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Cookies & Bars Fall Halloween Thanksgiving

Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love fall. I feel like we had just a glimpse of it this year, as the trees seemed to linger with green well into the season, giving us just a few days of that gorgeous autumn glow before they were covered in a blanket of November snow.

It didn’t seem fair, to steal that away from us so quickly, but the delicious season lingers on in my house with the food that I make. Which…basically translates to pumpkin everything. I do love it. I know the pumpkin spice trend has gotten a bit out of control (pumpkin spice salsa?) but I love the organic, grassroots pumpkin spice movement. You know, like pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins and pumpkin cake? The OG’s of pumpkin spice treats. When you stray too far from those, you lose me sometimes. These pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are even a daring stretch for me, but they are so good you will not be disappointed.

These cookies have a chewy, tender texture, no crunch here! The browned butter gives it a warm, nutty flavor and the pumpkin spice is just right. The bursts of chocolate throughout give it a rich finish that is perfect for your fall, or chocolate craving! These freeze well, so bake up a double batch, and put some away for the holidays!

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Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies

Author: Heather

Recipe type: Cookie

Cuisine: Dessert

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 10 mins

Serves: 24 cookies

This delicious chewy cookie will have you craving fall all year long! This dough does need to chill for two hours so plan accordingly!

Ingredients

10 tbsp butter
1½ cups flour
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
1½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
⅛ tsp cloves
½ cup sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
⅓ cup pumpkin puree
1 cup dark chocolate chips or chunks

Instructions

*In a small saucepan, start melting butter over a low heat.
Once butter is melted, let it get slightly brown, but not burnt.
You should be able to smell a delicious nutty flavor and that is when it is done.
Swirl the pan a few times and remove from heat.
Let stand to cool slightly, about two minutes.
Add the sugars to the butter and let stand another five minutes.
In a small bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, and spices.
In a large bowl, add sugar/butter mixture, egg yolk and vanilla stirring until well combined.
Add flour mixture slowly and mix gently.
Fold in chocolate chips.
Chill dough for two hours or up to 24 hours.
Once chilled, you are ready to scoop!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Let dough sit for a few minutes if it is super hard, just so you are able to scoop and shape it.
Scoop about 1½ tbsp sized balls and roll them into a ball.
Place evenly spaced on the cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.
Let sit for one minute out of the oven, then transfer to a cookie sheet and let cool completely.
Enjoy!

Travel

Girl and Her Kitchen: Out West Road Trip {Part Five: Trip MUST-Haves}

Our road trip out west was something we will never forget! Exploring the Badlands, Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park was an amazing experience. Read more about this trip here. But, we could not do it alone. By that, I mean all the STUFF we used to make our lives incredibly easier on this long, two week trip! I have shared some of our favorites below! Check them out, click and order them for yourself if you want to make your trip smooth and easy! Hopefully some of my ideas will help make your trip better than ever!

As far as keeping busy on the long drive? We got creative and the kids were never bored! A few things we tried:

Binders of Activities: We bought each of the kids binders and they went online and printed crossword puzzles, coloring pages, word searches and mazes. We spent the day printing, hole punching and filling the binders with fun!

Playlists: Before the trip, we instructed each child to put together a 30 minute-1 hour play list on their phones (or for the little one that doesn’t have a phone he used ours). They were to keep it a surprise and then on the trip we listened to everyone’s play lists (we made them too!). It was so fun to get a glimpse of everyone’s favorite music!

Audio Books: Before we left, we downloaded a few audio books for the whole family to enjoy. It was fun to take a break from doing our own thing and all listening to a book together. There are many to choose from and you can check your public library or audible.com. The ones that we chose:
- Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
- Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor
- The Inquisitor’s Tale by Adam Gidwitz

Movies: Of course, we stocked the car with movies. When things just need to settle down, this is the way to go. If you have a car where the kids can plug in headphones and you don’t have to listen to the movie from the front seat, even better.

Car Games: We asked each child to come up with a game to play in the car. They were asked to keep it secret until the car trip. It was fun seeing what each one came up with. We also played the license plate game as a family. I printed out a sheet with all of the license plates and they could color it in as they found them. It kept us busy until the end, and I am happy to report that we found every single license plate!

Books: I preordered a few books for each child, and the one that can’t read in the car downloaded a few audio books for her to listen to on her own.

Snacks: Well, do we even need a description for this? These are a necessity!

In the Car

This car diffuser helped us battle living in our car for eleven days driving through the country. I brought my collection of essential oils, but peppermint was our favorite to freshen the car, and battle the waves of motion sickness that some of us suffer from.

This helped when eating meals in the car or snacking. It kept mess to a minimum, and helped them to have a more enjoyable meal. Each child had one and kept it with them for easy access when mealtime rolled around.

Lodging

This is our absolute favorite travel accessory. It is so easy to blow up, comfortable to sleep on and easy to pack away.

We went through so many clothing items on this trip, but liked keeping the dirty, sweaty clothes away from the clean ones. These laundry bags were durable and perfect for lugging some laundry to do a quick load.

Eating

Packing plenty of food and snacks for our time in the car and our time on the trails was really important. We made sure to pack a large cooler filled with a lot of healthy, nourishing foods. It helped keep our energy up to have as much fun as we could! We also didn’t want to carry a cooler with ice packs around, so it helped to have food that could sit in our backpack. These snacks were delicious and filling, and perfectly easy to pack along!

Delicious Snacks

All of this food was perfect for on the go. It didn’t need refrigeration and was perfect for snacking while out hiking. It was also filling and nutritious and gave us the energy we needed to keep going and enjoying our vacation.

Food Storage

These were the best for packing up lunches and meals for the car. It packed nicely in the cooler and served as a plate while eating. We packed up lots of delicious breakfasts, lunches and dinners so we weren’t stopping for fast food constantly.

Hiking

When you are in the national parks, you want to be prepared! The only options for buying something you forgot are a lot of overpriced gift shops! When you are out hiking, you want to make sure you have all of your essentials. These items helped make our hikes easier and more enjoyable!

CamelBack Backpack

We loved this for the ease of keeping hydrated. This one had extra room inside as well for snacks, some small personal belongings and a phone or camera. The kids were never dehydrated because they thought it was fun to drink out of their backpack! We saw so many people on the trails with no water or supplies and that is a terrible idea! Make sure you are prepared. Especially in the summer-it is really hot and you need water, food and some other things to make your hike a little easier!

Hiking Shoes

Someone mentioned to us before we left that they strongly advised us to get hiking shoes. Gym shoes would do, but hiking shoes would make a lot of the trails much easier, especially in the badlands. Since none of us have any hiking shoes and we all love to be outdoors, I figured that investing in some good hiking shoes would be a good idea. These shoes were the ones that we chose and we loved the style, comfort and ease of the shoes.

