Yummy Homemade Shortbread Recipe

 I was given some really yummy homemade shortbread at Christmas.  I asked for the recipe and was told it was King Arthur Shortbread Cookies.  I am saving the link in order to make these in the future.  I may try dipping finger shapes or pie-points into melted chocolate and nut option for a fancy looking treat.  It would also be cute to try white chocolate and add holiday inspired sprinkles (see on Amazon) instead of nuts.  

Here are a few tips the baker who gave me the original cookies suggested as well:

• Use a good quality butter or it will not turn out correctly.
• During pricking with a fork step, go ahead and score the dough sections before cooking to mark where to cut it after first cooling step.  

If you try the recipe too, please let me know what you think of it or any special toppings you may have tried in the comments on this post.

Chocolate Snowballs Recipe

Below is a chocolate cookie variation on the snowball-look of Russian Teacakes aka Mexican Wedding Cookies.  Both the original and the chocolate make a great addition to a Christmas cookie swap.  Each cookie version is labor-intensive, but so worth the extra work! 

Chocolate Snowballs

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1/4 teaspoon baking soda 
3/4 cup butter or margerine, softened 
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar 
2 squares unsweetened baking chocolate, melted
1 egg, room temperature 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
3/4 cup milk 
Confectiones powdered sugar

Steps:

1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar for about 5-7 minutes.
2. Beat chocolate, vanilla, egg, and milk into creamed mix.
3. Blend in 4 dry ingredients gradually by sifting into the mix a little at a time until stiff dough is formed.
4. Cover and chill dough overnight.
5. Roll dough into balls of about 1-inch.  
6. Place balls about2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. 
7. Bake at 350° about8 minutes. 
8. Remove balls and roll in powdered sugur while slightly warn, but not hot.
9. Allow balls to cool completely, then roll in powdered sugar again.

Old-fashion Pumpkin Cake Recipe

 Below is a made-from-scratch recipe for Pumplin Cake that uses a can of pumpkin rather than trying to make your own the old-fashioned way from the big orange gourd.  The recipe did not include a glaze or frosting, but if desired you could add your favorite vanilla, maple, or cream cheese flavor to the top after taking out of pan.  Try this recipe or my grandmother's Sweet Potato Cake for Thanksgiving, Christmas or an anytime dessert. 

If you prefer pie over cake, check out our Sugar-free No-bake Pumpkin Pie and Magic Pumpkin Pie recipes.

Pumpkin Cake

Ingredients:

3 cups granulated sugar 
1 cup Crisco
3 eggs, beaten
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin  
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
3 cups all-purpose flour 
1 teaspoon baking soda 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon all spice
1 teaspoons ground cinnamon 

Steps:

1. Cream sugar and Crisco together in large bowl.
2. Add eggs, pumpkin, and vanilla to creamed mixture.
3. Sift all dry ingredients into mixture.  Mix all together until smooth texture.
4. Pour into a tube pan, Bundt pan, or loaf pans.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes. 

Grandma's Recipe Box: Banana-Sour Cream-Walnut Loaf Cake with Glaze

 

I love homemade banana bread!  The recipe below is good any time of the year.  However, if you love banana bread and are looking for something different to share during the Christmas season, try out this old recipe from my Grandmother's recipe box.  In her recipe below, I added a note in brackets for adjusting loaf pan size and baking time.  

Banana Sour Cream Walnut Loaf 

Ingredients:

2/3 cup margerine 
1 &1/3 cups sugar 
2 eggs 
1 & 1/2 cups ripe bananas, mashed 
2 & 3/4 cups sifted flour 
1 teaspoon baking powder 
1 teaspoon baking soda 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1/2 cup sour cream 
1 cup walnuts

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In large bowl, cream margerine and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add eggs and bananas and beat well. 
4. In another bowl, sift dry ingredients together. 
5. Add dry mix alternately with sour cream sstirring into banana mixture. Then stir in nuts. 
6. Pour into greased and floured Spoon batter into loaf pan [1 - 9x5 standard or 3 - 5x3 mini].
7. Bake 45 minutes [or 30-35 minutes for minis using toothpick to test for done]. 
8. Let stand 20 minutes, then remove from pan.

