Gingerbread Cut-Outs

Gingerbread Cut-Outs

AN AMISH COUNTRY CHRISTMAS features many of my longtime favorite Christmas cookie recipes in the “Sugar and Spice” section, so I’ve decided to share one here, along with a little insight into why I love it. For more than 20 years I’ve baked cookies to send to family, friends, my editors—and when I lived in Missouri, I donated 25 dozen for my church’s Christmas Eve service, along with several more dozen for church dinners. I was baking about 150 dozen and cramming them into my deep freeze. That’s a lot of cookies!

Now that we’ve moved to Minnesota and my cookie demands have diminished, I still bake about 75 dozen. I’ve included only tried-and-true recipes in my Christmas anthology, and this one for gingerbread comes from a historic cookbook from Williamsburg, Virginia. I’ve made these cookies for more than 20 years now—the dough’s a little sticky, so I mix it and chill it a day or two before I bake the cookies, and then I cut them out on a well-floured countertop, practicing my patience! I’m never disappointed! The cookies retain their shape as they bake and they’re spicy and soft as long as you don’t overbake them.

If you want to make these as Christmas tree decorations, use a drinking straw to cut a hole at the top of each cut-out before you bake them. Then you can run a length of ribbon or thread in the finished cookie, as a hanger. While these look stunning on a tree, I prefer to keep them fresh for eating. I only bake these once a year, and the thought of them getting hard and stale while hanging on the tree seems like a waste of a really good cookie!

For more of my favorite Christmas cookie recipes, look in the back of AN AMISH COUNTRY CHRISTMAS, or check my website at www.CharlotteHubbard.com. Meanwhile, I wish you and your family your most blessed, wonderful holiday season ever!

Williamsburg Gingerbread Cut-Outs

½ C. softened butter (no substitutes)

1 C. sugar

2 T. cinnamon

2 tsp. ground cloves

2 T. ground ginger

1 T. lemon flavoring

¾ C. evaporated milk

1 C. molasses

5 C. flour

1 ½ tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

Cream the butter and sugar. Add the flavorings and evaporated milk and blend well. Add the molasses, and then the dry ingredients until the dough is thoroughly mixed. Wrap in wax paper and chill overnight (or it’ll keep in the fridge for a few days).

Preheat the oven to 350º. Working with about a fourth of the dough at a time, roll out to ¼” thickness on a well-floured surface, rubbing flour on the rolling pin and dunking the cutters into the flour as needed (patience, remember!) Cut out the cookies and space them about an inch apart on pans lined with parchment paper. Bake 7-8 minutes—don’t let them brown!—and allow to cool for a minute on the pan before removing them to a wire rack. Frost/decorate with buttercream and allow the frosting to dry/set up. Store between sheets of wax paper. Freezes well. 7-8 dozen.

Buttercream Frosting

This is the recipe I learned long ago in a cake decorating class. I love it because it doesn’t taste like shortening, and it dries firmly when you decorate cookies or cake. It also freezes well in a covered container if you have any left over.

1/2 C. milk

1/2 C. softened butter (no substitutes)

1/2 C. shortening 

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. lemon flavoring

6-8 C. (about a pound) confectioners sugar

In a mixing bowl, blend the milk, butter, shortening, and flavorings. Blend in the sugar a cup or two at a time, scraping the bowl, until the frosting is thick and forms peaks.

For colored frosting, use paste coloring to maintain a thickness that will hold its shape during decorating. Makes enough to decorate/frost 6 batches of cookies, or a cake.

Kitchen Hint: I divide my frosting into 4 or 5 plastic containers and color one batch with deep pink, one batch with yellow, one with green, one with sky blue and I leave some white. Then I get out my pastry bag and decorating tips, the sanding sugars, jimmies, and miniature M&Ms, and I play! Let the decorated cookies dry/set up for several hours before you store or freeze them.

9/13: WINTER OF WISHES

"Seasons of the Heart" series

10/13: AN AMISH COUNTRY CHRISTMAS anthology

11/13: AMANDA WEDS A GOOD MAN

"Home at Cedar Creek"

www.CharlotteHubbard.com

www.NaomiKingAuthor.com

Learn more about this book @ the book tour site page here.

From the cookbook of author Charlotte Hubbard

 WINTER OF WISHES

"Seasons of the Heart" series

10/13: AN AMISH COUNTRY CHRISTMAS anthology

11/13: AMANDA WEDS A GOOD MAN

"Home at Cedar Creek"

www.CharlotteHubbard.com

www.NaomiKingAuthor.com

RHODA’S OATMEAL COOKIES

Because I feature a recipe section in each of my Seasons of the Heart books, lots of people ask me questions about Amish cooking and recipes. I’m going to let you in on a little secret! I love to cook! And while I have perused many Amish cookbooks to feature “authentic” recipes in my stories, you know what? Amish recipes aren’t any different from the dishes I’ve been cooking for most of my life! Amish cooks don’t always use as many seasonings as I prefer, but otherwise—right down to using convenience foods like cake mixes and Cool Whip—I’ve noticed little difference between traditional Amish fare and mine.

WINTER OF WISHES features a lot of stick-to-your-ribs comfort food recipes for the colder weather, and one of them—guaranteed to make your whole house smell fabulous—is this recipe for chewy, cinnamon-scented oatmeal cookies. I call them Rhoda’s cookies because she makes them for the children in this story—just as I often tweak the name of a recipe when I include it in my books.

I prefer to use the old fashioned “rolled” oats in everything I bake, but the quick-cooking version will work fine, too. This recipe is a lifelong favorite of my nieces and nephews, always moist and chewy, with lots of raisins, nuts, and cinnamon. So now I’d like to share it with you! For even more yumminess, go to my website at www.CharlotteHubbard.com to see the recipes included in all of my Seasons of the Heart books.

Rhoda’s Oatmeal Cookies

1 C. sugar

1 C. brown sugar, packed

1 C. butter or margarine, softened

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 C. flour

1 tsp. each of salt and baking soda

1 T. cinnamon

3 C. old fashioned rolled oats

1 C. chopped nuts

1 C. raisins

Preheat oven to 350º. Cream the sugars and butter/margarine, then mix in the eggs and vanilla. Add in the flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon and mix well. Add in the oats, nuts, and raisins—your dough will be moist but stiff. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto cookie sheets covered with parchment paper. Bake for 10-13 minutes, or until just starting to brown. Makes about 5 dozen. These freeze well.

Kitchen Hint: As you spoon the dough onto the cookie sheets, leave it in rounded mounds so the cookies stay moister. Don’t overbake! You can also substitute dried cranberries or other dried fruit chunks for the raisins.

Building Families One Meal at a Time

Giveaway included with this post

Do you want a book you will probably grab for every thing then this is the book for you?  In their book Six Sisters' Stuff you'll find recipes, fun crafts and more ssssooooo much more.  Six sisters, no brothers, have come together to compile a wealth of knowledge and fun right at your finger tips.  I must say this is a book that when I opened it I didn't see a recipe that I didn't want to run and make.  Plus the added features sprinkled thought out the book are just a plus bonus.  I just love the Easy Monster Sock puppet.  have to show you a picture of it

I don't have clearance to provide the recipe that I made; however, I'll show a picture.  

Cheesy Enchilada Casserole p. 16

all the recipes in this book have nice clear photos to accompany them as do the craft projects.  to make it easy on myself I took a picture of the table of contents page so I wouldn't have to type out all the recipes and crafts and extras that you'll find in this book.

(click on the image to make it bigger to read)

Some of the tips and ideas that are shared may not be found in the book, but they give you a web link to gain the information that is needed such as a link for making paper dolls, or homemade gak, etc.  quite the resource right at your finger tips.  Now for the fun part- I get to give a copy of this book away to one of my readers.  What the sisters have asked to be required to enter is that you do one of two things.  

1) Like the Six Sister’s STUFF facebook page and comment that you are joining the 4x4 Dinner Challenge  Learn more about the challenge by clicking on above challenge icon
https://www.facebook.com/SixSistersStuff

OR

2)   Click the 4x4 Family dinner banner on the website www.SixSistersStuff.com (on the right sidebar) and leave a comment that you are joining the challenge.

To be entered for free cookbook giveaway - Be sure to Leave a comment on this post telling me you have entered the challenge and which place # 1 or 2 you left your message at and the name.  Also please leave a way for me to contact you if you are the winner.  Since the challenge is open for the whole month of March we'll leave the giveaway open through March.  Please US residents only.

Building Families One Meal at a Time: Six Sisters Release New Cook-Craft-Create Book

With busy schedules, after-school activities, late workdays and long commutes, is sitting down to a family dinner still possible? 

The authors of Six Sisters’ Stuff (Shadow Mountain, ISBN: 978-1-60907-324-4, $21.99, March 2013) say YES! 

In their debut cookbook, the sisters (yes, six biological sisters— Camille, Kristen, Elyse, Stephanie, Lauren, and Kendra) show families just how simple putting dinner on the table can be.  From Baked Chicken Fajitas to Slow Cooker Pot Roast Sliders to Mini Oreo Cheesecakes, Six Sisters’ Stuff has nearly 100 easy-to-follow recipes that use ingredients commonly found in your pantry.  Each recipe includes easy-to-follow instructions and photographs that eliminate any guess work.

Six Sisters’ Stuff evolved from the sisters’ blog SixSistersStuff.com, that began in February 2011 out of their love to cook, craft, and create. After years of living close to one another, they suddenly found themselves living in different parts of the country and used the blog to stay in touch and share ideas. In just two short years, SixSistersStuff.com has quickly become one of the most popular food and craft blogs, receiving on average 5 million page views per month, with over 130,000 Facebook fans and more than 190,000 Pinterest followers (as of 2/7/13).

Six Sisters’ Stuff also includes a collection of simple and inexpensive craft ideas – how to make hand puppets, felt bows, decorative wreaths, and more – plus lists of fun family activities for road trips, entertaining rainy-day ideas, healthy snack suggestions, and even some recommendations for cheap date nights. This family-focused cookbook is really more of an idea book to help families create fun, lasting memories together.
Watch a video here

A copy of this book was provided by Deseret Books in exchange for this post along with my honest review.

A Game for All by Linda Gilden

A Game for All

Adapted from the recently released book, Mama Was the Queen of Christmas

by Linda Gilden

How will all the little holiday extras ever get done? I ask myself that question every year. And as much as I enjoy the holidays, there seems to be so little time.

One year I decided to let go of expectations and concentrate on celebrating Jesus.    I came up with a plan to accomplish a lot of the extras in a very short time. I created a game!

“Come on, everyone,” I said. “We are going to play a game.”

There was minor grumbling but in the end everyone agreed a family game would be fun. And I was so excited about the end result!

“Just give me an hour of your time,” I said. “Then you can get back to your homework.”

I found a cute Christmas container and deposited little slips of paper, each describing a job.

“I am going to set a timer for twenty minutes,” I said. “When you draw a slip of paper, you have twenty minutes to work at your job. When the bell rings, you will choose another job and change what you are doing. In an hour, you will have helped me with three pre-Christmas chores.”

The papers in the container had jobs like:

1. Position the electric candles in the windows.
2. Put the greenery on the mantle downstairs.
3. Wrap presents. (Not your own, although most were willing!)
4. A smile face. This job was really important. The person who got the smile was to circulate, serve refreshments, and make sure everyone was having fun.
5. Address Christmas cards.
6. Plan a family activity that will help us concentrate on the real meaning of the season such as memorize the Christmas story from Luke, find someone to share the season with who hasn’t yet met the Savior, concentrate on a different aspect of Jesus’ birth in daily devotions, etc. 
7. Make a Christmas goodie or edible treat. My family favorite is “Rocks!”

Christmas music playing in the background created a festive and jovial mood.

As it turned out, everybody was a winner in this game. The family gathered in the kitchen for a sample of “rocks,” pointing out that we had become happy little elves, proudly creating an atmosphere of merriment for the holidays.

Are there things you can do to make this holiday season less stressed for you and your family?

RECIPE: Rocks – Favorite Holiday Treat!

2 cups chocolate chips                                              

1 ½ cups dry roasted peanuts

½ cup peanut butter                                               

(1) 12.3 oz. box Crispix cereal

Confectioners Sugar

1. Melt chocolate in a large bowl in microwave oven. Heat on high for 1 minute. Stir well. Heat 30 seconds more or as needed to melt chocolate. Stir until smooth. (Chocolate could also be melted in a double boiler over low heat on the stove.)
2. Add peanut butter and stir until well blended.
3. Add peanuts and cereal and mix until thoroughly coated. A wooden spoon works best for this.
4. Put confectioner’s sugar in a plastic bag. Add cereal mixture, close bag tightly, and shake gently until mixture is coated with sugar. If you do a third of the mixture at a time, it is easier to handle.
5. Makes a lot! Store in an airtight container. Enjoy!

Mama Was the Queen of Christmas!

Do you love Christmas but feel the real meaning of the season is lost in the busyness? Do you breathe a sigh of relief when the last holiday guest is out the door, the last gift unwrapped, and the last ornament put away? Do you struggle with balancing the preparation and celebration with honoring Jesus? After all, it is His birthday!

Author: Linda J. Gilden

Retail: $12.95 (book)

Publisher: OakTara

October 26, 2012

ISBN-10: 1602903506

ISBN-13: 978-1602903500

Mama Was the Queen of Christmas is a collection of stories highlighting “Mama's” role in the season as well as quotes, scripture, and practical suggestions for keeping the holidays focused on Christ. Mama presents creative ideas to plan a meaningful holiday season.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

• “For the Queen” helps the reader focus on the truth of each story. This feature includes suggestions for the reader to implement that truth in his or her life.
• “For the King” points the reader to the One whose birth we celebrate through a personal activity.
• “For the Court” suggests family activities to apply the truth in each story.

About the Author:

Linda J. Gilden

Author & Speaker

Linda Gilden’s favorite season is Christmas. But, truthfully, she and her family like to celebrate all year long, so can it really be called a season? Growing up in a home where the spirit of Christmas prevailed throughout the year, she knows she is blessed to have married a man who shares the same philosophy—Jesus is not just for a season but for a lifetime! Linda is the author of over a thousand magazine articles and several other books, such as Love Notes in Lunchboxes, Love Notes on His Pillow, and Mommy Pick-Me-Ups (all by New Hope Publishers), but Mama Was the Queen of Christmas is one she has wanted to write for a long time. Her heart’s desire is to see families enjoy each other and make memories no matter what the season. Linda lives in South Carolina with her husband, three grown children and children-in-law, four grandchildren, and a granddog, all of whom love Christmas as much as she does!

This article was provided in exchange for this post by....

Turbo Charged Recipes by Dian Griesel, Ph.D & Tom Griesel

A new book, TurboCharged Recipes by sibling authors Dian Griesel, Ph.D. and Tom Griesel, is a perfect standalone or an excellent companion book to the highly acclaimed rapid fat-loss and health book TurboCharged: Accelerate Your Fat-Burning Metabolism, Get Lean Fast and Leave Diet and Exercise Rules in the Dust. The recipes in the pages of TurboCharged Recipes were created and compiled for the person who loves good food, but can't or won't spend hours preparing it because they are far too busy living and loving life. Featuring more than 400 flavorful and culinary delights, this book makes it possible to comfortably and tastefully get lean and healthy, and stay in great shape for the rest of your life.

The book's recipes include:

• Beverages
• Dressings & Dips 
• Appetizers 
• Soups & Stews 
• Salads 
• Vegetarian 
• Eggs 
• Fish
• Meats 
• Poultry 
• Desserts 

Whether breakfast, lunch, appetizer, dinner, snack or dessert, each recipe follows the TurboCharged® principles that make lifelong health in an awe-inspiring body truly possible. These highly nutritious recipes will keep your metabolism revving and your excess fat burning off as your energy needs are fulfilled the TurboCharged way-keeping you lean and feeling great.

About the book:
TurboCharged Recipes by Dian Griesel, Ph.D. and Tom Griesel
 ISBN: 978-1936705078
Publisher: Business School of Happiness Inc.
 Date of publish: May 2012
Pages: 268
 $24.95

I found that this isn't a cookbook that you just pick up and find something to make quick and easy.  Many of the recipes in this cookbook I didn't have much of the ingredients on hand to make.  The recipes are more schedule and plan ahead type to make sure you have all the ingredients for the recipe.  The recipes sound yummy but if you don't have ingredients to make them then it can be discouraging to look for a recipe to make that you have everything on hand.  I did find a burger recipe that my daughter and I tried and it was very good. (check out my Scraps of Life site for the recipe) There is a chicken in foil recipe that we want to try also.

