My Favorite Christmas Cookie

I was going to share MY brownie recipe today with you all because, well, I make them all the time (if you follow me on Twitter, you already know this well!) and I think they're really darn tasty.

But, the more I thought about it, I felt like since we hold this wonderful Bloggy Progressive Dinner event during the holiday season, I'd really like to share my favorite Christmas cookie recipe with you all.

I should tell you that, for the most part, I don't have the most "simple, basic" tastes when it comes to food. I definitely prefer spicy over mild and I'm not a much a fan of "down-home country cookin' meat and taters" kind of meals. Give me a zippy seafood dish or a tangy marinated chicken any day over roast beef and mashed potatoes. When it comes to these cookies, however, simple hits the spot with me. I adore these oh-so-basic butter cookies served up with a hot cup of black coffee...

Butter Cookies

• 1 cup butter (I try hard not to be judgmental about other people's food choices but if you try to substitute margarine here for any reason other than a food allergy, I will just have to hunt you down- it simply won't be the same.)
  
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• plain and colored sugar

Cream butter; add sugar gradually; beat in egg and vanilla. Blend in salt and flour. Chill. Shape rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten cookies with tines of fork, dipped in plain sugar and then sprinkle with colored sugar. Bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes. Makes about 6 dozen or so.

For more wonderful dessert recipes, be sure to stop by The Finer Things In Life and check out three decadent choices from Amy!

If you missed any of this week's Second Annual Bloggy Progressive Dinner, you can catch up by clicking through the links Amy has kindly left along with her post.

The Main Event: Chicken Marsala

It's been such a pleasure sharing some of our family's favorite festive drinks and appetizers with you so far this week. Today, the Bloggy Progressive Dinner has moved on to Kate's and she's serving up the entree!

Here at the Parenting Miracles house, a sure hit is my Chicken Marsala. I posted this recipe originally back here, but I've recopied it to this post for the sake of convenience...

Chicken Marsala

Ingredients:

• 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in strips or bite-sized pieces (strips are prettier, little pieces are easier for little children!)
  
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 2 cups asst. mushrooms, sliced (I like a combination of button and baby bella)
• 3/4 cup Marsala cooking wine OR 3/4 cup marsala wine + 1/4 tsp salt (Cooking wine has salt added already; I actually prefer to use drinking wine and add the salt myself because I think it has better flavor. You can find Marsala in with the dessert wines, usually, or in with the Italian or Spanish wines)
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 Tbsp parsley
• 1/4 tsp rosemary or poultry seasoning
• 1 lb. pasta

Directions:

Melt 1 Tbsp. butter in large skillet over medium heat. Saute mushrooms until browned, about 8-10 minutes. Remove and set aside. Melt another 1 Tbsp. butter. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Add chicken to skillet and cook through. Remove. Melt remaining 2 Tbsp butter and add flour. Stir constantly with wooden spoon or small whisk until the flour and butter are incorporated and lightly browned, about one minute. Stir in wine, water, parsley, and rosemary. Bring to a quick boil, then immediately reduce heat. Sauce will thicken as it simmers. Add mushrooms and chicken to sauce and warm through, about 2-3 minutes. Serve over pasta. (We prefer linguine or angelhair.)

Enjoy!

(If you're like Amy and married to a man who isn't a big pasta fan- seriously? who doesn't like pasta?? ;) -- you can absolutely serve this dish on the plate right alongside a baked potato. That was one of the options at the Italian restaurant where I waitressed and quite a few people went that route!)

Serves: 4 hungry people

Now head on over to Cooking During Stolen Moments to see what Kate is serving up and what dozens of other bloggers have to contribute through the links!

For the rest of the week's Bloggy Progressive Dinner menu, click on the button at the top of this post.

Winter Fruit Salad

This salad is a Thanksgiving staple in my family. As a child who was a super picky eater, I pretty much made my feast out of it and and a roll or two. Seriously. I've since greatly expanded my repertoire, but I still love this salad!

(I took several lovely pictures of the salad making process- they're stuck on the "internal memory" of my camera as I forgot to put the memory card back in. Until I figure out how to do that, I regret that this will be a "text only" post. Check back sometime tomorrow if you have a chance and I should have the photos up!)

