Christmas Cheers

During the holidays, there is a lot of baking, cooking and drink mixing that goes on.  Recipes range from simple to very complex.  And while I will make elaborate desserts or side dishes, I have a hard time making drinks that are anything but simple!

Here are two recipes I rely on during the holidays

Egg Nog

(Note: this recipe uses raw eggs.  I have been making the non-alcoholic version for over 30 years.  I have never had a problem  However, if you are pregnant or have a weakened immune system, then you may not want to use this recipe.)

5 egg yolks

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup heavy cream

2 cups milk

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp fresh grated nutmeg (+more for garnish)

1/4 cup spiced rum*

Put eggs, sugar, cream, milk and vanilla in the blender.  Blend on high until smooth and creamy.  Add nutmeg and rum and blend on low till well mixed and frothy.  Pour into glasses/mugs and top with fresh grated nutmeg.  Serves 4.

I use fresh grated nutmeg because it has a better flavor then dried.  If you have never had it, you might find that you want to put it in everything after you try it!

Warm Cider and Rum Punch

(This recipe comes from Martha Stewart's Every Day Food, December 2010)

8 cups apple cider

1 apple sliced thinly

1 orange sliced thinly

2 cinnamon sticks

1 inch section of peeled ginger

2 cups dark rum*

Combine all ingredients in a pot and place over high heat.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and add 2 cups rum.  

*For both recipes I used Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum.  I prefer it to dark rum, but that is just my preference!

Andes Mint Brownies

I was going to do a great post this week about making homemade Egg Nog, but I've been under the weather and haven't really felt up to it.  I promise, however, I shall post it NEXT SUNDAY and how appropriate since it will be right before Christmas?  And we will all need a drink to celebrate surviving the Mayan Apocalypse!

This week, I needed to come up with something FAST for a holiday party at work.  Something EASY.  So I  made...

Andes Mint Brownies

Ingredients:

One box of ANY Brownie Mix.

Whatever ingredients you need to make those (usually 1-2 eggs, vegetable oil, water)

2-4 boxes of Andes Mints (my boxes had 28 mints each)

Following the directions on the box, make the brownies!  I used Duncan Hines Milk Chocolate Brownies for mine, but whatever is to your taste, as long as they are not frosted brownies.  While they are cooking, unwrap your Andes Mints and try not to eat all of them!  For my recipe, I used a 9x9 pan and I used a box and half (42 mints).

After the brownies are done baking, and while they are still hot, lay the mints across the surface of the brownies.  As you are laying them across, the heat from the brownies will make them melt.  When you have the desired amount of mints melting on your brownies, take a small spatula ans spread the melted mints across the top of the brownies.  Again, for a 9x9 pan, I used 42, use more if you want a thicker layer.   If you are using a 9x13 pan you will probably want at least 3 boxes.

And that is all!  Cool and serve!

(Sorry I don't have a picture of the brownies but well, by the time I thought of it... they were 3/4 gone!)  They were a big hit in my office!

Wreath Making

I was invited by a co-worker to a Holiday Wreath making class.  Why not?   I am not the craftiest person, but I'm not completely hopeless!

Supplies

1 Wreath Form with decorative twists (available at www.mardigrasoutlet.com)
10 yards of 21" deco mesh ribbon
10 yards of ribbon in a smaller width (mine was about 5")
10 yards of ribbon in a smaller wideth (mine was about 2")
Decorations that can be tied or hot glued on (I used jingle bells)
Scissors, Wire, Hot Glue

The basic idea is that you tie the ribbons down with the "twist ties" that are on the wreath form and weave in and out, alternating between the inner loop and the outer loop.  Each layer of ribbon gets twisted in on top, and you can make loops, or bows or be as creative as you want.

Since explaining this without a video would be hard, here is a video I found on YouTube:

My green base ribbon "poufs" are about 9 inches. I wove in and out between the inner loop and out loop all the way around, but here is another alternative:

The difference in mine is that my second and third ribbons weave around the outside, skipping every other set of ties and at the top I made some poufy bows by doubling up the ribbon. I fastened the jingle bells on with floral wire (at 4 points, not sure if it can be seen here), but you can do a lot of different things.

There are lots of different options out there for ribbon, and there is even mesh roping that can be used, all that matters is the base is 21" wide and the ribbons get smaller as you build up.  Since you are using the same "twist ties" to tie each successive layer in, you might not be able to do more than 3-4 layers of ribbon, especially if you tie them in tightly.

