Photo Shown On WGN last night & Butter Brittle

Picasa wouldn't let me add pictures yesterday so here goes another attempt.

OK looks like Im Back!

After deleting a ton of photos because they want more money.

Sharing a couple of photos I took,also a special recipe loved by my family.

I had to break down and pay, thats OK..

I enjoy sharing my photos. 

Tonight's Moon and a star, Jupiter at the upper left..

Its always exciting when Tom Skilling on WGN post my photo.

Thank You for post last night.

Nov 28 12

Sharing a family favorite that I always make for Christmas.

 Hoping it will last because its my favorite..

I love Christmas lights!

 Here is our tree all lit up just for the photo.

I should have put the fireplace on, OH well next time.

The last Christmas ornament from my Mother it is very special to me.

My Mother loved Christmas.

The village above I made and hand painted way back in the 1960s

It looks really small here but it fits perfect under the tree and its special because I made it... 

This guy I have been hanging  in the window for a lot of years.

probably since the early 70s.

 I finally had to throw the Santa one away, it didn't light and I didn't want to mess with it.

I have way to many that I don't use. 

Sharing the sun rise this morning, Beautiful.

I think that's all for this time, I have to make the brittle.. LOL I tried to fit it in yesterday,

I couldn't so definitely will today.

Thanks For Looking 

Until Next Time.



White Velvet Sugar Cookies

Thanksgiving is over here in the US.

 On with the next month of sharing goodies with you all.

Special treats made by Myself or Others..

White Velvet Sugar Cookies

 Happen to be my all time favorite Christmas sugar cookie.

  I have been making them for many years.

White Velvet Sugar Cookies

INGREDIENTS:

Cookies:
2 cups butter, softened
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups sugar
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 ¾ cups flour

Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream

DIRECTIONS:

For the cookies, cream butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add sugar, egg yolks and vanilla; mix well. Gradually add flour. The dough will be VERY soft; don’t worry, it gets firmer after chilling. Cover and chill two hours or until firm. Roll out on floured surface to ¼ inch thickness. Cut into shapes; place on greased baking sheets (or use parchment paper). Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until set (but not browned). Cool 5 minutes. Place on wire racks to cool. Frost as desired.
For the frosting, in a large bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. Set aside. In another medium bowl, beat whipped cream until stiff peaks form (it helps to use a chilled bowl and chilled beaters – and make sure the peaks are stiff not soft). Fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture and mix carefully (so as not to deflate cream) but well. Frost to your heart’s delight! (Be careful if adding coloring – the liquid food coloring found in the baking aisle can quickly thin your icing so you may need to add a bit more powdered sugar to compensate. I prefer to use Wilton’s gel coloring but either will work.)

Happy Cookie Baking 

Thanks For Looking

Until Next time

Sally 

Don't know what she was looking at but obviously enjoying it..

We got our little tree up in my computer room 

the big one comes later.

I do have a few out side decorations up have to take advantage of the mild weather we are experiencing because we know it wont last.

The Sun Rise from the other day

always pretty..

A couple of my decorations out front.

That's Sally looking out the door, I cant go far she is always right by me. 

Not abby she is always off sleeping some where.

This girl was enjoying the mild weather.

I don't know where the Sun Rise is this morning that's where it usually comes up, wow glummy..

My grasses even look beautiful in fall.

I thought I would share a recipe again..

Bacon Cheddar Patty Cakes

Ingredients

• 3 slices bacon
• 4 cups mashed potatoes (cold leftover)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 12 tsp salt
• 12 tsp black pepper (ground)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Place the bacon in a large, deep skillet, and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned and crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove the bacon slices, crumble, and set aside. Leave the bacon drippings in the skillet.
2. Mix the mashed potatoes, eggs, onion powder, salt, and black pepper together in a bowl; stir in the crumbled bacon and Cheddar cheese.
3. Form the mixture into 8 patties. Heat the bacon drippings over medium heat, and pan-fry the patties in the drippings until crisp on each side, about 4 minutes per side.

That's all from me for a while

 I will be busy, enjoy Thanksgiving if you celebrate it..

Until Next Time

Thanks for looking.

Dianne's_ Paul England, Village Christmas Cake

Paul England Village Christmas Cake

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar,
1 tsp. baking powder,
1lb SR flour,
1 cup water,
1 tsp. salt ,
1 cup brown sugar,
Lemon juice,
4 large eggs,
1 cup mixed Nuts,
2 cups dried fruit.
1 bottle Vodka,

Method:
Sample a cup of Vodka to check quality.
Take a large bowl, check the Vodka again to be sure it is of the highest quality then Repeat. Turn on the electric mixer. Beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of sugar. Beat again. At this point, it is best to make sure the Vodka is still OK. Try another cup just in case. Turn off the mixerer thingy. Break 2 eegs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit. Pick the fruit up off the floor, wash it and put it in the bowl a piece at a time trying to count it. Mix on the turner. If the fried druit getas stuck in the beaterers, just pry it loose with a drewscriver Sample the Vodka to test for tonsisticity. Next, sift 2 cups of salt, or something. Check the Vodka. Now shit shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts. Add one table. Add a spoon of sugar, or somefink. Whatever you can find. Greash the oven. Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over. Don't forget to beat off the turner. Finally, throw the bowl through the window. Finish the Vodka and wipe the counter with the cat.

Dianne

Baked Beans: Sharon

My grandma made this at every holiday. Baked Beans 2 jars B&M baked beans 1 med. onion chopped 3/4 cup brown sugar 1 lb hamburger (yes hamburger) 1 jar heinze chili sauce brown meat with onion. in casserole dish mix beans and chili sauce and brown sugar. add the meat mixture. bake 1 hr 350 degrees. they taste awesome - different from regular baked beans Sharon and Tom

Oreo Bars or 'Lumps of Coal' Brittney

Oreo Bars or 'Lumps of Coal'

Ingredients:

One 16 oz package of Oreo Cookies
5 cups large marshmallows
4 tablespoons butter

Directions:

Butter an 8X8 inch baking pan. Line the baking pan with parchment paper letting the paper extend up two sides of the pan and overhang slightly on both ends. Butter paper; set pan aside.

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, pulse Oreos until ground.
In a large, microwave safe bowl, melt butter and marshmallows in the microwave until puffed, about 1½ - 2 minutes. Stir in ground Oreo Cookies until combined. Transfer to prepared baking pan. Using a piece of wax paper, press mixture evenly into prepared pan.
Let set up for at least 10 minutes. Cut into bars and serve.

Brittney

Orange Jello Mold: Judy

Orange Jello Mold

1 small package orange Jello
1 cup boiling water
1 small can orange juice concentrate
1/2 pint vanilla ice cream
1 can mandarin oranges
Stir Jello and boiling water in bowl. Put in orange juice and ice cream and dissolve. Stir in drained oranges. Pour in mold and refrigerate.

Judy

ROBBIE BOBBIE BABIES GRILLED MEAT LOAF

ROBBIE BOBBIE BABIES GRILLED MEAT LOAF

1 lb ground beef

1 lb ground chuck

1 egg

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 small onion finely chopped

3 slices of soft white bread

1 TBS Worcestershire sauce

1 TBS prepared mustard

1 tesp salt

1/4 tesp pepper

1 8oz can tomato sauce

Mix ground beef with 3/4 cup cheese and the rest of the ingredients EXCEPT the tomato sauce ( save till later ). Mold into a round loaf and put into a 9x9 aluminum pan. Grill it on indirect heat for 55 minutes.Pour off the dripping's. Pour the tomato sauce over the meat loaf & sprinkle the remaining cheese (you can use more cheese if you want I usually do). Cook an additional 25 minutes.

You can vary this by adding some wood chips to the charcoal to add a smoked flavor. Also,you can make it Mexican by adding some chipotle's to the meat and use adobe sauce they come in to add to the tomato sauce and replacing the cheddar cheese with pepper jack. I've wanted to do a spin with Italian but have never tried it.

Robert

Pot Roast Aletha.   $1,000 Pot Roast 4 pounds of roast meat Salt and pepper meat 4 onions slice and cover meat 8 oz can of mushrooms, add water 8 oz can of tomato sauce 2 tsp of fresh garlic 1 cup of water Mix together in a large bowl Put in a large pot and cover Bake in oven at 350 for 2 hrs Then: Add 6 carrots 2 onions 6 potatoes 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 2 cans of beef gravy Bake another 2 hrs By Aletha

Caramel Corn Cindy

2 sticks butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white karo syrup

1 tsp baking soda

Jays corn pops

Boil; sugar, butter & syrup for 2 minutes. Add Baking soda and remove from burner. Pour over corn pops and stir to coat.

Bake in oven at 250 degrees for 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Let cool on wax paper.

Cindy

Healthy Dog Bars: Kristie

12 cups Oatmeal

4 cups whole wheat flour

8 eggs

3/4 cup oil or unsweetened applesauce

2/3 cup honey

1/2 cup molasses

2 cups milk

1 large can PURE pumpkin

3-4 large bananas mashed

Preheat 325 Grease 2 cookie sheets

dump everything in a large bowl and mix together. Pat down on greased sheets. Bake for 1 hour then crack oven door open leave in until cool. Cut into squares with pizza cutter. Freezes well.

Kristie

A few Photos and Peanut Butter Fudge Treats

Its been a few days since I posted so I will try to finish one today, if not Ill finish it tomorrow.

OK sorry now its a few more days added to the list.

We haven't been out and about to share any fantastic photos lately, so you will just have to see the few around here.. Sorry I have to do catch up around the old home stead before winter sets in.

We did manage to take a ride over to a park to see if the leaves that were still green on the tree were golden yet and they were gone except these.

I cant get enough of those fall colors they are amazing.. 

A little dark but no sun it definitely makes the difference.

The one above is of the cardinal hanging out in the bird feeder.

Sharing some of my dried preserved hydrangeas, the top one was of flowers picked in summer.

 The  vase below in the special solution was picked in late fall.

Roses and Hydrangeas together.

One of my Christmas cactus's is about ready to bloom full force, just in time for the holidays.

I know the pot doesn't look all pretty,  I bought it that way I liked the look..

Here are a few of the plants I save over the winter in the garage. I will bring them out in spring and they will bloom all over again.  One of my many crazies I like to do over the winter month..
I trimmed them way back just in case you wondered. actually I have to get out there and turn them all around and water them for another week.

I know your wondering what's that, its called a shelf cloud and I didn't want to pass up sharing that with you..I took it this morning it didn't last long I'm just happy I was able to get it.

This one I'm calling morning lights.

I put up one of my wreaths out side for the holidays, the weather was in the 70s that day.. 

I jumped at the chance.. Today I'm going to get two more ready to hang on the lights on the garage,.

Early Dawn.

You can almost see their wings moving they are fast.

A lonesome swan enjoying the shallow murky water.

The one above I took was featured on WGN TV weather the other day, its always exciting when they post one of the photos I send them.

We call him General Tremont he never fails to stop by regularly.

I better wrap this up, I have a lot to do and cant get it done playing on the computer.

Befor I go I want to share a recipe with you since its November and Peanut Butter Month.

Here is one of my all time favorites. 

Peanut Butter Fudge Treats

I made these bars in a 9×13-inch pan and cut the bars into 1-inch squares, although I think even those were too large.

Rice Krispy Treats

• 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 package (10 oz., about 40) regular marshmallows
• - OR -
• 4 cups miniature marshmallows
• 6 cups Rice Krispy Cereal (or any puffed rice cereal)

1. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.2. Add Rice Krispies cereal. Stir until well coated.
3. Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. ( You may want to line your pan with parchment paper or waxed paper large enough to have flaps hanging over the sides. This will make it easy to pull the giant block of goodness out of the pan when it’s done. I just forgot this step. But as recorded in the comments below, some people had trouble with the wax paper sticking to the Krispie treats. A well sprayed pan might just be your best bet!) Cool. Make Peanut Butter Fudge.

Peanut Butter Fudge
recipe from Alton Brown

• 1 cup butter, plus more for greasing pan
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 pound powdered sugar

Microwave butter and peanut butter for 2 minutes on high. Stir and microwave on high for 2 more minutes. Add vanilla and powdered sugar to peanut butter mixture and stir to combine with a wooden spoon. Pour over the Rice Krispy treats in the pan and spread evenly. Let cool in the fridge while you make the Chocolate Fudge.

Easy Chocolate Fudge

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2/3 cup evaporated milk
• 1 2/3 cups sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups miniature marshmallows
• 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 tsp vanilla

Combine butter, milk, sugar, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil; cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in marshmallows, chocolate, and vanilla,. Beat for about 1 minute, or until marshmallows melt and mixture is thoroughly combined. Pour over peanut butter fudge, spread evenly and place in the fridge to harden and cool. Cut into 1-inch pieces or smaller.

Thanks for looking I hope you seen something you like..

Thats me as a teen, photo from an old friend.

Hugs From Me
Diane Louise