Ingredients:

chopped fresh fruit (traditionally, apples, bananas, and seedless grapes)
mini marshmallows
heavy cream
sugar

Whip cream until soft peaks form. Sweeten to taste with white sugar. You want it to be lightly sweet but not cloying like some purchased whipped toppings can be. Fold in fruit and mini marshmallows. Serve in pretty glass bowl- bonus points if it came from generations back.

There you go! That's truly it. The beauty of this is how forgiving it is. Don't have grapes? Skip 'em! Prefer extra marshmallows? Go for it! Want to toss in some pears? Well, why not? I loved it then and I love it now. I hope you might enjoy it some day too!

Head on over to The Happy Housewife to see what Toni's serving up for a side-dish during our Second Annual Bloggy Progressive Dinner. For the full line-up, click on the button at the top of this post.

Mini Pigs In Blankets

If there's one tried and true appetizer I can think of, it's Mini Pigs in Blankets. These little guys are especially popular with men and children (who often turn up their noses at frou-frou canapes), but- let's face it- we ladies like them too. So universally popular are these mini pigs that we elected to have them as one of the hors d'oeuvres at our (fancy-pants) wedding.

These are super easy to whip up if you grab a bag of Hillshire Farms Lil' Weiners ("Go Meat!") and a couple tubes of crescent rolls. Simply cut each crescent triangle into three skinny triangles and wrap away. These aren't "pricey" ingredients, but they aren't dirt-cheap either. An even more frugal and especially delicious way to go? Make your own rolls and simply cut full-size dogs into mini pieces.

I use Kate's recipe for Homemade Crescent Rolls. (If you've never made these, you simply must try them. I think the potato flakes might be the secret- this recipe is the only reason we keep them in the house!) I make 1/2 of her recipe to yield 64 mini pigs in blankies.

I follow her direction and mix up the dough. Here's what it looks like after the first 15 minute rise:




I split my (half) batch of dough into two even blobs and roll each into a circle. I keep mine pretty thin- less than 1/4 inch. Let it rest for a few minutes before you cut it. That helps prevent it from shrinking and curling on you. (Took me a long time to learn that step...) Once it's rested for about five minutes, use a sharp knife or (even easier) a pizza wheel to cut it into 32 narrow wedges. Set a small square of American cheese on the edge of each wedge.
Quarter up 16 hotdogs to yield 64 segments.

Wrap up one quarter in each wedge and set on greased cookie sheets or pizza pans or whatever you've got handy. Just make sure you give them some rising room!

Cover and allow to rise in a warm spot for about an hour. Here they are after the second rise:

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes- I like to do 5 minutes on the bottom shelf followed by 5 on the top to ensure even browning but you could probably eliminate that step if you find it to be a hassle.

Cool on racks or a clean dish towel on the table, whatever's handy for you!



Enjoy!

Now head on over and visit Jen over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam as she hosts our appetizer course of the Second Annual Bloggy Progressive Dinner. Link up your own appetizer recipe and check out all the great ideas others have to share!

If you missed my festive drink recipes yesterday (and all the wonderful ones other bloggers linked up!), head right here to check that out.

We'll have lots of wonderful recipes throughout the week. For the full schedule, please click the button at the top of this post to see the outline our lovely hostess, Amy, has provided.

Holiday Drinks To Warm Your Spirits

When it comes to serving up drinks with a festive holiday feast, I think there are two times to focus on- before the meal and after. While enjoying the tasty spread before us (and I can't wait to see all the new recipes getting served up this week!), we tend to drink simple ice water. We like to let the food shine while we sit at the table!

It's fun to have a "signature" before-dinner drink and something to warm you up after the meal, though. Here at the Parenting Miracles house, we like to serve these up to chase away the chill and add some sparkle to our festivities!

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To start off the celebrating, how about a Cranberry Sparkler?

The first step is to make a cranberry syrup. To do this, add the following to a small saucepan:

• 1 c cranberry juice
• 1/2 c fresh cranberries
• 1 c sugar
• 1/2 c water

Bring to a rolling boil over med-high heat, then reduce heat to medium. Boil gently, uncovered, for about 40 minutes. Scoop out the "chunky stuff", cover, and chill to cool completely. This can be used as a base for drinks (as it is here) or as an ice cream or pancake topper.

Start with a small, clean, clear glass. I like a small champagne flute or a simple cordial glass, as shown here:


Dampen the rim of the glass. Simplest way to get it even? Invert the glass on a clean, damp paper towel:


Set the damp rim on a small plate of white sugar:


Isn't that starting to look a little more special already?


