Holiday Cooking & Crafting

Great Chocolate Chip Bars Recipe

2010-11-21T04:56:00.000-08:00

My family has been making these delicious chocolate chip bars since 1949. They are extremely good with chewy, gooey centers.

We like making them all year, but we really look forward to them during the holidays. They make great treats for kids at Halloween, and are a special treat during Thanksgiving and Christmas. We also like to give them as homemade gifts during the Christmas holidays.

Chocolate Chip Bars

Batter ingredients:

1/2 cup butter or margarine, room temperature
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup white sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon water
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking power
1 16 ounce package chocolate chips

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, cream butter, shortening, brown sugar, and white sugar together. Add egg yolks, vanilla and water. Mix until well blended.

In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Add to wet ingredients and stir until well combined. Pour into greased 9x9 inch baking dish. Spread entire package of chocolate chips over layer.

Icing ingredients:

2 egg whites, beaten until stiff
1 cup brown sugar, packed

Preparation:

Beat stiff egg whites and brown sugar until fluffy. Spread over chocolate chip layer.

Place in preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees F until top is golden brown.

Tip: For a double dose of chocolate, add 1/2 cup powdered cocoa to flour, salt and baking powder when sifting. Add to wet ingredients and follow the rest of the recipe as written.

Visit Cuisinart Stand Mixer and check out the new Cuisinart Stand Mixer. It's perfect for mixing dough.

Cranberry Christmas Canes

2010-11-21T04:44:00.000-08:00

This recipe makes a lovely baked treat to use during the Christmas holidays. They taste great too.

Cranberry Christmas Canes

For Dough:

1 cup milk
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon peel, grated
1 cup butter or margarine
1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
2 eggs, beaten

Scald milk and let cool to lukewarm.

In a large mixing bowl mix flour, sugar, salt and lemon peel. Cut in butter until like coarse meal.

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water. Add to cooled milk. Mix in beaten eggs.

Add liquid mixture to dry ingredients and mix well.

Cover dough tightly and chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Prepare filling when you are ready to bake.

For Filling:

1 1/2 cups cranberries, finely chopped
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup raisins, finely chopped
1/3 cup walnuts, finely chopped
1/3 cup honey
1 1/2 teaspoons orange peel, grated

Add all ingredients to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Preparation:

Grease a cookie sheet. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Divide chilled dough in half. Keep one half chilling while rolling the other half. Roll into an oblong about 18 inches long and 15 inches wide. Mark dough into thirds lightly down its length. Each third will be 5 inches wide.

Spread 1/4 of filling down both outside lines of center third. Starting at one end, fold one side over top of other side and seal edges. You now have a 6 inch by 15 inch strip of dough. Cut dough into 1/2 strips. Strips will be 6 inches long with filling in the center section.

Twist and lay on greased cookie sheet, shaping to form a cane.

Repeat with other half of dough and filling.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until lightly browned at 375 degrees F.

Scottish Baps Recipe

2010-11-21T04:40:00.000-08:00

When perfectly done, these baps are a little chewy. Let them rise all night for the perfect morning roll.

Scottish Baps or Rolls

Ingredients:

1 envelope active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided

Preparation:

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve 1 envelope of yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in 1/2 cup warm water. Set aside.

Scald 1/2 cup milk. Add 2 teaspoons sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and 4 tablespoons butter. Stir until dissolved and let cool to lukewarm.

Add milk mixture to the dissolved yeast in large mixing bowl and stir well.

Add 1 1/2 cups flour to liquid mixture in the large mixing bowl and beat well. Add the remaining 2 cups of flour, a little at a time, and mix to attain a soft dough.

Grease a large bowl for rising. Form dough into a ball, place it in the bowl and turn over, so that the top is greased as well. Cover with a cloth and set in a warm place to rise until double in bulk, about 1 hour.

Punch down dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 2 minutes.

Separate dough into 12 pieces. Form dough into ovals about 2 inches wide and 3 inches long. Place on greased baking sheet. Brush tops with milk. Cover lightly with cloth and set in a warm place to rise until double in bulk.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place rolls in preheated oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven when lightly browned.

Visit Kitchen Aid Mixers to find a great deal on KitchenAid Mixers for the special cook on your gift list.

Round Kitting Looms

2010-11-21T04:34:00.000-08:00

If you would love to create your own homemade items from yarn, but never learned how to knit or crochet, you should check out round knitting looms. They will enable you to knit delightful items simply by wrapping yarn around the loom. Lifting a stitch over the wrapped yarn, using a small pick-up tool, is all it takes to get started and complete your first project.

Loom knitting can be dated back as far as the Middle Ages. Although it eventually fell out of popularity, it has once again become a popular past-time. Today, modern round knitting looms are widely available at many craft stores. They come in different colors for different sizes of finished projects.

You can even make your own knitting loom. Take a piece of board about 12" wide and cut it into a round shape. Cut a large circle out of the center of the board. Drive nails evenly spaced, about a 1/2" apart, around the top of the outside edge of the board. This makes the knitting surface. You can use something as simple as a crochet hook or large sewing needle as the pick-up tool. Before I decided to invest in the more costly manufactured looms, I made my own round loom and practiced with it.

The simplest items knitted on a round loom are hats and socks. They may be simple to make, but it doesn't take away from their usefulness. You can be quite creative and achieve any look you want simply by using different colors of yarn. Just tie a new color to the yarn you are already working with any time you like. This will create a totally unique look.

Although I recommend you start learning how to loom knit by making a hat, there are many other items that can be made using a round loom. You can make scarves, pillow tops, dish cloths and even afghans. The list doesn't stop there, either. Try searching for "round knitting looms" on the internet and you will find many different patterns available, along with detailed instructions on how to make them.

If you buy a round knitting loom kit, it will come with instructions on how to make a basic hat. After you make your first one, you will be hooked. Once you tire of hats, be sure to do a search so you can add to your list of things to make.

German Rye Bread and Dip

2010-11-21T04:31:00.000-08:00

This German rye bread recipe makes 2 loaves of hearty, dense rye bread. The bread is very good by itself, or serve it with the German bread dip recipe for a special presentation. If you are planning to serve the bread with the dip, prepare the dip recipe first and let it chill while making the bread recipe.

German Dip

1/2 cup salad dressing or mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon dried onion flakes
1 teaspoon parsley, chopped fine
1 teaspoon dill seed
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

Mix well until all herbs are mixed throughout. Place in refrigerator at least 4 hours before serving.

Rye Bread

Ingredients:

2 packages active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 1/3 cups warm milk
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 cup sorghum molasses
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
3 1/3 cups rye flour
2 1/2 cups white bread flour
2 tablespoons caraway seeds

Preparation:

1. Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water in a small bowl.

2. In a large mixing bowl combine milk, sugar, and salt. Beat in molasses, butter, dissolved yeast mixture, caraway seeds and 1 cup of the rye flour.

3. Adding a small amount at a time, mix in the remaining rye flour. Add the white flour, a small amount at a time, and mix until the dough is stiff enough to knead.

4. On a floured board, knead for a few minutes, adding as much white flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking to your hands. Knead until dough forms a soft, smooth ball.

5. Grease a large mixing bowl. Place dough in bowl and turn to grease top of dough.

6. Cover dough with a towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 or 2hours, or until double in size.

7. Punch down dough and divide in half. Form each half of dough into the shape of a round loaf. Place loaves on a greased baking sheet. Cover loaves and let rise in a warm place 1 or 2 hours, or until double in size.

8. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F before placing loaves in oven. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until bread sounds hollow when tapped and top has browned.

Serve warm with butter, or break a loaf of German Rye Bread into pieces and serve with chilled German Bread Dip.

Visit a German Collectibles Haus to see the newest Steinbach Smokers for the holiday season.

Easy Slow Cooker Bread Pudding

2010-11-21T04:26:00.000-08:00

If you have been looking for an easy dessert to prepare and serve for a special meal, you have found it. Making bread pudding in a slow cooker couldn't be easier. It also turns out just as delicious as the traditional way of preparing it. You can use any type of dried fruit in this recipe. Mixed fruits, raisins, dried apricots, and dates all work well.

Slow Cooker Bread Pudding Makes 6 to 8 servings

1 16 ounce loaf of day old white bread
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup dried fruit, chopped small
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 large apple, peeled, cored and chopped
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Tear the bread slices into pieces about 1 to 2 inches in size. Place bread into the slow cooker. Pour milk over the pieces of bread, covering as much surface of the bread as you can. Let the bread soak for 20 to 30 minutes. (I like to let the bread soak while I am chopping the dried fruit.)

Stir the dried fruit, chopped apple and nuts into the bread mixture in the slow cooker.

In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, melted butter, egg and spices. Mix very well. Pour over bread mixture and mix until spice mixture is blended throughout the bread.

Cover and cook on LOW setting for 3 to 4 hours. A knife blade inserted in the center will come out clean when bread pudding is done. If you aren't ready to serve the pudding immediately, it holds its texture well when turned to WARM setting for up to an hour.

Hint: You can also substitute a fresh pear in place of the apple for a subtle difference in taste.

For the best deals on Steinbach Nutcrackers visit A German Collectibles Haus.

How to Roast Stuffed Poultry

2010-11-21T04:21:00.000-08:00

If you purchased a frozen bird, allow it to thaw completely in the refrigerator before attempting to cook. Check the wrapper the bird came in for weight and approximate cooking time for stuffed birds. Write down the amount of cooking time, as required by weight, for your bird. Remove the bird from the plastic wrapper. Remove any poultry parts from the inside of the bird and rinse them. Set aside for later use. Rinse the bird thoroughly inside and out. Allow to drain. Pat the inside of the turkey with dry paper towels to remove excess moisture.

Sprinkle the inside of the bird with salt. Stuff just before planning to begin roasting. If stuffing is made in advance, be sure to store it separately in the refrigerator. Fill the body and neck cavities lightly with seasoned stuffing. Stuff lightly, making sure not to press stuffing into the bird too tightly. Allow about 1/2 cup of stuffing for each pound of poultry. Any extra stuffing may be baked in a separate pan during the last hour of cooking.

Fold neck skin over to the back of the bird and fasten with a skewer. This will help keep the stuffing moist while baking. Turn the wingtips to the back of the heavy wing bone, to rest against the neck skin. Close the body cavity by tucking the ends of the legs under the band of skin at the tail, or by fastening legs together close to the body with a string.

If you are roasting a whole turkey, insert a meat thermometer into center of inner thigh muscle, making sure the thermometer does not touch the bone. If you don't own a meat thermometer don't worry, it isn't required for satisfactory cooking of a turkey.

