mint drink~~~~summertime

When I think of summer,  I think of the mint drink that my sweet mother made.

It is just a simple syrup, made with fresh lemon, orange, and mint.

You add the ginger ale, water or adult beverage of your choice!

The recipe:

2 Cups sugar

Juice of 6 lemons and 2 oranges

1 Cup of mint leaves

Cook sugar 5 minutes and cool.  Add fruit juice, pour over mint,

cover and let stand for 1 hour.

Strain in jar and store in refrigerator.

Use 1/3 Cup of syrup to glass of ginger ale or water or beverage of your choice : )

Enjoy!

piece,

elizabeth

more baking

I am not spending time sewing, but I am still baking : )  My blog will be quieter than usual as I spend time with last minute details preparing for family this Christmas.  These pressed cookies are supposed to look like trees.

The recipe for these spritz cookies is so easy....

1 C shortening

3/4 C sugar

1 egg

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon almond extract

2 C all-purpose flour

green food coloring(for Christmas trees)

Cream shortening and sugar.  Add egg, dry ingredients, flavoring and then a few drops of food coloring.

Mix well.  Now using your cookie press form cookies.  Add sprinkles if you would like.  Bake 10-12 minutes at 375 degrees(preheated oven).

These taste great with a cup of coffee!

I so hope to have a new mini quilt to start the New Year off on Little Quilt Monday! 

Remember,  Little Quilt Monday will start again on January 2, 2012.

Merry Christmas!

piece,

elizabeth 

candy cane cookies

Today I am baking spritz cookies and wrapping gifts.   I made candy cane cookies on Sunday afternoon.  They are a family tradition and one of my favorites : )

The recipe comes from the Betty Crocker cookbook, although we don't sprinkle with sugar or candy after baking.

I got better at rolling the dough and shaping the canes as I went along, but they all taste the same....yummy!

piece,

elizabeth

criss cross applesauce

Remember this rhyme:

Criss-cross applesauce
Spoons in the the bowl
Hands in your lap


I  sometimes sit with my legs crossed like the rhyme when I am at my computer.  And I discovered how to make applesauce in my crock pot!  This may be something you have always done, but for me it was a great discovery.  I found the basic recipe at Crock Pot Girls.   Here's what I did.....so easy.

I have always liked to cut the apple so I could see the star : )

I cored three apples and quartered them.  I didn't peel them, so this is a rustic applesauce.   I put the apples in my crock pot along with a couple tablespoons of brown sugar and a teaspoon of cinnamon.(It isn't necessary to measure exactly,  just put in what you want)   Turned the crock pot on high and enjoyed the wonderful aroma for about 2.5 to 3 hours.  Then I mashed the apple mixture with my potato masher and smiled : )

Yummy breakfast.  I feel so bad for serving my family applesauce from a jar all these years.....

piece,

elizabeth

chicken vegetable soup and a little quilt

My husband, TR, and I have been on a healthy diet kick(we also wanted to lose some weight) and chose the 17 Day Diet as a guide.  We have been successful losing some weight, but more importantly, creating some great healthy eating habits : )  I am sure soup doesn't sound like a summer meal, but we have this soup often and change it up with the vegetables that we have on hand from the farmer's market or the food store.  We have always enjoyed many soup recipes in the winter, but this one is working out just fine for our summer routine.

 The 17 Day Diet Chicken Vegetable Soup recipe can be found in Dr. Mike Moreno's book along with other great recipes or here.
I don't make it exactly like the doctor's recipe, so here is how I make it:
First I saute in olive oil... onions, celery, green/red/yellow peppers, carrots and garlic(whatever you have on hand)
Next I add my chicken stock/broth and half head of chopped cabbage(let this boil a bit)
Then I add diced basil and garlic tomatoes and original rotel(you can always use fresh tomatoes and jalepenos) and all the other vegetables that you desire at the moment...the sky is the limit : )
Add diced cooked chicken and season to your taste.  Simmer and enjoy!
(cooked chicken can be grilled, baked or rotisserie...I have made each way and they all make a great soup)

Remember, I am not a cooking blog, so I am just sharing something that I like to eat and not trying to give The Pioneer Woman any competition....LOL.

Here's a little 4th of July quilt that I made several years ago.

piece,
elizabeth