Add 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of your cranberry syrup to the bottom of the glass:


Fill glass with champagne, sparkling juice, ginger ale, or even seltzer:


Garnish with a toothpick speared through three cranberries.



Let's toast a beautiful Advent season!

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Once you've filled your belly with delicious holiday fare, it's time to relax, listen to some Christmas carols, and enjoy your family!

What to serve? How about a homemade "latte" whipped up without fuss or fancy equipment?

Start with a half-cup of hot, strong coffee...

Find a small, pretty cup or mug...


Add 1 generous tablespoon flavored creamer or heavy cream to the bottom of your cup...


Pour in hot coffee...


Looks pretty already!


Top with whipped cream- I like to whip mine fresh and sweeten very lightly but if you spray it from a can, I'll never know...

My cream was pretty "stiff", but it melted down into frothy yumminess. Top with a pinch of cocoa powder or cinnamon...
Voila! Snuggle in and enjoy the season!

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Now it's your turn. What festive beverages do you like to serve up? Post about it on your blog and leave your link in the Mr. Linky below. Please be sure to link back to this post so your readers can enjoy many more delicious drink recipes! No blog? Feel free to share in the comments.

***Please don't forget to click on the green Mr. Linky icon below to see all the additional delicious beverages other bloggers have contributed to our collection- from eggnog to wassail to cocoa concoctions, there's something there to tickle your festive tastebuds!***

Please visit again tomorrow when Jen serves up Appetizers over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam.

We'll be putting together a whole delicious dinner over the course of the week. Click on the button at the top of this post to see the schedule. Join us each day for the next course!

2nd Annual Bloggy Progressive Dinner

Don't forget to join us all this week as we celebrate our second annual Bloggy Progressive Dinner. Amy started hosting this fun dinner party last year and the fun continues this year. I'll be back on Monday to share a couple of fun drinks with which to kick off and wind down your holiday.

Click on the button above to see the full schedule and start thinking of recipes you can share with us-- we look forward to seeing what you're serving up this holiday season!

Not Another Ho-hum Salad

Truth: I don't like salad. I really don't. I absolutely adore those restaurants that allow you to choose between soup and salad because I just think soup is so superior. In all honesty, if the only option is salad, I usually just pass. At events where you're automatically served a salad, I tend to nibble and push the stuff around my plate. I am one of those people. I truly don't understand women who claim they're happy making a meal out of salad. That's just not me...

But last April I attended a wedding and was served the salad course along with everyone else. I nibbled. And nibbled. And my eyes grew wide. I plowed through that entire salad. I was so thrilled by the unique combination of flavors, such a far cry from the "lettuce and tomato with balsamic viniagerette" to which I was accustomed. I still talk about that salad... just ask my mom.

It took me awhile to hunt down a recipe that replicated all the delicious flavors weaving through that salad but, now that I finally have, I'm going to save you the legwork. Without further ado...

Baby Greens, Pear, Bleu Cheese, and Candied Pecan Salad
(the recipe I found calls for walnuts, but I the one I fell in love with had candied pecans... use whatever appeals to you!)

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2 cup olive oil

• 1 5-ounce bag mixed baby greens
• 2 large ripe pears, halved, cored, thinly sliced lengthwise
• 1 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 1 cup candied pecans (I bought mine candied, but they can be easily made by simmering in a simple syrup)
  

Preparation:

Whisk first 4 ingredients in small bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in oil. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.

Toss greens in large bowl with enough dressing to coat. Divide greens among 6 plates. Top with pear slices, dividing equally. Sprinkle with cheese and candied pecans. Drizzle lightly with remaining dressing and serve.

Delicious! Once you dress this salad, it's best eaten right away. Now this! This salad I would choose over soup...

For more great recipes, check out the Recipe Swap hosted at the Grocery Cart Challenge!

To go along with today's Progressive Dinner stop, I am giving away one copy of FishMama's Guide To Cooking With Children ebook. To enter, just leave a comment. One winner will be selected on Sunday, Dec. 21st.

What salads are you serving up this holiday season? Or are you serving a soup? Either way, we'd love to have you share! Post your recipe on your blog and come back and link up with us. Don't have a blog? Feel free to tell us what you're fixing in the comments!

Don't miss a course! Be part of our Bloggy Progressive Dinner all week long!