Get Ready For The Next Holiday

Well...the turkey is all picked clean and ready for lunches. We're all weary from the festivities and from shopping (for some of us) and now it is time to gear up for Christmas and right behind it...New Year's. I am still wondering where September went? There is a lot going on in the next few weeks.

This weekend is Carol's 35th wedding anniversary. To me that speaks volumes about a person. She and Dan have been thru raising their family to now, enjoying the rewards in their beautiful grandchildren. I wish them many wonderful years to come...and many more hazelnut lattes. Dan always makes Carol a hazelnut latte while she is mod-ing on the shows. Isn't he sweet??

Laura and Kathryn are working on projects for cards and gift giving. I think they will keep you creating right into the new year. keep checking the blogs for the latest happenings.
We also have a blog set up for you to register for the New Year's Eve Bash and Hang Over Party the next day. We will be posting the link to that blog sometime this weekend so keep checking. The blog will be open for the next three weeks for sign ups. We can't wait. Last year was so much fun we couldn't wait to do it again!

I have some more recipes for your Recipe Albums. These are family favorites of some of our faithful viewers and we thank them for sharing with all of us. You can't beat a tried and true recipe!

I will post more as soon as we have the New Year's Eve Bash Blog live. We will be putting up badges and buttons of our sponsors along with some of the donations and prizes for the two day event. Hope you all will join us for another fun party.
See ya shortly,
Barrie & Carol



BEEF IN ONION GRAVY


1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
2 T onion soup mix
2 T beef broth
1 T quick-cooking tapioca
1 lb beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes (Angus beef tastes the best of what I've tried)
Hot cooked noodles, mashed potatoes or rice

In a slow cooker combine the soup, soup mix, broth and tapioca. Let stand for 15 minutes. Stir in the beef. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or until meat is tender. Serve over noodles, potatoes or rice.
submitted by; Heather Carter (aka momofcody)


Crockpot Cheesy Potatoes

Ingredients

2 lb. frozen hash browns
1 12-oz. can evaporated milk
1 10-oz. can cheddar cheese soup
2 Tbs. butter or margarine
1 tsp. salt
1/2 lb. cubed ham
4 oz. cheddar cheese, grated

Directions

Place frozen hash browns in crockpot on a low setting. In sauce pan add together evaporated milk, cheese sauce, butter or margarine, and salt. Bring to boil. Pour over potatoes; add ham and mix together. Cook for 3 hours. Add grated cheese and cook for 1 hour.
H. Carter (momofcody)
 
Chicken Soup
 
2 chicken breasts

2 and a half pints of cold water (approx)
2 chicken stock cubes
salt and pepper to taste
1 leek (2 if they are small)
2 handfuls uncooked rice (approx)

Place the chicken breasts in a pan and cover with the water (I use about 2 and half pints in the pan I use but a bit more or less won't matter)
crumble the stock cubes into the pan, cover and bring to the boil, simmer for about half an hour then either add the other ingredients (see below) right away or leave aside to cool till next day or later to allow the chicken flavours to develop, I think the soup tastes good whichever way!

If you leave it till later, bring it back up to heat, chop the leek and add to the water and throw a couple handfuls of rice in the pan (I use basmati rice as that is what I use all the time but I don't think it really matters too much) and the salt and pepper to your taste (you can leave this till the rice has fluffed up then you can decide by tasting it how much to add) cover the pan and bring it to the boil then simmer for half an hour or until the rice has fluffed up. You might find if you've been a bit heavy handed with the rice its fluffed up so its not like soup any more however all you need to do is add some more water -I usually add it from the boiled kettle so its as hot as the soup - and let it stand for a minute or two, meanwhile I take out the chicken breasts and roughly chop them into chunks to be put back into the soup to serve it. And that is it. Its so so easy and quick and is as tasty and filling as could be! Serve with some crusty bread and its a meal in itself.
submitted by Martine Hamilton (aka marksgran)
 
Daisy's Yummy-licious Chocolate Cupcakes!


1/2 C. Butter (1 stick)
1 3/4 C. Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
3 Eggs
1/2 C. Milk
1 1/2 C. Flour
3/4 C. Chocolate Unsweetened Powder
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt

Cream softened butter in the mixer. Add sugar and cream again. Add vanilla. Mix. Add eggs and mix until creamy. Add milk and mix well. Add flour, chocolate, soda, powder, salt. Mix until blended but do not over mix.
Bake in a 350 oven for 18-20 minutes for regular sized cupcakes and 14-15 minutes for mini cupcakes.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 Cube of Cream Cheese
4-6 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
Mix until you have the right consistency to work with a piping bag.
submitted by Daisy Vilela

Mexican Dip


1 pound of ground beef 1 Jar salsa
8 plum tomatoes 1 pack Velveeta Medium
scallions

soften 1 pack of cream cheese
put on the bottom ~spread deep dish
Sprinkle taco mix-jalapeno
Cover meat mixture with chopped Velveeta cheese cubed on top
Layer tomato (cubed) scallions
Microwave 10 min. High
Use Jalapeno if you wish.

Buckeye Balls

1 1/2 cup Peanut Butter
1/2 cup unsalted butter room temp.
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pound conf. sugar
6 oz. semi-sweet
23 tablespoons solid veg. shortening(crisco)

Line baking sheet with wax paper
Mix in bowl~peanut butter, vanilla and powder, sugar and butter with hands to form smooth dough~
shape into bite size balls
Place on waxed paper-place in refg.

In double boiler melt 6 oz. sweet choc, shortening (do not boil) when smooth pour into small
measuring cup. Remove balls from reg. insert toothpics-dip into choc. 3/4 way return to wax paper
choc. side down remove pick.
Refrig. 30 mins or more until choc. is firm, not sticky
To store remove balls from waxed paper. Place in container with wax paper in between. You can freeze
them, too.
submitted by Zandra Cudney