Taking a Break for the Summer

I want to thank you, my dedicated followers and frequent readers, for your presence and time to read my blog.

I had come to the conclusion a while back that my blog isn't what a lot of people are interested in following. There are a LOT, and a LOT MORE, food blogs and I'm not "in the game" here. I didn't want to close this blog if there was a chance so I've given it a few more months.

I also am having a major time crunch and just not getting things done that I need to do. I have gotten much busier here with the farm, taking care of hubby, and trying to do the charity work I so want to do.

I've come to conclusion that I may as well close OR just take the Summer off from this blog. Now really is the time... So I'm going to give it some more time and work on either a new strategy here or come back in the Fall and say good bye.

So, THANK YOU for stopping in here from the bottom of my heart and I wish you many blessings! I'd love to see you all enjoy your Summer too and maybe come back and see what is what in the Fall. Peace be with you!

Empty Tomb Rolls - Perfect for Easter

These are perfect for Easter, and a family tradition. The Empty Tomb Rolls are a basic dough recipe, or any dough recipe that you may enjoy, wrapped around a marshmallow, and baked.

The dough/bread represents Christ’s Tomb, and the marshmallow represents Jesus Christ. After this delicious roll is baked, the marshmallow melts into the bread and is left with an empty hole, representing the Empty Tomb after Christ was resurrected.
...
Basic Roll Dough:
1 cup warm water
2 pkg active dry yeast
3 eggs
4 – 4 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt

Instructions
Dissolve yeast in the warm water, with a pinch of sugar. Beat in the eggs.
Melt the butter in a microwave safe dish. When cooled, add butter to yeast mixture.
 Gradually add the flour, sugar and salt to the mixing bowl, and mix until smooth, or dough climbs up the blade/hook.
Let rise once, then roll out for empty tomb rolls.

Empty Tomb Rolls:
Make your favorite dinner roll recipe, roll the dough out flat, then cut into circles.
Wrap each piece of dough around a large marshmallow making sure dough seals around the marshmallow.
 Brush each roll with melted butter and roll the dough ball in sugar and cinnamon mixture (this step can be omitted), but would make for a great breakfast this way.
Place each roll in a greased pan and cover pan with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight. In the morning, remove from refrigerator and let rise until double. If it doesn’t rise much, it will be completely okay.

Bake at 375° until golden brown – about 15-20 min. If you did not roll the dough in cinnamon and sugar, you can brush a little butter over the tops, while warm.
When the roll is opened, like the tomb, it is empty.

Notes
Matthew 28:1-25, Mark 16:12
You can also make the empty tomb rolls with Crescent rolls. It won’t taste quite the same, but it’s a lot faster and easier. And still yummy!

Source: SuzyQ's Bakery Shoppe & Cafe and thanks to Susan for posting it on her group! I don't know the original source to give credit. What I've posted is all I know.

Citrus Glazed Fruit Kabobs

Today is National Eat Something on a Stick Day, so what better to post for your delight than some fruit kabobs! I discovered this while searching for some kiwi recipes for a recipe tag group I belong to. So I had to share this one with you all!

Citrus Glazed Fruit Kabobs

1 C. vanilla yogurt
1 T. chopped fresh mint
1/4 t. ground ginger
3/4 C. packed brown sugar
1/4 C. lime or orange juice
dash ground cinnamon
2 kiwifruit, peeled, halved and thickly sliced
1/2 C. each fresh peach, apricot, plum and nectarine wedges
1/2 C. thickly sliced ripe banana
1/2 C. cubed fresh pineapple
1/2 C. cubed peeled mango

For sauce, in a small bowl, combine the yogurt, mint and ginger; cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
For glaze, in a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, lime juice and cinnamon.  Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.  Remove from the heat.
On 8 metal or soaked skewers, alternately thread the fruit, brush with half of the glaze.  Grill uncovered over medium low heat for 12-16 minutes or until lightly browned, turning occasionally and basting frequently with remaining glaze.  Serve warm with yogurt sauce.

Enjoy!

Onion Storage Tip

"Store onions in a leg from a pair of panty hose. Between each onion knot the hose and hang in a cool, dry place. When you need an onion cut below the knot."

That is the tip of the day from the right-hand column. I wanted to add to it! Instead of tieing knots between onions, use some of the excessive twist ties we all have on hand. If you cut the toe and then have twist ties, you'll be able to reuse the pair of pany hose over and over! Plus, using twist ties makes it easier to get more onions in each pair of panty hose. You aren't using a large portion of each leg to be in a knot!  So less waste and less pairs of panty hose needed!

Jazzed up Peanut Butter Sandwich TNT

I just had a DELISH PB sandwich for lunch! I thought I'd share what I did with  you!

I started with 2 slices of whole wheat bread. Then I got the agave syrup and creamy pb out and spread one on each slice. From here you can make changes based on what you have handy! I then liberally sprinkled cinnamon over the bp I slathered on, and I do mean liberally! I then sliced a banana in half and then lengthwise and placed the slices on my sandwich. I slice lengthwise because my sandwiches hold together better than if I slice in rings.

It was awesome with the cinnamon added. Why haven't I done that before? Cinnamon is good for blood sugar levels and helps prevent bs spikes.

Other things I've added to a pb & banana sandwich are nuts or raisins. Sub apple slices for the banana, honey for the agave, crunchy pb for smooth, or what ever suits your taste or you have on hand! If you don't have a fresh banana or apple, you can substitute dry fruit for it.  Other add-ons that can be used are wheat or oat bran, a bit of flax meal, etc. They will stick to the pb and not be very noticible.

