Author: QuiltLady

WINTER WONDERLAND – BLOGMAS 2014 – DAY 12

So far this year, we’ve been VERY wet, but not white yet so I’ll show you the pictures from Winter 2013.  This was our first snowstorm of the season, just before Christmas.

Hubby made this for me to wake up to in the back yard before the snow got too bad.
The house across the street usually looks horrible, but NOT when it’s under a blanket of snow.

Unfortunately, being in a cul-de-sac, delivery tracks leave MANY tire tracks at this time of year to mar the beautiful snow cover.
Even Rudolph was shivering!
The first day after he storm was absolutely gorgeous though!
The duck pond behind the neighborhood was truly a work of art.
Obviously we hadn’t gone anywhere – no tire tracks!
The fish ladder was like glass with the cold and ice.

FAVORITE FAMILY RECIPES – BLOGMAS – DAY 10

I’ve been looking forward to this day! I have many many recipes, but these are the closest to my heart. Grab a cup of my SIL’s homemade hot chocolate and homemade marshmallows and join me while we chat.

My great aunt who I only got to see a couple times a year used to make these every year special for me.  My cousins and I would wait out on the front steps for her arrive just to see them, the wreaths that is. She always made them soooooooooo pretty and perfect!  Aunt Louise was just plain crazy it seemed to me.  I can’t pinpoint any one thing that made me think that, but as the years wore she continually proved it.  Let’s just say if the made a movie of her life, Shirley MacLaine would play her part.  Aunt Louise reminds me of Shirley’s character Ouiser Boudreaux in Steel Magnolias.

HOLIDAY WREATHS
(these are better when they are made a few days ahead)
30 large marshmallows (or 1 jar marshmallow cream)
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoon green food color
3 1/2 cups cornflakes
Red Hots

  • Combine marshmallows, butter, vanilla and food color in top of double boiler. Heat and stir frequently until well blended.
  • Gradually stir in cornflakes until well blended.
  • Drop onto wax paper and arrange into wreath shapes. I plop them onto the wax paper and then push out from the center to form the wreaths.
  • Decorate with red hots.
  • Let cool.
  • If your house is warm – chill in refrigerator until set.

Many Christmases ago I stood in my childhood kitchen watching my dad prepare the stuffing for dinner.  Daddy never stuffed the Turkey, but instead made the “stuffing” like a big casserole.  The stuffing was always my favorite part topped with daddy’s giblet gravy – YUMMY.  I can taste it like it was always those years ago again.

Several years ago my brother asked me to try and reproduce the recipe as a scratch recipe and VOILA’, I did it! This wasn’t easy since daddy started with a box of Mrs. Cubbinson’s cornbread dressing cubes and then started winging it from there.


OATNUT SOURDOUGH HERB DRESSING
10 slices Brownberry or Oroweat OATNUT bread, cut into bite size chunks
1/2 loaf sourdough French bread, cut into bite size chunks
1 large sweet onion, chopped fine
1 small bunch celery (leaves and all), chopped fine
1/2 bag baby carrots, chopped fine
1 box mushrooms, chopped fine
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 tablespoon white pepper
2 sticks unsalted butter
4 cups hot water
2 tablespoons Better than Bouillon Chicken base
2 tablespoons Buttery Herb & Garlic Mix (I believe McCormick makes it)
4 teaspoons minced garlic, Jar

  • Cut bread into bite sized chunks and spread out in a thin layer over cookie sheets.
  • Bake at 200 degrees for 3-4 hours until pieces are actually hard.
  • Chop all the vegetables.
  • In a large cast iron pan melt 1/4 cup of the butter.
  • Add the onions and saute until translucent. The add the celery and carrots and continue sauteing until crisp tender. Add the garlic last as it will burn first.
  • Whisk together the water, better than bouillon chicken base and all of the seasonings.
  • Add the melted butter.
  • In a large pan toss the bread slices together.
  • Add the sauteed vegetables and toss again.
  • Add the liquid mixture and toss again until well absorbed.
  • Fold entire mixture into at least a 9×13 baking dish.
  • Bake uncovered 1 hour.
  • At this point I use a small portion for our dinner that night and freeze the rest.
  • When it’s time to cook it again, I defrost it, put it back in the same baking dish and bake it again, but this time covered with foil until the last 15 minutes so it doesn’t dry out. We like it crisp on top so I remove the foil the last 15 minutes.

