Nutella Hot Chocolate

Thank You so much to The Hungry Housewife (Leslie) for letting me pass this wonderful recipe along to you guys!  I am a huge fan of her blog.  When I saw this recipe..I immediately ran into the kitchen and tried it out.  Hope you guys enjoy this yummy concoction as much as I did!  I have also included the recipe for her homemade whipped cream.  Yuuuummmmm.... :-)

*Find the original blog post from The Hungry Housewife here!

Nutella Hot Chocolate

1 cup milk (I used whole)
2 1/2 Tbsp Nutella
1 Tbsp cocoa
Tiny pinch of salt

In a small sauce pan over medium heat, whisk together all ingredients until well blended and hot.
Pour into cup or mug and top with whipped cream.

Homemade Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Place a medium bowl and beaters from your electric mixer in the freezer for 10 minutes (this helps the whipped cream stiffen faster)
Pour all ingredients into chilled bowl and start to beat.  Start off slow and gradually work your way up to high speed.  It will be done when it has the consistancy of...whipped cream.  Do not over beat.

Wassail

*My favorite wassail spice blend!

*A snowy evening outside the Biltmore Home in Asheville, NC!

Fall is here!! I'm so excited that the weather has finally gotten a little cooler...and the leaves are starting to change colors. It just makes me want to surround myself with pumpkins and the smell of cinnamon and cloves. Since I have been a little under the weather this week I decided to break out the slow cooker and steep some wassail. It is so warm and comforting to a sore throat...and the cinnamon is a great antioxidant!
On our vacation to the Biltmore Home in Asheville, NC we picked up a bunch of their wassail mix. It is a really great blend of mulling spices with a little extra orange zest flavor. I usually mix several tbsp fulls with apple juice or apple cider (my fav is the Simply Apple Juice) and let it steep for a few hours on low in the slow cooker. You can also just pick up a package of mulling spices at your local grocery store to blend with the apple juice/cider. I still place a few extra cinnamon sticks in...just for a little added cinnamon~ey taste :)

Baking For The Ladies At Church!

*Four dozen (minus one or two) Double Chocolate Chip Cookies*

*Four dozen Fall Oatmeal Cookies*

**8 dozen cookies all packed up and ready to go to the church**

This past week I had the honor of bringing some yummy baked treats for our monthly woman's ministry meeting at church. I really love these ladies...and most of them are wonderful cooks...so I was really feeling the pressure! I decided to make one "fall" cookie (since the weather is finally cooling off) and one chocolate cookie (I mean...what woman does not like chocolate). I finally decided on my friend Monica's Double Chocolate Chip Cookies...and a new recipe for Oatmeal Cranberry and White Chocolate Chip Cookies. Both the cookies were a big hit...and I have even received an invitation to bake for next months meeting :)

The recipe for the Double Chocolate Chip Cookies was in an earlier post...but you can find it HERE!

Fall Oatmeal Cookies

3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats (not instant)
3/4 cup dried cranberries
6 oz white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large bowl using electric mixer combine sugar, brown sugar, and butter and cream together.
Add in eggs and vanilla. Mix until combined.
Add cinnamon, baking soda, salt and flour and mix well.
Fold in the oatmeal, cranberries and white chocolate chips. Make sure all ingredients are well distributed.
Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place 2-3 inches apart onto a greased cookie sheet.
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden.

**I added slightly more cinnamon and a good sprinkle of nutmeg to the batter for a more "spicy" flavor!

Each batch will yield approx 24 cookies!

recipe adapted from Julesong on Food.com!

Crockpot Cajun Boiled Peanuts!

This is another recipe from my fall cooking that I forgot to post! Sorry again!!

