Thursday, December 8, 2011
Perfect conditions for the puppy.....
No, Maggie is not trying to read the Road Atlas. She is trying to take a nap and there is just too much light for her. She has to hide her head from the light. Poor dog.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Cookie Recipe Time
I have been busy doing what everyone else is doing this time of year. Shopping for gifts, wrapping gifts, making handmade gifts, making my cookie dough to bake these cookies. I put on my Christmas CD's and wrap and bake away.
Retired Mountain Man says cookies recipes are totally boring, but he does like the end product when I actually bake them.
This is my sugar cookie recipe. It is from Mrs. Anna M. White, The Clark Fork Cookbook.
OLD FASHIONED SUGAR COOKIES
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. baking powder
Flour to make a soft dough
Cream butter and sugar well. Add eggs. Add baking powder to flour and sift, then add to butter and sugar mixture. Keep adding flour necessary until dough can be rolled very thin. Cut with cookie cutter. sprinkle top with sugar. Bake in hot oven.
I prefer my cookies frosted with butter cream frosting. They are delicious!
With any luck this dough will become cookies today.
If you like mint Girl Scout cookies, these are for you. They are low-fat unless you decide to frost them, which I do. They are awesome. From Cooking Light
Preheat oven to 350
CHOCOLATE MINT COOKIES
(You must freeze dough 1 hour before baking, so plan ahead)
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. granulated sugar
3 tbsp. butter, softened
3 tbsp. applesauce
1 t. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. peppermint extract
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
Combine flour, coca, and baking soda in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk.
Combine brown sugar and next 5 ingredients in a medium bowl, beat with a mixer at high speed 2 min. Beat in egg white. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed until well blended.
Coat hands lightly with cooking spray. Shape dough into a 6 inch log. Wrap log in plastic wrap, freeze 1 hour or until firm.
Cut log into 24 (1/4 inch) slices and place 1 inch apart on baking sheets lightly coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 10 min.
Serving size: 1 cookie, calories 76. Trust me, you can't eat just one. Forget the calories. Frost them.
Retired Mountain Man says cookies recipes are totally boring, but he does like the end product when I actually bake them.
This is my sugar cookie recipe. It is from Mrs. Anna M. White, The Clark Fork Cookbook.
OLD FASHIONED SUGAR COOKIES
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. baking powder
Flour to make a soft dough
Cream butter and sugar well. Add eggs. Add baking powder to flour and sift, then add to butter and sugar mixture. Keep adding flour necessary until dough can be rolled very thin. Cut with cookie cutter. sprinkle top with sugar. Bake in hot oven.
I prefer my cookies frosted with butter cream frosting. They are delicious!
With any luck this dough will become cookies today.
If you like mint Girl Scout cookies, these are for you. They are low-fat unless you decide to frost them, which I do. They are awesome. From Cooking Light
Preheat oven to 350
CHOCOLATE MINT COOKIES
(You must freeze dough 1 hour before baking, so plan ahead)
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. granulated sugar
3 tbsp. butter, softened
3 tbsp. applesauce
1 t. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. peppermint extract
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
Combine flour, coca, and baking soda in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk.
Combine brown sugar and next 5 ingredients in a medium bowl, beat with a mixer at high speed 2 min. Beat in egg white. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed until well blended.
Coat hands lightly with cooking spray. Shape dough into a 6 inch log. Wrap log in plastic wrap, freeze 1 hour or until firm.
Cut log into 24 (1/4 inch) slices and place 1 inch apart on baking sheets lightly coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 10 min.
Serving size: 1 cookie, calories 76. Trust me, you can't eat just one. Forget the calories. Frost them.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Gephyrophobia: A Fear Of Crossing Bridges
Today we hiked to Gail and John's property. It's a great walk through the woods and there is a very rustic bridge across Cougar Creek. The dogs couldn't wait. They love to go on walks.
As we approached the bridge, Thompson ran across first with Maggie in hot pursuit. Maggie didn't realize she was on the bridge until she was halfway across and then she slipped on the wet cedar boughs - and stopped in her tracks.
She took one look down towards the creek and had that, "no way I'm coming across this bridge", look in her eyes.
I must admit that I've had that same look on my face when there is three feet of snow on it and we are trying to cross it on snowshoes. It looks very precarious.
Jon had to coax her to come across.
Once she got to Jon and realized she wasn't far from the end of the bridge, she went as fast as she could go. I do not have a photo of that as my shutter speed was way too slow.
It was a beautiful day for a hike and the view of the lake from Underwood's is always spectacular. It was 3:30 in the afternoon but the sun was already casting long shadows.
As we approached the bridge, Thompson ran across first with Maggie in hot pursuit. Maggie didn't realize she was on the bridge until she was halfway across and then she slipped on the wet cedar boughs - and stopped in her tracks.
She took one look down towards the creek and had that, "no way I'm coming across this bridge", look in her eyes.
I must admit that I've had that same look on my face when there is three feet of snow on it and we are trying to cross it on snowshoes. It looks very precarious.
Jon had to coax her to come across.
Once she got to Jon and realized she wasn't far from the end of the bridge, she went as fast as she could go. I do not have a photo of that as my shutter speed was way too slow.
It was a beautiful day for a hike and the view of the lake from Underwood's is always spectacular. It was 3:30 in the afternoon but the sun was already casting long shadows.
Walnut Crescent Cookies
Griz Eileen's recipe:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
1 c. butter (2 sticks)
3/4 c. powdered sugar
2 egg yolks, well beaten
1 t. vanilla
3 c. sifted flour
1 c. finely chopped walnuts or almonds
Extra powdered sugar to roll cookies in after they are baked.
Beat egg yolks, add butter and cream, then add sugar and cream together
Mix in the rest of the ingredients. Pinch off about 2-3 T. of dough and roll between your fingers to make a crescent shape. They can also be shaped into a rectangle shape if you don't want to bother with the crescent shape. Work quickly and handle carefully or they will break.
Bake 7-10 min. Remove from oven and roll in powdered sugar while hot.
You should know that Grandma bakes a batch of these for each family. These cookies are horded by many family members. I will not mention names.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
1 c. butter (2 sticks)
3/4 c. powdered sugar
2 egg yolks, well beaten
1 t. vanilla
3 c. sifted flour
1 c. finely chopped walnuts or almonds
Extra powdered sugar to roll cookies in after they are baked.
Beat egg yolks, add butter and cream, then add sugar and cream together
Mix in the rest of the ingredients. Pinch off about 2-3 T. of dough and roll between your fingers to make a crescent shape. They can also be shaped into a rectangle shape if you don't want to bother with the crescent shape. Work quickly and handle carefully or they will break.
Bake 7-10 min. Remove from oven and roll in powdered sugar while hot.
You should know that Grandma bakes a batch of these for each family. These cookies are horded by many family members. I will not mention names.
Ho hum or ho, ho, ho. The holiday season is here. What's on your "to do" list?
All of our snow has melted. Do you have snow?
The weather has been warmer than normal, but the forecast is cold and dry the next week. Unusual weather for us. Retired Mountain Man and I have been taking all three border collies on our walks every day.
Christmas "to do" list: Add more lights.
We have added a string of LED icicle lights to the front of the house and I have dug out some of the Christmas decorations.
Find Christmas Tree:
I have been looking for our Christmas tree on our walks and have one spotted but you never know if it's going to turn out to be "the one" until you check it out in detail. I think I may need a backup tree or two.
Have you already put up your tree and decorated it? Wow! You're way ahead of me. This is a photo of last year's tree.
It's been very enjoyable looking up my favorite cookie recipes and deciding which ones to bake.
Must be on the list: sugar cookies, gingerbread cookies and chocolate mint cookies. Peanut brittle and divinity.
The absolute best cookies are Grandma Eileen's Walnut Crescent Cookies and even though I have the recipe, I can't bake them as good as she does! They are melt in your mouth.
Ok, I have to quit writing about cookies. Now I want a cookie! Yikes! This is not a good sign for my diet. I wonder what ingredients I have in my pantry?
If I got off this computer, I could bake some Christmas cookies today. And they go so good with coffee.
Talk to you later!
P.S. If you haven't baked any cookies, we could have a bake-off. You bake yours and I'll bake mine. We'll have cookies to eat all weekend.
There's a lot more items on my "to do" list, but I don't want to get stressed out over all of it so I just refuse to list them until at least three items are off my list. Then I can add three new ones.
Ok, now I'm going to check my pantry.
The weather has been warmer than normal, but the forecast is cold and dry the next week. Unusual weather for us. Retired Mountain Man and I have been taking all three border collies on our walks every day.
Christmas "to do" list: Add more lights.
We have added a string of LED icicle lights to the front of the house and I have dug out some of the Christmas decorations.
Find Christmas Tree:
I have been looking for our Christmas tree on our walks and have one spotted but you never know if it's going to turn out to be "the one" until you check it out in detail. I think I may need a backup tree or two.
Have you already put up your tree and decorated it? Wow! You're way ahead of me. This is a photo of last year's tree.
Bake goodies:
It's been very enjoyable looking up my favorite cookie recipes and deciding which ones to bake.
Must be on the list: sugar cookies, gingerbread cookies and chocolate mint cookies. Peanut brittle and divinity.
The absolute best cookies are Grandma Eileen's Walnut Crescent Cookies and even though I have the recipe, I can't bake them as good as she does! They are melt in your mouth.
Ok, I have to quit writing about cookies. Now I want a cookie! Yikes! This is not a good sign for my diet. I wonder what ingredients I have in my pantry?
If I got off this computer, I could bake some Christmas cookies today. And they go so good with coffee.
Talk to you later!
P.S. If you haven't baked any cookies, we could have a bake-off. You bake yours and I'll bake mine. We'll have cookies to eat all weekend.
There's a lot more items on my "to do" list, but I don't want to get stressed out over all of it so I just refuse to list them until at least three items are off my list. Then I can add three new ones.
Ok, now I'm going to check my pantry.
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