Good Weather & Old Candy Recipes

The weather has been pretty nice this week as far as temps go, high 30's with nights into the 20's. Not bad for late November.

Thanksgiving went well we had 17 here including those already living here.

Feb, giving Lizzie dog a bath .

Hauling all the logs over to be split

Play time while papa works, great stump to climb on.

Some of our children and grands and a great grand.

Near Orofino Idaho, Riverside ID where we had to give talks last Sunday. Being grateful in all things.

How is everyone doing as far as Food storage, first aid supplies and so forth?  There may be a few sales at this time of year not only on different foods, but on warm clothing, socks, boots, mittens and so forth.

Try not to run to low on things like shampoo and hair rinse.  Soap is okay and can be used for your hair but its hard to replace shampoo and a good hair rinse, I know I'm spoiled.  I can do without those but they sure are nice to have. 

Powder can replace deodorant  sometimes but not always, but is a good back up.

 Stir together some baking soda, powder and powdered herb of choice and apply under arms while damp.

How about cleaning supplies and for laundry, vinegar and baking soda are great for helping to keep clothes fresh when added to wash or rinse.  I buy the big bags of baking soda and use in laundry and in making bath soaks.  Baking soda has so many uses.

Don't forget those bug sprays for summer.

Recipes:

Chocolate peanut butter fudge, my moms recipe

2 c. sugar

2 tab. cocoa 2/3 c. milk

2 tab. white karo syrup

dash of salt

Simmer until softball stage ( forms a softball when some is dropped into cold water) stirring constantly, Cool some and add

2 tab. butter

1 tsp. vanilla

3 tab. peanut butter

Stir and put in a pan. Cool and cut

 

Basic fondant for candy or cake filling

1 lb. Powdered sugar

¼ c. white corn syrup

1 egg white

Mix all together knead, makes 1 ½ c. use more powdered sugar when rolling.

 Peanut butter cups 

½ c. peanut butter 

1/4 c. powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

12 oz. bag of chocolate chips

Blend first 3 ingredients. Chill and then using ½. tsp. Mixture for each, roll into 24 balls. Melt chocolate chips and roll or pour over peanut balls. Chill

Please comment.

Pumpkin Cheesecake for Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.

Pumpkin cheese cake double layered

1 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 eggs

3/4 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/16 ground cloves

1/16 ground nutmeg

1 graham cracker crust

1 cup of thawed whipped topping (Optional)

 Directions

Preheated oven to 325 degrees

   Mix together the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Mix this until i t is smooth. Add in the eggs one at a time. Take out 1 cup of batter and spread in the bottom of graham cracker crust, set this off to the side.

Then to the rest of the mixture add pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg to the rest batter and gently blend. Spread this over the batter already in the cracker crust.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until the center is just about set. Then cool and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours or overnight. You can cover this with the whipped topping if you wish.

A Master Mix

I don't remember who I got this from but these are always nice to have around.

Master Mix

5 pounds all-purpose flour
3/4 cup double-acting baking powder
2 tablespoons salt
2-1/2 cups powdered milk
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
3/4 cup white sugar
2 pounds vegetable shortening like Crisco

Combine dry ingredients in a very large bowl.
Cut in the shortening until mix looks like cornmeal.
Store at room temperature in one or more tightly
sealed containers. Makes about 30 cups of mix. 

Use just as you would Bisquick mix, making sure you substitute water for any milk required. Or make the recipes that follow.

1 DOZEN BISCUITS:

3 cups Master Mix

3/4 cup water
Blend and knead a few strokes

Bake on a greased cookie sheet in a 450 F preheated oven for 10 minutes.

1 DOZEN MUFFINS:

3 cups Master Mix

3 tablespoons sugar

1 egg

1 cup water

Mix water and egg and add to dry ingredients. Mix together until mixed.
Bake in greased muffin cups in 450 F preheated oven
for 25 minutes.

4 DOZEN DROP COOKIES:

3 cups Master Mix

1 cup sugar
1 egg

1/3 cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup nuts
chocolate chips or other favorite add-ins. Bake on greased
cookie sheet in 375 F preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes.

9-INCH ROUND COFFEE CAKE:

3 cups Master Mix

½ cup sugar

1 egg

2/3 cup water

Optional: 1/2 cup nuts or raisins.

Blend and pour batter into a greased 9-inch
cake pan.

Cover with topping: 

1/2 cup brown sugar 3tablespoons softened butter

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Bake in 400 F preheated oven for 25 minutes

 
 18 MEDIUM PANCAKES OR 6 WAFFLES:

3 cups Master Mix

1-1/2 cups water

1 egg
Blend

8-INCH SQUARE CORNBREAD OR MUFFINS:

1-1/4 cups Master Mix,

3/4 cup cornmeal

1 egg, 1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 cup water

Pour into greased pan or muffin
tin. Bake in 400 F preheated oven for 25 minutes
 ***
We had another marathon wood splitting weekend.  Oldest son and 2 grandsons came up and joined in the work about 2pm.

I got several roasts cooked up and canned after serving for a meal and sending some to work with Dave for his lunch.

Today we have horizontal snow going on. The winds weren't supposed to be this bad but they are. The empty trash cans have taken trips in the wind.

Muffin Time and Tree Time

 We are busy still trying to get ready for winter.  A big almost dead tree is down now and ready to be cut up to to be fire wood next year.   We didn't want it coming down on its own in a winter storm as on the right side of this tree was electric wires that go across from our place to the next home.
With the drought the roots would have been dried up as the tree was 3/4's dead.  We have had that happen before.

 
The weather is cooler almost everywhere; time for some baking.

Recipes:

Apple Muffins

Around 20 muffins

2 eggs

½ c. oil

1 c. sugar

Mix then add

¼ tsp. salt

5 c. flour

1 tab. baking soda

2 c. milk

4 med. Diced apples

Fill greased or papered with cup cake cups muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake 375 deg. 20 minutes
Topping

¼ c. sugar mixed with 1 tsp. cinnamon. Sprinkle on topping.

 Blueberry Muffins

Makes 18

2-½ c. flour

3 tsp. baking powder

½ c. sugar

½ tsp. salt

1 c. blueberries

1 c. milk

¼ c. melted butter

Mix, and grease muffin tins bake 350 deg. oven 25 to 30 minutes or until done.

Oatmeal Muffins

1 c. rolled oats

1 c. milk or sour milk

1 egg

½ c. brown sugar

1 c. flour

½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

1/3 c. butter melted or shortening

Soak the oats 10 minutes in the milk add egg mix well.

Stir in sugar, mix. Then add other ingredients.  Spoon into greased muffin tins 2/3 full Bake 400 deg. 20 minutes.

 Oatmeal Carrot Muffins
1 c. old fashion oatmeal

½ c. shredded carrots

½ c. milk

½ c. sugar

½ c. brown sugar

¼ c. vegetable oil

2 egg whites

1 tsp. grated orange peel

½ c. white flour

½ c. wheat flour

1 tab. Baking powder

½ c. baking soda

Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until done.  Makes 10 muffins.

Or on another note.

 English muffins

3 c. warm water

2 tablespoons yeast

3 tablespoons sugar

¼ cup powdered milk

1 teaspoon salt

4 cup flour

½ teaspoon baking soda-dissolve in

4 tablespoons warm water

Mix first 6 ingredients together then mix in soda dissolved in the warm water.

Let rest covered. Grease pans or cookie sheets.

Roll out and cut or hand made rounds. Heat skillet over low heat, but on round bake 5 minutes then turn and cook another 5 minutes.

Comments welcome.