tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38631378492247996482024-02-19T09:01:12.584-08:00SurrealconfectionsurrealconfectionAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08186158138695813729noreply@blogger.comBlogger141125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863137849224799648.post-86240985788440068942018-07-01T01:50:00.000-07:002018-07-01T01:57:14.450-07:00zzzzz<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidTlxnMtIhY7C4RsobzWoqc_5s5ioTrxZSQhLyLxji1FozE8aAy8xALQFobFFz0CmPVYKGSAHiZP8Y49RuvIW3nccPJWQ0avGNbizAWWASpNA8Vwhpk-SgHMS8Y95SLc71lkdEBZvhNZ0/s1600/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="175" data-original-width="576" height="97" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidTlxnMtIhY7C4RsobzWoqc_5s5ioTrxZSQhLyLxji1FozE8aAy8xALQFobFFz0CmPVYKGSAHiZP8Y49RuvIW3nccPJWQ0avGNbizAWWASpNA8Vwhpk-SgHMS8Y95SLc71lkdEBZvhNZ0/s320/Capture.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks To You</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08186158138695813729noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863137849224799648.post-29290837088204228202017-10-02T11:16:00.000-07:002017-10-26T19:42:16.581-07:00 Guide to making the simplest pizza piesMaterial:
Ingredients for bread:
- 150g of flour
- 2 g of enamel
- 5g olive oil
- 3g sugar
- 3g salt
- 90ml of water
Topping ingredients: 100g sliced sausage tomato sauce 100g small cheese cheese
How to make cakes:
Step 1: You mix all the ingredients to make a cake together in a real (except water), then pour the water slowly and stuffing the mixture into fine smooth. Cover the food-wrapped film with the flour and allow about 1 hour for the baking powder.
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG9G8NxgJMtL4CvAK-qYZbn-UGdzwQHBL1YwJCdK_JObvm203K3YyIBWiWRIvlSC0FD8Fdemyn8IbcWCqgBztzVN6LWsu-xFMHjuHXTGrdymgtp3HpHr5Gd869s48EKpfyiYeXsorYJmY/s1600/pi1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG9G8NxgJMtL4CvAK-qYZbn-UGdzwQHBL1YwJCdK_JObvm203K3YyIBWiWRIvlSC0FD8Fdemyn8IbcWCqgBztzVN6LWsu-xFMHjuHXTGrdymgtp3HpHr5Gd869s48EKpfyiYeXsorYJmY/s320/pi1.jpg" width="256" /></a><br />
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Step 2: When the dough is finished, take the dough to be rolled and rolled into a round shape to make the cake. Note not thin or too thick will affect the taste of the cake.
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqFH6tIR922omWZCo7QXYm4ZpHws2GI4rS0-VIYBcya6wtBYf3b3yWsPAY0V3rbSxucpt28YWQ2YO9C22vLmWWKDWdjmI8yHh2in-N59rKuicKDO0EIWS3K5M09FIxWcqVPAkaKY8xCPw/s1600/pi2.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="379" data-original-width="550" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqFH6tIR922omWZCo7QXYm4ZpHws2GI4rS0-VIYBcya6wtBYf3b3yWsPAY0V3rbSxucpt28YWQ2YO9C22vLmWWKDWdjmI8yHh2in-N59rKuicKDO0EIWS3K5M09FIxWcqVPAkaKY8xCPw/s320/pi2.jpeg" width="320" /></a><br />
Step 3: Put the cake on a baking tray with some oil to prevent sticking.
Step 4: Spread a layer of tomato sauce on top of the cake, then sprinkle with cheese, put the sausage on your face and finally sprinkle a layer of cheese on top of the sausage<br />
.
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcnFxj9J7Fq-Gezvvz9D_b6HLeQ_miNHRHzhyv0ZlXML-YpAjaRoZg9hQ-Hpp0UEU4J4yOmoxzSviSRdxVzkMU5jkmNg_0t5KZcb3EOpBkwM4zjdVP_zmmhriUITXn4jq_Wdml69yysN4/s1600/pi3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="504" data-original-width="504" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcnFxj9J7Fq-Gezvvz9D_b6HLeQ_miNHRHzhyv0ZlXML-YpAjaRoZg9hQ-Hpp0UEU4J4yOmoxzSviSRdxVzkMU5jkmNg_0t5KZcb3EOpBkwM4zjdVP_zmmhriUITXn4jq_Wdml69yysN4/s320/pi3.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
Step 5: Place the cake in the oven and bake for 20 minutes at 210 degrees C for evenly cooked bread.
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So pizza sausage is complete, you just take the cake and enjoy it. How to do extremely easy, do try this delicious cake on the day to invite the whole family to eat offline! Good luck.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks To You</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08186158138695813729noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863137849224799648.post-61082657546411751502017-09-30T23:59:00.000-07:002017-09-30T23:59:35.311-07:00Irish Crepe Cake NewCakes, good. Crepes, better. Guinness, good. Irish Cream, better. Chocolate, good. Frosting, better. A Chocolate Guinness Crepe Cake with Irish Cream Whipped Frosting....<b><i>Top of the Morning To You, You Just Found The Pot Of Gold At The End Of The Rainbow, Holy Mary Mother Of God, Let Me Say A Few Hail Marys, This Is Sinful, Yes Please Pass Another Slice!!</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>Nothing more to say, I will get straight to the recipes because I know you want it.<br />
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<h3>
<i>Chocolate Guinness Crepes</i></h3>
<div>
<ul>
<li>2 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour, Sifted</li>
<li>1/2 Cup Cocoa Powder, Sifted</li>
<li>5 Tablespoons Packed Brown Sugar</li>
<li>1 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder</li>
<li>1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda</li>
<li>3 Cups Buttermilk</li>
<li>1 Cup Stout Guinness</li>
<li>3 Eggs</li>
<li>1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil</li>
<li>1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract</li>
</ul>
<div>
<ol>
<li>In a large bowl sift together the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder and baking soda. </li>
<li>In a different bowl combine the buttermilk, beer, eggs, oil and vanilla. Keep separate until right before cooking.</li>
<li>Heat a lightly oiled pan, non stick in good condition is best, over medium low heat. </li>
<li>Combine wet and dry mixture together. Mix until smooth but do not whisk or over beat. </li>
<li>Place a small amount of batter on the pan and swirl around until a thin coat forms over the bottom. Around 1/3 cup for a 7 inch skillet. </li>
<li>Cook until lightly set and then flip carefully. </li>
<li>Remove form pan when fully cooked and place on a plate to cool.</li>
<li>Continue until all batter is gone. </li>
</ol>
<h3>
<i>Irish Cream Whipped Frosting</i></h3>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>3 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream</li>
<li>6 Tablespoons Bakers Sugar</li>
<li>6 Tablespoons Irish Cream</li>
</ul>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl.</li>
<li>Whip until stiff peaks form.</li>
</ol>
<div>
(If you do not have Bakers Sugar, just measure out 6 tablespoons of granulated table sugar and run it through a clean coffee grinder real fast. ^_~)</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
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<h3>
<i>Chocolate Guinness Crepe Cake With Irish Whipped Cream Frosting</i></h3>
<div>
<ul>
<li>1 Batch Chocolate Guinness Crepes</li>
<li>1 Batch Irish Cream Whipped Frosting</li>
</ul>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Place a single cooled crepe on your serving plate.</li>
<li>Place a large dollop of frosting in the center and spread around until a thin layer covers the crepe.</li>
<li>Center another crepe on top.</li>
<li>Continue with whipped topping and crepes until the cake is the height you wish. </li>
</ol>
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(For added decoration, use a large cookie cutter to cut a shape out of the top. I use a large shamrock. It is an Irish Cake after all. I am serving this one for St. Patricks Day ^_~)<br />
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Huge thanks goes out to Chef Jason Gibson of <a href="http://cynicalcuisine.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Cynical Cuisine</a> for letting me alter his Basic Crepe recipe for this and cooking up the crepes for me. ^_^ </div>
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<b><i><br /></i></b><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks To You</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08186158138695813729noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863137849224799648.post-80658620167316494432014-07-28T07:40:00.002-07:002014-07-28T08:18:52.747-07:00Pie Crusts MustsAnyone that steps into a kitchen to bake at one point must face the inevitable...You need to know how to make a pie crust. Now don't get me wrong, it was years even decades into my baking <i>career </i>that I even dared to make a pie crust. I did what many do, I either A) bought that roll out dough in the dairy section or B) bought one ready to bake from the freezer section.<br />