Place the bird breast side up in a shallow pan, or start a heavy bird, one that weighs 18 pounds or more, breast side down until half done. Then turn over and allow to finish cooking. This allows for more even cooking. Always cook a goose breast side up. To prevent over browning, cover the bird loosely with aluminum foil, or use a turkey bag purchased from a store. Do not cover pan and do not add any water or broth.

Salt the gibblets and neck that were removed from the bird and seal in aluminum foil. Roast along with the bird. If you prefer, you can simmer them in salted water until tender.

Baste a chicken or turkey several times with drippings while cooking. Ducks and geese are fat enough that they do not require any basting.

Near the halfway or two-thirds point of cooking, cut the string to release the legs of the bird. Also remove the aluminum foil, or tear open the cooking bag to allow the turkey to brown.

Cook until meat thermometer in thigh reaches 180 to 185 degrees F. If you are not using a meat thermometer, test for doneness by pressing the fleshy part of the drumstick with protected fingers. If the meat feels soft, the poultry is done. You can also test for doneness by moving the drumstick. If the drumstick moves up and down easily, and the leg joint breaks or gives easily, the bird is done.

Plan the roasting time for a large bird so it will be done about 30 minutes before serving. Allowing poultry to stand for a short time makes it much easier to carve.

You can apply the same principals to roasting stuffed chicken, turkey, duck or goose.

To view hundreds of Steinbach Nutcracker figurines for the holiday season, visit A German Collectibles Haus.

Pumpkin Bread Recipe

2010-11-21T04:07:00.000-08:00

This is an extremely good pumpkin bread recipe. It makes 2 large loaves. If you are fond of spices, you can double them without a problem. You can also substitute applesauce for half or all of the oil. If you substitute applesauce for all of the oil, the loaf will be slightly spongy when slicing, but it will taste just as good. Wrap the loaves in plastic wrap or place in an empty bread wrapper to store them. They taste even better the following day after baking.

Pumpkin Bread Recipe
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups white sugar
3 eggs
2 1/2 cups cooked and mashed pumpkin (can use puree)
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup raisins (optional)

1. Prepare two 9x5 bread pans by greasing and lightly flouring them. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Stir well until all spices are blended throughout. Add raisins and stir to blend.
3. Add the pumpkin, eggs and oil to the dry ingredients. Beat well until all dry ingredients are moistened.
4. Pour the batter and distribute equally into prepared bread pans.
3. Bake approximately 50-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Do not over bake or loaves will be dry.
4. Remove from oven and turn out loaves from pans to cool on wire rack or dish towel.

Visit A German Collectibles Haus to find Steinbach Nutcrackers for the holiday season.

Christmas Cookies - Pfeffernusse German Cookie Recipe

2010-11-21T04:00:00.000-08:00

Pfeffernusse German Cookies Recipe

This is a traditional recipe for Pfeffernusse cookies which are often made in Germany during the Christmas holiday season. They are spicy, crisp, peppery cookies which are wonderful for dunking in milk or coffee. Their taste even improves with age when kept in a sealed air-tight container at room temperature. Baked cookies can also be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter or margarine
3/4 cup dark molasses
1/4 cup honey
2 large eggs
4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground white or black pepper
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground anise seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 to 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar for dusting

Directions:

Grease cookie sheets and set aside.
Melt butter or margarine over medium-low heat in a saucepan. Stir in the molasses and honey and continue to heat and stir until mixture is creamy and well blended. Remove the saucepan from heat. Allow to cool to room temperature. Stir eggs into the cooled mixture.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, white sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom, pepper, ginger, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, anise seeds and salt until well blended. Stir in the molasses mixture and mix well until thoroughly combined. Refrigerate dough for 1 to 2 hours.

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Roll dough into small balls about 3/4 inch in diameter. Place dough balls 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheets.

Bake in preheated oven 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Use a spatula to move cookies to a cooling rack.

Place powdered sugar in a plastic bag. Adding a small amount of cookies at a time, shake gently to coat completely with powdered sugar.

Recipe yields about 5 1/2 dozen cookies.

K. Hupp enjoys cooking, gardening and unique collectibles. Visit A German Collectibles Haus to see the newest Steinbach Nutcrackers for the holiday season.

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Make-Ahead Food Ideas For Memorial Day and 4th of July BBQ Picnics

2010-05-13T07:25:00.000-07:00

Like many folks on Memorial Day and Fourth of July weekends, you might be making plans to go camping, or planning a BBQ, or even going somewhere for a picnic.
Whatever the event, if you are the one in charge of the meal planning and cooking, if time allows, please try some of my make-ahead food ideas before, so that you can have more time to relax and to enjoy yourself and your family on the actual day of the event!
Just because you are the one in charge of the planning and cooking, it doesn't mean you have to be busy doing EVERYTHING food-related that day. Consider these make-ahead food ideas:
Make-Ahead Marinated Chicken and Steak
Adding steak and chicken to the hamburger and hotdog menu is easy.
The prep. time for any of my marinated steak, teriyaki chicken and Thai Chicken recipes is 15 minutes at the most. For days or weeks before, combine the marinade and meat in a freezer bag and freeze according to the recipe's directions. Remove from the freezer the day before the event and place in the refrigerator to thaw. Or prepare a day ahead, marinate and refrigerate for 24 hours. When your grill is pre-heated, you will be ready.
Make-Ahead Stuffed Beef Tenderloin
For a special, out-of the-ordinary indulgence, how does a beef tenderloin stuffed with spinach, Swiss cheese, garlic and mushrooms and slow cooked on the rotisserie grill sound? Although beef tenderloin is very expensive per pound (check out your local wholesale club for the best price) it is definitely worth a once-a-year Memorial Day event! Estimate ½ lb. per person, and a five pound tenderloin will easily feed about 10 people. My stuffed beef tenderloin recipe includes make-ahead instructions for the stuffing, allowing you to make the stuffing a day ahead.
The day you are ready for the grill, rinse the beef under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Cut a lengthwise pocket into the side of the beef and fill with the stuffing. Tie the beef tightly with 5 or 6 separate strings to keep the pocket closed. Cut off the excess strings if they're hanging. Rub the outside of the beef with the minced garlic and season with salt and pepper. Insert a cooking thermometer in the center in the thickest part of the beef (not the stuffing.) Grill on a rotisserie (or bake in the oven at 375°F) until the thermometer registers rare in the center. Do not overcook. The ends will be more done. Let the beef rest for 15 minutes before you cut it. Remove the strings. Cut into ½ inch slices. Your guests will think you labored over extravagant cooking recipes, while you too are sitting and enjoying this delicacy.
Make-Ahead Cole Slaw and Pasta Salads
My cookbook contains some easy make-ahead cole slaw and broccoli slaw recipes. Whether its broccoli salad, Hawaiian cole slaw, or healthy broccoli slaw, it is simple to make these a day ahead. Make the dressing a day ahead and refrigerate. Assemble the other ingredients and refrigerate. To avoid a soggy cole slaw, add the dressing and toss your cole slaw right before your BBQ.
My Italian sub and macaroni pasta salad recipes can be made a day ahead and refrigerated, and these will taste delicious the day of the event.
Make-Ahead Desserts
Dessert breads are a great finger-food for a picnic or an after BBQ treat. Many of my easy dessert bread recipes like banana bread, cinnamon bread, blueberry bread or strawberry bread, allow for making ahead and freezing.
After baking two loaves of bread (many of my bread recipes will yield two loaves) wait until they are completely cooled. Next, wrap them in plastic wrap before placing them in a vacuum bag to freeze. Take them out of the vacuum sealed bags to thaw, this way the breads are already wrapped and ready for you to serve in about 4 hours.
Kids always go for the cookies, even big (adult-sized) kids! Homemade cookies are simple, make-ahead desserts that are a great finish to any picnic or BBQ. Making Ahead is easy when you flash freeze your cookie dough. Use the flash freezing method for my cookie recipes and you will have fantastic results. These cookie recipes include: big ginger cookies, brownie cookies, macadamia nut cookies, oatmeal cookies, peanut butter chocolate chip crackles, peanut butter kiss cookies, snickerdoodles, and everyone's favorite, chocolate chip cookies. You can find these cookie recipes, as well as, all of the above mentioned recipes and my make ahead directions in my Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms Cookbook.
The more prep. work you do in advance, the more fun you will have at your BBQ. You want to be in the fresh air and sunshine NOT in your kitchen!
Jane Doiron is a busy working mom of two boys. She is an Elementary School teacher with a passion for cooking and experimenting with recipes. With her busy schedule, Jane has found that make ahead meals (meals prepared in advance) are time-savers, money-savers and are the best alternatives to eating "take-out", which is not usually a healthy meal choice. Jane's cookbook is the result of her years of seeking out new recipes, experimenting with family-favorite recipes, and turning them into make ahead meals. Make ahead meals can be frozen ahead, assembled ahead, or cooked ahead and reheated. The recipes in her cookbook are a combination of all three and were specially formulated without compromising the food's taste and texture. Along with make ahead meals, in her book, Jane also shares her favorite dessert, appetizer and side-dish recipes, as well as helpful tips, like, make ahead tips for the holidays, freezing, must-have items for freezing, and many more useful cooking tips for making recipes ahead.
Stay tuned! Jane's book, Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms will be published in the summer of 2009. You will be able to purchase your own copy of Jane's book by visiting Amazon and http://www.makeaheadmealsforbusymoms.com. Sign up now for a sneak peak of four make ahead recipes appearing in Jane Doiron's cookbook, by visiting http://www.makeaheadmealsforbusymoms.com
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Make a "Let Freedom Ring" Shaker

2010-05-13T07:11:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day is picnics and parades for children.
I know, I know---it's a day to remember American heroes but ask one child under the age of 10 and they'll tell you it's fun filled parades and picnics! That's okay. It can still be a day to remember our heroes yet we can all enjoy the parades and picnics, too. Thing is---so many gave so much so we could have fun at parades and picnics. Children seem to have fun no matter what---maybe we should follow their lead on this!
What better way to have fun than to make a Let Freedom Ring Shaker. It's fun and easy to make (even an adult can do it!). After it's made you can let freedom ring!
You'll need:
* Toilet Tissue tube ( you could use a paper towel tube---just make adjustments)
* Small bells
* Crepe paper (red,white or blue,please)
* Clear acetate ( I used school report folders)* Two 1 1/2" wide cardboard circles
* Star stickers
* Colored tape
Fill the tube with a handful of bells ( 10-12). Then seal by taping the cardboard circles on each end securely. Cut a 6 x 20" rectangle of crepe paper and one from the clear acetate. Wrap the crepe paper rectangle around the tube,being sure the excess is even on both ends. Tape. Then, repeat with clear acetate. Fringe each edge by cutting 8" long cuts. Attach star stickers to each fringe edge. Then decorate with more stickers (or however you like) on the tube.
Here's an idea---you could make a basketful for all the kids at the family reunion or picnic.
Have fun crafting! See you next time.
I have been active in the arts and crafts world. I have been doing this for over 30 years. I have taught classes for several youth groups and also adults. I have also owned and operated a craft, Robin's Nest, business from my home for over 30 years. I design and make crafts of all mediums for custom orders. I especially enjoy working with children
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It's Time to Craft an Uncle Sam Can

2010-05-13T07:09:00.000-07:00

It's nearly Memorial Day!
Wow, I can't believe this year is zipping by so fast.
I'm very grateful to all those wonderful men and women who gave so much for our freedom. And I love to show off my patriotic spirit. So, of course, I craft in red, white and blue this time of year.
Recently, I finished my Uncle Sam Can. I was really pleased at the outcome.
It's quite adorable (useful,too----I use mine to hold straws and cutlery at the picnic).
I'm sure you'll craft one ( or maybe more?) when you see how simple it is.
You'll need:
* 2 cans (like the ones in your kitchen cupboard---just be sure the are the same size)
* 2 sponges
* Spray paints--metal primer, white acrylic
* Button ( I used 1" but you can use larger or smaller, if you like)
* jute twine
* muslin
* small American flag
* Brush on acrylic paints--dark red, flesh, dark blue, off-white, white and black
* #4 flat brush
* glue--heavy duty like E6000
* black fine point permanent marker
Remove bottom from one can.
Peel off the label from both cans (Tip: lighter fluid and steel wool will remove any leftover glue residue) and wash and dry thoroughly, being careful as the rims may be sharp (Tip: if there are sharp edges they may smoothed by sanding with coarse sand paper).
Spray lightly with metal primer. Let dry.
Spray a light coat of white inside and out. Paint will run if applied too thick.
Repeat with white twice more, allowing to dry between each coat.
With sponges, dab lightly dark red acrylic paint on top can (bottomless) and off white onto bottom can. Let dry.
Sponge a 3" semi-circle in flesh colored acrylic paint on the top of red can for a face. Let dry.
Paint stripes on the white can approximately 1/2" apart with #4 flat brush and dark blue ( don't get upset if your stripes aren't perfectly straight, it's supposed to be rustic and, besides I won't tell). Let dry.
Paint eyes on the part you painted for the face with black (Tip: the eraser end of a #2 pencil dipped in black paint works good).
With sponge, paint on cheeks with dark red. Let dry.
Paint white stars around bottom of the red can. Let dry.
Add stitch marks to stars with marker. Draw eyebrows at an angle above eyes.
Then glue bottom of red can onto top of white and blue can with E6000.
Tear 3/8" wide muslin strips and glue around bottom of face for a beard. Knot 2-3 muslin strips together in the center and glue knot to top center of beard for a moustache.
Tie jute twine around cans where they were glued together. Glue button to center. Glue small
American flag to side of can.
I'm sure you can imagine lots of uses for this and I'll bet you can add your own touches by now, too.
Look for more "can" ideas.
Have fun.
See you next time.
I have been active in the arts and crafts world. I have been doing this for over 30 years.
I have taught classes for several youth groups and also adults.
I have also owned and operated a craft, Robin's Nest, business from my home for over 30 years. I design and make crafts of all mediums for custom orders.
I especially enjoy working with children.
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Instilling the Value of Memorial Day in Your Kid's Minds with Holiday Crafts

2010-05-13T07:03:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day is a special occasion in which we can all take the time out to honor those who have provided their lives in the service of protecting our country. In order to best define the idea of Memorial Day for children, a themed holiday craft may be in order.
On Memorial Day, we commemorate not only those who have died serving the United States and providing security to the country but also those living who have served in the past or are currently enlisted in the military. One way to drive home the value of such service is to perhaps have children craft a piece of art or poetry to send to one of the soldiers currently serving a tour of duty in Iraq or Afghanistan, informing the serviceman that he or she is not serving in vain but is appreciated here on home soil where we aren't suffering terrorist attacks due to their diligence.
Another idea for a Memorial Day theme craft is to have your son or daughter and his or her friends, perhaps even an entire class at school or the local daycare center, put together a banner or sign that says "Happy Memorial Day" to post outside the school, having each child place their handprints on the sign with finger paint of all different colors and sign their names below the handprints, an especially good task for younger children who are not yet able to write out long sentences and paragraphs. Such special crafts will remind the children of the importance of Memorial Day and make the servicemen feel appreciated.
Mrs. Party... Gail Leino takes a common sense approach to planning and organizing events, celebrations and holiday parties with unique ideas for Memorial Day party supplies and fun Memorial Day party games She explains proper etiquette and living a healthy life while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts. The Party Supplies Hut has lots of party ideas with hundreds of free holiday printable games and free birthday party activities. Over 100 adorable Themes including Memorial Day Party Supplies to fit your birthday celebration, holiday event, or "just because" parties. Party themes include cartoon characters, sports, movie, TV shows, luau, western, holidays, and unique crazy fun theme ideas.
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Cheesecake - Holiday Cheesecake Recipes

2010-05-13T06:58:00.000-07:00

In the Jewish religion there is a holiday called Shavuot. One of the customs or traditions associated with this holiday is eating dairy foods such as cheesecake. I'd like to share a few very simple cheesecake recipes with you.
This first recipe is a basic cheesecake:
16 ounces of cream cheese, softened

8 ounces of sour cream

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

8 ounces of Cool Whip

1 graham cracker crust (ready made)
Mix together the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar and vanilla. After it's mixed well, add in the Cool Whip. Pour into pie crusts and chill. If you like fruit on top, you can add cherry pie filling for a wonderful flavor.
We happen to love pumpkin in my house. We always look forward to winter as we know pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread will soon be in our kitchen. This is a simple pumpkin cheesecake recipe using canned pumpkin:
1 graham cracker crust (ready made)

1 egg yolk (to brush the pie crust)

16 ounces of cream cheese, softened

2 eggs

3 /4 cup sugar

1 can of pumpkin

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger
Brush the pie crust with the egg yolk. Bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes. Mix together the cream cheese, sugar and eggs. Your filling should be smooth and without lumps. We use an electric mixer to do this. Add in the pumpkin, cinnamon and ginger. Mix well. Pour pumpkin mixture into the pie crust and bake about 45 minutes. Middle should be set. Allow to cool and then refrigerate for several hours. Cut and serve.
We also love lemon. This is one of the simplest lemon cheesecake recipes I've ever seen:
1 graham cracker crust (ready made)

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 package instant lemon pudding

2 cups milk
Mix the cream cheese with 1/2 cup of the milk. Your mixture should be creamy. Add in the remaining milk and the pudding. Mix about one minute with an electric mixer. Pour into crust and refrigerate several hours.
And finally, what would Shavuot be without chocolate cheesecake?
1 graham cracker crust (ready made)

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 package instant chocolate pudding

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Chocolate chips
In a blender, mix together the cream cheese, pudding, milk and vanilla. Pour filling into pie crust. Generously sprinkle chocolate chips on top of the pie. Chill several hours and serve.
Shavuot truly is known as the "cheesecake holiday." I hope you enjoy these easy to make recipes.
Audreys mom always entertained when she was growing up. Audrey learned to prepare for large groups and has often entertained 15-30 people in her home at a time. You can find more great recipes at http://www.recipe-barn.com.
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2 Delicious Holiday Fudge Recipes For Gift-Giving

2010-05-13T06:49:00.000-07:00

When it comes to giving out holiday gifts, I love to make homemade gifts for my friends and family. I enjoy spending an afternoon in my kitchen making some delicious fudge, cookies, bars and scones.

You can present your homemade goodies in food-safe gift bags, food-safe cellophane bags or you can purchase some food-safe storage tins or containers. Once you have your treats properly packaged, just attach a gift tag and a bow.

The following 2 recipes are easy to make and they are a big hit when I give them as gifts.

White Chocolate Fudge with Cranberries

2 packages (6 squares each) White Chocolate

3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk

1 cup almonds, chopped

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 tablespoon grated orange peel

Line a 8" square pan with aluminum foil, with the ends of the foil extending over the sides of your pan, set aside. Microwave white chocolate and sweetened condensed milk in a microwave-safe container until the chocolate is melted. Add chopped almonds, dried cranberries and the grated orange peel, stir until blended. Spread chocolate mixture into your prepared pan and cover with aluminum foil. Refrigerate the fudge for 2 hours or until firm. Remove from pan using the foil and place on a tray. Once its on the tray, cut into bite-sized serving pieces. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Cream Cheese and Nut Fudge

2 packages (3 oz.) cream cheese, softened

2 teaspoons cold milk

4 cups confectioner's sugar

4 squares (4 oz.) unsweetened chocolate, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

dash of salt

1 1/2 cups peanuts, chopped

In a medium-sized bowl, beat cream cheese and milk until smooth. Gradually beat in confectioner's sugar, then blend in the melted chocolate. Stir in the rest of ingredients. Press into a lightly greased 8" square pan. Chill until firm and then cut into squares.

Shelly Hill has been working from home in Direct Sales since 1989 and is a manager with Tupperware. Shelly enjoys cooking and baking and spends a lot of time around the holidays baking goodies for her friends and family. You can visit Shelly online at http://www.workathomebusinessoptions.com or Shelly's cooking and recipe blog at http://wahmshelly.blogspot.com for free recipes.

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How to Give Wine at Easter Time This Year

2010-02-26T14:08:00.000-08:00

How to Give Wine at Easter Time This Year

By Bud Anderson

When Easter time comes each year, giving a gift seems harder and harder to do. Sometimes gifts are not even exchanged or if they are exchanged, it is the same ones over and over again. Today there are lots of gifts to choose from like never before. The classic themes of Easter are always a safe choice. This year you can become as creative as you want.

Giving a basket of goodies with a bottle of wine for Easter is one good idea. The reason for choosing wine is because it offers something for the adults besides chocolate bunnies and marshmallow Peeps. Most gift giving does not involve adults this time of year but sometimes you just feel the need to give something. Here is an idea: a basket full of traditional Easter candies for the kids along with a nice bottle of wine for the host and hostess of your family's Easter dinner. It is a simple gesture and it will go a long way.

