The Most Fabulous Chicken Pot Pie

The other night I roasted a whole chicken, Ina Garten style. 

I seriously think her recipe for roast chicken is the best there is. The chicken is always incredibly moist and full of flavor!

What's Cooking In Mountain Mama's Kitchen

I have a very exciting weekend in the kitchen planned....what, that doesn't sound exciting to  you? Well, if you're any sort of a foodie you'll understand what I mean.

I've been drooling over a few recipes out there in blog land, and have a number of things planned to create in my little country kitchen this weekend.

Preserving The Harvest

By now, most of you know that I am a huge gardener. Like, HUGE.

Perhaps a little crazy. But in a good way.

5 Things I'm Making This Fall....and Only Two More Days To Vote!

The leaves are changing like mad up on the mountain top, and there is most definitely the excitement of autumn in the air. 

Catching Up on Christmas

Whew, it  was a busy, busy weekend in my little mountain house!  

Last week I posted about feeling a bit stressed and not ready for Christmas - I was definitely feeling overwhelmed and I don't like that one bit! I got so many wonderful comments from my blogland friends out there and the majority said, and I paraphrase here,  Just let it be. Let it happen. Whatever you get to, you get to. And what you don't? Oh well!

You know what? I like that attitude!! I'm going to try to adopt that mentality to more of my busy life!

We started the weekend Friday evening with some sweetness from my favorite reindeer. 

That little face always makes any day brighter!  Of course, she doesn't look too thrilled with her new accessory but she's always a good sport.

And a cookie bribe helps. 

Saturday morning dawned bright and SNOWY - just what I needed to put the pep in my step!!

It wasn't much but just that little dusting of snow made it feel so much more like the holidays!

Some good snow squalls throughout the day made me feel all warm and cozy inside while wrapping gifts. 

It was a marathon wrapping session for sure! But, I can cross that task off my holiday to-do list so I'm a happy girl. 

My little treats for my staff are all ready to hand out on Christmas eve. 

It's certainly beginning to look a lot like Christmas around the tree!

Sunday brought more cold weather although no snow. I don't think we have a hope of a white Christmas this year which is sad. 

The holiday grocery shopping was done with some help from my girls and after a quick pizza break the baking began. 

Tell me why I bothered to clean the kitchen before we started baking? Not my wisest moment!

Butter cookies three ways, chocolate chunk cookies, and Carol's absolutely amazing sugar cookies - (get the recipe here at the Red Painted Cottage) -  and the cookie marathon was done!

A quick kitchen cleanup and then my daughters and I gathered in the living room by the fire to watch It's a Wonderful Life. 

Obviously all the action this weekend wore my poor old Lily girl out. 

However, I guarantee that as soon as she hears the sound of the cookie jars opening she'll bounce up looking for a treat!

All in all it was a great weekend, albeit a busy one. Not much time for R&R but perhaps after the holidays I might catch up on a little quiet time. 

I hope your weekend was a happy one, friends!

Forcing Holiday Cheer

It can be so tough to get in the holiday spirit some years, am I right? Just because the calendar says it's Christmas time doesn't mean it feels like it....so what's a person to do?

We're one week from Christmas and I'm not ready.

I'M NOT READY!!

I haven't wrapped a single gift. For that matter - I still have gifts to buy. 

The weather has been unseasonably warm, there's not a snowflake to be seen. It doesn't feel one bit like Christmas. 

I don't even know what I'm making for Christmas dinner.

I haven't baked even one cookie. Not one. 

Via

The weeks just fly by, there aren't enough hours in the day, and I can't catch up. 

Can anyone say STRESSED??

This weekend I need to catch up so I can enjoy the remainder of the holiday season. What's left of it. 

I'm pulling out all the stops right now. The big guns. It's time.

Here's my plan. 

Saturday morning I'll make my usual weekend morning cappuccino....with a good sprinkle of cinnamon. 

And a hearty weekend breakfast. 

And I'll get to work. 

My favorite Christmas CD will go on. 

Sarah McLachlan - Wintersong

My most loved song on the whole cd? Right here. Song For a Winter's Night. It gives me chills, every time. I turn it up real loud and sing right along with Sarah. 

And it's not Christmas without James Stewart and Donna Reed. Not even close. My daughter took me to see a 1940's radio version of this at a local theater last weekend, which was incredible - we had such a terrific day! However, the original movie still needs to be watched. Without a doubt. 

