Mixed Nuts & Cranberry Magic Bars

November 29, 2015
Get ready for holiday entertaining with Mixed Nuts & Cranberry Magic Bars ~ they're perfect for celebrating the season!
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Mixed Nuts & Cranberry Magic Bars ~ perfect for celebrating the holiday season ... or a random Tuesday! Enjoy for snacks, parties, cookie trays, and holiday gift-giving, too.   www.thekitchenismyplayground.com


The season of holiday entertaining is upon us!  There's nothing I love more about the holidays than figuring out what I want to make and bake to serve the ones I love ... whether it be for a small gathering with my family, a large holiday party, cookie exchange, church potluck, or a treat to contribute to a friend's get-together.  Making something tasty to share is part of the fun of the holidays!

One of my favorite go-to treats to make?  Magic bars.  Because they come together quickly, are easy to make, and most importantly, everyone loves  them.

But this holiday season, I wanted to take my magic bars up a notch and pack in a flavor combination just perfect for celebrating the season.  Enter ... Mixed Nuts & Cranberry Magic Bars, loaded with salty mixed nuts, white and semi-sweet chocolate chips, and dried cranberries.

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Cranberry Baked Buttermilk Pancakes

November 23, 2015
Looking for a great recipe for leftover cranberry sauce?  Enjoy it for breakfast with these super easy & super tasty Cranberry Baked Buttermilk Pancakes. They're easy because they're baked in a 9x13" pan instead of individually-made standing at the stove top. And their combination of sweetened dried cranberries and leftover cranberry sauce swirled on top make these baked beauties super tasty. We all love easy & tasty, am I right?

Pouring Maple Syrup on Cranberry Baked Buttermilk Pancakes Image
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Glazed Sweet Potato Coins Recipe

November 21, 2015
Sweet potato coins bathed in brown sugar-butter glaze are the perfect addition to any Thanksgivng, Christmas, or Fall dinner.  And this Glazed Sweet Potato Coins recipe has a little secret ingredient to give the glaze great flavor while keeping it from being too  sweet.
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Glazed Sweet Potato Coins Recipe Image


Each Christmas day, after breakfast and opening presents at my parents' house, we have Christmas dinner at my mother-in-law's.  She makes the full spread ... ham and  turkey, Southern cornbread dressing, cranberry salad, potato salad, rice & gravy, her "famous" fluffy buttermilk biscuits, fresh coconut cake ... you name it.  

And she always makes this Glazed Sweet Potato Coins recipe, too.

But over the years I've noticed something ... I've noticed something about these sweet potato coins and my husband.

You know what? ... my husband never takes any of the sweet potato coins.  

Not once.  

This Glazed Sweet Potato Coins recipe has a little secret ingredient to give the glaze great flavor while keeping it from being too  sweet.

Not once in our twelve Christmases together have I seen him put a helping of Glazed Sweet Potato Coins on his plate.  And, typically, he loves  sweet potatoes.  Which, of course, got me to wondering why.  

Why doesn't he allow Glazed Sweet Potato Coins to grace his plate?

So I asked him.  And here's what he said:
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Maple Crock Pot Ham Recipe

November 16, 2015
This Maple Crock Pot Ham recipe delivers up tender, juicy ham infused with the subtle sweetness of pure maple syrup.  Cooking a ham truly couldn't be any easier!
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Maple Crock Pot Ham Recipe image

One of my husband's favorite things to eat is a nice juicy ham.  Believe me, he can devour a ham in no time.  With the encouraging words of my mother-in-law, I recently mastered the art of ham baking ... And she's right, there's really nothing to it.

But you know what?

There's even less to preparing a ham in the crock pot!

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Pumpkin Slab Pie

November 9, 2015
Easily feed a crowd this Thanksgiving & holiday season with Pumpkin Slab Pie.  All the deliciousness of its traditionally-made counterpart, with more servings per pan!
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Pumpkin Slab Pie image


The holiday season is upon us!

To me, once Halloween has passed, everything Christmas is fair game.  But I must say I'm not one of those who flies right over Thanksgiving with hardly a blink.  No.  I adore Thanksgiving.

In fact, I'm actually hard-pressed to say which I like better ~ Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Easily feed a crowd this Thanksgiving & holiday season with Pumpkin Slab Pie.  All the deliciousness of its traditionally-made counterpart, with more servings per pan!

So before all eyes and thoughts turn to Christmas, let's give Thanksgiving it's due love and attention by indulging in one of my favorite Thanksgiving desserts ~ Pumpkin Slab Pie.
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"Porkinator" Marinated Pork Loaded Baked Potatoes

November 4, 2015
Break out of the dinnertime rut with the ease of Smithfield® Marinated Pork ... which is amazingly  delicious in these "Porkinator" Marinated Pork Loaded Baked Potatoes!  Thank you to Smithfield® Marinated Pork for inspiring their creation and for sponsoring this post.

"Porkinator" Marinated Pork Loaded Baked Potatoes ~ a fabulously different & tasty way to enjoy pork tenderloin for dinner! #SmithfieldPork #ad  www.thekitchenismyplayground.com


Do you ever get in a rut with your dinners?  I know I sure do ... making the same thing over, and over, and over again.  While I swear my husband could be perfectly happy eating the same thing every night, I know I certainly could not.

No.  I need to mix it up when it comes to my dinnertime.  But even still ... there are times when I find myself going to the same four or five dishes on an all-to-regular basis.  My meal-planning brain just seems to get stuck on 'repeat!'

Do you want to know what usually happens when I finally reach my breaking point and just can't take it anymore with my regular dinner go-to's?  When I absolutely have  to break free of the 'repeat' dinner cycle?

How to Make Candied Pecans

November 2, 2015
Adding that little extra-special decorative touch to your desserts, salads ... or even breakfast dishes ... is easy with Candied Pecans.  Follow these simple steps on how to make Candied Pecans, then use the tasty results to beautifully top & adorn a variety of treats!

How to Make Candied Pecans ~ add a little extra-special decorative touch to desserts, salads ... or even breakfast dishes!   www.thekitchenismyplayground.com


I have to admit, garnishing & "prettying up" my food is not my strong point.  Heck, before I became a food blogger the thought of garnishing my foods to give them that little extra eye appeal never crossed my mind.  I guess I'm a subscriber to the "food is inherently beautiful just as it is" philosophy!

But ... truth be told ... a little sprinkling of fresh herbs, a strategically placed sprig of mint or parsley, a shaving of chocolate, or even just a dash of freshly-cracked pepper can go a long way in giving foods a little extra sparkle and appeal.  When it comes to adorning those desserts?  Candied Pecans can add that little extra-special decorative touch to so many sweet treats!

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