Valentine Cookies

January issue of Food & Wine had many wonderful milk chocolate recipes. One was milk chocolate cookies sandwiching malt buttercream. It had a malt power in the filling and Master doesn't like malt so I wasn't sure what I was going to do but I knew I wanted to do heart shaped sandwich cookies as I really haven't ever made sandwich cookies before. So I asked a good friend for a recommendation and she suggested coffee butter cream. The recipe in Food & Wine didn't have the chocolate drizzle on them but I thought they needed a little something more. So added dark chocolate drizzle. My friend suggested them dipped in white chocolate - I just didn't have any white chocolate so did the dark chocolate drizzle.

This cookie dough was really awful to work with but they taste really good. The recipe doesn't have eggs in it so it just didn't bind together well. It was very crumbly and didn't roll out well. But I eventually got through it. I wouldn't make these again unless 1) Master said make them and 2) it was a very special occasion. These are just not cookies to whip up to have cookies. They are work. But they were perfect for Master as a Valentine Day gift. He loves them. Oh and these aren't cookies to make for a crowd. I got 21 cookies out of them (each sandwich cookie of course using 2 cookies.)


COOKIE Ingredients

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
6 ounces milk chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt


1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper (if you want - I didn't - I just sprayed baking sheets with cooking spray as I can't get away without it in the altitude)

2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter with the brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth. Add the melted chocolate and vanilla and beat until smooth. In a small bowl, whisk the flour with the cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and beat at low speed just until incorporated. Roll the dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper to a scant 1/4-inch thickness and refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.

3. Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter, stamp out as many rounds as possible and transfer to the baking sheets, 1 inch apart. Gather the scraps and chill, with the cut-out rounds, for 10 minutes. Reroll the scraps and stamp out more rounds. (obviously I used several sizes of heart cookie cutters)

4. Bake the cookies in the lower and middle thirds of the oven for about 10 minutes, until dry and set; shift the pans halfway through baking. Transfer the cookies to a rack and let cool completely.

The buttercream filling - I just did a regular buttercream. I don't really use a recipe for it anymore. And then I just added some coffee.

Here is the original recipe on Food & Wine website.

Valentine Cupcakes

Last year I made Red Velvet cupcakes for Valentine's Day. I hadn't made red velvet in a long time and it sounded really good especially for Valentine's Day. So I made them and topped them with cream cheese frosting and a red hot. I think maybe they look like little boobs - but they weren't meant that way. This year I hope to be making - today - chocolate cut out cookies that I am going to sandwich together with a filling but I haven't decided what kind of filling yet.



Red Velvet Cupcakes

3 1/2 cups cake flour
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 ½ cups sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
6 tablespoons red food coloring
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a small bowl, whisk together the red food coloring, cocoa, and vanilla. Add to the batter and mix well.

In a measuring cup, stir the salt into the buttermilk. Add to the batter in three parts alternating with the flour. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not overbeat. In a small bowl, stir together the cider vinegar and baking soda. Add to the batter and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl, making sure the ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth.

This recipe makes 2 dozen cupcakes. Use 2 muffin pans with 12 (1/2-cup) muffin cups each and line each cup with a paper liner. Bake about 20 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes in the pan 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool completely on a rack before icing.


Cream Cheese Frosting

1 pkg. (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, softened
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1 pkg. (16 oz.) powdered sugar (about 4 cups), sifted


Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.

Add sugar gradually, beating until well blended after each addition.

Valentine Tablescapes and Crafts

First a couple links that are generic to use more then just Valentines...

Setting Table

Napkin Folding Guide

And now to Valentine links...

This one has a napkin folded as a heart for Valentines

And here are a couple Valentine inspired tablescapes that might inspire you for your table...

Cross Road Cottage Valentine Tablescape

Thrifty Tablescapes

BHG Crafts to help with Valentine tablescapes

Tablescape Blog


Crafts...

Felt Hearts

Sewn Cards

Owl Valentine

Chase Away the Winter Blues

Getting the winter blues? How about inviting some people over for game night and have a Hot Chocolate Bar. There is so many possibilities. And you can create a hot chocolate bar on any kind of budget.

