Ozark Trail Bars

I'm on a mission to find a recipe after having Stone Mill's Ozark Blueberry Trail Bars yesterday. My Mother-in-law and I had a 10 o'clock appointment with AARP's free tax preparers at the Boys and Girl's Club in South Fayetteville. She was anxious to have her taxes done, we always worry we're going to have to pay... don't we? She got good news/bad news, the good news is she didn't have to pay and the bad... she didn't get any money back! Oh well, we felt rich somehow when we left there so we headed for a quick lunch at Stone Mill's Bakery and Cafe down on Gregg Street.

They are famous for their whole grain breads and have a delicious menu of homemade soups and sandwiches. It was a cold, blustery day so we both chose a bowl of Chicken and Dumpling soup. It came with two chunks of their crusty French Bread and butter, YUM! The soup was so good, little pinches of dumplings in a thick golden broth. I just know there's a Grandma back there in the kitchen making this one!

Since we were good and just had soup, well kinda good since we both scrarfed down the buttered bread... we decided we'd try the delicious looking Ozark Trail Bars that we saw in the bakery case as we ordered our soup. It was a little hard to look away from the giant iced cinnamon rolls, but they were the size of my hand and I can only eat so much! I went back up to the counter and ordered a mixed berry bar for me and a blueberry bar for Mom. They menu says they are made with whole wheat, rye, barley, oats, and spelt flours. In fact most of their breads are made without any fat, eggs or dairy. Now I'm on an Internet search for a recipe and it's not easy. Anyone have an idea how they did this magic trick... they were out of the this world delicious!

I didn't take my camera, but a quick Google search and I'm finding pictures that "look like" the bars, just not the healthy ingredients. Then I had the bright idea to see if anyone had posted a recipe to Pinterest. Lots of great recipes to try, even its not THE one!

Fried Bologna Sandwich

Every week I have to figure it out, what's for dinner? One day folds into a week, then a month, then summer is gone, fall is here, winter is upon us and springtime arrives. I try to mix it up, we've been having a lot of THIS lately. When we get tired of THAT then we try a little SOMETHING DIFFERENT. I really never know what I'm in the mood for until I wake up and say THIS SOUNDS GOOD!

Are you like that too? There's just some things that sound good in the SUMMER when it's too hot to cook. By the time Fall rolls around I'm thinking of FAMILY FAVORITES. Winter is for COMFORT FOODS, stick to my ribs meals. When I can't face another bowl of stew, then SPRING finally arrives with lighter MEALS. When life seems flavorless, look for something you haven't had in awhile. All of a sudden it tastes good again, but it's not the food. It's you that changes!

I'd love to have you join us on Facebook's Granny Mountain Group... it's a great way to pass along recipes, tips and ideas that we're all finding at Pinterest or even better... potlucks and family recipe boxes! 

Mi Tierra Bunuelos

(Pictured above, second row, they are  a crispy cinnamon sugar cookie)

One of our favorite places to go for the day, El Mercado in downtown San Antonio had the kind of shops you'd find in Mexico. Beautiful handmade jewelry, clothing and purses and best of all Mi Tierra Restaurant and Bakery with their amazing pastries and confections!

Texas Bunuelos ~shared by Mary Rosales of Mi Tierra Bakery in San Antonio

4 c. flour

1 T. white vinegar

2 tsp. baking powder

1 egg

3 T. shortening

1/2 c. orange juice

warm water

oil for frying

sugar and cinnamon

Combine flour, vinegar, baking powder, egg, shortening, and orange juice. Add water to make a dough. Slice chunks of dough and roll very thin into the desired disk size. In a skillet large enough to hold the rolled disks of dough without bending, heat oil. Drop disks, one at a time, into the hot oil and fry until crisp. Remove from oil, drain on paper towels, and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.

Cookie Monster's Famous Sugar Cookies~Nom Nom Nom!

From Big Bird's Busy Book, circa the 1970s, here is Cookie Monster's famous Sugar Cookie recipe! 

