Christmas Presents

Ooey Gooey Caramel Popcorn

My sister made this popcorn on the Fourth of July and I had to call her this week to get it from her.  

Ooey Gooey Caramel Popcorn

Ingredients:
1 stick of butter (1/2 cup)
2 cups of brown sugar
1 cup white corn syrup
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk (buy the good stuff for this recipe)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 batches of popcorn (about 6 cups)

   Combine the sugar, butter, and syrup in a heavy bottomed saucepan on medium high heat until the mixture comes to a good rolling boil.  STIR THE ENTIRE TIME!  Turn the heat to low and add the sweetened condensed milk.  Turn the heat up to medium and heat while stirring the entire time to another rolling boil.  Cook for 45 seconds longer and take off the heat.  Let this cool for 1-2 minutes.  Add vanilla and stir.

Pour over popcorn and gently mix in.  I ended up with a little too much caramel and not enough popcorn so I just popped some more and mixed it in.

Favorite Over-night Waffles

My mother-in-law got me a waffle iron for my birthday and the recipes that came with it are awesome.  This one is my favorite.

Over-Night Waffles

You need to start this batter the night before you want to have the waffles unless you are having breakfast for dinner and then you need to make the batter in the morning.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup warm water

1 Tbsp. white sugar

2 1/4 tsp. yeast

2 cups whole milk or whatever you have.

1/2 cup butter melted and cooled

1 tsp. salt

2 cups flour

2 large eggs, beaten

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. baking soda.

The night before, combine the water, sugar, and yeast.  Let this sit until the yeast becomes foamy.  Add the milk, melted butter, and salt.  Then add the flour.  Cover your bowl with plastic wrap and let it stand.  Don't refrigerate it.  

In the morning add the rest of the ingredients.  Then follow the instructions on your waffle iron to cook them.  

Scary Face Punch

We had a Halloween party with some friends and I thought it would be fun to make punch with a scary face.

Juice dyed green.

Sorry I didn't get a picture of the finished product but it was awesome.  

Ingredients:

Lemon-Lime Soda
White grape juice
another juice of your choice like apple juice
green food coloring
assorted candy like gummy worms, gummy bears, licorice, etc.
assorted fruit like lemons, limes, and apples

I used a silicone cake pan and froze some juice in it.  Once that was set I made a face out of candy and fruit.  Then I froze it again.  A few hours later I poured more green juice on top of that.  Don't worry if you can't see the face perfectly.  When you pour on the soda the juice will dissolve quickly and the face will appear again.

Once you are ready for the party place the frozen face in a punch bowl and pour more juice and soda on top.  The kids and adults loved this.

Eye Ball Pretzels

We had a Halloween Party with some friends and I had fun making spooky treats.

Halloween Pretzels

Ingredients:
One package pretzels
One package plain M&M's
One bottle red gel frosting
1 bag white chocolate melts

Lay out the pretzels on two sheet pans lined with parchment paper or Silpats.  Melt the white chocolate according to package directions.  Put a dollop of white chocolate in the middle of each pretzel.  Then place an M&M in the middle of the white chocolate.  After it has cooled and set squeeze on the red gel.

My kids loved helping out with these.

Crocheted Leg Warmers

I needed leg warmers for my Senator Amidala costume for Halloween.  I tried a few patterns but none of them fit right.  So I kept unraveling and starting again.  This was very frustrating so finally I just made up my own pattern.

Crocheted leg warmers

You need a H hook and a large ball of yarn depending on how tall you are.

You will need to adjust this pattern by your calf size and your calf length.  I just kept trying it on over and over.  My yarn wasn't very stretchy so you do need it to fit over your foot.

Abbreviations : ch = chain; dc = double crochet; hdc = half double crochet; sc =single crochet; st(s) = stitch(es); tr = triple stitch

Leg Warmers (make 2)

1- Chain 60  Slip Stitch into the first chain to join.  Be careful to make sure the chain isn't twisted.
2-Chain 2, hdc in each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
3- Chain 1, sc into each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
4- Chain 2, hdc in each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
5- Chain 3, tr in each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
6- Repeat 5
7- Chain 2, hdc in each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
8- Chain 1, sc into each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
9-  Chain 2, hdc in each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
10- Chain 3, tr in each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
11- Chain 2, hdc in each ch around, skip every sixth stitch, slip st into last chain to join
 (Try it on and see if you need to do another round of skips or skip less often.)
12- Chain 1, sc into each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
13- Chain 2, hdc in each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
14- Chain 3, tr in each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
15-Chain 2, hdc in each ch around, skip every sixth stitch, slip st into last chain to join
 (Try it on and see if you need to do another round of skips or skip less often.)
16- Chain 1, sc into each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
17- Chain 2, hdc in each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
18- Chain 3, tr in each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
19- Chain 2, hdc in each ch around, skip every sixth stitch, slip st into last chain to join
 (Try it on and see if you need to do another round of skips or skip less often.)
20-  Chain 1, sc into each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
21- Chain 2, hdc in each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
22- Chain 3, tr in each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
23-Chain 2, hdc in each ch around, skip every sixth stitch, slip st into last chain to join
 (Try it on and see if you need to do another round of skips or skip less often.)
24-  Chain 1, sc into each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
25- Chain 2, hdc in each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
26- Chain 3, tr in each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
27- Chain 2, hdc in each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.  (You might need to skip here.  I did not.)
28-34- Repeat 3-5 until an inch from desired length.
35- Chain 1, sc into each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
36- Chain 2, hdc in each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
37- Chain 1, sc into each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
38- Chain 2, hdc in each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
Now use a needle to sew in the ends.

Homemade Bread

I have been making bread for years because I am a bread snob.  I hate the cheap store bought bread and I am too cheap to buy the expensive stuff.  I have been experimenting with different recipes and this is my current favorite.  

Multi-Grain Bread

Adapted from: Favorite Family Recipes Book (a great recipe book!)

Ingredients:

3 cups warm water

1 1/2 Tbsp. yeast 

1/4 cup shortening

1/4 cup honey

1 Tbsp. salt

2 Tbsp. vital wheat gluten

1/2 cup ground flax seed

2 Tbsp. flax seed

2 Tbsp. chia seeds

1 Tbsp. wheat germ 

About 5 1/2 cups of flour (I use 1/2 white and 1/2 wheat flour)

Now this seems like a LOT of ingredients but you don't have to have the wheat gluten, flax seed, and chia seeds.  They are just an extra bonus of healthiness.   

Proof the yeast by adding it to the warm water.  When the yeast is bubbly add the rest of the ingredients and start mixing.  I use a stand up mixer but you can do this in a bread machine on the dough setting or by hand.  You will need to add a little bit of flour at the end to get the right consistency.  Add it cup by cup until perfect.  Knead for about 10 minutes.  Then put in a oiled bowl and let rise for an hour.  I never use a clean bowl.  I just add a little vegetable oil and put it back in the same bowl I mixed it in.  True confession.

When the dough as doubled in size.  Cut it into three equal pieces.  Then roll each piece out a pit to the size of a piece of paper and roll into a log.  Then place each one in three greased bread pans. Let rise again for another hour.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  If you desire brush some butter on the tops of each loaf in the last 5 minutes of baking.  

Cool on wire racks.  And enjoy!  I make this in batches and freeze what we aren't going to eat immediately.