Tree Cake - Baumkuchen (January Daring Bakers Challenge)

The January 2014 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Francijn of "Koken in de Brouwerij". She challenged us all to bake layered cakes in the tradition of Baumkuchen (tree cake) and Schichttorte (layered cake).

Tree Cake - Baumkuchen

Well this challenge did not work too well for me! For some reason my batter was really thick, and in using a 10 inch springform, the pan was just too big.  So my layers were too thin, and the sides almost burned and the bottom was pretty hard yet the inside wasn't fully done.

Tree Cake - Baumkuchen

You can't really see the layers - but I did get in 9 of the 10! Then the chocolate glaze was wayyyyy to thick. I tried to thin it out, but it was still incredibly thick. You can see how thick it is in the above pic.

Tree Cake - Baumkuchen

See how dark the edges are? Oh well. It still tasted REALLY good - moist with a slight almond flavor. And as a bonus - I made my own marzipan! Maybe that had something to do with the thickness of the batter, not sure, but I was still pretty proud of myself!

homemade marzipan! Woo!

I won't include my recipe here, but if you want it, lmk, and I will post it!

Menu Plan Monday - Week of 1/27/14

Last week's meal plan went off without a hitch! The stuffed shells were soooo delicious! 


Monday: leftover pizza

Tuesday: Mama's Spaghetti Casserole

 Wednesday: leftovers

Thursday: Cheesy Tater Tot Casserole

Friday:  leftovers

Saturday: Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken (or dinner out with the in laws)

Sunday: Super Bowl!!! We are going to have some snacky appetizers and easy pull apart pizza bread at halftime

Dessert of the Week: for the Super Bowl... birthday cake dip with nilla wafers and pizza crumb. YUM!

Find more meal plans at orgjunkie.com!

Shortbread Sugar Cookies

Shortbread Sugar Cookies - so festive!

Last week we got a pretty big snowstorm - 11 inches! My wonderful husband went out to shovel, all by himself. Yes, I am lucky that most of the time I can stay warm and comfy inside while he is out in the cold doing the physical labor! He said the snow was at least pretty light and fluffy, but was also surprised and grateful when our neighbor with a snow blower came over to help clear the driveway. So I knew I had to give him some homemade goodies as a thank you. I already had some fudge, but wanted to round it out with some cookies. These cookies hit the spot - decadent and crumbly, with fun sprinkles. They are also very easy to make, though it takes a long time to bake and cool.

Shortbread sugar cookies right out of the oven and so good!

Shortbread Sugar Cookies
based on the recipe by Chelsa Bea

Ingredients 

1 cup sugar plus 1/8 cup

4 sticks of butter (1 lb.)

2 ½ cups flour

½ cup cornstarch

Pinch of salt

Optional:

ginger or zest of lemon or orange

sanding sugar (in place of the 1/8 cup sugar)

(whatever else sounds yummy!)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 250°.

Line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment.

Cream together 1-cup sugar and all butter. Once creamed,, slowly add the flour, then the cornstarch, then salt. If desired, mix in ginger, lemon or orange zest.

Pat it into baking pan.

Bake for 1 ½ hours at 250°.

Remove shortbread from the oven, but leave the oven on.

Cut into smaller pieces, cutting down the middle then cutting across into sections. Sprinkle cookies lightly with remaining sugar (or sanding sugar), until they are evenly coated.

Turn the oven off. Place pan back in oven for 1 hour.

Remove from oven and allow shortbread to cool, in pan, for at least 20 minutes. The cookies will be very fragile when they first come out of the oven and will easily fall apart if handled. Store in an airtight container or freeze.

Menu Plan Monday - Week of 1/20/14

I am a little bummed that I did not do a menu plan last weekend... I actually bought meat?!?! and made some amazing pork chops! Gotta refine the recipe before I post it. I also made a dessert from an old church cookbook that my mom gave me, from the very first church I ever attended. I want to make some recipes from there throughout the year, This week it is supposed to get really cold, so I am going to make some soups and warm stuff.

