It's almost Halloween!!!

Happy Monday morn to ya!! OK...I've been a listening to my Celtic music, can ya tell?  ^_^

It's hard to believe that Friday will be October 31st. Time truly is acting like a witch right now....it's FLYING!! Ok ok perhaps I've also had WAY too much caffeine this morning whilst listening to my Celtic music. What can I say, I'm a real WITCH if I don't get my coffee. BAHAHAHAHAHA.

Do you do anything special on the 31st as far as dinner goes? The Chazman loves for us to have Halloween themed food that night. It's something I started with him when he was about 4. He was very, VERY scared of anything Halloween until then so we kinda played it down. That was HARD peoples as much as you know I love this time of year. I love my Chazman man sooo much more though so it had to be done. (sigh)
He was asking me this morning what I had planned for this year's dinner so I guess I had better come up with a few things. Yes??

How about some Twice baked mummies?

Perhaps some Tarantula tacos??

Or one of our favorites...mummy dogs!!

Here's three easy and yummy ideas from the Betty Crocker website. I have done all three of these in the past and let me tell you....they were a hit. Pssst....they are easy and fast to fix too which I'm sure YOU will need if you have little ones begging to get out and start Trick or Treating. We don't want them going out with grumbling, empty tummies though......for two reasons....one being that it's not healthy and two hopefully, fingers crossed, they won't eat so much junk ummm I mean candy if they are full. Yeah, I know...RIIIGHT!!


Until next time.............Hugs,
Regi

Good Afternoon!!! It's Baking time

I hope that YOU had a wonderful weekend. Got some rest.....finished up that last minute shopping or just did something FUN!! It was one of those curled up with a good book kinda weekends for me. Rain, rain and more rain but I so love the rain. The mister watched sports all weekend and the Chazman played games, watched videos, a movie or two and just thoroughly enjoyed his WiFi with his PS3. (that was one of his Christmas gifts...the WiFi)

This morning I finished up gifts for my sister and my BIL. We are going to their house tomorrow and I just can't go empty handed for them when I made gifts for their girls. Just wouldn't feel right...nope...wouldn't feel right at all.

She loved this bracelet when she saw it and even made a comment on FB that it sure would look good on her. HEHE  I made her a different one...almost the same..except this one has two amber glass beads wrapped in silver wire next to the heart one.

Don't ya just love the patina of this washer? I know that I do and it just looked so manly that I just had to use it for a bracelet for my sweet BIL.  Hopefully he will wear it even if only every once in awhile. 

Once I finished making the paper boxes for these I started my holiday baking. The Chazman and I LOVE to bake. Ok well....this year I'm baking and he is licking the spoon..hehe..but at least he is in the kitchen with me chatting up a storm and licking his lips. 

I made blueberry muffins this morning...nothing special....from a mix but they sure did make a great quick breakfast. I have some of my homemade cinnamon swirl coffee cake muffins cooling and OHHHH my, they smell so delicious!! Apparently they are cool enough to eat because the Chazman just came in and said they were YUMMIEEEEEEE!!! They are very easy to make and make a great gift to take to a friend or to a family gathering. (like to my sister's house tomorrow...if I can keep the Chazman away from them) 

Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake Muffins

(makes 12 regular size muffins)

* 2 cups flour

* 1/2 cup sugar

* 1 tbsp baking powder

* 1 tsp salt

* 1/4 cup vegetable oil

* 1 egg

* 1 cup milk

* 1 capful vanilla flavoring (ok...that's how I measure it..hehe)

Cinnamon swirl filling

* 1/3 cup melted butter

* 1/3 cup brown sugar

* 1 tsp cinnamon (yes...you can add a bit more if you want)

Crumb topping

* 1/2 cup flour

* 1/2 cup brown sugar

* 3 tbsp softened butter

* dash of cinnamon (that's however much you want ^_^)

1. Preheat oven to 350 and line 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners. (or spray with cooking spray...I like liners) 

2. Make the filling. Whisk together all ingredients until well combined. Set aside.

3. Make the topping. Combine all ingredients and with a fork mix until it resembles crumbs. Set aside

4. Make the muffins. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. In a separate smaller bowl whisk together the oil, egg, milk and that cap full of vanilla flavoring. Pour wet whisked ingredients into the dry mixed ingredients and sit just until combined good.

5. Add 1/2 tbsp of batter to each prepared muffin cup. Then add 3/4 to 1 tbsp of the cinnamon swirl to the center of the batter. Top with another 1/2 tbsp of the batter then cover muffins with crumb topping.

6. Bake for 15-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

7. Let cool in tins for bit and then move to a wire rack to finish cooling.

8. Eat and enjoy!!!

Now we are also making some of my NOM NOM NOM peanut butter balls. You can find the recipe for those if you click HERE 

I have another easy and quick recipe that has several different variations to it if you are needing or wanting something different to make this year. It's my shortbread recipe and like I said...it's very easy. Just click HERE to see it. 

Ohhhh I smell those brownies and they are ready to come out of the oven. Next are peanut butter cookies. Yes yes...we LOVE peanut butter!!!!

Until next time.....Hugs,

Regi

Santa just LOVES those candy canes!!!

It's November and Santa loves this time of year. It's the time that he gets to take out of his busy schedule to go and let the children meet him and whisper to him what they so most want for Christmas. Nothing delights the jolly old elf as much as seeing the brightness in their eyes and catching the contagion of their giggles.  For years he has given each child a small gift after they have given him either their one wish for that truck or doll or have unfolded that almost never ending list of toys. HOHOHO  That gift is a specially large size candy cane that the elves themselves make at the North Pole. They are simply magical and none other taste as good.

This year Santa had a small mishap with one very giggly little girl and one big old sticky candy cane. Little Khloe was SO excited that she was going to meet Santa this year and get to tell him that she wanted a big cuddly teddy bear. That's all she wanted....just that bear....she could call all her own. Khloe already had a big soft bunny and a bright yellow tiger and she needed Mr Bear to complete her tea party group. I mean, what's a tea party without Mr Bear, ri iight?? Khloe giggled the entire time she whispered to Santa and squealed with outright delight when Santa said he felt sure "if she had been a good girl all year" that a teddy would be under her tree on Christmas morn. As Santa handed Khloe her candy cane, she took a lick and then stuck it up to Santa's face so he could get one too. Unfortunately, Santa was already starting to stand and nodding down at her and instead of getting a lick, his beard got it. Now you would think there would have been a moment of silence but like I said before.....giggles are contagious and everyone started to laugh.

Santa and Khloe are part of my 2013 Santa ooaks series. Santa has a strong wire armature that has been wrapped in wool white yarn. What I call his underclothing. His face, hands and feet were hand sculpted using clay without the use of any molds. He is detailed in acrylic paints and his eyes are bone beads that have been hand painted using acrylic and fine MICA powders. His beard and hair were made out of sheared lambswool. His suit was sewn using vintage fabrics and the trim used was made from faux fur. His boots were hand sewn using felt. Santa even has a gold wedding band on. Mrs. Claus would expect no less!!!

Khloe has a strong wire armature that has been wrapped in green hued wool yarn. Her face, hands and feet/shoes were hand sculpted from clay without the use of any molds. She was detailed using acrylic paints and her eyes are also bone beads hand painted using acrylic and fine MICA powders. Her dress was sewn from a pretty vintage embroidered napkin. I so love being able to repurpose items. Her hair was made out of sheared llama hair. Her candy cane was sculpted from clay and detailed using acrylic paints.

Santa and Khloe are sitting in a twig chair that has a heart back pillow and seat pillow that were hand sewn. The chair is sitting on a rug made from a piece of upholstery fabric. Again, I so love to repurpose items. ^_^
Both are permanently attached to a small wooden base that has this piece sitting at 13 inches. Santa and Khloe are permanently attached to the chair and to each other. We don't want a toddler jumping down and running off now do we....NO...I think not!!

Now if you have been following along with the designing of this piece then I bet you are wondering if I  have totally lost it OR did you even notice something changed?  HAHA...you didn't even notice. OK ok Johanna, I'm sure YOU did. ^_^  The lil girl's name was Sarah J but her name has been changed to protect..oh wait...that would be for another tale (tall tale...hehe) her name was changed to Khloe because one of my dear, sweet friends and collectors fell in love with her the moment she saw her. The reason was because she reminded her of her sweet, darlin great granddaughter...who's name is....YES....Khloe!!! Since she wanted to adopt this piece then I felt that I really should change the name. I want my collectors HAPPY HAPPY!!
My muse has already been whispering of another ooaks that lil Sarah J will definitely be a part of in the future.

Until next time...........Hugs,
Regi

Psssttt....one of Mrs. Claus recipes for using some of the candy canes that are left!! So so good!!

No Bake Candy Cane Cheesecake Bites

Ingredients:
1 pint chilled heavy cream
3 (4 oz each) packages of cream cheese softened to room temp
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1-1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup crushed candy cane

Directions:
*Spray a mini muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
*Pour heavy cream into a bowl and with the whisk attachment whip cream until soft peaks form. Gently transfer whipped cream to a separate bowl and set aside.
*Using the original mixing bowl combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla and with the paddle attachment gently beat until fluffy. Using spatula fold whipped heavy cream into the cream cheese mixture.
*Divide mixture among the muffin tins and smooth down with back of a spoon. Sprinkle the candy canes on top and gently press down into batter.
*Place in freezer for 6-8 hours or overnight. When ready to serve, tap tin on countertop to release bites. Transfer each one to a small foil mini cupcake holder.

*Makes 24 (betcha can't eat just one...hehe)

A few more Halloween Labels per the Chazman ^_^

I am soooo excited that my Chazman loves to get in on the decorating at holidays. He went through the kitchen last night and decided that some of the jars I use on a daily basis should have labels for Halloween on them too. I mean...they are sitting out and we do have labels on other things...so why not!!!

I love the glass and porcelain old timey containers that have the large wire closures. I keep our coffee creamer and sugar in some. Those are the ones that the Chazman said needed Halloween labels since they sit out on the counter. So.....here's the labels:

Sugar=Faerie Dust

Creamer=Mummy Dust

Now I told ya'll in my Halloween decorations post about the clear container that holds the Transylvania Dirt (remember..not real dirt but brownies) but the Chazman wanted me to actually add a label for that too. Soooo, I did!!!

 As you can see, a good bit of the dirt is missing...hehe!! I knew that I would be making brownies all month long and I don't mind at all. I have a very easy and delicious recipe and I want to share it with YOU.

Ingredients

1/2 cup melted butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup powdered baking cocoa

Optional ingredients (but ohhhh so good to add and we did)

1/4 cup Nesquik Chocolate Syrup

1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

I guess if ya wanted to have "rocks" in your dirt, you could add 1/2 cup walnuts. Muahahahaha

Mixing and Baking

Melt butter. Combine sugar, vanilla and melted butter.Add eggs. Mix the remaining ingredients in a different bowl. Combine the two bowls into a larger bowl and mix well. (this is when ya would add those optional ingredients and those "rocks") Grease and flour a 9x11 or a 9x9 pan. Spread batter in pan. Bake for 20 minutes at 365 degrees. Cool. Eat. ENJOY!!!

Until next time............Hugs,

Regi

It's a THIS and THAT kinda day!!

OMGOSH.....I have two cats that are going C R A Z Y!!!!  Running and bouncing all over the place....ducking under furniture and then just freezing in place, huffing and then looking to see if I'm watching them. They are doing their best to make me smile or laugh because they KNOW they are in the dog house. OR would that be cat house?? The reason they are trying to get back into my good graces is because it seems they thought they were cat burglars last night and snuck into one of my desk drawers where I keep some of my string. Yes...these dang cats can open desk drawers and it seems pull the tape off that I have on them that I THOUGHT was keeping them OUT!! They found my brand new big ball of string that I make my Whodoo's with and BOY did they have some fun. That is until they got caught this morning!!!

Just LOOK at my ball of string. OMGOSH...stop laughing would ya...it's not funny. Ok well perhaps it is just a bit. HEHE  I have been working on getting all the tangles out and man oh man what a job. As soon as I do get it untangled then I'm going to be working on some of my Whodoo characters. Don't know what those are? Click HERE to find out!! I made one for the Chazman's best buddy for Christmas this past year (see that one HERE) and Chaz wants me to make him another one. He is suppose to be coming to spend the night either tonight or tomorrow night so I have to get BUSY!!!

In between trying to untangle the string. (HEY..it's still not THAT funny) I decided to make some cookies so the boys would have something to snack on. I made several batches yesterday and it seems that we have a cookie monster in the house. I really suspect that we have more than one actually..hehe!! NOOO, I don't mean me...I'm being very good watching what I eat, although I will confess that I did eat one. Just so I could make sure they tasted good. Yeah yeah...that's why I ate it. ^_^   They are peanut butter cookies and so so good and so so easy to make. YOU should make some....you will like them...I promise. You do like peanut butter, ri iight??  Then you will like them. Here's the recipe:

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup sugar

1 beaten egg

1 cup peanut butter

Mix sugar and egg together until smooth.

Add peanut butter and stir until blended.

Roll dough into balls (about 1 inch)

Place on cookie sheet, press with fork

(dip fork in sugar and criss cross over cookie)

Bake in 350 oven for 12 minutes

Take out..let cool. EAT

Don't those look YUMMY!! Oh and I did NOT forget to mention any flour because you don't use any flour. Use only the three ingredients above...that's all....easy peasy!!

I'm tackling another monster today as well as a cookie monster.....the dreaded laundry monster. Ewww...I so hate that one...well..not really hate. I just wish someone would invent a drier that after it finishes drying the clothes it would automatically fold them too...hehe...wouldn't that be grand!! So as you can see, I am having one of those THIS and THAT kinda days. How's yours going so far?

Until next time...........Hugs,

Regi

Shan the Kitchen Faerie is Complete

Faeries love sweets...I mean really, REALLY, love sweets. So what's better than one being an assistant pastry chef. Shan loves to help in the kitchen and baking anything sweet is her expertise. She has been collecting recipes for well over one hundred years now. Her little recipe box is overflowing with delicious sweetness. Today she has assisted in baking some jumbo Peanut Butter Chocolate cupcakes and she herself can just taste how delicious it's going to be. She just needs to add a bit more shugar and it will be ready to be enjoyed.  Shugar is a faerie word...it means sugar and honey...ohhhh so sweet. Like I said...faeries love their sweets!!!

Shan is one of my fully sculpted ooaks with a very strong wire armature underneath. She stands at 5 1/2 inches if you don't include her hand sewn Chef hat. Her outfit is made from clay but her apron is cloth with a tiny pocket that holds her spatula, whisk and wooden spoon. (those three items were made from clay and then hand painted using acrylic paints.) Her eyes are some of my hand drawn and her hair is wool. She has been painted using acrylic paints as well. Her wings are made from vellum paper. Her Shugar shaker was made from clay with a paper label wrapped around it. She has one of my tiny hemp bracelets around her left wrist.

The base of this piece is a small glass votive holder. It holds one of my felted cupcakes along with a tiny recipe box made from cardstock. It actually holds tiny little recipe cards and spacers. It has a spiral wire holder to keep your recipe card on so you can see it as you are baking.

I have fallen in love with using vellum paper. It makes faerie wings look magical without doing anything to them.

Shan is ready to go to her new home (she was a commission piece....I did the eyes green and the hair dark to match her new keeper) I hope she behaves herself...LOL!! She has asked that I give all of you her recipe for her delicious Peanut Butter Chocolate cupcakes. Enjoy!!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes

Filling:
1 package (3 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon 2% milk

Batter:
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 cup water
1 cup 2% milk
1/2 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Frosting:
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 cups confectioner's sugar
6 tablespoons baking cocoa
3-4 tablespoons 2% milk

To Prepare:

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar and milk until smooth, Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and baking soda. In another bowl whisk eggs, water, milk, oil and vanilla extract. Stir into dry ingredients. Batter will be thin.

Fill paper lined jumbo muffin cups half full with batter. Drop scant tablespoon of peanut butter mixture into center of each cup, cover with remaining batter.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out of center clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan onto wire rack and let cool completely. While cupcakes are cooling mix frosting ingredients together and then frost cupcakes,        Yield 1 dozen.

Until next time.............Hugs,
Regi

Hot Dr. Pepper...anyone?

I love vintage!!! Vintage photos....vintage images....vintage advertising.....vintage ANYTHING!! I have a nice little assortment of vintage and wanted to share this one with you today. Don't laugh...I see that smile. Have you ever tried Hot Dr. Pepper? Imagine one of those chilly, windy, blustery, cold winter days when you want something to warm up those bones...something different. I think this would be that something different. It's actually pretty good and just something unique to have in place of that hot cup of coco or tea. Easy peasy to fix. Just pour it into a sauce pan and heat til simmering. Place a thin lemon slice in the bottom of a mug....pour the simmering Dr. Pepper over it and then enjoy. It really will warm you up!! Of course, you need something to eat to go with it....so here is one of my favorite recipes for this time of year. So many different variations you can do with this simple basic recipe. What is it you ask? It's shortbread. "S' isn't just for Santa!!!

Basic Recipe (Tasty plain too, especially with a cup of hot peppermint tea or simmering Hot Dr. Pepper ^_^)

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup butter (no substitutes)

**Combine flour and sugar in medium mixing bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs and starts to cling together. At this point, the dough may look dry, but the next step will take care of that. Form the mixture into a ball and knead until smooth. The heat from your hand softens the butter slightly, that is what makes the butter become so smooth.

**To make wedges, pat or roll dough into an 8-inch circle on ungreased cookie sheet. Press with your fingers to scallop the edge. (FYI: According to Scottish tradition, the scallops represent the rays of the sun) Cut the circle into 16 wedges, this will keep the bread from crumbling or breaking when you cut it after baking. Prick each wedge in it's center with a fork.

**Bake in a 325 oven for 25-30 minutes or until bottom just starts to turn brown and center is set. Cut circle into wedges in the same place as before while still warm. Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and cool completely.

**If you like you can make these into rounds instead of wedges. Roll dough on a lightly floured surface until 1/2" thick. Use a 1/2" thick cookie cutter to cut out 24 rounds. Place them 1" apart on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Variations to try:

Cornmeal Shortbread (great with soups and chili)
Prepare basic recipe as directed, except substitute 1/4 cup cornmeal for 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and add 1/4 cup cheddar cheese...or 1/4 cup dried cranberries.

Lemon-Poppy Seed Shortbread
Prepare basic recipe as directed, except stir in 1 tablespoon poppy seed into flour mixture and add 1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel with butter.

Oatmeal Shortbread (great for breakfast with a bit of jam, jelly or marmalade on top)
Prepare basic recipe as directed, except reduce all-purpose flour to 1 cup. After cutting in butter, stir in 1/3 cup quick-cooking rolled oats.

Spiced Shortbread
Prepare basic recipe as directed, except substitute brown sugar for sugar; stir 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, and 1/8 teaspoon ground gloves into the flour.



Like I said...so many different variations. I hope that you try this recipe....it is such an easy and changeable recipe for so many treats. It would be a great item to place in a gift basket too...along with a pretty tea cup!!

Until next time...........Happy cooking HUGS, Regi

Mariska...Captured Faery Series

After redoing a faery head 3x and then ending up "squishing" the whole piece...my muse and I finally agreed on how this one should look. Ever since I was a young child, I'm convinenced that I have caught glimpses of them here and there. If I was ever to actually find one and get to hold it I would be OH so gentle. I do believe the only way that us humans would ever get that chance would be if they were injuried. This is what started my "Captured Faery" series.

This is the second ooaks in the series. Her name is Mariska and she is expecting. She is due in February and I thought it quite appropriate to have her temporary home be a heart shaped cage. She can of course come and go as she pleases but I think she will be staying put in her soft moss until the special day arrives.
I am so very blessed to have some really wonderful friends who also happen to be wonderful artist. Since they also have the "gift of faery sight" I have a few that from time to time send me special little gifts. One of those gifts were a beautiful pair of dragonfly wings. (Thank you Ms. Johanna) I used them to create Mariska's delicate and beautiful wings. They have been coated and sealed to preserve them. They are adorned with tiny glass beads and baby blue and clear swarovski crystals.

Mariska is one of my full clay sculpts. She has a strong wire armature underneath. She was sculpted using Prosculpt clay. She has been detailed using acrylic paints. Her tiny (and I do mean TINY) eyes are bone beads that I then painted the iris using acrylic paints. Her top and skort are made from Prosculpt clay and then rubbed with acrylic paints. Tiny fringe thread attaches the sides of her skort and top. Her hair is dyed lambswool. She is wearing a tiny sterling silver dragonfly necklace that has two tiny clear swarovski crystals. Her head piece is made from glass beads and clear and baby blue swarovski crystals. She is a tiny 3 inches tall. The heart sits at 11 inches.

Thank you for stopping by and taking a peak at Mariska. If she has already whispered to you and you would be interested in having her come live with you, please leave me a comment or send me an email with her name in the reference section. Until next time....

Hugs,

Regi

It's baking time..YUM!!!!!

Chaz went and picked up a friend this morning to help with the baking and look....Garfield is already rubbing that tummy. He knows about all of the goodies we are going to bake.

I started a family tradition with the Chazman back in 2004. Every Christmas Eve day we do our holiday baking. We have such a great time together and he is becoming quite the chef!! We make several batches of homemade cookies and of course Santa gets one of each sat on his plate before we go to bed. Our all time favorite we won't be able to make this year due to all this rain. Our angel meringue puffs. I think though, we will have plenty of other wonderful goodies to gobble up.

With my coffee in hand, reading specs on and enjoying some really great post today, I discovered that several of us bake today. With that being said, I thought that I would share one of the Chazman's other favorite recipes with you. It's simple...easy and oh so yummy to eat!!!

**************************************************************************
Peanut Butter Balls

1 1/2 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy-either are GOOD)
1 tbsp. vanilla flavoring
1 lb. confectioners' sugar
Semi-Sweet chocolate pieces

Mix the first three ingrediants together until smooth and creamy. Chill in frig for about 30 minutes. Take out and make 1 inch balls.  (I like to make mine a bit smaller for the wee ones in the family...don't want them bouncing off the walls now do we) Chill on wax paper in frig for another 30 minutes. While the balls are chillin melt the chocolate pieces in the microwave. Remove the peanut butter balls from frig...dip in chocolate with a fork (this let's the extra chocolate slip thru so you don't have so much on each one) then place back on wax paper and return to frig to chill until set. They can be stored in an airtight container for about a week. (Like they are going to last that long...LOL)

**************************************************************************

I hope that you will try this yummy treat. If you have a easy, fun recipe..send it along in my comments. Who doesn't like to try new yummy goodies? Happy baking!!!  Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and yours. Until next time......(I'm coming Chaz...I'm coming to the kitchen now)

Hugs,
Regi

Some Southern Comfort......

Now I know some of you probable got really excited when ya saw the "Southern Comfort" in the title...LOL!!! It's not a drink, so sorry guys....but some old Southern remedies for this nasty cold and flu season that is upon us. I'm thinking it actually never left us from last year and since my lil man Chaz has come down with a nasty case of the flu, I decided to hunt through my book of remedies to see if I could find a few to pass on down to ya'll. These are some passed down to me from some wonderful older Southern moms and grandmoms (I really shouldn't say "Older" cause I'm getting there really fast myself) So sit back...read a little and maybe some of these can just help ya out a bit. (remember....these are just old remedies passed down...if you have some real medical issues that need attending to or addressing then PLEASE call your doctor)

Herbs & Spices...ohhh so nice!!! Did ya know that chives are a member of the family known as onions, scallions and garlic. Chives grow from small bulbs and have a long history in the culinary world as well as being used for old time Southern medicinal purposes. A long long time ago it was thought that chives could promote a cure for melancholy and was also believed to drive away evil spirits. Of course, I always thought that garlic was the only herb that could do that...peeuuu but as a matter of fact, chives have a high concentrate of sulfur compounds and other essential oils that give it that tangy and aromatic taste. These are what are believed to help give chives their healing properties. Chives ease stomach distress and promote good digestion, reduce flatulence (that's a nice way of saying farting) protect against heart disease and stroke, clear a stuffy nose and prevent bad breath and many believe may help the body fight bacteria due to it's antibacterial properties. That's a GOOD thing!!! Today, we know that chives and the chive flower are high in vitamin C, folic acid and potassium. Just 3 1/2 oz of chives supplies enough vitamin C to meet your daily requirement of 60mg. Chives would be oh so nice to add to some of your recipes to help restore vital nutrients lost in cooking. Don't overlook the chive flowers either. They have a milder taste than the leaves and add a decorative touch to salads and herb oils. Yes, that means they are edible!! Here's a few Old Southern recipes for using Chives:

**Chive-Flower Oil**
Add 1 1/2 oz of the blossoms to 1 quart of vegetable oil. After a week, the oil will turn lilac
and take on the smell of the flower. Use the oil in salads or in cooking when any oil is called for.
Just keep it refrigerated when not in use.

**Chive Salt**
Add some chives to some salt. Bake the mixture in the oven to dry leaves and blend flavors. Store in an airtight container or jar. Use this to add some zip to all sorts of dishes.

**Cottage Cheese with Chives**
What you will need: 8 oz cottage cheese
1 tbsp mustard
1 shallot
1 bunch of fresh chives
1/2 tsp paprika
Salt
White Pepper

Blend the cottage cheese and mustard. Peel the shallot, chop finely and mix with the cottage cheese blend. Wash and dry the chives and snip them finely. Stir about two-thirds of the chives into the cottage cheese mixture. Season the mixture with the paprika, salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the remaining chives on top. Makes 4 servings. Taste great on top of some good vine ripe tomatoes.

In case you don't know how to handle chives, here are a few helpful kitchen tips for ya'll.
*Don't heat them (unless you are making the salt recipe above) or they will lose their valuable vitamin C as well as their digestive properties.
*Cut them right before you are ready to use them. Chives are very delicate so to prevent from losing any of the essential oils, snip yes I said SNIP them with kitchen shears instead of chopping or grinding them.
*Grow them at home in a pot right in the windowsill. Wait until the plant reaches about 6" before cutting. Harvest the leaves frequently unless you specifically want to use the flowers...remember I told ya they were edible. The leaves become much less flavorful once they start to bloom fully.
*Freeze chives for future use because frozen chives retain more flavor then dried chives. Snip fresh chives into small pieces, then place them in an ice-cube tray and fill it with water. To thaw, put a chive cube in a strainer and let melt.

I hope you might be able to gain some useful information from these Old Southern post. I love passing along information that can be used in our everyday lives. So ya'll come back again here real soon...Ya hear!!!!!

Hugs,
Regi

S is for Santa and Shortbread......

Seeing how I have gotten into the Santa season a bit early...LOL...I thought that I would go all out and pull out some of my favorite Christmas recipes. Of course, you can use this shortbread one for so many other holidays...so use your imagination....try this recipe and see what variation you like best or even share one that you whipped up. Anyone can do it...shortbread only has three basic ingredients....give it a go!!!

Basic Recipe (Tasty plain too, especially with a cup of hot peppermint tea)

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup butter (no substitutes)

**Combine flour and sugar in medium mixing bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs and starts to cling together. At this point, the dough may look dry, but the next step will take care of that. Form the mixture into a ball and knead until smooth. The heat from your hand softens the butter slightly, that is what makes the butter become so smooth.

**To make wedges, pat or roll dough into an 8-inch circle on ungreased cookie sheet. Press with your fingers to scallop the edge. (FYI:According to Scottish tradition, the scallops represent the rays of the sun) Cut the circle into 16 wedges, this will keep the bread from crumbling or breaking when you cut it after baking. Prick each wedge in it's center with a fork.

**Bake in a 325 oven for 25-30 minutes or until bottom just starts to turn brown and center is set. Cut circle into wedges in the same place as before while still warm. Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and cool completely.

**If you like you can make these into rounds instead of wedges. Roll dough on a lightly floured surface until 1/2" thick. Use a 1/2" thick cookie cutter to cut out 24 rounds. Place them 1" apart on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Variations to try:

Cornmeal Shortbread (great with soups and chili)
Prepare basic recipe as directed, except substitute 1/4 cup cornmeal for 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and add 1/4 cup cheddar cheese...or 1/4 cup dried cranberries.

Lemon-Poppy Seed Shortbread
Prepare basic recipe as directed, except stir in 1 tablespoon poppy seed into flour mixture and add 1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel with butter.

Oatmeal Shortbread (great for breakfast with a bit of jam, jelly or marmalade on top)
Prepare basic recipe as directed, except reduce all-purpose flour to 1 cup. After cutting in butter, stir in 1/3 cup quick-cooking rolled oats.

Spiced Shortbread
Prepare basic recipe as directed, except substitute brown sugar for sugar; stir 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, and 1/8 teaspoon ground gloves into the flour.



I hope that you try this recipe....it is such an easy and changeable recipe for so many treats. The spice one would be great for Halloween...add some orange or red food coloring and you have Werewolf or vampire treats....LOL!!!!!