Really-Good Cut-Out Cookies

Christmas is not complete without our favorite cut-out cookie recipe. We make them every year the day of our Christmas dinner. It hasn't been without trauma since we have varying degrees of perfection required for frosting. We keep coming back to the experience so it must have meaning. Here is the recipe. The name is for real, from a school cookbook.

Really-Good Cut-Out Cookies

1 cup butter

1 1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. almond flavoring (or 1 tsp vanilla)

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp cream of tartar

Mix ingredients in order listed. Cool one hour. Then cut in desired shapes. Bake at 375 degrees for 7-8 minutes.

Edited to add photos of the 2008 cookies. Made with gluten free flour!

Peanut Butter Balls

So I am at moms this week and got to help with the annual making of Christmas goodies. Leah & Bethany got in on the action too. As we mixed & rolled mom brought up the story of our first Christmas in Pella when I got bored waiting for mom to help me make peanut butter balls. I had collected the ingredients and started spinning around the kitchen with the bag of powdered sugar. Little did I know that I had hit the counter and broken the bag! I ended up coating the entire kitchen in powdered sugar. So instead of mixing up the peanut butter balls, I spent the afternoon vacuuming. Mom loves me so much she took a picture back then and still let me help yesterday.

PEANUT BUTTER BALLS

1 1/2 Cups Peanut Butter (we like crunchy)
1/2 cup oleo, melted
1 medium pkg chocolate chips
1/2 square paraffin wax
2 cups powdered sugar
3 cups rice krispies

Mix powdered sugar, peanut butter and melted oleo. Add rice krispies. Cool and shape in to balls. Melt chocolate chips and wax in double boiler or microwave. Dip balls into this mixture. Place on waxed paper.

Easy Lasagna

I know this recipe came from mom. I'm not sure where she got it from but it must be good since the recipe on the box of noodles I had last night was almost exactly the same one! This version is straight from the recipe card from my home-ec recipe box from high school but I tweak it some by adding about a cup of frozen chopped spinach to the cheese mixture, a LOT of garlic, and using ground turkey or Italian sausage instead of ground beef. Oh and mushrooms, lots of mushrooms at Paul's request. It has never turned out bad. Also great for freezing and makes great leftovers.

Easy Lasagna
1 lb ground beef
32oz jar spaghetti sauce
chopped onion
1 1/2 cups water
8 oz uncooked lasagna noodles
15 oz cottage cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
12 oz mozzarella cheese
2 eggs (beaten)
1/4 cup parsley flakes
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Brown beef & onion. Drain fat. Add sauce & water; simmer 10 minutes. Mix all other ingredients except noodles. In a 9x13 inch pan, layer one cup sauce, one layer lasagne noodles, 1 cup sauce and 1/2 of cheese mixture. Repeat, ending with a layer of noodles and sauce. Bake covered at 350 for 55-60 minutes. Remove foil & bake an additional 10 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies

Time for me to add a recipe since I am the mom. Here is a family cookie favorite. Bethany actually had these first when she was babysitting a few years ago. She asked for the recipe and it has been a favorite since then. Also known as Katie's cookies.<

Cranberry Chocolate Chip  Cookies

1 cup butter

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

 1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

2 1/2 cups blended oatmeal (measure - then blend in food processor))

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

12 oz chocolate chips 

1 cup chopped pecans

1 pkg dried cranberries

Cream butter and both sugars.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Mix together with flour, oats, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.  Add chocolate chips, cranberries and nuts.  Roll into balls and place two inches apart on a  cookie sheet.  Bake 10-12 minutes at 375 degrees.

Reindeer Poop

Reindeer Poop

OR- as Helenmom likes to refer to them... "oreo truffles" even though reindeer poop is much more enticing. Right?

INGREDIENTS:

1 package of oreo cookies
1 8 oz. package of cream cheese
1 package of almond bark
red and green sprinkles, or other festive items to decorate the poop. [if we are feeling really ambitious we will drizzle chocolate over the top.]

DIRECTIONS:
Crush the entire package of oreos in a plastic bag. Stir the crushed oreos in a large mixing bowl with softened cream cheese. Roll the oreo, cream cheese mixture into small balls, whatever size you prefer. Freeze the poop for several hours, or until hard. Later, melt the almond bark and coat the oreo and cream chesse balls in the almond bark. Set on wax paper, and sprinkle with festive detail of your choice. Allow to cool, and devour. Keep poop chilled. ENJOY!

edited to add photos. 2008