Easy Holiday Treats

Its that time of year again.  The Holidays are upon us.  No matter your background some holiday is looming.  For most of us it is Thanksgiving and Christmas.  It means lots of get togethers and not much time.  Want to impress your friends and family with your culinary skills but, don't have many, here are a number of easy and fairly healthy candy ideas and can be whipped up in a jiffy with just a few ingredients and your microwave.  No cooking, really!

Now, I said relatively healthy as we will be using no sugar, shortening, corn syrup or preservatives.  All the ingredients have been shown to be beneficial in moderation (with the exception of the marshmallows and Lorna Doones).  So just don't scarf these down by the handful and you will be fine.

You will need a few basic ingredients.  First a good melting chocolate.  I prefer Ghirardelli and get mine in 2.5 pound blocks at Sam's.  One block will go a long way.  I buy one white chocolate and one dark chocolate. Depending on your choice you will need pecans, almonds, cashews, dried cranberries, dried pineapple, coconut and or marshmallows and Lorna Doones. (forget the healthy on this one.)


First the Mounds Clone

This candy is very easy to make.  Take your coconut and using a melon baller make small balls of scoops of coconut.  Place them on a piece of waxed paper on a cookie sheet  then press down slightly to make two sides that are flat.  Once you have about 20 or so of these place the cookie sheet in the icebox for about 30 minutes.  Once the coconut  chunks have chilled take about 3/4 of a pound of chocolate (three strips of the Ghirardelli) and break in small pieces.   Place in  a glass bowl and put in the microwave for 4 minutes at 1/2 power.  At about 2 minutes begin to stir the chocolate every 30 seconds.  by the end of the four minutes you should be ready to make your candy if the chocolate is not completely melted add time in 20 second intervals until the chocolate stirs easily and is completely melted.  You have a limited amount of time to work so move your melted chocolate to the area with your coconut and start the magic.  Drop a chunk of coconut in the chocolate and gently roll it around with a spoon dipping it out and  placing it on the waxed paper.  Repeat for all of your coconut chunks.  Take any remaining chocolate and drizzle it over the candy you have just made.  Viola Mounds.

Prefer Almond Joy

Follow the directions above but add an almond to the mound of coconut your form in to the coconut chunks and you have Almond Joy.


How about Chocolate Covered Pecans

Melt your chocolate as above.  Add a cup or so of whole pecans and scoop out three or four pieces at time onto waxed paper.

Chocolate Covered Papaya

Same a chocolate covered Pecans. You can use large chunks and spoon them out one at a time or small chunks and spoon out several into a cluster.

Chocolate Covered Dried Pineapple

Same as Chocolate Covered Pecans and Papaya.

Chocolate Covered Marshmallows.

I used the big ones and found they were best cut in half but this will work with the small ones as well and just spoon them out in twos or threes in a small clump.

Here is the recipe that got me started in the madness.  I found this in a Southern Living a few years ago.  Made it and gave it to friends and every one waits for the holidays to get some in their goodie box.

White Chocolate Holiday Clusters

For this you will need salted cashews, dried cranberries and white chocolate.

I a bowl mix one cup of cashews with one cup of dried cranberries.  Melt one cup (3/4 lb of white chocolate) and pour in bowl.  Mix well and with table spoon scoop out small mounds onto wax paper.  Let chocolate set (you can accelerate by putting your waxed paper on a cookie sheet and slipping it in the refrigerator.  Makes about 24 clusters.

All of these are super simple and take less than 15 minutes start to finish including clean up with the exception of the mounds because of the time to refrigerate the coconut.  However your friends won't know that because people believe candy is hard to make.  And it can be but not these.

Now a couple of notes.  All of the above done in dark chocolate including the mounds and almond joy clones can be done in white chocolate.  However the Cashew clusters do not work well in dark chocolate.  They taste fine but don't look great.  Lets just say Pam christened them "Reindeer Poop".  Especially the ones I tried in butterscotch flavored chocolate.

Now for the final and sneakiest one of all.

Black and Whites

For this you will need a package of Lorna Doones and 1/2 1lb white chocolate and 1/2 lb dark chocolates.

Prepare your cookie sheet with waxed paper and open cookies because you will have to move fairly quickly on this so the chocolate does not set up on you.  Melt the dark chocolate.  Dip one end of the cookie in the dark chocolate and place it on the cookie sheet.  Repeat for all cookies.  Place in refrigerator for about 5 minutes.  Melt white chocolate.  Dip the other end of the cookie in the white chocolate and place on Cookie sheet.  Repeat for all cookies.  Place in refrigerator for 5 minutes.  Put in container and you are ready to go.  Watch these disappear.