Now there is much debate over Gran’s cranberry salad recipe, but one thing was for sure she’d have to make a double batch, one for my mom and aunt and another for everyone else.  Now while I usually helped prepare the above recipe, I hated it!! One year she even decided the grapes needed to be peeled – need I say more?

I much prefer the recipe below.  Shhhh, don’t tell anyone, but I’ve already eaten a whole batch by myself.  In my defense it was while I wasn’t feeling good and had a sore throat.

HOLIDAY SALAD
1 package (3 ounces) cherry Jell-o
1 package (3 ounces) black cherry Jell-o
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 can (14 ounces) whole berry cranberry sauce
1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple, undrained
2 cups seedless green grapes, quartered
chopped pecans (optional)

  • Dissolve the jell-o in the boiling water in a large bowl.
  • Fold in the pineapple and cranberry sauce.
  • Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  • Fold in grapes and pecans if desired. 
  • Refrigerate until firm.

Now on to the REALLY yummy stuff!

    CHUNKY MONKEYS
    3 cups crushed pretzels
    1/2 cup sugar
    scant 1 cup butter, melted

    • Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
    • Line a 13×9 cake pan with heavy duty foil, leaving plenty on the edges to use as handles later.  This will make clean-up so much easier.
    • In a medium mixing bowl stir together the pretzels, sugar and melted butter until well blended.
    • Press the pretzel mixture evenly into the bottom of the cake pan.

    1/2 cup butter
    1/2 cup whipping cream
    1/4 cup packed brown sugar
    11 ounce package caramel baking bits (or 14 ounce vanilla caramels, unwrapped)
    2 cups honey roasted peanuts

    • In a medium saucepan melt butter over a medium heat.
    • Whisk in the whipping cream and brown sugar until sugar is dissolved.
    • Stir in caramel bits, stirring constantly until bits are melted and sauce is smooth.
    • Add in peanuts to coat well.
    • Immediately pour over pretzel layer, spreading evenly.

    1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
    1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
    1/2 cup peanut butter chips
    1/2 cup butterscotch chips
    3/4 cup Heath milk chocolate toffee bits

    • Scatter each of these over the caramel layer.
    • Bake 25-30 minutes or until edges are bubbling.
    • Cool in pan on a wire rack.
    • Lift foil edges to remove bars from pan.
    • Cut into bars.
    • Layer between wax paper in an airtight container.  I store them in the fridge, but the can also be frozen for 3 months.

    BUTTERFINGER COOKIES
    Ritz crackers
    creamy peanut butter
    almond bark
    sprinkles

    • Spread peanut butter on ritz crackers and top with another cracker. 
    • Melt almond bark in the microwave. 
    • Dip each cookie in the almond bark and set onto wax paper to harden. 
    • If you’re using sprinkles do so before the almond bark hardens.

     A few more favorites are:

      WHAT I CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT IN WINTER – BLOGMAS 2014 – DAY 9

      Today we are listing what we CANNOT live without in winter. There are, I’m sure many many more things, but these are my top items! The one thing I am absolutely sure of is that if I have a sore throat, dry skin, cold feet or hands, cold food or catch a cold I am NOT happy.

      I drink a cup of green tea every night and try to make very balanced comfort food meals to warm up my family from the inside out.  Here are a few of our favorite soups and stews links for you.

      More entries over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom’s BLOGMAS.

      HAPPY HOMEMAKER & MENU PLAN MONDAY

      Good Morning!

      I’ve been  under the weather for a couple days, but I still seemed to manage having a VERY productive weekend. NOW I am feeling much better and am ready for a great new week!

      I will finish my shipping by the end of the week.  This way I will be able to enjoy the entire Holiday season without tearing my hair out.

      It’s Monday morning so be sure to join in with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom  for Happy Homemaker Monday.  Go check it out to see what it’s all about!

      ON THE BREAKFAST MENU:

      • A big cup of coffee, maybe 2 or 3 and pancakes on the new griddle. 

      TO DO LIST for the WEEK:
      • Phone Calls
      • Errands
      • Grocery Shopping 
      • Applesauce
      • Last minute shipping if not today then at least this week.