Banana Glaze (optional)

Ingredients:

1 cup bananas, mashed 
1 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Steps:

1. Combine bananas and sugar in pan and bring to a boil.
2. Cook over low heat, stirring for 5 minutes,
3. Remove from hear  and add lemon juice.
4. Cool and the use as a glaze on cake.

Christmas Treats from Mini Bread Loaf Pans

 For the Christmas holiday, I occasionally make fun bread baskets using different types of loaves in miniature versions to give away.  Although sometimes I do the traditional cookie buckets, I like to offer an assortment of loaf flavors when holidays are rushed.  Making the different bread loaves  require less preparation - especially if you choose to use a mix instead of "from scratch" recipe.  I also like to make sure each loaf is a different flavor, color, or shape.  This way people can easily tell the difference in loavrd the get to pick from.  Most min-loaves are considered two servings, so they work great to give to inviduals or couples.  

Examples of big bread baskets I have made included 4-flavor combinations for people I worked with to choose two they preferred from the basket. In the past, I have offered: eggnog bread (or banana) using a snowman-shape pan, strawberry bread (or pumpkin or gingerbread) in rectangle pan, zucchini bread (or apple) in a tree-shaped pan, and orange-cranberry bread (or fruit with raisins or chocolate chip) in a bundt pan to represent a wreath.  I wrapped the shapes in colored cling wrap: red for rectangle, clear for snowman, then used geen for tree and wreath.  

Short URL for sharing post = https://tinyurl.com/23y8njzb  

Tioa for making mini loaves:  

• For most recipes, you can adjust the cooking time by reducing it by 1/4 for mini loaf pans or use the time listed for cupcakes/muffins.  
• Be sure to grease and flour any pans you use so the loaves will come out easily.  If using shaped pans that may be hard to cover well, you may try a baking spray that mixes the four and oil by shaking the can before spraying.
• Do not top or glaze mini loaves, since it would cause sticking when you put them in cling wrap for stacking and storing.  
• If you plan to make several different types over different days/nights, freeze the wraped loaves in freezer bags to keep them resh.  Then thaw the ones you are giving away by setting them out the night before the day you plan to deliver them.
• If you are not bothering to do special shapes, consider using decorative mini-bakng dishes that you can give as part of the gift.  Or consider little disposable loaf pans so you do not have to worry with removing loaves from pans.

Cousin Brenda's Sugar-free Pecan Pie Bars

 Last weekend, one of my cousins made this yummy-gooey dessert bar for our Thanksgiving family gathering  It was really sweet, so everyone was questioning Brenda calling it a "sugar-free" dessert.  She told us the primary ingredients and offered it up as one of her dessert alternatives for our diabetic relatives. Brenda brought three desserts, of which two were sugar-free.  

I asked her if I could have this recipe and share it here on my blog.  Brenda informed me the original version of the recipe came from Aunt Bertha, an excellent cook who tolerated no nonsense in the kitchen and  followed recipes.  Anyway, this particular recipe is easy to put together and only requires seven ingredients.  Try it out and see if your family will love it too.  

Recipe short link for sharing = tinyurl.com/2nc2js8m 

Cousin Brenda's Sugar-free Pecan Pie Bars

Shortbread Crust Ingredients:

1 sugar-free yellow cake mix
1/2 stick of butter, softened at room temperature or slightly melted in microwave

Steps:

1. Spray 9x13 cake pan with Bakers Joy
2. Mix ingredients together until crumbly. 
3. Press into cake pan. 
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.
5. While crust is baking , mix your pecan filling (below). 

Pecan Filling Ingredients:   

1 cup Honey Tree sugar-free honey 
1 cup brown sugar Splenda
1 teaspoon butter
3 eggs
1 cup chopped pecans 
1/4 teaspoon salt 

Steps:

1. Mix well all ingredients.
2. Pour into pre-baked crust (above).  
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.  
4. Cool and then cut into bars.

Two-minute Pineapple Pie

Feeling hurried over the holiday? Got surprise visitors staying with you?  Is it too hot to cook in the kitchen?  Keep the below ingredients in your pantry and refrigerator for a quick and easy pineapple dessert anytime.  If you like pineapple and have more time, you may also want to try the cold pie with baked crust recipe for Pistachio Pineapple Pie with Coconut Crust or the links to other recipes it provides.   

