Christmas Notebook

poppy seed muffins

September 13, 2008 – 5:51 pm

DD and I made poppy seed muffins this afternoon. Delicious! We had some warm from the oven, shared some with friends, and I’m thinkin’ the rest will go quickly.

Mix the following ingredients until well blended.
* 3 eggs
* 2 1/2 cups white sugar [I used 1 3/4 c. sugar]
* 1 1/8 cups vegetable oil [I used 1 c. oil…if I had applesauce on hand, I would have used 1/2 c. oil and 1/2 c. applesauce]
* 1 1/2 cups milk
* 1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
* 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract

Mix these three ingredients in a separate bowl, then stir into wet ingredients. Do not over mix.
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder [I used 2 tsp. baking powder]
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt [I used 1 tsp. salt]
* 3 cups all-purpose flour

I read the reviews on the recipe site and made a few changes to the ingredients, noted above.

Pour the batter into paper lined muffin tins, filling about 3/4 full. We made 30 muffins with this recipe.

The batter was much soupier than I expected. Several reviews of the recipe mentioned that the batter should not be over mixed. It was lumpy when I poured it into the muffin cups. And they baked beautifully.

Bake at 350* for 15-20 minutes. In my oven, 18 minutes were just right. While the muffins are still warm, pour the glaze over them. Messy but worth it.

Glaze
* 3/4 cup white sugar
* 1/4 cup orange juice
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
* 2 teaspoons butter, melted

The glaze adds another level of yumminess. I melted the butter in the pot, then added the other ingredients, cooking over low heat and stirring constantly until the sugar was dissolved.

The recipe says to dip the muffins in the glaze. I just poured it on top.

Oh, these are sooooo good.

~~Rhonda 🙂

crock pot turkey tetrazzini

September 12, 2008 – 5:13 pm

Crock Pot Turkey Tetrazzini

2 c. chicken broth

2 cans cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup

1 T. Dijon mustard

2 c. diced cooked turkey

1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese

1/2 tsp. salt

ground pepper to taste

1/2 tsp. celery seed

1 T. dry onion

1 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. dried parsley

8 oz. broken uncooked spaghetti

Spray the crock pot with cooking spray.
In a bowl, mix together the broth, soup, and mustard.

Stir in the remaining ingredients, except spaghetti.

Add broken spaghetti. Stir to combine and pour into crock pot. Cook on low for 3 hours.

I started with the recipe Easy Crockpot Turkey Tetrazinni. After I took a look at it, I changed it quite a bit. I substituted chicken broth for water. I added more spices and left out the mushrooms and the pimento. Canned mushrooms are just plain yucky and we don’t like pimentos. If fresh mushrooms were on hand, I would have sauteed some of those and added them to the mix. I used one can of cream of mushroom soup and one can of cream of chicken.

How yummy does this look?

It was delicious. DH and I liked it. DD didn’t. But that didn’t surprise me. It’s easy to make and would be a good dish to take to a church dinner or potluck. I’d double it for a crowd and would probably add an hour of cook time for a double recipe.

~~Rhonda

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in Recipes | Tagged crock pot turkey tetrazinni, recipe | Comments (7)

gift wrap center

September 11, 2008 – 10:13 pm

Did you know? Christmas is coming. 🙂 I am already buying gifts and want to be ready when it’s time to wrap them. It’s time to take stock of my gift wrap center and make a list of items I need. Tape? Scissors? Ribbon?…etc., etc., etc.

If you don’t have a gift wrap center, consider setting one up. It can be as small as a box that slides into a drawer, or as big as a cupboard dedicated to gift wrapping. You will find it invaluable all year long, but especially so at Christmas time!

Furthermore, before diving into wrapping, taking a moment to consider the gift itself can lead to more thoughtful presentation. Also, custom gift ideas tailored to the recipient’s tastes or interests can elevate the wrapping experience. Whether it’s selecting a specific color scheme, incorporating personal touches, or choosing unique embellishments, these details can make the gift even more special. A well-prepared gift wrap center not only streamlines the process but also allows for creativity and customization, ensuring that each gift is wrapped with care and thoughtfulness. This attention to detail can truly make a difference, turning the act of giving into a memorable experience for both you and the recipient, especially during the festive season.