Look out you now too  are on the slippery slope of candy making madness.  What else can you cover (The candy makers call it enrobed); Pretzels, Oreos, Animal cookies, dried banana, chunks of brownies, Chocolate chip cookies.  Who knows what you will come up with, let me know what your creations are.

Bruce

So What Do You Do With a New Craft Room?

You Make stuff!  Here is my First Attempt to Post a How To

How To Make a Microwave Potato Bag

Pam and I have seen these at craft shows and I have tested the concept with a cotton towel and indeed they do work.   After seeing patterns in the quilt stores that we visit for 9 or 10 dollars I decided I could figure this out on my own.  This is prototype #2.

To make this you will need the following (Really enough to make four)
2 colorful 100%  cotton fat quarters (These are sold in most fabric stores and are pieces of fabric 18"x21")
1 contrasting 100% cotton fat quarter for top.
2/3 yard of 100% cotton muslin
1 craft size package of warm and natural batting (100% cotton)
1 spool of 100% cotton thread

It is important that all parts of this project are 100% cotton.  Using other types of material could result in a fire in your microwave or a shrink wrapped fabric potato.  Most polyester fabrics and threads will melt in the microwave. Directions for use will be given at the end of this tutorial.  If you make these as gifts you should be sure to include the directions.

Start by cutting your 2 fat quarters into two pieces each measuring  10 1/2" by 21".  There will be no waste.  I use a rotary cutter and a cutting mat but scissors will work fine.  Then cut your contrasting fat quarter into four pieces that are 7" x10 1/2" consider the direction you want the pattern to run if there is a design to this fabric.  Next cut you Muslin into into pieces that are 10 1/2" x 24 inches.  Finally cut your batting into four pieces that are 10 1/2 inches by 24 inches.

Your pieces for one bag should look like this.

Iron the fabric.  Place the colorful fabric and the contrasting fabric good side to good side and set up for a seam.  Pin and sew with a 1/2" seam

Press seam open.  Then sew seam open.  I have found the easiest way to do this is to place the seam at the middle of the foot and move the needle to the right.  Using the center of the seam as a guide it is easier to sew a straight stitch down the fabric.  When you reach one end turn fabric as sew other side of seam open.

Needle moved right and foot set at center of seam.

When one side is done turn material and do next side of seam.

With seam completed place muslin and front together good side to good side.

Now add batting on top of Muslin.

Next pin and sew.  Use a 1/4" seam leaving about 4" unseamed so you can turn the sandwiched fabric right side out once you are done.

Trim corner before you turn fabric.

Turn fabric right side out through un-seamed opening.  You can use a chop stick to point the corners.

Iron the assembly at this point to make the next step easier.  Sew all the way around using about 1/8" seam.  This makes the next step easier.

I then switch to another sewing machine that has a walking foot on it to quilt the bag before final assembly.  I use a straight across pattern for the bottom of the bag and a diagonal pattern on the contrasting fabric.  I like to use the machine with the walking foot as it is heavier duty and the foot has an adjustable gauge on it that makes keeping the lines straight as you sew.  These feet are inexpensive and can be added to most machines.  I ordered mine from Sewing Machines Plus on the internet and got free shipping and no tax.  You just need to know what type of shank your sewing machine has.  You can also do this with a normal foot and a careful eye.

I think you can see the diagonal pattern on the top.  Clicking on the pictures should give you a larger image.

Now we are ready for the final assembly.  Once again working good side to good side.  fold down the top and then fold up the bottom.

Pin and sew down each side. using a 1/2" seam>

Turn the bag right side out.

Use your chopstick to point the corners (fully turn).  Your bag is complete.

Instructions for use.

Scrub Potato dab excess water off with paper towel.  Wrap potato(es) with same paper towel and insert into bag.  Do not pierce potato.  This bag will hold two large or four small potatoes.  Works will with carrots, sweet potatoes and tortillas as well.  Just adjust your time based on what you are cooking.

Place bag in microwave and cook for 4-6 minutes.  This will depend on your microwave so some experimentation will be necessary.  It takes 6 minutes in ours for 2 medium size potatoes.  I also find it works best to cook for three minutes let it set a minute or so and cook for three minutes then let it set for a couple of minutes before removing potatoes from bag.  Potatoes will be hot.  Open with fork and season to taste.

Bag can be washed on normal cycle and dried on cotton setting to keep it clean and sanitary.  In other words throw it in with your towels.

By the way it also makes a good pot holder in a pinch.  You can use the scrap batting and fabric to make a pot holder as well.  But that would be another story for another day.