Bug Spray

I always hate the bug spray that you need to shower afterwards if you spray on yourselves. This kept us bite free, smelled good, and didn’t poison us with harsh chemicals! A little goes a long way, so despite the higher price tag, it is definitely worth it!

Sunscreen

We needed to protect ourselves from the harsh rays, and this really did the trick, without the stuff we didn’t need. It smells great too!

Bear Spray

Yes, I am that mom. Yes, we saw bears. No, we weren’t attacked by them, nor did I have to dispatch my bear spray. But…I did feel much better having it in my reach on the side of my backpack! So…you decide…

Rain Ponchos

We wanted to make sure that we were ready for any weather! These rain ponchos fit easily in our camelback backpacks and were ready and waiting in case of inclement weather.

Good luck packing up for your trip! It might be a lot of work prepping for this trip, but it will be worth every minute!

xoxo,

Travel

Girl and Her Kitchen Travel Series: Out West Road Trip {Part Four- Grand Tetons, Jackson Hole, Custer and the Trip Home!}

Leaving Yellowstone was tough, but we were really excited about our next destination – Jackson Hole! Before we arrived there, we had plans to travel through Grand Teton National Park, and we were excited to start that part of our journey. So many people had encouraged us to not skip the Tetons when our original plan was to head up north to Montana. As we entered Grand Teton National Park, we were sure glad we took their advice. In this installment, I will take you on a tour of this national park, as well as Jackson Hole, and the few stops we made heading back to the midwest. Have you been following along? Have you read my previous posts? In Part One, I talk about the Badlands. Part Two discusses South Dakota and Cody and in Part Three we visit Yellowstone. Check them all out to help you in creating the ultimate out west road trip!

DAY SEVEN: GRAND TETONS AND JACKSON HOLE

Driving into Grand Teton National Park will take your breath away. The beautiful trees with snowcapped mountains as their backdrop is enough, but the beautiful lakes and wildlife makes it even better. Since we were just driving through, we only had a few things on our agenda for the day in the park. There is a lot to see here, and I truly wish we would have had more time, but unfortunately we were limited to just a few things due to time constraints. I encourage you to really look into Grand Teton National Park and extend your stay a bit!

Here is what we saw while we were there:

Jenny Lake (be warned…we literally just drove by…it is PACKED on the weekends!)
Mormon Row (absolutely beautiful and picturesque)

Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center
Scenic Loop Drive
Schwabacher Landing

You will not be sorry that you took a drive through Grand Teton National Park! Your national park pass will work for admission to this park, and again, if you have kids, make sure you get your National Parks Passport book so they can get their stamp! My kids always looked so forward to this! Click below to buy yours today! It is really the best souvenir they could ask for.

We arrived around 5pm in Jackson Hole at our KOA. The kids loved our little cabin, and it was nice for us to be able to spread out a little bit. Our only regret is that we didn’t get lodging in the downtown area. We had never been there before, and we were unaware that the downtown of Jackson Hole was going to be so ADORABLE and fun! We were probably about five miles away and because there was construction on the main road leading in, it would take us quite awhile to get into town each day. Next time (I hope there is a next time!) we visit, I would definitely recommend a place in town. We paid quite a lot for the KOA cabin, and we were barely there to enjoy it!

Snake River KOA

9705 South Highway 89

Jackson, WY 83001

When we arrived, we settled into our cabin and headed out to check out the town! We were starving, so first stop…FOOD! We were all in the mood for burgers, and there were plenty of choices to choose from. Most seemed to have long waits, so we settled on Jackson Drug when we realized that we could get right in. Jackson Drug is an old drugstore/soda fountain that opened in 1919. After years of being in business, closing, being sold and resold, the property was vacant again and reopened as a refurbished Jackson Drug. It was adorable inside, and the menu and dessert selections were awesome. You could build a burger which my kids loved, and their salads were great too. We barely saved room for dessert, but we made it happen because the menu was too hard to resist. Overall, it was a great place to stop.

Look at this handsome man and his…huckleberry shake!

TIPS:We highly recommend the cookie monster sundae, the house salad, the huckleberry shake and the build your own burgers. Talk with the waitstaff, they all seem to have stories, and are super friendly!

Jackson Drug

15 E. Deloney Avenue

Jackson, WY 83001

We stopped in so many shops while we were there, but we loved a quaint little toy store that we happened to come across. The man working was one of the friendliest ever, and didn’t hesitate to tell us all about the shop, and the town. We spent a lot of time there and the kids loved it. They have a fun target shooting activity the kids can do while they are there too, and that made it worth the stop alone. Stop in if you have a chance! Even if you don’t have any kids with you!

Jackson Hole Toy Store

165 Center Street

Jackson, WY 83001

DAY EIGHT: JACKSON HOLE

The next morning we were up bright and early to head out to our White Water rafting trip. We used a great company that we highly recommend. We did the Paddle and Saddle package which included a fun white water rafting trip, lunch at a restaurant with an incredible view, and a horseback ride. Although the final tab is expensive, it was absolutely worth it when you thought about how much you are getting for the money. The company provided wetsuits for only $5 and a free breakfast. They were very friendly and we started our morning off great! If you can request a guide for your white water trip, I highly recommend you asking for Gavin. He was experienced, friendly and, for a worrier like myself, he put my mind completely at ease about everything! We had the best experience! Rafting was really fun and we were able to learn about the town too from Gavin.

Photo Courtesy of Snake River Photo

After the rafting, we headed to the town to spend a little time before our lunch at The Granary. We just love the town, and spent time walking around and enjoying the sights. We stopped for a quick snack at The Bunnery and we all shared a delicious ham and swiss croissant, a blueberry muffin and an almond stick. It was more than enough for the five of us, and very tasty!

The Bunnery

130 North Cache

Jackson, WY 83001

We headed to The Granary for lunch, and were seated at a table with the most incredible view of the Tetons. We were happy to find out that our lunch included a drink and any entree on the menu! I had a smoked salmon sandwich, while my husband enjoyed Filet. The kids had a variety of sandwiches, the caprese, a barbecued pork and a turkey club. We enjoyed everything and felt ready to embark on our horseback ride.

The stables were easy to find from the restaurant and after check in, we were immediately introduced to our horses and started on our way! It was a beautiful ride, but very vigorous. The horses climbed a mountain for most of the trip! The views were amazing and it was an experience we will never forget!