I am from the South. And being from the South I LOVE me some cajun boiled peanuts! They are such a great snack. But they can really be a labor of love. I found this recipe while searching around on Recipezaar.com. I added a good bit of cajun seasoning and hot sauce to spice things up a bit! I have a large crock pot with a lid that locks in place for transporting. It really came in handy with this recipe. As the peanuts cook and water fills the shells...it will begin to lift the lid!
**Original recipe from PugsandHugs on Recipezaar.com**

1 1/2 quart green uncooked peanuts (I used 1 lb peanuts in shell)
1/2 cup salt
2 1/2 quarts water (I just added enough water to cover the peanuts)
*4 tablespoons cajun seasoning
*hot sauce to taste (I like things spicy so I added just over 1/2 cup of Franks Red Hot)

Wash peanuts until water runs clear. Place peanuts in crock pot. Add salt, seasoning, hot sauce, and water. Cook on high for 6 hours. Then cook on low an additional 4-5 hours.
Add additional water during cooking to keep peanuts covered.

Super Easy Pumpkin Bread

I would like to start by saying...I know I am super behind on this one! My apologies in advance!

I started (finally) clearing the memory card on my camera the other day. I found the pics of these muffins and realized I never posted this recipe! So I am taking a few steps back to October of 2009. These were so super easy to make. Instead of making a loaf...I made mini muffins. The recipe made about 24. I made two batches so I could share with my neighbors...and friends at work :)
**This recipe came from Mrs. English on Recipezaar.com**

1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup pumpkin puree (I used canned pumpkin)
1/2 cup olive oil (I used canola)
2 eggs beaten
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 cup walnuts (I omitted)
**I doubled all the spices in this recipe. Since I like a very strong nutmeg/cinnamon/allspice flavor**

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour, salt, sugar, and baking soda. In a separate bowl combine pumpkin, oil, eggs, water, and spices. Then combine with dry ingredients. Do not mix too thoroughly. Add walnuts. Pour into well buttered 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Bake 50-60 minutes until a thin skewer poked into the middle comes out clean. Turn out of the pan and let cool on rack.
Makes one loaf.

If desired you can make them in a muffin tin as well. They come out just as moist! Just bake for 12-15 minutes! (mine came out perfect at 12 mins)

A Trip To Marietta!

Since I have had a rough week with recovering from oral surgery. My hubby decided to surprise me and take me on a quick trip to GA...to eat at the famous Marietta Diner! I have wanted to visit for a while...and it just so happens that an episode of Diners Drive-In's and Dives that featured the restaurant had just aired the night before.

As soon as you walk in you are mesmerized by glass cases filled with amazing looking desserts of all colors...shapes...and sizes! The place actually has a very warm and friendly atmosphere. Since there was a pretty long wait...the owner opened a huge bottle of wine and started passing out glasses to guests that had been waiting for a table! Everyone goes above and beyond to make you feel like a member of the family!

For dinner I tried the baked pastichio...a Greek specialty. It kinda reminded me of a Greek version of lasagna. All baked in cheesy goodness :) All dinners are served with warm house made bread...a Greek salad or soup...and a huge slice of spinach pie! For dessert....there is anything and everything you could ever want..lol! We tried the carrot cake cheesecake....and it was so good....it will make you slap yo' momma :P

The joint is open 24 hours a day. So no matter what time you find yourself in the ATL area....you can always enjoy a great meal :)

Hershey's Deep Dark Chocolate Cake!!

Oh My Goodness! This has got to be one of my favorite cakes ever! Thanks so much to my AL nestie bud...lilcrablegs...for posting this recipe in her blog. It is not too sweet....just enough richness from the dark chocolate..without being bitter....it's just the perfect dark chocolate cake!

**note...even though the recipe says to cool your cakes on a wire rack...I always cool my cakes just slightly in their pans...then I always begin to ice them when they are still warm. My mom always made her cakes this way...and I think it turns out a much more moist cake!**

2 cups sugar

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa

1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1-1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup boiling water

*Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch round pans or one 13x9x2-inch pan!

*Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of electric mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour into prepared pans.

*Bake 30-35 minutes for round pans. 35-40 minutes for rectangular pan or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. (cake may be left in rectangular pan if desired) Frost with One-Bowl Buttercream Frosting (recipe below)!

One Bowl Buttercream Frosting!

