A few of my favorite things

Today is Monday, December 14, the temperature has warmed up to a -2* and the snowfall from last night is beautiful. A perfect day to stay home and make bread, (using Lillian Nehring's receipe) and listen to Christmas carols. Josh Groban's CD, NOEL is wonderful. His "O Come All Ye Faithful" with the Mormon Tabernacle choir reminds you of what Christmas is all about. Andrea Bocelli's MY CHRISTMAS is a treat to listen to. "The Lord's Prayer" with the Mormon Tabernacle choir is included along with a great song featuring Mary J. Blige, "What Child is This?" Beautiful music can help bring the "Spirit of Christmas" into your home.

There is a good Christmas article in the Parade section of the Sunday Billings Gazette. It is entitled "Why We Should Believe in Santa Claus" by Alexander McCall Smith. He is the author of the "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" series. Which is a great read by the way. You can check out the audio tapes from the Billings Library and listen to them too. Anyway... the author talks about when he first said that he didn't believe in Santa Claus and how he now, of course, believes that there is a Santa Claus.
Part of the magic of Christmas is Santa Claus. Young or old, believer or non-believer. "Santa Claus stands for kindness and generosity." If you didn't read the Parade article I'm sure it is on the internet.

Another good website that you might want to check out is SugarDoodle.net. It has lots of Christmas ideas and stories you might enjoy.

Pick your Poison

I thought I'd share two brownie recipes. The first is BYU Mint Brownies. I found this recipe years ago on line at BYU/Magazine. It is very good. The second is a recipe I haven't tried yet but would like to, my problem is I need a crowd to help share the calories. I found it in the BYU magazine, summer 2007. Its called Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Fudge Brownies. It is by Erin Renouf Mylroie (BA '95). There is an article about her in the magazine. Many of her recipes are national prize winners. She has won a trip to Disney World and appeared on the Rachael Ray television show. Her recipe seems simple enough and worth a try.

BYU Mint Brownies

Makes one 9x13 pan of brownies

1 C butter

1/2 C cocoa

2 Tbsp. honey

4eggs

2 C sugar

1 3/4 C flour

1/2 Tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 C chopped walnuts

12 oz. chocolate icing

Mint Icing

5 Tbsp. butter

dash of salt

3 Tbsp. milk

1 Tbsp. light corn syrup

2 1/3 C. powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. mint extract

1-2 drops green food coloring

1. Melt butter and mix in cocoa. Allow to cool. Add honey, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Add nuts. Pour batter into a greased 9x13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool.

2. Prepare mint icing: Soften butter. Add salt, corn syrup, and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Add mint extract and food coloring. Mix. Add milk gradually until the consistency is a little thinner than cake frosting.

3. Spread mint icing over brownie3s. Place brownies in the freezer for a short time to stiffen the icing. Remove from the freezer and carefully add a layer of chocolate icing.

Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Fudge Brownies

by Erin Renouf Mylroie

3/4 cup butter

4 ounces good quality unsweetened chocolate (she uses Baker's in the orange box.)

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 cups flour, plus 2 tablespoons flour, divided

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large microwaveable bowl, combine butter and chocolate. Melt butter and chocolate in mictrowave on high at 1-minute intervals, stirring in between. Do not let mixture sizzle. When mixture is completely melted and smooth, immediately stir in sugar; continue stirring until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla and buttermilk. Add 1 1/2 cups flour.

3. Toss chocolate chips with remaining 2 tablespoons flour in a small bowl; add to batter.

4. Pour into greased 9x13 baking dish and bake for 28-33 minutes, or until toothpicki inserted into center has just a few fudgy crumbs. Let cool for 30 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar.

Christmas Day Dessert

In our family it is not Thanksgiving without Chocolate Pie and not Christmas without Orange Slices and Gingerbread Cake. This Gingerbread recipe is from the Lion House Recipes cookbook. So easy and the favorite of children and adults alike.