You can book all of your excursions through one company. There are many companies in Jackson Hole to choose from, but we were referred to this one by someone else who had a fantastic time, and we enjoyed it immensely as well. Do your research, but if you want the experience we had, check them out and book the Paddles and Saddles experience. You won’t regret it!

TIP: In order to ride the horses, you need pants. Make sure you bring some with you on your trip while packing and wear them for this part of the adventure. Depending on the time of year, you will be hot! Also, wear sunscreen! Depending on time of year, it will be hot and the sun will be beating down on you. We picked the one hour horseback ride and it was plenty. With the age of our kids, I am not sure they would have wanted to ride longer, so take into consideration who you are traveling with while booking.

Jackson Hole Whitewater (JHWW)

650 West Broadway

Jackson, WY 83001

We were excited to see another shoot out performance on the schedule for Jackson. We enjoyed the one in Cody, and couldn’t wait to see one again. This one is performed by a local theater group and was very interactive and entertaining. Linger around there early to get a good spot. For more information on the shoot out, check out their website here.

Afterwards, we had dinner at a really good Mexican restaurant in town. The wait for all the restaurants is pretty long in peak times, but this one was worth the wait. We shared nachos, quesadillas, guacamole and a salad and it was all delicious! Stop there if you are craving some casual Mexican food after a long day of playing, shopping and exploring.

The Merry Piglets

160 North Cache

Jackson, WY 83001

DAY NINE: JACKSON HOLE-CUSTER, SOUTH DAKOTA

We had one more stop in Jackson before heading out, and we all couldn’t wait! We were heading to Teton Village to ride the tram up 10,450 feet and enjoy waffles on top of the world! It was so exciting and the view was spectacular! The waffles at Corbett’s Cabin were very overpriced, but tasty, but the views that came along with it made it all incredibly worth it. There are some hikes you can do and the resort in general has a lot of activities too! We wished we had time to do a bike ride, but unfortunately we were in a time crunch to stick to our trip home schedule, and had to get going. Check out this website to learn more about Teton Village, buy your Aerial Tram tickets and check out Corbett’s Cabin and what kind of waffles you can enjoy!

Heading out of Jackson Hole was tough. I fell in love with that little town and I really didn’t want to leave! I hope to be back sometime soon! In the meantime, we had a few more fun things to check off of our list, so we headed out, ready to drive the eight hours to Custer, South Dakota! It was a long, but peaceful drive, but just around 8pm we arrived at possibly the cutest hotel on the planet! If you are making stop in Custer, please check out The Bavarian Inn to stop and stay the night. We fell in love with this hotel and wish we could come back! Located just minutes from the downtown area of Custer, this little hotel is small, but packs quite the impression! When we first pulled up, I didn’t know what to expect, but after my husband checked in, he said that he was super impressed. We came into our room and they had turned on the lights and had soft, relaxing music playing. It was so nice! They offer free tea, coffee and hot chocolate all day, and host a cookie happy hour (that we unfortunately missed!) every day at 3pm. In the morning they have a pancake and yogurt parfait bar. They also boast an indoor pool, outdoor pool, tennis and basketball courts (they provide the rackets, and balls!) and lots of games to play. There is even a small playground for the little ones. It was clean, cozy and perfect for the end of the trip when we just wanted to relax.

Just enjoying some free coffee. If it’s there, it’s meant to be enjoyed, right?

The Bavarian Inn

855 N. 5th Street

Custer, South Dakota 57730

DAY TEN: CUSTER, SOUTH DAKOTA-SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA

After check out (and a sad wave goodbye to this adorable hotel) we went out to explore downtown Custer. It was filled with shops and we spent some time shopping and enjoying the sites. We had very limited time here, so didn’t get a chance to really explore much, but it seemed like it was a town steeped in some rich history and of course, like every other spot, beautiful to look at.

We were hungry afterwards so stopped at a cute little restaurant called the Purple Pie Place. They had some lunch specialities that we enjoyed (chicken pot pie and chicken salad sandwiches) but of course we had some pie afterwards!

My middle daughter and I had the peach pie, and my husband tried the Bumbleberry. My other daughter tried the apple pie, and my son had ice cream. All delicious!

The Purple Pie Place

19 Mount Rushmore Road

Custer, South Dakota 57730

We were on one of our last legs of our trip, but we were not ready to be done with the fun yet! We had one last surprise for the kids! Just a quick half hour drive and we arrived at Rush Mountain! We had a cave tour planned, and a few other fun things! The kids got to ride a mountain coaster and a zipline too. We loved it! It was so fun and just the perfect end to a the most fun trip we ever had!

There is a ton to do there, including cave tours, a zipline, a mountain coaster, video games, a high ropes course, a gift shop an some food options. The cave tour is very cool and well worth it! They have some great packages to experience a few fun attractions for one price. I mean, who doesn’t want to take a ride on a mountain coaster?

Rush Mountain Adventure Park

13622 Highway 40

Keystone, South Dakota 57751

DAY ELEVEN: SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA-HOME!

And, that was our last hurrah! After Rush Mountain, we drove the five hours to Sioux Falls, South Dakota to stay the night before driving the rest of the way home! We stayed in an Americinn, which was clean and comfortable, but definitely a stay the night right off the highway hotel. It was nothing like the Americinn we stayed at in Cody. That being said, all we did was sleep and eat breakfast in the morning, so it was perfect for what we needed!

Americinn

3508 South Gateway Blvd.

Sioux Falls, SD 57106

I hope that I have helped you plan your dream trip out west, because it certainly will be a trip to remember! My next post is going to show you some of our favorite must haves for the trip! Please make sure you take the time to read all of my posts to maximize your road trip experience! Comment or reach out to me on Facebook any time with questions! I would love to help you plan your DREAM TRIP!

Travel

Girl and Her Kitchen Travel Series: Out West Road Trip {Part Three – Yellowstone National Park}

Arriving at Yellowstone National Park hardly seemed real as we pulled up to the wooden sign flanking the side of the East Entrance that announced it in all of its glory. We had been planning our vacation for so long that it seemed as if we would never actually arrive at our destination. When we finally did, cheesy as it sounds, tears sprang to my eyes. I had never traveled to this side of America before, and working on planning this road trip for so long, it seemed like more of a dream rather than a reality.

This trip was a dream come true. I hope you are following along so you can plan this trip with your family. If you just arrived, make sure you check out Part One and Part Two of the series. There is a lot of wonderful information that you will need to make it a trip you will never forget!

