60 Awesome Easter Recipes

Mar25

With Spring officially here, I’ve seen so many adorable Spring and Easter holiday ideas so put together a list of my favorites to share with you all. Whether you’re looking for a kid-friendly craft, Easter Sunday recipes, or just something cute for your office potluck, you’re sure to find exactly what you’re looking for in this list!

Rainbow Easter Egg Nests

Source: Missbutterbean

Meringue Bunnies

Source: Taste of Home

Bunny Carrot Cakes & Cookies

Source: Taste of Home

Easter Basket Cupcakes

Source: Blog Lovin’

Rabbit’s Easter Cupcakes

Source: http://family.go.com/food/recipe-632897-rabbits-easter-cupcakes-t/

Little Lamb Cupcakes

Source: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/little-lamb-cupcake-recipe.html

Floral Cake

Source: http://www.delish.com/recipefinder/spring-floral-cake

Easter Chicks Nest Cupcakes

Source: http://ruthblackphotography.com/image/easter-chick-cupcakes-2/

Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Source: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/carrot-cake-cupcakes/7013041b-b7d0-4e46-9219-9bb0516595c1

Easter Chick Cupcakes

Source: http://www.annabelkarmel.com/recipes/chick-cupcakes

Bird Nest Cupcakes

Source: http://www.gotchocolate.com/2011/04/recipe-birds-nest-easter-cupcakes/

Easter Bunny Truffles

Source: http://candy.about.com/od/eastercandyrecipes/r/Easter-Bunny-Truffles.htm

Easter Egg Truffles

Source: http://easter.betterrecipes.com/cornflake-coconut-easter-egg-truffles.html

Easter Egg Marshmallow Truffles

Source: http://www.tasteandtellblog.com/easter-egg-marshmallow-truffles/

Jelly Bean Bark

Source: http://everydaysavvy.com/jelly-bean-bark-recipe/#_a5y_p=1385728

Easter Marshmallow Bark

Source: http://www.butterwithasideofbread.com/2013/02/easter-marshmallow-bark.html

Easter Pretzel Chicks

Source: http://www.isavea2z.com/easter-pretzel-chicks/

Peeps Bunny Patch Cake

Source: https://www.marshmallowpeeps.com/cookin-with-peeps/recipe-detail/peeps-bunny-patch-cake

Peeps Sunflower Cake

Source: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/peeps-sunflower-cake

Easter Basket Cake

Source: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/easter-basket-cake/0809420e-5cd6-45fd-9e90-0c159be8d598

Hidden Rainbow Easter Egg Cake

Source: http://boulderlocavore.com/2013/03/hidden-rainbow-easter-egg-cake.html

Bunny Butt Cake

Source: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/bunny-butt-cake/09cd82c8-ada0-4de7-bd85-2cd60ef67b7f

Cheesecake Carrots

Source: http://www.hungryhappenings.com/2014/03/orange-cheesecake-carrots.html

Easter Marshmallow Pops

Source: http://celebbabylaundry.com/2014/03/easter-marshmallow-pops/

Almond-Butter Cookie Bouquet

Source: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/almond-butter-cookie-bouquet

Little Peeper Cookies

Source: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/little-peeper-cookies/913d2091-1592-4cef-b3f2-69f40f1ce1dc

Easy Easter Cookie Pops

Source: http://dailycrave.wordpress.com/2012/04/03/easy-easter-cookie-pops/

Robin’s Eggs in Brownie Nests

Source: http://www.babble.com/best-recipes/easter-eggs-in-brownie-nests/

Easter Nest Cookies

Source: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/easter-nest-cookies/bc3bbf3c-d16a-4799-bc1c-5eecd08f5cf0

Easter Oreo Cookie Suckers

Source: http://www.howdoesshe.com/easter-oreo-suckers-and-apron-giveaway/

Bird Nest Cookies

Source: http://peasinapod.typepad.com/peas-in-a-pod/2011/03/birds-nest-cookies-recipe-how-to-tipjunkie-easter.html

Hidden Surprise Easter Egg Treats

Source: http://www.ricekrispies.com/recipes/hidden-surprise-easter-egg-treats

Easter Basket Cookies

Source: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/easter-basket-cookies/e52af434-f444-452a-bf18-95c4cccd5202

