Favorite Christmas Cookie

Molly's class had a holiday party on Tuesday and we were asked to bring something that represents one of the traditions we celebrate. Well crap, we don't really have any traditions except spending hours in the car going from one place to another. So I figured that I should send in some gingerbread cookies, for several years we did have a big cookie day but haven't been able to round everyone up the past year or two. Gingerbread is one of my favorite things to make and I've been doing it a long time. So here is my recipe that I've been tweaking over the years I hope you enjoy it :)

Gingerbread Cookies

8 Tbsp butter (yes REAL butter none of that fake stuff!)
1/2 C. white sugar
1/2 C. molasses (man alive this stuff smells awful!)
1 egg
2 C. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground clove
1 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp allspice
sprinkle of nutmeg

Beat the butter with the sugar and molasses. Mix in egg. Sift dry ingredients and mix into wet mixture. Chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper. Roll out a portion of the dough 1/4 inch thick (leaving the rest in the fridge) on a well floured surface. Cut dough with a floured cookie cutter basic shapes give the best results. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the edges are a little crisp. Enjoy the smell of freshly made gingerbread!

Molly's Invitations

Along with getting ready for Christmas here we've also been getting ready for Molly's eighth birthday party on Saturday. December is a huge birthday month for us, my niece is the first, brother is this Thursday, stepdad is this Friday and Molly is Saturday. We have a few more thrown in too! December is just craziness.
Anyway I just wanted to share the first part of Molly's party prep with you. I can't wait to show you the decorations, it's starting to look like something threw up pink all over the house (well not so gross I promise).

Ready for some greens

I don't know about you but I'm ready for something a little greener in my diet. As much as I love all the traditional favorites at Thanksgiving it always leaves me a little weighed down feeling in the food department. So this is a salad I whipped up to serve with the turkey leftovers and lighten the load.

Romaine Lettuce
Baby Spinach
Crumbled Blue Cheese
Dried Cranberries
Toasted Walnuts
Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing

Toasting the walnuts is totally optional but it really does add an amazing crunch and makes them extra flavorful. All I did was place them in a cold skillet and kept the heat on low. Every couple of minutes swoosh them around the pan and once you can smell them when you are at the stove they are done. Don't try to rush them and turn the heat up because they will scorch and that just isn't yummy at all.

Dorm Cooking EP:2

Well as promised, here is episode two of my dorm cooking! I decided to make a casserole. With only a microwave!

Recipe:

Leftover Colcannon (mashed potatoes and cabbage)
Canned veggies
Mushrooms
Rice (I used rice a roni chicken rice, you'll want something that has a creamy texture to it otherwise it will be bland and flavourless, unless you had some cream and herbs to make your own sauce with butter and whatnot)
leftover chicken bits
Cheese

Prepare the rice as directed in a microwave bowl. While rice sits to finish after cooking, add canned veggies drained with mushrooms into a bowl and cover with water then microwave about 5 minutes and drain, Add to rice and mix, warm chicken bits briefly in microwave to warm then add to rice mix, top with cheese and return to microwave until the cheese is melted and gooey.

the finished dishes complete with tea biscuits and blackberry jam

How it looked in the pot, my cheese wouldn't melt >.<;

YUM!