Via

I'll light some beautiful holiday scented candles - I'm super excited about a new one I just got in the mail and it's unpacked, in place on the sideboard, and ready to go - just waiting for me to strike the match. 

Unplug Soy Candles

These Unplug Soy Candles are poured into old wine bottles and they smell AMAZING!!  This one is a Christmas scent and I am so excited to light it up!! I read about it first at Thrifty Decor Chick's blog and she absolutely raved about it....of course, since I'm a total candle junkie I had to reach out to Jennifer and place an order. I'm so glad I did!!

Via

Once the scene is set I'm going to make myself an eggnog, get out the wrapping paper, and go to town. 

Via

How do you get yourself in the holiday spirit when you're just not feeling it?

What's your secret?

Holiday Baking

I am thinking about some baking I want to do over the holidays and at the top of my list is my mom's famous cheesecake. 

I would love to share the recipe with you but I've been forbidden. 

Yes, forbidden. 

It's mom's recipe that she got from a very dear friend of hers many, many years ago and heaven help anyone who shares it. 

It's that good. 

Really and truly. 

So let's talk about some of the other things I'll be making, shall we?

Williams Sonoma - The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

You can't bake a bucket-load of cookies without including classic chocolate chip. Obvi. 

I made this recipe for Thanksgiving to bring to my sister's house. And those folks at Williams Sonoma surely know what they are doing - these truly are the perfect chocolate chip cookies. 

Of course I couldn't stop with the basic recipe. I used chocolate chunks and butterscotch chips instead of chocolate chips. 

They didn't last a full 24 hours. Oops. 

Mexican Wedding Cookies

No holiday baking extravaganza would be complete without Mexican Wedding Cookies. 

They look like tiny little snowballs when they are done and they absolutely melt in your mouth. 

Warning - there is no way under the sun you will be able to eat just one. 

Don't say I didn't tell you. 

Chewy Coconut Cookies

I made these Chewy Coconut Cookies for Thanksgiving also - they were a huge hit. A little less sweet than the butterscotch chocolate chunk but just the right amount of sweetness from the coconut to satisfy that after dinner craving. 

My sister was asking me for the recipe - well, here it is, sissy!! 

Amish Cinnamon Bread

Sheila from My Kentucky Living posted a recipe for Amish Cinnamon Bread recently At The Women's Room - that caught my attention for sure!

I need to make a batch of this for Christmas morning - the perfect thing to snack on with coffee while opening presents!  Thanks, Sheila!

Three Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

What about these Three Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies? They look just far too easy NOT to make.

I mean, come on - seriously? I could make these in 15 minutes before work in the morning!! 

Hey, wait - that's a little scary!!

The Best Sugar Cookie Recipe Ever

One more cookie recipe that I will have to try this holiday season was posted by Carol at The Red Painted Cottage - I just spotted this recipe today and had to add it to this list!

Carol swears by these cookies and we're going to add them to our baking list this season for sure - thanks, Carol, for sharing your treasured recipe with us!!

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Let's face it, though - sometimes you just need a little cake. A simple, buttery, moist cake. 

Elizabeth's Edible Experience has just the thing to satisfy that craving - this recipe for an incredible Cream Cheese Pound Cake - buttery, rich, delicious, smooth, sweet,just a hint of cream cheese.....mmmmmmm!

Chocolate Cream Pie with Vanilla Whipped Cream

But if it's chocolate you're craving  you need to try this amazing Chocolate Cream Pie with Vanilla Whipped Cream from How Sweet Eats. 

Her blog totally blows me away - her recipes are just sinfully amazing. 

Step away from the pie. 

Bread and Butter Pudding with Salted Caramel Whiskey Butter Sauce

This Bread and Butter Pudding recipe caught my eye when leafing through a magazine one day while traveling - I have never made bread pudding but I know my parents like it so it's been bookmarked to try out. I think I'll have to give it a trial run around the holidays and see how it turns out. 

Bread pudding is a big Irish dessert - perhaps my brother in law will be the perfect guinea pig for this recipe?

Crack Pie

And then there's this. The last hurrah. The final countdown. The fat lady has sung. 

This recipe scares the bejeezus out of me. 

It's very labor intensive and will take me at least three hours in the kitchen to make. 

And then there's a very good possibility it won't make it to the table at all....I will just eat every last crumb by myself. Averie over at Averie Cooks calls it Crack Pie for a reason. 

I'm scared. 

But it might have to happen. 

Hopefully I'll live to tell about it.