Kids Corner

My kids are always in the kitchen and the more the merrier! Christmas is such a fun time for kids to cook and bake. My daughter and her friends had a ball making brownies recently. This weekend we will make cookies! Here's my daughter's favorite cookie recipe:




Cookies

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup margarine
• 3 tablespoons cream or milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 large egg
• 3 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven on convection bake to 350 degrees F. (If using a standard oven, preheat to 375 degrees F.) Cream sugar and margarine together in the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer. Add cream or milk, vanilla and egg. Add remaining ingredients and mix until well blended. Roll out as desired and bake on un-greased cookie sheets for 8 minutes. (Baking time will be about 10 minutes in a standard oven.) Cool completely before glazing.
Glaze

• 3 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 6 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• Food coloring

Stir confectioners’ sugar, corn syrup, water and almond extract together in a bowl. Divide among pie plates or shallow baking dishes and add food coloring as desired. Stir well. Dip the top of each cooled cookie into the glaze and place, glaze-side up on racks. Allow the glaze to dry completely. Store cookies in an airtight container.

Apple Picking and Pies

My family really enjoyed our day picking fresh apples and raspberries yesterday. My husband made a delicious pie and I wanted to share the recipe...

Ingredients
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling
Freshly ground nutmeg, to taste
7 medium apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 lemon, zested and juiced

Pie Crust, purchased or make your own (email me if you want a recipe)

3 tablespoons butter, diced
Egg wash, for brushing
Sugar, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Mix together the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl. In another bowl, sprinkle apples with the juice of 1 lemon and toss. Stir in the sugar mixture to evenly coat the apples. Set aside. Roll out chilled dough into 2 circles and use 1 round to line a 9-inch pie pan. Chill the other round. Mound the apple and sugar mixture into the pie pan lined with dough. Dot with the cubed butter. Using a pastry cutter, cut an even number of strips from the remaining rolled out dough. Transfer every other strip to the pie top and weave in the lattice by folding every other strip back onto itself and laying another strip perpendicularly. Fold the strips back across and repeat until completed. Brush the top of the pie with egg wash and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Trim the overhanging dough and crimp edges.

Bake pie for 45 minutes. Let rest 20 minutes before slicing.

Bring your kids into the kitchen

Kids LOVE to play with food. Let them and enjoy laughing together! My daughter made special aprons for all of us ... she's wearing mine, "I'm not fat, I'm fluffy" ... my mantra!

Here's my kids "made up recipe"...
Chilly Willy Salad Supreme (includes their typos and literary embellishments)
- "Preferable amount" of your favorite caesar dressing
- 1 bag of spinach or romaine salad
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 cup mandarin oranges
mix together ingredients for a tasty Chilly Willy special.

Are you ready for some football?

Need ideas for your next tailgate party. Simply click here for a full menu, recipes, entertaining ideas, and more.

Menu:
• The “Wannstedt Crush”
• Game Day Crab Dip
• Antipasto Sandwiches
• Red & White Slaw
• Kick-Butt Chili
• Double Trouble Chocolate Bars

I love this time of year

I love it - the smell of fresh pies, the color of the leaves changing, the DAWGS playing football (and losing), and preparing fresh food in the kitchen with my family. This is my husband's, favorite time of year and we treasure our Saturday mornings sipping coffee outside under blankets while we catch up on the week's events. My daughter loves Halloween and all the festivities surrounding it! My son looks forward to our Thanksgiving at "the farm". Neither of us have ever missed this holiday at our treasured family respite in the middle of Tennessee. So many memories with my family there! And so much of this season is wrapped in our love of family and friends and making them feel special. I am honored to share my love of entertaining with you. I hope you enjoy my decorating ideas, recipes, and "thoughts". God bless you and your family this holiday season!

Enjoying time at the Farm with friends... hayrides... sitting by the lake...