Glazed Carrots

In honor of the Christmas holiday, I received a beautiful book titled, "What to Cook and How to Cook it" by Jane Hornby. This delightful gem includes photo images that depict each step of the cooking process, how-to instructions, and a wide selection of menu items. After fingering through the large book, I have already tabbed several items to try, the first being glazed carrots (found on page 314 - 315). Enjoy.



Ingredients
1 3/4 pounds carrots
2 tbsp butter
2 tsp sugar
1 handful fresh, flat-leaf parsley
salt and pepper

Directions
Cut the carrots into 1/2 inch rounds. Put them into a medium pan with butter, sugar, and 4 tablespoons water. Place the pan over high heat, then bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat to medium, cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid, then let the carrots cook for 10 minutes. Uncover the pan; the carrots will be almost tender.
Cook for 5 minutes more, uncovered, until all of the liquid has evaporated and the carrots are coated in a shiny glaze. Stir now and then as they cook. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Roughly chop the parsley leaves, then stir through the carrots. Spoon into serving dish.

The Yummiest Cookies!

After one of my most favorite things - a hair cut and style by a friend and super great stylist - she left me a little goodie bag with three yummy and delicious cookies. After me and the hubs consuming them all right when i got home we decided that I needed to get the recipe and make some of these delicious little gems for ourselves. So, the cookies are made for the holiday gatherings, and here is the recipe for your own little cooking fun! Enjoy.

Ingredients
1 1/3 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup (8 tbsp) butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
semi-sweet chocolate chips
chocolate Hershey kisses

Directions
Mix flour, baking soda, and salt together in a small bowl.
In separate bowl, mix butter and peanut butter (can slightly melt butter and peanut butter). Add sugars; mix well. Add egg and vanilla extract; mix well.
Gradually add dry ingredients. Fold in chocolate chips (1-2 cups).
Roll dough into balls. Place sugar on small plate and roll balls of dough in sugar on plate and then place on ungreased baking sheet for 6-8 minutes at 375 degrees. When removing cookies from the oven it may look as if the cookies are not done, but they are.
After removing cookies from oven, immediately place a Hershey kiss in the center of each cookie.

Fettuccine Alfredo

Better Homes and Gardens' Fettuccine Alfredo was the dinner selection of the night and I've put the recipe below. We added boneless chicken tenders cooked in olive oil on the cast iron skillet to the recipe, and you can also add shrimp, beef, or broccoli if you prefer.

Ingredients
1/2 cup half-and-half, light cream, or whipping cream
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
6 ounces dried fettuccine or whole grain fettuccine
3/4 grated parmesan cheese or reduced fat grated parmesan cheese
Cracked black pepper

Directions
1. Allow half-and-half and butter to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cook fettuccine according to package directions. Drain pasta. Return fettuccine to saucepan; add half-and-half, butter, and parmesan cheese. Stir gently until fettuccine is well coated. Transfer pasta to a warm serving dish. Sprinkle with pepper. Serve immediately. Enjoy.

Thumbprint Cookies

Ingredients
3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
7 ounces sweetened flaked coconut
Raspberry and/or apricot jam

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until just combined, and then add the vanilla. Separately, sift together the flour and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar. Mix until the dough starts to come together. Dump on a floured board and roll together into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 15-30 minutes.

Roll the dough into 1 1/4-inch balls, or use a 1 tablespoon measuring spoon to measure out the dough. Dip each ball into the egg wash and then roll it in coconut. Place the balls on an ungreased cookie sheet and press a light indentation into the top of each with your finger. Drop 1/4 teaspoon of jam into each indentation. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the coconut is a golden brown. Cool and serve.

Alternative: You can make variations of the jam in the center of the thumbprint cookies - try raspberry, strawberry, peach or apple jam or preserves prior to placing cookies in the oven. Or, you can cook the cookies and after they have been removed from the oven and cooled, you can add a frosting.

A Little Giving, A Little Love...

Yesterday myself, along with so many friends and ladies of Guts Church, participated in Guts Girls Gives Back, a yearly Christmas event in which the women of Guts Church join together and visit local pregnancy centers, orphanages, fire and police stations, and those in need in order to spread a little cheer. As one of the groups of girls who visited local fire stations, we took coffee, cookies, and sports equipment to two stations in Broken Arrow. It was a great opportunity for us to thank them for all their hard work, show appreciation for keeping us and the city safe, and let them know that there were people thinking of them this holiday season. The firemen were so thankful, some surprised, and one gentleman simply said, "we can't believe you guys would go by and take this to so many stations." It was a humbling experience for me because it only took a couple hours out of everyone's day to deliver these items and yet it made such a meaningful impact on those we visited with.
Following this experience, tonight at church Pastor Bill spoke about being consistent within the areas of our lives because of the example that we are to others. And then he read 1 Corinthians 16:14, which states, "Let everything you do be done in love." He spoke about how God is love and the love of God never fails. When we show love to those around us we are displaying the love of God because he lives on the inside of us. And what a wonderful representation of Christ when we display love to others.