Archive for the ‘GOODrecipes’ Category

So I was playing around in the kitchen, thinking about this month’s “sweet” theme at Paper Craft Planet & though I’d try something different with my Sugar Cookie Recipe.

I’ve seen Roses made from fondant Icing & ones from Paper Spirals. This is a twist from that using my (okay Jill’s) Sugar Cookies, with a bit of Food Colouring & rolled, like you would roll a paper rose. The stick is a bamboo Skewer for support.  (soak the skewer in water a bit)

The only difference between rolling a paper rose & a cookie dough rose is that instead of cutting it in a circle as you would paper, you just roll the dough like a sleeping bag from a strip of dough about 1″x6″ & pinch one end.  Rolling Dough is easier when it’s chilled, so cut it in strips & then roll.  Here they are sitting in the fridge before being baked.  Because they are a bit thicker, they take a little longer to bake than just a flat shape cookie.  I think I put them in for twice as long, actually, but they were on a stone, not an aluminum tray.

I did a handful of these, just to see if it would work.  My this photo is a bit pink … must remember to white balance.

Dress it up a bit so the skewer isn’t showing so much …

Here’s my out-of-focus dd snagging a cookie.  I tried to grab for the camera before it was all gone.  Mental Note:  Must keep camera on auto focus at all times.

So I was surfing and found THIS RECIPE on the Recipe Link, by Micha.

Jello Brain Mold Recipe

6 small or 3 large boxes of watermelon (works best) or peach Jell-o
1 can light or non-fat evaporated milk*
2 1/2 cups boiling water
1 cup cold water
Green food color

Spray inside of the mold with a non-flavored cooking spray (like Pam).

Dissolve Jell-o in 2 1/2 cups of boiling water. Add 1 cup cold water and evaporated milk. Add food color to desired color (about 5 drops). Pour in mold and chill until set.

*Don’t use regular milk in place of the non-fat evaporated milk – it’s won’t be as cloudy and has a tendency to curdle or separate in this type of recipe. Don’t use whole evaporated milk, either, since it may also curdle.

This is what the mold looks like:

We tried using strawberry jello (ran out of peach, so hence the “live brain” colour) & peach jello combined with green & blue (5 drops) of food colouring.

Forgot to spray the pan, but it turned out alright this time:

I don’t eat jello. I like sweets, it’s just not “my thing”. My kids & DH LOVED it … LIVE BRAIN …

Okay, I’m trying ‘new’ halloween recipes this year, for our mini gathering after the kids trick or treat.  I just bring out appetizers & goodies & we meet outside with our neighbours.  Man, I hope the weather is nice.

I saw these MINI candied apples on Nichole Heady’s blog

They looked so cute & Nichole did include a link to where she got the recipe, but I thought I’d just try the Carmel one I have & the kids love, but on these adorable bite size pieces of apple.  What could go wrong?  LOL 

Just making a small batch today, because it’s an experiment.  So less than half of a normal batch.  Caramels & Heavy Cream on the double boiler:

So, making mini apples, hmmmm.

Okay, parchment paper ready, sprayed with Pam (I learned that one the hard way, the first year I made my Candied apple recipe.)

So, I’m spinning this mini apple, but something doesn’t look right … 

The caramel is falling off!  It has no peel to cling to.  I’m not sure what’s going on.  I only know that the coating is very thin.  I have made regular candied apples (with the peels on) for years, no problem.  MAN!

I guess I should have used the butterscotch recipe, that was provided.  Well, the kids ate the apples & the little hardened caramel puddles.  Actually when the solidified, the looked like little graduation hats!  LOL.

Okay, back to what I KNOW works … whole apples & spinning them on the stick.

Lesson learned, stick to what you know.

I was out last night & when I came back there was a bucket of veggies in our front porch.  ”The neighbours dropped by earlier, it’s from their garden.”  We have been blessed with many a wonderful neighbour, since we moved here going on 2 years ago.

Anyways, today was a bit of a do nothing day, as Liam was in a bit of a sour mood & wanted to come home, so after our outing, we came back & I got to work peeling & cutting:

I love fresh garden veggies.  The taste is alive and not G.M. and wow, just flavourful.  Organic veggies are also a bit, well, perfectly non-perfect.  I came across many a 2 legged carrot, so stopped halfway through & went raided my daughter’s barbies:

I cuisinarted up the some of the carrots, and both cabbages.  I must admit, I prefer the consistancy of hand cut coleslaw, but time was of the essence.  I used this Amish ColeSlaw recipe, slightly modified.  Using only 3/4 of the sugar, called for, I still found it sweet.  I should have less than halfed the sugar or less.  I also used 1/2 apple cider vinegar & 1/2 white, because I like the flavour of a.c. vinegar.  Oh, & my son, doesn’t do onions, so took those out too.  Goodness, come to think of it, I only used half of the mix too, because I don’t like it soupy.  So really, I’m not sure how much I followed the recipe.  LOL

What was Liam doing?  Well, he was content to hang about the house & made a fort between the chesterfields: