Swapping with a School Theme

Oh.. my... MIA I have been....I exchanged with a partner on Yummy Recipe swaps this month for a school theme, "Sandwiches and Snacks" I got a cute school time bag and crayons, a fun sandwich receipe and the cutest crust and sandwich cutter, with a pattern for a school vest.... IT is a great package...

Yummy Recipe Swap Packages Sent and Received

Want to swap some handmade recipes and goodies with other recipe collectors and friends?

Then check out Yummy Recipe Swap over on Flickr. It is a great place to swap all kinds of recipes weather for eating or gardening or spas fromt he kitchen or this month's new swap, "Cooking Tips" fun fun fun!!!!

The Spa recipe one I made for Clasheen included a sponge with a hand crocheted top for the bath.. :) and I made a little booklet recipe for the spa treatment I sent..

This one was for sweet month Valentine's and I chose a coconut recipe...which I sent on to Always Joy we have to send one ingredient along with the recipe too... :)

I got this lovely package from Vickyplum with handmade egg cozys and heart cutters and cute strawberry fat 1/4 and heart buttons.. :)

This was the jar recipe I sent to my partner.. funkyluke I sent her the currant rice made with rasins.
And the swap for "Mixed in a Jar" and this is what I got from Always joy ....it even had the cutest corn cob holders with it....and a neat hotpad....

Then we had the one for the garden...I decided to make recipes for rich potting soil and bug sprays made from the kitchen. I had a lot of fun making up the package..I even got one of those cute squirrmy rubber worms that lights up when hit, and pictures of my flower beds, an emery board made in the shape of a leaf, some soil fertilizer cubes, flower seeds, and a handmade recipe card booklet I made from pretty scrapbooking paper and tied it together with a piece of yarn...

This is the lovely tote bag Girly girl Bags made me to go with my spa package she sent me. Isn't it the cutest print...See the coffee scrub spa treatment recipe it came with yummy smelling coffee beans too... :)

Recipe Handmade Cards for Gifts

Handmade recipe cards make wonderful "cost saving" gift for anyone. A friend, Mom, sister, a neighbor, teacher, mail lady, your favorite hairdresser or nail lady. Just about any occasion it is a welcomed gift. After all we all need recipes for our parties or get togethers. I love getting them and you can then put them into a "Scrapebook" recipe book. What a great way to store those recipe cards!

What you'll need:
Cardstock [Michael's or any crafting store has a wide variety]

Index cards or whiter or cream color cardstock
Printer
Scissors
stickers [any craft store even Walmart]

decorative hole punches

stamps [in any design desired]

buttons

How to make it:
You can either purchase cardstock paper at your craft store or you can print on printer paper and glue to index cards. I recommend using the cardstock paper.

Basic Directions:

• Decide on whether you will use 3x5" or 4x6" recipe cards. (Hint: Whether you are going to put it into a card holder or a scrapebook will determine the size]
• Layering your recipe cards are fun
• use a larger card stock paper for the backing maybe 5x7
• then print out your recipe card
• glue it to a smaller one like 4x5
• then glue the recipe card to the 5x7 paper backing
• add your stickers or buttons around the edges
• maybe punches of stamping designs
• always put your name and who its to with the date on the back using a pretty glittery ink[that is if you haven't already typed it on the front of the recipe card. This is i,portant to do if you plan on putting it into a scrapebook]

Genreal Directions:

• Choose a theme [like if it is for a dinner mabye you want stickers with forks, or candles, or if its a bar b que maybe some stickers of cooking outside, or ants, or grills, you decide]
• pick out some decorative stickers or buttons to match your theme
• Either write your recipes on the cards or use your computet [ I suggest for better reading to use your computer. There are many available templates.]
• f you give them as gifts, you can make one or several and tie them together with a pretty ribbon or wrap them up in tissue paper or netting and tie with ribbon or yarn.
• Add a few theme related gifts, such as a jar of bar b que sauce with your bar b que recipe. It is always great to include one of the ingredients with the recipe or all of the ingredents in a basket.
• You can also do a 4 season theme and make 4 recipes with a theme for each season.
• Or theme it to a holiday and put the recipes and the themed extras into a basket
• How about making a recipe that is not edible, but instead one for a Kitchen Spa, Garden, Pet recipe [for food or cleaning items], or even one to prepare you for a party like a "B" day or tea party.

There are tons of ideas for recipes and making them themed with a few little extras goes a long way and will be very appreciated by any person you decide to give it to!

Happy recipe making!

