Thumbprint Cookies ~

Thumbprint Cookies:

• 2/3 Cup Sugar
• 1 Cup Butter (softened)
• 1/2 tsp. Almond Extract
• 2 cups Flour
• Raspberry Jam (Apple Butter or jam of your choice!)

Icing:

• 1 Cup Powder Sugar
• 1-1/2 tsp. Almond Extract

Directions:

In a large bowl combine sugar, butter and almond extract. Mix while the scraping bowl often until creamy. Add flour and mix. Do not over-stir.  Shape dough into 1 inch balls.  Place about 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.  With thumb, make indent in center of each cookie.This is fun for the kids! Fill each with about 1/4 teaspoon of jam. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned on the edges. Let them stand for 1 minute and remove from cookie sheet. Cool.

In another bowl, stir powder sugar and almond extract. Gradually add enough water to make a thin glaze.  Drizzle glaze over each cooled cookie. I like to place it into a sandwich bag, clipping the bottom corner and drizzling over each sweet cookie!

Enjoy!
XOXO
Patara

Appalachian Style Sweet Potato Casserole ~

I can't guarantee you much in life, but I can guarantee you that this is the best Sweet Potato Casserole you will ever try. Every year for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and even Easter when we would have our traditional family dinners, my Great-Aunt Judy brought this. It was her "duty" to make this deliciousness and it was the only thing I would dream about being on my plate. I have tried other styles and recipes and nothing compares to this. Not only are the sweet potatoes delightful and rich, but the way she makes the topping is unbeatable. It's not a hard caramelized style, but rather sweet and fluffy with just enough pecans and brown sugar to make you close your eyes and smile after every bite. Try it and when you do, you will be responsible for making it for every family function. They will adore you for it! Trust me. Thank you, Aunt Judy! ~

Casserole Ingredients:

• 3 Cups Sweet Potato (6-7 medium)
• 1/3 Cup Milk
• 1 Stick Butter
• 1 Cup White Sugar
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
• 2 Eggs (lightly beaten)
• Cinnamon

Directions:

• Peel and cook potatoes on stove top in water just as you would for regular mashed potatoes.
• Drain and mash potatoes (leave a little firm or lumpy).
• Add all above ingredients to mashed sweet potatoes but eggs last so that they do not "scramble."
• Mix
• Spread sweet potato mix into a buttered 9x13 dish.
• Sprinkle Cinnamon lightly on top.

Topping Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1 Cup Flour-plain
• 1 Cup Butter-melted
• 1 Cup Pecans-chopped

Directions:

• Stir all topping ingredients together to form a crumble topping. If too wet, simply add a little more flour to make the correct consistency.
• Add crumble topping to the top of the spread casserole.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes!

Enjoy!

xoxo

Patara

Homemade Sausage Balls ~

The holidays are here and they would not be the same without homemade sausage balls! They are so simple to make and I can assure you they are one of the first things to disappear. Everyone loves them. I make these as a fun finger food for events and they are a tradition (along with monkey bread) on Christmas morning! You can try different meat options with this recipe, too! I love both pork and venison as options. You may also change up how hot your meat is and mix up the type of cheese variations. It's totally up to you, but a winner for everyone! Enjoy!

Recipe:

-1 lb sausage (Pork or Venison)

-1 Cup baking mix (Bisquick or homemade)
-1 Cup+ shredded cheese (I love Cheddar or Colby Jack.)

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Work dry ingredients (baking mix and shredded cheese) into the moist sausage until smooth and consistent. Spray large pan with coconut oil or spray of your choice. Once mixture is combined, pinch and roll sausage mixture into a ball. I shape ours into approximately 2 inches diameter or the average size you would use for cookies.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Enjoy!

xoxo

Patara

7 MORE Ways Eggs Can Help Us! ~

Eggs are excellent. They are delicious and they are a true super food! We are continually finding out how advantageous it is to have them in our diet and how many wonderful recipes there are. Not only it is important to consume eggs for health reasons, I encourage you to eat organic and farm fresh! It is for your benefit and helps in supporting a local farmer. It is truly a win-win situation for everyone!

  

Easy to Digest - In a world of highly processed foods and many existing guts issues, eggs can be very gentle on the tummy. Organic and farm fresh are highly recommended!

Breast Cancer Risk Reduction - According to several studies, consuming practically an egg a day can decrease the risk of breast cancer as high as 44%!

                       

Improving Eyesight - Those that consume eggs on a regular basis tend to have healthier eyes with less degeneration and development of cataracts.

  

     

Desirable Hair and Nails - Rich amino acids found in eggs can improve the beauty and strength in both hair and nails. Win!

                    

Weight Management - Eating eggs provides rich, natural protein to the body and are very fulfilling helping one to not over eat and to maintain a healthier body weight

Strong Bones - We all know that our bones need calcium. Eggs, which are rich in Vitamin D, help aid the body in absorption of calcium.

Brain Health - Eggs help provide folate and choline to the brain. These aid in helping neurotransmitters, nerve cells, and assist in overall brain function.

XOXO,

Patara

For full articles and information, check out:

Health Digeszt and The Hearty Soul