Peanut Butter Chocolates

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. 

I wanted to be sure I got the ingredients for these little lovelies recorded. I want to be sure to make them again next year. So fun and so easy to make and so yummy!

The best part of this is I purchased the molds at Target’s after Christmas sale and payed less than a dollar for them. 

1 bag Ghirardelli white chocolate melting pieces

1/2 - 1 bag Ghirardelli milk chocolate chips

1/4 -1/2 cup peanut butter

Add to microwave safe bowl and microwave at 30 second intervals stirring at each stop until chips are completely melted. 

Spoon into molds. Wipe knife across back of mold to clean off excess chocolate. 

Refrigerate until set. 

Pop out of molds. 

Store in an airtight container. 

The fun of these molds is being able to use just the snowflakes and snowmen on into December. Very easy and fun Christmas treat. 

Enjoy!

Strawberry Parfaits

Sometimes, I choose to make my favorite strawberry pie recipe as parfaits rather than making an actual pie.

To do this, requires making a graham cracker crust.

I used 2 cups crushed graham crackers, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and a stick of melted margarine all mixed together.

You can then add as much as you like of this mixture

 to the bottom of each parfait dish.

The recipe for the cream cheese part of these parfaits can be found here:

Recipe for Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie

Strawberries can be sliced any way you like.

Then, add strawberry glaze on top.

I usually cover each of these with plastic wrap and keep chilled in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Delicious!

Old Fashioned Potato Salad

One of my favorite things to see when I open my refrigerator door is a bowl of potato salad. 

Potato salad is such a wonderful side item to make ahead and eat on for a few days, or to make ahead for company or to take to a covered dish dinner. 

I typically start with 8 potatoes chopped into small cubes. 

This is the perfect size cube. 

Nobody likes potato salad with big pieces of potatoes. 

Cover the potatoes with water and boil on medium until the potatoes are fork tender. 

While the potatoes are boiling, boil 6 eggs (I boil mine about 5 minutes.), and begin chopping the other ingredients. 

If you’re lucky enough to have a brother that makes really good Chunk Sweet Pickles, chop some pickles into very small pieces. We like sweet pickles in potato salad. Some people prefer dill. 

Do the same with the white sweet onion. 

Chop very fine. I typically use about 1/4 of a large onion. 

Once the eggs are done, cooked , and peeled, chop them the same way. 

The real secret to potato salad is draining the potatoes and then allowing them to cool before adding the other ingredients. This is what keeps the potatoes together and keeps them from becoming mushy. 

After adding all the chopped ingredients, add salt and pepper to taste and then add about 3/4 cup mayonnaise and a couple tablespoons of mustard.

 Really all of this is to your taste. 

I also add some pickle juice from the jar!

Stir it all up.  

Potato salad can be eaten warm, but I like it best cold from the refrigerator!

Enjoy!

French Coconut Pie

I was looking at a past post of this French Coconut Pie, and I decided to redo it.  It looked as if something was just not right.

It was the pie plate!!!

Who would think a pie plate could make that much difference?

Before, I had used a deep dish pie plate, and the pie filling had gotten lost in all that crust.

This go round, I decided to use this vintage Corning Ware pie dish that is a little thinner and still quite lovely.  

 I also chose to go with a Pioneer Woman pie crust that I had previously made and frozen. 

 I must say that I have become a huge fan of this crust.  It is so easy to make a pie when you have this on hand.  Here is a link to the recipe:

Pioneer Woman Pie Crust

Just be sure to add enough flour so it will not stick to your board when you are rolling.  

If it does stick, just ball it back up and try again.  

That is what I had to do, and it turned out fine.

Here are the directions for the pie filling:

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup butter flavored Crisco shortening

1 cup coconut

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Whisk the eggs.

Add the sugar, vanilla, and melted Crisco.

Finally, add the coconut.

Pour into crust.

Bake 425 degrees for 10 minutes and then, 

lower to 325 degrees to cook an additional 40 minutes.

Serve hot or cold.

Enjoy!

Lemon Delight Dessert

Why not make individual desserts that guests can carry home for your next party or luncheon???

I usually make this dessert in a 9 x 12 inch pan. 

But, it worked perfectly to make in these 4 Rubbermaid glass containers instead!

Start by chopping up 1/2 cups nuts.  

I like to chop these very fine. 

Combine the pecans with 1 1/2 cups of plain flour and 

2/3 cup melted butter. 

Press this mixture in the bottom of pan (or in this case pans) and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. 

Next cream an 8 oz pkg cream cheese with 1 cup powdered sugar and 1cup cool whip. 

Spread this mixture over the top of the crust. 

Blend 3 cups milk with 2 small packages Lemon Instant pudding. 

Spread this mixture over the cream cheese.

Top with cool whip. 

Add some lemon zest or other decorations if you like! 

I added some rosemary sprigs and a slice of lemon. These turned out so pretty. 

I added a little velvet ribbon just for fun!

This dessert is great for a light treat at the end of a meal. 

Fried Apple Pies at Christmas

Today has been a day for making fried apple pies. 

I tried using less crisco today when making my crust. 

The result is a crispier pie that is easier to hold in your hand. 

Follow this link for the recipe:

                           Fried Apple Pies Recipe

Apple Pie

This apple pie was a joy to make!  

We picked the apples ourselves while visiting 

Haney Apple Orchard in Somerset, Kentucky. 

I think they are McIntosh. 

The recipe, as you can see here, is an old one. 

It is a recipe that my Mother (Mary Lantz) used to win blue ribbons at our county fair. 

I have adapted it to be easier for me to make today by 

using two bought crusts. 

I followed her directions for making the filling, and then placed that filling in a bought pie crust. 

I then inverted the second pie crust on top of the first and placed them in the oven like this for the first 10 min of baking. You then remove the top pan and take the pie out of the oven to flute the edges. 

The top crust will fall perfectly on top of the bottom crust. It will be cool enough that you can flute the edges together. 

Then, add a little sugar and cinnamon to the top before returning to the oven. 

Finish baking until the crust is golden brown. 

This pie was so easy and very delicious. 

Your guests will think you made the crust by hand. 

Enjoy!

Improved Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Let me introduce you to two secret ingredients for making your chocolate oatmeal cookies so much better. 

Since I have started using Califia OatMilk and Gluten Free Quick Oats, I have noticed a delicious taste and texture to my chocolate oatmeal cookies. 

And…they are now gluten free! 

I also used chunky peanut butter in these. 

You can see the peanuts in the cookies. 

I always place my cookies on waxed paper to cool. 

These were ready to move to a plate about 30 minutes after I made them. 

Here is my recipe again:

2 cups sugar

3Tablespoons cocoa

1/2 cup OatMilk

1 stick Parkay Margarine

Bring to a full boil for 2 minutes

Remove from heat and add:

1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter

1teaspoon Happy Home vanilla

3 cups Gluten Free Oats 

Drop by large spoonfuls onto wax paper. 

Enjoy!