Recipe - Orange Date Almond Salad

http://www.naturaldelights.com/recipes/salads/medjool-dates-with-orange-and-almond-salad/

Orange Date Salad - originally seen in my local newspaper

Once again, I had to make do with what was at our local store. I substituted packaged dates, canned mandarin oranges and orange juice concentrate. The vinaigrette was a bit mustardy for our tastes so I added more orange juice concentrate. I did mix this in lettuce to create a salad. 

Recipe - Balsamic Roasted Red Potatoes

Balsamic Roasted Red Potatoes

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/balsamic-roasted-red-potatoes/detail.aspx

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
• 2 pounds small red potatoes, quartered
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes, onion and garlic; toss to combine. Add the thyme, rosemary and nutmeg; toss well. Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until potatoes are hot.
2. Transfer to a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until potatoes are golden and almost tender. Add the vinegar, salt and pepper; toss well. Bake 5-8 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender.

MY NOTES: I could not find small red potatoes, so I made do with larger red ones, cutting each into eight large wedges. I did not use fresh garlic cloves, but the minced type in a jar. We never use herbs in our cooking and they were sooooooo expensive to buy for only needing a little for this recipe. I was surprised to find a spice "kit"  for Chicken Cacciatore - it had two of the herbs this recipe called for ! Granted, it was only 1/2 teaspoon each, but it was more than enough for us since we are not used to them. Also, I reduced the balsamic to 1/8 cup and omitted the nutmeg. Most pieces of potato had no balsamic flavor because I used so little, those that did had a nice zing to them and I rather liked it. Now I need to find more recipes that use it since I have an entire bottle of it leftover!

Recipe - Roasted Cauliflower w/ Cheese Sauce

http://www.familycircle.com/recipe/roasted-cauliflower-with-cheese-sauce/

Ingredients

• Cauliflower
  1 medium head cauliflower (about 2 1/4 pounds), trimmed and cut into florets
• 6 cloves garlic, halved lengthwise
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Cheese Sauce
  2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups 2% milk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Pinch ground nutmeg
• 6 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (1 1/2 cups)

Directions

Cauliflower
1. Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Combine cauliflower and garlic in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil. While stirring, season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast at 450 degrees F for 30 minutes, stirring once.
Cheese Sauce
2. Meanwhile, melt butter over medium heat in a medium-size saucepan (not nonstick). Whisk in flour and cook 2 minutes. Gradually add milk, whisking constantly until smooth. Bring to a simmer, whisking occasionally. Season with salt and nutmeg. Simmer 4 minutes and remove from heat. Stir in shredded cheese, whisking until smooth.
3. Transfer roasted cauliflower and garlic to a platter. Top with cheese sauce and serve immediately.

Recipe - Plum Glazed Cornish Hens

I haven't made many projects this year. I enjoy making things, but no one seems to really appreciate them (or have too many things as it is and don't want more) so I didn't do much this year. Instead I decided to try my hand at making a few different recipes. I'll share them over the next few posts.

My family isn't very adventurous when it comes to trying new things. I won't try a lot of "gourmet" things myself, we are simple people. However, there are lots of recipes I see I want to try but don't knowing they'd all say "eeeeeew, what is that? " and not even try it.

This year I cooked Christmas Day dinner for my parents and tried a couple of different things. Of course I had the regular corn, dads green beans, fruit salad, carrots and celery sticks as well as "normal" salad  and dinner rolls to keep the kids happy. The new to me recipes turned out pretty good, even if I did change things up a tiny bit. I didn't get any photos of the food, I'll share the recipes over the next couple of days.



Plum Glazed Cornish Hens

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/plum-glazed-cornish-game-hens/detail.aspx

• 3 (1 1/2 pound) Cornish game hens
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 3/4 cup plum jam
• 1 (1.25 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
• 2 kiwifruit, peeled and sliced, for garnish

Directions

1. Place the game hens in a slow cooker. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes.
2. Mix the plum jam and onion soup mix together in a bowl until well blended. Remove 1/4 cup of the jam mixture and refrigerate until needed. Brush the remaining jam mixture over the hens.
3. Set the slow cooker on Low for 7 hours. Brush the reserved glaze over the hens. Cook on Low 1 hour more. Place hens on serving plates and garnish with kiwifruit slices.

MY NOTES: I cooked four 22 oz cornish hens in a 6 QT slow cooker. They were stood up on end and I did not stuff them with anything. There was no plum jam to be found, so I used Paula Deen's Forest Fruit jam, 1 cup. I cooked the hens for one hour on high then 5 hours on low, brushing with glaze every two hours. They fell off of the bone so it was tricky getting them out of the cooker in one piece and onto a platter. I omitted the Kiwi fruit garnish, it would have been a waste of money/food since no one in my family would have eaten it and really don't care about "presentation" of food. They turned out great ! 

Christmas Breakfast

(that is my Santa Suit plant wrap project in the background)

I was given a mason jar of home made apple butter so I decided to see if there were any recipes that could be made with it. I found several ! I made this for breakfast Christmas morning, but knowing the kids would look at it and say "eeeeeew!" I made the cute reindeer donuts below for them. 