This cupboard belonged to DH’s grandparents. I use the drawer and the doors below to store the items needed to wrap gifts. We use it as a gift wrap center year round, but, as I said, it is essential at Christmas time. The dining room table is just to the left in this picture and it makes the ideal place to wrap presents. Even the kids find this the perfect spot for wrapping presents.

I use boxes in the drawer to organize the supplies needed for the gift wrap center. Left to right: tissue paper, scissors/tapes/pens/etc., misc. ribbons/ ribbons on spools.

This old crock holds wrapping paper. During the year, it’s birthday paper, wedding paper, etc., and the crock sits in the corner behind the door. During the holiday season it holds Christmas paper and sits next to the cupboard where it is within reach.

Last year, I found this lovely old market basket in an antique store and decided to use it as the gift wrap storage container. I tied a big blue bow to the handle and it worked out great. The basket on the floor holds extra ribbons.

The shelves in the bottom of the cupboard, behind the doors, holds boxes and bags, small gifts, etc.

Need to wrap a gift? Come on over! 🙂 ~~Rhonda

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in Christmas prep, gifts | Tagged Christmas, gift wrap center, gifts | Comments (4)

looks more like fall all the time

September 11, 2008 – 9:21 pm

While I mowed the yard today, I was struck by how “fall” everything felt. The low temps, the smell in the air, the crisping leaves, the autumn flowers…

Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’

The cabbage white butterflies were hard to get a picture of. They can’t sit still for long.

The Buckeye butterflies seem to prefer the sedum ‘Autumn Joy.’

The path in the woods has a sprinkling of crunchy leaves.

This fuzzy little brown guy was resting on the white boneset.

The fall “weeds” are blooming.

Goldenrod

White Boneset

Jerusalem Artichoke

Smartweed

The Southern Oak is still green. It’s leaves will begin to turn yellow in October.

I didn’t get a picture of the asters…I need to do that. The dark purple ones are in full bloom. The ones from the family farm are just beginning to bloom. Soon they’ll be covered with blossoms and butterflies.

~~Rhonda

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in our garden | Tagged autumn, butterfly, flowers, garden | Comments (0)

106 days till Christmas :-D

September 10, 2008 – 5:15 pm

The packages of Christmas gifts are beginning to roll in. Love, love, love amazon.com! Makes the shopping so easy!

Two gifts for DD and a gift for DgrandD Lauren…

I talked to Santa last night. He said I might get a new camera and a macro lens for Christmas!

~~Rhonda 🙂

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in Christmas, gifts | Tagged Christmas | Comments (0)

pirate cat

September 9, 2008 – 9:17 pm

DD was not feeling well today and stayed home from school. She found several projects that kept her quietly occupied. She read all the comic books in her sister’s room. She played on the computer for a while. And she designed a pirate costume for Buttercup.

She began by making a bandanna from red fabric. Then she designed a hat. We looked online and found a pattern for the basic shape on a page for kindergarten projects. I cut it out for her and she sewed the two pieces of felt together by hand. Then she cut the skull and crossbones from white fabric and used tacky glue to adhere it to the hat.

This is the world’s most compliant cat. Bar none.

A red vest and sword/belt were the final touches.

Buttercup is such a sweet cat. She adores DD and lets her do anything she wants with her. She’s dressed and packed and toted and hauled all over the house. She puts up with it all. And when DD is done, Buttercup takes a long nap.

~~Rhonda 🙂

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in cats | Tagged cat buttercup costume | Comments (2)

40 minute rolls

September 9, 2008 – 12:44 pm

I planned the 40-minute hamburger buns (as rolls) for tonight, but DD wanted to make them yesterday, so we made them into bread sticks and had them with spaghetti last night. They were easy and delicious!

Ingredients:

* 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
* 1 cup warm water, plus 2 tablespoons warm water (115*)
* 1/3 cup vegetable oil
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 1 egg
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 3-3 1/2 cups flour

We didn’t have any eggs on hand, so left the egg out. Still delicious. And we used 3 c. unbleached all-purpose flour plus 1/2 c. whole wheat flour.

DD measures the sugar.

5 minute rest…

Adding flour.

We let the mixer do the kneading.

It’s hard to tell, but there *is* a plastic cutting mat on the counter for this step. DD cut the dough ball in half, then half again, then into thirds.

She rolled the dough balls into sticks…

…and sprayed the tops with butter flavored cooking spray, then sprinkled basil and powdered garlic on nine of the rolls. She left the others plain.

Resting for ten minutes, then ready to bake at 425* for 8 to 12 minutes.

Wish you could smell these…we baked them for 10 minutes, but they could have used a minute or two more.

Supper was delicious! Spaghetti with home made sauce, stir-fried zucchini with garlic, corn on the cob, and fresh bread.

Try this bread! It can be made into hamburger buns, bread sticks, rolls, whatever. Easy and very tasty. The recipe was simple enough for DD to make and she really enjoyed getting such a quick return on her bread making efforts.

~~Rhonda

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in Recipes | Tagged bread, cooking, recipe | Comments (0)

menu plan monday ~ september 8, 2008

September 8, 2008 – 8:53 am

Back to a schedule today. Seems the weekend always throws me off… Here’s our menu for this week.

Monday
spaghetti / meatballs
focaccia
spinach salad
peas
corn on the cob

Tuesday
crock pot turkey tetrazzini
40 minute rolls
peas
corn on the cob
pear-walnut salad

Wednesday
baked Parmesan tilapia
steamed red potato
stir-fried peapods with cherry tomatoes

Thursday
chicken and noodles
green beans
corn
green salad

Friday
BBQ pork steaks in the oven
lima beans
corn
carrots / celery sticks
tomatoes / cucumber slices

Saturday
leftovers

Sunday
tortellini with mushrooms and ham
40 min. rolls made as bread sticks
green salad

There are more menu ideas at Laura’s site.

Stop by and see how our caterpillars are doing. They are fascinating to watch!

~~Rhonda 🙂

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in menu | Tagged menu | Comments (0)

butterfly babies

September 7, 2008 – 10:05 pm

It seems every time we pick more parsley for the caterpillars, we also bring in a caterpillar or two. Or three. We’re up to 15 or 16. So some of the cats in the fish tank are very small and some are getting very large! I think we have every instar represented in the tank.

This afternoon, I watched two caterpillars molt their skin, which I had never been able to catch them doing before.

After they molt, they rest for a while, then turn around and eat the old skin.

Have you ever watched a caterpillar have lunch? They are eating machines! BTW, this video is in real time, no speeding up.

~~Rhonda 🙂

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in Bethel, candy, our garden | Tagged caterpillar | Comments (2)

crock pot BBQ chicken and cornbread

September 6, 2008 – 10:13 pm

I found this BBQ chicken and cornbread casserole recipe. Thought it sounded interesting, and decided to do something similar.

I sprayed the crock pot with cooking spray and put raw boneless skinless chicken breasts and thighs in the bottom. The recipe called for cooking the chicken prior to putting it in the crock pot, but I didn’t think that had to be done.

I drained a can of corn (reserving the liquid) and poured the corn over the chicken. Then I doused the chicken with some BBQ sauce…not as much as the recipe called for though.

Here’s the crock pot prior to adding the BBQ sauce.

I made two boxes of Jiffy corn muffin mix, omitting the butter and using the corn liquid for part of the milk, and poured that over the chicken.

I cooked it on high for two hours and on low for four hours. The finished product…

Review…I liked it. The chicken was delicious, though I would leave the corn out if I made it again. The cornbread was dense. Not sure if that’s a result of the mix I used or the corn liquid I substituted for part of the milk. I’m not being critical, though. I liked it. It’s just that the cornbread I make from scratch is much lighter in texture. I should post that recipe for you some time…it’s good!

DH said “I don’t think the cornbread went real well with this.” Or something to that effect. He meant he’d rather not have it again. DD wouldn’t eat the chicken and wanted the bottom of the cornbread cut off. She didn’t like the BBQ sauce on it. Which I tend to agree with. I kept thinking, “this should be pork and beans.” Not sure where that thought came from. But it made me think about making a similar dish but using sliced kielbasa sausage instead of chicken, with pork and beans poured on top, and then topped with cornbread. Wonder what that would taste like??

~~Rhonda

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in Recipes | Tagged recipe review | Comments (0)

Christmas Notebook

poppy seed muffins

crock pot turkey tetrazzini

gift wrap center

looks more like fall all the time

106 days till Christmas :-D

pirate cat

40 minute rolls

menu plan monday ~ september 8, 2008

butterfly babies

crock pot BBQ chicken and cornbread

Archives

Categories

Links

Meta