Holidays Archives - Kitchen Meets Girl

15 Cinco de Mayo Recipes

May 3, 2013 By Ashley | Leave a Comment

I feel like Cinco de Mayo is holiday just made for me. I mean, do you know how much Mexican food we inhale at our house on the weekly?

Hint: a lot.

And any excuse to stuff tortillas chips and salsa into my mouth and follow ‘em with a generous slug of frozen margarita or a fruity sangria is right up my alley. In fact, we started off the weekend doing just that. I’m celebrating early, with the party going through the weekend!

Just in case you’re looking for a few last minute recipes for a Cinco de Mayo celebration of your own, I threw together a list of a few of my favorites.

Easy as Tamale Pie

Slow-Cooker Pork Tacos with Cilantro-Lime Salsa

$Tex-Mex Sloppy Joes at www.kitchenmeetsgirl.com - if you like bacon, jalapenos, and the smoky flavors of chili powder, cumin and coriander, this version is for you! #recipes #dinner$

Tex-Mex Sloppy Joes

Lightened Up Beef and Black Bean Enchiladas

Two-Ingredient Chicken Tacos

Homemade Flour Tortillas

Cilantro-Lime Mexi-Corn Dip

5-Minute Salsa

Jalapeño Popper Dip

Hot Mexican Style Spinach Dip

So Easy Sopapillas

Peach Sangria

Chocolate Margarita

Key-Lime Pie Margarita

Strawberry-Orange Margarita

XO, Ashley

Filed Under: Entertaining, Holidays, Main Dishes

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Holiday Round-Up {and Catching Fireflies Giveaway}

December 18, 2012 By Ashley | 12 Comments

Once I can get through the workday today, I’ll officially be in vacation-mode until after the first of the year.

Wait, that’s not quite right. We’re lucky enough to get to celebrate the holidays with many friends and family, and have events scheduled the 22nd, 23rd, 24th, and 25th. So technically, I’ll be in vacation mode starting the 26th. :-)

Since I’m still trying to find the time to finalize my menus for Christmas Eve brunch and Christmas morning breakfast, I’ll leave you with a few of my favorite ideas for holiday entertaining:

{Lightened Up} White Chocolate Pumpkin Nog
Maple Bacon Pecan Cinnamon Rolls
Pumpkin Waffles with Apple Cider Syrup
Orange Cranberry Bread {with Honey}
Scrambled Egg Spinach Casserole

Cherry Cordial Cookies
Melting Snowmen Cookies
Peppermint-Stuffed Double Chocolate Cookies
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Vanilla Nougat Candy Bar Bites
Homemade Gumdrops
Vanilla Bean Salted Caramels

Eek! And I’m sooo excited to tell you about this super awesome giveaway I have today for Catching Fireflies. If you haven’t heard of them, Catching Fireflies has brick and mortar stores located in Michigan, with a pretty awesome virtual store you can find here.

I love the vision behind this company:

The name catching fireflies was inspired by one of our favorite artists, but it is also a lot more…
It’s that nostalgic feeling you get inside when you think back to those carefree days as a child.
It’s finding delight in the simple pleasures that you encounter everyday.
It reminds you to slow down and appreciate the blessings that surround you.
It inspires you to create joy in your life and in others.
At catching fireflies, we love bringing you bright smiles that’ll warm your heart and home.

There’s a long list of categories to peruse, but of course I went right to the kitchen section (surprise!). How cute are these add a “pinch,” “smidgen,” and “dash” measuring spoons??

And who wouldn’t want to serve a salad with these beaded heart salad servers?

I’m dying over this sprinkles cutting board!

And this personalized charm necklace!

Super cute stuff, right? Well guess what? The great people over at Catching Fireflies want to offer one of you a $43 gift card to their shop {why $43? Because odd gift certificate amounts are fun & quirky – just like they are!}! To enter, just use the Rafflcopter form below. Contest will run until midnight on Saturday, December 22nd.

You can also use the coupon code: KITCHEN for 20% off your purchase (expires one month from today). Awesome!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great Tuesday!

XOXO, Ashley

Filed Under: Desserts, Holidays

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White Chocolate Spice Cookies Mix {and Pick Your Plum Giveaway}

December 13, 2012 By Ashley | 31 Comments

Before we get to today’s goody, I have something super awesome to offer one of you: the totally awesome gang over at Pick Your Plum are giving you all a chance to win a $50Plum Box full of swank crafting, fashion, baking, and home decor swag!

If you don’t know about Pick Your Plum, you have got to go check ‘em out. They offer the coolest stuff at crazy good deals, and I pretty much want it all. Stuff like this:

And this:

Be sure to Like Pick Your Plum on Facebook and sign up for their news letter. They post deals on their FB page before they send out the email, so it’s a good way to get the awesome deal before your neighbor!

Good Luck!!

**Please note that the above pictures are examples of items sold at Pick Your Plum and will not necessarily be the items you receive in your Plum Box.

Open to US residents only, sorry.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Okie doke, on to today’s holiday goody–something you can throw together super quick if you need a last minute gift idea (which I often do).

I’ve never really been a gift in a jar type of person. But then I found Shaina Olamanson’s Desserts in Jars: 50 Sweet Treats that Shine, and I kind of changed my mind. If you haven’t seen her book, it’s full of desserts you serve in jars (!) and it pretty much rocks.

Even though I’m a planner by nature, the holidays always tend to sneak up on me, and then I’m left scrambling for ideas at the last minute. My husband’s family likes to exchange homemade gifts, and this year I needed something quick and easy to assemble.

Especially since the flu hit our house this week. But even with that unexpected kink in my plans, I still had time to throw together some of these spice cookie mixes.

Only a few ingredients, some jars, and five minutes, and I had perfect little homemade gifts. Even better, I have them ready two weeks before Christmas. Score!

And, as a bonus, Shaina has free printable gift tags with instructions for topping your cookie mix jars on her Desserts in Jars site. I love this book.*

White Chocolate Spice Cookies Mix

makes 18 to 24 cookies

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla bean powder
1 cup white chocolate chips

To make cookies:

1 stick (8 tablespoons butter), softened
1/4 cup molasses
1 large egg
1/2 cup granulated sugar

Instructions

Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Place in a 1-quart jar. Top with brown sugar.
In a separate bowl, mix together granulated sugar, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla bean powder. Add the sugar mixture to the jar and top with white chocolate chips. Seal, and attach a label with the following instructions:

To make the cookies:

Preheat the oven to 325. Mix butter and molasses in the bowl of a stand mixer until smooth. Beat in the egg. Add the contents of the jar and mix until incorporated. Roll into 1-inch balls, roll the balls in sugar, an placed them on a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the tops are cracked and the edges have started to brown. Cool slightly on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack.

from Desserts in Jars: 50 Sweet Treats that Shine

http://kitchenmeetsgirl.com/cookies-2/white-chocolate-spice-cookies-mix/

I had a great time participating in Brenda’s 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats this year. Thanks so much for hosting, Brenda!

I’m partying here!

XOXO, Ashley

*I was in no way compensated for this post. I just really like this book.

Filed Under: Cookies and Cupcakes, Desserts, Holidays Tagged With: cookies, holidays

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Peppermint Blondies with White Chocolate Peppermint Frosting

November 21, 2012 By Ashley | 32 Comments

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

I’m thankful for a million things this year. I can’t list them all, because I’m seriously blessed and we’d be here all day looking at my crazy long list. But here’s the top few:

The Tall Boy and Doodle, who fill my days with joy;

All of my family and friends – the best bunch of people who ever lived;

My really awesome {non-blogging} job; and

THESE BLONDIES.

I am not sure if they are technically blondies, since they don’t use brown sugar. They do, however, use 12-ounces of melted white chocolate in the batter and another 6 ounces in the frosting.

So, yeah, a diet food these are not. But we’re heading into the holiday season, a time when the word “diet” has no place in my vocabulary.

These blondies are definitely not for the faint of heart. They are dense and decadent, soft and chewy, and with just the right amount of peppermint.

It’s Christmas, right in your mouth!

I garnished the top of mine with Andes peppermint baking chips. Doodle loves to “help” in the kitchen, typically by sampling the baking chips, licking the bowl, et cetera. After eating a few of the peppermint chips he said, “Congratulations to whoever made these.”

I couldn’t agree more.

Peppermint Blondies with White Chocolate Peppermint Frosting

Ingredients

12 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup mini chocolate chips

For the frosting:

6 ounces white baking chocolate
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, divided
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup Andes peppermint chips, or crushed candy canes

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 pan and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, melt chocolate over low heat until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in butter until melted. Whisk in the sugar, eggs, and extracts until smooth. Stir in the flour to combine. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, or until the top is light brown and the edges begin to pull away from the side of the pan. Immediately sprinkle mini chocolate chips over the top. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

For the frosting:

In a small saucepan, melt the white chocolate over low heat until melted and smooth. Set aside until lukewarm. In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and 1 3/4 cups of powdered sugar. Beat on low speed until combined. Add in sour cream, extracts, and salt and beat until combined. Beat in additional 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar, and melted white chocolate until combined.
Stir over cooled bars and top with peppermint chips or candy pieces, if desired.

from Better Homes and Gardens, Christmas Cookies 2012

http://kitchenmeetsgirl.com/desserts-2/peppermint-blondies-with-white-chocolate-peppermint-frosting/

Have a wonderful holiday, everyone. And be sure to stop by on Friday for my Black Friday giveaway. You won’t want to miss it!

If you’re interested in participating in the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats, stop by Brenda’s blog to sign up!

I’m linked up at these great parties this week: Crazy Sweet Tuesdays, Trick or Treat Tuesdays, Tasty Tuesdays, Totally Tasty Tuesdays, Cast Party Wednesday, Whip it Up Wednesdays, Watcha’ Whipped Up Wednesdays, Eat, Pray {Read}, Love, Sweet Treats Thursday, Mrs. Fox’s Sweets, Kitchen Fun with My 3 Sons, Itsy Bitsy Paper, Crumbs and Chaos, I’m Lovin’ It Fridays, Weekend Potluck, and Six Sister’s Stuff!

XO, Ashley

Filed Under: Desserts, Holidays

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Gingerbread Cookie Dough Peppermint Bark

November 1, 2012 By Ashley | 16 Comments

Here’s the truth. I love peppermint bark.

Really and truly love.it.

I know to a lot of people, peppermint bark is just kind of so-so. I mean, it’s typically one of those candies that usually makes an appearance on the dessert table, and is still there at the end of the party. AmIright?

But growing up, making peppermint bark with my mom at Christmastime was always one of my favorite things to do.

Of course, we weren’t nearly so fancy back then…we didn’t have the benefit of all the Pinterest ideas giving tutorials on how to mold the bark in cookie cutters or making fancy swirls, or even doing a layered version. We just melted chocolate, added in crushed up peppermints, and dropped it by spoonfuls onto wax paper.

Still one of my favorite things ever. For me, it just says Christmas. And family.

So when I purchased The Cookie Dough Lover’s Cookbook by Lindsay Landis this summer and spotted her recipe for gingerbread cookie dough peppermint bark, I knew this was a recipe meant for me.

I’m usually not a huge fan of gingerbread, but in this case, it’s the perfect pairing with the chocolate and the peppermint.

Plus, it’s just really fun dropping gobs of eggless cookie dough on top of melted chocolate.

Gingerbread Cookie Dough Peppermint Bark

from The Cookie Dough Lover's Cookbook, by Lindsay Landis

Ingredients

For the cookie dough:

1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
3 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
3 tablespoons molasses
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup all-purpose flour

For bark:

12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
12 ounces white chocolate chips
1/2 cup crushed peppermints

Instructions

Combine butter, brown sugar, and molasses in a large mixing bowl; beat with an electric mixer on medium speec until light and fluffy. Add spices and salt and mix well. Add flour, 1/4 cup at a time, and mix until the dough comes together in large crumbles. Set aside.
In a microwave safe bowl, microwave chocolate chips at half power for 2 to 3 minutes, or until chocolate is almost fully melted, stirring every 30 seconds. Remove from microwave and stir until smooth. Pour onto a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet, spreading into an even layer. Chill for 10 minutes.
Repeat with the white chocolate. Before white chocolate sets, sprinkle with cookie dough and crushed candy, pressing lightly to adhere. Chill until set, then break or cut into pieces. Refrigerate until ready to eat.

http://kitchenmeetsgirl.com/holidays/gingerbread-cookie-dough-peppermint-bark/

If you’re interested in participating in the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats, stop by Brenda’s blog to sign up!

And if you missed them, here’s what I made over the last few weeks:

{Week One}: Apple Pie Bread
{Week Two}: Double Chocolate Oatmeal Bars
{Week Three}: Melting Snowmen {Chocolate Mint} Cookies
{Week Four}: Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies
{Week Five}: Homemade Gumdrops

Have a great Thursday, and be sure to check out the other yummy treats below!

Filed Under: Holidays Tagged With: candy, chocolate, desserts

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Spiced Pumpkin Seeds and Friday Wrap-Up

October 19, 2012 By Ashley | 5 Comments

Happy Friday!

I know, I don’t usually do weekly wrap-ups, but in the midst of my crazy week, I totally forgot to tell you all that I guest-posted over at Something Swanky for Pink Week. Ashton’s had an entire week of pink goodies over there to spread the word and raise awareness for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. So make sure you stop by, say hello, and check out all of the fabu pink desserts, including my Angel Food Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream.

I also braved my candy making fears and made homemade caramels. And then promptly gained five pounds by eating it all.

I found a way to keep the 7-layer dip all to myself with these individual-sized cups. Plus, it has ranch-flavored sour cream!

I decided I should be nice to my family and learn how to make dessert, red-velvet style:

And while it isn’t really a “recipe” per se, we toasted our own pumpkin seeds this week. Out of all of the stuff I made, this is what Doodle thought made me an “awesome” cook:

If you’re planning to carve pumpkin this year, try this recipe with your reserved seeds. They really were fabulous!

Spiced Pumpkin Seeds and Friday Wrap-Up

Ingredients

3 tablespoons white sugar
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
pinch cayenne
2 cups pumpkin seeds, washed and dried
cooking spray
2 teaspoons salt, to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons white sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray the pumpkin seeds with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt to taste. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until lightly golden.
Meanwhile, stir together 2 tablespoons sugar, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, and cayenne in a large bowl. Set aside.
Heat oil over medium heat, and stir in seeds along with 2 tablespoons sugar. Cook and stir seeds until the sugar forms a coating, about 3 minutes. Stir caramelized seeds into sugar and spice mixture, and toss to coat.

http://kitchenmeetsgirl.com/holidays/spiced-pumpkin-seeds-and-friday-wrap-up/

Also, today is your last day to register for Online BlogCon! If you haven’t registered yet, there’s still time–don’t miss out! Plus, by registering, you have the opportunity to win one of five sets of the e-books from the wildly popular Six Sisters Stuff:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Filed Under: Holidays, Miscellaneous

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Spider Sandwich Cookies

September 25, 2012 By Ashley | 9 Comments

I have to tell you something.

I am not a huge Halloween fan.

While I love anything fall related, the creepiness and gore of Halloween is just not for me (although, all the candy and confections that come along with Halloween are another story).

But last spring, we took our first family vacation, and went to DisneyWorld. We were the ultimate tourists, purchasing the complete Disney travel guide and “studying up” for months before our actual trip. Top on Doodle’s list of “must-see” attractions?

The Haunted Mansion.

Since he was still just four years-old, I was a bit worried about whether or not the ride would be too frightening for him.

We ended up on this ride four times. And now he’s fixated on decorating our house to look like the mansion for Halloween.

So while I’m attempting to decorate the house in fall flora, pumpkins, gourds, and acorns, I’m dodging rubber rats, spiders, and witch fingers left and right. Seriously, if the Tall Boy tells him it would be a funny joke to hide some fake bug under my bed pillow, we’re going to have some issues around here.

Anyway, since I’m not above bribing my kiddo with fun holiday treats to make him think I’m mom-supreme, we made these little spider cookies over the weekend. It’s about as crafty and creative as I get. And really not even all that creative, because literally hours after the idea popped into my head, I saw an entire kit for this project in the Target Halloween section.

So much for ingenuity.

He loved ‘em though, and they were definitely an easy project for little helpers in the kitchen.

Spider Sandwich Cookies

makes about 18 cookies

Ingredients

1 box Devil's Food cake mix
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 egg
1 can chocolate frosting
black shoestring licorice, cut into approximately 3 inch strips
red hot candies

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350.
In a large bowl, mix together cake mix, melted better and egg. Shape into 1-inch balls--dough will be stiff.
Place cookies 2 inches apart on a Silpat or parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until set. Cool for 1 minute, then remove to wire racks.
Spread a tablespoon of frosting over half of the cookies. Place four licorice strips on top of the frosting for the legs. Top with remaining cookies. Use additional frosting to attach red hots for eyes.

http://kitchenmeetsgirl.com/cookies-2/spider-sandwich-cookies/

Filed Under: Cookies and Cupcakes, Desserts, Holidays

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Mother’s Day Brunch

May 9, 2012 By Ashley | 5 Comments

Oh. Hi there!

