Date Filled Cookies

Submitted by Ruth on

Picture: 

Ingredients: 

1 cup margarine (softened)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
3 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla (Madagascar)
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
Date Filling:
2 cups chopped and pitted dates
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp. lemon juice

Directions: 

Cream margarine and sugars until fluffy; add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Sift together dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture, mix well. Chill for 1 hour in refrigerator.

Date Filling:
Combine 2 cups chopped dates, sugar, salt and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, then cover and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the 2 tbsp. lemon juice after it's cooked and let cool.

On a floured surface, roll half the dough at 1/8th inch thick. Cut with a 2 1/2" round cutter. Place about 1 tsp. date filling on each cookie. Top with another cookie; press edges down with your finger tips to seal. Baking at 375 degrees on a Silpat sheet works best for about 10 minutes.

Madagascar Vanilla (purchase at Chefs Catalog) Of all the vanilla's I've used this is my favorite. Once you've tried it you won't go back!

Baking Sheet mat I love these cooking mats! I use them for all my cookies. The clean up is a breeze and it saves your pans.

Play Dough

Submitted by Ruth on

Ingredients: 

2 cups flour
2 cups salt
2 tbsp. cooking oil
4 tbsp. cream of tartar
2 cups flour
food coloring

Directions: 

Mix flour, salt and cream of tartar in a pan, then add water, oil, and food coloring. Heat for about 3 minutes. Or until mixture pulls away from pan. Remove and knead.

- Hours of fun awaits!

Play Dough

Submitted by Ruth on

When I was a child one of my fondest memories was making homemade play dough. I would make a batch, then color it and play with it for hours. Carefully when I was done storing it in baggies until the next time I got it out. It never did last long with brothers and a sister wanting to play too, but we did have many fun hours with it.

This is the recipe I used. Try it and enjoy it with your kids. I think Sophia is finally getting old enough to give it a go, at least she won't be constantly eating it. :)

2 cups flour
2 cups salt
2 tbsp. cooking oil
4 tsp. cream of tartar
2 cups water

Pizza Sauce

Submitted by Ruth on

Ingredients: 

1 cup tomato paste
1 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1 pinch of sweet basil
garlic salt

Directions: 

Mix together and spread over pizza crust, or noodles.

Sprinkling garlic salt over the pizza crust is very yummy too.

Tags: 

Rhubarb Crisp

Submitted by Ruth on

Ingredients: 

5 cups fresh rhubarb
1 1/4 cup sugar
3 tbsp. flour
3 tbsp. corn starch
1 cup regular oats
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup margarine, melted

Directions: 

Mix the 1 1/4 cup sugar, 3 tbsp. flour and corn starch together. Put in a 13x9" baking pan. Then mix the oats, brown sugar, flour, melted margarine and cinnamon together and pour evenly on top.

Bake at 375 for 45 minutes.

This is a wonderful summertime dish.

Scotcharoos

Submitted by Ruth on

Ingredients: 

1 cup sugar
1 cup white Karo Syrup
1 cup peanut butter
6 cups Rice Krispies
6 oz. (1/2 bag) chocolate chips
6 oz. (1/2 bag) butter scotch chips

Directions: 

Combine the sugar and Karo syrup in a sauce pan and bring to a boil, stir in peanut butter and Rice Krispies. Put into a 13x9" pan patting down.

Melt the 2 kinds of chocolate chips in microwave for 3 minutes. After it's melted pour over the Krispy mixture. Cool and enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Bars

Submitted by Ruth on

Ingredients: 

1 cup margarine
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 egg yokes
1 tbsp. cold water
1 tsp. vanilla (Madagascar)
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
4 egg whites
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup brown sugar

Directions: 

Cream together the margarine, 1/2 sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar until well mixed. Then add egg yokes, water and vanilla, mix throughly. Last add the flour and baking soda.

Spread the dough mixture into a 9x13" pan until even. Next spread 1 cup chocolate chips over the dough pressing them into it.

Next mix the 4 egg white till stiff peaks form, then adding 1 cup of brown sugar a little at a time.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, 22-25 for gooey bars.

Madagascar Vanilla (purchase at Chefs Catalog) Of all the vanilla's I've used this is my favorite. Once you've tried it you won't go back!

Christmas Wish List

Submitted by Ruth on

Well the holidays are here! We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends this year. I always breath a sigh of relief to know I have successfully put one meal under my belt... Only 3 more to go before the new year. :)

Christmas Eve is traditionally always been a steaming pot of oyster stew. Christmas Day just depends on my mood. New years is always a German meal consisting of Sauerbraten, Sweet and Sour cabbage and Spaetzle. I am making my mouth water just thinking of these things. I will post recipes to all the succulent dishes mentioned above soon. Yummm...

Classic Shortbread

Submitted by Ruth on

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup butter at room temperature
1/3 cup powder sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
Pam oil spray

Directions: 

With your mixer cream the butter until it is light and fluffy. Next cream in powder sugar, then the vanilla. Now mix in the flour. You want to do this quickly and as soon as you get pea sized balls stop mixing. Lightly spray a ceramic shortbread pan with Pam then pour the pea sized crumbs into the pan and smooth level. With the palm of your hand, firmly press down on the dough. Prick the entire surface with a fork and bake the shortbread right in the pan at 325 degrees for about 30-35 minutes. You want it nicely browned on top.

Let the shortbread cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Using hot pads take the pan and flip over quickly onto a cutting board. Tap gently and it should fall right out. Cut shortbread right away, along the shortbread pan lines. Let cool and enjoy!

- I only wash these ceramic shortbread pans about once a year. You really don't need to wash them every time you use them. I gently wipe out with a damp paper towel. If you do wash it, DO NOT put a hot pan in water. It will crack and break!

These are beautiful pans. You can get them in octagonal or square shaped pans with a dozen designs. There are Christmas snowflakes, teapots, flowers or just the traditional Thistle. (which I love)

Spagetti Squash

Submitted by Ruth on

Ingredients: 

1 squash
1/4 cup margarine or margarine

Directions: 

Take your squash and cut in half lengthwise. Since these can be hard to cut, I stick the tip of the blade in the center, push down and slice. Then turn it around and do the same to the other half. Much easier to get through the squash this way. Scoop out the seeds in the center and scoop the stringy bits out as well. (Don't through the seeds away though, these are yummy too.)

Take a baking sheet and place the squash face down so the meat in on the baking sheet. Place in a preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 1 1/2 -2 hours. You can tell it's done when the top of the squash starts to cave in or is soft too the touch. Take out of oven and flip over. You will be able to see that all the moisture was kept inside, by placing the squash face down. Take a large spoon and gently scoop out the meat, placing in a bowl. Put the margarine or butter in the squash and mix until melted.

Seeds:
Take your seeds and clean them, then pat dry on a paper towel. Place on a plate, salt to taste and place in the microwave. Cook for about 3 minutes, then take out and sift your fingers through them breaking them all apart. They will be hot! Place bake in a bake another 2-3 minutes and repeat. You'll be able to feel them drying out. When they feel dry enough try one, if it's a bit tough cook another couple minutes. They take about 6-8 minutes total.

-Eat or store in a airtight container for even a month or two.

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