Happy New Year from The Chicklets

Abigail here! Some of us Chicklets have gathered to talk about the New Year!

Butter Cookies

Why, yes, those ARE leg lamp cookies — new to my cookie cutter collection this year.

Some families are sugar cookie families. My family — at least on my mom’s side — was all about the butter cookies.

Gluten-Free Girl’s Robin’s Nests Cookies

In the spirit of sharing festive cookie recipes, I couldn’t resist bringing out an old family recipe. It’s a cookie recipe I’ve shared here before, but one so yummy, it’s worth sharing again! 🙂

The cookies are called Robin’s Nests. I’m not sure when or how we started baking these at Christmas, but we’ve been doing it for as long as I can remember. The only year I didn’t bake them, I was on pregnancy bed rest and my sister made them for me! 🙂

Now, one word of warning: Plan to be in the kitchen for several hours. This is the most labor-intensive recipe I’ve ever baked but it’s completely worth it because these cookies are incredibly delicious!

Without further delay, here’s the recipe!

Pretzel Buttons

I can’t claim this as an original idea. My company has a satellite branch in Bismarck, North Dakota, and one year our offices decided to hold a holiday cookie exchange. What I now call Pretzel Buttons was one of their “cookies”, but they were so tasty that I had to immediately deconstruct how they were made so I could duplicate them. I have to say, I think I even added a small improvement in using Snyders of Hanover Butter Snap pretzels over plain old “wagon wheel” pretzels. Butter Snaps have a tendency to vanish in my house, whether there’s chocolate on them or not.

Treat Week on Chicklets!

It’s Treat Week here at Chicklets in the Kitchen, where we’ll share our holiday sugar and traditions.  One commenter for the week will win a yet-to-be-identified cook book with desserts as the main focus.  YUM.

Guest Ashlyn Macnamara: Ragoût de boulettes (Meatball stew)

Today, I’m pleased to welcome guest chicklet, Ashlyn Macnmara! Ash, as she’s known by her friends, is here to share a lovely holiday recipe and shares a little French-Canadian Christmas tradition. But…let me get out of the way so Ash can tell you all about it! Take away Ash!

From our kitchens to yours …

(Associated Press Photo by Matthew Mead)

Happy Thanksgiving! May your holiday be filled with family, food and treasured traditions.

The flavors of Thanksgiving without the fuss

All the fixin’s you need …

I love Thanksgiving. What’s not to love about a holiday dedicated to food? 😉

This year’s different, though. Not only is the Boyfriend heading out of town, I have the pleasure of working. All. Night. Long. (From 3 to 10 or 11-ish, at least.) And when I’m not working, I should be NaNoWriMo-ing. (I’m WAY behind in my word count this year.)

Since I’ll be on my own and — between a turkey trot in the morning and work in the afternoon/evening — occupied for most of the day, there’s not a lot of point in planning a feast.

No Recipe This Week–Gearing Up for Thanksgiving

So I had the brilliant idea to have TWO Thanksgiving celebrations this year. One in Florida on Thanksgiving Day with my sister-law and her family. Then a second one at home two days for my side of the family.

Yes, I am completely nuts. But when it goes off without a pumpkin pie out of place, then it will totally be worth the time and insanity.

So what do you do for Thanksgiving? Out of town? Do you host? What’s the craziest thing you’ve done or served for the big meal?

 

Gluten-Free Girl & Halloween Howls

Beer and Transformers in King George

Being gluten-free during any holiday is a pain. But it’s a real bugger at Halloween. Some of my all-time favorite candy is off-limits.

Now, I ask you, how am I supposed to taste-test (for safety reasons of course!) the candy my boys collect while trick-or-treating? I can’t have Kit Kats, Twizzlers, or Candy Corn.

So this year, I’m petitioning folks everywhere to do the right thing…only give Gluten-Free candy to my kids at Halloween. 🙂 The list of suitable candy isn’t endless, but it’s certainly better for me…er, them! Consider giving Peppermint Patties, Hershey Bars, Peanut Butter Cups. If you live in my neighborhood and feel extra generous, feel free to toss in a few Ghiradelli bars!

Happy Halloween, Chicklets & Roosters!