Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

My favorite Christmas Cartoon

my husbands accident

My husband is a truck driver and he called me at 5:30 this morning and told me he was in an accident in Louisville Ky. He emailed me some pictures.

just a homebody

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Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments

1 cup cinnamon

2 Tbs. cloves

1 Tbs. nutmeg

3/4 C applesauce

2Tbs. white glue

Ribbon

In a bowl, mix the spices. Add applesauce and glue, stirring until well blended. Work mixture until dough is smooth and ingredients are throughly mixed. Divide into 4 portions and roll each portion on floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut dough with cookie cutters of desired shapes. Using a straw or toothpick, make a small hole in the top of each ornament. Place on wire racks and allow to dry at room temperature for several days. (for more uniform drying, turn ornaments over once a day.) Thread Ribbon through holes to form garland. You can also glue to a wooden hoop, forming a wreath and decorate with ribbon as desired. Makes approximately 32 two-inch ornaments. Do Not Eat!

Happy Thanksgiving

New Mexican Hot Chocolate from Cooking Light

1/2 cup water
1/3 cup honey
5 Tbs. unsweetened Cocoa
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/8 t. ground nutmeg
1/4 t. salt
4 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1 t. vanilla extract

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large, heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk and extract, stirring constantly with a whisk. Heat to 180 or until tiny bubbles form around edge, stirring with a whisk. (do not boil)
yield: 8 servings (serving size: about 2/3 cup)

A cute picture I found

A Charlie Brown ThanksGiving

Happy Halloween

It's the great pumpkin charlie Brown

What Your Halloween Habits Say About You

You're a friendly person, but not the life of the party. You like making someone else's day - and you'll dress up if you think of a really fun costume. You definitely think of yourself as someone who has a dark side. And part of having that dark side means not showing it. Your inner child is stubborn and a bit bossy. You truly fear the dark side of humanity. You are a true misanthrope. You're prone to be quite emotional and over dramatic. Deep down, you enjoy being scared out of your mind... even if you don't admit it. You are a traditionalist with most aspects of your life. You like your Halloween costume to be basic, well made, and conventional enough to wear another year.

What's Your Halloween Personality?

Funny Halloween prank

Apple Fritters

2 cups self rising flour
3 Tbs. sugar
2 eggs well beaten
1 cup milk
2 cups tart apples, chopped

Sift together dry ingredients. Gradually add beaten eggs and milk combined. Refrigerate batter for about 2 hours. Stir in apples. Drop by Tablespoon into hot oil and fry until golden brown. Roll in powdered sugar or a sugar/cinnamon combination.

Pumpkin Spice Latte

Note: If you use the pumpkin spice syrup, you do not need the canned pumpkin

Ingredients:

1-2 shots espresso (1/4 c. espresso or 1/2 c. strong brewed coffee)

1 c. half and half

1 Tsb. canned pumkin: you may use either whole pumpkin or pie mix

1 tsp. Torani pumpkin spice syrup

Optional pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg or cinnamon

( no espresso machine?)

To make a pumpkin Latte in your home:

In a small saucepan, stir pumpkin puree into half and half. Add the syrup. Heat on medium until steaming, stirring constantly. you do not want the milk to burn. In a blender on high speed, use whip setting for 20 seconds until foaming. Pour the mixture into a tall glass and pour coffee over the top. Dust with ground pumpkin pie spice or nutmeg.

( with espresso machine)

pour syrup in medium mug and pull your shots. steam half and half. Add shots to syrup and then the steamed milk. Dust with nutmeg.

Apple Butter

From the Urban Homemaker

9 to 10 apples, cored, peeled and chopped

2 cups sugar

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. cloves

1/8 tsp. salt

Place everything into a crockpot. Stir, cover and cook on high 1 hour. Cook on low for 9 to 12 hours or until thick and dark brown. Stir occasionally. Uncover and cook on Low 1 hour longer. Stir with whisk until smooth. Refrigerate or freeze. Makes 2 pints.

Warm Caramel Apple Cake from Betty Crocker

prep time: 30 min

start to finish: 1 hr 25 min.

Makes: 15 servings

Cake

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1/4 cup whipping cream

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped pecans

2 large cooking apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced(about 2 1/3 cups)

1 box Betty Crocker supermoist yellow cake mix

1 1/4 cups water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

1/4 tsp. apple pie spice

Topping

2/3 cup Betty Crocker whipped fluffy white frosting (from 12 oz. container)

1. Heat oven to 350 f. In 1-quart heavy saucepan, cook butter,whipping cream and brown sugar over low heat, stirring occasionally, just until butter is melted. Pour into 13x9 inch pan. sprinkle with pecans; top with sliced apples.

2. In a large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil, eggs and apple pie spice with electric mixer on low

speed until moistened. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Carefully spoon batter over aple pie mixture.

3.Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Loosen sides of cake from pan. Place heatproof serving platter upside down on pan; carefully turn platter and pan over. Let pan remain over cake about 1 minute so caramel can drizzle over cake. Remove pan.

4. In a small bowl, mix frosting and whipped topping. Serve warm cake topped with frosting mixture and drizzled caramel topping.

Substition: You can use cinnamon for the apple pie spice for a slightly different flavor.

Success: Granny Smith and Braeburn are good apple choices to use in this recipe.

Happy Fall

Remembering 911

Apple Butterscotch Bars

2 Cups sugar
1 Cup oil
3 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
3 Cups apples, cored, peeled and chopped
1 Cup chopped nuts
1 Cup butterscotch chips

Combine sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl. Mix in flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; mix well. Stir in apples and nuts. Spread in a lightly greased 13x9 inch baking pan; sprinkle with butterscotch chips. Bake at 350 for 40 to 45 minutes. Makes about 3 dozen.

Hillbilly Goulash

1 pound ground beef
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cups dry macaroni
10 oz. can condensed cream of tomato soup
14-16 oz. can tomatoes
6 oz. can tomato paste
1/2 tsp. each salt and garlic powder
1/2 to 1 cup shredded cheese

Start the ground beef and onion to frying in a large skillet, breaking it up unto small pieces with a fork. Meanwhile start the macaroni cooking. Use a fairly large pot (4 quart or bigger) to boil the macaroni, because you will use it to stir everything together in later. When the macaroni is tender, drain it and put it back into the pot. When the hamburger is cooked, drain off the fat and add the hamburger to the macaroni. Open all three cans and add contents to the pot. Add the salt and garlic powder. Use a big spoon to stir everything together nicely. Reheat and serve sprinkled with the cheese, or turn th goulash into a well oiled 2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with the cheese on top. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes. Serves 6

Hot Dogs with Chili

1/3 cup minced onion
3 Tbs. butter
3 pounds lean ground beef
6 small cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs. paprika
3 Tbs. chili powder
1 Tbs. salt
1 1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 -6ounce can tomato paste
1 1/2 cups water
hot dogs, grilled
buns

In medium saucepan saute onion in butter. Add ground beef to pan. Cook beef and drain excess fat. Add rest of ingredients except hot dogs and buns and cook 10 minutes over low heat, stirring frequently to create a fine texture. Spoon over hot dogs. Serves 12-16

Happy 4th of July!

Lemonade Poke Cake

1 (18 1/4 ounce) box lemon cake mix
6 ounces frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
3/4 cup powdered sugar or to taste

prepare cake mix in 13x9-inch pan according to package directions.
Let cool slightly.

Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes in cake at about 1-inch intervals. Mix lemonade concentrate and powdered sugar. If desired, microwave mixture briefly to help sugar dissolve.

Drizzle lemonade mixture evenly over the cake. Refrigerate until cold.
Spread whipped toping over cake.

Memorial Day

Have a safe and Happy Memorial Day week-end

Happy Mothers Day to all you moms!

Bacon and Cheese Waffles

1 egg
1 cup Milk
1 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp. butter, melted
2 cups biscuit baking mix
6-8 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
1 cup shredded chedder cheese

In a medium bowl, blend together egg, milk, sour cream and butter.
Stir in biscuit mix; blend well. Mix in bacon and cheese. Pour in enough batter
to fill a preheated waffle iron and cook until steaming stops and waffles are crisp
and golden. Makes 12 waffles.

Banana Bread

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 teas. baking soda
1/2 teas. salt
2 medium bananas, mashed
2 eggs
3/4 Cups oil
1/4 Cups buttermilk
1 teas. vanilla
1 Cup chopped nuts

Heat oven to 325. Grease and flour 9x5 inch pan. In a Large bowl whisk together flour, sugar, soda and salt; set aside. In another bowl mix together bananas, eggs, oil, buttermilk and vanilla with a wire whisk until well blended and then combine with flour mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until well combined. Stir in chopped nuts and then pour into prepared pan. Bake at 325 for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Bake 50 minutes for mini pans.

I wish anyone who reads my blog to have a very Happy Easter!

Happy St. Patricks Day

Happy Presidents Day

Barbara Bush's Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup flour, sifted, plus 2 tsp. flour, sifted

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp. very hot water

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease baking sheets with vegetable oil. sift flour, baking soda and salt on wax paper. Beat butter, sugar and egg in a large bowl until fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Beat in hot water and vanilla extract. Gradually beat in flour mixture until blended and smooth.

Drop dough by well rounded teaspoonful on prepared baking sheets. Bake until golden, about 10 minutes.

Cool on sheets on wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 3 dozen

Go Colts!

Create Your Own Muffins

3 cups flour

1 tspl salt

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

3/4 cup sugar, or a combination of white and brown sugar in this
amount.

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted or 1 1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup milk or cream

2 eggs



Combine all dry ingredients. Combine all wet ingredients. Fold wet ingredients into dry and then add 1 cup of any one of the following and mix just until blended:
Chopped nuts... berries... mashed bananas... mashed pumpkin... zucchini... shredded carrots.... apples... or applesauce.

Scoop into paper-lined muffin tins ( fill about 2/3 full ) and bake at 400 for 16-18 minutes or until golden brown. Makes about 18 muffins.

What Flower are you?

I am a Daisy What Flower Are You?