Christmas cookies - Mint cookies

Throughout the year I am not generally into cookies. I figure there are a lot of better ways to waste some calories on sweet treats then a mere cookie. Between that an my hatred for baking, fresh baked cookies don't appear too often in my home.

Thinking back this was the time of year that fresh baked cookies would make an appearance in my family home. So I thought I would continue the tradition.

We would decorate cookies every year and leave some for Santa.

With a note and milk of course. We also left a few carrot sticks for the reindeer. We knew that not everyone remembered to leave the reindeer snacks.

Decorating cookies isn't really what I wanted to post about though. I just wanted to share a few nostalgic photos.

What I really wanted to share is a few recipes that I think of as Christmas cookies. The first is one from my mom's recipe book. I tried to make these myself this year and had a huge fail! They still tasted okay but there was too much butter and the cookies spread out waaaay too much. (maybe next year...) The other recipe I found on foodnetwork.com and had great success with. This recipe is going in my recipe book. They are both excellent recipes. Just like with any other baked good remember to not be lazy like me and measure carefully. Ha.

Melt-Away Peppermint Wreaths

1-1/4 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. sifted powdered sugar
2-1/2 c. all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
red and green food coloring

Cream butter, gradually add sugar beating well.
Add flour and mix well. Stir in peppermint extract. Divide dough in half and place in separate bowls. Tint half with the red food coloring and the other half with the green.
Roll dough into balls using 1/2 teaspoon dough per ball. For each wreath-shaped cookie, place 6 balls in a circle on ungreased cookie sheets, alternating colors. Press together securely. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes.
Let cool for 10 minutes; remove to cooling racks and cool completely.

I divided the one of the dough balls in half again and left it white to also make candy cane shapes. This picture was taken before they went in the oven. Sadly I wasn't able to take a good shot of them after they came out. Actually looking at the picture I may or may not have made the balls too big as well. Oops.
These cookies are true to their name, they will melt in your mouth. A sweet buttery taste with the sharp tang of peppermint give these cookies a Christmas-y feel. The cute shapes only reinforce the holiday theme. They are a definitely classic in my book.

Delicate Mint Sandwich Cookies
by Melissa d'Arabian

Cookies:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Mint Filling:

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 or 2 drops mint extract
1 or 2 drops red or green food coloring

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting, optional

For the cookies: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar until smooth using a handheld mixer in a medium bowl. Add the flour slowly, mixing on low, until incorporated. Scoop the dough into a ball using your hands and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until the dough has firmed slightly, about 30 minutes.
On a floured surface, roll the dough about 1/8-inch thick. Cut out as many rounds as possible with a small cookie cutter and transfer to ungreased baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch between each cookie. Re-roll the dough scraps and repeat until all the dough is used. Use a smaller cutter, about 3/4-inch, or cut freehand with a small sharp knife to punch a small window out of half of the cookies. Place the cutouts on the baking sheets.
Bake until golden around the edges, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
For the filling: Place the sugar, butter, mint extract, food coloring and 1/2 teaspoon of water in a medium bowl and beat on medium speed until well combined and fluffy. Spread a thin layer of mint filling on the cookies without the windows and place the wafers with the windows on top. Sprinkle with the confectioners' sugar, if using, and serve the sandwich cookies with the cutout cookies on the side.

 A friend of mine has a picture of the ones I made. I used a star shaped cookie cutter and I did not do the cut out part. I also doubled the recipe for the frosting. When I made it looked like a few tablespoons of frosting. Haha. I knew that wasn't enough.

I, my friends, Paul and my parents loved these cookies. They are as titled delicate cookies. Not too sweet of a cookie which pairs well with the sugary frosting. Even though they are pretty labor intensive, I would like to make these again soon. Because they were really that good. But I am glad I was making them with my friend so that we could chat and cut up while making them.

Even if baking is not your thing, Christmas is a great time to flex those muscles. You can give them as gifts to those hard to buy for coworkers or take them to a church cookie walk or just enjoy them for yourself with a tall cold glass of egg nog.

Oh and Merry Christmas!

Mushroom Ragu

Okay so I LOVE pasta. I am always searching for the next new pasta recipe to get obsessed with. Every week I am browsing foodnetwork.com, recipe books and food blogs, to come up with dinner ideas. Anytime I come across a pasta recipe that even remotely looks good I'm all over it. This recipe popped up on foodnetwork.com's homepage one day and I was instantly interested.
I know that there will be plenty of people that will overlook this recipe because its all about the mushrooms. But come on mushrooms are such an amazing ingredient! They are earthy, meaty, chewy and take on all kinds of flavors that are added to the mix. They are a versatile ingredient that I am always excited to find new and different ways to use them.
When I read through this recipe I knew that I wouldn't be able to find some of the mushrooms that it was calling for. Usually that would cause me to pass up the recipe all together. But it popped into my head that I could use a dried mushrooms and then use the liquid that I reconstituted them in as a replacement for the chicken broth. That would add even more mushroom-y flavor. So I decided to give it a try.

Mushroom Ragu
by Giada De Laurentiis

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound mixed mushrooms (cremini, oyster, shiitake) chopped 1 package of dried Monterey mushroom mix, chopped & 8 oz baby bella mushrooms, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup Marsala white wine
2 cups chicken mushroom broth
1/3 cup heavy cream
5 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/4 cup flat-leaf Italian parsley, chopped
1/2 to 3/4 cup grated Parmesan

Reconstitute the dried mushrooms according to package instructions. Reserve liquid and chop mushrooms.

In a large skillet heat the oil. When almost smoking, add the onions and garlic over medium-low heat until the onions have wilted, about 8 minutes.

Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Raise heat to high and saute until mushrooms are tender and all the liquid has evaporated. 

Remove pan from heat and pour in Marsala white wine. Return pan to stove and allow wine to evaporate, about 3 minutes. 

Add chicken mushroom broth and simmer for 1/2 hour until the sauce has reduced by half. 

Add heavy cream and mix well. 

Take the pan off the heat and add the fresh herbs and Parmesan and mix thoroughly. 

I can't explain in a just a few words how delicious this pasta is. Other then saying that my original picture was so lame because it was a small second helping that I swiped out of the pan before it was all gone. Well I did save some for lunch the next day, because it reheats so well. I have already made this recipe twice since I found it. I'm sure Paul is already over eating it. But its so easy and so tasty that I can't help putting it on the menu.

So don't tell me how you don't like mushrooms, blah blah blah, if you don't bother to try this recipe. Just do it! You'll be glad you did and if you aren't just ship it to me. Ha!

Choosing a Christmas Tree

Honestly one of my favorite parts of the holiday season is the Christmas tree. Its so iconic, fun and it even smells Christmas-y.
When we moved to North Carolina in 1995, our family started a tradition to drive to the mountains and go to a "choose and cut" Christmas tree farm. My parents would let me and my sister loose and we would run and race to see who could find the best tree first.
It was a difficult process, between my mom and dad there were many rules and specifications to the perfect tree. The height and width were the first, but certainly not the only. Branch density, trunk width, needle type, color, fullness of the branches, and shape of course. I don't mean to make my parents sound strict. There was nothing mean or harsh about the way they evaluated the trees. It was a great game we played. We'd shout to each other across the lot announcing that we had found the perfect tree. Then everyone would gather around and check out the whole 360 degree view. We would all touch, look at, smell and even shake the tree (to see if a lot of needles would fall off, that's bad, means the tree is dried out and probably dieing). It was very exciting if the tree you found was the chosen one.
Then my dad would whip out his saw and cut it down, or the lot workers would do it for us. My  parents would go through the whole trial of dragging it to the car and tying it on top of the car. My mom would hold her breath all the way home just waiting for it to break out of its intense bondage and fly off the roof of the car. Us kids would always be useless with the getting the tree inside and setting it up. That was left to my parents again. There would be needles flying all over the house and we would trot behind waiting to see it put into place.
Some years my dad would even let us choose a tiny tree that we were allowed to put in our room to decorate. It was usually the most Charlie Brown looking tree on the lot or just one he would cut down in our own woods for us.

Dad was in charge of the lights every year. He would struggle to untangle the mess of wires, test every bulb and finally artfully and evenly string them around the tree. This was not something the kids generally helped with either.
It wasn't until the ornaments that we got involved again. Then its all hands on deck. Each person has certain ornaments that are "theirs". My mom always insists that the girls put on all of "our" ornaments. Dad has one or two that he is forced off the sofa to place on the tree. Mom does whichever ones are left and of course her Georgia ornaments. This part is filled with Christmas tunes, hot cocoa, maybe even cookies, and lots of stories of Christmas times past. We talk about all the ornaments as we put them on the tree. They all have meaning and stories. I love this part of the holiday. Even when I pretended that I was too cool for it. This really makes me feel like its Christmas. My mom to this day still likes my sister and I to put a few of "our" ornaments on the tree. Even if the rest is already decorated.

This year Paul and I traveled to several different places to get a tree. We finally found a great tree with our friends. Like I told my friend after looking at two vendors across town for a tree, the tree will stand out to you. Its almost like your wedding dress, you just know. There is nothing you can find that's wrong with it. Its just the right tree.

I put the lights on it. Paul was making chili for dinner.

Oh well not a great picture. But as you can see oooooh lights. After eating dinner and some cookies and buckeyes were made, then we could start the decorating process.

Ah thank you Paul for the picture of my booty. Anyways, we don't have as many great ornaments as my parents. But we do have a few of special ones. Paul has a pickle he loves and mug of beer he just acquired. I have some wreaths my great-grandma crocheted, a few fleur de lis, an owl, and a whale from the Monterey Bay Aquarium. We even have some joint ornaments which is pretty good since this is only our third "married" Christmas. We have a portrait ball of Paul, me and the cat, Paul's parents got us last Christmas, a black sheep (that we put up as a family tradition because we aren't going to our parents' home for Christmas), and two shells from our cruises. All the glittering, twinkling and shinning makes me smile.

Now it feels like Christmas here. Even if there is no snow and its still 50 degrees!

Okay so this wasn't a post about any cute craft or tasty recipe. But more then that how to create the holiday spirit in your home. Just remember that even if everything doesn't go "perfectly" you can still make some lovely memories. I'm sure if my parents were telling this story they would remember some very different things then I do. But in the end its the feeling you get that leaves the biggest impact on your memory.

Turkey Pot Pie

A few days go by after Thanksgiving and the leftovers start to lose their appeal. So begins the age old question of what to do with that pesky leftover turkey.
Two ideas popped into my head right away: turkey noodle soup and turkey pot pie. I already have a quickie recipe for chicken noodle soup, now to find an easy recipe for the pot pie. I can't really remember ever making a pot pie from scratch that made me a little nervous. Until I came upon a Sunny Anderson recipe on foodnetwork.com's redo leftovers recipe section. Sunny has never given me a recipe that I couldn't make.

Easy Chicken Pot Pie
by Sunny Anderson

1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders  leftover turkey shredded
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup frozen pearl onions chopped onions
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup diced carrots
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
1 store bought pie crust crescent rolls, unbaked and thawed if frozen
1 egg, lightly beaten (I skipped this part, because I'm lazy)

Special equipment: 10-inch cast-iron pan

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Sprinkle the chicken tenders turkey with paprika, sage, oregano, salt and pepper. Heat a 10-inch cast-iron pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. When the oil begins to swirl, add the seasoned chicken and saute until cooked through, about 4 minutes on the first side and 3 minutes on the second side. Heat turkey through. Remove the chicken turkey to a plate with tongs, leaving the oil in the pan. Rest the chicken turkey for a few minutes, and then chop into 1/2-inch cubes.

To the same pan, add the onions and peas and carrots and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir and cook until the onions become tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute longer. Sprinkle in the flour and stir until the flour dissolves into the vegetables and juices. Add the chicken stock and raise to a simmer, stirring until thickened. Once the liquid has thickened, stir in the heavy cream. Season with salt, if needed.

Return the chicken turkey to the pan. Unfold the pie crust and place over the top of the filling, tucking the excess edges inside the pan. Brush the crust evenly with the egg wash. Using a knife, gently cut 3 vents in the top of the crust. Place in the oven and bake until the crust is golden brown, about 20 15 minutes.

I didn't let my sauce thicken enough so it was a bit runny. That was okay though, because it was delicious. I loved the heavy cream. Yes, I know its not healthy but it was worth it. The turkey was perfect in there too. And the crescent roll topping worked out even better than I thought it would. Buttery and crispy on top and a little gooey on bottom where it mingled with the filling.

I was definitely happy with the result. It was a great way to use up some of my leftover turkey. Now I just need to hide the rest of the turkey from Paul so I can make the turkey noodle soup later this week.

Simple Appetizers

I love appetizers. Its the first bite reminding you of the amazing meal to come. They stretch out conversation and entertain your tummy. The appetizer portion of the meal is sometimes my favorite part. As my dad says I'm a "bird-like eater", I like to think of it as slow and intentional bites. So for me picking at a few appetizers while a group chats away is really comfortable for me. No one judges how slow you eat and no one notices how much you eat. Plus appetizers are usually built only to be one or two bites, less chance to make a mess.

Okay enough of my rambling about why I love appetizers. I made a few yummy things for a Thanksgiving meal that Paul and I hosted this year for a few friends that were staying in town for the holiday. As much as I enjoy spending the holiday with family, working in a retail, I don't really have that option. As it is I am staying up for over 24 hours to make and eat Thanksgiving dinner and then going to work for 12 hours (9p-9a). I don't say this to get pity, I actually received enough sympathy for my schedule to go around (which I appreciate by the way). Its just to give perspective that I didn't anticipate having much energy to put into for this particular part of the meal. So I needed some quick and easy ideas. I wanted to share these ideas and recipes for some easy apps that Paul and I came up with this year.

Creamy Parmesan Spinach Dip
by Skinny Ginny


10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and excess liquid squeezed out
1/2 cup light sour cream
5 tbsp light mayonnaise
1/3 cup Parmigiano Reggiano
1/4 cup scallion, chopped
fresh pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl. This can be made one day in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before serving. Makes about 2 cups. Serve with tortilla chips or pita or even fresh veggies.



Cheese and Meat Plate

Colby Jack
Butterkasie cheese
Chedder cheese
Pepperjack
salami
pepperonis
dill pickles
crackers

This idea is all about what you and your guests like. These are some of our favorites plus a few classics. Just cut up cheese and roll up or spread out the meats. I did this the night before and artfully displayed it on a plate. That's the fun part for me, well and eating it.

Spicy Hummus
by Rachel Ray

1 (14.5 ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
2 rounded tablespoons tahini sesame paste, found in both dairy and dry specialty foods sections
A drizzle extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed pepper flakes
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 clove garlic, crushed
Coarse salt
1/2 lemon, juiced

Combine beans, tahini, oil, pepper flakes, cumin, coriander, garlic, salt, and lemon juice in food processor bowl and grind into a smooth paste. Transfer to a small dip dish and surround spread with warm pita wedges. 

Though we did not make our own hummus. I could have and this is a pretty basic recipe that I thought would be tasty had I chosen to make my own. Although I don't usually use the tahini, mostly because I'm cheap and its just an added cost.

It might not be the most exciting spread but it was tasty and everyone seemed to enjoy it all. Don't forget to have fun with the plating. Sure its going to be destroyed when people dig in, but that's no reason not to wow your friends and family if even for a moment.

What are your favorite apps for a party or holiday event?

Lollipop Ghosts

Okay I know I should have posted this beFORE Halloween but I didn't...

This is just a cute quick craft to spruce up your candy assortment. This is something kids can help with, or like me just do because you have an extra 15 minutes the afternoon of Halloween.
I decided to take step by step photos, even though it was honestly unnecessary.\

Lollipop Ghosts

Supplies:

• Lollipops (Toostie Pops)
• Ribbon, gift wrapping ribbon, or just tape (I used white gift wrapping ribbon)
• Tissues
• Sharpie or black marker
• Scissors

• Cut ribbon into equal lengths. Like I say at work all the time "Batch your tasks. Doing the same thing over and over will make you move faster." (I really do say this at work almost everyday.)

•  I folded my tissues once corner to corner to make a triangle.

• Twist the tissue over the top of the lollipop and knot a piece of your ribbon underneath the pop.

•  Draw on a spooky face!
  
  
  

•  BOO! Add them to your candy bowl. 

The few kids that came to our place seemed to like the cute ghosties. I was pleased with the results.

If I had thought ahead, I could/should have made these to take to work. They could even be a cute decoration for a Spooky party.

They are cute, fun and easy. Get the candy and you'll probably already have the rest of the supplies. Those are my favorite crafts.

Hope everyone had a happy and safe Halloween.

New Bread Machine

The second year anniversary traditional gift is cotton. Short of getting Paul some new boxers or polos, I had nothing for this anniversary. But when my mom and I came upon this bread machine in a closeout store I knew Paul would love this much more.
Since Paul ended up being sick on our anniversary, so I decided to make a loaf of bread myself.

Garlic Bread

1 ½ cup Water, 80° F
2 tbsp Butter
4 cups Bread Flour
2 tbsp Dry Milk
1 ½ tbsp Sugar
1 ½ tsp Salt
1 ½ tbsp Dried Parsley Flakes
1 – 1 ½ tsp (to taste) Garlic Powder
2 tsp Bread Machine Yeast

The top deflated a bit. I looked up some troubleshooting could be too much yeast or too much liquid. I'm not very good at "measuring" things perfectly. So either of these are possible. It didn't hurt the taste, the top just looked funny.

I'm in search of some more tasty recipes! I found a pdf online of some recipes. But I'm trying to get inspired to do something special. Send me your recipes. I'll give them a go. Or maybe Paul will. He is the better baker in our marriage.

Coffee Filter Wreaths

I love when I'm not even looking for a new idea and one just pops up on a blog that I follow. I giggled when I first saw it, but in an amused way. So I knew I had to make it. Especially since it looked easy enough for me to make. Thanks to Little Miss Momma for this Coffee Filter Wreath.

I used it to spruce up a boring corner in our bedroom. (Its hard to find a wall in our apartment it isn't covered with some kind of art, picture, or craft.)

Then I started thinking about a fall wreath... But white isn't fall.
Ta da. Dye the coffee filters.

So I got some Rit dye from the grocery store and went to town. Well actually it took me a long time to build up the courage to actually do the dyeing part.

So bam! A fall/Halloween orange wreath. I am currently weather testing it right now. It is under the porch roof, but I will be interested to see if any rain that blows in on it messes it up.

I love how it turned out. My next wreath is going to be a red and white candy cane. That way I only have to dye half as many coffee filters. haha!

Update: December 2011

I might even be making some extra for friends. What do colors do you think would be most popular?

I just got 5 packs of 200 coffee filters for $4. Well I'm off to scrunch more coffee filters!

Crayon Roll-ups

I have been pretty slack on crafts this past (busy) month. Although I did do one craft that I have been dying to share with everyone.

An adorable crayon roll-up that I found on new blog I found called Sew Much Ado.

 

I just knew that I had to make it! So I made a few of them. I thought they would make a great gift for a girl or a boy! (I find it hard to make something cute and crafty for little boys.)

Throw it in your "thing to do" bag. Just a few sheets of paper or a coloring book and you have loads of organized entertainment.

What I really want it to make these for my church, where they have goodie bags for kids that attend service. I have all the pieces cut out, now I just need to get motivated to sew them all up.

I was so excited to make these when I saw the instructions. You could modify the measurements to make it a holder for any drawing tools (pencils, pens, or markers). Or even if you want to get grown-up about it, you could use this idea to make a case for your make-up brushes.

I hope it inspires you to whip out the ole sewing machine.
Get crafty!

Roasted Chickpeas

I love chickpeas. I'm not sure why, they really aren't anything special. But they are very versatile. They are a great non-meat protein addition. They work well for hummus, as a salad topper, and they are even great in pasta. I keep seeing this recipe popping up all over the cooking shows and blogs that I follow. So just for fun, I decided to make this little chickpea snack.

Roasted Chickpeas

• 15 oz can chickpeas, drained
• olive oil spray
  
• salt
• 1 tsp chili pepper powder (to taste)
  
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder

Preheat oven to 375°. Drain chickpeas in a colander and let them dry completely. Pat dry with a paper towel if needed.
Arrange on a baking sheet in a single layer and roast for about 30-35 minutes, shaking the pan every ten minutes. All ovens are different so make sure they don't burn. They will be golden brown and crunchy on the inside when done, not moist.
In a medium bowl, combine all the spices. Remove chickpeas from oven when done and spray with olive oil spray. Immediately toss with spices while hot. Eat at room temperature.

I messed with the spices a little, just for my taste. I'm sure the combination that was given by Gina is also delicious. I just did a strike through on the things I omitted. The combination I used was tasty, but I might kick it up with some cayenne.

They are a little crunchy on the outside (more so if I hadn't been paranoid they would burn) and tender on the inside. We ate most of them up before they completely cooled down.

I give this idea a thumbs up as an alternative to popcorn or other salty snacks. They are protein packed and nutrient rich.

Why not sub out your your impulse snack and give these little treats a try?

Fresh Cherry Cobbler

When I made Cherry Sorbet a few weeks ago, I spent a long time pitting over 3 pounds of fresh cherries. I just couldn't dump the leftover puree in the trash. I saved it in a plastic container in the fridge for a few days till I could find another purpose for it. I was so excited to come across a recipe for fresh cherry cobbler on All Recipes.

Fresh Cherry Cobbler 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup milk

• 2 cups pitted sour cherries (sub in the cherry puree)
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the butter in a 9x13 inch baking dish, and place in the oven to melt while the oven is preheating. Remove as soon as butter has melted, about 5 minutes.
In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of sugar, and baking powder. Mix in the milk until well blended, then pour the batter into the pan over the butter. Do not stir.
Rinse out the bowl from the batter, and dry. Place cherries into the bowl, and toss with the remaining 3/4 cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon of flour. Distribute the cherry mixture evenly over the batter. Do not stir.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. A toothpick inserted into the cobber should come out clean. 

I undercooked the crust a little bit. It was very buttery and very tasty. It was a great use for the leftover cherry puree. Although keep in mind that the cherry puree had a lot of the natural flavor zapped out of it, from the cherry sorbet. So that made this dessert not as cherry to the extreme in flavor.

 I served it hot with vanilla ice cream. I think it went over pretty well with everyone.

 So don't waste that leftover cherry puree. Or if you are so inclined you could just make this recipe.  

I won't judge.

Cherry Sorbet

Cherries were on sale at the grocery store a few weeks ago, I just had to find a reason to use the ridiculously large bag that I bought. I have been wanting to use my ice cream maker for a sorbet. So it seemed like a match made in heaven when I saw a recipe for Cherry Sorbet pop up on Gina's Skinny Recipes. This super simple recipe helped me take the plunge into sorbet making.

The only thing that took forever was pitting all the cherries with a pairing knife. I know, I know. They have tools for that. But I don't. Plus it actually helped take my mind off a nagging headache that I had had all weekend. So I honestly didn't mind the repetitive action.

Cherry Sorbet

Ingredients 

• 2 lbs cherries
• 1 cup water
• 2/3 cup sugar or agave
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Stem the cherries and remove the pits.  In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the cherries with the water, sugar, and lemon juice, and cook until the cherries are very soft and cooked through, about 10-15 minutes.  Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate to chill thoroughly.
Puree the cherries and their liquid and put the mixture through a fine sieve.
Once the cherry mixture is chilled, freeze according to your ice cream maker's instructions.

It was so flavorful and had an surprising texture. If you don't like cherries this is not the recipe for you. But it wouldn't be too hard to substitute in another fruit.

Be sure to keep the remaining cherry puree. You paid for it, use it! I did! I found a recipe for a quick cherry cobbler. I made that a few days later and it received as good of reviews as the sorbet.

So take the plunge into sorbet. Its an easy, healthy and sweet treat.

Magic Stromboli

This recipe came to me via a reader/friend, Kelly. It was so simple she posted the whole recipe on my Facebook page! In her instruction she said "roll up and MAGIC stromboli!" So I just knew the dish had to be called Magic Stromboli.

Its a great Be Your Own Chef recipe. I'll put the ingredients that I used as inspiration.

Magic Stromboli

4 crescent rolls (roll of 8 for 2 people)
Cooking spray - olive oil or butter

Pizza Toppings:
3 Pepperonis per roll
1 tablespoon Mozzarella per roll
Sliced onions
Marinated artichokes
Parmesan cheese to top

Pizza Sauce:
1/2 c. Tomato paste
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lay out 4 crescent rolls with edges all pressed together on a sprayed baking sheet. Fill with your favorite toppings. Be careful to not overfill. Roll up and magic stromboli! Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle on Parmesan cheese. Bake for 11 minutes. Serve with a salad.

They were flaky and tasty. Be sure to make a salad or something extra to go with these. Or plan to eat all four yourself!

I put a few slices of onion in two of them and  half a chunk of artichoke in two of them. So to distinguish the different strombolis I put a tiny piece of onion on top of the onion filled ones. Clever, right?

This would also make an excellent appetizer for your next gathering. And you can make lots of different kinds very easily. So easy to please everyone!

Go ahead and give this simple recipe a try. Thanks to Kelly for sharing her Magic Stromboli!

Simple Alterations

Why is the thought of alterations so frightening? Why do people freak out when I say the word hem?

Take a deep breath. Its okay, even you can do a simple alterations. Now I'm not saying get out that $200 blazer you just bought and try to put darts in it. Start small and very basic. Hemming pants is a good way to begin.

For all of my growing years, I watched my mom diligently hem all the pants and jeans I had to the proper length. I think they were mostly tall sizes that were hand me downs from my sister. At least my mom was teaching us economy. Which is so important today.

That is why I even had this first project to work on. I found a great deal on a pair of dark jeans that actually fit my hips and waist. Unfortunately there was only one pair left, a long. I'm only 5'6", these long jeans went clear over my feet. Not even the tallest of heels could hide how ridiculously long these jeans were on me. So I went to work on them (about 3 weeks after I originally bought them).

I could actually cut off another few millimeters off the bottom. They still seem a little long, but they are not covering my feet up anymore. That was my real goal. I'm counting that as a success.

While chopping off my jeans, I had a brainstorm about this shirt hiding in my closet.

I bought this cute gauzy shirt about a year ago. At the time I thought I could accept the weird 1/2 to 3/4 sleeve length, but the cuff of the sleeve cut into my arm. Honestly it was hard to get the shirt off over my head. So what I'm trying to say is I never wanted to wear it, before...

Before I hacked off those wonky sleeves. I sewed up the edges with a simple straight stitch. (I honestly wasn't even that careful about the straight part.)

It looks much better, its more comfortable and its so much easier to put it on. Now I think this shirt will become a summer staple in my wardrobe.

Okay so this was no "how to" guide on these alterations. More of a suggestive nudge. This is a simpler take on the Re-dress Idea. We might not all have the skills the Bishie has, but we can still do simple things recreate a piece of clothing. Even if its switching a retro button to a more modern one. It can really transform an outfit.

Dust off that sewing machine, if you don't have one borrow one from a friend or your mom. Begin your adventure in creativity.

Orange Creamsicle Cookies

Another great recipe from Our Forking Blog. When I first read the title of this recipe I thought to myself, "Hmm this looks too tasty to be easy enough for me to make." But since Paul and I had just had an amazing orange creamsicle bar from a bakery in downtown Charleston, I had to at least look at the recipe. To my great and joyful surprise it looked like something even I could make with my limited baking skills.

Orange Cremesicle Cookies

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 firmly packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons orange zest (for me that was the zest of 2 oranges)
2 cups Guitard Choc-Au-Lait Vanilla Chips (I used white chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add flour mixture until combined. Stir in orange zest and chips.
Drop rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Do not flatten cookies; it will make them dry. Bake 8 - 10 minutes or until golden brown around edges. Do not overcook! Cookies will be plump. Cool for several minutes on cookie sheets before transferring to rack to cool completely. Store in airtight container.

 

I actually made them as a surprise for Paul as a welcome home from his business trip this week. I also shared them with some friends. They got rave reviews all around.

 

I couldn't believe how that little bit of orange zest perfumed the cookies. Every time I open the container of cookies I get a whiff of the lovely scent of oranges.

If you are tired of the old stand by cookies, give this recipe a try. Impress your family and friends with this seemingly complicated cookie. They will be I'm sure of it.

 

Collard Green Pesto

This recipe is just for fun. I have seen many variations to a basic pesto (basil, pine nuts, Parmesan, garlic, and olive oil). This recipe is boasted to be a "healthier" version. I don't know if you are cutting any calories but you are adding a ton of nutrients with the greens. Its also a good alternative for those that aren't big basil fans.

Collard Green Pesto

Sunny Anderson

Ingredients

• 1 pound bunch collards, ribs discarded, leaves roughly chopped
• 1 (13-ounce) box whole-wheat linguine
• 1/4 cup pecans
• 1 1/4 cups grated Parmesan, plus extra for garnish
• 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium heat. Blanch collards until bright green, about 1 minute. Transfer immediately to an ice bath to shock, saving the boiling water for cooking the pasta. Remove the collards from the ice water and pat dry with paper towels before transferring them to a food processor.

Add the linguine to the pot of salted boiling water and cook according to package instructions.

Meanwhile, in a dry skillet, over low heat, toast the pecans until fragrant. Transfer to the food processor with Parmesan, olives and garlic. With food processor running, slowly drizzle in olive oil until pesto comes together. Taste for seasoning, and add salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

To serve, put enough pesto to coat the pasta into a large serving bowl. Drain the pasta and quickly add it to the bowl. The water still clinging to the pasta will loosen up the pesto. Toss to coat. Add more pesto, if needed. Transfer the pasta to a serving bowl and garnish with Parmesan sprinkled over the top.

The minuses to this recipe is you have to be careful with the ingredients and really taste test as you combine them. Too much garlic or olives will really twinge the taste of the pesto. 

Another pitfall is this recipe makes a TON of pesto. It would probably cover 2 pounds of pasta. I get really bored of eating it before its all gone. I thought of making it for the next pot luck I go to.

Just have fun with this one. Its an interesting twist to a classic that I wanted to share.

Summer Squash Patties

For those of you that have a backyard garden, you may have tried growing yellow squash. If so you know they go crazy in the summer months. Then you struggle for weeks trying to figure out what to do with them. Well here is one solution that I grew up enjoying.

These savory little cakes are a great side dish for dinner or even a different take on a pancake for breakfast. It a pretty good substitute a butter and syrup covered pancake.

Ingredients:

Gina's Skinny Taste

• 2 cups cooked shredded squash (from 3 1/2 yellow squash)
• 1 egg
• 1 egg white
• 2/3 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
• 3 tbsp fresh chopped chives
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• pinch fresh cracked pepper
• olive oil spray

Directions:

Add squash to a medium pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cover; cook until soft. When soft, drain; add to food processor and pulse a few times until chopped. Add 2 cups of squash to a medium bowl. Combine squash with remaining ingredients except oil and mix well.

Heat a large skillet on medium heat, when hot spray lightly with oil and reduce heat to medium-low. Drop 1/4 cupfuls of batter, slightly flattening them with the back of a spoon and cook a few minutes or until golden. Turn and cook the other side until golden. Set aside and repeat with the remaining batter.

The only modification I made to this recipe was I used two whole eggs and used a little butter and a non stick pan, not oil olive spray. I might try adding some cayenne for a kick.

I like serving it with ketchup and hot sauce.

Give it a try. These are some tasty cakes.

Pink Lemonade Cake

I made a version of this cake as a thank you gift for Paul. I wanted to do something special for him after he helped my parents paint their new house. When I say a version I mean I used the basic idea and added my own flavor and didn't pay any attention to the recipe. This was not a good plan. That's why I'm going to give you the exact recipe from Paula Deen that I modeled my cake after and recommend that you make it her way. Not mine.

Pink Lemonade Cake

Ingredients 

Cake:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus more, for coating pans
1 (18 1/4-ounce) box white cake mix
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 tablespoons sweetened pink lemonade drink powder
Icing:
1 pound confectioners' sugar
5 tablespoons frozen pink lemonade concentrate
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 2 (8-inch) round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper or waxed paper.

Prepare the cake batter according to the package directions. To the batter, stir in the lemon zest, vanilla, and pink lemonade powder. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pans. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Carefully turn the cakes out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

While the cake is baking, prepare the frosting by beating together the confectioners' sugar and remaining 1 cup butter until fluffy. Beat in the remaining frosting ingredients until combined.

Transfer one cake to a cake stand or large platter. Using an offset spatula, spread the top of the cake with a layer of frosting. Place the second cake on top of the first. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of both layers.

I used a strawberry lemonade mix and decorated it with fresh cut strawberries. Since I didn't pay close enough attention to the ingredients I put in too much of the lemonade mix and it came out too tart.

Although it was edible and it turned out very pretty. So that was worth something, right?

Paul appreciated that I went out of my comfort zone and actually baked something for him. It is true what they say, "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach". I believe this to be true for women too, maybe I should speak for myself.

I like this idea for a thank you present, plus if you're lucky the person you give it to will share.

Flower Hair Clips

A few days after spending too much money in a store on flower hair clips, I found directions online for how to make the same hair clips. Figures... I thought I would share with everyone, so you could avoid my error.

Here are the step by step instructions I used:
Little Miss Momma - Scrunch hair clips
Little Miss Momma - Lace hair clip

To create added depth and definition, I wrapped each piece of cotton fabric in a circle of a darker pink tulle.
Also I saw several templates for sale at the fabric store, instead I made my own template with a thick paper for the shape of the petals. That just helped as a guide to make more uniform petals.
There are so many different ways to make these. Next time I want to try different fabrics and shapes and colors.

There is a reason why I made so many...

I got an email a few days after I made my first hair clip about a day camp for kids with cancer and their siblings called Camp Happy Days. This Wednesday they were having a dress-up/dance day. The camp was taking donations of cute dresses and accessories. I thought that this was the perfect way for me to contribute. The hardest and most costly part was trying to find different hairbands to attach the flowers to.

I used a few clips but mostly different kinds of stretchy elastic bands. (I wanted to make sure the girls that were going through treatment could have a cute accessory too.)

All in all I'm happy with how they came out. And it was an excellent reason to flex my crafting skills for a good cause. Of course I could find many reasons to make these cutie clips, including for myself.

4th of July Parade & Flag Cake

When I was kid before the age of ten years old, I lived in Elkhart, Indiana. It was a very typical midwestern town. It was a safe, calm and great place to be a kid. We lived in a neighborhood with a ton of school age kids. We were able to run and bike around in the streets. (I feel like that is pretty uncommon now-a-days.) I feel very lucky that I was able to be to be part of a community like this.

We would shoot off fireworks, have cookouts, light sparklers, and would have 4th of July parades.
Parade? I'm not talking about the big downtown parades with giant floats. I mean a parade of neighborhood kids with their ridiculously decorated bikes! We used all kinds of patriotic decorations and then we'd roll down the streets with our parents by our sides.

Now that I'm older its easy to see that all the loud and dangerous fireworks, adult beverages, hot grills, and staying up past dark to see the fireworks, made Independence Day not especially kid friendly. Well except the hamburgers and hot dogs. So its great that our parents found a way to include us in the celebration.

Just don't do it around naptime. You might have some tears.

I love this idea because you can even get the littlest babies involved. Just dress them up and put them in the wagon.

In this post, just for the holiday, I am giving you a bonus idea!

Another fun 4th idea is a flag cake!

Just make any kind of sheet cake you want: red velvet, yellow, chocolate, or even funfetti! Use white frosting, strawberry halves, and blueberries. Easy-peasy and patriotic.

Just be sure to be safe, have fun and be patriotic!