Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to one and all!

Taking today and tomorrow off for the holiday, but I'll be back on Tuesday.  Some upcoming highlights for January:

• Two craftivism challenges
• National Hot Tea month
• Chocolate Cake Day
• More Princess Makes It Mondays

Wishing you and yours a blessed, healthy, happy 2012 - see you Tuesday!

Gluten Free Coconut Frosted Brownies

More chocolate today - with a taste of the tropics...

A couple of days ago, this beauty arrived in my inbox from Cookies and Cups.  Mmmmm - coconut.  Mmmmm - cream cheese frosting.  Mmmmm - brownies.  Let's make them gluten free!

SPH Gluten Free Coconut Frosted Brownies
1 Betty Crocker Gluten Free Devil's Food Cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 c. oil
1/2 c. water
***OR***
1 box gluten free brownie mix (brand of choice), made per package directions

1 container Betty Crocker Rich & Creamy Vanilla Frosting
3 oz. cream cheese
3 T. cream of coconut (I used Coco Real brand)
2 T. coconut extract
Coconut MnM's, Almond Joy pieces or shredded coconut to sprinkle on top (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.  Make brownies per package directions OR make cake mix per package directions using ingredient amounts listed above.  Pour batter into greased 9x13 pan.  Bake for 30-35 minutes.  Allow to cool completely.

In mixer bowl, combine frosting, cream cheese, cream of coconut and coconut extract.  Beat until well combined.  Pour over top of cooled brownies.  Sprinkle with goodies as desired.

So, these are absolutely delicious.  Bubba says amazing.  My best suggestion for these is to make the frosting ahead of time and allow it to set for flavor development.  Overnight would be best.

If you are just making them to eat straightaway, they are fine without any of the doodads, but if you are taking these to a party, go ahead and dress them up.

Think warm, beachy, tropical thoughts, and enjoy!
 http://verygoodrecipes.com/chocolate

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

All the fun of cookie dough without the worry of raw eggs!

This recipe was rated one of Taste of Home magazine's Top 100!  It sounded like a fun little bite, so I had to try it gluten free.  A quick taste of a chocolate chip cookies without the wait of baking!

SPH Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles
1 box Betty Crocker GF Cookie Mix
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 t. vanilla (I use Simply Organic brand)
1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (use the kind that says walnut topping - you can find it in the baking aisle)
1 bag Wilton Dark Cocoa Candy Melts (or your choice of chocolate coating)
1 T. shortening (I use coconut oil)

In a large bowl, combine mix and butter until dough looks like coarse meal.  Add vanilla and milk, and stir til well combined.  Stir in walnuts.  Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper on a cookie sheet and place in freezer for an hour.  Melt chocolate coating, and using a bamboo skewer, dip frozen truffles into chocolate.  Place back on waxed paper, and allow to cool and set.  My batch made over 3 dozen.

They are indeed a fun little bite.  Very rich, so your taste for chocolate chip cookies will be satisfied pretty quickly.  If you prefer, you could also try using white chocolate or milk chocolate - they'd still be excellent.  And remember, you can always use chocolate chips if that's what you have on hand.

Another joyful and delightful idea to take along to a party.  Other guests will surely be surprised when they sink their teeth in - enjoy!

A Penny Saved

So, one of the goals for 2012 is to get that budget more under control.  At our house, it's an ongoing mission to find ways to cut expenses, no matter what's going on with the economy.  Maybe this is your goal, too - at least it should be.  All of us can afford to go on a "spending diet".



Here are some ways we use to trim ours:

Shop after the holidays - it's true!  One year Hubby bought a huge box of wrapping paper (like the kind they use on endcaps in the store - FULL of rolls of paper) for $1.  What to buy?  Anything that's red, green, silver and/or gold.  Red and green cover the next two holidays in the spring, and silver and gold are great for any occasion.  Think of how many gold decorations you see in the fall, and silver ones in the winter.  Also, buy next year's ornaments (watch out for anything with a date), garland, craft supplies, etc.  Anything that is actually Christmas themed.  When I worked outside my home, I used to do this for the Secret Santa exchange at the office.  I was able to give my secret pal a gift every day of the exchange this way, and something really nice on the last day for a FRACTION of what I would have spent otherwise.

And you can do that for any holiday - recently I had my eye on these really cute metal turkey baskets at WalMart.  They were $16.99, which isn't bad.  Before Christmas they are on clearance for a whole lot less.  I'm still waiting to see if they have any left after Christmas, and snag one for even cheaper.

Buy on sale and with a coupon - is anyone else addicted to the show "Extreme Couponing" on TLC?  I am always amazed at what these ladies can pull off at the checkout!  It's worth your effort when you can save that much.


An example of both of these:

To put this in perspective, this is my dining room table with the leaf in it.  These items were purchased 12/26/11 at our local Michael's: 40 1" foam brushes (20/$1), 3 packages of silver snowflake mini-ornaments, 1 Christmas ornament that looks like our dog, 1 snowman mug with lid ($1.49), 21 mini loaf pans (50 cents/each), 3 giant Super Savers, 4 regular Super Savers and all those balls of cotton yarn ($1.49/ball).  That really long white thing in front is our receipt.  We purchased only Christmas items, yarn that was on sale, used a coupon ($5 off every $25 you spend) and my teacher discount (15% off entire purchase).

Buy in bulk - anyone with gluten issues who has to shop at Whole Foods TAKE NOTE:  Case lots are 10% off.  Wait for your items to go on sale, then buy them by the case.  Just as good as on sale and with a coupon.  Oh, and WF has coupons on their website, you can get them through MamboSprouts, and at manufacturers' websites.  One time, I got little bottles of juice that my kids like for about half price using the case lot and coupons when the juice went on sale.  You may also be able to find a health food co-op in your area that will allow you to buy in bulk to save money as well.  I buy most of my spices this way.  And my newest trick from another blog I follow - buy vanilla beans in bulk on eBay.  I bought 30 organic beans the other day for the price I pay for one bottle of organic vanilla.  Now I can make my own extract for a fraction of what I'd pay at the store.


I must warn you, however, to be cautious with joining a warehouse club.  Make sure that a) you make space in your house for your items, and b) if you decide to join a warehouse club that your savings will offset the cost of membership. Also, find out if they take coupons, and compare their prices to what's on sale elsewhere.  You may be surprised.

Do the same for your pet(s) - When our little doggy's canned food goes on sale, we buy it by the case.  Even though the pet store doesn't offer case discounts, we still take advantage of the price.  If you use a commercial brand of dog food, look for coupons as well.

Start saving and using jars for packaging - really!  This year I made some mental notes about what left my house in jars.  Most of it was unprocessed (i.e., not boiled in a canner), so I didn't really need the canning jars I put it in.  If I had saved my spaghetti sauce and salsa jars and used those instead, I could have saved over $20.  While that may not sound like much, an extra $5 on your mortgage every month shaves off YEARS of payments over time.  That was 4-months-worth of extra mortgage.

And you can use Pringles (brand) tubes, too - This tip is from a family friend who bakes and ships cookies for gifts.  Only make items that will fit in the tube after they have been rolled in bubble wrap.  Remember the tip I shared with you about using round cutters for baking cookies?  This friend will only use cookie cutters that will make cookies that fit in a Pringles tube.  You'd be amazed at what else fits in one of these babies, too, like t-shirts, socks, scarves.  They are also incredibly easy to wrap.

Stop the little things that are eating holes in your budget - These tend to be things we think we can't live without.  You don't have to live without them, you just have to find a way to do it cheaper.  Start with your morning coffee.  If you don't have a coffee maker, pick one up at a thrift store or on sale (we bought ours for $5 on sale at Walgreen's).  You can buy a bag of organic free trade coffee for the price of 3 deluxe coffees out.  You help your wallet, you help the environment, and you help farmers in developing nations get a good price for their hard work.  You are a superhero!  I usually get 3-4 POTS of coffee from this little bag.  And I double my use for each pot.  Did you know you can do that?  You can use each filterful of grounds twice.  Yes, the second pot will be weaker, so use less water if you need strong coffee.  I usually use my second go as a reheat of the coffee I didn't finish the day before.  Are flavored coffees your thing?  Put cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice in with your grounds.  Make simple syrup and flavor it how you like.  Mocha or white mocha latte?  Add SPH Hot Cocoa Mix or hot white cocoa to a half cup of hot coffee.  Stir and sweeten if desired.  Then fill your cup the rest of the way with milk.  This will help you stick to your diet, too, because you can control the ingredients (no cheating and ordering whole milk instead of skim).

And all those magazines and newspapers?  I used to get 8 magazines a month.  I now only get 2.  That saves us about $100/year on subscriptions alone.  I get them from the library now.  The only 2 I subscribe to are either not carried by the library (which I'm working on), or I need the material in a more timely manner than waiting for the current issue to join circulation.  Of these 2, one will not be renewed this year when it expires.  If you absolutely HAVE TO HAVE your morning news, consider online subscriptions which are free or at least cheaper or going in on a subscription with someone else, maybe a neighbor or co-worker.

By the way, we've actually saved more than that $100 because 3 of the subscriptions were craft magazines. As a crafter with new patterns in my hands, I would frequently be in line at the craft store with fabric for at least 2 quilts, yarn for crocheting and knitting projects, scrapbooking supplies for cards and other papercrafting projects - you get the picture.

Speaking of new patterns, I try to get mine for free on the internet.  I've reached a point where I can find pretty much all the inspiration and patterns for a new project with a quick Google search.  If I can't find what I'm looking for, or I'm making a garment, then I'll pick one up at the fabric store when it's on sale for $1.99 or less.  Every brand carries basic skirts, shorts, and simple dresses.  It's the fabric and details that make them unique.

Wow, that's a lot, but there are even more ways.  Take a look around and see what you can come up with.  Those pennies add up in a hurry!

Guess What Else I'm Doing Today

My personal email got hacked overnight, so I will not only be changing my address, I will be changing all my passwords.  Lots of fun!

Over the next 30 days, my emails will be transferred to the new address, which is nice, because as they roll in, I can edit out more subscriptions, and correct the ones I want to keep.

So, the morning I get up early to get a bunch of work done for Hubby before I start my own stuff, I'm ending up on the computer jumping through hoops because some nut job decided to pick me.

Lovely.

Protect yourself from this nonsense, and change your passwords every 30 days.  When I worked at IBM as a subcontractor, we were required to do so.  I thought I picked a really good password and have used it way too long.  It was something that only a few people would know about me.  Guess what?  Computers can randomly generate passwords, and somebody finally randomly generated mine.  When you create a new password, include numbers and letters.  In fact, try using numbers for letters, like a 4 for an A, a 3 for an E, etc.

So today while your cleaning out your emails and other folders on your computer, CHANGE YOUR PASSWORDS!

Cleaning Up and Cleaning Out

You have to start somewhere, so today I thought we'd start some cleaning in a place you may rarely go...

Your inbox!  Ha!

I am a notorious hanger-onner-of-emails.  Inspiration for projects that will never be done.  Free downloads I will never use.  Photos people send me of my kids and/or my husband.  Yep, that inbox is pretty full.

So I'm going through not only my inbox, but also all those folders I created to help me keep my "wanna save's" organized (no, I never go into any of those folders either).  Things like recipes from 3 (or more) years ago.  Photos.  Card and craft ideas.

And I'm also going to pre-eliminate some emails, too.  If it offers an easy unsubscribe option for those that I don't want or no longer care for, OUT IT GOES!  I figured, by the way, that by eliminating just the emails I don't want to receive, and not having to spend time deleting them, I could save myself about 20 minutes per day.  Now that doesn't seem like a lot, until you figure that it takes me 20 minutes to unload and reload my dishwasher, or completely clean my hallway or most of my bathroom.

Next step will be to download all those photos out of my photo folder on my desktop to disk.  Yes, I still use CDs.  I know you can use a thumb drive and put a lot more on it, BUT YOU CANNOT LABEL IT!  At the end of the day, I'll have a drawer full of those little buggers and no way to know what's on them.  That to me means more added chaos.

Like I said, we have to start somewhere.  The bigger stuff will be coming, don't worry!

Getting Ready for the New Year

We've already talked about a few simple ways to get more organized now to get even more organized for the New Year.  I'd like to talk to you about your resolutions...


Because of where my birthday falls on the calendar, my new year starts about 3 weeks before everyone else's.  My birthday resolutions are usually all blown by Christmas.  Yes, the New Year offers a second chance, but I'm almost always feeling pretty defeated.

Resolution is usually just another way to add a failure to your list.  Really, it's true.  How many of us are off the wagon by the end of the month?  Or even the week?  So why bother...

Instead of making New Year's resolutions this year, make goals.  And be realistic.  Instead of some really gigantic goal like "I will clean and organize my whole house on Saturday", make smaller ones, and set deadlines for yourself.  "I will clean out and organize my closet by Wednesday."  And be sure to cut yourself a break here and there.  Life happens!  Have a backup date, just in case, but only use it in emergencies.  Like a sick relative/kid/pet/self, death in the family, overtime at work.  Make your backup date within 48 hours of your original plan IF POSSIBLE.  Obviously, if you are out of town with a sick relative, that might be out of the question.  Use good judgment.

So I thought I'd share a few of my most current goals as examples:
Finish cleaning and organizing my closet by 12/31
Clean and organize sewing room by 01/15
Clean and organize former office by 01/31
Clean and organize former homeschool area by 02/15

Yes, it's true.  Parts of the Suburban Prairie Home need some serious deep cleaning and reorganizing.  Ok, lots of parts.  Like most of the basement.  You can imagine that things have gotten a little crazy around here!  It's time to get back into gear.  I'll be glad to share with you how I do it and how I'm doing.  We can all be in this together for support and encouragement.

Mint Oreo Snowball Truffles

This delicious recipe from Cookies and Cups came to my inbox, and as soon as I saw it, I knew I had to find a way to make them gluten free.

These truffles are a great no-bake recipe to take along to a New Year's Eve party!

So here we go:
SPH Gluten Free Mint Oreo Snowball Truffles
1 package Glutino Chocolate Sandwich Cookies (they really are the best GF variety - you can use normal Oreos or chocolate or mint Oreos as well)
1/4 tsp. mint extract (omit if using mint Oreos)
green food coloring (omit if using mint Oreos)
1 8-oz. package cream cheese, room temperature and cut into cubes for easier mixing
1 package white Wilton candy melts or 1 pound white chocolate-type candy coating
1 Tbsp. shortening
White jimmies or other decorating doodads (optional)

Place cookies in a ziptop bag.  Place that bag inside another bag (this keeps sharp pieces from poking their way through the bag and leaving crumbs/dust all over your kitchen).  Get out a rolling pin, baseball bat, heavy shoe, etc., and start smashing your cookies.  You can also do this in a food processor, but the crushing process is so much more fun.  Beat cream cheese in mixer bowl until smooth.  Add mint extract and food color, and beat again.  Add cookie crumbs, and stir until well combined.  Use a cookie scooper or spoons and shape into balls.  Place on waxed paper-lined cookie sheet and freeze for an hour.

While they are chilling, start melting your coating.  I use a Wilton melting pot I bought (used a 40% off coupon and a %-off-your purchase coupon - SCORE!), but you can use the double boiler method as well.  Use a glass or metal bowl over a pot of boiling water (be sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water).  You can also use the microwave - takes about 2 minutes, and stir every 30 seconds.

When the hour is up and your coating is all melty, gently insert a bamboo skewer into the top of  the balls and gently swirl it around to coat it.  Help remove the truffle from the coating by lifting it out with a fork.  If needed, use the opposite end of the skewer to smear the coating over the skewer hole.  Place the truffle back on the wax paper carefully.  If desired, while the coating is still "wet", sprinkle with white jimmies or other pretty doodads.

If you make them with red Oreos (or red food coloring and/or red candy coating), they'd be awesome for St. Valentine's Day.  Maybe make them with some cinnamon or strawberry flavoring?  Make them again for St. Patrick's Day.  No Oreos/Oreo-type cookies in the house?  You can substitute any sandwich-type cookie.  I'll bet the half-yellow-half-chocolate ones would work really well.  Use cake crumbs, cookie crumbs or crumbled brownies.  Change the flavored extract.  Change the color of the coating, or use just plain chocolate.  You can use up leftover cream cheese frosting, too, in the cream cheese mixture.  Just be sure that most of the "binding" is cream cheese.  Oh - and what to do with any leftover white chocolate that may have some crumbs in it?  Spread it on aluminum foil - mint Oreo bark!

