The new year is just about 30 hours away - this wil be my last post for the year. I wish everyone who peruses this little blog, a happy and safe New Years Eve...things can get so crazy out there, eh? I prefer staying home and actually, I don't care if I'm in bed before 12! Fireworks woke me up last year ;-)

I've got the usual resolution....get in shape, shed that weight - and I vow to be victorious! Come Hell or high water I'll look like a million bucks by summer!

I hope all of you dig right in to your resolutions if you set them and you succeed as well!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

The count-down is on...Christmas is in just a few days. I'm so excited! I love the time we get to share with family for days in a row. My sister's birthday in on the 23rd so the celebration for her always kicks off the gatherings for the rest of us! I love the laughter, the food, the feelings that are so spceial to this particular time of year.... everything has a magical sense to it - an extra happy, loving touch.

I sincerely hope your Christmas holiday is filled with love and smiles and hugs and warmth. Enjoy your family and your friends and every single minute that passes. Live in the moment and drink in every ounce of joy that this heavenly season provides.

Merry Chrsitmas to all of you!!

Grammie's Cheese Logs - A Christmas Tradition

Nadine Townsend - aka Grammie. Although she's passed on now, in our house she comes alive every Christmas season. This once feisty redhead who always seemed to get the last word, left a lasting legacy that I've taken to heart full-tilt....her cheese log recipe. You haven't had the world's best cheese log until you've had Grammie's cheese log. Once you spread it's creaminess on a buttery cracker, you'll be back for more........and more, and more. I started bringing her cheese logs to work (along with other treats) as a way of saying "Merry Christmas" to all of my coworkers - what better way for someone who loves to cook & bake to say Happy Holidays!? I get numerous requests for Grammie's cheese log every year. Now, the Hubs says I should guard Grammie's recipe as if it were gold, but I think it's way more joyous to share a part of her so that people who will never have the pleasure of meeting her - can love her too! And they do - believe me! So...in honor of the one and only Nadine "Grammie" Townsend, I present, Grammies Cheese Logs...Now - I'd made the actual cheese mixture (above) before I decided to share it with the world. But you can trust that in this container is cheddar cheese, cream cheese, mayo, milk, Heinz 57 and liquid smoke. All ingredients were blended in a mixer until creamy - then I chilled it overnight. You don't have to chill it that long - but it firms it up so it's easier to handle and gives lots of time for the flavors to really meld. Before shaping it into a log - you'll want to get your walnuts chopped too - then put them in a rectangle pan that's at least 8 inches long. Oh - and reserve several full walnuts halves for garnish.

Lay two strips of plastic wrap on your work surface and on one of them, using a cookie scoop (I have three sizes and like to use the largest), plop down scoops of cheese mixture along the plastic. You'll want 4 or 5 good-sized scoops worth.

Fold the plastic over the scoops and use your hands to mold the lumps of cheese mixture into a log shape.

Once you've gotten the desired length, open the platsic and, holding the roll just above the chopped nuts pan, literally unroll the log right into the nuts. Give the pan a good-but-gentle shake back and forth to allow the nuts to adhere to the sides of the log.

Use your hands to sprinkle nuts on the top of the log and any other areas that are still bare. Lightly press the nuts so they stick. Once the log is fully covered, carfully pick up the log and press/dip each end into the nuts to coat them as well.

Lay the nut-coated log on the clean piece of plastic. Using the reserved walnut halves, take a knife and dab just a tiny bit of cheese mixture to the back side of the walnut half....

....then press the walnut on top of the cheese log. I like to line about three or four walnuts along the top. You can do more or less...whatever you like.

