Best of Christmas 'Beauty' Presents 2012

   Hoping a joyous Christmas was had by all! I was blessed with a touch of a white Christmas this year, just enough to make Christmas Eve beautiful. But now we begin to sort through our gifts and begin the New Year’s ‘organization’. There were a few inside & out beauty gifts that I received this year that I would like to share with you. These were not inexpensive by my standards, which is why they made a great gift! All ranged from $25.00-$40.00:

~ Dream Skin Beauty Pillowcase – claims to reduce the appearance of fine lines & wrinkles with fibers that hydrate skin. Being a stomach sleeper this was important to me. So far so good. I’ve been enduring a head cold since Christmas – feeling all dry & pruney & after a few nights, the pillowcase is so soft & comfortable & my skin is super soft when I wake up. It doesn’t seem to absorb the facial moisturizers I go to sleep with. There is a website: www.dreamskinpillowcase.com, mine was ordered from www.beauty.com.

~ Two products came from the Josie Maran Argan Oil line of skincare products. The first is the Argan Cleaning Oil. With a slight citrus scent & great cleansing ability, a little goes a long way! I know earlier this year I thought the drugstore lines would be flooded with cleansing oils – well not yet so this is so worth the $32.00 at Sephora. I would rate it higher than Philosophy’s oil which is wonderful too. ($28.00)

~ The second from Josie is the 100% Pure Argan Oil Moisturizer. This is fragrance free & absorbs beautifully into the skin. A real treat, but not under makeup. Use in the evening or during stay-at-home-days. This will not break you out, just moisturize with luxury…

~ The last great gift is for inside beauty. I will mention it again on my New Year’s blog – Sarah Ban Breathnach’s Romancing the Ordinary. Turns out the book isn’t the easiest to find (out of print) & appreciate the effort my sister-in-law put forth in getting me a copy. I had borrowed from the library and needed my own copy for sure to read & reread. This book is a month by month reflection of the year, so if you need to get a jump start finding it before January! Amazon has it & here is the link to all her books (don’t forget Simple Abundance – that book begins your journey on January 1^st):

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_2_9?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=sarah ban breathnach books

It is a Wonderful Life!

   Frank Capra’s 1947 classic movie “It’s a Wondeful Life” has aired once this year already & will air again tonight, Christmas Eve. Never intended as a Christmas movie, the film’s wonderful message comes through at the end during Christmas. George Bailey, the main character, is a man who struggles with the reality of his life & the dreams he could never say ‘yes’ to. He wanted to see the world. His younger brother goes off to war and becomes a war hero & George, because of a medical 4-h, hangs back in Bedford Falls to run the family savings & loan business. When a large bank deposit is lost & the business is about to go under, George, regretting the life he never had & unable to deal with the life ahead of him tries to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge. He is thankfully saved by a novice angel, Clarence, trying to earn his angel wings. Clarence shows George what the people & town of Bedford Falls would have become without his selfless, kind heart & compassionate spirit. His wife & kids, family & friends come through in the end raising enough money to pay back the loan & saving the business & town. George’s brother toasts him in the end… “to George Bailey, the richest man I know”. This movie is such a ‘wonderful’ reminder of the kindness of others, family & the true Christmas spirit; the spirit that isn’t wrapped on Christmas morning, but that we hope & pray stays with us year round. 

     So if you find yourself this season at that proverbial bridge, too stressed, too unhappy for a myriad of reasons… remember there are friends & family out there that are forever in your corner, always within an earshot shout-out who will be there & listen & help & provide unconditional love to you (and a few laughs ~ because friends will always remind you to not take it all so seriously). They will help you across that bridge without a hiccup on your part and remind you that it really is a wonderful life! Merry Christmas to you all!!!

Cheese Breakfast/Brunch Strata

   I realize there are many of you who entertain overnight guests for the holidays. Here is a wonderful breakfast/brunch recipe that you can make the night before. It is so easy and delicious, everyone will be impressed. Serve with fresh fruit & mimosas & you’re all set!

Cheese Breakfast/Brunch Strata

12 slices of bread, buttered on one side, trim crust (Type of bread is your choice. I use a whole grain white.)

½ lb. shredded sharp cheese

4 eggs

2-1/2 cups milk

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. ground mustard

Salt & pepper to taste (a pinch or two)

Bacon, ham, sausage, spinach, etc. (optional)

    By hand, beat eggs & milk, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt & pepper. Line 13 x 9 Pyrex dish (or coated pan) with 6 slices of bread butter side down. Sprinkle with ½ grated cheese (add bacon, ham, sausage, etc. here if you like) & ½ of egg mixture. Put remaining 6 slices of bread on top, butter side up. Sprinkle with remaining cheese then egg mixture. Let stand at least one hour. (Conveniently you can make the night before.) Bake 40 minutes in 350 degree oven covered for first 25 minutes, then uncover. Will puff up, bubble & be slightly browned when ready.

Holiday Cookie Baking Tips

    Here are just a few cookie baking tips to get us through these last few days of holiday prep. Right about now is when the baking begins full force. This first tip is something I’ve never tried before, but makes perfect sense.

~ Use butter whenever possible – nothing beats it, but melt first & let cool to room temperature. Melted butter will dissolve the sugar much better! Make sure to cream butter & sugar well, no shortcuts here!

~ In keeping with using butter, use the best ingredients available (ie. real vanilla extract, chocolate). It will make a difference.

~ Follow cookie/recipes closely. You don’t want a too dry or wet outcome. Refrigerate dough that requires this, a sufficient amount of time or you will have cookie that spread way too much, are way too thin.

~ Mix just enough when adding dry ingredients to make sure your ingredients are properly blended but then STOP. Overmixing leads to hard cookies that do not rise properly.

~ Make sure your ingredients (ie. flour, baking powder, baking soda) are not old – again the outcome will not be the same.

~ A sugar cookie shortcut is to buy the refrigerated Toll House dough especially if this is the kid’s cookie project.

~ Make sure to line the cookie sheets for those cutouts with parchment paper. That way the cutouts remove easily & there are fewer lost heads!!

~ An oven thermometer is great to use throughout the year to make sure your temps are what is expected.

~ Use cooling racks & transfer to cookie CANS if possible. They make a difference. Make wax paper circles to separate each layer in the can.

~ Finally, if you find your cookies that should be soft getting hard over the holiday weeks, add a slice of bread every few days. The moisture in the bread will transfer throughout the can!

Holiday Tea Recipe

   I posted this tea recipe last winter but it is so good, it bears repeating with the name Holiday Tea. It’s the perfect hot drink to serve guests for breakfast or dessert time this holiday season. It’s EASY & delish.

Holiday Tea

1 teaspoon cinnamon bark (about 1 whole cinnamon stick)

1 teaspoon whole cloves

6 teabags or 5 heaping teaspoons loose tea (your choice)

Place above in cheesecloth & tie with teabag string. Boil in 1 quart water for 5-10 minutes. (smells WONDERFUL!)

Add:

1/3 of 12-oz. can frozen orange juice concentrate

3 tablespoons lemon juice or 6T. Real Lemon

1-1/2 cups sugar (optional)

1 quart boiling water

Store above syrup in refrigerator. ADD: equal parts water to serve.

There are many healthful benefits to this tea too! The tea itself & oj are full of antioxidants and Vitamin C respectively. The cinnamon is now considered a superfood; It helps regulate blood sugar. The cloves have one of the highest antioxidant ratings of any spice – great for anti-aging. If you have stomach/digestion problems, then throw some star anise into the mix.

Enjoy!!

Molasses Gems with Raisins Cookie Recipe - Holiday Recipe Week continues...

    It’s time for a great holiday cookie recipe! This is a crowd favorite, it’s easy & it’s usually unique to the scores of other cookies you see at parties.

    This is an old Sun-Maid raisin cookie recipe:

Molasses Gems with Raisins

¾ c. butter       2 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. sugar         2 tsp. baking SODA

¼ c. molasses    1 tsp. cinnamon

1 egg                 ½ tsp. cloves

¼ tsp. salt         ½ tsp. ginger

1 cup raisins      extra sugar or fancy sugar to coat

Beat butter & sugar until light & fluffy. Add molasses & egg; beat well. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger & salt. Add to molasses mixture; mix well. Stir in raisins, Cover & refrigerate until chilled. (great to mix the night before.) Shape into 1-inch balls & roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. (grease if not coated). Bake in upper third of preheated 350 degree oven. Bake 10-12 minutes. Cool 1 minute & transfer to wire racks. Makes 3 dozen. * Note – recipe can be made without raisins.

Warm Reuben Dip - Holiday Recipes continued...

    The parties have started so it’s time for Holiday Recipe Week! I will pass along some fan favorites this week. All get rave reviews…

    This is a Kraft recipe, but you can of course use any cream cheese or dressing you like. If you like a reuben, you will love this.

Warm Reuben Dip

4-oz. cream cheese, softened

½ cup Thousand Island dressing

¼ lb. sliced corned beef, chopped (about 1 c.)

¾ cup well-drained sauerkraut*

8-oz. swiss cheese chopped into tiny cubes/pieces

Triscuit rye crackers, soft rye bread rounds or cut up rye or marble rye for dipping/spreading.

Mix cream cheese & dressing in medium bowl; stir in corned beef, swiss & sauerkraut. Spread into 9 inch dish. Bake in 350 degree oven for 25 minutes or until heated to bubbly.

*Note on the sauerkraut – I am a huge fan so when I cook sauerkraut, I cook an entire crock pot’s worth & then freeze portions for future use (and recipes). This makes for a softer kraut but is not necessary for this dip. Enjoy!

Holiday Recipe Week! - Pepperoni Bread

   The parties have started so it’s time for Holiday Recipe Week! I will pass along some fan favorites this week. All get rave reviews…

    The first is Pepperoni Bread. With only THREE ingredients you can’t go wrong – it doesn’t get easier.

Pepperoni Bread

1 frozen round of pizza dough (sold in grocery stores) or Rich’s Bread Dough, one frozen loaf

¼ Lb. thin sliced pepperoni

¼ Lb. Mozzarella Cheese

You will need some ahead of time prep to thaw the dough & let it rise. You can transfer the dough to fridge the night before. When ready spray a round pan with non-stick & place dough in center. Cover lightly with plastic wrap. Let the dough double its size before rolling out. (this can take 4-6 hours) Roll out on lightly floured surface to approx. 10” x 16”. Layer pepperoni over rolled out surface then cover with cheese. Roll up firmly and pinch ends & seam. Place on cookie sheet or jelly roll pan seam size down & Bake at 450 degrees until brown. Approx. 20 minutes. You can eat right away, obviously – yum, or let some loaves cool & freeze wrapped in tin foil. Just place in 350 degree oven when ready to reheat. The tin foil will prevent any further browning. Tastes like you just made them! Enjoy!