Guilty Pleasures

Look for Brandon native Samantha Colburn on 'Criminal Minds'

Tue, 07 May 2013 08:55:00 -0500

See Brandon native Samantha Colburn on “Criminal Minds” this week.

Colburn plays Melody Payton on an episode called “Nanny Dearest.” The episode follows the “Criminal Minds” team as they travel to Los Angeles looking for an UnSub who is kidnapping nannies and the children they care for on the same day each year.

Colburn has had quite a bit of success in Hollywood. She made her television debut as Dr. Marta Torrez opposite Hugh Laurie on “House M.D.” and more recently was seen with Kristen Bell and Don Cheadle on Showtime’s “House of Lies,” on ABC Family’s “Jane by Design” with Andie MacDowell and The CW’s “Hart of Dixie” with Rachel Bilson. Colburn is also currently featured in an M&Ms commercial.

“Criminal Minds” airs at 8 p.m. Wednesday on KELO.

Free Comic Book Day

Sat, 04 May 2013 11:52:00 -0500

We stopped at Rainbow Sports Cards and Comics today for Free Comic Book Day. My 8-year-old son loves comic books, and I love to see him reading, so it was a perfect way to spend part of a Saturday morning.

And we ran into a few of his favorite characters, too.

Free Comic Book Day runs all day. See costumed “Star Wars” enthusiasts, members of the 501st Legion and the Rebel Legion, along with Iron Man, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

And May the Fourth be with You. Happy Star Wars Day!

USD grad in 'Iron Man 3'

Thu, 02 May 2013 08:58:26 -0500

Look for Freeman, S.D., native and 2009 University of South Dakota grad Elliott Graber in “Iron Man 3” when it opens in theaters this weekend. (Read a review of the movie here.)

Graber plays a White House techie. He doesn’t have any speaking lines, but appears in a scene with Don Cheadle.

Earlier this year, Graber played the role of a younger version of Phil Dunphy in the ABC comedy, “Modern Family.”

After graduating from USD, Graber worked in musical theater, touring around the country, and did some film and commercial work in Minneapolis. He now lives in Los Angeles.

Turning broken branches into art

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 13:08:00 -0500

I know many of you are cleaning up tree branches. I will be, too. My poor 10-year-old apple tree cracked down the middle of its trunk last night. (Wah! No more fresh-off-the-tree apple pie.) Fortunately, my other trees are still fine, and cleaning up shouldn’t take long.

But if you have a lot of big branches, my brother-in-law, Jess Elofson, might be able to help.

Jess is a potter, and has built a large wood fire kiln. When he fires it up, it burns for at least 80 hours straight, slowly getting up to 2,500 degrees. Needless to say, he goes through a lot of wood. And he wants yours.

Some requirements, though. He doesn’t want small branches – he only wants wood thicker than your arm. And he prefers birch, elm, oak and ash.

So if you’ve got a lot of wood and want to help an artist, Jess has a gassed up chainsaw. Shoot him an email at Jesselofson@hotmail.com.

Good for you. Good for him. Good for art.

The wood fire kiln in action. (Read about how he built it here.)

Pretty pots.

'Big Brother' casting call

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 10:34:11 -0500

If you’ve ever wanted to be a reality TV star, now’s your chance.

CBS will hold an open casting call for “Big Brother” from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at Grand Falls Casino Resort near Larchwood, Iowa.

The show’s producers are looking for those 21 and older to compete in the 15th season of the series for the chance to win half a million dollars.

Chosen participants will live with a group of strangers while multiple cameras record life inside the home 24 hours a day, seven days a week, while competing in physical competitions, social play and mental games.

The show will air starting in July on KELO. Find all the casting details here.

The science fair volcano

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 10:54:00 -0500

For the school science fair this year, my son Josh decided he wanted to make a volcano.

We tried to talk him out of it. Everyone does one. My husband Matt didn’t want this to happen.

But he’s almost 8. Eight-year-old boys want to make things explode, and building a volcano that erupts is probably the coolest science project out there. So it’s hard to stifle a kid’s excitement about a totally optional, educational school project, just because you know it’s going to take a lot of time and probably mess up your kitchen.

So Josh read up on volcanoes and learned all sorts of interesting things. Volcanoes erupting are kind of like farts, he decided. There’s so much pressure, the gas inside the earth has to go somewhere! He even found a few jokes about volcanoes. What does a volcano use to see at night? A lava lamp!

I helped Josh type up some of volcanic facts to print (real facts – nothing about farts), cut and glue on his poster. And then it was time to build the volcano.

This is where Matt came in. He had the idea to build the volcano on a piece of wood and router out a “moat” around the base of the volcano, with a hole on one end so the fake lava would have somewhere to go and it could drip onto a bucket on the floor. Brilliant idea, and it worked like a charm. I knew I married that man for a reason.

But when Matt got out the level and talked about needing to build the volcano to scale, I knew he was getting a little carried away. (Like I should talk. But this is my blog, not his, so if Matt wants to tell people about ridiculous things I’ve done, he can start his own.) For the record, the volcano is not built to scale. That would be crazy.

Still, Matt and I only argued with other once during the couple of days it took to help Josh build the darn thing, which I consider a huge success. (Though next time, he says, Josh either has to start his science fair project at least two weeks ahead of time or leave him out of it. But what fun is it to start a big project ahead of time? Apparently, some people just can’t handle a little deadline pressure.)

Anyhow, the science fair was last night, and everything went really well. Josh had a great time making his volcano erupt – and used an entire one-gallon bottle of vinegar, box of baking soda and three little bottles of food coloring in the process. (And to think I almost bought the small bottle of vinegar.) He didn’t win, but honestly didn’t care all that much. He learned a lot, and loved showing off his project. Nice work, kid.

All things Pinterest

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 16:47:56 -0600

I’ve been obsessed with Pinterest for quite a while now. I’m not sure when I started pinning things – a year ago? Two years ago? – but it’s a daily web thing for me. The virtual bulletin board that allows you to pin projects, recipes and whatever else to save for later is like having all of your bookmarks in one place, accessible anywhere. I love it.

I’ve pinned dozens of recipes for cookies, cake and other sweet treats. (And even made a few, most of which ended up being delicious.) I’ve pinned cool ideas that I could incorporate into a future house. (And will, I swear, when we sell our house and start building another.) I’ve even pinned projects I like but will probably never, ever do. (Even though I’d like to think I might someday).

But this site – Pinterest, You Are Drunk – might be even better. It’s not because I’ll find my new favorite cookie recipe or something else that promises to be amazing and that will change my life. No, it’s just awesome, with hilarious commentary about things people have spotted on Pinterest, like this:

Go there now. You can thank me later.

Oscar fashion flubs

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 09:54:00 -0600

As much fun as it is to talk about the fabulous fashion at the Oscars, dissing the fashion flubs is even better.

Here’s who I thought missed the mark last night.

Anne Hathaway’s light pink backless Prada gown is very pretty and very sophisticated. And I loved her necklace. But I can’t get over how it emphasizes her bust – and not in a good way. I’ll let the dress’s Twitter tell the rest of the story.

I really like Melissa McCarthy, but I hate the way this David Meister dress makes her look. I know she’s not a size 2, but this dress does nothing for her body. She looks like she’s wearing a garbage bag with a few sequined accents. Ugh.

There’s nothing really wrong with Kristen Stewart’s Reem Acra gown (though I don’t really like the back). I think my distaste of the dress has more to do with Stewart herself. She’s just super awkward, unenthusiastic and frankly looked a little disheveled. Comb your hair already!

Halle Berry’s silver and black Versace gown is sexy, but it was a little too 1980s “Dynasty” for me. Are those shoulder pads?

At 75, Jane Fonda looks amazing. She has a phenomenal body. But I just can’t say I like this canary yellow Versace gown. Maybe I just don’t like yellow. But this dress wasn’t a hit in my book.

Who made your worst dressed at the Oscars list?

Oscar fashion favorites

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 09:24:00 -0600

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a huge fan of award shows. They tend to be long, kind of boring and did I say long? I have the attention span of a mosquito, it seems.

So I didn’t watch all 112 hours of the Oscars last night. I flipped back and forth with “The Walking Dead” instead. (Zombies were much better, in my opinion.)

But I love watching the Red Carpet arrivals, and it’s fun to pick favorites. Here’s who I liked best last night.

Jennifer Aniston’s red Valentino strapless dress is definitely a showstopper. She is simply glowing.

Sexy! Nicole Kidman just shines in this sequined dress by L’Wren Scott. Like Catherine Zeta-Jones, she also has an amazing body.

Jennifer Lawrence just looked lovely in this pale pink Christian Dior Couture gown. It was just a pretty, pretty choice for her.

