Cream o Cheese Pie

I am shocked that I have never posted this pie.What can I tell you about this recipe.  It is super easy to make and tastes like home.  My mom used to make this around all the holidays. Once November or December rolls around I start craving this recipe.  It has to be one of those really old recipes that came out around the time of TV dinners. This is really sweet but so am I so it works out.

I highly recommend this pie any time of year.  You can make it the night before a party and be a hit when you get there!


Ingredients

8 oz brick of cream cheese (softened)
15 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Graham cracker crust (homemade or store bought)
1 can cherry pie filling

Directions

Whip cream cheese in a bowl until it is smooth and fluffy.  Add condensed milk and blend until it is fully combined.  Then add lemon juice and vanilla extract.  Once fully blended our cream cheese mixture into a fully baked graham cracker crust.  Place this in refrigerator and chill for at least 2-3 hours.  Just before serving, pour cherry pie filling on top.  I never our the whole jar,  Just a little in the middle and then I set the cherries out for people to add more to the top.

Red Velvet Gooey Butter Cookies

Cookies are cooling in my microwave to avoid being eaten by the dog.

This is my counter surfing dog after eating two ziplock bags of popcorn the night before.

When I made these cookies I had already made caramels, fudge, ginger cookies and egg nog cookies.  But I couldn't resist making these.  The red is so festive and frankly I love anything with the word Gooey in the title.  I had to make these.  They would be a great cookie for Valentines day!


INGREDIENTS
2¼ cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 Tablespoons butter, softened
1 egg
1 Tablespoon red liquid food coloring
½ cup powdered sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt and set aside.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Beat in the egg and the food coloring.
Add the dry ingredients to the cream cheese/butter mixture and mix until dough forms.
Cover bowl with saran wrap and let chill for about 2 hours.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place powdered sugar in a small bowl.
Roll dough into 1-inch balls and then roll each ball in powdered sugar. Place on a greased cookie sheet or one lined with parchment paper.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes and let cookies cool completely on cooling wrack.
Store cookies in air-tight container for up to 3 days.
NOTES
Recipe from The Red Velvet Lover's Cookbook

Ginger Garlic Drumsticks

Trolling Pintrest is something I do to kill some time before bed or at the doctors office.  Sometimes I find the base for a great recipe that for my personal tastes just needs tweaking.  I threw out pieces I didn't like and added some of my favorite things (cilantro!).  This recipe is so simple and packs a punch with flavor.  You could easily add a jalapeno for a kick.  This recipe could easily be a freezer meal.  Just stop at the marination and stick in the freezer.  The night before you want to use it just thaw in the refrigerator the morning before and yozza. You have an AMAZING main for your dinner!  Serve with cilantro lime rice and a salad!




Ingredients
2-3 lbs chicken drumsticks
8 cloves garlic
1 inch piece of ginger root
1/2 cup cilantro
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon cumin

Directions
Add all ingredients except for the chicken and blend in a blender until the mixture is completely combined.  Place drumsticks in a large Ziploc bag and pour the marinade over the top.  Seal the bag and let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator. I did mine the night before.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place chicken and all of the marinade on a baking pan.  I lined mine with a Silpat.  Bake for 45-60 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and browned on the outside.  Serve immediately.

6 minut microwave carmels

I don't like going to holiday gatherings or parties empty handed.  If I am ahead of the game I typically have some Ginger Cookies that I can pull out of the freezer and they taste like I just baked them.... you can even put them in the microwave for 30 seconds and nobody is the wiser.  However, my freezer was not properly stocked and I was left for a quick fix.   I made a quick batch of microwave fudge and these bad boys. 

I loved that I didn't have to make a giant mess or mess up a bunch of dishes or soften butter.  Quick and dirty baking.

I will say that although these caramels are sweet and delicious they don't hold their shape well at room temperature after cutting them so I will recommend that these be stored in the fridge and pulled out before guests come over or before you bring them to somebody.  Regardless of the shape they are taste little bites.

Ingredients

Adapted from Spend with Pennies

1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

Butter a 9x9 baking dish. Mix all ingredients in a large microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 6 minutes making sure to stir every 90 seconds. Pour into the dish and allow to cool completely.  Cut into small squares and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Allow it to come to room temperature for approximately15 minutes.

Pumpkin Latte

I had a bit of pumpkin leftover from Thanksgiving and needed something to put it into.  I really enjoyed starting my week with this taste beverage.  I can only imagine that this would be an AMAZING addition to any family gathering in the fall or winter. 

Ingredients
6 cups Vitamin D Milk
4 cups strongly brewed coffee
1/2 cup pumpkin purée
3 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup sugar
2 vanilla sticks

Directions
Combine all ingredients into a pitcher.  Stir until well combined.  Let sit in fridge over night.  Stir again before serving.  Heat in microwave until hot.  Optional: Serve with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon on top.