MERRY COOKIE DAY

Well good morning my friends! How are you doing this brisk Saturday morning? Me, I’m just peachy actually! Had a couple of pleasant surprises yesterday, got my BFF’s lap blankie done (go to Wednesday’s post… I put up the pic!), and my cookie exchange party is tonight! YAY! The Coke/Nike order I made arrived yesterday, as did a Christmas Card from none other than my DS18’s biological mother. Inside was a gift card to the “W” store and a note saying thank you for loving and caring for Michael. I was like WTF? Are you serious? After all this time? It was crazy… so since its from his mother, I am going to give it to him.

Okie Dokie… what can we make today? Let’s see… how about some juice pouch purses/tote bags? They are pretty easy to make and they are a unique gift (or bag to hold a gift)!

Craft Idea of the Day: Juice Pouch purses/tote bags

There are many different shapes your bag could take. Here are just a couple examples of purse you can make. You first need to wash and dry the pouches thoroughly so they don’t mold. Then you sew the sides overlaping like ¼ in. together. The size is up to you… you can put 3 or 4 together side by side and a couple of rows. You can add fur around the top, etc. There are tons of websites that give you instructions but here is one I recommend- Click here





Okie dokie... seeing as I just woke up, I'm a bit hungry, wouldn't you agree? Since tonight is the party and I'll be still baking today, I think we are going to eat some of the meals I made in the freezer. So I think I am going to share a new recipe with you... BREAKFAST! YAY!! Lol... I subscribe to a newsletter from the site $5 dinners and one time they had a pancake recipe that I just had to try and... BINGO! Instant success in my house. So here is your morning yummies- courtesy of $5 dinners newsletter!



Almond Vanilla French Toast

Ingredients
4 eggs
2/3 cup milk
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp vanilla
1/3 cup ground almonds
12 slices bread

Directions
1. In mixing bowl, whisk eggs, milk, maple syrup, vanilla and ground almonds.

2. Dip bread into mixture.

Note: Be sure to stir up the mixture before dipping each bread, as the almonds will sink between dippings! Stir it up so that each slice will have a nice almond-y flavor!!!

3. Place double dipped bread slices onto griddle. Cook until golden brown

I told you it was yummy! Now a bonus... one of the beverages I will be serving tonight at the Cookie party. Its a warm drink and its delish! If you simmer this on the stove all day the aroma that will fill your house is amazing! And its just as good as cocoa and coffee at warming you inside too!



Christmas Wassail

Ingredients

2 quarts apple cider
2 cups orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
12 whole cloves
4 cinnamon sticks
1 pinch ground ginger
1 pinch ground nutmeg
Slices of orange, lemon, or roasted apple (optional)

Directions

In a slow-cooker or a large pot over low heat, combine apple cider, orange juice and lemon juice. Season with cloves, ginger and nutmeg. Bring to a simmer. If using a slow cooker, allow to simmer all day. Serve hot.

NOW the part I know you've been waiting for... drumroll please? LOL your sweet treat for today...



Butterscotch Blondies

Ingredients
1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix with pudding
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
3 eggs, divided
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1 cup butterscotch-flavored chips
1 (14 ounce) can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In large bowl, beat cake mix, butter and 1 egg at medium speed until crumbly.

2. Press evenly into greased 13x9-inch baking pan. Bake 15 minutes. Remove from oven; sprinkle with pecans and butterscotch chips.

3. In small bowl, beat sweetened condensed milk, remaining 2 eggs and vanilla. Pour evenly over chips.

4. Bake 25 to 30 minutes longer or until center is set. Cool thoroughly. Cut into bars. Store covered at room temperature.

These are very rich, so I recommend a large glass of milk to wash them down! LOL... As for me kids, I'm off to the kitchen! Yes, you are probably wondering if I live in there LOL and the answer would be YES! BUT... I love cooking... I mean absolutely live for it so I don't mind. I once wanted to go to culinary school, but time, work, family, and alot of other things changed those plans... but I don't mind! Family is the greatest thing to me and I love that I can be there for them whenever someone needs me! Well, see ya tomorrow with an post-party review LOL! HUGS!

WHERE DOES THE TIME GO

Well good afternoon my faithful flock LOL! Sorry I'm a bit late with todays entry... I hate the half school days. Throws me all off whack and then I'm running around trying to get everything done in the few short hours they are gone... UGH! But I'm here and the rest of the day will be baking and cooking and cleaning lol. Its actually a pretty day outside (for a change)... sunny and about 65 degrees. Got my kitchen window open and my ovens and pots just a goin!