      CURRENTLY (STILL) READING:

      TV SHOWS THIS WEEK:

      • Christmas Movies
      • FOOD Channel 

      WEATHER OUTSIDE MY WINDOW:

      ON THE MENU:
       Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie


      		 DATE BREAKFAST
      		DINNER
      MONDAY 12/8 Pancakes
      		C.O.R.N.
      TUESDAY 12/9 YOGURT
      		BBQ Pork Loin
      WEDNESDAY 12/10 OATMEAL
      		Chicken Chile Relleno
      THURSDAY 12/11 YOGURT
      		Grilled Pork Chops w/ Rainbow Potato Pancakes
      FRIDAY 12/12 CHEERIOS
      		Texas Fried Chicken w/ Fried Smashed Potatoes
      SATURDAY 12/13 French Toast
      		Cream of Asparagus Soup
      SUNDAY 12/14
      Bacon and Eggs

      		Farmer’s Casserole

      PLAY TIME (if I can find any ~ yeah right)

      As always do a little quilting and finish a few older projects though I have yet to have a few minutes to myself LOL like that’s going to happen.

      NEW RECIPES TO TRY:

      Almost everything on this week’s menu is an experiment LOL

      IN THE YARD & GARDEN

      Replanted the Christmas Cacti and they are thriving. 

      FAVORITE PHOTO OF THE WEEK:

      New Stove in time for holiday cooking.

      HOMEMAKING TIP OF THE WEEK:

      If you don’t have an herb keeper, a tall glass and ziploc sandwich bag work well as a green onion keeper. 

      Cut part of the ends off so they stand in the glass well.  Add about 3/4 inch of water and keep in the fridge.  Your green onions will last for weeks!

      I finally broke down and bought myself some herb keepers recently.

      ON MY MIND LATELY:

      JUST TRYING TO STAY ORGANIZED, have a good attitude and do prep for the holidays.

      INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE:

      CHRISTMAS WISH LIST FOR BLOGMAS 2014 – DAY 8

      Funny story here – I had herb savers on my Amazon Christmas list for the past 2 years.  So this year I decided to buy myself a Christmas present and get the herb keepers so I could quit using a glass covered with a plastic bag.

      So, a couple days ago, hubby holds up one of the new herb keepers and asks, what’s this?  So I begin explaining what an herb keeper is and he’s like, “No why did you buy them?”  Long story short he was getting them for me this year for Christmas.

      HANDMADE CHRISTMAS – BLOGMAS 2014 – DAY 7

      HANDMADE CHRISTMAS FAVORITES

      Over the years I have made everything, and I do mean everything at one time or another to create a handmade Christmas. I’ve made rolls and rolls of butcher paper into wrapping paper, cut grocery bags into handmade tags, made enough fudge, candies and cookies to feed a small country, as well as jams, jellies, soup mixes and Snowman soup!

      My award winning jams were requested one year at the Church Christmas Boutique and I ended up selling for another 10 years before we moved.  Now I make just enough for gifts for neighbors and family.  I started making Snowman Soup about 20 years ago for the girl scouts and it was a HUGE seller at our gift wrap days and later for the Church Boutique.

      Last year I missed the big Christmas Crafts Festival at the fairgrounds because of an ice storm, but this year I made it!  For the things I didn’t make myself, I at least bought from local crafters.

      As for receiving, I love ANYTHING handmade.  I’m a BIG believer that it’s the thought that counts and that caring action ALWAYS touches my heart though I’m partial to cotton crocheted dishcloths, my brothers photographs, my mom’s quilted totes and ANYTHING food.

      CREAM OF ASPARAGUS VEGETABLE CHOWDER

      CREAM OF ASPARAGUS VEGETABLE CHOWDER
      1 pound asparagus, wood ends trimmed
      1 small Vidalia onion, chopped
      1 large bunch green onions, sliced
      1 cup sliced carrots
      2 stalks celery, halved and sliced
      4 cloves garlic, minced
      1 KNORR tomato bouillon cube
      1 KNORR chicken broth gel tub
      8 cups water
      3 tablespoons butter, sliced and freezer chilled
      1/2 cup white Moscato wine or Cream Sherry
      1/2 cup heavy cream
      6 ounces Mascarpone cheese, room temperature
      1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
      1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
      1 teaspoon sea salt
      1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced (3 cups +/-)
      1 tablespoon White Balsamic Vinegar
      Parmesan cheese for garnish

      • Whisk KNORR chicken broth gel tub and KNORR tomato bouillon cube into the water as you are bringing it to a boil.
      • Add onions, carrots, asparagus, celery and garlic. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes until all vegetables are tender.
      • Remove vegetables to a colander, retaining broth that drains off.
      • While vegetables are draining whisk salt, pepper and red pepper into broth.
      • Add potatoes and bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer cooking until potatoes are tender.
      • While potatoes are cooking, process cooling vegetables until smooth.
      • When potatoes are tender, slightly mash most of the potatoes.
      • Return vegetable mix to the potato broth along with any broth that drained off.
      • Add wine or sherry and vinegar blending well.
      • Add in heavy cream and Mascarpone cheese stirring until cheese is melted and well blended.
      • Serve with fresh Parmesan as garnish.

