S'mores Kiss Cookies

Everyone around here is in full Christmas spirit. We have been using our Chocolate Advent calendar to countdown, we have a chain countdown, presents are about half wrapped, Friendsmas 2016 is in the books and this past weekend I went to my sister in laws annual Christmas Cookie exchange.

Typically around this time I make all sorts of treats, so making something for a cookie exchange is no biggie. But this year I really wanted to make something different from the normal toffee, fudge, peanut butter balls that I make each year.

I headed to Pinterest and searched for Christmas Cookies. Of course there are a million different kinds that sounded amazing. But I picked two and stuck with them. The ones I am sharing today are S'mores Kiss Cookies.



Sounds easy enough, right? It certainly was. These cookies were not only super easy to make but amazingly soft (even a couple of days later)!



The kids loved helping with these because not only did they get the job of unwrapping chocolate kisses, they were able to sneak a couple!



I love s'mores. But roasting marshmallows over a fire isn't something I get to do often. So I have no problem settling for something as delicious as these S'mores Kiss cookies!



S'mores Kiss Cookies - Recipes from Six Sister's Stuff

• 1 c graham cracker crumbs


• 1 1/4 c all-purpose flour


• 1/2 tsp baking soda


• 1/2 tsp salt


• 1/2 c unsalted butter, at room temperature


• 1/2 c light brown sugar


• 1/3 c granulated sugar


• 1 large egg


• 1 tsp vanilla extract


• 20 large marshmallows, cut in half


• About 40 chocolate kisses (I ended up using 36)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.


2. Using a large bowl, mix together graham cracker crumbs, flour, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.


3. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugars together until creamy and smooth.


4. Add in the egg and vanilla extract and mix until combined.


5. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.


6. Put tablespoons of dough onto a baking sheet, 1″ apart. (I use a small cookie scoop which is basically just a small ice cream scoop)


7. Bake for 6 minutes and edges are just getting golden brown.


8. Remove from oven and press half of a marshmallow, sticky side down, into each cookie.  Let cool completely.


9. Let all cookies cool completely then preheat broiler.


10. Put all of the cookies back on baking sheets and broil for 1 minute. Don't let them burn!


11. Remove from the broiler and place a chocolate kiss on top of each cookie.

What are your favorite Christmas Cookies to make?

 

Pumpkin Sugar Cookies

While everyone is sharing all their Christmas desserts, I am over here still sharing pumpkin everything! But that is because I made so many delicious pumpkin treats this fall that I can't keep them all to myself! And these Pumpkin Sugar Cookies are no exception!



I am always browsing Pinterest for recipes to try and if you have ever looked at my pinterest, you already know, I have waay too many recipes pinned. But what you don't see are my secret boards full of more recipes that I think I need to try right away!!

Lately I have shared the Pumpkin Puree I made and an amazing Pumpkin Poke Cake, so today I want to share some delicious Pumpkin Sugar Cookies. This recipe made a great amount of cookies and I froze abut half of them. It is always nice to pull out a package of cookies in a couple of weeks and eat them again!



There are not too many ingredients, so this is pretty fast cooking! But after you make your dough you do need to let the dough sit in the fridge for at least 20 minutes to chill. I should have let them sit longer because my dough wasn't interested in rolling. It was still pretty sticky! I ended up just scooping out my and sprinkling with the sugar.



Home made pumpkin puree is just amazing. You really know where your food is coming from and the ingredients in it: Pumpkin!











These pumpkin sugar cookies really are delicious and they have the perfect amount of pumpkin in them too!



Pumpkin Sugar Cookie Recipe adapted from Wine and Glue

• 1 1/2 c sugar


• 2 1/2 c all purpose flour


• 1/2 tsp baking powder


• 1/2 tsp salt


• 1/2 tsp cinnamon


• 14 Tbsp butter (1 3/4 stick) room temperature


• 2 tsp vanilla extract


• 1 egg yolk


• 1/2 c pumpkin puree

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350®


2. In a large bowl mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together and set aside.


3. Using a mixer, mix together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.


4. Add in the egg yolk, vanilla, and the pumpkin until well combined.


5. On low, mix in the flour mixture until well combined.


6. Refrigerate the cookie dough for 20 minutes.


7. Roll the dough into one inch sized balls. Roll in sugar and ut onto a lined baking mat.


8. Bake for 10 minutes


9. Let cool on the pan for a couple of minutes before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.

What are your favorite cookies?

Pumpkin Poke Cake

Because of all the pumpkin puree I made, we have been eating all sorts of pumpkin desserts lately. One of my favorites was this Pumpkin Poke Cake!

It is one of those desserts that needs to sit overnight or at least all day. So don't be like me and think that you can just whip it up and eat it right then!

One afternoon I decided I wanted it for after dinner that night. So not thoroughly reading the directions I started making the cake.... And realized I would be eating it the next day.... Bummer for me!



But it is definitely a cake that tastes better after you let it sit! So don't skip that step because you are impatient! I really thought it was better even on the second and third days. Then I had to stop eating it because it was just a lot! It is so rich but amazingly delicious! So make sure you make this when you can share with your friends or family.



With the cake mix, you do NOT add the ingredients from the box! I was a little nervous but trusted the recipes and it worked perfectly.





After your cake is done, let it cool to room tempurature.



Once it is cooled down use the handle end of a wooden spoon and poke all over the cake.



Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the cake, making sure to get some in each of the holes.





Next you will spread on the cool whip. Sorry for this terrible night picture!



And add on teh Heath bites



Now drizzle the caramel all over the cake and let rest in the fridge over night. You really do want to let this sit for as long as you can. Mine sat for about 24 hours before we dug in.



I loved every delicious bite of this Pumpkin Poke Cake!



Pumpkin Poke Cake recipe from Something Swanky

• 1 box yellow cake mix


• 2 C pumpkin puree (NOT PUMPKIN PIE FILLING)


• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice


• 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk


• 8 oz. container cool whip


• 1/2 bag Heath Bits


• Caramel Sundae Sauce

Instructions

1. Mix together the cake mix, the pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice until a batter forms. (Do NOT use the other ingredients from the cake mix instructions!!!)


2. Put your batter into a greased 9x13 baking dish and bake at 350º for 35-45 minutes. You want to insert a knife and make sure it comes out clean.


3. Let the cake completely cool. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes all over the top of the cake


4. Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the cake, filling each of the holes. Refrigerate for 60 minutes to let the sweetened condensed milk soak into the cake.


5. Spread the cool whip over top of cake. Add the Heath bits, and drizzle caramel over top. Refrigerate at least 5+ hours but overnight would be ideal.

Have you ever tried Pumpkin Poke Cake? Or any other poke cakes?

How to Speed Clean the Bathroom in 15 Minutes

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ScotchBriteCleanHoliday #CollectiveBias  Speed Clean the Bathroom

It's that time of year where you may have a bit more traffic in your house due to the holidays, And who wants to spend all their time cleaning the bathroom? I sure don't!

One thing I have learned over the past few years is to speed clean my bathroom. And really, the number one reason I have is because the "main bathroom" that company uses, just so happens to be the same bathroom that the majority of the family uses. Which means it is the dirtiest. There always seems to be leftover toothpaste in the sink or water on the counter and who wants their friends and family to experience that mess?? Not me!



That is why I wanted to share a few tips on how I speed clean the bathroom in just 15 minutes.

I headed to my local Fred Meyer to grab a few things like some new micro fiber cloths and a new toilet scrubber. I was super excited to find this Scotch-Brite® Disposable Toilet Scrubber because it has a disposable head. Removing it takes just the click of a button. That means that I don't have to touch anything dirty and it's great because it scrubs away the messes you've been leaving behind.



It also is perfect for scrubbing under the rim where you often miss. It has a built in bleach alternative with pumice that scrubs away any rust and hard water stains. That's great because it means you don't need a special cleaner for your toilet! You are not putting cleaner in the toilet, waiting for it to soak, etc. You just scrub the toilet and flush! If you have an extra ornery stain you can scrub and wait a few before flushing. You'll notice below on my cleaning chart that I scrub at the beginning and flush at the end.



I start with a quick spray down of the shower and sink then I use the toilet scrubber and give the toilet and good scrub and then I sweep and mop the floor.

Next, I scrub the shower. Because I do this fairly often I don't have to scrub too hard to keep it clean! Then I scrub out the sink, wash the mirror and clean up the counter tops.



I grab the hamper to empty into the laundry room and I flush the toilet on my way out of the bathroom and I now have a fresh clean bathroom!



For the Bathroom Checklist PRINTBLE, click here ----> Printable



I have a sparkly clean bathroom now in just 15 minutes and I am not embarrassed when my friends and family come over!

There will be a Buy One Get One Disposable Toilet Scrubber Starter Kit at Fred Meyer and Kroger when you head to the store! Don't miss it!

Want to find more great cleaning inspiration? Check them out here!

DIY: Easy Home Made Pumpkin Puree

So yeah, it's December. Maybe you have snow on the ground, you're sipping hot cocoa by the fire, but that doesn't mean you can't still be thinking of all things pumpkin.

I don't think I actually know anyone who doesn't like pumpkin. I am not sure if it is even possible!

We love pumpkin everything in our house and because of that I love having pumpkin puree on hand all the time. And luckily, this year we had a pumpkin abunance! I bought 5 pumpkins to carve but we only ended up carving 4. And Tyler and Summer both had school trips to the pumpkin patch and got to bring home a decent size pumpkins. I decided that instead of letting them go to waste I was going to cook them up! It is easy enough and the result is always worth it!



Some people might say you need a certain kind of pumpkin to make your puree. But I am here to tell you that you do not! They taste just as good as a sugar pumpkin and you are not going to know the difference, especially after adding the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, etc. for all the goodies you are about to make with it!



You are going to start with cutting your pumpkin in half and cleaning out the seeds and stringy goop!



Then you will lay it down (cut side down) on a lined cookie sheet, cooking on 350° for 45 minutes.



Be careful when you take it out of the oven because it is HOT!



The most awesome part of this is how easy the skin just peels right off of the pumpkin! It is super quick!



I used a potato masher to mash it all down and then I used my blender to get it to the puree that I wanted! That way it is nice and smooth!





Then 2 cups at a time I placed the pumpkin puree into freezer bags. We have the perfect cups that fit a freezer bag right over the edges and it makes it so much easier to fill the bags!



Some of our favorite things to make with our pumpkin puree is:

• Pumpkin Pie


• Pumpkin Poke Cake


• Pumpkin Sugar Cookies


• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies


• Pumpkin Cheesecake


• Pumpkin Whoopie Pies


• Pumpkin Zucchini Bread


• Pumpkin Waffles


• Pumpkin French Toast Sticks

What are your favorite things to make with pumpkin?? 

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

A while back we went to a chain restaurant where we ordered Spinach and Artichoke Dip to start out our meal. This little tiny bowl and literally 10 chips comes out and we started laughing... after we picked up our chins off of the floor. I mean, there are 5 of us, after all and I was thinking, "We just paid how much for that?".

It was good. But it wasn't amazing. And it felt good when my husband told me he knew I could make one that was way better!

So when we got home I scoured the internet for an amazing, but easy Spinach and Artichoke Dip recipe.



It didn't take me long to find this one from Pip and Ebby. I gathered all the ingredients I needed from the grocery store and made it up for a Sunday afternoon of football.



The thing I loved about this recipe was that it is one I can put into the crock pot. Which is a favorite of mine!
You add all of your ingredients in and turn it on low, cooking for about 2-3 hours. Stir it once in a while and you are good to go.







Another thing I love about a dip like this it that you can dip so many things in it. I used a scoop tortilla chip but carrots, crackers, anything would taste amazing with it.





Ingredients:

• 8-oz. package cream cheese - sliced into chunks


• 1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese


• 2 C shredded mozzarella cheese


• 1/2 C mayonnaise


• 14-oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped


• 10-oz. package frozen spinach, thawed


• 1 tsp parsley flakes


• 1/2 tsp garlic salt


• Salt and pepper

Put all of your ingredients into a crock pot and cook on low for approx. 2-3 hours until creamy and hot. Serve with chips. your favorite crackers or veggies.



Have you ever had something from a restaurant and decided to try and make a better version? How did it turn out?