Eggnog Gingerbread Trifle

This recipe comes from my friend Kim, and it's just in time for the holidays! You can make it the day before, since it needs to refrigerate at least 6 hours, then have it ready to travel with you the next day.  And, if you're making this dessert just for the grown-ups, you can substitute bourbon for vanilla extract!

1 (14.5 ounce) package gingerbread cake mix

3 cups eggnog

1 (5.1 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix

2 cups heavy cream

¼ cup white sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract (can use bourbon instead)

¼ cup sweetened dried cranberries, chopped (optional)

2 tablespoons gingersnap cookie crumbs (optional)

Prepare gingerbread cake mix and bake according to package directions (any size pan). 

Place the pudding mix in large bowl, pour in the eggnog & whisk for about 2 minutes. 

Refrigerate pudding until the gingerbread cake is completely cool and you’re ready to assemble the trifle. Whip cream until stiff peaks are just about to form. 

Beat in sugar and vanilla (or bourbon) until peaks form. 

Crumble ½ of the gingerbread into the bottom of a trifle bowl or a large glass bowl. 

Spread ½ of the eggnog pudding over the gingerbread, and then spread ½ of the whipped cream on top of the pudding. 

Repeat the layers with the remaining gingerbread, pudding, and whipped cream. 

Refrigerate 6 hours or overnight. 

Sprinkle with the cranberries and cookie crumbs before serving

Chocolate Bark

This stuff is fun and easy to make, and super yummy. It's a perfect homemade gift-just throw it in a pretty container and put a bow on it! It can be stored at room temp for 1-2 weeks. Last year, my friend Kelly and I made a few batches of this while we were doing our holiday baking, and it was a big hit! Plus, the combinations are endless! 

To make it, you need to pick your chocolate,  your toppings, and your (optional) spices. 

You'll need 1 pound of bittersweet, semisweet, or white chocolate. You can also do 1/2 pound each of bittersweet and white for swirled bark. 

Chop your chocolate into pieces. 

Set aside 1 cup of chocolate

Place the remaining chocolate in a microwave safe bowl

(If you're doing swirled, reserve 1/2 cup of each and put the remaining chocolate in 2 separate bowls.)

Microwave chocolate for 30 seconds, then stir with a rubber spatula

Continue microwaving and stirring at 30 second intervals until chocolate is melted. (About 3-5 minutes)

(For swirled, microwave each chocolate separately in 15 second intervals)

Once melted, add the reserved chocolate to the bowl(s)

Stir vigorously until shiny and melted

Pour the chocolate onto a cookie sheet, lined with aluminum foil, shiny side up

Use spatula to spread evenly over pan

(For swirled, pour the 2 chocolates side by side and use the spatula to swirl them together)

Press toppings into the chocolate and sprinkle with spices if you're using them

Allow bark to harden at room temp for about an hour. If the room is warm,  you will need to freeze the bark for a few minutes

Once hardened, break into pieces and store in an airtight container 

Last year, Kelly and I did white chocolate with peppermint pieces and semisweet chocolate with cashews. Here are some other topping options, but feel free to use any combination or any toppings you can think of! 

almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, peanuts, pistachios, hazlenuts

dried fruits-pineapple, mango, apricot, cranberry, raisins, 

mini marshmallows

dried cereal

pretzels or plain potato chips

banana chips

red pepper flakes

sea salt

coconut flakes

peanut butter chips

toffee
mint chips

Pumpkin Pie Boatmeal (Baked Oatmeal)

This recipe came from a blog that my friend Teresa recommended I check out. The blog is called Chocolate Covered Katie, and it has tons of healthy and delicious looking recipes. (Here is the link to the original recipe, because the author of the blog  has a special request that you link back to her page, which I totally understand.

http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2010/11/10/baked-pumpkin-oatmeal-for-one/)

Teresa tried one of the boatmeals and said it was the best oatmeal she's ever had! I thought this one sounded yummy, so here it is... 

1/2 cup oats

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp cinnamon 

1/8 tsp nutmeg

sweetener, such as 1 1/2 to 2T maple syrup or 1 to 1 1/2 packs stevia

1/4 cup canned pumpkin

1/4 cup milk or creamer or water

1/8 tsp salt

Optional: 1 to 2T oil or favorite nut butter (if oil, scale the milk back a tiny bit)

Optional: raisins, walnuts, brown sugar for the top 

Preheat oven to 380 degrees. 

Combine raw oats, spices, pumpkin, and milk. 

Pour into a small baking pan, 1-cup ramekin, or mini-loaf pan.

Cook for 20 minutes, or more until it gets firm. 