My Knit/Crochet Spring Fling Party Recipes

Our annual "Spring Fling" party at my house for my LYG was a blast and as usual I had to come up with a theme...I decided on butterflys and flowers....I searched the Internet and found this cute ideas on About and made regular cupcakes and bought some gummy worms for the bodies and cut them in 1/2, then I used sugar sprinkled jelly candies and sliced them in 1/2 and used them for the wings, the feelers were made from licorice.....fun fun...

the "Dirt" flower pots I "tweeked" a little, I bought some pound cake and pushed it into the bottom of the little pots I found at Michaels, then made some chocolate and vanilla pudding and put that in, then topped it with crushed Oreos to look like dirt. Before adding the pudding and cut a straw to size and pushed it into the pound cake. then at the end stuck a floer into the straw and used the left over gummy worms on top...and there you have your flower pots....so easy and perfect for any spring or summer party!!!

Cinnamon Sticks GUEST GROSGRAIN GIVEAWAY!!!!

Cinnamon Sticks GUEST GROSGRAIN GIVEAWAY!!!!

Sweet Potato REcipe Contest!! Win $1000

Sweet Bytes is offering a wonderful contest!! You could win $1000 just for making your favorite "original" sweet potoa recipe. All ya have to do is make it, photo it and post it on your blog, then let Sweet Bytes know... Go over there right now, and read all the rules and get cooking...............

Entries will be accepted beginning Saturday February 21, 2009 at 9:00 am ET through 11:59 pm ET on Tuesday, March 31, 2009. Contest is only open to US residents who are 18 years of age or older and currently maintain a blog. Winners picked April 9th

Recipe Swap Cupcake Lovers

I run a small recipe swap on Flickr, Yummy Recipe Swap, and this was the recipe I recieved for Feburary's swap. It is a really great one for cupcakes. I love getting new recipes especially ones for desserts.

I decided to check out some cupcake variation ideas for decorating them once I make them and here are some of my results.

Recipe, Recipe, on the Wall, Whose the Fairest of them All?

I must mention fairy cakes here on my blog for the first time. Some recipe classics never go out of fashion and fairy cakes top the list! They are the stuff of childhood memories: just one nibble can transport you back in time and even today, no self-respecting children's birthday party should be without them.

That said, why should the kids have all the fun? With just a little tweaking, fairy cakes can be turned into grown-up fare as well, perfect for a mid-morning coffee break, tea in the afternoon or packed lunch treats.

The basic recipe is oh-so-simple so you can keep it plain or indulge yourself with extravagant toppings. Some die-hard purists may omit the vanilla extract, but I think fairy cakes are better with it. They are neither difficult nor elegant, but they are made specifically to attract the magical faries into a a childs world, or yours and mine. I love them and make them at all sorts of occasions even though my children are grown and out on their own. :)

I have included several recipes but the first one is your simple, basic one that is not only easy, but my favorite!! Enjoy...

Basic recipe for fairy cakes:

Makes 24 mini cakes or 12 larger ones.
For mini cakes you will need a 12 hole tartlet tin (these are 5cm at the rim and 1 1/2 cm deep) and you will need to use it twice. For larger cakes use a 12-hole bun tin (these are 6 1/2 cm at the rim and 2cm deep).

You can use the little paper cases according to the size tin you have. If not, butter the base and sides of the holes before filling with the mixture.

Ingredients:
4 1/2 oz softened butter
4 1/2 oz caster sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 1/2 oz self-raising flour
2 tbsp milk

• Preheat the oven to 375'
• Either butter the tin or place the paper cases in the holes (see above).
• In a mixing bowl beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. You can use an electric whisk or a wooden spoon.
• Add the beaten egg, a little at a time, whisking to mix
• beat in the vanilla
• Sift in half of the flour and fold into the mixture
• Add the milk and the rest of the flour and fold until well combined
• Spoon into the tin and bake for 12 minutes or until risen and golden on top
• Allow to cool for ten minutes on a rack before removing from the tin

Ideas for Toppings:

Lemon or Orange Glacé Icing with Cherries

4 oz icing sugar
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon or orange juice
12 glacé cherries, cut in half (these work best when making the mini cakes)

• Mix the juice into the icing sugar
• stir until well blended
• Drizzle over the cakes when cooled
• Top with the cherries, cut side down, while the icing is still soft

Chocolate Ganache Glaze

5 1/2 oz good quality dark chocolate
5 fl oz double cream

• Break the chocolate into pieces and heat gently
• with the cream in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water.
• stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture well blended.
• Allow to cool slightly to thicken then pour over the cakes.
• It will harden on cooling.
  

