Cranberry Noels

These yummy and beautiful cookies,

Cranberry Noels

from Martha Stewart,

were a new addition to my Christmas baking this year.

A shortbread type cookie with dried cranberries and pecans.

Perfect with coffee or hot tea.

This recipe is definitely a keeper!

Christmas Scones

So many flavors of Christmas...

all in one delicious scone. 

Ingredients -

2 cups flour

1 cup oats

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

1 cup dried cranberries

1 cup finely chopped pecans

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons milk

2 teaspoon orange juice

Combine flour, oats, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and sugar.

Cut in butter.

Add cranberries and pecans.

Gradually add buttermilk and mix until just combined.

Pat dough into a round disc and cut into 16 slices.

Separate slices and bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees.

Combine powdered sugar, milk and orange juice.

Spread glaze over scones.

Serve warm and enjoy!

Linked to Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop #89 

Spa Gifts from the Kitchen

I tried my hand at making some simple homemade beauty products to give as Christmas gifts this year to friends and family.

It was lots of fun!

I made 

Gingerbread Sugar Scrub

Peppermint Bath Salts

and 

Sugarplum Hand Cream

For the hand cream I combined -

8 ounces of vitamin E cream

8 ounces of petroleum jelly

16 ounces of Johnson's vanilla oatmeal baby lotion

1 drop of red food coloring

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients in a mixer until combined.

Fill 4 ounce jars.

Recipe makes eight 4 ounce jars of lotion.

For the sugar scrub I used the same recipe that a coworker used -

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons ginger

2 teaspoons nutmeg

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

4 drops vanilla extract

1 cup grape seed oil 

Combine all ingredients except the oil.

And oil and blend thoroughly.

Fill 4 ounce jars.

Recipe makes four 4 ounce jars of scrub.

For the bath salts I combined -

a 5 pound bag of epsom salts

1 tablespoon peppermint extract

1 tablespoon of red food coloring

Combine all ingredients until well blended.

Let salt sit for 24 hours to dry thoroughly.

Fill 8 ounce jars.

Recipe makes twelve 8 ounce jars of salts.

Linked to Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop #89

Christmas Popcorn!

This is what I chose to make for my co-workers for Christmas.

Salty and sweet

plus

quick and easy!

To make -

Microwave two bags of popcorn.

Crush one 6 ounce package of candy canes.

Melt one package of white chocolate almond bark.

Add 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract to melted bark.

Place popcorn in a large bowl.

Sprinkle candy canes onto popcorn.

Pour almond bark over all.

Stir until combined.

Spread popcorn onto wax paper to harden.

Once hard, break into pieces.

Enjoy!

Linked to Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop #89

Chocolate Cherry Thumbprint Cookies

I made these cookies with my daughter in mind.

During the holidays I always get her a box, or two, ;-) 

of  chocolate covered cherries. 

Recently she has also fallen in love with

Hershey's cherry cordial kisses.

I followed the recipe,

 but used the cherry cordial kisses instead of plain chocolate. 

They were a hit! :-)

Menu Plan

Supper Menus
December 10th-15th

Monday

old fashioned chicken and dumplings, chocolate cherry thumbprint cookies

Tuesday

texas chili, country cornbread muffins, gingerbread cookies

Wednesday

chicken tortilla soup
Thursday
pioneer woman's meatballs, mashed potatoes, green beans, velveeta shells and cheese, cranberry noel cookies
Friday
out for supper
Saturday
chicken pot pie

It's beginning to look...

a lot like Christmas!

Now we're just waiting for the cold front to blow in next week,

so it will FEEL like it, too! ;-)

Linked to -
Kelly's Korner Christmas Tour of Homes 2012

Easy Maple Sticky Buns

what you need -

4 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 cup syrup

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tube refrigerator biscuits, large size

what you do -

Combine melted butter and syrup.

Combine sugar and cinnamon.

Pour half of the syrup mixture into a baking pan.

Sprinkle with half of the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Layout the biscuits in a ring.

Pour the rest of the syrup mixture over biscuits.

Sprinkle with the rest of the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

At the ranch...

Thankful for family,

that works hard!

And, plays hard!

Cousins!

Meet Hank :-)

He's an eight week old duroc.

My daughter will be raising him to show in the spring. 

He's a cutie. 

Thanksgiving Breakfast...to go!

On Thanksgiving, I love to cook a big breakfast and enjoy the Macy's parade.  But this Thanksgiving morning was a little different.  My daughter and husband needed to head out of town to pick out a show pig for next spring's livestock show.  And, as soon as they got home, we all hit the road to travel to visit family for the day.  So, none of us could really linger over breakfast at the table... 

so I fixed a make ahead "to go" breakfast. :-)   

On the menu -

Apple Cinnamon Scones with Cinnamon Glaze

Cream Cheese Pumpkin Muffins

Sausage Balls

White Chocolate Cranberry Biscotti

Pumpkin Harvest Cookies

juices

coffee

Thanksgiving breakfast - ready to travel. :-)