I would love to say that I can’t believe the calendar will read December tomorrow and that we are just one month shy of yet another new year, but I do believe it. The older I get the quicker the months just seem to go. I blinked and November was gone. So I want to take this opportunity on this last day of the thankful month to say thanks for being a reader. You really have to like my site to read it. I don’t do giveaways (don’t get me wrong I would love to have the money to give away a mixer, crock pot, or a camera) so you are just here for the food. If it weren’t for you the only readers I would have would be family members that I would guilt into reading it and a few former teacher friends.

But no use fighting it, tomorrow is December. I’m ready this year. Last year at this time I didn’t have an ounce of Christmas spirit (if you know me, this is highly unusual), I only put up decorations because my parents were coming out. But this year, the tree is up and the apartment has been sufficiently decorated in gingerbread men, snowmen, and penguins.

Much can change in a year. I had a reader email me the other day that is going through a divorce and asked me if I had remained friends with my ex-husband as I had planned on. Yes. Now it isn’t a Friends episode where we hang out at the coffee shop together the entire time chit chatting on the sofa, but we do go to dinner or a movie from time to time. He fixes my computer emergencies, even when my computer is faking it. He comes by to say hi to the dog. We send each other emails if we see something the other person might like. So friends but not bff’s, but we fully know that we would be there for each other if need be.

Do I think all people can do that? No. See I still like my ex as a person ( I mean the man took the test to donate his bone marrow people). Many people who split find out things they don’t like about their spouse throughout the time, often their “true” personality shining through. I certainly know many a man with a crazy ex-wife as well as a woman with a crazy, jealous, stalker ex-husband. These are the people it doesn’t work for. But for those people who still like that person as a person but not in the capacity of a spouse, than yes. So if that is you dear reader, I wish you luck.

Enough with the heavy stuff, let’s get to something light and fluffy! And easy for that matter. Frozen Peppermint Bark Cheesecake Pie. The original recipe had you making your own crust but I found Oreo Cookie Crusts at the store for less than $1…you can’t beat that!. You don’t have to soak the candy canes but it gives it a nice two tone of peppermint flavors in my opinion. Same thing with the peppermint bark, you don’t need it but why not.

Hold on kids…here comes December!

Frozen Peppermint Bark Cheesecake Pie

1 9-inch Oreo Pie Crust (mine was premade…$.79, can’t beat that)
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 (14 oz.) can Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 tsp. peppermint extract
2 ¼ cups heavy cream, whipped
10 full size candy canes
Red food coloring (optional)
1 cup peppermint bark, chopped (to make your own go here)

Unwrap candy canes (you laugh but one time I had a reader not do that on my candy cane ice cream and got mad I didn’t point it out…so I am pointing it out) and place them into 2 ¼ cups heavy cream. Let sit over night or for at least 8 hours. Remove any candy cane pieces out before you make into whipped cream.

Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream cheese until fluffy in large bowl. Gradually add sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Stir in peppermint extract and food coloring, if desired; mix well.

Fold in candy cane whipped cream.

Take pie pan and sprinkle ¾ cup of peppermint bark.

Pour filling into pan.

Cover and freeze 6 hours or until firm. Garnish with whipped cream and peppermint bark if desired.

Adapted from Smuckers.com

I love all things gingerbread men. My advent calendar (the building in the background) is a gingerbread house. I have gingerbread men spatulas, rugs, tea towels, plates, spoon rests, mugs, salt shakers, lights, etc…I love me some gingerbread men. They just make me smile. So when I stumbled across gingerbread marshmallows in the shape of gingerbread men I was sold. I quickly grabbed two bags…should have grabbed more!

I made these for the hockey boys. In what appeared to be a compliment but also an insult in my opinion over and over I heard “wow, these are actually good”. Gee thanks? I mean I get that they were a little out there and not everyone enjoys the flavor of gingerbread but I don’t usually serve them stuff that tastes like crap so I had to laugh that everyone was so surprised they were good. So good the whole bag was gone at the end of the night.

If you are a gingerbread fan, these are definitely a great treat to make. I was a little sad to watch the gingerbread men melt (luckily they don’t have eyes or I would have major guilt!) but I got over that sadness when I ate the treats.

Gingerbread Rice Krispie Treats

One 10.5 ounce bag of Gingerbread Flavored Marshmallows
3 TBSP unsalted butter
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
25 gingersnaps, chopped up

In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.

Add cereal and cookies. Stir until well coated.

Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cool. Cut into 2-inch squares. Best if served the same day.

Thought I would give some ideas for those of you who need ideas for the food lover and baker/cook in the family. Or just give you some ideas for yourself.

If you read The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry, you will love Kathleen Flinn’s newest book The Kitchen Counter Cooking School: How a Few Simple Lessons Transformed Nine Culinary Novices into Fearless Home Cooks. I’m in the middle of reading it now. It’s a great inspiration to get people back in the kitchen and cooking!

For the nerd in your life, Williams Sonoma just released more Star Wars cookie cutters. I so need these to complete my collection!!!!