2-minute Pineapple Pie

Ingredients:

1 can heavy syrup crushed pineapple
1 large box instant vanilla pudding mix
1 - 8 oz. sour cream
1 Graham Cracker pie shell 
1 - 8 oz. Cool Whip, thawed in refrigerator when ready to make pie

Steps:

1. Mix pineapple, sour cream, and pudding mix.
2. Pour into pie shell.
3. Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.
4. Spread top with Cool Whip before serving.  

Optional Tip:

If you want to make it seem fancy, call it Pina Colada Pie and add some coconut flakes on top of the Cool Whip.

Southern Living Fall and Holiday Recipes

Do you love Southern Livig magazine and their seasonal recipes?  If you do, then try out some of theses wonderful recipe ideas featured in the October - December 2024 issues and available on their website.  From quick and easy soups to main dishes, along with bread and desserts, surely you will find the perfect dish for your family and friends to enjoy during get-togethers for football games or upcoming Winter holidays.  For even more recipes, check out the magazine or do a topic search on their website to find something that may fit your group entertaining need.

Appetizers/Breakfast/Brunch

• Apple Cinnamon Rolls - or check out our Coffee Cake 
• Bacon-Egg-Cheese Croissant Sandwich - or check out our Big Daddy Breakfast Puff
• Riesling-Gruyere Fondue

Breads

• Buttermilk Cornbread 
• Heavenly Angel Biscuits - or check out our large-batch Angel Biscuits and if you prefer rolls over biscuits, try our Overnight Dinner Rolls or Yeast Buns 

Lunch/Dinner/Supper

• Butternut Squash Salad
• Cottage Cheese & Meat Lasagne
• Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup - or check out my Chicken and Rice Soup 
• Fennel-Butternut Squash Gratin
• French Onion Turkey
• Mashed Butternut Squash with Bacon - or check out our Acorn Squash
• Roast Pork with Crackling
• Smoky Pork and Greens Stew - or check out our Green Ham Soup 
• Sourdough Stuffing (Dressing) - or check out our Corn Sausage Dressing
• Stuffed Butternut Squash
• Vegetable Beef Soup - or check out my Vegetable Beef Soup
• White Chicken Chili 

Desserts

• Apple Cider Bundt Cake - or check out our Apricot Nectar Cake 
• Chocolate Bundt Cake - or check out our Dr Pepper Cake 
• Cranberry-Orange Cake Filling uses: between white or yellow cake layers frosted outside with buttercream, as surprise center of vanilla or chocolate cupcakes, or central topping between sheet cake and whipped cream
• Eggnog Snickerdoodles
• Hot Cocoa Cookies
• Pumpkin Bundt Cake - or check out our Sweet Potato Cake 
• Spiced Cream Cheese Bundt Cake - or check out our Brown Sugar Pound Cake 

Grandma's Recipe Box: Raisin Honey Drops

Getting ready for the traditional holiday cookie swap?  Why not try a different take on a family favorite?  The recipe below is is a different take on traditonal Crispy or Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies that Grandma made.  It is for anyone trying to do healthy alternatives by reducing white sugar using a little honey as a recipe sweetner instead.  If you are not into raisins in your cookies, then you may want to try using craisins, chocolate chips, or other flavored chips in the recipe instead.  Another option is to make my Mom's no-bake Chocolate-Peanut Butter-Oatmeal Cookies recipe instead, that is if you do not have a nut or chocolate allergy.

Raisin Honey Drops

Short URL for recipe sharing = https://tinyurl.com/4e5b3w3e

Makes about 4 dozen

Ingredients:

3/4 cup honey 
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup margerine
1 egg
2 cups sifted flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups uncooked oats
1 cup seedless raisins

Steps:

1. In large bowl, cream together honey, sugar, margerine, and egg.
2. In separate bowl, sift together flour and baking soda.  Then stir into creamed mixture.
3. Add oats and raisins. Stir until well blended.
4. Drop by heaping teaspoons onto greased cookie sheet.
5. Bake on upper shelf of moderate hot oven for 12 to 14 minutes till lightly brown.  
6. Cool before serving.

