Royal Icing (aka Cement for food)

This is a classic Wilton recipe. Mom used this recipe for gingerbread house making because as the icing sits, it hardens. It's a great adhesive. :)

• 3 Tablespoons Meringue Powder
• 4 cups confectioner's sugar
• 5 Tablespoons warm water

(Makes roughly 3 cups of icing or enough for one assembled and decorated gingerbread house.)

Use an electric mixer until it's the consistency you want.
For stiffer icing, use 1 Tablespoon less water or as a little more confectioner's sugar.

Spritz

This is a family favorite. :)

• 2 sticks butter
• 7/8 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 large egg yolk (but I've used the whole egg without compromising cookie integrity)
• 2 1/8 cups flour
• dash of salt

If you're doing food coloring, add the food coloring with the butter and sugar.

Bake at 375 degrees for 7 minutes (depending on how large your cookies are). We always used a cookie press growing up so the cookies were always small. This recipe makes about three dozen half dollar sized cookies.

Slow Cooker Chicken Rice Casserole Recipe

I made this recipe for a Life Group potluck and it was a hit! Timing doesn't change all that much if using skinless thighs. I got this recipe from Simply Recipes.

• 2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (or 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skin on chicken thighs)
• salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cups sliced yellow onion, 1/4-inch thick slices, (about 2 large onions)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 teaspoons finely chopped garlic (about 4 cloves)
• 2 cups basmati rice
• 1 cup diced canned (or fresh) tomatoes
• 1/2 cup frozen peas (optional)
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 bay leaves

Sprinkle salt (about 2 teaspoons) on both side of the chicken thighs, and let sit while you prep and cook the onions.

Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large sauté pan on high heat. When the oil is shimmery hot, but not smoking, add the sliced onions and cook until lightly browned, stirring frequently, about 6 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and stir in the ground cumin and cinnamon. Let cook for a minute. Add the garlic and cook for half a minute more. Place cooked onions and garlic into the bowl of a slow cooker. (Do not wipe down the sauté pan.)

Heat the sauté pan on medium. Add the chicken thighs, skin-side-down in the pan. Let cook on medium heat until the skin is well-browned and much of the chicken fat from the skin has rendered out (about 10-12 minutes). Turn the chicken pieces over and brown the skinless-side for 4 to 5 minutes more.

While the chicken is cooking, add the raw long grain rice into the slow cooker with the onions, stir to combine. Stir in the diced tomatoes, peas (if using), stock, pepper, bay leaves. Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. When the chicken has finished browning, place the chicken pieces skin-side up in the pot.

Slow cook for 2-3 hours on the high setting of your slow cooker. The timing depends on your particular slow cooker. Metal bowls heats up very quickly and only takes 2 hours to cook this dish. Slow cooker models with a ceramic bowl heat up much more slowly and probably would take 3 hours to cook. I originally made this on low for 4-4 1/2 hours and it turned out fine.

Check about halfway through the cooking time to see how the rice is cooking. If it is drying out (could be your lid isn't tight fitting, or the rice just needs more water), add another half cup to cup of water.

Fluff the rice with a fork to serve.

Hot Fudge

A Patrick and Gina Neely recipe from the FoodNetwork. Best served with Peanut Butter Pie (or ice cream). This recipe reheats very well!

• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/8 teaspoon table salt
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped 

Add the cream, brown sugar, corn syrup, cocoa powder, salt, and vanilla extract to a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the chopped chocolate. Stir continuously until the chocolate is melted and the sauce has thickened, roughly 3 to 4 minutes. Let the sauce cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Peanut Butter Pie

This is a Patrick and Gina Neely recipe I got from The FoodNetwork. It was a Thanksgiving hit.

• 1 baked chocolate cookie pie crust
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 3/4 cup confectioners sugar
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons confectioners sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 ounces shaved milk chocolate 

In a large bowl combine the cream cheese, 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar and the peanut butter until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until thick and light. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract. Continue to whip until stiff peaks form.

Carefully fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture. Pour the batter into the pie shell, sprinkle with the shaved milk chocolate and freeze for 4 hours.

Serve with hot fudge.