Celmentine Cosmos

I made these for the first time last Christmas (a few times!) and can't wait for an opportunity to make them again.  This drink is amazing!  These Cosmos are great to make ahead for entertaining.  Easy and a fun use of a Christmas time fruit.  Found the recipe on Foodnetwork. 

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Ingredients:
3 clementines, plus 1 very thinly sliced, for garnish
1 cup sugar (I only use 1/2 cup sugar)
1 cup water
2/3 cup cranberry juice
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1 1/2 cups vanilla flavored vodka (I used only 1 cup) (I also like citon vodka better than the vanilla)

Directions:
Wash clementines.  Cut the clementines into quarters and squeeze their juice into a saucepan. Add the sugar, water and clementine flesh and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer the mixture for 5 minutes. Pour into a strainer set over a measuring cup, pressing on the solids to remove as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids, cool the liquid to room temperature and pour into a pitcher. Add the cranberry juice, lime juice and vodka and stir well. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Put 4  martini glasses in the freezer.

To serve, pour the mixture into an ice-filled cocktail shaker and shake until very cold. Pour into martini glasses (I rimmed the glasses with sugar) and garnish each with a clementine slice. Drink up and enjoy!

Hint:  Have an extra batch of the simple syrup made, then you can whip up a new batch in a snap if need be.

Pecan Crescent Cookies

I've been making these cookies as long as I can remember or should I say my Mom has. They are my Dad's and husband's favorite. They have many names, Mexican wedding cookies, Swedish tea cookies and as I like to call them pecan crescent cookies because of the way I shape these cookies. They are buttery, nutty, not too sweet and a perfect cookie for the holiday.

1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 c. butter, softened

2 tsp. vanilla

2 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. finely chopped pecans

1/8 tsp. salt

Powdered sugar


Heat oven to 325 degrees. In large bowl, beat 1/2 cup powdered sugar, butter and vanilla until light and fluffy. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Add flour, pecans, and salt. Mix until dough holds together. Shape into crescents. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until set but not brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheets. Cool slightly; roll in powdered sugar. Cool completely; roll again in powdered sugar. Makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Baked Potato Soup

We are having a snow day today so that also makes it a good day to make soup.  This Baked Potato Soup is one of our favorites.  This recipe is the one they use at the Machine Shed, it's sooo GOOD!

8cups red potatoes, cut up into bite size pieces

1 jumbo onion

1/2 lb raw bacon, diced

3 stalks celery, diced

1 qt water (you can also use 1 qt chicken broth in place of water and chicken base)

1/4 cup chicken base

1 qt milk (I use skim or 2%)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper (I only use 1/2 teaspoon)

3/4 cup flour

1 1/4 sticks butter (10 Tablespoons butter)

1 cup heavy cream (I use half and half)

1 Tablespoon dried parsley

For Garnish:

shredded colby cheese

crumbled fried bacon

chopped green onions

1. Boil potatoes in water  for 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain; set aside. 

2. Sauté bacon until it starts to brown then add onions and celery over medium-high heat until celery is tender in large, heavy pot. 

3. Drain bacon grease and return bacon, onions and celery to pot.

4. Add milk, water, chicken base, salt and pepper.

5. Heat over medium high heat until very hot but do not let soup boil.

6. Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat.

7. Stir in flour to make a roux.

8. Mix well and allow to let bubble, stirring 1 minute.

9. Gradually add roux to soup, stirring constantly. continue to cook, stirring, until thick and creamy.

10. Stir in potatoes, parsley and cream. Serve hot, garnished with cheese, bacon and onions.

Serves 8-10

Hint:  I like to have everything cut up and all the ingredients ready before I start.  When the potatoes are boiling I start the soup and it all comes together a little easier.

Never Fail Caramel Corn

It's December 1st and I can't help myself but start the month off with my favorite Christmas treat, caramel corn.  I found
this perfect caramel corn recipe here - Amateur
Gourmet.  It's crispy and once you start eating it, it's hard to
stop.  I going to share this batch of caramel corn because I have 30 more days of wonderful holiday treats.  I love the holidays!

6 quarts of Popped corn (place
popped corn in a large roasting pan)



1 cup butter

1/2 cup corn syrup

2 cups brown sugar (use only C & H brand *see important note)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla (I used 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1/2 tsp maple extract)

1/2
tsp baking soda

Heat your
oven to 250F.  Melt the butter, stir in the corn syrup,  brown sugar and
salt.  Bring the mixture to a boil (medium high heat) stirring
constantly. Boil (medium high heat) without stirring for 5 minutes
(making sure to use a timer because you don't want to go longer as it
will burn).  Remove from the heat, stir in the soda maple and vanilla
(Careful! it foams!). Pour over the popped corn and mix well in
roasting pan.  (Don't be too concerned about coating all the
popcorn as it will coat evenly when you are stirring every ten minutes
that it's in the oven.)   Bake for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes
to evenly coat (making sure to mix all the caramel that forms on the
bottom of the pan.   Let it cool and eat! 



*Important
note:  Use only C & H Pure Cane Sugar.  Cheap grocery store
brand brown sugar just doesn't have the same flavor and quality.  The
caramel comes out velvety smooth, whereas the other types of brown sugar
produces a grainy texture. 





It's also interesting to note that when you add
the baking soda and vanilla the consistency becomes very strange--it
almost looks like caramel shaving cream.  I have to admit the first time
I made this never fail caramel corn I failed!   The problem I had is
that I boiled the caramel on high heat and it burned.  I corrected that
to medium high heat and it turns out amazing every time.

I use this 2 qt. bowl to measure out popped corn.

 

Use a large roasting pan to mix and bake caramel corn.  As it
bakes you will stir every 10 minutes, this helps to coat all the popped
corn into caramel goodness!