Here are my food resolutions this year...
~ Do at least 8 Daring Bakers Challenges. I have already done this month's! It will be posted the 27th!
~ Make a few homemade items such as granola bars, applesauce and bread (which I have made before) etc!
~ Post a recipe a week - and find a new photo sharing site to more easily upload pictures
~  Save our favorite recipes and remake them! I am so bad at making recipes more than once! Also write down the favorites ones and cookbook ones to keep them all in one place.

We'll see exactly how well that goes :) I know I need to narrow them down to some specific items.

This week is a regular week, with nothing going on the weekend. Last weekend was insane, so I am looking forward to some down time!

Monday: Hamburger Stuffed Shells (halving recipe)


Tuesday: Slow Cooker Potato and Corn Chowder

 Wednesday: leftover chowder

Thursday: Crock Pot Pizza Chicken

Friday: leftovers


Saturday and Sunday: pizza, hopefully!

Dessert of the Week: I THINK and HOPE that we will finish all of our Christmas junk this week. It's so sad... I bought less than usual but we still have so much! We are eating in moderation :D

Find more meal plans at orgjunkie.com!

Menu Plan Monday - Week of 1/6/14

 Rushed plan this week... somehow the weekend got away from me, even though we didn't do too much! Net week I will be sharing my food and meal related resolutions!

Monday:  leftover pizza, with lots of veggies on the side

Tuesday: Kraft Recipe Makers

 Wednesday:  leftovers

Thursday: chicken quesedillas
 
Friday: something from the freezer

Saturday and Sunday: no clue!!

Dessert of the Week: nothing... I am doing dietbet, and DH is on plan with me. So we are cutting back on sweets this week!
 
Find more meal plan at orgjunkie.com!

Menu Plan Monday - Week of 12/30/13

Well hey there. I am finally getting to use the MPM holiday logo pic! This has been a crazy month, between sickness, WDW, worse sickness and being out of town for Christmas, menu planning has gone out the window!! But we are back, only slightly sick, going to the grocery store today and ready to get back to regular ole life! I hope that everyone had a great Christmas and got everything on your wish list! My big gift was the kindle Fire! woo hoo!!!

Monday:  Deluxe Baked Macaroni and Cheese from Taste of Home

Tuesday:  NYE!!! cheese and crackers, pretzels, Crock Pot Hot Onion Dip, mozzarella sticks.
Dinner: Pillsbury Grands Grilled Cheese
For dessert: S'Mores Dip with Teddy Grahams and Nilla wafers

 Wednesday:  leftover mac and cheese

Thursday: Pizza Bubble Up (Pillsbury Grands Rolls are on sale -  with coupons, I bought 4 for .35 each!)

Friday: leftovers

Saturday and Sunday: I usually don't cook on weekends, but I think I will make some Fresh Take chicken.

Dessert of the Week: leftover cookies - I was too sick to make any, but my sister in law gave us some of hers :D

Find more meal plan at orgjunkie.com!

Christmas in Walt Disney World 2013

Wow it has been a rough December! I was sick the first few days, then we went to Walt Diseny World (ok that was not rough!) then a day after we came back, both Jeff and I got really sick - most likely the flu. A week and a half later, and I am finally feeling human again (see what i did there?). Thankfully the kiddo did not get it. Now we are off on vacation again to go visit my parents for Christmas.

 I did want to post some pictures from the trip. We crammed in as much Disney Christmas spirit as we could in only 4 days! It was amazing :D

Bay Lake Tower/Contemporary lighted wreath

Gingerbread tree at Contemporary

 We stayed at Bay Lake Tower, of course. Love how close it is to the Magic Kingdom, and that is the park we went to most. I loved hoe decorated the Contemporary was - love being surrounded by Christmas!

Eager to get to the Magic Kingdom!

 We started in the Magic Kingdom then went to the studios. Had to see the Osbourne lights! A-maz-ing!!!!

centerpiece

love this one - Santa pulling the reindeer!