Fairy Cakes:

Ingredients (makes 30 mini fairy cakes):
4 ounces butter
4 ounces Sugar
4 ounces sifted Self Raising Flour
2 eggs
1 cup sifted Powdered sugar
Juice of a lemon (*and zest, optional)
Food coloring of your choice if desired
Cake Decorations

Method:

• Put butter and eggs out of the fridge, to warm up to room temperature
• Preheat oven to 375F
• Put out 30 mini paper cases on a baking tray
• Either by hand or in a mixer beat the butter and sugar together until pale, fluffy and light
• (*optional - add lemon zest at this stage if you desire)
• one at a time, beat the eggs in a separate bowl
• beating hard, until all the ingredients are mixed well
• gently fold the flour into the butter mixture until everything is combined
• Do not over mix or beat the flour
• Using a teaspoon, drop small heaped teaspoon dollops of the batter into the paper cases
• Transfer the tray to the preheated oven
• Leave at least 17 minutes without opening the door
• They should be golden brown on the surface once cooked
• If still a bit pale after 17 minutes, turn the tray in the oven and bake for a further 3 minutes
• Transfer mini cakes to a cooling rack
• Meanwhile add a few drops of colouring to the sifted powdered sugar in a medium bowl
• Add fresh lemon juice, a small squirt at a time, beating hard, until all the sugar is blended into a thick fondant
• Go gingerly with the liquid, you want it to be very thick
• Stop adding lemon juice as soon as it reaches the fondant stage
• carefully drop a dollop of the fondant onto the centre of each little cake
• Leave it to spread over the surface
• You can guide the icing with a knife dipped in hot water if you want more control over where it dribbles
• Top with a candy or cake decoration of your choice.-Look for the fairies!

FAIRY CAKES

• 1 c. raisins (golden)
• 1 tsp. of each (or to taste)
• cinnamon
• nutmeg 1 tbsp
• vanilla flavoring
• 1 c. of flour
• 1/2 c. unsalted butter
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 c. milk (whole or low-fat)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9 inch square pan or cake pan (round). Mix flour, baking powder and spices, cream butter and add to flour mixture, add sugar, vanilla and raisins. Beat eggs and milk. Add to mixture, blend lightly.
Spoon into pan, bake for 25 minutes or until knife comes out clean. If made in cake round, cake will be only about 2 to 3 inches high and moist and heavy. Serve warm if you prefer. Also great with powdered sugar on top. Serve with pot of cinnamon spice tea. Yum Yum......
FAIRY PUDDING

1 c. sugar
1 env. Knox gelatin
1 c. milk
2 eggs (separated)
1 c. whipped cream
Graham cracker crumbs

Cook sugar, gelatin, milk and beaten egg yolks until it bubbles.
Let cool.
Fold beaten egg whites and whipped cream.
Put crumbs on bottom of dish.
Pour fairy pudding over.
Add crumbs on top of pudding.
Refrigerate.

January Recipe Favorites

January is cold for most people and everyone thinks of recipes to warm the body and soul. I particularly like a cup of tea and the flavors offered now a days are wide spread, like cinnamon, green tea, and peach, to name a few. I recently found this wonderful refreshing tea called "Grapefruit Tea" see the video with Martha Stewart showing how to make it exactly! mmnnnn good!!

But, tea is not the only favorite, how about a bowl of hot chili, or a steaming plate of pot roast or beef stew. And sitting by a fire later in the evening sipping on a hot cup of cocoa...yum yum....

When I heard of temps in my home town were 20' BELOW zero, I thanked God I was living on the west coast. My old bones would ache in that kind of cold. On days like those (and most other winter days) all I really want is a hot bowl of soup!! I love chicken noodle but there are many kinds that have loads of health benefits, and they are usually pretty inexpensive to make, and makes great leftovers.

Plus, once you have made a huge batch of soup, you can share it with friends or neighbors? I love the idea of a soup swap and here is my VIRTUAL soup swap!! If you have a favorite soup recipe, post it in the comments or leave me a link to it and I will be sure to post all the links here to share with everyone.

Here's a favorite soup - Vegetable Soup recipe from Char:

• Saute finely chopped garlic, onions, celery and carrots in olive oil until wilty
• Add organic vegetable stock (Swanson), some Maggi beef stock, and a splash of Worcestershire sauce.
• Season with salt and pepper, you can use Herbamare seasoning
• Add can of diced tomatoes, frozen peas and corn, sliced carrots, celery and onion
• chop up some cabbage and add that later
• Bring to a boil and simmer.
• You can add just about anything but this soup is just good!!

Some other links:

• Tortilla soup
• Minnistrone
• Cheddar Cheese
• Cheddar Cheese Broccoli
• Corn Chowder