Christmas Baking 2019

Every year I say I'm not going to go to all the time and expense to do all the Christmas baking. The cost of ingredients has really skyrocketed but I seem to enjoy it so much (both the baking and the eating) so I guess I'll keep doing it until I don't.

Baking 2019
Traditional Shortbread
Whipped Shortbread
Almond cookies
Mini Chip Shortbread
Peanut Butter Blossoms
Peanut Butter Balls
Peanut Butter Marshmallow Squares
Chocolate Marshmallow Squares
Hot Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies
Cadbury Caramilk Cookies
Nainamo Bars
Chipit Cherry Jewel Bars
Cherry Shortbread Squares
M and M cookies

This year I got together with my cousin and her boys as is our annual tradition and our family friend and her daughter joined us. We made 3 types of cookies. It was a fun afternoon.

My friend Keri and I got together and had a mini exchange. We were exchanging 3 types but she wanted peanut brittle as one of my selections so I was happy to oblige. I made a lot of Peanut Brittle also.

I also make my old favourites and I always try to make at least one new type. This year it was the Hot Cocoa cookies and they were really good.

So we will see what next year brings. Maybe I'll continue the baking or maybe not. I'll put my money on YES!

KISSES Hot Cocoa Cookies

It's been so long since I logged onto the Blog, I almost forgot my password. There always seems to be something more pressing to do than sitting down and typing out a post. I DO know there are still a few people that like to look up recipes, myself being one of them so I'm going to keep putting out my hopefully more frequent posts.

I was scrolling through Instagram(another time waster) and spotted this recipe. Every year I do a lot of Christmas baking and I always like to try a new recipe or two. Well I had a helper coming over to hang out for the day (Thanks Kate) and since this recipe involved a few more steps, it was the perfect time to try it.

Hot Cocoa Cookies

3/4 cup cocoa
1 cup chocolate chips
36 Kisses (approx)
18 marshmallows
1 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Cut each marshmallow in half. Set aside. Take wrappers off Kisses. Preheat oven to 350F

Beat butter and sugars,add eggs and vanilla, then dry ingredients. Chill dough.(They suggested 10 min in Freezer but I would chill it longer in fridge)
Roll dough into balls about an inch and a half. Flatten slightly.
Bake 6-7 min: top with marshmallow half and bake an additional 3-4 min( I didn't think the marshmallow was cooking so I went with 4 but I think I would bake slightly less next time)
Remove from oven. Cool one minute and top with KISS.
Allow cookies to cool completely.

These cookies were delicious! and the dough even better!  They are a soft cookie and the topping was yummy. A great addition to your cookie tray

July Swap Card

Whaat? How did I fall so far behind? Life is busy. We did swap these cards awhile ago but I won't lie we are not keeping up (or I should say I am not!)
Keri used the Stampin Up set, I believe is called Cocktail hour to make this gold on gold birthday card...

This might be the set she used. LOL....

But I could be wrong.

I did a cute Fall card using one of my MFT Pure Innocence sets...

I just love paper piecing. Then all your patterned paper coordinates.
This is the set that I used. Its called Sending Blessings.

I'm hoping to visit the My Favourite Things store when I'm back in Florida. It's always a fun roadtrip.

Lemon Zucchini Bread

I can't believe we are heading into the last weekend of the summer. My little blog has been sadly neglected. It's just been too nice to spend time sitting on a computer. I haven't touched my scrapping stuff for 2 months other then to attend a couple Planner classes which I promptly put on the back burner uncompleted. Oh well, Fall is coming and I've set aside a few dates to get going again on some of my hobbies.
I DID make time to try a couple new recipes and this one is a winner!
My garden has reached the end of the zucchini harvest but I'll be buying a few more and grating some to freeze so I can make this delicious bread all winter.

I did make it in a couple different size loaf pans. An 8x4 and a long narrow, single layer lasagne pan which I found made it a little drier. I need to get a second 8x4 pan as I think that's the ideal size or use my ceramic mini loaf ones.

Lemon Zucchini Bread

3 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 cups white sugar

Zest of 2 large lemons

3 large eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

2 cups grated zucchini (squeezed out if its really moist)

Glaze

2 cups icing sugar

3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1.      Preheat oven to 325F, prepare 2 8x4 loaf pans. Set aside.

2.      In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.

3.      In a medium bowl combine sugar and lemon rind

4.      Add to wet ingredients, whisk until smooth. Stir into dry ingredients. Batter will be thick.

5.      Stir in the zucchini and divide evenly into pans.

6.      Bake 60 to 65 minutes

7.       Right after it comes out of the oven you can add glaze. ( I forgot )

June Swap Card

How can I just be posting the June Swap card now? Well, I'll tell you how it goes, something like this.
Step 1 - Keri and I get together to swap cards (usually we're a bit late but not terrible)
Step 2 - I take the cards home and promptly lose them somewhere in a pile
Step 3 - Locate the Swap Card
Step 4 - Take a photo of the Swap cards
Step 5 - Transfer the photos to the computer
Step 6 - Try to remember the brands used and search for an image online
Step 7 - Do a Blog Post
So you see it is rather a lengthy process but without further ADO: the June Swap card....

I'll start with me. I like using the Pure Innocence stamp sets. They are reasonably priced and seem to fit a lot of themes. One can always use a birthday card so here's mine...

The little dress is paper pieced and there is some sparkly frosting happening. This is the set used. It is called Happy Cake Day from My Favourite Things.

Keri used a Dog set from Taylored Expressions which I may just have to borrow. I believe she used Lawn Fawn Spring Fling paper...

This is the set that she used...

Keri colours her images with Prisma pencil crayons. So there you have it, another monthly card posted. Now I have 3 days to come up with a card for July.

Memories

I've been doing some cleaning and purging lately. I'll confess, I'm not really bad at having a lot of stuff around (except my office and scrapping room) but I'm pretty sentimental in a few ways. I came across these vases that held plant arrangements on our birthdays many years ago. They were given as gifts at the hospital. By my Dad? I'm not sure anymore.  My brother (1958) and myself (1959). Can you believe my Mom kept these and then myself all these years????

I cleaned them up and do you know what? I'm NOT going to get rid of them. I'm going to put them somewhere where I can see them occasionally and be reminded of a very special Mom who treasured her kids and wanted to keep these momentoes.

Oatmeal Date Sandwiches

Thin Oat Cookies
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup milk
2 cup quick oats

Cream shortening and butter. Add sugar and vanilla. Add milk and oats.
Add dry ingredients. Chill dough thoroughly. At least 2 hours or overnight.

Roll and bake at 400F for 8 to 10 min until light brown around edges. (I roll pretty thin, maybe 1/4 inch)

Date Filling
1 cup chopped dates
4 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp lemon juice

Combine and cook over low heat until the consistency of jam. Remove from heat and cool. Assemble cookies.
* I double this for one recipe of cookies

EXTRA- These were my Dad's favourite cookies. We didn't make them as often as other types because they are labour intensive and I think that's what made them even more special. They're worth the work though.