A Simple Twist of Faith

Game On...

So, today is grocery shopping day for the big Christmas weekend. 

My sister-in-law always hosts Christmas dinner, and she has asked me to bring a dessert, a salad, and rolls. 

Instead of playing it safe, I have decided to take a risk and try some never before tested recipes I have been craving on Pinterest.

"Grown-up" Waldorf salad

Fruit Christmas Tree

Blackberry Pie, my husband's favorite which I NEVER make.

Yeast Rolls

Christmas Eve, we will be going to church, and I just wanted something light and easy. 

Minestrone Soup

Bread Sticks

Easy Antipasto Platter

What are you making for Christmas dinner, for Christmas Eve?

Do you have special traditions or will you be trying something new?

 

Surfer Girl

Bumblebee and I have been busy in the kitchen again.  Today, we baked a birthday cake for one of our friend, Surfer Girl.  We're no professionals, but we were proud of our results.  More importantly, Surfer Girl really enjoyed it. 

Bumblebee hard at work!

What's for Dinner?

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because it is about family, food, and fellowship.  For the past 16 years, Rick and I have hosted the holiday for his family and an occasional friend or two.  We usually have between 10-15 people, and everyone brings something so it is not too overwhelming for one person.

This year, I am planning to make:

Alton Brown's Good Eats Roasted Turkey

Paula Deen's Green Bean Casserole

Barefoot Contessa'sSausage and Herb Stuffing

Mashed Potatoes, courtesy of my FIL and his new bride

Sweet Potato Casserole & yeast rolls, courtesy of my SIL and her husband

Overnight Salad & a relish tray, courtesy of my niece and her husband

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Chocolate Tart

What are your plans for Thanksgiving?

 

Thumbprint Cookies

Last Christmas the girls and I baked our way through my Mom's 1959 Betty Crocker cookbook.  Here is one of the funniest recipes we made, and a tasty one too.  This post was originally published on November 16, 2010.

WOW week seven in our 12 Cookies of Christmas!  These thumbprint cookies are delicious and fun to make.  Perfect size for little hands and appetites.  My girls loved smashing the cookies with their thumbs.  We used strawberry and grape jelly for the filling, and almond for the chopped nuts.  My husband thought these were the best tasting cookies so far. 

Thumbprint Cookies

Mix together thoroughly: 1/2 cup soft butter, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 egg yolk, 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Stir together and stir in: 1 cup sifted GOLD MEDAL Flour, 1/4 tsp. salt

Roll into 1" balls. Dip in slightly beaten egg whites. Roll in finely chopped nuts (3/4 cup). Place about 1"apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake 5 minutes in a 375 degree F oven. Remove from oven. Quickly press thumb gently on top of each cookies. Return to oven and bake 8 minutes longer. Cool. Place in thumbprint a bit of chopped candied fruit, sparkling jelly, or tinted confectioners' sugar icing.

Please join Bridget for 12 Crafts of Christmas over at the Ivey League.  This week she is making jewelry and has a three different projects!

First Place: Chocolate Chip Bars

Second Place: Thumbprint Cookies

Third Place: Russian Tea Cakes

Fourth Place: Finska Kakor

Fifth Place: Pumpkin Cut-Outs

Sixth Place: Gingerbread Men

Seventh Place: Scotch Shortbreads, but a favorite with the over 10 crowd.  Great with coffee!

Pumpkin Cheesecake

This smells as wonderful as it tastes!

38 Ginger Snaps, finely crushed

1/4 cup finely chopped pecans

1/4 butter, melted

4 packages (8 oz) Cream Cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin

1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. vanilla

4 eggs

1 cup thawed COOL WHIP whipped topping

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

 

HEAT oven to 325 degree F

Mix crumbs,nuts, and butter into a food processor, and pulse until completely blended.  Press mixture onto bottom and 1 inch up side of a 9-inch springform pan.  BEAT cream cheese, and sugar with mixer until blended.  Add canned pumpkin, spice, and vanilla; mix well.  Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each.  Pour into springform pan.  BAKE 1 hour 20 minutes or until center is almost set.  Loosen cake from rim of pan, cool before completely removing rim.  Refrigerate at least 4 hours, however I usually make it the night before, it taste better when it sits overnight.  Serve with cool whip and a sprinkling of nutmeg to be fancy.

Cookies of Christmas: Mexican Wedding Cakes

Last year my girls and I  bake our way through my Mom's 1959 Betty Crocker Cookbook.  This year I thought I would share some of our favorite recipes.  This post was originally published November 2, 2010.

This week's selection was actually called "Mexican Wedding Cakes" in our house when I grew up.  My Mom baked them every year for Christmas.  As a girl, I would sit at our kitchen table, roll these little cakes in powdered sugar ,and eat them while they were still warm from the oven.  I LOVED these little cookies with a big glass of milk.  The smell, texture, and taste of these little cakes brought me back to my mother's kitchen with its orange, yellow, and avocado plaid wallpaper and our colonial revival kitchenette set.  Here's the recipe...

Russian Tea Cakes or Mexican Wedding Cakes

 

Christmas Cookie Favorites: Gingerbread Men & Pumpkins

Believe it or not, there are only eight weeks until Christmas. Last year, my blogging buddy,   Bridget, is posting a great weekly series called the 12 Crafts of Christmas.  Frankly, I am not very "crafty", however it inspired me to go through my mother's Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook she received as a wedding present in 1959. Last year, my girls and I baked for 12 weeks and test out some vintage Christmas cookies recipes. 

This year I would like to look back and showcase our favorites:

This post was originally published 10/5/2010

This week we baked gingerbread man using the "Merry Christmas Cookies Dark Dough recipe found on page 201.  Here's the recipe:

Mix together thoroughly:

1/3 cup soft shortening, 1/3 brown sugar, 1 egg, & 2/3 cup molasses.

Sift together and stir in:

2 3/4 cup sifted GOLD MEDAL Flour, 1 tsp. soda, 1 tsp. salt, 2 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. ginger.

Chill dough.  Roll out thick, about 1/4 inch.  Cut into desired shapes. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet.  Bake at 375 degree oven until when touched lightly with finger, no imprint remains, 6-10 minutes, makes about 12 gingerbread men. So far, the four children who eat them this week, said they were yummy.

This post is part the Moms' 30 Minute Blog Challenge and hosted by Jamie at Steady Mom.  

This post was originally published 10/12/2010

So this is week two of our 12 Cookies of Christmas series.  Last week, we baked gingerbread men.  This week we baked pumpkin cut-outs using the Merry Christmas Cookie Light Dough recipe found in my Mother's Betty Crocker Picture cookbook (circa 1959). 

Here's the recipe:

Mix together thoroughly:

1/3 cup soft softening, 1/3 granulated sugar, 1 egg, and 2/3 cup of honey

Sift together and stir in:

2 3/4 cups sifted GOLD MEDAL flour, 1 tsp.soda, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. lemon extract.

Chill dough. Roll out thick(1/4"). Cut into desired shapes. Place 1" apart on lightly greased baking pan.  Bake in a 375 F degree oven about 7-10 minutes until when touched lightly by finger, no imprint remains. When cool, ice and decorate as desired.  We decorated with chocolate chunks while the cookies were still hot to make scary pumpkin faces.  My taste testers, ages 3 and 5, liked the light dough very much.  It has a distinct honey taste with a hint of lemon, a very homey and old-fashioned cookie.  

For great Christmas craft ideas, please visit my friend, Bridget.  This week her kids are making personalized clocks for the grandparents, very cute! 

This post is part of the Moms' 30 Minute Blog Challenge hosted by Jamie at Steady Mom.

A Party? Sure, I'm Reddi!

No Tackle It Tuesday this week, my friends.  We are on a week of Staycation Vacation.  No better way to start our week of relaxation and fun, than a party, especially if the party is at my friend, Carmen's  house.  She hosted a Reddi-Wip Party on Sunday afternoon.  Yes, this girl is smart!

Carmen can COOK, and so can her Mom.  Everything was delicious, Pork BBQ, Ham and Cheese Sliders, and lots of fresh veggies.  Lemonade for the kids, and Fruity Frozen Vodka Slush for the adults.  That slush was VERY good.  Of course, dessert was an ice cream bar with homemade chocolate and caramel sauce, Black Magic Cake, and lots and lots of Reddi-Wip.

For all these great recipes, click here!

My family's favorite Reddi-Wip favor, Chocolate!  I didn't even know they made Reddi-Wip in chocolate.  "It taste like chocolate mousse, " my husband said.  At 15 calories a serving, not that bad at all. 

 

 

Tackle It Tuesday #6: Meal Planning

 

A few weeks ago, I posted a link from Bernice at the Living the Balanced Life talking about using routines to simply your life and improve productivity around     the house.  This summer one areas I have been struggling with is meal planning.  Living in the South, this time of year, my crock pot recipes just don't hit the spot.  All I really want is salad and ice cream!

I needed a little inspiration and organization.  So, for week #6 of Tackle It Tuesday, I decided to revive my meal planning.  Here's what helped me this week:

From life...your way: Home Management Notebook printables which include several different types of forms depending on your organizational style.  Here I found a meal planning sheet, pantry inventory sheet, and shopping list sheet. 

From my wonderful friend, Kristy, who had a wonderful idea to make mornings easier.  At the beginning of the week, make a breakfast casserole that could be reheated on mornings through the week.  This will allow my husband to go to morning Mass, have a hearty breakfast which He loves and not be rushed going to work.  It also leaves me with less clean-up in the kitchen. 

Here's the breakfast casserole recipe:

7 Quick Takes Friday Vol.35

                                       

   1.

May is my favorite month of the year.  I love the feel of the warm sun on my face, I love the smell of fresh-cut flowers in my house, I love the cool evenings and warm days.  There is a sense of hope with everything alive and growing.  In six short weeks we will be taking our summer break, and I am looking forward to it.  In August, it will be hot and humid and I will long for the days of fall.  Right now, I am enjoying strawberry picking, zoo trips, and being outside with the girls.

2.

Because of #1, I haven't done too much blogging lately.  can you tell I have spring fever? 

                                                                                            3.

I have started reading Little House in the Big Woods to my girls, and Ladybug is enthralled with it.  I think it is helping her with a sense of history and the past more than any textbook we covered this year.  The book starts with four year old Laura, and her family storing up food for the long winter in Wisconsin.  As a girl, I loved the "Little House" books and read all of nine of them. When the  television series aired I was disappointed that it did not follow the storyline of the ordinary books.

                                                                                            4.

I have decided to home school my oldest daughter for first grade, and instead of Seton, I will be using materials from Peace Hill Press.  I am still shopping around for a pre-K curriculum program I like, if any of you have suggestions, please share them with me.  For the month of May,Simple Home School is doing a series called Curriculum Fair, where different writers share what materials worked for them. 

                5. 

With the abundance of strawberries, I am looking for a good pound cake recipe.  Does anyone have one to share?

6.

I hope you all have a great weekend, we will be hanging out at our parish's spring-fest, watching the wonderful performances, and jumping in the bouncy house. 

7.

 For more quick takes, click on over to Jennifer's Conversion Diary.  Well, it's time for me to get on the elliptical so I can eat funnel cakes at the spring-fest.