Honey Cinnamon Butter

 Honey Cinnamon Butter

1/2 cup Butter, room temperature (do not soften in microwave)

1/2 c powdered sugar

1 T Honey

1/2 t Vanilla

1 1/2 t Cinnamon

1/8 t Salt

Mix together and refrigerate until using.

My Christmas Ham & Glaze

I made a 10# pre-cooked spiral cut ham.  I placed it flat side down on a rack on top of a cookie pan and covered with Reynolds Wrap and cooked it at 325 for approximately 12-15 minutes per pound and until it reaches 140 (watch closely). Raise the temp to 425 and Glaze the ham.

Glaze:

3T Dijon Mustard

3/4 c Pineapple Juice

1 cup Brown Sugar, packed

1/2 c honey

1 t cinnamon

1 t cloves

When this comes to a boil, turn down to a simmer until it thickens to coat the back of a spoon.  Brush on the glaze getting some of it on each side of each slice of ham.  Reserve the rest to add to your ham at the table.

Paris Brest Dessert by Jacques Pepin

 PASTRY

3/4 cup milk

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3 large eggs

2 tablespoons sliced almonds

CHOCOLATE CREAM

3/4 cup milk

2 large egg yolks

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, broken into 1-inch pieces

GARNISH

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon dark rum

1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon confectioners’ sugar

(6-8 servings)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

THE PASTRY

Combine the milk, butter, salt, and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat, add the flour in one stroke, and mix well with a wooden spoon. Then place back over the heat and cook, stirring constantly, for 15 to 20 seconds, until the mixture comes away from the sides of the pan. Transfer the dough to a food processor and let cool for 10 minutes.

Crack the eggs into a small bowl and mix them well with a fork. Set aside 1 tablespoon of the beaten egg for use as a glaze. Pour the remaining eggs into the processor bowl and process for 20 to 30 seconds, until the eggs are well incorporated and the dough is smooth.

Line a cookie sheet with a nonstick baking mat, or use a nonstick cookie sheet. Spoon the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a 3/4-inch plain tip. Pipe a ring with an outside circumference of 8 inches on the cookie sheet. Pipe another circle of dough inside and another on top of the rings until you have used all the dough and have a circle that is 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 inches high with a hole in the center that measures about 5 inches across. Do not start and end the dough circles in the same spot, since this can cause the pastry to open at the seam during baking.

Brush the dough with the reserved tablespoon of egg. Using a fork, mark the surface and sides of the dough, running the tines of the fork gently around the circle to create a cross-hatch effect. Sprinkle with the sliced almonds. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 35 minutes, or until browned. (If the pastry begins to brown excessively, cover it loosely with a piece of aluminum foil.) Turn the oven off and let the pastry remain in the oven for 30 minutes with the door partially open to evaporate some of the moisture. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature before removing from the cookie sheet.

THE CHOCOLATE CREAM

Bring the milk to a boil in a medium saucepan. Meanwhile, combine the yolks and sugar in a bowl, mixing them with a whisk for about 30 seconds. Add the 1 1/2 tablespoons flour and mix it in with the whisk. Pour the boiling milk in on top of the egg yolk mixture and mix it in well with a whisk. Return the mixture to the saucepan and bring to a boil, mixing constantly with the whisk. Boil for about 10 seconds, then remove from the heat and add the chocolate. Stir occasionally until the chocolate has melted and is incorporated into the pastry cream. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and let cool, then refrigerate until chilled.

THE GARNISH

Whip the cream, rum, and sugar in a bowl until stiff. Refrigerate until ready to use.

TO FINISH THE CAKE

Use a sharp knife to remove a 1/2-inch-thick horizontal slice, or “lid,” from the top; set it aside. Using a spoon, spread the chocolate cream in the bottom of the pastry round, pressing it gently into the cavities of the pastry. Transfer the whipped cream to a pastry bag that is fitted with a 1/2-inch star tip, and pipe the cream on top of the chocolate cream. It should come at least 1 inch above the rim of the cake.

Cut the pastry lid into 8 to 10 equal pieces, and reassemble them in order on top of the pastry to make it easy to cut into portions. Sprinkle with the confectioners’ sugar. (The pastry can be assembled a few hours ahead and refrigerated.) At serving time, using the separations on the lid as guides, cut through the bottom half of the pastry, and arrange on individual dessert plates.

Copyright © 2011 by Jacques Pépin. Used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

Tea Party Cucumber Sandwiches

 Cucumber and Lemony Dill Cream Cheese Sandwiches

Ingredients
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 slices good-quality white bread*
1/3 large English seedless cucumber (about 4 inches), thinly sliced
*Cook's Note: Can cut off the bread crusts, if desired.
Directions
In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, fresh dill, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Season the mixture with salt and pepper.

Lay the slices of bread on your work service and distribute the cream cheese evenly among each slice, spreading into a thin layer. Arrange the cucumber slices in rows over 3 slices of the bread. Top with the remaining bread, and cut into quarters so there are 4 pieces from each sandwich. Serve immediately.

Rugelach

 RUGELACH -Ina Garten 2 ½ dz

 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature

½# butter at room temperature

1/4c sugar + 9T

1/4t salt

1t vanilla

2c flour

1/4c light brown sugar, packed

1 1/2t cinnamon

3/4c raisins

1c pecans, chopped

1/2c Apricot preserves, pureed in a food processor

1 egg beaten w/1T milk for egg wash

 Cream the cheese and butter until light.  Add 1/4c sugar, salt and vanilla.  Add the flour and mix until just combined.  Dump the dough out onto a well-floured board and roll it into a ball.  Cut the ball in quarters, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour. 

 To make the filling, combine 6T granulated sugar, the brown sugar, 12t cinnamon, raisins and nuts. 

 On a well-floured board, roll each ball of dough into 9” circle.  Spread the dough with 2T  apricot preserves and sprinkle with ½c of the filling.  Press the filling lightly into the dough.  Cut the circle into 12 equal wedges – cutting the circle in quarters, then each quarter into thirds.  Starting with the wide edge, roll up each wedge.  Place the cookies, points tucked under on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 

 Chill for 30 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 350°.  Brush each cookie with the egg wash.  Combine 3T granulated sugar and 1 t cinnamon and sprinkle on the cookies.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, until lightly browned.  Remove to a wire rack and let cool.

 FILLINGS:  #1…sprinkle with a mixture of 1c sugar and 1/3c cocoa.  #2…Brush on 1/4c cherry preserves that have been heated to melt, then sprinkle with 1/3c dried cherries, chopped and 1/4c mini semisweet chocolate chips.

 

Chocolate Cherry Delight Cookies

 Chocolate Cherry Delight Cookies – 48 cookies

 

 Makes 48 Cookies

Ingredients

·        1 cup butter, softened

·        1½ cups sugar

·        ⅓ cup maraschino cherry juice

·        1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·        3 cups all purpose flour

·        ½ cup baking cocoa

·        1 cup flaked coconut

·        ¾ cup maraschino cherries, chopped

·        ½ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Topping:

·        ¾ cup vanilla frosting (use my own recipe)

·        48 maraschino cherries with stems, drained and patted dry

·        1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

·        1 tsp shortening

Instructions

1.      Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until blended. Gradually beat in cherry juice and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour and cocoa. Slowly beat into the creamed mixture. Stir in coconut, cherries and chocolate chips.

2.      Shape the dough into 48 balls, about 1¼ inch. Place 2 inches apart and press a deep indentation with the end of a wooden handle. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until set and the bottoms are lightly browned. Cool completely.

Fill each cookie with ¾ teaspoon vanilla frosting. Top with the cherries. To make the chocolate drizzle, melt chocolate chips and shortening in a microwave safe bowl. Melt 30 seconds at a time and stir until smooth. Drizzle over the cookies.

Fudge Marshmallow Cocoa Cookies

 Fudge & Marshmallow topped Cocoa Cookies 6 dz

 Cookies:

1 ½ cups sugar

1 1/2c butter, room temperature

1 t vanilla

2 eggs

3 c flour

4T unsweetened baking cocoa

1t baking soda

½ t salt

4T sugar

72 large marshmallows

Candy sprinkles, if desired

Frosting:

2c sugar

1/2c butter

1/2c milk

1-12oz semisweet chocolate chips

2-4T water

 With a mixer, cream sugar and butter together.  Add vanilla and eggs.  Add in the flour, baking cocoa, soda and salt.  Stir until combined.  With a small scoop [1 1/2T], place about 2” apart on ungreased cookie sheet.  Flatten to ¼” thickness with greased bottom of glass dipped in 4T sugar.  Bake 8-10 minutes or til cookies are set.  Immediately top each cookie with 1 marshmallow.  Return to oven; bake 2 minutes longer or until marshmallow is softened.  Lightly press each marshmallow with a pancake flipper to flatten slightly.  Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack; cool 15 minutes.  Heat sugar, butter and milk over medium-high heat, until mixtures boils, stirring occasionally.  Boil 1 minute.  Remove from heat; cool 10 minutes.  Stir in chocolate chips until melted.  MUST ADD WATER TO MAKE GOOD CONSISTENCY.  Slowly stir in enough water to make frosting smooth and spreadable.  Swirl about 1T frosting on top of each cookie and shake on candy sprinkles.  Let stand til frosting is set.

Friday Night Dinner with Friends

 Well, it's been almost a month since I last posted.  How time flies.  I've had a few projects I've done...plus several more I have planned.  Of course there was my trip to Door County which was really great.  I've been cleaning, sorting, giving away items and selling others as I go.  There were several estate sales I went to and of course found some treasures.  Oh yes...we're having guests for dinner this Friday.  And I'm planning a Christmas Cookie Exchange.  We also had 4" of snow on Halloween.

It's been a crazy busy month.

I thought I'd share what's on the Menu for dinner on Friday.
 

Chicken with Rosemary Butter Sauce

https://letsdishrecipes.com/chicken-with-rosemary-butter-sauce/

Baked Potatoes with Lots of Toppings

https://www.loveandlemons.com/baked-potato/

Balsamic Roasted Vegetables

https://www.justwhatweeat.com/balsamic-roasted-vegetables-gluten-free-vegan

Fool Proof Flourless Chocolate Cake

https://www.creationsbykara.com/best-flourless-chocolate-cake

Coffee - Tea - Water

Sorry, but I could not get any pictures into this post and I wanted to be able to share this.

But the links do work!

Wish you all could be here!!

Jan

 I'm back.  Boy what a few weeks away does for oneself.  I have so many things to tell you...but right now I'm going to share a story about my PuppyKids.

A week or so ago, I saw a post about Chewy artist who had painted Portraits of their Pups. That post reminded me that I, too, had gotten portraits of of my 4 PuppyKids done by a Chewy Artist.

It was during a difficult time in my life...you see, I had to re-home my 3 Pups. Why? A divorce, had to sell my home in Michigan and move back home to Wisconsin. I had little money and didn't know where I would be living and I knew I couldn't take care of my pups the way they needed to be taken care of. I was going to stay in a motel til I found someplace to live and with 3 pups, that could have been impossible to do. I personally saw to it that all 3 of my pups found GREAT homes! I contacted Chewy, a website for pets, to cancel my account as I wouldn't be buying anything for dogs again and it was to difficult seeing emails in my in-box about Chewy. A while later, I received a box from from Chewy. I wondered what would be inside and really didn't want to look...but I did. I have paintings of ALL of my PuppyKids, including one that had passed away! His name was Benny and was only 4 1/2yrs old when he died.

After a couple a few years, I do again have a furry companion...a ShihTzu named Teddy.

That's Teddy in the recliner in my office.

I was so touched by the kindness of everyone at Chewy.

You are amazing people. Thanks again.

Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

INGREDIENTS

1 cup butter, softened at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 egg, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups pure pumpkin (17 ounce can)

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

FROSTING

4t butter, softened

4oz cream cheese, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

3-5T milk

1t vanilla

1/2-1t cinnamon, as desired

1/2-1t nutmeg, as desired

1. Pre-heat oven to 350.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.  
2. In a large mixing bowl and beat butter and sugar for 1 minute.  Add egg and vanilla and stir until well combined.  Stir in pumpkin puree.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ground nutmeg. 
4. Use a wooden spoon to gradually stir in the flour mixture into wet ingredients.
5. Use a cookie scoop to drop cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets.  Leave 2 inches between each cookie.  
6. Bake in 350°F oven for 12 to 14 minutes.  Cool one to two minutes on baking sheet before transferring to wire cooling rack.  Cool cookies completely before frosting.
7. Frosting:  with an electric mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese til smooth.  Add vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Slowly add powdered sugar and milk a little at a time, until the frosting consistency you want.  Add vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix.  Frost the cookies.
   
   
8. Yields 36 cookies
9. 
   
   

Weekend Work on the Garden Wall

This story actually happened over 7 years ago, I was getting little to no exercise.  That's right.  Unless you count blogging, checking my email, visiting internet friends, shopping and playing games on-line exercising...like this little cartoon [by the way, click on the photo to enlarge it] I found...LOL!!  Then, I was thrust into doing everything around the house - inside and out - myself.  That was ALOT to someone not getting much physical exercise...believe you me!!  I've lost 65# and kept it off...and feel pretty darn good.  Then in February, during a particularly windy night [gusts up to 65mph] blew down my garden wall and the REAL work and exercise began.  It will continue on forquite a while longer.  There is alot more to do.  I had one woman stop by my house, when she saw me out and asked what I was doing - what happened to my hydrangeas and when I told her...she asked "Don't you have a husband to do all of that?  I just laughed and said, "NO!" and turned and walked back to the wall and got back to work!

Here are 3 photos from the work I did on Saturday - April 16th.  Since then, I've either been busy with other things [Grooming & Bathing all 3 Pups], [taking things to Goodwill] or [cooking some good meals].  Oh...trying to stay out of the sun isn't easy either - medication I take says avoid sunlight, so on warm days that are sunny, I can't work out there - cool and sunny days are GREAT - can wear a long sleeve shirt and my big hat!  Now it's time to run between raindrops...with alot of rain forecast for my area.  So, who knows when I'll post more photos of the wall.

Apple Strudel

 PICTURE COMING SOON!

Apple Strudel 

Recipe from Pilgrim Lutheran Church Cookbook 1969

3c flour

1/2t salt

1 1/8c shortening

3 egg yolks

10-11T cold water

1c sugar

 1T flour

 1/2t cinnamon 

Apple slices (4-5 granny smith apples)

Mix flour, salt and shortening.  Add egg yolks and water.  Mix as pie dough and chill in refrigerator at least 30 minutes.  Dough will be sticky.  Divide dough in half.  Roll out very thin and lay on a greased cookie sheet.  Mix the apple slices with the the sugar, flour and cinnamon.  Dump the apple slices toward the middle of the dough, leaving about 1" around the edges.  Roll out the other 1/2 of dough.   Place over dough and pinch edges together.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes...until lightly browned.  

Frost while still warm with 1c powdered sugar, 2T milk and 1t vanilla.

Refrigerate leftovers.

 

Syroco

Before and  After Project

Syroco has been around for a long time...and I love it.  Well, maybe I don't love it in it's natural state...but...well, wait a minute, I want to tell you all about Syroco first.  The Syracuse Ornamental Company, known as Syroco, was an American manufacturing company based in Syracuse, New York. They were best known for their molded wood-pulp products that resembled hand-carving.  Founded in 
Syracuse, New York in 1890 by immigrant Adolph Holstein, the Syracuse Ornamental Company (Syroco) specialized in decorative wood carving, especially for the local residential market. Products included fireplace mantelpieces and other types of interior decoration popular in late Victorian homes.

To meet increasing market demand and sales opportunities Holstein developed a material looked and felt like wood but that which could be shaped, allowing multiple pieces to be produced through a molding process. The new product, which combined wood pulp brought from the Adirondacks with flour as a binder and other materials to give it strength, was extruded and then cut to fit compression molds, which had were made from original carvings in real wood.

The process favored shallow molds with little undercutting, and this served well for the creation of a wide variety of "carved" relief work to be applied to different sorts of flat surfaces such as walls, furniture and caskets. Production of this new molded product, known as SyrocoWood, was the mainstay of the company's production through the 1940s. The finished material could be smoothed and varnished to look like wood, or it could be painted. Sales catalogues from the early 1900s through the 1920s offer hundreds of varieties of moldings, capitals, brackets, volutes, and reliefs of vases, garlands, cartouches, scrollwork, and other details in a variety of styles.

Syroco operated from a large factory complex on 581 South Clinton Street in Syracuse acquired from Smith Corona Typewriter Company. The company remained in the hands of the Holstein family for three generations, with some of Adolph's children and grandchildren taking over management and sales positions. At its peak, about 400 workers were employed at the plant.

By the 1930s the company had also developed an extensive line of gift and novelty items made of "SyrocoWood" and also "Woodite," a combination of wood flour and polymer. In the 1960s the company began to use injection molding for some of its products, but did not entirely abandon its old processes.



Syroco added more lines of injection molded plastics when a new plant was opened in nearby Baldwinsville in 1963 which was entirely geared to plastics production, especially PVCs and polystyrene. The company began to use plastic in new "modern" designs and new forms for clocks, mirrors, tables and a range of household items. In 1968-1969 the company launched its "Lady Syroco" home products. Beginning in 1986 Syroco produced a popular line of lawn furniture.  In 1965 the company was bought by Rexall Drug and Chemical Company (which soon changed its name to Dart Industries). Dart owned Tupperware, from which Syroco gained more knowledge of injection molding. Syroco was purchased by the Syratech Corporation of Boston in 1986 which expanded its patio furniture production. In 1995 Syratech sold Syroco to Marley PLC of Sevenoaks, England, and in 2004 Syroco was purchased by Vassallo Industries of Puerto Rico which closed the plant in 2007. In April 2010 Tessy Plastics purchased the 270,000 square foot Syroco plant to be used for storage and distribution. 

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

Now...on to my Before & After Project

Here is a set of Wall Decorations made of Syroco that I bought at an estate sale.

I love the urn shaped holder on the shelf...and I love the scroll work and all of the pretty flowers.  Each one measures approximately 23 1/4"" in length and about 5 1/2-6" wide...so they are nice sized.

I bought them with an idea in mind.  

These decorations were painted black...any kind of paint will do, but I had a can of black spray paint at hand.  Two coats later and some drying time...they were nearing completion.

The real change came with the addition of Rub 'n Buff, something that I've used for years.  You rub it on with your fingers (gloved) and it instantly changes how your piece looks.  What is Rub 'n Buff?

Amaco Rub 'n Buff Metallic Finishes are perfect for decorating or antiquing wood, plaster, pottery, metal, leather or gessoed surfaces.  Rub on and buff to a beautiful luster.  For hard-to-reach areas, thin with turpentine and apply with a brush.  Colors can be blended.  Each tube contains 1/2 oz (15 ml), enough to cover up to 20 square feet.  It is available in a number of different colors and I got mine at dickblick.com

I used only 3 different colors - Ruby, Emerald and Warm Gold - to create this new look!  The Wall Decorations now hang in my newly decorated Great Room.  I just love them, what do you think?

Close Up

Pink Roses - Tea Anyone?

I love having Tea Parties!  I used to do alot of them, as part of my business when I lived in Michigan.  I want to have a Christmas Tea Party...if I can get it arranged in time.  

Can you imagine this Beautiful Tea Pot Set sitting in front of you on a gorgeous table?  This set is a BEAUTY!  Beautiful PINK Roses - Green Leaves & Gold Edging!  These are just gorgeous!

Lady Diana Chintz 
15-piece Tea Set 
Large pink roses with greenery decorate the bone china set, trimmed in gold by Heirloom. The bone china tea set includes a teapot, 4 mugs, 4 dessert plates, sugar/creamer set and 4 cup/saucer sets. The tea set also includes a gold teapot warmer. Do not be use in a microwave oven.  Imported from England.

 

2 Sets Lady Diana Chintz Tea Cups & Saucers 

2 Lady Diana Chintz 8" Dessert Plates 

The Lady Diana Tea Cups & Saucers Sets & Set of 2 Dessert Plates have been added to MY Wishlist.

* * * * * * * * * * * * 

I love making all the special Tea Party food.  And I enjoy eating it. 

 This is my Favorite Tea Cup, Saucer and Matching Spoon.  I love having Tea and a Scone with this set.

It's Fine Porcelain, made by ChaCult.  There is no name stamped on the bottom of the cup or the saucer.  I love the Large English Rose and the beautiful shades of Pink, accompanied by the pretty multi-shaded green leaves.  The cup is a little larger than most, so it holds a wee bit more tea.  And the little handle really fits the hand quite nicely.

Have you been to many Tea Parties?

Dog Art - Dean Russo

I've had 5 dogs during my adult life and I've loved them!  This post is about an artist that LOVES dogs too and love to paint them.  I thought these paintings really showed off the dogs!  

Art and animals; these two passions defines Dean Russo. A Brooklyn, New York based artist who uses vibrant Pop Art colors and bold abstract patterns to give a voice to his favorite subject - animals. Dean grew up in a home filled with art supplies, and from an early age began drawing cartoon characters, which became a great influence in his later work. After studying graphic design and fine arts at the School of Visual Arts and Pratt Institute, Dean began to paint primarily celebrity portraits, but his two Cocker Spaniels became his greatest inspiration.  “They would sit at my feet every night, so one day, I decided to paint them.”

Dean starts his paintings with the eyes, because, as every animal-lover knows, the eyes are the most expressive. Dean’s main subjects are dogs, with pit bulls representing the majority of his work. “Pit bulls are a misunderstood breed, and I’m just happy to be able to get the message about animal rescue out there.” Dean Russo Art Studio has a sincere dedication to animal rescue, and has participated in charity auctions, donations and fund-raising events to raise awareness and help out in the animal welfare community. Dean hopes to convey the care and devotion of animal-lovers of every kind, from dogs and cats to horses and beyond. He has a wildlife series in the works, as a way to support the countless animals on the verge of extinction. Through inspiring messages and bright prints, he hopes to depict the connection between us and animals. 

Dean Russo, Artist

www.deanrussoart.com 

All Artwork used with permission of Dean Russo Art

I just LOVE the Beauty in all of these Animals - their eyes...the colors Dean chose to paint them...and the mosaic of each painting is so intriguing.

I hope you enjoyed this Art - and that you're Smiling!