Happy Birthday Emma!

Today is Emma's fifth birthday, so we thought we'd do something a little special. Enjoy the photos and I'll post the recipe for the Doggie Birthday Cake tomorrow.

Emma's Peanut Butter Carrot Cake with Doggie Cream Cheese Frosting. I have to say it didn't taste that bad.

It's the Birthday Girl and she's ready to party! I can't believe she's already five.

Waiting for her birthday present.

Squirrels! Just what she wanted.

Time for cake. She kind of just stuck the whole thing in her mouth at once, but at least she liked it.

Roasted Herb Butter Turkey and Apple Pie

Roasted Herb Butter Turkey
recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart


Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3 packages fresh poultry blend herbs
Coarse salt and ground pepper
12 pound turkey, thawed out if frozen

Herb Butter Directions

In a small bowl, mix together butter with 1 package fresh poultry herbs, chopped; season generously with salt and pepper.

Herb butter can be made ahead of time and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before using.

Prepare Turkey

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in the lowest position.

2. Rinse turkey and pat dry.

3. Working from the neck end, slide fingers under skin until you reach the end of the breast, being careful not to tear the skin.

4. Rub herb butter under the skin.

5. Tuck wings: Turn turkey over; bend wing tips underneath bird so they stay in place (you may have to break the bones).

6. Place 2 packages of the fresh poultry blend herbs inside the large cavity. Make sure neck flap is secured, fasten with skewers or trussing needles if necessary.

7. Tie legs: Using cotton kitchen twine, tie legs together securely (they will overlap) so bird retains its shape and moisture during cooking.

Roasting Directions

1. Fill roasting pan with about 8 cups water.

2. Place turkey onto roasting rack and rub with remaining butter.

3. Season generously with salt and pepper.

4. Tent turkey loosely with foil. Roast for 1 hour, then baste every 20 minutes with pan liquids, until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (avoiding the bone) registers at 125 degrees, about 3 hours.

5. Remove foil; raise oven heat to 400 degrees. Continue roasting, basting occasionally, until thigh reaches 180 degrees, about 45 to 60 minutes more. Tent with foil if bird browns too quickly; add more water if pan becomes dry.

6. Transfer turkey to a serving platter; cover loosely with foil,
and let it rest at least 30 minutes before carving.



Almost Sugar Free Apple Pie
pie crust recipe courtesy of Simply Recipes


Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
1 cup unsalted butter, very-cold, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
4 - 8 tablespoons ice water
2 21oz cans No Sugar Added Apple Pie Filling

Directions

1. Cut the sticks of butter into 1/2-inch cubes and place in the freezer for 15 minutes to an hour (the longer the better) so that they become thoroughly chilled.

2. Combine flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor; pulse to mix. Add butter and pulse 6 to 8 times, until mixture resembles coarse meal, with pea size pieces of butter. Add ice water 1 Tbsp at a time, pulsing until mixture just begins to clump together. If you pinch some of the crumbly dough and it holds together, it's ready. If the dough doesn't hold together, add a little more water and pulse again.

3. Remove dough from machine and place in a mound on a clean surface. Gently shape into 2 discs. Knead the dough just enough to form the discs, do not over-knead. You should be able to see little bits of butter in the dough. These small chunks of butter are what will allow the resulting crust to be flaky. Sprinkle a little flour around the discs. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour, and up to 2 days.

4. Remove one crust disk from the refrigerator. Let sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes in order to soften just enough to make rolling out a bit easier. Roll out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch circle; about 1/8 of an inch thick. As you roll out the dough, check if the dough is sticking to the surface below. If necessary, add a few sprinkles of flour under the dough to keep the dough from sticking. Carefully place onto a 9-inch pie plate. Gently press the pie dough down so that it lines the bottom and sides of the pie plate. Use a pair of kitchen scissors to trim the dough to within 1/2 inch of the edge of the pie dish.

5. Add filling to the pie.

6. Roll out second disk of dough, as before. Gently place onto the top of the filling in the pie. Pinch top and bottom of dough rounds firmly together. Trim excess dough with kitchen shears, leaving a 3/4 inch overhang. Fold the edge of the top piece of dough over and under the edge of the bottom piece of dough, pressing together. Flute edges using thumb and forefinger or press with a fork. Score the top of the pie with four 2-inch long cuts, so that steam from the cooking pie can escape.

To make my pie a little more interesting I cut out small scalloped circles with a cookie cutter after rolling out the second disk of dough. Next, I placed the disks in a circular pattern around the top of the pie, brushed the top with an egg wash and sprinkled with white sanding sugar for a glittery effect.

7. Bake at 400 degrees for about 35 minutes, the top is a golden brown color.

Makes 1 10 inch pie crust with a top

Vanilla Peppermint Cupcakes

The perfect combination of vanilla and peppermint, these Vanilla Peppermint Cupcakes are perfect for the holidays. My cousins were visiting from San Diego, CA and loved them.

Vanilla Peppermint Cupcakes

recipe courtesy of Sprinkles Cupcakes

Makes One Dozen Cupcakes

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted (I used King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature (skim milk also works well)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon peppermint extract

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

2 large egg whites, room temperature

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners and set aside.

3. In a medium bowl. whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

4. In a small bowl, mix together milk and extracts and set aside.

5. In a large bowl cream butter on medium-high speed with an electric mixer, until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until well combined and fluffy.

6. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and slowly add egg and egg whites until just blended.

7. With the mixer on low, slowly add half the flour mixture; mix until just blended. Add the milk mixture; mix until just blended. Slowly add remaining flour mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl, as necessary, until just blended.

8. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups.

9. Bake approximately 22 to 25 minutes. Place cupcakes on a wire rack and let cupcakes cool completely before frosting.

Vanilla Peppermint Frosting

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, firm but not cold

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 1/2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

1/2 teaspoon milk

Directions

1. In a large bowl beat butter and salt on medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

2. Reduce speed to low, gradually add the confectioners' sugar and beat until incorporated.

3. Add the extracts and milk and beat until smooth and creamy. Make sure not to over mix the frosting; it should be creamy and dense like ice cream. If frosting does not have a spreadable consistency add additional milk 1 teaspoon at a time.

4. To frost cupcakes use a piping bag with a star or round tip or spread with a small angled cake spatula. After frosting the cupcakes brush with a little pearlized luster dust and top with a peppermint pinwheel candy, crushed peppermint candies or white sanding sugar for a sparkling effect.

5. Cupcakes can be left out at room temperature or refrigerated (make sure to leave them out about 10 minutes before serving).

Finally! Sean's Thanksgiving Photos.

Sean spent this Thanksgiving at his mom's house in Tucson, AZ. He had a great time visiting with family and friends and meeting his new niece Kyra. Here are a some pictures of his weekend and I actually got him to write some captions to go along with them.

The table ready for dinner

Grandpa and Kyra

Larry Stewart wanted to come say hello

Matt, Cara and Kyra visiting from Florida

Everyone mingling

Gary and Earl carving the turkeys and Kit taste testing as they go

Time to gather and give thanks

Pop waiting at the table for breakfast to be made

Larry grilling the REAL bacon on the BBQ

Eggs, bacon, pancakes and a tall glass of milk, a perfect breakfast

Sean and I have been Elfed at ElfYourself.jibjab.com

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Christmas Cornflake Wreaths. My favorite!

Every year my mom and I make Christmas cookies, we always try something new to add to our collection, but can never do with out our cornflake wreaths. Sometimes they don't even make it passed the wax paper before they're gone.

Ingredients

1/3 cup butter
4 cups mini marshmallows
1 teaspoon green food coloring
6 cups cornflakes
1 box red hot candies

Directions

1. Roll out a sheet of wax paper to form the wreaths on.

2. Melt margarine in large saucepan over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat and stir in food coloring. Careful this part is super hot!

3. Add cornflakes to marshmallow mixture and stir until well coated.

4. Place about 1/4 cup of the mixture on the wax paper and quickly shape into individual wreaths. You can spray your fingers with a cooking spray to keep the mixture from sticking, but be very careful, the mix is still very hot.

5. Decorate finished wreaths with red hot candies

6. Enjoy!

7. If you have any left over (we never do) store in a single layer in an air tight container.

photo courtesy of Nancy's Recipes

Christmas Cookies

I found an inexpensive Wilton Cookie Press at Target and had to give it a try. The press came with 12 different cookie discs and two easy recipes and after I got the hang of it I was pressing away.

Classic Spritz Cookies

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar or 1/2 cup Splenda Sugar Blend
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

3. Add egg, milk, and extracts and beat well.

4. Sift together flour and baking powder and gradually add to butter mixture.

5. Place dough into the Wilton Cookie Press and press cookies onto ungreased cookie sheet.

6. Bake 10 - 12 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges.

7. Remove cookies from sheet and cool on a wire rack. Store cookies in an airtight container.

Note: Make sure that the cookie press plunger is aligned correctly, the trigger should click when it's in the right place.

To make your cookies extra special try adding red or green food coloring to the dough. You can also decorate with sprinkles, as well as dip the cookies in chocolate.