Uncooked Fruit *J*am

Welcome to Day 10 of my A to Z Blogging Challenge, the letter J.

A couple of years ago, my kids made delicious *J*am with their 4-H group.

Ingredients:
2 cups fruit- cleaned and mashed with skins removed. 

You can use any kind of fruit.  Kiddos 1, 2 and 4 chose peaches.  Kiddo #3 chose plums. Other children chose kiwi.
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/4 cup lemon juice
Grated lemon peel
1/4 cup sweetener (use either sugar, raw sugar, honey, agave syrup or any other sweetener you prefer.  we used agave syrup at the meeting)

Mix together water, chia seeds, lemon peel and sweetener.
Skin the fruit and mash.  Mix together with chia seed mixture

Put in container and eat on toast or add to smoothies or any other way you prfer.  You can keep this in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days.  It can be frozen  and will keep for months.  Thaw before using.

Enjoy!  We did!  :-)

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*I*talian Pizzelles

Welcome to Day #9 in the A to Z Blogging Challenge, the letter *I*.

*I*talian Pizzelles

Everytime I post something about making homemade Italian Pizzelles, I get a lot of comments and email asking about them: what they are, how I make them, etc.  So, I thought that I would share my grandmother's recipe.  She has been gone 16 years now, but by continuing to make her "signature" recipes (I even use her pizzelle iron), I am passing on not only memories, but a legacy to the next generation.  :-)  And for those of you that have not had the pleasure of trying pizzelles (they are SO good!), they are a very light and thin Italian cookie.  It is time consuming to make them in the volume that I do (it usually takes me about 2- 2 1/2 hours from start to finish), but you can easily cut the recipe in half or even in thirds.  I make the whole recipe (which is several hundred pizzelles) for large family gatherings (Christmas, Easter, etc.) and they do tend to get consumed quickly.  :-)

Italian Pizzelles
12 eggs
27 tablespoons shortening (melt it before hand and let it cool)
30 tablespoons sugar
30 drops of anise oil (use a dropper) (anise oil can be purchased at any Italian market or online.  Do not use anise extract, which is completely different!)
4 cups flour

Beat eggs, sugar and anise oil first, then add the melted shortening, beat again.
Add flour, one handful at a time
When dough starts riding up beaters, stop and use a wooden spoon to finish mixing

Put some shortening on paper towel to grease the pizzelle iron on both sides.  Turn iron on.  Once hot, put small teaspoon of dough on each side and close for about 30 seconds.  Repeat. (over and over again, lol!)

They are truly a special and delicious treat that my family and friends always ask for and enjoy.

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*H*ungarian Butter Cookies

Welcome to day 8 of the A to Z Blogging Challenge-- the letter "H."

Earlier this school year, my kiddos were learning about Eastern Europe.

I thought it would be fun to make some recipes that are from the different countries they are learning about.  Tonight we made Hungarian Butter Cookies.  The recipe is courtesy of foodbycountry.com.

Ingredients:

2 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 egg
1/3 cup sour cream

Mix flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.  Add butter, mix by hand until it is like course meal.  Add egg and sour cream-- mix until it holds together-- cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Pinch off small egg-size pieces and form into balls.  Place on buttered or non-stick sheet about 2 inches apart.  Use fingers to press to about 1/2 inch thick.  Make a crosshatch by pressing back of fork on each cookie. 

Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden.

Enjoy!

My posts so far in this series:

G is for Glazed Apple Cookies

F is for Fudge

E is for Kiddo's Easter Cupcakes

D is for Donuts

C is for Chocolate Cake

B is for Buttercream Frosting

A is for Apple Cake

and stayed tuned:  tomorrow is I is for Italian Pizzelles!  :-)

Linking up with the Gathering Spot, Kids in the Kitchen, Tasty Tuesday, Tempt my Tummy Tuesday, Domestically Divine Tuesday, Raising Mighty Arrows,Addicted to Recipes, Homemaking Wednesdays, Living Well Wednesday, Wisdom Wednesday , Favorite Things, Modest Mom, Full Plate Thursday and Show Off Friday and Tuesday's Table and Look What We Did and Titus 2sday,  Crafty Spices, Better Mom,Create with Joy, Thursday's Treasures, Tasty Thursdays and Wonderful Food Wednesday and the Chicken Chick and Creative Mondays and Try a New Recipe Tuesday

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My Week in Review #55

How was your week?  We'd love for you to join us and share all about your adventures!  :-)

An InLinkz Link-up

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*G*lazed Apple Cookies

Welcome to Day 7, "G" in the A-Z Blogging Challenge!  :-)

One of my family's absolute favorite cookies are my *G*lazed Apple cookies.  They are the most requested out of my cookie repertoire.  I'd like to share them with you today.

Cookie Ingredients:

1/2 cup shortening

1 1/3 cups packed brown sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup milk

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup+  of apples (peeled, cored and finely diced)

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

Glaze Ingredients:

1/3 cup softened butter

3 cups confectioner's sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 tablespoons milk

Beat shortening and brown sugar together until light and fluffy.  Beat in egg and beat thoroughly. Stir together flour, soda, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Stir 1/2 of the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture. Stir in apples, then stir in remaining 1/2 of the dry ingredients and milk.  Mix well.  Drop from tablespoon 1 1/2 inches apart on lightly greased cookie sheet.  Bake in 400 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.  Remove cookies to rack and while still warm, spread with glaze.  :-)

I hope your family enjoys them as much as mine does!

Here are my previous posts in this series in case you missed them:

F is for Fudge

E is for Kiddo's Easter Cupcakes

D is for Donuts

C is for Chocolate Cake

B is for Buttercream Frosting

A is for Apple Cake

Coming tomorrow...H is for Hungarian Butter Cookies!

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*F*udge

Welcome to Day 6 of the Blogging from A to Z challenge, "F."

Those of you who read my blog know that my children are active in 4-H and have done some cooking projects.  In one of them a couple of years ago, they made fudge.  It really turned out delicious and we have made it many times since.  I am including recipes below for both chocolate and vanilla varieties.  We did not add nuts, but many do.  Some even add bacon.

Chocolate *F*udge (this recipe is courtesy of the 4-H Amazing Rays, Book A)

Ingredients:
1 pound powdered sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Prepare an 8x8x2 baking pan by greasing the bottom and sides with butter or margarine

If you have a sifter, sift the powdered sugar and cocoa.  If you do not have a sifter, pour them each into separate bowls and gently work out all large lumps with a fork or spoon.  Set bowls aside.

(Wow!  I can't believe how much Kiddo #4 has grown since this was taken)

(My dear friend and her husband hosted this project in their kitchen, God love them!)

Put the 1/2 cup butter or margarine in a 2-quart microwavable bowl and heat on Medium (50%) for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 minutes or until melted.

Add powdered sugar and cocoa mixture, and evaporated milk

Cook on High (100%) for 2 minutes or until warm and mixture becomes thin.  Half way through the cooking time, stop microwave and rotate dish if your microwave does not have a turntable.

Add vanilla and chopped nuts.  Stir until well mixed.

Pour mixture into buttered baking pan.  use a wooden spoon or spatula to spread mixture until it is even.

Chill in the refrigerator until it becomes firm.  Then cut into squares.  Enjoy!  We did!  :-)

Vanilla *F*udge

Ingredients:

2/3 cup butter, softened
2 cups brown sugar
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups confectioners' sugar

Beat together the butter, brown sugar and evaporated milk.  Pour into pan lined with parchment paper.  Put in refrigerator to cool and harden.

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Kiddo's *E*aster Cupcakes

Welcome to Day 5 of the Blogging from A to Z challenge.  Today's letter is *E.*

Kiddo #4 made, among many other things, delicious cupcakes for *E*aster.  Here is her recipe.

Ingredients for cupcakes:

3 eggs whisked

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup cake flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tbsp melted chocolate chips

1 tbsp instant coffee

1/4 cup hot water

Whisk together the cocoa powder, instant coffee, vanilla, melted chocolate and hot water in a small bowl.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, mix eggs and sugar together with an electric mixer until it doubles in volume and turns pale, light and fluffy in appearance. (5-10 minutes)  Add the chocolate mixture into the egg and sugar mixture.  Whisk until well combined and mixed through.  Gradually sift the flour and gently mix with a small whisk to prevent flour lumps.  Do not overmix.  Place batter into cupcake pan with liners.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cupcakes.

Buttercream Frosting

1 1/2 sticks butter

1 pound powdered sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a electric mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and beat until frosting forms.

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