Happy New Year!!!

Now that the holidays are over, I plan to devote more time to this blog.. I add one for all the tips and crafts that i get in my email, so I can share with everyone. Some of the tips are really helpful. The crafts are awesome and I just thought that sharing them on my site will help others enjoy them, too. So let's have fun and be crafty this new year... See ya'll soon.

journal --- dec 20, 2012

well, I have been busy with the last minute shopping and baking. How about you all?  Got it all done? Just a few days left before Santa's big day. I know because the kids are counting. Lol!! How about yours? So has anyone thought about after Christmas? Any plans? I am going to start working on my plans for the next year.... menus, crafts, and plans with the kids...! Any suggestions??? Til next time... Happy Wrapping!

Christmas dinner (part 2) with recipes.... 12/16/12

Well I left you waiting to see what I was going to do for 3 more side dishes for my christmas feast.... side dish # 2 is going to be traditional mashed potatoes and gravy. side # 3 is going to be sweet corn..... my step-children tell me that these are a must for christmas, their mothers (both have passed away) use to make these two dishes...... so I added it to the list. But I want a couple of wow factors in my feast....soooo???


                                                      APPLE GLAZED CARROTS

Cooking Time: 25 min

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 pound baby carrots, peeled and trimmed
• 1 cup apple juice, unsweetened
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 tablespoon green onions, minced tops

Instructions

1. Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrots and saute until carrots begin to brown slightly, about 8 minutes.
    
2. Add apple juice and honey and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until carrots are tender and liquid is reduced to glaze, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
    
3. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl. Sprinkle with green onion tops and serve.

So that is one more side.......I guess that will have to do for now.  I will try and wow them with some creativity.....


                                                     CHRISTMAS TREE BISCUITS


2 (7.5 oz_ cans of low -fat buttermilk biscuits (*** 10 biscuits per roll: you will only need 19)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
5 grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan Cheese

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-fat cooking spray. Place one biscuits right next to each other on the cookie sheet in the shape of a tree. Starting with one biscuit on the top, 2 biscuits for the second row, 3 biscuits for the third row, 4 biscutis for the fourth row, and 5 biscuits for the last row. To make the trunk of the tree, place 2 biscuits directly underneaththe tree right in the middle and 2 more under those...one trunk. Make sure all the biscuits are touching each other. Spray the top of the biscuits with non fat cooking spray. Sprinkle the basil evenly over the biscuits, omitting the trunk. Place the tomato halves, cut side down, in each spot where four biscuits are touching. Sprinkle the grated Parmesan cheese evenly over the entire tree. Bake for 8 to 10 minuts.
Let cool a minute or two. Then carefully transfer the tree onto a large plate by using your hand to slide it from the baking sheet.


Now what can we have to drink to be very festive.... nobody likes eggnog here...mhmmm????

For the the grown ups:

Candy Cane Cocktails

A perfect holiday cocktail.

Serves: 8

Cooking Time: 10 min

Ingredients

• 4 cups watermelon puree
   
• 1 cup pomegranate juice
   
• 1 large box cherry flavored gelatin
   
• 8 shots peppermint liqueur

Instructions

1. In large bowl or pitcher, stir watermelon puree, pomegranate juice and a heaping tablespoon of the cherry gelatin. Chill.
    
2. In two plates, place some water and remaining dry gelatin in an even layer, separately.
    
3. Rim 8 champagne glasses with cherry gelatin. Dip in water and then in saucer with gelatin.
    
4. Pour a shot of peppermint liqueur into each glass, top off glasses watermelon mixture.
    
5. Serve immediately.

For the kiddies:

Chocolate Malt Peppermint Cooler

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 3 cups chocolate milk
• 1 quart vanilla or chocolate ice cream
• 1/4 cup malted milk powder
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• coarsely crushed hard peppermint
• candies
• 6 peppermint sticks

Instructions

1. In a blender container place the chocolate milk, half of the ice cream, the malted milk powder, peppermint extract, and ground cinnamon.
    
2. Cover and blend till smooth.
    
3. Pour into six large, chilled glasses.
    
4. Top each drink with a scoop of the remaining ice cream. Sprinkle with crushed candy pieces. Place a peppermint stick in each glass.

I think we will tackle desserts and appetizers tomorrow.....shoo! these always look so easy when grandma threw things together for 100+ people.. I believe she paid alot of  attention to my great grams and her plans for holidays. My grandmother was the oldest of 16 kids and my mother was in the middle of 12 kids...so as I said Grams and Grandma's houses were always full and active, but mostly just full of love.... I hope to make this small family feel that kind of love and fun. We will be sharing that journey here.... See ya'll tomorrow!

Journal...with recipes for christmas dinner (part 1) 12/16/12

Well.. Happy Birthday to me! 23 years on this earth and I finally found where I fit in. It amazes me how the right man in your life will give you that peace of mind. It is 8 days to christmas. It will be my first christmas with my own lil family. It is also my first christmas without my huge family. I do miss my crazy big brother, Jeremy, torturing my mother (the christmas scroogette) with every christmas jingle known to man kind.  And of course,  my Grandmother trying to sweeten up my mother with giggles and christmas cookies. My Aunts and Uncles all arriving at my Grandparents ranch with their kids and ready to enjoy Grandma's cooking and Montana snowfall. I will miss it but sadly those times have passed. Love you, Grandma & Grandpa, where ever you are today!!!
Anyways, time to start my own traditions..... Time to think about a christmas menu for my brood..... mhmm??

                                        TRADITIONAL BAKED HAM


1 (8-pound) fully cooked, hickory smoked, boneless honey ham (**do not use presliced ham**)
1 cup cherry coke (soda)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 (20-oz) can pineapple slices in pineapple juice
10 maraschino cherries


Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Place the ham in a 9x13 casserole dish. Pour the soda over the entire ham in the casserole dish. In a medium bowl stir together the dark brown sugar and allspice. Pat the sugar mixture on the ham. With toothpicks, secure the pineapple rings to the outside of the ham. I use approximately three toothpicks per pineapple slice. Using one toothpick per cherry, secure one cherry inside each pineapple ring. Put two pieces of aluminum foil together lengthwise and seal to make a tent. Cover the casserole dish with foil tent, securing it tightly around the casserole dish, but do not punture the foil with the toothpicks. Bake for 4 to5 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees. Let ham rest for about 10 minutes before cutting. Pour the ham juice into a small bowl so that guests can serve themselves juice for their ham, if they wish..


Well that is the meat for the dinner..... what else should we have to go with it???


                                          CANDIED YAM MINI CASSEROLE


2 (40-oz) cans cut yams, drain and discard juice
1/3 cup imitation butter-flaveored sprinkles
1 plus 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup of slenda granular
1 cup marshmallow creme


Place an oven rack on the highest level closest to the heating element. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. If your oven has a broil knob, turn the knob to broil. Spray a 9-inch round or 9-inch square ovenproof pan with non-fat cooking spray. In a medium - size  nonstick saucepan over medium-low heat stir the yams, butter-flavored sprinkles, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and Splenda until well mixed. Some of the yams will become mashed and most will remain in chunks. Cover and heat for 5 to 8 minutes or until fully heated.
Spread the yams into the prepared pan. Spread the marshmallow creme over the top of the yams. Place yams on the top rack and broil for 45 seconds to 1 minute or until the marshmallow creme is partially toasted. Sprinkle the remaining 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon on top of the marshmallow creme. Serve immediately.


One side down..... 3 more to go...?????? Let's hit the books and find some goodies!!! See ya soon.

Journal page 1 - December 15, 2012

Hello. My name is Caroline. I am a newlywed with a ready made family. I do hope to be an asset to this family and many to a few other people out there in the internet world. This is my journey as I learn to cook, clean, and create for my new family. I am 23 years old tomorrow and very excited to take you on this ride with me. I came from a large family myself and as the youngest I never really had to do that much around the house, so this is all very new. I have married a older man that says he will help me with my new found skills. In other words... be my guinea pig for my cooking, my critic on my cleaning and so many other roles that he will play. I have two step-children both pre-teen years... one girl, 12  and one boy, 10.   Can I do it? We will see. My goals for the next year are to set up menus, cleaning schedules, outtings with the kids, and take some classes at the community college about sewing, knitting, crocheting, cooking and some decorating classes. Any and all advice is always welcome. So let's begin.......