Sassy & Sweet Notes

Carol's Chocolate Zucchini Bread

What does this image have to do with the title and topic of this post? Absolutely nothing! Just thought I'd share a peek at an new image for Whipper Snapper Designs -- part of the upcoming September release happening soon!

Friend and blog reader, Carol, sent me a chocolate zucchini bread recipe. Alan LOVES chocolate, and the recipe sounded delish, so Friday night I whipped up a batch. It did NOT disappoint! In fact, Sunday night I whipped up a second batch (stocking up the freezer with yummy homemade bread is a good thing!)

Carol gave me the OK to share the recipe, so here you go! Now go make it! Today! You'll be glad you did!

Carol's Chocolate Zucchini Bread
3 cups all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat flour with great success!)
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon (Carol and I use a little less)
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

2 cups white sugar
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups shredded zucchini (I used 3 cups)
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (why not add a few more, for good measure!)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. degrees. Lightly grease two 9X5 loaf pans

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, cocoa, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix well. In a separate bowl, combine sugar and eggs, beat until well blended. Add oil and vanilla, mix well. Stir in zucchini. Add flour mixture, stir until just moistened. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips. Spoon into loaf pans.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 55 to 60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, Remove from pans, cool completely on wire rack.

Enjoy!!

Thanks to Carol for the wonderful recipe! I love it, and so does Alan!

Instead of using zucchini for my second batch, I used patty pan squash! It was WONDERFUL!

Patty Pan Squash Whole Wheat and Pecan Bread

(How's that for a title!)

We have so many squash and zucchini coming in from the garden, and I'm enjoying trying different ways of preparing them. This evening for dinner we had New York steak (farm raised, you betchya!), oven toasted whole grain bread, and we enjoyed sauted Patty Pan and yellow squash. Yum!

After dinner, I thought I would use up a bit more Patty Pan squash, so I decided to make the bread I've been meaning to make since late last week. It's as good as I'd hoped! Enjoy the recipe!

Anna's Patty Pan Squash, Whole Wheat and Pecan Bread
3 cups whole wheat flour (or use 1 1/2 cups white flour and 1 1/2 cups whole wheat for a lighter bread)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 1/3 cups sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups grated Patty Pan Squash
1 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans.
Combine flour, salt, baking powder, soda, cinnamon and nutmeg together in a bowl.
Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl.
Add sifted ingredients to the wet mixture; beat well.
Stir in squash and nuts until well combined.
Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake for 50 to 70 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove loaves from pan, and completely cool.

Eat when warm! Mmmmm, good!!
Enjoy morning, noon, and night...
Or freeze for enjoying later...
Or, try toasting a slice and spread on some soft butter....mmmm, good!

What to do with a 5 pound zucchini...

While I was away in Washington, Alan did a great job of watering the garden. So great, in fact, he managed to grow (unknowingly) a 5 pound zucchini! It was a MONSTER! Knowing it would be too tough to enjoy sauted, I had to come up with some other way to use it, and I already have enough frozen grated zucchini for bread recipes for the rest of the year. I thought I remembered a way to make candy out of zucchini, so I did a quick google search for candied zucchini and found several sites that mentioned recipes. Perfect!

Here's how I made candied zucchini...

First I peeled the monster, spooned out the seeds and soft center, and chopped it up into about 1"x1" cubes. I ended up with about 8 or 9 cups of zucchini cubes.

I added the cubes to 6 cups water (I saw recipes with as little as 3 cups water, and I will try using less water next time I make a batch), 2 1/2 cups sugar, and 2 packets of black cherry kool-aid drink mix. I brought the mixture to a boil, turned the heat down to medium, and let it cook for about an hour.

When the cubes were slightly "transparent" looking, I spooned them out of the mixture. I spread the ruby cubes on the racks of the food dehydrator, set the temp for 125, and let it sit for about 16 hours.

They really condenced down!

Once the cubes were no longer sticky, I tossed them in a baggie containing a couple of tablespoons of powdered sugar and a bit of corn starch. After shaking them around to get them well coated, I poured the sugared cubes into a fine mesh colander, shook off the excess powdered coating into the sink, and poured them into a dish. Delish! Zucchini candy!

What's amazing is that the once 5 pound zucchini now fits in a pint sized jar.

relish and jam and pickles, oh my!

I've been busy in the kitchen... in total, 10 pints and 2 half pints zucchini relish done. YUM! I use the recipe my Mom uses, but I omit the green pepper. (I also use yellow squash as well as zucchini, so my relish isn't as green as relish made with only green zucchini.)

Sweet Zucchini Relish (Lori Wight)
    {Makes roughly 6 Pints}
10 Cups unpeeled zucchini, grated
4 Cups onion, grated (I like to use sweet onion)
1 red bell pepper, grated
2 green bell peppers, grated (I omit)
5 Tablespoons canning/pickling salt
6 Cups white sugar
2 1/4 Cups white vinegar
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 Tablespoon ground nutmeg
1 Tablespoon dry mustard
1 Tablespoon ground turmeric
1 Tablespoon celery seed
1/2 Teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions
1. Place the grated zucchini, red and green bell peppers, and onion in a large glass bowl. Mix the salt throughout the zucchini. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. The following morning, drain and rinse well with cold water. Pick up combined ingredients by handfuls and squeeze excess water out.
3. Place the remaining ingredients into a large pot. Stir to combine, then add the zucchini mixture. Bring to a boil and simmer 30 minutes, stirring often.
4. Pack hot relish into hot sterilized jars leaving 1/4-1/2 inch at top. Wipe the rims with a clean damp cloth, and seal with lids and rings. Process jars in boiling water bath for 30 minutes.

