German Pancakes and *drumroll*

Buttermilk syrup. While the family loves German pancakes more than the normal ones we have found that the buttermilk syrup is the epitome of AWESOME!!! Our family has said it needs to be in the fridge and ready to heat at all times. So without further I give you our favorite recipe.

Ingredients: Makes 8 small servings

• 6 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
• BUTTERMILK SYRUP:
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 2 tablespoons corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• confectioners' sugar

  Directions:

1. Place the eggs, milk, flour and salt in a blender; cover and process until smooth. Pour the butter into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish; add the batter. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine the first five syrup ingredients; bring to a boil. Boil for 7 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Dust pancake with confectioners' sugar; serve immediately with the syrup. 

Tips:
1. Make sure all the pancake ingredients are well blended.
2. Use butter in the syrup, comes out a bit thicker, but not much.

We have this for breakfast and dinner at least twice a month. We double both recipes and place the left over syrup in the fridge so we don't have to make it each time. It should stay fresh for 2 weeks if your family hasn't begged you to make breakfast all the time.

 Christmas morning the first time we made it. So yup that's a bottle of normal maple syrup on the table and it was never used.

2 weeks of Thanksgiving, Day 3 ~

Sorry for the wait, internet was down all day yesterday at my house.

Create a fall welcome sign in a few easy steps. Hot-glue a small pumpkin on top of a slightly larger pumpkin. Print the word "welcome" on a piece of cardstock. Fold a ribbon in half and attach it (and the cardstock) to the pumpkin with a corsage pin, as shown in the picture. These even make great place cards or make as a take home gift.




Don't forget to check out today's recipe, roasted vegetables and chickpeas

Lemon Raspberry cupcakes

I found this recipe in a  magazine to make these cupcakes but it required boxed cake and jelly. I wanted something more so I tweaked it my way. First I found a lemon cake recipe I liked.

Cupcakes:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon Spice Islands® pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

Directions:

In a bowl, cream butter, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Beat well after each addition. Stir in extracts.

Pour into papered muffin cups. Bake at 350° 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. 

I did mine the night before and let them cool and harden up a bit.

Filling:
Ingredients:
3 C raspberries (mine were picked fresh in season then frozen for later use)
1/2 C sugar

Directions:
• Placed 2 cups of raspberries small sauce pan with  sugar.
• Cook on med heat till fruit and sugar has reduced down and all you have is juice and seed pulp.
• Place in remaining cup or raspberries and  cook til soft, but still holds fruit shape.
• Remove from heat and strain juice from pulp, set aside.

• Using any tip that will allow pulp to past through pipe into cupcakes till sides 'pop' from filling.





Frosting: 


Ingredients:
• 1 package Confectioners' Sugar (16 ounces)
• 1/2 C Butter or Margarine (1 stick), softened
• 1-1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 2 TBS Milk
• 2 TBS Fresh Lemon
• frosting colors in yellow, pink, and green (optional)

TIP: I doubled my frosting and flavored only half of it. I used 3 TBS of lemon to make it very tart.

Directions: • In large bowl, with mixer at medium-low speed, beat confectioners' sugar, butter, vanilla and 2 tablespoons milk until smooth and blended.
• Add citrus juice.
• Increase speed to medium-high; beat until frosting is light and fluffy, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula.

• Beat in additional milk as needed for easy spreading consistency.
• If adding coloring to do the way I did you'll need to take About 1/2 C out of pink tinting, and 1/4 C for green. Add yellow to the remaining frosting and tint how light or dark you want.

Decorating:

• Pipe on yellow frosting, I went with the spatula method but they would look just as good with a large start tip.
• Place in fridge till frosting is harder than when spread.










 • Tint 1/4 C green and fill piping bag with a leaf tip.

• Pipe leaves over yellow and set back in fridge to harden. 

• Tint 1/2 C frosting pink,
• Add 2-4 TBS of raspberry juice you set aside to flavor your flowers
• Fill bag with a flower tip.
• Holding bag straight up I turned my cupcake while squeezing bag. (I know this isn't the way to do it but it made my flowers faster with softer frosting.
• Add some sugar pearls for the middles and enjoy. 

2 weeks of Thanksgiving, Day 2 ~ Make-Ahead Apple, Bacon, and Onion Stuffing Muffins

A fun twist on traditional stuffing, these muffins are easy to transport, making them the ideal potluck recipe.

Makes: 12 servings

Prep: 45 mins  

Bake: 375°F 20 mins  

Cool: 10 mins

Ingredients

• 9 C bread cubes (12 slices bread)
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 9 slices bacon
• 2 TBS butter
• 1 1/2 C coarsely chopped red onions
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 tsp dried sage, crushed
• 1 tsp dried thyme, crushed
• 2 large Granny Smith or fuji apples, peeled (if desired), cored, and coarsely chopped (about 3 cups)
• 1 tsp minced garlic (6 cloves)
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 C chicken broth
• Small fresh sage leaves (optional)
  Directions
  

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Spread bread cubes in a 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Bake, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes or until cubes are dry, stirring twice; cool. (Cubes will continue to dry and crisp as they cool.) Or let bread cubes stand, loosely covered, at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours.

  2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly coat twelve 2-1/2-inch muffin cups with cooking spray; set aside.

  3. In an extra large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels; crumble bacon. Drain fat, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings in skillet.

  4. Add butter to skillet. Add onions, celery, and herbs; cook over medium heat for 7 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Add apples and garlic; cook and stir for 2 to 4 minutes or until apple is just softened. Transfer to an extra large bowl.

  5. Add bread cubes, crumbled bacon, and pepper to vegetable mixture; toss gently to combine. Add broth and toss until moistened.

  6. Spoon about 2/3 cup stuffing into each prepared muffin cup; press to pack tightly. If desired, top each cup with a fresh sage leaf. Bake, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes or until stuffing is hot and tops are light brown. Cool about 10 minutes. Carefully remove from pans; serve warm. Makes 12 servings.
  
  And don't forget to stop by and check out today's craft idea, wrapped votive cups.

  
  

  
  

   

 

Apple Pie Cupcakes.

What's better than an apple pie? Apple pie cupcakes that's what.

What you'll need:
12 small apples, I used yellow delicious and galas.
1/2 C brown sugar
2 TBS cinnamon
1 TBS lemon juice
2 C powder sugar
water to cover mixture
12-24 vanilla cupcakes

What to do:

1. Slice apples and  place in pan with lemon juice. Add cinnamon and brown sugar stir, coating well. Pour water over apples to cover about 1/2 and inch above. get a nice rolling boil and then turn down to med/low and cook till apples are tender. Remove from heat, place apples in a bowl and chop with a mixer or blender till just under chunky. take liquid from pot, add powder sugar and mix well.

 2. Slice cupcakes in half horizontally, adding applesauce to cover one side. Place top back on and set aside.

3. Plate cupcakes & drizzle  applesauce glaze on top and let run down sides of cupcake. Serve and enjoy.

2 weeks of Thanksgiving, Day 1 ~ Trivets

Sorry I forgot to get this started last night. Been busy, busy, busy preparing for the holiday's and such. So without further ado I give you your crafts.

Thanksgiving Trivets

Make custom Thanksgiving trivets with glass candle coasters and paper designs that you attach with decoupage glue. What you need:
• heavy glass coaster or trivet
• paper design
• decoupage glue
• felt
• scissors

How to make it:

1. Decide on a design. Choose a favorite image from a magazine or old calendar, highlight your favorite photo, or print out one off the web.
2. Cut design to fit the bottom of the coaster or trivet.
3. Attach design to the back of the trivet with decoupage glue. Tip: Choose glue that dries clear and is intended for use with paper, such as ModPodge Paper.
4. Cut felt to fit the back of the trivet. Glue the felt to the back of the design. 
5. Let dry and enjoy the oohs and ahhs you get.

Makes great Christmas, newlywed, housewarming, and birthday gifts.

 Looking for a great dish idea to place on your new trivets? Check out this yummy Chutney - honey glazed ham

BOO treats

These are great for house parties as well as classroom parties.
MATERIALS
Letter-size black card stock
Scissors
Corner rounder punch
Glue stick
16-in. length of 3/8-in. ribbon
Unopened 1-oz. box of Tic Tac mints
Photocopier
Patterns at right
Pencil
Craft knife and cutting mat
Glue dots
1¼-in. white foam letters—
one B and two O’s

Directions:
1. From black card stock, cut a 6¾-in. x 4¾-in. rectangle. Fold in half
vertically and round all four corners with corner rounder punch.
2. Open folded rectangle. Apply glue stick all over one side of
interior. Place ribbon, centered lengthwise, about ¾-in. down
from fold. Press sides closed with ribbon inside. Align all edges
and smooth bumps. Let dry.
3. Fold card stock rectangle around mint box and crease to form
a ¾-in. spine in the center, making a book cover shape.
4. Photocopy pattern; cut out. Trace choice of shape onto lower
front cover as shown. Using craft knife, carefully cut out pattern
outline on cover.
5. Remove label from mint box. Photocopy and cut out pattern
phrases. Use glue dots to adhere “Are you scared to pieces?” to
top portion of box and “Happy Halloween” to top of inside cover,
as shown.
6. Use glue dots to adhere mint box, centered, to inside back cover.
Be sure front cover cutout is placed over area where mints show.
7. Close front cover over box and tie ribbons into bow.
8. Cut out eyes and mouth pattern. Use glue stick to adhere them
to front cover cutout area of box, as shown.
9. With glue dots, adhere “BOO” letters to top portion of front cover.

Robbie's Berry Pie

1 pint mixed raspberries** (red & yellow)
1 pint blackberries*
1 cup blueberries*
1 cup cherries*
Double pie crust (I cheat and buy my crusts)
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
2 TBS lemon juice

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Line pie pan with bottom crust. In bowl mix berries and lemon juice together. Fold in sugar and flour, pour into bottom crust and top with top crust. I used lattice work, but a whole crust with slits will work as well. You can then brush with milk and sugar for a pretty gloss. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Fruit will be bubbly and crust will be golden brown. Place on wire rack to cool.


**Bought at my local farmer's market
*Picked myself at local u-pick orchards and then frozen at home.