Peanut Brittle

I have been on a peanut brittle rampage and I'm not done yet but taken a few days off from it. So far, I have made 6 batches.  I made the peanut brittle for one of my mini-quilting groups for an little Christmas gift. I also tied a little Christmas Tree pin (it's lights up) to the package.  It's not hard to make and really takes very little time, the hard part is the clean up to get ready to make another batch.

This bowl is the one I use, heaven forbid, if it ever would break. It's a Corning Ware 1 3/4 qt. bowl. I have tried a couple of other bowls and they just don't work as well for me. I have made my Peanut Brittle in the microwave for many years. I started with my Tappan microwave because a cookbook came with it, with the recipe in it. Now my microwave is a GE Profile-Spacemaker XL1400. It's a higher wattage so I had to tweak my recipe when I changed microwaves. Here is my current recipe if you are interested in it.                               PEANUT BRITTLE
Power Level: 100%       Total Cooking Time: about 16 minutes

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 cup dry roasted peanuts
 (or cashews, I like the smoked Almonds too!)
1 t. vanilla flavoring and 1 t. butter
1 t. baking soda
1. Stir together the sugar, water, and corn syrup in a 2 qt. casserole. Microwave on high (100%) for 11 minutes.
2. Stir in nuts, microwave on high (100%) for 2 minutes.
3. Stir in vanilla and butter. Microwave on high (100%) for another 2 minutes or until hard crack stage is reached. This is when I test it, in ice water.
4. Add baking soda, stir until light and foamy.
5. Pour mixture onto a lightly buttered cookie sheet. Spread to about 1/4 inch thickness.. You have to do this step rather quickly and be careful about spreading it out too much. I don't like to lose all the foamy because that's what makes it easy to eat.  Cool, and break into pieces.

(If you have a lower wattage microwave, this is what the original recipe called for in cooking. In Step 1, cook for 12-14 minutes. Step 2, cook for 4-6 minutes. Step 3, cook for additional 1-2 minutes. As long as you test your candy in Step 3 in ice water and it doesn't stick to your teeth, it should be fine)  Good Luck and let me know how your candy turns out...Sew until next time, I hope you have a Stitches kind of day...

First Time Ever

Do you know what these cute little things are?? I had never even seen one of these that I remember until last week when I spent the day with 2 of my sisters, Judy and Rita. We went to the city and stopped at a very nice quilt shop Heart and Hands Dry Goods Co., and then to the Asia/Mexican grocery store. They had boxes and boxes of Persimmons so we all bought some of them. I only bought 4 and after eating the first one, I wish I had bought 4X more. I have just been peeling and slicing before eating and I love them.  I think they taste kind of like a blend of an apple and a melon..What do you think? Have you ever tried them?  We made a few other stops too but I wanted to tell you that if you are ever in the Sioux City, Iowa area and you like quilt shops, you really don't want to miss Heart and Hands. They have a great variety of gifts among the many, many bolts of fabric, and I want to go back.......hmmm, now I'm off to enjoy my last persimmon, (sad face)  I need to eat slow and relish it!!!. Sew until next time, have a Stitches kind of day.............

Artisan Bread-My First Loaves

I was reading Esther's Blog the other day and she was talking about baking Artisan Bread and how easy and how good it is. I've been making bread since I was in high school but have never tried this method.  It is easy and it is good. I used a 10" cast iron griddle to bake mine on and it really worked fine. The picture shows both loaves on the griddle but I only cooked one loaf at a time on it. I just think it looks so darn pretty. Well, that's it for tonight, just wanted to show you my bread...you should try it.  Check out Esther's blog right here: http://estheraliu.blogspot.com/2012/05/rainy-day-artisan-bread.html  Not only does looking at her bread, make you want to make some but she has some awesome applique patterns..I think her applique is one of the best!!! Sew I hope you had a Stitches kind of day.....see ya soon...

