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Thursday, December 17, 2009

CRAZY FOR COOKIES

Good morning everyone! How are you on this bri... I mean gloomy rainy day? LOL I'm in an unbelievable amount of pain... thanks for asking LOL! I clocked in many hours in the kitchen yesterday... stopped baking finally around 9pm (when my feet swole so bad that I couldn't feel them, my kids made me stop!). Gonna have LOTS to share with you today!

GOOD DEAL ALERT! I remembered I had a bunch of Coke points saved up from collecting, so I logged onto the website and cashed in 2000 points for a $50 Nike Gift Card Code. I turned around and went to the website, found some things clearanced that the DS18 has been hinting at wanting, and ordered $50 worth of stuff for free! PLUS Nike has a free shipping deal too- kinda like their holiday "gift"/incentive to get you to buy! SOOOO I check the track package and its supposed to be here tomorrow? When I just ordered it yesterday? COOL! Another free present! I love all the Christmas bargains I am always able to find! I feel so special LOL! So anyways, if you have coke points to spend and have someone who might like clothes or something else from Nike, check it out! I normally order Football Fanatics codes, but I wanted to be different this year LOL!

Ya know, supplying you with all these crafts and recipes is harder than I thought it would be LOL not because I don't have ideas, but because I have TOO MANY ideas LOL! I've never been one for self-disipline LMAO and only revealing one thing a day takes ALOT! LOL! So here's today's:



Craft Idea For the Day: Photo Albums
I'm not really sure, thanks to modern technology, how many people actually keep photo albums anymore. I know I have several. Guess these could also be made for a scrapbook or a memory albums. I made this with a photo album. I simply put a layer of thin batting on the outside of the binder. Cover it in whatever fabric you'd like. Make sure the fabric fits all the way inside to the ring section. Hot glue lace around it if you like. From cardboard you can make a smaller piece to fit on top and cut a hole to insert a picture. Make sure only to glue the top piece on the sides and bottom so you can put your pictures in. That's pretty much it... not much to it really. I get requests for these in wedding and baby themes more than anything else. So I guess some people are still using albums LOL!

Dinner... what sounds good? Nothing really when your mouth hurts like mine does. But the gang has to eat... sooo... I am making my pots work wonders today! I'm making Pintos and Andoille Sausage Stew, Broccoli Cheese Soup (told you I have to make it at least once a week or the hyenas will chew my ankles off LOL!), some more Potato Soup, and some slow cooker Chicken & dumplings. Big pots of everything to go around...



Slow Cooker Chicken & Dumplings

Ingredients
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons butter
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
1 onion, finely diced
2 (10 ounce) packages refrigerated biscuit dough, torn into pieces
Suggested Spices to taste: salt, pepper, garlic powder, rosemary, thyme, celery seed, cumin

Directions

Place the chicken, butter, soup, spices, and onion in a slow cooker, and fill with enough chicken broth to cover.

Cover, and cook for 5 to 6 hours on High. About 1 hour before serving, place the torn biscuit dough in the slow cooker. Cook until the dough is no longer raw in the center.

Oh deary me... I'm drooling already! Wait... it may just be the Orajel in my mouth LOL! Could be both... either way, this is a absolutely delish meal just perfect for a dreary day like it is here!

Ok, let me tell you... OMG I am seeing cookies in my sleep! I made 10 dozen of each cookie- No Bake, Gingerbread, Chocolate Chip, Lemon Drop, and something I stumbled upon when I spilled something. I'm gonna call them "Pumpkin Fluffs". It was one of those Norman Rockwell times- my kids were in there helping... baking as a family. It was great! Today you get 2 cookies! First, the traditional "gingerbread" men... and then the special "Pumpkin Fluffs".



Gingerbread Men

INGREDIENTS

3 cups flour
2 teaspoons Ginger, Ground
1 teaspoon Cinnamon, Ground
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg, Ground
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt in large bowl. Beat butter and brown sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add molasses and egg; beat well. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed. Press dough into a thick flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness on lightly floured work surface. Cut into gingerbread men shapes with 5-inch cookie cutter. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.

3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges of cookies are set and just begin to brown. Cool on baking sheets 1 to 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks; cool completely. Decorate cooled cookies as desired.



Pumpkin Fluffs

Ingredients
2cups (4 sticks) butter, softened
2cups granulated sugar
1can (about 16 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
2eggs
4cups all-purpose flour
2teaspoons pumpkin pie spice*
1teaspoon baking powder
1/2teaspoon baking soda
1package (12 ounces) white chocolate chips

*Substitute 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger and 1/4 teaspoon each ground allspice and ground nutmeg for 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice.

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease cookie sheets.

2.Beat butter and granulated sugar in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add pumpkin and eggs; beat until well blended. Add flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder and baking soda; beat just until blended. Stir in white chocolate chips.

3.Drop dough by teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake 16 minutes or until set and bottoms are browned. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

OMG I couldn't keep them out of these! The batter came out light and creamy- almost like a mousse and the gang kept trying to steal the batter, bowl, etc. They are really REALLY good!

Well kids, guess I better get off of here and get to baking! The kids get out early tomorrow and then they are home til Jan. 4th (Oh yucki joy) LMAO! The party and the big day are creeping up fast, so I need to go drink some Monster to keep up! Thanks for reading and the wonderful comments! Ya make me cry with joy! Until tomorrow... HUGS!

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