December 2005

Le Creuset Set of 2 Poterie Salt & Pepper Shaker, Blue

Le Creuset Set of 2 Poterie Salt & Pepper Shaker, Citrus

Le Creuset Set of 2 Poterie Salt & Pepper Shaker, Red

Lovin’ these salt and pepper shakers - so chic, so European, so colorful! I’d break out the red for Valentine’s and Christmas, the Lemon for spring and fall, and the blue for UK games and summer.

Speaking of UK…..Go Cats! The beat their rival Louisville yesterday and I’m still reeling from the good vibes. Maybe this’ll turn around what was shaping up to be a mildCat season rather than a WildCat season!!!

Joi

2 cups sugar
2 TBSP cocoa
1/2 stick margarine or butter
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix the sugar, cocoa, butter and milk together in a sauce pan. Boil for 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and add the peanut butter and vanilla. Stir until it thickens. Pour into a buttered 8″ square pan and allow to cool. Cut into squares.

1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup corn syrup
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup chopped pecans
Pie Shell

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, syrup, and chopped pecans. Mix well and pour into unbaked pie shell.

Bake in 400 degree oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 40 minutes.

Pecan pie is one of my fave desserts in the world. I swear, I could eat an entire one all by myself without even sharing….not even with my husband. Sure, I’d feel bad later, but as long as pie was left in the pan I’d be smiling ear to freakin’ ear!

Joi

I was on the Office Freaks blog earlier today and came across a post that’ll interest you. It’s about the new Egg and Muffin Toaster…I never even knew such a thing existed, let alone had my name all over it!

Here’s the link ( Egg and Muffin Toaster ) - you might want to check out the rest of the blog while you’re there - there are other posts that have to do with the following freaky interesting things:

• Starbucks Coffee Gift Basket
• Piping Hot Buns!
• Christmas Tree: USB Style (lovin’ this tree!)
• Pocket Projector

Happy Browsing!
Joi

2 - 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 TBSP. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup margarine, softened
3 eggs
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
3/4 cup golden raisins, plumped and drained
1 - 1/2 oz. walnuts, chopped
2 TBSP. candied mixed fruit
2 TBSP. confectioner’s sugar, sifted

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Spray 8 cup fluted tube pan with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle with 2 tsp. flour - be sure you cover all the sides as well as the bottom. Remove excess flour to sheet of waxed paper - set aside.

On same sheet of waxed papaer, sift the remaining flour, baking powder, and baking soda - set aside.

Using mixer on high speed, in a medium bowl beat together granulated sugar and margarine until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition.

Alternately stir in buttermilk and the flour mixture.

Stir in raisins, walnuts and candied fruit. Transfer batter to prepared pan and bake in middle of center oven rack for 40 - 45 minutes (until golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out dry).

Let cake cool in pan for 5 minutes. Remove cake from pan and set on wire rack to cool.

In small bowl, combine confectioner’s sugar and 1 tsp. warm water, stirring to combine. Drizzle sugar mixture evenly over cake.

Hmmm, I’ve had a lifelong phobia of fruitcake, but if I substituted the raisins with pecans and used almonds instead of the fruit….I’d then have a Fruitless cake I think I could live with.

Actually, I might just give fruitcake a chance this Christmas- and this will be the recipe I try out. I’m keeping plenty of walnuts and almonds on hand, just in case.

1 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
4 cups flour
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. baking soda

Cream the shortening and sugar well. Add eggs one at a time. Add buttermilk.

Sift flour, nutmeg and baking soda several times. Add flour to other mixture in small amounts.

Drop by teaspoonfuls on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 - 10 minutes.

I have to thank a visitor to Buttermilk Press for the above recipe. She was looking for a Buttermilk Sugar Cookie recipe - and I never even knew one existed….and me, the queen of buttermilk!!!

I dug deep into my cookbook collection and voila, found the gem above.

I’ll be taking these for a test drive this weekend.

Did you catch the Alton Brown’s on the Food Network last night? And if not, just why not?! You know the rules of cooks - you don’t miss Alton, Paula, or Warren Brown.

Alton’s second show was on Fruit cake, so it might as well not have happened. But the first one was all about cookies, sugar cookies mainly. They looked so good, I actually dreamt about cookies all night. Here’s the link to the recipes, I’ve got to make these this year.

Joi

3 cups sugar
3/4 cup water
1 cup White syrup
3 cups raw peanuts
1 Tbsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. Butter
2 Tbsp. Baking soda

Mix sugar, water and syrup in a medium - large saucepan. Cook (stirring constantly!) until candy thermometer reaches 310 degrees.

Remove from heat and immediately add vanilla and butter, then add the baking soda. Stir just enough to mix well.

Pour onto 2 greased cookie sheets. Break when cool.

For some reason, this particular recipe produces candy that isn’t quite as “hard” as a lot of Peanut Brittle recipes - meaning you can enjoy it without keeping your dentist’s number nearby.

This is really delicious. If tomorrow isn’t rainy, I fully intend to make several batches of this candy and the perfect divinity. I’d better break out that Richard Simmons tape and get ready to sweat for my sweets!

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
pinch of salt
7 oz. jar of Marshmallow Cream
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Bring the first three ingredients to a boil. When a rolling boil is reached, boil for another 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and pour immediately over the Marshmallow Cream (in a mixing bowl). Beat until it begins to lose its luster and shine.

Add the chopped nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto a wax paper-lined cookie sheet.

Don’t attempt the holidays without divinity!

2 cups AP flour
2 cups finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
Powdered sugar

Heat oven to 325 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients except Powdered sugar.

Beat at low speed, scraping the sides of your bowl often. Beat for about 3 - 4 minutes. Shape rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into 1 inch balls. Place on cookie sheets.

Bake for 18 - 25 minutes (until lightly browned). Roll in powdered sugar while still warm, then again when cool.

Yield: 3 dozen incredible cookies that Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without!