Look good????  get recipe here.

In the Introduction and through out the book there are many helpful tips.  You'll learn what the turbocharged lifestyle is all about.  Tips on getting kids to eat healthy, flavoring with herbs and spices, seasonings for vegetables, a little tidbit on sugars, MSG and low calorie foods and beverages.  TurboTips are sprinkled throughout the pages of the book.  FDA tips on fresh, raw fruits and vegetables.  You'll find tips on perfect eggs and fish, chicken and meat tips. 

About TurboCharged:
TurboCharged® is a groundbreaking 8-Step program that defies common weight-loss theories. It successfully delivers body-defining rapid fat loss, accelerates metabolism, and improves health and odds of longevity without gimmicks, supplements or special equipment. The TurboCharged Mind is an excellent companion book to the author's acclaimed rapid fat loss book, TurboCharged, or perfect as a standalone read. A series of supporting TurboChargedT hypnosis downloads are available for sale via the book's website, which offers ideal guided meditations to support and direct self-hypnosis sessions for faster fat loss, greater health, reduced stress, and to quit smoking. For more information, log on to http://www.turbocharged.us.com .

A copy of this book was provided by the author and Bostick Communications for the purpose of this review.

Food Family Style by Leigh Oliver Vickery

I have another cookbook to tell you about.  Boy is this cookbook full of wonderful surprises.  Some common ones that you've heard of and many not so common, but they are just as the title says...simple (a plus) & tasty (another plus).   There are about 365 recipes in this cookbook so I didn't have a chance to try them all.  I didn't even get a chance to try as many as I wanted, but my daughter and I did try a very tasty Island Smoothy (p. 22).  Oh, it was yummy.  I didn't have the pineapple juice on hand but did have a tropical juice that we substituted in its place and it was oh, so yummy and smooth and refreshing.  Nice hot summer day treat.

The author is known in the MOPS (mothers of pre-schoolers) circle and many of the recipes in this book that she shares were used during their MOPS groups so they are tried by kids and favorites of kids themselves.  So you could say they are KID approved....Here's a listing of the chapters:

• Kids in the Kitchen
• Snacks and Beverages
• Breakfast
• Sandwiches, burgers and pizza
• Table Talk:  in this chapter the author shares cleaver little conversations table starters to help families get some table talk going. 
• Soups and Salads
• Main Dishes
• Side Dishes
• Proportion Distortion:  discusses proportions and shares a few tips to help you discern the correct amount to serve. 
• Desserts
• Menus for Special Occasions
• Back to  Basics:  this chapter has lists of Kitchen and pantry essentials, spices that are good to have on hand and some healthy swaps instead of this....try this....

There is also a recipe Index listing main ingredient and what recipe you'd find it in such as...

• Almond
• artichoke
• bacon
• beans 
• chicken
• caramel 
• chocolate
• popcorn 
• seafood 
• many, many more categories this is just a brief listing as a  sample

I must say that I believe I'll be turning to this cookbook many times over.  I'd love to share one recipe from the book that we tried.  It is listed as a MOPS Favorite (so it is kid tested)

Zebra Cake

p. 36 (under kids in the Kitchen)

1 pkg. Chocolate cake mix with pudding (plus ingredients as stated on package for making this cake)
8 oz. cream,cheese, softened
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar
8 oz. whipped topping, thawed
chocolate syrup as desired

Prepare cake as directed and pur into greased 9 x 13 cake pan. 

Mix together cream cheese, egg, and sugar

Spoon mixture randomly onto the cake batter and swirl it with a knife.  

Bake cake according to package directions.  Cool completely.  

Mix desired amount of chocolate syrup into whipped topping and spread over cake.  Drizzle more syrup over top (oops I forgot this step).  Store in refrigerator.  Serves 18. 

A copy of this book was provided in exchange for my honest review by...