Turtle Thumbprints

December 20, 2012December 20, 2012 / mikeysinmykitchen / 6 Comments

These cookies have been in the back of my mind for a while now, and I was toying with the idea of adding them to my list of annual Christmas cookies. Then a friend of mine told me she made them and that they were amazing, so I needed no more convincing. I knew they had to be added to the list.

And they will remain on the list forever now.

Yum!

Salty and sweet with a deep, rich chocolate ending. These cookies are everything holiday rolled up in pecans and drizzled with chocolate.

We are down to the last few days before Christmas and I hope you have checked off most of your list so you can sit back and enjoy some time off with friends and family!

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Candied Almonds & Pecans

December 11, 2012December 11, 2012 / mikeysinmykitchen / 9 Comments

Candied nuts are one of my favorite holiday candies. This is a recipe that has been passed down from my Grandma, to my Mom and now I finally got my hands on it!

I don’t only love these nuts because of the warm cinnamon and sugar flavors but because of the amazing scent they send throughout your home.

Or the mall…

You know what I’m talking about. That delicious smell that you can’t seem to escape, no matter how far away you wander from the candied almond station.

Imagine having that same scent in your own home…your neighbors may flock to your door, be careful!

I figured it had been a while since my little monster friend paid a visit…

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Frosted Gingerbread Cake

December 6, 2012December 6, 2012 / mikeysinmykitchen / 10 Comments

If you are looking for a recipe to fill your house with the scent of the Holiday’s, this is it!

I began this recipe assuming I had ground ginger…I did not. So I ended up using fresh ginger and it was the best substitution I’ve ever made. I also didn’t have orange extract either so I used lemon zest and fresh orange juice.

I come from a long line of crazy Christmas ladies and I can’t let the lineage stop with me. Therefore I am always blasting Christmas music, lighting Christmas candles and adding decorations wherever they will fit in my apartment (including our white tree that my in-laws are appalled by). I want to eat, drink and bake all things seasonal and spiced, spreading cheer wherever I go. Mikey is a great sport and although he will never understand my obsession with Christmas, he supports my craziness and even shares in my enthusiasm some of the time!

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Monster Cookies

November 30, 2012November 30, 2012 / mikeysinmykitchen / 2 Comments

Monster cookie dough was a staple of my diet in high school. I would make a batch every couple weeks and it would never actually make its way into cookie form. It just lived in an ice cream bucket in the refrigerator where I would spoon it out for a few days before my Mom threw it away out of disgust…

Is that gross?

I don’t think so…

I miss high school and college where you can eat cookie dough, cereal and popcorn every day without feeling any guilt. I try it sometimes as an adult but always feel the vegetable drawer glaring at me with shame…

Since this weekend was the weekend after Thanksgiving I felt no guilt making a giant batch of cookies (which I actually baked!) and eating half the dough. They were just as delicious as I remember. In fact, they were even better this time because I added chopped up Oreos.

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and I wish you luck as the upcoming holiday season bears down upon us all! Eat dessert, smile at the awful lady who cut you in line at the noodle shop, let the really slow pedestrian cross the street and lastly, shop online when possible. As my sister-in-law so wisely put it, “keep it simple” in the month of December. Goodbye, November, where did you go so quickly? Hopefully goodbye facial hair above Mikey’s lip…and hello, December. Let’s not forget the REAL reason we celebrate this wonderful month!

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Thankful: A Year In An Instagram

November 26, 2012November 26, 2012 / mikeysinmykitchen / 1 Comment

How do I begin to tell you all the things I am thankful for?

One of the many things I’m thankful for is Instagram…Because I take pictures of everything, including the things I love most. Food, family, friends and my furry little feline.

I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving and took time to look back on all the things you are thankful for. Here is a glimpse into my life for those of you who only know me for my blog and not me (thanks for subscribing and leaving your supportive comments!). One thing I have to say is that this year has had its ups and downs, and Instagram only seems to capture the moments of joy and happiness. I hope this year has found you with more ups than downs and that you too can take a moment to reflect on the things you are thankful for this holiday season!

There are a million pictures I wanted to include and therefore went with the idea of my life in an Instagram, rather than all photos. So please forgive me if you’re not in a picture. I love you. Remind me to take more pictures with you. Also, though not included, I am very thankful for the Green Bay Packers…mostly Aaron Rogers…please call off your engagement.