The Easter basket can include more than candy of course. You can include lots of other things like an appetizer for before dinner or a desert for after the big Easter meal. Everyone likes chocolate. You can include some nice chocolates like Godiva or covered pretzels or even mocha coffee.
You will want to give some thought to the type of wine you include with the basket. If you know the individual tastes and preferences of the couple you are giving the gift to, then you are all set. Otherwise, you might want to give one or two bottles of a recommended wine from your favorite wine shop. Usually they have a lot of recommendations in every price range. On the other hand, if you know what specific foods will be served you can get a great bottle of wine to match the dinner. Ham is a familiar tradition at Easter time, so you can find a wine specifically for that, for example.

Don't forget to give the gifts to the children! There are plenty of Easter gifts that you can get for them all related to classic themes of the season like chocolate eggs and bunnies, a bunny stuffed animal and those Jelly Belly beans everyone loves. Easter has great traditions and you won't go wrong.
A nice basket will impress your friends and relatives this year when you fill it with gifts. The host and hostess can even have their own basket with a bottle of wine or two and a few higher end items you know they will enjoy. Wine as a gift works perfectly in this situation and it can also be sent out to your relatives wherever they are this time of year. Remember the kids as well though, because there is so much to choose for them at Easter.

The Valley Wine Shop is a resource for learning about wine and giving it as a gift for any occasion. There are a lot of unique Easter gifts to choose. One popular option is wine gift baskets which are perfect because they can be personalized for a host and hostess at the Easter dinner.

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Hide a Little Nutrition in Easter Baskets For Kids and Grandmas Too

2010-02-26T14:04:00.000-08:00

Hide a Little Nutrition in Easter Baskets For Kids and Grandmas Too

By Maya Perretti

Hiding Easter eggs has been a tradition for as long as kids have been receiving Easter baskets from the Big Bunny. This year ask the Easter Rabbit to hide a little nutrition inside the goodies. Parents are always worried about the amount of chocolate that is found in Easter baskets for kids. The special day arrives and immediately the children dig into the chocolate bunnies. By lunch time the kids are on a sugar high and driving everyone crazy. By the time dinner is being served the children have filled their tummies with chocolate goodies and do not even want to sit down for a real meal.
This year parents can do something to add a little nutrition to the Easter baskets for their kids with chocolate cover fruit. We are not talking about coated raisins. We are talking about homemade chocolate covered berries. Easter comes when fresh fruits is starting to arrive in the grocery stores. Some of us live in parts of the country where we can purchase fresh fruit from local farmers or at a local farmers' market. The fresher the better!
Try fresh strawberries first. They seem to be the easiest to work with. Make a mixture of chocolate and butter, not paraffin, and dip the berries for a special delight to put inside the children's Easter basket. Of course, the kids will enjoy the chocolate and the berries if they believe they are a gift from the magic bunny rabbit.
After success with the strawberries try a few other berries that may be in season. This will add a variety of sizes to the selection. Kids will love them and parents will know that there is a hint of nutrition in the Easter basket. A few berries will not replace a good meal, but at the very least the kids will be eating something that is not only a treat but is good for them.
Maya Perretti is a grandmother that enjoys the holidays. Of course now that she has a grandchild of her own she is interested in nutrition for children. The holidays are always difficult times to get the kids to eat properly. This year she is making chocolate covered berries for her granddaughter's Easter basket. It is her hope that she won't eat all the treats before the Easter bunny delivers them.

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Easter Costumes and Other Fun Ways to Celebrate

2010-02-26T14:00:00.000-08:00

Easter Costumes and Other Fun Ways to Celebrate

By Andy West

Easter is coming up in a couple of months, and you may be wondering how you are going to celebrate this year. Maybe you have children who still enjoy celebrating Easter and dressing up in Easter costumes, or maybe you have adult family members who just like to have dinner to be with on the holiday. Either way, if you need some ideas for how to celebrate, just keep reading!
Get Easter portraits! Especially if you have children, Easter portraits are a great way to not only celebrate the holiday, but also to remember the special moments in your life. It is customary in many families for the girls to get a new Easter dress every year, and the boys to dress up in a suit and tie. Why not get a professional family portrait, or at least a portrait of the children, done to give you something to remember the occasion by?
If you are more of the nontraditional type, you might want to consider instead having silly or cute portraits taken. For instance, you can buy infant Easter costumes online; just find a cute one and have the baby's portrait taken in the costume. Portraits of your kids playing with baby chicks or rabbits are also a favorite.
Participate in a community Easter egg hunt. Most communities and churches have Easter egg hunts this time of year. During these events, the kids are given candy and other treats, and hunt for eggs (usually plastic eggs filled with treats and prizes). Check with your local community center, recreation center, or your church to find out whether there are any events like this you could attend.
Sometimes community Easter egg hunts have an additional surprise: a visit from the Easter Bunny! There are plenty of Easter costumes available for rent locally or to purchase online, so often a parent or someone else dresses up as the Easter Bunny to surprise the kids.
Alternatively, if you have older kids who think they are too old for the Easter Bunny, you may be able to engage them in the festivities by enlisting them to help hide Easter eggs for the smaller children to find, or perhaps even dress up as the Easter Bunny themselves!
Dye Easter eggs. This used to be a traditional Easter celebration in most households. Unfortunately, with colored plastic eggs commercially available, which can be stuffed with candy and small prizes, most people forego this fun Easter tradition.
Although you shouldn't hide hardboiled eggs, as they can spoil before they are found and maybe even make someone sick, most kids love to dye their own Easter eggs. The dye can be purchased at the store, or you can find some simple recipes for homemade dye online. After they have been dyed, the eggs should be stored in the refrigerator until they are eaten. Hardboiled, dyed Easter eggs make a great snack, and kids love knowing they dyed the eggs themselves!
Have a picnic. An Easter picnic is a lot of fun for the adults as well as the kids. If the weather is nice enough, you can put together a special picnic lunch, find a nice spot, and eat together. For an extra special lunch, pack some of the Easter eggs you dyed in preparation for the holiday.
Make a special dinner. A nice Easter dinner is a fairly traditional way to celebrate the holiday. It's not as big a deal as Christmas or Thanksgiving, but it's still a time for family and friends to come together and celebrate. For many people, roasted lamb is the traditional fare for Easter dinner, but in the United States ham is a more common and usually a less expensive choice. Pastries and breads are also often associated with Easter: For instance, pretzels were designed to represent a person crossing their arms across their torso to pray, and sweet breads have been served on Easter since pagan times.
There are many fun ways to celebrate Easter. Whether traditional or novel, whether you go so far as to get Easter costumes or just dye some hardboiled eggs, Easter is best celebrated with friends and loved ones.
Andy West is a writer on a number of topics, including event planning. Easter can be a fun time for the entire family, especially when wearing Easter costumes.

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Free Printable Advent Calendar

2009-12-14T15:26:00.000-08:00

Here's a link to a very cute Advent calendar to download in .pdf format and print. You will print it on 2 sheets of paper, 1 for the front of the Advent calendar and one for the back: Free Advent Calendar

The Advent calendar is offered by a United Kingdom based company called Mibo. They also offer a 2010 printable day planner free to print.

I love watching kids open the doors on their Advent calendars. I make one for each of my grandsons at Christmas time. It's a little late in the holiday season to be posting this, but you still put together one of the calendars and the kids will have fun with it. They can open all the doors until they get to the current day, which will be a lot of fun for them.

Holiday Cooking Tips - Easy Stuffing Recipe

2009-11-24T14:39:00.000-08:00

Holiday Cooking Tips - Easy Stuffing Recipe
By Joan Jones

Are you cooking the holiday meal this year? Part of cooking the perfect turkey is finding an easy turkey stuffing recipe to go along with it. This tasty stuffing recipe, with variations included, is delicious and will wow your guests.

For reasons of food safety, cook your stuffing separately from the turkey.

Ingredients for Easy Turkey Stuffing Recipe

Giblets and turkey meat from the neck
1 package seasoned stuffing bread crumbs
3/4 cup onions, chopped
1/2 cup butter or one stick
2 tbs olive oil
2 cups turkey broth from your cooking turkey. Supplement with canned or packaged chicken broth if necessary.
3 eggs
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1 c chopped mushrooms
1 tsp poultry seasoning
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper

Stuffing Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Begin by sauteing giblets in 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil for about 3-4 minutes.

Add the mushrooms, chopped onions and the celery and mushrooms, then saute for 3-4 minutes more.

Turn the heat to low. Take 2 cups of broth from the cooking turkey (or use canned broth) and add it to cooking mixture. Also add onion, celery and mushrooms, seasonings, remaining butter, salt and pepper. Stir all ingredients over low heat for about 10 minutes.

Place the package of seasoned bread crumbs into a large mixing bowl, then pour giblet mixture over the bread crumbs very slowly, tossing them to coat thoroughly. Make sure all the liquid is absorbed.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk 3 eggs together. Add these to the stuffing mix and blend thoroughly. The stuffing will be should be sticky. If it isn't, just add a small amount of broth and continue mixing.

Lightly grease an 8x8 baking pan, then pour stuffing mix into it, covering with foil. Bake the stuffing for about 45 minutes, then remove the foil and continue baking uncovered for about 10 minutes more.

The top of your turkey stuffing should be crispy and golden brown.

This Easy Turkey Stuffing is delicious topped with gravy and makes about 8 servings.

Here are some more hints for great turkey stuffing.

1. Add just enough liquid to make the uncooked stuffing mix moist but not soggy.

2. Cut up all veggies finely and make sure they cook thoroughly during the saute step.

Variations to Easy Turkey Stuffing Recipe

1. Try adding 8 oz of drained and washed oysters to the giblets when sauteing. You've just made oyster dressing!

2. Mince 4 cloves of garlic and add to saute along with the other veggies.

Creating the perfect turkey dressing is easy and this recipe will make the centerpiece of your holiday dinner.

Looking for more great holiday recipes and ideas? Award winning author Joan Jones presents holiday articles, tips, tasty recipes and great ideas for gifts you can make right in your own kitchen.

Plan the perfect meal, make a delicious gift, find holiday weightloss tips. Check out these holiday articles http://www.path2healthyliving.com/HolidayArticles.html
Have a wonderful holiday season!

