Merry Christmas to me!!!!

I used all my Christmas money and bought a stand mixer!!! I have been drooling over these for awhile now and I couldn't wait any longer!!! Baking will be so much more fun now!!!! Now what to make first.....

Mexican Wedding Cookies

These cookies were harder than I thought. They stay very crumbly and hard to manage. They are not very sweet at all, but have a good flavor. The pecans give it a nice texture and the powdered sugar just enough sweetness.

Mexican Wedding Cookies, from 52 Cookies

1 lb softened unsalted butter

1 cup confectioner's sugar (plus extra for dusting)

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups pecans, finely chopped

5 cups cake flour

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 2 cookies sheets.

In a bowl, using an electric mixer set on medium, beat together the butter and the 1 cup of sugar until light and fluffy, 10-15 minutes. Ad the vanilla, salt, and pecans and beat just until combined. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour, being careful not to over mix the dough.

Form the dough into torpedo shapes the size of small walnuts and place on the cookie sheets. Bake until very lightly browned on the bottoms, 10-12 minutes, switching pan positions halfway through.

Set the cookies sheets on wire racks to cool. Put confectioners' sugar in a large bowl. When the cookies are cool enough to handle, place a few at a time in the bowl and toss gently to coat. As the cookies continue to cool, occasionally toss again with the sugar, trying to coat them as much as possible.

BonBon Cookies

These turned out great!! They stay soft and oh so yummy in the middle, and the surprise chocolate chips just add to the sweetness. This recipe only yielded about 16 cookies, but it was worth it! I had left over buttercream and used that for the frosting, rather than the icing the recipe called for. These cookies will be made for many occasions throughout the year!

BonBon Cookies, Created by Mrs. Joseph J. Wallace, Whitehall, Montana found on Cakespy.com

For the Cookies:

1/2 cup soft butter

3/4 cup sifted confectioners sugar

1 tbsp. vanilla

food coloring if desired

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/8 tsp. salt

Possible fillings: chocolate chips, chopped nuts, coconut, cherries...choose your own!

For the Icing: Mix 1 cup sifted confectioners sugar, 2 tbsp cream, 1 tsp vanilla, and food coloring

Heat oven to 350. Mix butter, sugar, vanilla, and food coloring (if using), thoroughly. Measure flour by dip-level-pour method or by sifting. Blend in flour and salt. If dough is dry add 1 to 2 tbsp. cream. Wrap a level tablespoon of dough around filling. Place 1 inc. apart on un-greased cookie sheet. Bake 12 to 15 min. Cool; dip tops of cookies in frosting; decorate with another topping if desired.

Bookmarks

I made these bookmarks as extra little Christmas Presents. The cupcake one is mine! :)

Cupcakes

Nothing fancy, I cheated and used FunFetti cake mix (but I love it anyways!!). Used the Wilton Buttercream to frost and dipped the sides in sugar crystals.

Peppermint Bark

This is an easy, quick gift to whip up. Wrap in a Christmas tin and its an instant present!

I used a bag of white chocolate chips, melted one cup at a time. After stirring the melted chips I added crushed candy canes. Smooth out on wax paper and let stand for about an hour. Break up and serve.

Beef Stew

It has been cold and rainy and beef stew is perfect in this weather! It is one of Jonathan's favorites, but very low on my list of dinner choices. We worked together to complete this dinner and it turned out great. I really liked the flavor and consistency. We used fresh veges which made it taste so much better. This will defintely be a repeat in our house!

Shortcut Beef Stew, Campbells Soup

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 lb. boneless beef sirloin steak, cubed

1 can tomato soup

1 can beefy mushroom soup

1 tbsp. worchestershire sauce

Vegetables

Heat oil in saucepot. Add beef and cook until browned and jucies evaporate, stirring often.

Add soups, worcestershire and vegetables. Heat to a boil cover and cook over low heat 10 min. or until vegetables are tender.

Modifications: We seasoned the beef with onion powder and fresh garlic. We used potatoes, green beans, and carrots (all fresh). I had to add about a can of water as well. We seasoned the stew with cayenne pepper, seasoning salt, and black pepper. It took about 30 to 45 minutes for the vegetables to get soft enough for our tastes.