Author: QuiltLady

COOKING THURSDAY ~ WALNUT GORGONZOLA STUFFED MUSHROOMS ~ BLOG 365.338

I have a friend who LOVES stuffed mushrooms. She also has a birthday 10 days after mine and at this age we have agreed to make gifts of food or outings because we don’t need new “things”. I made these for her birthday in September and she LOVED them.

WALNUT GORGONZOLA STUFFED MUSHROOMS

1 pound FRESH, tight medium large mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed
2 tablespoons avocado oil
2/3 cup (3 ounces) crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1/4-1/2 cup shredded smoked cheddar
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup FINE breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon FRESH chopped lemon thyme
Lemon pepper, to taste

  • In a bowl combine the cheese crumbles, walnuts, breadcrumbs, thyme and pepper. Set aside.
  • Preheat oven to 375°.
  • Line baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Brush mushrooms with oil.
  • Arrange on baking sheet with caps up.
  • Bake 10 minutes or until tender.
  • Flip mushrooms.
  • Increase oven to broil.
  • Evenly fill mushrooms with cheese mixture, mounding them slightly.
  • Top with the grated smoked cheddar.
  • Broil 1-2 minutes JUST until cheese melts.

BLOGMAS 2025 ~ days 6, 7 and 8 ~ REAL TREE vs. ARTIFICIAL, DECORATING & FAVORITE ORNAMENTS ~ BLOG 365.337B

Another year has passed and the holidays are upon us again! A late Thanksgiving has put me a bit behind AGAIN, but I vow to catch up this week

I have to admit I’m one of those people who can’t wait to decorate and leave it up for longer than most. We do have a couple neighbors who fortunately feel the same way we do and the Friday after Thanksgiving had them out taking down the turkey blow-ups and decorating for Christmas. We also wait until the day after Thanksgiving to begin outside decorating.

 

We were again at our favorite local Christmas tree farm when they opened the day after Thanksgiving to pick out wreaths for the front porch. We also found these cool new lights this year that change from red to white to green and then back to red every 6 seconds 🙂

  • Are you a traditional or trendy decorator? I’m a traditional, sentimental decorator. I still have ornaments from when I was a kid and some of my grandparent’s things. We tend to have the same decorations year in and year out, but they may be in different places each year because I add a piece here or there and some even get donated or die by attrition. 
  • Are you white lights or multi-colored? This category depends for me. Definitely multi-colored on the tree, but I have white on my sleigh and entry way trees. Last year I added some jingle bell garland to the white lights around the sleigh.
  • When do you decorate inside? PLEASE don’t laugh, but since COVID my tree has gone up at Halloween and stays up through AT LEAST King’s Day.
  • Outside? We wait until after Thanksgiving
  • To Blow or NOT Blow? We’re yes on this category MOST of the time. Years with early snows or stormier than normal windy days we stray away from them. This year I just don’t want to “listen” to the constant hum so we’re building a different set-up with nativities.

Here are a couple of future ideas I’d like to try for outside and an appropriate funny.


In reality how I decorate each year changes based on my mood, weather, where we are living, etc… so it will never be the same twice! But, it will at least be the same components usually.

This is my Snowman Family arranged from 2 different years. They were so much fun to make out of second hand store finds. They were also a lot of work. I ended up only making two snowmen families, shipping one to a friend who lives in Florida and never sees snow

We made candle yule logs for Advent craft night at church one year and they were a HUGE success and soooooooo easy to do. The decorations below are a few of my all time favorites, several of which I’ve made over the years.

The ornaments below are some of our homemade bulbs.  Several years ago I made quite a few and then did them with my girl scout troop also.  Hubby liked them so well that we have now donated all our store bought bulbs and made enough of these for the entire tree.

My cousin that passed away in 2014 made the ornament below for me.  It’s usually hung by my shooting stars in her honor even though I’m still mad at her for leaving the mess called A HOUSE FROM HELL for me to deal with.

And our favorite handmade ornament by Design Chick Creations.

I know I’ve said it before, but just let me just say it again! THESE TREES ARE JUST WRONG!!!! I can’t remember the name of the store, but it was in Texas the first time we were there taking care of my aunt.

When I was quite young my folks had a hand me down tree from my grandparents that was silver tinsel and had an electric color wheel beneath it. Even as a young child I HATED that tree! These trees are in that category!

