Monday, April 16, 2012

Sunday Morning Scones!!!

Good Monday Morning Friends....I know I promised some of you that I would post this recipe yesterday....but I got a little busy...Sorry!!!  :)

These scones are one of our favorite Sunday morning snacks...I added cranberries, almonds and orange zest to the recipe...but in the past I've added raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and even chocolate chips to them!!! This isn't a terribly sweet dough so you could even do a savory version...I'm thinking garlic and rosemary...Hmmmm...might have to give that one a try......anywho.....here's the recipe:


Basic Scone Recipe

4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tblsp. baking powder
2 tsp. salt
3/4 lb. COLD butter, cut into pieces
4 extra large eggs, beaten slightly
1 cup heavy cream, COLD  (you could use milk, if you don't have cream if works fine)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a bowl or an electric mixer, with a paddle attachment, mix flour, baking powder and salt.

Add cold butter and mix on low speed until butter is pea sized.

In a small bowl slightly beat eggs and add the milk to the bowl, with mixer on low speed, slowly add to the flour mixture until blended together...dough will be sticky.  This is where you want to add your additional ingredients.  I added 1 pkg dried cranberries, the zest from 2 oranges and 1 1/2 cups of sliced almonds. Continue to mix until ingredients are combined.

NOTE:  if adding fresh berries, stir by hand...the mixer will crush the berries

Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead into a ball.....flour your rolling pin and roll the dough to 3/4 inch thickness. 


Make sure your surface is floured very well to avoid sticking.  Using a 3 inch round biscuit cutter (or any shape cutter you may have) cut out the scones and place on a baking pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray or covered with parchment paper.

Brush each scone with egg wash (1 egg beaten with a little milk) and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 20-25 minutes...until top is golden brown.

Remove to cooling rack.

For the glaze I used:

Confectioners Sugar
the juice of the 2 oranges I used for the zest

I don't measure my ingredients for the glaze...I just eyeball it!!!




I hope you'll give them a try...I'm sure your family will love them too!!!  Hope you all have a glorious day!!



'Til Next Time....



Enjoy!!!




linking to: 








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Thursday, April 12, 2012

OH MY....I am SOOO Honored!!!

Hi Everybody....Just wanted to pop in and let you know that one of my projects has been featured over From My Front Porch to Yours.......Pamela featured my French Inspired Lazy Susan...




Thank You, Pamela...I am honored!!!

Please stop over and check out her site...she's got some great ideas!!!



I'm hoping to be back tomorrow to let you know what I've been working on....not one of my most fun projects...but it needed to be done!!!

'Til Next Time...



Enjoy!!!

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Monday, April 9, 2012

Bringing Back an Easter Tradition

Hi Everyone.....I hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend!!!  I know we did, even though 2 of our daughters couldn't be here with us, between being away at school or working, it's getting harder for all of us to be together, but I'm sure it's something I will eventually get used to...after all, do I have a choice?!?!.... I didn't think so!!!

Maybe it was this melancholy feeling that made me want to bring back an Easter tradition that I grew up with....when we were young my Mom always made an Italian Easter Cookie called Pupa Cu L'Ova...I'm sure some of you have heard of them or even made them yourselves, but it's something I had never attempted...until this year!!! 

My Mom always made them look so beautiful.....I'm not sure mine are as pretty, but my family & friends loved them and the memories that came flooding back as I was rolling out the dough and decorating them were so special!!!  I can only hope that some day my girls will carry on this tradition!!!  :)



BISCOTTI - PUPA CU L'OVA
4 cups flour
6 teaspoons baking powder
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup of milk
1 teaspoon anise or vanilla
about 1 teaspoon anise seed (optional) if using anise seed
hard boiled eggs


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine flour and baking powder; set aside.

Mix together softened butter and sugar; add 2 eggs. Combine flour mixture with butter-egg-sugar mixture. Add milk, anise extract, and anise seed (if using). After mixing, let rest for about 15 minutes.

Knead on lightly floured surface.

Here is where you use your imagination. It's supposed to look like a bird's nest: Make a base (about 4-5-inches in diameter each) and place a hard boiled egg in the center. I use scissors and make slits around the base. Add a small piece of cookie dough on top of the egg. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet.

Bake for 10 - 14 minutes, depending on the thickness of your cookie dough. Do not over-bake (they are not supposed to be brown). Remove from oven and cool.

Make an icing with confectioner's sugar and milk (or water). Divide and add pretty pastel food coloring. Drizzle over cookie (top of egg) and base of cookie (nest). Sometimes I sprinkle some little colored candies over icing.


ICING
Mix together:

Confectioner's sugar and milk (or water)
food coloring
little colored candies (optional)


This is what they look like before the icing:


This recipe can also be used to make the cookies shown in the lower right hand corner....which is probably what I'll be doing next!!!


Before I go, I just wanted to share the beautiful flowers that Daughter #3 gave me
when she came home from work....


My girls know what makes me happy!!!


 
'Til Next Time......



Enjoy!!!!



 linking to:                                     http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com
http://cozyhomescenes.blogspot.com
http://frommyfrontporchtoyours.blogspot.com
http://atthepicketfence.com
http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com
http://designsbygollum.blogspot.com
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Friday, April 6, 2012

Happy Easter Weekend!!!

Hello Friends....I wanted to take this chance to wish you the Happiest and Most Blessed Easter weekend!!  The next couple of days will be very busy for our family...tomorrow we will spend the day coloring eggs and getting everything ready for Easter dinner...and Sunday, of course, we will start the day in search of Easter baskets and attend Easter Sunday Church services....then it will be home for our traditional Easter dinner!!! 


So, I hope this Blessed day finds you happy and healthy!!!


I'll be back on Monday to share some of the yummy recipes I made...I guess I better get cooking!!!



'Til Next Time......




Enjoy!!!

linking to:  http://impartinggrace.com 
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Monday, April 2, 2012

Easiest Bread Recipe....EVER!!!

Happy Monday Everybody......Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!!!  I just wanted to quickly share something I came across on Pinterest (the pin linked back to http://simplysogood.blogspot.com) !!

I'm trying to actually make some of the things I find on Pinterest so I can justify all the time I spend there!!!  LOL

For years I have shyed away from making homemade bread....you have to understand my Momma was Italian and made some of the best bread I've ever eaten!!!  We would come home from school and she would have fresh bread waiting for us....AMAZING!!!

So, when I saw the pic of this bread, I thought maybe it was time to give it a shot!!!

SO..GLAD..I..DID!!!.......Isn't she pretty!!!!


Click on the pictures to get a better view

Now keep in mind this bread is not baked in your standard bread pan...it's baked in a Dutch oven, so it's very rustic looking....just like the one's you see in those European style bakeries!!! YAY!!!


Crusty Rustic Bread

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. yeast


Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl


Add: 1 1/2 cups water


Stir together until combined

Cover with plastic wrap and let set for 12 to 18 hours on the countertop...DO NOT REFRIGERATE!!!
I started mine in the evening and let it set overnight...it worked out well for me!!!

After 12 hours the dough will look kind of sticky...


Preheat your oven to 450 degrees
Place your EMPTY Dutch oven with cover in preheated oven for 30 minutes.  While your pan is heating in the oven, turn the dough out onto a well floured cotton towel and cover with plastic wrap....let sit for the 30 min. that the pan is in the oven


When the pan comes out of the oven transfer the dough to the Dutch oven carefully, cover and bake for 30 minutes covered.....after 30 min. remove the cover and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Here it is...hot out of the oven!!!
It is definitely the easiest bread recipe.....
I hope you'll give it a try!!!
'Til Next Time...
Enjoy!!!
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Friday, March 30, 2012

Problem Solved...I hope!!!

The last couple of days we've been experiencing some "technical difficulties" with our internet....well, after several phone calls to our ISP and many hours of aggravation and frustration, I'm hoping that the problem has been solved.  It seems there was a problem with our modem, so my wonderful husband made the trip to our ISP office and picked up a new one and came home and installed it...so far, so good!!!!  YAY!!!

I took advantage of my time "off-line" to cook and bake up some yummy recipes....hope you like them as much as we did!!!

First up is Pulled BBQ Chicken sandwiches.....SUPER easy and  VERY yummy!!!  I served it on toasted kaiser rolls with french fries and homemade cole slaw!!!




Pulled BBQ Chicken

1 2 lb. rotisserie chicken
 (you could roast your own, but why bother when so many grocery stores offer them already roasted)

1 Bottle BBQ Sauce
(your favorite homemade or bottled...I used our favorite bottled)

Preheat a skillet and add enough olive oil to thinly cover the bottom of the pan.  Take the chicken off the bone and shred.  Place in the heated skillet and saute just until warmed through.

Using your favorite recipe for BBQ sauce or your favorite bottled sauce, add enough to the skillet to completely cover the chicken and cook until heated through.  Serve on kaiser rolls or hambuger rolls.

See I told you it was EASY!!!


Cole Slaw

4 cups shredded green or red cabbage
1 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion

Shred cabbage, carrot and onion into large bowl...set aside

Dressing

1 cup mayonnaise or salady dressing
1 Tblsp. vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. celery seed
1/2 tsp. salt

Add all ingredients to meduim bowl and mix together well.  Add to the cabbage mixture and stir thoroughly.

Regrigerate until chilled through....usually at least 1 hour!!!

and for dessert....Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie.....another SUPER easy recipe (do you see a pattern here???).....served with vanilla ice cream and drizzled with chocolate syrup....does it get any better than that?!?!?!



Skillet Baked Chocolate Chip Cookie


2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (about 9 ounces) semisweet-chocolate chips
                                     
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

 In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla; mix until they are fully incorporated. Add flour mixture, and beat until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Transfer dough to a 10-inch ovenproof skillet, and press to flatten, covering bottom of pan. Bake until edges are brown and top is golden, 40 to 45 minutes. Don't overbake; it will continue to cook a few minutes out of the oven. Transfer to a wire rack to cool, 15 to 20 minutes. Cut into 8 wedges. Serve warm; top each wedge with a scoop of ice cream and drizzle with chocolate syrup. 



We've got another BUSY weekend ahead of us!!!!!  Any big plans for you???  Whatever you have planned....Have Fun!!!



'Til Next Time...

Enjoy!!!

linking to: http://stonegable.blogspot.com

linking to:  http://atthepicketfence.com 
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Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Projects: Past, Present & Future

Hi Everybody....I spent some time the other day going through some older photos on my Kodak easy share and came across some of the projects that  I've gotten done.  Some of them are from a couple of years ago, but I thought I'd share them with you anyway....

This is my pot rack...I had wanted one for a very long time but couldn't find one I really liked, or could afford, so I decided to make one myself...it's just a very simple rack and one of these days I'll get around to spray painting the chains black...

...the bar stools I painted...

I made this pillow out of painters dropcloth fabric and stenciled on the pattern...
and more recently
 I had some pretty orange fabric that I planned on using to make a valance for my kitchen window.....
   nothing special, a couple of hems and seams, but it certainly did add a punch of color where it  was    needed!!!


and remember the cute little vanity chair that was begging for some new fabric on it seat....
...here she is right where she belongs...


Well...there's a few things done...now on to making the list of upcoming projects....flower beds, painting the porch swing, expanding the patio, etc., etc....oh yeah, I still have the hall cupboard to finish...but more on that later!!!


'Til Next Time...

Enjoy!!!
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