Awesome Apple Butter Breakfast Cake

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/awesome-apple-butter-breakfast-cake/detail.aspx

2 cups MUSSELMAN'S® Apple Butter

2 1/4 cups baking mix (like Bisquick®)

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut

1/3 cup pecans, chopped

1/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

1. In bowl, stir together baking mix, milk, sugar, egg and 2 tablespoons melted butter. Pour 2/3 of the batter into an 8x8-inch baking dish coated with non-stick cooking spray. Cover with MUSSELMAN'S Apple Butter. Drop remaining batter by spoonfuls on cake.
2. Combine last four ingredients and sprinkle on top. Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour until cake tester inserted in center of cake comes out clean.

Mini chocolate covered donuts for a head, broken pretzels for antlers, red M&Ms candies for a nose and dabs of white icing for eyes. 

Thanks for looking =) 

Cookies for Santa

I made a couple of different cookie recipes this year, each was new to me and I thought turned out well. 

Cranberry Walnut Oatmeal Cookies

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/cranberry-walnut-oatmeal-cookies/detail.aspx

Ingredients

• Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
• 3/4 cup Crisco® Butter Shortening or Crisco® Butter Flavor All-Vegetable Shortening Sticks*
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 3/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat baking sheets with no-stick cooking spray.
2. Beat shortening, sugar and brown sugar in large bowl at medium speed of electric mixer until blended. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in small bowl. Beat into shortening mixture until smooth. Stir in oats, dried cranberries and walnuts. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2-inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
3. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until light brown. Cool on baking sheets 2 minutes. Place on cooling rack to cool completely.

Magic Cookie Bars

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/ghirardelli-magic-cookie-bars/detail.aspx

Ingredients

• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 14 fluid ounces sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)
• 1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
• 1 cup chopped nuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (325 degrees F for glass dish). In 13 x 9-inch baking pan, melt butter in oven. Sprinkle crumbs over butter; pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumbs. Top with remaining ingredients; press down firmly with fork. Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Chill if desired. Cut into bars. Store covered at room temperature.

Turtle Fudge Chocolate Chip Cookies

http://www.marthawhite.com/Recipes/Detail.aspx?recipeID=5511&mealtype=

I'm not sure if the above link is going to work ....... I saw the recipe on an insert in a magazine, tried to look it up on the Martha White website.

Ingredients

	Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
5	ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/4	cup butter
1 (14 oz.)	can Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 (7.4 oz.)	packages Martha White® Chocolate Chip Muffin Mix
2/3	cup chopped pecans
48	foil-wrapped chocolate covered caramel candies, unwrapped

Preparation Directions

1.	HEAT oven to 350º F. Coat large cookie sheet with no-stick cooking spray. Microwave chocolate and butter in uncovered large microwave-safe bowl on HIGH for 2 minutes or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Stir in sweetened condensed milk. Stir in muffin mix until completely blended.
2.	ROLL tablespoonfuls of dough into balls. Dip bottoms into pecans. Place on cookie sheet with nut side up, 2 inches apart. Bake 7 to 8 minutes or just until cookies look slightly crackled and centers are still soft. Immediately press a caramel candy into center of each cookie. Place on a wire rack. Swirl chocolate gently with knife while candy is warm, if desired. Cool.

MY NOTES: My local grocery store does not carry this brand of chocolate chip muffin mix so I substituted a Betty Crocker premium mix. They turned out just fine. 

Mini Lunch Box Gift Card Holder

Two tiny "lunch boxes" I made into gift card holders.

These originally held candy and were sold at a dollar section of a local store a few years ago. I kept the tins for another one of those "some day I'll do something with these" projects. I finally got around to it (I really do have a true "RoundToIt" somewhere......).

I took them apart, sanded lightly, sanded off portions then spray painted them with primer.

I cut decorative paper to fit around the side, top and bottom. Adhered it with super sticky double stick tape. The letters were cut with a Cricut die cut machine using the Don Juan cartridge. I used a deep red colored paper that had a white core so I could sand them lightly, exposing a bit of white.

The trees were made with a half of a scalloped circle punch. Instructions can be found here:

http://inkspiredtreasures.com/wp-content/uploads/Folded%20Tree%20Diagram2(1).pdf

Dimensional paper paints I bought years ago came in handy to decorate them.

I hope they don't end up in the trash................. !

Thanks for looking =) 

Two Special Cards I Made

Two special cards I made this year, one for my mother and father the other for my sister and her family.

The first was totally inspired by an old photo of a sample I saved by "winnipeg1" from Splitcoastsampers.com http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1125156?&si=winnipeg1

The second is a near copy of a sample by "wendybell" at Splitcoaststampers.com

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/2047580?&si=wendybell

Everything used on the cards is from Stampin' Up!, except the snowflake border punch. I made mine into "easel cards". The instructions can be found here

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/tutorials/easelcard/

They are 5 1/2" square. I created a little pocket inside on the upper portion to insert a gift card.


Thanks for looking and Merry Christmas !

More Christmas Cards

This is a near duplicate of a card I saw a couple years ago. The layout is flipped . I don't know the artists real name, but the file name I saved it under says it was by "chanteuse" . I think I was shared at Splitcoaststampers.com

Tidings of Comfort and Joy - card

Lots of fun things used on this card ! 

Everything, except the ribbon, is from Stampin' Up!