There are tons of other videos with ideas out there, just search for "deco mesh wreath"  there is a pretty  cool looking Halloween one that I might just have to make!

Spirit of the Season

It seems these days I am running into a lot of people who feel that the winter holidays have become far too commercial and that people have forgotten what the true meaning of the holidays are about.

As I was contemplating this idea, I see where one of my Facebook friends has liked a page that says something about sending subscribers ideas for 25 days to instill the idea that the greatest blessing is giving rather than receiving.  Yes!  Sounds like an avenue to explore. I zing over to the page and while the page has a very Christian slant to it, it isn't something a creative witching can't work her way around.  I follow the link back to the website and .... *boom* can't access the website without giving them your email.  

Disappointment.  And then I see under the banner that I have to defeat .. "Order < insert name of product here > for your family today for $29.95!

Oh.... here I thought this was an idea to help combat the commercialization of the season... This website, which is about helping to restore family tradition and discovering the true meaning of the season and they want $29.95 for it.

So, instead I offer you my humble ideas for things to do with you family, to take the focus off of "what am I getting" and bring it back to "what can I give?"

1.  Visit a nursing home.  Check with your local nursing home and see what the restrictions are first, but bringing cookies (if allowed) and signing carols is a nice way to bring some holiday cheer to people who sometimes don't have a lot to be cheerful about this time of year.  

2.  Adopt a family.  Local churches or other charities are overrun this time of year with requests for assistance.  Get your children involved by picking children that are similar in age and interests to them. 

3.  Holiday baking for those people that serve you every day.  I had so much fun as a child delivering plates of goodies to my neighbors for my older sister.  Even the ones I didn't know.   Why not leave a little package of goodies for those people who do what are often thankless jobs?  You mailman, you local fire station, police department, just for a few ideas.  

4.  Toy drives.  I'm talking about more than just buying a few toys and putting them in the local collection box.  Get involved!  This year, I've been helping to work on our communities toy shop.  The amount of man power needed to get a project like this off the ground is astounding. Interviewing families, decorating the warehouse, collecting toys, and that is all prior to the day we open!  For the times we are open we need gift wrappers, people to work the children's craft area, assist the adult shoppers, handle parking and security, registration... it takes the whole community to help!

5.  Be a secret Santa.  Is there someone that you know that you think needs a little holiday cheer?  Leave a gift for them, anonymously.  It doesn't have to be anything big, it could be something as small as shoveling their walk for them.

6.  Recycle Holiday Cards.  St. Jude's Ranch for Children accepts recycled cards of all types.  Here are the requirements from their website (http://www.stjudesranch.org/shop/recycled-card-program):

• All types of greeting cards, including Christmas are accepted.
• Only the card front can be used (please check to be sure the backside of the front of the card is clear of any writing, etc.)
• We can not accept Hallmark, Disney or American Greeting cards
• 5″ x 7″ size or smaller is preferred
• To mail large quantities in the least expensive way, use the United States Post Office in a Flat Rate Box (available at the Post Office), which holds up to 70 pounds
• Mail donations to :
  St. Jude’s Ranch for Children
  Recycled Card Program
  100 St. Jude’s Street
  Boulder City, NV 89005

These are just my ideas, please add your own in comments! I'm curious to see what other people do.  

My Sir's Favorite BBQ Sammiches

I saw this late 70's era ad and had to smile.  A working woman's dream and all for under $15!  And while not all of us work outside the home, we still work hard around the house!  This recipe is my Sir's favorite.  I've made it with beef, pork and chicken.

I serve this on potato rolls, and I always turn the slow-cooker on low while I am mixing the ingredients.

Barbecue Sammiches

1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup ketchup
1 cup barbecue sauce (I like Sweet Baby Ray's with Hickory and Brown Sugar)
1 cup water
2 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 - 1 tsp chili powder (I use less, Sir likes sweet better than spicy)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Mix the above in your crock pot and let heat through to combine well.  When it is done, add 3-4 lbs sirloin roast, bottom round roast, pork shoulder roast or chicken breasts and/or thighs.  Let simmer on high for at least 7 hours.  Meat needs to be tender and cooked through, but you do not want to burn the sauce!

Using two forks, shred the meat, if your crock pot is deep enough, you can do this in the pot, but if not, you will need to remove it and put it back in.  To shred, gently pull the meat apart using the forks.  Return meat to the sauce and heat through.

