MORE COOKIES (Lebkuchen)

Can one really ever have too many cookies!  I would think the only answer to that would be, a big ol' NO!
Another recipe that my Grandma always made every Christmas and with 5 brothers, it is a good thing this makes tons of them!


LEBKUCHEN

Boil together:
 3 cups molasses
3 cups corn syrup
3 cups sugar
1 cup butter
1 cup lard and some salt

while cooking, add small glass fruit juice. When cool , add:
 2 cups chopped walnuts
1/2 teas cloves
2 teas cinnamon
1 1/2 teas nutmeg
1/4 oz cardamon- shelled and round ( 1 3/4 teas )
1/4 lb citron
1/4 lb lemon peel
2 beaten eggs
1 cup milk
2 teas soda dissolved in a little warm water
flour-enough to make a stiff dough ( if i remember correctly- this is like 11 or so cups- will write down today when i mix)
Let stand overnight
roll out--cut with Christmas cookie cutters

Bake at 325*

IF not a fan of citron...just leave it out.  Done that many times as most don't care for it. I do!

COOKIES...COOKIES...COOKIES (shortbread)

Cookies are great anytime of the year but when December hits, I think we all start getting ingredients ready to start all that baking!  Am I right!? We all have our favorites of course. Anyone else eat way too many this time of year? Out of the many different kinds I like, this is one of my favorites. My grandma would make these for us every year my entire life, and i continue to make them often. A light melt in your mouth shortbread cookie. The best thing other than taste is how very easy they are to mix and bake up!

SUNSET COOKIES

1 LB BUTTER
3/4 C SUGAR
CREAM TOGETHER AND ADD

4 1/2 CUP FLOUR
2 TEASPOONS VANILLA

PUT OUT ON A FLOURED BOARD AND KNEAD INTO A BALL. CUT INTO 3 OR 4 SECTIONS AND ROLL INTO A ROPE ABOUT 3 INCHES IN DIAMETER. ROLL IN COLORED SUGAR AND WRAP IN PLASTIC WRAP AND REFRIDGERATE FOR A COUPLE HOURS.
SLICE ABOUT 1/4 INCH AND BAKE AT 400* FOR ROUGHLY 15 MINUTES TILL LIGHTLY BROWNED

Liquid Hand Soap

Grate 3 bars of Ivory soap

Place soap into pan ( need large pan as it has to hold 36 cups water on the stove)

Add 12 C. Water

Heat on high until soap is melted ( this only took about 20 minutes ), stirring with a whisk,  make sure everything is combined you don't want any chunks.

When all the soap pieces turn to liquid turn off the heat and let cool overnight.

It will look like sudsy water at this point, but will thicken by morning.

Add remaining 24 Cups of water and reheat soap, whisk to incorporate all the water, once this is done let the soap cool. (After packaging, let set up 2 weeks) 

 Well..it has been quite awhile now and if it was gonna thicken any more than it has, it would have done so by now..I t seems to work ok, other than it is still a bit more liquidy than i would like. Won't be tryin this one again, but I had to ive it a try..

This is the first cooling..

Tomato Jam-Delicious

SO EASY AND SO GOOD:

Raspberry Tomato Jam

4 cups green tomatoes in blender/processor
4 cups sugar

Boil together for 25 minutes
Add 6 oz of raspberry jello ( I have used strawberry and also strawberry jello and crushed pineapple)

Stir until jello dissolved. Cool Pour into jars. Use or freeze. Can also can the regular way...i just like to freeze it..

Chocolate Heaven Bites

Tiny bit of chocolate though a big pop of flavor for your mouth! All wrapped in together with my peanut butter mix . These are time consuming but very fun and easy. I do not know who came up with these but i did find this on Pinterest.
You need:
Bugles
pt butter
powdered sugar
I used maple flavoring but you could use vanilla or any of your choice
butter
melting chocolate

decorator piping bag or heavy duty zip lock and small tip, whichever you prefer.

Mix your peanut butter, XXX sugar, flavoring and butter. My pt butter and sugar was a bit thick so that is why i used a bit of butter and flavoring to make it a bit more creamy to pipe. You could do this in other ways  but this is what i chose to do.

Fill your decorator bag and  fill each tiny little bugle, the ones that have no opening to fill you must eat as you go! MMMM...

Melt your chocolate and dip each end and lay on wax paper to dry. Fridge to hurry up this process.

Eat...Share..Make more!  Only thing with these is, they do tend to go stale after a day or two because of the peanut butter mix inside...and stale bugles are NOT good..and I hate o waste a good bugle filled and dipped in all that chocolate.!

Taco Seasoning

I have so been meaning to do this for awhile now and just have not stopped to do so, until yesterday when i had no choice as i was totally out of taco mix packets and in the process of making taquitos. Found this recipe--was pretty good..might have to tweek it a bit and make it better but for now...

TACO MIX SEASONING


1 T chili powder
1T cumin
1T garlic powder
1T onion powder
1T cornstarch
1/2 teas crushed red pepper

Mix together well .  Use 2 T per pound of meat.

BABYCAKES--

Ha... i really like that name...i got a new toy and it is so much fun!  WELL aren't toys suppose to be?  It makes mini whoopie pies...babycakes.. Thru trial and error , figuring out the best, easiest way to fill the cavities and then fill and decorate the goodies.. I will keep practicing!