Laura Ingalls Wilder Gingerbread

Letter written by Laura Ingalls Wilder in Oct. 1953.

LAURA'S GINGERBREAD

1 cup brown sugar blended with
1/2 cup lard or other shortening.
1 cup molasses mixed well with this.
2 teaspoons baking soda in 1 cup boiling water
(Be sure cup is full of water after foam is run off into cake mixture).

Mix all well.

To 3 cups of flour have added one teaspoon each of the following spices: ginger, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves; and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sift all into cake mixture and mix well.

Add lastly 2 well-beaten eggs.

The mixture should be quite thin.

Bake in a moderate oven for thirty minutes.

Raisins and, or, candied fruit may be added and a chocolate frosting adds to the goodness.

Source: hbook.com

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Memorial Day Yummies

The one thing about Memorial Day that I remember as a child is the picnics and all the food.  How bout you? Take a look at some of these goodies.

RECIPES

Flag Pop-tarts (to cute)

I think your kids would think your the best, with these little treats.

Ingredients

Pop-Tarts® | Tasty Creations | Celebration Flags
4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
4 Kellogg's® Pop-Tarts® Strawberry toaster pastries
16 fresh red raspberries or 12 medium fresh strawberries
36 fresh blueberries

Directions
1.  In a small bowl stir together cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth.  Spread on top of KELLOGG'S POP-TARTS STRAWBERRY toaster pastries, completely covering tops.
2.  Lengthwise quarter raspberries or halve strawberries and thinly slice.  Arrange 9 blueberries on top left corner of each toaster pastry to make "stars" on flags.  Arrange raspberries or strawberries on top of toaster pastries to make "red stripes" on flags.  Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 12 hours. 

Ice cream (fun for the kids)

In a pint sized zip lock bag combine:
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 Tbs. sugar
Zip the bag closed getting out as much air as possible.
Put the pint size zip lock bag into a gallon zip lock with:
1/3 bag of ice
1/4 cup salt on the ice.
Zip it closed and shake it (the kids love this part) until the ice cream is firm. Cut a corner off the small bag and squeeze the ice cream into a cup or bowl. Top with toppings of your choice.

Dipped Ice Cream Sandwiches

Ingredients

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 tablespoon shortening

4 ice cream sandwiches

Red, white and blue sprinkles

Directions

• Line a baking sheet with waxed paper; set aside. In a microwave or heavy saucepan, melt chocolate and shortening; stir until smooth. Quickly dip ice cream sandwiches partway in melted chocolate; coat chocolate with sprinkles. Place on prepared baking sheet and freeze. Yield: 4 servings.

Peach Lemonade

Ingredients

• 8 cups lemonade
• 2 cans (5-1/2 ounces each) peach nectar or apricot nectar
• 1 cup frozen unsweetened sliced peaches
• Fresh mint sprigs, snapdragons and lemon balm

Directions

• In a 3-qt. glass pitcher, combine the lemonade and nectar; refrigerate until chilled. Just before serving, stir the lemonade mixture; add frozen peach slices. Place mint sprigs along the sides of the pitcher and float the flowers on top of the lemonade. Yield: About 2-1/2 quarts.

Summer Shortcake

Serves 12 to 15

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 8 ounces cold cream cheese, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 3/4 cup buttermilk, plus more for brushing
• Raw sugar or fine sanding sugar, for sprinkling
• 2 pints blueberries
• 2 pints strawberries, hulled (small berries left whole, large berries halved lengthwise)
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 cups (1 pint) heavy cream

Directions

1. Make the biscuits: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a food processor, pulse flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined. Add butter, and pulse until largest pieces are the size of peas. Add cream cheese, and pulse again until largest pieces are the size of peas. Add buttermilk, and pulse until dough comes together. Transfer to a bowl, and gently knead into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rest in the refrigerator at least 1 hour (or overnight).
2. Divide dough in half. Working with one portion at a time on a lightly floured work surface, pat into a disk, then roll into a 10-inch round. Transfer to baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
3. Brush biscuits with buttermilk. Generously sprinkle raw or sanding sugar over tops and sides. Brush off sugar from parchment. Bake until dough has risen slightly and is golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes (if bottoms brown too quickly, reduce temperature to 400 degrees). Leave biscuits on sheets. Using a 2 1/2-inch star cutter, cut out (but do not remove) 7 stars from one biscuit while it is still warm. Let cool.

   

4. Using a paring knife, carefully remove star shapes. Reserve for snacking or another use. (Biscuits can be made up to 8 hours ahead; store on wire racks, and cover loosely with plastic wrap.)
5. Make the filling: Combine blueberries, strawberries, and 2 tablespoons sugar, and let macerate until juicy, 10 minutes.
6. Just before serving, beat cream to medium peaks with remaining tablespoon sugar and the vanilla.
7. Assemble the cake: Place uncut biscuit on a large plate. Spoon half the berries and their juices on top of biscuit, then spread the whipped cream over berries. Top with all but about 1/2 cup berries. (Make sure surface is even; it will support the top biscuit and prevent it from breaking.) Carefully place cutout biscuit on top. Fill star cutouts with reserved berries. Serve immediately, or refrigerate, uncovered, up to 3 hours.

   

If time allows I will try to add some grilling ideas….they would be good for anytime this summer….and remember there is always July 4th right around the corner.

When dining indoors, decorate your table using all your red, white and blue goodies. 

  

You don’t have to spend alot of time decorating for this holiday, however if you are having friends or  family over during this weekend, it serves as a nice reminder of why we celebrate and puts people in a more festive mood. Just a few simple ideas I found while scouring the internet.

Well really should scoot for now.  Have some packing to do as well as a few errands.  Hubby and I along with some friends are heading out to Amish Country tomorrow for a few days, should be home late Sunday night .  If I don’t get back before Monday, hope all has a safe and family fun filled Memorial Day. 

Woo Hoo Summer is here!

Hugs,

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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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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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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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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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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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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

Pie Making season is upon us

so wanted to share a recipe to make a master pie crust. This makes life abit easier around holiday time when you have to make/bake lots of pies. What would Thanksgiving and Christmas be without our pies.

Master Pie Crust Mix

List of Ingredients

6 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. salt
4 tsp. sugar
2 c. shortening

Recipe
Mix all dry ingredients together. Blend in shortening
with pastry blender. When mixture is a pebble consistency,
store it in a covered container in the refrigerator and it
will keep for weeks. When needed, measure out amount needed and mix with enough water to hold dough together. Roll out on
floured board. Makes about 8 cups of mix.

For Single Crust:
8-inch use 1 to 1 1/4 cups mix.
9-inch use 1 1/2 cups mix.
10-inch use 1 3/4 cups mix.
12 tart shells use 2 3/4 cups mix.

For Double Crust:
8-inch use 2 to 2 1/4 cups mix.
9-inch use 2 1/2 cups mix.
10-inch use 2 3/4 cups mix.

Happy Cooking!
Cindy Pin It