Christmas To-Do List

Well, if it hasn't gotten done now, I don't have much time. LOL! Here's where I am at:

• Decorating - DONE
• Cleaning - DONE
• Wrapping - 98% DONE
• Baking - Kids are making sugar cookies and sweet rolls for dinner. I will make fudge and chocolate chip cookies.

John Boy is coming home tonight to celebrate Christmas Eve with us. Hope our daughter-in-law will join us after work. You know, I never came up with a nickname for her. Hmmm...I'll have to think on it.

Wishing one and all a blessed Christmas.

Therefore the Lord himself will give you[a] a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and[c] will call him Immanuel. - Isaiah 7:14

Mailbox Monday - July 25

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.

Happy Monday! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. This is the first weekend in a while--other than being on vacation--that I didn't work the whole weekend away. I definitely was on the computer Saturday, but Sunday I went to church, did my grocery shopping, and then made Yia-Yia an orange coconut cake for her birthday--which is today. Happy birthday, Yia-Yia!

No new books in the mail lately, but I did pick up some new Kindle freebies. I've also been reading A Simple Vow by Charlotte Hubbard. 

Read about it on Goodreads

Read about it on Goodreads

Read about it on Goodreads

Read about it on Goodreads

What was in your mailbox? 

Cinnamon Baked Doughnuts

This weekend, the Lil' Diva performed in Peter Pan Jr. at school. The play was wonderful. I was totally floored by the level of acting on the part of these middle school students. I'm so glad we have a drama club where they can display their talents.

One of the ways I helped out was in baking for the bake sale table. Since Friday was National Doughnut Day, I decided some doughnuts were in order. Problem was that I didn't have time to make regular doughnuts with yeast and letting them rise then rolling out the dough and frying them. So, I opted for this baked option. The one thing I must say about this recipe is that while it makes very good doughnuts, the consistency is very different than your typical doughnut. The baked ones came out with a texture more like a cake or muffin.

I found a recipe on FoodNetwork.com for Cinammon Baked Doughnuts. I am listing the recipe and instructions as they appeared on the website. I used a mini-doughnut pan instead of a full size pan, and I only had one. This meant I reduced the cooking time from the stated recipe.


Ingredients

Baking spray with flour, such as Baker's Joy
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/4 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the topping:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a doughnut pan well.

Into a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, melted butter, and vanilla. Stir the wet mixture into the dry ingredients until just combined.

Spoon the batter into the baking pans, filling each one a little more than three-quarters full*. Bake for 17 minutes**, until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then tap the doughnuts out onto a sheet pan.

For the topping, melt the 8 tablespoons of butter in an 8-inch saute pan. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Dip each doughnut first in the butter and then in the cinnamon sugar, either on one side or both sides.

Four of these cooled doughnuts easily made it into a treat bag. I made 4 dozen mini-doughnuts with this recipe.

* Filling my pan 3/4 full led to the doughnut rising above the top of the mold and not creating a hole on the top side of the doughnut. After the first batch, I only filled the molds 2/3 of the way.
**I baked mine for 9 to 10 minutes.

Chronicle Books Offering 75% off 9 Digital Cookbooks

I received this notice in my Inbox from Chronicle Books. Right now they are offering 75% off 9 of their digital cookbooks. That's good news for those of us who will be cooking and baking this holiday season. The New Thanksgiving Table by Diane Morgan is just one of those great books you'll want to stock up on this season.

Visit http://www.chroniclebooks.com/  and check out this wonderful deal!

You've Got Mail Monday

How does Monday keep creeping up on us? Last week was a busy week. Two soccer games (tied one and won one), two cheering events, violin, soccer, and cheerleading practice in there somewhere, and we canned our concord grape jelly. It came out great, but I would use a little less pectin if I did it again.

As for the mail, it wasn't a crazy week like the one before it, but some good stuff still came in. My tulip bulbs, cauliflower plants, and strawberry plant arrived from Burpee. I'm running out of good weather to plant them, so I better get a move on.

The new Gardner's Supply Company was dedicated to "Bring home the HARVEST." Potato and Onion baskets, herb drying racks, orchard racks, stacking crates and more filled its pages. I saw these neat five-blade scissors for cutting herbs that looks like they're worth trying out.

What I was most excited about, however, was this new cookbook I received through the Amazon VINE program. The New Midwestern Table by Amy Thielen is more than just a cookbook; it's a story of cooking and food. I've just begun going through it. The book designer did a fabulous job with it. The Steakhouse Deviled Eggs sound delicious. I found the author's recipe for French-Canadian Meat Pie rather interesting and a bit different from what I am used to. Being born to a family of French Canadians on both sides, meat pie was a staple around the holidays. I don't remember my mémé using only pork, though. The recipe my sister has calls for a blend of ground beef and pork. This cookbook covers a lot of ground and includes "200 Heartland Recipes."

I think that's it for this week. Hope you're having a good one.

Benefits of Cinnamon

The scent of cinnamon is one I've always enjoyed. It makes me think of fall--my favorite season--and baking. In addition to being a mood elevator, cinnamon has several other benefits.

You can read about cinnamon's impact on your brain, diabetes, and digestion in this article titled, "20 Blogs Describing the Benefits of Cinnamon." The article includes links to numerous blog articles where you can learn more.

How do you use cinnamon?

Copycat Recipes You Can Make At Home

One of the things I promise myself when we go out to eat is that I'm not going to order something I can just make myself at home. Why waste money going out if I can whip the same thing up at home?

But what if I could make a broccoli and cheese soup like Panera Bread or carrot cake cheesecake like they have at Cheesecake Factory?  This article includes links to 25 blogs that offer copycat recipes of restaurant favorites. If you try any of them, let me know.

Wilton Petite Silicone 12 Cavity Heart Pan Giveaway Winner!

Congratulations goes out to Patty W. for winning the Wilton Petite Silicone 12 Cavity Heart Pan. Thanks to all who participated. Look for more giveaways coming soon.

Free for All Friday: Wilton Petite Silicone 12 Cavity Heart Pan Giveaway

Attention bakers, this giveaway is for you. In honor of Valentine's Day and just because I'm tired of giving away books all the time, I figured I would offer this Wilton Petite Silicone 12 Cavity Heart Pan featured on Amazon.

Bake some cute treats for your next event. This pan is oven, microwave, and freezer safe.

Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Making Bread

Check out the new toy my son and daughter-in-law bought me for Christmas. I haven't made bread in years, mainly because it takes forever. This bread maker will allow me to make bread in an hour. I can't wait to try it out.

Tasty Tuesdays - Cheese Tortellini in Light Broth

Over the years, I have amassed a sizable collection of cookbooks. Funny thing is I usually go back to the same one time and again once I find a great recipe. This one comes from Everyday Italian by Giada De Laurentis.

Now that the weather is warming up around here, I don't want to spend every evening cooking a large meal and heating up the kitchen. Here is a recipe for an easy soup that takes less than 10 minutes to make. My husband loves it.

Cheese Tortellini in Light Broth

4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 (9-ounce) package fresh cheese tortellini
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
3 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Pour the broth into a large, heavy saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the tortellini and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Cover partially and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the tortellini are al dente, about 7 minutes. Season the broth with more pepper to taste.

Ladle the broth and tortellini into serving bowls. Top with Parmesan cheese and parsley, and serve.

I usually serve this with a side salad and garlic bread.

Saving Time in the Kitchen

As I mentioned earlier today, I love cooking and baking. I should have gone to culinary school. I think I would enjoy catering; though I sometimes wonder if you get sick of food after a while.

Over the years I've found ways to help me save time in the kitchen. Here are some things that work for me:

Gather all your ingredients and supplies first

By the time I am ready to make a dish, I have everything right at my fingertips. Whether it's a batch of cookies or stir-fried chicken, I take out all my ingredients, utensils, pans, and bowls first. If a dish requires vegetables like onions or garlic, I slice and dice first, so once it's time to cook I simply toss in what I need to add to the pan.

Put things back right away 

In my mind there is nothing worse than waiting until you're done cooking to put everything away. Put things away after you use them. While your dish is simmering on the stove, put away the ingredients you don't need anymore. When I make stir-fried chicken, I put vegetable oil in the pan, and add onions, celery and ginger. I put the used cutting board that held the vegetables into the sink right away, then the oil and ginger go back into the pantry. I continue this as I add the rest of the ingredients to the pan, so that by the time I'm done, the counter top is almost empty.

Clean up while things are cooking

One thing I despise is coming back into the kitchen after a good meal to a pile of dirty dishes. Just like I put the ingredients back right away, I try to wash the dishes dirtied during food preparation while I cook. The cutting board and knife from the vegetables I used in the stir-fry can be washed while waiting for the chicken to cook all the way through. The small bowl I use to mix the cornstarch and soy sauce can be washed while I am waiting for the rice to finish cooking. It might not seem like a big deal, but it is so much nicer to enter the kitchen to a handful of plates to wash than have an entire sink full of dishes to clean after eating.

I hope you find these tips helpful. Feel free to share some ways in which you save time in the kitchen.

Taking Time for Mom Thursdays

We're back for another Taking Time for Mom Thursday. I just put the finishing touches on a guest post for The Steady Hand Blog that will appear tomorrow. I'm one of those moms who enjoys her time in the kitchen and I love trying new recipes. My mother-in-law is kind enough to share her Greek recipes, but like me, she seasons to taste, so when asked for one of her recipes it usually looks like "a dash of this, a sprinkle of that."

Cooking and baking for your family can be relaxing if you enjoy it. Even if you don't like spending time in the kitchen, when you have a new recipe to try it at least makes cooking fun. Here is my mother-in-law's recipe for pork chops. If you try it, I would love to hear what you think.

Ingredients

4 - 6 bone-in pork chops
Olive oil
Butter
Salt
Pepper
Oregano
1 Clove of garlic, minced
Lemon juice

Step 1: Saute chops in large pan on the stove in olive oil and butter. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, oregano and garlic while browning.

Step 2: Sprinkle with lemon juice and cover tightly. Allow to cook on low until done. See recommended temperatures from the USDA here.

Like I said, "a dash of this, a sprinkle of that." When I make this, I use 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil and a tablespoon of butter to saute the chops. I use very little salt because pork is salty anyway. I probably add a 1/2 teaspoon of oregano. I am liberal with the lemon juice and my husband usually adds more once they are cooked because much of it burns off. It's important to keep the chops covered tightly so they retain moisture.

I serve this with rice and green beans. I make rice at the beginning of the week in  my steamer and then just reheat what I need during the week. I use the microwave to steam the green beans, then add a touch of butter and salt.