The materials for this project should cost you about 10 dollars for enough to make four.  The batting will be the biggest expense.  We buy when it is on sale at Jo Ann's or Hancock.  Both post coupons all the time.  Sign up for their loyalty program and you will always have a coupon to use for 40% off.  You can also cruise the sale table.  There is nothing that says the lining has to be muslin you can use the same fabric as the exterior if you wish or make the exterior one pattern and the interior another.  Just be sure that all fabric is 100% Cotton.    With a little careful shopping you could spend as little as 5 dollars for the materials for four.

The first bag took me about an hour and a half.  That included a lot of playing around deciding exactly how I wanted to put these together.  The second took about an hour ( I had to check on dinner several times messed with the flow).  Set up to make several at a time it will probably take about 30-40 minutes per bag.  From start to finish.  But then you have your very own ecologically sound  Potato steamer bag for your microwave.  And three to give as gifts.

Happy Crafting

Bruce and Pam

Craft Room Is Finally Done

Well the project started the second week of October is finally complete.  The closet is done and the loaded as well.

Pam can now see all the material and everything has a place.  I do still need to print labels for the upper containers.  Maybe Pam will do that.  She likes using the label maker.

Not that all my list is done.  I still have curtains for the Office to finish and a ceiling fan to replace in the guest bedroom  but, a large part of the list is checked off.  Now maybe on to a little playing.  I have yet to dig out my lather or my carving tools and it is getting to be that time of year.  I like to do those type things when it is cooler as nothing is more miserable than to be covered with saw dust and sweaty to boot.

Will be posting more recipes soon.  Hope all is well

Bruce and Pam

Genovese Sauce - Channeling My Grandmother.

My mothers parents were both Italian Emigrants.  Or more correctly my Grandfather was Italian my Grandmother was Sicilian.  My grandmother was quite young when she married my grandfather.  She had to learn to cook and keep house very quickly.  To her credit she not only learned but was an outstanding cook, seamstress and mother to her five children and what would be a small army of grandchildren.  I did some work in the Rio Grande Valley several years ago and came across a number of people who still remembered her cooking even though she has been gone for forty years.

She died when I was thirteen but one of the things she taught me to make is still my favorite today.  It is also the basis for a large number of my recipes.  Unfortunately, she did not teach me how to make her lemon pie and Pam will tell you I try it every time I find it and I have never come close to the pie she made. Nor did I pay enough attention when she tried to teach me how to make her rolls.

But on with my recipe.  The key to many great Italian dishes is the sauce.  This is for a red sauce.  Many would call it Marinara.  However, I learned several years ago it is more like a sauce that is in Italy called a Genovese Sauce.

Basic Sauce
1 can tomato sauce
1 can tomato paste
1 can tomato puree
1 can diced tomatos
1 can stewed tomatos
Combine all in a large pot with about three table spoons of olive oil.
Here is where I deviate from the recipe a bit.  My grandmother would add three cans (tomato paste can) of water.  I add 1 can of water and a can of spicy V8 Juice
1 tea spoon of Powdered Garlic
1/2 small onion diced very finely
1 table spoon of Italian Seasoning
1 table spoon of sugar
1 table spoon of Parmesan Cheese
2 table spoons of Parsley
1 tea spoon of garlic salt
1 tea spoon of salt
1/2 tea spoon of pepper

Bring to a slow boil and cook for about 3-4 hours.

This is very healthy sauce and can be used with spaghetti, on pizza, in casseroles.  It is good with vegetables like squash, zucchini and mushrooms for a Pasta Primavera.

Variations.
*You can add stew meat to sauce to make it richer and a meat sauce.  Pork also works.  The meat will come out quite tender and is great served over the pasta.
* I add some stew meat and when the sauce is almost done I take my immersion blender and blend it up for a smooth thick sauce.
* Add meatballs to the sauce about halfway through
             Turkey Meatballs
             1lb lean round turkey
             1/3 cup of bread crumbs
             dash of salt
             dash of pepper
             1 tea spoon Italian seasoning
             2 table spoons dried onions
             1 tea spoon minced garlic
roll into balls slightly smaller than golf balls and place in a baking dish.  Put in the oven at 350 for about 40 minutes.  Spoon into sauce and finish cooking.  By baking them you remove some of the fat from them even lean turkey has about 7% fat.

This is a large pot of sauce so I put up in quart containers and put in the freezer.  L leave one in the frig for ongoing use and pull one from the freezer when needed.

This makes great sauce for Meatloaf.   Outstanding stuffed peppers,  It can be used to make soups and stews and is even the base for my chili.

Enjoy

More later
Bruce and Pam

This Just In

Blaze finally decided I could take his picture on the new cat nap perch.

This has quickly become his favorite spot.

More Later
Bruce and Pam