The New Journey Begins.....

           Simple is as simple was! It's just up to us to find it and live it! That's my goal for the New Year, no crash diets, no stressing myself out, just plain and honest "simple" ways.  I'm ready to start the journey. 2011 has promise, adventures, surprises and fun, all waiting for us to take in.  Sure, I need to lose weight, so I'll start by downsizing the dinner plates, going to a 9 inch dessert plate and eating better. Walking again is a must and staying creative not only exercises my mind but keeps me happy, the best medicine of all. I'll get my house in order with simple ideas for easy maintenance.  I"m eager.

     So, what will you see here in the new year, more aprons for sure, recipes each Tuesday at least and fellowship of the bloggy kind. I have so many things I want to do, first in line, our bedroom mini makeover! Currently it's aqua blue and brown, but I want to lighten it up by replacing the brown with a antique white and adding black accents.  It all makes sense in my mind so stayed tuned to see it come to life with before and after photos.  I'm also in dire need of a garden shed, this project will be on the cheap, we want to see if we can build one totally or near free, this should be interesting!

      So, I hope your up for another year of Country Pleasures, one thing won't EVER change, my love and faith in God makes everything possible and by his grace, I will survive it all!  Blessings for a wonderful New Year and thank you!

Tasty Tuesday

           The last TT for 2010 and I'm gonna cheat a tad since I've got the house all tore up! But, I couldn't let this day go by without posting one of my all time favorite recipes, I shared this last year or the year before, but it's so worth repeating!  Leave it to Joy the Baker to come up a cake like this, super moist and so full of choco♥ness!

Rootbeer Float Cake

2 cups root beer (don’t use diet)

1 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

Preheat even to 325 degrees F.  Spray the inside of a 10-inch Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray, or butter generously and dust with flour, knocking out the excess.

In a small saucepan, heat the root beer, cocoa powder and butter over medium heat until butter is melted.  Add sugars and whisk until dissolved.  Remove from heat and let cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.

In a small bowl whisk the eggs until just beaten.  Then whisk into the cocoa mixture until combined.  Gently fold the flour mixture into the cocoa mixture.  The batter will be slightly lumpy.  You can give it a quick whisk if you like, but don’t over beat the batter or it could cause the cake to be tough.  Don’t worry, the batter is very loose.

Pour the batter into prepared pan and cook for 35-45 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking until a sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely then loosen edges with a butter knife and turn out onto a cake plate.

Chocolate Root Beer Frosting

2 ounces 60% cocoa, melted

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon salt (you may want to use less… maybe just 1/2 teaspoon)

1/4 cup root beer

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 1/2  cups powdered sugar

In the bowl of a stand mixer, or using an electric hand mixer, beat softened butter and cocoa powder.  Once combined add the melted chocolate, salt, powdered sugar and root beer.  Beat together until smooth.  Spread on top of cooled cake.  Slice and serve with  vanilla ice cream.

     So, there you have it, the best of the best in my book and all who sample it! I'm gearing up for a brand new year of Tasty Tuesdays, I haven't missed one and have so enjoyed your replies, I honestly think my gain in followers may just be due to the recipes? LOL  No matter the reason, I'm glad your here, I love sharing things I love and learning new ways from you, so keep the comments coming. Now, back to putting the house back to some sort of normal! 

New Ways and a Winner

              The thrill is gone, Christmas is over and my thoughts are gearing up towards the New Year and new ways! As I pack up the holiday decorations and try to get the house back to some sort of normal, I"m finding my self eager to start re-organizing the whole house, one room at a time! I've been set in my old ways too long, and I've been given another chance at finding a place for everything and keeping it there! I don't know what is about a new year that throws me into this domestic drama but I'm excited about new ways to organize, decorate and store. Once the last Christmas tub is packed away, I'll start in the smallest room in the house so I don't get too overwhelmed, the bathroom. I can hardly wait! Really!

      And now for the real reason your here, to see who won my last giveaway of the year, a apron. Random.org picked..............Emily of Barefoot Coffee Girl! Congrats!! Send me a email with your mailing info. and I'll get your apron made and shipped to you by the weekend. It seems Emily is another Missouri blogger so not only do I save on shipping, I'm adding to her apron collection of 1. So, I'm happy you won Emily and can't wait to find out where you live! And don't forget, you have 2 weeks to sign up for the Valentine Apron swap, just scroll down to that post. Tomorrow is the last Tasty Tuesday for 2010!

Merry Christmas!

            Just taking a break from baking to wish you all the best of the season! May you gather with loved ones, feast on yummy food, laughs and fun. You've made me and my little blog ever so happy, and I'm looking forward to another year of Tasty Tuesdays, apron making, fun swaps and giveaways plus fellowship of the best kind, with you! MERRY CHRISTMAS and BRIGHT BLESSINGS for 2011! Back to baking....

Valentines Apron Swap

               I know, it's not even Christmas yet but apron makers always think ahead and it's time to think about my next apron swap, yep! Valentines day is only 7 weeks away! Between sewing time, shipping time and such, it is time to post and plan! This swap will work just like the fall and Christmas swaps, you will be assigned a apron partner where you will make a themed apron for each other, and include some sweet tuckins too since it is the day for love.  If you'd like to join us just leave a comment here with your email addy, I'll gather names and make a list. On Jan. 14th, I'll partner us up and notify you of your apron swapper,  you will in turn email each other for mailing info. and likes or dislikes. Shipping date is set for Feb.1.
     So, give your machine a little rest over the holidays and if you'd like to gain a Valentines apron, sign up on THIS post only before Jan. 14th, 2011. Hope to see those who joined me in the last two, as well as any newbies who missed out or ones who just love aprons, like us!

Tasty Tuesday

      
          Here are are , the last Tasty Tuesday before Christmas and I'm still baking, how about you? I've been stalled on these snowball cookies, where have they been all my life? This recipe came to me via Facebook, so  easy, so quick and so good are all why the ladies I clean for are getting a batch for Christmas this year. So, it's only fitting that I share this recipe with all of you too, make a batch and see why they have become a fast favorite in my kitchen, I dare you!

Snowball Cookies

1/2 c. olive oil, I use canola
1 1/4 c. quick rolled oats
1 pkg. white cake mix
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. chopped nuts of choice
Powdered sugar
Heat oven to 350. Combine oil and oats, let stand for 5 mins. Stir in cake mix, eggs and vanilla till well blended. Fold in nuts. Form 1 in. balls and place about 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 min. or till set. Cool just a bit, then roll in powdered sugar while still warm and allow to cool. Can make up to 7 dozen if you get make the balls just one inch.

       These yummy treats are perfect for cookie exchanges, teacher gifts or the cleaning lady, don't forget the cleaning lady! lol   I've also tried these with a chocolate cake mix and they were just as good, so mix it up and get creative, make them your own, but do share! Merry Baking!

Christmas Giveaway

          I maybe a little pokey this holiday season but I haven't lacked in the spirit of giving! I do much better in giving than receiving, so with that in mind, and to celebrate this last week of rushing, I'm hosting a quick Christmas giveaway. Now, you won't get it before the holiday but you will have a seasonal apron if you win. So, if you'd like to win a Christmas apron, just leave your answer here to the question of " What makes you Merry this season?  I'll draw the winner on December 27th and ship your apron for the New Year! From my blog to yours, Merry Christmas and good luck!

Tasty Tuesday

             Another Christmas favorite is the cranberry, a berry that really gets over looked, not only is it good for you but you can do so much with it! I use it year round in muffins but it gets a workout this time of the year. A family tradition is my Christmas pie and Christmas jam so I thought I'd share both recipes with you today, because it's all berry good! lol

Christmas Jam

2 c. cranberries
1 orange, peeled & quartered
16 oz. frozen strawberries, thawed
3 c. sugar
3 oz. liquid pectin
5 half pint jars (ready to fill)
Coarsely grind cranberries and orange sections in a food processor. Spoon into a heavy saucepan, add strawberries and sugar. Bring mixture to a full boil, stirring for one min. Remove from heat and stir in pectin, skim off foam. Pour into prepared jars and process for 10 min. Makes 5- 1/2 pints

     Get creative with the jars too, make them merry and bright!  This jam is so good and who ever receives a jar will be jolly! Now, onto the pie, who doesn't love pie? We love pie in our family and this one is a tasty tradition, been making it for decades

Christmas Pie

Pastry for 2 crust pie
3 c. fresh cranberries
2 Tbsp. flour
2. c. sugar
2/3 c. water
1 c. raisins
2 tsp. grated lemon peel
2 Tbsp. butter
Remove stems from cranberries and wash well. Combine flour and sugar to a saucepan. Stir in cranberries, water, raisins and lemon peel. Cover and cook till cranberries start to pop. Remove from heat and add butter. Cool to lukewarm. Pour filling into prepared pie shell and top with top crust. Bake in a 425 oven for 40-50 min. or till juices start to bubble or crust turns brown. Cool. 

      Have you ever iced a pie? This works best with apple pie but any two crust pie will do, cream cheese frosting tastes the best too, just spread a thin layer on top of a warm pie and allow to stand till frosting sets a little. Just make sure your pie isn't too warm. I tried this for fun many years ago on a apple pie, it was the best pie I ever made and now a favorite of mine! Enjoy! 

      

Crafty Christmas

            The buzz around blogland is that this Christmas more and more of us are making homemade, handmade and heartmade gifts, and I am one of those who are going simple and sweet! By sweet, I mean home baked goodies of course! One of my favorite sources for such treats is Tip Junkie. I am in love with their pie in a jar gifts, they are so cute and sweet! A wonderful blog sister took this general idea a step further and created a birthday cake for Jesus in a jar, check out Lea's post. What a special treat for our Sunday School class, thanks again Lea for sharing this wonderful idea! You can also check out Tip Junkie for all kinds of jar gifts, they even have a wide selection of labels you can print from home to decorate your jar gifts, double sweet!
     Aprons are consuming my craft room right now, trying to stock my Etsy shop with some Christmas spirit! I also want to make some framed art and more mug rugs. Today is perfect for holding up in my special space and create, it's raining, cloudy and temps. will be dropping this afternoon, so I've got a pot of ham and beans on, baking bread and muffins later and getting crafty for Christmas, how about you?

Christmas Aprons

          For those of you who joined my Christmas Apron swap, you should of received yours by now or soon. I had 2 partners so no one would be left out, which is always fine with me, just look at my 2 very pretty Christmas aprons, I love them!  Katmom made the red and white  pointsetti beauty complete with yo-yo's! Note to self: must learn how to make yo-yo's! This apron matches my kitchen so well, I may be able to get away with it out year round? LOL  Thank you Katmom, it's perfect!
     The red and green apron was made my Missy Shay who used a vintage pattern with modern fabric and captured my heart with the green gingerbread print! Someone was paying attention! lol  Tuckins were sweet and simple, it's the aprons I wanted to show off! Thank you Missy, it's perfect!
    Many thanks to all who joined and I hope you love your new Christmas apron as much as I love mine! Please post about yours or send me a shot. And mark your calendars, the next apron swap will be for Valentines Day, sweet as it should be! Speaking of sweets, I had 2 comments posted about gingerbread cookies, just do a search for a recipes but I like Betty Crocker's recipe, you just can't go wrong with Betty!

Tasty Tuesday

              One of my favorite things about this time of the year is, all the sweet smells coming from my kitchen!
I'm a big fan of gingerbread ANYTHING, from the edibles to my ginger collection, I love gingerbread! So, I had to find a way to add it to my muffin mission and this gingerbread muffin recipe is the answer, tote-able gingerbread!

Gingerbread Muffins

1 c. oil
1 c. sugar
1 c. molasses
3 eggs
1 c. buttermilk
3 c. all purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 t. ginger
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
Preheat oven to 350. Beat oil and sugar till creamy. Add molasses, beat till blended, add eggs and buttermilk and blend again. Combine flour, b. soda, salt and spices Add to buttermilk mixture and beat well. Spoon into greased or paper lined cups and bake for 22-25 min. to till done.  Remove, cool and enjoy! Makes about 2 1/2 dozen

Nothing could be finer than a warm gingerbread muffin split in half with a spoon of lemon curd spread all about, and a cup of coffee for the other hand! I love this time of the year, so do my hips! Enjoy!

National Cookie Day

              In case it slipped by you, today is National Cookie Day, and if you ever needed a excuse to bake, here it is! As most of you know, I bake muffins for our Sunday school class, it's my muffin mission, as some call it so I usually bake on Saturdays, so I'll be adding cookies to my list this afternoon, in honor of this special day, of course! One of our favorites here is molasses cookies, soft and chewy and full of spice! This recipe is the only one I've found, so far, that stays soft, so it's a keeper!

Molasses Cookies
2 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. each cinnamon, ginger and cloves
1/2 c. unsalted butter, room temp.
1 c. dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp. oil
1/3 c. molasses
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
In a large bowl whisk flour, b. soda and spices. In another bowl, using a mixer, beat butter and sugar will light and fluffy. Add oil, molasses, egg and vanilla. Beat in flour mixture. Cover and chill for about 2 hr Preheat oven to 375. Roll dough into balls then roll in white sugar, flatten with fork and bake for about 10-12 min.

These can be frosted, if so, leave off the rolling in sugar step. And a tip about working with molasses, grease the measuring cup with oil before the molasses and it will pour out easy pleasly!  So, mark your calendar, bake a batch or two and just enjoy the day with all the sweetness it has to offer!

Tis the Season.....

             I'm finally caught up and it feels good! It's taken me 5 days to get the house back to normal after Thanksgiving, taking down the fall decorations, adding a new hutch to the mix, and decorating for Christmas! The black hutch that was in the dining room got moved to the kitchen to make room for a new hutch, a monster of a hutch too, takes up the whole wall almost  but gives me alot more storage, in both rooms now so that is a plus. The library is my ginger room for the holidays, my 6 foot alpine tree is adorned in gingerbread boys and girls, anything ginger really! Some have even spilled into the kitchen, where I hope to put them all one day! From my baking corner to my little retro tree, my kitchen is ready for all the holiday baking I have planned! Now, I can get back to sewing, after a much needed coffee break! Happy December!