6 tablespoons butter, softened

2-2/3 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup Hershey's Cocoa or Hershey's Dutch Pressed Cocoa

1/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

*Beat butter in medium bowl. Add powdered sugar and cocoa alternately with milk, beating to spreading consistency (additional milk may be needed). Stir in vanilla. Makes about 2 cups.

Nicole's Cheese Ball!

One of my best gf's Nicole always makes the most wonderful cheese ball. There is never a bite left of this at the end of any party! After hunting for the recipe for months....I finally found it in an old cookbook my mom had passed down to me. Seriously..the most amazing cheese ball...ever!!

2 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese
1/4 or 5 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained
1/4 cup each finely chopped bell pepper and green onion
2 cups pecans, chopped
1 dash seasoned salt

Whip up cream cheese with fork until creamy. Put in all ingredients except 1 cup of pecans. Wrap in plastic wrap and let it set overnight. ***this is very important, so onion and bell pepper taste will not be so strong*** Roll cheese ball in leftover pecans to coat right before serving!

Magic Cookie Bars!

These are one of my favorite fall treats! I can remember my mom making these and packing them in my lunch when I was a kid. The butterscotch chips add a nice flavor :)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup butterscotch chips

1 cup semisweet chips

1 1/3 flaked coconut

1 cup chopped pecans (or your fav nut)

Melt the butter in a 9x13-inch pan in a 350-degree oven. After butter is melted...sprinkle with the graham cracker crumbs. Pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the crumbs. Sprinkle with the butterscotch chips, chocolate chips, coconut, and nuts; press with the back of a spoon. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until light brown. Let stand until cool. Cut into bars. Store covered, at room temperature. Makes about one dozen!

Butterscotch Haystacks!

These are one of my favorite Christmas treats. My Mom would make these for my little brother and I every year. I just love butterscotch and the mini marshmallows make them even better :)


2 cups butterscotch chips
1cup peanut butter
3 cups mini marshmallows
4 cups chow mein noodles

In a large bowl melt butterscotch chips in microwave. When melted mix in peanut butter. Then add marshmallows and noodles. Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper. Allow to set (about an hour at room temp.). Store any leftovers in refrigerator!!

Caramel Pie

I have always loved O'Charleys caramel pie. It has to be one of my favorite desserts. A while back a friend of mine emailed me this recipe. It is a dead ringer for the original. It is also one of the easiest recipes I have ever made. It may be a slap in the face to some of the hard core cooks out there....but oh well....it sure is good ;)

2 cans Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk

1 ready made graham cracker pie crust

cool whip to top

Boil the 2 cans of sweetened condensed milk in pot for 3 hours. Make sure that water always convers both cans. After 3 hours take cans out of pan. Let completely cool. Place in pie crust and top with cool whip!

Holiday Spiced Nuts

I found this great recipe in one of my many Rachael Ray cookbooks. I made a huge batch for my husbands teacher's Christmas party and they were a huge hit! I love all the great spices in this recipe!


2 cups walnut halves
1 cup peeled hazelnuts
1 cup whole unsalted cashews
1 cup whole pecan halves
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon ground anise
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, eyeball it
1 cup smoked almonds (recommended: Diamond Smokehouse Almonds)

**Heat a large skillet and cook nuts over moderate heat 7 to 8 minutes until golden and well toasted~your nose will know when they are done. Transfer nuts to a plate and return pan to stove top. Add butter to the pan in small pieces. Melt butter and spice it with anise, cinnamon, pepper, and nutmeg. Let butter infuse a minute then pour over nuts. Turn off heat. Add smoked nuts to the skillet and turn to combine evenly with butter.

Yields about 6 cups.

Chess Squares

This recipe is so great. My hs friend Jenny's mom use to make these squares for our christmas party. I ran across this recipe a while back and just had to post it on the blog. It is comfort food to the max :)

1 box super moist yellow cake mix
1 egg
1 stick room temp butter
**Mix well. Spray baking pan with non-stick cooking spray and pour mixture in pan.

**Filling**
1 8oz. package cream cheese (room temp)
2 eggs
1 box powdered sugar
**Mix together and pour on top of cake mixture. Bake at 350 for 50 min. or until golden brown!