Awesome stocking stuffer and an all around must have tool in the kitchen is a microplane grater. It has endless possiblities and is used pretty much daily around the Peabody Mansion.

Beautiful mini colander over at Anthropolgie (otherwise known as my kyrptonite). Comes in a varity of colors and would class up even my kitchen.

I saw this and was like oh my yes! Cooking Scrabble! Cooking Scrabble! I don’t know anyone who has played it (I asked around on Twitter) but how bad can it be…it’s Word with Friends meets food!

People ask me ALL the time where I get my mini loaf pans? The same place I buy most things, Amazon.com. Here are the ones I use. I own two sets, or 8 pans total.

This is for only those who have been really good this year. I never really got what the fuss was over Le Creuset, that was until I owned one. I had owned many a dutch oven in the past and it really is a wonderful thing. I only own two but I SO want another one. The larger dutch oven, but the 5 1/2 quart is a good place to start. Seriously, you wont be upset that you spent what you did on it. Next to my Kitchen Aid and Vitamix, it was worth every penny!

Happy Shopping! Feel free to get me anything on here.

Ah Cyber Monday, how I love you. In a day and age filled with people not having to interact with each other, I especially appreciate it today. Gone are the days of standing in line outside the Wal-Mart all night to possibly be one of the three people who will get the $100 plasma TV, only to be trampled on. Now I can only virtually be trampled on.

I no longer have to deal with playing tug of war over the last My Little Pony and have to listen to some woman go on and on about how her daughter really needs it…so do I woman, this one completes my set. No more dirty looks or being cut off or even tackled (I saw that once at a Target at 6am).

Though Cyber Monday is not without its draw backs. Sure I get to shop in the comfort of my pajamas and robes, but so do most of the people shopping at Wal-Mart year round . But by the time I load my cart up and go to check out, half of the great deals that were there, are now gone. Someone had up and stole it from me and I didn’t get to have a death match fight in the aisle with them for it. I just get a “sorry, we are currently out of that item” and then the computer suggests some horrible looking outfit saying I might like that instead. No, no I might not!

After a hard day of shopping most people need one thing. Chocolate. And lots of it. These cupcakes pretty much scream chocolate. So much so that a mini one will do you. If you make full size ones of these you might go into a chocolate coma, which might not be a bad way to die, but you would be dead all the same. These cupcakes use devil’s food chocolate cake, Swiss meringue buttercream, and a chocolate coating to seal the deal. The coating is what makes these fun, and the buttercream is what makes these amazing. If you are afraid of making Swiss Meringue Buttercream I encourage you to step out of your comfort zone, you will love it.

Hopefully you got some good deals today, if not, just eat a cupcake instead.

Mini Hi Top Triple Chocolate Cupcakes

Devil’s Food Chocolate Cake recipe (use anyone you like, I used this one)

Bake cupcakes in mini pans (at temperature your recipe calls for) for 12-16 minutes. Let cool completely.

Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream
5 large egg whites
1 cup plus 2 TBSP sugar
Pinch of salt
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into TBSP, room temperature
4 ½ ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1 ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract

Combine egg whites, sugar, and salt in the heatproof bowl of a standing mixer set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk constantly by hand until mixture is warm to the touch and sugar has dissolved (the mixture should feel completely smooth when rubbed between your fingertips).

Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Starting on low and gradually increasing to medium-high speed, whisk until stiff (but not dry) peaks form. Continue mixing until the mixture is fluffy and glossy, and completely cool (test by touching the bottom of the bowl), about 10 minutes.

With mixer on medium-low speed, add the butter a few tablespoons at a time, mixing well after each addition. DO NOT Panic, the buttercream WILL look curdled at first and you will freak out that you screwed up and wasted a pound of butter, but give it time, it will come back together again in the next step.

Once all butter has been added, whisk in vanilla and fold in melted chocolate. Switch to the paddle attachment, and continue beating on low speed until all air bubbles are eliminated, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl with a flexible spatula, and continue beating until the frosting is completely smooth. Keep buttercream at room temperature if using the same day.

Adapted from Martha Stewart Cupcakes, June 2009

Transfer frosting to a large pastry bag fitted with a large plain pastry tip. Leaving a 1/8-inch border on each cupcake, pipe a spiral of frosting into a 2-inch-high cone shape. Transfer cupcakes to a baking sheet, and refrigerate while preparing the chocolate coating.

Chocolate Coating
2 cups chopped (about 12 ounces) semisweet chocolate
3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil

Prepare the chocolate coating: Combine chocolate and oil in a medium heat-proof bowl set over a medium saucepan of barely simmering water; stir until melted and smooth. Transfer to a small bowl, and let cool about 15 minutes.

To Make the cupcakes:

Holding each cupcake by its bottom, dip cupcake in the chocolate to coat frosting, allowing excess to drip off. Transfer to a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack. Spoon more coating around edge of cupcake and any exposed frosting; none of the frosting should show. Let cupcakes stand at room temperature 15 minutes.

Carefully remove paper liners from cupcakes, and discard. Place cupcakes on a serving platter, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to let coating set. Cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours more. Serve cold. Cupcakes can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Coating from The Martha Stewart Show, May 2006