And I love how a neighboring town always does their tree right in the middle of main street. Now on to our trees.  Our town went to more modern trees several years ago and then they were moved to a new location on the new stage after the wind storm a couple years ago caught them on fire. This year they transitioned to a single tree. They are now secured by cables so the wind is no longer a problem.
I’m not sure why they went to a single tree this year, but I don’t think I like it.
Last year above and this year below.

This is one of those categories that should be easy, but it’s a bit complicated for us. We USUALLY had a REAL tree… until we didn’t.

Several years back hubby’s National Guard unit was put on alert one September and by Thanksgiving they were shipping out to IRAQ. They left sunny southern California and headed to Washington to be integrated into the Army, which for hubby was easy because he had already served in the Army and then joined the National Guard so it was like going home for him.

I was lucky because in the end he was eventually named the Rear Detachment Commander and sent back home (mostly) to man the Armory and guys that remained behind for one reason or another.

But, I digress. While he was gone I needed to put up the tree and just couldn’t talk myself into doing a real tree by myself. So, I purchased a really nice artificial one. I put it up and decorated it that year and the next while he was still deployed. The following year we went back to a real tree. The year after that we moved to the north woods and REALLY enjoyed live trees again for several years.

During that time the artificial tree stayed boxed up in the barn. When we were in Texas after that, live trees were exorbitantly priced so we used the artificial tree again for a couple years. When we came back to the Pacific North West we went back to live trees until the year of the COVID pandemic and the local tree farm closed early leaving us live treeLESS so we pulled out the artificial tree once again.

LOL this is my long winded way of asking you if you can tell the difference between a few of the trees from the past few years? Which ones are real and which ones are artificial? 

How I decorate our tree each year changes based on my mood, weather, where we are living, etc… so it will never be the same twice!

Live or artificial doesn’t matter to us as much anymore – being decorated with all the sentimental ornaments is what makes either tree special. A LIVE tree smells good, but honestly a nice artificial tree is easier and a whole lot less mess in the long run. We do buy LIVE wreaths for the porch!

Sadly, our local tree farm is up for sale, every year as it is again this year! Last year they had a devastating fire last year in the wreath and flocking barn the day after we bought our wreaths, but they recovered and came back just as wonderful as ever. While whoever buys it will probably keep it as a tree farm, there’s no guarantee it will remain the same as we know it year after year.

Hubby says I never met a Christmas decoration or ornament I didn’t like. He’s NOT wrong, but I am discerning in my tastes. He would also tell you that our tree is going to collapse under the weight of all of the sentimental and treasured ornaments. What he forgets is that MOST of our family has made me the “safety deposit box” for all things nostalgic not to mention all of our own treasures from over the years. This year again I have really cut back though and gone for super simple. My ex-sister-in-law contacted me about returning some ornaments that my grandmother made that my brother didn’t want back which I thought was so sweet of her! I love having the ornaments back in the family. Those ornaments prompted me to seek an even simpler tree again this year with mainly felted and handcrafted ornaments.

One of my favorite shows was THE BIG BANG THEORY which always makes me laugh as I picture Penny asking about Sheldon’s Ornament Placement Template. LOL There is no such thing as a proper way to place an ornament in our house We believe in the more the merrier theory.

 

I absolutely adore is my Scentsy nativities.

I do have MANY favorite indoor decorations. Hubby and I agree on outdoor decorations and that he’s MOSTLY in charge of outside ornament location. Outdoor decorations are mostly generic and none that are very sentimental, but indoor decorations are mainly hand me downs and super sentimental so I am more particular about them AND their placement.

I am seriously paring down my decorations and ornaments each year. Maybe it’s because I’m getting older, but a few things no longer hold an appeal for me. LOL For example, hubby and I decided that the “blow ups” that we bought for the munchkins next door are going to go away after this year for a couple of reasons.

  • Here in the Pacific North West we get a lot of rain and snow during the holidays making them a pain in the neck.
  • We also get a lot of wind during December making them a pain in the neck requiring extra securing to keep them from taking flight.
  • After they go down at night they sometimes end up in strange positions so they don’t always want to return to their upright positions readily without going out to help them the next day, and often that is in the rain or snow.
  • The extension cords are all over the yard and have to be moved to do yard work.
  • PLUS I am so tired of listening to them hum all the time.

So, outside decorations are being streamlined big time! That said, I did buy a new set of adorable wooden trees that a friend’s SIL made a few years ago. I string them with lights each year and they are in my entry way.

What about you? Do you have favorite decorations and ornaments? Are they hand me downs from family?

REUBEN BRAID ~ BLOG 365.336

This is a fun twist on the classic Pampered Chef braid—a square corned beef braid! A preheated stone makes a perfectly crispy crust. I skip the deli slice corned beef though and use my SLOW COOKER corned beef leftovers that were frozen with the sauerkraut. We also like to skip the Everything bagel seasoning – it just isn’t necessary.

REUBEN BRAID serves 4

8 ounce package crescent rolls
½ pound crockpot reuben leftovers, squeezed dry
1/3 cup WELL drained sauerkraut
4 slices Mozzarella or Provolone cheese
1 egg, beaten
 Homemade Thousand island dressing for dipping

  • Preheat oven to 375°.
  • Preheat your baking pan or stone for a crispier crust.
  • Unroll the crescent rolls on a cutting board and press to seal the perforations. Roll the dough out into a 9″ x 13″ rectangle.
  • Place the corned beef mixture in a square in the center, leaving ½” from the long sides of the dough and 3″ from the short sides.
  • Top with the extra sauerkraut, if using and the cheese.
  • Cut 8 strips in the dough on each of the short sides about 1” apart.
  • To braid, lift the two opposite strips of dough up, twist, and pinch. Tuck the ends up to seal the braid.
  • Transfer completed braid to baking pan or stone using a pizza peel or extra large spatula.
  • Brush the egg over the dough.
  • Sprinkle with the seasoning, if using.
  • Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
  • Remove the stone from the oven and cool for 5 minutes.
  • Serve with the dressing.

BLOGMAS 2025 ~ days 4 and 5 ~ CHRISTMAS MOVIES & MUSIC ~ BLOG 365.335B

Today’s category is USUALLY an easy one for me. It’s also one that really doesn’t change much from year to year. UNTIL a couple years ago when I decided to make it my mission to find and tape the best Christmas movies from the 1940’s. I’m still at it.
My list for the search was; those in purple I actually found and watched – those in blue were added this year to find. The search will continue this year and every year until I see them all. They are harder to find than you would think.
  • 3 Godfathers (1948) with John Wayne
  • The Bishop’s Wife (1947) with Cary Grant and Loretta Young
  • It’s A Wonderful Life (1946) with Jimmy Stewart
  • Christmas in Connecticut (1945) with Barbara Stanwyck (though she is NOT my favorite actress)
  • Meet Me In St. Louis (1944) with Judy Garland
  • Holiday Affair (1949) Robert Mitchum and Janet Leigh
  • Cover Up (1949)
  • Shop Around the Corner (1940) with Jimmy Stewart
  • Remember the Night (1940) with Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck
  • I’ll Be Seeing You (1944) with Ginger Rogers and Joseph Cotten
  • It Happened on 5th Avenue (1947) with Don Defore, Gale Storm and Alan Hale Jr. (the Skipper on Gilligan’s Island)
  • The Apartment
  • The Honeymooners Christmas

BTW, Die Hard IS a Christmas movie!

I start DVRing Christmas movies on Hallmark as soon as they air so I can watch them ALL year long. I’m a sucker for a happy ending and let’s face it, Christmas movies have happy endings. I watch them while I’m decorating and working through the house.

It’s a toss up for me about whether White Christmas with Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, Vera Ellen and Danny Kaye or It’s a Wonderful Life with Jimmy Stewart, Lionel Barrymore and Donna Reed is my absolute favorite, but I think I’m leaning towards It’s a Wonderful life!
Which Miracle on 34th street version (the original with Natalie Wood or the remake with Richard Attenborough) is the best? BOTH versions of course!
The Santa Clause with Tim Allen quickly became a favorite – who could resist visiting the North Pole every year?
Now Home Alone is just silly, as is Christmas Vacation with Chevy Chase but, they never fail to make me laugh! A newer favorite is the Christmas Chronicles with Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn.

I really enjoyed the 4 hour reel Sandra over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom shared a couple years ago, but so many of the songs are so old and odd, that I finally had to move on to some more contemporary tunes. I never even thought to look it up again.

  • What are your favorite Christmas songs?
  • Do you have a regular playlist? I do! I still use a CD player with my disc changer and leave it on shuffle if I’m working at home.

I’m all over the place with Christmas music – it really depends on the day, the occasion, my mood, what food we’re eating, are we at home or listening on the radio in the car? – there are just sooooooooo many factors!

BUT, I do like to wait until at least the day after Thanksgiving!

I LOVE so many of the old standards, but I also love a country Christmas and Mannheim Steamroller. I also LOVE Christmas carolers, not that you see many these days. Many years ago I was even part of the hand bell choir at church for Christmas programs.

As for some of MY favorite songs I have a few that top the list, including a few newer artists:

  • It’s Beginning to Look A Lot like Christmas
  • Silent Night
  • Hark the Herald Angels
  • White Christmas
  • Jingle Bell Rock
  • Last Christmas 
  • Born on Christmas Day
  • Winter Wonderland
  • Frosty the Snowman
  • Little Drummer Boy the version with Bing Crosby and David Bowie
  • The Twelve Days of Christmas
  • Deck the Halls
  • Baby It’s Cold Outside
  • Hard Candy Christmas
  • Come All Ye Faithful
  • It Came upon a Midnight Clear
  • We three Kings of Orient
  • Joy to the World
  • Rudolph the Reindeer
  • Do You Hear What I Hear
  • The Most Wonderful Time of Year
  • It’s Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas
  • Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer
  • This Christmas by PJ Morton
  • Oh Santa by Mariah Carey
  • Christmas on the Square by Dolly Parton
  • Carol of the Bells by Lindsey Stirling
  • Believe by Josh Groban
  • Underneath the Tree by Kelly Clarkson
  • Merry Christmas Baby by Hunter Hayes

HAPPY HOMEMAKER MONDAY, RECIPE LINKS & MENU week 48 of 2025 ~ BLOG 365.335

Be sure to join Happy Homemaker Monday with our host, Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

LAST WEEK RECAPPED

GOOD MORNING! I hope everyone had a yummy and safe Thanksgiving with loved ones. So glad to not have been anywhere in the MidWest or near the storms from this past weekend.

Can you believe we’re in December? These next few weeks will rush by in a blur if we’re not careful! I have so much to do just this week between mom and her physical therapy schedule as well as the new appointments for post hospital time (she ended up in the hospital most of last week due to issues incidental to the knee replacement), meetings for the DHS foster kids Christmas gifts, appointments for hubby, Christmas shopping and all the regular shopping for the Eagles that I didn’t do last week because of the holiday. And the first appointment of the week is at 9AM so I’ll just jump right into today’s post.

There are only 10 BLOGMAS days this year to ALL of BLOGMAS in an attempt to simplify it and make it more fun, or so I hope! Day 1 was Holiday Schedule, Christmas Cards, Elf on the Shelf/NISSE & Wrapping Ideas. and you can see it here. Day 2 will post later this morning with Christmas Music and Movies. Please join in if you can, leave a comment and I’ll stop by to visit.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE

Our temperatures took a serious drop over night and the wind kicked up quite a bit so we’re back to the wet cold, you know the kind that gets into your bones and stays there if you’re not careful!

Highs in the 40’s, cloudy and windy with lows in the 30’s. Definitely UGGs, flannels and turtleneck weather this week.

THIS WEEK’S TO DO LIST, THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY, WHAT’S ON MY MIND, PROJECTS, APPOINTMENTS & DVR/TV
  • TO DO: LAUNDRY & CLEANING I did get half the laundry done yesterday as well as MOST of the Christmas cards, but still need to do the bedding and the remainder of the cards done.
  • TO DO: GROCERIES & ERRANDS I do have a bit of grocery shopping and COSTCO shopping to do for myself and will get that done today after the first 2 appointments. The Eagles shopping will be sometime Thursday afternoon. Mom has PT Tuesday and a orthopedic doctor follow up Thursday. I’m meeting up with a girlfriend Tuesday after my DHS meeting before she leaves town and another friend and I are going to the annual county Christmas craft fair and lunch on Friday. I also have a pedicure on Tuesday and I want to work the shopping in for the DHS foster kids wherever I can. Oh and I’ll work in Taco Tuesday somehow! 🙂
  • PROJECTS & TRAVELS Who has time? 🙂 Though I am making a cookie cutter wreath for the front door and hubby started the outdoor lights and hopes to finish today or tomorrow before the rain begins on Thursday night.
  • RECIPE RESEARCH & MENU PLANNING I had the whole month planned, but am having to make adjustments so will take it one week at a time.
  • DVR/TV We’ve been watching WAREHOUSE 13 & then WINGS late night. I’m also up to date on the holiday cooking shows.
  • THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY Fuzzy socks when it’s cold, finding that perfect gift for special people that they didn’t even know they needed, a lazy Sunday with good football games, the first time for the Christmas lights each year…

READING TIME

I found a fun new author, Deany Ray, with a similar series similar to Jana Deleon and am going to start reading book #1 COMING IN HOT. I hope it measures up 🙂 Jana also has Book 29, COEDS AND CATTAILS out, of the Miss Fortune series out that I’ll begin next.