Voila! Grammie's Cheese Log - completed! Now... this is how I do Grammie's classic cheese log. However, being aware that some poeple may not care for a smokey flavor, I also like to do a variation which excludes the liquid smoke and trades the cheddar cheese for extra sharp. This is very tasty as well and has a nice 'bite' from the twangy extra sharp cheese :-)

Want to make your cheese log a little more personal? This is a mini cheese log! It's only about 2 1/2 inches long and I set a mini log in each flavor aside for a friend who was on vacation the day we had our holiday treats day at work. She'd asked me to save her a few bites and rather than smear a couple of knife-fulls into a container, I thought this'd be way more fun! It occured to me too that this could be a fun way to serve dinner guests....everyone could have their own mini log (even smaller than this) alongside sliced apples and pears and a few crackers. Kind of a special 'between course' nibble or a deviation from a normally sweet dessert!

However you size your cheese log, let me assure you, the actual log does not get any better than this log! Thanks Grammie!!!!!!

Grammie's Cheese Log

Ingredients (makes one 10-inch log or 2 5-inchers):

8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
8 oz. package softened cream cheese
½ cup mayo
2 T milk
1 ½ - 2 teas. Liquid smoke
2 T Heinz 57

Directions:

Blend all ingredients in mixer until very well combined. Transfer to plastic container and chill for at least on hour to let flavors meld and make it easier to handle. Meanwhile, chop walnuts and place in a shallow rectangle pan (like a 9x13 cake pan). Lay out a long strip of saran wrap and once the mixture is well chilled, ‘plop’ it out down the center of the plastic wrap (I use a big ice cream/cookie scoop to clump down the big blobs of the cheese). Fold the wrap over the cheese and use your hands to shape and roll it into a log shape. Once you have the desired shape/length, open the flaps of plastic and roll the log right into the chopped walnuts. Move the pan back and forth to roll the log into the nuts. Use your hands to turn the log over and to press nuts onto blank spots. Carefully lift log with your hands and press each end in the nuts as well. Carefully transfer log to a fresh piece of plastic wrap. Decorate top of log with full walnuts (use a little leftover cheese mixture as ‘glue’ to attach them to the top of the log). Wrap log in plastic and chill at least another hour before serving (if you HAVE to serve it right after rolling in the nuts, you could – chilling it just makes it a bit more firm after having handled it).

Peppermint Melt-Aways...lighter than air.....

I came acorss this recipe a month or so ago.... As soon as I saw the word Melt-Away, I knew I'd be making these for a Christmas season treat. This cokie is light & airy yet has a creamy nouth-feel. The hint of peppermint wafts over your tongue just to tickle your senses. They are a new favorite and a definite keeper.

These delicate little balls are a cinch to make. I double the recipe...something told me it'd be worth it (turns out I was right....I am like, super smart). I made the cookies one day and frosted them the next.

The frosting itself is also, likght, creamy and hints of peppermint. And most noticeabl;e to me...the frosting is snow white - perfect for a Christmas cookie! For garnish, crush up about 5 small candy canes - there are about 8 or so in that bowl....had lots left over....

Because I thought some poeple might be turned of by the crushed candy canes on top (hard on their teeth or what-have-you), I left some cookies just plain fosted. They were so cute, small adn snowy!

I topped about 2/3 of the cookies with the candy cane - I liked those best. Plus, they just look more Chirstmassy....no mistake that these are peppermint cookies~

I served the cooies on a frosty-looking silver charger. Come and get'em!

Trust me when I say these are a mouth-watering, sincerely melt-in-your-mouth, pastry-like cookie. You will fly to heaven with the first bite.

Peppermint Meltaway Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
scant 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch

Frosting:

2 tablespoons butter, softened
1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

1/4 cup crushed peppermint candies

Directions:

In a small bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in extract. Combine flour and cornstarch; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.
Shape into 1-in. balls - I repeatedly dusted my hands with cornstarch as the dough was a bit sticky. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until bottoms are just beinging to brown (to me, the prettiest cookies had no ring of golden brown). Remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Frosting - In a small bowl, beat butter until fluffy. Add the confectioners’ sugar, milk, extract and food coloring if desired; beat until smooth. Spread over cooled cookies; sprinkle with crushed candies. Store in an airtight container

Warm Strawberry Cream Cheese Sweet Treats...

The hubs had a couple of friends over to watch Sunday morning football yesterday. We were going to have the regular Sunday morning breakfast of eggs, browns and bacon, but I wanted to toss in a little something fun and sweet to counter all the savory. These little strawberry cream cheese treats were a hit - I think Kelly ate about 10 of them! I liked them best warm, but when two were left - all alone & cold later in the afternoon, they weren't much of a struggle to get down the ol' gullet if you know what I mean. They are simple to make and you probaby have most of the 5 ingredients on hand...First, make a chrean chese mixture using 1/2 brick of cream cheese (that's be 4oz), 1/4 cup of cream cheese, a splash of vanilla and mix well. Then grab a jar of your favorite jam. I used seedless strawberry....

You'll need 1 canister of refrigerated crescent rolls. I bought 'Jim's brand'...wow...they were SO 'Jim's brand'! Hard to unroll, cut funky.... I suppose in the end they were fine, but if you want to buy the more well known brand to make things easier and neater, go for it! Anyhoo...each canister has for rectangles (each with two triangles), I laid out all four rectangles, two side by side and two more side by side under the first two, then pressed all the seams together to make one large sheet of dough (I understand you can now buy cescents in full sheets for just this kind if recipe - but my store didn't have them). Then I cut the sheet into 15 squares - 5 slices across and 3 high.

I sprayed a mini muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray and pressed one dough square into each cup.

Then I dropped a very small dollop of the cream cheese mixture into each one. I bet it was about a teaspoon or less...

Next, I spooned in about the same amount of jam. I didn't try to spoon it anywhere specific, just plopped it in.

One more tiny bit of cream cheese came next - probably 1/2 teaspoon or so in each this time.

Ready for the oven!

Mmmmm........They were bubbly hot! A little bit of jam escaped over the sides - but they were not overly messy or anything. I let them cool about about 10 or 15 monutes before trying one...hot jam is....well it's hot!

Yum-city! They were flaky, soft, gooey, creamy, jammy..... The perfect little breakfast sweet-treat.

Warm Strawberry Cream Cheese Sweet Treats

Ingredients:

4 oz. cream cheese - softened

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

approx 1/4 cup strawberry jam

1 canister refrigerated crescent rolls

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla together until smooth. Unroll crescent rolls. Place dough rectangles 2 side by side and two more under the first two, pressing all seams together to make one large rectangle of dough. Make three, equal, horizontal slices across the dough and 5 equal vertical cuts to make 15 squares. Spary a mini muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray and press one square in each cup. Spoon approx 1 teaspoon of cream cheese mixture in each dough-lined cup followed by approx an equal amount of jam. Spoon approx 1/2 teaspoon more of cream cheese after the jam. Bake for 11 minutes or until corners are light, golden brown. Cool for 3 or 4 minutes in pan, then remove and allow to cool another 10 or 15 minutes before eating while warm (caution, jam is hot!)

Brand New Leftover Stuffing....

What's better than fresh-made stuffing on Thanksgiving day? Crispy, fried stuffing the next day! I made the stuffing for this year's feast. We had fewer people than normal and let's face it, I didn't think two bags of stuffing bread cubes (I'd bought three) would make so much! A good amount of stuffing went home with family in plastic containers, and there was still some left to bring home for ourselves. I didn't want to simply reheat the stuffing, but wanted to make it seem new and different for a whole new dinner.

While heating about 2 tablespoons olive oil along with 1 tablespoon butter in a large, non-stick frying pan, I put aproximately 2 to 3 cups of leftover stuffing in a mixing bowl, added one egg and mixed it by hand to combine it well. I then formed a medium, palm-sized ball into a patty shape (about 3 inches diameter) and gently pressed each side in regular-joe bread crumbs (woulda loved to use panko...but I was out). I then fried each side over medium heat until golden brown...about 3 to 4 minutes per side.

The insides were creamy and full of clasic stuffing flavor while the outsides had just the right amount of crunchy crust to contrast the inner, hot, fluffiness. These were awesome with a hot veg and small steak but I gotta say I think they'd be awesome with a fried egg on top for breakfast! Have to try that next time!