Holiday Bake Along - Homestead Needle Arts

December 23rd, 2007 by Tink Boord-Dill

This recipe as fun to look at as it is to good to eat! The mini marshmallows do the hard work for you!

I hope you’ll follow along with this year’s Holiday Bake Along. Be sure and check out previous recipes, as well!

Tink

*When I dream, I cook and bake like an artist!*

TheArmchairChef.com
Needlework and Quilting Holiday Bake Along 2007

Church Windows

I got this recipe from my sister Chris years ago. She moved away to college and she would come home for Christmas break and make this wonderful candy - she probably got the recipe from somebody at college. After college she moved out permanently but still made the chocolate and finally I remembered to ask for the recipe myself! Lucky for me since I’m still in Michigan and she’s in Arizona! Now I make it for my stitching friends at my shop. It’s a rich, wonderful candy for Christmas and always reminded Chris and me of church on Christmas Eve.

Ingredients

1 stick butter or margarine

12 oz. chocolate chips

1/2 cup peanut butter

10-1/2 oz. mini colored marshmallows

>Step by Step

1) Melt butter and chocolate together.
2) Cool.
3) Add peanut butter.
4) Stir until smooth.
5) Add marshmallows.
6) Cover a 9 x 12 pan with tin foil.
7) Shape the mixture into two logs against each long size of the pan.
8 ) Refrigerate.
9) Slice into 1/2″ pieces when hard.
10) Serve and Enjoy!

Homestead Needle Arts

I’ve owned Homestead Needle Arts in Grand Blanc, Michigan for four years. This 30 year old needlepoint shop is dedicated to high quality customer service and a great selection of threads and canvases. Our website is www.homesteadneedlearts.com, or you can call me at 888-694-3040 or 810-694-3040. There’s a lot more in the shop than on the website but I’m continually adding new items. Sign up for our newsletter on any page of our website!

Theresa Swiecicki

Homestead Needle Arts

Holiday Bake Along - X’s & Oh’s

December 22nd, 2007 by Tink Boord-Dill

This recipe truly IS decadent! Whoever thought Chocolate Instant Pudding to be this grown-up! LOL

I hope you’ll follow along with this year’s Holiday Bake Along. Be sure and check out previous recipes, as well!

Tink

*When I dream, I cook and bake like an artist!*

TheArmchairChef.com
Needlework and Quilting Holiday Bake Along 2007

Decadent Black Forest Chocolate Trifle

As with most of our favorite family recipes, this one started with an actual recipe, and was ‘adjusted’ from there! I think the basic recipe was in one of those wonderful Milk calendars, but it called for making pudding from scratch, and whipped topping the same way - and I wanted a simple dessert my young daughters could prepare as their part of the Christmas dinner at grandmas.

So with a few simple replacement ingredients - and the addition of a cherry layer - we created our own version, that was so popular it has become a ‘must-have’ dessert at family gatherings. Now that our daughters are in University, they still come home to make this dessert to take to grandma’s… though I’m waiting for the day when they bring the ingredients with them, LOL! Merry Christmas everyone!

Ingredients

instant chocolate pudding (2 packages)
package chocolate wafer cookies

bananas

can cherry pie filling

package whipped topping

solid chocolate bar (optional)

Step by Step

1) Make up the pudding, and the whipped topping (in separate bowls!).

2) Crumble the cookies in a separate bowl, ready for sprinkling.

3) Strain the cherry pie filling to reduce the amount of filling, retaining some of the sauce and all the cherries.

4) Slice the bananas about 1/4″ thicknesses.

5) We use a glass punch bowl to put this together, as it’s large and decorative!

6) Begin layering the ingredients as follows:

chocolate pudding / crumbled chocolate wafer /

chocolate pudding / banana /

chocolate pudding / crumbled chocolate wafer /

chocolate pudding / cherry pie filling /

chocolate pudding / crumbled chocolate wafer /

chocolate pudding / banana /

chocolate pudding / crumbled chocolate wafer /
Keep the chocolate pudding layers thin enough to do all the layers 6) (you may want to divide the crumbled wafers into 4 even piles for the same reason).
7) Finish with a layer of whipped topping.
8 ) Grate the chocolate bar, to get curls or shavings to decorate the top of the dessert.
9) Chill the chocolate bar first, if it’s too soft to grate easily
10) Serve and Enjoy!

X’s & Oh’s

X’s & Oh’s has certainly grown since those early days! I can still remember my first magazine sale - I made the cover of Stoney Creek Cross Stitch! Once my DH finished his education, he encouraged me to make designing my full time job… and about five years ago I was able to do just that. It has been quite a journey, and so interesting to look back on my early designs (such as STANDING PROUD, a very structured colt, with lots of backstitching), and realize how much my work has changed and evolved over the years (compare that early design to another favorite horse design COMPANIONS, where the detail is provided in full stitch). Now we are working with 14 artists and designers, so life is never dull! Visit our website www.xs-and-ohs.com to see over 200 great designs in so many styles and areas of interest - and remember, you make the X’s and just wait for the OOOOHHHHH’s!
www.xs-and-ohs.com

Holiday Bake Along - Rosewood Manor

December 22nd, 2007 by Tink Boord-Dill

These are a perennially favorite cookie, good for ANY celebration at ANY time of year!

I hope you’ll follow along with this year’s Holiday Bake Along. Be sure and check out previous recipes, as well!

Tink

*When I dream, I cook and bake like an artist!*

TheArmchairChef.com
Needlework and Quilting Holiday Bake Along 2007

Peanut Butter Cookies

I got the original recipe from the Better Homes & Gardens Cook Book which I’ve had since I got married 38 years ago. I made a slight change to it! I added more peanut butter which makes the cookies moister. We have a new son-in-law this year who we lovingly call “Cookie Monster” since he can never walk by a batch of cookies without pick one up to eat!I traditionally bake about 12 different kinds of cookies each Christmas season. I try to add a new recipe each year, but this is one old favorite that is always requested.This year our daughters and their spouses will be home for the holidays. We have to trade off with the in-laws every other year. We are very excited since our oldest daughter and her husband are expecting their first child, our first grandchild, in April. I wonder which of my cookies will be his or her favorite.

Ingredients

1/2 Cup Butter or Margarine
3/4 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Egg
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
1 1/4 Cups sifted All-purpose Flour
3/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 teaspoon Salt

Step by Step

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
1) Using a mixer thoroughly cream butter, peanut butter, sugar eggs and vanilla.
2) Sift together dry ingredients; blend into creamed mixture. 3) Shape into about 1 inch balls; roll in granulated sugar.
4) Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
5) Press with fork in a crisscross design.
6) Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
7) Cool slightly before removing form cookie sheet. Makes about 4 dozen.
8 ) Serve and Enjoy!

Rosewood Manor

ROSEWOOD MANOR features award winning cross stitch designs by Karen Kluba. Karen loves to design cross stitch using traditional quilt patterns and old fashioned samplers, but with a new twist. She has recently designed some beautiful samplers; one is called “AND A FOREST GREW” which features several sampler trees. Another is “ABC TAPESTRY” which features an entire alphabet and several motifs of items starting with that letter. Well you just have to see it to believe it! Karen adapted a quilt from the 1800’s into cross stitch when she created “INSPIRATION”, again you just have to see this one! Karen has also designed a few quilted items; plus she now also sells, finished ready to give as gifts or keep, purses. These small bags are great for special occasions when you want to carry only your cell phone, credit card and lipstick! Check these out on her “Bags” page. No two will ever be alike! Want to make your own bag? Karen sells the patterns at quilt shops or on her “Quilt Patterns” page. Karen always has more new designs “in the works” so check her website often.website: http://www.rosewoodxstitch.comBLOG: http://www.rosewoodmanor.blogger.com

Holiday Bake Along - TW Designworks

December 21st, 2007 by Tink Boord-Dill

I remember adding Maraschino Cherries to anything I could… back as a budding 9 year old cook. The more Maraschino Cherries, the better… right?

As I always suspected, Teresa and I are soul mates. I hope you enjoy her Cherry Winks Cookies!

Pleasel follow along with this year’s Holiday Bake Along. Be sure and check out previous recipes, as well!

Tink

*When I dream, I cook and bake like an artist!*

TheArmchairChef.com
Needlework and Quilting Holiday Bake Along 2007

Cherry Winks Cookies

My Mom made these cookies at Christmas time when I was very young, and first learning how to bake. They were a holiday favorite, and of course, any recipe that allowed me to “help” was especially intriguing. Kids love anything hands-on, and I was no exception! It was so exciting to be involved in the process. (I was constantly bugging my Mom to let me help her in the kitchen. The woman had the patience of a saint!) This recipe was especially fun because I was permitted to crush up the corn flakes, and roll the balls of cookie dough in the cereal bits…then garnish each cookie with a maraschino cherry piece before they went into the oven. Heady stuff for a 6-7 year old! Now, I make these cookies every Christmas…and they’re still a favorite… with Mom and the rest of the family.

Ingredients

2-1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 c. butter
1 c. sugar
2 tbsp. milk
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. walnuts, chopped
1 c. dates, chopped
1/3 c. marsachino cherries, chopped
maraschino cherries, cut into quarters
unfrosted corn flakes, crushed

Step by Step

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (or 350 for dark cookie sheets)
1) In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar.
2) Add eggs, milk and vanilla. Beat well.
3) Blend in dry ingredients (except cereal).
4) Add dates, nuts and chopped cherries. Chill.
5) Drop dough by teaspoonfuls into crushed cereal; roll until coated.
6) Place on cookie sheet, and garnish each cookie with 1/4 cherry.
7) Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.
8 ) Serve and Enjoy!

TW Designworks

TW Designworks specializes in fantasy-inspired cross stitch designs for the serious stitcher. Designs are available through needlework retailers: see the website for an extensive listing on both on- and off-line retailers! And, now available through the TW Designworks website: fine art giclee prints of Teresa Wentzler’s pen and ink drawings. Please visit us at: http://www.twdesignworks.com, and at Teresa’s blog, Artistic License: http://www.teresa-wentzler.co

Holiday Bake Along - Suzn Quilts

December 21st, 2007 by Tink Boord-Dill

A quick and easy Toffee recipe, great for when you have too much to do and too little time!

I hope you’ll follow along with this year’s Holiday Bake Along. Be sure and check out previous recipes, as well!

Tink

*When I dream, I cook and bake like an artist!*

TheArmchairChef.com
Needlework and Quilting Holiday Bake Along 2007

Toffee

This recipe is from a quilting friend of mine is also quick and easy! My daughter Chloe, who’s 15, dug it out of my recipes this month and made it herself. My family enjoyed it so much it was gone in a day. Use it to make and split into several small gifts or serve for your holiday parties! Susan Marth

Ingredients

1 LB. Salted Butter
2 Cups Sugar
1/2 Cup Nuts (optional)
12. oz. Chocolate Chips

Step by Step

1) Put butter, sugar & nuts into a 3 quart pan.
2) Stir and boil to 305 degrees.
3) Pour into a greased jelly roll pan, spreading thin.
4) While toffee is still hot, sprinkle bag of chocolate chips over top, smooth over.
5) When cool break into bits.
6) Serve and Enjoy!

Suzn Quilts

Suzn Quilts… is a quilt pattern company that describes my main goal in life, besides taking care of my family, quilting! I design patterns for quilts that I decorate my home with. I love to decorate my home for the seasons and holidays, so many of my designs are seasonal and incorporate a lot of fusible applique. Some of my best selling patterns incorporate a quilt-as-you-go technique that I designed for making lap quilts. I am currently working on new patterns that combine the popular charm packs and jelly rolls with my quilt-as-you-go lap quilts and jackets that start with sweatshirts. Since I have three school aged kids and I cook and quilt, my patterns are fast and easy. They make great 4-6 hour projects.

Susan Marth
Suzn Quilts…
www.SuznQuilts.homestead.com