Roll & Freeze Cookie Dough!

Being a hospitable person doesn’t mean that hospitality has to center on food 

and entertaining!

Being a hospitable person is about being warm and welcoming – wherever you go!

My sister Di is a great example of that. She is hugely involved in her grandsons’ lives, helping her kids out by babysitting – and just by being there for them whenever they need her. She and her husband can’t get enough of these darling kids.  

They want to know these boys. To love them. To be a part of their lives. To influence them, crossing the lines of generations.

Di is also a great cook and her adorable grandsons find her cookies mighty tasty. You can tell by the above photo that they love Grandma’s cookies! And Gavin actually helped make the cookies, as he’s very interested in helping in the kitchen!

Yes, my sister does know what true hospitality is.

Her doors are always open.

It’s a beautiful thing.

Di’s Oatmeal Cookies
1 ¾ c flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 ¼ c packed brown sugar
½ c butter; softened
½ c shortening
½ c granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp milk
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 C quick or old-fashioned oats
2 C semi-sweet Choc chips
1 c coarsely chopped nuts (I used macadamia nuts)
 
Preheat over to 375.
Combine flour, soda and salt in small bowl.  Beat brown sugar, butter, shortening and granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until cream.  Beat in eggs, milk and vanilla.  Gradually beat in flour mixture.  Stir in oats, morsels and nuts; mix well.  Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheets.  Bake for 9-10 min for chewy cookies for 12-13 minutes for crispy cookies. 
 
Di’s Note:  I usually bake 1 dozen cookies and the rest of the dough I roll into balls and freeze. I place the balls in Ziploc bags and keep in the freezer for when I’m ready to make fresh, hot cookies.  Place frozen balls on cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes at 375.  

Sandy's Note:  My sis and I must think alike!  I do the same thing with cookie dough.  Roll and freeze, just like I did with my Snicker Doodles.

I am blessed by my sis, and her beautiful family.

Do you roll and freeze cookie dough?  It's a yummy, quick and easy idea!

The Perfect Lemon & Lemon Cream Pie

Isn’t it amazing the way God created the lemon?

I love the freshness, zippiness and invigorating flavor. I really love to cook with lemons, and I always keep them on hand in my kitchen fruit bowl.

I also love how vibrant lemons are. 

And someday when we remodel our kitchen, I am thinking about painting the walls yellow. There are so many beautiful shades of yellow – I can’t wait until the time to pick out the color.

But in the meantime, let me show you what’s happening yellow-wise around my house!

Freshly clipped forsythias on my front porch


Dollar store bunch on my hutch


Daffodils picked just today

Lemons hand-picked by a special lady

When my Dad called from vacation to say my step mom was picking lemons – I begged them to bring me some. And that they did – a big brown bag full of Arizona-perfect lemons!

My first thought was to make a Lemon Cream Pie, 

just like my Aunt Lois used to make. 

I have fond memories of dipping my finger into the whipped cream at my Auntie's house.  Oh, and that would be a Sour Cream Lemon Pie, which has a mellower, creamier taste.

This pie is nice and tart, but also has the perfect 

amount of sweetness to it.

Lemon Cream Pie

1/4 cup corn starch

3 T. water

1 cup sugar

1 1/4 cups water

2 T. butter

9 T. lemon juice

3 egg yolks

2 T. milk

1 (8 inch) baked pie shell

1 cup sour cream

1 pint whipping cream, whipped

Dissolve cornstarch in 3 T cold water.  In a sauce pan mix sugar, water and butter.  Cook over low heat until sugar dissolves.  Add cornstarch mixture and cook until clear (about 8 minutes), stirring occasionally.  Add lemon juice and cook for 2 minutes.  Mix egg yolks with milk and add to saucepan.  Cook over low heat until mixture boils, stirring occasionally.  Cool.

Pour 1/2 mixture into pie shell and refrigerate.

Add sour cream to the other half of the mixture.  Spread over the top of the first half.  Refrigerate.

  

Top with whipped cream before serving.

Thank you Ginny, for the lemons. 

And thank you Ginny for the hugs. I appreciate my step mom a lot. She was a gift to my Dad almost 12 years ago.

(Ginny hugging my daughter at her violin performance earlier this year.)

Also, I'm curious if you've heard of Orange Limes?  

Visit my friend Linda T, here, and read all about them!

No Rigidity & Upside-Down Chip Cake!

