{12 Days of Christmas} Cheesy Mashed Potatoes

Cheesy mashed potatoes right in the front

Cheesy Mashed Potatoes

I chose to pair these delicious cheesy mashed potatoes with turkey meatloaf (recipe) and baked asparagus spears. It was delicious!

Here's the recipe for the potatoes:

Ingredients

3 cups yukon gold potatoes

3 tablespoons butter

10 oz (1 1/2 cups) sour cream

3/4 cup 2% milk

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups cheese

Directions

1. In a large stock pot, cover the potatoes with cold water, bring to a boil and cook until you can easily pierce with a fork (about 35 minutes or so).
2. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Drain potatoes and return to the pot.
4. Use a potato masher to mash potatoes.
5. Add the butter, half of the sour cream and half of the milk and start whipping them with a hand held mixer. Then add the remaining sour cream and milk, whip together until well blended.
6. Add the salt and 1 cup of the cheese. Whip together until blended.
7. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray and spoon the potatoes into the dish evenly.
8. Sprinkle the potatoes with the remaining 1 1/2 cups of Sharp Cheddar cheese and cover with foil being careful not to touch the cheese.
9. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
10. Remove from oven and keep covered untilb ready to serve.

*adapted from Cozy Country Living*

Hope you enjoy! 

xoxo

{12 Days of Christmas} Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe

• Ingredients:
• 
  
• 3/4 cup extra-crunchy Peanut Butter 
• (*The original recipe uses creamy but I much prefer crunchy*)
• 1/2 stick Crisco Baking Sticks All-Vegetable Shortening 
  (Or 1/2 cup Crisco All-Vegetable Shortening)
• 1 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 3/4 cups All Purpose Flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Combine peanut butter, shortening, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until well blended. Add egg. Beat only until blended.
2. Combine flour, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture at low speed. Mix until blended. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2-inches apart onto greased baking sheet. Flatten slightly in a crisscross pattern with a fork.
3. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes, or until set and just beginning to brown. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove cookies to cooling racks to cool completely.

*recipe adapted from Jif*

This is my absolute favorite cookie to make and to enjoy!

It is always a favorite at Christmas parties and my friends always ask me to make them these cookies. 

I hope you try them out this holiday season - and if you do, let me know how you like them in the comments!

Happy Christmas!

xoxo

Caramel Apples and {Butterbeer} - Recipe!

Butterbeer!

Ever since reading Harry Potter, and then watching the movies, and then enviously looking at all those wonderful Instagram photos of Butterbeer from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, I have wanted to try a butterbeer. I love butterscotch, foamy drinks, and wishing I was a wizard (alas, I am only a muggle). It has been my dream to either go to Florida and try it for myself, or to make it at home. Since Florida is currently out of the budget, I looked for lots of recipes on Pinterest, and I'm sure to try others in the future, but this one was the easiest!

Butterbeer Recipe 

Froth: 

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon Butterscotch-flavored Jell-O Instant Pudding Mix

*The original recipe also calls for 1/4 cup powdered sugar but I'm trying to reduce my sugar intake so I didn't include it and it still tasted wonderful!

Directions: With an electric mixer (or whisk), mix all the ingredients until it resembles whipped cream, then set aside.

Cold Butterbeer:

cream soda (chilled)
1-2 teaspoons butterscotch-flavored sundae syrup (per mug)
prepared Froth (recipe above)

Directions: Pour the chilled cream soda into your glass, leaving an inch or so at the top for froth. 

Add in 1-2 teaspoonfuls of the butterscotch syrup and stir well. 

Top off your glass with the prepared froth and give it a few minutes to settle.

Enjoy! 

*adapted from The Disney Diner

We also decided to make caramel apples that day, and it was a very autumnal.

We had so much fun!

We bought some Granny Smith Apples and Kraft caramel bits, popped the caramel bits onto the stove for a little while and then dipped our cut apples into it - delicious!

How have you been enjoying these autumn days?

Tell me in a comment below!

xoxo