 Cookie Monster's Famous Sugar Cookies

Put 3/4 cup of butter or margarine (that's a stick and a half) into your mixing bowl. Measure 1 cup of sugar. Pour sugar over butter. With fork, squash butter and sugar together until they are blended. Crack shells of two eggs and pour eggs over mixture in bowl. Measure 1 teaspoon vanilla and pour over mixture. With fork, blend everything in the bowl together. Measure 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour and pour over mixture in bowl. Measure 1 teaspoon baking powder and sprinkle over flour. Measure 1 teaspoon of salt and sprinkle over flour and baking powder. Mix everything together either with the fork or with your hands. Put dough in icebox to chill (at least one hour) then roll out the cookie 1/4 inch thick and bake at 400 degrees. 

Cookie makes Apple Raisin Oatmeal Cookies in this old Sesame Street episode... well, almost!

Peanut Butter #CrissCross# Cookies

Simple goodness, it doesn't have to be fancy to be good. Grandmas all over the world know this, that's why we have our pantry stocked with Jello and graham crackers and popcorn! Summer is here and EZ-cooking mode has been adopted. Meat is grilled, sides are salad, baked potato or corn on the cob and Life.Is.Good.


Peanut Butter #Crisscross# Cookies
1 stick of butter (8 Tablespoons), room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla 
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt


Preheat the oven to 350. . 


Cream together butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla then stir in the eggs and peanut butter. Stir in the flour, baking soda and salt until blended (I use a dinner knife like Grandma did to stir up cookie or bread dough, it's the secret to not over mixing). 


Drop by tablespoon-sized balls onto a cookie sheet that's been sprayed with Pam or lined with a Silpat, 2 inches apart. Press the balls with a fork making a crisscross pattern. Bake for 8-10 minutes then cool on a rack for at least 10 minutes, trying your best not to eat them and burn your tongue!  Makes about 2 dozen cookies, but if you plan to give these as a gift you'd better make a double batch to allow for "snitching!"


Note:If you want to be really bad, add 1 cup of chocolate chips for a peanut butter and chocolate cookie!
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Chicks, Bugs and Compost Cookies

The Dogwoods are in bloom all over Granny Mountain, that soaking rain and cool temperatures last week were just perfect for pushing the buds open!

Everywhere I look, something is popping out of the ground!

I read a great tip last week from a gardener in Texas who uses pennies from her change jar to surround Hostas as a slug deterrent. Slugs won't cross copper because it imparts a slight electric charge when they touch it. Who doesn't have a handful of pennies in a purse or a pocket, on the kitchen counter or in a cup holder in the car?

Read more here: http://community.adn.com/node/117867#storylink=cpy

In the Garden...

I potted up some beautiful spring flowers this week; pansies, Johnny jump-ups, petunias and Sweet Williams. Mom always called them "Pinks," I think because the edges of each petal look like someone has taken pinking shears to them! They are of the Dianthus family and in Arkansas they can be an annual, biennial or a perennial depending on how severe our winters are. 

You may see "volunteer" plants coming up in your flower beds this spring after last winter's mild temperatures. That's a plus for any gardener, saving you time and money not having to replant for each season. 

I leave these in pots until warmer temperatures arrive, then transplant to my flowerbeds. Easy to care for, they thrive all summer and give me another show of color going into cooler temperatures in the fall.

I'm probably pressing my luck setting these tomato plants out this early, but I just couldn't say no!

Three tomato plants, one lone jalapeno...

I'll add cilantro this week to this galvanized tub on the deck. The makings for

 Texas Pico de Gallo just a few steps from my kitchen! 

I saw a great idea on Pinterest this week to start a compost bin. Why we haven't done this before now escapes me, it's been on my To-Do list every year. Grandma had a little metal bucket that she used for kitchen scraps that set on the counter, handy for peelings and egg shells. They were added to the compost pile at the edge of the garden along with grass clippings. Grandpa would turn it over with a pitchfork that set nearby and in no time, the mixture turned into rich soil. If you've been wanting to have a compost bin too, just go HERE for EZ instructions!

