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The Budget Gourmet: Mac 'n Cheeseburger Casserole

The end of the month always brings us an empty fridge with bits and pieces of leftovers - a half can of diced tomatoes, a few veggies that aren't enough of a serving on their own etc. We budget for the month and try to hold out doing our big shopping until the first when we head to Costo and go crazy. Feast or famine.

I love making this casserole at times like this. It is good for so many reasons: you can throw almost anything but the kitchen  sink in it and it still tastes great; it takes care of those odd bits of veggies languishing in your fridge; it is cheap to make and satisfying, and it disguises veggies so well even the pickiest kids will eat it up.

The recipe is from Campbell's Soup. I found it in a magazine last January, made it and loved it but feared the recipe was lost forever after one of my cleaning frenzies. I hunted it down - it is from a Canadian cook booklet.

I will post the recipe as is, but I do make changes: I hate the starchy, pasty taste of food with dry pasta cooked in so I cook the pasta half the recommended time then drain it rather than adding it dry (bleck); I add no salt even to the pasta water as the soup is so salty, and use no salt tomatoes etc.

Recently we made it with only half a pound of meat, garlic AND garlic powder (what is a meal without garlic??) red onion (we had no white), shells (had no elbow macaroni) and leftover baby spinach in place of mushrooms which we didn't have. We also add the cheese (Mozzarella as I had no cheddar ha) then finish it off in the oven rather than adding it at the end so that the cheese is brown and bubbly. Feel free to make your own substitutions. About the only thing I would not change is the diced tomatoes and the red peppers.

Mac 'n Cheeseburger Casserole

1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 cup diced red and yellow peppers
1 can diced tomatoes (recommend no salt added)
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
2 cups uncooked elbow pasta
2 TBS Worcestershire Sauce
1 TBS Chili Powder
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions
1. Brown ground beef, add onion, mushrooms, celery and peppers. Cook and stir for three minutes.
2. Add all other ingredients except cheese and stir together.
3. Pour into a 2 quart casserole dish and bake covered at 400 degrees for 50 minutes or until pasta is tender.
4. Sprinkle with cheese and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Let me know if you try it! Thanks for stoppin' by!

Crispy Sticky Chicken Recipe

I called this recipe General Tso's Chicken yesterday and I think it is very similar except for the addition of orange, but what do I know. It had been so long since I had it that I forgot what it is :) Whatever you want to call this, it is so tasty - very pungent, with a sweet and sour type flavor that is tempered by orange. You can add less or more spices, whatever veggies you prefer, and substitute honey for the sugar (but do not use brown).  You can also omit the wine, but it adds a layer of complexity to the sauce.

The recipe seems complicated but it isn't. Just read it through first as you need to do some prep work and have everything chopped, then cook assembly line style. First prepare the sauce and allow about an hour for the flavors to "marry" as they say. The rice (or noodles) should be started about 30 minutes before you begin to fry the chicken. You should also have water boiling and ready to blanch the broccoli quickly, then strain and put it on paper towels to wick away water.

Crispy Sticky Chicken

Sticky Sauce

• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate (without the water added)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce (or less depending on taste)
• 1 tsp chili paste OR 1/4 tsp cayenne/red pepper flakes  (add more or less to your taste)
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 1tsp sesame oil (optional)

Chicken

• 1/2 cup cornstarch in a Ziploc bag
• 1 pound boneless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into thin slices
• canola oil for deep frying
  

Vegetables

• 1 red pepper, cut into 1.5 inch long thin matchsticks (I cut it in half then slice strips)
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced fine
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed and minced

Served With

• 1 large crown of broccoli, trimmed and blanched
• steamed Jasmine rice (I boil 1 cup uncooked in 2 cups salted water for 4 servings)

Directions

1. Trim the chicken into thin slices, pat it dry if necessary, and put it on a lined baking sheet that will fit into your fridge to chill. You want to lay it out flat so the pieces don't clump together, and also you want it very cold as chicken fries better that way. An hour of chilling should be fine.

2. Prepare the sauce and set it aside, allowing it to marinate for at least an hour.

3. Have all your veggies chopped and ready to go. About 30 minutes before you want to eat, wash the rice and get it going, and start a boiling pot of water to blanch the broccoli in.

4. Heat the oil to fry the chicken. I use medium heat and canola oil, filling the pan enough to deep fry (about 2 cups). The oil is ready to fry when you sprinkle a pinch of cornstarch in the oil and it sizzles/bubbles (about 350 degrees I think).

Coat the chicken in cornstarch by shaking it in the Ziploc bag. Work in small batches so the chicken doesn't stick together and clump. Fry in small batches as well so that you don't lose oil temperature.

The chicken cooks quite quickly - 3 minutes is all you really need, but test a piece to make sure. The cornstarch doesn't brown like flour does, so you can't go by that. Set cooked chicken on a paper towel covered plate and put into a 220 degree oven to keep heated.

5. Add a bit of sesame oil (optional) and canola oil to a clean pan. Saute the ginger and garlic until it sizzles, but don't allow it to turn brown. Add the sauce and cook on a low boil until it turns thick and syrupy, about 10 minutes.

At this point I dump the broccoli into the boiling water, boil it for 2-3 minutes then rinse it with cold water (this keeps the bright green).

6. Add the red pepper and green onions to the sauce, then add the chicken and gently coat. The chicken will soak up all the sauce, this is not a "saucy" dish.

7. Pat broccoli dry on paper towels, put it into a shallow bowl or place and place the chicken on top. Serve it with the rice or noodles. SO yummy! This serves four, make extra rice if you have a big eater lol.

Let me know if you try it, I hope you like it! Be back with a card today too :)

Edit: Sorry everyone, it is so dark and overcast here that I can't get a good picture of my card, so it will be posted tomorrow. Have a wonderful Good Friday!

A Pair of Cards For the Gourmand, and Parmesan Herb Crackers

I have two cards for you today. Both were made with The Rubber Cafe Bon Appetit Stamp Set, and would be perfect to give to the epicurean in your life accompanied by a bottle of wine, or even a basket of gourmet goodies that include a tin of homemade Parmesan Crackers (recipe follows after the card details).  These cards remind me of an olde worlde style Europe, so would be great for a traveler as well. Really so many possibilities.

...a Glass of Wine and Thou

I so love this card. It is simple, yet elegant. I attempted to shade the bottle a sheer, green glass color that still allows the purple of the wine to show through. I am not sure if I succeeded, and oh boy it took many, many layers of shading and coloring, but I love the idea. I must confess that I tend to avoid the purples when it comes to Copics - purple can be a very tricky color to work with. As with anything, it is all about practice. In the end, adding a light, sheer red to blend with (Light Rouge) really helped. All the Copic colors used can be seen in the photo from the second card below.

I die cut the card shape with Spellbinders Curved Rectangles, making sure not to cut the top where the card crease is. I then used a smaller die to cut a sheet of BasicGrey Denby Chiffon patterned paper from the Porcelain collection. The base of the card is the most amazing chocolate shimmer with copper flecks. I am not sure where I bought it or who makes it, but I sure wish I had more. Don't you love finding treasures in your stash?

Both the frame and the cloth, which says Le Bistro, are popped up with Dimensional Foam Dots.

The sentiment and the frame are inked with Ancient Page Chocolate Ink; the lower corner background leaves and vines are inked with Creamy Caramel by Stampin' Up!. The cream satin ribbon is by May Arts. Next!

 
 

Popped Grapes

Wouldn't this be pretty to accompany the gift of a bottle of wine? It is kind of different, but you know I am a card weirdo, often marching to my own beat lol. To create this card I centered the Spellbinders Labels One die cut onto  Papertrey Vintage Cream cardstock, cut it with my Cuttlebug, then stamped the grapes image onto the cut piece with Stampin' Up! Creamy Caramel Ink. 

I then stamped the  grapes image, as well as the leaves image, with Memento Rich Cocoa Ink and colored it with Copic Markers. The rich purple colors came through, even coloring over the brown ink. To add a bit of detailing I used Ranger Inkssentials White Gel Pen over the marker.

Next I cut the images out using small, sharp scissors (Stampin' Up! or Cutterbee) popped them up over the Creamy Caramel inked image with Dimensional Foam Dots, then adhered the whole thing to the inner part of the card, making sure it was centered properly.I usually color the base image, but left this one tan to give it a bit of vintage, and also to tie in with the corner work.

When the card opens you still see the image. The vines overhang a bit but it is still easy to open.

I again used the Creamy Caramel to stamp the leaves in the lower corner and stamped the sentiment over that with Ancient Page Chocolate Ink.

Final touches include a bit of Chocolate May Arts Satin ribbon that I distressed with my nails.