DAY FIVE: YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

We headed out of Cody, Wyoming first thing in the morning after a breakfast at our hotel. We began driving towards the East Yellowstone Entrance to start a day filled with hiking and sight seeing. We had one quick surprise for the kids first…ziplining! We bought one zipline trip at The Sleeping Giant right outside the Yellowstone Entrance. It was beautiful there, and the ziplining was so fun! It was not that expensive for the experience we had and we highly recommend this company! The guides that we had were fun, entertaining and experienced. If you have a little extra time on your trip, stop by and have some fun! You will not regret it! Well…unless your family talks you into doing a forty foot free fall just for fun…you might regret that! And yes, that is what happened to me! That is fear on my face…pure fear!

TIP: If they are still there and available, ask for Finn and Danny. They were amazing! They were so fun and so great with my kids. Also, make sure to get a family picture with the mountains in the background. It is beautiful there!

The Sleeping Giant

348 North Fork Highway

Cody, Wyoming 82414

The first thing to do when you are planning your trip to Yellowstone National Park is make a list of the sights that you want to see. Old Faithful? Put it on the list. Grand Prismatic? Add it. A special hiking trail? Write it down. Once you have your list of all of the things that you want to see and do, you can start mapping out a plan, and a making a decision on where to say.

Yellowstone is made up of several little villages. Each village has a hotel and a cluster of stores, restaurants and visitor centers. We decided to stay in Canyon Village, since it was very centrally located and near a lot of what we wanted to see. Once we made those reservations (make them early!), we mapped out a daily plan for how we were going to see the sights. Seeing things in Yellowstone is not what you may think it may be. There might be two things that are on your must see list, and they may be three hours away from each other. Add in buffalo crossing the road and traffic jams which sometimes occur, you can be driving for five hours if you don’t plan carefully. We decided to group things together and each day see a few things that we were interested in doing.

Ok, first things first, and then I will get you our Yellowstone Itinerary of sights to see. First and foremost, the hotel. There are some options. You could say outside the park grounds. There are several hotels outside the North, South, East and West entrances that you can book and drive into the park each day. You can also stay inside the park grounds in a hotel/lodge. This is what we chose. A third option is camping. There are several camping options inside yellowstone ranging from basic tent camping to RV camping. Make sure you look into all of the options to know what is best for you.

As I mentioned above, we stayed in Canyon Village. We really liked the location, and felt that it was really close to everything we wanted to see. We stayed and the Canyon Village Lodge. It was a little more on the pricey side, but it was extremely clean, comfortable and convenient. The rooms are basic. There is a bathroom, beds, a mini fridge and some basic amenities. There are no televisions, telephones or air conditioning in the room and getting a cell phone signal anywhere in Yellowstone is pretty much non existent (unless you have Verizon). Staying in Canyon village was the right choice for us, but get ready to pay a little more, and stay in a room with very few bells and whistles.

Also, don’t forget your National Park Passes if you purchased ahead of time, and get your child’s passport stamped inside Yellowstone if you bought one! Click the picture below to purchase your own. It is so fun for the kids!

TIPS: I am writing this again just so you make sure to really absorb it…book EARLY! We booked almost a year in advance and was told there were only a few rooms left. If you want to stay at a hotel inside the park, you must figure this out and book it ASAP.

Canyon Village Lodge

Canyon Village

Yellowstone National Park

Time for one of the most important parts–figuring out what you are going to do once you are there! We did exactly what I had explained above. We sat around googling, looking at books, maps, etc until we came up with a list of like 10-15 things we definitely wanted to see. From there we sort of narrowed it down based on how far some things were, etc. We came up with a driving plan and worked it all out to see everything, without feeling overwhelmed and in the car too much!

Here was our list of things to do and days/order we did it:

Day Five: Storm Point Trail, Mud Volcano, Hayden Valley, Grand Canyon of Yellowstone-Back to our hotel

Day Six: Norris Geyser Area, Roaring Mountain, Mammoth Hot Springs Area, Boiling River-Back to our hotel

Day Seven: Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic-out the south entrance into Grand Teton National Park

There is a road that circles around the part of Yellowstone that we were visiting that we stayed on for most of the time. It is a beautiful drive when you do have to be in the car, and if you are lucky, you will see some wildlife. While we were there we saw a few buffalo, a wolf, black bears, a mom and baby deer, ground squirrels, an Eagle, and elk. It was amazing!

TIP: Have a plan! Honestly, you will not see nearly enough awesome things without a plan. I am a Type A planner all the way, but you don’t even have to be like that. If you have just a vague plan sketched out, that is fine. You just want to make sure you are able to see the really cool things at Yellowstone and not run out of time or be staying in a completely inaccessible place to the one sight you really had your heart set on.

A little description of some of the places so you can see what is right for you and your travel group…

STORM POINT TRAIL: This was the perfect trail for my family. It was a two and a half mile trail that allowed you to see almost every type of topography that you would want to see traveling to Yellowstone. It started on a wide, expansive prairie, and the moved into the rocky shores of a gorgeous lake with the mountains as a backdrop. You moved to the sandy edge of the lake and then walked right into a shady forest where the pine trees climbed so high, you could barely see the tops. Coming out of the woods, you were back on the grass, feeling as if you traveled through a few different countries, instead of only two and a half miles. I strongly recommend this trail. Even if you have some unenthused hikers (we had one of those) there is enough to see on this trail to pique their interest the entire way.

TIP: Bring bug spray. The woods you will go through are filled with mosquitoes. Also, come prepared with water, snacks and sunscreen (we traveled in the summer). It is not that long of a trail, but long enough that you will need to be prepared.

MUD VOLCANO: This was really neat but the buffalo love the hot ground so be careful. We had a buffalo run at us on our walkway and it was terrifying! Remember they are wild animals! The kids really found this one cool!

HAYDEN VALLEY: This was a drive by and stop and get out of the car stop for us. It is gorgeous and cannot be missed!

GRAND CANYON OF YELLOWSTONE: This is one of the most beautiful sights you will ever lay eyes on! Don’t miss it! There are some hikes here too…we were exhausted by the time we arrived so we didn’t go on one, but I bet they were just beautiful!

NORRIS GEYSER AREA: This was a very peaceful place where the kids got to really see a lot of geysers. It was a nice trail on a boardwalk, so very easy to navigate. It was a little more crowded than some of the other sights, but it wasn’t bad.

ROARING MOUNTAIN: This really sounds like a roar coming from inside a cave! The little ones will especially find this cool!

MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS AREA: We chose this spot to stop and have lunch and loved the little village. Beautiful scenery surrounds you, and the village is full of Elk! The visitor center has a little museum inside and fun for the kids to look at.

BOILING RIVER: This is a must. It is a pretty long hike to the river, so be prepared for that. Our kids were so excited about going in, they weren’t that thrilled with how long the hike was from the parking lot. Make sure you have swim suits and towels. The Boiling River is the Gardiner River where the hot springs meet the cold icy water. The result is almost a hot tub like feel, with cold spots here and there. Really cool and really fun! Not to mention, the river is in Wyoming but the parking lots are in Montana. My kids thought that was pretty neat too!

OLD FAITHFUL: This is a must see of course, since it is probably one of the most well known attractions at Yellowstone. Make sure you check the schedule of approximate times of eruption, it will help you plan your day better. There is a lot of space to come, sit and relax and wait, but if you have really little ones, you might want to pack some snacks to avoid the squirms.

GRAND PRISMATIC: We saved the best for last and this was by far all of our favorites. You will have to just see if for yourself because the pictures do not even do it justice! It is one of the most amazing sights you will ever lay eyes on!

I hope this helps you navigate Yellowstone a little better, or at least starts you with somewhat of a plan! Catch me soon as we head into Grand Teton National Park and Jackson Hole!

Can’t wait to share more of my trip with you!

Travel

Girl and Her Kitchen Travel Series: Out West Road Trip {Part Two – Mount Rushmore & Cody, Wyoming}

My family does not take yearly vacations. We are on the every other year plan so we like to make the ones we do take extra special! This vacation was different than anything I have ever done, and different than the family vacations we have taken in the past. I wondered how it would stack up to say…Disney World? I didn’t know what to expect, and although you will read the thoughts my kids had at the very end of the series, I can tell you, this trip did not disappoint! In my last post, Part One of the series, I talked to you about the beginning of our trip, where we visited the Badlands. That is a place I will not soon forget. It’s natural beauty, peace and tranquility and sense of calm makes it easy to take a deep breath, and enjoy the people you are with. After we left the Badlands, we continued our adventures!

Day Three: Badlands, South Dakota-Mount Rushmore-Cody, Wyoming

We were extremely sad to leave the Badlands, but knew we had some excitement on the agenda for the day. We packed up and said goodbye to our cozy cabin and headed off to see Mount Rushmore! We were super excited to see this, as it was only something we had ever seen in pictures and in film. We had a choice to drive there the regular way, or take Iron Mountain Highway to do the scenic route. We chose Iron Mountain Highway even though it added about 20-30 minutes onto the hour and a half trip. The views were breathtaking, and as you got closer to Mount Rushmore you were able to see views of the monument from different angles. There are also a couple of tunnels that are fun to drive through too. If you have a chance before you get to Mount Rushmore, stop at the Norbeck Overlook. It will take your breath away! (I will say that a lot in these posts, and believe me, it is entirely true!) The kids loved it!

TIP: If you get motion sickness, like me unfortunately, this may not be the road for you. It is extremely winding and has many hills and stomach lurching drops. While the views are absolutely gorgeous, your head and stomach might wish you skipped it by the time you arrive at Mount Rushmore.

Mount Rushmore costs only $10 to park and the National Parks Pass that you may have purchased ahead of time DOES NOT cover this fee. Once you park, it is not a far walk to the entrance and you can immediately see the monument. Be prepared, it will literally take your breath away. It just doesn’t seem real. My kids were just entranced as we walked in and we could not stop looking. Although…once we read the sign about Thomas Jefferson writing one of the first ice cream recipes, our attention was immediately diverted to get some delicious ice cream. I am not normally a vanilla ice cream person, I tend to go for the more exciting flavors, but since they sold me on “Thomas Jefferson’s ice cream recipe” I fell hook line and sinker and we all chose the vanilla ice cream cones. Eating ice cream on vacation is one of my family’s favorites, but even if you don’t eat as much ice cream as we do, make this stop. It is really good, and we were able to take our ice cream to the outdoor amphitheater, sit down, gaze at the monument and enjoy a deliciously cool treat.

After that, we decided to go watch an informative short film on how they created the fantastic monument. All of my kids found it very interesting. We walked around some trails and took some good pictures, but after a short time, we were ready to be on our way. We probably spent a total of two hours there. I would have loved to spend more time, but we were really excited about Cody, Wyoming and had a long drive ahead.

TIP: What I didn’t realize until the way home is that there is a whole little town to explore right near Mount Rushmore. We had no idea since we were in and out of there so quickly, but Keystone, SD is a little touristy town with lots of shops, restaurants, activities and places to stay. We wished we would have had some time to explore, but only found this on our way home from the trip. Also-ahead of time, if you are traveling with kids, purchase the National Parks Passport for them. This is an awesome tool for the kids to have showing all of the National Parks. At each park, they get a stamp at the visitors center. My kids loved collecting their stamps and it made it so fun and educational all at the same time. Click on the picture below to check out more on the National Parks Passport!

Mount Rushmore

13000 SD-244

Keystone, SD 57751

After what seemed like a quick visit to Mount Rushmore, we headed towards our next destination: Cody, Wyoming. This was going to be about a seven hour drive so we settled in for more road trip activities, and just enjoying the scenery passing us by outside our window. Once we arrived in Cody, the downtown was already hopping! We noticed a street blocked off as we drove past, so we quickly parked and jumped out to see what the fuss was about. We were excited that we did because we were able to see the nightly Wild West shoot out! They do it every night at 6pm and there were a ton of people gathered there to check it out! We only were able to see the last half of it, but it was very entertaining and definitely worth the trip out. It is free as well, so that makes it even better!

Cody Gunfight

Right in Front of the Irma Hotel

1192 Sheridan Ave

Cody, WY 82414

We checked in to the very friendly, clean and comfy Americinn Hotel right in town and went for a swim to shake off the long car ride. We highly recommend this hotel. The service was great, the rooms were a nice size and the pool was very clean. They serve cookies from 4-9 every night which the kids loved! It was right near town, and super close to various stores in case you needed to stock up on any supplies. The room rate was very affordable, and I would definitely stay here again.

Americinn Hotel

508 Yellowstone Avenue

Cody, Wyoming 82414

Day Four: Cody, Wyoming

The next day we got up bright and early to check out the town. The Americinn Hotel offers a hot, free breakfast, so after enjoying that, we headed out to explore. We started at Old Trail Town, a little reconstructed Wild West Town. The kids loved looking at all the old buildings and learning some history about people that lived during that time. We even got a chance to learn how to lasso! Disclaimer: If you have really young kids, I would skip this. I don’t think they would be that interested, and there are a lot of really bloody, scandalous stories written about all of the players in the Wild West, While our older two enjoyed and were intrigued by the history, we were definitely trying to shield our youngest from some of the gore.

Old Trail Town

1831 Demaris Drive

Cody, Wyoming 82414

We headed out and shopped in downtown Cody, enjoying their quaint little downtown. Besides it being an adorable little downtown area, what impressed us the most was the people that were there. I don’t think I have ever been around friendlier people! Everyone was so open and welcoming! I was just in awe the entire time we were there. We fell in love with this town and would love to have the chance to visit again. Besides the shops, we stopped in a little ice cream shop (of course!) called Annie’s Soda Shoppe. This is a must stop! They make their ice cream and sodas here and the options are endless. It is set up like an old fashioned saloon, and true to Cody, the service was warm and friendly. The kids had such a fun time picking out their ice cream and soda combinations and they loved what they chose. I had a hot fudge sundae and it was one of the best I’ve ever tasted. You could tell everything was made from scratch.

Annie’s Soda Saloon

1202 Sheridan Avenue

Cody, Wyoming 82414

After an ice cream treat, we headed down to see the Buffalo Bill Center. It looked really great, but was a little pricey for our budget at that point. I would have loved to check it out, so if you get a chance, please do. We decided to head to the Buffalo Bill Dam and Visitor Center instead, which turned out to be some breathtaking, FREE entertainment!

Buffalo Bill Dam and Visitor Center

4808 North Fork Highway

Cody, WY 82414

After a quick swim in the hotel pool and a quick trip to the store to stock up on some food for the cooler for our impending drive into Yellowstone, we got ready for something we had really been looking forward to! Our Chuckwagondinner, music show and RODEO! We made reservations ahead of time (months ahead, not sure if that was necessary, but I strongly recommend reservations if you are traveling in busy tourist season) but you do not actually pay until you arrive. The package we purchased was the Trifecta Ticket which included the dinner, show and Rodeo. It was a great value! The chuckwagon dinner was all you can eat brisket, barbecue chicken, cornbread, coleslaw, baked beans, caesar salad, lemonade and brownies. It was good food and very kid friendly! The show was really great! The music was awesome, and they added a lot of comedy to the routine which made it fun for both kids and adults. Of course the service was over the top warm, friendly and welcoming, just like every other experience in Cody! The rodeo was right next door so it was really easy to access once the dinner was over. The rodeo was an interesting experience! We had no idea what to expect, and it is certainly different than anything we had ever done. None of my explanations can cover it, I just suggest you experience it for yourself!

*My own kids running in the rodeo!*

TIP: If you have little ones, the rodeo goes late! It doesn’t even start until 8pm and goes for about two hours. After a long day of activity in town, this can make for a long day for the young ones! Plan to either leave early, or skip the rodeo.

Cody Cattle Company

1910 Demaris Drive

Cody, Wyoming 82414

After a long night of fun and entertainment we were exhausted! We got to bed knowing we had more excitement on the way! Check out Part Three of my Travel Series where we head into Yellowstone! Fun times ahead!

Can’t wait to share more of my trip with you all!

Travel

Girl and Her Kitchen Travel Series: Out West Road Trip {Part One, Days 1-2 South Dakota}

I just returned from a fantastic trip out west to Yellowstone National Park, and we did it family road trip style! Now, I know many of you are starting to tremble, rock back and forth and shiver thinking of a long road trip in the car with your family, but I am here to tell you…Do not be afraid! It is doable, and actually really, really fun!

We are big on road trips in this family. 1/3 of my kids have never even been on a plane since ~~I am terrified of flying~~ we love road trips so much! In all seriousness though, my fear of flying aside (backstory-I actually used to have no fear of flying…then, had children and became fearful of anything and voila! Fear of flying ensued. No clue why that happens, but it does. I will fly, I just prefer not to!) we really do have so much fun trekking across the country and enjoying adventures together as a family!

This trip in particular has been one that we have been planning for over a year. It took many google searches, books, magazines and copying friends’ itineraries to make this trip come to life, but we are so glad we did. It was an adventure we will never forget, and we were able to see things that we may never see again. We were worried that the kids would not appreciate it for what it was, but they loved every minute of it. My youngest even declared it “way more fun than disney world! ” My husband and I were shocked, but we did high five each other secretly for our vacation success.

So, while I know most of you are here for my recipes, I thought I would share some other things here and there. I love to cook and bake, but believe it or not, I do have other interests! I have shared some favorite books lately, and thought I would share some travel blogs as well. Although we wish we could travel a lot more, we do what we can, and we try to make every moment special. Many people asked for my itinerary after photo blogging it on Facebook, and I thought I would share the details here so everyone can utilize our itinerary how they wish!

I am going to break up the information into several posts, as to not make it too overwhelming, but in the last of the posts, I will share a printable version of our itinerary so you can print it and keep it for later use. I will also include a post on some of our must have’s with Amazon links, a post on how to keep your kids busy on long road trips, and finally, a food packing post. It was a challenge to eat most of our meals out of a cooler or a backpack, but we did it. I will share some of my tips, tricks and easy recipes. I hope this post resonates with you, and that many of you are able to use this information to create an amazing trip of your own with your family!

DAY ONE: CHICAGO AREA-BADLANDS, SOUTH DAKOTA

We began the day at 4am. We woke up the kids and told them to come downstairs and get in the car. No changing, no lights, no eating…just go to the bathroom and get in the car. That is the best way to get them to fall back asleep for awhile, which all of them did. It is exciting, but we had a long day ahead, and knew that they needed some sleep. We planned to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner all in the car to maximize driving time and only stop for gas, bathroom and to get out and get some energy out!

Depending on where you are reading this from, you might be traveling a completely different route. While my tips and vacation activity ideas might be helpful to you, realize that my travel times/route might not be what works best for you you. We began our trip from northern Illinois and we began the trip by taking a route that led us up north through LaCrosse, Wisconsin, which was about four hours away. That is where we did our first bathroom stop and had the kids change into their clothes. It was a about 8am by then, so they were all awake and ready to be excited for the impending vacation. This is also where we realize that we forgot a pair of my son’s shoes at home. Oh well, we are not turning back now. We popped back in the car and headed to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. That was four hours from LaCrosse, so we spent time eating our breakfast (more on that later) and doing some of the activities we prepared (more on that later). We had a stop planned and were very glad we did it! We pulled into Falls Park and we were itching to get out of the car! It was absolutely beautiful there! So much to look at, and a lot for the kids to climb on. The views are so pretty, and the mist coming off of the water falls is so nice on a hot day. One of the downsides? Well it smelled terrible! I thought it was the smell of the river, but someone told me that the Hormel factory was down the road and housed a large pig farm. Whatever it was, it was strong, but as soon as you can get past that (it may take awhile, just warning you!) the place is a beautiful stop, great place to be active and did I mention completely FREE?