Finally, set your oven to “high broil” for 3 more minutes, or until it reaches desired crispy-ness (or simply just bake longer, but broiling gives it a nice crust).

Roasted Sausage, Pumpkin, Apples and Onions with Maple and Beer Pan Gravy

This is a Rachael Ray recipe my friend Adrienne sent me. Not long after sending it to me, things worked in my favor and I ended up making a trip to see her. She made this for lunch and it was sooo good! Instead of pouring the gravy on the sausage and veggies, she made mashed potatoes and we poured it on there. Even better! Also, she gave us the option of eating the brats on buns, with cheese. Enjoy!

1 small sugar pumpkin or 1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into large-bite pieces (She used butternut squash)

2 medium red onions, peeled and cut into wedges with root ends attached

2 Gala or Braeburn apples, quartered, core trimmed away 

Squeeze of lemon juice

Salt and pepper

Freshly grated nutmeg

1 1/2 teaspoons caraway seeds, half a palmful (She didn't use this, and everything still came out tasting great)

8 links bratwurst or other sausage of choice (She used beer brats and before putting them in the oven, she seared them in a skillet with some butter, to give them color.)

EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for liberal drizzling

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 cup stout beer (She used Guinness Extra Stout)

1 1/2 cups chicken or beef stock, whichever you prefer (She used chicken)

1/4 cup dark amber maple syrup

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 

Preheat oven to 425°F.

In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, onions and apples with lemon juice, salt, pepper, a little freshly grated nutmeg and the caraway seeds. 
Add sausages and dress everything with a layer of EVOO, about 3 tablespoons to coat. 
Arrange on large baking sheet and roast 30-40 minutes.

Heat butter in small pan over medium heat. 
Whisk in flour for 1 minute then add beer and whisk half a minute more. 
Whisk in stock, syrup and Worcestershire, add some coarse black pepper and let thicken a few minutes more to coat spoon.

Serve roasted sausages and squash doused with gravy.

Grape Dessert Salad

This recipe was sent to me by my friend Sue. Her husband's cousin made it for a picnic, and though she called it a salad, Sue and I both agree that it's more of a dessert. Enjoy! 

1 lb green grapes

1 lb red grapes
3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 cup powdered sugar

2 large Butterfinger candy bars, chopped

8 oz cream cheese

Wash and dry grapes

Combine cream cheese and powdered sugar and mix until smooth (This works much better if the cream cheese is room temp)

Mix grapes with cream cheese mixture and place in (11x7) glass dish
Combine brown sugar, pecans, and crushed candy bars. 

Sprinkle on top of salad and chill

It's best if it sits for a couple of hours

Mexican Chicken Lime Soup

I found this recipe on Pinterest, but it's a Rachael Ray.  It got great reviews on the website. It sounds good, and cooks fairly quickly. However,  you could also throw the ingredients in the crock pot and let them cook on low for the day, so it's ready that evening. 

 

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 

1 onion, finely chopped 

6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 

6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 

2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, finely chopped, plus 2 tablespoons adobo sauce (If you're not into spicy food, just use 1 chile)

6 cups chicken broth 

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro 

Juice of 2 limes 

Salt and pepper 

1 hass avocado, thinly sliced lengthwise into 12 pieces 

Crushed tortilla chips

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. 

Stir in the onion and garlic. Lower the heat to medium and cook until the onion begins to brown, about 7 minutes. 

Increase the heat to high, push the vegetables to the side of the pan, add the chicken and cook, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. 

Stir in the chipotles and adobo sauce, then stir in the chicken broth. 

Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, skimming any foam. 

Stir in the cilantro and lime juice. 

Season with salt and pepper

Place 2 avocado slices in each of 6 soup bowls and pour in the soup. 

Top with the tortilla chips.

Apple Pie Bites

Kelly sent me this recipe from another blog, Cookin' Up North. However, the original recipe is from Taste of Home. These are fairly easy to make and are the perfect size, so you can eat them without feeling too guilty! :) 

1/2 c sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

1 refrigerated pie crust (14.1 oz)

3 tbsp melted butter, divided (2 tbsp, then 1 tbsp)

2 medium tart apples, cut into 8 wedges

In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon and set aside 1 tbsp

On a lightly floured surface, unroll pie crust

Brush with 2 tbsp melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture

Cut crust into sixteen 1 inch wide, 8 in long strips

Wrap one strip around each apple slice, placing the sugared side against the apple

Place apple bites on a parchment lined baking sheet

Brush tops with melted butter (the 1 tbsp) and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture (also the 1 tbsp)

Bake at 425 for 13-15 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown

Serve warm. (These can also be served with ice cream! Yum!)