Enjoy!

 http://verygoodrecipes.com/chocolate

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Some photo highlights of the festivities at the Suburban Prairie Home:
Goodies goodies and more goodies:

Theme trees:

Homemade presents:
Hubby is 6"1" and hates the fact that there are never afghans that will cover him completely.  Princess made this one for him.  This photo is from when she laid out the squares the other day to start stitching them together.  It is now neatly sewn together and has a pretty orange border.

Finished size: roughly 5' x 7'.  And yes, she designed and stitched the whole thing herself with no help from anyone.  And she did it in about 3 weeks.  Pretty amazing, huh?!

Speaking of Princess...

She just rearranged her room recently.  It now has more open floor space - which is good for someone who does projects like afghans.  She also likes doing photography, and frequently shows her photos in our county fair.  When she did her re-do this year, she put all her winning photos in black frames, and made a photo wall.  Several years ago, we repainted her room a very bright yellow.  Like you can see it from space yellow.  You can imagine how "graphic" the black frames look on this wall.  Just wear your mental sunglasses - like I said, the yellow is very bright.

So this year, after seeing all the wonderful ways that other craft bloggers were using fabric to create fabulous design elements, I decided to make something for Princess' room.  I'll post the how-to soon.

I thought the round frames and fabric would soften all the rectangular shapes on the wall, plus they would add an element of whimsy.  Because there is a light, a medium and a dark, she can also choose to use them bring more visual interest to a particular photo.  Oh, and the real kicker - the light fabric has floral shapes that nearly match the floral shapes on the new comforter she bought herself exactly.  Way to go, Mom!

Now don't worry, I didn't forget Bubba!  He and his friends are really into animated characters these days.  In fact, he recently picked out an earflap hat for himself that's Cookie Monster.  And his friends all have those earflap hats with other characters as well.  So, when I've had some free time lately (as in free from kidlets, particularly Bubba), I've been working on this:

 It's a Nyan Cat scarf.  Look him up on Google.  By the way, he is proof that you are what you eat because his body is a strawberry Pop-Tart.  The rainbow behind him is the result of eating Skittles.  What can I say - 12-year-old-boy humor.

Sorry, no how-to or pattern for this one.  I was too busy trying to make the little guy to write anything down.    If you would like to make one for yourself, there are patterns available at Ravelry.com.

No homemade gift for Hubby this year.  Although, I'm sure he'll say he was happy having an amazing Christmas dinner that was safe for all of us to eat, and the fact that our family was together, and everyone had a really good time.

After all, isn't that the best part of Christmas?!

Most Amazing Crock Pot Ham EVER

If you're in a hurry for a Christmas ham, this is simply the most amazing crock pot ham you will ever make or eat. 

Ok, so I'm biased - but I had 5 other biased reviewers tell me it was pretty tasty also...

Anyway, this past week in all the craziness of trying to do holiday things with the kids but still get them

out of the house to make their presents, and cook, and clean, and sleep in there somewhere, I

lost my favorite crock pot ham recipe.  It's true.  I only make ham twice a year, and I only used that

recipe once last Easter.  Now it's gone.  Like it must have gotten into some papers where it shouldn't

have been and it got recycled gone.  So I searched the web for it, but never found it.  Well, not

exactly.  Everything I found seemed to be just different enough that it wasn't what I remembered.  We

will not comment on my memory these days, either.

So I found two that intrigued me, combined them both, and of course, tweaked them a little bit

based on what I had on hand.  Here are the delicious results:

SPH Crock Pot Ham
1 bone in ham, approx. 5-6 pounds (we get ours from a local farmer, so we know it's gluten free)
2 cups brown sugar
3 cups apple cider
1 1/2 cups maple syrup - divided - and use the real stuff, not Aunt Jemima
2 T. pumpkin pie spice
1 T. dried orange peel (I used the kind from a spice jar, but you could also use fresh or homemade)
1 t. ground cloves (feel free to add more if you like to your taste)
1-2 T. vanilla (I just used what was left in my little bottle)

Put brown sugar in bottom of a large crock pot.  It has to be big enough to fit Piggy plus cover his little
self.  Then place ham on top of sugar.  However he fits best works just fine - no need to worry about fat side down. In a small
mixing bowl, combine apple cider, 1 cup maple syrup, pumpkin pie spice, orange peel, cloves and vanilla.  Pour mixture over ham.  Drizzle with remaining 1/2 cup of maple syrup.  Cover, and cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Serve hot, and drizzle with glaze from the
crock pot if desired.

This was quite literally melt-in-your-mouth good!  Plus, it has all the benefits of doing anything in a crock pot.  I know some of the ingredients may not be what you have on hand, but this is one of the few occasions it's worth getting those little extra splurges.

Enjoy, and Merry Christmas!

Twenty Five Treats for the Holidays - Day 24 and Day 25

It's a two-fer today!

I don't want to interfere with your family time over Christmas, so today, we'll do two treats.

First, a treat for the birds in your area and a great project to do with the kids!  Simply string air-popped popcorn, cranberries, dried apples and other dried fruits onto some thread and string on your deck rail or outside tree.  Be sure to put it where the kidlets can see what types of birds visit their "feeder", and if possible, keep a bird guidebook nearby to help identify your visitors.  Children as young as three can actually learn to identify different types of birds, so this is not only fun, but educational, too!  You can also set out containers with unsalted, un-dry-roasted peanuts and bird seed, too.  Maybe leave out some whole, unshelled walnuts for the squirrels?

Now, our second treat is a great surprise on Christmas morning - Red Velvet Pancakes!

SPH Red Velvet Pancakes
1 recipe pancake batter from Pamela's Baking Mix (or use your favorite standby recipe)
SEVERAL drops red food color
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. cocoa powder

Combine all together, and make pancakes.  How simple is that!  If you want, top them with whipped cream and hot fudge (melt some ganache with a little milk or cream until it's the consistency you want), or dust with powdered sugar.  Sliced strawberries would be good with any or all of these as well!

Remember the Reason for the Season is the greatest treat of all!

I wish you and your family the Merriest, Most Blessed Christmas!

Twenty Five Treats for the Holidays - Day 23

Today's treat is a treat to give away.

Today is probably the next-busiest, craziest Friday of the year after Black Friday!  And, I'm sorry to pile one more errand or "to-do list" item on.

Today's treat is to clean out your pantry.  Find canned goods and shelf stable items that are still within their expiration date, and take them to your local food pantry.  Don't have anything extra?  On your way home from work or while you are finishing up those last Christmas errands, pick up a few cans of soup.  Or green beans.  Or Spaghettios.  Every little bit helps.

This summer, when I literally built a community garden from the ground up, our gardeners participated in Plant a Row for the Hungry - a program where gardeners can donate their surplus produce to local food pantries and similar organizations.  When I was working with the food pantry director to coordinate deliveries, I was astonished to learn that 1 in 6 families in my county face hunger issues.  "And we are lucky" she said.  In some places, it's 1 in 3.

To put it in "real terms", when I had some cub scouts out helping one day, I asked them how many kids were in their classes.  Fortunately for me, the highly math-challenged, one of them had 24 kids.  I explained to the boys that meant that 4 kids in that class might go to be hungry every night, or not know when their next meal would be.  One of the moms started to cry "I never realized it was that bad".  It is.  It really is.

So let today's treat be a gift to those less fortunate.  Whatever you can spare.  Every little bit helps.  And tonight, when you say grace over dinner, be grateful you have dinner.  And please, dear Lord, help those who don't.  Amen.

Twenty Five Treats for the Holidays - Day 22

Today's treat is possibly a new tradition!

If you haven't done it already, find out where the really cool Christmas lights display(s) are, bundle the kids up in the car, and go see them.

We have several displays in our area, including both zoos in Chicago.  Every year, for many years, for my birthday, we'd take a trip into Brookfield Zoo, and just admire the lights.  Imagine riding around in the cold, all huddled together, singing Christmas carols with the driver of the tram.  Watching the dolphins do their thing to "Run, Run, Rudolph" by Bryan Adams (and yes, all the moms my age were totally rocking out!).  Bundling and unbundling dozens of times as we went in and out of each animal house.  Seeing the lights in the children's eyes.  And there were so many lights!

We've also visited a neighborhood in a nearby city that does a special light display to commemorate the Nativity.  It's nice to be able to share the Reason for the Season in such an inspiring way!

Such amazing memories - and remember, they are only small once, and they don't stay that way very long!

Give yourself, and your family, the treat of memories today!

