Do the Truffle Shuffle!!!

In anticipation of the extended family's Christmas Dinner on Monday, I've made truffles. We live a bit of a ways away from the rest of the family so I always make a dessert. Something that travels easily. These truffles/cake balls certainly fit the bill. I made Red Velvet Truffles and Oreo Truffles. I did deviate from Bakerella a bit. I just drizzled the bark over my truffles instead of fully coating them. What's the difference? Well, mine need to be refridgerated cause otherwise they get kinda mushy when warm for a long period. Still edible and still very good, just sticky. I did an oops though and had to come up with an alternate idea. I only bought 1 package of bark instead of 2. OOPS!!

These truffles are a fairly simple process and I grabbed the ideas from Bakerella. Just click the links above and you'll get her fabulously posted recipes. I just love her baking ideas and vow to give a few of the more complicated posts a try of my own.

OMG!! THEY WERE FABULOUS!!

Picture borrowed from Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman

The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond, has Cinnamon Rolls that are to die for. I mean it. They are absolutely the best Cinnamon Rolls EVER created. I posted the link before, but because they are so absolutely wonderful I've added it to this post as well. To quote my dearly departed grandmother, "Lawdie mercy. Those are so good that your tongue will beat your brains out trying to get just a bite."

My hat's off to you, Ree, The Pioneer Woman. You sure know cinnamon rolls.

BTW, my crew devoured them so quickly I had to borrow a pic to show you all their awesome yummy goodness.

The Pioneer Woman

Ree Drummond is a Godsend. I'm cooking my very first holiday meal and I want it to be the best meal anyone has ever had. So, I've turned to Ree's website, The Pioneer Woman, for tried and true recipes from a down to earth homemaker, like me. As much as I can claim to be like Ree. Oh, how I wish I were more like Ree. I'll just have to live vicariously through her website. So, with my deep dark secret wish to be more like Ree revealed here's my Christmas Day menu.

Christmas Breakfast

Cinnamon Rolls

Christmas Dinner

Roasted Turkey

Stuffing

Turkey Gravy

Mashed Potatoes

Creamy Herbed Potatoes

Sweet Potato Casserole

Oven Roasted Asparagus

Cranberry Sauce

Rolls

Desserts
Blackberry Cobbler

Christmas Rum Cake

Christmas Cookies

So, there you have it. What The Southern Sass is cooking up for Christmas Dinner. This year we'll be celebrating on Christmas Eve, so our kids can open presents as home and know what it is to celebrate around THEIR Christmas tree. I'm so excited to be celebrating at HOME this year. I'm excited to have them run into our bedroom and jump on our bed, excited to see if Santa came. That's all I want for Christmas. To cook for the family and see my kids faces in front of our tree on Christmas morning. Oops, Christmas Eve morning.

Here's hoping that y'all get all you want for Christmas!!!

Pasta Weesie

Saturday nights are reserved for my husband and I to reconnect. My mother-in-law normally picks up the older 2 rugrats and we keep Zoe. Sometimes we hit a restaurant and the Redbox, but last night we stayed in. Terry and I LOVE Carrabba's, but with us living in rural Kentucky our nearest one is over an hour and a half away. Much too far for a normal Saturday night. So, after little miss settled down for the night I started cooking. Pasta Weesie was my aim and I think I hit it spot on.

Carrabba's menu describes Pasta Weesie as Shrimp sauteed in a garlic, lemon butter, white wine sauce with sauteed mushrooms and scallions, served over fettuccine Alfredo. Now cause I'm a mom on a budget I buy CHEAP stuff and improvise. I also didn't do the mushrooms, well cause I HATE mushrooms. Sorry Ree & Pastor Ryan! You just can't make me love them!!

The Southern Sass's Pasta Weesie

1 bag of pre-cooked small shrimp (In the freezer section.)
2 cloves pressed garlic
2 tablespoons diced onions
Lemon Butter Sauce
1 pkg Knorr Alfredo sauce
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
heavy hand of fettuccine (I used a WHOLE box)

Directions: Saute the shrimp until nearly done. Add garlic, and onions. Continue sauteing until shrimp is cooked completely. (Since I used the precooked shrimp I had to drain the water off.) In a separate pan, make a package of Knorr Alfredo sauce. Add the Alfredo sauce & lemon butter(below) to the shrimp. Stir well to combine. Then add the grated Parmesan. Plate pasta and top with shrimp mixture.


Donna's Lemon Butter Sauce (I'm too lazy to clarify the butter like I'm supposed to.)

1 stick of butter
4 T finely chopped yellow onion
4 T finely chopped garlic
Juice from 1 large lemon
4 T dry white wine
Kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper
4 T cold butter

To make sauce; Melt butter over low heat, add onion and garlic, and saute until transparent. Add lemon juice and white wine, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes to reduce liquid. Remove from heat and swirl in cold butter until sauce is smooth and emulsified.

This recipe is enough for 4 regular servings, but what you see in that bowl is HALF this recipe. Yes I know I'm going to die if I don't stop eating like this, but at least I'll die HAPPY!!!

Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup

Today I'm in the mood to cook!! YAY!!!

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup, I'm so excited. I just can't wait.

See I told you, sometimes store or generic brands are cheaper. The McCormick grinders were on sale for $1. Happy Donna! Happy Donna!! LOL! Ok, sorry. Wild tangent. Back to Chicken soup.

The ingredients for Chicken soup are simple. Noodles, salt, pepper, chicken, chicken broth, carrots, celery, onion and garlic. OOPS!! No garlic and onion in the picture. Just pretend. You know it's there.

Here's how I do it.

INGREDIENTS

-48 oz of chicken broth
-2 BS chicken breasts (no not Bull Snot chicken breasts. boneless and skinless. Keep your minds out of the gutter) You can do this without even thawing the chicken out.
-1 large onion, peeled, halved and sliced

-3 bay leaves
-about 10 turns of the pepper grinder
-2/3 bunch celery (Now you could reserve the leaves for later if you want to get fancy)
-1 pound carrots sliced (I use baby carrots cause they are already cleaned and I have enough to do during the day.)

-1 package dry noodles

-water

DIRECTIONS

1. Place everything, but the noodles in a large pot over High heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. (This may take longer if you didn't thaw your chicken.)

2. Remove chicken. When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove skin and cut meat into bite-size pieces.

3. Return chicken to pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Stir noodles into pot. Simmer until noodles are cooked, about 10 minutes more. At this time I normally have to add a bit more water.

4. Serve with warm crusty bread or grilled cheese sandwiches. YUM!!

FYI-if you like a bit more chickeny flavor you can always add some a bit chicken base or a couple buillion cubes to add a bit more chickeny taste.

No-Bake Cookies

Today my Mother-in-law brought my older 2 kids home from a weekend with Mamaw. She stuck around for awhile and ended up making cookies. No-Bake Cookies. One of my favorites. Of course, who doesn't like chocolate and peanut butter all wrapped up together? That would be a sacrilege!!!


No-Bake Cookies



















INGREDIENTS

1 3/4 cups white sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
3 cups quick-cooking oats
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, milk, butter, and cocoa. Bring to a boil, and cook for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in peanut butter, oats, and vanilla. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper. Let cool until hardened.