Easter Bunny Tails

Source: http://www.keyingredient.com/recipes/322846611/easter-bunny-tails/

Easter Egg Cookies

Source: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/easter-egg-cookies/3d11f867-1b64-48e2-afad-f69cba4d23b4

Easter Bunny Cookies

Source: http://www.createdby-diane.com/2012/04/bunny-cookies.html

Bunny & Chick Cookies

Source: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/bunny-chick-cookies/601072ee-d66c-40fb-9428-c7111709ceee

Robin’s Egg Nest Treats

Source: http://www.ricekrispies.com/recipes/robins-egg-nest-treats

Rainbow Cookies

Source: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/rainbow-cookies/3ab61bac-2fcc-42fc-89fe-6341deccd540

Homemade Cadbury Eggs

Source: http://www.instructables.com/id/Homemade-Cadbury-Creme-Eggs/

Nutter Butter Easter Chicks

Source: http://www.food.com/recipe/nutter-butter-easter-chicks-492743?soc=pinterest

Bunny Biscuits

Source: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/bunny-biscuits

Easter Bunny Rolls

Source: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/easter-bunny-rolls

Easter Bunny Treats

Source: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/easter-bunny-treats

Spring Celebration Brownies

Source: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/spring-celebration-brownies/317e19d7-e33d-4c99-b555-9b06a438309a

Marshmallow Chocolate Peeps

Source: http://www.raininghotcoupons.com/homemade-chocolate-peeps/

Peeps Pudding Cups

Source: http://www.shortcutsaver.com/peeps-pudding-cups/

Fruity Spring Animals

Source: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/fruity-spring-animals/02959284-2462-4d4c-bdd5-56db43595953

Easter Chick Sugar Spoons

Source: http://www.hungryhappenings.com/2013/03/Easter-crafts-sugar-eggs-sugar-cubes.html

Easter Pizza

Source: http://www.sugarhero.com/fruit-pizza/

Easter Veggie Pizza

Source: http://www.hungryhappenings.com/2012/03/this-easter-have-fun-decorating-easter.html

Easter Centerpiece

Source: http://catchmyparty.com/photos/551735

Bunny Bottles

Source: http://followpics.net/diy-quick-and-easy-easter-bunny-made-from-water-bottles/

Easter Chicks Deviled Eggs

Source: http://athriftymom.com/easter-chicks-deviled-eggs-diy-simple-money-saving-recipe/

Easter Party Carrot Cutlery

Source: http://adiamondinthestuff.com/2011/04/easter-party-carrot-cutlery.html

Carrot Bags

Source: http://creativeorganization.blogspot.com/2010_03_01_archive.html

Easter Peep-Za

Source: http://blog.cookingchanneltv.com/2012/04/06/easter-peep-za-dessert-pizza-recipe/

Rainbow Easter Eggs

Source: http://choosetothrive.blogspot.com/2011/04/rainbow-easter-eggs.html

Swirl Easter Eggs

Source: http://athriftymom.com/swirl-easter-eggs-how-to-dye-easter-eggs-with-shaving-cream/

Pucker Up Buttercup-cakes

Feb9

Love is in the air…or is that just the smell of cupcakes in the oven? Either way, these cupcakes will have you channeling St. Valentine in no time. A classic vanilla cupcake combined with the tartness of pink lemonade is just the incentive needed to pucker up and smooch somebody. This lemony tart concoction is perfectly complimented by a sweet butter cream frosting and packs a deliciously sweet and sour punch. Oh and they’re super easy! They’re perfect for a Valentine’s party or for making for your sweetheart.

Pucker Up Buttercup-cakes
Makes 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:

Cupcakes

1 box of vanilla cake mix
3 Tablespoons powdered pink lemonade mix
3 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup water
red or pink food coloring

Frosting

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
4-5 cups powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk
yellow food coloring

sprinkles and edible Valentine’s decorations, optional

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line your cupcake pans with paper baking cups.

2. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, pink lemonade mix, eggs, oil, and water and beat for several minutes, until combined. Add a few drops of food coloring, until batter is the desired shade of pink.

3. Scoop batter into lined cupcake pans and bake for 15-20 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

4. Frosting: In a large bowl, cream together the butter and shortening. Gradually add in the cups of powdered sugar and salt. Beat in the milk and add more powdered sugar if necessary. Add a few drops of yellow food coloring until it’s your desired shade of yellow.

5. Frost the cooled cupcakes with a piping bag or with a spatula. Decorate with optional sprinkles and edible Valentine’s decorations.

It’s time to pucker up! Have a Happy Valentine’s Day!

Top Pinterest Recipe Pins of 2013

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2014 Cost of Flu Shots: CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Walmart, Costco, Sam’s Club, & More

Jan31

<<<2016 UPDATE: Click HERE for the 2016 list of best prices.>>>

Thinking of getting a flu shot? Don’t have insurance and not sure where to go? Flu season is in full swing so when it came time for flu shots, I priced out the cheapest options for individuals without health insurance. To ensure accuracy, I called two different locations from each of the following stores and pharmacies (In Charleston, SC & in January, 2014) and was quoted the below prices. **I do not represent any of the companies listed below. Please note that prices may vary depending on your location and are subject to change at any time so I strongly recommend calling and confirming the price when scheduling your appointment. Some stores also run special promotions, offer coupons, or match competitor prices so always check before you head out the door.**

Sorted by Price:

Costco: $14.99 According to their corporate policy listed online, ANYONE can use Costco’s Pharmacy with no membership required. Yay! If you don’t have a membership, it’s not a bad idea to print out their pharmacy policy to take with you just in case.

Target: $14.99-$23.00 *If you have a Costco in your area, many Targets do price match.

Sam’s Club: $15-$16.50 *According to their site you DO NOT need a Sam’s Club Membership to use their Pharmacy for Rx medications. Although unclear whether flu shots are included in that rule, it does say at most a 10% service fee is added to all other nonmember purchases from the pharmacy so still a great deal. If you don’t have a membership, it’s not a bad idea to print out their pharmacy policy to take with you just in case.

Walmart Flu Shot Clinic: $20 *Only select Walmarts offer a Flu Shot Clinic so check availability. I was also told the cost varies by store.

Kmart: $24.99

Rite Aid: $29.99

CVS: $31.99

Walgreens: $39.99

Have a store or pharmacy to add? Care to list a pricing update? Feel free to leave a comment below!

Christmas Clothespin Wreath

Dec23

After falling in love with my 4th of July Clothespin Wreath, I really wanted to do a Christmas one for the holidays. This one was so much fun to make and I’m so happy with how it turned out! Since I’m a visual learner, I took lots of snaps of each step to help you along the way. Here’s how to make your own Christmas holiday wreath.

What you’ll need:

12″ Wire Wreath. These are sold in the florist section of any craft store for less than $3 or you can pick up on Amazon.
70 Clothespins (give or take one or two). Walmart and Target both sell packs of 50 but I prefer the Target brand clothespins which are much better quality and they are also a bit longer. Packs of 50 are sold at Target for $1.79 or at Walmart for $1.
Emerald Green & Hunter Green spray paint. I went with Krylon Indoor/Outdoor since I wanted something to hang outside. I went with two shades of green instead of one to make it look like a real fir or holly wreath and give it that depth of color. I went with emerald green and hunter green in Krylon Gloss. They cost about $3.50 a can at Walmart. You’ll have a ton left over so keep that in mind for future projects or you can always plan on making an extra wreath to give as a gift. 🙂
Decorative glitter balls. I found a bag of cute decorative container glitter balls (picture of bag below) for $7.99 at Michaels. The center is foam so it made it very easy to glue onto the wreath and didn’t weigh it down. You could also use little red beads, fake red holly berries, or mini glass ornaments. Another cute idea is to use those fake large Christmas lights and glue all over. You can definitely have fun with the decoration!
Premade Christmas bow or buy ribbon and make your own. Pick whatever bow or ribbon to make a bow that you like. I fell in love with this gold crinkly ribbon and made my own bow but it was a tough choice because Michael’s always has so many cute Christmas ribbons in stock.
Red Ribbon to hang the wreath. Any ribbon will do but I picked up some pretty red satin ribbon that was about 1/2″ wide. You just want to make sure it’s thick and strong enough to hold up the wreath.
Hot glue gun & hot glue

Directions:

Spray painting time! I suggest working outside and laying down some cardboard so you can just throw your items on it and spray to your heart’s content. If your wire wreath is already green then no need to spray paint it but if it’s a white wire wreath then I suggest spraying it green so the white doesn’t show through.

Spray Paint Clothespins: You’ll need 35 emerald green and 35 hunter green clothespins. Since not every wire wreath and clothespin is identical, the total number needed might be off by one or two clothespins so I suggest making two extra of each color just in case. The clothespins come pre-clipped to a piece of cardboard so I left them attached and sprayed the uglier of the two sides first, let dry 10 minutes or so (or until no longer tacky), gave it another quick coat, let dry another 10 minutes or so, then sprayed the prettier side with 5-6 coats, drying 10 minutes in between. What you want is for a solid colored clothespin that is nicely coated and very glossy. Be sure you rotate the clothespins and spray at various angles to get the sides and crevices nice and coated.

Krylon Paint

Assembly Time: Now that your clothespins are ready, it’s time to put it all together. You’ll notice that your wreath is basically four rings. You’ll be attaching clothespins to the center two rings which I’ll call #2 and #3 if you’re looking at the wreath from top to bottom.

Pick a starting point (See below picture and start top and center and move to the right of the wire divider) and pick either emerald green or hunter green to start with. I like the look of having the emerald green toward the back and the darker hunter green toward the front but it’s up to you if you prefer to have the lighter and brighter green up front. If you look at the four rings from top down, clip your first clothespin (hunter green) to the 2nd ring.

With your second clothespin (emerald green), clip it to the 3rd ring. Then keep going back and forth with hunter green on the 2nd ring and emerald green on the 3rd all the way around. You’ll go all the way around the wire wreath until you’re done.

two

Add Ribbon: Cut a 17″ piece of red ribbon and hot glue or tie around the back wire part of the wreath.

Hot Glue Time: It’s time for gluing! Work from the back and glue any loose clothespins to the back wire part of the wreath or at the bottom of the clothespins themselves, just to secure them on to the wire wreath. This is especially important if you plan on hanging the wreath outside. After you’ve glued down the clothespins, it’s time to glue the decorative red glitzy balls. You can go as crazy as you want with the red balls but I chose to glue to only the hunter green clothespins and alternate with gluing one ball to the top of the clothespin and the next to the bottom and so on. You can certainly do more or less to suit your taste.

Helpful Tip: Notice those nasty hot glue cobwebs? A very quick and easy way to get rid of them is to blow dry them away. Take your hair dryer and apply heat to any offending cobwebs and they will shrink back up, essentially disappearing. Just be careful not to apply too much heat or it could remelt the glue you want to stay stuck.

Attach Bow: Finish by gluing or tying on your bow to the bottom of the wreath.

All finished! Just hang indoors or outdoors and you’re ready for Santa Claus! I hope you enjoy and if you end up making this wreath and want to share a picture, I’d love to make a cute collage on this post. Feel free to send me a private message with a picture or email me at missbutterbean(at)gmail.com. Merry Christmas!

33 Crock Pot Recipes You Can’t Live Without

Dec13

Whether it’s pot roast, spicy meatballs, chili, or even chocolate pudding, the crock pot does just about everything. I use it at least once a week and will be forever grateful to my Mother for giving me my first crock pot when I graduated from college. Granted, there have been a few failures–usually due to forgetting I had something in the crock pot and arriving a few hours later than planned to a pot of mush–but there have been so many more delicious successes. So today’s post is a fun tribute to the crock pot and all of the yummy things you can do with it. Before I get started, I get this question a lot so I’ll go ahead and answer it now: What crock pot do I personally use and why? I have the Hamilton Beach Set ‘n Forget 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker. I’ve owned a couple over the years but this is my favorite for a couple of reasons. 1) It has little clamps so I can seal down the lid and not worry about sloshing if I’m transporting food in my car. Been there, done that, and it’s no fun cleaning chili out of the floor of your car in the freezing cold. 2) It’s programmable so for recipes that call for 8 hours of cooking time it means I don’t have to rush home because the timer setting just switches to WARM when it’s done. 3) It has a meat thermometer/probe so you can set the crock pot to switch to warm as soon as it reaches a certain internal temp. I actually first gave this crock pot to my Mom as a present but was so impressed by it that I scooped one up for myself.