GINGERBREAD

1/2 C sugar

1 cube butter (1/2 C)

1 egg, well beaten

1 C molasses

1/2 tsp salt

2 1/2 C flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp powdered cloves

1 C very hot water

bananas

Whipped cream

Cream sugar and butter well. Add egg and molasses. Beat well. Sift dry ingredients together and add to creamed mixture. Add hot water and beat until smooth (batter will be very thin). Pour into a well-greased 9x13 inch pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes, or until cake tests done. Mine never takes 40 minutes, check it early. Serve warm or cold with sliced bananas and whipped cream.

Beaded Socks

Years ago in Billings 2nd ward, I know that dates me, Deanne Hansen showed us how to make beaded socks. I made them for babies and then made a few with red and green beads and hung them on my Christmas tree. They are super easy, just follow the instructions. My only concern with these is maybe a baby could chew a bead off and swallow it! Always make them for a child that is past the putting things in their mouth stage or a baby that is too young to figure out how to get their feet in their mouth! I got these instructions from marloscrochetcorner.com. I used cheap plastic beads but there are so many cool beads to use now. But remember you are going to wash these so don't go crazy with the beads!...unless they are hanging on a Christmas Tree!

Beaded Socks

Materials Needed: 80-90 beads any type are fine, several yards size 10 thread, size 6 steel hook.

Directions:

Note: You may want to add 5 more beads to the thread in case your spacing and size of sock is different than mine. Work between ribbings on the top of the sock.

Turn the sock inside out, thread 40 beads on the thread, attach yarn to the back of the sock with a slip stitch, (chain 4, pull one bead close to the hook and chain 1 to lock the bead in place, chain 4, slip stitch back into the sock into the next groove in the ribbing) continue this around until you have reached the beginning. Fasten off, tie the beginning and ending thread together about 5 times and weave in your end.

Christmas Ideas

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. We've had beautiful weather for the longest time but with the snow fall this week it's time to get serious about gifts, decorating and food. I thought I'd share a simple but cute fleece pillow pattern. I made this pillow years ago at a sewing class. It would be a great project for children and teens to make as a Christmas Gift.

No-Sew Fringe Pillows

1. Decide what size pillow you'd like to make.

2. Cut 2 pieces of fleece the size of the pillow PLUS 9 inches (both ways).

Lay layers on top of one another with the right sides out.

3. Cut away the corners and cut fringe all the way around the pillow.

Make the cuts about 4 1/2 inches deep and about 1 inch wide.

4. Tie the top and bottom fringe strands together around 3 sides of the pillow.

5. Insert the pillow form and tie the remaining side closed.

Pecan Pretzels

Here is a great recipe for holiday gatherings. It is fast and takes just a few ingredients.

And it is simple enough for children to help!

You will need mini-pretzels, Rolo candy, and pecan halves.
You will need equal amounts of each ingredient
Place pretzels in a single layer on a cookie sheet
Put one Rolo on each pretzel.

When each pretzel has a Rolo on top, place in oven at 250 degrees and heat for 2-3 minutes

After cooking, the Rolo should still hold its shape, not look melted, but be soft to the touch.
Press a pecan half onto the top of each warm Rolo, flattening out the Rolo.

Let cool before eating (if you can!). Don't eat too many!

Cookie Turkeys

These turkeys are great edible decorations, easy enough

for children to make. You will need:

chocolate cookie wafers

chocolate frosting

gum drops

chocolate chips

red hots or mini M & Ms

candy corn

The grocery store sells these wafers in the cookie section

Cut a piece off the bottom of a cookie with a sharp knife.

Frost one cut cookie and one uncut cookie. Use enough frosting

so that everything sticks together.

Place the cut side of the cookie toward the back of the round cookie and put a gum drop

for the body in front

Stick on a chocolate chip for the head, using frosting. I usually use a semi sweet chip,

today I had butterscotch.

Put a red hot beneath the chocolate chip for the waddle, again using frosting to stick it on.

Add candy corn to the cut, upright cookie for feathers

Let your turkey sit for awhile to firm up the frosting.

Make enough for everyone!