Stitching My Story

Back To School Ranger Cookies...

Yippee! We are headed back to school this week. Three of us in college means a wide array of classes and books and fees and supplies and snack-needs. When it comes to classes, one or another of us will be taking the following:

Raster illustration, vector illustration, history of graphic design, creative writing, poly sci: contemporary issues, intro to astronomy, statistics, medical anthropology, and an english class that's focused entirely on anthropology. Sheesh!

When it comes to snacks, the following will do nicely:

Mix Dry: 2c. flour, 2c. oatmeal, 2c. coconut, 2c. cornflakes, 1t. salt, 1t. baking soda, 2t. baking powder 

Mix Wet: 1/2c. butter, 1/2c. shortening, 1c sugar, 1c brown sugar, 2 eggs, 1t. vanilla

Mix wet and dry together.

Drop by spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 for 9-10 minutes.

Summer Pesto...

2 cups of solidly packed fresh basil leaves
3 (or so) garlic cloves
1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
1/2 t. salt
1/2 to 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup olive oil
2 T butter, softened

Blend the basil, garlic, nuts, salt and oil in a blender or food processor until smooth, stopping occasionally to scrap the sides of the bowl as needed.  Add the cheese and butter and blend about 15 seconds more. 

A Modern Day June Cleaver: Breakfast Cookies

(click image for recipe)

My New Recipe Blog...

Pumpkin Cookies

(grandbaby Oliver at the pumpkin patch)

Mix dry ingredients:

1.5 cups unbleached white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 t EACH, baking powder, baking soda, salt
2-3 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice

Mix wet ingredients:

1/2 cup soft butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 egg
1 t vanilla

Add dry ingredients to wet and mix them together.

Drop dough by the spoonful onto a greased cookie sheet.

Bake 13-15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Cool, then frost with cream cheese frosting. 


Cream Cheese Frosting: Blend together 1 package of softened light cream cheese, 1/4 cup of soft butter, 1 cup of powdered sugar and 1 t. vanilla.

Crock-pot and Knitting Weather has Arrived!

On the knitting front, I have a pair of smittens I started last year that are almost ready for THIS winter. Smittens, for those of you who haven't discovered them yet, are mittens for hand holding! Each person gets their own OUTSIDE-hand mitten, and then shares a mitten for the INSIDE-hands... you know? So you can hold hands? Here's the free pattern I'm using.

I'm also working on socks for holiday gifting. The BASIC SOCK CHART is the only pattern I ever use for socks anymore. It always works out perfectly.

As for my crock-pot, here's a new favorite that I pulled together:

Baked Chicken Enchiladas....

Into the crock-pot:

2 cans ROT-EL mild, 1 lg. can diced green chilies, 1 diced onion, 1 cup frozen corn, 1 can cream of mushroom soup followed by a can of water, 2 chicken bullion cubes, chili powder and/or cumin to taste, and 2-3 chicken breasts. Cook for a few hours, until chicken is tender. Pull the chicken apart with two forks.

(dear family: this is on my amazon wish list)

In a 13 by 9" baking dish, layer: corn tortillas (we love the Trader Joe brand), crock-pot chicken mixture, and shredded cheese. Repeat the layers three times. Cover with foil and bake at 350 until bubbly hot... 45-55 minutes. Serve with blue chips, salsa and fat free sour cream.... and a really cold beer!

Easy Baked Spaghetti...

(my two favorite Trader Joe employee's pretending to discuss the virtues of spaghetti sauce)

In a big bowl, mix:

• 2 eggs
• 1 container of ricotta OR cottage cheese
• 5 T melted butter
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Stir in a package of cooked spaghetti noodles (or whatever shape you like).

Pour into 13 by 9" baking dish that's been coated with spray canola oil

Top with shredded mozzarella, a jar of TJ's THREE CHEESE spaghetti sauce, then a bit more parmesan.

Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or so.

(and I know you are going to email me and ask me if it really needs the butter.... *grin*)

(Thankfully) Some things never change....

Back to school = Rice Krispie Treats and mom taking your picture.

3 T. butter

1 package of marshmallows

6 cups of Rice Krispies

Melt butter in a large pot over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until melted. Remove the butter and marshmallow goo from the heat and add the cereal. Mix well. Press mixture into a 13 by 9” baking dish that’s been coated with cooking spray. Cool and cut into squares.

Unit four actually only has one class at the high school this year (the rest at the college).... and, at 16, I think he is more of a grown-up than I am most days. But still... he's our baby. I remind him of it as often as motherly possible (which is pretty dang often).

Have a great first day, Benjamin! The Rice Krispie Treats are waiting for you when you get home. 

p.s. he still doesn't eat bread crust.... which my mommy-self finds oddly comforting.

Comfort Food for Summer, Day-off-Work, Kid-Full Mornings....

Bisquick Coffee Cake

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9" pan. Mix the following, then pour into pan:

2 cups Bisquick

2/3 cup milk

2 T sugar

1 egg

Mix the first three ingredients, work in the butter with a pastry cutter, then pour the mixture over the cake batter:

2/3 cup Bisquick

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 t cinnamon

4 T cold butter

Bake for 18-20 minutes.

DC's Thanksgiving Sweet Potatoes... Yum.

Combine:

1/2 cup half and half 

1/2 cup maple syrup 

1 t vanilla 

1 t salt 

1 egg

 

Add:

5 pounds of sweet potatoes that have been peeled, cubed and boiled until tender.

Beat until smooth. Spoon into 13 by 9 baking dish coated with cooking spray. Set aside.

 

In another bowl, combine: 

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup brown sugar 

 

Cut in:

1/4 cold butter 

 

Add: 

1/2 cup chopped nuts (pecans are yummy).

Sprinkle evenly over the potatoes.

 

Cover the dish and bake at 375 for 15 minuets.

Uncover and bake 25 minutes more.