The party is when?

You know how it is.

Maybe you forgot a get-together. Or one of the kids neglected to tell you about the school BBQ and you're supposed to bring a dish to share.

Keep this recipe in your back pocket and the ingredients on hand. You never know when a party will sneak up on you!

AMBROSIA - QUICK AS A WINK!

Ingredients:

3 cans of chunk pineapple
3 cans of Mandarin oranges
1 jar of Maraschino cherries
Couple handfuls of mini marshmallows
16 oz (two normal tubs) whipped cream
Optional: shredded coconut, pecans, walnuts

Instructions:

Drain the fruit
Mix all ingredients, except whipped cream, in a pretty bowl
Gently stir in the whipped cream

Then, cover the bowl and hop in the car!

Have a lovely day!

A serious new year's post and apple crisp

 

How is 2014 treating you so far? 

I can't help reminiscing about when I was a stay-at-home mom--about 10 years ago. We were able to keep the bills paid and even had extra money at the end of the month for music lessons, pizza outings, and savings.

Where are we today?

Well, to say the money doesn't go as far as it used to is an understatement. In addition, I see no reason to believe the economy will get better soon. 

How's that for a new year's sentiment from an otherwise "Pollyanna" blog?

It's time to get busy. Seriously.

Whereas frugality was a lifestyle choice for some, I believe it will become necessary for all but an elite few. But most of us will need to get super creative with how we live. Creative with food, creative with transportation, creative with recreation, creative with utilities. 

Frugality is but a distant memory.

The good news is that when we start thinking about life OFF the treadmill, we find unexpected joy. By eating the food we grow, our bodies become healthy. By working outside to produce that food, our lungs enjoy fresh air and our muscles tone. By pooling resources with our neighbors, our communities strengthen.

Hey wait. Maybe this is still a "Pollyanna" blog.

How about a dessert recipe?

Apple Crisp

Ingredients:

8 medium apples from your backyard orchard (Ha! Made ya look.)

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 cup flour

1 cup oats

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

2/3 cup butter, softened

Directions:

Butter a 9x13 baking dish.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Skin and slice apples.

Arrange apples in the dish.

Mix remaining ingredients and sprinkle over the apples.

Bake for about 30 minutes.

Serve warm.

It's up to us to keep spirits up. We've got a lot of work ahead, but we can do it!

Have a neighborly day! (I'm serious) 

Blondies with chocolate chips

Made these the other night and man, did they go fast.

They were very easy and super good.

Blondie Brownies

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup butter, softened
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
1/2 bag of chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour a 9 x 13 pan.
Mix the flour, powder, soda and salt together. Set aside.
Cream the butter and brown sugar together.
Add the eggs and vanilla.
Stir in the flour mixture.
Mix in the chocolate chips.
Spread into a 9 x 13 pan.
Bake for about 35 minutes 
     or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Hope you like 'em!

Caramel crackers

When I was a new bride, my grandma taught me this recipe.
She and I were just hanging out and we wanted something sweet. 

It's easy, fast and cheap! 

Caramel Crackers

Ingredients:
One sleeve plus a little more Saltine crackers
1 stick butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 bag chocolate chips
Chopped nuts, if desired

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line crackers in a buttered jelly roll pan.
In a saucepan, melt butter and brown sugar.
Heat to boiling.
Turn heat down and continue boiling for 1 to 2 minutes. 
Pour mixture over crackers.
Bake for 3 to 4 minutes.
Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle chocolate chips on top.

Spread the chocolate chips so the heat melts them.
Sprinkle with chopped nuts, if desired.
Score and refrigerate until firm.

You could even omit the chocolate for a true caramel taste.

Have a lovely day!







This was shared on:
Mad in Crafts
The Prairie Homestead
Flour Me with Love
Adventures of a DIY Mom
Growing Home Blog
Handy Man, Crafty Woman
Life with the Crust Cut Off 

Cake mix cookies

Have you ever made cake mix cookies? 

So very easy.

Cake Mix Cookies

Ingredients:
One box of cake mix
One stick of butter
One egg

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix ingredients.
Drop by rounded spoonfuls on an ungreased cookie sheet. 
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until cookies are a little golden.

Options:
Before baking, add chocolate chips or roll dough in flax seeds, nuts or sprinkles.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Have a lovely day!

Baked apples in caramel sauce

The other night, the family was clamoring for something sweet.

I tried this on a whim and it went over well.

You should try it!

Baked apples in caramel sauce

Prepare the apples:
Peel and slice 2 apples. I used green ones.
Put apple slices in a microwave-safe bowl.
Stir in 1 Tablespoon sugar.
Shake the cinnamon jar once over the top. Not too much.
Microwave about 1 1/2 minutes on high. 
Test with a fork. Microwave longer if desired.

Prepare the caramel sauce:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup milk
4 Tablespoons butter
Pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon maple flavoring (or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract)

Mix together the brown sugar, milk, butter and salt.
Heat the mixture over medium-low heat for about 6 minutes. 
Add maple flavoring.
Heat another few minutes until desired thickness or until your patience runs out.
Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

Drizzle some caramel sauce over the apples. 

Top with whipped cream if you have some and if you are in the mood.

There will probably be some extra caramel sauce. And that's juuuuust fine.  :)

Have a lovely day.
 

This post was shared on:
Robyn's View -- Foodie Friends Friday 

Cream cheese fruit dip for real life

 

I made this fruit dip the other day. It was healthier than my normal recipe with all the powdered sugar.

Cream Cheese Fruit Dip for Real Life

Ingredients:

8 oz. cream cheese

1/3 cup honey

2 Tablespoons milk

Directions:

Mix ingredients well until fluffy.

Serve with chopped fruit.

Here's the real life part:

Apparently, there is something sticky on the table along with a laptop, cooling rack and some drumsticks. Yeah, I live with drummers.

What's that you say? I can't hear you! It's too loud in here!

Have a lovely day!

 
Shared on these sites:
Mad in Crafts
Flour Me with Love
Pursuit of  a Functional Home
Adventures of a DIY Mom
Growing Home Blog

Lemon bars--pucker up!

These lemon bars were so easy to make and the ingredients are usually on hand.

Everyone really liked them so I'll serve them again and again!

Lemon Bars

Ingredients:

Crust:
2 sticks of butter, softened
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour

Topping:
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup flour
6 Tablespoons lemon juice (I used the kind in the big green bottle)

Later:
A sprinkling of powdered sugar

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour a 9" x 13" pan.
Mix the ingredients for the crust and press into the pan.
Bake for 15 minutes (it won't look all-the-way done yet).
Allow crust to cool slightly.
Mix the ingredients for the filling and pour on top of the crust.
Bake for 25 minutes. 
Sprinkle powdered sugar over the top.

Everybody pucker!

This post was shared on:
Growing Home Blog
Handy Man, Crafty Woman
Life with the Crust Cut Off

Birthday spice cake

I told you about the birthday party we had last weekend. Remember? The wrapping paper made out of an old helium balloon?

Well, his other gift was this spice cake. It wasn't "the" birthday cake to share. This one was a gift for the birthday boy to take home. It's kind of a tradition.

The recipe is eggless and milkless. I believe it was used often during the depression. It has the density of a fruit cake. 

This cake is heavy, man. Heavy.

When topped with a cream cheese frosting, it is a real treat. 

Happy Birthday Spice Cake

Ingredients

1 cup brown sugar

1 1/4 cup water

1/3 cup shortening

2/3 cup raisins

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons water

2 cups sifted flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Boil the brown sugar, 1 1/4 cup water, shortening, raisins, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves for three minutes. Allow to cool.

Dissolve the salt and baking soda in the 2 teaspoons of water. Add to the boiled mixture.

Sift the flour and baking powder together and add to the mixture.

Mix the walnuts into the cake batter.

Grease and flour an 8" x 8" x 2" loaf pan and pour batter into the pan.

Bake for 55 minutes. Allow cake to cool before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

2 sticks of softened butter

4 ounces of cream cheese, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Beat the butter and cream cheese together. Add the powdered sugar. Mix. Then add the vanilla. Mix well.

Frost all sides of the cake.

 

Since we were going out to dinner, I knew the cake would be out of the fridge for a few hours. So, I put it in the freezer for a while. (Dig the corn dogs in the back.)

I figured this would help the cream cheese frosting hang in there during the party. 

I only made one cake this week, so of course I have a craving for it. Guess I'll have to make one for our house, too.

Do you have a tradition of baking something in particular as a gift for someone?

 

Shared on these sites:
Adventures of a DIY Mom
Growing Home Blog
Handy Man, Crafty Woman

Cake calms; thwarts familial instability

After supper the other night, someone asked, "We got anything sweet?"

Forgive our cavepeople grammar. Keepin' it real here.

"Huhh-huhh," I grunted in response, for I had just whipped up this cake that very morning.

Not only does it prevent the looting of chocolate chips from my former secret hiding spot, but this cake is also perfect for breakfast or as a boost of energy in the afternoon.

Here's the recipe:

Lemon Loaf Cake

Ingredients:

For cake:
2 sticks butter
3 cups flour
3/4 cup milk
1/2 Tablespoon vinegar
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups sugar
5 eggs

For glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
3 1/2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Directions:
Mix cake ingredients and pour into a greased and floured loaf pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes.
Allow to cool. Remove from pan.
Mix glaze ingredients and drizzle over cake.

Sugar cookie bars. No big whoop.

These bars are quick to make and use ingredients you probably have on hand. 

Sugar Cookie Bars

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter (or 1 cup of butter-flavor shortening)
2 cups sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
5 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:

Naked sugar cookie bars.

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Grease and flour a jelly roll pan.
3. Cream butter and sugar.
4. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix.
5. Combine dry ingredients. 
6. Mix dry ingredients into wet dough.
7. Spread mixture into the jelly roll pan.
8. Bake for 18 minutes.
9. Cool.
10. Ice with a glaze made of powdered sugar, water and vanilla. (Tint the glaze if you like...and add sprinkles!)

Dessert for lunch? Mom's gone loopy.

What? Mom's serving dessert for lunch? She's so weird.

Look again my little angels!

This treat has components of a healthy lunch (and dessert, too):

Combine peanut butter and rice cereal. 

Add raisins or other dried fruits. 

Top with chocolate chips. 

Surround with sliced apples for dipping.

This is a very flexible dip. Use what's handy in the pantry and sounds good.

Mom's weird in other ways.

Hey I know, let's make snow ice cream!

Our area was recently pounded with over a foot of fluffy stuff.

Newly fallen snow is ripe for making ice cream! 

Here's how:

Snow ice cream

Mix together:
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup milk
2 1/2 Tablespoons vanilla

Then go outside and get about 2 quarts of FRESHLY-FALLEN CLEAN snow.

*Gather the snow on top. Never scrape the ground or car or patio table etc. when harvesting snow for eating. 

Dump the snow into a large bowl.
Drizzle the milk mixture over the top of the snow.
Stir.
Serve!

We added sprinkles, but any ice cream toppings sound good to me!

Have you ever made snow ice cream? 

Cereal bowl cake for emergencies

Rambunctious kids?

Doggie accidents?

This cake makes it all better ... in a hurry!

CHOCOLATE TOFFEE STRAWBERRY CAKE IN A CEREAL BOWL

Ingredients

4 tablespoons flour

4 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa

1 egg

3 tablespoons milk

3 tablespoons oil

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

3 tablespoons toffee chips

6 strawberries, sliced

Directions

In a microwave-safe cereal bowl, combine the flour, sugar and  cocoa.

Add the egg, milk, oil and vanilla. Mix thoroughly.

Stir in the toffee chips.

Heat for 3 minutes in a 1000-watt microwave.

Arrange the sliced strawberries attractively around the edge of the cake.

Sprinkle more toffee chips in the middle. Why not?

Now it's a good day. 

 

This post was shared on these neighborly websites:

Creating my way to Success

Mad in Crafts

Flour me with Love
Adventures of a DIY Mom
Learning the Frugal Life
Growing Home Blog
Countrified Hicks 
Handy Man, Crafty Woman   
Robyn's View -- Foodie Friends Friday

Strawberry-sticky tuxedos

Looking for something to give your Valentine?

How about cranking out some strawberry tuxedos!

These chocolate-covered treats are super easy and frugal, too! 

STRAWBERRY TUXEDOS

Ingredients:

Strawberries
CandiQuick or chocolate bark
Smidge of royal icing (recipe to follow)
Food coloring or paste

Instructions:

• Wash and dry the strawberries.
• Melt chocolate in microwave according to directions.
• Stir.
• Dip strawberries into chocolate. Let dry.
• Prepare some royal icing (a really thick powdered sugar and water icing might suffice).
• Using a spoon, piping bag or bottle, paint a white "shirt" onto each berry.
• Add red or pink coloring to leftover icing.
• After the berry's "clothes" are dry, dot on a bow tie and some buttons, using a toothpick.

OK, here's the royal icing recipe:

ROYAL ICING

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons of meringue powder
  (found in the cake decorating department)
4 cups of powdered sugar, preferably sifted
6 tablespoons of warm water

Instructions:

Beat ingredients in a mixer for about 7 minutes. Add more water during this step if the icing seems too stiff.  

You're sure to receive a sticky smooch for your Valentine tuxedo efforts!

 
P.S. I originally posted this recipe on our previous website, sccworlds.com. It also appeared in our newspaper, Home Matters. This is my original work and photo (just so ya know).   :)   --- Kris

Shared on these neighborly websites:
A Cat-Like Curiosity     
Creating My Way to Success
Mad in Crafts
Flour Me with Love
Adventures of a DIY Mom
Learning the Frugal Life
Growing Home 
Handy Man, Crafty Woman 
Robyn's View 

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