My Tree is Not the Same Old Tree

My tree is not the same old tree that I have year after year..I decided that it was time to have a "themed" tree for once in my lifetime....so in September (believe it or not) I was at Hobby Lobby and they had a very good selection of ornaments and I decided I would have a silver, crystal (plexiglass), and white lights..I anxiously decorated the week after Thanksgiving and it turned out to be really glitzy and totally different for me...I like it but doubt that I will do it again next year, maybe every other year or so.   I feel so bad for all of my old family decorations, I can almost hear them crying and moaning about being left in the boxes..I missed going down memory lane when I put them on the tree. There are some very specials ones that have such memories for me and I really missed that.  I am thinking that I will have to put up another little tree and get some of the old decorations out of the box, just so I don't feel so guilty, my heart aches for them.  Does anyone else ever have weird thoughts like this??  I'm afraid that I am just going to have to do it!! In the meantime here are a few pictures of my 2011 tree, see what you think.  Maybe in a few days, I will be posting another tree with the other ornaments that are so sad, stay tuned!!!!

I think that next year I will have to have a Christmas quilt behind the tree!!!  I really like the dragonflies, they are so neat!!! And the pine cone, the cross, the swan, the bird, the heart and all the rest too!!  Gee, I think I like it better since I took the pictures!!  Well, I best go make another batch of nut brittle..I call it nut brittle because I make batches with dry roasted peanuts, cashews and smoked almonds..whoa, the smoked almond brittle is soooo good. I have made 4 batches so far and about 6 more to go..I will make a few batches every day until I'm finished.  I have GOT to quit eating it!!!!  Sew until next time, I hope you have a Stitches kind of day, fa la la, la la

National Donut Day, is Today!!

When I read today was National Donut Day, it made my mouth water!  I can't even remember the last time I had a fresh, warm glazed donut or a firm, make-my-mouth water cake donut. But I have always been partial to the glazed donut though and if I didn't have to get in my car and drive several miles, I would go to "somewhere" and get a Krispy Kreme or whatever donut, right now! When I was a little (younger) girl, (I don't know if I was ever "little"), a very nice lady, actually she was my step-grandmother, made theeee most wonderful glazed donuts. Can you imagine being right there in the kitchen when she made those wonderful, delicious, circles with a hole in them, heavenly things we call donuts and get to eat one of them while they were still WARM and dripping with the glaze??? OMG, what a wonderful memory!  I don't know whether to cry or salivate! The original Krispy Kreme glazed donut only has 200 calories, I don't really think that is too bad, do you? And when you are craving something so bad, I believe it cuts the calories in half. (that's my belief and I am sticking to it) ..dang, I wish I could have a glazed donut today. :-(   Next time I have the teeniest chance, I am not going to pass up a glazed donut, so if you go by a donut shop today, have one for me, PLEASE!!  Life is just too short when you crave something, you should just eat it until that craving is satisfied, even if it takes a Baker's Dozen!! (I hope I didn't go too far on that one!) Oh, well, thanks for listening to my rant about glazed donuts, I guess I'll go have a piece of toast with jelly, how sad is that?? Sew until next time, I hope you have a "Stitches" kind of day..

Cinnamon Roll Recipe for those who asked!

With or Without

I don't know what was going on with Blogger but they had some major difficulties, I think. I had lost the whole last blog post, it's back but my comments are gone. I treasure those nice comments, dang, I would like to have them back!! A couple of you had asked for the recipe, can't remember exactly who it was, so I will just post it here for anyone who would like to have it. It's rather lengthy so bare with me.
OVERNIGHT CINNAMON/CARAMEL ROLLS
    
