White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies

2 (7-ounce) boxes Jiffy raspberry muffin mix 4 ounces cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened 2 tablespoons butter-flavored shortening 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed 2 eggs 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese, butter, shortening, and brown sugar, until just combined (I beat mine until it was completely smooth, but still had little chunks of cream cheese). Add the eggs one at a time,beating well  after each addition. Add the muffin mix and using a wooden spoon, mix until incorporated. Stir in the white chocolate chips and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease baking sheets and roll dough into tablespoon-size balls.Place 2-inches apart on baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, until just turning golden around the edges. Cool five minutes on baking sheet before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Source: Barely adapted from Just A Pinch. Printed From: Bakergirl. Epic fail on my part with these cookies.  I was in a hurry to get them all baked before heading out to dinner...well I put 3 trays worth of cookies in the oven, when I probably only should have put in 2.  Well needless to say...I lost all 15 cookies on the bottom sheet.  I think the oven got too hot and with the cookies on the bottom rack wedged between two dark colored surfaces, the result is burned cookies.  I'm talking black, burned hockey pucks! So thankful the other 20+ cookies turned out okay or I would have been pissed! :) Live and Learn!! (Otherwise the ones that did turn out were SO good!!)

Crockpot Ham Potato Soup

Crockpot Ham Potato Soup

Ingredients:

7 c. diced potatoes (about 4 medium)
1 c. diced onion (about 1 medium)
1 large carrot, chopped
2 c. ham, diced
5. c. hot water
1 Knorr Chicken Bullion cube (extra large size that
makes 1 quart broth or 4 small cubes that make 1 cup each)
1 c. 2% milk
1/2 c. sour cream
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Add diced potatoes, onion, carrot, and ham to a crock pot. Dissolve chicken bullion in 5 cups hot water, then add this to the crock pot also. Cook on low 7 hours, or high 3 hours. Then add milk and sour cream. Stir and cook an additional 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Makes twelve 1-cup servings.

If you'd like a thicker soup, just before adding milk and sour cream, remove 2-3 cups of the potatoes and slightly mash, then return the mashed mixture to the crock pot.

Makes 12 Servings (About 1 Cup Per Serving)

Nutritional Info Per Serving: Calories: 151.7; Fat: 5.3 g; Cholesterol: 18.7 mg;
Sodium: 534.2 mg; Carbs: 19.5 g; Fiber: 2.5 g; Protein: 6.9 g

From Weight Watcher Recipes on Pintrest :)

We added a little bit of cheese to this recipe and my husband added some hot sauce to doctor it up...but it was quite tasty on a dreary rainy day.

Christmas Questionaire

 

I saw this on a blog I follow and thought it might be kind of fun to answer the questions myself.


1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?

Both..Adults usually get gift bags, while my nieces get wrapping paper.  Afterall half the fun for kids is the unwrapping. (though I find wrapping paper quite wasteful!)

2. Real tree or artificial?

We are a house divided!! I always had a fake tree while Pat always had a real tree.  We opted not to do a big  tree this year, and settled for a hall tree..but it will be interesting to see what we do next year! :)

3. When do you put up the tree?

Usually the day after Thanksgiving or Thanksgiving weekend.  But I start decorating for Christmas early November. Halloween decorations come down and Christmas ones go up.

4. When do you take the tree down? 
First week in January

5. Do you like eggnog?

No!

6. Favorite gift received as a child?

I remember getting a Star Stage that I loved. But I also loved Barbie stuff.. and even had a Barbie dealer!! (my moms friend worked for Mattel)

7. Do you have a nativity scene?

No.

8. Hardest person to buy for?

My Dad. I never know what to get him...and anything he wants he usually buys for himself.

9. Easiest person to buy for?

Mom and Mother in Law  they tell me exactly what they want

10. Mail or email Christmas cards?

Mail. I love getting them every year and seeing how everyone changes.  (Though I haven't sent one out the last 2 years because it's just the 2 of us and we haven't done anything exciting..maybe next year!)

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?

A blanket from my grandma (may she rest in peace)..she was very cheap and frugal and she bought used fabric and put this blanket together..it was smelly and gross! (and I feel bad for saying this but my family knows it was true!)

12. Favorite Christmas movie?

Christmas Vacation  It's not Christmas in the Mahoney house until we have watched and recited the whole movie.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?

Black Friday (but late in the day none of this waiting in line for hours crap)  But then I usually don't think about shopping for almost 3 weeks later and then I get into panic mode.

14. Ever recycled a Christmas present?

No

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?

COOKIES!!  Peanut Butter Blossoms, Sugar cookies, spritz cookies...

16. Clear lights or colored lights on the tree?

House divided..I like Clear while Pat likes colored.  But I think color is more fun for kids.

17. Favorite Christmas song?

No favorite.. but I love listening to them on my drive home lately. A Britney Spears christmas song makes me giggle, because I think of a coworker who used to dance down the aisles singing it.  And Rockin Around The Christmas Tree makes me think of the movie Home Alone

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?

This is the first year in like 5 we will be "at home" on Christmas.  Due to our jobs we have been unable to get the actual holiday off and we plan on going home to visit with friends and family.  But I think soon we may be staying at "our home" and having visitors come to us.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer?

Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen , Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and Rudolph!

20. Angel on the tree top or star?

We have never had a tree big enough to accomodate anything but I would love to get a star! ( I think santa hats are fun too)

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?

Christmas Eve with my parents Christmas Day with his parents

22. Most annoying about this time of year?

The crowds, parking lots, grumpy people, running out of product or sizes, hot stores

23. Favorite ornamnet, theme, or color?

I love color, and have a feeling I will always be mixing it up when decorating.. but you cant go wrong with red, green and silver.

24. What do you want for Christmas this year?

A million dollars!! (J/K!! Sort of!) No, but in reality we have been very fortunate this year..we have bought multiple big ticket items throughout the year and feel like we have everything that we could need or want.  A new bedroom set, and a trip somewhere warm, and a new car would be wonderful though!!

Currently...

Currently...

Loving.... The first flurries and "dusting" of snow we received this morning (even better when I have the day off!!) Christmas Cottage scentsy smell, trying new recipes, cuddling up on the couch in front of the fire with a blanket and my hubby, new shows, our home decorated for Christmas, finally getting my dining room curtains up and hemmed (blog post to follow)

Excited for...  Going home at Christmas to see family and friends, seeing my brother and sister in law and their 2 kids (one of which I haven't met yet!) Seeing/metting new babies that have been born since the last time we were home

Worried... Getting all of my Christmas shopping started/done/shipped.  Christmas traffic and weather conditions

Creating.... Recipes from Pintrest (at least 1-2 a week!) baking cookies this month, Chex Mix, Decorating the outside of the house with lights, christmas mantle decor.  

Hating... The way people drive lately...it's dark, raining, Monday...I don't care people STEP ON IT!!! Especially today with a dusting of snow..you would think there was a foot of snow on the ground and whiteout conditions.   

Wondering... What to buy for gifts? When do I need to ship them by? What to wear to work? (now that we are back to business casual) What's for dinner the rest of the week? Why is it so cold out?

Craving... Hearty/warm home cooked meals, The Melting Pot (I'm still owed Anniversary dinner out!)  

Hoping... The rest of this month goes smoothly, travel is uneventful, Mandatory OT stays away until after the first of the year.

Watching.... From Netflix in the past month: Fast Five, (Paul Walker...YUM!)  The Green Lantern, Rio, Zombie Strippers(awful) Who's Your Caddy A Dirty Shame,(awful) Red State (disturbing)

DVR: Dexter, Hung, Walking Dead, Raising Hope

Listening... The furace turning on and off, tv on in the background, PANDORA radio at work (LMFAO Party rock channel)

Looking forward to... Getting my hair cut and colored tomorrow, Family time around the holidays, seeing babies, 10 days off at the end of the month, the new year and what it brings for us.

Pepperoni Rolls

Pepperoni Rolls

Ingredients:

Frozen Bread Dough

Pepperoni

Mozzarella and Parmesan Cheese

Italian Seasoning

Olive Oil

Purchase frozen bread dough. They come in these "log" shapes, in plastic bags, sold in the freezer section next to the frozen biscuits. (I used Rhodes brand.)

Loosely cover the frozen bread dough with plastic wrap. Allow dough to thaw for a few hours at room temperature.  (Tip: spray the plastic wrap with cooking oil, or brush with cooking oil and lay it, oiled side down on the bread dough. This allows the bread dough to rise and move easily under the plastic wrap without it sticking or holding back the dough.)

When dough is completely thawed it will be puffed up a bit.

Roll dough out to approximately 11 x 11 square.

One frozen dough log makes one pepperoni roll.

Brush dough with olive oil or whatever cooking oil you prefer.

Lay pepperoni on dough covering entire surface.

Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese.  Next, sprinkle with shredded Parmesan cheese.

Lightly sprinkle with Italian Seasoning.

Add a sprinkling of garlic powder.

Roll up dough starting at one edge of square.

Place rolls on baking sheet, leaving space between.

Brush some melted butter on top of uncooked pepperoni roll.

You do not need to let the roll rise. Bake it right away. It will rise up in the oven perfectly.

Bake at 375 degrees for approx. 15-20 minutes.

As with any baking, keep an eye on your roll. This is just an estimated time. You'll know it's done when the roll is golden and makes a hard tapping sound when you tap it with your fingernail...just like when baking a loaf of bread.

Let the pepperoni roll cool before cutting!  Enjoy!!

Recipe from What about Pie

We had this for dinner last night..and they were quite good.  We made 2, a "his" and "hers" roll. (Pat wanted to put onions, peppers and black olives on his!)  Needless to say, it is a lot of food and I took the leftovers for lunch and still have 2 pieces in the fridge for later.