Soft Gingerbread Cookies

{the essence of Christmas foods}
Sometimes when the outside world, looks like this:

  This is for real... probably shouldn't be taking pictures and driving at the same time in 6 inches of snow, but whatever... I lived.

... the first thing that comes to my mind is Christmas. And with Christmas, comes baking. Specifically gingerbread cookies. This was my first time making them from scratch. I was pretty impressed- me and cookies usually don't get along very well, but these were easy and relatively fool proof. Me likey! They were absolutely delish and super soft. My husby took them to work, and everyone requested more. I'll allow it!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 cup molasses

1 egg

1 tablespoon vinegar

2 1/2 cups flour

Directions: 

In a large mixing bowl beat shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, and cloves. Beat until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. 

Beat in molasses, egg and vinegar [enter elementary school memories of your science fair volcano explosion here] [get it... baking soda and vinegar...] beat until combined and note the the bubbly-ness that occurs. Beat in as much of the flour as you can, and stir in the remainder until combined.

Cover and chill dough in the fridge for 3 hours or until firm and easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a cookie sheet, set aside.  

On a lightly floured surface, roll half of the dough at a time to 1/8 inch thick. Using cookie cutters, cut into shapes and place on cookie sheet.

Bake for 5-6 minutes or until bottoms are light brown. Cool on cookie sheet, then transfer to wire wrack. 

Here's the best part... DECORATING! Use basic powdered sugar icing to pipe and color (if desired) to decorate however you want! Go nuts!

A little Red Sox pride here... I couldn't help it!

Happy Holiday Baking!

  

Source: Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook 15th Edition

The World's Best Dinner Rolls

{nuff said}
I've been meaning to try these for the longest time, but the phrase 'making bread' has the up most negative connotation I can think of. Bread is yummy, yet labor intensive. Anyways, these truly do live up to their name. I've never tasted heaven before... until these babies came into my life. 
These were a part of our Thanksgiving dinner, maybe if you are looking for something to complete your Christmas dinner, yes?... But you don't really need a reason to make them, let's just be honest!

Ingredients:
2 cup whole milk (if you’re in a pinch, you can use 2%, but whole is best. Don’t use 1% or skim)
½ cup + 1 Tbsp. sugar, divided
1/3 c. (5 1/3 Tbsp.) butter
2 tsp. Kosher salt
2 pkgs. active dry yeast (or 4 1/2 tsp.)
2/3 cup warm (105-115-degree) water
8-9 cups all-purpose flour
3 beaten eggs

Directions:

Combine milk, 1/2 cup sugar, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat until butter melts.

Remove from heat. Allow to cool to lukewarm. I filled my sink full of ice cubs and set the pan in the sink. This step is really important because if the mixture is too hot, it will kill the yeast.

While the milk mixture is cooling, dissolve the yeast and 1 Tbsp. sugar in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes. If the yeast hasn’t bubbled, you’ll need to repeat this step.
In a large mixing bowl, combine 3 cups flour and milk mixture. Beat on low for 30 seconds, scraping sides of bowl constantly. Add yeast mixture and beat on high for 3 minutes.

Add beaten eggs. Beat again until combined. Stir in as much remaining flour as needed to make a soft dough. This dough should be very soft–it will be coming away from the sides of the bowl, but it will still stick to your finger when you touch it. Don’t worry, it will firm up during the rising process. Part of what makes these rolls so good is that they’re so soft and light; if you add too much flour, they will be heavy and dense. Place the bowl in a warm place and cover with a clean towel; allow to rise 1 hour.

Punch down dough. Lightly flour your work surface and turn dough out onto surface. Divide in half.
Spray 2 9×13 glass pans with cooking spray. Roll first portion of dough into a rectangle and then cut it into 12 equal-sized pieces. This dough should be very easy to work with, almost like play-dough. Shape each piece into a ball and place in prepared pan. Repeat with remaining dough in the second pan.

Cover with a clean cloth and allow to rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes. When dough has about 15-20 minutes to go (depending on your oven), preheat oven to 375.

Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden-brown.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature. These are absolutely fantastic... ask my FIL. He ate them all!


Source: Our Best Bites - World's Best Dinner Rolls

 

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

thanks everyone who entered to win  my first ever giveaway! I'm so excited, I almost can't contain myself!

the winner of the Scentsy Plug-In warmer is....

Allison Checketts!

Allison, let me know which warmer and scent you'd like! 

And Congrats!

Thanks everyone again! I hope to have more giveaways in the near future so keep sending me all the blog love! 

Last Chance!

Today is the last day to enter to win a free Scentsy Plug-In Warmer and free scent!

Leave me a comment and become a follower is all you have to do to enter!

Winner will be announced tonight at 9pm!

Very First!

{blog giveaway!}

You heard right, folks! Since it's Christmas (almost... December 1 counts...) and since I'm a really nice person... 

 I've decided to do a giveaway for a Plug-In Scentsy Warmer!

The giveaway starts now, and will end on Friday, December 2 at 9pm (my time) (so mountain time... duh). At which time, the winner will be announced.

