cheese, chives...one, all or none.

4. Enjoy!!

Simple Salmon Chowder II

Here is a yummy, easy chowder I like to make: Click here.
And here are my mods:
I only use the potatoes from the mix, not the seasonings
Instead of evaporated milk, I substitute with FF 1/2 & 1/2 or sourcream
If I don't have chicken broth, I use water.

I'm making this tonight. Can't wait!