Gingerbread cookies with vanilla frosting :-)

Yumm...

For the cookies:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup butter, divided (half soft, half melted)
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• 3/4 cup brown sugar dissolved in 1/4 cup hot water
• 1/4 cup white sugar

1. Sift together flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the two butters and 1 cup sugar until light and creamy. Beat in the egg until it is well-incorporated, then stir in the water and the brown sugar once it is dissolved in the hot water.
3. Gradually stir in the sifted ingredients into the mixture.
4. Cover dough in foil or some kind of wrapping and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
5. When ready, take out. Dough should not be firm but not as sticky as it was when you put it in the fridge. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease baking pan with no-stick cooking spray.
6. In a small bowl, dump 1/4 cup of white sugar. With floured or greased hands (so the dough doesn’t stick easily) roll the dough into walnut sized balls or as desired (I did mine half the size). Then roll the balls into the bowl of white sugar until fully coated. Place cookies 2 inches apart on baking sheet and flatten slightly with the back of a lightly greased cup.
7. Bake for 10 minutes in oven. Let cookies cool on the pan for about 5 minutes before removing

For the frosting:
1/2 cup shortening

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 tablespoons warm water

1 (16 ounce) package confectioners' sugar

In a large bowl, combine shortening, salt, vanilla, water and confectioners' sugar. Beat until light and fluffy.

Butternut squash

It was my first try and it turned out great :-)

Ingredients

• 1 (2 pound) butternut squash - peeled, seeded, and cut into large chunks
• 4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 (2 inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 1/2 quarts water, or amount to cover
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 tspoon curry powder
• salt and ground black pepper to taste

Place the squash, sweet potatoes, onion, ginger, and garlic in a large pot. Pour in enough water to cover the vegetables. Bring to simmer over medium heat, and cook until vegetables are tender and can be easily pierced with a fork, 30 to 45 minutes.
Remove pot from heat. Place soup in batches into a blender or the bowl of a food process. Pulse until smooth. Return soup to pot, and whisk in yogurt. Season with curry powder, salt and pepper to taste. If necessary, reheat soup over low heat, but do not allow to boil.

Turkey leftover goodness

...yumm

INGREDIENTS

1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of celery soup

1/2 cup milk

2 cups Green Giant® frozen mixed vegetables (from 1-lb bag)

2 cups cubed cooked turkey

1 cup chive-and-onion sour cream

1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning

6 Pillsbury® Grands!® frozen buttermilk biscuits (from 25-oz bag)

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 8-inch square (2-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. In 2-quart saucepan, mix soup, milk and vegetables. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

2. Stir in turkey, sour cream and poultry seasoning. Cook and stir just until thoroughly heated. Spoon into baking dish. Arrange frozen biscuits over hot mixture.

3. Bake uncovered 30 to 35 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown

Meatballs appetizer

Well, my husband said that now it's one of his favorite dishes...I absolutely agree, it was one of the best appetizers I have ever had!

Ingredients:
1 cup ketchup
1 cup maple syrop
1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tspoon ground allspice
1 tspoon dry mustard
2 tbspoon water
1 package fully cooked meatballs
1 can pineapple chunks in juice, drained
Combine ketchup, maple syrop, soy sauce, pineapple, allspice, mustard, water in a slow cooker, Carefully stir in meatballs. Cover and cook on LOW 5-6 hours. Stir before serving, insert coctail picks to serve!

Vegetable bake

I made this for Thanksgiving. It tastes amazing and it's the best side dish for turkey or ham or whatever you want :-)
EASY!

I used - baby carrots, broccoli, onion, red bell peppers, asparagus. But you can use whatever vegetables you have in your fridge.
Just cut everything in big pieces, pour 2 tbs Extra Virgin olive oil on a baking dish, place all the vegetables there, add
1 tbspoon paprika
1/4 tspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 tspoon salt
1 tspoon pepper
1 tbspoon Italian herbs
Mix the vegetables, so all the herbs and oil are married together, cover with foil and bake 40 minutes at 400 degrees in the oven! It is ready to go! :-)