Molasses Crinkles

Another family favorite cookie around the holidays these are great to make with kids.  I have fond memories of making these with my family.  My favorite part was dipping the cookies in the colored sugar or nonpareils.  Maybe my mom can even dig up and old picture for me.

Until then here is the recipe:

3/4 cup Crisco
1 cup Brown Sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 1/4 cup flour
2 tsp soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Combine Crisco, brown sugar, egg and molasses.  Combine dry ingredients in separate bowl and then slowly incorporate into wet mixture.

Use small scoop to spoon out cookies.  Dip one side of cookie in decorations if desired before placing on a baking sheet.  Bake for 8-10 min.  Enjoy!

Forgotten Cookies

My mom use to make these for us around Christmas time every year.  I can't wait to make these with my kids this Christmas.  Like other meringues, it is best to make these on a dry day.

2 egg whites
2/3c sugar
1/2c nuts (optional) - I just add extra chocolate chips
1c chocolate chips
1t. vanilla
1 pinch salt

Preheat oven at 350 degrees.  Beat eggs till frothy.  Add sugar gradually and beat until stiff.  Stir in the rest of the ingredients.  Divide batter and color with food coloring if you wish.  We use to color them red (slightly pink) and green for Christmas.

Spoon out cookies onto foil lined baking sheets (or foil wrapped oven racks) and place into the preheated oven.  Immediately turn off oven and leave the cookies in the oven overnight.  It is important not to open the oven after putting the cookies in.

When cooking these cookies in an electric oven (one without a pilot light to keep the oven slightly warm and dry) you may leave the oven on at a lower temp (200 or so) for an hour before turning the oven completely off.

Enjoy!

Aunt Janet's Hashbrown Casserole

I didn't have this casserole this Thanksgiving, and I really missed it!  It will definitely make an appearance on my Christmas menu.

I'm sorry I don't have a picture yet, but I'll try to upload one after I make it.

1 large pkg frozen hashbrowns (I get the square kind)
2/3c melted crisco
1t. salt
1/4t. pepper
1/2c chopped onion
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 pt. sour cream
2c grated cheddar cheese
Topping: 2c crushed special K and 1/4c melted crisco

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Defrost potatoes the night before in the refrigerator.  Mix all ingredients and pour into a 13x9 pan.  Mix ingredients for topping and sprinkle over casserole.  Bake for 45 minutes - 1 hour until the edges are bubbly and the middle becomes hot.

The Knox County Library

The following post was written by Betsy F:

When you need information, a book recommendation, a research question asked, whom do you ask? Ever thought about your local library?

Our Knox County Library is a great library for our size county. The local branches are diverse, helpful, and easy to access. Don't want to go downtown? Don't have to--have the book or movie sent to your local branch (through the website: www.knoxlib.org). In addition to helpful resources, most local branches offer at least one children's storytime. We are FAITHFUL attenders at our local library's storytime. As a result, my children are comfortable in the library, look forward to going to the library, and I've gotten to know the staff at my local branch quite well (this is especially helpful if one of your children escapes the library unnoticed by you and a friendly librarian alerts you or--even better--rescues your child).

But the piece de resistance is the virtual reference help you can receive. From the main library webpage, click on the "Contact Us" link at the top. One of the first links listed is Reference  "Ask a Librarian." Click on that link, and you will be taken to a page with a form to fill out that includes your contact information and a sizable square in which to type your query. My reference questions have all had to do with children's materials, so the children's reference librarian has always answered my queries. You don't have to specify which department--whoever filters the questions will send it to the right person.

The feedback I've received from my online queries has been outstanding. Case in point: when we were about to put our dog to sleep, I asked for help in finding some children's books that dealt with the death of a pet. Not only did I get a reply the next day several titles listed, but the librarian also told me which ones ended with the family getting a new dog--in case that wouldn't apply to our family (it didn't; we were/are not planning on a puppy anytime soon!). She also offered to have the titles I liked sent to my local branch. Great service, eh?!

When filling out an online reference form, make sure you put in ages of children if you're asking about children's resources and any other information that will help the librarian assist you.

A new family favorite: Pumpkin Creme Pies

I ran across these wonderful cookies on Ree Drummond's blog and I made them for a recent church event.  The results were AWESOME!  Not only were these tasty, but my husband who doesn't usually like pumpkin flavored things loved these cookies.  I would describe them as being very similar to a pumpkin roll, but in cookie form.

Here are some tips for following this recipe:

• The recipe makes 24 cookies (not 12 as stated).
• Although it instructs you to pipe the cookies one of the commenters said that you can just as easily scoop them.  I will try this next time.
• Don't bother cutting the parchement into squares, as that is a huge waste of time, but do use parchement to bake the cookies on.
• A PC medium scoop (about 2tbs) delivers the perfect amount of icing on each cookie to make 24 sandwiches.

Just in case you doubted how moist and delicious these are, here is another picture:

At the church lunch these were gone in just under 10 minutes or so!  My family members were all so glad that we had tasted one at home because we did not get to enjoy them at the lunch!!  I will definitely be making these for Thanksgiving and every gathering between now and then.

Here is the recipe step by step and in printable form.

Tot School

Since Ethan is staying home this year from preschool, I am picking up the slack by going through a preschool homeschooling curriculum with him.  I love the curriculum, but I was really looking for some new activities to do as we review letters A-D this week.  Enter TotSchool.  This site is a great resource by a homeschooling mom who thinks that for 2-3 year olds it may be too early for "preschool", but we can certainly learn a lot of cool things in "Tot School".  Today Ethan and I made these adorable animal letters:

Here is another page we did to review the letter A.  Betsy might recognize the fabric I used since I did not have "picnic" paper. 

You can find the complete alphabet lessons listed on this site.  Ethan just loved school this morning and kept asking, "Now what are we going to make?"

Mom's Spaghetti Sauce

This sauce can be made and eaten right away or frozen for later use!  It is also great in lasagna.

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 5 (6-oz.) cans tomato paste
• 2 (15-oz.) cans tomato sauce
• lots of garlic powder (at least 1 tbls)
• lots of onion powder (at least 1 tbls)
• lots of Italian seasoning (at least 2 tbls)
• salt and pepper to taste

Brown and season ground meat with salt and pepper. Drain grease and place meat into a crock pot. Add remaining ingredients. Cook on high for about two hours (stirring every 30 minutes or so to prevent burning). Then cook on low for about six more hours. Let sauce cook for a while before tasting. An extra can of sauce or paste can be added to thicken or thin the sauce as desired.

Because my crock pot often burns this sauce I am trying it on the stove top today.  I'm sure it will be just as good!