Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies {Gluten Free}

The Bear and I were looking through a magazine and saw a version of these lovelies (Hershey's has named them Peanut Butter Blossoms) and we ripped it out to make for the holidays.  We even remembered to buy the Hershey's kisses on our next Target trip. As life would have it the recipe which was secured to the fridge via magnetic letters has gone missing.  I imagine it was from either a dog tail whipping by or some sticky toddler hands rearranging things as they do. 

Regardless, we were determined to taste these and as serendipity would have it there was a recipe directly on the bag of red, silver and green kisses. I have made many a peanut butter cookie but never one as decadent and and rich as these.

Kid Bonus:  While you make the batter, have your bears and birds unwrap kisses under your watchful eye! They told me they only ate one each!  Also, when they come out of the oven the big bears can assist in plopping the kisses on the warm cookies!

So, here is the recipe directly from the bag. I must say, while totally out of character, I followed the recipe measurement for measurement! Yay me!  

3 Swaps I Made: 

Real butter for shortening.

All Natural Creamy Peanut Butter for the Reese's Brand 

Trader Joe's All-Purpose Baking Mix for all-purpose flour

Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies {Gluten Free}

Ingredients

• 48 HERSHEY'S KISSES Brand Milk Chocolates
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup REESE'S Creamy Peanut Butter
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Additional granulated sugar

Directions:

1. 1
   Heat oven to 375°F. Remove wrappers from chocolates. 
2. 2
   Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture. 
3. 3
   Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet. 
4. 4
   Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each 
   cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. 
   Makes about 48 cookies.
5. 
   

Eat it and weep.

Breakfast Casserole Fit for Bees

My wonderful Bee-in-laws will be hosting Thanksgiving this year at their home up in beautiful wine country. DaveBee's mama always makes a wonderful spread and she is ultra-conscious of not using gluten ingredients which can be no easy task especially when cooking a large meal like Thanksgiving! She does delectable gluten-free versions of the traditional stuffing and gravy! I am a lucky girl.

I am making a few things to help lighten the meal load!

This breakfast casserole is a first for me.  Two of my sister-in-laws and my mother-in-law make versions of it so here's to hoping it lives up.  Mine is currently in the freezer ready to heat up on Black Friday morning while we are cozily tucked in up in the Sierra Nevada foothills.  If smell is an indicator I think it will be good. With these simple ingredients how can you go wrong?

Simple Breakfast Casserole {Naturally Gluten Free}

3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 bag of frozen Tater Tots (Trader Joe's has some with simply ingredients)
1 pound of Breakfast Sausage (out of the casing)

10 ounces shredded cheese (I used a mexican blend but cheddar or jack would do)

8 eggs

1/3 cup of Milk

Seasoning (Salt, pepper, garlic powder)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook up your breakfast sausage in a frying pan until the are not pink and it is crumbly. Remember to remove casing if there is any.  While cooking up the sausage, layer the bottom of a casserole dish with frozen tater tots. Drizzle evenly and generously with olive oil. Season with salt. Stick in preheating oven to lightly toast while sausage is cooking and oven is preheating.

Beat the eggs in a bowl and add milk and any seasonings you like.

When the sausage is done, pull the tater tots out of the oven and layer the sausage on top.  Next, layer the shredded cheese over the sausage. Lastly, pour the egg mixture over the cheese layer. Place in the oven for 40-45 minutes.  You will know it is done when the top is lightly browned and there is no more liquid egg mixture.

Cool and serve with salsa or hot sauce! (We always have hot sauce with anything with eggs!)

Elfs and Bird Wirds

Ever since watching the movie Polar Express The Bear's wheels have been turning about the North Pole, elves, and everything magical in general.

Today in the car he asked:
"How do elfs make toys?"

I replied that they had a HUGE workshop with any tools they could ever want.

After a long moment of silence:
"I wish I'ma elf."

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Latest Bird Wirds:

"doh" - no
"plo" - pillow
"thee" - smoothie
"sssssss" - nursie
"shhhhh" - fish
"blahktpthpt" - blanket
"moooo" - moon
deep, gutteral, hoarse growl - sound for every animal
"bee" - bee, fly, spider
{She also thinks spiders are everywhere.  She is not scared but she points to black dots everywhere and says "bee" and I have to go through the list of insects that mean bee.  It is usually spider and the black dot is usually just that, a black dot!)

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Bonus: {this is a text I sent my mom the other night when it took about 2 hours to get The Bear to sleep... he is in a scared of the dark and stretch out bedtime as long as possible phase}

Geez...It is always something! "Im scared, sooooooo sooo so so scared.. I'm hungry...just feel my empty body! My peepee hurts...I need some cream!!!"

{He knows all the things to say that I cannot just dismiss!}

If you are a parent, did your kids ever work you at bedtime?

Some Ideas

DaveBee has got to be the most patient father in the world.  I have a pretty strict two book policy when reading before bedtime.  Often I read or sing to The Bird, give her a lil nightcap, tuck her in, and take a shower only to come out to find DaveBee still sweetly reading to The Bear.  Often, they are dissecting a bug book or finding hidden items on a page of his High-Five magazine for the bazillionth time.  Pretty cool stuff.

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While I was out of town for the weekend I called home during breakfast.

I spoke to The Bear.  I asked him what he was up to.

"I don't know but I have some ideas."

Sausage Kale Soup: Quick and Easy {Gluten Free}

I have eaten it. I have loved it. I needed to make it!

I googled the above recipe name, perused the various recipes, and came up with this winner.

My mom stopped by in rush hour traffic to try it, DaveBee wants it to enter our weekly rotation, and there is ONE small bowl left over.  This is a MUST make this week! Check it out:

Sausage Kale Soup

Ingredients
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Yellow Onion chopped
10 Small Potatoes chopped to about 1/2 inch pieces
2 - 32 oz. Boxes of Broth (chicken or vegetable, gluten free)
5-6 Italian Sausages (uncooked and gluten free)
1 Head of Kale chopped (or 3/4 bag of Trader Joe's organic cleaned and cut kale)
Red Pepper Flakes
Salt to taste

Directions
Saute 2/3 of chopped onion in olive oil at bottom of a dutch oven (can use a soup pot too!) on low-medium heat for about 5 minutes.

Add broth and potatoes.  Bring to boil then turn down to simmer.

Add red pepper flakes to pot.  Start light and you can always add more later if you want more of a kick.

While dutch oven simmers and soften potatoes, saute the rest of the onions and cook sausage in a separate frying pan.  When sausage is cooked, cut into 1/2 inch pieces.

Add sausage and contents of frying pan (optional) to the pot.

Add chopped kale.  Add salt and red pepper flakes to taste.

Stir it up and simmer until dinner time!!

So, go and make it.  Tell me your variations. And impress your loved ones.