Technical Difficulties

So this morning you probably received part of a post about our January Craftivism Challenge.  It is a work in progress that is not scheduled to go out until January 7th.  I was having trouble with the scheduler this morning, so hopefully you weren't too confused!  Thanks for your understanding, and wait til you see the finished product!

Twenty Five Treats for the Holidays - Day 21

A post in TECHNICOLOR - so good it's dangerous!!!

When I was very small, there was a shop in the town we lived in that made popcorn balls.  They were amazing technicolors and flavors.  You could smell the place three doors down, and I'm not kidding, you'd feel like you were floating in on the wonderful aromas!

Now I've also shared how my mom wasn't that great of a cook, but she had a few shining stars in her culinary crown.  Like the butterscotch and my birthday cake, this one didn't come out of the kitchen all that often, but it's a home run!  She actually made popcorn balls because she had asbestos hands.    I don't, so I made it like caramel corn.

SPH Candied Popcorn
6 quarts popped popcorn (see the caramel corn recipe for details about popcorn)
1 c. sugar
1 3 oz. package Jell-o (flavor/color your choice - I used strawberry)
1/2 c. water
1 t. vinegar
2 T. light corn syrup
1 T. butter
1/2 t. salt

Stir the Jell-o into the water.  Combine sugar, Jell-o mixture and vinegar in heavy saucepan.  Boil over medium heat for 5 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients and boil until hard ball stage (260 degrees).  Remove from heat and pour over popcorn.  QUICKLY stir to combine (I used two really big spoons), then spread on waxed paper to cool.

If you want to try plain popcorn balls, omit the Jell-o and follow directions as listed above, except run your hands under cold water and shape into popcorn balls.  You are a very brave soul indeed if you try.  Under no circumstances should you let a child try to make this recipe into popcorn balls!  Cooked sugar is very hot, and sugar burns really REALLY hurt!  Let them watch, but don't go any farther than that!  This is probably a treat that 's good to make while they are at school or a friend's house.  Also, be mindful of any and all dental work - kids with braces, grandparents with bridges, anyone with fillings should ALL be careful.  It WILL be sticky in your mouth.

So adding the Jell-o was my tweak to the family standby.  You could also add vanilla (remember the peppermint syrup recipe?).  The strawberry flavor made these taste like Jolly Ranchers in a really good way.  You can choose what flavor/color you want to make.  I think orange would be pretty tasty, and so would watermelon.  Watermelon Jolly Ranchers were always my favorite.

Store in an airtight container if you have leftovers, or are giving as gifts (be sure to include the dental warning).

Enjoy!

Gluten Free Houska Bread

A long time ago, when Hubby had to drive all over the Chicago area for work, he used to visit this little bakery in Berwyn that makes THE BEST HOUSKA BREAD IN THE KNOWN UNIVERSE!  As time went on, he would only stop in and pick some up if he was in the area, which was less and less often.  And then the gluten-free thing happened...

Fast forward until today...

For Hubby's Christmas present this year, I decided to try to make GF Houska Bread.  The potato rolls were such a success on Thanksgiving, I felt brave, confident, and creative.  Besides, what did I have to lose?

SPH Gluten Free Houska Bread
1 box Gluten Free Pantry (brand) Favorite Sandwich Bread Mix
1 small box Jell-o (brand) vanilla instant pudding mix
1/2 c. sugar
1 t. dried grated orange peel (more or less to taste)
1/2 t. ground mace
1/2 t. ground nutmeg
1/4 c. butter, melted
3 eggs + 1 egg yolk for later
2 c. heavy cream, warmed
GF all purpose flour (I use Gluten Free Pantry brand) - amount may vary
1 c. golden raisins, soaked in orange juice at least overnight, preferably 24 hours and DRAINED WELL
(No OJ?  Use water with a splash of orange extract)
A couple tablespoons of water
Sliced, blanched almonds (optional)
Vanilla frosting in a can (optional)

Preheat oven to 375.  Add bread mix, yeast packet in the bread mix box, pudding mix, orange peel, mace, and nutmeg.  Stir til well combined.  In a separate small bowl, beat butter, eggs and cream together.  Stir into dry ingredients and mix well.  Using dough hook, continue to mix for another 3 minutes.  Add more flour as necessary in small increments until it looks like "real" bread dough.  You'll recognize when it's ready - it will start to get a bit "flaky" like a pie crust only bigger.  Stir in raisins.  Scoop dough into well-greased 9x5 loaf pan.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes.  I set mine on my stovetop while the oven is preheating.

When dough has risen to top of pan, place in preheated oven, and bake for 20 minutes.  While bread is baking, beat together the egg yolk and a few tablespoons of water to make an egg wash.  At the 20 minute mark, brush top of bread with egg wash and sprinkle with sliced almonds if desired.  Allow bread to bake another 15-20 minutes, until it begins to pull away from the sides and sounds hollow when thumped on the bottom.  If the crust starts to get too dark, cover with foil.  When done, remove bread from oven, and glaze gently with vanilla frosting if desired.  We opted against the almonds and just glazed it.  Let bread cool completely before slicing.

The results were AMAZING!  I had almost forgotten how good this bread really is.  One bite and my taste buds said "we recognize this!"  which was of course followed by "mmmmmmmmmm".  Hubby is very pleased with his early Christmas treat!

Start a new tradition at your house - make some houska bread!  Prejeme Vam Vesele Vanoce!

Coupons Dot Com

Just received in my inbox this morning...

Coupons.com has coupons on a bunch of different Pillsbury products.  If you use a lot of name-brand items, signing up for their free service will be worth it for you!  Remember the mantra "on sale and with a coupon"!

On sale and with a coupon!

Check out their site, and hopefully, you'll be able to snag some other coupons, too.

Twenty Five Treats for the Holidays - Day 20

Gluten free cookies - AT LAST!!!!


I have not had a rolled-type cookie for about 2 years.  Seriously.  I have tried making them with one gluten free flour after another - all promises, no successes.  Until today!

SPH Gluten Free Rollout Sugar Cookie Dough
1 9.35-oz. pkg. Breads by Anna (brand) Piecrust Mix
1 c. GF all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling (I use Gluten Free Pantry brand)
1 t. baking powder
3/4 c. butter-flavored Crisco shortening (you can use butter or other spread, but your results may be different)
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla

In a bowl, combine dry ingredients.  In mixer, cream shortening, sugar, eggs and vanilla.  Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture, and mix until well combined.

Place dough on floured wax paper.  Shape with your hands into a rectangle.  Roll away from you (and only in 1 direction) til dough is about 1/4" thick.  Cut with shaped cutters as desired (I recommend shapes that are a bit less fussy, like a Christmas tree - I only used my snowflake because that's what was handy).  Place shapes on parchment lined cookie sheets and bake at 350 degrees for at least 10 minutes, based on size of your cookies.  I made snowflakes and they took about 15 minutes.  Feel free to sprinkle with sugars and other doodads before putting them in the oven.  Add time as necessary, but remove before they start to brown too much around the edges.

This is based on my mom's sugar cookie dough recipe that our family has used for many, many years. Princess has used this recipe for baking cookies for the county fair, and brought home some nice ribbons. I have tried and tried and tried it with every type of gluten free flour, and nothing would work.  Then, it occurred to me - I needed a flour mix that was designed to be rolled.  I'm not that into chemistry to try to figure this out or fix it, so I took some help from the store.  And just a side note here, I received a email recipe for sugar cookies from Living Without, a magazine for those of us with food allergies (gluten in particular), and guess what - they use shortening and a sugar cookie mix as their base, plus a whole lot of other stuff that made simple sugar cookies seem really complicated.

Like I've said before, if you read enough recipes, you start to see similarities.  The base ingredients in sugar cookie dough are the same as pie crust.  The cookies are basically pie crust with sugar, vanilla, eggs, and baking powder.  Gluten free pie crust mix would have a good blend of flours, xanthan gum, and whatever else they would need to use to make a flour mixture that would roll out.  I had my base!

So today, we put it to the test.  The results?  Pretty close to "real" sugar cookies.  Good flavor and texture - no sandiness. They roll really well, just like "regular" cookie dough.  Princess thinks they really should be frosted - I thought they were fine plain, and can't wait to sink my teeth into the few that I sprinkled with just plain sugar.  I'll decorate the rest, more for show than taste, but I'll bet those'll be pretty darn tasty, too.