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Homemade Christmas Gifts Straight From the Garden

2009-11-17T09:10:00.000-08:00

Homemade Christmas Gifts Straight From the Garden
By Ellen Bell

During the long, hot days of summer, the last thing we think about is Christmas shopping. After all, that's a task we usually relegate to the month of December, right? But the truth is, the job of shopping for Christmas gifts is something many people loathe. Parking lots are crowded, malls are jam packed, and finding just the right gift for that special someone can take hours, or even days. What if there was a way to get some of your Christmas gifts ready during the summertime and put them away in storage so they'll be ready to go when the holiday season rolls around? Before you grab your keys and jump in the car to go shopping now, stop and take a look around your own home and garden. There may be some gift possibilities lurking right under your own nose that are homemade, thoughtful, and very inexpensive.

Many of us raise vegetable gardens in the summer, and we wind up with more fresh produce than we can possibly use. Instead of letting it rot on the vine or giving it all away to neighbors, consider canning. Many vegetables like fresh green beans and tomatoes can be canned and then given away as gifts at the holidays. Fresh bell peppers can be made into relishes, and cucumbers can be pickled and canned. Cans of fresh produce also make wonderful hostess's gifts when you are invited to holiday parties. Top off the jar with a colorful square of fabric and tie with a ribbon to make the gift really attractive and special.

If you enjoy cooking, consider using your fresh produce to make other items like homemade spaghetti sauce, fresh salsa, or pickle relish that can be canned. For a really nice touch, put a couple jars of spaghetti sauce into a gift basket and then include some related items such as a pound of pasta and a loaf of fresh Italian bread. Other nice touches might include an Italian cookbook, a bottle of good red wine or gourmet olive oil, and even some fresh Parmesan cheese. The idea of themed gift baskets based on your homemade canned goods can be expanded into other areas, too. For example, if you've made some fresh salsa, include items in your gift basket like tortilla chips, margarita mix, and a bottle of good quality tequila.

Homemade gifts from the garden don't have to be limited to only vegetables. If you grow fruits such as blueberries, cherries, or raspberries, consider making homemade jams or pie fillings that can be canned for holiday gifts. Nice additions to round out a gift basket with these items could include a new pie dish, or some homemade bread for toasting. Fresh fruits can also be made into syrups that can be given as gifts along with some homemade pancake mix. Furthermore, if you grow fresh herbs such as parsley or basil, consider making fresh pesto at the end of the summer and canning it into small jars to give as gifts.

Homemade Christmas gifts that have come from your garden make nice gift items for almost anyone. After all, everyone enjoys good food, especially when it's homegrown. Even better, a gift like this is very thoughtful, and shows the recipient that you put some time and thought into what to give them. So if you've got a garden that's overflowing with fresh produce, take an afternoon and do some canning. You'll save yourself both time and money when December rolls around!

Looking for more ways to save time and money at the holidays? The Christmas Tree Storage Bag Shop offers free shipping on a variety of seasonal storage solutions. Visit us today at http://www.christmastreestoragebag.net/

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3 Simple Christmas Crafts

2009-11-16T17:01:00.000-08:00

3 Simple Christmas Crafts
By Denise Sanger

Cards.

One great thing you can have your children make to give to others is Christmas cards. These special cards can then be given to grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other friends and family members. Depending on the age of your child you can get more and more complicated for loads of fun.

1. Start with some construction paper. 2. Give them crayons and or markers to draw with.3. Add some pretty holiday cutouts or stickers.4. Glitter glue can top it all off with some special fun.5. If your child is too young to write a message, you should add it for them. If they are old enough to write out a message have them practice and write out a special message to complete the card.6. Help them to mail the items for even more fun.

Reindeer Ornaments.

You can help your child make reindeer ornaments from their hands and feet prints. These are excellent to do a few years in a row and to keep to show the growth of the child.

1. Start by helping your child trace their hands and one of their feet onto construction paper. The hand prints will become the antlers-the foot print will be the face. 2. Cut out the shapes and glue them to a piece of paper, creating a reindeer face. 3. Allow them to decorate the reindeer with googly eyes, a pom-pom nose, a mouth, and ears. 4. Make sure you write down the date and age on the back.5. You can add a ribbon and bells if you have them on hand to further personalize your reindeer.

Glitter Window Stickers.

Glitter window stickers are easy to do and can be done in all sorts of shapes. Use inexpensive white glue to make these simple sparklers.

This one will need to be set up. You want to firmly tape a piece of plastic wrap to a piece of cardboard. Make sure it is completely smooth.

1. For younger children use white glue to draw the outline of a star. Allow them to use the glue to fill in the star. 2. Then sprinkle the glue with glitter. 3. Let it dry for 48 hours. Then carefully peel the dried shape from the plastic wrap. The glue shapes will stick to the window and remove easily after the holiday. 4. Older children can make more complicated designs. You can also glue small sections of the sticker, glitter it, and then let it dry to the touch so you can make different colors. This is great for bells and other ornament shapes.

These are just three of the crafts that you and your kids can enjoy at Christmas time. You can make items to decorate your own home, to decorate gifts, or to give away.

Denise Sanger is the owner of NewCoolToysOnline.com which features a fantastic selection of outdoor toys including ride-on toys and battery ride on toys. The company is located in Sunny Florida and may be reached 877-950-7665.

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German Christmas Ornaments

2009-11-16T16:49:00.000-08:00

Decorating a tree with German Christmas ornaments is one of the most pleasant things you can do during the holiday season. The holiday decorations come in all styles and sizes. They are often made from glass, pewter, wax or wood. Many depict traditional characters like Santa and the snowman, while others are crafted in religious themes and characters. There are hand crated German decorations to suit just about any decorating theme.

Mouth blown glass ornaments have been made by Germans since the middle of the 1800's. Their holiday decorations quickly became popular with the German people, and were soon exported to England. Today, the lovely baubles are exported to all areas of the world. They have become a part of our time honored holiday season traditions.

German craftsmen have been making wax ornaments for an even longer period than the glass ones. The first wax decorations were sold at local markets for villagers to use to adorn their trees. Wax decorations are still being made in Germany today. They are also exported and sold world wide. Due to the fact that they melt under high temperatures, it is best to have them shipped during the cooler months of the year.

Perhaps the most famous of all German Christmas ornaments are the hand crafted wooden ones. German craftsmen have been carving figurines from wood for centuries. Other than nuts and cookies, wooden carved decorations were probably the first type of ornament used by the Germans to decorate their Christmas trees. Even now, after the art of carving has been handed down for generations, wooden decorations from Germany are still extremely popular and sold all over the world.

The craft of making pewter baubles and decorations dates back to more than 200 years ago in Germany. Each pewter piece is hand crafted, polished and hand painted. Pewter decorations come in small sizes, special for use as tree adornments, as well as large decorative scenes to use as window hangings during the holiday season.

We can thank Germany for their long history of producing hand crafted Christmas decorations, and also for the art and tradition of trimming Christmas trees. They were also the first people to decorate trees at Christmastime, a delightful tradition that has been adopted by millions of families all over the world. To many of us, it just wouldn't be Christmas without a beautiful tree decorated brightly with glittering ornaments.

K. Hupp enjoys cooking, gardening and unique collectibles. Visit her Steinbach Christmas Ornaments website to see wooden ornaments from Germany and German Christmas Ornaments for information on glass, pewter and wax ornaments.

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2 Delicious Holiday Fudge Recipes For Gift-Giving

2009-11-09T05:45:00.000-08:00

2 Delicious Holiday Fudge Recipes For Gift-Giving
By Shelly Hill

When it comes to giving out holiday gifts, I love to make homemade gifts for my friends and family. I enjoy spending an afternoon in my kitchen making some delicious fudge, cookies, bars and scones.

You can present your homemade goodies in food-safe gift bags, food-safe cellophane bags or you can purchase some food-safe storage tins or containers. Once you have your treats properly packaged, just attach a gift tag and a bow.

The following 2 recipes are easy to make and they are a big hit when I give them as gifts.

White Chocolate Fudge with Cranberries

2 packages (6 squares each) White Chocolate
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 cup almonds, chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 tablespoon grated orange peel

Line a 8" square pan with aluminum foil, with the ends of the foil extending over the sides of your pan, set aside. Microwave white chocolate and sweetened condensed milk in a microwave-safe container until the chocolate is melted. Add chopped almonds, dried cranberries and the grated orange peel, stir until blended. Spread chocolate mixture into your prepared pan and cover with aluminum foil. Refrigerate the fudge for 2 hours or until firm. Remove from pan using the foil and place on a tray. Once its on the tray, cut into bite-sized serving pieces. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Cream Cheese and Nut Fudge

2 packages (3 oz.) cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons cold milk
4 cups confectioner's sugar
4 squares (4 oz.) unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
dash of salt
1 1/2 cups peanuts, chopped

In a medium-sized bowl, beat cream cheese and milk until smooth. Gradually beat in confectioner's sugar, then blend in the melted chocolate. Stir in the rest of ingredients. Press into a lightly greased 8" square pan. Chill until firm and then cut into squares.

Shelly Hill has been working from home in Direct Sales since 1989 and is a manager with Tupperware. Shelly enjoys cooking and baking and spends a lot of time around the holidays baking goodies for her friends and family. You can visit Shelly online at http://www.workathomebusinessoptions.com or Shelly's cooking and recipe blog at http://wahmshelly.blogspot.com for free recipes.

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Homemade Christmas Craft - Braided Calico Christmas Wreath

2009-11-09T05:29:00.000-08:00

Homemade Christmas Craft - Braided Calico Christmas Wreath
By Dagmar Simcik

If you love to celebrate Christmas, there is a good chance that you may be interested in decorating your home for Christmas with your own unique handmade Christmas decorations.

Not only do they save you money, but also bring out your creativity to make some unique Christmas crafts and decorations not found at every corner.

This year one of them can be this homemade Braided Calico Christmas Wreath Craft

Materials Needed:

3 pieces bright calico strips in contrasting colors (red, green, gold): each 4 ½-inch x 44-inches
1 Bone ring
1 Wire coat hanger
Polyester stuffing
Large bright bow
Sewing machine
Needle
Thread
Scissors

Procedure:

Double each calico strip lengthwise, right sides together.
Sew 1/4" seam and turn right side out forming three tubes.
Stuff each tube firmly with polyester.
Stitch ends of tubes shut.
Stitch the three tubes together at one end.
Braid from stitched end holding tubes flat while braiding.
Secure the ends together arranging them so that the tube ends are even.
Join both ends of braids together to form a wreath.
Sew on a bone ring at back to use as hanger.
Tie a large bow in front over the stitching where braids are joined.
Bend a wire coat hanger into a circle leaving the hook on for hanging.
Tack in place on back of wreath, so to keep the shape of the wreath better.

Making your own homemade Christmas crafts will make you proud of your abilities and envy of your less-talented friends.

Nothing feels better than the Christmas decoration you made with your own hands.

