Christmas Goodies Vol. 2

Oreo Balls! If you haven't had these, you haven't lived! I got the recipe from a girl I used to work with. Super easy. Super good.

Here's the recipe:

1 package Oreo cookies

1 8oz package cream cheese, softened

white almond bark (took about 1/2 the package)*

Crush Oreos in a blender (I use a food processor because the last time I used a blender, it broke it. Was it the Oreos? Was it the blender? We'll never know). Add cream cheese. Mix well.
Shape in to balls.
Dip into melted almond bark. I like to put green and red sprinkles on them. It jazzes them up a bit. Place on wax paper to set.

*I use the whole package and use any left over almond bark to dip pretzels. Yum!

There, now that wasn't so hard, was it?

Enjoy!!

Christmas Goodies Vol. 1

I've decided to chronicle my Christmas Baking Extravaganza 2010. I have about 14 treats I'm making this year. I was supposed to start on Monday but we had some other obligations. My start date was pushed back to Thursday. Since I'm going to be gone this weekend and we leave for home next Friday, I have to bake/candy make like mad!

Yesterday I ATTEMPTED my Grandma Rex's fudge recipe. Now I'm a pretty good baker and cook. I'm not afraid to try something difficult or even a little crazy. You're talking to the woman who balanced a 3 tier wedding cake on wine glasses. A little fudge recipe can't scare me!

WRONG! This isn't your average fudge - or at least it hasn't been since the invention of marshmallow fluff. This fudge is old school. The recipe calls for fresh cream for Pete's sake! Since my access to fresh cream ended when I was too old for 4-H, I had to settle for store bought cream.

The recipe was also very vague. I'm not a candy maker so I was unfamiliar with 'medium ball stage', which is apparently essential knowledge. I did my best to educate my self via the Internet and my Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. The medium ball stage is really something you have to experience first hand.

Another key factor in candy making...PATIENCE. For those of you who know me well, you'll understand patience is a virtue that I do not possess. In short, I did not cook it long enough. I did not beat it long enough - scratch that - I didn't make TYLER beat it long enough. I did not wind up with Grandma Rex's fudge.

You know that saying, "looks like a rat, smells like a rat, must be a rat"? That doesn't apply to fudge. What I wound up with tastes a lot like fudge. It looks a lot like fudge. It smells like fudge. It's not fudge. It's somewhere between a glorified ice cream topping and fudge.

I learned a lot from this experience. Hopefully enough that the Penoche I'm making next week (to be covered in a future post) WILL turn out the way Grandma's did.

I was so close! Unfortunately, almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.

Quick Update

So I realize I haven't posted anything in a while. We've been busy! Let's see, what's happened since April 20th?
Tyler got 2 new jobs. The first one was for a lumber company - 6 weeks in, the closed their doors. The second was for a large feed lot in Broken Bow. He Started in early November. So far so good.
Elise has been walking since June/July. She is a busy girl and into everything. She is very sharp. She knows several words and animal noises. She finally hit the 20lb mark in Sept/Oct. She might be pint-sized but she packs a wallop! She loves animals, especially her doggies.
Speaking of doggies, we have 2 now. Buck, our 3 1/2 year old beagle/coon hound we've had for almost 2 years. The newest addition is Jax, or as Tyler has dubbed him - Jackson Barkley Harris. He is a Yorkie - not sure how old. Maybe 2? We inherited him when Tyler's aunt passed away this fall.
Jax is a pretty special dog. He's very clingy and skittish inside. He is my shadow and has to be touching me all the time. If I'm doing the dishes, he's sitting on my feet. If I'm at the table, he's tucked under my chair. Get him outside without a leash and he's a completely different dog! He runs from you and has been known to stay out all night patrolling the town. Not even cheese, his favorite treat, can entice him to come in before he's ready.
Both dogs are great with Elsie. Buck tolerates her and moves if she starts to annoy him. Jax loves her. He is always giving her kisses and playing tag. I'm grateful because in my experience, little dogs do not always do well around curious toddlers.
Let's see...I'm not doing anything spectacular. Just enjoying small town life, the Christmas season and being a wife and mother. I get to stay home with my little girl. We read books, watch movies and bake all day. That's the life! At least it's my life and I'm grateful for it!