Naughty/Nice

Mia & I were invited to our first Christmas Cookie Exchange! I figured it's much too difficult to actually bake something decandant and then truck it across the city via subway!

So I started googling and came across a bunch of different recipes for "Coal Cookies".  The perfect cookie for someone naughty.

The recipe is super simple:
4 tablespoons butter, 4 cups marshmallows, 1 package of Oreo (or similar) cookies.
Grind the cookies in a food processor.
In a separate bowl drop in the marshmallows & butter and melt together until puffy in the microwave (I found it took about 55 seconds for them to be perfectly puffed)
Now blend the two together in a big bowl and stir, stir, stir, stir!
Now empty into a lightly greased square pan.  Let sit for hour an hour.
Cut into pieces, shape edges so they're round if you desire, or keep them as squares!
See - EASY!

I then decided to add Blondies with fudgey bits as the "Nice Recipe".  You could use whatever 'nice' recipe you desire ... I just happen to adore Blondies, and know they travel well!

Then I packaged a few in little plastic bags, tying them each with ribbon and the corresponding naughty or nice tag.


You can print your own tags in pdf. format here.  I recommend that you print them on a heavy card stock, so they're nice and sturdy.

Either way, if you've been naughty or nice this year, you still get something sweet & special.

Easy Peasy Homemade Mac & Cheese

Serves: 4 

Ingredients:
2 cups dry pasta (can be whole wheat or plain) elbow shaped, or shells
3 cups shredded cheese - cheddar & mozzarella are a good combination, but you could use your favourite too
2 tablespoons butter - cut up into cubes if it's been in the fridge
1 1/2 cup cream
3 tablespoons breadcrumbs (optional) 

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375
Boil water for pasta, cook until noodles are one minute under aldente (if the package says 8 minutes, cook it for 7)
Drain pasta and pour into a deep oven safe casserole dish  
In a small pot over medium heat - pour the cream in, and let warm - do not let it boil though
Drop in butter cubes, and stir until it's fully melted into the cream
Add 2 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese
Stir until cheese is fully melted and blended
Pour cheese mixture over the noodles in the casserole dish
Sprinkle left over cheese on top of the noodles
Sprinkle breadcrumbs over the cheese
Cover, and bake for 15 minutes

* Okay - this is Mia's favourite dish! It's almost as easy as KD, but three times as delicious! Serve it up with some tossed greens & garlic toast and it becomes a full meal!
* A great "adult" version is to add pureed garlic to the cheese mixture, and garlic powder to the bread crumbs! Tastes like garlic bread with cheese!
* I always add freshly ground pepper, and of course Mia insists on ketchup!
* I apologize in advance to your hips & thighs & tummies ... it's not the lowest calorie meal, but it's great once in a while! 

Enjoy

xx

... a few of my favourite things.

In the spirit of the current season I figured it would be best to start off with a list of the small things in life that bring me joy. 

I grew up with a mom who loved movies with happy endings, good morals & memorable songs.  One of them was The Sound of Music - a movie we came to watch every December.

Maria sang of cream coloured ponies, and crisp apple strudels ... well this is my list of favourite things ... and I do believe most people would come to agree with these simple items.

Feel free to print this, pin it, use it for your own inspiring list ...  life's joys are truly about the small things that bring simple happiness daily.

xx