And don't forget: You can also use this braided Christmas wreath as a unique gift for your family or Special friends which will appreciate you took your time to create your own handmade gift for them.

Running out of Christmas crafts ideas? Visit: http://GetChristmasIdeas.com for more Christmas crafts ideas, and everything else you need to make this Christmas unforgettable.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dagmar_Simcik
http://EzineArticles.com/?Homemade-Christmas-Craft---Braided-Calico-Christmas-Wreath&id=3080149

Glass Christmas Tree Ornaments

2009-11-05T13:43:00.000-08:00

Glass Christmas Tree Ornaments
By K Hupp

Glass Christmas tree ornaments have become a favorite part of our Christmas traditions. We love to decorate our Christmas trees with plenty of glittering glass decorations. A tree covered in glass ornaments, with lots of brightly colored packages beneath, is a beautiful and heartwarming site to see.

The first glass Christmas tree ornaments were made in Germany, beginning in the mid 1800's. Each ornament was hand made. German glass Christmas tree ornaments are still being produced today. The glass is mouth blown, then put into a mold shaped as a holiday figure, much the same as it has been for more than a century.

German glass Christmas ornaments come in all shapes and sizes. The Germans have been producing them for well over a century. They are still hand made and are shaped into Santa and Rudolph figures, snowmen, angels, churches, sparkling balls, bells and even the famous German Christmas Pickle. There are many more glass ornaments including decorated trees, snow scenes and ice skaters.

Glass Christmas tree ornaments will last for many years and are often handed down for generations as family heirlooms. Since glass ornaments are rather fragile, a little care should be taken when storing them. Given the proper care, you can decorate your Christmas tree with glass ornaments from years past, as well as adding to your Christmas ornament collection each year.

Wrap each glass ornament in acid free tissue paper before placing it in a box for storage. As an added precaution, don't stack glass ornaments too deep. If some care is taken, you and your family can enjoy your precious ornaments for years to come. If your glass ornaments were hand made in Germany, you certainly have a keepsake to treasure.

K. Hupp enjoys cooking, gardening and unique collectibles. Visit her German Christmas Ornaments website for more information on Glass Christmas Ornaments.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=K_Hupp

http://EzineArticles.com/?Glass-Christmas-Tree-Ornaments&id=3183951

Christmas With Steinbach Nutcrackers

2009-11-05T13:38:00.000-08:00

Christmas With Steinbach Nutcrackers
By K Hupp

The Steinbach company not only creates wonderful nutcrackers for Christmas, they also craft music boxes, incense smokers and Christmas ornaments. Steinbach nutcrackers are wonderful to have on display during the Christmas holiday season. A fireplace mantel is the perfect place to line up a row of Steinbach's delightful Christmas figures.

Steinbach produces a large variety of Christmas themed nutcrackers. The nutcrackers depict the 12 Days of Christmas, the Three Magi, figures from The Christmas Carol, and many more. They come as large full size nutcrackers, and also smaller sized Chubbies and Trolls, which are also becoming very popular with collectors. Many Steinbach nutcrackers have music boxes which can be wound up to make them play music.

Steinbach's wooden Christmas ornaments are perfect for decorating any Christmas tree, no matter how small or how large. They are 3 inch wooden decorations designed specially for trimming a tree. There are all sorts of ornaments to choose from. They range from Santa, Rudolph and Frosty to characters like Heidi and Bavarians. Just like the nutcrackers, the wooden ornaments are hand crafted in Germany. Many people also collect Steinbach ornaments.

Steinbach music boxes are also handcrafted in Germany. They are true works of art. Most have moving parts, and several of them are Christmas themed. They portray ice skaters, snowmen, the Mouse King, and angels. Steinbach music boxes either wind up to play the music, which also causes the characters to move, or the have hand cranks to turn.

Steinbach incense smokers, also called smoking men, really shine as Christmas decorations. There are so many of them to choose from, with a great many themed for Christmas. There is Santa, Mrs. Santa, musical Santa and Mrs. Santa in rocking chairs, Santa in his sleigh, shepherds, carolers, Father Christmas and more. Steinbach smokers come apart so a cone of incense can be placed inside. When the incense is lit, the smoke rises from the mouth of the character. Many Steinbach smokers are also musical.

When decorating for Christmas, whether you prefer Steinbach nutcrackers, incense smokers, or music boxes, you are sure to find one, or possibly even several, that will delight you. Since there are so many ornaments to choose from, you can even decorate an entire Christmas tree using Steinbach ornaments. One of the best things is that you can use them as part of your Christmas celebration year after year.

K. Hupp enjoys cooking, gardening and unique collectibles. Visit A German Collectibles Haus for a large selection of Steinbach Nutcrackers and Steinbach Christmas Ornaments

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=K_Hupp
http://EzineArticles.com/?Christmas-With-Steinbach-Nutcrackers&id=3123186

How to Use Christmas Ham Leftovers

2009-11-02T07:33:00.000-08:00

Budget Friendly Cooking - How to Get More Meals From a Ham
By K Hupp

When you decide to serve ham, the budget friendly purchase is to buy an unsliced ham with the bone. The initial cost is less per pound than sliced or boneless ham, and you will be able to make a great pot pie with the leftovers. You will also be able to cook a fantastic pot of beans or split pea soup using the ham bone.

Many people will serve a ham for Christmas dinner, but only make sandwiches with the leftovers. Why not get the most from the ham and stretch your budget? Cook some great meals for your family, which will cost you next to nothing, using leftover ham.

After enjoying your ham dinner and making plenty of ham sandwiches, make a pot pie with some of the leftovers. Just slice or pull bits of ham from the bone until you have one or two cups worth of ham pieces. It's all you need to start preparing a Ham Pot Pie.

First you need a frozen deep dish 2 crust pie shell. Better yet, make your own, adding a little celery seed when preparing the crust. If you aren't a homemade crust type of person, a frozen one will work just fine.

To the bits of ham, add whatever vegetables you like, just as long as they amount to approximately 3 cups. If you use frozen vegetables, make sure they are thawed and drained. Peas, carrots, broccoli, and potatoes are all good choices, or any combination of them works well, too. To the ham and vegetables, add 1 can of condensed soup such as cream of celery or cream of mushroom.

Add salt and pepper to taste, then put the mixture into the pie shell and put the top crust in place. Cut slits in the crust and bake about 35 to 40 minutes at 375 degrees until the pot pie is bubbly and golden brown. Homemade pot pies make a hearty meal.

Now that you have the majority of the ham off the bone, you can make a delicious pot of beans. To get the most flavor, don't soak the beans overnight, but allow them to cook for several hours, along with the ham bone in the same pot. You can use your favorite type of dried beans. They can be Pinto, Navy, Great Northern, or Lima beans. After cooking for several hours, the remaining meat will fall off the ham bone, and the bone will have given the beans a most delicious flavor.

Remove the bone before serving the beans with cornbread. If you have a dog, it is really going to love you if you let it have the bone. You will also have saved the expense of buying a doggy treat for your pet.

If you don't like beans, you can use the ham bone to make a delicious Split Pea Soup. Since split peas cook so much faster than beans, cook the ham bone in water for a couple of hours before adding the dry split peas. Otherwise, the peas will turn to mush before the meat falls off the bone.

K. Hupp enjoys cooking and gardening. Visit Cheap Mud Tires to find great deals on mud tires for your truck or ATV.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=K_Hupp
http://EzineArticles.com/?Budget-Friendly-Cooking---How-to-Get-More-Meals-From-a-Ham&id=2966622

What to do with Thanksgiving Turkey Leftovers

2009-11-02T07:27:00.000-08:00

Cooking on a Budget - Getting the Most From a Whole Turkey
By K Hupp

Many people will choose to cook a turkey breast instead of roasting a whole turkey. This is a shame. Turkey breast costs more per pound than whole turkey. Choosing not to cook a whole turkey also means that you will be missing out on the great meals that can be prepared by using the leftovers from a whole turkey. These delicious meals are Turkey Pot Pie and Turkey Frame Soup.

We all know about the traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas roast turkey, but other than making turkey sandwiches, many people don't know what to do with leftover turkey. While turkey sandwiches are great, turkey pot pie and turkey frame soup are even better. They are economical and better for you, too. In this article I list the steps needed to get the most possible use from a whole turkey.

Roast Turkey - First you need to roast the turkey. If you bought a frozen turkey, let it thaw in the refrigerator for 2 or 3 days. Once thawed, remove the neck and giblets from the inside of the turkey. Rinse the turkey parts with water and put them back in the refrigerator to use later. Rinse the turkey, inside and out, with clear water. Drain completely. Breast side up, place the turkey in a roaster or a baking pan. The pan must be large enough to hold the turkey completely inside the pan. I have found the bottom pan of a broiler works well.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Rub turkey with salt, butter or herbs if desired. Cover the turkey entirely with aluminum foil for first half of cooking time. Remove the foil half way through roasting. Allow 25 minutes cooking time per pound for birds 12 pounds and under. For birds weighing over 12 pounds, allow 20 minutes per pound. When a leg moves easily when pulled, the turkey is done.

Enjoy your turkey dinner and have all the sandwiches you want. After a day or two you will be finished with sandwiches.

Turkey Pot Pie - The second step is to make a turkey pot pie. First, set aside a package of deep dish frozen pie shells, for a 2 crust pie, to thaw.

Pick as much as the remaining meat off the turkey as can be easily done. Once you have one or two cups of meat, you are ready to make the pot pie.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

To the leftover turkey add:

1 package frozen peas and carrots, thawed and drained
1/2 package frozen corn or potatoes, thawed and drained
1 can condensed cream of celery soup (can substitute cream of mushroom or cream of chicken)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Mix all ingredients together. Place mixture in pie shell and cover with top crust. Cut slits in top crust.

Bake in preheated oven 35 to 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

If you have a lot of leftover turkey, you can double the recipe and make 2 pot pies. One can be wrapped tightly in foil and placed in the freezer. Bake it at a later date for a quick meal.

Now that you only have the turkey carcass left, with very little meat left on it, it is time to make the soup.

Turkey Frame Soup - Break the turkey carcass in half, or into large pieces that will fit in a large dutch oven or stockpot. Add the neck and chopped giblets saved earlier on roasting day. Add enough water to completely cover carcass. Cover with lid.

Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer for 2 to 3 hours, or until remaining meat falls off bones, including the neck bone. Remove bones and any skin from the broth. Discard.