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That worked for a while, a sprinkle of sugar, a brushing of butter and you do fine to pass off an okay pie crust but as you bite into that pie with that wonderful filling you prepared you can't help but feel like a cheep date for having skimped on the crust.. Yeah we've all done it. Tucked tail and ran to the store instead of just making the darn thing yourself. It shouldn't be difficult, I mean you can make a souffle while a baby screams and it not fall. You managed to make that sugar free gluten free egg free cake your twelfth cousin thrice removed on your mother's side wanted for her wedding edible. A pie crust should be no issue. Well it isn't, so you're gonna do this and I'm gonna give you some tips and tricks I have learned over the years that allows me to pop out pie crusts faster than Julia Childs can make Duck A L'Orange. Roll up your sleeves guys and dolls, it's crust making time.<br />
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First thing first you are gonna need is a recipe. Now most any pie crust recipe will work but this is the one I use, so I'm going with it.<br />
<h3>
Pie Crust for Double Crust, 9-10 inch</h3>
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<h4>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-weight: normal;">5 cup all purpose flour</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: normal;">1 tsp salt</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: normal;">1pound salted butter</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: normal;">2 cups water</span></li>
</ul>
</h4>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Mix salt and flour together</li>
<li>Cut in butter</li>
<li>Add enough water to bring together</li>
<li>Wrap in plastic wrap</li>
<li>Refrigerate 4 hours</li>
<li>Roll out and use as needed. </li>
</ol>
(Can be melted two days in the fridge or a month in a sealed container in the freezer, just let it thaw a day in the fridge before use.)<br />
<ol>
</ol>
<div>
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<div>
Okay, that's it but trust me there is more to it than that but honestly that's the basics. Now to get what has turned to paste in my hands on numerous occasions into this.</div>
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You gotta do this......</div>
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<ol>
<li>Chill everything. Seriously, I put my flour and salt in the freezer for at least an hour before I start. I chill my bowl, I freeze the water until ice is starting to form in the glass. And of course, keep utter in the fridge until you need it.</li>
<li>Take a cheese grater to your butter. Seriously, this is the best method I have found for "breaking down" chilled butter. Then I just pop it it into the freezer for twenty minutes before I get started.</li>
<li>I don't use a food processor because it over works the dough for me. I don't use a pastry cutter because my butter melts too fast. I use my stand mixer, paddle attachment, on medium low speed to cut my butter flour and salt together. </li>
<li>Cut the butter and flour together just until it becomes grainy, some larger chunks are okay!</li>
<li>Chill bowl, ^_~</li>
<li>Add 3/4 cup of chilled water in slowly and then add water a spoon at a time until it is just together. It will be crumbly but should hold shape is pressed together.</li>
<li>You probably won't need all the water but I always chill more to compensate for ice forming and just to be safe.</li>
<li>Hey, don't freak out if ice chips fall into the dough or even form on your bowl. Happens to me all the time, it's okay!</li>
<li>Press the dough into two disks, each wrapped separately in plastic, pressed flat. This will make rolling out easier.</li>
<li>Yes, this is a lot of dough but I make thick crusts in large deep pans, I always want to make sure I have extra, especially if I am doing a lattice top. This recipe can probably make 4 pie firsts is rolled out thin, or as most say, "normal thickness" lol</li>
<li>Only work with one pie crust at a time,to keep butter from melting.</li>
<li>Dust off extra flour from rolling out with a brush to keep it from baking with a too "floury" taste.</li>
<li>Once you have the bottom of the pie in the pie plate, brush with an egg white and stick it back in the fridge. This will keep the bottom from getting soggy when filled and baked.</li>
<li>Once the top is on your pie, brush it down. I used butter for savory and milk sprinkled with sugar for sweet.</li>
<li>If making a lattice topped pie, cut the strips before you make the filling, lay on a well floured cookie sheet and stick in the fridge until ready to use.</li>
</ol>
<div>
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<div>
Yeah I know, I did some things people swear you shouldn't and I don't use a drop of Crisco. Sorry Ma, that's for the chicken. But this works for me, it may just work for you. Don't worry, I won't tell. Now for the most important trip of all....</div>
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<div>
Give yourself time and don't be afraid to fail. It happens, even to the best of us. You'll find your way to make crusts, all you have to do is give yourself a chance and I promise you, one day you'll wonder what you were ever so worried about.</div>
<ol>
</ol>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks To You</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863137849224799648.post-21868490698231831992014-07-16T10:59:00.001-07:002014-07-16T10:59:47.157-07:00The Hobbit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks To You</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comKennesaw, GA, USA34.0234337 -84.61548970000001233.9181542 -84.77685120000001 34.1287132 -84.454128200000014tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863137849224799648.post-17923129101011639072014-04-14T07:03:00.000-07:002014-04-14T07:03:52.833-07:00Hanging With My PeepsSaw these on <a href="http://www.sweetsugarbelle.com/2014/02/decorated-peeps-cookies/" target="_blank">Sweet Sugar Belles</a> site and just had to make some!<br />
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And I of course had to make a quick cake to go along with the cookies, with marshmallow buttercream.</div>
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks To You</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comKennesaw, GA, USA34.0234337 -84.61548970000001233.9181542 -84.77685120000001 34.1287132 -84.454128200000014tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863137849224799648.post-39992782184513803202014-04-12T08:13:00.000-07:002014-04-12T08:13:10.249-07:00Frozen - Cookie SetIt has been a long time since I was able to make a post here and still rather busy with everything but here is a quick update.<br />
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<span id="goog_1436436599"></span><span id="goog_1436436600"></span>That's all folks!<div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks To You</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comKennesaw, GA, USA34.0234337 -84.61548970000001233.9181542 -84.77685120000001 34.1287132 -84.454128200000014tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863137849224799648.post-54859090605622430972013-03-21T19:26:00.001-07:002013-03-21T19:26:16.047-07:00Simple Country Apple Dumplings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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You have all been to a local place that served up the best apple dumplings you had ever eaten. It was your favorite dessert and probably a place you snuck off to just to grab one from time to time. So, you try to whip them up at home and either A) They fall apart or B) take too much effort to bother. You end up going back and dropping a lot of cash on them, because well they are just sooooo good! Yeah, well those times are over. Here is a very quick and simple recipe that some of the ingredients might just surprise the heck out of you! I ran across this recipe years ago and tweaked it a bit to fit my own personal taste.<br />
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<br />
<ul>
<li>1 Large Apple – Which ever is your favorite</li>
<li>1 Can Grands Flaky Crescent Rolls</li>
<li>1/2 Cup of Butter</li>
<li>1/2 Cup of White Granulated Sugar</li>
<li>1/4 Cup Packed Light Brown Sugar</li>
<li>2 Teaspoon of Ground Cinnamon</li>
<li>1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract</li>
<li>Pinch of Ground Nutmeg</li>
<li>6 Ounces of Mountain Dew (I am not kidding!)</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ol>
<li>Preheat your oven for 350 degrees and get out a glass baking pan. </li>
<li>Peel and core your apple. Then cut it into 8 slices. </li>
<li>Take 1 slice and wrap it up in your crescent roll dough, just like you normally would. Stretch it out to bit to make sure it is completely wrapped and sealed. </li>
<li>Place each one in your backing pan with a couple of inches clearance on each side – these will PUFF!!! </li>
<li>Take your butter and melt it over medium heat in a sauce pan. </li>
<li>Add in your vanilla, sugars, nutmeg and cinnamon. </li>
<li>Mix it well and then pour it over your apple dumplings.</li>
<li>Take your Mountain Dew and pour it over everything. Don’t worry if it looks runny, watery or such. </li>
<li>Just take it and toss it in the oven now. Set your timer for 30 minutes and step away. </li>
<li>When your timer goes off come back and check for brownness. If it is golden brown on top, remove from oven, if not, check back every 1 minute or 2 till it is. </li>
<li>Take it out of the oven just place it on a wire rack and let it cook for about 20 minutes. Almost all of the liquid will be absorbed by the dumplings, the rest can be spooned over the top. </li>
<li>Serve and enjoy! </li>
</ol>
<br />I prefer to serve 1 dumpling in a bowl with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Also goes great with a slice of cheddar or american cheese on top – for those that like that southern twist. (Copied this post from my original post on my sister site Surreal Fare.)<div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks To You</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863137849224799648.post-24076523741044990472013-03-14T19:55:00.000-07:002013-03-14T19:58:37.833-07:00Irish Crepe Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Cakes, good. Crepes, better. Guinness, good. Irish Cream, better. Chocolate, good. Frosting, better. A Chocolate Guinness Crepe Cake with Irish Cream Whipped Frosting....<b><i>Top of the Morning To You, You Just Found The Pot Of Gold At The End Of The Rainbow, Holy Mary Mother Of God, Let Me Say A Few Hail Marys, This Is Sinful, Yes Please Pass Another Slice!!</i></b><br />
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Nothing more to say, I will get straight to the recipes because I know you want it.<br />
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<h3>
<i>Chocolate Guinness Crepes</i></h3>
<div>
<ul>
<li>2 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour, Sifted</li>
<li>1/2 Cup Cocoa Powder, Sifted</li>
<li>5 Tablespoons Packed Brown Sugar</li>
<li>1 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder</li>
<li>1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda</li>
<li>3 Cups Buttermilk</li>
<li>1 Cup Stout Guinness</li>
<li>3 Eggs</li>
<li>1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil</li>
<li>1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract</li>
</ul>
<div>
<ol>
<li>In a large bowl sift together the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder and baking soda. </li>
<li>In a different bowl combine the buttermilk, beer, eggs, oil and vanilla. Keep separate until right before cooking.</li>
<li>Heat a lightly oiled pan, non stick in good condition is best, over medium low heat. </li>
<li>Combine wet and dry mixture together. Mix until smooth but do not whisk or over beat. </li>
<li>Place a small amount of batter on the pan and swirl around until a thin coat forms over the bottom. Around 1/3 cup for a 7 inch skillet. </li>
<li>Cook until lightly set and then flip carefully. </li>
<li>Remove form pan when fully cooked and place on a plate to cool.</li>
<li>Continue until all batter is gone. </li>
</ol>
<h3>
<i>Irish Cream Whipped Frosting</i></h3>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>3 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream</li>
<li>6 Tablespoons Bakers Sugar</li>
<li>6 Tablespoons Irish Cream</li>
</ul>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl.</li>
<li>Whip until stiff peaks form.</li>
</ol>
<div>
(If you do not have Bakers Sugar, just measure out 6 tablespoons of granulated table sugar and run it through a clean coffee grinder real fast. ^_~)</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
<i>Chocolate Guinness Crepe Cake With Irish Whipped Cream Frosting</i></h3>
<div>
<ul>
<li>1 Batch Chocolate Guinness Crepes</li>
<li>1 Batch Irish Cream Whipped Frosting</li>
</ul>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Place a single cooled crepe on your serving plate.</li>
<li>Place a large dollop of frosting in the center and spread around until a thin layer covers the crepe.</li>
<li>Center another crepe on top.</li>
<li>Continue with whipped topping and crepes until the cake is the height you wish. </li>
</ol>
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(For added decoration, use a large cookie cutter to cut a shape out of the top. I use a large shamrock. It is an Irish Cake after all. I am serving this one for St. Patricks Day ^_~)<br />
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Huge thanks goes out to Chef Jason Gibson of <a href="http://cynicalcuisine.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Cynical Cuisine</a> for letting me alter his Basic Crepe recipe for this and cooking up the crepes for me. ^_^ </div>
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<b><i><br /></i></b><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks To You</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863137849224799648.post-61128738192818729772013-03-06T18:31:00.001-08:002013-03-06T18:31:21.618-08:00St. Patricks Rainbow Cupcakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Top of the morning to you! (Yeah, okay done with that.) It is late and I am tired. I promised that I would do a quickie for my St. Patricks Day Cupcakes and here I am. ^_^<br />
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I made these last year and they were a huge hit. These are super simple cupcakes that anyone can honestly do no matter where you are or what you have. Whether you are a beginner or a pro, these are sure to please anyone this St. Patricks Day.<br />
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I normally go with a simple Chocolate Cupcake Recipe and then do a mint flavored buttercream in favor for the holiday but feel free to change up what you do. The ones I did this year are just simple plain vanilla cupcakes, some chocolate, and all have a buttercream icing.<br />
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Now, before we start I want you to head over to <a href="http://www.glorioustreats.com/" target="_blank">Glorious Treats</a> and check out these various links. I swear it is the perfect place to get the best cupcake and icing recipe for this. Now I have used each recipe I am posting here for this very lesson and tested them myself. I know they work and give them my Surreal Approval Stamp!<br />
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<a href="http://www.glorioustreats.com/2011/07/perfect-vanilla-cupcakes-recipe.html" target="_blank">Vanilla Cupcake Recipe</a><br />
<a href="http://www.glorioustreats.com/2010/04/recipe-perfectly-chocolate-cupcakes.html" target="_blank">Chocolate Cupcake Recipe</a><br />
<a href="http://www.glorioustreats.com/2011/08/american-buttercream-frosting-recipe.html" target="_blank">Buttercream Recipe</a> - For white white icing I substitute the butter with crisco, it works well.<br />
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While you are at it, read through these two pages to learn some more about cupcakes. It is well worth your time.<br />
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<a href="http://www.glorioustreats.com/2011/07/cupcake-basics-how-to-bake-cupcakes.html" target="_blank">How To Bake Cupcakes</a> - I reread this every time I make cupcakes<br />
<a href="http://www.glorioustreats.com/2011/08/cupcake-basics-how-to-frost-cupcakes.html" target="_blank">How to Frost Cupcakes</a> - Good quick lesson on basic frosting techniques if you have tips.<br />
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Now onto the tutorial. You will need a few thing.<br />
<ul>
<li>Batch of Cooled Cupcakes</li>
<li>2 Batches of Buttercream - 1 white, 1 green. I recommend making the white first, setting it aside and then making the green. If you aren't careful the color will separate with the green after a bit, so best to make it last. </li>
<li>"Pot O Gold" Candy - Rolos, Reeses Minis, Ferrero Rocher or anything in a gold wrapper</li>
<li>Rainbow Chew - Warheads Sour Rainbow Twists, Airheads X-Treme Rainbow Berry Sour or any rainbow like rope candy</li>
<li>Green Food coloring - Wilton or Americolor Leaf Green/Mint Green works best for me</li>
<li>Grass tip for your icing - or green sprinkles if you don't have one. </li>
</ul>
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<br />
Now for what you to.<br />
<ol>
<li>Use your grass tip and decorate half the cupcake with the green frosting. </li>
<li>Decorate the other half with the white, use a basic large round tip. </li>
<li>Cute your rainbow rope about 4 inches in length and stick one end in the icing. </li>
<li>Bend it gently and stick the other end on the other side of the cupcake.</li>
<li>Place a Gold Foiled Candy at the end of a rainbow and done.</li>
<li>Marvel how easy, complain to those you give them to how long it took. </li>
</ol>
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Seriously, that is it. You can do variations with what you have near you. Some with clouds, some without. Some on grass fields, some covered in candy shamrock sprinkles. Small rainbows, big rainbows, double rainbows (OMG WHAT DOES IT MEAN?!?!?! LOL) Just enjoy them. Super simple for the kids to help out with. ^_~<br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks To You</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863137849224799648.post-46634623054307532752013-02-28T18:43:00.000-08:002013-02-28T18:43:33.750-08:00Buffalo Chicken Cakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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No, this is not a recipe or a tutorial on how to make a cake that looks like a Buffalo Chicken Wing - Though in all honesty that probably would be cool as anything for a guy or some Hooters waitress reunion party. This is something a tad different. You see, for weeks my husband has been craving Buffalo Wings, and who can blame him. Those things are nifty!<br />
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Thing is we are on a weight loss challenge, so needless to say deep fried skin covered chicken pieces drowned in blue cheese probably isn't the best thing to keep that hubba hubba hubby figure. Me personally, I have been craving crab cakes but hey I am cheap and don't want to spend the money on lump crab, as well as trying to keep a girlish figure. ^_~ I don't know why or how or what but some Bar Food God must have shot an arrow and hit me with a foodie epiphany. Buffalo Chicken Cakes!<br />
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So here we are. My messed up but, in my opinion, freaking nifty concoction! Shredded chicken, some vegis, buffalo wing sauce and crackers all mushed together and pan fried to give you this kick butt new bar food. (And what I love about it is that each large patty only has like 250 calories but over 30 grams of protein. Not fully diet friendly but hey we are making it work on out little diet. And no, it doesn't taste like diet food. Get ready for foodgasm!)<br />
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<h2>
<i>Buffalo Chicken Cakes</i></h2>
<div>
<ul>
<li>1 Pound Cooked and Shredded Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast</li>
<li>1 1/2 Cup Buffalo Wing Sauce (We do 1 1/4 Cup Regular and 1/4 Cup Hot)</li>
<li>1 Cup Crushed Club Crackers</li>
<li>1/2 Cup Diced Celery</li>
<li>1/2 Cup Diced Carrots</li>
</ul>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Mix everything in a large bowl until nice and mushy. I recommend wearing gloves since you are working with hot sauce. </li>
<li>Take about 1/3 a cup or 100 grams worth of mix and form into a patty. (Or really just how ever big you want it.)</li>
<li>Rest on a wax paper lined cookie sheet. Continue until you use all the mix.</li>
<li>Let rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.</li>
<li>Take a large skillet and warm up on medium heat.</li>
<li>Spray skillet down with non stick spray.</li>
<li>Place patties on skillet, keeping room between each to flip. I normally do 4 at a time.</li>
<li>Cook for 6-7 minutes on each side, flipping once.</li>
<li>Rest on plate to cool. Continue until all patties are done.</li>
<li>Serve with your favorite dipping sauce or just plain.</li>
<li>Enjoy!!!!</li>
</ol>
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Seriously, that is it and they are freaking nifty if I do say so myself. ^_^ </div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks To You</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863137849224799648.post-23167646947067957592013-02-24T14:44:00.001-08:002013-02-25T11:53:36.803-08:00Lavender And Roses<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I must admit that I do love flowers. Granted I am not your usual girl who wants them in vases delivered to my door. I am more the....So, what can I cook with them? Spring is coming up, as well as St. Patricks Day so I wanted to do something weaving those two together. What better than taking a step back in time to when Vanilla and Chocolate wasn't the in thing and people looked more to their flower garden for flavor? With this I decided to take a trip with a classic pairing of flavors, Lavender and Rose. Both have been used for centuries to flavor baked goods and they pair perfectly together in this little duo.<br />
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My Shortbread recipe for this is a little different than my traditional Irish Shortbread recipe. It still uses the rich Irish Butter but it a much lighter and delicate cookie. This cookie can be rolled out and cut with a cookie cutter before hand, unlike my other recipe but it still does spread a little. I would recommend basic shapes or ones that you don't mind some rounding to. Don't use this recipe for cutters needing sharp edges and I really don't think you should mail these. They are just far too delicate. Now, onto the recipes!<br />
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<h3>
<i>Lavender Irish Shortbread</i></h3>
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<ul>
<li>195 Grams Unbleached All Purpose Flour. (Roughly 1.5 Cups)</li>
<li>65 Grams Cornstarch (Roughly 1/2 Cup)</li>
<li>226 Grams Salted Irish Butter, room temp. (8 ounces - 2 sticks)</li>
<li>60 Grams Confections Sugar (About 1/2 Cup - Sifted)</li>
<li>2 Grams Lavender Extract (1/2 Teaspoon)</li>
</ul>
<div>
**If you can use weight over volume for this recipe. If you need to substitute Dried Lavender, 2 crushed teaspoons.**</div>
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<div>
<ol>
<li>Place butter in your mixer and mix until creamy smooth.</li>
<li>Add in confections sugar, mix until smooth and no lumps.</li>
<li>Add in lavender extract. Mix until incorporated. </li>
<li>Sift together flour and cornstarch.</li>
<li>Add to bowl, mix until it just comes together.</li>
<li>Place between 2 sheets of wax paper.</li>
<li>Roll out until 1/4 inch thick. </li>
<li>Place on a cookie sheet and stick in the fridge for 3 hours.</li>
<li>Remove from fridge, cut out shapes you wish.</li>
<li>Place cut out cookies on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Work fast, dough warms quickly.</li>
<li>Place back in fridge for 1 hour. (This will help it keep a shape.) Scarp dough can be rerolled, chilled and cut. I usually repeat this until all dough is cut and chilled and just bake all at once.</li>
<li>Preheat oven to 375F.</li>
<li>Bake for 8-12 minutes, or until lightly browned edges, depending on how large a cookie. I bake 2 inch diameter rounds 10 minutes.</li>
<li>Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes on cookie sheet. Move to wire rack to cool fully. Careful! They are delicate!</li>
<li>Cool fully and enjoy, or decorate. (Dip in dark chocolate or drizzle with rosewater icing - Recipe next!)</li>
</ol>
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<h2>
<i>Rosewater Icing</i></h2>
<div>
<ul>
<li>150 Grams Confectioners Sugar (About 1 1/4 cup)</li>
<li>1/2 - 1 Teaspoon Rosewater (Warning, strong stuff. I use 1/2 and slowly work up by drop if I want it stronger.)</li>
<li>2-4 Tablespoon Milk (Will depend on how thick you want it. I usually use 3-4 depending on humidity for drizzling.)</li>
</ul>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Sift sugar and place in a bowl.</li>
<li>Whisk in the rosewater and milk until smooth. Add more rosewater for stronger flavor, little goes a loooooooooonnnnnggggg way. Add more milk to thin it out. Add more sugar to stiffen it up if you are wanting to pipe it. </li>
<li>**Optional Step** Add a smidgen of food coloring if you want it slightly pink.</li>
<li>Drizzle over the top of the cookie and let dry for a few hours to set. </li>
<li>Enjoy!</li>
</ol>
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And there you have it. Now this recipe does call for some items that people usually don't keep in their kitchen unless they cook constantly. You can find most items on Amazon or from various baking stores online and not for much.
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks To You</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863137849224799648.post-7056311542138392762013-02-17T11:28:00.002-08:002013-02-17T11:28:55.651-08:00Cookies For Lilly<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This last week I had the honor and privilege to donate a small gift basket full of cookies to a good cause. You see, in the small town I live in currently there is a little girl who is going through a rough time, she is battling Cancer. Most of us cannot even begin to comprehend what they would be like - as a person first and foremost - if you have not gone through it personally. Imagine if your child was having to endure it? The thought alone breaks me down and makes me run to my kids to hug them. (Something I have done several times over the last week just working on these.)<br />
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As many of you know I lost my mother to Cancer just a scad few months ago, so when I was asked by a dear friend in the community if I could whip something up for a silent auction you bet your sweet britches I was all over that like a white on rice.<br />
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I sat down and tried to figure out what to do. I knew I wanted to use the Cancer Ribbon Cookie Cutter that I was gifted after my mother passed. It just seemed fitting. What else could I do though to make this set personal? After seeing a picture of the little girl, Lilly, I knew what to do. She was a little princess, what better theme? There was none.<br />
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Time to get to work. I wanted to ensure these has special details that I had not done before or very rarely did, so I got to work on getting together elements from some of the best places on the net. I was very lucky to have <a href="http://www.karenscookies.net/" target="_blank">Karen's Cookies</a> to be able to supply the Disco Dusts, <a href="http://www.coppergifts.com/" target="_blank">Copper Gifts</a> was the perfect place to get the fancy frame cutter, <a href="http://www.fancyflours.com/" target="_blank">Fancy Flours</a> for the Dragees and of course I went to <a href="http://www.beanilla.com/" target="_blank">Beanilla</a> to get the special Madagascar Vanilla Beans.<br />
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Everything came together to create a very special and beautiful set of cookies. I dropped them off and hoped for the best once they were finished. They were sold at a silent auction at the local school that evening, Knolls Vista and I came to find out just today that the winning Bidder did not keep the cookies for themselves but instead turned around and donated them to Lilly herself! How wonderful is that?<br />
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I stopped by the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/320639424719590" target="_blank">Sock Hop/Silent Auction</a> the evening it occurred and was totally blown away! So many people showed up and so many made donations. It was truly moving to see a small community come together like that for one small child. Needless to say it was a huge success!!!<br />
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If you would like to help the family, you still can! Thoughts and prayers for Lilly and her family are of course always welcome. You can visit here - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MissLillyHultberg?fref=ts" target="_blank">Miss Lilly</a> - On facebook to say hello and give support. If you would like to make a donation they will be opening an account at Sterlings Saving under the name<span style="font-family: inherit;"> of - Friends of Lilly Hultberg - Or if you are in the Moses Lake area you can drop off donations at Knolls Vista. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If I get any more information on how to help, I will edit this post and give you all an update!</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks To You</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863137849224799648.post-39268168120942030282013-02-06T07:26:00.001-08:002013-02-06T07:26:29.172-08:00Family Valentines Day Dessert<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I don't know about you but I hate going out on Valentines Day, especially for dinner. Everyone in the stores are rushing around getting last minute cards, flowers, candies, stuffed animals or even lingerie, lol. People rush after work to get ready to go out to dinner, long lines, seated after forever only to be rushed through your meal so they can push the next family or couple into the booth.<br />
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Yeah, I got sick of it years ago and probably a good thing as well. When I married a chef I gave up any and all expectations of ever going out to dinner with him on 2 holidays - Mothers Day and of course Valentines Day. It is like asking your girl who works at the local clothing store to go shopping with you on Black Friday...They're working. So even if I wanted to go out, I am not going anywhere. LOL<br />
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Each year I make dinner at home. If the kids are with me we do a family thing. If not, we do a couples meal. Why not share that? It is wonderful! So I got together with <a href="http://cynicalcuisine.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Cynical Cuisine</a> to come up with 2 menus for this Valentines Day. One for a couple all alone and one for the family. Both simple and delicious. Tonight we tackle the family dinner.<br />
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<b><i><u><span style="font-size: large;">The Menu:</span></u></i></b><br />
Glazed Meatloaf<br />
Garlic Whipped Potatoes<br />
Peppers of the Heart<br />
Strawberry Fudged Filled Cupcakes<br />
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To get the recipes and "how to"s for the main course and sides - Visit Cynical Cuisine here - <a href="http://cynicalcuisine.blogspot.com/2013/02/valentines-day-dinner-for-kids.html" target="_blank">Dinner With The Kids</a><br />
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The last one is mine. So here we are. A quick and simple recipe.<br />
Now to start off you will need 3 things. Ready?<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><u>What You Need:</u></i></b></span><br />
Boxed Chocolate Cake Mix with a Fudge Filling<br />
Strawberries - FRESH!<br />
Ready Whip<br />
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Seriously, that is it. Okay, in the picture is frozen strawberries but I ended up using fresh in the recipe. They held together much better. Now, to make it more Valentiney I would suggest some cute cupcake wrappers and sprinkles that I am sure you can pick up at your local store. I found my sprinkles at Walmart and the wrappers - The Dollar Store. >.><br />
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Now, what to do? Omg, so simple.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><u>What to do:</u></i></b></span><br />
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<ol>
<li>Cut up the strawberries into small bites. </li>
<li>Make the fudge filling as directed on the box, using 2/3's the amount of liquid stated.</li>
<li>Fold the strawberries into the fudge filling, set aside.</li>
<li>Preheat the oven to 325F.</li>
<li>Mix the cake mix.</li>
<li>Place liners into the cupcake pan.</li>
<li>Fill 1/3 the way full - About a tablespoon.</li>
<li>Add a teaspoon into the center of the fudge and strawberry mix.</li>
<li>Top the filling with another teaspoon of the cake mix.</li>
<li>Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.</li>
<li>Remove form oven, remove from pan right away to cool on a wire rack.</li>
<li>Once fully cooled set aside until time for dessert!</li>
<li>Once it is time to serve, place one in front of everyone, top with ready whip and sprinkles!</li>
<li>Enjoy!</li>
</ol>
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Okay, few things. Reason for less water than the recipe calls for is due to the moisture in the strawberries. Less temperature than your box recipe probably calls for and more time is because if you cook at a lower and longer heat, you get more even baking, less burning and less chance of raw center. Removing it from the pan right out of the oven helps with cooling and keeps the wrappers from pulling away from the sides later on. Lastly, why wait to top? Ready whip deflates fast, lol. Trust me, serve right away or just wait until you do. Otherwise it won't be pretty. >.> </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>^_^ Enjoy!</i></b></span></div>
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<b><i><u><br /></u></i></b><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks To You</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863137849224799648.post-82841613086592036512013-01-26T07:16:00.001-08:002013-02-25T11:53:36.807-08:00Celtic Knot LoveKicking off this years Valentines Day Cookies with some Irish Flair as it were. I adore Celtic Knots, in fact the only jewelry I wear is a Celtic Knot Pendent. So I figured I would start this year with some Celtic Knot Heart Cookies. ^_^ Enjoy!<br />
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Cookie: Rolled Sugar Cookie<br />
Icing: Royal<br />
Decoration: By Hand<br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks To You</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863137849224799648.post-47478843258086993952013-01-22T09:20:00.001-08:002017-09-30T23:57:06.963-07:00Gh<div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks To You</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863137849224799648.post-45177419724637463752012-12-31T15:52:00.001-08:002013-01-01T09:23:09.856-08:00The Wonderful World Of Cheesecake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Cheesecake, you wonderful heavenly gift that has put more inches on women than chocolate and ice cream combined. A must for any "Golden Girl" and my down right favorite dessert. New York Style, With Strawberries, chocolate, turtle, you name it. It doesn't matter. It is an addiction I don't ever plan on giving up.<br />
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Sad thing is with any addiction comes the down side and I am not talking inches on the waist. I am talking making them. They are a pain! I have pulled my hair out more times trying to get a cheesecake right than I have trying to keep a soufflé from falling in a house full of kids. I swear I have read every tip and trick out there and some work, some don't and a lot need repeating.<br />
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So here I am, repeating the tips and tricks I have learned and been taught over the years. These are what work for me.<br />
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1. Have a good recipe. If you are just starting I honestly recommend the one from Philadelphia Cream Cheese. It is a good start.<br />
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2. High quality ingredients. This is not something you want to skimp on.<br />
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3. Room temperature ingredients. Your cream cheese and eggs for sure.<br />
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4. Do NOT overbeat! Seriously, air is your enemy. I usually cube my cream cheese before it softens and then just blend it on low with the sugar until smooth with my mixer. After that I fold in the rest as each step calls for it.<br />
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5. Springform Pan, Baking Spray, Oven Bag. Repeat this with me - Springform Pan, Baking Spray, Oven Bag. Set this up before you even start mixing. Spray your springform pan down with baking spray, including the sides and then set it in an oven bag. (Use parchment on the bottom to make sure it comes off easy from the pan, spray that as well!) Now you can press your crust into the pan.<br />
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6. Water Bath. Once you have the pan in the oven bag and the crust is pressed in, place it in a roasting pan and fill the pan up with water - 1 inch deep around the pan. This helps keep the oven air moist and gives you a creamy finish to your cheesecake.<br />
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7. Do NOT overcook! Most cheesecakes will still be jiggly in the center when time is up. For my personal recipe I cook it 1 hour and no more.<br />
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8. Cool in stages. Once the timer for your cheesecake goes off do NOT open the oven. Just turn it off and walk away for 3 hours. Pretend if you open the oven it'll blow up or something. Just leave it be. Once 3 hours pass, remove it from the oven, carefully pull it out of the water and remove the bag. Place it on a cooling rack now and let it cool fully. After this cover the springform pan with a paper towel, not touching the cake and then cling wrap and shove it in the fridge overnight. (The paper towel will catch condensation instead of letting it build up on your masterpiece.)<br />
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9. Remove from springform pan the next day. Yeah I know, you want to tear into this thing right away but seriously waiting makes it better. Next morning, if it hasn't already pulled away from the sides, just loosen it with a knife before removing the sides of the pan.<br />
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10. Decorate, enjoy, show off, share or keep to yourself. ^_~<br />
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Now, cheesecakes can still fall or crack even under the best of times don't worry. It will still taste great. If appearances are everything for you and it cracks here is a tip to fix small ones. Once the cake cools slightly but not fully, between the removing oven and putting in fridge stages, cover with plastic wrap and rub the crack slightly. This can help. That or you can go with toppings at this point. Drizzles of chocolate or caramel, some strawberries, almonds, whip cream. ^_~ Oh yeah, just enjoy it.<br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks To You</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863137849224799648.post-36806430158673606152012-11-26T12:13:00.000-08:002017-09-30T23:57:06.945-07:00Pinterest Verification<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
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--><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks To You</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863137849224799648.post-17853149426206283412012-11-25T20:39:00.000-08:002012-11-25T20:39:21.257-08:00Jumbo CookiesOh, just dropping in for a quickie show off! I just finished up 2 jumbo cookies that I put up for sale on Etsy - and I mean jumbo! They are nearly 8 inches! OMG What a cookie(s)! Snowflake with delicate decorations and an ornament with candy stained glass inlays! I love them!<br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks To You</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863137849224799648.post-916629767844470732012-11-24T08:43:00.001-08:002012-11-24T08:43:13.106-08:00Christmas Cookies!That time of the year and I just posted my holiday cookies to Etsy! So now I am just jumping by here to show pictures of them. ^^ And the fact that I adore my cookies stands! LOL<br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks To You</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863137849224799648.post-86017736095178077462012-11-19T15:27:00.000-08:002012-11-19T15:27:23.277-08:00A Thanksgiving MenuHere in the United States we are approaching one of the biggest holidays in our nation. Honestly though in this day and age I think it is just an excuse to overeat and fight with family but you know what? I'm cool with that. Fighting with family just lets you know how much you love them. How? Because you speak with them again, that's how. :P<br />
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I was going to make this post on my other site but frankly I like this one better and enjoy posting to it more, so you just gotta deal! Mwhahahah!!! </div>
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I will start you off with a basic Thanksgiving Menu that is one I remember eating many holidays and provide you with various links if I have them to some good recipes. I will also be providing you with 2 recipes. Well 1 recipe and 1 how to as it were. I reposted my mothers cornbread dressing recipe and since then I have been asked several times for just a cornbread recipe as well as how to cook a turkey. So will cover both those here today. </div>
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Let's get started. First thing is first - The Menu. For me the menu comes from what my Grandmother Jewell would have at her home every year. It was a combination of her recipes and a lot family brought with them. Now this will be a long menu because Jewell always cooked enough for an army and then some. There were many times we had over 20 people in the house as well as her preparing some for my uncles firehouse and taking some down there. So needless to say you will probably not need this much unless you are feeding a military base or just don't want to have to worry about cooking again until 2012. </div>
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<i><b><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Menu</span></u></b></i></div>
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<ul>
<li><b>Roast Turkey <--</b>recipe below</li>
<li><b><a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/ritas-sweet-holiday-baked-ham/detail.aspx" target="_blank">Honeybaked Ham</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.surrealdreamdesigns.com/blogthis/?p=183" target="_blank">Cornbread Dressing</a> <-</b>recipe for cornbread part below</li>
<li><b><a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/cranberry-sauce/detail.aspx" target="_blank">Cranberry Sauce</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.campbellskitchen.com/Recipes/RecipeDetails.aspx?recipeId=24099" target="_blank">Greenbean Casserole</a> <--</b>Up mushroom soup by 1/2 and double crunchy onions. Trust me. </li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/traditional-southern-deviled-eggs-recipe/index.html" target="_blank">Deviled Eggs</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Sausage-Stuffed-Mushrooms" target="_blank">Stuffed Mushrooms</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.surrealconfections.com/2012/06/go-to-dough.html" target="_blank">Dinner Rolls</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/11/delicious_creamy_mashed_potatoes/" target="_blank">Mashed Potatoes</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.surrealdreamdesigns.com/blogthis/?p=94" target="_blank">Scalloped Potatoes</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/traditional-sweet-potato-casserole-10000001673131/" target="_blank">Sweet Potato Casserole</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/kittencals-easy-no-fail-make-anytime-turkey-gravy-145064" target="_blank">Gravy</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/18470/libbys-famous-pumpkin-pie/detail.aspx" target="_blank">Pumpkin Pie</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/french-silk-chocolate-pie-i/detail.aspx" target="_blank">Chocolate Pie</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/no-bake-peanut-butter-pie/" target="_blank">Peanut Butter Pie</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.surrealconfections.com/2012/02/hubby-home-its-baking-time.html" target="_blank">Pecan Pie</a>/ <a href="http://www.surrealconfections.com/2012/05/southern-style-pecan-bars.html" target="_blank">Pecan Pie Bars</a> <-- </b>I personally like the bars better.<b> </b></li>
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I am sure I probably left something out of that menu but hey, the woman cooked a lot! Some of the recipes link to recipes of my own or families, others link to various websites I have used before and trust the recipes of.<br />
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Now onto some other things. First thing is first. The Turkey. I mean come on, what is Thanksgiving without that big gobbler on a platter? ^_^ So, gonna tell you real fast how to roast a turkey. It is really very simple.<br />
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<b><i>What you will need:</i></b><br />
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<ul>
<li>Turkey - Duh</li>
<li>1 Roasting Pan</li>
<li>2-4 of each of the following - Carrots, Celery, Onion - All large rough chop</li>
<li>Kosher Salt</li>
<li>Pepper (Black is fine but I use white due to an allergy.)</li>
<li>1/2 Cup Butter - Softened (Most will say unsalted, I prefer salted for this. Irish or New Zealand if you can get it.)</li>
<li>About a quart of Turkey/Chicken Stock if you are planning to want a lot of drippings for gravy.</li>
<li>Turkey timer/Meat Thermometer</li>
<li>Foil</li>
<li>An Oven, lol</li>
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Seriously, that is really all you need. </div>
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<ol>
<li>Make sure you defrost your turkey and it is ready to go. </li>
<li>Open the bag it is in and remove the neck and giblets. Toss them if you don't use them, keep them if you do. (I toss, lol) </li>
<li>Preheat the oven to 325F and move your rack to the lowest in your oven.</li>
<li>Rinse the turkey inside and out. </li>
<li>Drain out the water and pat it down with some paper towels.</li>
<li>Place the turkey breast side up on a rack in your roasting pan. (If you don't have a rack that is okay. Most years I used those cheap foil pans and never had one.)</li>
<li>Make sure your legs and wings for the turkey are all tucked. If they aren't and you haven't done this, check some videos on youtube.com </li>
<li>Toss the onions, celery and carrots into the cavity of the turkey. </li>
<li>Rub the outside of the turkey down with the butter</li>
<li>Sprinkle the top with the salt and pepper.</li>
<li>Pour a couple cups of stock into the bottom of the roasting pan.</li>
<li>Stick the turkey in the oven uncovered.</li>
<li>Now, here comes the fun part. Depending on how large your turkey is will depend on when you do the following steps. Follow the chart here for UNSTUFFED birds on the following website - <a href="http://www.fsis.usda.gov/FACTSheets/Lets_Talk_Turkey/index.asp" target="_blank">Let's Talk Turkey</a> - to get a general idea.</li>
<li>Check on the turkey about every 30 minutes to an hour and add more stock if you are using it to the bottom of the pan.</li>
<li>Now some will want to baste the turkey, honestly I never have. If you want, do it about every 30-60 minutes. If not, it is okay. At most I will rub down with a cold butter stick from time to time.</li>
<li>Once the Turkey is the level of brown you want, cover it with foil. </li>
<li>Cook until your turkey time pops or until your meat thermometer reads 180F when stuck in the thickest part of the thigh and away from the bone. </li>
<li>When it is done remove it from the oven and carefully transfer it to a serving platter.</li>
<li>Let it rest at least 30 minutes before carving. This let's it cool enough to handle and helps the turkey stay moist. </li>
<li>Carve, enjoy and get ready to make a lot of left over Turkey Sandwiches over the next week.</li>
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See, not hard! Now, only recipe number 2. Cornbread. This is a classic recipe I use each year as a base to my mother Cornbread Dressing, (link above) This recipe is an revised version of one I found online a while ago. Now, the way I am telling you to make it...DO NOT EAT JUST AS IS! It is altered to work with the Cornbread Dressing recipe and does not taste the best on its own!<br />
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<i><b>Egg Cornbread For Cornbread Dressing:</b></i><br />
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<ul>
<li>2/3 Cups Salted butter Softened</li>
<li>1 Cup Granulated Sugar</li>
<li>6 Eggs</li>
<li>1 2/3 Cup Milk</li>
<li>2 1/3 Cup All Purpose Flour</li>
<li>1 Cup Cornmeal</li>
<li>4 Teaspoon Baking Powder</li>
<li>1 Teaspoon Table Salt</li>
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<ol>
<li>Preheat your own to 400F</li>
<li>Grease a large cast iron skillet. (If you do not have one, use a 13x9 baking dish)</li>
<li>In a large bowl cream together your butter and sugar.</li>
<li>Add in your eggs and milk.</li>
<li>Sift together the rest and then add to the bowl.</li>
<li>Mix until smooth.</li>
<li>Pour into the skillet.</li>
<li>Put into the oven</li>
<li>Bake 30-40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.</li>
<li>Remove from oven, let cool 10 minutes on rack.</li>
<li>Remove from pan, rest on rack until fully cool.</li>
<li>Use for Cornbread Dressing!</li>
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And that is that. I hope this helps you with your Thanksgiving Meal Planning! Now! Go! Give Thanks! Over Eat! Pass out while watching Football! And don't forget, enjoy your family and friends this Thanksgiving.</div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks To You</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863137849224799648.post-29448238079039813442012-11-15T08:01:00.000-08:002012-11-21T13:26:32.710-08:00Everyone Needs Warm Wishes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RgHjtiNHKaI/UKUOLyU7-2I/AAAAAAAACTY/SdEtz7rIlhs/s1600/DSCF0059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RgHjtiNHKaI/UKUOLyU7-2I/AAAAAAAACTY/SdEtz7rIlhs/s200/DSCF0059.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
Everyone needs warm wishes this Holiday Season. No one more so than our Military, past and present. They do so much for us each and every day and now that Winter is upon us they are giving up even more. So many are away from their friends and family this holiday season. Others are home but what has happened while they were deployed is still there, in the back of their mind. Even those retired many many years still carry the scars of a life that many of us will never have to face and much of that is because of what they have done and what they do every single day.<br />
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It is no secret that this girl loves her some Military men and women. So, I am teaming up with another protect of mine, <a href="http://www.bakingforoursoldiers.org/" target="_blank">Baking For Our Soldiers</a>, to put together a care package to send to someone you nominate. I would love to send one out to each and every member that is nominated this year but sadly I cannot but I can send out at least 1. (<b><i>If more bakers wish to get in on this and donate a care package of your own I will happily up the number of winners. Just contact me on Facebook.</i></b>)<br />
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Now are you a member of the military and you want this care package? Are you a Veteran? Feel free with leaving your own name!<br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">What will be in the care package?</span></i></b><br />
Well cookies! But the rest will be left as a surprise for the recipient. ^_^<br />
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So, all you have to do to enter is follow the instructions in the Raftecopter Widget below. There are entries that can be done daily to up your nominations chance of winning! For ones you have to repost about, leave a blog comment, etc. All winning entries are verified.)<br />
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**Please only nominate people who are current or past members of the U.S.A. Military. I hope to extend this to other military members at a later year but right now I only know how to ship to our country and bases. I am very sorry.**<br />
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/fb48bf0/" id="rc-fb48bf0" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks To You</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863137849224799648.post-38059190877694810372012-11-12T13:11:00.000-08:002012-11-12T13:11:58.093-08:00It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas & Hanukkah I, normally, cannot stand for anyone on any level to do anything Christmas related before Thanksgiving. It is not that I have anything against Christmas, I don't I adore the holiday more than I can express but in this day and age it seems people are trying to shove it down your throat earlier and earlier each year so by the time it is finally Christmas Season you are just about Decked The Halls out.....<br />
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Usually I reserve anything Winter themed until at least Thanksgiving Day. Then we would break out the tree, and the ornaments. After which, while trying to fight off a Turkey induced coma we would decorate. Yet as with all things in life, things change. Besides just having to get holiday cookie designs out in time for people to order I find myself wanting to pick up where Ma left off.<br />
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This will be the first Christmas without her and this was her holiday. Certain foods had to be made each year, decorations out and more. I'm the eldest daughter, so it feels as if I need to really be the Matriarch now of our branch of the family tree. Whether I am or not doesn't matter and even if all my family is back in Ga seems to be of little consequence. I swear this Christmas Clock ticking is worse than any biological one I have dealt with.<br />
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So here I am...Preparing for Christmasfest 2012. Cookies are being decorated, menus for the holidays are being planned, lists being made of what to make and send to family and right now my house looks like a Holiday Tornado went through it as I am trying to pull down Fall and put up Winter. Taking a small break from all that right now. Got pictures taken of my first holiday cookies and wanted to share those.<br />
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Now, onto the cookies. First up I have the one I am most proud of! A Cookie Advent Calender! I am so happy the way this turned out. Now the size of the calender backing is 9x11. It is a cookie and is roughly 3/8 inch thick without the flooded icing on top. Each of the days is a smaller cookie, about the size of a US 50 cent piece.<br />
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This was a really fun piece to make. I hand cut the background and used some mini cookie cutters for the smaller pieces. If you enjoy cookie decorating I would really suggest you try one of these yourself. I have a large cellophane clear gift bag I will be wrapping ours up in each day while it hangs to keep it fresh for the month. (Remember sugar cookies and royal icing hold up very well!!! Much better than most cookies)<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-294KpYv4o9s/UKFh20RKqyI/AAAAAAAACR8/hSDB2L3Rqn4/s1600/PB120024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-294KpYv4o9s/UKFh20RKqyI/AAAAAAAACR8/hSDB2L3Rqn4/s200/PB120024.JPG" width="150" /></a>Now, this second set started out as something totally different but ended up as something I just adore. I made several other sets. Some small ones, some regular sized ones and some giant. All were going to be different sets but as I got to looking at them all completed I felt they worked better together. So a few found flats together and some thick royal icing and suddenly I had found I have created a full 3d Winter Scene. It was just too cute not to share!<br />
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Now this took a few days to do and was actually really easy. (Most of it was just drying time) Thing is that it is already mostly gone and I just finished taking pictures. It wasn't that it didn't hold up. It was that my youngest wanted a cookie house really bad it seems and ended up devouring the small one with the house on it. He did feel guilty and managed to make me a lego version of it to replace it. (After he found my forgiveness he went and ate the bigger one. -_- So I gave up having it last any longer. LOL I am sure Mongo there and Gingy will be the next to go. Their days are numbered and there is a gallon of milk in the fridge. I can hear it now, "Beeeeeeee goooooood."<br />
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And finally, the last set I completed will be on Etsy for sale later on. (The others are just too fragile for shipping but hey, if you are in Moses Lake and want me to do something like that, contact me for prices.) These are my first Hanukkah Cookies. Many may not be aware of it but I am half Jewish, so I figured it was about time that I let my Jew show :P (Now me being good in math makes sense LOL Oy-Vey!)<br />
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Aren't they precious! I had a lot of fun doing those and I hope to do more. (Just so hard to find any cookie cutter that is Hebrew. Will have to keep an eye out for more.)<br />
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Now for the reason I know many are reading this. New recipe time! Oh yeah! I did these cookies in 2 flavors. One is a Chocolate Buttermilk that is just smashing but I ain't sharing. :P The other is one I think many would enjoy making this holiday season. Eggnog! Now this this a variation on another recipe that is not my own. It is Georganne from <a href="http://www.lilaloa.com/" target="_blank">LilaLoa</a>. This Eggnog recipe is a variation of her <a href="http://www.lilaloa.com/2012/04/vanilla-variation.html" target="_blank">The Vanilla Variation</a>, yes the same one I did a Churro version of. This is my Holiday Eggnog and I hope you love it as much as my family is!<br />
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<b><u>Holiday Eggnog Rolled Sugar Cookie:</u></b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 21px;">1 Cup Unsalted Butter - room temp </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 Cups Granulated Sugar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1/2 Cup Eggnog</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1/8 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1/8 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">3/4 Teaspoon Salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">4 Cups All Purpose Flour</span></div>
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<li><span style="line-height: 21px;">Cream the butter and sugar</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 21px;">Add in the eggnog, mix to combine</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 21px;">Sift together 1 cup of the flour with the salt, nutmeg and cinnamon</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 21px;">Add to wet mix, combine</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 21px;">Slowly add remaining flour</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 21px;">Roll out between pieces of wax paper to desired thickness</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 21px;">Refrigerate 2-3 hours</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 21px;">Cut out designs, place on parchment lined cookie sheet.</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 21px;">Refrigerate another 30 (helps keep from spreading)</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 21px;">Bake at 375 for 7-10 minutes - depending on size. </span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 21px;">Remove from oven, cool a couple of minutes before moving to a wire rack.</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 21px;">Cool fully and decorate!</span></li>
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<span style="line-height: 21px;">Well, there you have it! Enjoy!</span></div>
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks To You</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863137849224799648.post-950747234241622422012-11-08T08:11:00.002-08:002012-11-27T16:32:24.596-08:00Pumpkin Carving 2012Finally getting around to posting my pumpkins this year. I swore with the way everything was going I wasn't going to get around to carving anything. Thankfully I did. Now only one was done before Halloween, the rest were actually carved the following days. I figured what the heck. We had them, might as well carve them. LOL We still have some left, including a white one. We are thinking of holding them and carving one for Thanksgiving and Christmas. ^_~ Anyways! Here we go!<br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks To You</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863137849224799648.post-25490069153523605912012-11-04T08:55:00.003-08:002012-11-04T09:04:34.715-08:00Family Pumpkin Carving 2012<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cannibal By Jason</td></tr>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pp83LCEhYUA/UJaapjo2_5I/AAAAAAAACJQ/tZexqb8NC3M/s1600/PA300061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pp83LCEhYUA/UJaapjo2_5I/AAAAAAAACJQ/tZexqb8NC3M/s200/PA300061.JPG" width="200" /></a>Finally starting to get all these images together to show off. Those that have me friended on Facebook have been getting bombarded by these this week, lol. Going to start off with the ones that the family did this year. I will post all mine later on. Still getting those images together. >.><br />
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What can I say, I went a little overboard this year, heck the whole family did. Here is it November 3rd and honestly we are still carving. With everything that happened this past month we really got behind in what was supposed to get done. We had a lot of pumpkins left over after Halloween and figured, what the heck! We can still carve. So we have continued to carve a couple each day and rotate them out on our display out front while we toss the ones that are ready to meet their pumpkin god, lol.<br />
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First three are Corporate Logo's Jason of <a href="http://cynicalcuisine.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Cynical Cuisine</a> did this year. You can find more of his work on Deviant Art under the screen name Sigil79.<br />
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And now for the rest....<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Demon Spider By Jason</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skelly By Jason</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mr Moustache by Jason</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Patio On All Hallows Eve</td></tr>
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Now granted all those were created by Jason but I have 3 more to show off....<br />
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This is Phoenix, King Heartless and Spider Mania. These were created by the kids - Rhi, Alex & Jack. Instead of using patterns this year they pushed those aside and all three of them clamored into the kitchen, spread out their own tarp and went to work on their own. Mommy nor daddy were allowed to help in any way. Needless to say this is one proud mama seeing her kids bloom artistically. ^_~<div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks To You</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com