On Bug Patrol... Last week's problem with ants is being solved, I'm seeing the big black "Tree Ants" carry the Terro granules up the tree trunks. GOODBYE to them once they share with the colony and most importantly the Queen.

Just a reminder, this is a good time to get Flea and Tick granules down in your yard. They are saying this is shaping up to be a very bad year for ticks. If you time it just right, these frequent showers will water in the granules for you! It may say Flea and Tick on the bag, but this easy to use pest killer eliminates cockroaches, spiders, cutworms, scorpions and many other insects. To keep them out of your home, you need to treat your yard.

In the Kitchen this week...Compost Cookies. You won't believe the ingredients, everything but the kitchen sink! Basically a chocolate chip cookie gone wild with used coffee grounds... please read on... crushed Fritos, potato chips and pretzels, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and oatmeal.

Compost Cookies from the Oatmeal Cookie Blog
Creamables
1 1/2 sticks butter
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons dry, used coffee grounds (this is NOT a misprint, save them from this morning's coffee!)
Wet Ingredients
1 egg
1 tablespoon vanilla
Dry Ingredients
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup flour
3/4 cup roughly crushed potato chips
1/2 cup roughly crushed pretzels
1/2 cup roughly crushed Fritos
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 teaspoon baking soda
1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. In your Kitchen Aid or a large mixing bowl, cream together the creamables.
3. In a small bowl, combine the wet ingredients and whisk together until smooth.
4. Add the combined wet ingredients to the creamables. Mix together until well incorporated.
5. In a large mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients. Using a spatula, fold together until evenly distributed.
6. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the combined creamables and wet ingredients. Mix until evenly combined. (At this point you can chill the dough to bake later)
7. Shape dough into balls--about 2 tablespoons each.
8. Place dough balls about 2 inches apart on Silpat- or parchment paper-lined cookie sheets.
9. Bake at 350º for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let stand for 2 minutes. Then place cookies on wire racks to cool.

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Compost Cookies

Compost Cookies from the Oatmeal Cookie Blog
Creamables
1 1/2 sticks butter
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons dry, used coffee grounds (this is NOT a misprint, save them from this morning's coffee!)
Wet Ingredients
1 egg
1 tablespoon vanilla
Dry Ingredients
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup flour
3/4 cup roughly crushed potato chips
1/2 cup roughly crushed pretzels
1/2 cup roughly crushed Fritos
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 teaspoon baking soda
1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. In your Kitchen Aid or a large mixing bowl, cream together the creamables.
3. In a small bowl, combine the wet ingredients and whisk together until smooth.
4. Add the combined wet ingredients to the creamables. Mix together until well incorporated.
5. In a large mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients. Using a spatula, fold together until evenly distributed.
6. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the combined creamables and wet ingredients. Mix until evenly combined. (At this point you can chill the dough to bake later)
7. Shape dough into balls--about 2 tablespoons each.
8. Place dough balls about 2 inches apart on Silpat- or parchment paper-lined cookie sheets.
9. Bake at 350º for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let stand for 2 minutes. Then place cookies on wire racks to cool.

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Meemaw's Kitchen Sink Christmas Cookies

photo courtesy of The Food Network

What do you do with all those little peppermint candies that Sonic so kindly puts in our bag of burgers? Well, if you're like me and have been saving them all year long, have I got a great recipe for you! From the Queen of Sweetness herself, Ms. Paula Deen... I trust her cause she's not skinny and she's a Meemaw, just like me!

Meemaw's Kitchen Sink Christmas Cookies

from Paula Deen PRINT RECIPE

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup lightly packed light brown sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup puffed rice cereal

1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

1 cup rolled old-fashioned oats

1 (8-ounce) package toffee bits

White chocolate, for dipping

15 peppermint hard candies, crushed, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars. Scrape the sides of the mixer bowl and beat in the oil, egg, and vanilla until smooth. Beat in the flour mixture in 3 small additions, scraping the sides of the bowl after each one. Slowly beat in the rice cereal, coconut, and oats. Fold in the toffee bits and refrigerate the dough, covered, for 1 hour. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough on 2 cookie sheets, leaving at least 1-inch of space around each drop. Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool. Using a double boiler, melt the white chocolate. Dip the cookies into the white chocolate and sprinkle crushed peppermint to decorate. Allow to cool or serve warm. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

photo courtesy of The Food Network

APPLE PEAR CIDER PRINT RECIPE

from Paula Deen

4 cups apple cider

4 cups pear juice or nectar

4 teaspoons dark brown sugar

2 (2 1/2-inch) cinnamon sticks

4 whole cloves

4 black peppercorns

4 allspice berries

Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes. Let steep, off the heat, for at least 20 minutes. Reheat, and then strain and serve.

"Learn from the cookie..."

"Oh look Elaine, the black and white cookie. I love the black and white. Two races of flavor living side by side. It's a wonderful thing isn't it?" Words of wisdom from an old Seinfeld...

I should never go down the candy aisle, I have no willpower! The bags practically jump in the cart especially when they are HERSHEY'S new Holiday Kisses. Flavors like Mint Truffle Kisses or Cherry Cordial Crème Kisses. Who could say no to Candy Cane Kisses? Not me, I came home with all three then started seaching for cookie recipes to give away ASAP to neighbors before I ate them all!

Let's start with the Chocolate Crinkles with Mint Truffle Kisses!

Gather up the ingredients and make them look presentable for a photo op...

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt then set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, and eggs until well mixed. Whisk in extracts.

Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients just until combined. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.Whisk together the confectioners sugar and the green colored sugar.

Sample a mint truffle Kiss, just to make sure it's a good batch. It was!

By now the dough is nice and chilled and you can preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpats, then roll dough into 1/2 Tablespoon balls. Roll balls in the powdered sugar/green sugar. Place on cookie sheets about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, until cookies crackle and dough doesn't look raw. While cookies are baking, unwrap the kisses and make some room in your refrigerator or freezer for the cookie sheets. 

When the cookies come out of the oven, immediately place a kiss in the center of each cookie and press lightly.    

    The kisses will start to get melty, so it's best if you are able to place the cookie sheet (with the kiss) directly into the freezer or refrigerator until the kisses can set up. I put mine in the fridge for just a little while, otherwise I'd have to eat all the "mistakes."

Chocolate Crinkles with Mint Truffle Kisses- makes about 60 cookies
From RecipeGirl.com
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups granulated white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoon green colored sugar (optional)
bag of mint truffle flavored Hershey's Kisses

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, and eggs until well mixed. Whisk in extracts.
3. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients just until combined. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Roll dough into 1/2 Tablespoon balls. Roll balls into mixture of powdered sugar/green sugar. Place on cookie sheets about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, until cookies crackle and dough doesn't look raw. While cookies are baking, unwrap the kisses and make some room in your refrigerator or freezer for the cookie sheets. When the cookies come out of the oven, immediately place a kiss in the center of each cookie and press lightly. The kisses will start to get melty, so it's best if you are able to place the cookie sheet (with the kiss) directly into the freezer or refrigerator until the kisses can cool off and set up.

Cherry Cordial Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies-Makes about 2 dozen cookies
From Hershey's.com
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg, separated
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup finely chopped nuts (I used hazelnuts)
Vanilla Filling (recipe follows)
26 Hershey’s Kisses Brand Milk Chocolates filled with Cherry Cordial Crème
DIRECTIONS:
Beat butter, sugar, egg yolk, milk and vanilla in medium bowl until fluffy. Stir together flour, cocoa and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until blended. Refrigerate dough at least 1 hour or until firm enough to handle.
Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease cookie sheet. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. With fork, beat egg white slightly. Drip each ball into egg white; roll in nuts. Place on prepared cookie sheet. Press thumb gently in center of each cookie.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set. Meanwhile prepare Vanilla Filling. Remove wrappers from chocolate pieces.
Remove cookies from cookie sheet to wire rack; cool 5 minutes. Spoon about 1/4 teaspoon filling into each thumbprint. Gently press chocolate piece in center of each cookie. Cool completely.
Vanilla Filling: Combine 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon softened butter or margarine, 2 teaspoons milk and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract in small bowl; beat until smooth.

