Been Busy? You bet!

It’s that time of year … go here – go there – try to feel like you’re accomplishing something – make a list, check it twice – go back to the store because checking twice wasn’t enough!! - you get the picture ...

I did get the Christmas packages wrapped, I did send out the checks to the little ones far away, I did get the Christmas cards sent out and I did decorate a little and bake cookies.  Here’s a sampling of what I made:

Elfin Shortbread Cookies 

http://www.ellesnewenglandkitchen.com/blog/

2008/9/29/holiday-baking-elfin-shortbread-cookies-first-in-a-series.html

Peanut Butter Squares

Kraft Photo - see link below

I used this easy recipe:

Peanut Butter Squares

• ½ cup margarine or butter
• ½ cup smooth peanut butter
• 1 ¼ cups icing sugar (powdered sugar)
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 ½ cup chocolate chips

Melt butter and peanut butter together in a small pot, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Add icing sugar and graham cracker crumbs.  Spread in greased 9”x9” pan.  Sprinkle with chocolate chips.  Heat in 200º oven for 5 minutes to soften chocolate. Spread chocolate evenly over the top.  Cool in fridge.

After about ½ hour in the fridge, cut into squares, then place back in fridge to harden.  This prevents the squares from breaking when you try to cut them when they’re cold.

For a slightly different version and a larger pan size, use the Kraft recipe:

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/no-oven-peanut-butter-squares-75648.aspx

Coconut Cookies

From Sandy Gluck’s “A Month of Cookies” – use her adaptation #12 to the Basic Dough

Toasted Coconut: Toast 1 cup of angel-flake coconut (the sweetened kind you get in the supermarket in bags) until golden brown. Grind a little more than half to get 1/3 cup ground and replace 1/3 cup of the flour with the ground coconut. Fold the remaining coconut in when adding the egg.

Here’s one source for the recipe:

http://kingwoodunderground.com/topic.jsp;jsessionid=abcJXSFf9vy2t_0Xn3Cus?topicId=11459326

Easy Pretzel Turtles

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/12/easy-pretzel-turtles/

And I took an afternoon off to go see a movie – yep, I’m a JRR Tolkien fan.

A co-worker and I have been to see each of the Lord of the Rings movies and to keep up our tradition, we went to see the Hobbit.  It is definitely not for small children, but the teenagers will love it (and adults that read the books long ago won’t be disappointed).  The scenery is brilliant and the special effects are wild.

To read more, click on this link.

And I did get this Quilt of Valor pillowcase presentation package sent off to California where it will meet back up with its matching quilt.  I posted the quilt's picture in this post - it is being professionally quilted before being awarded.

I’m sure to get back to more quilting next week, but I'll leave you with this saying (it sure sounds true but it is not from the Hobbit - LOL).

Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons,

 for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

\Bumper Sticker\Book:  First Grave on the Right\Darynda Jones