I like to toast the buns first by putting them face up under the broiler for just a few seconds.  Helps keep the bread from getting overly soggy,

Rheya's Slow Cooker Post

Hi y'all.  I apologize for not posting recently, life has a way of... getting busy!  Which is why when I was asked to contribute to the Slow Cooker month posts I said "YES!!!"  I love my slow cooker, I could not LIVE without it.  I use it at least once a week and I have posted some of my favorite recipes here already, which is to your advantage but my disadvantage because I had to come up with some others for this posts.  

But first, a book review.

Fix-It and Forget-It 5-Ingredient Favorites by Phyllis Pellman Good

I really hate to say it, but this book is not worth it.  Yes, it is JAM PACKED with recipes.  But there are several on the same page that are the same recipe with just an added ingredient.   Couldn't they have made ONE recipe and said "try these variations?"  This disappointed me so much because I have come to realize , that there really isn't that much NEW material out there.

Recipes and ideas

When I worked at the 911 Center, we frequently did things like "Nacho Wednesday" and other potluck types of things where we all brought in food to share.  I  generally brought the ground meat for the nachos and having the crock pot to warm it up and serve it in was very handy.  

Pizza Dip:

2 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, cubed

1 14 oz. can of Pizza Sauce (I prefer plain, but feel free to experiment, in a pinch, tomato sauce will do)

1 8 oz package of sliced pepperoni

2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella

optional:

1 3.8 oz can of chopped olives

8 oz of bulk sausage, browned

1 cup finely chopped green pepper

1 cup finely chopped onion

Place cream cheese in the bottom of the slow cooker.  Mix together pizza sauce and other toppings.  Pour over cream cheese  Top with mozzarella.  Cook on low 1 1/2-2 hours.  Serve on pita chips or bagel chips, or something else crispy and reminiscent of toast (garlic and sea salt are my favorite flavors to use!)

Another work favorite was cobbler.  You can make it with your favorite fruit pie filling.  

Cherry Cobbler

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 box yellow cake mix

1 21 oz can of pie filling ( I generally use 2 instead of 1)

1/3 cup of chopped walnuts (or pecans!)

In a large mixing bowl, mix cake mix and butter until crumbley and set aside.

Put pie filling in the bottom of crock pot, top with filling and nuts.  Cook on high 2 hours and low 1 hour.  Can easily be doubled, tripled.... 

Serve with vanilla ice cream.

I will have another post, Sir has suggested I post his favorite BBQ Sammich recipe.

My First Roast Chicken

Confession time: I'm nearly 40 years old and have never cooked a whole chicken or turkey. Turkey breasts I've done several times. Never a whole bird. I'm seriously squicked out by the though of sticking my hand, to quote a friend "up a chicken's hiney".

But I figured it is a good idea, will generate left-overs and come on, I need to get over it.

So I bought a small bird for Sir and I and gave it a try. Here's my recipe and the running narrative of things I wasn't expecting.

1 lemon, seeded and chopped (skin and all!)
1 tbsp fresh rosemary or 1 tsp dried
1 3lb whole chicken
1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped
1/2 fennel bulb, chopped
1 tbsp orange peel
1 tbsp fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried
1 cup chicken broth

Mix the lemon and rosemary and rub under chicken skin, all the way down to the thighs
Huh? How do I get under the skin? Hmmm... ok, so if I take a knife and cut a small slit. Hey there we go. But there's this membrane holding it to the bird, better break that first. Ok! Now we're doing good. Woot1 Go me! Crap, I ripped the skin a little, so let's skewer it back together. Damn that doesn't work, better just skewer it down to keep the lemon from falling out

In a saute pan, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Saute onion, apple, fennel, thyme and orange peel. When cool enough to handle stuff the bird.
What's cool enough to handle? Hey what's this packet in here? Oh right, the giblets, better remove that. Hmmm I wonder if I have to stick my hand in or if I can just spoon stuff into there?

Skewer ends of the chicken together (I used toothpicks).

Roast for 90 minutes at 350 degrees, basting every 15 minutes with chicken broth.
Ok! 15 minutes down, better baste the chicken. Hmmm it's browning kind of fast. I think I'll try to cover it with tin foil.

Ok, it's time for the second 15 minute basting, how are we doing? Smells great. Uh oh, the oven is heating it unevenly, I better turn it half way around to keep it cooking evenly!

Halfway there, I better check the internal temp, my oven cooks fast and my chicken wasn't 3 lbs. I'm not crazy about how the skin is turning out. Maybe I should have basted it with softened butter mixed with chicken broth? Internal temp is 150 degrees. I'm about halfway there. I need it to be 170 before it's "done".