Grandma's Sweet Potato Cake with Marshmallow Icing

  This recipe was labled " good cakes" by my grandma at the top.  It does sound pretty good to me too, but I must admit I have not tried it. Her cakes were often the first ones to be gobbled up at family gatherings and I sometimes missed out seeing it or getting a taste. Also, as a kid I would have turned my nose up at the thought of eating anything made with sweet potatoes.  Since I loved pumpkin bread, I probably would have liked this cake too - if only I had been willing to try it.  

I can not remember my Grandma ever making an elegant 4-layer cake (2 or 3 layers, but not 4) using an 8-inch pan.  I assume she more than likely made it as 2 shorter cakes, or did 3-layers with 9-inch pans, or did it as sheet cake.  As two cakes, it would go further for her large family gatherings or allow her to share it with someone needy at church or with her beloved pastor.  

I found online Bundt cake versions which baked about 50 minutes using grated sweet potatoes or 30 minutes using pre-cooked mashed sweet potatoes. Many of the easy recipes for frosting on-line used marshmallow fluff instead of mini marshmallows, but the other ingredients were different for Grandma's so you would need to do a search if you want to try that instead.  

Short URL for sharing recipe = https://tinyurl.com/2rzus2nd  

Sweet Potato Cake

Ingredients:

1 & 1/2 cups oil
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups [peeled] grated sweet potatoes
2 cups chopped pecans
3/4 cup buttermilk

Steps:

1. Grate sweet potatoes and chop pecans before prepping cake mix.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. In large bowl, beat oil, sugar, and eggs about 5 minutes thoroughly.
4. Stir in sweet potatoes and nuts.
5. In another bowl, sift flour with spices and soda.
6. Combine sugar [wet] mixture with flour [dry] mxture, alternating with buttermilk.
7. Bake in 4 layer pans [greased and floured or coated with baking spray]. Bake a 350 degrees for 15 minutes, then lower temperature to 300 degrees and bake until done [maybe a total of 40 minutes] or when toothpick put in center comes out clean.  
8. Allow to cool.

Marshmmallow Icing

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon maple flavoring
1 - 8 oz. package mini marshmallows
Optional: Chopped pecans for granishing top

Steps:

1. Cook sugar, cream, and maple flavoring to soft ball stage.
2. Add marshmallows and beat until spreading consistency.

Travel and Storing Tips:  

• If you are planning to take the cake somewhere, place it in the refrigerator until icing hardens so you can cover the cake without it sticking to wrap.
• If you want to freeze the cake whole, it may be best to not to frost it until it is thawed.  However, a frosted cake may be frozen in slices to bring out individually when desired.

Grandma's Apricot Fried Pies Recipe

Before the holiday season, I dig out my Grandma's handwriten recipe books and her recipe box of favorite clippings and recipes to share with friends and relatives on this blog.  Grandpa grew both apricot and peach trees, so Grandma had many recipes for both fruits.  Previously I shared her recipe for Apricot Nectar Cake. Recently I found her clipping for our other old family favorite of her apricot hand-held fired pies.  YEA!  

A plate of six of her pies often fetched the highest price at baked-good auctions held at Grandma's church to get money to send to missionaries.  My sweet Grandma found that both flattering and embarrassing, but mostly if caused her to giggle at those events.  Grandma loved it when people wanted her food, baked goods or meal-tiem favorites.

I still remember the first time my newly teenage son had one of her pies for dessert when we were visiting (as a kid he turned his nose up at any dessert that was not cookies).  He loved it and asked if he could have another one, Grandma said yes and he gobbled up his 2nd pie.  Then before we left he asked if he could have another to take home for his dad to try (I told him I was pretty sure his dad had already had them in the past).  Grandma was thrilled he like the pies so much, she said as long as there would be 4 pie left for her and Granpa to have or dessert that day and the next he could take home two pies for him as his dad.  He ate his pie as soon as he got home!  Then when his dad came home from work he insisted he try it right then as it was so delicious!  His wonderful dad offered to split it with him before I could let him know that the boy already had 3 of them that day! 

Easy Tips for Pie Filling! 