FUNNIES

MENU PLANS

BREAKFAST is always a work in progress for me – it will generally be hot water and a fruit yogurt 😀
12/1 MONDAY
12/2 TUESDAY
12/3 WEDNESDAY
12/4 THURSDAY
12/5 FRIDAY
12/6 SATURDAY
12/7 SUNDAY
DINNER
BAKED CHICKEN & RICE 
CORN/YOYO  clean out refrigerator or you’re on your own 
 BEEF STEW & DUMPLINGS
SPLIT PEA & HAM SOUP with CORN BREAD 
CORN/YOYO  clean out refrigerator or you’re on your own 
CREAM OF CAULIFLOWER SOUP & CHEDDAR DROP BISCUITS 
 NAVY BEAN & HAM SOUP & CORN BREAD
DESSERT
 
 UPSIDE DOWN NANTUCKET PIE CAKE
 

FAVORITE PHOTOS FROM THE CAMERA

We live in a small town right next to another small town and within 10 miles of the next small town that is actually twice the size of both of our side by side towns. BUT, you would think they would talk to one another and coordinate their times for events so all can be attended. YET, last night at 6PM they ALL held their tree lighting ceremonies!

We didn’t go to ANY of them, but I will get pictures one evening this week of the lit trees. These pictures are from Saturday afternoon where our town and the one next to us set up their trees. The Christmas tree farm we buy our wreaths at supplies the live tree for Oakland (not California) whereas our town went techno several years ago.

INSPIRATIONS

LIFE TIP

HOMEMAKING / COOKING TIP

RECIPES COMING UP THIS WEEK

  • REUBEN BRAID
  • WALNUT GORGONZOLA STUFFED MUSHROOMS

RECIPE LINKS FROM LAST WEEK

WEEKLY FEATURED PARTY LINKS

With the holiday last week I never completed the links so will be repeating them this week.

BLOGMAS 2025 ~ days 1, 2 and 3 ~ Holiday Schedule, Christmas Cards, Elf on the Shelf/NISSE & Wrapping Ideas~ BLOG 365.332B

Welcome to BLOGMAS 2025. I’m so happy you could join me. Like always, I want to make this fun and no fuss, so join in when and where you can. I hope you enjoy this insight into my little corner of the holidays.

I’m a list maker and pretty organized so even my BLOGMAS schedule is pretty much in order of occurrence BUT, this year I’m simplifying the list even more by combining categories and doing less daily posting to free up time.

HOLIDAY SCHEDULE

This year Thanksgiving arrived late again, so late that I feel like I’m getting a really late start to the Christmas holiday.

Today as usual we will start with a trip to the Christmas Tree farm to get front door wreaths followed by a yummy lunch at a favorite local haunt. The Grange will have their annual craft sale starting today also. Tomorrow is the shop small downtown event tied into the farmer’s market and a local favorite mom and pop store, Family and Friends is having their open house to kick off the season. Sunday will be spent dealing with outside decorations and then the tree lighting ceremony at the park in the evening.

This is not going to be a traditional year for us so I’m actually keeping the schedule pretty flexible. So far the only definite dates are the local county Christmas fair on the 5th, an UGLY Christmas sweater (that I’m ready for) Christmas party on the 12th and the Christmas parade is on the 20th. 

We will be hosting Christmas here for mom and her friend, but it will be small and low key.

CHRISTMAS CARDS I usually have my cards ready to mail on this day, but last year ran so far behind that they never got out. This year though they are once again ready and I will mail them on my way back from the tree farm.

Do you still send “snail mail” Christmas cards? We usually receive our first card on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. I do still send them! I know a lot of people have stopped or send virtual cards, but I’m a die hard on this one. I just love sending and getting Christmas cards in the mail. But, I fear they are becoming a thing of the past. Unfortunately I receive fewer and fewer each year it seems. Virtual cards just aren’t the same to me. AND I can’t reuse virtual cards to make the next year as gift tags.

I even painted a set of old shutters in Christmas colors to display them.

I DO try to make my own Christmas cards when I can, and I PLANNED to do homemade again this year, but years like this last year full of issues sometimes finds me sending out box cards.

A local store carries boxed cards that are really nice quality, pretty cute and super affordable. I’m bound and determined that I WILL do homemade again soon

I did try an annual letter a few times, but ended up in just doing a few paragraphs eventually hitting the highlights from throughout the year since.