You will have your choice as to which Plug-In warmer you'd like, here are a few of my favorites...

 Taro

 Boho Chic (currently behind my Christmas Tree... with Festival of Tree's burning...)

 Pop!

Groovy Green

You can check out the rest of the Plug-In's and all the other great Scentsy products by visiting my personal Scentsy website: http://kelseyfairbanks.scentsy.ca.

 Now, for the RULES:

  1. Like my Facebook Page and become a follower on my blog. 

2. Leave me a comment either on this post AND/OR Facebook letting me know you're a follower- It's that simple, kiddos.

  

Once again, the winner will be announced on Friday at 9pm. 

Good luck!

Ready...... GO!

 

Margharita Pizza

{pizza pizza}
I've always been so curious about margharita pizza, since it's obviously not made out of the alcoholic drink, it baffled my mind for the longest time. I also have to admit, I've never had fresh mozzarella before until I made this pizza. It was like heaven! I love cheese, but this was cheese x5! The combination of mozzarella, basil, and tomato sauce is genius. Pepperoni and pineapple has a run for it's money. Anyways, the recipe is farly simple. But lets always remember the rule with pizza... you can make it however you want. This is a great idea if you are wanting to switch things up for dinner tonight!

Ingredients:
Fresh mozzarella
Fresh basil leaves, whole
Your favorite pizza sauce
Pizza dough (you can make your own, or use store bought)
Italian seasoning

Directions:
Preheat your oven to the dough's specifications. Like all pizza, roll your dough out to desired thickness and size, and place on baking sheet or pizza brick. Spread with a thin layer of sauce... then add some more sauce, and spread it around. Slice up your fresh mozzarella, as thin as possible, but thick wont hurt either I suppose. Place cheese slices around on top of the pizza. If you like your pizza super cheesy you can place them closer together. Next, lay basil leaves on top of cheese, again you can use as much or as little as you'd like. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning.

Bake for time specified with your dough, and enjoy! 

Good Mood Tostadas

{comfort food in a taco shell}
I don't even know what the heck tostadas even are, but they look like open faced tacos to me. And I love tacos. So immediately, of course, I loved these! They were pretty easy to assemble, and oh so delicious for a week night. I highly recommend them to anyone. They did actually make me feel better after a long hard day at work!

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable, plus more for frying
1 pound ground beef
One package taco seasoning (plus water for the seasoning)
Pinch of Salt
1 can re-fried beans
6 small tortillas (corn or flour)
1 recipe Yes, I Make My Own Salsa

All the fixings you like:
Lettuce
Shredded cheddar cheese
Guac
Sour cream

Directions:
In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over moderately high heat. Add the beef and cook, stirring to break up any lumps, until browned, about 6 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon off any excess oil from the skillet. Stir in the taco seasoning and water and cook for 1 minute. Scrape the meat into a heatproof bowl, cover and set aside.

Assemble all your condiments so they are ready to go. Heat 1/2 inch of vegetable oil in the skillet over moderately high heat. Test the temperature of the oil: when a drop of water sizzles on the surface, using tongs, place 1 tortilla in the oil. Fry, turning once, until golden grown, about 1 minute. A flour tortilla may bubble a bit, but it will flatten out after frying. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

To serve, spread each tortilla with re-fried beans, then top with a few tablespoons of ground beef and desired condiments. Ta-da!

Source:
100 Recipes Every Woman Should Know

Streusel topped, Cream Cheese filled Pumpkin Muffins

{oh yes, i went there}
Truth be told, these pictures were taken a while ago... I'm just THAT lame. Nonetheless, they are still amazing and you should just stop looking for another pumpkin bread recipe right now. This is, hands down, the best recipe I've ever put into my mouth. Ever. Pumpkin bread is my #1 favorite food, and I've tried many different recipes. This one is my absolute favorite! You can use this recipe for pumpkin bread with small or large loaf pans (50 minutes baking for large loafs) or cupcakes/muffins... you could probably even use a bundt pan. It's pretty versatile!

Ingredients:
1 15oz can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
3 cup white sugar
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Cream Cheese Filling:
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla


Streusel:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4cup pecans, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted



Directions:
Make the cream cheese filling: For the Cream Cheese Filling: In a medium bowl, stir together the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Add the vanilla, and stir to combine. Form the mixture into a 12-inch log on a piece of plastic wrap, wrap it, and freeze it for at least two hours.

Make the Pecan Streusel: In a medium bowl, use a fork to combine the flour, sugar, pecans, butter, and cinnamon. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350F, and line muffin pan with muffin tins. In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. 

Remove cream cheese from freezer, and cut into 12- 1 inch cubes. Scoop a small amount of pumpkin batter into the prepared muffin tins, placing one cream cheese cube on top. Add a little more batter to cover cream cheese, should be no ore than 2/3 full. 

Sprinkle with streusel, and pop them in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack. Store in an air tight container. 

 So freaking good... and can I just add, these make GREAT gifts to neighbors and friends- perfect for the holidays!


Source:
Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread - Allrecipes.com
Browned Eyed Baker - Pumpkin and Cream Cheese Muffins with Pecan Streusel