30 minutes left, maybe I should take off the tin foil now to brown up the rest of the skin a bit?

15 minutes left, going to turn the bird again! Time to take the temperature again 160 degrees.


Just a note here, to take a chicken or turkey's temperature, stick the thermometer in the thickest part of the meat. This is generally in the thigh area between the drumstick and the body.

Take the temperature when you baste to determine how fast your chicken is roasting. My oven doesn't always follow "recommended" cooking times. I ended up cooking this for just about 5 minutes shy of 90.

Also, have a good thermometer. I recommend an instant heat one!

Also, just because the chicken is bloody when you cut into it, doesn't mean it is underdone.

As an additional note, you may not want to do a different baste on it after all, the chicken gets crispy, but would be probably be bitter to eat because of the lemon right up under it. But if you like that, go ahead!

This recipe turns out moist and juicy and fall apart tender!

And here is the finished product:

Beer Battered Fried Green Beans

Merry Christmas to all those that celebrate it!

Today, I bring a quick and easy side dish that my Sir loves and we made tonight!

Beer Battered Green Beans



1 cup beer
1 cup flour
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 lb green beans
peanut oil for frying

Wash and trim the ends of the green beans. Mix flour, beer, salt and pepper in a bowl. Whisk until smooth.

Preheat oil to 375 degrees. If you are heating on the stove in a pot, it will be the right temp when a small drop of the batter fries to a golden brown in 1 minute.

Dip the green beans in batter to coat, let excess batter drip off and drop into the oil, making sure to leave space between the beans so they don't stick together. Fry until golden brown, then remove with tongs or a spider strainer and drain on paper towel. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

* Peanut oil is best for frying these, but it can be done in other oil, such as Canola.

* If you are frying on the stove top, you generally want about 1 inch of oil in the pot.

* Much experimentation has shown that lighter beers tend to work better and taste better than dark. The best one we've found so far is Bass Ale.

* You can make these with a lot of batter or a little. You can see that in the batch pictured, there are some lightly coated and some more heavily coated. Sir tends to like his with more batter.

* I find that this recipe barely covers a pound of green beans, so you might want to double it.

* Putting the beans on a cookie sheet in the oven for about 5 minutes at 350 degrees removes additional grease and makes them more crispy.

* These can be reheated, 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes is usually sufficient.

Chocolate Peppermint Thumbprint Cookies

I made these for a gathering last night and they went over so well (all 5 dozen disappeared!) I thought I would share with you!

The original recipe is from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food .

2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp fine salt
1 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (2 1/2 sticks)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tbsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1/2 cup white sanding sugar (*the magazine merely suggests that you use sanding sugar, but the cookies look so much pretty with the extra sparkle. If you don't have it though, you can use 1/2 cup regular white sugar)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (Martha says, with racks in the upper and lower thirds. My oven is divided into quarters, I did the lowest rack and the 2nd from the top). In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder and salt. In a large bowl, beat 1 cup butter and 1 cup sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy or about 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla; beat to combine. With mixer on low, gradually add dry mixture to combine.

Place the 1/2 cup sanding sugar in a small bowl. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls, then roll in sugar to coat. Place balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper about 1 inch apart. Bake 5 minutes, remove from oven and with a small melon baller or the bottom of a small spoon, make an indentation in the center of each cookie. **

Return to the oven and bake 4 minutes longer, until cookies are just set but still look moist, Be careful not to overbake. Cool completely on wire racks.

** Really Martha? They are called thumbprint cookies. I used my clean thumb to make the indentations. And because my oven bakes hot, I made the indentations prior to baking and baked for only 6 minutes total.

In a microwave safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips and remaining 1/4 cup butter and peppermint extract. Microwave in 10 second increments until melted, stirring frequently. Let cool until thick enough to pipe. Spoon into zip-top bag and snip 1/4 inch hole into one corner. Pipe chocolate into indentations. Let dry completely. ***

*** I have zero luck with piping anything from a zip-top bag. I used a teaspoon and did not wait the 5 minutes till the mixture was cool enough to pipe, but chose instead to spoon it immediately while it was still warm and pliable.

Like I said, they came out fantastic and I was left with zero!

Sunday Quick Links!

This week I have gotten a bunch of tasty treat and helpful hint ideas in my email so I thought I would share them!

My favorite has been Real Simple Magazine's 34 Unique Stocking Stuffers For those of you who want to shove more than candy in a stocking this year.

Those of you looking for new appetizing appetizers, I am going to try the Sriracha Veggie Cheese Balls from Betty Crocker.

Also on Betty's website Fudgy Dark Chocolate Tart. I'm sure Santa won't mind this being left for him instead of cookies and milk!

If any one used to get Kraft Food and Family magazine but stopped once the subscription became paid, have no fear, the website has all their yummy recipes including these adorable Melting Snowman Balls and other variations on cookie balls made with Oreos and Nutter Butters!

Lastly, another Real Simple article I have loved this week was some new twists on Christmas Tree decorating in the Festive Christmas Tree Decorating Article.

Have a great week!

Washing Delicates

In today's modern world, you may wonder why you would want to take the time to hand-wash your delicate items, most every washing machine has a delicate cycle, after all. And you can purchase a lingerie bag (a small, mesh bag to place delicate items in and toss into the washing machine) to use for some items.

However, hand-washing your delicate items helps to preserve the life of the item. Plus, there just are some things (such as stockings) that is is not advisable to wash even if you do use the delicate cycle and a lingerie bag.

Now, a lot of you are fortunate enough to have wash tubs, I do not. I do my delicates the old-fashioned way. In the bathroom sink! Here are my supplies:

Stain stick
Woolite



I pre-treat any stains with the stain stick. I find that usually sticks work better than sprays with delicates, but ALWAYS test a small un-noticable corner of the garment first to make sure it won't discolor it.

Fill up the sink with cold water, add Woolite. My bottle has 2 lines, the bottom one being what you use for sink washing. If you aren't using Woolite, then refer to the directions on the back of the bottle. Swish the water around to get some soapy goodness going and then add items to be washed. In this example, I have a pair of tights, some lacy underwear and a negligee. I swish them around again before letting everything soak for about 20 minutes. At that time, I work on the stains, usually using my fingers, to rub, but sometimes a soft cloth.

Wring out the items and remove from the sink. Drain water and with water running, thoroughly rinse the items that have been washed. Wring out gently. You can dry by either hanging, placing on a mesh drying rack (like for sweaters) or rolling into a towel to squeeze out excess water and then letting dry flat on the same.

Here are some links for supplies!

Sweater Drying Rack

Lingerie Bag

Helpful hints for removing stains from The Laundress

Handmade Holiday Gifts

I have some great ideas for you if you are looking for reasonably priced, handmade, holiday gifties.



First is Handwritten Letters from Santa!

My dear friend and sister-of-my-heart is providing these wonderful letters. Written in gold or silver ink, customized to your child or children and with a North Pole postmark. They come in a plain brown envelope so that little eyes won't see them before you are ready!

Order here and be sure to mention that you got the idea from Rheya!

Also available at the same Etsy store are "Naughty" or "Nice" Certificates! Which one have you been this year?



Whimsical, suitable for framing, so you can prove you've been well behaved! You can see that the author has nice penmanship as well as creativity! I've know The Kitchen Jedi for many many years.

Letters from Santa are kid tested too. She has a list of questions she asks to help make it more personal to your child, you choose what the details are and then watch when big eyes say "How did he know?!"

You can see samples of her letters on her Esty page.


The Kitchen Jedi offering Handwritten letters from Santa and Naughty and Nice Certificates

Easy Fabulous Chicken Potato Puff

Hi y'all. I know I haven't posted in FOREVER, but being in school and working an internship and being a full-time domestic slave has kept me very busy the last few months! I sometimes feel like I do not have enough hours in the day.

And I know y'all feel like that too, which is why I am posting this very simple, very quick recipe.

Have you ever had last minute company for dinner or needed to pull of something fabulous with no time?

This recipe I found in an old recipe box. I love that it is very 1950s housewife but translates so well into today.



Chicken Potato Puff

Mashed Potato Mix (enough for 4 servings)
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar
1 cup finely chopped cooked chicken
1 cup shredded carrots (I usually omit these because Sir hates cooked carrot)
2 tsp snipped Chives
pinch of dried Rosemary
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
3 egg whites
1/2 tsp salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare potatoes according to directions. Stir in cheese, chicken, carrots, herbs and egg yolk.

Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; gently fold into potato mixture. Pour into greased 2 quart casserole; place in a pan of hot water 1 inch deep. Cook, uncovered until brown and puffed, about 50-60 minutes.

Feel free to be creative with it! I've made the same dish with Swiss and Canadian Bacon with Green Onion instead of Chives. It turned out great. I think the biggest asset any one of us can have is our creativity, our ability to make things work!

Polishing Shoes

Everyone has a favorite domestic chore to do. Mine is polishing shoes. When I was a child I'd watch my Father, who had been in the Army, polish his. When I was in high school, my brother was the one who taught me the essentials of polishing shoes. You don't need a lot of things to get started but here are my absolute essentials:

Saddle soap
soft, lint-free cloths
Kiwi shoe polishes
Shoe brushes (I have one for light, one for dark and one for brushing dust off)
Suede brush
Suede cleaner
Doc Marten's Wonder Balsam

For most leather shoes and boots, here's what I recommend. If the boots are oil tanned leather (heavy duty work boots) this process will not work! They do not polish to a shine and you shouldn't try. Just remove the dirt and condition them with a leather conditioner.

First thing, take out the shoe laces. Next, brush off the big pieces of dust and dirt. Dampen a cloth and apply the saddle soap, wipe off excess. Let air dry for a few minutes.





Take another cloth, and rub into the shoe polish and apply to the boots in a circular motion. Make sure you get the entire leather surface of the shoe, including the tongue. Some people use sponge applicators instead of cloths, but I find I get much better coverage from the cloth.

Let the polish dry and then using a soft brush, buff the shoes to a high shine.



If the boots are Doc Martens, instead of regular polish, use Doc Martens Wonder Balsam to bring out the high gloss. For oil tan boots, I recommend Aussie Leather Conditioner.

For Suede shoes, use the suede brush and brush the shoes, then apply a thin layer of suede cleaner and rebrush. My hiking boots are olive green suede and I did them the same time I did Sir's but they don't photograph as well! They looked the same in both the before and after photos so, I scrapped the pictures.

After you are done, relace the boots. If the laces need replacing, you can do so at this time.



If you have any questions or if something was unclear please ask!

Lemonade Days

I know I just posted yesterday, but today I found a fantastic recipe I wanted to share!

Lemonade is one of my favorite summertime treats. Whether I make my own or buy it at the store, there is nothing as refreshing as lemonade to me. Here is a recipe I've had for years for lemonade:

* 1 1/2 cups sugar
* 1 1/2 cups of water
* 1 tbsp grated lemon peel
* 1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice (about 8-10 lemons)


In a small saucepan, stir together sugar, water and lemon peel. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring and then remove from heat.

Stir in lemon juice.

Add mixture to 9 cups cold water.


Today while reading my Real Simple Magazine, I came across this recipe for Hibiscus Mint Lemonade. Since I grow fresh mint in my garden, and it has grown out of control this summer, I scooted out the back door and picked some to try this with.

Here's the recipe:

4 Hibiscus tea bags (like Celestial Seasonings Red Zinger, which I love!)
2 cups fresh mint leaves (this is a lot of mint, just fyi)
2 cups boiling water
2 1/2 cups lemonade

Steep mint leaves and tea bags in the 2 cups boiling water. Pour into a pitcher, straining out the tea bags and mint leaves. Add lemonade and chill. Serve over ice. Garnish with additional sprigs of mint.

There are other recipes on the Real Simple website as well!

Summer Time BBQ and other Tips

Happy 4th of July to those of you in the U.S.!

I love the 4th of July. I love fireworks, grilling, and displaying my patriotism! I thought I would share with you my favorite grilling recipes and some tips on displaying your American Flags!

The photo above I took at the fireworks display near my house over the weekend. It was my first time photographing fireworks and I learned a lot! Next time the photos will be even better!

Grilled Corn:

Ears of Corn, shucked and cleaned
Aluminum Foil

Shuck and clean the corn, having a small vegetable brush makes it easier to get the silk off the corn. Wash it, but don't dry too much of the water off of it, otherwise it will burn. Wrap ears in foil. Sir likes me to twist the ends into points and bend them in opposite directions so that when he grills he can keep track of how often he has turned them, also it helps keep the corn from rolling around.

Grill over direct heat for 30-50 minutes depending on the amount of charring you want. Also, if you are grilling chicken at the same time, and have a small grill, you may have to move the corn to indirect heat for about 15 minutes. If you don't want any charring at all, then grill entirely over indirect heat.

These times are for a charcoal grill. Times for gas are going different!!


BBQ Cola Chicken

I LOVE LOVE LOVE mixing BBQ Sauce and Cola!

1 Cup Cola (I prefer Pepsi)
1/2 Cup BBQ Sauce (I like sweeter BBQ sauces with this, like Jack Daniel's Hickory Brown Sugar or Sweet Baby Ray's Hickory Brown Sugar or if you can get it Montgomery Inn Barbeque Sauce).
1 1/2 chicken legs or thighs or hindquarters (I find dark meat grills better and moister)

Mix Cola and BBQ sauce in a small saucepan and heat over low heat until heated through. Reserve a small amount to serve with the chicken (1/2-3/4 cup).

Heat grill. Place chicken over direct heat for 15 minutes, turn about halfway through. If it's starting to char to much, adjust the time accordingly. When we have a really hot grill, it only takes about 12 minutes.

Remove to indirect heat for 25-30 minutes, turning occasionally and basting with BBQ sauce the last 15 minutes.


Flag Etiquette

* Fly only clean flags in good condition
* Fly the flag only during the day unless you have your flag pole lit for nighttime use
* Do not fly your flag in the rain
* Do not use your flag for anything but a flag
* Do not let your flag touch the ground

Kitchen Tips: Cinnamon Sugar and other odd things my Grandma taught me

I've been wracking my brain trying to come up with material for a post and finally hit upon one the other day. It started with a simple recipe that called for a mixture of cinnamon and sugar to be sprinkled over the top of my fresh peach cobbler.

I have always had a small shaker of cinnamon and sugar mixture in my kitchen, just like my Grandma Pearl did. The first thing I learned to make on my own was cinnamon toast, under her watchful eye. She kept a shaker of cinnamon and sugar in her kitchen in case we children wanted a snack. It was easy, and relatively mess free.

I find myself using my shaker for more than just toast. Sir will sometimes sprinkle his cereal with the mixture, or when I'm baking, I'll sprinkle some over the top of what I'm making, like the peach cobbler from the other night or anything that suggests a sprinkling of sugar on top. Suggested ratio is 1 teaspoon cinnamon for every tablespoon of sugar, but you can tweak to your liking.

I was thinking about other tricks I got from Grandma and I realized, she's all over my kitchen.

* I keep a bag of onions that I've chopped up in the freezer to save time. Along the same line, I freeze ginger root to make it last longer and easier to grate into recipes.

* When I make things in the Crock Pot, I turn the pot on low while mixing the sauce then add the meat, makes the wet ingredients blend better.

* I also keep a shaker of baking soda near the sink to help wash off fruits and veggies. (ok, this one didn't come from Grandma, but from Aunt Phyllis!) It's also good for cleaning off cutting boards and scrubbing pots and pans too.

* Fresh herbs from the garden always taste better store bought. So I have a small herb garden out back where I have Basil, Oregano, Mint, Thyme, Rosemary and Sage. I pick them at the end of the season and dry them to use through out the winter.

* When making sauce or other liquid based dishes to freeze, drape a large freezer bag over the rim of a small mixing box, it makes it easier to fill.

Those are just the tips I can remember off the top of my head. My little Kitchen Witch up there is a reminder of my Grandma Pearl, she always had one in her kitchen. It was said that if the witch was facing towards the kitchen, then it was your turn to cook dinner, if her bottom was facing towards the kitchen, go out to eat! I named her "Pearl" after my Grandma.

Product Review: Bamboo Towels

In the interest of trying to have a greener, more eco-friendly house I picked up a pack of bamboo cloths while at the store a few weeks ago. The packaging promised that they would be anti-fungal, anti-microbial, anti-bacterial. The package said good for dishes and washable Great! I thought, I love my all purpose microfiber cloths, but they STINK even after washing them with vinegar in the rinse water. I was very excited and promptly began using them.

They clean up well, are generously sized and wonder of all wonders, don't smell bad after a few days sitting beside the sink!.



However, I am really less than impressed with them:

1) They are supposedly washable. They fray badly and tear in the washing machine. Now, maybe it would be better if you washed them by hand, but I don't have the time or inclination to do that.

2) The ones I have are about the size and shape of paper towels.. therefore, last week when I was in school and Sir saw one sitting on the side of the sink... he thought I had left paper towel there and... threw them out.

3) For the price I paid, I'm not convinced that they are worth it. I know Trader Joe's carries another brand and honestly, I haven't tried them, but the nearest Trader Joe's is over 40 miles from our house. Should I find myself in that neighborhood then I will stop and procure them, but going 40 miles out of the way for eco-friendly towels with gas prices near $4/gallon here does not seem like a smart thing to do.

