Nutty Bacon Cheeseball: Friday Dec. 31, 2010

Good bye 2010........here we come 2011! Ready or not. My li'l brother Mikey is having a New Year's eve party. This recipe is worth repeating, one of our favorite. Found in a cookbook that came with my kitchen aid mixer:

Nutty Bacon Cheeseball

1 pkg. 8oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c milk
2 c. (8 oz.) shredded sharp Cheddar Cheese
2 c. shredded monterey jack cheese (I can only find this at Hy-Vee)
1/4 c. (1oz) blue cheese
1/4 c. finely minced green onions (white parts only)
1 jar (2 oz) diced pimiento
10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
3/4 c. chopped pecans
salt and pepper
1/4 c. minced parsley
1 T. poppy seed

1. Place cream cheese in mixer bowl. Attach bowl and flat beater to mixer. Turn to speed 2 and mix 1 minute. Scrape bowl. Speed 2, gradually add milk, mixing until well blended, about 1 minute. Scrape bowl. Add cheeses, onions, pimientos, half of bacon and half of pecans. Turn to speed 4 and beat until well blended, about 1 minute.

2. Season with salt & pepper.

3. Transfer half of mixture to lg. piece of plastic wrap. Form into ball: wrap tightly. Repeat with remaining mixture. Refrigerate at least 2 hrs until well chilled.

4. Combine remaining bacon, pecans, parsley & poppy seeds in pie plate or lg. dinner plate. Remove plastic wrap from each cheese ball: roll in bacon mixture until well coated. Wrap in clean plastic wrap & refrigerate until ready to use, up to 24 hrs.
Yield: 24 servings. each ball

Recipe Friday Dec. 31, 2010 Buffalo Chicken Dip

Buffalo Chicken Dip


1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 can (10 ounces) chunk white chicken, drained
1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce (we use hot wing sauce)
1/2 cup ranch salad dressing
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese
Tortilla chips

Spread cream cheese into an ungreased shallow 1-qt. baking dish. Layer with chicken,
buffalo wing sauce and ranch dressing. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, at
350° for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve warm with tortilla chips.

Yield: about 2 cups.

Kitchen Aid is in the house!

I have been wanting a professional kitchen aid mixer for awhile now, one that will allow for LARGE batches of dough..........here it is in the color of choice! Thanks SANTA


Isaac got a kitchen aid for Christmas, too............an 'after market' that comes with a good background.....he knows exactly how much it has been used.......and how old it is! I gave him my old one, it still has a lifetime of use in it, have fun with it son.

Recipe Friday Dec. 24th. Spinach Artichoke Dip

Spinach-Artichoke Dip Easy/20 min

1) 8 oz cream cheese, softened
2) ½ cup sour cream
3) ½ cup mayonnaise
4) ½ cup parmesan cheese
5) 2 small cloves garlic, chopped
6) dash garlic salt
7) ½ teas. Accent (optional)
8) ½ cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed
9) 1 small jar marinated artichoke hearts, rinsed of oil and chopped
10) 1 to 2 cups Havarti cheese, grated or sliced
11) Milk or cream

In bowl, mix 1,2,3,4,5,6,7. Add 8 and 9, mix. Add 11 to thin mixture (1/4 to 1/3 cup). Spread in 8 x 8 pan (glass if going to microwave). Top evenly with 10.
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until cheese melts or microwave 6 - 8 minutes. Serve with white corn tortilla chips or toasted baguette slices.

First tasted at Laslow's in Lincoln, then imitated. Got from a co-worker at a holiday pot luck at work. YUMMY

Almond Bark with a twist

I got this recipe from Bake at 350. That photo was bloglifted from Bake at 350 also. It was midnight before I got done, so the lighting was bad.

It is gorgeous! I sent it to work with hubby for all of his co-workers........also sent with the round pretzels that have Kisses melted in the center, peanut butter fudge, chocolate fudge and non-traditional peanut clusters. Merry Christmas!!!! feel free to click on the attached links.

Noah's Ark Collector

My sister in law and brother in law stopped tonight to drop off their gift to us this holiday season.

Scott is Steve's 1/2 brother, the most delightful person you'd ever meet in your life. He's not married until recently, he was striving for perfection and found it in Debbie.

I have collected Noah's arks for over 25 years, this is what they gifted me this year....the Noah's Ark Tree in the middle..........








Available at Sam's Club...who knew??

Creamy Peanut Butter Fudge

Ingredients

• 4 cups white sugar
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
• 1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow creme
• 1 (16 ounce) jar peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

No candy thermometer is required. Before you start timing the fudge, a rolling boil is required. This means that you are not able to stir the fudge to stop the boiling process. Once the candy is at that stage, then begin timing.

1. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. This fudge is creamy and flawless every time. For any fudge to be successful you must follow directions exactly as written. Candy is a persnickety thing, stirring at the wrong time will cause crystallization of the sugar granules. Ruining your recipe.

2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, brown sugar, butter and evaporated milk. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring constantly, and boil for 7 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in marshmallow creme until well incorporated and melted. Stir in peanut butter and vanilla until smooth; spread in prepared pan. Let cool before cutting into squares.

I cut the fudge into squares, then seal in a large zip lock bag, placing it inside a rubbermaid container with a lid.

More Photos Cookie Exchange 2010 at Work

2nd Annual Christmas Cookie Exchange

I made the Cinnamon Sassies Cookie recipe for our cookie exchange this year, we'll give 1/2 dozen cookies to each participant. These cookies are like snickerdoodles on steroids......right out of the oven the centers are soft and chewy. The recipe is correct, it takes 1/4 cup of dough per cookie. So worth the extra effort. I put one or two of these on my cookie trays every year.

Here's mine, packaged and ready to go..











Recipe:

Cinnamon Sassies

* 1-½ cup Sugar
* ½ cups Butter Or Margarine
* 1 teaspoon Vanilla Or Vanilla Bean Paste
* 2 whole Eggs (large)
* 2-½ cups Flour
* 1 teaspoon Cream Of Tartar
* ½ teaspoons Baking Soda
* ¼ teaspoons Salt
* 1 cup Cinnamon Flavored Baking Chips
* 1 cup Chopped Pecans
* 2 Tablespoons Sugar (this To Roll Cookies In)
* 1 teaspoon Cinnamon (this To Roll Cookies In)

1. Heat oven to 375 F. If using a dark or nonstick pan, heat to 350F.

2. Beat 1 1/2 cups sugar, butter, vanilla, and eggs in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with a spoon until creamy.

3. Stir in flour, ceam of tartar, baking soda and salt. Stir in cinnamon chips and pecans.

4. Mix 2 Tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl.

5. Shape dough by forming 1/4 cups of dough into balls. Roll in sugar and cinnamon mixture.

6. Place balls 3″ apart on un-greased large cookie sheet. (Do not flatten.)

7. Bake 13-17 minutes or until set and light brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack to cool.

Recipe Friday Dec. 10th, 2010: Foolproof Fudge

This is the best recipe ever, creamy, smooth, definitely foolproof, I do the microwave one, it is so much easier to clean up, I make several batches one right after the other:



Ingredients

3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (14 ounce) can EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk
Dash salt
3/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. In heavy saucepan, over low heat, melt chocolate chips with sweetened condensed milk and salt. Remove from heat; stir in nuts (optional) and vanilla.
Spread evenly into wax-paper-lined 8- or 9-inch square pan. Chill 2 hours or until firm. (I always make this in the microwave, see below, last item under variations)
2. Lift fudge out of pan and place onto cutting board; peel off paper and cut into squares. Store covered in refrigerator.

Variations:
Creamy Dark Chocolate Fudge: Melt 2 cups miniature marshmallows with chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. Proceed as above.

Milk Chocolate Fudge: Omit 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips. Add 1 cup milk chocolate chips. Proceed as above.

Rocky Road Fudge: Omit 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, salt, nuts and vanilla. In saucepan, melt chocolate chips with sweetened condensed milk and 2 tablespoons butter or margarine. In large bowl, combine 2 cups dry-roasted peanuts and 1 (10 1/2-ounce) package miniature marshmallows. Stir in chocolate mixture. Spread in wax paper-lined 13x9-inch pan. Proceed as above.(Makes about 2 3/4 pounds)

Microwave: In 1-quart glass measure, combine chocolate chips with sweetened condensed milk and salt. Cook on HIGH (100% power) 3 minutes or until chips melt, stirring after 1 1/2 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients. Proceed as above.

Recipe Friday: Coconut Cream Pie

Coconut Cream Pie

1 13.5 oz. can coconut milk
1 1/2 cups milk (whole or 2%, your choice)
3 eggs
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup flaked coconut
1/4 cup toasted flaked coconut
2 (9 inch) graham cracker crust pie shells
1 container frozen whipped topping, thawed

1. Toast 1/4 cup coconut by spreading on a cookie sheet and baking at 350 degrees until just golden, about 5 minutes. (Don’t overcook or coconut turns bitter).

2. In a medium saucepan, combine milks, eggs, sugar, flour and salt. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in 3/4 cup flaked (untoasted) coconut.

3. Pour into a pie shells (today I’m using a premade graham cracker crust, but you can use whatever you like) and chill 2 to 4 hours, until firm.
Before serving, spread each with whipped cream and sprinkle the toasted coconut across the tops.

Makes 2 pies; one to have and one to share.

I don't do this, I make a deep dish pie, using a 10" deep dish pie pan. The Paula Deen glass pie plates sold at Wal-mart are perfect for this recipe. It only makes one pie, though.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

This is an incredible cheesecake. Full of flavor, those ginger snaps are the bomb!!!

Pumpkin Cheesecake::::

Ingredients

Crust:

30 squares gingersnap cookies
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Filling:
4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
5 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Cinnamon Whipped Cream, for serving, recipe follows

Directions

Crust:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Add the gingersnaps to the bowl of a food processor, and pulse until crumbly. Transfer to a large bowl and add the melted butter. Stir until evenly mixed. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with 3-inch sides. Bake the crust until golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool completely while preparing the filling.

Filling:

Put a teakettle filled with water on the stovetop, over medium heat, and bring to a boil.

In a large mixing bowl, add the cream cheese and sugar and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the pumpkin and beat until incorporated. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, then add the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and vanilla, and beat until blended. Add the flour and beat until incorporated.

Wrap the sides and bottom of the springform pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Pour the filling into the pan and put it in a small roasting pan. Pour the hot water from the teakettle into the roasting pan, filling halfway up the sides of the springform pan, about 1 1/2 inches. Bake until the center of the cheesecake moves slightly when the pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Remove the cake from the water bath and let it cool on a wire rack.

Once cooled, use a paring knife to loosen the sides of the cake from the pan. Chill the cheesecake for at least 4 hours before serving. Serve with Cinnamon Whipped Cream.

Cinnamon Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy cream, chilled
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pour the heavy cream into a large bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer until thick and frothy. Add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon, and beat until medium peaks form.

Yield: 1 1/2 to 2 cups

Oh My Cupcake Event

I spent last weekend at my daughter's house helping her with a church event. There is a gourmet cupcake shop in Sioux Falls, SD: Oh My Cupcakes, located at 524 S. Main Ave. It is ran by a woman that is quite successful. She will come to different churches to speak about how her Faith impacts her business.

We've got photos of Karen with the shop owner, me with my grandbabies. Olivia setting up the cookies for the Children's church. (there was daycare for those that brought children). Noah eating a cookie, the gift bags we made for all the attendees. The sprinkles we put into tubes, they were placed in the gift bags along with an altered notebook and a dozen cupcake liners, one dozen large and one dozen mini. They were really fun to put together.

The colors were pink and brown. We even had door prizes for the guests, made it fun.

Recipe Friday: Caramel Apple Bread Pudding

Caramel Apple Bread Pudding


5-6 c. raisin bread from Wal-Mart (or a moist dense bread, takes 1/2 loaf)Picture of the bread here
3 c. apples, peeled and chopped into small pieces
4 eggs
3 egg yolks
1 1/2 c. milk
1 1/2 c. heavy cream
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract
2 tsp. pumpkin or apple pie seasoning (I use 1 tsp of each)
1 Tbsp. butter, chopped
1 recipe Buttermilk Syrup (below)

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease or spray a 9x13" baking dish with shortening or non-stick cooking spray.

1. In a large bowl, toss together the bread cubes and the apple pieces. Transfer to the baking dish. In the same large bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients except for the butter. When combined, continue to whisk while pouring over the bread/apple mixture (just to make sure the spices are evenly distributed).

2. Gently combine the bread and egg mixture, making sure each piece of bread is soaking in part of the egg and milk mixture. Allow to stand for at least 15 minutes (longer, if you can; you could even do this the night before, cover it tightly, and then bake it in the morning).

3. When the egg/milk mixture has mostly soaked into the bread, dab the butter over the bread and place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 40-50 minutes or until the center is set but not dry or burned.

Remove from oven and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Cut into pieces and serve with warm Buttermilk Syrup (and vanilla ice cream if you really want to walk on the wild side.)

Buttermilk Syrup


3/4 c. buttermilk
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 stick real butter
2 Tbsp. corn syrup
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla

1. Combine buttermilk, sugar, butter, corn syrup, and baking soda in a LARGE pot. Like one you'd make soup in. Yes, you'll have way more pot than ingredients (and I'm not referring to the green leafy stuff), but this will boil all over your newly-cleaned stove if you put it in a smaller saucepan.

2. Bring ingredients to a boil and reduce heat to low (as long as it's still bubbling, you're okay). Cook, stirring very frequently, for 8-9 minutes. You're basically making candy here and candy-making requires constant vigilance.

3. When it's done, it should take on this luscious golden-brown color. Remove from heat and add vanilla.There will be foam on top. It tastes just as good, but it's not super pretty. If you're into aesthetics, you can skim it off; otherwise, just give it a good stir.

Cranberry Bread: Recipe Friday

I made this bread from this site:











Cranberry Bread

2 cups Flour
1-¼ cup Light Brown Sugar, Packed
1-½ teaspoon Baking Powder
½ teaspoons Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Salt
1 whole Large Egg, Beaten
¾ cups Milk
4 Tablespoons Butter, Melted
1 bag (12 Ounces) Bag Of Fresh Cranberries
1 Tablespoon Raw Sugar

Preparation Instructions

Grease and flour a 9- by 5-inch loaf pan. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Meanwhile combine egg, milk and butter in a small bowl. Add wet mix to dry mix and combine thoroughly then stir in cranberries. Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with raw sugar. Bake until golden brown and a cake tester comes clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Let cool a few minutes. Run a knife around pan to loosen bread. Turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Cupcakes................

I'm headed to see Karen in a few weeks. She's setting up a church function, the ladies will hear testimony from the owner of a gourmet cupcake shop speak about her business. The invitations are going to be adorable.












There will be some drawings for door prizes and some gift bags for each participant. I am excited to go and spend time with my daughter.

SHe's found a very cute blog with some unusual cupcake recipes that I think I'll try before going to visit. It's a mini pumpkin pie baked into the center of a cupcake. What a clever idea. Pumpkin pie is my DD's all time favorite pie........now they need to do one with pecan for Sonny.










Recipe:

Pumpkin Pies:
1 batch favorite Pie crust dough (or use refrigerated)
15 oz. can pumpkin (make filling according to can directions)
Cupcakes:
1 1/c sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
3 eggs
2 t. vanilla
2 t. baking powder
½ t. baking soda
½ t. salt
1 1/3 c. whole milk
2 ½ c. flour
For the butter cream:
1 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
8 oz. cream cheese room temperature
1 c. powdered sugar
1 c. Hershey’s cinnamon chips
Splash whole milk
Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees (F).
First, prepare the pumpkin pies. Mix up the pumpkin pie mix according to the can’s directions (or make your own-fancy!). Roll out the pie crust dough and cut it into small circles that are large enough to cover the bottom and sides of mini cupcake tins (I used the opening of a small juice glass as a cutter).
Press the dough into the lightly greased mini cupcake tins, and then fill them with the pumpkin pie mix. (Don’t go all the way to the top, the filling will expand a little while baking.)
Bake the pies for about 7 minutes at 425 degrees (F), and then turn the oven down to 350 degrees (F) and bake them for another 10 minutes or so, until the crust is brown and the filling is completely set.
After taking them out of the oven, cool them on a wire rack for about 10 minutes then take them out of the pan and allow them to cool further while you mix up the batter.
For the cupcake batter, combine the butter and the cream cheese together on medium speed for about 90 seconds—you want the ingredients to be well incorporated. Then mix in the sugar until the mixture is fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Then mix in the milk and the flour, alternating between the two ingredients. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, to make sure everything is getting well-mixed—beat again on med-high speed for about a minute. It should be smooth and creamy.
Spoon a heaping tablespoon of batter into regular-sized, paper-lined cupcake tins. Plop a cooled pumpkin pie into the center, and press gently into the batter. GENTLY. You don’t want it to touch to the bottom of the pan.
Cover the pies with another heaping tablespoon of batter, so the top and sides are completely covered.
Bake at 350 degrees (F) for about 25 minutes, until the cake is set and the edges and tops of the cupcakes have turned golden brown.
Allow them to cool in the cupcake tray for at least 10 minutes before moving to a wire rack—they’ll be a little fragile at first.
Once the cakes are cool, frost them!
To make the butter cream, melt down the cinnamon chips with a splash of whole milk. Pop them in the microwave for about 45 seconds on high. Stir until all the chips are melted, and allow it to cool a bit while you whip up the rest of the frosting (you can put the bowl in the fridge, it’ll cool faster that way, and the milk will keep it from solidifying).
Cream together the butter and cream cheese until they’re well incorporated. Then whip in the powdered sugar, a cup at a time, until the mixture is smooth and creamy. With the mixer on low, drizzle in the cooled cinnamon chip “ganache” (if it’s too hot it’ll melt the butter cream and ruin it—you don’t want that). Put in about half, stop to taste it and decide if you’d like to add more. Some prefer it strong, others like it milder.
If you have any pie crust left over, roll it out and cut smaller discs and sprinkle them with a little bit of cinnamon and sugar. Bake them for about 10 minutes at 350 and look at that, a cute and tasty cupcake topper!

Pie Crust Recipe

I often get asked for this recipe. Nothing special. The secret to flaky crust is having cold water. I put ice in the water and set it aside, or sit it in the freezer in the hot summer. I measure the 1c. of water right before I add it to the crust.

Pie Crust

4 C. Flour
2 C. crisco
1 C. cold water

Measure the flour into the bowl of a kitchen aid mixer, cut the shortening into small pieces and add to the flour, mixing on low speed. When the flour and crisco looks like crumbs I shut the mixer off and add the cold water all at once. I then mix it just until combined. It will be very sticky. I place it into 4 equal size balls on saran wrap, wrap each individually and freeze. If I am using it for pies right away I put it in the fridge and let it rest for about 30 minutes. This makes the crust less elastic when rolling it out and the crust will get good and cold.

After I roll the crust and place it in the pie pan, I put it in the freezer while I mix the ingredients. This will let the fat in the crust chill. I also bake the pie at 400 degrees for the first 10 minutes. THis will 'set' the crust on the pie and it also helps to get the bottom crust cooked. After 10 minutes I turn the heat down to the recommended temperature to bake the pie according to the instructions.

Recipe Friday Oct. 1, 2010 Apple Cake

Apple cake from Bakerella's website:

Easy Apple Cake
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups oil
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups diced apples
1 cup chopped dates rolled in flour
1 cup chopped walnuts

Topping
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and cinnamon with a wire whisk and set aside.
Combine sugar and oil using a mixer until blended.
Add eggs and vanilla, mixing until combined.
Add flour mixture and mix well.
Stir in nuts, dates and apples. The batter will be very thick.
Pour into a greased and floured 9 X 13 pan and bake for 40-45 minutes or until done.
Cool cake and using a skewer, poke holes in cake.
Cook topping ingredients on stove until mixture bubbles.
Pour topping over cake letting some (ha… more if you like) seep into the cake.

Phoenix

Phoenix was beautiful. A little warm around 101 degrees, but there is no humidity. I can't describe it but it is so different than heat in the midwest. I have lots of photos of the grand canyon. We did the helicopter ride over, it is unbelievable to see what God can accomplish. I'll share when I slow down a little.

It's always a struggle to catch back up at home with the work.

Recipe Friday: Plumcot Blueberry Crisp

Plumcot Blueberry Crisp:

• 2 lbs. pluots, pitted and quartered
• 1 pint blueberries
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 3 Tbsp. cornstach
• 1 Tbsp. red wine or creme de cassis liqueur (optional, I don't use it)
• 1/2 c. cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal (or quick oats)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• 1/2 cup (1 sticks) softened unsalted butter, diced

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. For the fruit, in a large bowl, combine the pluots, blueberries, (1/4 cup) brown sugar, cornstarch and the wine (or liqueur if you have it, I don't and didn't buy it just for this recipe). Pour mixture into a 12 x 8″ shallow baking dish and level out. (I increased the plumcots and made a 9x13 pan.)

3. For the topping, combine the flour,brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, oatmeal, and butter in a bowl. Work together with fingers until clumpy, and then stir in nuts.
4. Scatter evenly over the fruit mixture.

5. Bake the crisp for 40-45 minutes, or until the fruit is bubbling and the top is browned. Serve warm or at room temperature, served warm with vanilla ice cream it is a huge hit.

Borrowed this recipe from the internet........it's a keeper.

Apple Pie

I have been trying to decide if I should post my recipes here, but honestly I dont' care if others make them, I got them from somebody else, so here goes:

Apple Pie


Ingredients1 whole Pie Crust

6 cups (to 7 Cups) Peeled And Sliced Granny Smith Apples
½ whole (juice Of) Lemon
½ cups Sugar
4 Tablespoons Flour
¼ teaspoons Salt
½ cups Flour
1-½ stick Butter
1 cup Brown Sugar
½ cups Quick Oats
¼ teaspoons Salt
½ cups Pecans, Chopped
½ jars (or More) Caramel Topping
Preparation Instructions
In a bowl mix peeled apples, lemon juice, sugar, flour and ¼ teaspoon salt. Set aside. For crumb topping, cut the butter into the flour with a pastry cutter, then add in brown sugar, oats, and ¼ teaspoon salt.

Add apples to prepared pie shell and top with crumb topping. Cover crust edges with aluminum foil and bake in a 375 degree oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil from crust and place back into the oven for another 30 minutes. Chop pecans, and when five minutes remain, sprinkle them over the pie. Finish baking. Quiver with anticipation.

Remove the pie from the oven and pour ½ jar (or more, if you’re feeling dangerous and naughty) of caramel topping over the top. Allow to cool slightly before serving, or don’t if you can’t wait.

German Chocolate Pie

Here is a new one I tried:

German Chocolate Pie

Make your favorite recipe for a one crust pie: Pre-bake the crust

Filling:
1/3 c. Sugar
3 T. cornstarch
1 1/2 c. cold milk
4 oz. german sweet cooking chocolate chopped
1 T. unsalted butter
2 egg yolks, beaten
1 t. vanilla extract

Topping:
1 egg, beaten
1 (5 oz. can) evaporated milk
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. unsalted butter
1 1/3 c. sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 c. chopped pecans

1. For filling, combine sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan, then stir in the milk, chocolate, and butter. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until thickened and bubbly. Turn down the heat to medium and continue to cook and whisk another 2 minutes.
2. Gradually stir about 1 cup of the hot mixture into the egg yolks, then pour the yolk mixture into the saucepan. Return to a boil over medium heat and cook and whisk another 2 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, pour into the crust.

Topping:

1. Combine egg, milk, sugar and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir just until thickened and bubbly.
2. Remove from the heat and stir in the coconut and pecans, then spread topping evenly over the chocolate filling.

Cool to room temperature on a wire rack, then chill in the refrigerator for several hours before slicing. Serve chilled.

Recipe Friday: Macaroon Cherry Pie

Macaroon Cherry Pie

Pastry for a single crust 9 inch pie

3 cans (14 1/2 oz each) pitted tart cherries
1 c. sugar
1/3 c. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp red food coloring, optional

Topping"
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 T. Milk
1 T. Butter (melted)
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1/4 c. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1 c. flaked coconut
1/2 c. sliced almonds

Line a 9 inch deep dish pie plate with pastry. trim to 1/2 inch beyond edge of plate, flute edges. Bake 400 F for 6 minutes, set aside

Drain Cherries, reserving 1 c. juice. Set cherries aside. In a large saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch, gradually stir in cherry juice until blended. Bring to a boil over medium heat, cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Remove from the heat, stir in cinnamon and food coloring if desired. Gently fold in cherries. Pour into crust, cover edges loosley with foil. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile in a large bowl, combine the first 6 topping ingredients. Stir in coconut and almonds.

Remove foil from pie, spoon topping over pie. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until topping is lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Chill for 4 hours or overnight before serving.

I use this in the deep dish 10 inch pie plate, adding one more can of cherries and a little more sugar. It makes a decadent pie.

Cherry Macaroon Pie and Rhubarb Crunch

I delivered both yesterday, they are loving the cherry macaroon pie.

Rhubarb Crunch:

9x9 pan, greased or sprayed with PAM

1 C sifted flour
1 C reg. oatmeal (uncooked)
1 C brown sugar firmly packed
1/2 C melted butter
1 tsp cinnamon
Mix until crumbly. Press half of crumbs into a greased 9" baking pan. Cover w/ 4 C diced rhubarb

Combine the following and cook until thick and clear:
1 C sugar
2 T cornstarch
1 C water
1 tsp vanilla
Pour over rhubarb. Top w/ the remaining crumbs. Bake @ 350º for one hour (longer if you double it) This is great served warm w/ vanilla ice cream.

I do it a little differently for a larger serving:

TO make this for a picnic or a crowd, I mess with the ingredients

Rhubarb Crunch:

9x13 pan sprayed with PAM or greased

2 C sifted flour
2 C reg. oatmeal (uncooked)
2 C brown sugar firmly packed
3/4 C melted butter
2 tsp cinnamon
Mix until crumbly. Press half of crumbs into a greased 9x13" baking pan. Cover w/ 8 C diced rhubarb

Combine the following and cook until thick and clear:
1 1/2 C sugar
4 T cornstarch
1 1/2 C water
2 tsp vanilla
Pour over rhubarb. Top w/ the remaining crumbs. Bake @ 350º for one hour (longer if you double it) Still great served warm with vanilla ice cream........The cherry pie will be next with photos to follow.

Wal-Mart receipt checkers

I found this article on the internet and found it interesting. I recently went to our local Wal-Mart to get some things, a couple things were too big for bags, a very large Tide, a large bag of potatoes and I can't remember the other item. On the way out the door I was stopped and asked for my receipt. There were 4 people ahead of me getting their receipts checked.

I had no problem with it, but had just stood in line for about 15 min, it was hot in the store, there were kids everywhere crying. It was irritating, and I had just checked out at the checkout right by the door. The girl saw me check out, so I was more irritated that she asked for my receipt. I hate Wal-Mart stores anyway and have taken to going there as little as possible.


Today on MSN there is this great article about stores checking receipts. I found it interesting and am going to write to the companies that do this at their doors. It might not help, but then again it might, you never know. Color me irritated.

Can stores really ask you for that?

It has become common for retailers to request your ID, your e-mail address and even your Social Security number. Are you obligated to provide them?

[Related content: financial privacy, credit cards, retail, shopping, Liz Pulliam Weston]

By Liz Pulliam Weston

MSN Money

Retail sales haven't been spectacular lately, so you'd think stores would want to please their customers rather than trample on their rights. But many retailers seem to be adding ways to tick us off.

More stores seem to be:

Stopping customers to check their receipts before they let them out the doors.

Posting minimum-purchase requirements for credit cards.

Insisting that customers present identification when using credit cards.

Asking customers for personal information, such as phone numbers, addresses or (heaven forbid) Social Security numbers before starting transactions. The Credit Card Indicator

These behaviors are so commonplace that you might not realize there's anything wrong with them.

But there is.

1. The receipt checkers
If you've signed a membership agreement with a warehouse club such as Costco or Sam's, you've agreed to present your receipt upon exiting one of their stores. Other retailers have no such agreement with you, but some station employees at their doors to ask for your receipts anyway.

Receipt checks are supposed to be voluntary. The law varies from place to place, but U.S. retailers generally aren't allowed to detain you unless they have good reason to believe you've stolen something -- and refusing to present your receipt does not constitute probable cause.

Some people report that they're able to breeze past receipt checkers simply by saying, "No, thanks." Others say they've been harassed or even detained by overly zealous employees or security guards when they refused. (One woman in China was beaten to death for failing to turn over her Wal-Mart receipt, according to Chinese police.)

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Retailers typically try to walk a fine line between protecting their merchandise against theft and inconveniencing their customers, said Daniel Butler, the vice president of retail operations for the National Retail Federation. Many opt for universal receipt checks, he said, rather than risk discriminating against certain customers by singling them out for checks.


Receipt-check tales
Certainly, some shoppers are happy to give up their rights in exchange for low prices. If you're not, you can:

Cause a stink and risk an incident.

Shop somewhere else.

Shop online (same stuff, no frisking involved).

Write a letter to the chains' CEOs telling them exactly what you think of their receipt-checking policies. Here are a few addresses to get you started:

Michael Duke, CEO

Wal-Mart Stores

702 S.W. Eighth St.

Bentonville, AR 72716

Brian Dunn, CEO

Best Buy

7601 Penn Ave. S.

Richfield, MN 55423

John Fry, CEO

Fry's Electronics

600 E. Brokaw Road

San Jose, CA 95112

3 more pies for the cafe

Scrumptious Apple Pie from the Pioneer Woman's web site. Then we have Sour cream raisin with a meringue topping, and a pecan pie.

Baking for our local restaurant

I made 3 pies, a caramel apple, a banana cream, a chocolate cream and a blueberry cobbler from fresh blueberries, it looked so good:





Next up is Pecan, Peach,Sour Cream Raisin and Apple again. If you have suggestions on one of your favorites, I am all ears.

Congratulations

Steve got the job he interviewed for last week. I am so proud of him.

Giant S'more Cookies

Our little restaurant in town is re-opening after being remodeled. I've made a few cookies for them to serve with coffee.




















Giant S’mores Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 sticks softened butter

1 Cup packed light brown sugar

3/4 Cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 Tablespoon pure vanilla

4 Cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 Cups chocolate chips

3 regular size Hershey’s Chocolate Bars

3 Full Graham Crackers

5-6 Large Marshmallows cut into fourths

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place butter and sugars into a stand or electric mixer; beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla until well combined.

2. Place flour, salt and baking soda into a large bowl; mix then slowly add to wet ingredients along with the chocolate chips. Mix until just combined. Scoop a heaping 1/4 Cup of cookie dough into muffin top pan cups. Press down then gently press chocolate bar squares, graham cracker pieces and marshmallow slices on top of cookie dough. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until edges are just turning brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan. Serve with milk and enjoy :)

**Note, this recipe may also be done without the muffin top pan.They are just thicker and chewier if you use the pan. Just flatten out your cookie dough slightly onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet and press your s’mores toppings over the dough** You can purchase those fun muffin top pans at TJ Maxx Home Goods if you are lucky, Sur La Table, Bed Bath and Beyond and of course you can google it as well!!

Makes 18 LARGE cookies from the muffin top pan

Elementary Song

Support our troops!

Steve was nominated by a few of his employees to receive an award for supporting our military while they serve our country. He's off to ride in a Chinook CH47 Helicopter to Sioux Falls, SD. From there they will pick up other honorees, then fly to Minnesota where they will stay overnight. He'll tour the facility there, watch them do routine field maneuvers, then fly home tomorrow.

He'll get an award of some kind from the government, I'm really proud of him. Here's a picture of the helicopter he'll ride in today:

Coolest Proposal

Bead Exchange

I participated in an online bead exchange. Just mailed them off yesterday to San Francisco, CA. For those of you that aren't familiar....you sign up, then make the beads in the required theme, mail them to the hostess. She will then divide the beads up amongst the participants, repackage and mail them back to each person.

My theme was charm beads to make a bracelet. Here are the results:

Scooter

I am loving my scooter. Beats the heck out of crutches. (this was taken while visiting my grandbaby...her first dance recital!!!)

Trips

I love trips. Our granddaughter will be in her first dance recital soon. I can't wait to see her perform. She's my little singer/dancer. It will be exciting to see them, I haven't seen them for awhile now.

Crutches are so YESTERDAY!!!

Are you serious? In all these years the best we can do to accomodate people after major surgery/breaks/reconstruction to foot/ankles/legs/knees are crutches? I expect the orthopedic or podiatrist to know about the latest tools available to assist a patient with their mobility after having surgery to a limb. Especially when the restriction on mobility involves No Weight Bearing (NWB)on said limb!!!

Try stairs, carrying a drink, cooking, washing dishes, sweeping, vacuuming, making the bed or anything requiring arms on crutches? It is beyond archaic! I am truly disappointed and think we could do a better job in health care making sure patients have options. And what about the health insurance?? Really, you will only pay for crutches? That bites a big one..........hehe..sorry. Off my soap box now.

I could have also been shown or told about exercises to strengthen my upper body to accommodate the use of the crutches. That wasn't done and I didn't think of it, either. I did oncology nursing, not orthopedic. That's my story, I'm sticking to it.

Today with the average person involves 40 hours a week, children and all of thier activities! It is mind boggling to think a Dr. could say with a straight face, "here's your crutches, stay off the foot for 6 weeks, take it easy". Not a clue. Not even after I explained where I work, how big our complex is, the size of the building I work in, the location of my desk and the type of work that I do. Nothing, Just crutches, 10 min. of instruction and I was out the door.

It truly is up to the patient to be informed, finding solutions that work for us, I have been searching the internet for a better solution to suit my lifestyle and needs. THis was my first choice, the IwalkFree:








DH works for a state facility that houses a Physical Therapy department. One of the employees just had major surgery to her leg involving NWB also. She could possibly put miles on her legs a day. This was explained to her Dr, she was sent home with crutches. See a pattern here? She found this:










Hubby went and rented one for me. I think my return to work tomorrow might not be as daunting as I was anticipating........can we say THANK GOD!!!!

Recipe Friday: Bumbleberry Pie

Bumbleberry Pie

10 Inch deep dish pan

Ingredients

Crust:
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups shortening
1 cup ice cold water

Filling:
2 cups apples - peeled, cored, sliced thin (I used granny smith)
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh rhubarb
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh blackberries
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2- 2 cups white sugar
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons minute tapioca

To brush on top of crust:
1 egg yolk, beaten (or milk)
2 tablespoons water

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, place flour, cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. Add ice cold water a little at a time until incorporated and forms a ball. (I use my kitchen aid mixer for this step)
4. Divide dough into 4 balls. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1/2-1 hour or overnight.
5. Roll out dough portions to fit a 10 inch deep dish pie pan. Place bottom crusts in pie pan. Set aside top crusts.
6. In a large bowl, combine apples, rhubarb, Blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and lemon juice.
7. Mix together 1 1/2 cups sugar, 2/3 cup flour, and tapioca; gently toss with fruit mixture. Place into pastry lined pie pan.
8. Cover with top crusts; trim and crimp edges. Brush tops with egg wash (1 egg yolk beaten with 2 tablespoons water)or you can just use plain milk to brush the top crust. Cut a few slits in the top to allow steam to vent.
9. Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until filling is bubbly in center and top is golden brown. For a 10 inch deep dish pie (watkins collector plates it takes 90 minutes)
10. Pie must be completely cool to get a pretty slice of pie. The juices and thickeners must cool completely or the pieces will run out of the slices when cut.

Recipe Friday: Rhubarb Crunch

I got this recipe from a dear friend who lives in the next town over, about 12 miles away. Nobody in my house likes rhubarb but me, so she brought me some and I tried this recipe. It is her husband's mother's tried and true, which is the best kind in my opinion.

Joe's Mom's Rhubarb Crunch Recipe

This makes a 9x9 pan

1 C sifted flour
1 C reg. oatmeal (uncooked)
1 C brown sugar firmly packed
1/2 C melted butter
1 tsp cinnamon

Mix until crumbly. Press half of crumbs into a greased 9" baking pan. Cover w/ 4 C diced rhubarb

Combine the following and cook until thick and clear:

1 C sugar
2 T cornstarch
1 C water
1 tsp vanilla

Pour over rhubarb. Top with the remaining crumbs. Bake @ 350º for one hour (longer if you double it, took about 90 min. for the 9x13 pan) This is great served warm w/ vanilla ice cream.


9x13 pan

Mix until crumbly, press half into the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan, cover with 8 c. rhubarb cut into pie sized pieces:

Flour 2 c
Oatmeal 2c
Brown Sugar 1 ½ c. firmly packed
Butter ¾ c. melted
Cinnamon 2 tsp


Combine the following in a small saucepan over medium heat, cook and stir until thick and clear:

Sugar 1 ½ c
Cornstarch 4 tablespoons
Water 1 ½ c
Vanilla 2 tsp

Pour over rhubarb in pan, top with remaining crumbs. Bake @ 350º for one and a half hours. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream on top.

Teacher Appreciation

I love this time of year, wish I would have had all these totally cool ideas when my kids were in school. Using coordinated paper scraps, a little glue and some imagination:

You start out with a simple item that is available anywhere, Hobby Lobby puts it on sale for $1.44 often:

















To me the funnest part would be to fill it with some goodies, I would love this, I am all about 'themed' gifts. Karen's favorite when she was younger:::

Fatigue

I am overcome with it lately. I can't figure out why, but it is getting so old. SIGH

Custom Made Cake Stands

I love this idea! I'm going to start scouting out plates and candle holders for this as soon as I can! These would be so great to do themed parties with, the possibilities are endless!!



Some examples swiped from a Blog, Your Home Based Mom:

Scrap T Shopping

I don't scrap but spent my lunch hour looking for this T-shirt for Karen and her Bestie. This is such a cute shirt! They wanted the pink one...........so they got one. Seems simple, no?

Did you know that when Michael's runs an ad on something like this you can't just walk into a Michael's store and expect them to have it? Oh, no, you have to 'KNOW' which store has it in stock. Some stores are a new generation store and some aren't. The newer stores don't have it and you are expected to know that!?!?

SHRUG. I finally got it but not after I got a woman in the store to help me, and that wasn't easy to accomplish either. Kids, we go to much trouble sometimes for them.

This Needs Repeating

Antique Shops Walnut, Iowa

A couple weeks ago Steve and I visited a B&B and a winery for my birthday. We drove through Walnut, it's a tiny town in Iowa that has made a niche for itself with antique shops. They also have a delightful bakery on the corner of town. While we sat and had a pastry and coffee we noticed many of the town people coming in to get fresh bread. I commented to one of the ladies. She told me she lives right up the block from there and could smell the bread. The nearest town for groceries was 15 minutes away. She became accustomed to the fresh bread and couldn't buy it from the store anymore. If she ever moves she'll be in trouble!

When roaming around we found this neat piece of furniture in one of the shops. It came out of a Dr's office. WE have a friend that owns an old house that this would be perfect for. Her house at one time was used as the Dr's office in that town. Her bathroom was the pharmacy. There's a tiny little door that has a lock on it I believe that held the narcotics.

The woman in the shop was very kind and let us take photos. Joni, if you are watching, this could be yours for a mere $3500. (we were told the owner would negotiate a better price if you went up and talked to him.) If we still lived in our big old house this would have come home with us.

Annuals vs. Perennials

Every year I hang about 8 hanging baskets and attempt to single handedly buy out all the nurseries in the area. We have a great little nursery outside of town. I love their wrought iron things and the fountains. They've got many metal scuplputures, but it's the planters and hanging baskets I covet. I like to buy hanging baskets for my big pots in front of the house, they are already well established, pull them out of the basket, VOILA! Instant pots with beautiful flowers. This year Steve talked me into planting them with a variety of things, so I did. We'll see how it looks in a month or so. I also planted the patch in front of the garage with the vinca, this year white centers with pink surrounding them and a row of all white in the center. The vinca grow like crazy, are beautiful and the hummingbirds come and hover around them.

Last year at 10pm every night the hummingbirds would surround the pot in front of the house where my bright pink wave petunias are planted. I won't see any this year because we are potting them with something different.

Steve moved the Auntie Dee Wisteria that for some reason he's named "CLARICE" to another area of the yard, it was growing so aggressively it was crawling under the shingles on the garage and trying to get thru the mortar between the bricks. He built a new 'house' for her to roam over and she's already budding out. I took a piece of her to Lori, she's got buds on hers, too. So it has survived the move.

Have some pictures to post but they will have to wait for a different day.

I saw an old classmate on Friday, he lives in California, his father passed away at age 88. It was nice to see him, but sad circumstances.

It makes me think of how little I knew some of the people I went to school with, even though most of us started out in Kindergarten together and graduated together. It's weird, I wasn't exactly a social bug then like I am now, some days I catch myself coming and going with it all....... I'm not sure I really missed out after witnessing my own kids struggle. High school years can be so trying. Mine were spent working in our family business after school, the rest of the evenings were spent doing my chores, then studying. I guess I was too busy to notice I was missing out or that life kind of passed me by.

I wish that I had known some of them better because I see them now as such fine people. I send heartfelt prayers and thoughts of comfort to you, Dale and family.

Recipe Friday Chockablock Cookies

Disclaimer: This photo was bloglifted........heehee

Chockablock Cookies

Dorie Greenspan, from Baking From My Home to Yours

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup solid vegetable shortening
½ cup sugar
½ cup molasses (not blackstrap)
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup coarsely chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans or peanuts are all good)
1 cup coarsely chopped dried fruit (such as apricots, prunes, or figs) or 1 cup of moist, plump raisins (dark or golden)
12 ounces of bittersweet chocolate chopped, or 2 cups store-bought chocolate chips
½ cup sweetened shredded coconut

Getting Ready:
Position the racks to divide the oven in thirds and preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and shortening together at medium speed until very smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and beat for another two minutes. Pour in the molasses and beat for 1 minute more. Add the eggs one at a time, beating 1 minute after each addition. Reduce mixer speed to low and mix in the oats, then add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear into the dough. Toss in the nuts, fruit, chocolate chips and coconut and, turn the mixer on and off quickly a few times to incorporate. Alternatively, you can stir them into the dough with a sturdy wooden spatula. (The dough can be wrapped well and chilled for up to two days. If you'd like, you can measure out the dough onto a baking sheet, freeze until firm, then put mounds of dough in a bag and freeze for up to two months; bake directly out of the freezer, adding a few minutes to the baking time.)
I like to use an ice cream scoop with a 2-tablespoon capacity to divvy up the dough, but you can measure it out by rounded tablespoonfuls. Place the mounds of dough on the baking sheets, leaving about 1 1/2 inches between the mounds.
Bake for 15 – 18 minutes, rotating pans from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point, until the cookies are golden and just about set. Remove the baking sheets to cooling racks and let the cookies rest on the sheets for about 5 minutes before transferring them to racks to cool to room temperature.