Candy Cane Kiss Cookies
From RecipeGirl.com
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/4 cups butter, at room temperature
1 tsp peppermint extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup finely chopped Candy Cane flavored Hershey’s Kisses
granulated sugar
additional, unwrapped Candy Cane Kisses- about 30
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In large mixer bowl, combine powdered sugar, butter, extracts and egg. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often until creamy (2-3 minutes). In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Add to wet mixture and beat, scraping bowl often until well blended (1-2 minutes). The mixture will be a bit crumbly. Stir in chopped Kisses.
3. Shape dough into ¾-inch to 1-inch balls; roll in granulated sugar. Place 1-inch apart on cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until set. As soon as they come out of the oven, press a Candy Cane Kiss in the center of each cookie. They’ll crack a little around the edges, so just use your fingers to kind of hold the cookie together while you set the kiss inside.
*It's a good idea to set these in the fridge too, just for a little while to set the kisses.
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Christmas is coming...

via Betty Crocker

Christmas is coming, the geese are getting fat...and I will be too from all the cookies I'm baking! These are a must for every cookie swap!

Russian Tea Cakes
Makes four dozen cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups Gold Medal all-purpose flour
3/4 cup finely chopped nuts
1/4 teaspoon salt
Powdered sugar

Directions:
Heat oven to 400 F. Mix butter, powdered sugar and vanilla in a large bowl. Stir in the flour, nuts and sugar until the dough holds together. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place about 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until set, but not brown. Remove from the cookie sheet and cool slightly on a wire rack. Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar, let cool. Roll in powdered sugar again.
Printable Recipe

Pink Ducks

The famous ducks that do the "Duck Walk" daily at the Peabody Hotel in Little Rock were dressed for the occasion Friday! In honor of the annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure to benefit breast cancer research, the ducks feathers were all PINK!


Each morning, promptly at 11am, the hotel’s lobby is the scene of a remarkable ritual. The Peabody Little Rock Ducks leave their Royal Peabody Duck Palace, and arrive at a location in the lobby, where a crimson carpet has been laid out on the gleaming marble floor, leading to the marble fountain which was specially created for them. Three carpeted steps are in place. The ducks are accompanied by their Duck Master, who is clad in scarlet-and-gold trimmed jacket, and carries a brass head duck cane. Then, John Philip Souza’s King Cotton March fills the air, the The Peabody Little Rock Ducks march on their red carpet, climb three carpeted steps and dive into the fountain waters. They preen and play here all day, occasionally taking a little nap, and at precisely 5pm, the march is reversed back to the duck palace, where a dinner of hand-shredded Romaine lettuce, grated (not chopped) carrots, live worm meals and Peabody Duck Trail Mix, awaits them for an evening of quiet repose.

Peabody Hotel’s Duck Cookies

VIENNA DOUGH :
5 oz. unsalted butter - soft
2 oz. almond paste
2 ea. large eggs
4 oz. powdered sugar 10x
12 oz. all purpose flour
pinch salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 ea. zest of lemon
PIPING PASTE:
6 oz. almond paste3 oz. powdered sugar 10x2 oz. egg yolks13 oz. raspberry preserves5 oz dark chocolate for dipping
6 oz. almond paste
VIENNA DOUGH:
In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, soften almond paste. Add in butter and mix until soft and smooth. Combine mixture with sugar, salt, vanilla and lemon zest and mix until fluffy. Add eggs and mix until incorporated well. Mix in flour until completely combined. Store in refrigerator for four hours or overnight. After chilling the dough, roll out on a smooth surface to ¼ inch thick. Cut out duck shapes and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment or wax paper. Bake 350 degrees for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside to cool.
PIPING PASTE:
With a stand mixer and paddle attachment, soften almond paste.
Add sugar and mix until combined well.
Slowly add in egg yolk and mix until completely incorporated. Mix should be fairly thick but not too firm. Test with a spoon or spatula. If too thick to scoop out, add a little more egg yolk (you don’t want mix to be runny as you need to pipe). Place paste in a pastry bag with a small star tip. Pipe around border of duck cookie and set aside to dry for at least 8 hours. After drying, bake in oven at 400 degrees until paste is lightly brown. Set aside to cool. -After cookies are cool, heat raspberry jam/marmalade in saucepan, over low heat, until smooth. If still not smooth, add a small amount of water to smooth. Pour over middle of duck cookie to fill in cookie. Let cool. While you wait, melt the chocolate coating in a bowl over a saucepan filled ¼ full with water. Then dip each cookie into the chocolate halfway up the cookie and place on parchment or wax paper to dry. -Enjoy!

