DAY 6 Recipes to Share

I have a sick 1 year old at home, so today's post will be short and sweet. I've been up all night and to the pediatrician's this morning. My little guy has an ear infection and we are on antibiotics. Better now than on Christmas eve.

I still wanted us to continue with our count down, so I'm sharing two recipes that I think you'll find great. One is for Toffee Crunch Cookies. I got this from the FoodNetwork website. It is a fabulous cookie recipe. And, if you don't like nuts or are allergic, they taste great with or without nuts. I made this recipe for my neighborhood cookie exchange a few weeks ago.

The second recipe is a Country Sausage and Grits casserole I make for Christmas breakfast. It is great because I cook the sausage the night before and then just have to cook the grits and throw everything else together Christmas morning. I love this recipe.

Toffee Crunch Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 (10-ounce) bag toffee candy bits
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup sweetened flake coconut
1 cup chopped whole, skinned almonds
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla.
Beat the eggs slightly; then add to the butter mixture and mix well. Sift flour, salt and baking soda; then add slowly to the moist ingredients and mix thoroughly. Mix in the toffee bits, oatmeal, coconut and nuts. Drop dough by the teaspoonful onto an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

Country Grits and Sausage Casserole
Southern Living Recipe
To punch up flavor, use one pound of mild sausage and one pound of hot sausage in this casserole. If you're really brave, use hot sausage exclusively!
2 pounds mild ground pork sausage
4 cups water
1 1/4 cups quick-cooking grits, uncooked
4 cups (1 pound) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
Paprika
Garnish: fresh parsley sprigs
Brown sausage in a large skillet, stirring until it crumbles. Drain well, and set aside.Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan, and stir in grits. Return to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; add cheese and next 3 ingredients, stirring until cheese melts. Stir in sausage and eggs.
Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 13" x 9" x 2" baking dish; sprinkle with paprika. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 1 hour or until golden and heated. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Garnish, if desired.
Make-Ahead: Prepare grits mixture as directed above, but do not bake. Cover and chill overnight. Remove from refrigerator; let stand, covered 30 minutes. Uncover and bake as directed.
Yield: 10 servings