Onward we go to 33 amazing recipes!

Soups:

Copycat Panera Bread Broccoli Cheese Soup

Recipe: https://missbutterbean.com/copy-cat-panera-bread-crock-pot-broccoli-cheddar-soup/

Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

chicken noodle

Recipe: http://www.food.com/recipe/slow-cooker-chicken-noodle-soup-198707

Classic Crockpot Chili

Recipe: http://busycooks.about.com/od/hotsouprecipes/r/crockpotchili.htm

White Bean Chicken Chili

Source: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/white-bean-chicken-chili

Chicken & Dumplings

Recipe: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Slow-Cooker-Chicken-and-Dumplings/Detail.aspx?evt19=1

Main Dishes:

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Recipe: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Slow-Cooker-Pulled-Pork/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=slow%20cooker&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page

Slow Cooker Carnitas

Recipe: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Slow-Cooker-Carnitas/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=slow%20cooker&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page

Crock Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken

Recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/kathleen-daelemans/slow-cooker-lemon-garlic-chicken-recipe/index.html

4 Ingredient Balsamic Pot Roast

Recipe: https://missbutterbean.com/4-ingredient-crock-pot-balsamic-pot-roast/

Slow-Cooker Pepper Steak

Recipe: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Slow-Cooker-Pepper-Steak/Detail.aspx?evt19=1

Chicken Tikka Masala

Recipe: http://www.tablefortwoblog.com/2012/10/19/chicken-tikka-masala-crockpot/#.UqigJcRDuM0

Crock Pot Copycat P.F. Chang’s Mongolian Beef

Easy French Dip

Source: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Easy-Slow-Cooker-French-Dip/Detail.aspx?evt19=1

Crockpot Brown Sugar Balsamic Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Recipe: http://laurassweetspot.com/2013/06/12/crockpot-brown-sugar-balsamic-glazed-pork-tenderloin/

Slow Cooker Turkey Breast

Recipe: http://www.southernplate.com/2013/10/slow-cooker-turkey-breast-my-little-thanksgiving.html

Crock Pot Fettuccine Alfredo

Recipe: http://www.raininghotcoupons.com/crock-pot-chicken-fettuccine-alfredo-recipe/

Au Gratin Garlic Potatoes

Recipe: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/au-gratin-garlic-potatoes

Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken

Recipe: http://wannabite.com/crockpot-buffalo-chicken-recipe/

Slow Cooker Lasagna

Recipe: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/slow-cooker-lasagna/23546794-7262-47be-9ca4-e12c900399a1

Slow Cooker Italian Beef for Sandwiches

Recipe: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Slow-Cooker-Italian-Beef-for-Sandwiches/Detail.aspx?evt19=1

Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Chicken

Recipe: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/slow-cooker-sweet-and-sour-chicken/c91a2eff-3da0-4dec-842e-92a672b67075

Sides & Appetizers:

Crock Pot Mac ‘N’ Cheese

Recipe: http://thestir.cafemom.com/food_party/149688/the_ultimate_crock_pot_mac

Crock Pot Baked Potatoes

Recipe: http://www.garnishwithlemon.com/2013/10/28/crock-pot-baked-potatoes/

Slow Cooker Cheesy Bacon Ranch Potatoes

Recipe: http://therecipecritic.com/2013/09/slow-cooker-cheesy-bacon-ranch-potatoes/

Bourbon Lit’l Smokies

Recipe: http://www.tammileetips.com/2013/10/crock-pot-bourbon-lil-smokies-hillshire-farms-litl-smokies/

Crockpot Green Bean Casserole

Recipe: http://www.tammileetips.com/2013/11/crock-pot-green-bean-casserole/

Crock Pot Sweet & Sour Meatballs

http://www.livingwellspendingless.com/2013/07/17/sweet-sour-crockpot-meatballs-recipe/