 Before heading back to the hotel, we checked out the Christmas decor in the Grand Floridian.

Life size gingerbread house!

 Day 2, we went to EPCOT. Had lunch at Via Napoli - so delicious!!! Then we went to Candlelight. Whoopi Goldberg was the narrator. The shoe was spectacular. So moving.

Very cool gingerbread WDW setup, complete with a train

had to meet Mickey!

Just so amazing.

 Day 3 was the Magic Kingdom. We went to Micky's Very Merry Christmas party. Well worth the money. Free cookies and cocoa, tons of characters and short lines for rides. Plus there was a special fireworks show, Christmas parade and castle show!

Breakfast at Gaston's tavern. YUM.

ready for the party!

he got to dance with Pluto!

fireworks!

such a great show

The princes were in the parade! Cinderella in the pumpkin carriage, pulled by real horses

love love love those toy soldiers

Mickey doing the nutcracker dance

so many characters

GORGEOUS!!!

 Last day :( The parade was taped while we were there, so this was the first time we saw the tree. We were able to run over to EPCOT to go to the DVC party, luckily. We just ducked in and ducked out, though, since we had to catch the Magical Express.

great tree, and I love all of the stuff under it

he finally got to meet Pluto!

big hugs

Mickey and Minnie at the party in their winter gear

We had such a great trip. It was a whirlwind, but that is what happens! I strongly suggest going to WDW during the Christmas season.

Menu plan Monday - Week of 11/25/11

Happy Thanksgiving! And Happy Black Friday lol Since they have already had so many early BF deals, I really don't have too much to actually get on Black Friday. A good thing, since the sales all start so early that we will still be at my in laws. We will hopefully get to see Catching fire and Frozen this weekend too. Hope all of my American readers have a great holiday!

Monday: Crock Pot Pizza Casserole (for real this week)

Tuesday:  leftovers

 Wednesday:  breakfast for dinner -chocolate chip pancakes and Crack Potatoes

Thursday: The big day!! All I need to bring is Pumpkin Rolls

Friday: leftovers

Saturday and Sunday: No clue! If i buy some meat then that is what we will have.

Dessert of the Week: none - went to a cookie exchange Saturday night so we have plenty of cookies!!

Find more meal plan at orgjunkie.com!

Leftover Candy Bar Fudge

Mmmm, candy goodness!!!

 This year was E.'s first year trick or treating! We just went to a few houses in the neighborhood, and he did fabulous. Lots of Trick or treats, thank yous and Happy Halloweens. He loved the freedom of running down the street, too! J. had to work late, but he was able to get home in time to go to the last few houses with us.

Proud of his craft

Little engineer for a party

Yo Ho! Let's go trick or treating!

The kiddo mostly chose lollipops when he was able to choose, so we had a a few odd and ends of chocolate candy, plus some we had leftover that we were handing out. Searching the Internet (aka Pinterest!), most of the recipes that used leftover candy called for a lot of one kind of candy. This fudge uses whatever chocolate candy you have, and it was totally easy to make too!

Leftover candy bar fudge

I halved the recipe and it worked fine. I also added some peanut butter ;) What I liked most about this fudge was that you never knew what taste you were going to get - sometimes it was minty, sometimes peanut buttery and sometimes there was a Butterfinger crunch!!

Leftover Candy Bar Fudge
Recipe from Sweet Treats and More
*recipe can be halved*

Ingredients:
40-45 fun size chocolate candy bars, any variety (you can also use the minis, using 2 minis for 1 fun size bar)
 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

 Instructions:
 In a medium sauce pan, melt chocolate candy bars over low heat. Once almost melted stir in sweetened condensed milk. Remove from heat and pour into a bread pan lined with parchment. Chill for 2 hours. Cut into squares and serve.

*** Mine took a lot more than 2 hours to set up in the fridge. Keep leftovers covered in the fridge.

Inside look - Butterfingers, Whoppers, nougat...