Mittens and Hats Sugar Cookies/ #FBCookieSwap

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I love Christmas cookies, so when it comes time for the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap every holiday season, I am definitely in! This year I sent my three secret bloggers my Mittens and Hats Sugar Cookies. This sugar cookie recipe is one of my favorites! It is not difficult to make, but the decorating does take some time. If you are looking for a special sugar cookie recipe, this is the one!

The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap is more than just a cookie swap. We raise money to donate to Cookies for Kids Cancer, and we work with some wonderful sponsors. This year our sponsors are Dixie Crystals, Land 'O Lakes, and OXO! Isn't that a great list?! Thank you to all of the wonderful sponsors!

 Mittens and Hats Sugar Cookies

Cranberry Panna Cotta/#SundaySupper

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 This year's Annual Holiday Bash menu is set. The dishes have been taken down from the high shelves and washed, the silverware has been polished and is looking shiny and new, the linens have been pressed, the wine glasses have been washed and the invitations have been delivered. I have decorated the tree, strung some lights, and put a wreath on the door. Every year, I plan a menu with at least one new entrée or dessert for my guests to enjoy. This year the menu includes this Cranberry Panna Cotta for dessert, and I will be serving it with two Gallo Family Vineyards wines: a crisp Moscato and a tasty Pinot Grigio. The Cranberry Panna Cotta with the light bodied, refreshing Moscato and the citrus flavor of the Pinot Grigio are the perfect pairing for the big bash.

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Homemade Ravioli and Ragu Pasta Sauce

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I love the holidays, and the food that goes along with it! This year that includes Homemade Ravioli and Ragu Pasta Sauce. Like a lot of people, I am a pasta lover. But I am not a pasta lover just for the pasta. My true love is the sauce! I can remember going to my grandmother's house every year during the holidays, and there was always sauce simmering away on the stove. Oooh, it was amazing! That deep aroma wafting through the house; when I opened grandmas front door, it put a smile on my face that never left. It smelled like home! I got that same warm, happy, comfort feeling when I prepared these homemade ravioli with Ragu Pasta Sauce for my family. The smells came wafting past me, and for a second I was sitting in Grandma's kitchen again.

These ravioli's were fun and easy to make. My goal for the next time I make these is to make the dough thinner.  It has always been a holiday tradition to serve pasta in our house on Christmas Eve, and I have been continuing the tradition for many years, but ravioli's are a new addition to our special tradition. The Ragu Pasta Sauce makes this recipe taste authentic, just like when Assunta Cantisano came to America with the recipe for this special tomato sauce. She was an amazing woman, who, against all odds, made Ragu Pasta Sauces a success! Ragu: Crafted with Passion. Simmered in Tradition! To read more about Assunta Cantisano, her incredible story, and her amazing sauce, click here to go to the Ragu Landing Page. Did you know that Ragu Pasta Sauce has no artificial flavors, no  artificial colors, and no high fructose corn syrup? It is amazing!



Ravioli Filling

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Portobello Stack/#SundaySupper

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I love chicken, and I can (and do) eat it pretty much everyday. So, when I discovered that we would be creating "Veggies as a Main Dish" today for #SundaySupper, I was at somewhat of a loss on what to make. Then I remembered something that helped me come up with this Portobello Stack. I used to run a kitchen in southern Utah, where the restaurant was in a hotel, and the manager of the hotel was vegetarian. However, our most popular dishes were Prime Rib and Pork Ribs! The manager was always asking me to make her some type of vegetarian dish, so I became familiar with creating dishes that made her feel full and happy, but were vegetarian. This Portobello Stack is one of those dishes. If you like mushrooms, this is definitely for you! It is full of four different kinds, and it has peppers, green onions, and tomatoes added for a wonderful robust flavor! Plus, I think you will really enjoy the sauce that is drizzled over the top!

Portobello Stack

Pizzelles/#Cookielicious Exchange Party!

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I am so excited to be participating in this Cookielicious Exchange Party! What could be more fun than sharing cookies with some of my favorite people, during my favorite time of the year! I brought my Holiday Pizzelles today! If you have never had pizzelles you are missing out! You will need a pizzelle iron to make them. They are festive and tasty with the flavor of anise, plus they are quick and easy to make. They usually don't have chocolate and crushed candy canes around the edge, but, it is the holiday season!

I learned to make pizzelles when I was about eight years old. I grew up in a very small town about 40 minutes outside Cincinnati, a city with a lot of German heritage. One cold winter day in early December, the lady who lived across the street from us asked my mother if I could come over to her house and make cookies with her. I never did know why she asked me to help her out. She spoke with a thick german accent, was always so nice and sweet, and I was thrilled to go. For 2 whole days I helped her mix batter, and stack the cooled pizzelles, and count them. She ran the pizzelle iron! By the end of our cookie marathon we had pizzelles stacked high on every available space in her kitchen, including her huge kitchen table. I don't remember what she was doing with all of them. I assume they were gifts to the many people she and her family knew. I do know that she made me feel special and important. I am the oldest of six children, and little did she know what welcome relief it was to escape the craziness, if only for a couple days. Or, maybe she did know, and it was her Christmas gift to me. Regardless, of why she invited me, I am so glad she did.
These are for you, Mrs. Mihalovich!

 Holiday Pizzelles

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Pumpkin Tiramisu

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If you are looking for a wonderful and tasty fall or Thanksgiving dessert, I have one for you! Actually, this Pumpkin Tiramisu is delectable anytime! They are made in individual dishes for ease of serving, and they can be made ahead of time, for the most part, for all around dessert easiness! You will love these!

Pumpkin Tiramisu

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