Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

I was looking for something different to make for Thanksgiving and ran across these Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes.  While they look scrumptious, I’m not a huge chocolate fan and thought it would be too much for me. I also thought of the peanut butter kiss cookies that Mom makes so well, you know the ones that look like this:

I thought maybe I could combine the two ideas into something I call Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies.

Now let me warn you, they didn’t turn out as pretty as I had intended, but they taste delicious and you won’t be able to eat just one!

The ingredients that you’ll need are as follows:

Cookie Batter
2 ¼ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks butter, softened
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Topping
2 jars of maraschino cherries, drained
1 tablespoon of cherry juice
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
½ cup sweetened condensed milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375F.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.

Shape into 1-inch balls and drop onto ungreased baking sheets. Press down onto center of the dough with your thumb.

Place a cherry into the center indention of each cookie.

In a small saucepan, combine chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. Heat over low until chocolate is melted. Stir in 1 tablespoon cherry juice.

Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the topping over each cherry, spreading to cover the cherry. If the frosting seems too thick add a little more cherry juice.

Bake for 10 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Thursday Thirteen: Thanks, 2nd Edition

I couldn’t list everything I was thankful for in my previous Thanks post, so I thought I’d do another one.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

1. Mashed potatoes, with lots of butter and white gravy.

2. FX Network, and their great shows. Nip/Tuck, Rescue Me, Sons of Anarchy…

3. Water, ice cold water.

4. Our new gun safe. Monkey isn’t walking around yet, but she will be before we know it and a secure place to put all our firearms is necessary. The old one just wasn’t big enough.

5. Subway Flat Bread. It is so good, try it!

6. The Odd Thomas books by Dean Koontz. They aren’t his normal style of writing, but I like them. I will actually go as far as to say I like them better than his other books.

7. On the topic of books… The Old Book Barn in Forsyth, IL. You can trade your old books in for new books there and I love it.

8. Wine. A nice bottle of wine is nice. And I’ll admit it, I even like cheap wine… Boone’s Farm baby.

9. Email. It’s not always easy keeping in touch with friends/family that I don’t see on a daily basis and email makes that possible.

10. Gorgeous fall weather. Nothing beats the weather when a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt is sufficient. Add sitting around a campfire with friends and you’ve got a perfect night.

11. My health. I don’t get sick very often and I certainly am grateful for that. Being sick is no fun.

12. Grandparents. Not only are they wonderful of course, but they also make great babysitters.

13. Long weekends!  Enjoy yours!

Wordless Wednesday

Today my baby is 7 months old AND she sprouted her first tooth on Monday!

Shakin' Up the Thanksgiving Feast

Thanksgiving is this week, yaaaayyy!!  I love spending time with my family, eating all the great food and gettng a nice long weekend!

I need some help though.  I can't decide what food to make.... we always have the traditional Thanksgiving fare, but I like to mix it up as well and have a few dishes that aren't traditional holiday food.  I've got a few ideas up my sleeve, but I'd like your input as well before I go off to the store with my shopping list in hand.

So tell me.... what non-traditional holiday food do you serve?  Or what would you like to have served to you?

Bring Home That Bacon!... or Venison, Whatever.

I could hear the shots ring out this morning… shotgun season is upon us! Mmm… I can just taste the venison already.

I normally like to take the day off work to go with Hubby, but I have some major work events next week that I need to prepare for so it just wasn’t going to happen today. Maybe tomorrow we can hit up the ole Love Shack.

Just what is the Love Shack you ask? Well it’s set way back in the middle of a field, just a funky old shack; it’s a little old place where we can get together… and hunt of course!

I like using the Shack instead of a tree stand because there’s a heater in it and a nice cozy lawn chair that I can snuggle up in and read a book during the down times. I know, I know… it’s the sissy way to hunt, but I don’t care. I like it and I’m sticking to my guns.

Hubs still went out this morning without me and I’m really hoping he comes home with a nice deer. But what’s more important is that he comes home safe and sound.

The Department of Natural Resources says while deer hunting is part of our outdoor heritage, they want to encourage all hunters heading to the field this weekend to make safety a first priority. The number one cause of hunting accidents in Illinois is falling from a tree stand. Last year in Illinois, there were 38 reported hunting accidents; 30 were the result of tree stand falls and five of guys died. So far during 2009, there have been 13 reported hunting accidents in Illinois, of which six have involved falls from tree stands. DNR reminds hunters to check ladder stands to make sure they’re secure, use a haul line to raise an unloaded gun or bow into the stand, and for cryin’ out loud, weaer a safety harness.

Here's a good video on safety that was featured on Farmweek last year.


Since my guy won’t be in a deer stand his risk is significantly lower, but there are others out there that need to take precaution and remember to always wear your orange!

Happy hunting and enjoy that venison!

Big Butt Mac N Cheese

Recently Laura, a friend of mine from high school, was looking for the perfect macaroni and cheese recipe. She requested various recipes from friends, so she was able to cook a different one for her family every night for an entire week.

Yes, even after all of that cheesy goodness she is still as skinny as ever.

Say it with me now, I know you want to… Brat.

Not the ‘B’ word you were going to use, was it? Keepin it family friendly here people, come on!

The one I gave her was used on Day 4 and she said it was the best so far. I’m not sure which recipe her family ended up liking the best at the end of the week though, so unfortunately I can’t take the crown for the best mac n cheese overall.

Since they gobbled mine up without having any leftovers she gave it a new name as well…. Big Butt Mac n Cheese!

I don’t have an actual recipe for it as I just threw some stuff together one day and alter it every time. But here are the basics for what you’ll need for my favorite Grilled Macaroni and Cheese…

2 cups macaroni
1 can cheese soup
1 can milk
A cup or two of grated cheese, any flavor you’d like
2 or 3 tablespoons of pico de gallo (depending on how spicy you like it)
Butter
Italian seasoned bread crumbs
Salt & Pepper to taste
Dash or two of Chipotle Tabasco sauce

What to do:
Boil macaroni; while it’s boiling heat up the soup and milk in a sauce pan and melt the cheese.
Mix together with drained macaroni.
Add pico de gallo and Tabasco sauce.
Put the mixture in a greased grill-safe pan.
Top with bread crumbs and then pats of butter.
Bake on grill for 30-40 minutes or until bubbly. I really like it when the sides get a little crispy, but you do whatever your taste buds desire!

This can also be done in the oven, but let me tell you, the grill is the way to go if you can. It gets this awesome smoky flavor and perfect crispness on the edges. Mmmm… I’m salivating right now thinking about it.

Damn this weather and ever-present rain! I need one more sunny day so I can use the grill!

Enjoy my Big Butt Friends!

Wordless Wednesday

This makes my heart melt....