Now the next step will be to take these beauties to the next level - think all those wonderful ideas from Day 1!  We'll see how they handle Jell-o (which is gluten free, by the way), and spices, and cocoa.  Are you drooling?

If you have friends, family, co-workers, etc. who are gluten free, give this recipe a go, then give some cookie treats to them!

Gluten Free Christmas Dinner Menu & Plan of Attack

I have met many MANY folks lately who are new to the whole gluten free thing.  Your first gluten free holiday is very scary.  Like lying awake for nights on end, please leave the nightlight on scary!  So hopefully, this peek into our home will soothe those fears and give you a bit of confidence in the kitchen this Christmas.  For those of you who aren't gluten free, these ideas may be helpful for you in the future should GF guests be heading your way.

One thing that helped me the most when Hubby faced the GF Forever monster is this simple fact:  meats, fruits, and vegies in their natural state are all GF.  Really.  Those first few days, we ate a LOT of rice, chicken and broccoli.  It's a good thing my kids like broccoli as much as I do.  They ate enough to choke a barnful of elephants!  So if you're not sure even where to begin, start here.  Pass GO.  Collect $200.  Well, not really.

So that's where we start our menu planning.  We make sure to get a GF ham from our CSA farmers.  I use this recipe (I use a teaspoon or 2 of dry mustard instead of the bottled liquid stuff), and put Piggy in the crockpot.  He'll stay warm and comfortable all day and turn out DEEEE-licious!  About an hour before he is ready to make his tableside debut, I make the glaze and pour it over him in the crockpot.  And what do you normally serve with a ham?  Potatoes, of course.  Potatoes are naturally GF.  This year, Princess is contributing Creamy Ranch Potatoes from Stephanie O'Dea's More Make It Fast, Cook It Slow.  We are also doing Vegan Potato Curry.  I took a LIBERAL amount of help from the store for both of these - Simply Potatoes (brand) has potatoes that are diced into nice little cubes.  They come prepackaged with onions.  We will be using those to make our two potato dishes.    Since both dishes require the potatoes to be preboiled, the leftover water will be used to make GF potato rolls with a Gluten Free Pantry Sandwich Bread mix.  Use the potato water instead of the liquid called for on the box, and put roughly equal amounts of bread dough into the cups of a muffin tin.We are making Rachael Ray's Apple and Onion Stuffin Muffins using Udi's bread that's been cut up into cubes and dried in the oven (bake for a few hours at lowest setting on your oven - mine is 170).  On the side, we will have salad from a bag and some steamed California mix vegies, and I'm also taking help from the store by picking up some quinoa salad at the deli counter at Whole Foods.

Now it wouldn't be Christmas without all those wonderful treats, would it?!  The kiddos and I will be making some you've already seen here and a few that will be coming up soon.  If you want INSANE pumpkin pie, pick up gluten free crusts at Whole Foods and use this recipe for the filling.  Use a whole baked sweet potato instead of the ones in the can.  Definitely safer this way, and better for you, too.  The recipe says it makes one pie, but it will fill 2 of the GF crusts. And both whipped cream in a can and Cool-Whip (brand) are GF.

Sure it sounds like a lot, but do yourself a favor, and start with a cooking timeline on a piece of paper.  On the far right side, write down the time you want to serve everything, and work backwards from there to the left.  Bake what can be baked ahead of time, take help from the store for your peeling and chopping if you can.  Use your crockpot.  Use your teenagers and whoever else has hands that can help.  If someone offers, let them help!

Now that you've seen our menu, and I told you all my secrets for pulling this off, here's a snapshot of my timeline:
Friday:
Crockpot - ham, Princess' potatoes
Whole house tidy

Thursday:
Baking - pies, rolls
Cook potatoes for curry, Princess' potatoes - SAVE WATER for rolls
Decorate cookies (recipe tomorrow!!!!)

Wednesday:
Whole Foods
Crocheting
Baking - cookies, chex mix, garbanzo beans
Chocolate dipped graham crackers (Use Smorables brand)

Tuesday:
Finish any upstairs cleaning
Downstairs tidy up
Sewing
Crocheting

I'll let ya go now - hopefully feeling encouraged and with a "can-do" attitude and some really great recipes.  I know it's hard, but hang in there.  Don't expect perfection, and give yourself room to make mistakes.  It's ok.  Your family loves you anyway.  And so do I.  Just breathe.  It'll be ok.  No, it will be AWESOME and AMAZING and BETTER THAN YOU EXPECT!

Twenty Five Days of Treats - Day 19 and Princess Makes It Monday

Something fun and snacky - great for parties, for eating while watching It's a Wonderful Life, or for putting in jars to give to friends.

This holiday favorite has been around for years.  The good news is, now you can have it AND eat gluten free, too!  Our recipe is based on a recipe on the side of the Rice Chex box.

SPH Chex Mix
9 x 13 pan
Fill it about 1/3 full with Rice Chex, 1/3 full with Corn Chex, and add hefty dashes of pretzels (I use Glutino brand), peanuts - whatever else you like in your Chex Mix.

1 stick butter, melted
@1 T-ish chili powder
@1 t-ish garlic powder

Stir together, then pour over items in pan.  Stir gently to coat.  Bake at 250 for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Now, my favorite add-on here is popcorn.  Yep, just plain buttered popcorn.  Add it to the Chex Mix AFTER everything else has baked.  It kind of tempers the spiciness.  Sadly, I was overruled when making this today :( .

Anyway, try it yourself - it's addictive!

Twenty Five Treats for the Holidays - Day 18

A House Beautiful recipe!

So it's one of my favorite magazines.  I get all kinds of inspiration from how the designers use color and pattern.  My imagination tries to work rugs into afghans or quilts.  Painted objects dance merrily around my head and I wonder how soon I can take a trip to the thrift store to hopefully find something to work over.  And of course, my imagination is really good at creating extra time that doesn't really exist!

Today's take home from the library was the October 2010 issue.  In the back was a cupcake recipe from Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa.  Her recipe is on page 89.  You know what I was doing when I was reading the recipe!

Here's the SPH version...

SPH Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Frosting
1 yellow cake mix or pumpkin cake mix (I had Simply Organic gluten free on hand)
2 t. pumpkin pie spice (omit if using pumpkin cake mix)
2 eggs
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 c. pumpkin puree (NOT pie filling - omit if using pumpkin cake mix)
1/2 c. vegetable oil

Maple Frosting
1 can vanilla frosting
3 oz. bar of cream cheese, at room temperature, cut into small cubes for easier beating
2 T. maple syrup

Chopped Heath Bars for garnish (you can buy them as "bits" in the baking aisle so no chopping needed - unless you had a really bad day and need to spend some time hammering away on a few innocent candy bars with a rolling pin and a ziptop bag)
Chopped pecans or walnuts, also for garnish

How simple, yet elegant, can these be?!  Make the cake mix according to package directions, using measurements given above for special additions.  Line a muffin tin with cupcake papers, fill the cups half-full, then bake at 350 according to the package.  Allow cupcakes to cool (i.e., don't let husbands and/or children sneak any while they are still hot).

For frosting, while your cupcakes are cooling and hopefully not disappearing out from under you, empty contents of frosting container and cream cheese into bowl of a mixer.  Beat until well combined and fluffy.  Beat in maple syrup.  Spread over top of remaining cooled cupcakes.  Sprinkle with Heath bits and walnuts/pecans.  Or not.  You choose.

These were Ina's suggestion as a pumpkin dessert to use instead of pumpkin pie.  What a great idea!  Now you can have them as a dessert with all the wow-factor and half the effort.

Enjoy!

Twenty Five Days of Treats for the Holidays - Day 17

Today is my uncle's birthday, and in his honor, here is a treat my mom used to make for him.


And no, I would never touch this recipe in a million years!  It is FAR superior to anything you'd ever buy, and it's worth the time it takes to make it.  Let me add this:  You will be working with a hot candy-like product, and sugar burns really REALLY hurt because the sugar continues cooking on your skin.  Gross, I know, but true.  Please be careful, especially if you have little ones on hand or under foot!  So on to the recipe!

SPH Caramel Corn
5 quarts popped popcorn
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
1 t. cream of tartar
1 t. baking soda

Use airpopped popcorn if you can, or use PLAIN microwave popcorn.  You can also use "regular" pan popped popcorn, but because of the oil on it, the caramel doesn't stick so well.  Pour your popcorn into a large baking pan, like a roaster. 

Be sure to use a big pan!  Mix and bring to a boil:  syrup, butter, sugar, and cream of tartar.  Cook 5 minutes after starting to boil, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and add baking soda, mix well (it WILL FOAM UP).

Pour over popcorn and stir to cover well.  Place in a 200 degree oven, and bake for 1 hour.  Stir every 15 minutes.  Pour onto waxed paper and separate.  Store in an airtight container.

I can promise you, it won't stay on the waxed paper very long!  This is a great treat to put in a jar and pass on - no matter what the occasion!

Twenty Five Days of Treats for the Holidays - Day 16

This was my mom's signature "take-along" dish for Thanksgiving and Christmas - a recipe that's sure to become yours, too!


So, as this became mine to make after my mom passed away, I added my own tweaks (of course, right?).  Here's the recipe.

SPH Cranberry Salad
2 12-oz. bags cranberries, frozen
1 8 oz. package frozen strawberries
1 c. powdered sugar
1/2 bag plain white mini marshmallows
1 20-oz. can crushed pineapple in juice (do NOT drain)
4 bananas, cut into small pieces
1 8 oz. container Cool Whip (brand)

Chop frozen berries in food processor.  Yes, they actually chop better frozen.  They won't become moosh or puree.  Add berries to large bowl.  Add powdered sugar, marshmallows, and remaining fruit.  Fold in Cool Whip.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.  Give everything a good stir just before serving.

I used to eat this for breakfast the day after Thanksgiving and for a few days after Christmas.  It is really sweet and yummy.  The acid in the pineapple really complements the cranberries.  Also, the strawberries are my addition.  They are just the right balance of sweet and tart - like a bridge between the other ingredients.  My mom also made her own DreamWhip - do they even make that stuff any more?  Cool Whip (or it's generic counterparts) are readily available, and already made - take some help from the store!  Feel ambitious or in touch with your inner Julia Child?  Make your own sweetened whipped cream.  Me?  I'll stick with the tub.

So I also have to tell you we used to snip regular marshmallows with scissors.  Really.  When the scissors got gooey, we dipped them in a glass of water.  We also used to beat the DreamWhip with a handheld egg beater.  Really.  That's on top of quartering and slicing the bananas.  Now you know why I'll gladly use anything premade if I can!

From the family cookbook my mom put together one year:
"Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Happy Easter, Love, Mom"

Twenty Five Days of Treats for the Holidays - Day 15

So yesterday, I posted about those delicious peppermint snowflake cookies.  Today, it's a similar theme.


I told you how I realized that I hadn't gotten to my Christmas baking yet, and here it was, THE NIGHT that I always send a platter of treats.  After a frantic dash to the store (I will NEVER admit how fast I was driving!), I came home with my most trusty of trusteds, which we talked about before.  If you play your cards right, you can actually bake 14 dozen cookies in 2 1/2 hours.  Sounds like a lot, right!  Well, each tube of dough yields about 3 dozen (and usually then some) cookies, and each package of break and bakes makes 2 dozen.  All I can say at the end of all that, I was thankful I had my coffee!

Oh, and by the way, all the dough and bnb's were on sale and I used a coupon.  Hubs would be so proud!

I was really in a pinch because I had already made Cinnamon Mocha Cookies from Day One, and didn't want just plain spice. What to do, what to do!  Anyway, in my rushing around, I made a combination that I didn't use on Day One, that I thought I'd share with you.  Princess said they taste like Dreamsicles with a pumpkin pie finish.

SPH Orange Spice Cookies
1 tube sugar cookie dough
1 T. orange extract (I make my own)
1 t. pumpkin pie spice (I'd use more next time - adjust to your taste)
2 t. dried orange peel
orange food color (or red and yellow, that's what I did)
1/2 can white frosting
more food coloring
another tablespoon orange extract

So this is a double whammy of a recipe because you are taking two very basic items, and making them completely your own.  Basically, all you have to do is mix the dough with the extract, spice, peel and food color.  Scoop with spoons or cookie scooper onto a parchment lined cookie sheet, and bake at 350 for about 10-12 minutes.  While they are baking, combine frosting, food color and extract.  Allow cookies to cool and flatten out (you'll see what I mean when you bake these), then spoon little bits of frosting on top.  Swirl with spoon or offset spatula.

The brightness of the orange really offset the other flavors of the cookies on the tray.  I heard they were all delicious, and was asked for the recipes.  How's that!  I also included the Apricot Coconut Balls, the last few pieces of butterscotch, and tomorrow's treat.

Twenty Five Days of Treats for the Holidays - Day 14

Today we're taking a lot of help from the Doughboy!

So, the other day, I realized that I had an event in the evening, and I usually bring Christmas cookies to the party.  Except that I hadn't done any of my baking yet.  And it was 8:30 in the morning.  And the cookies needed to be delivered by 5:00 pm.  Wow - no pressure!

So, I went to my old standbys - break and bakes, sugar cookie dough in a tube. While I was picking up the tubes of sugar cookies, these beauties caught my eye.  They spoke to me "We are JUST what you need tonight!"  I couldn't agree more.  But what to do with them to make them more "homemade"?  Easy!

So all you need is one of these, and some powdered sugar.  Yep, that's it.  Scoop dough out of the tube with a cookie scooper or a spoon, roll it into a ball in some powdered sugar.  Bake on a parchment lined sheet, for about 15 minutes, and voila!  Peppermint snowflake cookies.  After they cool, dust with more powdered sugar.

Thank you, Doughboy, for doing all the heavy lifting for me in my time of need - you are AMAZING! (to which he replied "hnnn hnnnn" in his cute little giggly way {smile} ).

And, by the way, if you're not as pressed for time as I was, you can mix this dough with 1/2 cup cocoa powder for chocolate peppermint cookies.  Maybe throw in a few chocolate chips, too, for good measure.  Just a thought - you know me and my tweaks!

Twenty Five Days of Treats - Day 13

Ok, so more baking and more chocolate (like more chocolate could ever be bad).  This is a recipe we've baked in my family for years, and I'm going to show you how to make it even easier!

SPH Chocolate Crinkles
1 Brownie Mix (get the kind you bake, not the kind you microwave - also GF mixes work just as well), made according to package directions, plus 1 c all purpose flour(again, GF works just as well)

Powdered sugar for dusting

After you have mixed the brownie mix, flour, eggs, etc. together, use a cookie scooper or 2 spoons, and shape mixture into balls.  Roll in powdered sugar, then set on parchment lined cookie sheet (or grease your cookie sheet), about 2" apart, and bake at 350 for about 10-12 minutes.

These became a huge family hit the minute my mom found the recipe, and it was included in our family's cookie bake for many years after that.  Her original recipe is much longer and more involved.  Who has time for that?!

When you've been baking cookies, brownies, etc. most of your life, you learn to recognize certain "bases" - like "oh, that's just a recipe for chocolate chip cookies, but you add..."  (see Day 1 and Day 2).  Like oatmeal cookies are just chocolate chip cookies with oatmeal and raisins instead of the chips (you can still keep in the chips if you like - I do).  So this recipe was a no-brainer - it's basically brownies rolled in powdered sugar.  It just needed a little stiffening up (it always did in my opinion), so add some more flour.

GOOPY ALERT!  When you make these, no matter how hard you try, you will be wearing chocolate cookie dough and powdered sugar.  DO NOT ATTEMPT TO MAKE IN YOUR LITTLE BLACK DRESS BEFORE LEAVING FOR A CHRISTMAS PARTY!

Some other tweaks - the now-usual suspects:  peppermint, cinnamon, orange zest.  You know the routine by now.  You can even add some mini chocolate chips.  Also, a tip that my mom used:  when the cookies are cooled and set, but still a little warm, place them in a brown paper lunch bag with some more powdered sugar and shake GENTLY.  This makes them look even more "snowy".

Twenty Five Days of Treats - Day 12 - and Giveaway Winner!

So today's treat is BIRTHDAY CAKE!!!!  Yep, my favorite birthday cake from when I was growing up.  It was one of the few things my mom made that was amazing (remember the butterscotch story?). This recipe was actually handed down from my great-grandmother, and it really is fantastic.

Edna Pearl's Red Devils Food Cake
2 c. flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
2 eggs, beaten stiff as whipped cream
3 oz. baking chocolate, melted
3/4 c. buttermilk, or soured milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 c. boiling water

Preheat oven to 350.  If you don't have buttermilk on hand, you can make your own "soured milk" by adding 1 tablespoon vinegar to 1 cup milk.  Allow milk to stand on top of your stove while your oven preheats (speeds up the process and makes the milk REALLY nice and thick).

