Cheeseball

1 block of cream cheese
1 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
2 tsp Onion Powder
2 tsp Garlic Powder
Dried Parsley or Dried Beef

Mix first 5 ingredients together well. Form into a ball and roll in either parsley flakes or chopped up dried beef.

PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE

3 c. sugar
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) butter
2/3 c. evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 (12 oz.) jar creamy peanut butter
1 (7 oz.) jar marshmallow creme

Combine sugar, butter, and evaporated milk in large saucepan.
Cook over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until thoroughly mixed and sugar is dissolved.
Cook and stir 5 minutes after mixture begins to boil.
Remove from heat.
Add vanilla, peanut butter and marshmallow creme.
Mix well.
Pour into buttered 9 x 13 inch pan.
Cool.
Cut into squares.

Chocolate Chow Mein Candy

These are super yummy and super easy!!

INGREDIENTS:

1 bag semi sweet chocolate morsels (chips)
1/2 bag chow mein noodles
1/2 cup peanut butter chips

DIRECTIONS:

Melt the chocolate chips in a double oiler or by using a metal bowl over a sauce pan filled with a couple inches of water. Stir in half a bag of chow mein noodles. Stir in 1/2 cup peanut butter chips. Drop tablespoon full of mixture onto a wax covered cookie sheet (or large plate). Put in refrigerator to set for at least 30 mins.

Zucchini Bread

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 1/4 cups white sugar
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
3. Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
4. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

Banana Bread French Toast

This banana bread recipe: http://inthekitchenwithleslie.blogspot.com/2010/10/banana-bread.html

4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 Tbsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
Sliced banana bread

1. Heat skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Mix eggs, milk, cinnamon, sugar, and vanilla together.
3. Dip one slice of banana bread at a time, both sides and place in heated skillet.
4. Let brown on both sides.
5. Continue with remaining slices.
6. Serve with butter & syrup or with Carmel and whipped cream.

This is very yummy!!

Foody Christmas Gifts

So I learned a long time ago that the best gifts to get and give are the ones that come from the heart. See my favorite person in the entire world, my Grandma Smith, made cookies and fudge for her grand kids and sweet breads for her children (although they wanted the cookies and fudge too). I remember going to help her over a few day span and the smells from her kitchen filled her trailer and you could even smell them outside were amazing. I learned a lot from her and now that she is gone, I continue her tradition and make cookies, fudge, and breads to give for Christmas. They may be time consuming but so worth it and everyone loves them. Over the next few days, I will post some of my favorite recipes that I use for gifts, as well as some jar gifts. I hope that you enjoy and can find something that you love that you make for those special to you.

This year for bread I made Banana Bread (it is always a hit). You can find the recipe at this link: http://inthekitchenwithleslie.blogspot.com/2010/10/banana-bread.html

Also on my list is chocolate fudge, peanut butter fudge, and chocolate chip cookies. Have not decided what other cookies to make yet, but maybe a butter or sugar cookie and I am thinking about trying a ginger snap.

Stay tuned to see what is baking this Christmas Season.