8 days till X'mas

Deck the table with bags of flour
Fa la la la la la la la la
Tis the season to make cookies
Fa la la la la la la la la
Don we now our pretty aprons
Fa la la la la la la la la
Troll Facebook for yummy recipes
Fa la la la la la la la la

See the cookie cutters before us
Fa la la la la la la la la
Strike the eggs and beat the sugar
Fa la la la la la la la la
Follow me as I measure
Fa la la la la la la la la
While I mix the cookie dough
Fa la la la la la la la la

Fast does the blender mix it
Fa la la la la la la la la
Hail the cookies as they bake
Fa la la la la la la la la
Sing when they are finished
Fa la la la la la la la la
Heedless of the burnt edges
Fa la la la la la la la la

Ingredients:

3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup white sugar
1 cup butter (softened at room temperature)
1 egg, lightly beaten (egg should be at room temperature)
3 Tablespoons half-and-half
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) .

2. Sift together all-purpose flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.

3. Cut in butter and blend with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly.

4. With a fork, stir in lightly beaten egg, vanilla and half-and-half. Blend well with fork, then your hands to ensure thorough blending. Chill dough for one hour for easier rolling.

****If you are not rolling the dough, chill for 15 minutes then skip to step 6 for baking.

5. On a floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into shapes.

6. Place on baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Sprinkle with sugar or leave plain for decorating with icing.

7. Bake for 6 - 7 minutes, or until lightly brown.

12 days till X'mas!

12 days till X'mas 12/12/12!

We made Cinnamon Ornaments!!

(Sitting in the oven, just cause)

A friend gave us the dough, but you can make your own!

You need the ratio of 1:1. 

E.g. 1 cup of applesauce and 1 cup of Cinnamon.

Mix it up and roll it out. 

Cut it up with cookie cutters!!! :~D 

If it gets to sticky use some cornstarch to alleviate the stickiness. 

Bake @ 200 Fahrenheit until hard. (We haven't gotten that far).

Wacky Wednesday!

This week's wacky Wednesday is wacky because:

Here is Munchie Monday & Tutorial Tuesday!

Munchie Monday: Green Tomato relish, (no really, is yummy)!

We made 2 half recipes with things out of our garden (tomatoes and peppers).

• 24 large green tomatoes (we used 12)
• 3 red bell peppers, halved and seeded
• 3 green bell peppers, halved and seeded (we used green peppers and banana peppers)
• 12 large onions (we used 1 for a half recipe)
• 3 tablespoons celery seed
• 3 tablespoons mustard seed

• 1 tablespoon salt
• 5 cups white sugar
• 2 cups cider vinegar

1. In a grinder or food processor, coarsely grind tomatoes, red bell peppers, green bell peppers, and onions. (You may need to do this in batches.) Line a large colander with cheesecloth, place in sink or in a large bowl, and pour in tomato mixture to drain for 1 hour.
2. In a large, non-aluminum stockpot, combine tomato mixture, celery seed, mustard seed, salt, sugar, and vinegar. Bring to a boil and simmer over low heat 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Sterilize enough jars and lids to hold relish (12 one-pint jars, or 6 one-quart jars). Pack relish into sterilized jars, making sure there are no spaces or air pockets. Fill jars all the way to top. Screw on lids.
4. Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with boiling water. Carefully lower jars into pot using a holder. Leave a 2 inch space between jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary, until tops of jars are covered by 2 inches of water. Bring water to a full boil, then cover and process for 30 minutes.
5. Remove jars from pot and place on cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart, until cool. Once cool, press top of each lid with finger, ensuring that seal is tight (lid does not move up or down at all). Relish can be stored for up to a year. You can also freeze some in zip lock bags! 

My Mom loves having relish... she is allergic to cucumbers, this is so similar no one would know the difference. 

Another thing to do with excess tomatoes!

Tutorial Tuesday: T-shirt skirt!

I made one for the 6 year old, and she loves it!

I used a Hanes Men's Adult Large pale pink shirt.

I chopped off the bottom straight across from under one sleeve to the other.

Then I pinned over a inch, (left a spot for the elastic) and sewed a 3/4 inch (or so) single stitch from the edge.

Then I fished the elastic through and sewed the elastic together. 

Last I sewed up the "hole" and Voila! 

My sister loves it!! :~D

If my tutorial makes no sense, Google it. I did it with out a pattern/tutorial...just grabbed the memory of my Grandma making one and worked from that. :~D

UPDATE: http://thehappyhousewife.com/home-management/shirt-skirt-and-headband-tutorial/

Wacky Wednesday:

For those of you who know me. This is TOTALLY RANDOM!!!

I painted my toenails blue (well my Mom did it for me....close enough).

Yup, they are a dark blue. :~D

I decided to do something random yesterday.

{Pardon the feet, between walking around the house barefoot, and dancing, they aren't purty! ;~) But my toenails are!!!}

Have a WONDERFUL DAY!!!

Columbus day

Happy Columbus day!

Last year to celebrate it we:

We left our socks out to be filled with "gold", "corn", and "spices". (Chocolate coins, candy corn, and spices!)

They were filled by the Nina,

the Pinta,

and the Santa Maria.

This year the ships couldn't make it due to the rocket NASA shot off. (Its as good as reason as any!)

Happy Columbus day!