OK so I'm driving around thinking OMG I have got the perfect craft to blog. Its an ornament... a bear ornament. This is a beary LOL versitile gift as you can custom it for tons of different ways!



Craft Idea of the Day: Christmas Bear Ornaments

All you do is take the desired ball ornament (could be a school color, a NFL team, you name it) and hot glue bear "pieces" to the ball. You can find a bag of parts fairly inexpensive at the arts & crafts stores. Glue the head piece on the top and then the ball ornament piece (from which to hang the ornament) onto the bear's head. Tie a ribbon Bow around the neck of the bear. And there you have it! I thought this was one of the most precious things I had ever seen so I HAD to share it with you in time to make some as gifts!

OK, what's for dinner? Well, since I have alot going on the next 48 hours, I was thinking freezer meals... but no, I put on a big old brisket in the oven. Gonna serve it with potato salad and some corn on the cob... no big recipe to share with you there. But I want to share this one for the Pintos and Sausage I made yesterday!



Pinto Bean & Andouille Sausage Stew

Ingredients

1 pound dry pinto beans
1 tablespoon peanut oil, or canola oil
12 ounces andouille sausage, (see Tip), diced
3 slices bacon, chopped
2 cups diced onions
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 cup diced red bell pepper
1 cup diced green bell pepper
1-3 teaspoons minced chile pepper, such as serrano or jalapeno
1 teaspoon smoked paprika, (see Note)
4 large ripe plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
8 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons freshly grated lime zest
Juice of 1/2 lime

Directions

1. Pick over beans to remove any pebbles or broken beans and rinse under cold water. Place in a bowl, cover with 3 inches of cold water and soak for at least 6 hours or overnight.

2. Heat oil in a large heavy casserole or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add sausage and bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is almost crisp, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a small bowl and set aside in the refrigerator.

3. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring, over medium heat, until soft and lightly brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add bell peppers and chile pepper to taste; continue to cook, stirring, until the mixture is soft, about 3 minutes. Stir in paprika. Add tomatoes and cook until they release their juice, about 2 minutes.

4. Drain the beans. Stir the beans and 8 cups water into the pot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour. Stir in the reserved sausage and bacon along with salt and pepper. Continue simmering, adding a little water if the beans are dry, until the beans are very soft and beginning to break down, about 30 minutes more. Stir in lime zest and juice.

Oh goodies goodies GOODIES- Literally LOL! OK I am gonna share a cookie that I'm making for the party in honor of my BFF (you already read about her) Vicki. Vicki loves pigs so I am gonna have such fun when she sees these! (Courtesy of Taste of Home)



Cute Pig Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

FROSTING/DECORATING:
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
6 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 to 4 drops red food coloring
Pink sugar wafer cookies
36 large marshmallows, halved
Butterscotch chips and miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.

2. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

3. For frosting, in a large bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, butter, milk, vanilla and food coloring. Frost cookies.

4. Cut sugar wafers into triangles; place two on each cookie for ears. With a toothpick, poke two holes in each marshmallow half for nostrils; press butterscotch chips into holes. Place noses on cookies; add chocolate chip eyes. Yield: 6 dozen.

I just hope mine come out as SOOUUweet! LOL! OK boys and girls... that's all for today's blog! Gotta get my big ol' tired self in there and a-bakin! So until tomorrow, enjoy, and HUGS!

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!

THE GIFT OF LOVE

Hey everybody! How are you doing this morning? I woke up cold and emotional for some reason... maybe cause I'm not feeling real good. I want to share something with you today that gets me all teary eyed... but in a good way!

One of the gifts I am making this year (actually need it done by Saturday... almost there LOL YAY!) is for MY BFF whose name is Vicki. She is like a sister to me. We met over 10 years ago when my youngest entered school... she was the teacher's aid. She was the one who worked with my son Alex when no one else would. Well over time we got to be close friends. I was there for her during her divorce, her father and a couple of other family members passing, health problems, etc. When she got divorced, her and her son had to live with her grandma (she called her "Gram") in a tiny little house in a not so good neighborhood. They struggled for food, bills, you name it. Well I taught her how to use coupons and make her life better. I would coupon shop for her, etc. Well Gram called me her "angel". She was a seamstress for 30 years and had TONS of supplies for all kinds of crafts. Well, when Gram died, we found out that she left all the stuff to me just because I helped them out and was Vicki's friend. Ok, so yea I cried... and Vicki was VERY close to Gram as well. So one day I was going through all the stuff that Gram left me, when I came upon a box of all kinds of patches... big ones, small ones, you name it. I wasn't sure what to do, so I put them all in a big bag and waited... for an idea. Being as Vicki was so close to Gram I figured I wanted to make something for her that she could keep with her forever that was a part of Gram. I took each patch and sewed it on an individual square. Then I quilted the squares together. I made her a memory patch quilt and I will be giving it to her on Saturday. UPDATE** Here is the picture of the finished lapquilt!



I know she is gonna cry, but I also know there is nothing better in the world to give someone than the gift of love! If she ever reads this... I love ya Vickerdoodle! You are the sister I always wanted.

Ok, now that I have totally balled my eyes out and took a hundred deep breaths, lol... let's get on to the

Craft Idea for the Day: Candy Cane Vase



Here is a cute idea to be in the spirit of the holidays. Its great for holding fresh cut flowers or even a candy bouquet! All you do is take a aluminum can that has been washed thoroughly or a straight clear glass jar or vase and hot glue candy canes next to each other all the way around (the "hook" parts facing out of course). Tie a red ribbon around the canes when completed and you can either make it into a candy bouquet (from one of my previous posts) or put some water and some fresh cut flowers in. I made a couple and put a plug of foam and some faux poinsettias in them as centerpieces and decorations!

Ahhh... where's the beef? OMG lol do you remember that old lady going around saying that in the 80's?? LOL she reminded me of my Grandma (hmmm seems to have a theme of Grandmas today huh? LMAO!). She was loud and obnoxious! LOL Love you granny! I'm just kidding... I have an awesome grandma and I love her to death! Shoot, I am named after her and for the longest time I wanted to be just like her! OK back to dinner... I am gonna make some slow cooker pepper steak with white rice and some hot & sour soup tonight I think. I am also gonna make a huge pot of spaghetti and some garlic bread! YUMMY!! Ok, now I gotta get something to eat for breakfast! LOL



Slow Cooker Pepper Steak

Ingredients
2 pounds beef sirloin, cut into 2 inch strips
garlic powder to taste
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cube beef bouillon
1/4 cup hot water
2 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 large green bell peppers, roughly chopped
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, with liquid
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Directions

Sprinkle strips of sirloin with garlic powder to taste. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the vegetable oil and brown the seasoned beef strips. Transfer to a slow cooker.

Mix bouillon cube with hot water until dissolved, then mix in cornstarch until dissolved. Pour into the slow cooker with meat. Stir in onion, green peppers, stewed tomatoes, soy sauce, sugar, and salt.

Cover, and cook on High for 3 to 4 hours, or on Low for 6 to 8 hours. Serve on a bed of white steamed rice.

Now, onto some yummy goodies for the day! First I am gonna give you a cookie that I think is just the bomb biggity (as my kids STILL say LOL). I loved when my mom would make these growning up and she loved it when HER mom made them! I know, old huh? LOL... They are super simple to make. One time I made 4 dozen of these for my mom (they were SUPPOSED to last a while LOL) and she ate ALL of them! LOL she didn't share one! I had to whip her- cause she's a DIABETIC!! LMAO! J/K I would NEVER hit my mom! Now verbally scold her is another story LOL...



No Bake Cookies

Ingredients
2 cups sugar
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup Pet (evaporated) milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 cups oats

In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients except peanut butter, vanilla, and oats and cook over medium heat. Let boil for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter, vanilla, and oats. Spoon out quickly onto wax paper or aluminum foil. Cookies will harden as they set.

Yes yes yes... I am so making those today LOL! But I'm not giving my mother as many LOL! Gonna make this too...



Butterscotch Spice Cake

Ingredients
1 (18.25 ounce) package spice cake mix
1 (3.4 ounce) package instant butterscotch pudding mix
4 eggs
1 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan.
In large mixing bowl, combine spice cake, butterscotch pudding mix, eggs, water and oil. Beat with an electric mixer for 4 minutes.

Pour into prepared Bundt pan, and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), for 55 to 60minutes, or until cake tests done. Allow cake to cool 15 minutes before serving.

Ok kids, as you can see I have a big menu today... Aside from all this stuff we talked about today, my brother asked me to make a couple of Pecan pies for his Christmas party at work tomorrow... so I gotta make those too! LOL... ready... set... GO!!!! Till tomorrow- Happy baking! HUGS!

THE CHRISTMAS GIFT

Morning guys and girls... how is everyone today? As usual, its winter in Texas... 65 degrees and raining and just plain EWW! Its been an interesting 24 hours really... DS18 needed a swift kick in the behind last night, then after the smoke from all that cleared, we went to bed and I must have been grinding my teeth in my sleep cause I woke about 1am in terrible pain to find I had broke a tooth. That and my stomach was hurting so badly... think its my kidneys again. So I finally fell asleep about 5 or so then didn't hear the alarm to get up with the kids... UGH! I hope this is not how the whole day is gonna be!

I want to take a moment and let you into my head a little. Last night the oldest, Michael, kept (what I call) putting a "price tag" on everything and it just drove me insane! So I stopped him dead in his tracks and told him how I feel. I told him how the best gifts sometimes cost very little or better yet nothing at all. The gifts that come from the heart... just a small token to show someone how you love and/or care for and appreciate them. And how a homemade gift shows that you invested a moment of your time and thought into that person. I have kept everything my kids have always made me... I have rubbermaid totes full! All this came up because my DD had Daddy take her to the store last night so she could get me a Christmas bear. She gets me one every year... ya know the ones with the year embroidered on their foot? Yea I collect those... and nutcrackers too. So each year, they get me one of each. I get the bear early so I can hang it up with the rest LOL. But see, I know (and she knows I know) that the bear doesn't cost much... but its like a tradition... something special to her cause she knows I like them. Michael (DS18) never had that growing up, so when he came to live with me, its been a rough road teaching him simple things... but I think he's understanding more each day and will turn out to be an outstanding young man. I'm very proud how far he's come since coming to our home.

Let's see, waking up late has left my brain about as foggy as it is outside! What kind of craft do we want to make today... hmmm... how about an old fashioned gumball machine? LOL It's not a real machine, but its cute as a button!



Craft Idea of the day: Gum Ball Machine candy dish

Materials:
1 small terra cotta pot and dish (think its the 3" size)
1 small glass fishbowl/candle bowl
Red spray paint (or whatever color you want really)
Gumballs or candy

Alrighty... first thing is to spray paint the terra cotta pot and base/dish both inside and out. Once it is dry, you can paint a little opening where the candy "should" come out if you want. Once its completely dry, turn the terra cotta pot upside down and adhere the fish bowl to the bottom (I use hot glue). Fill the bowl with your candies/gum and set the dish on top as the "lid". That's it... you are done! I made this craft for about $3 and that included the gum! I got the pot and bowl both at Michael's Arts & Crafts store for $1 for the bowl and like 79c for the pot and dish. Got the bag of loose gumballs at the grocery store for about a buck! And then I had the paint, but if you don't, the "W" store has spraypaint for like $1 as well... including red! My daughter wanted me to make one for her in blue to match her room. They make great gifts. When you give it to someone though, do not unwrap/open the candies and wrap the gift carefully cause it can break obviously!

Ok, as far as food goes, I'm really in the mood for something simple. I'm thinking some oven roasted seasoned leg quarters with some sides and potato rolls. Not really a recipe to share with these. You just season the chicken leg quarters with whatever type of seasoning you like- be it Emeril's essence or lemon pepper, etc. Then you sear the quarters in the pan and get the skins nice and crispy but seal in the juices and flavor, then oven roast them til finished. So since I am going easy today, the "food" recipe I am gonna share with you is fairly neat I think. Its bread. But not just any bread. Its a cornucopia that you can eat. You can also shelac it and keep it as a centerpiece for a long time too! I remember the first time I saw one I was like "OMG! I have to learn how to make that!!" They are easy and fun to make and are a wonderful conversation piece! I'm thinking of making one for my cookie exchange party this Saturday!



Cornucopia

Ingredients

3 (11 ounce) containers refrigerated soft bread stick dough
1 egg
1 tablespoon water

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly spray a 17x14 inch (or lager) cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Tear off a 30x18 inch sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil. Fold it in half to 18x15 inch. Roll diagonally to form a hollow cone, about 18 inches long with a diameter of 5 inches at the widest end (Cornucopia opening). Fasten end with clear tape. Stuff cone with crumpled regular foil until form is rigid. Bend tail of cone up then down at end. Spray outside of cone with non-stick cooking spray. Place on cookie sheet.

3. Beat the egg with the water to make a glaze. Open and unroll the first can of breadstick dough on work surface. Separate breadsticks. Begin by wrapping one breadstick around tip of cone. Brush end of next breadstick with Glaze and press to attach to end of first breadstick. Continue spiral-wrapping cone, slightly overlapping dough until there are 3 breadsticks left.

4. Pinch one end of the 3 breadsticks together, then braid. Brush bread around opening of cornucopia with glaze. Gently press on braid. Brush entire cornucopia with glaze.

5. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes or until bread is a rich brown. (If parts start to darken too much, cover them with pieces of foil.)

6. Remove from oven and let cool completely on cookie sheet on a wire rack. Carefully remove foil when cool. (If freezing, leave foil in bread for support. Remove when thawed.)

Now... for the yummy portion of the day... I'm diggin' some eggnog recipes today! I'm gonna give you 3 sweets today that all require some eggnog! The cake is courtesy of allrecipes and the cookies are courtesy of Taste of Home. All of these I've made and my family has tested and added to the "approved-omg-mom-please-make-again" box LOL!



Eggnog Cake

Ingredients

Cake:
1 (18.5 ounce) package yellow cake mix
2 eggs
2 cups eggnog
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon rum flavored extract

Filling:
1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
2 cups eggnog
1/2 teaspoon rum flavored extract

Whipped Topping:
1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons cold water
2 cups heavy cream
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon rum flavored extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour two 8 inch round cake pans.

For the Cake: In a large mixing bowl, beat together the cake mix, eggs, 2 cups eggnog, melted butter, nutmeg, and 1/2 tsp rum flavored extract. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans.

Bake the cake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven to cool on wire racks.
For the Filling: Mix together the vanilla pudding mix, 2 cups eggnog, and 1/2 teaspoon rum flavored extract in a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

For the Whipped Topping: In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over the cold water, allow to stand for 5 minutes to soften and then stir until the gelatin is fully dissolved. Whip the heavy cream in a large mixing bowl to soft peaks. Add the sugar, gelatin, and 1/2 teaspoon rum flavored extract, and continue whipping to stiff peaks. Refrigerate until ready to use.

To Build the Cake: Remove the cakes from the cake pans. Place one round onto a serving plate. Spoon the filling onto the cake round, and spread over the cake evenly. Place the second cake round on top of the filling. Cover the top and sides of the layered cake with the whipped topping. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

OMG pure yumminess! Ok, now have some:



Eggnog Filled Cookie Cups

Ingredients

1 package (3 ounces) cook-and-serve vanilla pudding mix
1-1/2 cups eggnog
1/3 cup milk
2 teaspoons rum extract, divided
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 egg yolks
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

In a small saucepan, combine the pudding mix, eggnog and milk. Cook and stir until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from the heat; stir in 1 teaspoon extract. Transfer to a small bowl. Cover surface of pudding with waxed paper; refrigerate until chilled.

In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks and remaining extract. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.

In a small bowl, combine sugar and allspice. Shape dough into 1-in. balls; roll in sugar mixture. With floured fingers, press onto the bottom and up the sides of well-greased miniature muffin cups.

Bake at 350° for 10-15 minutes or until light golden brown. Immediately remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

Just before serving, pipe or spoon pudding into cups. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Yield: about 2-1/2 dozen.



Butterscotch Eggnog Stars

Ingredients

2/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup eggnog
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup crushed hard butterscotch candies

OPTIONAL ICING:
1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon rum extract
2 to 3 tablespoons eggnog
Yellow colored sugar

Directions

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and eggnog. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Divide dough in half.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out one portion at a time to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 3-1/2-in. star cutter. Cut out centers with a 1-1/2-in. star cutter. Line baking sheets with foil; grease foil.

Place large star cutouts on prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon candy in center of each. Repeat with remaining dough; reroll small cutouts if desired.

Bake at 375° for 6-8 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes. Carefully slide foil and cookies form baking sheets onto wire racks to cool.

For icing if desired, beat confectioners' sugar, rum extract and enough eggnog to achieve drizzling consistency. Drizzle over cooled cookies if desired. Sprinkle with colored sugar if desired. Let stand until hardened. Yield: about 3 dozen.

Well, aren't you ther lucky one today racking up on the recipes!? LOL! Well I've decided that if I go crazy baking cookies for the party and by Friday I haven't shared everything I've made... then Saturday and Sunday is gonna be all cookie day! WOOHOO! Actually, you should probably be expecting it, cause I tend to go nuts with the cookies LOL! Ok kids, I'm outta here... off to put Betty Crocker to shame! HUGS!

READY, SET, BAKE!

Morning kiddies! How are you doing this morning? Are you excited yet? A new week, a smaller countdown, and a tired blogger here! We had the High School Band Christmas Concert and Tea yesterday and the kids did so wonderful! They made me cry! Then of course, I didn’t look forward to socializing with the stuck up moms or the moms that just don’t care during the year but try to make a good show on this day. I can’t stand hypocrits really… aggravates the tar out of me cause I know what these kids go through all year cause they are all at my house! And you could tell too! I had 5 platters on the snack table LOL and the kids were hanging out with me and calling me mom! Had a couple of glares from the other adults but its ok… that crap doesn’t bother me! I find it kind of humorous actually. My DD is the one on the end in red LOL looking so festive!



Then when we got back, we had about 10 minutes rest before I forgot I had an order due THIS MORNING! Sew, I stay up sewing til late into the night to get this order done. Guess it just slipped my mind until I saw the material sitting on the end of the sewing table! It doesn’t happen that often though… guess I may be trying to spread myself too thin lately.

I found an article online a while back that gave some ideas for gifts under $10 but I think most of them were pretty lame on their own but could maybe be cute dressed up/paired with other things… I don’t remember the site though. “There are hundreds of great gifts that can be purchased or made by hand for under $10, gifts that are both thoughtful and frugal at the same time. Put them in an inexpensive basket or wrap them with a pretty ribbon and you'll truly have a beautiful gift--without breaking the bank!”- I couldn’t have said it better myself! “I know you've probably heard it before but it's really true that you don't have to spend a lot of money to find that perfect gift for someone. Just be sure to put some time and thought into it and your gift will be well received”... Our family and friends usually appreciate our time and love more than anything, so something to show how much time and effort we put forth on them is a precious thing. I found this out many years ago, and I for one love handmade Christmases! Here's a few of my favorite inexpensive gift ideas that they had on the list... followed by the way I would make them “better” LOL!

Child's artwork, framed- there is no way to improve on this one!

Holiday serving bowl or platter- better be puttin’ some homemade goodies in/on it LOL! YUM!

Makeup brush set- make a fabric makeup tote bag to hold the brushes/makeup to accompany this!

Set of dish towels- sew some pretty fabric strips across the ends and make it special!

Locally made or homemade BBQ or steak sauce with basting brush- Add some other sauces or BBQ tools or a grilling cookbook found at like the half-price book store or with a coupon at other stores!

Handwritten copies of your favorite recipes in a spiral to make a Specialty cookbook- cover the spiral with some pretty paper or fabric and you have a very special gift!

Christmas ornaments- what can you say here? Not much as the possibilities are endless on what kind of ornament you can make! We painted puzzle pieces one year and glued them together to make an Autism Christmas Wreath… and gave those that year! People loved them!

Any of these items are cool if you put them in jars or a pretty basket:
Homemade special jams or mustards
Homemade cocoa mix in a pretty jar
Home baked bread, include recipe
Homemade cookie mix with instructions for baking
Variety of bread mixes
Home baked cookies!
Homemade Pancake or waffle mix and a bottle of syrup
Homemade Muffin mixes with muffin pan
Homemade baking/sweets mixes along with a special baking pan

I hope you will be inspired by this list, after all, it's not the amount of money you spend for a gift that matters the most, but that you cared enough to give something special.



Craft Idea of the Day: Gift Baskets
Take any of those ideas up there and place them in a pretty basket and you have a great gift that people think you spent hundreds on! Have you seen some of those places where you can buy those? They cost hundreds sometimes for a decent basket! So what’s better than taking your homemade creations and sprucing them up a bit!? And it doesn’t have to be a “basket”… lots of containers will work! Example- for a gardener, get a plastic pot, or a road trip just cover a cardboard box with an old map! Auto detailing, buy a wash bucket, baby, get a cheap small laundry basket, cooking/baking/kitchen- use a colander, pot, pan, skillet, you name it! See, the possibilities are endless! All you need is a little imagination.

So, are you ready for the relay race we call holiday cooking? LOL Well strap on your boots and spurs and hold on for the ride, cause its gonna be a fun one! I promised you 1 craft, 1 dinner, and 1 sweet each day until Christmas Eve so you could adorn your tabletop, under your tree, and your life in general with unique ideas! And as you have seen, there are days where you have received a lot more than one idea or food… just cause the mood hits me LOL! I’ve put on a big pot of “garbage stew” to cook all day LOL that will be served with cornbread or dinner rolls. I called it “Garbage Stew” not to gross anyone out, but because if I didn’t use up the ingredients, they would have had to become garbage. So this is a good way to use things that might soon spoil… hense…



GARBAGE STEW

Round steak cut, stew meat, or whatever beef you may have cut into cubes and browned with butter, salt pepper and garlic powder in a skillet for about 5 minutes or so. USE THE JUICE in the pan after cooking too for flavor!

1 bell pepper, onion, carrots, potatoes (raw), and other veggies cut up in chucks or diced (your preference)- basically whatever you have that will soon be going bad!

1 can of diced tomatoes

1 jalapeno or hot pepper for "kick" (make sure it is fresh and deseeded- omit if you don’t want too much spice)

1 can of kernal corn, drained

seasonings: (I use) garlic powder, salt, pepper, parsley... just use whatever you want...LOL put them in on top of everything in the pot.

broth: you can use a can of beef broth or I use the juice from cooking the meat, 1 cup water and 1/2 cup flour.

Once you brown the meat throw everything in a crockpot/slow cooker, mix well, and cook on high for about 1 hour, then lower heat to low and cook for about 8-10 hours. Then yummy stew! and your house smells good too! Make cornbread or an accompanying bread with it... this freezes beautifully too! See it’s a fun recipe that gives you the basics, but you can adjust to your liking! Now, I got a hankering for somethin’ sweet this morning! Here is the baking for the day (courtesy of Taste of Home):



BROWN SUGAR CUTOUTS

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups packed brown sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger

FROSTING:
1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 to 3 tablespoons half-and-half cream
Green food coloring, optional

Directions

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and lemon peel. Combine the flour, baking soda and ginger; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or until easy to handle.

2. On a floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with lightly floured 2-in. cookie cutters. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.

3. For frosting, in a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and enough cream to achieve spreading consistency. Add food coloring if desired to some or all of the frosting. Decorate cookies. Yields: About 6 dozen.

Now don’t go freaking out on me… I know I didn’t frost the ones in my picture!! I simply sprinkled colored sugar on them before baking. Still yummy… you can do either, or just eat them plain. They are really good!

Ok my dears… I’m off to bake, Bake, BAKE (and sew and clean in between LOL). Hope you enjoyed this rather winded blog and I will see you in the morning! HUGS!

WHAT HAPPENS IN THE KITCHEN...

Hi everyone! Happy Sunday morning to you! I am glad you stopped in… and hope you are enjoying your stay here. I spent a total of 14 hours in the kitchen yesterday! I made dinner and a good start to some of my dry mixes. I got quite a few containers done before the band kids (mine included) dropped a bomb on me… See the band Christmas Concert & Tea is today at 2pm (the kids have to be there at 1-1:30pm) and each kid is supposed to bring a finger food or dessert. They are telling me this hours before WHY?!?!? UGH Ok, got it covered… didn’t spend the day making mixes for nothing I guess. So I spent the next 4 hours baking for the kids… we knocked out 4 different kinds of cookies and about 6 dozen of each for the kids… here’s the mixes I had left afterwards:



I’ll keep adding and eventually I will get s decent stock built back up! They come in handy, especially in this house where I do a lot of scratch baking! The things I use most, I basically just mix up all the dry ingredients and store them. Then I add the wet ingredients when I’m ready to make them. You can either put just the remaining parts needed of the recipe or the whole thing on the lid or back… however works best for you. I label the mix on the front, and on the back I write the wet ingredients needed and cooking instructions… in case one of the kids wants to make something up on their own. I have quick bread mix (really good mix for flavored breads), cheddar bay biscuits (yes the copycat of the red lobster ones), flavored creamers, cookie mixes, different seasonings, homemade packets of instant oatmeal (in different flavors), regular bread mix, and a bunch of other things mixed up and ready to go. It gives the same convenience as store bought mixes but the satisfaction that I know they are A. cheaper, and B. healthier! (Yes I sneak in flaxseed and wheat germ and they never know! LOL)

Well, the hubs should be home in a few hours from his trip to FW. Guess I should clean up some? Nahh… LOL! Actually I do have to clean up purdy nice for the concert LOL. That means shaving my legs and everything YUCK! LOL I gotta be a girl.for a change… yuck! Ok, so lets get crafty… what do we do today? How about some bath and body stuff for the females you might need gifts for? I like the candy cane bath salts best, but I will share some others with you too.



Craft Idea of the Day: Bath & Body Products

CANDY CANE BATH SALTS
2 cups Epsom salts
1/2 cup rock salt or sea salt
4-5 drops peppermint oil
2-3 drops red food coloring

Place 1 cup of the Epsom salts and 1/4 cup of rock salt in a mixing bowl or resealable plastic bag. Add 2-3 drops of peppermint oil and mix until evenly distributed. Place the remaining 1 cup Epsom salts and 1/4 cup rock salt in a separate bowl or bag. Add the food coloring and mix until the color is evenly distributed and you are pleased with the shade of red. Add 2-3 drops of peppermint oil and stir well. In a large jar or clear bottle layer the white salts and red salts. You want to create a striped effect, like a candy cane. Place the top on your container and tie with a big bow and a few real candy canes. Makes 20 ounces

STRAWBERRIES 'N' CREAM BATH BAGS
1/2 C. oatmeal (regular or quick)
1/2 C. powdered milk
4 T. ground almonds
16 drops strawberry essential oil

Combine dry ingredients in bowl, stirring to mix well. Add essential oil and
blend. Divide mixture among 3 pretty cloth bags, and tie them at the top. Hang one from the bathtub faucet as the water is running into the tub. Store the
other two in an airtight jar or a ziplock bag.

BODY GLITTER
3 T. unmedicated aloe vera gel
1/2 tsp. very fine glitter, color desired
1 drop essential oil, fragrance desired (optional)
Add glitter to aloe vera gel. Add essential oil, if desired. Stir to blend, then store at room temperature in a small, airtight jar or container. NOTE: Some are sensitive to essential oils. Test body glitter on inside of arm before applying to face. DO NOT USE NEAR THE EYES!

BUBBLE GUM HAND CLEANER
The children will LOVE to clean their hands with this!
1/2 C. aloe vera gel
1/4 C. 99% rubbing alcohol
1/2 to 3/4 tsp. bubble gum fragrance oil
Mix ingredients together. Pour into a pump-style bottle or a squeeze bottle.

Ok, so there you go! Any of these great items can be made and be given as a single gift or paired with the others or something original you make as a cute gift basket or bag. Now what’s on tap for supper? Well since we are having Tea & Cookies after the concert, I am sure the gang will probably snarf and pig out on some major sweets and stuff there, so I am not gonna plan anything majorly fancy or labor intensive. I’m probably gonna just do some oven roasted sausage links, mashed potatoes, and corn with some sliced bread. For dessert, I made a pumpkin cake with a caramel glaze. Sound good? Well here’s your recipe to tempt your taste buds. (*The cake recipe is from Paula Deen’s Nov./Dec. magazine issue of cooking with Paula. She calls for another frosting which I didn’t want to use.)



PUMPKIN CAKE

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 15oz. Can pumpkin
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. Baking powder
1 ½ tsp. Ground cinnamon
½ tsp. Baking soda
½ tsp. Ground nutmeg
¼ tsp. Salt
¼ tsp. Ground allspice
½ cup whole milk

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray your desired cake pan(s) (I used a pretty bundt pan) with non-stick baking spray with flour.

2. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar at medium-high speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in pumpkin until smooth.

3. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, salt, and allspice. Gradually add to the butter mixture, alternating with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Spoon evenly into prepared pan(s).

4. Bake for 22 to 27 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan(s) for 10 minutes. Remove from pan(s), and cool completely on a wire rack. (Store cake in refrigerator).

Caramel Glaze

½ cup butter
2 tsp. Milk
½ cup brown sugar

Make the glaze by heating the butter, milk and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then remove from the heat. Drizzle over the warm cake. (I like to place a sheet of aluminum foil under the cooling rack to catch the drips for easy clean up.)

Ok, I’m warning you now… this is a very dense and rich cake but OMG is it melt in your mouth yummy! The best thing is you can add all kinds of different flavored glazes or icings… don’t have to be just caramel. So if you have a special recipe given to you by grandma for a vanilla or a butterscotch glaze… heck, try it on for size! As for me kids, that’s all for today… gotta go start my hectic day with 1 more batch of cookies I didn’t get to before my feet and legs gave out last night, take a shower, dressed, etc. By that time Dad will be home and anxious to tell me about his trip (like I have TIME to hear it?? Later dear, tell me LATER! LOL j/k). I hope you have a wonderful day and I’ll see you tomorrow for the beginning of Marathon Holiday baking!! HUGS!