Crock Pot Au Gratin Garlic Potatoes

Recipe: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/au-gratin-garlic-potatoes

Desserts:

Crock Pot Apple Betty with Almond Cream

Recipe: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/apple-betty-with-almond-cream

Slow Cooker Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Recipe: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/slow-cooker-pineapple-upside-down-cake/f4a52245-95d2-403d-9d8b-320d6b9f485e

Slow Cooker Chocolate Lava Cake

Recipe: http://eclecticrecipes.com/slow-cooker-chocolate-lava-cake

Slow Cooker Turtle Upside-Down Cake

Recipe: http://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/slow-cooker-turtle-upside-down-cake/44f373e8-7467-4bbd-9e2c-eb74eb37cd4e

Crock Pot Hot Chocolate

Recipe: http://www.mrshappyhomemaker.com/2010/12/creamy-crockpot-hot-cocoa-best-ever/

Nutella Thumbprint Cookies

Dec4

Anything is better with Nutella, right? Well that’s certainly the case with these little tasties. A rich buttery cookie is taken straight to heaven when rolled in coconut and a lovely gem of nutella placed in the center. It’s actually a really easy cookie to whip up and oh so yummy. A great cookie recipe for holiday baking or cookie exchanges and it will quickly become a family favorite. Yummy to the max!

Nutella Thumbprint Cookies
Yields 36 cookies

3 sticks (3/4 pound) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
7 ounces sweetened flaked coconut
Nutella (the amount depends on how generous you are but you’ll need approximately 1/2 cup)

Directions:

1. In a mixer, cream together the butter sugar for several minutes.

Add the vanilla and gradually add the flour and salt until well combined.

2. Transfer the dough onto a piece seran wrap, form into a large ball, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to chill. If you’re in a hurry you can also pop it in the freezer for 5-10 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 350°. Form the chilled dough into balls, approximately 1 1/4 inches, or weighing 1 ounce if you’re using a scale.

Dip the balls into the egg wash, roll in flaked coconut, and transfer to an ungreased cookie sheet. Use your finger or thumb to form an indentation in the dough for filling with Nutella. 🙂

rolled balls in coconut

Using a teaspoon, fill each indentation with about 1/4 teaspoon of Nutella.

4. Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes or until the edges are a light brown and the coconut is toasted. Since all ovens vary slightly, I always recommend baking one cookie first to see what the exact time is to avoid burning an entire sheet.

5. Transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack. Eat the cooled Nutelal Thumbprint Cookies with a glass of milk or hot cocoa. Enjoy!

Cranberry Tangerine Cookies

Nov26

A very fond memory I have of growing up in Germany is of baking cookies during the holidays. A popular German tradition is holiday cookie baking, where families will spend several days or even weeks preparing for the holidays by baking dozens and dozens of cookies and lining them in prepared holiday tins. When visiting friends and family you bring a box of cookies as a present and often receive one back. German cookies tend to be less sweet than a typical American cookie and often filled with fruit and nuts. This recipe for Cranberry Tangerine Cookies is inspired by the German cookies you could expect in your tin. Filled with cranberries, almonds, and tangerine, they’re the perfect bit of sweet treat you want.

Cranberry Tangerine Cookies
Yields 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon grated tangerine zest
2 tablespoons tangerine juice
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh cranberries, roughly chopped
1/2 cup toasted almonds, chopped (you can also use walnuts or pecans if you prefer)

Icing

1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
3 tablespoons tangerine juice
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl, cream together butter and the brown and white sugar for several minutes.

Add the egg, tangerine zest and juice, almond extract, and mix well. Gradually add the flour, baking soda, and salt until well incorporated.

Stir in the cranberries and almonds.

2. Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop rounded tablespoons of cookie dough on ungreased cookie sheets and bake for 12-14 minutes. Since every oven varies slightly, I always recommend you bake one cookie all by itself to see exactly how long you need. Better to accidentally ruin one cookie than an entire tray!

3. Transfer from cookie sheet to a cooling rack.

4. While cookies are cooling, mix together the ingredients for the icing.

Using a fork or a whisk, drizzle icing over the cookies.

Allow icing to set before transferring to cookie tins or eating. Enjoy!

Crock Pot Cheesy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Nov11

Chicken Tortilla Soup is about as good is it gets on a cold winter night. It’s creamy, spicy, zingy, and cheesy, with every spoonful. In my opinion, The Cheesecake Factory makes the absolute best Chicken Tortilla Soup so they were my inspiration for this homemade version and I think this recipe hits the nail on the head. What’s more, it’s a perfect recipe for your crock pot or slow cooker. There are a ton of chopped veggies in this recipe so I strongly recommend busting out your food processor.

Crock Pot Cheesy Chicken Tortilla Soup
Serves 8

1 1/2 pounds skinless chicken thighs (The flavor of bone-in meat is always so much better but if you prefer boneless then go with 1 pound)
3 ribs of celery, finely diced
2 large carrots, finely diced
1 medium onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chilis
1 (10-ounce) package frozen or canned corn
1 fresh poblano pepper, seeded and minced
1 fresh jalapeño, seeded and minced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 cups water
1 lime, zested and juiced
1 (10.5 ounce) can chicken broth

1 pint fat-free half and half (If you really want the real thing, go for it, but fat-free tastes just as good in this recipe and that means you can go back for seconds!)
12 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (Plus extra for garnish!)
6 corn tortillas, cut into strips
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Lay the chicken thighs on the bottom of the crock pot. Layer celery, carrots, onion, garlic, tomatoes, corn, peppers, spices and seasonings on top.

Pour chicken broth, lemon juice, and zest on top and stir well.

2. Cook for 6-8 hours on LOW or 3-4 hours on HIGH. About 30 minutes prior to serving, switch the crock pot to warm and remove chicken and set aside to cool so you can shred it.

Add the half and half and cheese to the crock pot and stir.

3. Heat a large skillet to medium high and add the vegetable oil. Add the tortilla strips and fry until nice and crispy. Remove from oil onto a plate lined with paper towels. Set aside.

4. Remove chicken from the bones and shred. Add back to the pot and stir.

5. Ladle up bowls of soup and garnish cheese and tortilla strips. I also like to add more chopped cilantro, sour cream, or avocado to my bowl. When serving for a group, I’ll fill up bowls with all of these ingredients and let people customize their soup. Lots of fun and so good! Enjoy!

Crock Pot Copycat Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli Soup

Nov2

Olive Garden’s Pasta e Fagioli

I love having lunch at Olive Garden with friends to enjoy their delicious soups and salad. Their Pasta e Fagioli soup (similar to minestrone) is one of my favorites so it was a fun challenge to recreate at home. I found some great copycat recipes online which I adapted a bit but the twist on the challenge was to recreate it for the crock pot. The result is truly phenomenal and is an exact flavor copy of Olive Garden’s version! I recently had a large group of friends over and served this recipe and they all agreed it was identical to Olive Garden’s soup. There also weren’t any leftovers…Boo!

Quick note: If you want to make a true copycat you’ll need to use the ditali pasta. However, it can be a little harder to find and is also more expensive so I usually swap it out for fusilli or another small pasta.

Crock Pot Copycat Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli Soup
Serves 6-8

1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, finely diced
2 carrots, julienned or shredded
4 stalks of celery, finely diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 (15 oz.) can red kidney beans
1 (15 oz.) can great Northern beans
2 (14.5 oz.) cans diced tomatoes with Italian herbs
1 (28 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (12 oz.) can V8 juice
1 tablespoon vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoons of Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons parsley
1/2 teaspoon pepper

At the end:

1/2 pound ditali pasta (you can also substitute with fusilli, macaroni, or any small pasta you like)
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, brown the meat. Drain off the fat and transfer the cooked hamburger to the bottom of the crock pot.

2. Pour the remaining items, except for the pasta and Parmesan cheese, over the hamburger.

Stir everything together.

Cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours.

3. During the last 30 minutes of cooking, add the dry pasta to the crock pot and stir to incorporate. Stir every ten minutes or so to make sure the pasta doesn’t stick and that it can absorb enough liquid.

4. Pour soup into bowls and garnish with Parmesan cheese and serve along garlic bread. Enjoy!