Tuesday, November 27, 2012

On the 1st Blog of Christmas

A quick Treat!

How to EASILY make Snickerdoodles.
They're a yummy Holiday treat and something you can whip up in, seriously, 10 minutes!

2 methods:
1) Create your own sugar cookie dough
2) Store-bought Sugar Cookie Dough
    a: Get the dough (if bought, the wrapper tells you length of time & preheat temp--> usually 8-12min @ 350°)
    b: Prepare a mixture of sugar & ground cinnamon (I choose about 1/8cup sugar in 2Tbsp cinnamon      for 10 cookies)
    c: Roll dough into balls
    d: Roll dough balls in the cinnamon/sugar mixture
    e: Flatten dough onto baking stone/pan & shake leftover mixture atop cookies
    f: Bake & Enjoy!!

They are SO GOOD!!
My boyfriend gobbles them up in 1 day... Which is probably best so I don't gobble them in 2 :)




Happy Holiday Season :D

The 12 Blogs of Christmas

Since we are nearing Christmastime I pledge to blog 12 times between now and then about wonderful Christmas ideas!!

I'll number them off after this one, but here's an idea of things to come!


  • Side Dishes
  • Desserts
  • Family Crafts
  • Decorations
  • Gifts

Happy Holidays, everyone!!

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Thanksgiving Part II

Dishes for the day!
Here are some easy last-minute dishes for Thanksgiving:


  • Green Bean Casserole: One of my family's all-time favorites.
    • 2 Cans/1 frozen bag of Green Beans
    • 1 can of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup
    • French's Fried Onions
    • Milk
    • Seasonings of your choice (*cough*Peppercorn*cough*)
  • Jello Marshmallow Salad: My mom whips this stuff up pretty quick. It has a certain flavor to it that not everyone loves, but for those who do, it's a VERY popular dish!
    • Mini marshmallows
    • Limi Jello
    • Pineapple chunks
    • Whipped cream
    • Maraschino Cherries
  • Cranberry Sauce in a can from Ocean Spray
  • Who doesn't love Macaroni & Cheese?? This recipe really is "golden." Best mac of your LIVES
    • Elbow Macaroni
    • Flour
    • Milk
    • Breadcrumbs
    • Butter
    • Cheddar Cheese blocks
  • Everyone loves Stuffing/Dressing. If you don't want to quicken so far as to make it out of the box, this recipe is a great treat for a homemade taste :)
  • I'm always one for sweet potatoes, but this is Sweet Potato MASHED potatoes. Best of both worlds! & you'd never think to add some of these ingredients that make it taste oh-so-delicious! :) Seriously, it's regular + mashed potatoes... YUM
    • Yams
    • Cinnamon
    • Horseradish
    • Parmesan
    • Nutmeg
    • Pepper
    • Red Potatoes
    • Sour Cream
    • Milk
Hope some of those can help you out in your rushed Google day of need!
Happy Turkey Day! :)

Thanksgiving Part I

It has been far too long since my last post...
What to talk about? What to write about...?

I KNOW! Thanksgiving is in TWO DAYS. Let's go that route.

To stick with my own personal DIY theme, here are some DIY Turkey Day Classics :)
I'll break this into 2 posts:

  • This one about fun things to do on Thanksgiving
  • Another one about easy dishes for the big day!

So I've compiled 7 things that are great to do on Thanksgiving day. Some giving back, some to show your gratefulness, some to bring family together... drumroll please.... 
**badabadadada**

1. Edible houses have become a great new thing for holidays (gingerbread Christmas houses, cookie       haunted Halloween houses), so I've looked into creating something FUN & edible for parents & children. This is my favorite:
Recipe:
  • 2 Oreo cookies
  • 1 mini Reese's cup
  • 1 Whopper malt ball
  • 6 Candy Corn triangles
  • 1 Red Hot
  • 1 little bit of store-bought, tube icing
Method Recommended:
  • Start with 1 Oreo & "glue" the candy corn into the middle via icing. A little glue ALWAYS goes a long way!
  • "Glue" the Oreos together
  • Cut off the bottom of the Reese's cup and once again "glue" it onto the bottom Oreo.
  • Let the pieces "dry" and make sure it is stable before continuing to the next step.
  • "Glue" the tip of a candy corn triangle onto the whopper & dot eyes with icing just above. You don't need to buy multiple icing colors, like pictured above, just black or white eyes always work fine.
  • Now "glue" the "head"onto the "body"(tip, I also glue the head to the back as well)
  • "Glue" in the legs and voila!! 
2. Centerpieces: My favorite ideas are to use fall-colored, scentless candles OR mini-pumpkins painted white and embellished with lettering.
example: 
These are adorable & can be arranged so simply & cheaply!

Throw in some twigs, leaves, apples, or fall flowers & mix it up for yourself. 
Creating your own centerpieces is great touch to anyone's Thanksgiving dinner table. It gives your table a very homely look :)

3. Menu Listings: an easy way to answer questions for naggy family guests. Grab a cute chalkboard & write the menu or the day's agenda on it. It's an adorable decoration and an easy way to answer any questions before they're asked!

4. Courtesy of "The Girl Who Ate Everything," try these awesome Thankful Rolls. Have everyone write down what they are thankful for on a piece of paper , wrap the paper in foil, and place it in the center of the bread dough for Thanksgiving rolls. Each time someone grabs a roll, they guess who's "thanks" was on the paper!

5. Go to a Turkey Trot! They're Thanksgiving weekend walks to support a local non-profit. You have people sign up to donate money based on each lap you run/walk. It's a great way to get some exercise and great way to give back to the community!

6. Volunteer at a Soup Kitchen on the WEEKEND. Soup kitchens get so much traffic from volunteers on Thanksgiving, but not so much on surrounding days, so get out there!

7.  Give thanks to all.  Have everyone present write down something you're thankful for/about every other person at the party. Example: if there are 8 attendees, including myself, I will write 7 "thanks" & receive 7 "thanks."

8. Write thanks to the Troops.  Patriotism has gone down over the recent years, but we still have troops fighting for our freedom. What isn't to be thankful for there?? Write letters and mail them to the troops! See: www.amillionthanks.org for more!


Have Turkey Day, everyone!! :)

Friday, November 2, 2012

Cooking Substitutes

I always seem to run out of 1 ingredient when I'm cooking & don't have enough user or time or patience or money to go buy the necessary. So what do I do? Google: substitutes for ______

After years of this cooking method I've compiled a list of the things that work best as subbies/
Enjoy my wisdom :)

Vegetable Oil:
Applesauce. (I'm 100% serious.) Equivalent 1:1.
Healthier too!

Eggs:
Bananas.
Bananas + Baking powder if you need a rise out of your food.
1/2 banana = 1 egg

Applesauce
Also doesn't rise. 1/4-cup = 1 egg

Vanilla Extract:
Maple syrup. 1:1.
Much more of a household ingredient for sure!

Butter:
Peanut Butter 1:1
Peanut Butter & a splash of oil FOR BAKING
Applesauce: 1.25:1 (applesauce:butter)

Beer:
Chicken broth 1:1 (have not tried this one though)

Bread crumbs:
cracker crumbs (that you get to make yourself!!)

Chocolate Chips:
chocolate candy bars... just break them up yourself

Yogurt & Sour Cream are interchangeable for baking (if the flavor doesn't matter)



Happy cooking!!