Melissa is overhauling the store in between craft shows, so no image of the set is up yet, but you can still order it here along with the Spellbinders die cuts, Copics, BasicGrey papers and more.

Here is a picture of the set of six stamps - it comes in unmounted red rubber on Static Cling EZ Mount Foam so you just need to stick it to your acrylic block and stamp away.

I love the plastic insert you stick your stamps to. It is strong and will last, and you can use a three hole paper punch to insert it into a binder for storage. Sweet.

Parmesan Herb Crackers Recipe

These are really amazing with wine, or even on their own. Once you make your own crackers you will never go back to boxed. While these are very rich, you can substitute water for cream as I do, and olive oil for butter. This recipe is adapted from one by Mark Bittman, the NY Times Food writer. He cracks me up - watch the video of him making this recipe here (the link is about mid-page). I dare you to break apart your crackers the way he does at the end.

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour, more as needed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (or less)
• 3/4 cup finely grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup cream or half-and-half, more as needed
• 1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped to release flavor (or any herb you like, also cayenne, paprika, dry mustard)
• Coarse salt, pepper, sesame or poppy seeds, minced garlic or whatever you like for sprinkling (optional - you can also add these into the cracker itself).

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Put flour, salt, cheese and butter in bowl of a food processor. Pulse until flour and butter are combined. Add about 1/4 cup cream or half-and-half and let machine run for a bit; continue to add liquid a teaspoon at a time, until mixture holds together but is not sticky.

2. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface until 1/4-inch thick, adding flour as needed. Transfer sheet of dough to prepared baking sheet. Score lightly with a sharp knife or pizza cutter. Sprinkle with salt or other toppings.

3. Bake until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Cool on a rack; serve warm or at room temperature or store in a tin for a few days.

Enjoy!

Thank you for stopping by, happy creating!

Ciabatta Bread and Cheddar Ale Soup

Yesterday I mentioned what was for dinner and had so many requests for the recipes - here they are! The Ciabatta bread turned out fantastic, with a golden brown, crunchy crust. The soup had a bitter taste because of the beer we used (an Irish Stout).  If you do not like the taste of dark beers, use a lighter beer, or just chicken broth. I do not drink beer but enjoyed the bitter alcohol flavor. Add a crunchy, colorful salad and a loaf of crusty bread and it is tres bistro gourmet. 

The Ciabatta bread, which means slipper bread in Italian (see the shape above?), requires some prep work - at least 12 hours before you bake the bread you will need to create a "sponge".

A sponge is similar to a starter, but with less liquid. The longer you allow the sponge to live in a corner of your kitchen, the more flavorful your bread will be, and the more full of air pockets, which is greatly desired in a rustic country bread. Two to three days is ideal, but I do not have the patience.

Ciabatta Bread Recipe

Starter

• 1/3 cup + 2 TBS warm water
• 1/4 tsp yeast (save the rest of the yeast packet)
• sugar
• 1 cup bread flour

Add yeast to a small bowl of warm water, sprinkle a bit of sugar (about 1/2 tsp) onto the yeast, and allow to foam and become creamy (about 10 minutes). Add bread flour and mix until it is one sticky lump of dough. Spray Pam on some Saran Wrap and cover the bowl loosely.  Keep in a warm place for at least 12 hours. I kept it in an oven where I had turned the heat on for 1 minute t hen turned it off so it was just slightly warm, and left the light on. If you keep it longer than 15 hours, refrigerate it. If you keep it longer than 2-3 days you will need to "feed" it by giving it more flour and water in equal parts (about 1 tsp worth every 2 days).

Making the Bread

• the rest of the yeast packet
• 2 tablespoons warm milk
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups bread flour
• starter
• 1 teaspoon salt (less if you are on a low sodium  diet)
• mister/spray bottle of water

Pour yeast packet into a small bowl of warm milk and allow to become foamy. Add the rest of the ingredients into a large bowl and knead. I dump it all into my KitchenAid mixer with the dough hook attachment and knead it on low for 6-8 minutes, or until the sticky dough becomes elastic and you can handle it without the dough sticking to your hands.  Put the dough into a well oiled bowl, turn it over so that the oil is all over the bread, then allow to rise in a warm place for about 90 minutes.

Cut dough into two (I use a pizza slicer) and form into a rectangular loaf. Dimple the top by pinching with your fingers, then top with flour.

Cover with a damp towel and put on parchment paper/cookie sheet and allow to rise at least 90 minutes. Bake in a preheated 425 oven for 20-25 minutes, spritzing with water every 5 minutes. This gives it a deep brown, crunchy, thick crust.

Enjoy!

Cheddar Ale Soup

This soup, adapted from a recipe by my favorite Maritime Chef Michael Smith, comes together quite quickly - about 30 minutes tops. I do all the prep work and have my salad made, then cook the soup while the bread is in the oven.

It is a very rich soup; this recipe should serve 4-6 when served with salad and bread. Michael Smith uses a whole stick of butter and 35% cream but I use only half a stick, and milk. It tastes just as decadent to us.

Ingredients

• 1/2 stick butter
• 2 small onions, peeled and diced
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 1/2 cups dark beer (12 oz) (or lighter beer/broth for a less bitter flavor)
• 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken stock (12 oz)
• 1 cup whole or evaporated milk
• 2 cups grated sharp cheddar
• Sprinkled sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Few dashes Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce poultry seasoning, and paprika

Melt butter in a medium pan and add the onions and garlic. Saute until barely golden brown, then add the carrot and celery. Add flour and stir, cooking until the flour begins to brown. Pour the beer and stock in, and bring to a boil. When the soup thickens, lower the heat and add the cheese, cream, and seasonings to taste. Serve immediately.

Hope you like these recipes! Let me know if you try them. Be back in a few with today's card.

Suzy

The Business of Making Friends & Banana Crumb Muffins

Hi everyone,
Hope your day is going well! My day began making banana crumb muffins for Allan and his office. Doing research I discovered that bananas were one of the best natural foods for reducing blood pressure (along with broccoli). I have been filling Allan up on bananas, but we always end up with leftovers. The recipe for the muffins is at the bottom of this post after card details. They are not low in fat since Allan has no restriction on that so far, but really good. Add walnuts for more health benefits.

 

Card Details

I finally remembered to take a picture of the Copics used on these Magnolia Stamps from the new Love Collection that are now available at  Magnolia-Licious. Stamps used are Loving Tilda Wearing Hat, Flower Box and Love Tag, which is a frame for the sentiment.  I chose pinks and grays to complement the Making Memories Sabrina patterned paper. The purple (Stampin' Up! Elegant Eggplant) was added as contrast so I made the smaller flowers into little pansies. The roses are popped up with dimensionals.

Finishing touches include Silver Leafing Pen, Cosmo Cricket rub-ons, Liquid Pearls, adhesive flat back pearls and little crystals.

A bit of Crystal Effects was added to the shoes for a patent leather look. The sentiment, which is framed with silver embossing powder, is from Stampin' Up!'s new Friends 24-7 set. At this moment in my life the words ring so true to me. So anyway, yeah, I just love this new set, so expect to see it a lot more :)

Banana Crumb Muffins

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 Tbs vanilla
1/3 Cup butter or margarine -- melted
1/2 cup pecan or walnut halves coarsely chopped (optional)
cinnamon (optional)

CRUMB TOPPING:
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoon butter or margarine

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 375 (350 for dark pans)
1. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients.
2. Combine bananas, sugar, egg, vanilla, and butter. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.
3. Fill greased (I spray them with Pam) muffin cups three-fourths full.
4. Combine the first three topping ingredients; cut in butter (using 2 knives) until crumbly. Sprinkle over muffins.
5. Bake for 18-22 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing from pan. Continue to cool on a wire rack.

Thanks for stopping by! See you tomorrow :)

My Dog Ate Today's Card....So Here is a Recipe Instead.

Okay, not really. But he is awfully cute and distracting. Whenever I sit to craft (that is my desk right there) he likes to come sit on my lap. Just look at that face. How can you resist?

This is a recipe for my favorite Sweet Dinner Rolls. They are so soft, airy and buttery you will wonder where they have been all your life. My big ole butt can attest to their wonders. I found the recipe at Allrecipes.com and have altered it to perfection :) You really, really need bread flour - it makes them have lots of layers, almost to the point of being a croissant. When I used regular flour they tasted heavy, dense and like nothing special. Trust me.