Catherine Zeta-Jones shimmered in this Zuhair Murad gold. Gold is definitely her color. I love her hair. I love her earrings. And her body is just amazing.

This white Christian Dior Haute Couture gown definitely highlighted Charlize’s amazing figure. And it is just me, or did it make her look about 7 feet tall? She towered over Dustin Hoffman when they presented the award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Who wore your favorite looks?

USD grad appears on 'Modern Family'

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:35:58 -0600

Are you a “Modern Family” fan?

Look for Elliott Graber, a Freeman, S.D., native and 2009 University of South Dakota graduate, in this Wednesday’s episode.

Graber plays a younger version of Phil Dunphy (Ty Burrell), one of the show’s main characters.

“They’re all looking back on the past to when they were younger,” Graber says. “They never thought that life would have turned out the way it did, essentially.”

It’s just a one-episode appearance on the hit TV show now, Graber says. “But you never know,” he says. “If the American public likes it and it gets good reviews, they could totally bring these characters back for more flashbacks in the future.”

After graduating from USD, Graber worked in musical theater, touring around the country, and did some film and commercial work in Minneapolis. He’s been living in Los Angeles for about six weeks now.

Graber also has a small role in “Iron Man 3,” which will be released in May. He doesn’t have any speaking lines, but plays a White House techie in a scene with Don Cheadle.

“Modern Family” airs at 8 p.m. on KSFY on Wednesday.

Girl Scout Cookies are on sale!

Sat, 09 Feb 2013 08:00:55 -0600

Mmmm, it’s Girl Scout Cookie time! If you’ve been craving some Thin Mints, your wait is over. Cookies are now on sale in Sioux Falls!

Eight kinds of cookies are being sold this year. Mango Cremes are new, and they sound awesome. But my favorites will always be the classic Thin Mints and Shortbread. Which of these are your favorites?

• Carmel deLites: Vanilla cookies coated in caramel, sprinkled with toasted coconut, and laced with chocolaty stripes

• Lemonades: Savory slices of shortbread with a refreshingly tangy lemon-flavored icing.

• Peanut Butter Patties: Crispy vanilla cookies layered with peanut butter and covered with a chocolaty coating.

• Peanut Butter Sandwich: Crisp and crunchy oatmeal cookies with creamy peanut butter filling.

• Shortbread: Traditional shortbread cookies.

• Mango Cremes: Vanilla and coconut cookies filled with a tangy mango-flavored crème

• Thanks-A-Lot: Shortbread cookies dipped in rich fudge and topped with an embossed thank you message in one of 5 languages.

• Thin Mints: Crispy chocolate wafers dipped in a mint chocolaty coating.

They all sound so delicious!

If you don’t have a Girl Scout knocking on your door, troops will also be setting up shop outside many stores and gas stations – find out when and where here. Cookies are $4 a box.

Bigfoot in South Dakota?

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 09:22:26 -0600

Is Bigfoot roaming around in South Dakota? Find out at 9 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 10 during the Animal Planet TV show, “Finding Bigfoot.”

During Sunday’s episode, the “Finding Bigfoot” team meets with witnesses from the Lakota Sioux, who claim bigfoots roam the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. After zeroing in on a hotspot, the team is granted special access to private land where they just might find the Lakota’s legendary Tall Man.

Biologist Ranae Holland (third from left) is a 1988 graduate of Lincoln High School and helps investigate Bigfoot sightings and suspicions for Animal Planet. The Seattle and New York City resident applies scientific methodology and protocol to the expedition’s investigations across the country and in Canada.

Holland’s TV co-researchers include two members of the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization, founder Matt Moneymaker and James “Bobo” Fay. The group was founded in 1995 to record sightings and compare notes. Also on the four-person team is professional educator Cliff Barackman.

See more about “Finding Bigfoot” and watch clips from the show here.

Sioux Falls food blogger's recipe published

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 08:00:41 -0600

Sioux Falls food blogger Stephanie Carlson (who shared her best tips and tricks with me for an article I wrote about homemade pizza) has a recipe for creamy scalloped potatoes featured in the new Gooseberry Patch cookbook, “Slow Cooking All Year Round.”

Carlson’s creamy scalloped potatoes are simple to make, and the recipe can easily be halved or doubled, depending on how many people you need to serve.

In the cookbook, Carlson reveals her recipe’s secret ingredient – a bay leaf. It adds an extra layer of savory flavor to the scalloped potatoes. Just remember to remove it before serving, Carlson says.

