Happy New Year

I want to wish everyone a VERY Happy and Healthy New Year! It is a beautiful day here in Northern Michigan; it is 45 degrees and the snow is melting, and the yard is getting bare! :)I know we will get more snow, but for now, I am enjoying these warmer temps! It reminds me of spring weather, hint, hint, to Mother Nature! A little early to be wishing for spring, but hey, you never know until you try! :) I love my new china "Old Country Roses". I say 'new', but I have had it a couple of years now , and haven't used it much so it still seems like new to me.

Take care everyone and have a safe New Year's Eve!

Mary

Christmas Napkins

My SIL made these napkins for me and I think they are soooo cute. I just had to show them off on my blog! What a neat napkin pattern. She is such a talented sewer and does so much for their church and of course their family. My brother also brought me a bottle of his special homemade blueberry wine and I can't wait to try it...what a great holiday treat!

Below is the napkin open and there is stitching in all the creases so when it is washed and re-folded, it will be quite easy to press it into a tree shape.

Don't you just love special gifts!? Wishing everyone a MERRY CHRISTMAS and BLESSINGS in the NEW YEAR!

A Tasty Fruitcake

I don't like fruitcakes that have all that citron fruit in them so I have been looking for some time for a recipe that I would like to try. I was browsing through some of my cookbooks and saw this recipe in this book by Julee Rosso. Another Michigander!! :) The ingredients sounded very good......and NO citron! Today I made it and was very pleased; I loved it! The texture of this fruitcake is just like the store-bought cakes, nice and moist. I have bought some though that are dry..and of course have that citron in them. Can you tell I am not a fan of that? LOL

I was happy it made four of the small pans so I could put mine back in action again! I have eaten half of one of the pans already, but seriously, look how small they are!

The recipe says to wrap it well and store it in a tin for a couple of weeks so that is why I wanted to make it today so it would be ready for Christmas, but I had to try it (just thinking of my guests, of course). Since I ate half a pan already, you know it doesn't need two weeks to develope flavor...at least not for me! :) I wrapped up the other three and now have to look for something to store them in, maybe a tupperware container as I don't have a tin to hold them all. I thought I would share the recipe in case anyone else wants fruitcake...without the citron. Happy Baking!

Cherry-Walnut Fruitcake

2 cups dried cherries

2 cups chopped, pitted dates

1 cup cream sherry

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 cups chopped walnuts

1 egg

2 egg whites

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Lightly spray or wipe four 3x6x2- inch loaf pans with vegetable oil. In large bowl , combine the cherries, dates, 1/2 cup of the sherry;set aside for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. In separate large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and baking powder. Add nuts. Add the egg and egg whites, and mix well. Stir the flour mixture into the fruit mixture. Place 1 cup of batter into each pan. Bake for one hour, or until golden brown and tests done. Remove from oven and immediately pour the remaining half cup of sherry over the loaves. Keep in a tin, well wrapped with plastic wrap for up to two weeks.

Creamy Chicken & Cranberry-Pecan Wild Rice

Take a simple chicken-and-rice meal to the next level by jazzing up the rice and rounding it out with a deliciously creamy sauce. With this wine to accompany the chicken, it was a very tasty meal! The glass grapes on the wine bottle are actually napkin holders but I found they look nice on the wine bottle too! They were on sale at our local Peebles store for $1.25 each so I got 4 of this color and 4 light colored ones. I'll show them in a future post. I have a bottle of red and light wine sitting on the counter with the grapes on them which looks very cute. Some raffia could also be added.

Creamy Chicken & Cranberry-Pecan Wild Rice

2 tbs. flour

1/2 tsp. each dried thyme leaves and black pepper

6 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves

2 tbs. oil

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup pecan pcs., toasted

6 green onions, sliced, divided

1 pkg. (6oz.) long grain & wild rice side dish, prepared as directed on pkg.

1 cup fat-free reduced sodium chicken broth

6oz. cream cheese, cubed

Mix flour, thyme and pepper; coat chicken with flour mixture. Heat oil in skillet, cook 5 - 6 minutes on each side or until cooked through.

Stir cranberries, pecans and 1/3 cup of the onions into cooked rice; spoon onto serving platter. Remove chicken from skillet, reserving drippings in skillet. Place chicken over rice mixture; cover to keep warm. Add broth to skillet; stir to break up browned bits from bottom of skillet. Add cream cheese, cook 2 to 3 minutes or until cream cheese is melted and sauce starts to thicken, stirring constantly with wire whisk. Spoon some of the sauce over chicken; sprinkle with remaining onions. Serve with remaining sauce on the side.

Fresh Broccoli Mandarin Salad

For my dinner tonight I had a bowl of potato soup, a dinner roll and this salad. I had seen this recipe in a small booklet I had purchased not too long ago and decided to try it. (yes, still buying recipe books!) It was very good. I didn't put in the mushrooms as I really don't like them to eat, although I do like to add them to baked dishes such as chicken beef, etc. I just pick them out! LOL! Fresh Broccoli Mandarin Salad.........

1 egg plus 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 cup tarragon wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons butter, softened
4 cups fresh broccoli flowerets
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 can (11ozs.) mandarin oranges, drained
1/2 cup raisens
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1/2 large red onion, sliced
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

In the top of a double boiler, whisk together egg, egg yolk, sugar, cornstarch, and dry mustard. Combine vinegar and water. Slowly pour into egg mixture, whisking constantly. Place over simmering water and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Remove from heat; stir in mayonnaise and butter. Chill.
To serve, toss dressing with salad ingredients.

A Small Touch of Fall

Where are the days flying to? It won't be too much longer and we will all be thinking of Thanksgiving settings and deciding what recipes to use. I was in JoAnn Fabric's the other day and on the sale table were these fall sprays for $1 each, so I purchased 4 of them with the intent on using them for the blog. The centerpiece was only $3 and I found the napkins at Kohls for $1.50 each. I bought three different designs in the fall colors for that price! I love sales!! I had the maple leaf dishes last year and bought them at Walmart for $1 each. I also have them in green.

I think the pumpkin sprays are really cute and to dress them up more.... a wired ribbon could be tied on the stem...just pick the color you want to use. And yes, I am keeping an eye on the candle as I am taking pictures...don't want a repeat of the "white table"! LOL!

How Do You Know That Summer Is Over?

I found out when I went to the beach and there was no one in sight! :) After those hot summer days when the beach was buzzing with activity, it is back to being quiet and serene again. It is a nice area to just take a walk.

I had the whole beach to myself............

I didn't even see that many bugs! :)

I went to an art fair over the weekend and bought this sign, it is soooo true! I plan to put it on the front porch. It was a chilly weekend with rain but still couldn't dampen my shopping plans!