The treat making has begun!

Tonight I started making some of the items for my Christmas treat baskets. I have 9 baskets to make this year. The most yet! I am excited and a little bit stressed but Mr. Lucky is on vacation this week so I can get some help from him. Ha ha ha, did I just say that?

I started with the peppermint bark. I make three types every year: white, milk and dark chocolate. I am woman enough to admit that I use candy melts. I am not about to start tempering chocolate, I don't have the patience for that. The candy melts are inexpensive, in a lot of stores and easy to work with. I add some paramount crystals which thin the melted chocolate and make it a bit creamier. You can use a little bit of Crisco and get the same effect.

For the bark I also added about 6 drops of peppermint oil per one pound of chocolate. Make sure when you are flavoring chocolate, whether it is real or candy melts, that you use oils or flavoring specifically made for chocolate. Do not use anything that contains water. Any amount of water will cause the chocolate to seize and it is most likely not recoverable.

Once the chocolate is melted and the flavoring is mixed through I spread it evenly onto a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet. I love parchment paper because nothing sticks to it and I was able to use each piece for a couple batches.

To the top of the chocolate I sprinkled some crushed candy canes. I crushed the candy canes with a hammer, it relieved quite a bit of stress! Try it, you'll like it! Once the candy cane was added I popped the sheet into the fridge for about 10 minutes. When the bark was set I broke it into pieces.

When the bark was done I moved on to my chocolate dipped pretzels. I used the paramount crystals for these as well. I did not, however, add the peppermint oil. Peppermint just didn't seem like a good fit with pretzels, in my opinion.

To coat these I took the bowl out of my handy dandy candy melter, put the pretzel in and spooned the chocolate over it then tapped off the excess. I lined these up on a piece of parchment as well. To make these a little more Christmas-y I added a couple different types of sprinkles.


Tomorrow I will be making a bunch of different flavors of truffles. For these I do use real chocolate so all of you purists can breathe easy.

So, did you cook something today?

Decisions Decisions!!!!!

I cannot seem to make any decisions on what I want to make for my Christmas baskets this year. There are probably 100 recipes that I have set aside to chose from. I wanted to pick 2 types of cookies and 1 or 2 types of candies to add to go with the things I make every year. I can't choose!!! I want to make everything!

This indecisiveness is a major problem for several reasons. I will go broke buying all the ingredients I will need, I don't have room in my kitchen for everything and the baskets I bought are no where near big enough for that many goodies.

I suppose this is a good problem to have in the sense that I am not fumbling for things to make.

I'm going to tell you what I make every year so maybe you can give me some suggestions on what to make. Help me! PLEASE!

Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies
Peanut Butter Chip Cookies
Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
Butter Cookies rolled in Almonds
Peppermint Bark
Various types of truffles
Chocolate Covered Pretzels
Mini loaves of Cranberry bread

It does look like a lot now that it's written out. BUT Mr. Lucky and I tend to eat some to make sure they are good enough for our friends and family.

I should be starting my candies this week so there may be pictures soon.

So, what kinds of food gifts do you give?

Planning

Every year for Christmas I make goody baskets for neighbors and some of our friends. I am about to make my list of what I'll make this year.

I always make chocolate chip cookies, raspberry thumbprint cookies, butter cookies and peppermint bark. Those are my staples. I sometimes wonder if I eat more than I give though. I'll have to try to keep track this year.

This year I am planning (hoping) to make truffles, mint chocolate covered oreos, biscotti and probably a few other things. I have a million ideas in my head and I can't get them all organized. I want to try some new things but I want everything to taste great. Got any suggestions????

I'll start posting pics as soon as I start my gifts.

So, what food gifts are you giving for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or any other holiday you may celebrate?

Hectic, Crowded, Wonderful!

Yesterday I cooked Thanksgiving dinner for 14 people. We had an amazing day!

Our house was built in 1934 so the kitchen isn't exactly what you'd call accommodating. My mom, my two aunts and I were trying to get food out to the tables at the same time as Mr. Lucky and my dad were carving the turkey and the rib roast. It was insanity!

I will have to take some pictures of my kitchen so that you can understand my plight. Mr. Lucky and I hope to have a new house soon and my sole (ha!) request is a well laid out kitchen. It doesn't have to be big it just has to have more than 3 sq ft of counter space and 2 cabinets. I don't think that is too much to ask, is it?

Anyway, we had a wonderful day with our wonderful family and lots and lots of food! The table was over full with turkey, 2 types of stuffing, prime rib, mashed potatoes, squash, turnip, corn, pearl onions, gherkins, olives, 2 types of cranberry sauce and lots and lots of pie. I think I am still full.

It was the perfect Thanksgiving full of everything I am thankful for.

So, did you go shopping at an unGodly hour this morning? I didn't!

Thankful

This year, like every year, I am thankful for so much. I am very lucky to have an amazing and wonderful family and truly great friends. Most of all I am eternally grateful for my amazing husband. He is my rock, he is my best friend and he is the best thing that has ever happened to me. Thank you Mr. Lucky!

I hope that everyone has a safe and happy Thanksgiving filled with family, friends and great food.

So, what are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

Madness!

A few years ago Mr. Lucky and I started hosting Thanksgiving. When this little tradition started I was a working as a store manager so I did not have time to make a dinner for the varying numbers of family members that would show up every year. We basically cheated. We ordered the pre-made dinners from the grocery store that came with everything we needed. I know, I know, I know! That is sacrilegious but what could I do? I was working a million hours a week and all I could think about was "Black Friday"!!!! Well, no one complained and we had wonderful holidays that focused on being together more than the food.

Now that I am a kept woman and have all kinds of free time (hahahaha) I make dinner myself. We do delegate a few things but most of the stuff is done here by me. Mr. Lucky is helpful as an extra set of hands and doing the last minute straightening up but he's "not a cooker" as he says.

This year we have 14 confirmed guests and a few more may show up along the way. We have a 20 pound turkey and a 8 1/2 pound rib roast. Mr. Lucky always likes to have a supplemental meat. He doesn't love turkey. In the past we have made ham but we saw this roast and had to have it. I am thrilled, of course, because I am a beef girl. I'd eat it every night for dinner if I could. I know that red meat is evil but I am a rebel!

So with all that said, I am looking forward to another Thanksgiving with lots of food, friends and most of all the family that I am thankful for everyday. I wish everyone a Thanksgiving full of food, family, friends and fun!

So, are you cooking or traveling this Thanksgiving?

MIA

I have had a busy couple of months and to be honest I just haven't been in the right frame of mind to write anything. My baby brother got married, I threw a baby shower for my (other) brother and sister in law and I became and Auntie. I am almost relieved that the holidays are coming, it will be less busy! Remind me in January that I just said that, ok?

Now that Thanksgiving is a few days away and Christmas soon to follow I will be doing more than my fair share of cooking. I am going to have my camera poised and hopefully by Black Friday I'll have something to share with you.

In the meantime, I have a question for anyone that is still checking in. Do you want me to only post my adventures in cooking or shall I write about day to day stuff too? Let me know!


So, have you cooked anything lately? Have any major life events?