Just some basics:
Use matching fancy mugs, casual mugs you pick up at the goodwill, on clearance or use all the miss matched mugs in your cupboard

Just have a few key basic hot chocolates flavors so that your guests can flavor them with the add-ins. So milk chocolate, white chocolate and dark chocolate are good choices. Keep the hot chocolate hot in slow cookers or even thermal carafes.

Have your add-ins in little containers. Maybe divided appetizer trays or little bowls. Or you could even have a theme such as summer beach party to bring the summer to the winter.

For a summer theme - You could use little plastic pails with shovels and maybe set them in a homemade table top sandbox. And thread add-ins on umbrella cocktail toothpicks/skewers,hand out leis and hang up lanterns

Stirrers - again can be simple as spoons or coffee stirrers to homemade ones on chocolate dipped peppermint sticks or pretzels.

Add-ins:
Make sure they are chopped finely so that they melt quickly.

marshmallows of course (try making homemade marshmallows)


flavored whipped cream


crushed peppermint sticks, butterscotch candies or other flavored hard candies such as jolly ranchers.


flavored liqueurs or syrups


orange rind twists


candied ginger


cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne or chili powder


chopped up candy bars (Milky Ways, Hershey chocolate bars, 3 Musketeers), caramels, truffles (hazelnut, raspberry, espresso)


chocolate, mint or butterscotch chips


Serve the cocoa with salty snacks such as popcorn, crackers and pretzels. And chase the winter blues away with good friends and hot cocoa.

Chocolate Cupcakes

These are really easy and good! If you don't have eggs in the house, they are the cupcakes for you.

Chocolate Cupcakes
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup Dutch processed cocoa
2 tsp baking soda
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup water
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat Oven to 350

Whisk all your dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix all your wet ingredients in a bigger bowl. Add the dry ingredients. Line cupcake tins with paper liners - spray lightly with cooking spray. And then fill liners 3/4 full and bake for 14 to 18 minutes.

Quick Buttercream Frosting
I used Williams-Sonoma's recipe but cut in half and omitting the salt.

3 cups powdered sugar
1 stick butter (I used salted)
2 tblsp milk
2 tsp vanilla extract

Melt butter and then mix together all ingredients until fluffy and creamy but with so it keeps its peaks. If too stiff add a little more milk.

Cheddar Cheese Bread

This bread just has such wonderful flavor!

Makes One (1-1/2 pound) Loaf

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 egg, large
1 teaspoon salt
2 3/4 cups bread flour
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon bread machine yeast


Add ingredients to bread machine pan in the order suggested by manufacturer, adding cheese with flour.

Recommended cycle: basic/white bread cycle; light color setting.

Power Exchange Books

I have been meaning to write about this for a while...and it might not exactly be a domestic issue but my article does touch on domestic issues....

Over a year and half ago I was asked by slave lara the group founder/leader of the elist group Art of Slavery to write an article for Power Exchange Books.

The book has been out for a while but I just hadn't gotten around to pimping it....

You can order the book from the Power Exchange Book link above or my amazon bookstore.

Just a picture of the title and my name in the book...


It seemed so odd to see it - actually have it in my hands and turn to the page with my essay and my name on it.

Oh and just to let you know a few other titles by other contributers...
The Art of Obedience, A Slave of Strength, Serving a Master with Clay Feet, The Art of Transparency...and several more.

Chicken and Dumplings

Chicken and Dumplings is the ultimate comfort food for winter. I have found lots of recipes for chicken and dumplings that use cream of chicken soup and although I use canned creamed soups at times I have been really wanting a recipe that used cream or half-n-half. So then I found one with half and half but still didn't look like it was exactly what I was wanting so I combined a few recipes to make this one. We enjoyed it thoroughly as it warmed us while the cold wind was blowing through town.