Happy National Cake Pops Day!

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 10:18:00 -0600

Happy National Cake Pops Day!

Fine, it’s a made-up holiday. But any holiday that celebrates cake is fine by me. I just wish I had some cake pops to share with all of you. Instead, you’ll have to make your own. Don’t worry, they’re easy!

My sister and I made 300 cake pops for our friend Nora’s wedding a few months ago. It was one of those ideas that sounded good at the time, but 10 hours later… Actually, it was pretty fun. And they were really, really good.

Here’s how to make them:

Cake

1 cake mix

Prepare cake mix as directed. Punch up the flavor (with extra vanilla, almond extract…) or food coloring (more yellow to make a more vibrant lemon cake, for example) as desired.

Bake in a 9x13 pan, then let cool completely.

Buttercream frosting

½ stick butter, room temperature

1 to 1 ½ cups powdered sugar

1-2 tablespoons milk

Flavor add-ins (see below)

Mix until smooth and creamy.

Note: Although Cake Pop Queen Bakerella says to use a can of frosting, I like the flavor of homemade buttercream better. But go ahead and used canned frosting if you want, although I don’t think you need a whole can as she suggests. Start with about half.

Flavor add-ins:

Vanilla buttercream: 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Chocolate buttercream: 2 tablespoons cocoa powder

Chocolate mint buttercream: 2 tablespoons cocoa powder and 2 to 3 teaspoons mint extract

Lemon buttercream: 2 teaspoons lemon extract

Peanut butter buttercream: ¼ cup peanut butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate coating

Chocolate or vanilla almond bark

Crisco

Melt in the microwave for 60 seconds. Stir, and then heat in the microwave for 30-40 second intervals until completely smooth.

Add a heaping tablespoon or so of Crisco to the chocolate. Stir to melt. (If need be, return to microwave for another 20 seconds or so.)

Note: The Crisco isn’t totally necessary, but it really, really makes dipping your pops easier since it makes the chocolate smoother.

To assemble:

In a large bowl, crumble cake with a fork or your fingers. (Fun!!) Gradually add frosting, and mix until desired consistency. You want to be able to mold it into balls, so it should be kind of like a play dough consistency. (That’s why I don’t like to add the whole can of frosting if I’m not making my own - it just gets too mushy.)

Shape into balls with a cookie scoop, then roll by hand to make smooth. Freeze for at least 15 minutes.

Place each ball on a candy stick, then dip in chocolate or vanilla coating. Tap stick on side of bowl to remove excess chocolate. Then add sprinkles or other embellishments as desired.

Cake decorating

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 10:52:00 -0600

I took a cake decorating class a few years ago from a local cake decorating genius, Carrie Williams. (Check out some of her incredible work on her not-updated-nearly-enough blog.)

I learned the basics, like how to make little stars and flowers and how to frost a cake without getting crumbs all over the top. I still can’t make a perfect Wilton-approved rose, but I don’t really care. Mostly, the class gave me to confidence to get into the kitchen and get a little more creative. So if you’ve ever thought about taking a cake decorating class, I definitely recommend it. It’s a lot of fun, and you get to eat your homework! Michaels, Hobby Lobby and Ace Hardware all offer classes at various times throughout the year in Sioux Falls.

Anyhow, I usually don’t do anything too fancy to the cakes I make. I focus on the flavor (butter only – no gross Crisco in my frosting, despite what the Wilton people say), and make sure I have a good cake-to-frosting ratio. Sometimes I’ll even pour a little chocolate ganache on top to drip down the sides. Yum. Simple, sophisticated and pretty (always better, in my opinion, than to end up with a Cake Wreck).

But every now and then I like to do something to stretch my cake-decorating capabilities. So for my nephew’s Lego-themed birthday, I made him a Lego cake – a Minifigure head and a few Lego bricks.

For the Lego head, I used two 8-inch round cakes with one 6-inch round on top. According to my son, I didn’t have the frosting colored quite right at first (“Mom, I hate to tell you this, but you’ve failed.” Funny kid.) And both he and my husband thought I should have carved out a little bit on the top of Lego guy’s head so it would look EXACTLY like a real Lego – you know, so the little Minifigure Lego helmets have something to snap onto. Um, no. It’s cake. Cake that we were going to be cutting up and eating less than two hours later. And then I kicked them both out of my kitchen.

I made the Lego bricks with mini bread pans (trimming a bit off of each side and off the top after they were baked to make them more rectangular and less like tiny loaves of bread). I cut small circles of cake to add to the top to make them look like Lego bricks.

To be honest, frosting those bricks was a giant pain, and I definitely didn’t get the frosting completely smooth. They’d probably look better covered in fondant, and someday I might experiment with that. But they were fun to make and they tasted great.

I’m pretty happy with how it all turned out. Plus, birthday boy Roman loved it. Happy birthday, bud!

Good game, good game...

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 12:37:27 -0600

Sportsmanship isn’t always an easy concept for kids. It doesn’t really matter what the game - winning is fun, losing is not so much fun.

I know I’m not the only parent who’s had to remind their kid to be a good sport, to respect the other team and to save the trash talking or excessive whining or complaining for later (or better yet, not at all).

So is it wrong that I really kind of love this shirt?

I could never wear it - especially not to one of my son’s games. But it definitely makes me laugh.

Vote for a new Monopoly piece

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 17:18:34 -0600

Unlike some people, I’ve never had a favorite Monopoly piece. I like the iron because it’s fun to slide around the board. I like the dog because it’s cute. And I like the hat just because it looks cool.

But really, it doesn’t matter which piece I pick. I’m going to beat you anyway.

(Somewhere my ultra competitive husband is shaking his head and laughing. But this is my blog so I can spin the story anyway I want.)

Anyhow, Monopoly’s had the same game pieces for practically forever. The iron, racecar, thimble, shoe, top hat and battleship were among the original pieces introduced in 1935. The Scottie dog and wheelbarrow were added in the early 1950s.

But now, Hasbro wants to change things up. Starting today, you can vote for your favorite classic Monopoly piece. The piece with the fewest votes will be replaced with a new one, picked by popular vote. Choose from a diamond ring, guitar, toy robot, cat or helicopter. Vote for both on Monopoly’s Facebook page.

Here’s a look at the proposed pieces:

I say get rid of the ugly shoe and vote for the robot. What’s your vote?

What are you doing tonight? NYE in Sioux Falls!

Mon, 31 Dec 2012 11:48:00 -0600

Can’t make it to Times Square to watch the ball drop tonight? There’s plenty to do in Sioux Falls to ring in 2013. Here are some highlights.

PARTIES

• Janitor Bob and Avian Sunrise will play an all-ages New Year’s Eve party at the Sioux Falls Convention Center. The shows begin at 9 p.m., and tickets are $20 at the door. Get the scoop on Janitor Bob here.

• Icon Lounge, 402 N. Main, will host the fifth annual Champagne Ball, featuring a masquerade party, live music with Kory and the Fireflies, appetizers and a champagne toast at midnight. Tickets are $75 per person or $750 for a table of 10. The event is a benefit for Make-A-Wish South Dakota. Call 338-5255 for tickets - the event is close to being sold out.

• The El Riad Shrine on Phillips Avenue will host its annual New Year’s Eve party and dance at 7 p.m. The Merle Lake Orchestra will perform from 8:30 p.m. to midnight. Also, breakfast will be served after the ball drops.

MUSIC

• DJ Sadie Soul will ring in the New Year at Tommyjacks Pub, 214 E. 12th St., with an all vinyl set of ’60s and ’70s soul, funk and R&B with a dash of Jamaican roots and hip-hop. The music starts at 10 p.m.

• Touch of Europe on Phillips Avenue will host live music by Stash. The rock/blues band will play from 8:30-11:30 p.m.

• The Hegg Brothers will play from 8 p.m. to midnight at Paramount Piano Bar at 307 S. Phillips Ave.

• Local band Vermillion Ampd will play 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. at the American Legion, 1701 W. Legion Drive.

• Jukebox Zeroes will play at The Thirsty Duck, 945 S Marion Road, at 9 p.m.

• At Grand Falls Casino Resort near Larchwood, Iowa, the band Something New will perform inside the Show Lounge at 9 p.m.

• Royal River Casino in Flandreau will host the band Confederate Railroad at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 and available at the casino’s gift shop or at royalriver.com.

THEATER

• Sioux Empire Community Theatre will present “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged” at the Sioux Falls Convention Center. Dinner begins at 6:15 p.m., and the show begins at 7:15. The dinner buffet will include marinated chicken scaloppini with veggies, roasted reds, salad and bread. Desserts also will be served. Tickets are $65-$75 at SiouxFallsTheatre.com or by calling 360-4800.

