Cherry Limeaid

It is almost embarrassingly simple to make….that is if I was the type to be embarrassed

about such things..

I am more the type to brag about how easy or how cheap something is!

Unless, of course, it was a date… you don’t want to brag about your date being cheap and easy…

Not that I am currently dating… I have been married 32 years for goodness sake..

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Moving on.

Here is all you need-

1 can frozen limeade concentrate,

1- 2 liter bottle Sprite,

Juice from 1 10 oz jar cherries

Fresh limes (optional)

Simply put it all together.. tough huh?

I added slices of limes to the pitcher and the glasss, and put cherries in the glasses only.

What is it about maraschino cherries? Are they even real cherries?

Or do they fall into the same category as hot dogs do-

The ’Don’t ask, Don’t tell’ category..?

On that note. If you do know what is in them and it is uber yucky

please don’t feel that you need to alert me to those ingeredients and /or

dangerous chemical canning process..

thelittlebrownhouse.us

lunch ideas

apple sandwhich with granola, peanut butter, and choco chips.

Banana Oatmeal Smoothie

Banana Oatmeal Smoothie: 2 whole Chiquita Bananas (best with brown flecks on peel) ■2 cups Ice ■1/3 cup Yogurt - preferably Greek yogurt flavored with honey ■1/2 cup Cooked oatmeal ■1/3 cup Almonds

Samoas

Homemade Samoas (a.k.a. Caramel de-Lites)
Cookies
1 cup butter, soft
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
up to 2 tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 350F.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Mix in flour, baking powder and salt at a low speed, followed by the vanilla and milk, adding in the milk as needed to make the dough come together without being sticky (it’s possible you might not need to add milk at all). The dough should come together into a soft, not-too-sticky ball. Add in a bit of extra flour if your dough is very sticky.
Roll the dough (working in two or three batches) out between pieces of wax paper to about 1/4-inch thickness (or slightly less) and use a 1 1/2-inch cookie cutter to make rounds. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and use a knife, or the end of a wide straw, to cut a smaller center hole. Repeat with remaining dough. Alternatively, use scant tablespoons of dough and press into an even layer in a mini donut pan to form the rounds.
Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, until bottoms are lightly browned and cookies are set. If using a mini donut pan, bake for only about 10 minutes, until edges are light gold.
Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Topping
3 cups shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
12-oz good-quality chewy caramels
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp milk
8 oz. dark or semisweet chocolate (chocolate chips are ok)

Preheat oven to 300. Spread coconut evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet (preferably one with sides) and toast 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden. Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwave-safe bowl with milk and salt. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes, stopping to stir a few times to help the caramel melt. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a spatula.
Using the spatula or a small offset spatula, spread topping on cooled cookies, using about 2-3 tsp per cookie. Reheat caramel for a few seconds in the microwave if it gets too firm to work with.

While topping sets up, melt chocolate in a small bowl. Heat on high in the microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching. Dip the base of each cookie into the chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment paper. Transfer all remaining chocolate (or melt a bit of additional chocolate, if necessary) into a piping bag or a ziplock bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle finished cookies with chocolate.
Let chocolate set completely before storing in an airtight container.

Makes about 3 1/2-4 dozen cookies.

Note: These cookies are fairly time consuming to make, but if you take your time and have fun with them, the results will be worth it. That said, if you want something a little bit quicker, try baking a batch of Samoas Bars instead, which require no rolling and cutting of the dough

Pumpkin Cinnamon Streusel Pancakes

Pumpkin Cinnamon Streusel Pancakes

by Two Peas on September 26, 2011

Pumpkin Cinnamon Streusel Pancakes

Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the cinnamon streusel:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks

To make the pancakes:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup milk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 large egg
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. First, make the cinnamon streusel. In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Mix together with your hands or a fork, until you have a crumbly mixture. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flours, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, egg, pumpkin, canola oil, and vanilla extract. Add wet ingredients to the flour mixture and whisk until combined.

4. Heat a griddle or pan to medium low. Coat with cooking spray. Drop 1/3 cup of batter onto heated skillet. Add 2 tablespoons of the cinnamon streusel. Cook on the first side until bubbles begin to form, about 2-3 minutes. Carefully flip pancake over and cover very generously with cinnamon streusel. Cook for another 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Continue this process to make the rest of the pancakes.

5. Serve pancakes warm with maple syrup and butter.

If you like these Pumpkin Cinnamon Streusel Pancakes, you might also like:

Pumpkin Pancakes with Cream Cheese Syrup from 6 Bittersweets
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pancakes from Lauren’s Latest
Pumpkin Pancakes with Cinnamon Syrup from Two Peas and Their Pod

www.twopeasandtheirpod.com

Apple Cider Caramels

Apple Cider Caramels

I love making caramel almost as much as I love making jam. When I hover over my blue dutch oven filled with bubbling deliciousness I feel like a voodoo doctor simmering a magic potion in a cauldron, patiently giving it a stir or a nudge and carefully watching the magical transformation from grainy sugar to a beautiful golden syrup. Then carefully offering the cream as a sacrifice to the erupting volcano gods of sugar, accepting the tower of steam as a reminder of their power and feverishly stirring to ensure that the offering is accepted and the mixture turns smooth. Heating the glossy mixture until it's practically pillow-like, and then the eternal wait after the lot has been poured and stands cooling on the counter. But if all was done just right and the lords of caramel are kind, you will be rewarded for your vigilance with pretty bits of luscious candy to be shared with only those most worthy of your efforts.

The lovely Kate at Our Best Bites posted this recipe for Apple Cider Caramels on her blog and I absolutely had to give them a try. Twice. I followed her instructions in all things except for the cutting. A long time ago, I saw caramels at a gourmet shop being sold in logs. Like a 9"x.5"x.5" square log wrapped up in parchment and a pretty sticker keeping the center from unwinding and two little ribbons on the ends. Kind of like a cut your own damn caramels system and since I hate the individual wrapping part, I went with the logs, which cut down the wrapping process dramatically. Plus, as Kate pointed out, "Cut your own damn caramels" makes for a fantastic slogan and works in all sorts of real world situations.

Apple Cider Caramels
Recipe from Our Best Bites

2 cup high-quality apple cider
1 cup heavy cream or whipping cream, divided
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup real butter, cubed

- Pour cider into a medium saucepan and boil on high for about 20 minutes or until the cider is reduced to 1/3 c. Keep an eye on it...it might try to run away. Set aside to cool.
- Line an 8" square pan with parchment paper, making sure to leave about 1" hanging over the edges for easy removal. Coat with a bit of vegetable oil and set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine 2/3 c. cream, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and reduced apple cider. Set aside.
- In a large, heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, 1/3 c. whipping cream + enough water to reach the 1/2 c. line on the measuring cup, and corn syrup. Cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Insert the candy thermometer and simmer until the syrup reaches 234 degrees.
- Remove from heat and slowly whisk in the cream mixture. Add the cubed butter and stir until the cream and butter are fully incorporated. Return the pan to heat and re-insert the candy thermometer. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until the temperature reaches 248 degrees.
- Remove from heat and pour the caramel into the prepared pan. Let the mixture cool completely at room temperature or in the refrigerator. I covered the top of the pan loosely with saran wrap and left it out overnight. You could cut the caramels into 1/2" squares and wrap each caramel in wax paper, but I'm lazy so I cut the caramel into 1/2" logs, which meant that I had exponentially fewer pieces to individually wrap. Store in an airtight container or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, but I can guarantee that they won't last that long. These things are delicious!

blondiescakes.blogspot.com

Carmel Apple Cider

Mindy Petersens Carmel Apple Cider

Mulled Apple Cider
Two 64 fl oz jugs of Apple Juice or Cider
2 cinnamon sticks
6 whole cloves
1 whole nutmeg cracked
6 whole allspice
{Add all ingredients to a crock pot. Heat on low throughout the day.}


Cinnamon Syrup
1 c brown sugar
1 c water
2 T cornstarch (dilute in water first)
1 t vanilla
1 c water
{Dilute cornstarch in water. Add all ingredients to saucepan and heat until sugar is melted. Transfer to mason jar.}


Caramel Sauce
1 c sugar
6 T butter
1/2 c heavy whipping cream
{Get everything ready to go. Melt the sugar, add butter and stir until melted. Take pan off of heat and slowly add the cream. Whisk until cool. Transfer to mason jar. Store in refrigerator.}


Serve your mulled apple cider in mugs and let your family add the amount of cinnamon syrup and caramel sauce they want! When you're through, stick the mason jars back in the refrigerator, pour what's left of the apple cider back in the jugs they came from and store in the refrigerator as well.

Simple. Delicious. Beautiful.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies New York Times

Time: 45 minutes (for 1 6-cookie batch), plus at least 24 hours’ chilling

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons

(8 1/2 ounces) cake flour

1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract

1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content (see note)

Sea salt.

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

4. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.

Yield: 1 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies.

Note: Disks are sold at Jacques Torres Chocolate; Valrhona fèves, oval-shaped chocolate pieces, are at Whole Foods.

The New York Times

Oatmeal Carmelitos

1 c flour
1 c quick oats
3/4 c brown sugar
1/2 tsp soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c butter (melted)

1 c chocolate chips & optional 1/2 c chopped pecans

3/4 c caramel topping
3 tbs flour

Combine all. Blend well on low speed of mixer. Press half of mix in 11 x 7 pan. Bake @ 350 for 10 minutes. Remove from over. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and optional chopped pecans. Blend 3/4 c caramel topping and 3 tbs. flour. Pour over chocolate chips. Sprinkle with balance of mix. Bake 350 15-20 min until brown.

Maria Herring

streusel topping for pumpkin muffin

3 tbs flour
3 tbs sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon

add 2 tbs butter. cut in with pastry blender or two knives until mixture is crumbly.

Banana Bread

1/3 c shortning
1/2 c sugar
2 eggs
1 3/4 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 c mashed banana
1/2 c walnuts
cinnamon

Bake 350 45 min

Rachel Edgren

Pumpkin Bread

3 1/3 c flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
3 c sugar
1 c oil
4 eggs
2/3 c water
small can libby's pumpkin (not pie mix)
nuts if desired

Mix all dry ingredients together in large bowl. Add the rest and mix well. Put in 2 or 3 greased bread pans.
Bake 350 for one hour. Cool 10 minutes and dump out of pans.

Rachel Edgren

Bubble Recipe

1 gallon water
3/4 cup of dawn liquid
1 tbs. glycerine (order from cvs or get it at medicine shoppe in the marketplace)

fill gallon milk container with water almost to the top. add dawn and glycerine. fill with more water. best if made 5 days ahead.

mrs. utley 1st grade

Clam Dip

1 8 oz pkg cream cheese
1/2 t Worcestershire sauce
1 lg clove minced garlic
juice from 1/2 lemon
1 can minced clams (6 oz), drained (save juice)

stir together above ingredients. add clam juice to thin to desired consistency.

eat with ruffles potato chips.

diane fosson

Slime or Silly Putty

8 ounces white school glue
8 ounces water
2 tablespoons Borax (you can find this in the laundry detergent isle)
1/2 gallon distilled water
food coloring

Make Borax solution (2 tbsp for every 1/2 gallon of water) and let sit overnight.
Put glue and water in a large bowl and mix.
Slowly mix in some food coloring for your desired color.
Slowly mix in 2 cups of the Borax solution with a whisk. The glue will instantly react and separate.
Work the whole gob with your hands until you reach the desired consistency. If you let your slime dry out, you get silly putty!

Rhoda Goltra
Store your gob of slime in a plastic ziplock bag or container.