Chicken Mixture
1 1/2 cups frozen peas & carrots
1 cup frozen green beans (optional - I had them on hand so threw them in last moment)
1/2 cup chopped onion
14 oz. can chicken broth
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
2 tbsp. margarine or butter
2 tbsp. half & half (I use fat free half & half)
1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, cut into 2" pieces

Dumplings
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. margarine or butter
1 cup milk
1/4 cup minced fresh herb leaves such as parsley, chives (I didn't have any one hand tonight so left out - and it is optional they taste good with or without)

In crockpot add onion and butter. In medium bowl, combine chicken broth, half & half, flour and spices and blend well until smooth. Pour over onion and butter. Add chicken. After cooking for six hours add frozen carrots, peas and green beans. Cook for 1 more hour until chicken is thoroughly cooked and no longer pink in center.

30 minutes before serving mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add (optional) herbs. Microwave butter and milk for 1 minte 30 seconds to 2 minutes until just warm in a large bowl. Slowly add dry ingredients. Mix with a fork or knead by hand two to three times until mixture just comes together. Take spoonfuls of dough and drop into on the surface of the chicken mixture. Cover, cook on High for 20 to 25 minutes until dumplings are cooked through. They will be fluffy and a toothpick inserted should come out clean.

Serve with fresh herbs sprinkled on top.

Deal

In September, I did a review of the cookbook Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking. I had checked it out from the library and put it on my wishlist as soon as I was done reading it and making recipes from it. It was just an incredible book that made me feel comfortable baking bread. For Christmas Master and I received Amazon gift certificates from family so I was just looking through my wish list and noticed that Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking is on sale! It was $27.95 and now on sale for $16.77.

Here is my review of the book with some pictures of a loaf of bread and a pan of cinnamon rolls I made with dough recipe from the book.

Link: Organizing for the New Year

Tips to get organized for the New Year:
http://www.tips-to-organize-life.com/get-organized.html

Organizing Greeting Cards

It is the start of the year and often it is the time of year when people reorganize and declutter. One of my projects at the start of the year is organizing greeting cards that will be needed throughout the year. I start of the new year by making sure I have greeting cards for the entire year. Yes the whole year. I have found that easier for getting cards out on time. I make up a little chart in word broken down by month and with birthday/anniversary dates on it and then gather cards for everyone. I also stock up on miscellaneous cards (get well, sympathy and friendship.) I found a little file box the perfect size for greeting cards and labeled each pocket with the months of the year. And then the extra pockets with just extra miscellaneous cards that aren't part of monthly cards.

My little box I found on clearance but of course there could be many ways to organize them.



Uncommon Good carries the folder on the bottom right. And directly above it is a container from The Container Store.

Just a Note from your Hostess....

Next year I promise to be more organized and give holiday tips, decorating ideas and recipes. This holiday season has been very different for Master and I as we have some family obligations that took a lot of our time and energy. I hope to enjoy the holiday season much more next year.

I do have some posts coming for the New Year though so please look out for those!

And please feel free to write or comment on ideas and things you would like to see here also!

Slow Cooker Pork Stew

1-1/2 lb. pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes
16 oz. kielbasa or Polish sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 cup chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 15-oz. cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
6 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1-inch chunks
1 14-oz. can chicken broth or 1-3/4 cups water
3 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 Tbsp. fresh thyme or 1 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 cup coarsely chopped tomato or halved cherry tomatoes
Crumb Topper (recipe below)

In a 6- to 7-quart slow cooker combine pork shoulder, kielbasa, onions, garlic, beans, carrots, chicken broth, tomato paste, thyme, and pepper. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours. Stir in tomatoes. Cover and cook 10 minutes more. Spoon serving into a bowl and top with crumb topping.

Crumb Topper: Crumb Topper: In a food processor or bowl combine 1-1/2 cups coarse French bread crumbs, 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, 1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese, and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Mix until blended. Spread the crumbs out on a baking sheet. Bake, stirring occasionally, until golden and dry, 20 to 30 minutes.