 

Peach jam, with a hint of orange... 15 half pints and 10 twelve ounce jars done. YUMMM!

Peach Jam with a Hint of Orange (Anna Wight)
10 Cups fresh peaches, blanched, peeled, and chopped
9 Cups white sugar
3 Tablespoons butter
3/4 Teaspoon pure orange extract

Directions
1. Combine peaches and 5 cups sugar in a large stock pot. Mix well and bring to a boil, stirring often so it doesn't scorch! Allow to boil for 15 minutes.
2. Add butter, remaining sugar, and orange extract. Bring to boil again, and boil for 15 minutes. (The butter helps reduce the amount of "froth" created from the boiling.)
3. Test jam consistency on a cold (out of the freezer) saucer. If it still seems too runny, cook longer.
4. Pack hot jam into hot sterilized jars leaving 1/4-1/2 inch at top. Wipe the rims with a clean damp cloth, and seal with lids and rings. Process jars in boiling water bath for 15 minutes.

 

Dill pickles and sweet pickles...Yummm yummmm YUM!

I'm keeping track of what I make on a simple spreadsheet.

And I'm keeping track of the pounds we harvest, too! It will be fun to see the other numbers start adding up when things get ready for picking!

Oh, and peach jam sure is good in plain yogurt! Yummmmm!

Peanut Butter Pie

We had Alan's parents, sister, and nephew over for a nice steak dinner tonight. I fixed this recipe for dessert and served it in little individual pie shells. Pretty good! Sorry, no photos... 

Peanut Butter Pie (no bake)
4 ounces (1/2 package) cream cheese
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup milk
1 (8 ounce) package frozen whipped topping (thawed)
8 (3-inch) prepared graham cracker crusts OR 1 (9-inch) prepared graham cracker or cookie crust

Directions:
Combine cream cheese and powdered sugar; mix well. Add peanut butter and milk; mix until smooth. Fold in thawed whipped topping. Spoon into eight 3-inch graham cracker pie shells, or into one 9-inch graham cracker (or cookie) crust and freeze until firm. Serve directly from the freezer.

Zucchini Bread

 
Here's what I made with our JUMBO sized zucchini, yesterday. Mmmmm.... so good!

Anna's Zucchini Bread
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 1/3 cups sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups grated zucchini (if using extra large zucchini, slice open and remove seeds)
1 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans.
Combine flour, salt, baking powder, soda, cinnamon and nutmeg together in a bowl.
Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl.
Add sifted ingredients to the wet mixture; beat well.
Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined.
Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake for 50 to 70 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove loaves from pan, and completely cool.

Eat when warm! Mmmmm, good!!
Enjoy morning, noon, and night...
Or freeze for enjoying later... mmmm, good!

I prefer to eat my bread plain, but you could spread on some soft butter.

Suppertime

Too bad you couldn't join us for supper! It was deeee-LISH!

 
Grilled asparagus, mushrooms, and garlic - oh my! Simply snap or cut the asparagus in thirds, thickly slice the mushrooms, drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic. I love this grill bowl for quick and easy dishes like this.

 
Farm raised beef... oh my my! Lightly brushed with olive oil and seasoned with garlic powder, crushed pepper, red pepper flakes, sea salt, and more garlic... on the hot grill!

And to top it off, delicious zucchini bread warm and fresh from the oven. Mmmmmm, good! And there's plenty of zucchini bread left for breakfast! By the way, those of you who guessed/suggested zucchini bread on my previous post were right on track! It was in the oven baking and smellin' good!

Update: For those of you looking for a similar bowl, I picked this one up at Target (if I remember correctly) last summer, or the summer before. I did a search for you, and found several online retailers:

Mr Bar-B-Que Non Stick Grilling Bowl: Le Gourmet Chef
Grill Woks on Amazon
Grill Woks at Target

Have fun shopping!

Homemade Sweet Pickles

What else have I got to do today besides brew up some homemade pickles? Honestly, the "to do" list is a mile long, but freshly harvested produce moves quickly to the top of any list of tasks.

Since I'm out of dill, and so are all the local stores, today's recipe called for a sweet flavor. I decided to use the Good Eats sweet pickle (refrigerator) recipe. You will find the show's transcript here (recipe starts at Scene 6), and you can watch the recipe portion of the episode on YouTube here.

 
The cucumber plants are growing nicely, and twice now I've been able to harvest nearly 2 pounds of cucumbers. And there are lots more little cucumbers growing!

 
This morning's harvest was a variety of sizes, and well, shapes. 

 
Once I had the little fruits picked, it was time to wash them up under cold water and really give them a good scrubbing. Scrubbing removes the little prickly things on the skin, and really works off any dirt or other foreign particles that might be on the skin. (By the way, I keep my veggie scrubber nice and clean by running it through the dishwasher after using it.)

