Third Day of Christmas – Pecan Sugar Cookies

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12 Days of Christmas, 3rd day of Christmas, Christmas, family recipe, food, foodie, pecans, recipe, sugar cookie, third day of Christmas, tradition, twelve days of Christmas

On the third day of Christmas Young Wifey shared with me: Nanny’s Florida’s pecan sugar cookies, shortbread squares, and chippers recipes.

Nanny Florida’s Pecan Sugar Cookies

Ingredients: 
1 c. butter, 1 3/4 c. confectioners’ sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp. vanilla, 1/4 tsp. almond extract, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. cream of tartar, 1 c. chopped pecans

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Cream together butter and sugar, and beat until fluffy. Blend in eggs and extracts. Mix the dry ingredients together and add to wet ingredients. Mix throughly. Stir in pecans. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until barely colored. Allow to cook slightly before moving them to a cooling rack.

XOXO,
Young Wifey

Second Day of Christmas – Nanny Florida’s Shortbread Squares

Tags

12 Days of Christmas, 2nd day of Christmas, Christmas, cookie, food, foodie, recipe, second day of Christmas, shortbread, tradition, twelve days of Christmas

On the second day of Christmas, Young Wifey shared with me: Nanny’s Florida’s shortbread and chippers recipes.

Nanny Florida’s Shortbread Squares

Ingredients:
1 lb. butter, 1 1/2 c. sugar, 2 egg yolks, 5 c. unsifted flour

Directions:
Preheat oven 325°F. Cream butter until soft and smooth, gradually beat in sugar, until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, Gradually add flour, working it in until throughly blended. Knead in the bowl for 1 minute. Divide and pat dough into four 9″x13″x1/2″ baking pans. The dough should be 1/4 inch thick. Cut each pan of dough into 24 squares. Prick with fork (or use your favorite attachment on your pastry wheel to create fancy patterns). Bake for 20-30 minutes. Do not let brown, they should be pale yellow. Cut into squares again while hot, cool.

XOXO,
Young Wifey

First Day of Christmas – Nanny Florida’s Chippers Recipe

Tags

12 Days of Christmas, chocolate chips, family recipe, first day of Christmas, food, foodie, recipe, tradition, twelve days of Christmas

On the first day of Christmas, Young Wifey shared with me: Nanny Florida’s Chippers Recipe…

Nanny Florida’s Chippers

Usually, when I make chocolate chip cookies (even a double batch), Hubster & Pumpkin chow down and make them all disappear. They love Nanny Florida’s Chippers recipe, but surprisingly it only takes a few chippers to fill the cookie void in their bellies. She would’ve been so thrilled! ♥

Ingredients:
1 egg, 2/3 c. butter, 1 3/4 c. flour, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. vanilla, 1/2 c. chopped nuts, 1 c. semisweet chocolate pieces (I use mini chocolate chips)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix together all ingredients throughly. Press dough into 13″x9″x2″ pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes. Cut into bars while still warm.

*Can be drizzle with chocolate glaze or frosting as desired.
*Make about 42 bars.

We like to make these with walnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, and/or cashews!

XOXO,
Young Wifey

Happy Birthday Hubster

Tags

birthday, birthday cake, bundt cakes, cake, celebration, confetti cake, food, foodie, mini bundt, whipped frosting

Happy Birthday Hubster! Pumpkin & I love you! 

Confetti Mini Bundt Cakes

Confetti Mini Bundt Cakes:
I stirred rainbow jimmies (that’s Philadelphian for sprinkles) into Nanny Florida’s White Cake Recipe. Then, I baked the batter in my mini bundt pans. Once cooled, I filled the center of each mini bundt cake with whipped frosting and added a few more jimmies.

XOXO,
Young Wifey

Slow and Steady

Tags

cookies, ketchup, peanut-butter, tic tac toe

Apparently I took an unintentional hiatus from blogging. Back-to-school, family illnesses, technology woes, and a book binge occupied most of my time. This is just a short and sweet post to get my toes wet again.

While at lunch with a few friends, I spotted this interesting recipe on the back of the ketchup bottle.

Tic Tac Toe Cookies

Peanut-butter and ketchup cookies? Yes, you heard that right! Of course, my friends wanted me to make them for them to try, but I can’t seem to bring myself to bake with peanut butter and ketchup together.

What do you think? I’d love to hear your story if you’ve ever tried these!

XOXO
Young Wifey

Rosewater

Tags

DIY, facial toner, homemade, natural beauty, rose, rose water

Since my rose bushes are booming with buds and blooms, it’s time to finally get back to one of my favorite summer ingredients. Rosewater.

Homemade Rosewater

There are many directions on-line for making rosewater, but most of them make it into a complicated process. My method is easy and I think the quality is just as good.

If you are using this in food/drink or using it on your face, it is essential that you use roses that have never been chemically treated. I only use homegrown roses, for I do not trust store-bought “organic” roses.

Ingredients:
about 10-12 roses (just opening is best), water, 1-3 Tbsp. vodka (optional)

Directions:
Remove petals from stems, and carefully rinse off dirt or bugs. Place petals in a medium sauce pan and add 1″ of water. Bring water to a gentle boil. Turn heat to low, and stir petals until they are all wilted. Cover and simmer gently for about 20 minutes or until all color has faded from petals. Remove from burner and allow to fully cool. Once cool, remove petals from water and squeeze the remaining liquid from them. Strain water into glass jar or bottle, add vodka, and seal. Keep refrigerated for about a week.

Rosewater is great used as a facial toner (add witch hazel instead of vodka) or hair rinse (omit vodka). It’s refreshing in a drink and tasty in a baked treat. Either way you use it, enjoy!

Try:
Sparkling Rosewater Lemonade
Rosewater Sugar Cookies

How do you use rosewater? 

Fourth of July Menu

Tags

4th of July, BBQ, food, foodie, Independence Day, picnic

Happy Independence Day!

We had a small family gathering yesterday, but we had enough food to feed the masses. Thanks to everyone who contributed. Our menu was a little different from originally planned when we found out that our grill’s burners were recalled (the new ones conveniently arrived today), but the crockpot entrée allowed us for more time visiting with our guests.

Greek Salad

Appetizers:
Salsa
Crudité
Taco Dip
Cheese Platter
Pickle & Olive Tray
Buffalo Chicken Dip
Assorted Chips, Crackers & Pretzels for Dipping

Cucumber Salad

Main Course:
Pulled Chicken BBQ Sandwiches
Steamed Corn-On-The-Cob
Cucumber Salad
Deviled Eggs
Chopped Greek Salad
Pasta Salad
Coleslaw

Coleslaw

Desserts:
Fruit Salsa w/Cinnamon Tortillas
Strawberry & Raspberry Fruit Pizza

Strawberry & Raspberry Fruit Pizza

Beverages:
Earl Grey Iced Tea
Assorted Beer
Lemonade
Ice Water

I also had punch, chicken dogs, and marshmallows (for roasting) available for the wee ones.

Despite the awesome menu, my 4-year-old nephew wasn’t satisfied after eating a second helping of chicken BBQ, corn and coleslaw. I over heard him talking with my sister-in-law.
Him: Mom, I want oatmeal.
Her: Are you sure? How about more corn on the cob?
Him: NO! I want oatmeal!
Her: I don’t think they have oatmeal here.
Him: Yes they do! I had it last time I was here. Then he proceeded to take her to our pantry door, opened it, pointed to where we keep our oatmeal. So we turned on the tea kettle to warm the water. 🙂

I hope everyone had a great Independence Day!!!

How did you celebrate?