To the broth, add any vegetables that you like. I like to add the following:

3 large potatoes, cut in 3/4 inch chunks
3 carrots, cut in 1/2 inch pieces
2 stalks celery, cut in 1/2 inch pieces
2 cups fresh or frozen peas
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 package dry egg noodles (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook over medium heat until vegetables are tender. Serve hot with crackers or cornbread.

That's it. You have finished using the entire turkey. Did you have any idea you could get so many meals from one turkey? I like to roast a turkey at least 4 times a year. Used properly, a turkey can be one of the most economical food purchases that you can make.

K. Hupp enjoys cooking and gardening. Visit Maytag Dryer Parts to find great deals on a Maytag Dryer Repair Kit.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=K_Hupp
http://EzineArticles.com/?Cooking-on-a-Budget---Getting-the-Most-From-a-Whole-Turkey&id=2960602

Round Kitting Looms

2009-11-01T10:33:00.000-08:00

Round Kitting Looms
By K Hupp

K. Hupp enjoys cooking, gardening and unique collectibles. Visit the new Cheapest Airline Tickets website to find real bargains on the cheapest airline tickets available.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=K_Hupp

http://EzineArticles.com/?Round-Kitting-Looms&id=2932344

Cranberry Christmas Canes Recipe

2009-11-01T10:24:00.000-08:00

Cranberry Christmas Canes Recipe
By K Hupp

This recipe makes a lovely treat to use during the Christmas holidays. They taste as good as they look.

Cranberry Christmas Canes

For Dough:

1 cup milk
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon peel, grated
1 cup butter or margarine
1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
2 eggs, beaten

Scald milk and let cool to lukewarm.

In a large mixing bowl mix flour, sugar, salt and lemon peel. Cut in butter until like coarse meal.

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water. Add to cooled milk. Mix in beaten eggs.

Add liquid mixture to dry ingredients and mix well.

Cover dough tightly and chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Prepare filling when you are ready to bake.

For Filling:

1 1/2 cups cranberries, finely chopped
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup raisins, finely chopped
1/3 cup walnuts, finely chopped
1/3 cup honey
1 1/2 teaspoons orange peel, grated

Add all ingredients to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Preparation:

Grease a cookie sheet. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Divide chilled dough in half. Keep one half chilling while rolling the other half. Roll into an oblong about 18 inches long and 15 inches wide. Mark dough into thirds lightly down its length. Each third will be 5 inches wide.

Spread 1/4 of filling down both outside lines of center third. Starting at one end, fold one side over top of other side and seal edges. You now have a 6 inch by 15 inch strip of dough. Cut dough into 1/2 strips. Strips will be 6 inches long with filling in the center section.

Twist and lay on greased cookie sheet, shaping to form a cane.

Repeat with other half of dough and filling.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until lightly browned at 375 degrees F.

K. Hupp enjoys cooking and gardening. Visit a Cuisinart Food Processors to see the durable 7-cup Cuisinart Food Processors.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=K_Hupp

http://EzineArticles.com/?Cranberry-Christmas-Canes-Recipe&id=2893696

Chocolate Chip Bars Recipe

2009-11-01T10:16:00.000-08:00

Chocolate Chip Bars Recipe
By K Hupp

Batter ingredients:

1/2 cup butter or margarine, room temperature
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup white sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon water
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking power
1 16 ounce package chocolate chips

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, cream butter, shortening, brown sugar, and white sugar together. Add egg yolks, vanilla and water. Mix until well blended.

In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Add to wet ingredients and stir until well combined. Pour into greased 9x9 inch baking dish. Spread entire package of chocolate chips over layer.

Icing ingredients:

2 egg whites, beaten until stiff

1 cup brown sugar, packed

Preparation:

Beat stiff egg whites and brown sugar until fluffy. Spread over chocolate chip layer.

Place in preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees F until top is golden brown.

Tip: For a double dose of chocolate, add 1/2 cup powdered cocoa to flour, salt and baking powder when sifting. Add to wet ingredients and follow the rest of the recipe as written.

K. Hupp enjoys cooking and gardening. Visit her Cuisinart Stand Mixer website and check out the new Cuisinart Stand Mixer. It's perfect for mixing dough.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=K_Hupp
http://EzineArticles.com/?Chocolate-Chip-Bars-Recipe&id=2893432

Chocolate Chip Bars

2009-10-26T05:21:00.000-07:00

My family has been making these delicious chocolate chip bars since 1949. They are extremely good with chewy, gooey centers.

We like making them all year, but we really look forward to them during the holidays. They make great treats for kids at Halloween, and are a special treat during Thanksgiving and Christmas. We also like to give them as homemade gifts during the Christmas holidays.

Chocolate Chip Bars

Batter ingredients:

1/2 cup butter or margarine, room temperature
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup white sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon water
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking power
1 16 ounce package chocolate chips

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, cream butter, shortening, brown sugar, and white sugar together. Add egg yolks, vanilla and water. Mix until well blended.

In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Add to wet ingredients and stir until well combined. Pour into greased 9x9 inch baking dish. Spread entire package of chocolate chips over layer.

Icing ingredients:

2 egg whites, beaten until stiff
1 cup brown sugar, packed

Preparation:

Beat stiff egg whites and brown sugar until fluffy. Spread over chocolate chip layer.

Place in preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees F until top is golden brown.

Tip: For a double dose of chocolate, add 1/2 cup powdered cocoa to flour, salt and baking powder when sifting. Add to wet ingredients and follow the rest of the recipe as written.

K. Hupp enjoys cooking and gardening. Visit her Cuisinart Stand Mixer website and check out the new Cuisinart Stand Mixer. It's perfect for mixing dough.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=K_Hupp
http://EzineArticles.com/?Chocolate-Chip-Bars-Recipe&id=2893432

Cranberry Christmas Canes Recipe

2009-10-26T05:09:00.000-07:00

Cranberry Christmas Canes Recipe

This recipe makes a lovely treat to use during the Christmas holidays. They taste great too.

Cranberry Christmas Canes

For Dough:

1 cup milk
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon peel, grated
1 cup butter or margarine
1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
2 eggs, beaten

Scald milk and let cool to lukewarm.

In a large mixing bowl mix flour, sugar, salt and lemon peel. Cut in butter until like coarse meal.

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water. Add to cooled milk. Mix in beaten eggs.

Add liquid mixture to dry ingredients and mix well.

Cover dough tightly and chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Prepare filling when you are ready to bake.

For Filling:

1 1/2 cups cranberries, finely chopped
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup raisins, finely chopped
1/3 cup walnuts, finely chopped
1/3 cup honey
1 1/2 teaspoons orange peel, grated

Add all ingredients to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Preparation:

Grease a cookie sheet. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Divide chilled dough in half. Keep one half chilling while rolling the other half. Roll into an oblong about 18 inches long and 15 inches wide. Mark dough into thirds lightly down its length. Each third will be 5 inches wide.

Spread 1/4 of filling down both outside lines of center third. Starting at one end, fold one side over top of other side and seal edges. You now have a 6 inch by 15 inch strip of dough. Cut dough into 1/2 strips. Strips will be 6 inches long with filling in the center section.

Twist and lay on greased cookie sheet, shaping to form a cane.

Repeat with other half of dough and filling.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until lightly browned at 375 degrees F.

K. Hupp enjoys cooking and gardening. Visit Cuisinart Food Processors to see the durable 7-cup Cuisinart Food Processors.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=K_Hupp
http://EzineArticles.com/?Cranberry-Christmas-Canes-Recipe&id=2893696

Make Your Own Halloween Decorations

2009-10-26T04:57:00.000-07:00

Make Your Own Halloween Decorations by Diane Ellis

We're all cutting back our spending to just the necessities, but that doesn't mean your house has to be boring and uninviting this Halloween, with these cheap and simple to make home decorations.

Below I give you instructions for making a Halloween tablecloth and trick or treat bags with pumpkin face cut outs and the word "BOO", but use your imagination – the templates can be used on all sorts of things, like cushion covers, curtains, placemats, napkins – the list is endless!

Fabric & Notions

For the tablecloth, first you need to measure the length and width of your table. If you have a table that extends, extend it first before measuring. You then need to add on an allowance for draping over the side.

Now this is a purely personal preference. Some people like tablecloths that drape almost to the floor, other like theirs much shorter. My general rule of thumb is to add on the amount of the drop to your chair seat.

You measure that by placing the top of your measuring tape level with the top of your table, and then measure down until you hit the seat of the chair. For me, it’s 10½” (or 27cm).

Now don’t forget, you need to add that on for each side, plus a seam allowance. Although a normal seam allowance is 5/8", I usually allow for a larger seam for a tablecloth as we are going to machine stitch it. I always allow ¾".

So, if your table is 5ft by 4ft then you’ll need:

Length: 60” PLUS 21” (drop at each end) PLUS 1½“ (2 seam allowances) – 82½”

Width: 48” PLUS 21” (drop at each end) PLUS 1½“ (2 seam allowances) – 70½”

Or, in metric

Length: 160cm PLUS 54cm (drop at each end) PLUS 4cm (2 seam allowances) – 218cm

Width: 122cm PLUS 54cm (drop at each end) PLUS 4cm (2 seam allowances) – 180cm

For each trick or treat bag, you will need 2 pieces of fabric 10" by 12" (or 26cm by 31cm). So if you have 3 children, you'll need 30" by 24" (or 78cm by 62cm).

You'll also need some drawstring for the trick or treat bags – say 30" (or 76cm) per bag.

As it's Halloween, try to find a nice bright orange fabric for the tablecloth and bags and black for the cut outs! Or you could go gothic, and buy black (but make sure your cut outs are then in bright orange or white).

The Cut Outs

For the cut outs, the amount of fabric depends on how many you want to place on your tablecloth. Each pumpkin cut out measures 7" by 7½" (17cm by 19cm) – so if you want to put 8 pumpkins on your tablecloth, you'll need 28" by 15" (or 68cm by 38cm). The BOO cut outs measure 2" by 5½" (13½cm by 5cm) so if you want to put 16 BOOs on your tablecloth you'll need 22" by 8" (or 54cm by 20cm). And I'd recommend one pumpkin and one BOO for each side of the bag. Or you could just buy a yard of fabric and cut out as many as you can!

You can find sample cut outs on our website (see author resource box below).

To Make Up

Mark out your tablecloth using tailors chalk or pins, and cut out. Mark out the rectangles for your trick or treat bags and cut out.

Now pin a ¾" hem around the entire border of your tablecloth and sew.