I think for the next one I'll do the same, but will also add a light sprinkling of nutmeg. I hear nutmeg is also good for diabetics!  Enjoy!

St. Patrick's Day

Do you do anything special for St. Patrick's Day? I thought I'd share a couple recipes related to the day. These are a couple fun recipes and not your main meal. Enjoy!


St. Patrick's Day Popcorn

Serves: 24
Source: Country Woman

Ingredients:
4 quarts popped popcorn
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
8 to 10 drops green food coloring
Instructions:
Place popcorn in a large roasting pan; keep warm in a 250° oven. Meanwhile, in a large heavy saucepan, combine the sugars, water, corn syrup, vinegar and salt. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until a candy thermometer reads 260° (hard-ball stage).
Remove from the heat; stir in butter until melted. Stir in food coloring. Drizzle over warm popcorn and toss to coat. Cool. Break into pieces. Store in an airtight container.

I LOVE Country Woman Magazine. The recipes in it are always good ones IMHO. Next up is another reliable source, Reynolds Wrap company.



St. Patrick's Day Cookies

Source: Reynolds® Parchment Paper

COOKIES:
1 package (16.5 oz.) refrigerated sugar cookie dough
2/3 cup flour

SUGAR COOKIE ICING:
1 box (1 lb.) confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons meringue powder (powdered egg whites)
6 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon flavoring extract, optional
Green, neon green, black, yellow, red, orange, and blue food coloring

DECORATIONS:
Dark green and neon green sugar crystals
Yellow and green mini candy-coated chocolate candies
Miniature marshmallows
Chocolate frosting
PREHEAT oven to 350°F.

COOKIES:
LINE cookie sheets with Reynolds Parchment Paper; set aside. No need to add extra grease or spray your cookie sheets.
KNEAD flour into sugar cookie dough until well blended.
ROLL out half of cookie dough at a time to 1/4-inch thickness between lightly floured sheets of Parchment Paper. Using circles, shamrocks and leprechaun hat shaped cookie cutters, cut out cookies; place on parchment-lined cookie sheets.
BAKE 7 to 12 minutes, depending on the size of the cookies or until the edges begin to brown. Let stand one minute on cookie sheets. Slide Parchment Paper with cookies onto a wire rack to cool completely.

DECORATING SUGAR COOKIES:
BEAT powdered sugar, meringue powder, water and extract in a large bowl,
with an electric mixer, on high speed until smooth and thick, about 1 minute.

DIVIDE icing into 8 small bowls. Keep one bowl of frosting white. Stir food coloring in remaining frosting to make green, neon green, black, yellow, blue, orange, and red icing. Cover icing tightly when not in use, icing dries quickly.
PIPE outlines of cookies with contrasting colors of icing using a decorating bag with tip. Or, place icing in plastic zipper bags. Snip off one corner with scissors and use to pipe icing.

FOR SUGARED OUTLINES, sprinkle heavily with sugar crystals while icing
is wet. Lightly shake off excess crystals. TIP: Sprinkle over Parchment Paper to catch excess for reuse.
TO ICE INSIDE OUTLINES, add a little water to thin icing, if necessary. Spoon a small amount of icing onto outlined cookies. Using a brush, small spatula or your finger, spread icing up to outline to fill in spaces.

FOR SHAMROCKS, follow directions above for outlining and icing the
cookies with green outlines or neon green outlines and icing.
FOR POTS OF GOLD, pipe black icing onto unfrosted round cookies to outline the handle and the shape of the pot. For the "gold", use yellow icing as the glue to attach yellow mini candy-coated candies. Tip: Dots of frosting can be substituted if yellow candies are not available in the quantities that you need.

FOR RAINBOWS, pipe curved lines of colors of the rainbow around the top
edge of round cookies. To make the clouds, use scissors to cut miniature
marshmallows in half. Press the cut edge down on the ends of the
rainbows.

FOR LEPRECHAN HATS, follow directions above for outlining and icing the
hats with green frosting. Pipe chocolate frosting across cookies for a
hat band. Pipe a square of yellow frosting for a buckle on the hat band.
When icing is dry, pipe details of hat with green frosting.

FOR MESSAGE COOKIES, follow directions above for icing the cookies.
While the icing is still wet, add a border of coordinating mini candy-coated chocolate candies; let dry. Pipe messages with either contrasting color icing or chocolate frosting.

REYNOLDS KITCHENS TIPS:
- Cover icing at all times. Icing can dry out quickly.
- Let icing dry before adding a different color of icing. If icing is still wet, colors will blend.

Powdered Sugar Magic!

You can work a little magic in the kitchen with some powdered sugar! Have you ever tried this? For me, it's a "WHY didn't I think of that?" trick!

CHOCOLATE POWDERED SUGAR

2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa

In a small bowl stir together powdered sugar and unsweetened cocoa.

NOTE:
Chocolate Powdered Sugar is quite light in color.
Dark chocolate cookies show it off best.

OTHER VARIATIONS:
Make strawberry with strawberry quick powder.
Make lemon with lemonade mix.
Use koolaid packets to make rainbow colors with just a hint of flavor!
Add a pinch of cinnamon to the chocolate mix if you like!

This is just toooo simple and should be fun! Enjoy!