Monthly Archives: December 2016

blog, casserole, Food, recipe

Turkey Shepherd’s Pie

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An excellent recipe for using up cooked turkey and gravy over the holidays.  Creamy potatoes mix with sharp cheese and flavorful turkey in this pie.

Ingredients

2 cups chopped cooked turkey

turkey-shepherds-pie
Use your favorite vegetables in the recipe

1 cup sliced carrots

1 diced onion

1 cup sliced mushrooms

2 cups turkey or chicken gravy

1 tsp sage

2 cups mashed potatoes Continue reading Turkey Shepherd’s Pie →

baking, christmas baking, dessert, New Year's Baking, recipe, vegetarian, vegetarian baking

Easy Trifle

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Make this recipe in a clear bowl so that you can see the layers. The jam and gelatin powder can be adjusted to your favourite flavors.

Ingredients

1 box of French Vanilla cake mix

easy trifle

2 boxes raspberry jello powder

1 jar raspberry jam

1 can custard powder

whipped cream

1 tbsp sugar

DIRECTIONS

Mix cake mix according to instructions on the box.  Bake in a parchment lined rectangular pan according to manufacturer’s instructions. Remove from oven and cool before proceeding with recipe.

Continue reading Easy Trifle →
baking, christmas baking, cookies, dessert, easter baking, halloween baking, New Year's Baking, recipe, Snack, thanksgiving baking, valentine baking, vegetarian, vegetarian baking

Double Cookies

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Double cookies are a patterned sugar cookie.  Colour each portion of  the dough with your favourite colour.  They can also be coloured for the season; red for Christmas, orange for Halloween or pink for Easter.

Be creative with the design.  Use stars, hearts, or triangles for simple patterns.

Ingredients

1 cup butter

ook

1/2 cup sugar

4 egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

3 tsp cinnamon

liquid food colouring

Continue reading Double Cookies →
baking, pastries, recipe, vegetarian, vegetarian baking

Cranberry Tarts

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Tart and tangy these mini cranberry tarts are perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas.  The tarts make a colourful addition to any party platter.

Ingredients

Pastry

cranberry tarts

3 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 lb vegetable shortening

1 egg

milk

Mix flour, salt and vegetable shortening until crumbly.  To a measuring cup add 1 egg and enough milk to make 1/2 cup.  Pour wet mixture into flour mixture and combine.  Chill for at least an hour.

Cranberry Mixture

3/4 cup cranberries

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tbsp flour

Continue reading Cranberry Tarts →
baking, squares, vegetarian, vegetarian baking

Jam Sunflower Squares

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Jam sunflower squares are ooey and gooey, and are popular with chocolate lovers. You can use your favourite jelly or jam for the second layer.  I prefer raspberry as it goes well with the chocolate.

Serve this dessert plated with a fork and tea.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups flour

jam sunflower squares

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup shelled sunflower seeds (unsalted)

1 beaten egg

1 cup cold butter

jam (your favourite flavor)

chocolate chips

Continue reading Jam Sunflower Squares →
blog, christmas, Helpful Hints

Christmas Helpful Hints

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  • helpfulhints12-14-2016
    Christmas Helpful Hints

    Never leave an open flame unattended, especially near a Christmas tree.  Many fires are caused over the season from candles.

  • Wrap presents in colorful comic strips, sheet music or wallpaper that you have around the house.  Decorate with bows , baubles or greenery.
  • Have a scavenger hunt for small trinkets to keep children busy while you are preparing the meal.  They’ll have fun and you’ll have more time to prepare the turkey.
  • Prepare as much of the food as you can ahead of time.  Even better delegate specific dishes to family members who are coming to visit.  Everyone will have more time to visit.
  • Keep plenty of batteries on hand for gifts that unexpectedly need batteries or for cameras.  You don’t want to be without your camera to record the fun.
  • If you must drink invite guests to stay over for the night or alternatively take a taxi home.
  • Make a garland from snapshots of your children from the past year and hang above the fireplace.  Alternatively,  children’s artwork can be cut in snowflakes, trees or snowman and strung in a garland as well.  It’s a fun way to keep your children’s treasures without having to store reams of paper.
blog, Food, Helpful Hints

Helpful Hints

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helpfulhints12-7-2016
Helpful Hints

  • Store marshmallows in the freezer to keep them from going dry.
  • Dip scissors in hot water when cutting marshmallows or sticky candy.
  • Keep nuts in the freezer to keep them from going rancid.
  • Store peanut butter upside down to allow the natural oils to combine with the peanut mixture.
  • When doubling recipes always use the original amount of salt.
  • Coat your measuring cup with oil before measuring out sticky liquids like molasses or honey.
  • Spray beaters with vegetable oil before using.
  • Roll dried fruit in a light coating of flour to prevent it from sinking to the bottom of batters.
  • Sprinkle your cake plate with sugar to prevent the cake from sticking to the pan when serving.
  • Place a slice of apple on your cake plate to keep your cake fresh longer.
baking, chocolate, christmas baking, cookies, dessert, New Year's Baking, recipe, Snack, vegetarian, vegetarian baking

Chocolate Peanut Butter Clusters

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This no-bake cookie has the classic flavors of chocolate and peanut butter.  You only need one of these cookies to satisfy your sweet tooth as the cookies are delightfully sweet.  Enjoy with your favourite tea.

Ingredients

1/2 cup brown sugar

Chocolate Peanut Butter Clusters1/2 cup corn syrup

1 cup creamy peanut butter

3 cups corn cereal (The flaked kind)

5 squares of baking chocolate melted (I like dark chocolate)

DIRECTIONS

Continue reading Chocolate Peanut Butter Clusters →

baking, christmas baking, cookies, dessert, New Year's Baking, recipe, Snack, vegetarian, vegetarian baking

Cranberry White Chocolate Shortbread

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Christmas is the one time of year that my family baked different kinds of cookies for guests.  Times have changed and we no longer need the selection of sweets we used to but I find myself still baking some of my holiday favourites.

The cranberry white chocolate shortbread recipe is my favourite cookie.  The tangy cranberries, aromatic almonds and white chocolate create a sumptuous cookie. 

I’ve tried replacing the white chocolate in this recipe with milk chocolate but the recipe is not the same.   If you absolutely hate white chocolate replace it with dark chocolate.  The bitter chocolate pares well with the cranberries.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup butter

1 cup icing sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups dried cranberries

1 cup sliced almonds

white chocolate

Continue reading Cranberry White Chocolate Shortbread →