Place the two pieces of bag with right sides together, and pin the two side seams and the bottom. Sew around in one continuous line. Now turn over half an inch on the top and sew. (Note: if you plan to machine stitch the Halloween cut outs on, then do these before doing the side seams). We now need to turn over the sewn top hem another inch – make sure to leave enough room for the drawstring to be threaded through. Sew in place, but remember to leave a small opening to thread through the drawstring. Thread through and knot each end to secure.

Now pin and cut out the number of Halloween cut outs that you need.

These can be attached a number of ways – with iron on hemming tape, craft glue suitable for fabrics, hand stitching, or machine stitching.

So that's it – two very simple, but cheap, Halloween decorations to brighten up your home.

Diane Ellis has been sewing since she was very young and got her first sewing machine at 6 years old (albeit a miniature one!). She sews purely for friends and family, and enjoys making her own patterns, and using her skills to decorate her home. She is the co-author of the website Sewing 4 Dummies where, for a limited time, you can sign up for a free 6 part sewing course called Easy Fun Sewing Projects.

Article Source: Make Your Own Halloween Decorations

Candle Making

2009-10-26T04:29:00.000-07:00

I recently found a very good article about candle making. I love using candles at Christmastime, so I thought I'd share the following article:

Easy Candle Making With Candle Making Jars by Julie Sinclair

Jar candles are without doubt one of the easiest types of candle to make and they have the added advantage that you can have so many different designs just by using a different type of container.

Containers can be as simplistic and functional as the traditional Mason or canning jars (which are always a popular option) or as ornate as a specially crafted piece of glassware from your local craft shop or candle suppliers. And, of course, there is everything in between. If you are frugally-minded and concerned about doing your bit for the environment, then feel free to use recycled glassware from your kitchen cupboard. Baby food jars make attractive little candles and I have seen some squat pickle jars with intricate embossed patterns in the glass which would make lovely more substantial candles.

As with anything, however simple it is, there are always little tips and tricks which will make your life easier and give you a better finished product, if only you had known before you started. This is exactly the case when making jar candles. You may learn from experience but it's far easier to learn from the experts.

The first thing is to get organised. Get all your equipment together and laid out before you start. For making jar candles, all you will need are your containers, lengths of wick, wick holders, container blend wax, color and fragrance as desired. You will, or course, need your double boiler on the stove.

Before you start, make sure your containers are not only clean and perfectly dry, but also pre-heated. This will largely avoid the problem of having 'wet' spots in your glass jars. This is not actually wet but just a place where the wax is not adhering properly to the glass and it is like a little air pocket. There is no way to completely prevent this problem, but if you pre-heat your containers, it certainly helps. If you are making a quantity of jar candles, then this can be easily done by putting the containers on a cookie sheet in a warm oven - about 150 degrees is just right. This is warm enough to heat the jars but not so hot that it begins to melt the wicks. If you are only making one or two, you can just quickly zap them with a heat gun.

You will need to stick one end of your wick into the center of the bottom of your container and this is easier if you have pre-assembled wick tabs on your wicks. Then attach your wick bars to the top of the container to keep the wicks centered.

When the wax is completely melted, you can add your color and/or fragrance - make sure this is blended and stirred in well. Once you have carefully poured the wax into your container, check that your wick is still well centered. Let the wax cool slowly - which may take from several hours to overnight for the wax to completely hardened - and then trim your wicks.

Julie Sinclair is a candle making enthusiast who enjoys helping others to get started in this amazing hobby. For more great information on making jar candles, visit http://www.candlemakingtoptips.com

Article Source: Easy Candle Making With Candle Making Jars

FFD $100 Grocery GiftCard Giveaway

2009-08-08T08:36:00.000-07:00

This is for all of you that are looking to save on groceries. Frugal, Freebies & Deals is giving away a $100 Kroger gift card! Click here to enter: www.frugalfreebiesanddeals.com/2009/07/ffds-100-kroger-giftcard-giveaway.html

This giveaway ends on August 21, 2009 so enter soon!

Beaded Paper Necklace

2009-04-19T13:28:00.001-07:00

Supplies:

Glossy paper from magazines or newspapers
White glue (such as Elmer's)
Scissors
A round item, such as a toothpick, crochet hook or knitting needle. Ink refills will work too.
String or yarn for the necklace.
Water

This is an easy craft for children to make for Mother's Day. It's a beaded necklace made from shiny paper recycled from magazines or newspapers. Just cut the paper into long tapered strips, with one end ending in a point. Any size width from 1/2 to 1 inch will work just fine.

Starting at the wide end of the strip, start rolling the paper around your knitting needle. When you are nearly finished rolling the paper, put a drop of glue near the end of the narrow point of the strip. Spread the glue to the end and finish rolling. Ta-da! One bead made!

Once you have made all the beads that you would like, mix a little glue with water, 1 part glue to 2 parts water. Mix well and brush the mixture on each bead. Lay them out to dry, making sure they aren't touching each other. The glue mixture will make the beads last longer.

Once the beads are dry, string the beads and tie the ends of your string in a knot. You now have a pretty homemade necklace to give to Mother or Grandmother as a present on Mother's Day.

Edible Easter Crafts

2009-03-22T05:50:00.000-07:00

Ready for some more Easter fun? All of these ideas can be eaten, and kids love them! They have as much fun helping making them as eating them.

Boiled Egg Easter Bunnies What a fun breakfast treat for Easter morning.

Deviled Egg Easter Chicks More edible Easter fun for lunch.

Easter Bunny Cake Can't forget dessert! All you need are 2 cake rounds and some white frosting to make this delightful Easter cake. One cake is used for the bunny's head, the other for ears and a bow tie. Decorate it the way you like it. I made my first one of these when I was 13 years old.

Easter Crafts

2009-03-22T05:27:00.000-07:00

While preparing to have a great time with my grandsons this Easter, I found some really neat crafts on the internet. I thought I'd pass these ideas on to you. These are low cost crafts and most are easy enough for even the youngest kids to make:

1. Paper Easter Basket This one is so cute and easy to make. Kids can decorate it to suit themselves with crayons.

2. Egg Carton Chicks Use cardboard egg cartons to make little chicks that can be filled with jelly beans or other candy.

3. Printable Easter Baskets These little baskets hold just one egg. Use your printer, scissors and glue to make these little darlings.

4. Easter Coloring Pages Loads of nice Easter pages for coloring. This site also has many other fun things to do.

Make your own Putz house

2008-12-08T04:41:00.000-08:00

My grandsons and I crafted Putz houses for Halloween. They are a simple craft, fun to do and require very little in the way of materials. All you need are scissors, paper, cardboard, tape or glue and carbon paper. Even cardboard from a cereal box will do.

Here are links to some online templates and instructions for the little darlings. Make a few with your kids and line them on the mantle or make a holiday display. You can even use them for your train sets.

Beginning Cottage Putz House (easiest to make)
Little Charmer Putz House (slightly more advanced)
Picture Window Putz House (very advanced)
and another set of Putz House templates from About.com

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

2008-12-04T07:25:00.000-08:00

This yummy recipe is hard to beat! It's quick and easy to make. Try it for a treat on Christmas morning.

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease one 9x5 inch loaf pan.

Batter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup raisins

Topping
4 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 teaspoons butter or margarine

Measure flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, and salt into a medium bowl. Stir together. In a large bowl mix buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla, mixing well. Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in raisins. Pour half into prepared loaf pan.

In a small bowl combine 4 tablespoons white sugar, 2 teaspoon cinnamon and 4 teaspoons butter, mixing until crumbly. Sprinkle half of topping onto batter in pan. Pour rest of batter into loaf pan. Sprinkle remaining topping on top.

Bake for 50 minutes, or until knife or toothpick comes out clean. Remove bread from pan to cool on rack.

Best Pumpkin Bread Recipe

2008-11-03T11:47:00.000-08:00

This is the best pumpkin bread I've ever made. The cream cheese filling really makes it special, and it's so easy to make.

Pumpkin Bread Recipe

For the bread:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 cups mashed pumpkin or butternut
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped black walnuts

For the filling:

1 softened 8 ounce package cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 large egg

Preheat oven to 325°. Lightly grease and flour two 8x4x3-inch loaf pans. You can use larger bread pans, but the loaves won't rise as high.

Sift together 1 3/4 cup flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg. Set aside.

In another bowl mix pumpkin, vegetable oil, 3 eggs, vanilla and 1 cup sugar. Beat well. Stir the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. Blend in the walnuts.

In another bowl, combine cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, and 1 egg. Beat until creamy.

Pour half of the pumpkin bread batter evenly into the two prepared loaf pans. Spoon cream cheese mixture on top, and then pour on the remaining pumpkin batter.

Bake in preheated 325° oven for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean.

Butternut Squash Pie Recipe

2008-10-28T07:17:00.000-07:00

Butternut Squash Pie

9 inch deep dish pie crust
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 tsp pinch salt
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted
2 cups milk
2 cups mashed butternut squash (you can use pumpkin, but butternut is best)
3 eggs beaten

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
Mix sugar, salt, and spices. Blend in milk, squash, eggs, and butter or margarine.
Pour filling into unbaked pie shell.
Bake at 425 degrees for 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

If you have extra pie filling mix left over, you can bake it like custard in a greased casserole dish. It won't take nearly as long to bake, so check it often.

Pumpkin Zucchini Bread

2008-10-25T16:17:00.000-07:00

Here's a delicious twist on zucchini bread. If you're like me, you already have shredded zucchini handy in the freezer. Thaw some out and give this bread a try.

Pumpkin Zucchini Bread Makes 2 loaves

3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup shredded zucchini
1 cup chopped walnuts or raisins (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs and sugar. Add pumpkin, butter and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients. Gradually add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Stir in zucchini and nuts. Pour into greased and floured loaf pans. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until center of bread tests done.

Mincemeat Cookie Recipe

2008-10-23T08:08:00.000-07:00

I have a great fondness for mincemeat cookies. My grandmother made them for me when I was a child, and I now enjoy making them for my 2 grandsons. These cookies are yummy any time of the year, but I love baking them for Christmas. I use the same recipe my grandmother used, which is right off the box of NONE SUCH condensed mincemeat, with the addition of vanilla.

Mincemeat Cookies or Prize Cookies Makes about 6-1/2 dozen

1 cup shortening (I sometimes use 1 cup softened butter instead)
1-1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups unsifted all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 9 oz. package None Such Condensed Mincemeat, crumbled

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, beat shortening and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well. In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Stir well, then gradually add to shortening mixture, mixing well. Stir in crumbled mincemeat.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto greased baking sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes until lightly browned. Enjoy!

One note I'd like to mention, these are very sweet cookies. I usually reduce the sugar to just 1 cup, and still find them to have plenty of sweetness.