Cookies

Fair Time Cotton Candy Art Print Buy at AllPosters.com

 

 

I received an e-mail from a lady this weekend who was looking for “Pink food” for a party her workplace was giving for breast cancer survivors. What an absolutely inspired and beautiful idea! The premise touches me so much that I thought I’d create a post in its honor AND in honor of the individuals who have fought this demon and are having the last laugh.
 

According to Breast Cancer.org, breast cancer survivors AND those of us wishing to never fight the battle on our home turf should cut out as much fat from our diets as possible. We should most definitely eat more vegetables and fruit. If one’s overweight, they should lose it and keep it off. Exercise is also highly recommended. I guess if a person cuts out fat, fills up on fruits and vegetables, and gets plenty of exercise - the weight will pretty much take care of itself!

My own aunt (Penny) stared it in the eye and I can honestly say that one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever witnessed in all my life is the grace with which she did so. I remember her once saying how that a lot of people say, “Why me?” when they’ve been diagnosed with cancer - but that she thought, “Well… Why not me?” She always said that she had God on her side, so she knew she was in good hands. Apparently the best!

Below are some ideas for “pink foods,” including links to recipes, more information, etc. I’ve researched what foods experts have said are especially healthy foods for people dealing with breast cancer and/or those trying to keep it from showing up on their doorstep. These foods/drinks are in bold. If you have any other ideas to add, I’d love for you to leave them in the comments!

• Baked Sugar Cookies with Cream Cheese Icing.  (I’ll be writing my own favorite recipe for Sugar Cookies as well as a recipe fro the BEST Cream Cheese Icing you ever tasted in the next post.  I’ll include a picture of how they look wearing their pink bling!)  You can either tint the icing to pink using a little red, buy pink food coloring in a cake decorating store or craft’s aisle, or do as I do (simply because I HATE food coloring with a colorful passion) - sprinkle on prink crystals from the baking aisle.
• Pink Grapefruit!  Cut into chunks and chill.  A fruit salad could be created by adding strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and grapes.  Sure, it allows a little more colors in than pink - but it also allows a LOT of antioxidants and healthy vitamins in.
• Serve Milk made Sexy with Nestlee’s Quick Strawberry Pink Mix.  You get your Vitamin D, it’s a beautiful shade of pink AND most of our mothers used to make this for us a lot, trying to sneak milk past us - so it’s a beautiful comfort food.  Experts say that Vitamin D curbs the growth of cancerous cells.
• Salmon - Granted, salmon may prove a bit of a challenge for luncheons - but if you can manage to grill, broil, or steam your salmon steaks right before it’s time to eat, they’re beautifully healthy and marvelously pink. (Salmon’s also a good source of Vitamin D.)
• Shrimp -  Again, you’d have to be very careful to keep it on ice, but shrimp cocktail would be a great thing to serve at a Pink Party.  It’ delicious, healthy, and pinkish.  If you add a little horseradish to your cocktail sauce, you can even make it a little pinker. (Shrimp’s also a good source of Vitamin D.)



• Hot dogs! - When I told my husband what I was doing when he caught me thinking (rare things always draw attention), the first thing he said was, “Hot dogs.”  And right he is!  A delicious way to serve them is to cut the weiners (traditional or “veggie”) into thirds.  Wrap uncooked bacon around each and fasten to the weiner with a toothpick.   Do so with the entire package.  Place all of them, toothpicks up,  in a large crockpot.  Sprinkle generously with brown sugar.  Cook on Low until they’re “done.”  Healthy?  Not particularly.  Delicious?  Decidedly so.
• Ham slices - About as pink as it gets.
• Pink Lemonade
• Pink Cotton Candy - You can usually find some pre-packaged in a department store. Another option would be to buy a Cotton Candy Machine and make your own!
• Strawberry Ice Cream. - Served either alone or in pink ice cream cones. You could even tie an all-important and symbolic pink ribbon around each cone.
• Create Chocolate Covered Strawberries and Color them pink!  After I exhausted my brain power (I heard that!), I googled, “Baby Shower food ideas” - knowing that they often focus on blues and pinks.  I found the following recipe for Chocolate Covered Strawberries and am now craving one big time! -
• Don’t forget about the beautiful reds that are, after all, in Pink’s family. They’re one of her parents, after all! Pomegranates, strawberries, cherries, raspberries, red pepper, red onion, etc. Each of these, when combined with other foods will more than serve as stand ins for pink.
• Strawberry Soup
• Japanese Fishcake - Granted, you may need a Japanese Restaurant for this one, but just look at the picture below. Gorgeous!