Maple Fudge

While making chocolate fudge last year during the holidays, I was taking out the vanilla extract from the cupboard and next to it was the maple extract. I had bought it because Master enjoys all things maple flavored. I had tried some maple cookies but they didn't turn out quite right here with the altitude we live in. So it had sat there waiting for me to try it out on something else. But since I was making chocolate fudge I thought why not maple fudge? I looked on the internet and really didn't find any that worked for me. Most recipes used pure maple syrup which I am sure would be great but I had maple extract sitting in my cupboard unused at that time (now I have a few recipes I use it in).

So I looked at my chocolate fudge recipe that I adore and found a recipe on Eagle Brand for a fudge recipe that I might be able to play with and make into a maple fudge recipe. So I rolled up my sleeves and just went for it...it took 2 batches to perfect it. And now it is Master's favorite! I make it for him several times a year just as a special treat for him.



MAPLE FUDGE

1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 cups butterscotch chips
2 sticks butter
2 tsp maple extract

Place all ingredients except the extract into a 2-quart microwave safe mixing bowl and microwave on high for a total of 10 minutes but stirring every 2 minutes. Let cool slightly (usually about 5 to 8 minutes). Beat with a mixer for 3 minutes. Add maple extract and mix for another 2 minutes. Spread mixture into a buttered or parchment paper lined 8 x 8-inch (or 9 x 9) square pan. Chill to set and cut into squares.

NOTES:
These are my notes throughout creating this recipe.

Do beat that full 5 minutes (the 3 plus the 2 after the extract). It really does need the full 5 minutes to get it to the right consistency. When I didn't do this it wouldn't cut nice and smooth like fudge - but broke and crumbled.

This mixture bubbles up quite a bit so a 2 quart mixing bowl is needed or it will boil over/bubble over. Also the bowl and the mixture are VERY HOT so when you stir every 2 minutes be very careful.

The look of it when stirring every 2 minutes:
First stir after 2 minutes in the microwave it will look very greasy because the butter is melting. And very few chips are melted.

After the 4 and 6 minutes it almost look separated - the chips are melting and the butter is fully melted but they don't look like they are going to come together.

After 8 minutes it is coming together the chips are fully melted but the edges looked greasy.

And at the 10 minute mark it almost looks sticky like caramel. But beating it will create a smooth fudge consistency.

The Good Wife's Guide

This Good Wife article has been circulating on some of the submissive lists/groups I am on lately - again. So I thought I would post it here too. Click on the picture to get a bigger view but also I am copying the text below.

• Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready on time for his return. This is a way of letting him know that you have be thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they get home and the prospect of a good meal is part of the warm welcome needed.
• Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so you'll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh-looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people.
• Be a little gay and a little more interesting for him. His boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it.
  
• Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives. Run a dustcloth over the tables.
  
• During the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for him to unwind by. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too. After all, catering to his comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction.
  
• Minimize all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum. Encourage the children to be quiet.
  
• Be happy to see him.
  
• Greet him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him.
  
• Listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first - remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours.
  
• Don't greet him with complaints and problems.
  
• Don't complain if he's late for dinner or even if he stays out all night. Count this as minor compared to what he might have gone through at work.
  
• Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or lie him down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him.
  
• Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice.
  
• Don't ask him questions about his actions or question his judgment or integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no right to question him.
  
• A good wife always knows her place
  

Now take it with a grain of salt. Can some of it be a good guide to help service? Can some of it just be good domestic practices? Of course some of the items can be positive. But of course take what works and throw the rest out. Bend it and shape it to fit your life in service or laugh at if you think it is just funny.

(BTW this has been on snopes as not being a "real" article)

Link: Freeze Happy

With the posting of review for Once-a-month Cooking, I thought I would share this link that I think I found via the FetLife Domestic Servitude group and it was posted by KrushKitten

Freeze Happy

Book: Once-a-Month Cooking & a recipe

I think the concept of this book is really an interesting idea. But what this book lacked for me was recipes. The recipes were repetitious using similar ingredients so you would end up with several nights in row eating similar tasting meals. Or they just had many processed foods and not a lot of creativity. Meals people see at a church potluck which is fine once in a while at home. If you have no idea how to start doing this - just reading this book might help a person sort through their own recipes and get ideas on how to make the shopping list and how to execute all the cooking on your list (as cooking similar things back to back since you are chopping up chicken for one you might as well chop chicken for all the recipes you will use for the month). But for recipes alone this book really wasn't the best - in my opinion.

