Snow
Much Fun!!
A Craft, Recipe and a Gift
Idea
By Leslie Sausage
CRAFT
Spray Chalk for Snow, Sand or Sidewalks
Easy
recipe for kids which can be used to embellish snowmen
in the winter,
beautify sand sculptures next summer or even to decorate your sidewalks
anytime of the year. It's more fun if the artist has more than one color!
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup warm water
Food coloring, several drops
Combine all ingredients in a small plant mister. Shake before use to avoid
clogs.
RECIPE
Snowball Candy (AKA Marshmallow Bumpies)
Nearly kid-friendly. as long as there is a little help with melting the
chocolate.
3 ounces softened cream cheese
2 tablespoons milk
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ounces baking chocolate
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 cups miniature marshmallows
Flaked coconut
Blend together cream cheese and milk. Add sugar and vanilla extract, mixing
well. Set aside.
Melt chocolate over hot water, stirring until smooth.
Combine cream cheese mixture, melted chocolate, and salt, mixing together
well. Fold in marshmallows. Drop by teaspoonfuls into coconut, completely
coating each candy. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Chill in refrigerator
until firm.
GIFT IDEA
Silly, Simple and Quick!
Need a silly, simple and quick gift idea? Got a sense of humor?
Use a small clear jar or bag for these. Create a quick label and you're
done!
Label: "Don't eat the Yellow Snow"
Contains: Lemon rock candy or sour ball candies
Label: Spare Reindeer Noses for Rudolph
Contains: Small red cinnamon candies
Label: Elf Pillows
Contains: Peppermint candies (red and white striped ones that look like
tiny
pillows)
Happy Holidays!
Leslie Sausage is a web designer and freelance
writer who has written
several e-books including Broke But Still Starvin', which includes 7
different weekly budget menus with recipes. For more creative, practical
and
fun ideas visit Frugal Homemaker at www.frugalhomemaker.com Check out the
new Message Board!
Christmas
Cookie Swap
Brown-Edge Saucies
Ingredients:
2 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspooon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2/teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup canned applesauce
Directions:
1. Measure flour, baking powder,baking soda, salt, cinnamon,
nutmeg, and ground cloves into sifter; save for step 4.
2. Cream shortening until soft, add sugar, gradually creaming after
each addition until well-blended.
3. Stir in egg and vanilla, beat until mixture is light and fluffy.
4. Sift and add dry ingredients alternately with applesauce,
blending well after each addition.
5. Drop batter by heaping teaspoonfuls onto lightly greased
cookie sheets--about 2 inches apart.
6. Bake in 350 degree oven 12 minutes or until cookies are lightly
browned around edge.
7. Loosen at once from cookie sheet by running spatula under each
cookie. Cool on wire racks.
8. Store cookies in air-tight container to keep them soft.
Makes about 3 dozen cookies.
Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
finely chopped nuts
jelly or preserves
1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets. Separate egg,
reserving egg white. Cream butter or margarine, sugar,and egg yolk.
Add vanilla, flour and salt, mixing well. Shape dough into balls.
Roll in egg white, then nuts. Place on cookie sheets about 2 inches
apart. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove cookies from oven. With thumb,
dent each cookie. Put jelly or preserves in each thumbprint. Bake
for another 8 minutes.
Makes 2 dozen.
Mocha Sugar Cookies
Ingredients:
1/3 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tablespoon milk
2 tablespoons instant espresso or instant coffee powder
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 (1.75- to 2-ounce) chocolate bar, coarsely grated
Directions:
In mixing bowl, cream together shortening and brown and granulated
sugars. Add egg and vanilla. Heat milk and stir in the instant coffee.
Add to creamed mixture and mix in until well incorporated. Sift flour,
salt, baking soda and baking powder and add to creamed mixture. Mix
until well incorporated. Roll mixture into 1-inch balls. Place on
ungreased baking sheets well spaced apart. Press out cookie with
bottom of lightly buttered glass dipped in sugar or press out with
a fork. Sprinkle lightly with grated chocolate. Bake at 375 degrees
8 to 10 minutes. Cool slightly before removing to wire racks. Cool
completely before you store them.
Makes about 3 dozen cookies.
Chocolate Coconut Pecan Cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup), softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
About 60 pecan halves
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper
or butter them. On a piece of wax paper,combine the flour, baking
powder, and salt. In a large bowl, cream the butter with an electric
mixer, add the sugar, and beat until fluffy. Beat in the eggs and
vanilla, then add the melted chocolate and beat well. Add the flour
mixture, mixing until smooth, then stir in the coconut, chopped pecans,
and chocolate chips. Drop the dough from a teaspoon onto the prepared
cookie sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie. Press
a pecan half on top of each cookie. Bake in the middle of the
oven for 10 to 13 minutes, or until set. Transfer cookies to wire
racks to cool. Store in airtight containers for up to 1 week or in
the freezer for up to 2 months.
Makes about 60 cookies.
Eggnog Cookies
Ingredients:
2 and 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 and 1/4 cups white sugar
3/4 cups salted butter, softened
1/2 cup eggnog
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 large egg yolks
1 Tbsp ground nutmeg
Directions:
Preheat oven to 300'. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon,and
nutmeg. Mix well with wire whisk and set aside. Cream sugar and butter
with electric mixer until forms a grainy paste. Add eggnog, vanilla,
and egg yolks and beat at medium speed until
smooth. Add flour mixture and beat at low speed just until combined
--do not over mix! Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking
sheets -- 1 "apart. Sprinkle lightly with nutmeg.
Bake for 23-25 minutes or until bottoms turn light brown - transfer
to cool, flat surface immediately.
Rum Balls
Ingredients:
1 (12oz) package vanilla wafers
1 (16oz) package pecan pieces
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup bourbon
1/3 cup dark rum
1/4 cup vanilla wafer crumbs
or 1/3 cup powder sugar
Directions:
Process vanilla wafers in food processor until crumbs are fine.
Transfer to a large bowl. Process pecans in food processor until
finely chopped. Stir into vanilla wafer crumbs. Stir in honey,
bourbon, and rum
Shape dough into 1 inch balls and roll in 1/4 cup vanilla wafer
crumbs or powdered sugar. Place in an airtight container. Store in
refrigerator up to one week.
Yield about 6 dozen.
About the Author:
Cindy Sanchez is
the Owner and Editor of http://www.momsmenu.com - "Family Cooking Made Easy"
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Lighted
Holiday Potpourri Jars
by Rachel Paxton
Lighted potpourri jars are a festive addition to any holiday decor. They
are inexpensive, easy to make, and make great hostess gifts.
SUPPLIES:
1 package Christmas lights (20-bulb strand)
Wide-mouth canning jar
Potpourri
Holiday ribbon
Pinecones, small holiday decorations
Doily or holiday fabric cut to fit over the mouth of the canning jar
Glue gun
DIRECTIONS:
Plug in light strand and see if any bulbs are burned out and need to
be replaced. Arrange light strand and potpourri in canning jar while
lights are on so you'll be able to get it just right and be able to see
what it will look like when it's finished.
Place doily or fabric on top of jar, arranging the cord of the light
strand so it's coming out where you want the back to be.
Tie some ribbon around the neck of the jar to hold the fabric in place.
When you get it arranged the way you like it, use the hot glue gun to
glue the fabric and ribbon down in several places so it will hold.
Decorate the outside of the jar with festive decorations like pine cones
or artificial holly berries. Craft stores have a variety of holiday decorations
you can cut apart and re-arrange any way you like.
Experiment with different potpourri scents. The lights in the jar will
warm up the potpourri and help the scent fill the room.
These jars are very pretty and will look different depending on if you
use clear or colored lights. These are great for last-minute present
ideas or hostess gifts. Happy holidays!
Photo of finished project:
http://www.crafty-moms.com/articles/112902a.shtml
Rachel Paxton is
a freelance writer, mom, and owner of four home
and family web sites. For scrapbooking, card making, gift-giving
ideas, and more family memory-making activities, visit
http://www.crafty-moms.com
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A
Tasty Holiday Tradition
By Amanda Formaro
http://familycorner.com
Every year, right after
Thanksgiving, I fill my grocery cart with delectable goodies that will
fill my kitchen with wonderful smells. It's the time of year when I bake,
and bake, and bake some more.
Every Christmas for the past 8 years I have made several types of homemade
goodies, wrapped them carefully and sent them on their merry way. Some
go to relatives, others to neighbors and some to friends.
Start with cookie tins that you saved from last year. What? You didn't
save them? Never fear, most discount department stores carry these items
and they are reasonably priced.
You can also get them at thrift stores and from garage sales throughout
the year.
