Marinade for Chicken

This is a great marinade for chicken thighs or legs

1 tbls cornstarch
1 tbls water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup vinegar
2 cloves garlic
1 good grating of ginger root or1/2 teas ginger powder
pepper to taste
stir this altogether and pour it over the chicken then bake in a 350 oven for approx. 1 hour or till done
it makes a sauce that you spoon over the chicken delicious with rice

Merry Christmas

Heidi and I would like to wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas. We know how much fun it can be when  Santa comes or you see Him in his sleigh or the kids send special notes etc. Here are a few pictures that remind me of times past with our kids.

 Merry Christmas from Heidi and Jon

Peanut Butter Fudge

1 cup creamey peanut butter
2 sticks butter (must be butter)
2 teasp. vanilla
1 1lb. confectionary sugar ( I like Domino sugar as it is less lumpy and worth the extra because of that)
mix the butter and peanut butter together and microwave for 2 minutes
stir and then microwave for 2 more minutes use a good sized microwave bowl for this
then add the vanilla and stir in the confectionary sugar
place in an 8x8 pan that is lined with wax paper or plastic wrap that you sprayed with pam
refrigerate for a couple hours
Don't Eat it all that day

Calico Beans

I made these last night and they are delicious and cheap to make
1 can white beans
1 can ranch beans  or if you can't find them another can of white beans
olive oil about 2 tbps
1 onion diced up
4 garlic cloves
brown the onion and garlic then add beans
2 tbpl of brown sugar more or less
2 tbpl of ketchup
1 tbpl cider vinegar
alittle hot sauce
salt and pepper
1/2 cup water
bake in oven about half and hour

royal icing

This is so easy and so perfect for sugar cookies
3 egg whites
1 lb. confectionary sugar
3/4 teas cream of tartar
mix with heavy duty mixer 8-10 minutes
then frost your cookies

More Biscotti

Heidi has been looking for more Biscotti recipes. Here is one she found The Tasty Kitchen Blog that she looks at often and has some great recipes and Ideas. Please let them know how you found them.
Jon

Popcorn Balls


11/2 cups molasses

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

2 teas vinegar

1/2 teasp. salt

Boil till a little syrup dropped in water turns brittle about 250 deg on thermostat

remove from heat and add 2 teas vanilla and 5 tablespoons of margerine

pour over 4 quarts of popped popcorn and form into balls

makes approx. 24 balls

Tis the season to make them. enjoy remember taffy is hot!

Stuff I found in a drawer

OK everybody, I guess you need to know how Heidi files her recipes. When she says she knows where it is that means we might get it today sometime. Here are some pictures and recipes I found in a junk drawer:

So this is a GREAT recipe for Biscotti. A little history of Biscotti from the website Biscotti Goddess:

Biscotti originated centuries ago, thanks to an Italian baker who liked to serve them with Tuscan wine. The idea spread across Italy, and eventually into many other cultures. Mandelbrot are a version with Jewish origins. The Germans have zwieback, and the Spanish have carquinyoles. The French serve croquets de carcassonne and Parisienne biscottes. In Greece, you’ll find biskota and paximadia, and in Holland, you’d be served a rusk. Centuries ago, biscotti proved to be an ideal food for soldiers, sailors and fisherman, who needed sustenance while on long journeys.

So for this great cookie here is Heidi's basic recipe and she has done them with pistaschios, lenmon and other great stuff.
Biscotti
2-1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1-1/2 cups pistaschios
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1 stick of softened butter
Preheated oven at 300
Form dough into 2 rough logs with wet fingers
Bake for 30 - 40 minutes
Remove from oven. Cut into slices about 1/2 inch thick
Place back on cookie sheet
Reduce oven to 275 degrees and bake for an additional 20 minutes

These are really great with either tea, coffee or cold milk

Raspberry jellies

:
1.75 oz powdered fruit pectin
1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
3/4 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons raspberry extract
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
red food coloring

Directions:
Warning: the first half of the recipe needs to be completed the day before you want to eat the candy.

Grease a loaf pan. Stir together pectin, water and baking soda in small pan. Cook on high heat. At the same time, bring the sugar and corn syrup to a rolling boil, stirring occasionally. When it reaches boiling, add the pectin mixture. Cook for about 1 additional minute stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add extract and food coloring, stirring to incorporate. Pour into the prepared pan and allow to cool, loosely covered, overnight on the counter. The next day invert the pan on to a platter or plate full of sugar. If you have trouble unmolding the candy, use a sharp knife to loosen it from the perimeter of the pan and carefully slide your fingers underneath the candy to gently peel the candy out of the pan. Press both sides of the candy into the sugar. Slice the candy into 1/4 inch slices, then cut each slice into 1/4 inch cubes. Roll each cube in sugar. Allow to sit an additional hour before packaging or serving. I made these in lime, orange,  lemon and grape.

last year I made these for Christmas. They are wonderful but don't make them on a rainy day as they won't set

Mrs. Bailey's Ginger Cookies

 1 cup sugar
1cup shortening
2/3 cup molasses
1/2 cup hot water
1 teas baking soda
1 teasp, cinnamon
1/2 teasp ginger
1/2 teasp. cloves
enough flour to make a stiff paste 3-4 cups
roll and cut bake 400 degrees 10 minutes

These were my favorite cookies as a child. They are a soft ginger cookie. Mrs. Bailey was a lady that lived in Winchester Center Connecticut in the 1920's till 1930"s and she was a friend of my Grandmother's. I only have this recipe of hers, and it is written in my grand mother's scripe

Ginger Snaps

3/4 cups shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 cup flour
1/2 teas salt
1/4 cup mollases
3 teasp. baking soda
1 teasp, cinnamon
1 teasp. ginger
1/2 teasp. cloves
Mix shortening sugar and egg beat till incorporated then add dry ingredients
roll in balls then into sugar
bake 350 degrees approx. 10-12 minutes watch burns easy because of molasses These are delicious