Keep in mind, when your plates, napkins, and collective mindset is PINK, even foods that don’t look particularly pink by themselves will appear pink. You can also think about and focus on the meanings of the other colors as well. For example, White stands for purity, Blue stands for loyalty, and Red envokes thoughts of bravery, boldness and power.

If you go to your local bakery and tell them you’re preparing a special “Pink Party,” I know they’ll be able to offer up some amazing advice and pink delicasies. People love to feel helpful and to feel like they’re part of the battle - fighting on the side of the brave! It’ll also be the winning side.

Pink Poster Buy at AllPosters.com

Some Fun Pink Ideas:

If you have enough time, buy (or rent) a cotton candy machine and make your own pink (of course) cotton candy.

When buying napkins, toothpicks, etc - don’t just check the nearest department or grocery store.  Hit up a special Birthday, Party or Card outlet store.  Don’t just check the birthday section either - head over to the baby shower supplies.  Lots of girly pink!

Go to your nearest Hot Topic and buy pink coloring for your hair - I double dog dare you!

Play Pink’s music. Hang her posters around and shake your fist in breast cancer’s face! Tell it, “You think we’re weak? We’ve got your weak!”

Useful Links:

How Do They Make Cotton Candy?

Buy Cotton Candy Online in Bulk

Pre-Made Cotton Candy and Cotton Candy Machine Rentals

NSAID’s Might Lower Breast Cancer Risk

Six Foods That Fight Cancer!  (A MUST READ)

The Breast Cancer Diet (Another MUST READ) This diet heralds the importance of whole grains, nuts, fruits, vegetables, beans, citrus fruits (bodes well for our pink grapefruit, right?), dairy products, soy, garlic, herbs and spices (for their cancer-fighting phytochemicals), evoo, fiber, and green tea (the author of the Breast Cancer Diet drinks almost as much green tea as I do!  She writes, “I make a half-gallon pitcher of iced green tea every other day. I drink it for the promising anticancer activity of a compound it contains called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG).”)  If you know someone who is a breast cancer survivor or are interested in increasing your protection against the demon, read this article.  It’s very well-written and wonderfully informative.

*** I’ll be adding more recipes throughout the day including my favorite Sugar Cookie recipe that I almost always frost with the BEST Cream Cheese Icing on earth. I also have a few other recipes I rounded up. The problem is, my much beloved and adorable 20 year old cat Prissy (who recently suffered another stroke) has decided to go to sleep right on top of the recipe books I had laid out. Needless to say I’ll be waiting for my little antique girl to wake up and move. Time with her is so precious, I let her do what she wants to do, when she wants to do it. And right now, she wants to sleep on mommy’s work!

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup shortening
2 eggs
2 cups flour
2-1/2 cups oatmeal
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans (or 1/4 of each!)
1 cup coconut
1 tsp soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cream sugar and shortening together until creamy - add eggs and vanilla, beat well. Add oatmeal and coconut. Stir in the flour, soda, baking powder, nuts, and chips.

Drop by teaspoon on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 - 12 minutes.

*** Because ovens vary, check on your cookies after 8 minutes. My oven lives in its own little world (like its mom, I guess). When I’m baking cookies, the first batch is NEVER through when my recipe or common sense tells me they should be. The cookies generally need about 2 minutes longer than the norm. However, after the first batch - and with each subsequent batch - they’re ready to come out about 3 minutes ahead of the norm. A lot of times, if goes to a fourth batch, it seems like I’m putting them in and taking them out in one motion. Once my oven gets going, it doesn’t play around!

The new Airegourmet 14×16-in. Anodized Baking Sheet has everything we’re looking for in a baking sheet.

It’s the Mr. or Mrs. Right of the pan World and, as a matter of fact, I’m ready to say “I do, I do, I do.”

The critically acclaimed Anodized aluminum bakes quickly and evenly. Since it won’t rust, it’s safe for all your family baking. PLUS, the silver anodized hard surface protects your food from interacting with any metal – awarding it even more safety points!

Hard anodized surface is naturally stick resistant and hard to scratch. It bakes faster than original insulated bakeware. This sheet features a double layer construction with thicker air insulation.

Other Features:

• Dishwasher safe.
• Won’t warp or bend.
• Thumbgrip handle makes it easy to grab with potholder.
• Designed to last a lifetime.
• Made in the USA.

I’m not even going to consider Halloween baking, Thanksgiving, or (let alone!) Christmas Cookie Baking Season without an Airegourmet 14×16-in. Anodized Baking Sheet.

Barefoot Contessa Set of 2 Brownie Mix Set

Product Description: Nobody remembers what they had for dinner, but everyone remembers what they had for dessert. Here are some favorite Barefoot Contessa desserts - made really easy! This Barefoot Contessa brownie mix is rich, dark and chewy…these brownies are incredible! And this box mix makes them easy to bake. Great to have on hand to make a fabulous dessert for guests or when you are craving a sweet treat. Set Includes: Outrageous Brownie Mix: “I tested this recipe so many times I am positive it is the best brownie recipe you will find.” - Ina Garten (20.8-oz.) Peanut Butter Swirl Brownie Mix: Chocolatey brownies with peanut butter swirled into them…nothing can beat that! Easy to make, these brownies will rival any baker’s recipe! (27.2-oz.)

Barefoot Contessa Set of 2 Lemon Pound Cake Mix

Product Description: This intensely flavored, rich pound cake is wonderful served with Lemon Curd or Raspberry Sauce. Served with a cup of freshly brewed tea it makes the perfect afternoon snack. Set includes two 22.4-oz. Lemon Pound Cake boxes. (Look how deliciously beautiful they look!)

Barefoot Contessa Set of 2 Jam Thumbprint Cookie Mixes

Product Description: A traditional crisp cookie dabbed with our finest preserve. Serve with a piping hot cup of tea or a glass of milk. Kids love helping to make these delicious cookies. Included in the box is an 8.9-oz. jar of Barefoot Contessa Raspberry Preserves.

Barefoot Contessa Set of 2 Peanut Butter & Jelly Bar Mix

Product Description: The best of two classics, peanut butter and jelly in a dessert bar that is easy to make and simply delicious. Rich peanut butter and sweet jam are swirled together to create the perfect after school snack. Along with top-selling cookbook author and Food Network star Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa, Stonewall Kitchen has developed this line of specialty foods. With this collection of Ina’s favorites, you can make her delicious recipes in minutes. How easy is that?

Barefoot Contessa Set of 2 Homemade Marshmallow Mix

Product Description: Forget everything about those rubbery marshmallows from the grocery store. These are melt-in-your-mouth delicious, light and fluffy. Easy to make, you’ll love them in cocoa or as a quick vanilla flavored snack. Along with top-selling cookbook author and Food Network star Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa, Stonewall Kitchen has developed this line of specialty foods. With this collection of Ina’s favorites, you can make her delicious recipes in minutes. How easy is that?

Barefoot Contessa 3-pc. Barbeque Collection With Gift Box

Product Description: With these products on hand, great meals are minutes away. One of Ina’s most requested recipes is her Favorite BBQ Sauce. The Mango Chutney is perfect served with grilled fish or chicken. Try the Balsamic Onions on a fresh green salad or use them to top a grilled sirloin for incredible taste. The festive band around the gift is laser die-cut poinsettas with a coordinating gift card. Gift Set Includes: Mango Chutney Ina’s Favorite BBQ Sauce Balsamic Onions. (!!!!!!!!!)

When you click through for any of the above products, you’ll be able to find even MORE. I don’t know about you, but I’ve got shopping on my mind….

…..shopping and those Lemon Pound Cakes.

There are a few episodes and recipes that can only be called CAN’T MISS on today’s Food Network. I won’t be able to be pried away from the set during the following shows for the following reasons!

A.M

Boy Meets Grill (Bobby Flay) - Green Rice (Ingredients include: chicken broth or water, roasted poblano peppers, stems, 1 roasted jalapeno pepper, cilantro, Kosher salt, vegetable oil, 1 Spanish onion, 4 garlic cloves, peeled and 1-1/4 cups long-grain rice.)

P.M.

Tyler’s Ultimate - Roast Turkey, Avocado and Bacon Sandwich (Ingredients include: thyme, tarragon, unsalted butter, turkey breast, Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, bread, fontina cheese, avocado, lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, maple bacon, lettuce, and butter.)

Good Eats - French Toast (Alton begins with a custard mixture of half-and-half, eggs, and honey - I’m already drooling!)

A Food Network show I’ve fallen hard for is Ultimate Recipe Showdown - great stuff. Tonight’s episode (after back to back Good Eats - always fun!) will focus on Cookie Recipes….also always fun! See the sidebar to the left for the cookies that’ll be made. I’ll be getting all kinds of familiar with the Pineapple Cheesecake Bar and Radical Rob’s Chocolate Chip Cookies recipes soon. I’ll let you know how great they are.

That’s what I’m talking about! Not only could the 3 in 1 Oven Insert shave minutes off of the time spent baking, I think it’d improve the qualtiy of the food.

I hate when my cookie dough has to sit while the first batch finishes. I think that’s why the second or third batches never quite measure up to the first batch. The dough doesn’t like standing in line any more than the rest of us do!

Click through to read more about this brilliant little kitchen gadget and look around the site - so many gadgets, so little time!

If you do much Christmas cookie baking - make that if you do ANY cookie baking at all - the next thing you’ll want to grab at the store is Reynolds Parchment Paper.

If you’re like me, you spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Whether it’s baking, cooking, or cleaning - your kitchen is your number one hangout! The cooking and baking part are always enjoyable and are even my favorite hobbies. The cleaning? Not so much! What would you say if I told you I’ve come across something that makes the enjoyable aspects of kitchen life more fruitful and the cleanups much, much easier? Well, thank you, I love you too.

I bake a lot of cookies - whether it’s around Christmastime or not. How many cookies do I bake each year. Well, let’s put it this way: Cookie Monster keeps trying to steal me away from my husband. He calls day and night, e-mails, sends letters, just happens to be at the store when I am…

I had never before used parchment paper in any of my baking, even though I’d seen it done again and again on my favorite tv channel, Food TV. It was just never something I even considered.

This year, when I saw Reynolds Parchment Paper sheets in the grocery store, I decided to give parchment paper a try. I mean, I’ve used so much Reynolds aluminum foil and plastic wrap that I should own part of the company by now. It’s a name I’ve welcomed into my kitchen every since I had a kitchen to welcome it into, so if Reynolds thought something was special enough to make - I deemed it special enough to buy.

The first thing I made with the Parchment Sheets were Pecan Sandies. These are one of my favorite cookies, ever. I make them all year long and they never last more than 2 days. Suffice to say, all 5 of us love them!

The only problem with Sandies is that sometimes, when you’re making several batches, the bottoms of the cookies get a little harder than the rest of the cookie. Hate that!

Honestly, with the Reynolds Parchment Paper, the cookies had the same perfect texture - from the top to the bottom.

I also used a sheet under some mozarella bread I made for lunch. I lined the cookie sheet with the paper, then lined up my slices of Italian Bread. I made a spread of softened butter, chopped chives, and chopped garlic. After I spread the butter onto the slices, I topped each off with shredded mozarella. I baked it at 350 degrees until the cheese melted. This bread is delicious served with spaghetti, salads, or soup. As you can imagine, clean up is usually incredibly messy - with remnants of cheese and garlic left on the pan. But with the Reynolds Parchment paper, clean up was a snap - or, rather, a pull, crumple, and toss. As in, pull the paper off the pan, crumple it, and toss it in the trash. Easy Beasy!

Where have these parchment paper sheets been all my culinary life?

I’ve also found that they’re ideal for rolling out cookie dough. I put one under the dough, which my counter top appreciates, and one on top. Then I roll the dough out between the sheets. No more nasty rolling pin to wash!

They’re also perfect for using in the microwave. I’ve used them under food to make cleaning the plate easier and I’ve used them on top of the food to cut down on the spits and splatters that happen during the nuking.

I can’t wait to take them for a test drive with manicotti, barbecued chicken, lasagna, spinach-artichoke dip, etc. I also just realized how much they’ll come in handy when I’m making fudge!

I actually have an appointment with Chocolate Walnut Fudge and Peanut Butter fudge this week. Looks like I’d better grab some more Reynolds Parchment Paper Sheets>

Oh! I forgot one - When baking homemade bread, the parchment sheets are perfect for covering the dough as it rises. You can then cut the sheet down to the size you need and line the bread pan with it. Once again, the clean up is a snap. When there are so many things going on (especially around the Holidays), who wants to be in the kitchen on clean up duty all the time?!

Now that I think about it, I’m going to grab two packages instead of just one.

Click HERE for more tips and tricks for using Reynolds Parchment Paper Sheets, as well as information on hosting Cookie Exchange Parties! - Sounds like delicious fun.

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter
1 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
4 - 1/2 cups all purpose flour
Colored Sugar (Green and Red)

In a large mixing bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients until well blended. Beat in the baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, and vanilla. Gradually add the flour and beat until well blended.

Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and roll in colored sugar (some in green, some in red, and even some in regular white sugar). Place teh balls 2 inches apart on a shiny baking sheet. Flatten with the bottom of a flat-bottomed glass.

Bake at 375 degrees for 10 - 12 minutes, then cool on a wire rack.

We all go to great lengths to make elaborate, expensive, fancy shmancy Christmas cookies - but one of the best, most flavorable, and most rapidly eaten cookies is the simple old-fashioned sugar cookie. As a matter of fact, after typing in this recipe, I can think of nothing in the world I want more right now than a big fat sugar cookie. I think I know what’s for dessert tonight!

I hope you’ve kicked off your Christmas season in a big way - and that, of course means one thing: Having fun and enjoying all of your loved ones. The gifts aren’t what’s important - even though they monopolize most of the conversations and thoughts. Being together, laughing, and making memories that’ll keep us company the rest of our lives - that’s what makes the season so magical.

…that and big fat sugar cookies.

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2/3 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
2 egg whites
5 Butterfinger candy bars (cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1-1/4 cups chunky peanut butter

Beat butter; add both sugars and beat well. Add egg whites, stir in Peanut Butter and vanilla. Mix well, then set aside. Combine the flour, soda, and salt. Gradually add to the butter mixture, mixing well. Stir in candy.

Shape dough into 1-1/2 inch balls and place 2 inches apart on lightly greased cookie sheets.

Bake at 350 degrees for 11 minutes or until browned. Cool for 3 minutes on the cookie sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

YIELD: 4 Dozen amazing cookies!

Are you kidding me, one of my favorite candy bars combined with peanut butter, butter, and browned sugar - I’m floating out of my chair just thinking about it.

I’d actually walk across glass right now for a Butterfinger.

2 cups egg whites
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup chocolate chips
pinch of salt

Beat egg whites until stiff. Add sugar and salt; fold in vanilla, nuts, and chocolate chips.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet. Preheat oven to 350 degrees - then turn offf!

Put cookies into the oven and “forget” them until the next morning.

These are fun and fascinating for people of all ages. But all the fascination in the world wouldn’t mean a thing if they weren’t delicious. Fortunately, your taste buds will be just as amused as the rest of you!