I saved a few recipes - The cookie recipes as you know having some dough in the freezer and being able to cook them up every once in a while when needing to send some to someone or celebrate a birthday or whatever would be handy. So that seemed very handy to me to freeze them already scooped into cookie size. (if you want the cookie recipes please let me know - ginger cookies and white chocolate macadamia nut cookies)

And then this one which I haven't had a chance to make yet...
Sicilian Meat Roll

2 beaten eggs
3/4 c. soft bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 lb. ground hamburger
1 (6 oz.) pkg. mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. tomato juice
2 tbsp. parsley
1/4 tsp. salt
1 clove garlic, minced
4-6 oz. thinly sliced ham

In bowl, combine eggs and tomato juice. Stir in bread crumbs, parsley, oregano, salt, pepper and garlic. Add hamburger; mix well. On waxed paper or foil, pat meat to a 10 x 8 inch rectangle. Arrange ham slices on top meat, leaving a small margin around edges. Reserve 1 slice of cheese. Tear up remaining cheese and sprinkle over ham. Roll up. Bake in 9 x 13 x 2 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours, or until done. Put rest of cheese on top and melt.

Recipe: Pumpkin Cheesecake

Crust
1 1/2 cups ground gingersnap cookies
1 1/2 cups toasted pecans (about 6 ounces)
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
(**I ground more ginger snaps then needed so I made a little extra and crumbled on top of the cheesecake the last 5 minutes of cooking - it made it almost toffee like crunch on top)

Filling
4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups canned solid pack pumpkin (1 can pumpkin)
2 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons half and half
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
4 large eggs


For Crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Finely grind ground cookies, pecans and sugar in processor. Add melted butter and blend until combined. Press crust mixture onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides.

For Filling: Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until light. Add flour, pumpkin, 4 tablespoons half and half, ground cinnamon and ground allspice to mixture in large bowl and beat until well combined. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just until combined. Pour filling into crust (filling will almost fill pan). Bake until cheesecake puffs, top browns and center moves only slightly when pan is shaken, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Transfer cheesecake to rack and cool 10 minutes. Run small sharp knife around cake pan sides to loosen cheesecake. Cool. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.

Something I don't do a water bath but usually I just do a tray of water on the shelf below to create moisture in the oven. I didn't do that because frankly I forgot. I was just so excited to be making a pumpkin cheesecake that I didn't remember to do the tray and my weird timing thing I usually do which is turning the oven from 350 to 250 and well it turned out really good.

Organizing Home Link

"It doesn't take much to keep your home running like a well-oiled machine. If you can find five to ten minute pockets of time you can accomplish small tasks that will make a huge impact on the orderliness of your home. Here is a list of ten key tasks that take little time but make a big difference. Start adding them to your daily routine today and see the difference in how your house looks and how you feel."

10 Daily Steps to an Organized Home

Italian Stew - EASY!

It is getting cold and fall is here so soups and stews sound so warm and delicious. Sometimes I just want something easy not a lot of chopping and prep time and this recipe is just the answer. It has great flavor.

Browned and crumbled 2 Mild Italian Sausages (if you want it more meaty add more sausage but there is so many good things in this I didn't need more then 2 sausages)
1 can (14-15 oz)chicken broth
1 can (15 oz) white beans - drained and rinsed
1 can (14-15 oz)diced tomatoes with juice
1/2 package of stir fry peppers and onions
1/2 package of frozen green beans
basil to taste
1 cup cooked elbow noodles

I threw everything except the elbow noodles into the crock and cooked on low for 6 hours. The last 5 minutes I added the cooked elbow noodles and then served in bowls with some grated Parmesan cheese on top.

This could easily be done on the stovetop too but I love my crockpot.