Happy New Year

I hope the new one holds joy, health and happiness for you all.

Home Again

I ended up having to go to work at 1 yesterday and stayed at the hospital last night so I could be there today. Our road is always treacherous. We ended up with over 5 inches of a White Christmas. It was so beautiful when Mr. Scrap drove me to work. I don't drive in that stuff.

Picture from yesterday. It looked like a Christmas card in my back yard.

It's a White Christmas southern style

I was supposed to work today but got called off. So went back to bed and when I woke up it was so quiet out and I knew before I even looked outside that it was the quiet that only snow brings.

These are the first pictures of the day. But there is already more out there.



This is an hour after the other pictures, back yard.

Kitchen Love

I love my Kitchen Aid Mixer. I asked for this for Christmas a couple years ago. Mr. Scrap likes to buy electronic stuff and anything that will help me use the kitchen more.

I love to bake, but it's hard to bake for just 2 people. So I like to bake things to share. I cheated and baked Pillsbury ready to bake sugar cookies. I think they are cute and they taste good.




I made goodies for work, for our dinner tomorrow and to give to a few people.

I made 2 of these Key Lime Pie Poke Cakes (1 for tomorrow and 1 for work) They are chilling now. You bake a cake and add this mixture to the warm cake. I put a cream cheese/whipped cream frosting on it. Bits of lime zest on the top. I'll add the recipe.



The cake has a creamy layer of filling under the frosting.



Key Lime Pie Poke Cake (but you can use the other limes I've done both)

Recipe from a Betty Crocker cooking magazine

Cake
Super Moist White cake mix
1 1/4 cups water
1 tablespoon veg oil
4 eggs

Key Lime Filling
1 can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk (not evap)
3/4 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup lime juice
1 tsp grated lime peel
4 drops yellow food color
1 drop green food color (I never use the food coloring)

The recipe calls a can of the whipped vanilla frosting but I use this

1 8oz cream cheese softened
1/2 cup cream
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Bake the cake at 350 in a 13x9 in pan after spraying the bottom only with spray with flour. Bake 26-30 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Use the end of a wooden spoon poke holes every 1/2 in in cake

In medium bowl stir filling ingredients together until thickened. Pour over cake letting filling sink into holes in cake. Spread evenly. Some filling will remain on cake. Refrigerate 1 hour

Spread frosting over cake top with lime zest, fresh strawberries and slices of lime if desired (I forgot to get strawberries and this isn't a good time for them anyway)

For the frosting I beat the cream cheese, then put in in a bowl while I beat the whipping cream. Then add the cream cheese to the whipping cream, beat again and add the sugar and vanilla.

Very good cake. I don't think I've ever had leftovers of it.

Goodies

A cup of hot chocolate with whipped cream of course.




I got the idea from a link at Casey's Elegant Musings about making sugar cookie ornaments for the tree using clay. So my grand needed gifts so we had a crafting day. We used brown clay for the gingerbread and cream for the others. She loved making her own gifts to give.

Decorated for Christmas

Scottish Shortbread Cookies

I think I've found the perfect shortbread cookie recipe. They were so easy to make, too.
Recipe from Taste of the South cooking magazine (one of my must have cooking magazines) courtesy of Lynda Borden

1 cup salted butter softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups all purpose flour

Preheat oven to 300

In a large bowl combine butter and sugar-beat until light and fluffy, approx 4 minutes.

Add flour stir til combined.

Pat dough into 13x9 inch pan or shortbread mold.

Bake until light golden brown 30-40 minutes.

Remove from oven. Pierce with a fork all over in a zigzag pattern to allow steam to escape.

Cut into bars while still warm, cool in pan.

These are so easy and so good. My friend's son told me he wants them for his birthday.

Winter beauty

Lights

I love to turn out all the lights except the ones on the tree.