• I had asked my youngest aunt if she knew the secret to the pies. She told me that Grandma would often skip the reconstituting and mashing of the dried apricots in her recipe and use Apricot baby food instead.  This made it easier for her to keep the fruit on hand and save some time as well by just mixing the sugar into the apricots and then spreading that onto dough.
• Another way to shorten the process is to not make filling at all.  Instead, use prepared Apricot jam or preserves (not jelly) for the filling and do not add sugar.  Since Grandma canned fruit, I feel pretty sure she did this as a shortcut too when she had the fruit instead of spending grocery money on baby food. 

Short URL for sharing recipe = https://tinyurl.com/4az6388r 

Apricot Fried Pies 

Yield: About 5 dozen 

Crust Ingredients:

4 cups all-pupose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup shortening
1 cup cold water

Steps:

1. Combine flour and salt in large bowl.
2. Cut in shortening with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal.
3. Using a tablespoon, add in water  a little at a time but sprinkling evenly over mixture surface; stir with a fork until ingredients are moisteed.
4. Shape into a ball and chill.

Filling Ingredients:

1 - 6 oz. package of dried apricots (or see tips above) 
1/2 cup sugar

Steps:

1. Placed dried apricots in a medium saucepan; add water to cover them.  
2. Cover pan and cook over low heat 15 minutes or until tender. 
3. Mash apricots, add sugar; set aside.

Assembly Steps:  

1. Divide dough in half.  Roll  dough portion to 1/8th-inch thickness on a slightly floured surface,  
2. Cut rolled dough into 3 1/2 inch circles using a wide-mouth glass or jar, if you do not have a cookie cutter that size.
3. Spoon a eaping teaspoon of apricot filling on half of each circle.
4. Moisten edge of each circle with water.  Fold circles in half; press edges together with a fork dipped in flour.
5. Repeat with other portion of dough.

Cooking Steps:

1. Heat 1/2-inch of vegetable oil to 375 degrees in a large skillet.  
2. Fry pies until golden brown, turning once.  Watch that they do not burn!
3. Drain well on paper towels.
4. If desired, sprinkle with powdered sugar and/or garnish with dried apricots.

Red, White, and Blue - Remember the Veteran's Sacrifice

Whether you are celebrating the return of a military member on the Fourth of July or remembering heroes on Memorial Day or Veterans Day, always remember their sacrifice for family and country.  Pray for the soon and safe return of all American military service (Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, Marines, Navy) members everywhere.  Thanks to all those who serve and served, you are truly our Misters Red, White and Blue.  

Thanks to  Coffey Anderson for writing and singing his song honoring military and to Kyle Coulahan for Still Proud To Be An American released for July 4, which is not the same as Lee Greenwood's slower song God Bless the USA also know as Proud To Be An American. 

NOTE:  America’s Patriotic Music to Celebrate U.S. Independence was a long list of patriotic songs to celebrate July 4th.  Unfortunately, the country went through a difficult time where its citizens were targeted for being patriotic and many of the links in the post were taken down, but some remain.  Hopefully, new ones will soon replace the missing lists.  Please let us know in comments if you find any.

Nell's Christmas Fruit Cake Recipe with Nut-Date Filling

In a previous post, Grandma's 4-layer fruit cake was shared.  This time we will share a Christmas cake recipe from one of her friends.  This recipe was in one of Grandma's handwritten recipes  from the 70's and had a note about her friend's experience "She's been making this for 30 years."  This was likely her family tradition, as my decorated Christmas Cookies and my friends various flavored Fudges were ours. My Grandma loved switching-up holiday dessert recipes so if you wanted something in particular, you needed to let he know in advance.  Her traditional foods I remember were the rolls she made on winter holidays and her biscuits for spring holidays. 

Unfortunately, Nell's recipe does not state how many layers for this moist fruity cake.  Judging from the ingredients, I would guess 3 thick 9" layers (pan sizes to use by cups of batter) or 4 thin 8" layers similar to Grandma's cake. Both fruity recipes are for delicious cakes rather than elegant ones.  For some fancy Christmas cake recipes, check out 20 Stunning Christmas Layer Cakes on Food Storage Moms blog.  

Short link for sharing recipe = https://tinyurl.com/yeymdea3

Nell's Christmas Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 cup sweet milk (AKA: regular whole milk) 
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup mashed potatoes (already cooked, drained, and mashed)
1 cup jam (your choice of flavor or whichever you have on hand)
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped dates
2 cups chopped nuts
2 small delicious apples, (peeled, cored, and chopped fine)

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Cream together butter and sugar.
3. Add eggs one at a time - beating well.
4. In another bowl, mix together dry ingredients.
5. Add dry mix alternately with milks, blending well.
6. Blend in mashed potatoes.
7. Stir in jam, all fruits, and nuts.
8. Pour into greased and floured layer pans.
9. Bake at 300 degrees until they test done.  (Time depends on pan size, start about 30-40 minutes, if toothpick inserted in middle does not comes out clean, add 5-10 minutes)
10. Spread filling over layers and assemble cake.  If desired, decorate top with candied cherries.

Filling (& Topping)

Ingredients:

4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
Butter (size of an egg)
1 cup chopped dates
2 cups chopped nuts
Optional: 1/2 cup coconut flakes 

Steps:

1. In double boiler, cook sugar and milk to a medium boil.
2. Add butter and stir to melt.
3. Cool.  Then add dates and nuts (and coconut if desired).

Mom's Gloriously Yummy Overnight Dinner Rolls

My mother was known for her yummy rolls at our local school and at family holiday gatherings.  She made them for the school cafeteria once a week.  She prepared dough batches before she went home at the end of her work day and then did all the baking fresh the following day.  She would be pulling them hot from the oven and rushing them over to the serving line, as the other cafeteria ladies served the students their meals.  Whenever the district principals or superintendents met at our school, they would request Mom make her glorious rolls for them.  It seems hilarious for me to imagine a meeting where a bunch of older men, in all shapes and sizes, are munching down on dinner rolls instead of donuts or cookies!  

Since it was a recipe she created for school, I knew her recipe made lots of rolls when she had given it to me.  I have been looking for it for years and finally found it stuck to the back of another recipe card last month.  It has been years since I needed to make this many rolls.  I have never tried to reduce it as Mom warned me that changing any measurements other than flour could affect the consistency and taste.  So if you do not want 4 dozen rolls and are uncomfortable calculating measurements to cut the recipe in half, consider making my Grandma's Yeast Buns or Quick Dinner Rolls to get smaller batches.    Or if you want to make way ahead and freeze, try Make-Ahead Frozen rolls for less than 3 dozen rolls.'

Short URL for sharing recipes = https://tinyurl.com/bdhvut2n 

Overnight Dinner Rolls

Ingredients:

2 packages yeast
1 1/2 cup warm water
1 cup shortening
2 cups boiling water
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 eggs, beaten
7 - 10 cups flour, sifted

Steps: 

1. In a large bowl - Add shortening and pour boiling water over it.  Add sugar and salt.  Blend until creamy and let cool.
2. In small bowl - Add yeast to warm water,  mix and let dissolve for about 5-10 minutes
3. Combine eggs and yeast mix into shortening bowl.
4. Add sifted flour a cup at a time.  Mix or knead in flour until dough forms and is no longer sticky.  Once dough is right texture, do not add more flour or they will come out hard instead of fluffy.  Form into a single large dough ball by rolling in the bowl or on floured wax paper.
5. Lightly oil all the inside of another large bowl.   Dump the dough ball into the new bowl and gently rub a little oil on top to keep it from sticking to wrap.  Cover with plastic wrap and store in refrigerator overnight.
6. About 3 hours before you want to bake, prepare lightly greased baking pans.
7. Remove dough from the refrigerator.  Form dough into small balls/rolls and place separately in pans allowing about 1-inch space all around to rise and eventually touch each other.   Do not handle each too much or they will not rise properly.  Set pans in a warm place and allow rolls to rise for 1 to 2 hours.
8. Bake in 400 degree preheated oven for 10 - 12 minutes until lightly browned on top.

Yields 4 dozen medium size rolls.

Most Cherished Christmas Decor is Nativity Set

A few people know that I collect miniature nativities as my souvenirs when I traveled.     However, few know that my most cherished Christmas decor is a larger old nativity set of Holy Bible type figures made in the late 1970's and passed down from family members. When I think of Christmas, it is not just green and red decorations, but also nativity scenes. I even have a nativity-based Advent calendar ,instead of  the candy or mini-gift kind. 

The story of my cherished nativity starts with my brother, who passed away years ago in a salt truck accident on an icy bridge.  When we were very teenagers, my brother was in a work study program our last year in high school and remained at the company (Home Interiors/HomeCo) when he graduated. One year he used his employee discount to buy my grandma a painted porcelain nativity set. For many Christmas holidays Grandma's set was put together on top of her old gas heater or her music organ. That is until she had someone else put it away for her... When my mom and aunts were going through Grandma's many things after her death, the nativity was found in the original Styrofoam holder put inside a Tony Lamas cowboy boot box in her storage house. The only hand-writing on the box lid read "fabric for doll clothes" not "nativity." Everyone insisted Mom take it to keep or give to me. Mom asked me if I wanted it, since she already had a big ceramic nativity that my brother had given her a few years before he died that she usually set-up next to her fireplace. (Side note, I found Mom's nativity when we were clearing her house in a closet. Somehow, it had been badly stored without being wrapped or put in a box so most of the figures were broken and it did not survive to be passed along.) 

I was excited to take this nativity and make it part of my Christmas decor. Since then the nativity moves around each year: from the coffee table, to bay window, under a very large Christmas tree, or to the hearth of the fireplace. It was even put up the year I was injured at Christmas so my husband had to get it down for me and put it out. Years earlier when it was on the hearth, I decided the nativity needed a wooden creche and told my husband this. He said I would never find one tall enough. I then informed that I had just seen two options at Walmart during my shopping trip that morning and I just needed to measure which would be best so I could get one of them at an after-Christmas sale. The next week while I was working, my husband and son went to Walmart and picked a creche out. They then set the creche up with the nativity set as I already had it out and waited for me to notice their little trick. It was not until around bedtime that I even noticed it. I had wondered why my small son was following me around grinning most of the evening - he was waiting for my surprise! 

This year, I am experimenting with this family nativity as our Christmas tree by using a short ladder decorated in lights and greenery garland as the tree/creche over the large figures. Then the wrapped gifts on either side can be a reminder that the best Christmas presents are actually Christ's presence. Our eternal lives bought and paid for by Christ's sacrifice, not by anything we can do on this earth.  Christ is the reason for the season, so it is important that we remember to keep Him in our Christmas celebrations.

Short URL for sharing post - https://tinyurl.com/yn7kupxt 

Grandma's Fresh Fruit Cake Recipe with 7-Minute Icing

Below is a "from scratch" recipe for a 4-layer cake made in 4 colors with 3 fruit layers and a nut layer.  This is not your typical holiday fruit cake as it is frosted between layers with "7-minute Icing" and works for any special occasions.  Feel free to sprinkle nuts or candy decors on top after frosting.  Or top with blueberries, fresh sliced cherries or strawberries to make cake more festive looking.

If you like this layer cake and want a similar 4-layer cake that seems more Christmas-y, consider Lofty Layered Fruitcake recipe featuring nuts and dried fruits.  This fruit cake is prepared over 2 days, so plan accordingly. If you like the idea of 4 colorful layers, but not fruit flavors, try a Rainbow Cake instead.

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Fresh Fruit Cake

Ingredients:

- For batter
1 cup shortening 
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups flour
1 cup milk
* Food coloring - Red, Green, Yellow

- For layers
1/2 to 1 cup chopped nut
1/2 cup Maraschino cherries (chopped)
2 bananas (mashed)
1/2 cup crushed pineapple (drained)

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In large bowl, cream together shortening and sugar.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Add dry ingredients and milk alternating, creaming all together well.
5. Divide batter into 4 bowls and color 3 or them red, green, and yellow.  Leaving 4th one plain (or add a little cocoa to make it light chocolate).
6. To plain (4th bowl) add nuts. To yellow batter, add pineapple. To red batter, add cherries. To green batter, add bananas,
7. Pour batter into 4 greased and floured layer pans.
8. Bake  at 350 degrees until tests done (time depends on pan size, start about 25-30 minutes, if toothpick inserted in middle does not comes out clean, add 5-10 minutes)
9. Cool completely.  Then frost with 7-minute icing. Spread icing on top of each layer and assemble cake.

