Sweet Honey Kringla Cookies

There is nothing like the sweet simplicity of these delicious cookies.  They are based on the soft and sweet Norwegian Kringla cookie, and I think they are the best warm and fresh right out of the oven.  Give me a few of these and a nice cold glass of milk and I am one happy girl.  And I am quite certain that our Santa loves them just as much.  He loves that they make enough so that he can pocket some to have the following morning with his coffee.

1 1/2 cups of sugar
1 egg (at room temperature and beaten)
16 oz. of sour cream
5 T. of real un-salted butter (softened)
1 T. of honey
4 cups of all-purpose flour
2 tsp. of baking soda
1/4 tsp. of salt

1/8 tsp. of nutmeg

-Cream together the sugar, egg, sour cream, butter and the honey in a large mixing bowl.  Combine the flour, baking soda, salt and nutmeg in a medium mixing bowl.  Stir the flour mixture into the batter in small batches, thoroughly combining it before each new addition.  Seperate the dough in half and place it onto a large rectangular piece of saran wrap.  Wrap up each 'dough log' securely and place flat in your refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour (it is so sticky and has to firm up).  When you are ready to start making the cookies, go ahead and prep your area.  Moderately flour a small section on your clean countertop (about the size of a dinner plate).  Lightly grease your cookie sheet (I use a stoneware one for all of my cookies and biscuits); set to the side.  Remove only 1 'dough log' from the fridge at a time (so that way the 2nd one stays chilled while you prepare the first one).  Open up the saran wrap and take a small slice off of one edge, about a 1/4"-1/2" thickness.  Roll this dough slice out on the floured surface with a flattened palm to about twice it's length or so (you can make them as big or as little as you like).  Then just twist it into the shape of an infinity symbol or the number 8, pinch the loose ends in and place on your greased cookie sheet.  Bake each batch individually (they won't cook evenly if you have more than 1 pan in your oven at a time-I tried) at 350* for 12-15 minutes (you want to catch them and pull them out just before they start to brown).  Allow to cool slightly, then remove with a spatula to dry on a cookie rack completely before placing on a platter.  Makes somewhere between 6-8 dozen depending on the size of them.  Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Pie

I am a huge fan of pumpkin pies, well frankly pumpkin anything, but especially pumpkin pies.  And I would have to say, without discrediting my love for pumpkin pies, that sweet potato pie may be just as good.  Definitely my runner up if I had to list them.  It really does look and taste very much like my all-time favorite.  And basically, it is spiced just about the same.  The only real taste difference, is that traditionally sweet potato pie is a smidgen less sweeter than it's twin the pumpkin pie.  Well, well, well traditionally speaking that is, until I got a hold of it.  No surprise there that I just had to sweeten it up some.  Like I always say, sweets for the sweet.


4-5 medium sweet potatoes (peeled and diced)
1 cup of sweetened condensed milk
1/2 tsp. of ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. of ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. of ground allspice
a dash of salt
3 eggs (beaten)
1 pie shell from my Tonya's Special Pie Crust recipe:  http://tonya-justcooking.blogspot.com/2010/11/tonyas-special-pie-crust.html
a bit of milk and a pinch of sugar to garnish the pie crust with prior to baking

-Preheat your oven to 375*.  Boil the sweet potatoes with enough water to cover them in a large stockpot; covered with a lid for 30 minutes.  Strain well and transfer to a medium mixing bowl.  Mash well with a potato masher.  Then just mix in the sweetened condensed milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, salt and the eggs.  Pour this into your prepared pie crust that is in a 9 1/2" pie dish (I only use Pyrex for my pie dish's).  Crimp the excess pie crust around the top with your fingers, brush lightly with some milk and then lightly sprinkle it with sugar.  You will need to either use a pie crust cover if you have one, or if you don't like me, you can just make one.  Take a 10"x10" square of aluminum foil, fold it in half and then in half again.  Using your kitchen shears, cut a circle out of the center, so that when you open it up and place it flat over the pie, the edges are covered by the foil, but the center of the pie is open.  Bake it like this for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and finish baking for 10 minutes more.  Let stand to cool completely, cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours prior to cutting and serving (or else it will not be firm).  Serve with a dollop of cool whip or some vanilla bean ice cream.  Serves 8.  Enjoy!

Homemade Play Dough

What better way to spend a rainy day when you are little, than to spend it creatively playing with playdough?!  My children will sit for hours at the table making little cupcakes and cookies out of their playdough.  And being able to make the playdough, allows them to be involved as well.  This is a great recipe to engage your little one's in with you.  Let them get creative by chosing the koolaid packets to make all of their favorite colors.   






*Mix together:

-4 cups of flour
-2 cups of salt
-4 tsp. cream of tarter

... *Add:
-4 T. of oil (vegetable or canola)
-4 cups of water

Stir well, then cook over low-medium until lumpy and fairly dry.  Knead on table and store in a air tight container like tupperware or a large ziploc bag.  You can even add in food coloring, kool-aid packets or scented oils into the water before you add it in at the end :) Enjoy!

Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna

With the days being colder and  much shorter now, I begin my baked dinner season.  The best time of the year to bake dinner in your oven I think.  When you are craving comfort foods to warm you up from the inside out, that is what I call the baked dinner season.  I always make lasagna at least twice during the colder months. And this recipe here, is my most favorite way to have lasagna.  I love to use loads and loads of the very best cheeses heavily throughout it.  And I do think that the spinach and the mushrooms go perfectly inside and still keep it hearty without adding in any meat.  Only to be enhanced by a deeply rich red sauce, that brightens up your taste buds.   

2 T. of extra virgin olive oil
1/2 a carton of whole white mushrooms (sliced and chopped)
1 large clove of garlic (minced)

sea salt and fresh cracked pepper

1- 26oz. jar of spaghetti sauce (I used Prego Traditional)

1- 14 1/2oz. can of sliced Italian stewed tomatoes (undrained)
1- 15oz. tub of whole milk riccota cheese
1 large egg
a rounded 1/4 cup of fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1 lb. of frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained)
4 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese (divided)

1 box of no-boil lasagna noodles (9 to be exact)

-Preheat your oven to 375*.  Warm up the e.v.o. in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Once the pan and oil are good and hot, toss in your mushrooms with a good sprinkling of the salt and pepper.  Saute for about 2 minutes, while continuely stirring, then add in the garlic.  Once you can begin to smell the garlic (about 20-30 sec's) slowly pour in the spaghetti sauce and the stewed tomatoes (use your wooden spoon to chop up the tomatoes in the pan).  Bring this to a good boil, then remove from heat and set to the side.   Now for the filling, in a medium mixing bowl, combine the riccota cheese, egg, Parmesan cheese and a handful of the shredded mozzarella.  Now you are ready to assemble the lasagna.  Start by spreading out about a 1/4 cup of the sauce (I kept the mushrooms and tomatoes from getting into my ladle-so it was a basically just a light layer of the sauce) down in the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish (this will keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan) and a light layer of the spinach right over that.  Next, lay 3 of the no-boil noodles width wise across and spread with a light layer of the filling.  Follow with a light layer of the sauce, another light layer of spinach and then a heavy handful of the shredded mozzarella cheese.  Repeat these layers again two more times ending the top with the remaining mozzarella cheese.  So, in case I am explaining it incorrectly, my layers go, sauce, spinach, noodles, filling, sauce, spinach, mozzarella, noodles, filling, sauce, spinach, mozzarella, noodles, filling, sauce, spinach and last mozzarella.  Bake at 375* for 30-35 minutes or until the cheese on top is melted and begins to brown lightly.  Serves 6.  Enjoy!

Meatballs and Gravy

I love this dish for multiple reasons.  One because it's good, of course.  And two, maybe even more for the second, it is easy as can be.  I make my Homemade Meatballs recipe once or twice a year and freeze them in large freezer Ziploc bags.  Then whenever we want homemade meatballs, they are ready to be defrosted and warmed back up.  That way even a hectic busy day can end with a quick homemade meal.

1/2 of my homemade meatballs found in my Meatballs in Red Cream Sauce recipe (about 15-20, if they were frozen please defrost first) http://tonya-justcooking.blogspot.com/2011/01/meatballs-in-red-cream-sauce.html
3 T. of extra virgin olive oil
1 large red onion (chopped)
3 small garlic cloves (minced)
sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
1- 14 1/2oz. jar of spaghetti sauce (I used Prego Traditional-it's our favorite)
1- 6oz. can of tomato paste
1 tsp. of Italian seasoning
1 lb. of uncooked penne pasta

-Start a large stockpot for a boil for the pasta.  Meanwhile, heat up your e.v.o. in a large deep saucepan over medium-high heat.  Once it is good and hot, toss in the meatballs, onion, garlic and a healthy amount of salt and pepper.  Saute while stirring often until the onions are translucent, then add in the spaghetti sauce and bring it to a boil.  Once it is at a boil, stir in the tomato paste and the Italian seasoning.  Let this return to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cover.  Now go back to your boiling stockpot, add in about 1 T. of e.v.o., a dash of salt (this will not only flavor your pasta, but also keep it from sticking together) and then your pasta.  Boil for 7-8 minutes for Au-Dente then strain.  Serve a couple of meatballs and 'gravy' over a bed of pasta.  Serves 4-6.  Enjoy!

Lemon Drop Amish Friendship Bread

Here is yet another amazing variation of my Amish Friendship Bread.  This is a throw-back to one of my most favorite childhood candies, the lemon drop.  And everything about this bread reminds me of them.  From the sugary outside to the sweet and fragrant flavor.  It is definetly a sweet blast from my past within each and every bite.  This may just be my favorite variation yet...


For the Starter:

2 cups of all-purpose flour
2 cups of warm water
1 package of dry yeast (DO NOT SUBSTITUTE WITH A RAPID RISE DRY YEAST-IT WILL EXPLODE!)


Directions for Starter:

Make your starter right in a large one gallon-size double zipper zip-lock bag. Just dump in all three ingredients, seal and mush very well. Do Not Refrigerate it at any point. Just leave the bag/ bags out on your kitchen counter so you do not forget about them and - NEVER- use a metal spoon or bowl at any time (use plastic or wooden).


Day 1: (Day after the date on the bag) Do nothing

Day 2: Mush the bag

Day 3: Mush the bag

Day 4: Mush the bag

Day 5: Mush the bag

Day 6: Add 1 cup sugar, 1 cup flour and 1 cup milk right into the bag, reseal it and mush it all together.

Day 7: Mush the bag

Day 8: Mush the bag

Day 9: Mush the bag

Day 10: Follow the directions below



1. Pour the starter out of the bag into a non-metal bowl (remember you should be using a wooden or a plastic spoon too).

2. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 cups of sugar and 1 1/2 cups of milk (I used 2%).

3. Using a 1 cup dry ingredient measuring cup, measure out 1 cup of the batter and place into another new 1 gallon-sized plastic double zip-lock bag; repeat 3 more times to end up with 4 new starters. You can hand them out with a copy of this recipe to family and friends or freeze them by placing them into another freezer zip-lock bag and into the freezer immediately (the yeast will stay active for up to 6 months-defrost on the counter and start off again on the schedule). Just make sure to keep one back for yourself so you can retreat your family with 2 more loaves of this amazing sweet bread in 10 days :)

4. Preheat your oven to 325*.

5. Then add the following ingredients into the bowl with the remaining batter:

3 eggs (at room temperature and beaten)
1 cup of canola oil
2 tsp. of ground cinnamon
1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of milk (again I used 2%)
1/2 tsp. of real vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp. of baking powder
1/2 tsp. of baking soda
2 cups of all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. of salt
1 large package of INSTANT lemon pudding mix
zest from 1 large lemon


6. Grease 2 loaf pans.

7. Sprinkle the inside of the pans with a nice coating of sugar.

8. Pour the batter equally into the 2 loaf pans.

9. Sprinkle the top of each loaf with a little more sugar.

10. Bake at 325* for about 1 hour. If you are using a dark pan, shorten the time to 50-55 minutes. Always check to see if they are done by inserting a wooden toothpick into the center of each loaf. If it comes out dry then they are done. One starter makes 2 loaves and 4 starters. Enjoy!

German Chocolate Amish Friendship Bread

The possibilities are truly endless when it comes to making unique and delicious Amish Friendship Bread.  And this particular one here is absolutely decadent.  The chocolate bread is both moist and dense creating the perfect backdrop for the best part, the roasted coconut.  A true match made in heaven.


For the Starter:

2 cups of all-purpose flour
2 cups of warm water
1 package of dry yeast (DO NOT SUBSTITUTE WITH A RAPID RISE DRY YEAST-IT WILL EXPLODE!)


Directions for Starter:

Make your starter right in a large one gallon-size double zipper zip-lock bag. Just dump in all three ingredients, seal and mush very well. Do Not Refrigerate it at any point. Just leave the bag/ bags out on your kitchen counter so you do not forget about them and - NEVER- use a metal spoon or bowl at any time (use plastic or wooden).

Day 1: (Day after the date on the bag) Do nothing

Day 2: Mush the bag

Day 3: Mush the bag

Day 4: Mush the bag

Day 5: Mush the bag

Day 6: Add 1 cup sugar, 1 cup flour and 1 cup milk right into the bag, reseal it and mush it all together.

Day 7: Mush the bag

Day 8: Mush the bag

Day 9: Mush the bag

Day 10: Follow the directions below


1. Pour the starter out of the bag into a non-metal bowl (remember you should be using a wooden or a plastic spoon too).

2. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 cups of sugar and 1 1/2 cups of milk (I used 2%).

3. Using a 1 cup dry ingredient measuring cup, measure out 1 cup of the batter and place into another new 1 gallon-sized plastic double zip-lock bag; repeat 3 more times to end up with 4 new starters. You can hand them out with a copy of this recipe to family and friends or freeze them by placing them into another freezer zip-lock bag and into the freezer immediately (the yeast will stay active for up to 6 months-defrost on the counter and start off again on the schedule). Just make sure to keep one back for yourself so you can retreat your family with 2 more loaves of this amazing sweet bread in 10 days :)

4. Preheat your oven to 325*.

5. Then add the following ingredients into the bowl with the remaining batter:

3 eggs (at room temperature and beaten)
1 cup of canola oil
2 tsp. of ground cinnamon
1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of milk (again I used 2%)
1/2 tsp. of real vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp. of baking powder
1/2 tsp. of baking soda
2 cups of all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. of salt
1 large package of INSTANT chocolate pudding mix
 RESERVE for garnishing the pan and the top- about 1/2 of a cup of shredded coconut- give or take

6. Grease 2 loaf pans.

7. Sprinkle the inside of the pans with a nice coating of cinnamon and sugar and then some of the coconut.

8. Pour the batter equally into the 2 loaf pans.

9. Sprinkle the top of each loaf with more cinnamon and sugar and the remaining coconut.

10. Bake at 325* for about 1 hour. If you are using a dark pan, shorten the time to 50-55 minutes. Always check to see if they are done by inserting a wooden toothpick into the center of each loaf. If it comes out dry then they are done. One starter makes 2 loaves and 4 starters. Enjoy!