Peabody Hotel's Shooters

Strawberry Shortcake Shooter
1 pint strawberries
10 shooter glasses
WHIPPED CREAM:
12 fl. oz. heavy cream
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
SHORTCAKE:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup milk
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch cake pan and set aside.
MAKE SHORTCAKE:
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender or 2 forks until crumbly. Stir in milk until just blended. Press dough into prepared pan; bake 15 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside to cool.MAKE WHIPPED CREAM: In a stand mixer with a whip, whip heavy cream with powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Be careful not to over whip as cream will curdle. Place whipped cream into piping bag.PREPARE SHOOTERS: Clean strawberries and cut into small pieces. Cut shortcake into 20 pieces (small disks) the same size as the shooter glass. Place one piece of shortcake on bottom of each shooter glass.
(Yields 10)

Oreo Cookies and Cream Shooter
20 Oreo cookies
4 oz. white chocolate
12 fl.oz. heavy cream
10 shooter glasses
Break Oreo cookies into small pieces.
PREPARE WHITE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE:
Chop white chocolate into small pieces.Place chocolate into a heat resistant bowl and melt over a double boiler. (Place a sauce pan on stove with simmering water and the bowl of chocolate over the top). Be careful not to overheat the chocolate as it will burn. In a stand mixer, whip the heavy cream to a soft peak (until the cream starts to form small peaks, but not firm enough to stand on its own). Make sure chocolate is still warm and fold whipped cream into it. The mousse will thicken. Place mousse into a piping bag.
ASSEMBLE SHOOTERS: Pipe a small amount of mousse on bottom of glass. Add a small amount of Oreo pieces on top of mousse. Repeat until you get to the top of the glass. There should be about three layers. Finish with Oreo pieces on the top. Chill for one hour. Enjoy!!(Yields 10) OTHER VARIATIONS:Raspberries and white chocolate mousse.Peaches with gingersnap cookies and white chocolate mousse.

Key Lime Shooter
12 fl. oz. heavy cream
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
15 sheets of graham cracker
10 shooter glasses
KEY LIME FILLING:
4 large egg yolks
14 fl. oz. sweetened condensed milk
10 fl. oz. key lime juice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a bowl, mix together egg yolks, condensed milk, and Key Lime juice. Pour filling into an 8 inch pie dish or cake pan and bake 15 minutes until firm. Set aside to cool. Place cooled key lime filling in a piping bag. Whip heavy cream with powdered sugar in a stand mixer until firm peaks form (be careful not to over whip as cream will curdle). Put cream in a piping bag and store in refrigerator. Crush the graham cracker crumbs by hand or in a food processor. Gather all ingredients and glasses and assemble shooters. Place a small amount of graham cracker on bottom of glass.Pipe a small amount of key lime filling on top of graham crackers. Pipe a small amount of cream on top of key lime filling. Repeat layers until you get to the top of the glass. You should have two layers. You can garnish the top with a a small piece of lime if you have one or top it with some graham cracker. Chill for one hour. Enjoy!
(Yields 10)
PRINTABLE RECIPE
PRINTABLE RECIPE FOR SHOOTERS

Comfort Food

It's happening on Granny Mountain, the turning of the seasons. I have to admit, I am a winter loving person. I love the cozy feeling of home once the cold winds start to blow, I think it's because I have Missouri blood in my veins! Springfield is in southern Missouri, but winter's there are cold and snowy...and long. You need flannel sheets, down comforters and a good heat source for your house! We lived in an old house when I was growing up. When Winter set in, the windows would "steam" and "sweat" from the huge difference in outside/inside temps. I'd set in the kitchen while Mom would be cooking supper and draw on those dark windows waiting for Daddy to come home. Funny how you remember things like that. But there are a lot of good memories rattling around in this old head of mine! The cooler weather makes me want to bake, bad for me since I also eat...but I love the smell of cinnamon or bread or soup...you get the idea!