 
After their scrubbing, they are nice and glossy and no longer have their dull finish.

 
There is a variety of ways you can prepare the cucumbers for pickling. This morning, I chose to do simple coin slices.

 
Once sliced, I soak the cucumbers in an ice and salt water bath. We don't like the flavor of our tap water, so I used bottled water for this process. Today's batch fit into a serving bowl, so I popped it into the fridge for 2-3 hours. Putting the bowl in the fridge while they soak really minimizes the number of times I need to add ice to the water and really chills the cucumbers.

 
A few hours later, I sterilized my jars, lids and rings and got ready for the canning process.

 
I put the brine mixture on the stove to cook. This recipe calls for bringing the brine ingredients to a boil, and then letting them simmer for four minutes. I used bottled water for the brine water too, since we don't like the flavor of our tap water.

 
Once the jars were ready, I carefully filled each jar with the sliced cucumbers and some sweet onion slices.

 
I didn't quite have enough cucumbers to completely fill all four jars, so I topped them off with a few more slices of onion.

 
I added the brine to the jars, wiped off the rims of the jars, and added the lids and rings. This recipe is a refrigerator recipe, so it doesn't have to be hot water processed once the jars are lidded. After the jars cool to room temperature, I'll put them in the fridge for keeping.

Mmmm, delish!

Fruity Smoothie

I eat yogurt nearly every day. Usually for breakfast, but sometimes for lunch instead.

My yogurt of choice is non-fat plain, or 0% Greek strained plain (Costco sells large containers of Fage, and I like it the best!). I add a dash of vanilla, sometimes a dash of cinnamon, maybe some Fiber-One or Uncle Sam cereal for crunch, or blueberries. Mmmm!

Today I was in the mood for something a little different. We have a bunch of berries in the fridge, so I decided to blend up a little fruity smoothie!

1 Cup Yogurt (I used non-fat plain, today)
1 Cup Mixed Berries (I used blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries)
Glug of Vanilla (maybe a tsp or two?)

Blend well, pour into a favorite glass, and breakfast is served! Enjoy!

PS: I should also add that my yogurt was previously frozen, so it was a bit thinner than normal. To thin your smoothie a bit if you find it to be too thick for your liking, you can add a bit of fruit juice (like orange or mango juice) to your blend. Or try adding a bit of milk! I find that the water left on the berries after washing them is usually enough extra liquid for me (when the yogurt hasn't been frozen), but you might like your smoothies a bit thinner.

FoodSaver Learning Curve

Over the weekend, I made a trip up to the city. One of my stops was Costco where I picked up a FoodSaver. Thanks to those of you who made recommendations! Your input was helpful!

 
We have about 50 feet of bean plants growing, some farther along than others, and I'm hoping we'll be inundated with beans when they start putting on flowers. I want to freeze the beans when they're freshly picked, and thought the vacuum seal option made the most sense for us. And I'll be able to use it for our meat as well. The meat comes paper wrapped from the butcher, and I worry about the amount of time it can stay fresh in freezer paper.

While at Costco, I also picked up some groceries and household necessities (while I waited for new tires to be put on the ol' Honda Pilot). There was just enough room in the cart for some fresh berries and a package of pound cakes (containing three cakes). Yum!

 
The cakes were fresh, and beautiful. We enjoyed one of them over the weekend, and the remaining two seemed like the perfect thing to pop into the freezer for later.

 
I must say, there is a bit of a learning curve with the FoodSaver and "soft" items. What started out a perfectly shaped pound cake, VERY quickly turned into...

 
...a not so perfectly shaped pound cake, sealed up tightly.

 
I guess I should have hit the "STOP" button a bit sooner!

Not to worry though... I cut open the sealed bag, let the cake sit on the counter for a few minutes to regain it's shape, and then sealed it up once more -- this time paying a bit more attention to the timing of "STOP".

I also put together some sealed packages of fresh strawberries, and some packages of chopped nuts, too! What a fun gadget! Can't wait to get those beans in the freezer!

On the Grill

 

Alan and I had a wonderful dinner of grilled veggies, and farm raised burgers! Unfortunately, the only veggie in the mix that was grown here on the farm so far was the zucchini; the rest came from the market. There was a mix of brown mushrooms, red bell pepper, sweet onion, and of course zucchini. Once I had the veggies all chopped, I very lightly drizzled them with olive oil and tossed them in my grilling bowl. I added some garlic and a bit of fresh ground pepper and set the pan on the hot grill. I only stir the veggies a few times while they cook, so I don't break them up with my wooden spoon. I've found that this grill bowl takes a bit longer to cook the veggies than it takes to grill burgers, so I start the veggies cooking while I'm preparing the burgers. If you've never cooked veggies like this on the grill, we highly recommend it! It's one of my Dad's favorite summertime dishes, too! And, this bowl works great for smaller sized shrimp, too!

 
The burgers were seasoned with garlic powder (my favorite seasoning), a sprinkle of red bell pepper flakes, and some fresh ground pepper. Deeeeee-lish!

What's on your menu for Father's Day? We're having Alan's parents over for dinner on Sunday. Any family favorites you serve up for the weekend?

Update: For those of you looking for a similar bowl, I picked this one up at Target (if I remember correctly) last summer, or the summer before. I did a search for you, and found several online retailers:

Mr Bar-B-Que Non Stick Grilling Bowl: Le Gourmet Chef
Grill Woks on Amazon
Grill Woks at Target

Have fun shopping!

Zucchini

 
Last night we enjoyed our first farm raised zucchini, and it was delish! I sliced it up, along with some broccoli, onion, and carrots, and cooked it all up in my new All-Clad stir fry pan. I was very excited for this pan to arrive, and it didn't disappoint! The veggies cooked up beautifully! I also cooked up some chicken breast, following this recipe (almost exactly ... not quite). Mmmmm...good.

 
The slices were so tender and juicy, and it couldn't have been any fresher unless I gnawed it off the plant in the garden! *giggle*

 
By the looks of things, we'll be enjoying zucchini for some time. 

 
Time to do some more picking! I think this will be dinner tomorrow!

PS: I just came in from locking up the chickens and watering the plants, and the zuc in the last photo above is noticeably larger than it was earlier today! Holy moley, they grow fast!

PSS: Does anyone have a FoodSaver? And if so, do you like it?

Happy Easter!

 
Hope you have fun celebrations today! Happy Easter!

Last night I decided to put a little color on some of our fresh eggs.

 
In coffee mugs, I used a simple solution of hot water, a tablespoon of vinegar (per color), and food coloring. While the eggs were still warm from being hard boiled, I let the eggs rest in the mugs to pick up color. I love how bright the colors turned out!

Enjoy your celebrations today, and be sure to enjoy an egg or two! I know I will!

Carrot Smoothie

Spring is upon us, and some of the girls in the hen house are looking a little rough around the edges. I thought it might be time for a little pick-me-up treat.

 
A few months ago I read about a sort of "energy" drink that the birds might enjoy. Pureed carrots, vitamin C, echinacea, vitamin B12, and garlic. I whipped up a batch today -- the girls have been working hard at producing eggs, and they deserve a carrot smoothie! By the way, have you been keeping up with the daily egg count? Check it out!

 
I added the mixture to one of their 3-gallon water containers, and filled the rest of the container with cool, fresh water.

 
The girls gave it two toes up! Even Wiley thought it was grand!

Edited to Add: Found the site where I read about the drink. She didn't use vitamin B12 in her version, but I did.

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

Warning: These are delish... be prepared to make a second, third, fourth batch. *grin*

 

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
1lb Chocolate Almond Bark (I like using Semi-Sweet Baker's Chocolate Squares)
2 8oz (16oz) Milk Chocolate Bars
Melt together using double-boiler method; keep warm.

1 1/2 Cups Peanut Butter
3/4 Cup Butter
2 1/2 - 3 Cups Powdered Sugar
Cream together and form into small 1" balls.

Drop approximately 1 tsp melted chocolate into small paper baking cups. Place one peanut butter ball in center of each cup on top of the melted chocolate. Add more chocolate to cover up the entire peanut butter ball. (Alan likes to fill them LEVEL to the edge of the paper cup. I'm a bit more reserved.) Cool in fridge to set. 

Dig in!

Checking off my list!

Pardon me while I dust the flour off of my nose and sleeves...

Thank you for all the responses about your favorite Christmas cookies! They all sounded so delish! You were very inspiring, so I got to work in the kitchen. Every night this week I've been busy baking for our holiday treat platters. We'll be delivering our holiday treats a bit early this year as I'll be flying up to Washington a week before Christmas and I don't want to wait until the new year to deliver all of these goodies.

I've made a lot of progress on my list, and the freezer is getting full!

The LIST:
Anna Banana Bread: DONE (no photo)

 
Snickerdoodles: DONE!

 
Soft Molasses Cookies: Done - YUMM!

 
Peanut Butter (Balls) Cups: 1 batch done... several more yet to do

 
White Chocolate Pretzel Rods: DONE (I made a gajillion!)

Hershey Chocolate Kiss Cookies: Done! (no photo)
Hershey Brownie Bites: Done (no photo)

What's left...
More Peanut Butter (Balls) Cups
Possibly more Anna Banana Bread...
Toffee...
...and Peppermint Bark

Then, finally, I'll start with the assembly of the treat trays. Yay!

I've also been busy sewing, but I can't share details or photos of those projects -- nothing like ruining Christmas surprises! *grin*

Update on Little Miss Penny: A day of house-bound pampering did her well. She recovered fully, and after a quick pedicure was returned to the hen house. She chatted up a storm with all the ladies, no doubt telling them all about her day at the spa.

Soup's On!

With temperatures cooling, leaves falling, and days getting shorter, it's high time for soup! Alan isn't home for dinner tonight, so I took the opportunity to make myself some homemade split pea soup (Alan doesn't like split pea soup, so more for me!) It turned out so GOOD! I thought I'd share my own personal recipe...

Dee-lish Split Pea Soup
   from the kitchen of Anna Wight

2 Cups Split Peas
5-6 Cups Water
½ tsp Onion Powder
½ tsp Garlic Powder
½ tsp Paprika
¼ tsp Dried Basil
¼-½ tsp Chipolte Chile Pepper
¼ tsp Celery Seed
¼ tsp Dried Rosemary

Bring to boil and let simmer 45-50 minutes
Blend ½, or all, of soup in blender (depending on how smooth you like your soup)

Deee-LISH!

sweet, wonderful you...

I recently used the last of a jar of jelly and decided to re-purpose the jar - it's a cute shape! I filled the jar to the rim with some of my favorite jelly bean flavors and got busy on the decor. I had intended on using the Singing Cowboy fella, but the colors of the beans looked more girly (lots of pinks, yellows and greens), so I chose to use my Cowgirl Up gal instead.

For the tag I used a piece of light weight cardboard (probably from a paper pack insert), Cosmo Cricket paper and twill, a couple of Rusty Pickle buttons, and hemp twine. My cowgirl is stamped on watercolor paper, painted, cut out, and adhered to the tag with foam adhesive. I added lots of faux stitching using one of my vintage tracing wheels.

The sentiment is from my Sweet Expressions set, from Whipper Snapper. When the tag was all assembled, I lightly spritzed it with Glimmer Mist (in Coffee Shop and Autumn Leaves colors).

Instead of using fabric to cover the lid of the jar, I chose to use a coordinating Cosmo Cricket paper. I cut a large square of paper, inked the edges, pressed it carefully around the lid of the jar, inked the creases and edges some more, and added some faux stitching around the outside edge. Finally, I tied it to the jar with hemp twine.

The most difficult part of this project was resisting all of those delicious jelly beans! I didn't sneak a single one!

Easy Peasy Candy Pails

Alan and I usually make homemade goodies for our friends and neighbors, but this year we just haven't had time for all the baking and candy making. So instead, I put together some simple gifts using store bought goodies for our neighbors instead. These little clear pails come in various sizes - this one is LOADED with various flavors of kisses. This pail is just perfect for a 12" paper band around the center. That made for quick assembly - one cut and I was ready!

The tag is two layers. The front is obviously the sentiment, but the red tag behind says "from Alan & Anna" (or something like that....)

After I took this photo, I slipped a pretty red and white candy cane behind the knot on the ribbon and the button. The candy cane dressed it up just a bit more.

Easy Peasy!

Stylin' & Tasty

Can you handle another gift idea using a jar and a crystal snowflake embellishment? I hope so ... I've got more to share! *grin*

This time, I packaged up some deeeeee-lish chocolate truffles in this cute little candy jar. I added a few shakes of crystal sugar and colored sprinkles to the jar too -- edible glitter!

I think the truffles resemble reindeer droppings, so it seemed fitting to use my "reindeer delivery" stamp from my North Pole Post set for Whipper Snapper. The paper has reindeer on it too! Super BasicGrey paper from last winter.

I added a little rusty jingle bell for charm, but it also doubles as a truffle alarm. Serious!

Here's another Reindeer Delivery project I put together for the season.

Snowflakes, Kisses, and Peace

I warned you that you'd see more snowflakes from me this week! I am so addicted to snowflakes these days!

 
Here's a quick and easy gift item for friends or co-workers. I picked up this fun square jar for a buck at Michael's last time I was in town. It's not the smallest size they had, but both sizes were the same price, and this one seemed a bit more generous as a gift. More room for more chocolates!

I also picked up a few bags of the oh-so-deelish Hot Cocoa flavored Hershey's Kisses. Mmmm! I filled the jar with kisses, tossed in some faux-snow, and wrapped the outside with Cosmo Cricket paper and crystal snowflake goodness!

 
I chose the "let there be peace" sentiment for this jar. The sentiment is from my Snowman for Peace set from Whipper Snapper.

'Tis the season...

Addicted to Crystal Snowflakes...

Yes. It's true. I feel the need to put them on everything. But that's just because I think they're FABULOUS, and WINTERY, and FUN!

I made this box using the same idea as my 4 x 4 Lidless box, but to adjust for the size of the tea packets I made it a bit smaller at 2.75 x 2.75. I was able to make the sides of the box out of one length of 12" paper, and two squares for the bottom. Twelve tea packets fit perfectly!

The paper is from the new holiday line by Cosmo Cricket called Oh Joy. *Love it!* The sentiment is from my Whipper Snapper set called Winter Schminter.

The snowflakes are both Marvy punches, and I used the Martha Stewart branch punch to add a "frilly" looking dark brown snowflake in the middle. I've got loads more Diamond Dust glitter, and don't have any plans of coming to the end of my crystal snowflake addiction any time soon. *grin*

Dressed up Tin

Did you watch Dancing with the Stars tonight? We did ... too much crazy singing. I also worked on a couple projects I've had in mind. Both of them use sentiments from Whipper Snapper sets.

First, I made this tin snowflake ornament using a 'tin-tiques' snowflake, some crystal snowflakes, and some glittered branches made with a Martha Stewart punch. This was a quick and easy project to make. The longest part was waiting for the adhesive and glitter to dry! The sentiment is from my North Pole Post set, and has become one of my favorite sentiments for the season.

I also put together this small tin of toasted marshmallow Jelly Belly candies! I used a 'tin-tiques' country star, a glittered snowflake, and a button to dress up the container. This was also a really quick project, but I think that if I were to do it again, I wouldn't glitter the tin star. I like the sparkle, but I prefer the look of the tin without the extra glitz. The sentiment on this project is from Winter Schminter, one of the November Whipper Snapper sets.

I'm so tired ... I'm headed to bed.
Sweet dreams!

Reindeer Delivery!

Wahooo! Another "something other than a card" production for me! I guess this is what happens to me around the holidays. Having little packages of things to give is FUN and thoughtful, and they don't have to break the bank.

I bought these clear pillow boxes from Clear Envelopes. They have a variety of sizes, and come with little round circle sticker seals. I *love* them! I'm going to be using them more and more often. They're a snap to put together since they're already cut and glued. All you have to do is give the sides a little squeeze, fold in the end flaps, and you're all set! The size I chose was 3x1x5, item #PB76 without the optional hangtag.

I picked up a package of YUMMY soft licorice last time I was at Target. I'm surprised I had enough to fill this pillow box, because the licorice is THAT good! But I had this project in mind, so I was "good".

I've seen Snowman Poop and Reindeer Poop holiday goodie bags, and wanted to create something similar without having to include any sort of "poop" poem. I think this project is just a bit more subtle, too, which I like.

The "Reindeer Delivery Handle with Care" sentiment is from my Whipper Snapper set called North Pole Post. After I had this all put together, I thought of stamping the clear pillow box with the reindeer hoof print that's also included in the set, but didn't want to take apart the entire ensemble. And I didn't have enough licorice for two! *haaa!*

The paper I used is from an old BasicGrey line. I liked it because it actually has reindeer on it! I must be addicted to crystal-covered snowflakes and buttons this year - I've been using them an awful lot these days. Who cares! I like the way it looks!

What are YOU making for the holidays this year?

be warm...

Here's something a little different than my usual routine - a warm drink gift set! Included in the box are several packets of Land O Lakes hot cocoa, On the Go Vanilla Latte drink mixes, TAZO tea bags, and some chocolate dipped peppermint sticks.

I couldn't find just the right shape/size box to hold it all, so I built this one using cardstock. Sorry, I don't have a template or photos of construction ... it was late when I made this! I can tell you that the box is 4" square, and was easy peasy! I'll try to put together a quick tutorial tonight.

The wrap around the box was made with first a layer of patterned paper, which I inked and did some faux stitching on. Then, I wrapped that layer with some felt ribbon from Stampin' Up. I punched two small 1/16" holes through the box (and ribbon) where I wanted to tie on the embellishment. Using twine, I tied the snowflake embellishment to a cinnamon stick, poked the twine ends through the holes punched in the box, and tied the ends of the twine inside the box to hold everything in place. Worked like a charm! As a final touch, I tied the red and white vintage striped ribbon around the twine beneath the cinnamon stick. That helped to keep everything snuggly in place.

The matching note card is small... about 3.5"x4.5". I used images from Winter Schminter, including the falling snowflakes as steam rising from the cocoa.

In other news, yesterday Kathleen reminded me that she'd asked for an update on the wee little kittens. I don't have any recent photos, but they're all doing well! Their mama moves them around the farm and neighboring pastures (we wish she wouldn't take them so far) teaching them to hunt. We did settle on some names for them. A young man suggested the name Sparky for the cute fuzzy butt kitten I was sharing photos of here on my blog. Alan liked the suggestion, so Sparky it is! The other male is Squirrelly, and the two females are P1 and P2. We can't actually tell them apart. It's amazing!

Alan WAS going to name them Precious 1 and Precious 2, but I won't allow it. Why, you ask? Well... I used to have a baby sitter named Precious. Yes, it's true.... it was her given name. I won't tell you what the rest of her name is, but I will say that her name (as well as the names of everyone else in the family, aside from her mother) has to do with rocks. Or stones. So... "Precious" is not allowed as a name for one of our critters. *grin*

Happy Birthday, Miss Daisy!

Today is Miss Daisy's 8th birthday! Woof Woof!!

Daisy is a chocolate lab. I adopted Daisy when she was four years old from a family who could no longer keep her. She'd been moved between several homes before she came to live with me. The family I adopted her from didn't feel like their home was the best place for her. They didn't trust their neighbors not to harm Daisy, so the family decided it would be best to find a safer place for her to live. It was a happy, happy day when Daisy came to live with me.

Big birthday wishes to you, my sweet Miss Daisy! You're STILL my favorite chocolate chunk!

Here's a great recipe for homemade, healthy dog treats if you're interested!

Sweet Miss Daisy *Hearts* Cookies
2 cups Whole Wheat flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
2 TBS Honey
1 Egg
1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
1/2 cup Milk (soy, rice, goat, or fat free cow)

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, baking powder and onion powder together in a mixing bowl. Stir in honey, egg, oil and milk. (I just use a fork for all the mixing and it works great!) The dough will be somewhat dry, but it will stick together.

On a wheat floured surface, knead the dough 10-15 times. Pat into nicely shaped ball and roll out onto cutting surface 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Use cookie cutters to cut shapes (we recommend HEARTS), or cut into 1.5" squares. Bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 15 minutes. Let cool on the sheet. Serve one cookie to all dogs, and store remaining cookies in an airtight container.

All the dogs on the farm give these cookies TWO PAWS UP!

PS: Daisy says THANKS for the fun birthday wishes from Bogey and his family, and sends happy birthday wishes to Bogey's granny, who shares Daisy's birthday! *grin*

Today: 105.

Good GRIEF it's hot. Today's high on the thermometer was 105...and the thermometer is in the shade! Thankfully, I had a fresh idea for how to beat the heat.

If you have a Taco Bell in your area, you've got to try one of the Strawberry Mango Freeze drinks they're serving right now. Yummmmmy!! While my Mom and Dad were visiting, we had SEVERAL of these drinks -- they're delish! So good in fact, Mom had the great idea of making our own version of the slushy drinks (Taco Bell is a long way from our house).

My parents gave Alan and I a Cuisinart soft serve ice cream maker when they were here visiting. I used the machine for this recipe. Mix 3.5 cups of mango juice (juice isle of your local grocery store) with 1/2 a can of frozen orange juice concentrate (no water). Mix well and pour into the ice cream maker. In about 12 minutes you're left with a wonderfully fresh, fruity treat! Add a bit of thawed strawberries (and their juice) to the top, and enjoy!

Let's hope it's a bit cooler here tomorrow!

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Alright girls... it's time for a tasty treat! I made this recipe yesterday.

It's soooo divine, I must share it with you.

I started out using a recipe from my Aunt Patty, but altered it a bit to use what I had on hand.

Here's my version!

SweetMissDaisy's Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Aunt Patty says it's important to use a glass pan - pineapple can react with metal and make your cake taste metallic! I used an 8x8 square glass baking pan. You could also use a 9x9 glass pie dish.

Topping (cooked in pan):
4 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
3 small cans CHUNKED pineapple

Melt 4 Tablespoons of butter in the bottom of the glass baking pan. Spread 1 cup brown sugar on top of the melted butter. Drain 3 small cans (or 1 large can + 1 small can) CHUNKED pineapple, and place pineapple chunks on top of the brown sugar. You don't need the pineapple juice for this recipe, so mix it with some OJ and enjoy a fruity drink while you wait for your cake to bake!

Cake:
1/2 cup butter room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cup flour

Mix together the cake ingredients and spread over top of the pineapple chunks (it'll be thick!). Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

Let it sit for 5 minutes, then turn it over onto a plate and serve, or leave it all in the pan and serve like a cobbler.

Yummy! Deeee-lish!

PS: Yum-Girl digital illustration by me: February 25, 2008.

Happy 7th Birthday, Miss Daisy!

I adopted Daisy when she was almost 4 years old from a family who couldn't keep her any longer. She'd been moved between several homes before she came to live with me. The family that had her just before I adopted her didn't feel like their home was the best home she could have. Apparently, they didn't trust their neighbors not to harm Daisy if she went to their barn, so the family decided it would be best to find a safer place for her to live. It was a happy day when she came to live with me. We lived very happily together, until one day (Valentines day the following year) we met Mister Farley who was looking for a forever-home. Daisy and I knew immediately that Mister Farley needed to come live with us. And it's been ULTRA happy dog days for us ever since!

I decided to make Daisy some special treats for her birthday. Something she can share with all her dog friends here on the farm (not that she WANTS to share, but we make her). I asked for recipe's earlier this week, and thanks to everyone who left me a note or referred me to sites online. I read them all and they all sound delish! I found a recipe in a book I have by the folks at Three Dog Bakery that I altered just a bit ... thought I'd share my version of the recipe with you. The ingredients are simple, and they were quick and easy to make.

Sweet Miss Daisy Hearts
2 cups Whole Wheat flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
2 TBS Honey
1 Egg
1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
1/2 cup Milk (soy, rice, or fat free cow)

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, baking powder and onion powder together in a mixing bowl. Stir in honey, egg, oil and milk. (I just used a fork for all the mixing and it worked great!) The dough will be somewhat dry, but it will stick together. On a wheat floured surface, knead the dough 10-15 times. Pat into nicely shaped ball and roll out onto cutting surface 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Use cookie cutters to cut shapes, or cut into 1.5" squares. Bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 15 minutes. Let cool on the sheet. Serve one cookie to all dogs, and store remaining cookies in an airtight container. All the dogs on the farm give these cookies TWO PAWS UP!

Happy Birthday, Miss Daisy!
You're my favorite chocolate chunk!

Mmmm...Strawberries!

Mmm...I love strawberries! I bought a big container of them on Sunday when I was at Costco, and they are just delicious!

I made a creamy fruit dip to go on top...mmm-mmm-MM!

Creamy Fruit Dip
1 8oz Package of Cream Cheese
1 2/3 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1/4 to 1/2 Cup Sugar (to your taste)
2 tsp Vanilla

Beat the Cream Cheese until it's creamy. Add in the remaining ingredients and beat until fluffy, soft peaks form. Eat on all kinds of fruit... strawberries, apples, melons, (yes, even watermelon!)

Your lips will thank you now, your hips will thank you later! =)

The Cake...

Oh my goodness... what a project I took on today! It shouldn't have been quite as much work as it ended up being, but sometimes things just don't go as planned.

I'm not a very good baker, so it makes projects like this even more of a challenge.

I set out to make Alan a simple chocolate cake for his birthday. Just a couple of layers and some yummy homemade frosting. Nothing fancy.

I whipped up the first cake batter, popped it in the oven and baked it as the directions stated. Maybe it's because of the humidity here lately (HUGE storm going right now!) but the cake didn't really rise all that much, although it was really "cakey" and looked beautiful! I thought maybe it was just a bad mix and since I had another mix in the cupboard, I decided to make a second cake and see if maybe it would bake up better and I would be able to make his cake out of the second baked cake.

Well..... the second cake didn't rise much more than the first one, but it looked beautiful too! So. What should be done with 4 beautiful, but FLAT, cake layers?

I stacked them up!

This photo does really show the size of this cake ... four 9" cake rounds... and it's 8" high at the center of the cake. I can't believe I actually got it to stack straight! And it didn't topple over! I served three pieces out of this cake tonight, and barely made a dent. SHEESH!  I think we're going to be eating cake for a good long while.

Maybe the gal that works at the post office will like some cake tomorrow... and maybe the mail man too... Hmmm....

Mister's Cookies...

You've GOT to try these cookies!

I made these for Alan for Valentine's Day, and the recipe is so fabulous that I've just got to share it with you!

Try them out ... if you like chocolate and peanut butter, you'll love them!!

Mister's Cookies
2 cups Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt (I use Kosher)
1 cup Butter at room temperature
1 1/2 cups Sugar
1 cup Creamy Peanut Butter (I use Jif!)
1 egg
1 tsp Vanilla
2 cups (or a smidgen more!) Chocolate Chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the dry ingredients and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Once combined, add peanut butter. Mix in the egg and vanilla. Slowly add in the combined dry ingredients. Once all are combined, fold in chocolate chips.

Spoon dough into gently formed 2-inch balls and place evenly on a clean cookie sheet (I cover my cookie sheet with baking parchment - works great, and easy clean up!) Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly browned. After you remove the cookies from the oven, let them sit on the cookie sheet for about 1 minute before moving them to a cooling rack. This will let them set up a bit before you move them.

Finally, eat LOTS of them!!

Edited to add: Please be aware of the current Peanut Butter Salmonella issue - read more.

Who Likes Toffee? I do! I do!!

Ok girls! I want you all to make something delicious this weekend. I've started making some Christmas candies, and thought I'd share a recipe with you.

Toffee ... Mmm mmm, Delicious!
    2 cups butter
    2 cups white sugar
    1/4 teaspoon salt
    2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
    3/4 cup finely chopped almonds

In a large heavy bottomed pot (I use an enamel-coated cast iron soup pot - it makes the best candies!), combine the butter, sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring until the butter is melted. Allow to come to a boil, and cook until the mixture becomes a dark amber color, and the temperature reaches 285 degrees F (137 degrees C) on your candy thermometer. Stir occasionally to keep it from burning.

While the toffee is cooking, cover a large flat baking sheet with parchment paper. As soon as the toffee reaches the proper temperature, quickly pour it out onto the prepared baking sheet. But you've got to make sure it reaches temperature! If it's not cooked long enough, your toffee will be a bit gritty from sugar that didn't get melted all the way. Let the toffee spead itself to a nice even layer - tapping the sheet on the counter will help level out the candy.

While the toffee is still hot, sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top, and let them set for a minute or two to soften. Once the chocolate chips have softened, use a spatula to spread the chocolate into a thin even layer over the toffee. Sprinkle the chopped almonds over the chocolate. Place the toffee in the refrigerator to chill until set (10-15 minutes should be plenty of time!). Break into pieces, and store in an airtight container. Or just serve it up! Yummmy!!

Zesty Oyster Crackers

If you've been a frequent visitor to my blog, you'll know that I only share things I really love (spiders were the exception).

Here's another favorite recipe I thought I'd share!

This recipe was made by my Grandma during the holidays - and I think it's delicious!

Zesty Oyster Crackers

2 packages oyster crackers (get the brand that are rounded, like shown - they're the best!)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 package dry Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
1 tsp lemon pepper
1 TBS dried dill weed
1 tsp garlic powder

Directions:
In a large bowl mix together spices, dressing mix, and oil. Once mixed, gently fold in the crackers until coated evenly. I use a rubber spatula and that pulls the spice mixture off the bottom of the bowl, and doesn't break up the crackers. Store in a zip lock bag or other air tight container. They're the best when made a day before serving to allow spices to really flavor the crackers.

YUMMMMY!

Anna Banana Bread

Banana Bread is one of my favorite things, and today I made two loaves! Yum! I've been tinkering with a few different recipes, and finally found what I think is worth repeating.

Anna Banana Bread
1/2 cup butter or margarine softened
8 oz cream cheese softened
1 1/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
3 ripe mashed bananas
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 TBS brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter/margarine and the cream cheese together. Gradually add the white sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one egg at a time, beating well after each egg. Stir in the mashed bananas and vanilla. Slowly add the brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, baking powder and baking soda. Mix until the batter is just moist. (careful not to mix too long after you've added the flour.) Fold in your choice of chopped nuts.

Pour the batter into two greased/floured 8x4" loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes on middle rack, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Once baked, let loafs rest in pans for 5 minutes, then carefully turn out of pan onto a cooling rack.

Mmm-mmm Good!