Sugar Cookies

"While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads..."



This sugar cookie recipe was given to me by a woman in a church organization I used to attend many years ago. Her name was Doris Melvin and she was a wonderful baker and shared many of her recipes with me. This sugar cookie recipe is simple and makes about 5 dozen, so it is perfect for a cookie swap or bake sale.



Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Butter, softened
1/2 Cup Shortening
1 Cup Sugar
1 Egg
1 tsp. Vanilla
2 1/4 Cups Flour
1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
Additional Sugar for Rolling
Icing Recipe and Sprinkles (optional)

In a medium size bowl mix together flour, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside. Cream together butter, shortening and sugar. Add egg and vanilla, mix well. Gradually mix in flour mixture. Shape into 1 inch balls and roll in sugar. Place on greased cookie sheet. Flatten with the bottom of a glass to 1/2 inch thick. Bake in a 350*F oven for 10-12 minutes until slightly browned. Remove from cookie sheet and cool on wire rack.

You can roll the cookies in plain or colored sugar before baking, or ice them after thay are baked and cooled.

Icing Recipe:
1 Cup of Confectioner's Sugar mixed with 1 Tablespoon of milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.



Sharing with Censational Girl's cookie party and It's Overflowing.

Decorating with Candy Canes

Not having my Christmas Decorations this year is really making me think outside the box. I'm really trying to think of ways to make it look like Christmas around here, but also trying to incorporate what I already have on hand.



This Christmas tablescape was made by using candy canes and bakers twine.



I used the dried hydrangeas I had on the table, but made them more holiday friendly by adding candy canes around the vase. I've seen this done with lemon leaves and asparagus, so why not candy canes. I put a thick elastic band around the vase to hold the candy canes in place while I slide them under the band and then tied them with a bakers twine bow.



For candles I used egg cups filled with crushed candy canes. I then nestled a tea light into the crushed candies.



At each place setting on top of the napkin there is a monogrammed gift tag tied around a candy cane with bakers twine.



The napkins are on sale at Anthropologie for $3.95 and could be used all year. The green placemats are from Ikea for only $1.99. It took 4 boxes of candy canes at .99 each. A simple and casual tabletop for entertaining over the Holidays.

I'm sharing this idea with The Lettered Cottage and It's Overflowing.

Homemade Granola Bars

I found a new to me website called My Baking Addiction. What a great name. Jamie shares lots of good recipes and they are not all baked goods. I recently stumbled upon this homemade granola bar recipe and decided to try it.



These granola bars have a simple base of rolled oats, flour, and wheat germ. Brown sugar, honey, cinnamon and vanilla are the sweeteners. An egg and some vegetable oil bind it all together.



Dried cherries, slivered almonds and Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips add to the yum factor.



They are baked just until the edges turn golden.



These granola bars are moist and chewy and I love the tart cherry and dark chocolate flavor. They are the perfect afternoon pick me up or on the run breakfast.



I wrapped them in parchment paper and they are ready to grab. This recipe is simple, delicious and makes 24 bars.

Note: I used the Spark People recipe calculator to figure out the calories and came up with 180 calories per serving.

Camp Pine Needle

I bought these herb markers from an etsy shop called Camp Pine Needle back in January and have been waiting to use them ever since. My step daughter told me about them. They are made by her sister-in-law who is a freelance illustrator. They are a good size - 14 inches tall and 2 1/2 inches wide and are safe for outdoor use.




I finally found the perfect container to plant my indoor herb garden. It is a bread box from the 1950's. I love the green plaid. I love the idea of having fresh herbs available to cook with in the summer. Bring on summer. I'm ready.

A Cupcake Weekend

There is just so much to tell you about. I don't know where to start.



October is a busy birthday month around here, and this weekend we celebrated a few of them. I have been wanting to make this recipe from Lemonade Makin' Mama for Salted Caramel Icing for a while, and this seemed like the perfect time to try it. It was delicious. I did cool it in the refrigerator for a while to make it a thicker consistency, and I drizzled a some melted chocolate on top.



I didn't stop there. I also made vanilla cupcakes. I used this butter cream frosting recipe from Epicurious. That was so good too.



Today, while I was walking off the cupcakes, I took a few pictures and look at what I spied. I heart shape in the trees. I couldn't believe it!



Oh, and I went to see Wicked. It was a wonderfully written musical and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. If you have a chance to see it - you should.

Galinda: I don't understand why you can't just teach us history instead of always harping on the past.

Lemon-Scented Blueberry Cupcakes

The wild blueberry harvest is underway here in Maine. The little native berries are deceiving, because although they are small, they are full of flavor.



I was looking for a recipe from Cooking Light that I used to make. It was a delicious breakfast tart that used several cups of berries. I couldn't find the recipe on their website, but I came across a recipe for Lemon-Scented Blueberry Cupcakes. I love Cooking Light's recipes, because they use natural ingredients as opposed to artificial sweeteners.



The Lemon-Scented Blueberry Cupcakes did not disappoint. They are moist and tasty, and the lemon and blueberry together is delicious. The frosting was easy to make, and not too sweet. I will definitely make this recipe again.

Does anyone have any good recipes they are willing to share that use blueberries?

Watermelon Popsicles

I know, I know, I don't post for three weeks and then I have two posts in three days, but I wanted to share a recipe for watermelon popsicles that I made the other day. It was record breaking temperatures for April here - over 90 degrees! I wanted to make something cold and refreshing with ingredients I had on hand. I remembered seeing a recipe for watermelon popsicles in a magazine last summer that looked really good, but of course I couldn't remember what magazine. They looked like pieces of watermelon. They had green rinds made from cantaloupe and chocolate chips for seeds. I tried to find a similar recipe that was quick and easy. I ended up combining several different recipes to make these and they are tasty.

1 c. watermelon chunks
1/2 c. frozen strawberries
1/2 c. sugar
6 ice cubes
1 tsp. lemon juice
chocolate chips (optional)



whirl together in a food processor or blender.



Spoon into popsicle mold or paper cups. Stir in a few chocolate chips for seeds. Add a popsicle stick and freeze.



Enjoy!

I've got nothing...

Well, I don't have much, but I wanted to check in and say hello. Friday was a teacher's professional day, so we headed up to Maine on Thursday afternoon for an extended weekend. On Friday I made some cookies. Peanut Chocolate Chunk. They were so easy to make, because they were one of those scoop and drop tubs I bought through a school fundraiser. Just keeping it real. That is my Marilyn's Not-so-Shrunken Cardigan that I made a year ago. Does that count as something? Anything? No.



For dinner I made Rachael Ray's recipe for Citrus-Soy Pork Stir Fry. I'm not a good cook, so it is a good sign when my family wants seconds which they did. I added a handful of cashews just because I like them.

I'm working on the second sleeve of the Tangled Yoke Cardigan and making progress.



Enjoy your weekend!

Man's Best Friend

Wow, where did this week go? I was hit really hard with a chest cold this past week. Our dog was happy to keep me company on the sick bed. She is good that way. When I was feeling a little better (able to get off the sofa, but not able to drive to a crowded store), I decided to make her some Christmas gifts.

First up was a recipe for peanut butter dog treats. These were so easy to make, only four indredients and our dog, who is finicky, did like them. I let her be the taste tester.

Next on the list was a neckerchief. I just cut a 15" square, folded it on the diagonal, right sides together, sewed the two open sides together leaving a four inch opening for turning. I turned it right sides out and top stitched around the edges which secured the opening closed. Seriously, ten minutes start to finish. Now, you can't even find a parking space at the mall in ten minutes time.


Finally, a dog toy was needed. I saw a free pattern at Joanne's for a fleece doll, and I used that for inspiration. I cut strips of fleece (three each) to make braids for the arms and legs and knotted the ends. I made an amoeba shaped body out of cotton. I added some eyes, pinned the legs and arms in place, and with right sides together sewed around the shape leaving an opening at the top for turning. I turned it right side out and stuffed it. I made some hair by cutting fleece into strips, pinned it into the opening and sewed it shut. I think it has all the elements my dog would be looking for - stuffing and braids to pull on.

Now the dog is done, and I didn't even have to leave the house. I wish it was all that easy!

It's all about the cookie...

Yesterday was all about cookies. 100 cookies! My Aunt is hosting a cookie swap this weekend and I signed up to drink wine, chat and eat some cookies. It all sounded so good until I got the email - each person brings 100 cookies. What!
I used this recipe. The recipe says that it makes 50 and it really does make 50 cookies.

So, I doubled it! It is an easy recipe, and they taste delicious.

Oh yeah, I also bound off on the body of Wisteria. I'm working on the sleeves now. I really love this pattern. I hope I finish in time for Christmas.

Fire Starters

It is really cold here in the Northeast. It's below freezing! I wanted to start a fire in the wood stove, but I ran out of fire starters. It's the only way I can get a fire to start. So, being the "Internet savvy" person that I am, I googled "handmade fire starters" and found this recipe.

I had all the supplies on hand - old candles, wood shavings, and paper baking cups. I sprinkled them with pumpkin pie spice to add a scent.

They really work!

Spooky!

We made a Haunted Gingerbread House. I wasn't sure if Son would want to make one, but he got right into it!


It is just one of those Wilton Kits that has everything included. I got it at A.C. Moore. It really came out cute!

Happy Halloween!

Pumpkin Tea Cake

I made this Pumpkin Tea Cake for a family gathering last week and everyone loved it. It is a recipe handed down to me by my mother-in law. Everything she made was always so delicious. This has become a favorite fall classic.

Pumpkin Tea Cake

Preheat oven to 350*F. Grease and flour a tube pan.

Mix and beat together:

3 Cups sugar

1 Cup oil

3 Eggs

Then mix in:

1 can of pumpkin

In another bowl sift together:

3 Cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon each: ground cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg

Stir the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture. Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.

I think it is the addition of the ground cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg that sets this recipe apart from others that I have tried. I'm not kidding - this cake will disappear!

Here is some more pumpkin goodness that I acquired over the weekend.
These cakes are String Theory hand painted merino wool in a color called squash. How appropriate! I'm thinking the Tangled Yoke Cardigan would look nice in this color. But I really want to make something out of this book.
Stefanie Japel has done it again. There are several sweaters I'd like to make in this book. I really love this one. You can preview all the sweaters that are in the book on flickr here. So many sweaters, so little time.

Movie Night

This weekend was one of those weekends when you can just relax, because there isn't a whole lot going on, so we had a movie night last night. I made some Slice-and-Bake cookies. Leslie from a Friend to Knit With had made them a few months back for her cookie of the week, and they looked so good I just had to try them. This is one of those recipes were you can change it up to include whatever you have on hand. I added a 1/2 cup of finely chopped dried cranberries, and 1/2 cup of finely chopped walnuts, and a 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips. When they were done baking, I sprinkled them with confectioner's sugar. They are yummy, like a buttery shortbread with nuts, chocolate, and craisins kind of yummy. They are really good with hot apple cider and a movie too!

Tomorrow I will show you what I knit while watching the movie - also courtesy of Leslie!

Tribute to Jane Brocket

I received Jane Brocket's new book The Gentle Art of Domesticity from Amazon the other day. I immediately made myself a cup of tea and sat down and flipped through the book. It is filled with lots of inspiration. As always the photos are beautiful, and the whole book is filled with heaps of color. There are a few recipes in the book too. The Fairy Bun recipe, that she posts a lot about on her blog Yarnstorm, is one that I've always wanted to try. The recipe called for self-rising flour, superfine sugar, lemons and food color paste. She was very specific about it being paste and not liquid, because liquid will water down the frosting, and the paste will make a richer color. So I made my list and off I went to the market. Hmmm, my local market did not carry self-rising flour, superfine sugar, or food color paste, but they did have lemons! So I used my creative skills and came up with a plan (nothing could stop me now).

My solution: boxed cake mix and liquid food color (I'll just use less lemon juice.)

And so that became this:

Close but no cigar as they used to say back in the day. I do think Jane would be quite proud of me anyway, because really she is all about just enjoying the simple pleasures of home, and that is exactly what I did. They taste really good too!

I am working on some fingerless mitts. The pattern is the Daisy Stitch Hand Warmers by the Purl Bee. I'm using Classic Elite Waterlily.

I'm off for some tea and a faux Fairy Bun.