That is when the best laid plans fell apart.  After a 25 minute drive to my house, she arrived without the coveted recipe in hand.  No problem, we searched Allrecipe.com and found a Pecan tart recipe just like her mama’s.

My job was to make the crust part of the recipe, her’s was to make the filling part.

Well, yours truly didn’t really read the recipe all the way through, and sure enough, before I knew it I had assembled the crust with all the eggs, butter, cream cheese, and brown sugar.  A double batch to boot!

Suddenly we both realized our best laid plans had fallen apart when I was suddenly confronted with the sad reality that I was responsible for wasting 8 eggs, 6 cups brown sugar, a pound of butter, 12 oz of cream cheese in making the “crust” which looked more like a cake batter all because I had not read the recipe carefully!

I think I remember telling my children over and over and over again something like  “Read, read, re-read your recipe several times before starting, please!”

Patty teases me about being a perfectionist, but truly folks, I just didn’t want to waste the ingredients.  I felt sick about one little cooking booboo.  SERIOUSLY!

Amazingly, Patty said, “We’re not throwing that out.”   I said, “So what are we going to make?”

My dear friend Patty took my slogan “Use what you have” to a new level, and it worked!

Yes, I turned all this flour, sugar, butter, and eggs into a clone of my family favorite blonde brownie recipe yummy enough to be suitable for sharing at church fellowship time.

That little “experiment” was followed by successful tart making.  

Then another flub-up by yours truly with my family favorite tried and true Microwave Munching Peanut Brittle recipe!  I won’t go into details but suffice it to say, I had to practice my bread baking motto,”There are no failures (in making peanut brittle) just learning experiences.”

The next four batches of peanut brittle turned out great followed by success with the Enstrom’s Style Toffee Recipe I love so much.

All in all – it was a very good day.  We didn’t come near to completing the volume of goodies as I dreamed of, but much more importantly we had a great day together building our friendship, having fun, teasing each other, being silly and making a few memories.

When we settled down to pizza and a movie I knew the satisfied but exhausted feeling I had came from a day of hard work and good life lessons (re)learned in the kitchen.

So what lessons have you been learning in your kitchen with your children or grandchildren this year?  What tried and true family favorite recipes can you share links to?

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Click here to download  this FREE ebook about celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas today…my gift to YOU!

{Download will be available until December 31, 2011.}

Mentoring Moms are demonstrating and serving Creme Brulee on Friday for an elegant and easy dessert lesson.

To prepare ahead, I spent a mere 90 minutes with my friend Michele this afternoon before our Wednesday Bible Study, while we made the dessert and lingered over a leisurely lunch together.

I’ll be the dessert tutor and tell you just how easy it will be to pull off this gourmet dessert.  The best part is this can be made a day ahead, refrigerated over night and ready to serve the next evening.

Creme Brulee

5 egg yolks

1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar, divided

2 Cups whipping cream

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.  In large bowl, whisk egg yolks and 1/2 cup of the sugar.  In a small, heavy saucepan, heat the cream to almost simmering over low heat.  Add the cream to the egg mixture SLOWLY, whisking constantly.  Add vanilla, whisk to blend and set aside.

Divide the chocolate beween four 3/4 cup custard dishes or Remekins.  Ladle the cream mixture over the chocolate.  Place the cups in 9 X 13 baking pan and add enough hot water to the pan to come halfway up the side of the cups.  Bake about 55 minute or until the center of the custard is set.  It will jiggle just a little when set.  Remove the cups from the water and cool.   Cover each cup and chill overnight.

Before serving, preheat the broiler.  Sprinkle 1/2 Tbsp sugar over the top of each chilled mixture.  Broil, wathcing carefully, until the sugar melts and browns slightly, about 2 minutes.  Cool about 5 minutes and serve.

VOILA!  The most elegant, delicious, easy dessert you have every made.

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MarilynMoll.com is back! I am very excited about re-connecting with you my faithful friends, readers and customers!  After passing the baton from The Urban Homemaker to the Marsh family in April, my passion for homemaking remains but with a new twist!

My Mission

My mission at marilynmoll.com will to continue to fill this blog page with fresh, relevant information, tips, recipes, food-for-thought, and resources for homemakers of all ages and in all seasons of life and occasionally with a more eternal perspective and use of scriptures.

Although I have experienced many changes and many losses in the last three and half years, I have come to accept that change is inevitable.  I like this quote:

There is no growth without change.

There is no change without loss.

There is no loss without grief.

There is no grief without pain.

Family Updates

Since passing the baton to the Marsh Family, I have spent many weeks taking care of my aging parents and getting them moved to assisted living in Florida.  The highlight of my summer has been connecting with oldest daughter Laura, one-year-old grandson Job, and son-in-law Brandon while they spend their summer on the Western slope of Colorado.

Laura is now expecting a new baby in March 2012.

Son Stephen is now commanding a platoon at Ft Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska.

Youngest daughter Mary just began her busy senior year of high school and I now have a part time job a personal care provider.

“Like” my Facebook Page

One thing hasn’t changed – my passion for homemaking in all seasons of life, so that is what we will talk about here.  Please tell your friends and “like” my new facebook page.

I’m excited because I have lots of new recipes and resources to tell you about. 

Next week’s Kick off will include some valuable Give-Aways which will include an American Harvest dehydrator, Norwex Superior Mop, and other goodies.

Lastly, if you would like to correspond with me, I’d love to hear from you.  Email me at marilyn@marilynmollsnorwex.com.

Last Day for Old WonderMill Prices – $239.95 today, $259.95 tomorrow – February 15, 2011

Last day for Old Wondermill Junior price – $199.95 through February 14, 2011 – $219.95 starting February 15, 2011 -Includes free shipping, new auger, clamp, stainless steel burrs – the complete package!

This recipe is courtesy of Cooking Traditional Foods, the longest running menu mailer based on the work of Weston A Price.

This pudding recipe comes out thick and rich.  It’s great as a cake filling or in a custard cup.  You can change out the extract for different flavors.  When my kids want pudding, this is the recipe I use.

4 egg yolks

1 Tbs cornstarch

1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk

½ cup chocolate chips

1 tsp peppermint extract

In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and cornstarch until smooth. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and chocolate over medium heat until the chocolate is completely dissolved. Bring to a boil, remove from the heat, and cool briefly.

Whisk ¼ cup of the chocolate mixture into the egg yolk mixture. Whisk in the remaining milk in a slow stream. Return to the saucepan and heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Do not boil.

Remove from the heat and cool, whisking regularly to avoid a skin forming on top and keep the fat incorporated, until only slightly warm. Stir in the peppermint extract. Chill thoroughly in the fridge before serving, or use as a cream filling for cakes, cupcakes or the like.

If your family likes sweeter desserts, you can stir in plain or chocolate flavored stevia with the peppermint extract. Unsweetened chocolate and a little rapadura or your favorite chocolate bar can be substituted for the chocolate chips. Orange, vanilla or another extract that would match chocolate can be used in place of the peppermint.

Kerry Ann Foster is the owner of Cooking Traditional Foods Menu Mailer

Penny Pinchin’ Mama e-book, Jill Cooper, who raised two teenagers alone while making only $500 per month, shares practical hints and strategies she used to make the most out of every dollar. The regular price is $12.95 and this week only it is 50% off or $6.48.

• Mary and I made the first half of our Colorado to Klamath Falls, OR trip with few incidents and cooperative weather on Tuesday. Wasn’t sure I’d get a boarding pass in Phoenix, but God came through. Nearly lost my purse (and all my money) in the process but all is well there too. Better to see my daughter, son-in-law and grandson than I could have imagined.
• The drive from Reno to Klamath Falls was LONG.  Why did we ever fly into Reno?  Long story, too long to tell.

• Grandson, Job, has doubled his birth weight or more and ready for some new clothes!  Weston A Price.org says chubby babies are healthy, so Job qualifies as VERY healthy.  Laura is exclusively breast feeding him.  He has his four month doctor visit on Monday.

• With a ready smile at all times, He is an easy, happy, contented, huggable baby to brighten our family celebration.

• This is my first – 3 generation- Christmas celebration in many, many years.

• Discovered an easy, economical, and fun way to do stocking stuffers. Check out the bulk food aisle with dried fruit, nut mixes, candies, and chocolates. The Thunderbird Grocery here in Klamath Falls is locally owned, amazing!

• Today is our cinnamon roll and pie making day plus lunch out with Laura’s friend and onto church for the candle light service later.

• Going to try a new tradition this year – a new pair of PJ’s for everyone on Christmas eve. I know many of you have already do this, post how you make it special or a surprise.

• Forgot the camera card for the camera. UGH! Where is my brain?

• Read aloud: Life with Father, a very old classic with a grumpy Father who is definitely the “head” of his family. Some good laughs and old-fashioned values. Takes place in NYC in the late 1800’s.

• Watched Mrs. Doubtfire with Robin Sally Field. Can’t believe it was filmed before Mary was born in the earlier 1990’s.   Some good family values with many odd twists and turns.
• December 31, 2010 is the last day to get a MultiPure Stainless Steel Countertop Unit with $200 off coupon.

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Our family enjoys the same Christmas breakfast each year, Pecan Cinnamon Rolls, Turkey sausage (recipe below) and Holiday Scramble after the “stockings are opened”. This is so easy I don’t do day-before-preparations.

This year we will have Christmas breakfast at my daughter’s so I’ll let you know what we decide to have.  My guess is she will stick with tradition.

The trick to getting breakfast ready quickly is doing the preparations the day before and refrigerating the cinnamon rolls or breakfast casseroles. There are two recipes for make-ahead Christmas Breakfast casseroles that your family may enjoy, especially if you are serving extra guests. All the recipes are below.

HOLIDAY SCRAMBLE
From Breakfasts by Sue Gregg, p. 229, reprinted by permission
Make the usual scrambled eggs special with this simple recipe.

2-3 servings – double or triple as needed

4 large eggs, beaten until light
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. thyme leaves
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 TB chopped onion, optional

2 TB pimiento, chopped

2. Scramble in: 1 TB butter

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Virginia’s Egg Scramble 8-10 servings  (It’s really good for a do-ahead!)

From Breakfasts by Sue Gregg , p. 228

AMOUNT: 9 X 12 GLASS OR PYREX PAN
BAKE: 325 – 45 -65 Minutes

1. Prepare Cheese Sauce. Blend butter and flour; stir in remaining ingredients: cook and stir until thickened over medium heat:

2 TB melted unsalted butter
2 TB flour (whole wheat pastry preferred)
1 1/2 C. lowfat milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 tsp. worcestershire sauce

2. Stir in cheese to melt:

1 Cup firmly packed grated cheddar cheese

3. Prepare Toasted Bread Crumb Mixture. Mix together:
1 cup toasted whole grain bread crumbs
1 1/2 TB melted unsalted butter.

4. Grease or spray baking pan.

5. Prepare Scrambled eggs. Combine eggs, onion, and mushrooms; scramble in butter until lightly done:

12 extra large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup chopped green onion
and or 2 oz. can diced jalapeno or green chiles
1 C. fresh mushrooms, diced
3 TB melted unsalted butter

6. Cover bottom of pan with cooked egg mixture. Spread Cheese Sauce over top; top with Toasted Bread Crumb Mixture.

Garnish with paprika and minced parsley. (optional)

7. Refrigerate until ready to bake. Bake at 325 degrees for 45-60 minutes.

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TURKEY SAUSAGE
A great and tasty alternative to bacon and pork sausage, ground turkey contains 1/4 the fat of pork sausage and less than half the calories, and 1/5 the fat of bacon with less than 1/3 the calories. Many guests cannot believe they are eating turkey when they are served this recipe!

AMOUNT: 12 patties (serves 6)

1. Mix together thoroughly with a fork:

1 lb ground turkey
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. sage
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

2. Shape into 12 small patties. Fry in ungreased skillet or bake at 350� for 10 to 15 minutes in a shallow pan until done. Do not overcook or patties will become tough. Oven baking produces juicier patties and is easier when feeding a crowd.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MARILYN’S FAMOUS PECAN CINNAMON BUNS

If you would like to have hot-out-of-the-oven rolls without getting up at 4:00 a.m., prepare the rolls a day ahead. Place the shaped rolls on the maple glaze and raise them overnight in the refrigerator (instead of a warm place), keeping them carefully covered with plastic wrap. In the morning, the dough should have doubled and be ready to bake. Voila! Fresh bread in minutes and you didn’t even get up at 4:00 a.m. to do it! This recipe is extra delicious and healthy as it contains maple syrup for sweetening instead of sugar or honey. A fabulous gift to a new mom or new neighbors, or just for being friends.

2 cups warm water (120F)
2TB SAF Instant Yeast
1/2 cup dry milk powder
1/2 cup oil or butter
1/3 cup honey
3 large eggs
1 TB Salt
6-8 cups freshly milled whole wheat flour
1/4 cup Vital Gluten

Caramel Topping:
1/2 cup butter
1-1/2 cup maple syrup
1-1/2 cup chopped or whole pecans

Cinnamon Roll Mixture:
1 cup Sucanat, (SUgar CAne NAtural) or brown sugar
1 TB + 1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, melted

Combine yeast, dry milk powder, vital gluten, and flour in a large mixer bowl. Add water, oil, and honey. Mix well for 1-2 minutes. Turn off mixer, cover the bowl and let dough sponge for 10-15 minutes. Add eggs and salt. Turn on the mixer; add additional flour, one cup at a time, until the dough begins to clean the sides of the bowl. Knead for only 5 minutes and keep the dough very soft and manageable. (Stiff dough will will produce heavy, dry rolls.) If the dough becomes stiff while kneading, drizzle additional water as you knead.

To prepare sticky buns, melt butter and syrup and add the pecans. Divide this mixture evenly into the bottom of two – 9×13 baking pans. Divide the bread dough into two equal portions. Roll into a 20×28 inch rectangle. Spread 2 TB of melted butter over the rectangle of dough. Sprinkle with half the SUCANAT/cinnamon mixture. Roll up into a “jelly roll”, seal the seam, and cut into 1-1 1/2 inch thick pieces with dental floss. This will yield 12-15 rolls.

Place the rolls into the prepared pans. Repeat this process with the remaining dough. Let the rolls raise in a warm area until doubled (approximately 30-60 minutes). Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or till well-browned. Remove from the oven and let stand in the pan for 5 minutes. Turn out of the pan to cool onto a rack placed over a jelly roll pan (to catch the drippings and simplify cleanup). ENJOY!

Baked French Toast Casserole (make ahead)

1 loaf French Bread – slice 1 1/2-2 inches thick
Place bread slices in a 13X9 buttered pan close together.

6 large eggs
1 1/2 cup milk
1 cup milk, half/half or cream
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Mix together and pour over bread. Cover with foil and put in refrigerator overnight.

Topping:

1/4 cups soft butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped nuts – optional
1 Tbsp light corn syrup

Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle over entire casserole dish. Bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees or until puffed and golden. Serve with maple syrup and butter.

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I was invited to two cookie exchanges this year.  I normally don’t go to the cookie exchanges because of past experiences when I had to take home store bought cookies to replace my hours of hard work.  These exchanges worked a little differently, we could pick and choose from the choices up to the number of dozens of cookies I brought.

Since I only brought 3 dozen cookies this wasn’t too hard to do, and I got to take home a nice assortment of homemade goodies.

OK, I admit it, I used real sugar for these instead of the healthier version.  Once a year I think it is fine to use the real thing.  Sucanat in the snowballs, I think adds too much flavor and masks the delicious pecan/butter flavor of this cookie.

Pictured above are my all time 3 favorite Christmas Cookie Recipes that I always make because I like them.  They don’t look so festive but they are yummy and usually disappear quickly at Holiday Open Houses and other Christmas parties.

To join the Christmas Cookie Recipe Contest -Share this  page link with your Facebook and Twitter friends.  When you have done that and post your favorite recipe (please don’t post recipes from other websites – just your own family favorite)  in the comments section below you will have a chance to win an Enviro Cloth – $14.50.  There will be five randomly chosen winners.

BUTTER NUT SNOWBALLS
(I have had this recipe for nearly 30 years!)

1 Cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups all-purpose flour (I use kamut flour)
2 cups finely chopped walnuts or pecans ( I use pecans) (more of a coarse flour consistency)
Confectioner’s Sugar

Cream butter, sugar, and vanilla until fluffy. Add the flour, salt, and blend well. Add in the finely chopped nuts. Shape into 1 inch balls. Bake 325 degrees F for 30 minutes. Do not brown! Roll in confectioner’s sugar while still warm and place on cooling racks.

DATE BARS
These are excellent, yummy, festive, delicious

2 1/2 Cups dates, cut up
1/4 Cup sugar or Sucanat
1 1/2 Cup water
1/2 Cup chopped walnuts (opt)
1 1/4 cups whole grain flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup brown sugar  or Sucanat
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 TB water

Combine dates, sugar and 1 1/2 cups water in saucepan. Cook, stirring frequently, until like thick jam. Cool. Stir in nuts, if desired. Meanwhile, sift together flour, salt and soda into mixing bowl, stir in oats and sugar. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle 1 TB water over oat mixture; mix lightly. Pat about 2/3 of crumb mixture into greased 13 X 9 X 2 pan. Spread with date mixture. Cover with remaining crumb mixture, pat lightly. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 to 40 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool; cut into bars. Makes about 40 bars.

Double Chocolate Mint Treasures

3/4 c. butter
1/2 c. brown sugar or Sucanat
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. peppermint extract
1 1/2 cups whole grain flour
1/2 c. baking cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. chocolate chips

Cream together butter and sugars. Add egg, vanilla and peppermint extract. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Add to wet ingredients and then stir in chocolate chips. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes on greased cookie sheet.

PEANUT BLOSSOMS (not pictured)
This recipe is fun to make with your children. They love to place the candy kiss in the middle of the cookie after they are baked.

1 3/4 cups all-purpose or whole grain flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sugar or Sucanat
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar or Sucanat
1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 egg
2 TB milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
48 milk chocolate kisses, unwrapped

In a large mixer bowl, stir flour, soda, and salt.  Add remaining ingredients except candy and beat at low speed of mixer until well combined, scraping bowl occasionally. chill dough 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Roll small amounts of dough into 1 inch balls.   Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake 12 minutes or until light brown. Remove from oven and immediately press a chocolate kiss into each center. The cookie cracks around the edge. Repeat with remaining dough. Makes 4 dozen, about 70 calories each.

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VIDEO: How to make radish roses, carrot curls and other vegetable crudites
VIDEO: How to make chicken liver pate
VIDEO: How to roast chestnuts over an open fire

MENU: Favorite appetizers for Christmas
MENU: Dishes to Bring to a Holiday Party
MENU: Warm Treats for Winter Caroling

RECIPES: Almond-flax bread, cheddar cheese balls with bacon and walnuts, chicken liver pate, savory spiced nuts, savory spiced seeds, grain-free cheese crackers, nut and seed crackers, homemade yogurt and herb crackers, olive tapenade, anchovy toasts, homemade yogurt cheese spread, braised winter herbs in olive oil and lemon, preserved lemon tapenade, blue cheese dip, roasted garlic, mulled wine, spiced cider, roasted chestnuts.

This class will be December 8.  Register Here.

Listen to my Interview  with Jenny McGruther to hear her passion for real foods.

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Several years ago, I was told by an older wiser mom, that the secret to her soup is in making homemade broth.  Years later, I learned that the chicken base/bouillon cubes I was buying were actually loaded with MSG, and not only unhealthy  but  a poor facsimile to the real broth in health and taste.

Never Throw Out Turkey, Chicken, Fish, Lamb, or Beef Bones

• Before MSG came into widespread use there were no commercially available chicken or beef broths available so it turns out Grandmother knew best when she used what she had and made delicious and nutritious homemade broths.

• The homemade broth or stock contains minerals including calcium but also magnesium, but also phosphorus, silicon, sulphur and other trace minerals.

• Homemade broth helps build the immune system.  We all know that chicken soup is also known as “Jewish Penicillin”.

• Good stock contains gelatin that has been proved useful in the treatment of diseases and very nourishing to the gut. Examples of diseases that benefit from homemade broth  include peptic ulcers, infectious diseases, jaundice and cancer.

• French studies showed that babies had fewer digestive problems when gelatin was added to their milk.

• Ask any soup maker – homemade broth makes superior soups, is excellent to drink when sick, and perfect for Real Gravy.

• For More information about homemade stock: Read “Broth is Beautiful” by Sally Fallon Morell

• Here is our absolutely most favorite soup recipe using turkey or chicken stock.  So enjoy those turkey leftovers, creatively:

TURKEY CHOWDER
If you make homemade turkey stock from the leftover bones the flavor skyrockets to a perfect “10″! Even if you can’t try this recipe out this year, be sure to save the recipe for future use. I usually double the amounts to have some leftover soup for the freezer. If you let the soup sit a day, the flavor improves with age. We’ve eaten this in bread bowls that I’ve made. Fabulous!

2 C. sliced carrots
3 C. water, turkey broth or canned chicken broth (watch out for vitamin C)
1 large floret of broccoli OR 1-10 oz box of broccoli
1 C. onion, chopped finely
1/2 C. celery, sliced
1 tsp. salt
1/2 C. ground oat flour (blend rolled oats in the blender to make flour)
2 C. milk or allergy alternative
6 oz. Swiss cheese, grated
1-1/2 C. diced turkey

Combine carrots, broth, onions, celery, broccoli, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer 10 minutes. Bring to rolling boil again, and gradually stir in the oat flour, stirring constantly.   Let simmer another 10 minutes until lumps disappear. Reduce heat. Add milk, turkey. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese. Serves 4-6.

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