Martha Stewart's Comfort Foods Cookbook has some wonderful recipes for the kind of foods that make the house smell delicious! Things like meatloaf, macaroni and cheese, potato soup, and a wonderful recipe for Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. Fall is here so let the cookie baking begin!

These cookies use both white and brown sugar to give that wonderful texture and flavor to the cookie. You can soak the raisins in a little warm rum or cider to plump them if you'd like but that's not in the recipe so I don't want to confuse you!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies from Comfort Foods by Martha Stewart

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened (I used Butter Crisco)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups raisins

Put butter and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Mix in eggs and vanilla.

Stir together oats, flour, wheat germ, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl; set aside. Add oat mixture to the creamed butter and sugar and mix until just combined. Mix in raisins.

Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly. I like to use granulated or raw sugar to give the tops a little "sparkle."

Bake until golden and just set, about 14 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks using a spatula; let cool completely. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days. They won't last that long!
Printable Recipe

Caramel Apple Cookies

It's apple picking time in the Ozarks. Rom's Orchard down at Fayetteville is a great place to go and spend an Autumn afternoon picking some delicious crisp apples to have for snacking. My favorites are the Gala apples and they can be used for cooking too.

Have you tried these new Candy Corn from Brach's? I was picking up my traditional bags of classic and harvest mix (the bags that include the candy corn pumpkins) and I noticed the new Caramel Candy Corn flavor. They come in the usual corn kernel shape, have a toffee-colored base (yellow in the original), and are delicious. They are very, very sweet, just like the regular candy corn. This means you can’t eat too many at one sitting, which, now that I think about it, is probably a good thing.

I found this recipe using Kraft Caramel Bits. You can find them in the baking section near the chocolate chips. They may satisfy my sweet tooth for caramel apples since they also have dried apple bits in the recipe!

Caramel Apple Cookies

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 egg1-1/4 cups plain flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup dried apple pieces, chopped in the food processor

1/2 cup Kraft caramel bits (save remaining bits for drizzling or dipping cookies)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In medium bowl mix flour, soda and salt. Add apple pieces and caramel bits and combine well. In separate bowl, mix sugars and butter. Add egg, mixing just until blended. Add flour/apple/caramel mixture and combine well. Drop by teaspoonful about 2 inches apart onto parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Let cool completely on wire racks in order for the caramel to set. If desired, melt some of the remaining caramel bits and dunk edges of cookies. Yields 3 dozen cookies. (Candy corn garnish optional!)
PRINTABLE RECIPE

Lancaster County, PA

I have a long list of places that I want to re-visit when we finally retire. Lancaster County, Pennsylvania was beautiful and I was just in awe of the Amish farms. They were so neat and tidy. And with the size of the families and acreage, that had to mean a lot of work. The gardens were perfectly laid out in rows so straight they looked as if they had used rulers!

One of the oddest things we saw were the clotheslines. Attached to the house and barn with a pulley, they went Heaven-ward for what seemed like a mile loaded down with sparkling whites and colorful work clothes. No electricity runs to these farms so washing clothes would be a tremendous chore I imagine. Growing their own food, baking from scratch always, managing a farm and caring for a family…how do these women do this and not fall over from sheer exhaustion!?!

The Amish are dedicated to living simple lives that honor the traditions of their past.

Famous for their pickled watermelon rind, pickled eggs, chow-chow, pickled beets, pickled green tomatoes, sweet or hot salsas, apple butters, fruit preserves and jellies...Cane and Reed can send you any of these delicious Amish Made delicacies!

It's the quaint charm of the people that capture your heart.

Simple life, simple living appeal to us now more than ever.

Days start as the sun rises and hard work is a part of their life.

Everything is done the old fashioned way with no modern day technology to speed up the process.

W. L. ZIMMERMAN & SONS GROCERY & HARDWARE at Intercourse, PA is the hub where the Amish and local folks shop and thousands of visitors come each year. The beautiful Amish farms surround the Village. Within walking distance of the Village are art galleries, museums, lodgings, camping, educational opportunities and Pennsylvania Dutch taste sensations in local restaurants and specialty shops. The Paramount motion picture "Witness", starring Harrison Ford, was filmed in Intercourse.

I loved the beautiful handmade quilts. Not cheap by any means,

but you can imagine the hours of work that goes into these masterpieces.

The area offers much for us to enjoy but the Amish life and it's people are the real attraction.

We can't help but look on in awe at the life they lead.

They are decent folk who cling to old ways and support each other.

The Good and Plenty Restaurants are famous in Lancaster. Whether it's "family style" or buffet, fresh homemade white and wheat bread with Apple Butter, cottage cheese, butter, and other goodies called "smears" are served. Pickles of all kinds and Chow-Chow relish with a tangy taste that is out of this world! Fried Chicken, Baked Ham, Roast Beef, Baked Country Sausage, Pork and Sauerkraut and all kinds of delicious Pennsylvania Dutch style foods, all you want and can eat, and lively conversation fill the room. Shoo Fly Pie is the dessert staple of the house but fruit and cream pies, rich cakes and puddings will tempt you to have "just a little bit more!"

These winning recipes from the 26th Annual Rhubarb Festival held in Intercourse sound delicious!

Grand Champion & 1st Place Pie Division Winner
Rhubarb Pear Pie Belinda Myers, Dallastown, PA
Recipe for Pie Crust (2 crust pie crust):

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon Salt

3/4 cup butter flavored Crisco

7 to 8 tablespoons of ice water
In a large bowl mix flour, salt and shortening until coarse crumbs form on a well floured surface. Roll out ½ amount to fit a 9 inch pie plate. Use remaining for lattice strips.
Filling:

4-1/2 cups diced fresh rhubarb

1 cup sugar2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 fresh pears, cored, peeled and diced.
Mix filling ingredients together in a large bowl. Place into prepared shell. Lay lattice strips on top of pie. Seal and crimp edge. Place on cookie sheet in a 400 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until golden brown.

1st Place Rhubarb Dessert Division Winner
Rhubarb Bars Linda Glick, Lancaster, PA
3 cups rhubarb

1 ¼ cups sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

¼ cup water

vanilla
Cook together rhubarb, sugar, water, and cornstarch until thick. Cool, add vanilla.
CRUST AND TOPPING

1-1/2 cups flour

1-1/2 cups oatmeal

1 cup shortening

1 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon soda

1 3oz. Strawberry Jello
Mix crust & topping ingredients (except Jello) Place about half of mixture in pan, press down. Spread with filling. Sprinkle with Jello. Put rest of crust/topping mixture on top and bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes.

1st Place Rhubarb Cake Division
Rhubarb Cheesecake Carolyn Fisher, Kinzer, PA
CRUST:

1 ½ cups flour

¼ cup sugar

7 tablespoons butter
Mix all together and put in a 10 ½ inch cheesecake pan or a 9 x 13 glass cake pan.
LAYER 2:

5 cups rhubarb

2/3 cups sugar

2 tablespoons flour
Toss together and put on top of crust. Bake at 350 for 15 min.
LAYER 3:

18 oz. cream cheese

2/3 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon lemon juice
Mix eggs and sugar. Add softened cream cheese. Mix together. Do not over mix. Pour over hot rhubarb. Bake at 350 for 30 min.
LAYER 4:

8 oz. sour cream

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla
Mix together. Spread over cream cheese mixture while mixture is still hot. Bake 5 minutes. Chill and serve.