In large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients.  Cream shortening and sugar, and slowly add beaten eggs.  Stir in melted chocolate.  Combine milk and vanilla.  Add milk mixture and dry ingredients alternately to chocolate mixture.  Then slowly add boiling water.

Bake in well-greased layer pans for 45 minutes.

Cool, then frost.  Allow to stand for 2 hours for color to develop.

If baked in a 9x13 pan, bake for 25-30 minutes.  Ten minutes before done, sprinkle with sugar and finish baking.  Top has a crispy crust and does not need to be frosted.

So obviously, I can't have this exact recipe any more. Here's how I've adapted it to make it safe:

SPH Chocolate Cake
1 box Betty Crocker (brand) Gluten Free Devil's Food Cake Mix OR Gluten Free Pantry (brand) Decadent Chocolate Cake mix
2 eggs, well beaten
1 T vanilla
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup buttermilk

Combine all ingredients in mixer bowl, beating until smooth.  Bake in greased layer cake pans according to package directions.

And this is the ultimate frosting!

Fluffy White (aka Gooey) Frosting
1 egg white, chilled
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. boiling water
1/4 t. cream of tartar


Combine egg white, sugar and cream of tartar in a mixer bowl.  Begin beating in boiling water.  Continue beating until very thick and fluffy.  Think egg whites with stiff peaks because this is a glorified meringue.  This recipe frosts two 9" layers.

After your cake layers have cooled, frost them with the Gooey Frosting.  If you'd like something a bit more Christmas-y, sprinkle the frosting with colored sugar.  If you have the silver sugar, the cake would look very snowy.  Even just plain, the frosting tends to look like snowdrifts.  My mom used to use a spoon and make little peaks all over the cake.  I chose not to - I was hungry!

No matter how you do it - this is the BEST birthday cake ever!

 ***GIVEAWAY IS EXPIRED***

And now on to our Giveaway WINNER!!! Congrats to Emily!  The "magic number" from random.org was 2.
Please email me at the address in the sidebar with your mailing address, and I will get these beauties shipped out to you ASAP!  Thank you all so much for your wonderful encouraging comments, and for liking and tweeting about me and the giveaway!  I am so grateful to be so blessed!

Twenty Five Days of Treats - Day 11

Today's treat isn't really candy, and it's definitely not a cookie.  Someone in my family used to call these kinds of confections "sweet nothings" - can't exactly remember who it was, but I love the name!  I would describe the flavor as sweet and rich and bright, a bit surprising...

SPH Apricot Coconut Balls
1 17-oz. pkg dried apricots
2 14-oz (BY WEIGHT) cans SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK (not EVAPORATED MILK)
@7 oz. shredded coconut (you can choose either sweetened or unsweetened - mine was sweetened)
Powdered sugar for rolling

Combine the apricots and SCM in the bowl of a food processor (I used my VitaMix).  Pulse until apricots are chopped fine and well combined with SCM.  Pour mixture into a bowl.  Stir in coconut.  Shape into balls (I use a cookie scooper), then roll in powdered sugar.  Let stand until firm (I put them in a deep container and cover with a dishcloth overnight).  Store in an airtight container with wax paper between layers.

Some helpful tips:  Whenever you use powdered sugar, it will go everywhere.  Embrace its sense of freedom, and just have the vacuum handy.  Wear something you don't mind washing.  Not only will you have powdered sugar on you, you will get sticky.  It's true.  No matter what you do to prevent it.  Use a spoon with the cookie scooper to get less sticky, and use a spoon in the bowl of powdered sugar to get less sugary.

These are an unusual treat - like I said, sweet and rich from the condensed milk and coconut, and bright from the tartness in the apricot.  These would be wonderful dessert after a really rich meal - just one or two to cleanse your palate.  Also, a great gift for friends or family who are gluten free.

Sign up for the giveaway ends tonight at 11:59 PM CST!

Enjoy!

Twenty Five Days of Treats - Day 10

This is a treat for you - just you.  You deserve it.

By now, the office holiday parties have started in full swing.  And maybe, tonight, you need to look your absolute best.  So here's a little spa-type treat, easy to make with ingredients you probably have on hand.

SPH Honey Cornmeal Mask and Scrub
1/4 c. cornmeal (you can use polenta if that's what you have in the pantry - it's the same thing)
1 T. honey
a little water, if necessary

Mix it all together into a paste.  Spread on your face and lie down with a towel over your pillow.  Rest for 10-20 minutes.  Wash off in the shower, being careful not to get it into your eyes.  Use the rest as a body scrub while you are in there.  Also, be sure to RINSE YOUR TUB WELL when you get out.

Honey is a natural humectant, which means it helps hydrate your skin.  Who doesn't need that kind of help in the dry winter air?!  Plus, that little something extra for yourself puts a spring in your step, and make you feel "brighter".

Enjoy!

P.S.  Giveaway ends soon - enter here!

Rit Dye Giveaway

Positively Splendid {Crafts, Sewing, Recipes and Home Decor}: Rit Dye Giveaway!!

This AWESOME giveaway is going on over at Positively Splendid - one of the blogs I follow.  Can you imagine -EVERY color of Rit Dye to play with!  Now I know what I want for my birthday!

I would loooooooove to try to dye some fabric and yarn in a thrifted crockpot...

I could color on some wooden embroidery hoops...

Oh, the ideas are floating in fast and furious - it's a good thing I had some coffee with homemade peppermint syrup today!

If you are as inspired as I am, head on over, and enter!

And if you haven't already - be sure to enter the giveaway on Day 5!

Twenty Five Days of Treats - Day 9

More yumminess in a cup!


About 6 weeks ago, I was out shopping with a kiddo at lunchtime, and of course, we hit the Golden Arches.  It was close, and we were hungry.  Well, the only thing I've found on their menu that does not disturb the "Gluten Gods" is a mocha.  On their board was a peppermint mocha.  "Ooooooh - sounds so good" says that little voice in my head. So I listened and ordered and didn't live to regret it.

But then, The Cheapskate in my head started piping up about how I could make an entire pot of organic free trade coffee for the price of one mocha, and how I could make the syrup myself as well.  So I had to listen to that voice as well.  Here are the results:

SPH Peppermint Syrup
2 c. sugar (I use organic Florida Crystals)
1 c. water
1 t. peppermint extract (I use either McCormick brand or Simply Organic or Frontier)

Place sugar and water in a heavy saucepan.  Bring to a bubble over medium high heat.  As soon as it starts to bubble, add extract.  Allow to bubble until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (it will look like thin pancake syrup).  Pour into jars with tight fitting lids.

As is, this will keep a month on a countertop.  If you want to, you can put the syrup in canning jars and do the boiling water process business, and let it boil for 15 minutes.  Now, it will keep for up to 6 months.  For a gift, you can put it into bottles that have corks.  Be sure to decorate the bottle nicely.

Add to coffee, pour over ice cream - just ENJOY!

And when you're done, leave comments on Day 5 so you can enter the giveaway!

It's a Party at Creative Princess

Just posted an item for the linky party at Creative Princess.  You'll have to go over there to see what I chose!  Just click the button in the side bar.

Also, visit the blog hop to get more holiday inspiration!

And... don't forget to leave comments on Day 5 to enter the giveaway!

Twenty Five Days of Treats - Day 8

MORE CHOCOLATE!!!! Like it's a bad thing...



Ok, I've hinted about how easy it is to make ganache during the massive cookie inspiration days (link), and just a few days ago (link), we started a simple candy recipe when we made butterscotch.  So here it is - GANACHE!

I know - such a fancy word.  Basically, it's hot fudge sauce.  Really.  I would not lie about anything, but especially about CHOCOLATE!  You just need equal parts chocolate of some kind and cream.  Yes, the real stuff.  Heavy cream.  I have used chocolate chips and bars of chocolate.  Make your ganache as mild or dark as you like.  Use white chocolate if you want.  Same process.  See, no pressure!

To make ganache, use a double boiler over boiling water.  Simply melt the chocolate into the cream until it makes a smooth sauce.  You may actually break a sweat, depending on how hot the weather is while you're working in the steam, but otherwise easy peasy.  Don't have a fancy double boiler?  Use a glass bowl over a heavy saucepan.  Don't have that either?  Use your microwave.  It takes about 2 minutes, and you need to stir every 30 seconds.  Need it thinner?  Add more cream.  A few tablespoons at a time, then check consistency.

You can use it for frosting, for filling in between cookies, pour it over ice cream.  Spoon it into your coffee (guilty as charged).  Let it set like fudge, then put squares - no, not in your mouth! - into the bottom of a mug and cover with hot milk to make "gourmet" hot chocolate.  Speaking of gourmet, when the chocolate and cream have combined, add a teaspoon of your favorite extract - orange, cinnamon and peppermint work well.  You can also decrease the cream by a tablespoon or two and use strong coffee to make mocha ganache.  Combine the coffee with the extract if desired.  Hey, whoever told you not to play with your food was wrong - dead wrong!  Be creative and have some fun!

Pour it into jars and share it with friends, neighbors, and your mail carrier.  If not eaten immediately, it's good for a week in the fridge.  I doubt it will make it that long.

By the way, did you leave comments on Day 5 to enter the giveaway yet?

So indulge in some chocolatey goodness today!

A Couple Reminders

Just wanted everyone to remember a couple things:

1) Click the button to visit the blog hop. Then, once you're there, click the images below the post to visit all the participating blogs. Be sure to leave some blog love!

2)Entries for the giveaway continue.  Be sure to enter as many ways as you are able so you have a better chance of winning!  Then, leave a comment on Day 5 for each of the ways.  For example, if you subscribe or follow SPH, leave a comment that says so.  If you go to Facebook and like SPH, leave a comment.  If you post on FB about the giveaway, leave a comment.  Leave a comment that says your favorite cookie idea from Day 1.  Following on Twitter?  Comment.  Tweet about the giveaway - comment.  You get the picture!  You can leave up to 8 comments!  That's 8 chances to win!  You can enter up until 11:59 pm on Sunday, and I will choose the winner on Monday.  By the way, to ensure you get your prize in time for Christmas, I will be mailing it out on Tuesday.

Happy Wednesday!

Twenty Five Days of Treats - Day 7

Here's a warm treat today - to make for yourself, for your kids and with your kids, or to give away.  This is my signature recipe for hot cocoa mix.  So good, no need to add marshmallows!

SPH Hot Cocoa Mix
2 c. non-fat dry milk powder
1 c. plain non-dairy creamer
1 c. French Vanilla non-dairy creamer (I use Coffeemate Brand)
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/2 c. granulated (white) sugar
1 c. cocoa powder

Combine all ingredients in a 1-gallon ziptop bag.  Seal TIGHTLY!  Squish and mix until well combined.  Empty contents into containers of choice - a single batch will fill a wide-mouth quart-size jar (just tap the jar on a hard surface occasionally).  To make hot cocoa - Fill your favorite mug about 1/3-1/2 full.  Add hot water or milk and stir to combine.  Enjoy!

Ok, so bring on the tweaks, right?!  If you are someone who doesn't do dairy, omit the non-fat milk powder.  I've made it this way many times (because I was out of milk powder), and it still works.  For a real treat, omit the cocoa, and have hot white chocolate.  My kids and especially my hubby absolutely LOVE hot white cocoa!  Also, think cinnamon and peppermint.  Want mocha?  Add 1/2 cup instant coffee to the original mix.  Then, think cinnamon and peppermint again.  Mmmmmm.

So get the kiddos involved - let them help measure and squish.  This is the best kind of science (chemistry - mixing different components to make something else, also what happens to a solution when you add heat) and math (measuring). Then, let them enjoy the fruits of their labors!  This recipe is easily doubled (use a 2-gallon bag), and can be portioned into smaller jars.  Another great teacher-scout-leader-coach gift, just add decorations and directions to the jars.

By the way, don't forget to leave comments on Day 5 to sign up for the giveaway!

Have fun, and enjoy!

We've Been Invited...

to participate in a Blog Hop!

Visit the link above and check out all the amazing ideas you can link to. Be sure to leave some blog love!

Twenty Five Days of Treats - Day 6

So today's treat is a gift to give or for yourself:  The Best Basic Bath Salts EVER!  They are made from simple, inexpensive ingredients, and you can jazz them up if you'd like, or not.  This is a great teacher, scout leader, in-law gift.
SPH Bath Salts
1 part each:
Kosher Salt
Epsom Salt
Sea Salt
Baking Soda

Put all ingredients in a ziptop bag and squish til combined.  Yep.  It's really that simple.  To that you can add fragrance or essential oils as desired.  Use your nose to measure the amount.  Start with about 1 teaspoon per cup of finished bath salt mixture, then go up from there.  You can also color them with soap coloring (available online and at craft stores).  Be sure to use fragrances and colors that are for soaps, though.  Do not use candle colors or fragrances.  Keep in an airtight container, and it is supposed to last a good long time. I've never had a storage problem because I use mine up pretty quickly!

So you're probably asking "why so many types of salt?"  Each of these salts brings something different (i.e. minerals) to the table.  Epsom salts, for example, add magnesium, which is a natural muscle relaxer.  Sea salts bring trace minerals as well.  The baking soda helps make your skin silky soft.

Want some real indulgence?  Add 2 parts dried milk powder.  Now you've got milk bath.

For a gift, put mixture in a jar (like a Mason jar) with a tight fitting lid.  You can find these jars super-el-cheapo at a thrift store in unusual shapes and sizes.  Decorate the outside with scrapbooking paper, ribbons, whatever you'd like.  Add a tag that says:  "Add about 1 cup to a nice warm bath.  Soak and enjoy!  Rinse well after your bath."

Be sure to make and keep some for yourself!  Enjoy!

Twenty Five Days of Treats - Day 5

Homemade Butterscotch - AND A GIVEAWAY!


My mom was a terrible cook.  Like it's a miracle I didn't die of malnutrition.  There are lots of reasons for this, which I won't go into now.  However...

She made THE MOST WONDERFUL homemade butterscotch candy.  She hardly ever made it, so it was a real treat for us.  Here's her recipe:

Doesn't it look pretty on my great-grandmother's platter?!  Trust me - it's as good as it looks!

Butterscotch
1 c. light corn syrup
1/2 c. sugar
1 T.  butter
1 T. vinegar

Combine all ingredients in a heavy saucpan over medium heat.  Boil until brittle when dropped in cold water (300 degrees on a candy thermometer - hard crack stage).  Pour onto well-buttered platter.  Let set a few minutes, then score with a knife.

Don't be intimidated by candy making.  If you can boil water and read a thermometer, you can make this recipe.  Be sure to stir constantly.  This redistributes the heat among all the ingredients.  It will take about 10 minutes to get to the 300 degree mark, so be patient. Also, remove the pan from heat THE EXACT MINUTE the thermometer hits 300 degrees.   I give mine a few good stirs after that point, then pour onto the platter.  And speaking of the platter, line the inside of a 9" square pan with foil.  Well buttered means just that - you should be able to see the butter easily.  I use 2 tablespoons of butter, and schmear it all around with a paper towel.    After your candy has cooled, you can pull off the candy and snap it into pieces, and THEN serve it on your grat-grandmother's platter.  The "few minutes" to score is actually like a minute.  Have that knife ready to rock and roll, and mark as deep as the cooling candy will let you.  Don't be afraid to push on it.

So while you are enjoying your homemade candy, here are the details for the giveaway!

In honor of my birthday, I will be giving one of my lucky readers a gift - a 6-pack of handmade dishcloths.  These were all made by yours truly.

You can use them for yourself, or to give away. As you can see, they are beautiful wintry colors, and inlcude 2 knit cloths, 3 crochet cloths, and 1 knit snowflake cloth. To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment saying which of the cookie ideas from Day One was your favorite.  For extra entries (totally optional): Please make sure to come back and leave a separate comment for each entry. Eight entries max (leaving a comment plus the 7 options below).

1. Become a Suburban Prairie Homemaker subscriber, OR if you already follow, leave a comment that says so.
2. Like Suburban Prairie Homemaker on Facebook - if you already do, please leave comment that says so.
3. Share the giveaway on your Facebook page.
4. Follow @sphomemaker on Twitter.
5. Tweet about the giveaway.
6. Link back to this post on your blog, or mention the giveaway in a blog post.
7. Refer a friend (please have your friend mention that they were referred by you).

Then on December 12th (which is my birthday), I will use random.org to select a winner from the number of comments, and give the lucky reader a present!  YAY!