Category Archives: Nico in the Kitchen

Jan 3

December’s Tasty Treats

I’m still catching up from December. I was in the kitchen off and on, but not as often as I has wanted to be. I had to skip Christmas Cookie plates this year, when the flu visited. I had planned on making Happy New Year Cookie plates, and I’ve had a cold for the past week, so maybe Hello February cookies.

I have lots of photos to share from my kitchen…

Cold Kansas weather calls for Hot Chocolate. I like mine with way too many marshmallows.

No Bake Cookies are always good to have on hand.

With all the yuckiness going on I have been making lots of yummy soups. I keep them in the freezer, ready to go for a quick lunch.

I’ve been tweaking my favorite brownie recipe. I’m trying to get the perfect amount of Milk Chocolate.

Breakfast for dinner is always one of my favorites.

James wanted Oatmeal Cookies, the kids wanted Chocolate Chip. I made both.

I cleaned out the fridge and pantry.

I made some pretty tasty Potato Soup out of the veggies that needed used.

Aunt Jill’s birthday is in December, so Agnes and I made some Chocolate Cupcakes for her.

Some of the cupcakes were frosted with Vanilla Cream Cheese frosting, and some were frosted with Chocolate frosting.

I made up a double batch of Cinnamon Rolls for another breakfast for dinner night.

I glazed some with Powdered Sugar glaze.

I had a bit of Cream Cheese Frosting left over from the cupcakes. I used it up on a batch of Cinnamon Rolls. They were crazy good!

I made up a big batch of no roll Sugar Cookies for Dylan’s Christmas party at school. I made a few extra for my kids too. They were light and delicious.

I made some super big Butter Rolls. Thade loves these.

When it was almost Christmas, we were finally all back to normal. The kids were out on Christmas break, and they were anxious to get started on Christmas treats.

They all had fun making Chocolate Bark.

When it was Christmas, I decided not to host a formal dinner this year. Instead I served appetizers around lunch-time, and desserts in the afternoon. It was really fun, and tasty too.

I served Coconut Shrimp with sweet & sour sauce.

I made lots of Crab Rangoon too.

The Panko Popcorn Chicken was a big hit with everyone. I think Fried Chicken just might become a Christmas tradition.

It was a fun and tasty month. I hope January is even better, and hopefully we’ll all be feeling all better too.

Dec 17

Sneak Peek of December’s Tasty Treats

It is almost time to bake the Christmas cookies! I really can’t wait to get started. I’ve been cooking a bit here and there, so I have a few sneak peek photos to share.

I’ll be starting the Sugar Cookie dough for Dylan’s class today. I see a lot of cookies in our future. Better get to it.

Dec 3

November’s Tasty Treats

I spent a lot of time in the kitchen during November. It was so much fun. I can’t wait to start baking Christmas cookies in December! Here are a few photos of what’s been cooking in my kitchen.

I had some leftover Mini M&M’s from Dylan’s Halloween Party. There were just enough to make a batch of cookies.

The M&M cookies went fast.

A few days later, the boys were starving, even though they had a big dinner. So I made up another batch of cookies. This time they were Chocolate Chip.

I also tried a new recipe for Cinnamon Bundt Cake. I had everything on hand to make it, and holy moly did the kitchen smell amazing.

The cake was fantastic. It disappeared fast.

O.k., so I’m trying to get myself a little bit healthier, while not changing my eating habits too much. I made a batch of No Bake Energy Bites, and they were pretty good. I’m going to tweak the recipe a bit, and see what flavor combinations I can come up with.

When the weather is cold, that calls for Chili. I like it best with Homemade Cornbread.

I’ve been eating homemade soup for lunch. I make up a big batch once a week, and then portion it out for the freezer. It takes just a few minutes to warm up, and it is tasty.

When Thanksgiving was almost here, I started cooking ahead what I could. I made fresh pie crust to keep in the freezer until I was ready to use it. I had a plan to make at least five pies for Thanksgiving.

I also made and froze two batches of Dinner Rolls. These defrosted perfectly, and were tasty for Thanksgiving.

To keep the family out of the goodies for Thanksgiving, I made them a Chocolate Bundt Cake.

Finally it was Thanksgiving eve, and it was time to make some pies!

There was a Cherry Pie.

There was also a Dutch Apple Pie, and a Chocolate Cream Pie too. I forgot to get a photo of that one though…

I made a Coconut Cream Pie with Meringue from scratch. I used my Great-Grandmother’s pie plate, she made the very best pies. This was my first time making meringue, and it was a success. Thank goodness.

Of course, it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without a Pumpkin Pie.

When Thanksgiving arrived, we set up a buffet in the dining room. The dishes were delicious, and everyone brought some treats to share too.

Finally dessert! My favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner.

Delicious!

One more shot of the Coconut Cream Pie. I really was worried about this one. I’m so happy that it turned out, and now I’m over my fear of falling meringue.

This month is going to be busy in the kitchen too, and I can’t wait. Bring on the Christmas cookie baking!

 

Nov 15

Thanksgiving Menu

Thanksgiving seems like it is just around the corner, and I haven’t started shopping for it just yet. We’ve been cleaning the house, and getting ready for guests, so at least we have a good start so far.

I have to admit, that Thanksgiving has quickly become my very favorite holiday. I love to cook, and I love spending some time with all of the family. Oh yeah, and there is usually a pie or two.

I’m hosting this year, and I’m planning on serving food all day. I’ll keep the lunch menu easy, and filled with Football-watching food. I’m also going to try and cook ahead what I can, so I don’t have to spend all day in the kitchen.

I’m getting a little help from the guests too. I’m asking for sides and extra desserts. You can never have too many desserts.

Here is the plan for dinner so far…

  • Turkey (this year I’m making two)
  • Ham
  • Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
  • Green Bean Casserole
  • Dinner Rolls
  • Stuffing
  • Noodles

Now for the desserts:

  • Apple Pie with fresh Whipped Cream
  • Chocolate Cream Pie
  • Cherry Pie
  • Pumpkin Pie
  • Coconut Cream Pie with fresh Whipped Cream

I’m sure I’ve forgotten something that I need to add before the big day. What are your favorite Thanksgiving dishes? Do you host, or do you travel for the holiday?