COMEDY

• The Vault will host a comedy show on New Year’s Eve. Comedian Steve Hirst of England will perform from 6-9 p.m. Tickets are $20 at the door.

SNOW

• From 9 a.m. to midnight, enjoy lift, rental and tubing specials at Great Bear Recreational Park. Stick around to enjoy the fireworks at midnight.

FOOD

• Acoustic’s New Year’s Eve dinner features roast pork loin stuffed with cornbread, smoked Gouda cheese and homemade Italian sausage. Acoustic, which opened in November, is at 196 E. Sixth St. Call for reservations at 941-0714 or 332-2236. Also, Joe Rogers plays an acoustic set from 7-9 p.m.

• At Bros Brasserie Americano, 334 S. Phillips Ave., get surf and turf for two. Call 275-3181 for reservations.

• Tinner’s Bar & Grill on 69th Street and Minnesota Avenue, will serve a New Year’s Eve dinner with a choice of lobster tail and a 6-ounce filet, two lobster tails, king crab legs, Torsk filet and a 6-ounce sirloin, lamb chops or lobster alfredo. All meals will be served with a glass of house wine or a pint of domestic beer, house salad and potato.

• The VFW on Minnesota Avenue will serve dinner from 5:30-8 p.m., featuring prime rib, shrimp or steak. Reservations are recommended at 338-0869. Afterward, dance to live music by Slight Return. Tickets are $13 for dinner or $15 for dinner and the dance.

• Wild Sage Grille inside Cherapa Place downtown will offer a special New Year’s Eve meal tonight. Make reservations now to enjoy buffalo T-bone, crab-stuffed salmon, oven-braised lamb shanks or three-cheese tortellini with prosciutto. Call 274-1667.

Spark Letterpress in Martha Stewart Weddings

Wed, 26 Dec 2012 13:25:53 -0600

Spark, a fabulous letterpress design and print studio in Sioux Falls, is featured in the new issue of Martha Stewart Weddings. The magazine showed one of Spark’s custom metallic invitations. Pretty!

You can never have too many cookies

Mon, 24 Dec 2012 15:07:00 -0600

Despite the sugar high I’ve been on for practically the last week, I don’t believe you can ever have too many cookies around Christmas. And if you do, share with others!

These three cookies were the winners in Argus Leader Media’s annual reader cookie contest. Even if you think you can’t eat another cookie this Christmas, make room for one of these. They’re awesomely delicious.

FIRST PLACE

Festive Cream Wafers
Recipe from Arica Kulm, Sioux Falls

1 cup butter
1/3 cup whipping cream
2 cups sifted flour
Sugar
Mix butter, cream and flour thoroughly. Chill 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll dough 1/8-inch thick on a lightly floured board. Cut
into 1 1/2-inch rounds. Transfer to waxed paper heavily sprinkled with sugar, turning to coat both sides.
Place on ungreased baking sheet. Prick in four places with a fork. Bake 7-9 minutes or
until slightly puffy. Put two cooled cookies together with filling (recipe below).

Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

Creamy Butter Filling
1/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Pink or green food coloring (if desired)
Mix all ingredients together until well blended.

***

SECOND PLACE

Cherry Cheesecake Cookies
Recipe from Taylor Reit, Dell Rapids

3 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
2 1/2 sticks butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 20-ounce cans cherry pie filling

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in bowl. In another bowl, with an electric mixer,
beat cream cheese, butter and sugar until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Reduce speed to low and add the flour mixture; mix until just combined. Refrigerate dough until firm, at least 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place graham cracker crumbs in a shallow dish.

Roll the dough into 1 1/2-inch balls, then roll the balls in the graham cracker crumbs.
Place balls 2 inches apart. Using a teaspoon, make an indentation in the center of each
ball. Place three cherries in the dimple. Bake until golden brown around the edges, about 12-14 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes on pan, then and remove to cool completely on a wire rack.

***

THIRD PLACE

Seven-layer Gingerbread Bars
Recipe from Jennifer Meyer, Sioux Falls

30 Gingerbread Oreos (available at Walmart)
6 tablespoons butter
2 cups white chocolate chips
1/2 cup Andes peppermint chips
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
2 cups marshmallows
1 cup chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix crushed Oreos with melted butter. Spread in a 9-inch by 13-inch pan. Bake 10
minutes. Place all ingredients on top of cooled crust. Pour sweetened condensed milk over the top and use spatula to incorporate all the toppings. Bake 30 minutes. Cool and cut into bars.