Remember the delicious cake that our guests brought to our house for dinner last weekend? I love how my friend Karen changed the recipe up a bit, to make it less complicated!

But let me back up a bit to that night …

Spot on the cloth
Even though I found a spot or two on my Williams Sonoma tablecloth while setting the table for my guests, I didn’t freak out! I knew that the intimate time we were about to have with our friends, Jeff and Karen, would be our focus – not the spot on the cloth!


Husband comes first
One hour before the guests were to arrive I realized that I had not really spent quality time with my husband that day.

So putting all rigidity aside, I felt the freedom to call our guests and push the dinner time back ½ hour.

Hubs and I were able to connect and relax


Read & talk with classical music playing


Even Haggis hung with us


Let rigidity go
Pushing all rigidity aside, I’ve learned to go with the flow. The table I had set for 7 needed to be changed to 5, as our kids started making other plans for the evening. Our dinner would be 4 adults and one 2nd grade boy! What a combination!


Just in case our “little” guest didn’t eat salmon


Changing the dinner time, (I would not have felt comfortable doing this if my guests were already on their way), re-arranging my table, preparing last minute Mac & Cheese, and living with spots on my tablecloth have helped me realize that things will never be perfect.

I’ve learned that going with the flow actually makes me a more gracious hostess!

Would you have felt comfortable calling your guests and pushing the dinner time back, if it gave you more time for you and your husband to connect?


Upside-Down Chip Cake
3 T butter
½ c. brown sugar
4 t. water
½ c. coconut
½ c. chopped pecans
Preheat over to 350. Melt the 3 T. butter in a 9x1 1/2 in. round baking pan. Stir in the 1/2 c. brown sugar and the water. Sprinkle coconut and pecans in the pan. Set aside.

Cake from scratch
1 c. flour
2/3 c. sugar
½ c. unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ c. packed brown sugar
2 t. baking powder
½ c. milk
¼ c. butter
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
¾ c. mini semisweet chocolate chips
In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, gran. sugar, cocoa powder, the 1/4 c. brown sugar, and the baking powder. Add milk, the 1/4 c. butter, the eggs, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until combined. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute. By hand, stir in 1/2 c. choc. chips. Spread batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until cake feels firm in center when lightly touched. Cool on a wire rack for 5 min. Loosen sides, invert onto a plate. Sprinkle remaining mini choc. chips over the topping. Let stand about 1/2 hour before slicing. Serve warm.


Karen’s fast, easy method
Instead of making the cake from scratch, use a box cake mix, making cupcakes with the leftover batter!

With Karen’s easy method, any flavor of cake mix would be very tasty!

Buy the cake mixes on sale and use what you have, right?

Read what Kelly has to say about the SPOT on her TABLECLOTH!

No-Flour Barney Butter Cookies - & Giveaway!

Last night I was intent on not burning my Barney Butter cookies!

I followed my family out into the garage, where my husband’s office is, to have a “family discussion.” It’s funny – our kids are going to grow up and reflect back on discussions we’ve had out in our 3rd car garage! Some – well, great! Interactions with good news, answers they want to hear, the positive stuff. And some – err – well, the kids would say they received too many “lectures” from their parents out there – cell phones were confiscated and restrictions were laid out – to their detriment!

It just seems to be a room, away from the house, where there are whiteboards plastered on 3 of the walls, and where we try to give our kids visual life lessons!

Last night’s talk was a positive one. No one was in trouble!

So, out the door I went. I told myself – 7 minutes, 7 minutes, 7 minutes. The cookies will be done in 7 minutes! Why do I think that I will remember these things!?


I’m always burning something
About 30 minutes later – burnt cookies!

I was so mad – because not only did I waste precious Barney Butter – I hate wasting my time! The kids informed me they like burnt cookies (go figure!) and in the morning, there were only 2 left!


What is Barney Butter?
It's just like peanut butter but better because it's made from almonds! My friend Jennifer is the master Barney Butter maker – I’m so impressed! (Check out Barney Butter recipes, here!)

What makes Barney Butter different?
With Barney Butter you get the same kind of peanut butter creaminess you grew up loving (or super-chunk if you like crunchy), only better with less than ½ the saturated fat of peanut butter, and more fiber, calcium, iron, vitamin E and magnesium than peanut butter. And that’s not all – Barney Butter is manufactured in an Almond Only Facility - no chance of cross contamination with peanut dust or peanut particles- which is a great solution for the peanut-allergic. Dieters and athletes love it. But everyone really eats it for the taste.

Barney Butter Giveaway – 3 winners will be picked!
Leave me a comment and tell me if you are a Peanut Butter or Almond Butter family? And what is your favorite way to eat it?

Make sure and leave a viable email address if you do not have a blog. Winners will be announced this coming Monday night.


My family LOVES apples and sandwiches and smoothies and cookies – with any kind of organic peanut or almond butter! But this is our new favorite! And look at the cool snack-sized packets (90 calories) that my kids have taken to school with them? I’ll be sticking some of these into the winners' packages as well!

Spread the word
S-P-R-E-A-D the word, and your name goes into the drawing twice! (Let me know if you post this giveaway on your blog). Also remember that you’re welcome to grab my button on my sidebar of my blog to use on your site! It’s as easy as copying and pasting the code into an html/java gadget on your blog! Click and paste!


No-Flour Barney Butter Cookies
1 cube butter
1 ½ cup sugar
1 ½ cup brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 16 oz. jar Creamy or Chunky Barney Butter (or peanut butter will work)
6 cups oatmeal
2 ½ tsp. baking soda
1-2 cups chocolate chips
Cream butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla together in a large mixing bowl

Mix in the Barney Butter and baking soda


Slowly add oatmeal


Add in the chocolate chips


Roll and place on cookie sheet - flatten with a fork


Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes, or until done


Oh, and how does hospitality play into this post? Besides our family devouring these wonderful treats, my neighbors were delivered these little plates, with the sample snacks. (We kept the burnt ones!)

When we make cookies in our home, it’s just what we do – we share!

EXCITING Blissful NEWS!
I am now a contributor for the Blissful Home channel of Blissful Domestic.


Would you take a minute and head on over to check out my “conversation room” post and leave me a comment? It's easy, and I would so appreciate your support!

This and That - and Apple & Pear Pudding Cake

My sis, Di, gave me a pep talk this week. She got me inspired into taking my “mess” of recipes and reorganizing them. My two sisters definitely got the organizational genes in my family! I can get organized, but I have a hard time staying on top of things for very long!

So I’m taking this binder …


And I’m going to get organized! I’ll be back in a few weeks to show you how it all went!

In the meantime, these came in the mail this week …


And we’ll be planting them here (probably next month) ...


Want to know why we use a greenhouse?
• Starts germination sooner
• Substantial insect control
• They’re also peaceful, and you don’t have to spend a lot of money (our new green greenhouse only cost $149 by mail order)


I also have a new journal ($2.99 TJ Maxx) with some cool, inspiring pictures between the pages. There is nothing like a new journal to start off the New Year!


It’s also fun to catch the Christmas sales ...


Snip off the “Christmassy part" ...


And make it useable year-round (front door) ...


My promised Apple & Pear Pudding Cake recipe (modified from Jamie Oliver’s Orchard Eve’s pudding with whiskey Jersey cream) is one you will want to try!


I was able to go to my garage refrigerator and pull out apples and pears from the vegetable bin that I had stored back from October! Even though they looked old at this point – they were perfect for this cake!


Apple & Pear Pudding Cake
4-5 pounds – your choice of apples, pears, or a mixture of both
¼ cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. ginger
3 bay leaves
1-2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 to 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla


For the batter – the raw sugar really makes it!
1 ½ cup butter, softened
1 ½ cup raw sugar
8 eggs
3 ½ cups self-rising flour

Preheat oven to 350. I made this cake in a buttered 9x13 pan. You can also ½ the recipe and cook in an 8” baking dish.

Getting started
Peel and core apples and pears, cut into large wedges. Place in big saucepan with butter, brown sugar, spices and bay leaves. Cook for 20-30 minutes with the lid on, until fruit is softened. Set aside.


Making the batter
Cream the butter and the sugar together with the wooden spoon. Add the eggs, beating them in well. Fold in the flour.


Don't use the juices
Using a slotted spoon, transfer half the cooked fruit (without the juices) into the bottom of your baking dish.


Top with all of the batter, spooning remaining fruit mixture on top (reserving the juices)


Bake 40-45 minutes or until golden brown and risen

Ready to serve
Whip cream until stiff, adding powdered sugar and vanilla. Serve on top of warm cake, drizzling fruit juices on top! (I forgot to do the last step when I served this dessert. I can only imagine how delicious it would have been if I had added the fruit juices! I also didn’t get a picture with the cream on top – but this WAS a fabulous dessert!)


Planning ahead for warm cake
The night I served this dessert my kitchen smelled so good! The kitchen candle was lit, dinner rolls were fresh out of the oven, and my cake was ready to go into the oven as soon as my guests arrived. (Above photo: cake ready to pop into oven!)

If I can, I like to wait until my guests show up before I bake my dessert – that way your house smells delicious and you get to serve WARM dessert!

OK friends – the shoes in the last post were dusty – but they got wiped off and used this last weekend when my husband and I had a date on the dance floor! It’s been a while since we’ve danced, but we’re re-learning the Tango!

Tasty Fall Recipes - Luncheon Part II

If you read a few posts back (here), you’ll recall that I had a fall luncheon for my neighbors. The weather was incredible – beautiful sunny and warm out – and you could feel Fall in the air.


I love the colors and I love the feel of it. I love the crisp mornings and the sunny afternoons. I love soups, stews, breads and pulling out some of my favorite recipes.


That is what I served for this luncheon. And because I love orange, I cooked my delicious Orange Carrot Soup, which is so fresh tasting with a zip of orange zest. And I baked one of my favorite recipes that I’ve made for years, Pumpkin Pie a La Easy! (From my Pampered Chef days over 11 years ago – did you know that in a two year period I had over 160 kitchen shows?)

I delegated the salad to my neighbor who lives on my left, and the appetizer to my other neighbor who lives on my right. Sharing the meal sure takes a lot of pressure off of the hostess! A few less things to worry about is what this girl needs!


Drink
Refreshing water is always my favorite. I sliced up one lemon for a sliver of a slice in each glass.


Orange Carrot Soup
4 Tablespoons butter
2 cups finely chopped yellow onions (I use sweet)
12 large carrots 1 ½ to 2 pounds, peeled and chopped


4 cups chicken stock
1 cup fresh orange juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Grated fresh orange zest to taste
(I always double or triple this recipe!)

Melt butter and sauté onions on low heat for 25 minutes. Add carrots and ½ of the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Blend the mixture in blender or Cuisinart, to a texture that you prefer. Return to the pot and add the rest of the stock, and add fresh orange juice, spices and zest.

Serve hot! Delicious leftover! (Recipe modified from The Silver Palate cookbook.)

Sauté’ onions and butter


Peel & chop carrots, cook with onions & broth


Puree the softened vegetables


Heat, and add spices, orange juice and zest


(My new favorite kitchen tool is the Zester Grater, made by Microplane. It’s used for grating parmesan, zest or coconut!)

Serve – and watch your guests' faces when they take their first bite!


Mary’s Caesar Salad
The ladies raved over Mary’s salad. And do you want to know what her secret was? Squeeze a lemon over your lettuce before you toss the salad, chicken and dressing! It made all the difference in the flavor.

The girls added parmesan cheese and croutons to each salad before serving


Elli’s fig appetizers
I don’t have the recipes, but Elli makes a scrumptious fig foccasia and fig dip! It was out of this world, served with toasted bread and goat cheese.


Pumpkin Pie A la Easy
Yes, I make this dessert every year. It really is so easy and it tastes just like pumpkin pie – well, it is pumpkin pie – just in a larger proportion. I enjoy making this recipe because it feeds a lot of people. (You can also ½ this recipe and bake in a 9x9 pan.)


Using a food chopper, make the pecan crust and bake


1 ¼ cups flour
¾ cup quick or old-fashioned oats
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup pecans, chopped
2/3 cups butter, melted
Mix above ingredients and press to the bottom of pan, and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Other ingredients


Add together and whisk


4 eggs
2 cans (15 oz each) solid pack pumpkin
2 cans (14 oz each) sweetened condensed milk
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. salt
Mix above ingredients and pour onto the baked crust. Bake 30-35 minutes. Let cool and serve with whipped cream on top!

Pour onto the cooked crust


Bake, cool, cut, and add whipping cream


Find 2 cute girls to serve it up!

Both of the recipes I’ve included are excellent fall or winter recipes! By tripling the soup recipe, they both make hefty portions, perfect for a larger group or dinner party.

I’ve made the soup and the dessert many, many times. They're both winner recipes and we love the leftovers!

Do you have a favorite winter soup that you prepare for guests?