Here's one of the towels after two trips through the washing machine...

DIY

This idea is great if you have old chairs that you want to spruce up, or you can purchase a chair pretty cheaply at antique stores or flea markets. In my case, I needed a chair for my sewing table and wanted something pretty and decorative too.

Choose a chair with a good solid structure and whose seat you can remove and recover. The one I chose is an old dining room or kitchen chair.



Items needed:

1 old chair
Sand paper
Paint and pain supplies
Fabric (enough to recover the seat)
Staple Gun
* You may want to enhance the padding on the seat as well with foam batting

First, remove the cushion from the chair. Using sandpaper, sand as much of the old paint/varnish off the chair. Start off with a heavier grit of sandpaper and finish with a fine grain to make it as smooth as possible. I also removed the medallion on the back of the chair since it was damaged.



Prepare your paint. I wanted something bright and cheerful and LIME GREEN.



It may take a few coats, here's my chair after the first and last coats.






Make sure paint dries thoroughly between coats, before starting additional coats sand off any drips. Let dry completely after last coat before re-installing the seat.

Now it's time to cover the chair. Trim the fabric so there is a 1 1/2 - 2" overlap on each side. Place the fabric right side down on a table and center the cushion over it. If necessary, add the foam batting. Wrap fabric around and staple, making sure to pull tight and that the corners lie flat. If there are screw holds to hold the cushion to the chair, make sure they remain unobscured.



I have to admit at this point when I originally covered the chair it didn't dawn on me to take pictures of the seat reversed to show how to do the fabric. It was many years ago before I was invited to blog here. I think I took pictures to amuse a friend of mine.

Once chair is dry and cushion is covered, it's time to bring them back together!


Tada!



So this is where I sit when I work on my sewing projects. I'm not confident enough yet in my skills to share how to do anything but mend a seam or make a hemline or sew replacement buttons

Easy Wall Decor - Wooden Tiles

I got this idea from a magazine several years ago, I wish I could find the article but 2 hours worth of searching has not gotten me anywhere. You can modify to your heart's desire to match your decor. It just so happens that the original color scheme from the magazine fits my bedroom colors (cream and brown with touches of teal). Also, you can modify the number of tiles. I know I cut it down from the original number.



Supplies

9 Wooden Tiles, 7 1/4" x 8" x 1" (cut from 1x8 inch board.. apparently 1x8s are only about 7 1/4 inches wide)
Brown acrylic paint
Black acrylic paint
Medium sized paint brushes
Gold Leafing
Gold Metallic Lettering Pen
Gold Stencil Paint and stencil brush/paint dauber
2-3 Stencils that will fit on cut boards
Wall Paper Samples Book*

*Discontinued wall paper samples books can be obtained by visiting shops that sell wall paper and asking if they are willing to sell any or purchase off eBay.

Sand all edges smooth.

Paint two tiles black and let them dry. Paint 2-3 other tiles in brown and let them dry.

Go through the wall paper book and select 5-6 patters and remove from the books. Cut to fit the tiles, so that they wrap around the tiles and overlap on the backside of the board. Use a heavy-duty stapler to secure.




For the brown tiles, chooses stencils and apply with gold stencil paint. Let dry. When dry, use a paper towel and light brush edges with a small amount of gold paint to give it an "antiqued" look.



Take one black tile and apply gold leafing to the entire surface. Follow instructions on the package.



Using the metallic pen, choose a poem or piece of prose and write in very loose, almost sloppy handwriting. My hint on this is don't start from the beginning, pick a section that speaks to you and write until you can't fit anymore on. Mine is from Elizabeth Barrett Browning's "Sonnets from the Portuguese".



To hang, determine the arrangement and apply fasteners. I used 3M's Picture Hangers (I think that is what they are called), they are two pieces with velcro and easy to remove tabs should you need to take them down.



I apologize for the picture quality in some shots. I didn't want to take them all off the wall because putting the back up (for me) is difficult and getting the 2 I took down back up took longer than I wanted due to the fact that I am extremely OCD and getting them straight drove me crazy. So I stood on tip toe to get most of them!!

As you can see I chose to do 2 stencils, and 5 wall paper, the book I chose had a lot of selections that I thought worked well and I didn't trust my painting/stenciling skills very well. The gold leafing was not as hard as I thought it would be, although the hardest part of that for me was making sure that the leaves did not stick to itself while I was laying them down.