ELF on the SHELF/NISSE 

I know many parents are tired of ELF on the SHELF, are you? Food Network even had a baking competition that revolved around the ELF on the SHELF a couple years ago. I’m not sure if it ever made a season 2, because I wasn’t watching.

I have always loved the actual idea of ELF on the SHELF and have made a list each year of the antics they would get into that year so I could be prepared and hopefully not repeat myself too much! But, my munchkins have grown up fast – too fast! 2 of 3 of them “KNEW”, but the youngest still believed and we tried keeping the elf/nisse tradition alive another year! BUT, her teacher told the whole class a couple years ago! Who does that? I was soooooo mad! First off it wasn’t her place to tell the kids and what kind of person, especially a teacher, steals a child’s belief of anything? These days the munchkins all tower over me in their teens and our elf/Nisse has become a sentimental fixture in the Christmas decorations.

A few years back I discovered Julenisser, a Nordic tradition, to replace our previous Elf on a Shelf. I couldn’t find that a Julenisser is actually given a name, but I’m winging it here. The NISSE is one of the most familiar creatures of Scandinavian folklore. Again this year we’ve brougth back Annabelle and her pet reindeer, Alvin. They are always a BIG hit.

In Solvang, a Danish community, they actually do a Nisse Adventure like a scavenger hunt and Danish style JuleFest celebration throughout the month of December.

In Denmark there is a serious subculture regarding the Christmas elves and gnomes known as Julenisser. They live in forests and eat fruits and berries throughout the year before they come spend the month of Christmas with your family. They have BIG hearts and ARE magical and they love to play tricks on you and your family!

Hallmark even did a Christmas movie a while back that involves a Gnome/Troll called MY NORWEIGIAN HOLIDAY.

I know many parents are dreading that darned elf every year and having to come up with at least 24 DIFFERENT scenarios that are different from the previous year! Maybe this is the year to try a NISSE?

So when do you begin? Do you have unique names for your elf? Or do you have a Julenisser? Also, do you have a favorite Christmas character? Angels, Snowmen, Nutcrackers, Bears, Gnomes, Reindeer, Peanuts (Charlie Brown, Snoopy…), Elves, Gingerbread Men, Penguins or the BIG man himself, Santa Claus.

I LOVE ALL the Christmas characters, but my favorites are Snowmen, Angels and Reindeer.

Here are a few of my favorite Elf/NISSE pictures from the past several years:

WRAPPING IDEAS

I’ve been PINTEREST surfing and there are some really cute wrapping ideas out there. This is just a few of the cuter ideas I’ve found. I have been wrapping presents as I go again this year and am able to spend a little more time decorating or just relaxing and enjoying the season by doing it that way. The Grinch one is harder to do than it looks, but I enjoyed the straw and string star one a lot. The scrap paper tree and the paper doll trees are fun too.

COOKING THURSDAY ~ CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CHEESECAKE BARS ~ BLOG 365.331

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CHEESECAKE BARS

DESSERT LOVERS be warned ~ these super yummy peanut butter chocolate chip cookie cheesecake bars are extremely addictive!! These are a small batch recipe so better make your second batch at the same time because the first one will disappear in a flash.

DOUGH
1 stick butter, unsalted (1/2 cup), softened
1/2 cup FINE white sugar
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup JIF creamy peanut butter
1 LARGE egg
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
2 cups chocolate chips

  • Preheat oven to 325°.
  • Lightly spray baking dish with Baker’s Joy.
  • Cream butter, sugars and peanut butter together until smooth and fluffy.
  • Add the egg and beat until well blended.
  • In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt.
  • Slowly add the flour mixture in with the butter and sugar, mixing well after each addition.
  • Stir in the oats and chocolate chips.

CHEESECAKE FILLING
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup FINE sugar
1 LARGE egg
1/2 teaspoon PURE vanilla

  • Cream together the cream cheese, egg, sugar and vanilla until smooth.


ASSEMBLY

  • Press a little more than half of the cookie dough in the bottom of a 9×9 inch square baking dish.
  • Pour the cheesecake filling over the dough and spread smooth to the edges.
  • Crumble the remaining dough and sprinkle over the top OR roll it into a flat layer and place it over the cheesecake layer.
  • 
Cover and bake for 20 minutes.
  • Uncover and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until top is lightly browned and the cheesecake layer is set.
  • Serve warm with ice cream.
  • Store leftover bars in refrigerator.