      BLOGMAS 2014 – DAY 6 – OPEN OPEN OPEN

      BLOGMAS 2014 – DAY 6 – When do you open presents?

      This has changed a lot over the years.  My family traditions of a BIG Christmas eve from when I was a kid carried on through college, but as we got older and got families of our own, parents passed on, blended families (with their own traditions) were formed, etc… getting together for both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day became harder and harder to do.  
      Eventually for me it became more and more Christmas morning only which is fine by me.

      BLOGMAS 2014 – DAY 5 – FAVORITE FOOD

      This is another easy topic.  The one thing I am noticing as I type each entry is that by doing this, I am remembering so many silly stories and anecdotes about aunts, uncles, cousins and such that keep bringing a smile to my face.  These memories are part of what this season is all about to me.

      I’d like to say that our table looked just like the one in the picture. Well Christmas day was close, but Christmas Eve was much more casual.

      One of my earlier memories is of a very warm Christmas Day, a backed up sink/garbage disposal (I don’t think we ever had a holiday in that house where the garbage disposal didn’t have an issue of some sort) and having to transport all the prepared food from my parent’s house to my granparent’s house via my  grandmother’s RED (kind of like a Christmas sleigh) Chevy station wagon (remember those?) while my uncle and I sat in the back keeping the food from toppling over.

      CHRISTMAS EVE – Served Buffet style since this was the night we did most of the present opening and the adults didn’t want to spend all their time in the kitchen – in later years we would have it catered (so to speak – they prepared the food, we picked it up and displayed it) from Rattler’s BBQ.  We also began to use “FINE CHINA” as hubs calls it aka as decorated paper.

      • Sandwich makings – roast beef, ham, cheeses
      • Potato Salad
      • See’s Candy boxes
      • Wintergreen ribbon candy
      • Chocolate covered cherries

      CHRISTMAS DAY – This is where we dug out the REAL fine china and crystal as well as the silver.  I loved setting the table for this meal. There were always enough people that we had a KID’S table too.  I hated the kid’s table – all the good stuff was sitting at the grown-up’s table.

      • Roast Turkey
      • Daddy’s Stuffing – now recreated from scratch to taste virtually the same as my Oatnut Sourdough Herb Dressing
      • Mashed Potatoes from scratch – it was these potato peels that were one of the biggest garbage disposal problems
      • Giblet Gravy
      • Cranberry Sauce – they used Ocean Spray from a can but we now use one of these 2 homemade recipes – Cranberry or Cranberry Pomegranate Tangerine
      • Baked Ham – in later years it was always HONEYBAKED HAM and I loved making Split Pea soup with the left over bone.
      • Glazed Carrots
      • Green Bean Casserole
      • Gran’s cranberry salad – she’d make two, one for mom and aunt Liz and one for everone else.
      • Rolls and butter
      • Traditional pies like pumpkin, Cherry and as well as Cherry Pineapple Dump Cake.

      When we go to my SIL’s family for Christmas (or any other big family get together)  we do Hor’deouvres style.   The family is so big that over the years we have found that if each person brings an hor’deouvres to feed 10+ people that we can make a HUGE feast.  We just serve it buffet style and mingle and play – it is ALWAYS the best time.  

      More entries over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom’s BLOGMAS.

      BLOGMAS 2014 – DAY 4 FAVORITE MUSIC

      BLOGMAS 2014 – DAY 4 FAVORITE MUSIC
      More entries over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom’s BLOGMAS.
      I’m all over the place with Christmas music – depends on the day, the occasion, my mood, what food we’re eating – just sooooooooo many factors!

      I love the old standards, but I also love country Christmas and Mannheim Steamroller.  I love Christmas carolers, not that you see many these days.  I was even part of the handbell choir at church for Christmas programs.

      As for favorite songs I have a few that top the list:

      • Silent Night

      • White Christmas

      • Jingle Bell Rock

      • Winter Wonderland

      • Frosty the Snowman

      • Little Drummer Boy

      • The twelve days of Christmas

      • Deck the Halls

      • Come All Ye Faithful

      • It Came upon a Midnight Clear

      • We three Kings of Orient 

      • Joy to the World

      • Rudolph the Reindeer

      • Do You Hear What I Hear

      • The Most Wonderful Time of Year

      • It’s Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas

      • Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer