A Christmas Card, by accident

I had not done my Christmas cards as of December 11th.  And to be honest I didn't know if I was even going to do cards this year.  We attended a charity event and there was a Santa there so we had a family picture taken and when it printed I said, "Well, there is the Christmas card.". So I placed an order online, I don't know why I didn't just have them sent to Walgreens. The cards arrived on Thursday December 22nd and I had them in the mail on Friday December 23rd.  Maybe next year I will be more prepared. 

Merry Christmas

This picture card was one that I just made for fun. 

~Michelle

Candy Bar Cookies-on-a-Stick, Happy New Year

These cookies have a surprise center and a peanut butter cookie outside.  And it's all on a stick how cool is that.  If you wrap them in treat bags they are good to eat now or later. 

I made these super delicious for the kids to take to school for Christmas.  Both of my kids said they didn't like them.  The oldest doesn't really like baked goods, except chocolate chip cookies, and the little guy he loves all sweets, however, he said he didn't like the candy bar center.  Ugh sometimes you can't win.

I do like these cookies and I am baking them again for a New Years Eve party at my neighbors house.  I hope everyone has a Happy and Healthy New Year. xo

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They are fun and pretty easy to make I hope you give them a try and impress your friends. :)

Gently press the Popsicle sticks in to the mini candy bars.  These are Snickers.

Put the dough around the candy bar. Press into the sprinkles.

Ingredients:
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
40 wooden sticks
40 miniature (about 1-inch-square) chocolate-coated, caramel-topped nougat candy bars (with or without peanuts) or 20 fun-size candy bars (about 2x1-inch rectangles), halved crosswise.
Small multicolored decorative candies, chopped nuts, and/or colored sugar (optional)


Beat peanut butter, butter and shortening in a large mining bowl with an electric miner on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, and baking soda; beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.  Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined.  Beat in as much of the flour as you can.  Stir in remaining flour with a wooden spoon.

Insert a wooden stick into each candy bar piece.  Form about 2 tablespoons of dough into a ball around each candy bar piece, making sure the candy is completely covered.  If desired, roll ball (or press one side)  in decorative candies, nuts, or colored sugar, gently pressing candies or nuts into dough.  lace the cookies 2 1/2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.


Bake in a 325F oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until set.  cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes.  Transfer to wire racks; cool completely.

Makes about 40

Enjoy
~Michelle

recipe from Better Homes and Gardens special cookie issue.  1999

Chocolate Raspberry Bars

I searched high and low for my recipe for Chocolate Raspberry Pretzel bars and I just could not find it.  It was one of those situations where whenever I am looking through my cookbook cupboard I see this printed piece of paper and think, I should make these.  Well, I'm ready to make them and I have no idea where the paper with the recipe went.  So, I googled it to see if I could somehow find it.  No luck.  I did find this recipe and it turned out amazing. The original recipe called for strawberry jam, however, who can resist the combination of chocolate and raspberry, not me.

I made it for my friends at work who have been laid off. We went out for dinner to a local Italian restaurant, that my grandma happen to work at many, many years ago.  Then we came back to work and enjoyed some sweet snacks on their last day.  Sad to see things end this way but I know they will all find better jobs.

recipe from Very Best Baking

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INGREDIENTS:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups (12-oz pkg.) semi sweet chocolate chips, divided
1 jar raspberry jam 10 oz)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.

Beat butter and 1 cup granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until fluffy.  Beat in egg.  Beat in 2 cups flour.  Stir in 1 cup chips.  Spread mixture in prepared pan.  Spread jam evenly over mixture in pan, leaving 1/2-inch border.

Combine 1 cup flour and 1/4 cup granulated sugar in medium bowl.  Cut in 1/4 cup butter with pastry blender or two knives until mixture is crumbly.  Stir in remaining chips.  Sprinkle streusel evenly over preserves.

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until top is golden brown.  Cool completely in pan on wire rack.  Cut into bars.

Combine powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract in small bowl.  Drizzle over bars; let stand until set.

YUMMY

~Michelle

Super Delicious Cherry Squares

I have owned this cookbook for many years and never tried this recipe.  I have certainly have been missing something. :) WOW!! This coffee cake is so amazingly delicious I really wanted to eat the whole pan.  I made it for my mother who is recovering from shoulder surgery.  I thought she would like a little piece with some tea.  Coffee cake is really a favorite of mine.  This one does contain yeast and requires some rising, but I know that you can handle it.  Enjoy

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Coffee Cake

2 1/2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 (21-oz) can cherry fruit pie filling

Glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
3 to 4 teaspoons milk

In large bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups flour, sugar, salt and yeast; blend well.  In small saucepan, heat 1/2 cup milk, water and butter until very warm (120 to 130F).  Add warm liquid and eggs to flour mixture.  Blend at low speed until moistened; beat 3 minutes at low speed.  By hand, stir in an additional 1 to 1 1/2 cups flour to make a stiff batter.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and cloth towel.  Let rise in warm place (80 to 85F) until light and doubled in size, about 45 to 60 minutes.


Generously grease 13x9-inch pan.  Stir batter; spoon 2/3 of batter into greased pan.  Top with cherry filling.  Spoon remaining batter by tablespoons over filling.  Cover; let rise in warm place until light, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 350F.  Uncover dough.  Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown.  In small bowl, blend all glaze ingredients adding enough milk for desired consistency.  Drizzle over warm coffee cake.

recipe from Pillsbury The Complete Book of Baking


As I have said before I am a recipe follower and this cookbook is really one of my favorites.  It was a gift from one of my best friends many, many years ago.  I used to borrow her book all of the time and she decided to buy me one for my very own.  ♥ her.


~Michelle

Italian Cheese Bread Ring

I like to bake bread. This time I thought I would tackle a bread with yeast recipe.  It can be time consuming and a little tedious. The smell that it leaves in the house really makes it like home.  YUMMY.  This is a good recipe to start with because there is no kneading, just a little mixing and stirring.  I had some with my baked ziti and it was super delicious.  

The recipe does contain yeast and requires some rising but don't be afraid. It will all come together and make a truly gorgeous bread.  

Recipe from Pillsbury: The Complete Book of Baking

BREAD

4 1/2 to 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 pkg. active dry yeast

1 cup milk

1/2 cup butter

2 eggs

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

FILLING

4 oz. (1 cup) shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 cup butter, softened

In large bowl, combine 2 1/2 cups flour, sugar, salt and yeast; blend well. In small saucepan, heat milk, water and 1/2 cup butter until very worm (120 to 130F) Add warm liquid and eggs to flour mixture.  Blend at low speed until moistened; beat 3 minutes at medium speed.  By hand, stir in remaining 2 to 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour to form a stiff batter.

Generously grease 12-cup Bundt or 10-inch tube pan; sprinkle with sesame seeds.  In small bowl, combine all filling ingredients; mix well.  Spoon half of batter into greased pan; spoon filling mixture evenly over batter to within 1/2 inch of sides of pan.  spoon remaining batter over filling.  cover loosely with plastic wrap and cloth towel.  Let rise in warm place (80 to 85F) until light and doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 350F.  Uncover dough.  Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown and loaf sounds hollow when lightly taped.  Immediately remove from pan; cool on wire rack.  Serve warm or cool.

~Michelle

Caramel Apple Cookie Bites

I like to try interesting recipes, that's my motto. I also like bite size desserts.  I thought I'd give this recipe a try.  First, the cookies are super delicious, at least according to my brother. Second, I realized at the end of the baking and decorating  that I should have put ground nuts on the bottom. You will see why as we go along.

Recipe from Taste of Home magazine; Halloween issue 2005

FILLING:
1/3 cup chopped unpeeled apple
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup chopped walnuts

DOUGH:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour

TOPPING:
1 package (14 ounces) caramels
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 cup finely chopped walnuts

In a small saucepan, combine filling ingredients.  Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened; set aside to cool.  In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars.  Add egg, vanilla and salt; beat well.  Add flour; mix well.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls.  Flatten and place 1/4 teaspoon filling in center of each.  Fold dough over filling and reshape into balls.  Place 1-inc apart on greased baking sheets.  Bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned.  Remove to wire racks to cool.

In a saucepan over low heat, cook caramels and evaporated milk, stirring occasionally, until caramels are melted.  Insert a toothpick into each cookie and dip into caramel topping until completely coated.  Dip bottoms of cookies into nuts.  Place on wire racks to set.  Yield about 3 dozen. 

I got a little over 2 dozen.  We ate a couple of the cookies before they were frosted so I only had to make half of the topping mixture.

 I used a spoon to cover the cookies with the caramel topping.

 When I was adding the nuts to the cookies I thought oh how cute to sprinkle the nuts on the top of the cookies and did not dip the bottom in the nuts.  That caused them to STICK to the serving plate.  I had to use a spoon to get them off the plate.  You could not really use the toothpick to up the cookies because they were just too sticky.

 I learned my lesson.  The cookies tasted awesome, just a little messy.

I shall make them again and dip the bottoms in nuts.

~Michelle

Apple Cider Slushy

Fall is such a wonderful time of the year. With it comes baked goods and warm donuts.  Apple cider and pumpkins.  And my birthday. So when I ran across this yummy treat I just had to share.

It's an Apple Cider Slushy!!!  I bought it from Mayer Brothers Cider Mill in West Seneca, NY.  If you like apple cider then turning it into a slushy is a brilliant idea.

~Michelle

Pumpkin Cake and Partylite

I made this recipe about 1 year ago and I didn't get a chance to photograph the cake.  It is that time of year when everyone is baking pumpkin and apple recipes, and I'm no different.  I decided to make the cake again for my partylite party. 

My friend sells partylite and if you are interested in placing an order check out her website.  It's important to support the women in your life and their businesses. Check it out. Partylite .

Anyway, back to the cake. It seems like I had to bake it for 65 minutes and put foil around the edges to prevent them from getting too dark.

The recipe is from Dying for Chocolate.

Recipe

1 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/4 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1 cup canned pure pumpkin

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour 9x5x2 1/2" metal loaf pan

Sift first 5 ingredients into medium bowl.  Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth.  Gradually beat in sugar, then beat in eggs 1 at a time.  Beat in pumpkin and vanilla.  Beat dry ingredients into pumpkin mixture alternately with milk.  Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.  Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 55-60 minutes.  Cool in pan on rack 15 minutes.  Turn cake out onto rack, cool completely.  (Can be made 2 days ahead.  Wrap in plastic; store at room temperature.)

So moist and delicious with chocolate and nuts in every bite.

~Michelle

First Craft/Yard Sale

In the previous post I stated that I was going to sign up for the largest yard sale.  I went back and forth with what to do and I decided to attend my first 'public' sale.  It really was with some reservation that I signed up for the World's Largest Yard Sale.  It was quite expensive and I figured that there would be so many other vendors/sellers there that it would be kind of slow.  And I was also wondering if it was going to attract the type of people that would be interested in purchasing jewelry or are they interested in buying things from junk piles and paying 25 cents.  

Well, there certainly was a steady stream of customers passing by the table, and definitely some interesting characters.  I was also worried that I wasn't going to even make my investment back.  I did not make the initial investment but I did come very close.  I met a lot of very nice people and sold some great pieces.

Here is a photo of the set up that I came up with.  I think that it looked pretty attractive.  Please don't mind me in the picture I didn't smile:) 

Here is a shot of the new banner that I had hanging in front of the table.  I really like it very much.

~Michelle

Delicious Apple Crisp with Local Apples

Baking in the fall is just amazing.  The warm house with the wonderful smells of cinnamon, fresh baked bread, cookies, pumpkin muffins and pumpkin pie.  When I baked this apple crisp is was a wonderfully cool (60degree) summer/fall evening.  They boys came in from outside and smelled the crisp baking in the oven and couldn't wait to try a bowl full.

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My neighbors went to a local farm and picked some apples last week. I have never picked apples. I have picked cherries before which seem easier than apples, at least lighter. So I turned the healthy snack of an apple in to a not so healthy treat of an apple crisp. I used my favorite go to cook book and didn't really follow the recipe. I added way more apples, because they cook down and I sliced them thin. I also added a good amount of cinnamon and didn't measure the lemon juice just drizzled some on the apples.

Apple Crisp
recipe from Pillsbury, The Complete Book of Baking

Fruit Mixture
6 cups sliced peeled apples
1 teaspoon cinnamon, if desired
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Topping
1 cup rolled oats (I used quick oats because that's all that I had - if I didn't have them I would have bought rolled oats)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened

Heat oven to 375F. Place apples in ungreased 2-quart casserole or 8-inch square (1 1/2-quart) baking dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon, water and lemon juice. In large bowl, combine all topping ingredients; mix until crumbly. Sprinkle crumb mixture evenly over apples. Bake at 375F for 25 to 35 minutes or until fruit is tender and topping is golden brown.

We really enjoyed the apple crisp and I told my neighbor send over any fruit that she picks and I will turn it into a delicious dessert. :)

~Michelle

Back to School 2011

 The kids finished their first week of the 2011-2012 school year.  One started 5th grade and the other started 3rd.  I miss them when they go to school at least for a little while. Then I go to the gym and shopping and bake without interruption and sometimes to the movies with friends.  Oh and go for lunch and get the house cleaned.. and I think, school is a great place for them. ♥

I am signing up for the worlds largest yard sale to sell some jewelry.  I will get my set up and take a few pictures and post them. 

I am waiting for a table cloth.  I think that it is going to look amazing.  I have a black table cloth and hot pink fabric with tiny silver sparkle dots.  I am really happy with it so far.  Everything is almost in.. still waiting for clips to hang a sign.  Here it is all set up in my basement:) 

 I just hope that the yard sale is going to bring in some money.  Hubby just got laid off on Friday so I have to kick the jewelry sales in high gear for a while.  We will make it work.

God Bless ♥♥
~Michelle
 

Summer

It has been challenging over the summer to make new jewelry work full time and make the summer fun for the boys. Here are some of my new creations that are available at MyMichelleJewelry.etsy.com. They are all in limited supply. I particularly like the earrings in the first frame because a good friend of mine went with me to the bead show and helped me pick them out. She lives across the country and it was just hanging around and chatting while we shopped. I hope you like them too. (the pair on the right have sold)

Here is some of what we have been up to over the past couple of months. We were on our way home from Chautauqua lake and stopped at Lake Erie and collected some stones and tossed a few in the lake. We also made a trip to Toronto, Canada. We went to the top of the CN tower and took in a Blue Jays game.  We walked all over the city and we really felt like city folk. We loved the people walking all over the city with their ipods dangling from their ears.  I enjoyed it so much then I remembered that one day winter and snow would descend upon the city and make the walking very challenging and chilly.

We had been promising our little one that we would take him to the Toronto zoo for many years now and we finally did.  Our zoo in Buffalo certainly leaves a bit to be desired and the Toronto zoo was a trip worth taking.

I have been working on earrings lately and hope to have a little more time now that the little men are headed back to the classroom.

~Michelle

New Pendant Necklaces

It is tricky to work on jewlery during the summer with the kids home. We go places and I watch them swim for hours like now. We also spend as much time as we
at our house on Chautauqua Lake. So I actually have some new necklaces to show and sell very soon in my shop at etsy. They are lampwork glass pendants on cotton cord. They are very lovely and perfect for everyday.

Please check there soon.

Hope you like them.

~Michelle

Yellow Cakes with Strawberry Frosting

I found a 24 small muffin tin on clearance the other day and had to try it out. I made some yellow mix mini cupcakes for work the other day to celebrate the engagement of a co-worker. I also made a strawberry butter cream frosting.

I used some strawberry extract and also some strawberry puree in the frosting.

I used a box mix for the cakes.

Frosting

12 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. strawberry extract
2 tbsp. heavy cream
some strawberry puree (about 1 cup strawberries with some sugar put them in a food processor until smooth)

Beat the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in the confectioners' sugar until incorporated. Add the extracts and beat on medium speed until well blended. Add in some strawberry puree (try not to water down the frosting) . Add in the heavy cream and beat on medium-high speed for about 4 minutes, until light and fluffy.

~Michelle

Chocolate-Almond Cheesecake Bites part 2

I wrote a post to celebrate the first anniversary of this blog back in April. I had intentions to make the cheesecake bites to celebrate and I just never did. I find that everyone I know is watching their weight and when I show up with baked goods I get stares and a few people grab some just to be polite. Even my co-workers are 'dieting' so I feel bad bringing in goodies.

Well, I finally had an opportunity to make these. It was for one of my best friends 40th birthday party. I wanted to bring something small for dessert. She really loves the recipe I have for a checkerboard cake, but I didn't know if there was going to be cake so I decided to make the chocolate-almond cheesecake bites. Everyone just loved them.

I cut the squares small so they were really bite-size. 7x7 = 49 bites.

I melted white chocolate and drizzled over the cooled bites.

Mouthwatering!!

To check out the recipe click here or on the link above. :)

~Michelle