What you will need:
Cookie tins, varied sizes and shapes are fine
Color plastic wrap (red, green, yellow or clear)
Tissue paper (white is fine, or use green or red if you chose clear plastic
wrap)
Satin ribbon or bows
After making each recipe and your kitchen is stacked full of goodies (completely
cooled of course), then start wrapping bundles of treats. Using the color
plastic wrap, place 2-3 treats in the center and gather the ends at the
top. Finish it by securing each bundle with a ribbon. Line each cookie
tin with tissue paper, flare out the edges for a decorative look. Then
carefully place the goodies into the cookie tins, fold the edges of the
tissue paper carefully over the top of the treats and secure with cookie
tin lid. Adorn the top with a colorful bow.
THE RECIPES
Irresistible
Peanut Butter Cookies
1/2 cup all vegetable shortening
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
3 tbsp milk
1 tbsp vanilla
1 egg
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place sheets of foil on countertop for cooling
cookies.
Combine shortening, peanut butter, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large
bowl.
Beat with electric mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add egg. Beat
just until blended.
Combine flour, salt and baking soda. Add to creamed mixture at low speed.
Mix just until blended.
Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet.
Flatten slightly in crisscross pattern with tines of fork.
Bake for 7 to 8 minutes, or until set and just beginning to brown. DO NOT
OVERBAKE.
Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove cookies to foil to cool completely.
Super
Easy Chocolate Fudge Brownies
1 2/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine
2 tbsp water
2 bars (4 oz) unsweetened baking chocolate, broken up
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Microwave sugar, butter and water in large, microwave-safe bowl on high
(100%) power for 4-5 minutes or until mixture bubbles, stirring once. (Or
heat sugar, butter and water in medium saucepan just to boiling, stirring
constantly. Remove from heat.)
Add baking bars; stir until melted.
Stir in eggs once at a time until incorporated. Stir in vanilla. Add flour,
baking soda and salt; stir well. Stir in nuts. Pour into greased 13x9 inch
baking pan.
Bake in preheated 350 degree F oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until wooden
pick inserted in center comes out slightly sticky. Cool in pan. Cut into
squares.
Foolproof
Dark Chocolate Fudge
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
dash salt
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
In heavy saucepan over low heat, melt chips with sweetened condensed milk
and salt. Remove from heat; stir in walnuts and vanilla. Spread evenly
into aluminum foil lined 8 or 9 inch square pan. Chill 2 hours or until
firm. Turn fudge onto cutting board; peel off foil and cut into squares.
Store loosely covered at room temperature.
Ultimate
Chocolate Chip Cookies
3/4 cup butter flavored shortening
1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp vanilla
1 egg
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans (optional)*
Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Place sheets of foil on countertop for cooling
cookies.
Combine butter flavored shortening, brown sugar, milk, and vanilla in large
bowl.
Beat with mixer at medium speed until well blended. Beat egg into creamed
mixture.
Combine flour, salt, and baking soda. Mix into creamed mixture just until
blended.
Stir in chocolate chips and pecan pieces.
Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of dough 3 inches apart onto ungreased baking
sheet.
Bake one baking sheet at a time for 8 to 10 minutes for chewy cookies,
or 11 to 13 minutes for crisp cookies. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Cool 2 minutes
on baking sheet.
Remove cookies to foil to cool completely.
* If nuts are omitted, ad an additional 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips.
Raspberry
Thumbprint Cookies
3 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/3 cups butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
1 egg yolk
NOTE: This makes a LOT of cookies! You can cut this dough in half, use
one half, and freeze the other for another time.
Shape rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls. Place 1 inch apart on cookie
sheets.
Press thumb into centers of cookies, making deep indentations. Bake 10
minutes in 375 degree oven.
Remove from oven, and with 1/3 cup red raspberry preserves* fill indentations.
Bake 5 minutes; immediately remove and cool cookies on racks.
*You can vary this recipe by using different flavored preserves. I have
used blackberry, strawberry, mixed berry and boysenberry all with excellent
results.
Mom's
Peanut Brittle
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup water
1 cup shelled raw peanuts
2 tbsp butter or margarine, softened
1 tsp baking soda
HINT: Have all the ingredients for this recipe measured out and ready.
This recipe requires that react quickly and you do not have time to be
measuring in between.
Grease large cookie sheet. In a heavy 2 quart saucepan over medium heat,
heat to boiling sugar, corn syrup, salt and water, stirring until sugar
is dissolved.
Stir in peanuts. Set candy thermometer in place and continue cooking, stirring
frequently, until temperature reaches 300 degrees F or until a small amount
of mixture dropped into very cold water separates into hard and brittle
threads.
Remove from heat; immediately stir in butter or margarine and baking soda;
pour at once onto cookie sheet.
With 2 forks, lift and pull peanut mixture into rectangle about 14" by
12"; cool. With hands, snap candy into small pieces.
Amanda Formaro,
President
Phone 702-433-6009 * Fax 702-433-2040
FamilyCorner.com Magazine, Inc.
http://www.familycorner.com
Check out our sister site for all
your "Family Cooking Made Easy"!
MomsMenu.com
http://www.momsmenu.com
A
Safe And Happy Christmas
by Colleen Moulding
As we all know many accidents happen in the home all year round,
but at this time of year when there are often more people than usual
in the house and we are more likely to be distracted by a friend
dropping in or a phone call from a distant relative, it is more important
than ever to take the extra care to ensure a safe and happy Christmas
for our families and friends.
Christmas Trees
These soon become a fire hazard once they are drying out.
Keep your tree in one of the specially designed containers that you
can keep topped up with water, and be sure to placeit well away from
your heat source and from major traffic routes through your house.
Cutting a couple of inches of the bottom of the trunk just before
you take it indoors will help it take up water and stay fresh longer.
Candles
As pretty as they are, candles cause many house fires at this time
of year. Keep candles well away from fresh or artificial Christmas
trees and from hanging or draping decorations, curtains, table cloths,
toys and most importantly, children. Never light real candles on
a Christmas tree.
Cigarettes
Cigarettes frequently start house fires. If you or your guests are
going to be smoking make sure that there are plenty of deep and solid
ashtrays around. After a party or family gathering have a thorough
search behind furniture, down the sides and between the cushions
of sofas and in waste baskets for any
carelessly discarded cigarette ends that could be smoldering there
and start a fire later Make sure that the contents of ashtrays
are completely safe before emptying. Do not allow your guests to
smoke in bed.
Fragranced Oil Burners
Another item that has become very popular recently, but can be dangerous
if not used sensibly. Make sure that they are topped up with water,
not left unattended and in a place where they cannot be knocked over
by children or pets. They can also get very hot at the base, I know
someone who left one on top of their television and it melted
the casing.
Electrical Safety
At this time of year especially it is very easy to overload your
electrical system. Try not to use extension leads and adaptor plugs,
ideally each appliance should be plugged into it's own socket.
Check for frayed or damaged wires on your seasonal electrical items.
Outside lights look lovely but can be a hazard to your visitors if
they have not been installed correctly. Have them checked by a qualified
electrician if you are not 100% sure of their safety.
Smoke Alarms
Test all your smoke alarms before the holidays and buy in spare batteries.
It has been well documented that smoke alarms really do save lives
so if you know someone who doesn't have alarms in their home, especially
housebound or elderly relatives, wouldn't that be a fabulous gift
from you to them, especially if you could arrange for installation
too.
Heating
Keep portable heaters at least three feet away from any combustible
items such as furniture, curtains etc. and well away from doorways
and
traffic routes. Be aware that the casings of some of these heaters
can get hot to the touch and would burn a child or elderly person
if they fell against it.
Poisons
Be very careful about plants and berries that children may put into
their mouths, especially if they have fallen from the plant. Also
be vigilant about leaving alcohol where young children could copy
adults and drink it.
Remember that perfumes and aftershaves are poisons too but could
look very appealing to children.
Cooking
While the kitchen is at it's busiest pay extra attention to safety
issues.
Do not wear loose clothing around the stove, especially loose or
wide sleeves. Use oven mitts to move hot food and keep work surfaces
clear so that you always have a space to put hot dishes down safely. Keep
knives well away from children and be especially careful that they
cannot get to kettles and kettle leads. Turn cooking pot handles
away and try to use only the back burners while there are children
around.
Unfortunately it only takes a moment's carelessness to turn a happy
family gathering into a tragedy, but if we are all aware of the dangers
we
should be able to have a very happy and a very safe Christmas too.
Happy Christmas to you all!
© Colleen Moulding
For lots of ideas for Christmas
food, decorating, carols, games,
printable wish lists, table name cards and a Santa letter to print
out for your children see Christmas - All Wrapped Up! Colleen's
new ebook
available from her popular web site http://www.allthatwomenwant.com
an online magazine, web directory and free monthly ezine for women
everywhere.
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