CLICK HERE FOR FREE BLOG LAYOUTS, LINK BUTTONS AND MORE! »

Monday, December 1, 2008

Sarah Warther's Fondant Tips

1. Have direction. I like to sketch out my plan.
2. Make sure your hands are completely dry and clean.
3. You can't overwork fondant. Get rough with it before rolling it out.
4. Get out all of your tools before you start.
5. Water will leave marks in fondant. Stay dry!
6. Use small amount of vegetable shortening if fondant is too dry.
7. Put the fondant in an unsealed Ziplock bag to mix in color gel. (gel works best)
8. Use a step stool for more power when working and rolling the fondant.
9. Use a soft brush to get off any excess powdered sugar.

Fondant Recipe

1 box powdered sugar
1 egg white
2 TBPS liquid glucose (Michael's has this in the cake department)

Place sugar into a bowl and make a well in the center. Tip the egg white and glucose into the well and stir in using a wooden spoon. Finish binding the icing together with your hands, kneading until the sugar in incorporated and the icing feels smooth. Double wrap immediately with Sarah Wrap or use it right away.

Cream Cheese Icing Recipe

1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup butter flavored Crisco
1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 box of powdered sugar
1-3 Tbsp milk

Cream butter, Crisco and cream cheese. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, alternating with milk until you reach your desired consistency.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Maggie Hirt's Fab Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Bread from the Kitchen of Maggie Hirt

Makes: 5 small loaves or 2 regular sized loaves

Combine & Mix:
1½ c. pumpkin
1 c. oil
4 eggs
2/3 c. water
3 c. sugar

Sift & Add:
2 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. cloves
3½ c. flour
1½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. nutmeg
1 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Mix all together and put into well greased loaf pans.
Sprinkle with mixture of 1/3 c. chopped nuts, 1/3 c. brown sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon.
Bake at 350° for 50 minutes.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Banana Orange Crepe Recipe (Served at October's Mini-Activity Brunch)


For crêpes
1/3 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 large egg
2 teaspoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly, plus additional for cooking crêpes

For topping
1 navel orange
1 firm-ripe finger banana or 1 (4-inch) piece firm-ripe regular banana
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons chopped pecans toasted

Preparation
Make crêpes: Whisk together milk, flour, egg, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and 2 teaspoons butter until smooth. Chill batter, covered, 30 minutes.
Lightly brush a 10-inch nonstick skillet with butter, then heat over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Holding skillet off heat, pour in half of batter (1/4 cup), immediately tilting and rotating skillet to coat bottom. (If batter sets before skillet is coated, reduce heat slightly for next crêpe.) Return skillet to heat and cook crêpe until just set and golden around edges, 10 to 15 seconds. Loosen edge of crêpe with a heatproof plastic spatula, then flip crêpe over carefully with your fingertips. Cook until underside is set, about 20 seconds more. Transfer crêpe to a plate. Brush skillet with more butter and make another crêpe in same manner. Reserve skillet.

Make topping and assemble dessert: Cut peel, including all white pith, from orange with a sharp paring knife. Working over a bowl, cut segments free from membranes, letting segments fall into bowl, then squeeze 2 tablespoons juice from membranes into bowl (discard membranes).
Peel banana and halve lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces.
Melt butter in reserved skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides. Add sugar, then pour juice from bowl into sugar mixture and cook, swirling skillet, until sugar is dissolved. Add 1 crêpe to sauce and cook until crêpe is coated and heated through, about 15 seconds. Fold crêpe into quarters using tongs, then transfer to a heated dessert plate. Repeat with second crêpe.
Add orange segments and banana to skillet and cook, shaking skillet occasionally, until fruit is heated through, about 2 minutes. Spoon fruit over crêpes and sprinkle with pecans.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Tammy Mitchell's "Worth Every Minute Orange Rolls" recipe


Orange Rolls

2 packages of yeast dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water with a little sugar
2 cups warm milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
6-7 cups of flour
1 cup of oil or shortening
1/2 tsp. Vitamin C crystals to help condition dough (available at health food stores)

Filling:
1 cube butter
1 Cup sugar
zest of 1 orange

Combine milk, sugar, and oil. Add 1/2 flour. Beat in eggs, yeast and vitamin c crystals. Add the rest of the flour and salt. You don't want your dough to be tough, so only add enough flour to give you a softer dough. Once all your ingredients are combined grease a large bowl and put the dough in it to rise. Let it rise until doubled. Divide the dough in half. Roll out half of the dough into a large rectangle. Spread with half of the filling and roll up jelly-roll style. Cut into 1" pieces and put into greased muffin tins. Let rise again. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes. Check after about 8-10 minutes and make sure that you don't need to put foil over the tops to pevent too much browning. Once you take them out of the oven immediately flip them upside down ono a sheet of parchment paper to remove from pans. (photo courtesy of Tammy Mitchell Photography) ;)

Monday, October 6, 2008

FHE Lesson - Halloween Safety


Opening song: Quickly I’ll Obey (CS 197)
Opening Prayer: Assign
Scripture: Alma 57:21 Preparation: Print off six copies of this ghost or draw your own.
Lesson: Tell "Ghost" story as follows: (Tape ghosts on wall or large display area while telling story.)
One Halloween, in the dark of night, six little ghosts "booed" in fright. This family of ghosts had the Halloween spirit; they learned the "Halloween safety rules" and practiced them all year. Now all six were excited because the night they practiced for would soon be here. What were the safety rules? They all said together, "We’ll practice them tonight no matter what the weather!" (Show white ghosts 1-6 as you say each rule.)
Rule #1 Go with a friend, someone who stays with you until the very end.
Rule #2 Never talk to a stranger; you’ll never know just what is the danger.
Rule #3 With this rule I can’t be more graphic, when you go trick or treating, watch the traffic.
Rule #4 Go trick or treating like a pro, only go to the houses of people you know.
Rule #5 Be at your ease, don’t forget your manners – thank you and please.
Rule #6 Is a rule that can’t be beat. Look at your treats before you eat.
This family of ghosts was all white and bright. They stayed this color because they ate just right. Things like milk, vanilla ice cream and cottage cheese. Anything else would make them wheeze. Two things these ghosts really feared as Halloween night neared. What would happen if they forgot the rule? They knew they would feel the ridicule. And what would happen if they ate something they shouldn’t? They knew what would happen and the really just couldn’t.
Ghost #1 thought everyone was his friend and he knew rule #2 he just couldn’t bend. He mustn’t talk to strangers because he’d know a real torment, when he turned red with embarrassment! (Show red ghost)
Ghost #2 knew it would just be rude, to not use his manners would just mean he’s crude. He knew what would happen – yes, he really knew. For heaven’s sakes, he’d just turn blue. (Show blue ghost.)
Ghost #3 wanted to stay white all night, so he looked at the traffic and watched the scene, because the last thing he wanted was to turn bright green. (Show green ghost.)
Ghost #4 was on his best behavior and of that you’ll have to agree. Because he knew if he walked in traffic he would make a fine yellow Frisbee. (Show yellow ghost.)
A real loner was Ghost #5. So all evening he would have to strive to stay with the crowd. If from his friends he decided to shrink then he knew all night long he would surely be pink. (Show pink ghost).
Ghost #6 knew the rules by heart and he knew he’d do his part. But it was his diet that would make him slip, if he ate a chocolate chip cookie he’d do a double back flip. (Show chocolate chip ghost.)
But the ghosts shouldn’t have worried at all. The night soon ended and they all had a ball. They obeyed all the rules and did what they should and all the wrong goodies they bravely withstood. They all were happy and you could tell they were glad because this was the best night they ever had!!
Play the Halloween Game to practice the Rules. (You will need enough game pieces for every family member e.g. pennies. Fill little treat sacks with goodies and set at the end of the game.) You do not need dice to play the game, just pick up game card and follow directions.
Have little children take turns saying all the Halloween Safety rules in front of the family. (Help little kids!) Give everyone a Certificate for Safe Trick or Treating with their name on it after successfully saying the rules and of coarse with a loud applause!!
Activity: Carve Jack-o-Lanterns as a family and/or decorate house for Halloween with ghosts and spiders the kids color or cut out.
Closing Song: Dare to do Right (CS 158)
Closing Prayer: Assign
Treats: Cat Cookies (See below)
CAT COOKIES—Frost Oreo cookies with white frosting. Add M&M’s for the eyes and nose, black licorice string for the whiskers and upside down candy corns for the ears.
***We found this FHE Lesson on Sugardoodle.net***

Family Night Phantom-gram and Note



We found this cute Phantom-gram at www.fheinasnap.blogspot.com

The Yummy Mummy Family


What You'll Need:

Quart-size plastic container
Small Plastic Cup
Medium Plastic Cup
Small cotton balls
Googly eyes
Tacky glue
Cheesecloth (One bag of cheesecloth will make entire family)
Scissors
Step 1
Glue a cotton ball to the middle of each cup for the nose, then glue on a pair of googly eyes.
Step 2
Cut strips of cheesecloth. Glue one end of cloth to the container/cup and start wrapping the cheesecloth around, covering the nose but not the eyes. Continue adding layers of cheesecloth, gluing down any loose ends.
Originally published in the October 2006 issue of Parents magazine. Please visit: http://www.parents.com/holiday/halloween/crafts/mummy-candy-holder-craft/?page=2