Guess what? My two best guys and I are off vacationing in the land of fun and sun for the next week and a half! This is pretty much our first real vacation since Doodle was born, so yeah, I’m pretty pumped–despite the fact that we had to get up at 3:30 this morning to make our 6:20 flight. Ugh, as if air travel wasn’t torture enough, I’m also forced to get up about the time I’m normally hitting my REM sleep cycle.

I have some fun posts lined up for you while I’m gone…including some awesome guest posts next week that I’m beyond excited about. And, since Mother’s Day is just around the corner, I have a round-up of some fun ideas for you here. I usually have my mom over for dinner over Mother’s Day weekend, so I’m bummed I’ll miss that tradition this year. Just so ya’ll know, I have the best mama ever, and I’m lucky to call her my best friend.

So mom–we’ll celebrate when I get home. But don’t worry, I’ll toast to ya with a umbrella drink on the beach Sunday. =) If you’re making your mom brunch, here are some yummy ideas:

1. Blueberry Muffins with Coconut-Lime Glaze

2. Pina-Colada Fruit Salad

3. Banana Bread Pancakes with Nutella Maple Syrup

Or how about one (some) of these:

1. Spinach, Bacon, Mushroom and Gouda Quiche

2. Italian Breakfast Pizza

3. Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls

And while not technically brunch food, who would argue with pie or cookies?

1. Coconut-Lime White Chocolate Cookies

2. Peppermint Stuffed Double Chocolate Cookies

3. Carrot Cake Cookies with Dulche de Leche Buttercream

4. Coconut Caramel Pie in a Jar

Hope you all have a great rest of the week!

Filed Under: Breakfast & Breads, Holidays

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Cinco de Mayo Round-Up

May 5, 2012 By Ashley | 7 Comments

Yippee! It’s practically my favorite day of the year: Cinco de Mayo–the one day of the year when drinking margaritas and eating massive amounts of salsa and cheese dip is not only acceptable, but encouraged! If you need some last minute ideas, I’ve got a few for you:

Let’s start with a few dips, shall we? Actually, most people call these dips, but I usually eat enough of these to actually make them my main course. I have a slight tortilla chip addiction:

1. {Cilantro-Lime} Mexi-Corn Dip

2. {Super Easy} Homemade Salsa

While I’m still snacking on the chips and salsa, most people are ready to move on to the main course:

1. Smothered Burritos–one of my personal favorites, and super simple to make. Lots of meat, cheese, sour cream–what’s not to like??

2. Chicken Chimichangas–though my pictures don’t do these justice, trust me, these are good. Like really, really good. Plus, they’re baked, not fried, so they’re on the healthy end of the Mexican food spectrum. This way, you can eat more chips.

3. Citrus Shrimp Tacos with Southwest Cream Sauce–more lousy pictures, but a really light, healthy meal.

4. Taco Pizza–two of my favorites, wrapped up in one!

While you’re at it, why not make your own flour tortillas? Seriously, you’ll never go back to the store-bought ones again. Promise.

And, what’s a Cinco de Mayo celebration without a margarita (or two):

What about a (1) strawberry orange margarita or a (2) key lime pie margarita?

And my new personal favorite, a chocolate margarita.

Of course, no meal in my house is complete without dessert! Who says empanadas have to be savory? Try these caramel pineapple empanadas:

Hope you’re all having a wonderful weekend! Let’s eat, drink, and enjoy!

Filed Under: Holidays, Miscellaneous

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St. Patrick’s Day Roundup

March 17, 2012 By Ashley | 5 Comments

Are you wearing your green today?

I hope you’re way cooler than I am and have some actual St. Patrick’s Day plans for the weekend. Yeah, our plans include watching basketball (fun) and yardwork (not so fun). We’re living the exciting life around here! Whether St. Patrick’s Day is your cup of tea or not, I never turn down fun foods or drinks. Here’s my round-up, if you need some last minute ideas:

The Midori Sour, my all-time favorite drink from my college days. Ahhhhhhh, sweet memories.
Coconut Irish Cream Truffles are my new best friend. I can’t tell you how many of these I’ve eaten in the last week.
Mint Brownie Grasshopper Pie in a Jar. It’s pie. In a jar. Made from a brownie mix and cool-whip. Sooooo easy.
The Shamrock-tini takes only two ingredients, perfect for those situation where complicated drink mixing might just be…well, too complicated.

And here are some other great things I’ve spotted from some of my fave foodie friends–it’s not too late to give some of these a try: