Eggnog anyone?

My family loves eggnog during the holidays with a touch of nutmeg.  What is your favorite way to drink Eggnog?

Hugs,

Cindy

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Gingerbread

Who doesn’t like Gingerbread houses at Christmas time?  Well I for one love them.  But I have NEVER had any luck creating one.  But Martha shares a NO BAKE VERSION, which I might just try.  Check it out here

 

This would be a great craft to do with your kids or grandkids, wouldn’t they think your were the greatest? 

 

I love the sugar cones as trees….m&m’s as lights or ornaments.  Hmmmmm there is a thought!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Look at the marshmallow snowman.  Cute!! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Merry Christmas,

Love,

Cindy

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Mmmmmmmmm Shortbread, hubby’s favorite

Ingredients

Makes 8 to 10 wedges.

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/2 cup confectioners' or granulated sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter an 8 1/2-inch round cake or spring form pan. Sift together flour and salt in a small bowl. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium, cream butter until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add sugar, and continue to beat until very light in color and fluffy, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary, about 2 minutes more. Add flour mixture, and beat on low, scraping bowl if necessary, until flour is just incorporated and dough sticks together when squeezed.
2. Pat dough into prepared pan. Use a paring knife to score dough into wedges; prick all over in even intervals with a wooden skewer or fork.
3. Bake until firm in the center and just starting to color, about 50 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack, and let cool completely. Cut into wedges. Cookies will keep, in an airtight container, at room temperature 3 weeks.

Resource from: Martha Stewart

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Gingerbread Snowflakes

Ingredients

Makes 16 cookies .

• 6 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 4 teaspoons ground ginger
• 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon finely ground pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup unsulfured molasses
• Royal Icing
• Fine sanding sugar, for sprinkling

Royal Icing

Ingredients

Makes about 2 1/2 cups.

• 2 large egg whites, or more to thin icing
• 4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar, or more to thicken icing
• 1 lemon, juiced

Directions

1. Beat the whites until stiff but not dry. Add sugar and lemon juice; beat for 1 minute more. If icing is too thick, add more egg whites; if it is too thin, add more sugar. The icing may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 

Directions

1. Sift together flour, baking soda, and baking powder into a large bowl. Set aside.
2. Put butter and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until fluffy. Mix in spices and salt, then eggs and molasses. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Divide dough into thirds; wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough on a lightly floured work surface to a 1/4-inch thick. Cut into snowflakes with a 7- inch snowflake-shape cookie cutter. Space 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, and refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.
4. Bake cookies until crisp but not dark, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.
5. Put icing in a pastry bag fitted with a small plain round tip (such as Ateco #7). Pipe designs on snowflakes; immediately sprinkle with sanding sugar. Let stand 5 minutes; tap off excess sugar. Let icing set completely at room temperature, about 1 hour. Store cookies between layers of parchment in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days.

Resource:  Martha Stewart

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How to decorate Sugar Cookies

"I sure do like those Christmas cookies, Sugar!
I sure do like those Christmas cookies, Babe!
The ones that look like Santa Claus,
Christmas trees, bells, and stars;
I sure do like those Christmas cookies, Babe."

 

 Christmas Hugs,
Cindy

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Ginger Molasses Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup shortening
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 tsp grated orange peel
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
In a large bowl, cream the butter,  shortening, and 1 cup of sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the egg, molasses, and the orange peel.  Combine the dry ingredients.  Gradually add to the creamed mixture.  Mix well.  Roll into 1 1/4 inch balls.  Then roll the balls into the remaining sugar.  Place the sugared balls 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 F for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are firm and the surface cracks.  Remove to wire racks and cool.  Makes 5 1/2 dozen

Recipe Source:  Taste Of Home

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Instant Cappuccino Mix

Instant Cappuccino Mix (nice and spicy)
Serves: 24

Ingredients
1 cup powdered
non-dairy creamer
1 cup instant chocolate drink mix
3/4 cup instant coffee granules
1/2 cup SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon or more
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg or more

Directions
1. In a medium sized glass jar, combine the non-dairy creamer, chocolate drink mix, instant coffee, SPLENDA® Granulated Sweetener, cinnamon and nutmeg; mix well.
2. To prepare, place 2 tablespoons mix in a mug, pour in 3/4 cup
boiling water, and stir until dissolved. Serve hot.

Inspired by Home Cooks

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Gingerbread Men Recipe

"Run, run, fast as you can!
Can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man!"

I found this simple little video on creating some adorable little gingerbread men….

Scootin to the kitchen.

 

Christmas hugs,

Cindy

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Old-Fashioned Corn Dogs

 

1 c. all-purpose flour
2 T. sugar
1-1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
2/3 c. cornmeal
2 T. shortening
1 egg, beaten
3/4 c. milk
8 to 10 hot dogs
8 to 10 wooden sticks
oil for deep frying

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; stir in cornmeal. Using a pastry cutter or 2 forks, cut in shortening until coarse crumbs form; set aside. Blend together egg and milk in a separate bowl. Stir into cornmeal mixture. Thoroughly dry each hot dog with a paper towel to ensure batter will cling. Insert a stick into each; dip in batter. Deep-fry in 350 to 375-degree oil for 4 to 5 minutes, until golden.

Source:  Gooseberry Patch Cookbook -Our Favorite Take-Out Recipes

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Cranberry-Pecan Pumpkin Bread

 

2  15-oz. cans pumpkin
2/3 c. milk
1 c. oil
4 eggs, beaten  
3 c. sugar
3 c. all-purpose flour
1 T. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
1-1/2 c. chopped pecans
1-1/2 c. sweetened, dried cranberries

Mix together pumpkin, milk, oil, eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl; set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt and spices; add to pumpkin mixture. Stir in nuts and cranberries. Pour into three greased 9" x 5" loaf pans, filling each 1/2 full. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour, or until done. Cool completely before removing from pans. Makes 3 loaves.

Source: Gooseberry Patch

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Pumpkin Fudge

 

2 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar, packed
3/4 c. butter
2/3 c. evaporated milk
1/2 c. canned pumpkin
1-1/2 t. pumpkin pie spice
12-oz. pkg. white chocolate chips
7-oz. jar marshmallow creme
1 c. chopped pecans
1-1/2 t. vanilla extract

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a heavy saucepan; heat over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Continue heating until mixture begins to boil, stirring constantly; continue boiling until candy thermometer reaches soft-ball stage or 234 to 243 degrees. Remove from heat; stir in white chocolate chips until melted. Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Pour into a buttered 13" x 9" baking pan; cool to room temperature. Cut into squares and store in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Makes 5 dozen servings.

Source: Gooseberry Patch

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Copycat Golden Corral Rolls

 

1 envelope active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup hot milk
1 egg - lightly beaten
4 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons melted butter - for brushing rolls

Sprinkle the yeast over very warm water in a large bowl. Stir
until yeast dissolves.

Add sugar, the 1/4 cup butter and salt to hot milk and stir until
the sugar dissolves and butter is melted. Cool mixture to 105 to
115 degrees.

Add milk mixture to yeast, then beat in egg. Beat in 4 cups of the
flour, 1 cup at a time, to form a soft dough. Use some of the
remaining 1/2 cup of the flour to dust a pastry cloth.

Knead the dough lightly for 5 minutes, working in the remaining
flour (use it for flouring the pastry cloth and your hands).

Place dough in a warm buttered bowl; turn greased side up. Cover
and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/4 to
1 1/2 hours.

Punch dough down and knead 4 to 5 minutes on a lightly floured
pastry cloth. Dough will be sticky, but use as little flour as
possible for flouring your hands and the pastry cloth, otherwise
the rolls will not be as feathery light as they should be.

Pinch off small chunks of dough and shape into round rolls about 1
1/2 to 1 3/4 inches in diameter. Place in neat rows, not quite
touching, in a well-buttered 13 x 9 x 2 inch pan. Cover rolls and
let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 30 to 40 minutes.

Brush tops of rolls with melted butter, then bake in a 375 degree F
oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until nicely browned.

Source: The Secret Recipe Blog- http://www.recipesecrets.net/blog

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A Great Pumpkin Cheese ball

 

8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
10 ounce container sharp cheddar cold pack cheese spread
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon onion salt
1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped
1 teaspoon paprika
one pretzel rod, broken in half, for garnish
assorted crackers

Blend together cheeses until smooth. Stir in Worcestershire sauce, celery salt and onion salt, adding more to taste if desired. Shape into a ball and set on serving plate; cover and chill for two or three hours, until firm. If desired or vertical lines with a knife to resemble a pumpkin. Toss walnuts with paprika; press into surface of Cheese ball. Break pretzel rod in half and insert in top for stem. Arrange crackers around Cheese ball. Makes 10 to 12 servings

source: Coming Home with Gooseberry Patch

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Pumpkin Cheesecake

 

2 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
two third cup butter or margarine, softened
sugar
five packages cream cheese, softened, 8 ounces each
1/2 cup granulated Brown sugar or packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
three-quarter teaspoon ground allspice
three-quarter teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
six eggs
one can pumpkin, 16 ounces
one can, 5.33 ounces, evaporated milk

In a medium bowl with a fork, mix well graham cracker crumbs, butter and 1/3 cup sugar; press on bottom and around sides of a 10 x 3 inch spring form pan to within 1/4 inch of top; set aside. Preheat oven to 350° in a large bowl with mixer at low speed, beat cream cheese just until smooth. Add Brown sugar, remaining ingredients and three-quarter cup sugar; beat until blended. Increase speed to medium; beat five minutes, occasionally scraping bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour cheese mixture into pan; bake one hour. Turn off oven; let cheesecake remaining in oven 30 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack. Cover and refrigerate. To serve: remove side of pan. Makes 16 servings

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Spiced Pumpkin Bread

 

2 cups canned pumpkin
3 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 cup oil
four eggs
3 1/3 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
three-quarter teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Mix pumpkin, sugar, water, oil and eggs in a large bowl; beat until well mixed. Set aside. Stir together remaining ingredients in another bowl; slowly add to pumpkin mixture, beating until smooth. Grease and flour two 9 x 5" loaf pans or six, 5.5 x 3" mini loaf pans; divide batter between pans. Bake at 350° for 60 to 65 minutes for regular loaves or 50 to 55 minutes for mini loaves, until a toothpick inserted in center tests clean. Let cool in pan for 10 to 15 minutes; invert bread onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Makes two loaves or six mini loaves.
Source: Coming Home with Gooseberry Patch

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Pumpkin Latte

 

4 cups milk
2 tablespoons canned pumpkin
3 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups strong, hot brewed coffee
whipped cream, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon sticks, for garnish, optional

Stir together milk and pumpkin in a pan; heat over low heat until steaming. Stir in vanilla and cinnamon. With a handheld blender or electric mixer, blend for 15 to 20 seconds, until thick and foamy. Pour into 4 to 6 mugs or tall glasses; pour in hot coffee. Top with whipped cream; sprinkle with spice and add cinnamon stick stirrers. Serve at once. Makes four servings.

Source: Coming Home with Gooseberry

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Yummy Apples

 

  Got up this morning and decided to put some apples in the Crockpot  to make some baked apples.  So easy and so yummy.   I used Stayman Winesap apples, they are my favorite.  Since I am only making a few I am using my small Crockpot.  

Baked Apples in the Crockpot

3-4 apples
1/2 cup of water
1T. cinnamon
2 T raisins (I didn't use these today)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 pad of butter on each apple

Optional…sprinkle with walnuts towards the end of cooking

Peel and core apples, and place in Crockpot with water.  Mix together remaining ingredients and fill the center of the apple, sprinkle with cinnamon and add butter. Cook on low for 3-4 hours.  About the last hour I will add nuts.  So easy and so tasty.

It’s time to get to work on my dinner plans now…

Have a blessed Day!

Hugs,

Cindy

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Pumpkin Pie Bites

Another little goodie I ran across that is going to be a MUST MAKE for me this year... you can find a picture tutorial at Bakerella.

2 refrigerated ready-to roll pie crusts
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter
Optional

1/2 cup chocolate morsels
vegetable oil
re-sealable plastic bags

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Use cookie cutter to cut 12 pumpkin shapes from each pie crust. You will need to roll the dough thinner than it comes out of the box.

Press dough shapes into a 24 cup mini muffin tray. (Make 12 at a time, alternating cups to make sure pie crusts don’t overlap each other.)

Apply egg whites from one egg to the top edges of each pie.

Mix cream cheese, sugar, canned pumpkin, remaining 2 eggs, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice together until thoroughly combined.

Spoon mixture into each pumpkin-shaped pie crust.

Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Remove pies to cool and repeat with second pie crust. Place the muffin tray in the freezer to cool it quickly for re-use
Makes 24 pies. Keep refrigerated.

To decorate, melt chocolate in a heat-proof bowl in the microwave on medium. Heat in 30 second intervals, stirring in between until melted. Add a little vegetable oil to make the chocolate more fluid. Transfer to a re-sealable plastic bag and cut the corner off. Drizzle or draw faces on pies.

Note: The cutter I used was 3 3/4 inches wide, but if you don’t have one, don’t worry. Just use a round cutter around that size or slightly smaller to cut circle shapes out of the dough. Then make stems with the scraps. Press each stem over the edge and down the side of the dough before filling.

Pumpkin pie spice is a mixture of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice. Pin It

Easy Scarecrow Cake

From Better Homes and Garden
Autumn party? Serve Scarecrow Cake, and let the kids help decorate it.

Prep Time: 35 min

Total Time: 3 hours 0 min
Makes: 24 servings


1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® cake mix (any flavor)
Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box
1 container (1 lb) Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy vanilla frosting
1 tablespoon chocolate-flavored syrup
1 box (4 oz) waffle ice cream bowls (10 bowls)
1 box (4.5 oz) Betty Crocker® Fruit by the Foot® chewy fruit snack rolls (6 rolls)
1. Heat oven to 350°F (or 325°F for dark or nonstick pan.) Grease 12-cup fluted tube (bundt cake) pan with shortening and lightly flour, or spray with baking spray with flour. Make cake mix as directed on box, using water, oil and eggs. Pour into pan.

2. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour 30 minutes.

3. Place cake on serving plate. Stir together frosting and syrup; reserve 1/4 cup of the frosting. Spread remaining frosting over cake. For straw hat, place 1 waffle bowl upside down in center of cake. Stack 5 more bowls on first bowl.

4. For hair, cut fruit snack into 14 (6-inch) strips and 14 (5-inch) strips. Cut each strip lengthwise to within 1 inch of top of strip. Place one 6-inch and 5-inch strip together, pressing together at uncut ends. Repeat with remaining strips. Randomly press pairs of strips on top of two-thirds of cake, overlapping as needed and allowing strips to hang over side of cake. Spread reserved 1/4 cup frosting over top of hair.

5. For brim of hat, break remaining waffle bowls into 5 or 6 pieces each. Randomly press waffle pieces on top of cake, overlapping and tucking pieces as needed. Allow waffle pieces to hang over side of cake and over fruit snack strips. Cut pieces of remaining fruit snack for eyes and nose; press on cake. Pin It