2 envelopes active dry yeast (I use Rapid-Rise)
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups milk, scalded
1/3 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 T. baking powder
2 t. salt
1 egg
6 1/2 to 7 1/2 cups all purpose flour ( I use Bread Flour)
1 T. cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, softened
     In large mixer bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water.  Cool milk to lukewarm and stir into yeast along with 1/3 cup sugar, oil, baking powder, salt, egg and 3 cups flour.  Beat for 2 to 3 minutes with electric mixer. Stir in enough remaining flour to make a dough that's easy to handle.  Knead on well- floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.  Place in oiled bowl, turning to grease the top. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.  Meanwhile, prepare two 9"x13" baking pans.  For frosted cinnamon rolls, liberally grease pan.  For caramel rolls, prepare topping (recipe follows) and divide evenly between two pans.  Mix 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon; reserve.  Punch down dough and divide into halves.  Roll one half to a 12"x10" rectangle.  Spread with 2 T. softened butter (or more) and sprinkle with half the cinnamon sugar mixture.  Beginning on the 12" side, roll up dough, pinching edge firmly to seal.  Cut into 12 one-inch slices. Arrange on one prepared pan.  Repeat with remaining dough, butter and cinnamon sugar mixture. Wrap pans with sprayed foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 12 hours, but no longer than 48 hours. (To bake immediately, do not wrap; let rise lightly covered until doubles, about 30 minutes and proceed with baking.)  To bake, remove foil from pans. Bake at 350 degrees until golden, about 20-25 minutes. Immediately invert pan onto baking sheet or heat proof serving plate.  Wait a minute, then remove pan.  Caramel-topped rolls are ready to serve.  For cinnamon rolls (without caramel) prepare glaze and spread on rolls while warm. Makes 24-26 rolls.
     Caramel Topping:  1 cup brown sugar, 3/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup white corn syrup and 1 cup pecan halves. Heat brown sugar and butter until melted. Remove from heat; stir in corn syrup. Divide mixture between two baking pans and sprinkle pecans evenly in each pan.
     Cinnamon Roll Glaze: 2 cup powdered sugar, 2 T milk, 1 t. vanilla or almond flavoring. Mix all ingredients until smooth.  Drizzle or spread over warm cinnamon rolls.    Enjoy!!!

Seven Sisters, Fray Block, Glue Pen & Cinnamon Rolls

This is sort of a weird title for this post but it includes everything that I want to show you.  First, the Seven Sisters Civil War block is shown above. I hand appliqued it and used some 'new to me' products. I used the Ricky Tims' Stable Stuff Poly to make the templates and then I used the glue pen to turn the edges over. Because the star points were so 'pointy' after I had finished appliqueing them, I used some Fray Block on each of the points. I let it dry then I washed the block to get rid of the stiffness from the Stable Stuff. The SS did soften up a lot but it still has quite of bit of body to it. I'm not sure I would use it if I were to hand quilt, especially if I needed to do some quilting within the stars..Since the stars are small, I think it worked fine and would use it again for a project like this.  I did like using the glue pen, small and easy to handle and the glue worked just fine too! Although Elmer's Washable School Glue is very inexpensive and I think it works just as well.  The Fray Block hopefully did the trick to keep the points safe and sound when washing after the quilt is finished. Overall, I was happy with the results of all of the products.

Now, on to the Cinnamon Rolls that I made for a Mother's Day breakfast at my daughter's house. Nothing really special about them, except everyone likes them so being the bread maker in the family, I whipped them up the day before. They are 24 hour rolls, so you can make them up and stick them in the frig, get them out the next day and bake them fresh to eat.  Can you smell the aroma? My house still smelled like cinnamon and bread when I came home after breakfast. Gotta run for now, sew until next time,  have a "Stitches" kind of day...

A Good Mug Rug Morning

Good Morning! It's a good mug rug morning here. Mug Rugs seem to be a very popular item lately and I just received one from Switzerland, along with a yummy Swiss Chocolate candy bar. Both items are very good!! I'm trying to take it easy on the chocolate bar but every time I walk by I can smell it and I just have to have another "little" square of it..so I put it in my pantry..but I have found out that the door opens so easily. I just can't fool myself! The above picture is the red and white MR that I received from Liliane Marquis  in a MR exchange that I joined. The picture below,  is the one I made and sent to my gal, Dianne Brooks, that lives in Pennsylvania. She should receive this about tomorrow, I hope she likes it. This was a fun little exchange to do. This is my very first MR so I kissed it goodbye (and cried a little) and sent it on it's way.

I am also including a picture of another MR that a friend, Jill C., gave to me and you can see that I used her idea when I made mine. I really like the idea of putting a cup on it and tucking some tea bags inside for a little treat. Cute, huh?This Not a Mug Rug, I repeat, this is NOT a Mug Rug....I just got hungry for homemade Mac N' Cheese the other day so I'm showing you that I really do cook once in a while...oh, by the way, remember the other day when I said I had to go make 2 Apple Pie's. Well, I did but forgot to take pictures of them, dang! And they looked really good too! I had kids and grandkids over for pie on Sunday evening and then GS Joel took the other one to school on Monday. Monday was 3.14 so his class was celebrating "Pi" day. He was excited about taking the pie but before he got a piece it was all gone!!  He was checking out what the other kids brought and when he got done, his Pi was gone..hungry little munchins, I guess. Sure glad he had a piece the night before..Well, this is about all I have time for today as I'm heading out to the city...hope you are having a "Stitches" kind of day, ya all!!

Sugar Cookie Recipe is here.

I have had some requests for the Sugar Cookie recipe so I am posting it here today..I hope you enjoy it and be sure and let me know, if you did..thanks, I'll be back soon, but gotta go make 2 Apple Pies right now!!

Bet You Can’t Eat Just One Sugar Cookies

1/2 cup of butter, softened

1/2 cup of cooking oil

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon  cream of tartar

1/2 baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups of all-purpose flour

granualated sugar or colored sugar

          In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and oil with an electric mixer for 30 seconds.  Add 1/2 cup granulated sugar, powdered sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.  Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in the flour. Cover and chill 4 to 24 hours.

          Shape into 1/2 inch balls for small cookies and 1 1/4 inch balls for larger cookies. (mine were the larger ones) Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.  Flatten balls with the bottom of a glass (I used the ashtray!) dipped in granulated or colored sugar. I actually used white sugar when I flattened them and just sprinkled the green sugar on before baking.

          Bake in 375 degree oven 8-10 minutes for small cookies or 10-12 minutes for large or until bottoms are lightly browned. (I cooked mine for 9-10 minutes) Transfer cookies to wire racks and let cool. Make 72 small or 36 large cookies..Note: Dip bottom of the glass in the cookie dough so sugar will stick to the glass.  Next, dip into the sugar.  If you like, add a little cinnamon and nutmeg to the dipping sugar. To store: Place cookies in layers separated by waxed paper in an airtight container. Store at room temperature up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months.  (That’s if there are any left!)

Hungry for Sugar Cookies?

 I mixed up some sugar cookie dough yesterday and could hardly wait to make the cookies today. They are called "I Bet You Can't Eat Just One" Sugar Cookie. And you can't!  Well, you could if you had a lot of will power, you could eat just one or maybe two or maybe none at all..sorrrrrrrrrrrrry, that just ain't gonna happen here in the house! Why would you want to go to the trouble of making Sugar cookies if you were only going to eat just one? That doesn't even make any sense to me, especially after smelling them bake and sending out delicious odors into your house to make your mouth water.

Check out my fancy cookie stamper.  It does a good job of leaving some indentations on the cookies. It's an old ashtray that I found at an antique store long ago. Whatever works!

Here is my guard bird, keeping careful watch on those cookies. I have to report that he has already eaten 3 of them. I had 36 when I got done and now I only have 33 or is it 32? hmmmm I better go count again real soon. Did you notice the cute mug rug? A very kind friend gave it to me with 3 tea bags in the cup pocket, cute, huh? I love it! A great idea!  Best I get on with my "Stitches" kind of day, I hope you are having one too!

Happy, Happy New Year!!

I just had to jump on here and wish everyone a Happy New Year because I wanted to say that today is 1-1-11 and we won't ever be able to say or write that again..I didn't do much today, infact, I didn't even stick my nose outside. It was so cold and it just felt nice to be inside and keep warm. I was reading the Pioneer Woman's blog and ran across her Cinnamon Swirl Bread, it looked so good that I jumped right up and went to the kitchen and made it.  I have already had 2 pieces and another may be in order before I go to bed...;-) I embroidered on one of the panels of the Crabapple Hill pattern "Over the River and Through the Woods". I am going to post on it and tell you how I am doing it and what products that I'm using. Maybe I'll do it tomorrow, if I'm not to full of Cinnamon Swirl Bread, yummmmy stuff.

Hey, come on over and have a piece with me, I'll put the coffee pot on.  Until next time, I hope you had a "Stitches" kind of day.