Merry Christmas

December 25, 2013 by Dawn Marie Leave a comment

From our family to yours, have a Merry Christmas

December 23, 2013
by Dawn Marie Leave a comment

Menu Plan Monday Dec. 23 ~ Candy Cane Shortbread Blossoms

Ah, it’s finally the week of Christmas. Oh wait, holy cow! it’s the week of Christmas.

I was really sure I had so much more time.

The holiday week means less meal planning for me. So I decided to share a cookie recipe. We made some cookies for Ian’s school party and I decided to try a new one.

These cookies are inspired by the peanut butter blossoms. You know the ones with the Hershey’s Kisses placed in the warm cookies?

During the holidays Hershey’s makes a Candy Cane Kiss. They are super scrumptious. I’m not gonna lie, I have taken a bag (or two) to ‘share’ (with myself) before.

Candy Cane Shortbread Blossoms

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses, unwrapped
2 1/2 c. Flour
1 c. Butter, softened cut into cubes
6 Tblsp Sugar (6 tablespoon= 1/4 c. + 2 tablespoons)

In a mixing bowl combine flour and sugar. Cut in butter using a pastry blender or a blade attachment for your stand mixer. Add butter squares one at a time and blend until mixture resembles fine crumbs and starts to cling.
Form into a ball and knead until smooth.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls, place on cookie sheet and flatten. (shortbread doesn’t behave like other cookie dough so it will not flatten out when baked
Bake in 325° oven for 20-25 minutes, until center starts to set. While cookies are baking unwrapped enough kisses for the number of cookies.
Immediately press a Candy Cane Kiss into center of cookie and let cool on cookie sheet for five minutes.
Transfer to a wire rack, let cool until kisses harden.

Menu Plan 12/23-12/29

Mon: Slow Cooker Parmesan Chicken with Rice

Tue: Christmas Eve ~ out with family

Wed: Christmas dinner at my Sisters. We will be having ham, potatoes, rolls, caramelized carrots.

Thr: Hopefully we will be out going to see our Zoo Lights

Fri: Aunt & Uncles Christmas Party

Sat: Kitchen is Closed

Sun: Do I really have to start cooking again?

Happy Cooking

Need something to help plan your meals? I use the Plan to Eat online meal planner. Try it free for 30 days

Find more recipes at I’m an Organizing Junkie

December 9, 2013
by Dawn Marie Leave a comment

Menu Plan Monday Dec. 9 ~ How to make your deli meat last longer

So I am not actually planning any meals this week. We have some family in town and my days/evenings will be consumed by them. But in a good way.

So I thought I would share something else useful with you.

I love sandwiches. Love them. Eat them a lot, probably would every day if I could. Apparently I have passed this on to Ian, along with some family OCD. On his first day of school I made him a ham and cheese sandwich. Now I have to make him one everyday he goes to school, luckily he only goes three days a week.

I tried to switch it up and make it on a tortilla, or give him other things for lunch. Nope. Always a sandwich, preferably ham and cheese. Even though he likes other kinds of sandwiches. We have had a discussion about it. He has rules for me to follow.

I thought I was pretty smart when I would buy a pound of deli meat and then freeze half of it. Or sometimes I would buy more than one pound, if it was on sale.

Let’s be honest. Making sandwiches everyday is a lot of work. So I would never go through a half pound, let alone a pound of deli meat before it went bad. Lots of waste with that. (even though I love sandwiches)

When I would freeze some, I would have to remember to take it out to defrost on Sunday. Not always possible. If I didn’t take it out on Sunday night, I wouldn’t take it out that week and would end up buying more deli meat.

There was the logic for that. I most likely wouldn’t eat it on the weekend, but I might get through most of it by Friday. So if it wasn’t defrosted by Monday morning, it would just be a waste.

Even with all these problems, I still always did it this way. Buy a pound of ham, freeze half, leave in freezer while buying more ham…

Till one day. I didn’t have any normal sized zip lock bags. I only had the small snack size. But I had to freeze the deli meat. Like right then.

So I put three pieces of ham in each bag, which happens to be the perfect amount to make Ian sandwiches all week. Or enough for one adult sandwich.

I realized I could buy a pound of ham, spend five minutes putting it in to many snack sized bags and freezing them. I could pull out one bag for a week of Ian’s lunches and if I wanted a sandwich, I could grab another. It takes way less time to defrost three pieces of ham then half a pound. If I didn’t use it all then I was only throwing away one piece of ham. Way less waste. And the pound lasted longer, so I am only buying about a pound a month.

OK. I know, seems like common knowledge but I was pretty excited about my idea so I thought I would share it with you.

It’s ok, you don’t have to use the word genius, even though I know you will *wink, wink*