Twelve Days of Sweets - Day 9

I am trying to catch up.......

Day 9 is............

Wait for it.......

Spiced Apple Oatmeal Cookies!

This is a recipe that just came to me.
I was minding my own business and POW! It hit me, apple oatmeal cookies.
Things like this happen to me often. And most of the time it happens around midnight when everyone else is sleeping and I have just finished cleaning my kitchen.

anyway, on to the recipe!

Peel and dice 1 apple.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add apples and saute until soft but they still hold their shape. sprinkle with clove and cinnamon. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, beat together the sugars and butter.

Add egg and vanilla.

Combine flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon. Incorporate slowly into the wet ingredients.

Fold in the apples.

With a cookie scoop, place dough on a cookie sheet.

Bake until golden brown.

Here is the printable.

Enjoy! More will be coming soon!

Twelve Days of Sweets - Day 8

I know I am WAY behind! Christmas shopping at the last possible minute is not a great idea.


Anyhow, here is day 8!

Meringue Cookies

  Let the egg whites stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.

  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper if you have it. I use aluminum foil and they still turn out fine.

  In a small bowl mix together the cinnamon and sugar and set aside.

  In a medium mixing bowl combine egg whites until soft peaks form.

  Add , almond extract, and salt.

  Beat again until when lifting the beater out of the whites the peaks curl. I look for them to "flop over a bit"

  Add the cinnamon-sugar mixture ONE tablespoon at a time. Beat the egg whites until the peaks stand up straight.

  Using a tablespoon, drop well-rounded spoonfuls of the meringue mixture onto cookie sheets, about 1 inch apart.

  Bake at 250 F for 30 minutes.

Turn off the oven and allow the cookies to dry in the closed oven for 40 minutes. If it's a dry day with almost NO humidity - then I let these dry on the counter top while I start the next cookie sheet.

* When you remove the cookie sheets from the oven gently peel the cookies off the cookie sheets.

Twelve Days of Sweets-Day 7

Today starts the second half of the 12 Days of Sweets, and what could be better than chocolate?

Uh huh. I said chocolate.

Today's treat is super simple. So simple anyone can make it!


We are making Chocolate bark!

This is a fun treat to make. You can customize it anyway you want! Add miniature marshmallows, chocolate chips, toasted fennel seed, crushed peppermint candy....the sky is the limit!

Every time we make this, it is different. This is normally one of the last candies I make for the holidays. The reason is because I use whatever I have leftover. A little bit of chopped nuts, dried fruit, shredded coconut.

To start, chop and melt a block of Almond Bark. It can be found in the baking section of your local supermarket.

Once melted, pour it onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Spread evenly with a rubber spatula.

Sprinkle the top with whatever you like. Mine typically has peanuts, walnuts, or pecans. Almond slivers are a good choice, too. Shredded coconut and dried cranberries are a wonderful addition. If you want something with a little salt, try adding crushed pretzels.....it's REALLY good!

Not enough chocolate for you? Go ahead and toss on a handful of mini chocolate chips. Or maybe butterscotch? You can even drizzle on some melted chocolate- try white chocolate over milk chocolate or dark chocolate over white chocolate. Heck, try dark and white chocolate over milk chocolate.

Allow the bark to cool and harden. If needed stick it in the freezer for a few minutes. Lift the bark out of the pan by the parchment paper. Break into pieces. You really don't want them bigger than a couple bites. This will definitely melt in your hands!

Store in an airtight container with parchment between the layers to prevent them from sticking.

Make several variations.....you won't be disappointed!

My camera is being a pain, so pictures will be coming shortly!

Twelve Days of Sweets - Day 6

Today is the half-way point in the series!

This one is another classic. When else would you think about spicy cookies? Yeah, that's right. These cookies pack a punch!

We are making Gingerbread cookies!

Twelve Days of Sweets- Day 5

Day 5 has arrived! And it's on time to boot! Thanks for hanging in there with me. It has been crazy around here!

Today's sweet would feel right at home with a big scoop of ice cream. You could use them layered in a fancy napoleon for your next dinner party. Today we are making........

Twelve Days of Sweets - Day 4

I know I am running behind. Here is Day 4-pictures to come later. It really is no fun feeling sick during the holiday season-there are too many things to do and not enough time to squeeze it all in!

Today we are making Stained Glass Cookies!

These are some of my favorites, because they are so pretty! My boys love to help make these every year.

My new favorite sugar cookie recipe comes from Bridget over at

Twelve Days of Sweets - Day Three

as you may have noticed, The Housewife has changed. It's OK, it is still the same place. We just have a new look. Now on to the important stuff!

Internet connection issues prevented me from posting this yesterday, so here it is today and yes I will be back tomorrow!

Day 3 has arrived! Are you ready for the next installment of yummy goodness? Today, we are making thumbprint cookies. But not just those single itty bitty cookies you are thinking of. We are making Trios.

Twelve Days of Sweets - Day Two

Sorry this is coming so late in the day. I had to go to the grocery store. With all the cookie baking goin' on, I was low on a lot of stuff!

Anyhow..................

Day 2 is here! Bet you are dying to know what we are making today, huh? Well, before we get into that, i wanted to tell you about..........


OK! OK! I'm just kiddin'!

Today's recipe..........Cran-Raspberry Rugelach

Giveaways Galore!

 There are so many giveaways happening this month! Take the time to swing by some of them to help you save a few bucks this holiday season!

The Gift Closet is giving away a Melissa & Doug Easel from Gummy Lump. This would be perfect for the little artist on your list!

Dear Crissy is giving away a Lenovo Laptop Computer!
Dear Crissy is also giving away a $300 Gift Card for Bare Necessities!

Once Upon A Chef is giving away - Le Creuset 5-quart Enameled Cast Iron French Oven -color of your choice! (Ends December 10)

This is just the tip of the ice, folks! There are tons more to be had! Check 'em all out here.

Twelve Days of Sweets- Day One

December is here! There are sweets to make and presents to wrap. Who am I kiddin'? I still have to go shoppin'! I can still roll out the sweets though.

All over the web, Cookie Week has begun!

Here at The Housewife, I am doing a Twelve Days of Sweets! I had to be different.

Starting today, then every other day through Dec. 23rd, I will be posting a cookie or candy recipe. It may be a tried and true, or it could be a new one I have decided to whip up for the holidays. There will definitely be a few classics sprinkled throughout, as it isn't Christmas without some of them.

To start things off, we are doing Buckeyes. Buckeyes, also known as Peanut Butter Balls,