Cinda’s Apple Dip

Had a Stephanie’s retirement party

 1 pkg 8 oz cream cheese softened

1/2 cup of brown sugar

1/4 cup regular sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Mix until smooth.  Add toffee chips to taste.  Cut tart apples.  Delish.

Joey Chocolate cookie

Brownie-like cookie, when your in a mood for chocolate.  

1 1/4 cup butter softened

2 cups of sugar 

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups of flour

3/4 cup cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

350 degrees, 9 min

Thumbprint Cookies

• From Cooking classy.  Made for Christmas plates one year.  Definitely a keeper, yum!  Don’t skip the chill time.
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• 2 cups + 2 Tbsp (300g) all-purpose flour*
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, cold and diced into 1 Tbsp pieces
• 2/3 cup (140g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam

Glaze (optional)

• 1 cup (124g) powdered sugar
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 2 - 4 tsp water

Instructions

• For the cookies: Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). In a mixing bowl whisk together flour and salt, set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, blend together butter and sugar until combined (it will take a minute or two since the butter is cold).
• Mix in almond extract then add in flour blend until mixture comes together (it will take a bit of mixing since the butter is cold, so be patient, it will seem really dry and crumbly at first).
• Shape dough into 1-inch balls, about 1 Tbsp each, and place 2-inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. 
• Make a small indentation with thumb or forefinger in each cookie (large enough to fit 1/4 - 1/2 tsp of jam). Fill each with 1/4 - 1/2 tsp jam. 
• Chill in refrigerator 20 minutes (or freezer for 10 minutes). Bake in preheated oven 14 - 18 minutes.Cool several minutes on baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• For the glaze: Whisk all glaze ingredients together in a small mixing bowl, adding enough water to reach desired consistency. 
• Pour or spoon mixture into a sandwich size resealable bag, cut a small tip from one corner and drizzle over cool cookies. Let set at room temperature then store in an airtight container.

Notes

• *To measure flour scoop with measuring cup and level with a butter knife. Don't whisk or sift first and don't spoon into the measuring cup.
• Recipe adapted from Land O Lakes and Allrecipes.com

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

 Takes some effort, but the best Mac and Cheese.

https://www.skinnytaste.com/butternut-squash-mac-and-cheese/

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  ▢ Olive oil spray
• ▢ Kosher salt
• ▢ 1 pound cubed butternut squash
• ▢ 10 ounces whole wheat elbow pasta
• ▢ 1 ½ cups low sodium vegetable broth, divided
• ▢ ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
• ▢ 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• ▢ 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• ▢ 1 medium shallot, minced
• ▢ ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ 2 cups skim milk
• ▢ ½ cup shredded gruyere cheese (I couldn’t find, omitted)
• ▢ ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
• ▢ Chopped chives, optional, for garnish

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  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9” x 11” glass baking dish with oil and set aside.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add squash and boil until tender, 5-6 minutes. 
• When fork tender, transfer squash with a slotted spoon to a blender.
• Add pasta to boiling water and cook according to package directions. When cooked, drain and put back into the pot.
• Meanwhile, add ½ cup vegetable broth, onion powder, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt and black pepper, to taste to the blender with the squash. Blend until smooth and creamy.
• In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan, ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Melt the butter in a medium sauce pot over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the shallots and cook another minute. 
• Add the remaining 1 cup broth and milk and whisk to combine. Bring sauce to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook 5 minutes, whisking frequently. 
• Remove pot from heat and whisk in cheese, pureed squash, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and pepper.
• Add sauce to noodles, gently mix to combine, then transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. 
• Sprinkle with breadcrumb mixture and bake 25 minutes. Switch oven to high broil and broil for 2-3 minutes, or until crumbs are starting to brown.

Meatballs

Always on the look out for something a little more healthy, found this gem on Yummy Toddler Food.  

https://www.yummytoddlerfood.com/hidden-veggie-toddler-meatballs/

• ▢ 1/2 cup carrots, roughly chopped
• ▢ 1/2 cup parsley leaves, lightly packed
• ▢ 1 small onion, peeled and halved
• ▢ 1/2 cup Italian-flavored bread crumbs
• ▢ 1 pound ground beef
• ▢ 1 egg
• ▢ 2 tablespoons milk
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Coat with nonstick spray. Place the carrots, parsley, and onion into a food processor. Grind well, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• Add the remaining ingredients and grind to combine into a smooth mixture. Portion into 2-tablespoon-size meatballs and place on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake for 22-25 minutes or until cooked through. Serve with warm marinara sauce and pasta (or ketchup and other simple sides!) as desired.

Delish Candy

 Oh Snaps!  (Gingerbread men gummies) From Clever Candy 

We went downtown Denver to go to the Giving Machines in a December, they were right next to Rocket Fizz.  A fun candy/pop store.  Oh snaps!  Are so yummy, even my husband who doesn’t like gummies enjoyed them.  

Potato Wedges

 From Dinner at the Zoo

https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/baked-potato-wedges/

Megan made these for me when I had surgery.  

▢ 4 medium Russet potatoes scrubbed and cut into eighths

▢ 1/4 cup olive oil

▢ 1 teaspoon onion powder

▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder

▢ 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

▢ 2 teaspoons salt

▢ 1/2 teaspoon pepper

▢ 1/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese

▢ 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

▢ cooking spray

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with foil and coat the foil with cooking spray.
• Place the olive oil, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, pepper and parmesan cheese in a gallon sized resealable bag. 
• Place the potato wedges in the bag and seal the bag. Shake to coat the potatoes evenly with the seasoning.
• Spread the potatoes in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown and fork tender. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.