7- Minute Icing

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons corn syrup 
2 egg whites
2 Tablespoons water

Steps:

1. Put all ingredients in top of double boiler.
2. Beat over hot water until thick enough to spread on layers.

Thank You Lord - Happy Thanksgiving Music

I love this "Thank You Lord" song below by Christian singer Christ Tomlin.  It is kinda Country Pop meets Gospel with a little Rock n' Roll.  Every time I hear it want to throw up my hands while I sing and dance along.  I think it would be a great song for everyone to listen to on the way to whatever family and friends gathering they plan to attend for Thanksgiving.  

After you reach your destination or if you are hosting the dinner, think about doing an activity to create a blessing tree before or after the meal.  Show your gratitude for your friends, family and many blessings while thanking the one who gave them to you by saying grace before the meal too. 

Grandma's Special Scalloped Potatoes Recipe

This recipe sounds simple rather than special 0 it is the resulting taste delight that makes it special.  It requires few ingredients and makes a small batch, so it is perfect for a small family.  If you have a large family or plan it as a holiday or special occasion buffet part of a larger gathering, make multiple batches.   You may store them until ready to re-heat so you can serve a new one as each pan is emptied so you always have a warm creamy replacement for the table or buffet.

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Special Scalloped Potatoes 

Ingredients: 

4 Medium Potatoes
Butter
Salt and Pepper (for seasoning)
Milk (or beef or chicken broth as desired)

Steps: 

1. Peel and slice potatoes about 1/8 inch thick.  Soak in cold water about 30 minutes.  Remove and dry on paper towels.
2. Butter a 9x9x3-inch deep baking or casserole dish.
3. Arrange a layer of potatoes on it, dot with butter and season with slat and pepper.  Continue with layers of potatoes, butter, and seasonings.
4. Add just enough milk (or broth) to barely cover the potatoes,
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour until potatoes are tender but not mushy.

Holiday Baking for Buffet or Brunch

Was watching a YouTube video and another video showed up from a German baker.  So I watched the 100-year-old recipe from the grandmother for a strawberry pudding-based sheet cake turned into a layered pastry.  It was not a pretty cake but it appeared deliciously YUM! Check out Einfache Rezepte videos for some old-fashioned favorites to add to your holiday desert buffet or to finish out a family brunch.  Recipes include breads, cakes, and various pastries.  Be sure to scroll past the step-by-step video to click the MORE under description to get the ingredients list and pre-heat temperature for each recipe.  

You can find old-fashioned American recipes by searching this blog using the word "Grandma" to find recipes of my Grandmother's.  She loved desserts too. However, man of her other meal dishes and casseroles are also included on this blog.

Quotes on the Foundation of America

Below are a few quotes by four of America's forefathers related to the Christian foundation of the United States of America (USA).  These are often abbreviated. distorted, edited, or misquoted to achieve a political purpose other than the point the original speaker meant to make.  In celebrating the freedoms offered in this country and for the future of America, it is important to know and understand history, as well as what was actually said and done. It is important to know the facts and find the truth instead of accepting political incorrectness, which could lead to the tyranny of government the founding fathers warned about. 

POST & QUOTES SHORT URL = https://tinyurl.com/3fux7brw 

"The God who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God?" - Thomas Jefferson 

"The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity. I will avow that I then believed, and now believe, that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God." - John Adams

"It can not be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians, not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ!" - Patrick Henry

"Resistance to tyranny becomes the Christian and social duty of each individual… Continue steadfast and, with a proper sense of your dependence on God, nobly defend those rights which heaven gave, and no man ought to take from us," - John Hancock.

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"We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge or gallantry would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution is designed only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for any other." - John Adams

“The First Amendment has erected a wall of separation between church and state, but that wall is a one-directional wall. It keeps the government from running the church, but it makes sure that Christian principles will always stay in government.” - Thomas Jefferson 

  

Celebrate Independence Day (July 4th) and this country by learning the facts about the Constitution and the history of freedom and sacrifice.  For more, see posts:     

• Freedom of Religion  
• Misrepresenting History of Freedom? 
• Understanding America and its Fundamental Heritage 
• Read or Watch This! 
• Separation of Church and State