Sweet Dinner Rolls

Ingredients:

1/2 cup warm water 

1/2 cup warm milk

1 egg

1/3 cup butter, softened

1/3 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3 3/4 cups bread flour

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

1/4 cup butter, softened

Directions:

1. Microwave/heat milk and water until very warm. Add 1 TBS of sugar and a yeast packet. Wait until it is all foamy.
2. Place egg, 1/3 cup butter, sugar, salt, and yeast in a mixer using a dough hook. Add flour a half cup at a time, waiting until it has incorporated with the dough before adding more. Knead with dough hook on low setting for 10 minutes. 
3. Put dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a moist towel. Let it rise for an hour.
4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface (the dough really doesn't need any flour so do not use it if you can help it). Divide dough in half with a pizza slicer or knife. Roll each half into a 12 inch circle, spread 1/4 cup softened butter over entire round. Cut each circle into 8 wedges. Roll wedges starting at wide end; roll gently but tightly. Pull as you roll to stretch it a bit so you can get more rolls, and thus more layers into the bread.  Place point side down on ungreased cookie sheet (I use parchment paper). Cover with moist towel and let rise again in a warm place for 3-5 hours - the longer you allow the dough to rise, the flakier and lighter the rolls will be.
5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden. Brush with a bit more butter if you want to be truly evil.

Let me know if you try these!

Suzy

Christmas Pics & Videos, Butter Tarts & A Few Sales

Hi everyone,

I hope you are enjoying the holidays! I apologize for not updating the blog - we are enjoying some much needed family time. I have so enjoyed doing nothing but visiting friends, speaking with family on the phone and eating way too much. That is one of my New Year's resolutions - to lose weight. I have yet to succeed at keeping a resolution, but I am not a quitter :) I can't wait to get back to crafting and have so much to post this coming week. One of the gifts Allan got me was an Ott floor lamp so I can actually craft at night now woo hoo!

Here are a few pictures of what we have been up to:

Waking the THREE kids up on Christmas morning.

 

Christmas Brunch: Truffled Eggs with Chives on a Portobello Mushroom, topped with Shaved Parmesan. Kiwi and Orange Compote on the side. It tasted better than it looks :)

It was Freeway's first Christmas and he handled it quite well overall. The tree traumatized him at first (It's big! It blinks! Why is a tree my house? Wait, can I tinkle on it?) but he got used to it.

When Rosie tore open her presents Christmas morning, Freeway just looked at her and then to us, wondering why we were not stopping her from such destruction. He let her open all the toys and treats then he took them and ran to play.

The video above is Freeway discovering that one of the toys makes an extra noise (and my very annoying laugh). Christmas dinner and all of the treats ensured that come tree time next year he will be just as excited as the rest of us.

The day after Christmas was very cold (about 15-20 F) but sunny. Heavy rains had washed away a lot of the snow, so we decided to head to the dog park. We were only able to stay for a few minutes before the dogs got too cold but here is Rosie making friends. Who am I kidding -  she barked and scared that poor dog lol - she likes to be on her own to investigate, while Freeway instantly goes and makes friends.

We also head out to Cape Spear, the easternmost point in North America, and Signal Hill where Marconi received the first transatlantic telegraph message. I think I need glasses - I saw people by these statues of a Labrador and Newfoundland dog and said to Allan WOW look how big those dogs are! I didn't know they weren't real :(

Today we are headed to Rod and Colleen's house. Allan works with Rod, his wife Colleen is very fun. I made Butter Tarts, one of the few desserts that is truly unique to Canada. They are similar to a pecan pie but without pecans.  Here is the recipe - I really have no idea if it is good as this is the first time I am making or tasting these things. The recipe I used is from The Best of Bridge, one of the most famous Canadian cookbook series - I think it is the equivalent of the Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook for us Americans. I found it on the Joy of Baking site *here*.

Sales, Specials & Happenings

Embellish-Online.com Store

Check out Embellish-Online's Deal of The Day! Every day there is a new sale for you to check out. You can use code word GLITTER to save an EXTRA 20% off your entire order - even items that are deals of the day! Today May Arts ribbon is 20% off!

Odd Bird Planet

Odd Bird Planet has tons of new releases you just have to check out - I will have lots of inspiration to show you this coming week! There is also a sale going on! Each day, leading up to the 12th day of Christmas, Odd Bird Planetwill have a coupon for a  percentage off your entire order. Starting on the 25th at 11%, increasing by 1% each day, ending with 22% on the last day. Keep an eye on Johanna's blog for the daily sale.
 
In addition to the percent (%) off your entire order, specific items will be on sale each day. Your percent (%) off will be an additional % off of that day's sale items, clearance items, and regular priced items. Nothing will be excluded from the percent (%) off that day. However, you will not be able to combine your % off with any other discount codes you may already have.
 
If you decide to shop on more than one day of The 12 Days of Christmas Sale and you want us to combine your orders to save on shipping, just include that comment along with your original order number in the "special instructions" section of each subsequent order during checkout.
 
Odd Bird Planet will be closed from December 24th through January 4th. So, no new orders placed during that period will be processed or shipped during that time. We'll begin order fulfillment the week of January 5th, when the elves come back from vacation.

Sweet 'n Sassy Shop

The Sweet 'n Sassy Store is celebrating the holidays with a huge year end sale. Save 10-40% off many items in the store!

Look for the Sweet 'n Sassy Blog Hop starting on the 31st - challenges, inspiration galore and prizes to be had! Stay tuned for details!

The Rubber Cafe

Shimmerz Paints are $3.24 a jar on sale!

Toodles & Binks

For a limited time they’ve got a choice of any three of the current designs for £11.00, under the 3 stamp bundle - all you need to do when you buy that product is place your choice in the comments box on the order. Additionally, if one of those stamps happens to be Toodles & Binks Skate, they will also include the Figures of 8 quote. They will ship internationally.

Thanks for stoppin' by!

Suzy

Crafty Baking: Peppermint Bark Tin (Recipe Too)

  Quickie post today as I am supa behind! Every year around this time I tell myself, NEVER again and make grandiose plans to be prepared, which then fall flatter than a souffle at an elephant stampede.

Soooo here is a pretty little tin full of yummy Peppermint Bark candy (recipe below). Both the tin and the recipe can be done in minutes! The tin is a re-purposed Prima tin that once held flowers. I washed it well, dried it and put a parchment circle paper on the bottom of the tin then filled it with candy. The circle was a die cut Nestabilities but you can trace around the tin then cut inside the lines just as easily.

I added chenille trim (Webster's Pages) along the lid and Candy Cane stripe paper along the tin itself that was adhered with Scor-Tape. This tape seriously rocks my red and green Snoopy socks - it is double sided and super sticky, yet easily removable from the tin in case you make a boo boo or want to re-re-purpose the tin :) The Self-Adhesive Felt Ivory Lattice Trim along the paper is by Prima as well.

Candy Cane Tilda and the Tag are by Magnolia Stamps and available at the Magnolia-Liciousstore located in both Canada and the US so no duty fees and fast shipping YAY! I colored her with my Copic markers. The tag was inked with Stampin' Up! Red Riding Hood ink.

White Chocolate Peppermint Bark

Ingredients:

• 2 bags Wilton's White Candy Melts (14 oz each) or other white chocolate (I prefer Wilton's because it melts, cools, and tastes fabulously, and is easily available at Michael's in the baking section)

• 1/2 tsp Wilton's Pure Peppermint Oil (OIL not extract, and be sure to get the real stuff not artificial flavor - also at Michael's or baking supply/gourmet stores)

• 9-12 candy canes, crushed (I put them in a Ziploc and hammer them into 1/4 inch pieces)

• parchment paper

• large cookie sheet (around 11x13) with a lip

Directions:

1. Bring water to a boil in a pan, then turn to low. Put the candy in a separate metal bowl and melt the candies over the pan of boiling water. Be sure no water gets into the chocolate. Wilton's candy melts very fast, so keep an eye on it.

2. Stir in the peppermint oil.

3. Using a spatula, spread the candy on parchment paper that has been placed in a cookie sheet until it  fills the cookie sheet but do not go too thin - I maybe leave an inch or so around the edges.

4. Place crushed candy canes on top of the melted chocolate. Refrigerate until cool, then break apart with a butter knife (it will break very easily when cool). Store in an airtight container.

Christmas Brunch Recipes: Casual Gourmet

Oh boy I have many posts for you today! To begin with, here are a couple of recipes for those of you  who plan a special Christmas breakfast, one is quite heavy and decadent, while the other is a bit more gourmet, and definately lighter calorie wise. I would love to hear what you make for Christmas Breakfast/brunch.

Chive Biscuits with Egg, Cheddar Sauce & Bacon

If you are on a diet do not even look at this recipe and go on down to the one below which is much lighter. This is one tasty dish but man it is not light lol!  The recipe is from Maritime chef Michael Smith, who is famous for his "casual gourmet" approach to cooking. Love his recipes. Hope you enjoy this - it is perfect served with Kiwi stars and Strawberry flowers on the side (I cut the strawberries and use a small cookie cutout star for the kiwis). This recipe serves a very generous 6 according to the book- but if you are light eaters it could serve up to 12 as it is sooo rich.

Chive Biscuits

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 tablespoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon black pepper

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 pound butter, cubed and chilled (1 cup)

• 1/2 cup snipped chives

• 3/4 cup milk

• 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Grease a baking sheet.

2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, pepper, and salt until thoroughly mixed. Place the flour mixture in the bowl of a food processor, add the butter, and process until completely combined.

3. Place the mixture in a bowl, add the chives, and stir to combine. Form a well in the center of the mixture and pour in the milk. Stir just until the mixture comes together into a sticky dough. It may be necessary to add 1 or 2 tablespoons of milk. The dough should come free from the sides of the bowl.

4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle the dough with flour and knead gently just until it stays together. Roll the dough with a floured rolling pin to a thickness of 1 inch. Use a large biscuit cutter dipped in flour to cut out the biscuits. Reform the scraps and repeat until all the dough is used.

5. Place the biscuits 1 inch apart on the baking sheet and sprinkle cheese on top of each one. Bake until lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Leave the oven on for cooking the bacon and the eggs. The biscuits may be wrapped in a towel and kept warm, or warmed in a hot oven just before being served. 

Cheddar Sauce

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 1 cup milk

• 3 tablespoons cornstarch (Suzy's note: I use 2)

• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

Place the cream, milk, cornstarch, nutmeg, pepper, and salt in a saucepan. Place the saucepan over medium heat and stir the mixture with a whisk. Continue stirring until the mixture thickens and begins to simmer. Add the cheese and stir until it is completely combined. Remove the sauce from the heat, cover it, and keep it warm until ready to serve.

 

Bacon

• 12 slices thick-cut smoked bacon

1. Arrange the bacon slices in groups of 2 on a baking pan, folding each slice in half and allowing it to slightly overlap the adjacent slice.

2. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, turning the pan several times, until the bacon is crisp and done to your preference. Place the bacon on paper towels, and keep it warm until ready to serve.

Scrambled Egg Stuffing

• 1/2 cup milk

• 12 eggs

• 2/3 cup snipped chives

• 1 teaspoon salt

• Black pepper

• 3 tablespoons butter

1. Whisk the eggs and milk together completely. Whisk in 1/2 cup of the chives and the salt, and season with a little pepper.

2. Melt the butter in a large, ovenproof saute pan over medium heat. Pour in the egg mixture. Quickly stir with a wooden spoon until the eggs begin to clump into small curds. Stir a moment longer, then place the pan in the still hot oven. (Suzy's note - I pour the eggs into the pan then cover it and let it cook on low, allowing the eggs to steam and puff up then slice into whole wedges, I think it is prettier this way rather than scrambled into curds but that's me)

3. Bake about 5 minutes until the eggs are just cooked. Remove the pan and cut the eggs into 6 wedges. Serve immediately.

Presentation:
Pull each biscuit apart into 2 equal pieces. Place the bottom piece on a warm plate. Place a scrambled egg wedge on the biscuit bottom. Ladle 1/4 cup of the sauce over each scrambled egg wedge. Add several slices of crisp bacon and cap with the biscuit top. Garnish with the remaining chives.

 

 

Broiled Portobellos with Truffled Scrambled Eggs

 

I found this recipe in Canadian Living Magazine a few years ago. It is what we had last year for Christmas Breakfast and it is SO delicious. Truffle Oil is expensive but one tiny bottle that cost $10 has lasted us for years. We use White Truffle Oil as I like the lighter, more delicate flavor than that of the Black. Also, I have found you do not need as much oil and butter as the recipe reuires. If you do not light broiled tomatoes serve it with the Kiwi Strawberry Salad I mentioned earlier - you can't beat the bright red and green on Christmas morn! This recipe Serves 8.

 

Ingredients

8 large portobello mushrooms (2 lb/1 kg)
1/2 cup (125 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp (2 mL) each salt and pepper
24 grape, cherry or other small tomatoes

Truffled Scrambled Eggs:
14 eggs
1/2 cup (125 mL) 10% cream
1/4 cup (50 mL) butter
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
1/4 cup (50 mL) finely chopped fresh chives
4 tsp (20 mL) black or white truffle oil

 

Preparation:

Cut stems from mushrooms; with small spoon, scoop out black gills and discard.

In bowl, stir together oil, garlic, salt and pepper; lightly brush over mushrooms, reserving remaining oil mixture. Place mushrooms, gill side down, on foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Broil 6 inches (15 cm) from heat until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Turn and broil until tender when pierced with tip of knife, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Toss tomatoes with reserved oil mixture; place on foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Broil 6 inches (15 cm) from heat until slightly softened and skins split, about 3 minutes. (Make-ahead: Let mushrooms and tomato mixture cool; cover and refrigerate separately for up to 24 hours. Reheat separately in 350°F/180°C oven until hot, about 8 minutes.)

Truffled Scrambled Eggs: In blender or large bowl, blend eggs with cream. In large heatproof bowl or top of double-boiler over barely simmering water, melt butter. Pour in egg mixture and cook, whisking often, for 18 minutes.

Add salt ; cook, stirring with wooden spoon, until thick enough to mound on spoon and in small creamy curds, about 4 minutes. Fold in chives.

Spoon about 1/2 cup (125 mL) into each portobello cap; serve alongside tomatoes. Drizzle with truffle oil.

A Few Favorite Christmas Time Dessert Recipes

I plan to have a Crafty Baking post today (or just a card if I do not get my rear in gear), but wanted to also share some recipes I really love to make each year. Every Christmas I make Cherry Rugalech,  Peppermint Bark, Grandma Edgar's Pineapple Squares, which are all great for mailing, and the BEST Lemon Merinue Pie in the world. I use the lemon curd recipe to layer with white cake with too. Here are a few other standards in my home.

Caramel-Pecan Fudge

This fudge is so delicious. Fudge is tempermental but overall I have really good results with this one.

Ingredients:
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup half-and-half or light cream
2 TBS butter (no substitutes)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans (you may omit)

Directions:
1. Line an 8x4x2 inch loaf pan with foil, extending the foil over the edges of the pan. Butter the foil.
2. Butter side of a heavy 2 quart saucepan. Combine sugars and cream in the pan. Cook and stir over medium heat until the mixture boils. Clip a candy thermometer to side of pan.
3. Reduce heat to medium low; continue to boil at a moderate steady rate, stirring frequently until thermometer registers 236 F, the soft ball stage (about 15 minutes). Adjust heat as necessary to maintain a steady boil
4. Remove saucepan from heat. Add butter and vanilla but do not stir. Cool without stirring to 110 (about 40 minutes)
5. Remove thermometer from pan. Beat mixture vigourously with a clean wooden spoon until the fudge begins to thicken. Add nuts. Continue beating til the fudge becomes thick and starts to lose its gloss (about 10 minutes total; a mixer is fine on low-ish speed)
6. Spread fudge immediately into the prepared pan. Score into squares while warm. When firm, use foil to lift out of pan and cut into squares. Store in a tightly covered container. Makes 1 1/4 pounds. Do not double recipe as it ruins texture.

Hershey's Double Chocolate Mint Brownies

Ingredients:
Brownies
1 C. Flour
1 C. Sugar
1/2 C. Butter
4 eggs
1 1/2 C. (16 oz can) Hershey's Chocolate Syrup

Mint Cream Layer
2 C. Powdered Sugar
1/2 C. Butter
1 Tbsp. Water
1/2 tsp. mint flavoring
3 drops green food coloring

Chocolate Topping
6 Tbsp. butter
1 C. Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips

Directions:
Brownies: Beat sugar, butter, eggs, and syrup together. Add flour. Bake at 350 F, 25-30 minutes in 9 x 13 greased pain. Cool.

Mint Cream Layer: Mix ingredients together. Frost cool brownies.

Chocolate Topping Melt in microwave approximately 2 minutes. Pour on top of mint frosting. Allow to set.

My Favorite Cookie Recipes

Melt In Your Mouth Butter Cookies (Whipped Shortbread)

Adapted from Allrecipes.com. These are AMAZING - delicate, and they really do melt in your mouth. They do not travel well, so are not for mailing. Be sure to read the entire directions first before you start on these. These do require an electric mixer or a man with some serious muscle power :)

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened (no substitute)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Toppers:
1/4 cup red maraschino cherries, halved
1/4 cup green maraschino cherries, halved

Other Optional Toppers: Red/Green Sprinkles; Hershey's Kisses/Hugs added the last minute or so of cooking; Half Pecans, or a dollop of apricot or raspberry jam. They are delicious with no toppers as well; I usually do a few of each.

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Halve your cherries then dry them between paper towels so that they do not bleed their dye onto your cookie.
2. In a large bowl, beat the butter and vanilla until whipped and creamy.  Add the icing sugar and beat until combined. Slowly add the flour, then beat for 10 minutes on medium speed (this is the secret! Not nine, TEN minutes - set a timer), until light and fluffy, stopping only to scrape the bowl if necessary.

3. I use a cookie press as it makes them so pretty for company. Use a press or spoon onto parchment paper on a cookie sheet, spacing cookies 2 inches apart. Place a piece of cherry (or other topper) onto the middle of each cookie, alternating between red and green.
4. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the bottoms of the cookies are lightly browned. Remove from oven, and let cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer cookies on to wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container, separating each layer with waxed paper. These cookies are very delicate so handle them with care. Cooling for a few minutes is a must so they can set.

Russian Tea Cakes

Okay. I am not Russian. There is no tea involved (although they are delicious with tea when eating), and they are most definately cookies, not cakes. Think of a nutty shortbread. Mmmm these are fantastic. You can use any kind of nut but walnut is my favorite - the bitterness perfectly complements the sweet icing sugar. I get raves for these, and they are hearty little travelers that will last a long time in an airtight container (they freze well too). One more thing - the dough can be crumbly, so be sure your walnuts are ground well to prevent this (I use my coffee grinder - they need to be bigger than grains of sand, do not completely make dust out of the nuts). As you form the balls they warm in your hand and come together so do not worry if it is a little crumbly. If they do not, add a bit of milk (about 1 TBS).

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar for decoration

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, cream butter and vanilla until smooth. Combine the 6 tablespoons confectioners' sugar and flour; stir into the butter mixture until just blended. Mix in the chopped walnuts. Roll dough into 1 inch balls, and place them 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven. When they have cooled a bit (but still have a tiny bit of warmth), roll in remaining confectioners' sugar. I also like to roll mine in the sugar a second time.  Allow to completely cool, and store in airtight container.

Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies

The best sugar cookie dough in existence. You do not really taste the cream cheese, it just adds some zip. They brown well, do not crack, and stay firm but  tender so you do not feel you are eating cardboard. I love these, and I hate sugar cookies. Adapted from All Recipes.

Ingredients

• 1.5 cup white sugar
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the sugar, butter and cream cheese. Beat until smooth and whipped. Add extracts and egg, beat. Stir in dry ingredients until well blended. Chill the dough (at least 2 hours).

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough 1/3 at a time to 1/8 inch thickness, refrigerating remaining dough until ready to use. Cut into desired shapes with lightly floured cookie cutters. Place 1 inch apart on parchment paper on cookie sheets. Leave cookies plain for frosting, or brush with slightly beaten egg white and sprinkle with candy sprinkles or colored sugar.

Bake for 7 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until light and golden brown. Cool cookies completely before frosting.

 

Royal Icing

Royal Icing is a pure white icing that dries to a smooth, hard, matte finish.  I got this recipe from the Joy of Baking site a few years ago, and no other has compared. I recommend reading that site's tips for making and using this icing, the tips are wonderful, especially on proper consistency which is crucial. 

If you fear the egg white, this icing is not for you; the link I provided above has a no egg white recipe but it is not as good. This is the old fashioned, traditional way to make this icing; it tastes and performs the best on sugar cookies for flooding (outlining and then filling in) or piping from a bag. Be sure to use GEL PASTE food coloring - Wilton's makes good ones that I buy at Michael's using my 40% off coupons. The cheaper stuff from the store adds too much liquid and the color is not as vibrant. but beware certain colors (usually the darker ones, such as black) can be bitter so use VERY little of those. What I do is separate the icing into a few bowls or bags and work from lightest color to darkest. That way, if you need more of a certain color, the lighter color icing is easier to change. Be sure to keep bowls covered with Saran Wrap as the icing will dry out quickly and then become impossible to work with.

Royal Icing Using Egg Whites:

2 large egg whites

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

3 cups confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted

Directions:

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the egg whites with the lemon juice. Add the sifted powdered sugar and beat on low speed until combined and smooth.  Test the icing's consistency by lifting your spoon and letting the icing drip back into the bowl. The proper consistency is when the ribbon of icing that falls back into the bowl remains on the surface for about 5 seconds before disappearing The icing needs to be used immediately or transferred to an airtight container as royal icing hardens when exposed to air. Cover with Saran wrap when not in use.

Mormon Molasses Spice Cookies

This recipe is from the Got Milk? Cookie Book. These cookies hold up to both time, traveling/mailing, and freezing. Add more spice, or even cayenne if you like. You can also use light molasses for a more subtle flavor and lighter cookie. I love the rich flavor and deep brown color of dark molasses. No sulfur was used in the processing of unsulfured molasses, so it has less of a metallic taste. I find it in the organic section of my grocery store. These are snap cookies, and not for making gingerbread cutouts.

Ingredients:
6 ounces (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut in pieces
1/4 cup dark unsulphured molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup plus 1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly beaten

Directions:
1. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Remove from the heat and stir in the molasses and vanilla. Set aside to cool.
2. In a medium bowl, sift the flour with 1 cup of the sugar, the baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Whisk to combine.
3. Add the beaten egg to the cooled butter mixture and mix well with a fork. Using a rubber spatula, fold the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Cover the bowl and refrigerate until firm enough to form balls, about 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
4. Place the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar in a small bowl. Scoop out walnut-size pieces of the dough and roll into 1-inch balls. Toss the balls in the sugar to coat completely and place on ungreased baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.
5. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the centers no longer appear raw. (At 12 minutes you'll have soft and chewy cookies; at 15 they'll be crisp.) Let cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Note: Makes 4 dozen. For large cookies, double the size of the balls and bake a little longer. As they bake, they puff up, heave a sigh, and then collapse as flat as can be. They get that nice cracked top like an old-fashioned ginger snap. Be careful not to overbake these cookies, burnt molasses is bitter.

Soft Molasses Cookies

This is an old fashioned recipe from Good Housekeeping's October 1927 issue, and good for making gingerbread men and women cutouts :)

Ingredients:  

• 1 c Sugar
• 1 c Shortening, melted
• 2 Eggs , beaten
• 1 c Molasses
• 4 c Flour
• 3 ts Baking soda dissolved in 2 TBS water
• 1/2 tsp Salt
•  2 1/2 tsp Powdered Ginger
• 1 tb Baking Powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1 c Sour cream or buttermilk
• 1 TBS lemon juice
• 1 TBS vanilla

 

Directions:
~* pre-heat oven to 350 *~

1. Mix sugar, shortening, egg and molasses in bowl.
2. Add the other liquid ingredients.
3. Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together. Add the flour mixture a bit at a time; blending together constantly.
4. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets. About 2" space should be allowed on each pan for cookies to spread. Bake at 350 for 9-11 minutes. Let cookies stand in pan a minute before removing on wire rack to cool. Do not pile or put in jars until quite cold.

Note: That is what the original recipe says. You can chill it, then roll it out for gingerbread men.

Yummy Rolo Cookies

Tracy B. sent me this recipe. I haven't tried it yet but I sure plan on doing so this Christmas!

Ingredients:  

• 1 cup butter or margarine, softened (no substitutes)

• 1 cup white sugar

• 1 cup packed brown sugar

• 2 eggs

• 2 tsp. vanilla

• 2 ½ cups flour

• ¾ cup cocoa

• 1 tsp baking soda

• ½ cup crushed pecans (buy pecan halves & put in blender if you can’t find crushed pecans)

• 5 packages Rolo candies (maybe an extra for snacking!) 

• ¼ cup crushed pecans

• 1 tbsp white sugar

Directions:   

1. Cream margarine & sugars.  Add eggs & vanilla.  Mix well.  Combine flour, cocoa & baking soda; add to the creamed mixture and beat just until combined.  Stir in crushed pecans.  In a separate small bowl combine ¼ cup crushed pecans and 1 tbsp white sugar. 

2. Roll dough in to balls smaller than the size of a golf ball. Push thumb in middle to make a dent.  Put upside down Rolo in dent; fill cookie dough around the top and sides of Rolo. Dip each cookie into pecan/sugar mix.  Place on cookie sheet with pecan side up.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes.

Craft Baking 2008: Cookie Stacker Tin & Snickerdoodle Cookies

 

Hi everyone!

We had quite the snowstorm today! I am so glad to be inside where it's nice and warm! This stackable cookie tin ,made from a Pringles Potato Chips container, is so perfect for sending loved ones cookies in the mail - it is the perfect size and protects your precious baked goods as they are mailed. We bought a few more tins tonight to mail baked goods in- they are on sale for .99 at Superstore this week (a Canadian grocery chain) which is less than what you would pay for a metal tin and you get some chips to boot.

This altered tin was made for a Stampin' Up! demo Christmas party we had today. My upline Kay is such a lovely lady and a gracious host. We talked about our family Christmas traditions over wine and punch and tons of good food.

The tin is decorated with Ski Slope patterned paper, which was was cut to fit and adhered with a thin layer of Matte Mod Podge; the mittens from Scandinavian Seasonare embossed with Silver Detail Embossing Powder and are hanging from some brown yarn with thick Red Striped grosgrain ribbon and Alpine ribbon (all from the Winter Mini).

The lid and the bottom of the tin are covered in Riding Hood Red cardstock, and the top has the addition of an embossed snowflake from Winter Post on a Scallop punch.

The sentiment on the side is from Cute and Curly - I stamped it twice, once in Riding Hood Red, and once embossed with Silver EP then the silver sentiment part was adhered with a 3D foam dot.

When the tin is opened there is one more message for the recipient on the bottom of the lid (from the Best Yet set) - you can sign it here too.

Inside are a stack of Snickerdoodles, which are sturdy cookies that travel well. Ginger Snaps would be another great stackable cookie. The tin holds about 14-15 cookies; I punched parchment paper with the Scallop punch and put that in between each cookie. 

Here is the Snickerdoodle recipe I use which makes a crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside cookie. I don't think they make these in Canada because no one I spoke to had heard of them, but they are an old fashioned American staple (popular in the '60s I think?) - like a sugar cookie with a twist.

Snickerdoodle Cookies

Ingredients:

 

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup Crisco shortening
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons white sugar
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Cream together butter, shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar, eggs and vanilla. Blend in flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt. Shape dough by rounded spoonfuls into balls about the size of a walnut.
3. Mix the extra sugar and cinamon in a Ziploc bag; roll balls of dough in mixture. Sprinkle a bit of extra sugar on top. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets (I use parchment paper).
4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until you see the edges bein to crack. Allow to sit on sheet for 3 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.

Crafty Baking has just begun! Stay tuned for more ideas and recipes. If you would like to see last year's Crafty Baking series it is in the links below. I must warn you I had just begun to blog so my pictures are kind of dark:(

• Grandma Edgar's Pineapple Squares in a tin

• A House of Gingerbread & Cookie Basket

• Cherry Rugalah in Windowed Coffee Bags

• White Chocolate Peppermint Bark in a tin

Christmas song of the day: Skip Ewing's Christmas Carol (Carol is a little girl without parents who asks Santa for a family - makes me cry every time! Such a sappy song and I am such a sucker!) What is your favorite today?

 

Thanks for stopping by! Stay warm!

Good Eating: Newfoundland Cod au Gratin

 

Being from "away" I have quickly learned that Codfish is a very controversial subject here in Newfoundland.  The economy was once based upon fishing for Atlantic Cod, which could get up to 200 pounds in size. By the early 1990's, overfishing (from other countries as well, not just the area fisherman) almost destroyed the Cod population, and the fish was declared endangered. A moratorium was passed on Cod fishing, causing great economic hardship to Newfoundland and Labrador. Our economy here is now recovering thanks to oil, but we get our Cod from Norway as the politicians still debate whether or not to allow Cod fishing in our waters again.

Despite all of this, I have to admit a new found love for Cod. Chess' Fish and Chips is a landmark eatery here with several locations, and they make the best fish and chips you will ever have. Chess' is a tiny and not very attractive dive, often in a strip mall. You wait in a long line (it is a popular place), choose between chips or dressing - Newfoundlanders like their stuffing year round but only call it dressing, and always add savory - never sage. You are suspect, yet seat yourself in the tiny dining area, either at the shiny burgundy vinyl stool at the counter, or at one of the two cafeteria style laminate tables and plastic chairs. You wait, and worry as the oil soaked air gives your skin that sexy sheen starlets pay for.  Just when you want to leave, your order arrives. Hesitating, you unwrap the newspaper and behold the golden brown fish atop a mountain of fries. Add a dab of vinegar and homemade tartar sauce and take a bite into that light, crisp, super crunchy batter. The moist, pure white, unfishy Cod and its delicate, delicious flavor. You're done for, you're hooked. You will be back.

This is a Newfoundland recipe I have adapted to my flavor palate. This will convert many a non fish eater. Newfoundlanders like their food rather bland except for salt - I have to have my garlic, my poultry seasoning which would probably cause a Newfoundlander to make me talk a long walk on a short plank.  If you want it to be genuine, boil the fish rather than broil it, and add none of my extra spice.

Cod Au Gratin

• 1 pack of Cod filets (about 4 medium size filets or 2-3 cups)

• 4 TBS butter

• 2 cups milk

• 3 TBS flour

• 2 cloves garlic

• 1.5 cups cheddar and 1/8 cup good quality Parmesan

• Spices: Old Bay seasoning, poultry seasoning, salt, pepper, garlic powder

1. Sprinkle filets with Old Bay seasoning, garlic powder, and pepper; pat a bit of butter or oil on. Broil until fish is white and flakes. Squeeze a bit of lemon on if you wish.

2. As fish broils: In a saucepan melt butter, add garlic and cook for about 1 minute, then add flour and stir to form a roux. Add milk, spices to taste and stir.

3. Place broiled fish in buttered casserole dish, top with sauce and stir just a little bit to mix it up and get the filets to break up into large chunks. Top with cheeses and a bit more Old Bay seasoning and bake at 350 until brown and bubbly, about 25 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350. Generously grease a glass baking dish with butter. Serve with a salad.

Orange Blessings, Orange Cake, Orange Ya Thankful

 

Happy Thanksgiving to my friends and family in America. Today's card is for you: it uses stamps from Gina K's So Grateful set. I will keep my post brief as I know many of you are most likely super busy today.

A cornucopia of Copics deserves some BasicGrey Ambrosia don't you think? A very simple card for this Thursday, using Memento Tangelo Ink to sponge and stamp. The scallop edge paper is Bazzill, the pretty, lamé textured ribbon is May Arts. 

I have a simple, quick cake recipe for you too. This Orange Cake recipe is by UK Celebrity Chef Rachel Allen. It makes a dense, moist cake that has the smooth, shiny surface of a brownie. It is wonderful with coffee, and tastes even yummier the next day. You can substitute lemon for orange. I used a cooking conversion site to figure out the measurements for myself, I will post both.

Orange Cake

• 100 grams butter (7 TBS) 

• 2 eggs

• 100 grams each Caster sugar and icing sugar (1/2 cup Caster and 3/4 cup icing sugar)

• 125 grams flour ( 1 1/4 cup)

• 1 tsp baking powder

Icing 

• 100 grams sifted icing sugar (1 1/4 cups)

• 1-3 TBS orange juice 

Directions:

1. Melt the butter and allow it to slightly cool.

2. Whisk eggs with finely grated zest of one orange (only use the colored outside - avoid the bitter white).

3. Add the sugars and beat on low speed until blended, then beat on high for 5 minutes or until the batter is light and fluffy. Fold in butter by hand, then fold in the flour by hand.

4. Butter the sides of an 8 inch round cake pan, and put a round of parchment paper on the bottom. dd the batter to the pan and bake at 350 degrees until golden brown, about 30-35 minutes.

5. Allow cake to sit in pan for 5-10 minutes to set, then remove and cool on rack.

6. Make the icing - slowly adding a few drops of OJ to the icing sugar at a time, beating, then adding more until it is the right consistency. You want a drizzly icing that drips off the spoon. 

7.  Arrange cake on platter and drizzle icing over the cake. Serve.

Thankful

Thank you for stopping by, and for the kind words you leave me so often in your comments. I know I am not the best or most talented artist out there, I just love coloring and making cards so much. This blog comes from that passion more than any ability. Many of you have been here with me from the beginning. As I progress and grow and well, learn what to do along the way I sure am enjoy the journey, and love your company along the way. I am thankful for all the friends I have made through stamping, both real and online :).

I am thankful to have man who has been my rock, my guide, my love through both good times and bad. Allan came along just as I was ending a relationship of over five years, most of them bad. I wasn't really looking for a relationship but there he was, with open arms to heal my hurting, stubborn heart, to shelter me from the world, and to allow me to find my own strength to not need sheltering.

I am thankful for a mom, dad and brother who love me so much, and nephews that I will hopefully get to see very soon after so many years apart. I am most thankful to have been blessed with the most wonderful grandpa anyone could ever have. He passed away in his sleep on Thanksgiving some years ago and I think of him every year with such love on this day. I miss him so much.

I know these are not the best of times for many. If you are going through a hard time, you will be in my thoughts and prayers. I hope you have a blessed, healthy and prosperous 2009 surrounded by those you love, who love you. 

And here I said I would be brief. Thank you again. If you have the time, I would love to hear what you are most thankful for today.

Suzy

Good Eating: Pot Roast

Now that the weather is colder I find myself breaking out the Le Creuset again and again. There is sure something to be said for throwing everything in a pot and heading off to stamp while the pot does all the work! Last night at the store we found a beef pot roast on sale for $5.48 - score! I always do the same old pot roast and thought I would surf around for something a bit different yet still within my traditional flavor comfort zone. 

Alton Brown makes a pot roast with olives, raisins and cumin - um no thanks I am not that adventurous! This recipe is adapted from sweet ol' Paula Dean. I was hesitant at first - I hate dislike the flavor of wine in pot roast and stews, and do not want my pot roast tasting like Campbell's. There were so many positive reviews I decided to go for it. SO glad I did! You can't taste the wine at all, but it really breaks down the tough meat and turns it into something that melts in your mouth and has a wonderfu, richl mushroom flavor. The gravy is delicious! I used the Le Creuset but you can use a Dutch oven or a crock pot too.

Here is my adaption:

Ingredients

• 1 (3-pound) boneless chuck roast
• Seasoning: Hye's (or Lawry's) Seasoning Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Poultry Seasoning 
• 2- 3 TBS vegetable oil  (enough to coat the pan)
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cups mushrooms, sliced thick
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tsp Better Than Bullion (this is a jar of beef "paste"; Canadians - PC makes something like this and it is in the refrigerated deli meats section) or bullion cube
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup Chardonnay
• Low Sodium Beef Broth (about 2 cups)
• 2 TBS flour

Directions

1. Heat oil in the pot. Sprinkle roast on all sides with seasonings (lots of garlic, less of the salt) and sear every side very well. Add the garlic and cook for about one minute. It gets saltier with time so be careful when adding salt and bullion - you can always season it more later.

2. Remove the roast, deglaze the pot with the wine, add the soup, bullion and bay leaves, stir, then return the roast to the pot. Top the roast with onions and mushrooms, then enough beef broth to cover 1/3 the meat.  The broth will double on its own and you want a flavorful gravy so don't overdo it.

3. Cook on low for 4 hours or until meat is tender, occasionally spooning the juices over the roast.

4. If you need to thicken your gravy, put the flour in a small glass and add a bit of the juices from the roasting pot. Stir until there are no lumps, then add to the juices to thicken the gravy. If your gravy is already thick omit this step.

I served this with mashed potatoes and a salad. Thank you Paula for inspiring an awesome dinner! Be back soon with today's card.

Suzy

Good Eating: Pork Noodles

This is the ultimate in comfort food for me ~ my mom used to make me this when I was little, and I think her mom made it for her. It was not only delicious, but also fun as we got to "assemble" our bowls and have a hand in creating our own personalized dinner. The mild flavor of the broth with the crunchy vegetables of this dish is really yummy. You can add chiles, Sesame Oil, fresh chopped ginger or other ingredients if you like your food spicier.

Pork Noodles

• A 3 pound (or so) Pork Roast (Roast Loin, Butt, etc.)

• 1 large white onion, diced

• 4 cloves of garlic, crushed

• 1 900 ML Box of chicken Broth (about 3.5 cups - I use Knorr Simply Broth 25% less Salt)

• 1 bunch green onions, sliced paper thin

• 1 cup carrots, julienned very thin

• 3-4 stalks of celery, sliced paper thin

• Soy Sauce

• A dash of Pepper & Poultry Seasoning (optional - I add this to everything)

• Bay Leaf

• 2 Eggs

• Canola Oil

• Flat Chinese Noodles or Fettuccine Noodles

1. In a crock pot (I don't have one and use the Le Creuset - any large pan should do) add a bit of oil and saute onion, garlic and the optional ginger until onions are translucent.

2. Season all sides of pork and brown the roast top and bottom (it is just as good without this step too - mom would just dump everything in the crock pot and let it cook all day). Slice all the veggies, putting each into its own bowl. Cover and refrigerate the veggies except for about 3 TBS each of celery and carrot.

3. Add the broth until the roast is almost covered. Add Bay Leaf, a dash of Soy Sauce, and the 3 TBS of your sliced celery and carrot just to season the broth. Be careful how much Soy you add as the broth reduces and becomes saltier later.

4. Cook for at least 4 hours on low heat until the roast flakes apart and the broth has boiled down a bit. Take the pork out of the pot (reserve juices) and shred it with a fork (I keep it kind of chunky). Boil the noodles in a pot of water and set aside.

5. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, add a teaspoon of water and pour them in a greased hot pan (I use sesame oil but anything will do). Cover the pan and cook on low a couple of minutes until the eggs are puffed up and like an omelet. Slide it onto a plate and slice the egg into 1/2 x 1 inch strips. 

6. To serve put out Soy Sauce, the bowls of carrots, celery, green onions, and egg strips on the counter. Put some of the noodles into an individual  bowl, top with some of the shredded pork then some broth. Allow each person to add their own egg and veggies to taste, and to season the bowl with Soy Sauce.

Let me know if you try it!

Suzy

Halloween Recipe: Monster Mash & Green Goo

Happy Halloween! This is the official Halloween recipe post, something I like to do each year (last year was Halloween Hedgehog Balls). This year's recipe is Monster Mash Meatloaf with Green Goo. Okay, for an everyday meal this is just a tangy meatloaf with garlicky mashed potatoes, but to a kid's eye this can become a feast of the gross: the oatmeal bits in the meatloaf become boogers, the sauce blood. The spinach in the potatoes causes the potatoes to become greener with each stir - it can turn completely green! The roasted garlic in the potatoes can become maggots! Now that I have you salivating, here is the recipe :o)

Monster Mash Meatloaf

• 1 lb lean hamburger

• 3/4 cup uncooked oatmeal (I use baking oats - the slow cooking kind) (use 1/2 cup if you like your meatloaf more meaty, I just like the texture)

• 1/8 cup bread crumbs

• 1/8 cup chopped parsley

• 1/2 tsp each (more or less for your family's palate) garlic powder, onion powder and Italian seasoning herb blend

• 1/4 tsp poultry seasoning (yes I add this to everything lol)

•   1 tsp seasoning salt

• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

• 1 egg

• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs

• 1/8 cup milk

• 1/4 cup of the sauce (recipe follows)

Sauce:

• 1/2 cup ketchup

• a generous squirt of mustard (maybe 2-3 TBS, less if you like it less tangy)

• 2 TBS brown sugar

• a dash of poultry seasoning and garlic powder

• dash of Worcestershire sauce

Mix up all the meatloaf ingredients into one bowl, and make the sauce in another. I put the meatloaf into a cake pan and then poke holes with the opposite  side of my wooden spoon. Pour the remaining sauce over the meatloaf, making sure it runs into the holes. Kids can have lots of fun helping with this.

Bake at 350 uncovered for 45 minutes to an hour. If the glaze starts to burn just cover it with a foil.

Green Goo

• 1 head of roasted garlic (this takes an hour itself)

• 2 large baking potatoes

• 1/4 cup butter

• enough milk to make it blendable maybe 3? - add a TBS at a time

• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (the good kind)

• 1 cup chopped fresh baby spinach

• salt to taste, if needed

To roast the head of garlic, cut the top part off, drizzle a bit of olive oil and add a dash of salt. Wrap in tinfoil and bake in the oven at 375 for 1 hour. You can do this early and just let it sit for use later.

Pinch them out from the garlic skin into a bowl to add to the potatoes. Now doesn't this just look like maggots I ask you? LOL But it tastes sooo good. Definitely have your kids remove the garlic from the skin and watch their faces haha.

Now it is time to make the potatoes. Peel and boil the potatoes for 15 minutes or until tender, then drain. Return to warm pan and add the rest of the ingredients and mash it all up together. The more you mash the greener the potatoes will get (if you do not want green potatoes then add the spinach last and gently toss them in).

There you have it! Dinner fit for a ghoul! I will be back with a Halloween card in a bit.

Suzy

Bacon, Peanut Butter & Cheese Biscotti Basted with Bacon Fat

Mmm doesn't that sound good? Okay, maybe not. But to your doggy it will! Freeway turned one October 24th and we had a little party for him. He had his own meatball "cake" (guest of honor Rosie got her own too) and got to munch on these treats. They are baked on low heat for a looong time so they turn super hard and crunchy. They are very fattening, but our little puppy is so skinny right now, and hey, it is a treat.  Just take out some of the fattening stuff if your pooch has a pooch :)

Party Dog Biscotti

• 1 beef bullion cube, crushed   
• 1/2 cup low sodium beef broth (add more if needed to make it the right consistency
• 2.5 cups flour (I used a combination of oat flour and 12 grain flour)
• 2 eggs
• 1.5 cups shredded carrot
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 pound bacon cooked crisp and crumbled, reserve fat
• 4 TBS bacon fat (or oil of some kind)
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Mix all ingredients, roll out and cut into bone shapes, or little bite size pieces. Bake at 325 for 2 hours, basting with bacon fat once or twice in the last half hour. This makes about 60- 75 bone treats or a million bite sized pieces. Be sure to freeze them as they will go rancid in about a week. Better yet, give them as Christmas gifts to all your dog friends (with the ingredients in case of allergies etc).

Hey Mom - whatcha makin'?

Nom nom nom.

Later that night...

 

You have subjected me to all kinds of torture: a bath, ear cleaning, nail clipping, AND putting me in my sister's little black cat outfit. What next??      

Yes, I have no kids lol!

Thanks for stopping by. See you with a card tomorrow :)

Suzy

Good Eating: White Chili & Jalapeno Cheese Biscuits

Last night we had our first big snowfall of the season. Freeway discovered snow for the first time - and was NOT liking it. That is him off the deck deciding he does not want on the grass after all lol. He looks like he is snow jail.

The chill made me crave chili so I got out the Le Creuset and went to work. I normally make White Chili with chicken breasts, but we STILL had turkey left over from Canadian Thanksgiving, so I used that instead and it was just as good, if not better.

The warm Jalapeno Cheese Biscuits go so well with the chili and have the perfect amount off heat, which is cooled off by the dollop of sour cream added to the chili. We like our food spicy so be sure to adjust the peppers and spices to your family's preferences.

White Chili

Ingredients:

• 1 can white beans (Northern, Navy beans or White Kidney is fine)

• 1 large onion ~ chopped
• 4 cloves garlic ~ crushed
• 1-3 jalapenos, finely diced (to taste - add less if you do not like it spicy)
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1/2 stick butter
• 2 TBS olive oil
• 1/8 cup all purpose flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon Seasoning Salt (Lawry's/Hye's)
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 can (4 oz.) mild chopped green chilies
• 3 sauteed boneless, skinless chicken breast halves -- cubed
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese (I used a bit of cheddar too)
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Directions:
1. Saute onions and garlic in 1 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil until soft.  Add peppers.
4. In a separate heavy pan, saute the chicken until browned in a bit of butter. Take chicken out and let cool.
5. Melt remaining butter and whisk in flour in the pan you cooked the chicken in. Cook whisking constantly, for 3 minutes, without browning.
6. Stir in cooked onion/peppers mixture and gradually add broth and wine, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes.
7. Stir in Tabasco and spices. Add beans, chilies, chicken, half of the cilantro and simmer, stirring for 30 minutes.  Add cilantro right before serving.
8. Top a bowl of chili with shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream and serve.

Jalapeno Cheese Biscuits

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cold butter, cut into bits
1 1/2 cups Extra Sharp Cheddar, grated
2-4 fresh Jalapeño chilies, seeded (wear rubber gloves)
1 cup sour cream

1. In a bowl mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

2. Cut in the butter until it is the size of peas - don't mush because these butter pieces will melt and leave air pockets that make your biscuits flaky.

3. Stir in the Cheddar and the chilies, add the sour cream. Do not  overmix.

4.  Knead the dough gently a few times on a lightly floured surface. Roll it out 1/2 inch thick, use a cutter (I just use my 1 cup measuring cup) to cut out 6 rounds.

5.  Bake on an ungreased baking sheet at 425°F for 15 to 17 minutes, or until they are golden. Brush with melted butter and a dash of paprika for color.

I will be back soon with a card - if Typepad lets me. The editor keeps freezing on me. I HATE this new editor that is supposed to make our blogging easier UGH it isn't!

Be sure to check out the post below on the 30% Magnolia Fall & Halloween stamps sale too.

Hugs across the miles,

Suzy

Thanksgiving Blessings Card & A Recipe For You

 

Happy Thanksgiving Canada! In our home we celebrate Thanksgiving twice a year - once on Canadian Thanksgiving and again in November for American Thanksgiving. Actual Thanksgiving Day is tomorrow, but we will eat today as Allan has to head intot he office tomorrow. The turkey just went into the oven so I have a moment free to post. Today's card is very quick and easy and uses a new Gina K set called So Grateful.

I stamped the pumpkin image twice, colored with Copics, then cut the pumpkins out for a total of 3 pieces. The pumpkin furthest behind is stuck with a flat glue dot, a 1/8 glue dot is on the one on the far left, and the far right pops up the most with a 3D dot that is 3/16th high I believe.

To get the ground looking the way it does, I apply three colors of brown in a pattern of dots, then dot them all with my Colorless blender so that they become muted and the colors mingle and you get a nice watercolor type effect.

The background is a Cuttlebug Embossing Folder in Autumn. I swiped various fall color Memento Ink pads against the words so they stand out.

For a homey touch I added some of the new Stampin' Up! brown felt ribbon (LOVE this stuff).

Autumn's Blessing Salad Recipe

I like a traditional Thanksgiving - every year we have my Grandpa's special turkey recipe - his trick for cooking the bird makes the meat very moist and flavorful.  His recipe, as well as other traditional recipes from my family can be found on my recipe page here.

Every year I also try something new. This year it is Autumn Blessings Salad which I adapted from a recipe I found on the net. I made the salad's dressing last night, and it is seriously delicious and very pretty - it turns pink because of the red onion. Here is the recipe as I am making it:

Ingredients:

Salad Dressing:

• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons diced red onion
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup Canola oil
• 1/2 tablespoon poppy seeds

Salad:

• 1 head romaine lettuce, cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 cups baby spinach (cut only if the leaves are too big)
• 4 ounces shredded Mozzarella or Swiss
• 1/2 cup cashews
• 1/8 cup dried cranberries
• 1 diced firm, tart apple

The night before serving, toss all dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor on lowest setting and blend. Serve over salad (Add the fruits and nuts right before tossing).

I am off to finish frosting the carrot cake we will have for dessert (another family recipe found here).  My grandpa passed away on Thanksgiving years ago, so the holiday is always bittersweet for me. He was a true pioneer, born in Alabama, made his way west and owned a gold mine in Nevada, helped to build the first Mormon church in Battle Mountain, made jewelry with the Navajos, traveling even to Iran to get the best turquoise. He had a full and good life, but he is still missed.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a blessed Sunday.

Suzy

Supplies List

Stamps: Gina K Designs So Grateful by Rupa Shevde.

Paper: Select White by Papertrey; Stampin' Up! Garden Green Textured Cardstock

Ink: Memento Ink in Tuxedo Black, Cantaloupe, Tangelo, Potter's Clay, Rhubarb Stalk, and Cottage Ivy

Accessories: Oval and Oval Scallop Nestabilities; Cuttlebug Autumn Embossing Folder; Stampin' Up! Felt ribbon from the Alpine set

Good Eating: Apple Crisp

Hi and happy World Cardmaking Day everyone! Don't forget to join me for my Technique Challenge on SCS at 7pm EST. I will be posting today's card at that time as it involves the technique. Be sure to check out the other challenges - they will be going on ALL day today and there will be awesome giveaways from the Splitcoast Member Companies for participants and chatters! For more details see here.

Woo hoo Sarah from CraftCritique.com has asked me to be a staff reporter! I am so excited about that :) Okay enough blah blah. Onto the recipe!

Apple Crisp Recipe

With Fall here I thought I would post a favorite  quick and easy dessert. It is not pretty, but you won't be thinking about looks as you bite into warm ooey gooey cinnamon apples and crunch on streussel topping. Vanilla ice cream on top is a must! Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup rolled oats ( the kind with the longer cooking time, not Quick ones)
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 4 -5 large apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch slices (use firm, tart ones like Fuji or Macintosh)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Optional Add Ins: 1/2 cup chopped pecans and/or 1/4 cup dried cranberries

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish.

2. Combine the butter, sugar, flour, oats and cinnamon in a bowl. Work together with pastry cutter, two knives or your fingers until mixture resembles coarse meal. Toss in nuts; set aside.

3. Toss the apples with lemon juice and vanilla; put into the buttered baking dish. Sprinkle topping evenly over the apples.  Bake in center of the oven for 45 minutes - 1 hour, or until bubbly and the apples are tender. Let cool slightly. Serve warm, topped with ice cream or cream, if desired. Makes 6-8 servings.