*Amazed at the gorgeous waterfalls at Falls Park*

Falls Park

131 E. Falls Park Drive

Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57103

After getting some exercise at Falls Park, we popped back into the car and headed on our way to the infamous Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota which was only about an hour away. (Note: This was the ONE instance on the entire trip that my husband let me drive. He kept saying that he wanted me to relax and enjoy the trip, but I think the true translation is he doesn’t like how I drive! ). The Corn Palace was everything I thought it would be…completely nothing. Ha! It is really one of those things that you MUST stop at, but once you do, you are like, why did we stop here again? We all got a kick out of it. Not to mention…it is free as well, which is always a good thing! We wanted to stop at the nearby Indian Village as well, but we were getting worried about timing so decided to forgo it. I regret not visiting, so if you take this trip and stop, please mention it in the comments!

Corn Palace

604 North Main Street

Mitchell, South Dakota 57301

After visiting the Corn Palace we were well on our way to our first stop, the Badlands! This leg of the drive was about three hours, and we settled in for the last bit of driving of the day. We were going to clock about thirteen hours for our first day of driving.

When we began getting close to the Badlands, we could not believe it. All of the fields that we had aimlessly watched on our drive had now turned into crazy rock formations that were so cool to look at. We arrived at the entrance to Badlands National Park and couldn’t wait to pull in. It was just gorgeous! This is a National Park, so there is a cost to enter. It costs $20 per vehicle, and that fee covers you for seven days. Since we were traveling to a few different National Parks on our vacation, we decided to pre-order a National Parks Yearly pass to save money, and make it easy on ourselves. The pass cost $80 and covers your entrance fee for all U.S. National Parks for one year. If you are a Senior Citizen, that fee is only $20 for an annual pass. It is a great deal, and we loved having the pass to go in and out of the National Parks. You do need to show a photo I.D. every time, so annual passes cannot be shared.

When we arrived, we got out at the first overlook we saw and couldn’t believe our view. It was gorgeous! We checked into our cabin that night in the only lodging in Badlands National Park, Cedar Pass Lodge. We HIGHLY recommend this place. The cabin was clean and spacious and the entire area was quiet and peaceful. We had a front door to our cabin, and our back door opened up to a huge yard for the kids to play in, as well as a gorgeous view of the badlands. The staff were pleasant and helpful, the gift shop was filled with interesting things, and the restaurant onsite was perfect. The sunset we saw that evening was hands down one of the best things I have ever seen. Simply beautiful and a must do if you are in the badlands. We will never forget this place. That evening we went to a ranger talk right on the grounds in the amphitheater, and then were supposed to take part in a night sky program. Unfortunately the clouds had other plans for us, so the program was cancelled. We were sort of disappointed, but after getting up at 4am and driving all day, we were happy to get back to our comfortable cabin and get to sleep.

TIPS: Make a point to go outside during sunset. It will be one of the things you will remember the most on your trip. If you are eating in the restaurant on site, try the Indian Taco. There is a vegetarian version as well. It is a taco served on the most delicious fry bread, and it is their specialty. You will not be disappointed! If you are not eating at the restaurant, make sure you have plenty of food packed BEFORE you enter the Badlands. Besides that one restaurant near the Cedar Pass Lodge, there is a gift shop with snacks. Other than that, there is no other food options. Come prepared!

Badlands National Park

20640 SD Hwy 377

Interior, SD 57750

Cedar Pass Lodge

20681 SD-240

Interior, South Dakota 57750

DAY 2: BADLANDS and WALL, SOUTH DAKOTA

Today we spent the day in the beautiful Badlands! It is so pretty here! You almost feel like you are in the desert while you are here. Since we traveled in July, it was very hot, but we were ready with our packs, our sunscreen and our water and we were just fine. Since we have at this time, three kids of varying ages, we had to make sure our hike choices reflected that. We wanted a hike that was challenging, but not too challenging. We decided on Notch Trail, and it was perfect for us! It was about a two mile hike and some of the terrain was a little rough, but we loved it. We especially loved that at one part you climb up this rope ladder to get to higher ground. It was fun for the kids and a fun physical challenge for myself and my husband. The hiking trail was hot, but the kids were loving it. At times, we saw other people getting tired and turning back, but I will tell you…if you attempt this hike, do not turn back until you get to the end. It is SO WORTH IT to get to the end! That is all I will say because honestly I didn’t know about the beauty of what I was about to see and it was amazing. There are a lot of shorter, easier trails too, and some much more difficult ones as well. A good map of the badlands will help you make the best choices and at each trail there is an information board that gives you lots of detail about what you will encounter on your hike.

TIPS: Wear some good hiking shoes. The terrain in the badlands is eroding rocks and clay soil and is very slippery. Regular gym shoes will not cut it and sandals (even sport sandals) are a definite no. Also, bring a lot of water. It gets hot out there in the summer time and you need water to keep going.

After our awesome hike, we went back to the cabin to have lunch and then set out to do some touristy stuff. We started out at Prairie Homestead about a half a mile from the Badlands. This was an area where you could see one of the oldest sod homes still standing. It is a very inexpensive admission to look around, and something fun for the kids. What they will most likely love the most is the Prairie dogs out in the back that pop out of their holes and bark (squeak) at you. My kids thought it was hilarious and were entertained by it for awhile! They also had some animals in the back and a lot of really neat buildings to tour. In the main house, they have old newspapers hung on the wall too which intrigued me, as I spent a long time reading them. If your child is into Little House on the Prairie, they will be entertained by the dress up area as well. The gift shop is fun to look around in too.

*A little prairie dog stopped by to say hi! *

Prairie Homestead

21070 Sd Highway 240,

Philip, SD 57567

After Prairie Homestead, we headed out to Wall Drug in Wall, South Dakota, about thirty minutes away. This is a stereotypical touristy spot, but cannot be missed! The town is adorable and looks like you stepped back in time to the Old West. Wall Drug is HUGE! It was nothing like I expected, but we spent a lot of time roaming around and looking in all of the shops, playing games, taking funny pictures and enjoying some delicious ice cream. There are also delicious homemade donuts to enjoy as well. Oh! I can’t forget what they use as their biggest selling point…FREE ice water! We enjoyed a few cups of that as well. I highly recommend making a stop here. The kids will absolutely love it! Don’t miss the back yard area of the store either! There are a few outdoor attractions and a whole other building with fun stores and game rooms. Don’t forget to watch the dinosaur during its feeding time!

TIPS: If you want to send out a postcard, this is the town to do it in. You can purchase tons of cute postcards from one of the many shops, and in town there is one of the friendliest post offices we have ever stepped into. If you don’t have a post card, you might just want to stop in to say hi! They are the nicest!

*Just having some fun at Wall Drug!*

Wall Drug

510 Main Street

Wall, SD 57790-0401

We had dinner that night at the one restaurant in the Badlands (see TIP above) and headed to bed after an exhausting day. We were excited to get up and head out to Mount Rushmore and Cody, Wyoming the next day! Check out Part Two of my trip itinerary soon!

Can’t wait to share more of my trip with you all!

Chicken & Turkey Main Dishes

Creamy Tomatillo Chicken and Rice

This is another one of those quick and easy meals that my family loves! It comes together so quickly, tastes so good, and literally will be something that your whole family asks for again and again.

The creamy chicken and sweet and spicy tomatillo flavor makes for a unique casserole dish, that still has some of that comfort food feel. We have put this on our meal rotation now…it is a family favorite!

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Creamy Tomatillo Rice and Chicken

Author: Heather

Recipe type: Main Dish

This easy, one pan meal, will be your go to on busy nights!

Ingredients

1tbsp olive oil
4 chicken breasts, cubed
¼ cup onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small can of mild green chiles
1 green pepper, diced
2 cups tomatillo salsa
1 cup chicken broth
1 4 oz block cream cheese, cubed
2 tbsp sour cream
4 cups cooked brown rice
2 cups Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded
Cilantro for serving

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large saute pan
Add chicken cubes, and cook each side until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side
When you flip the chicken for the other side to cook, add onion and garlic
Saute until golden and translucent
Add green pepper, cook for one minute
Add green chiles, salsa and chicken broth
Simmer for until bubbling
Add cream cheese and sour cream and stir until creamy, cook for one minute
Add cooked rice and fold in until coated with chicken mixture
Sprinkle with shredded cheese
Turn of the flame and cover until cheese melts, or put under the broiler for 3-5 minutes for a golden brown finish
Serve hot with chopped cilantro

Christmas Cookies & Bars Desserts

Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars

I really love this recipe because it is a great cookie to make for the holidays, but can double as summer or spring dessert too. The flavor is light and fresh, and is a fun way to brighten up your cookie plate.

This was relatively easy to put together, the only glitch we had was that the cheesecake layer takes a little time to come together. We weren’t prepared for that, and were worried that something was going wrong, but after a little extra beating, it became smooth and creamy and after baking, you would have never known there was even a question.

For a little extra freshness, grate a little more zest and sprinkle it on after they are baked, it adds some extra flavor to an already delicious cookie.

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Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars

Ingredients

Sugar cookie crust:
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 sticks butter, softened
2 cups flour
Cheesecake Filling:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
¼ cup lemon juice
1½ tbsp lemon zest
½ Cup sugar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Line a 9x9 baking dish with parchment paper
In bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed for 2 minutes.
Turn mixer to low and add the flour and mix just until dough comes together
Press half of the dough into prepared pan, place the remaining dough in fridge until ready to use
Bake for 25-30 minutes
The crust should be lightly golden.
Cool completely before filling with the cheesecake mixture
For the Filling:
In a bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest
Mix until smooth and creamy..This might take awhile for it to come together
Pour filling over cooled crust
Top filling with the remaining sugar cookie dough by simply crumbling it evenly over the top.
Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees
Let cool and serve
Store leftovers in the fridge

Christmas Cookies & Bars Desserts

Almond Butter Cookies

I usually run straight for the chocolate cookies, but there are a few that make the cut and beat out chocolate any day. One example are my Soft and Fluffy Snickerdoodles, and another are these cookies right here.

There is something about almond extract that is irresistible to me. I don’t know what it is really. I feel like when I was a kid, I was actually turned off by the flavor. Is it cherry? Is it almond? It is such a unique taste, ranking right up there with anise seed. These cookies not only have the almond extract flavor, but are so soft and buttery, they literally melt in your mouth. The frosting is the perfect ending to these delicious cookies. They are perfect for your holiday cookie plate, but can stand alone with a tall glass a milk.

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Almond Butter Cookies

Author: Heather

Recipe type: Cookie

Cuisine: Dessert

These melt in your mouth cookies will become a family favorite!

Ingredients

Almond Butter Cookies
2 cups flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
¾ cup sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons almond extract
Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1½ teaspoons almond extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add egg and almond extract, mixing until combined.
Add flour mixture, mixing until completely combined.
Roll 1 tablespoon of dough into small circles and then press into a disc shape.
Place on prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 8 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cookies rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes.
The cookies will not be browned or golden, but they are done-DO NOT OVERBAKE.
After 5 minutes, transfer to a cooling rack.
Make icing by whisking all icing ingredients together.
Using a spoon, smooth icing onto the top of each cookie and let set until hard.

Christmas Cookies & Bars Desserts

Homemade Tagalong Bars

Girl scout cookies won’t be here for awhile, and sometimes, a girl just can’t wait. These cookies taste just like a tagalong, but in a bar form, so in my opinion, even better. The chocolate and peanut butter on top of a buttery shortbread crust is just irresistible, and these are pretty easy to pull together. For every day entertaining, or for a showstopper on your holiday cookie plate, these are sure to win everyone over.

Sprinkle a little salt on top to bring it really over the edge, and try to grab one before everyone else gobbles them up!

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Homemade Tagalong Bars

Author: Heather

Recipe type: Cookie Bar

Cuisine: Dessert

These knock off Tagalong bars will help curb your girl scout cookie craving until they are available!

Ingredients

Shortbread Crust
½ cup butter, very soft
1 cup flour
⅓ cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Peanut Butter Filling
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 heaping cup creamy peanut butter (I used Skippy creamy natural and it worked fine)
½ cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
Chocolate Layer
1 heaping cup dark chocolate chips
2 tbsp heavy cream
1 tsp butter
Sea salt, if desired

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F.
Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper
Shortbread Crust:
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, until a crumbly mixture forms.
Turn mixture out into pan and using your fingertips, pack the crumbs to form an even, smooth crust l Pierce crust with a fork in a dozen places so steam can escape while it bakes.
Bake for 13 minutes, or until crust is set.
While crust bakes, prepare the filling
Peanut Butter Filling:
Add the butter to a medium microwave-safe bowl and heat on high power to melt, about 1 minute. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until smooth.
Spread filling over baked crust using a spatula,
Crust does not have to be cool, it's heat will help with the spreading
Chocolate Layer:
Add the ingredients to a medium bowl and heat on high power to melt, about 1 minute.
Stir until smooth and creamy
Pour chocolate over pb layer and shake the pan to chocolate slide and cover peanut butter layer.
Smooth it with a spatula if desired.
Sprinkle with sea salt.
Place pan in the refrigerator and chill for at least 3 hours.
Slice and serve.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator