jane's apron

rolo turtles

 

If you've ever made Rolo Turtles then you know how good they are.  If you haven't?  Be prepared to be addicted like the rest of us.  This is not my quote (and now I can't find it) but I love it...Rolo turtles "satisfy my sweet tooth, my salty tongue, and my fat ass".  

Rolo Turtles

Hershey's Rolo candy

small pretzels (I like the square pretzels from Snyder's because they are buttery and are the perfect shape)

pecan halves

Place pretzels on a baking sheet, top each one with an unwrapped Rolo, and bake at 350 for 5 minutes (just enough time to soften the candy but not melt it). Remove from the oven and press one pecan onto the top of each candy.  Let cool completely.  

The little Easy Bake Oven is an ornament that I thrifted last year...has a spot for a mini-light to fit in the back. The Easy Bake Oven...best toy ever.  

 

pie and other things

 

The potatoes are ready for Big Martha's Mashed Potatoes. The apples have been roasted for Roasted Applesauce. The pie crust is in the fridge for Pecan Pie.  

I love to read recipes, love to look at recipe books, love to collect vintage recipes.  You too?  You'll love a post from Liz at Mabel's House...it's very good.

Wishing everyone a happy and pie-filled Thanksgiving.

 

bacon is the new cupcake

I read an article this week that said bacon was the new cupcake.  This is funny...and probably true.  Sure, who doesn't love a cupcake?  But also, who doesn't love bacon?  One of may favorite recipes is Spaghetti Carbonara from Everyday Food.  It's one of those go-to dinners...quick, easy, and good.  The link to the recipe is a video and, as I watched it, I reminded myself to have my boys make this next time...cooking easy stuff and knowing how to use a whisk is a good skill.  

Are you a bacon lover too?  Please, please, oh please leave a comment with a link to a bacon recipe and I'll add it here. Starting with this one....

spaghetti carbonara

and these...

paula deen's brown sugar bacon

bakon mary (and others)

blt dip

bacon chocolate chip cookies

pumpkin soup with apple and bacon

sweet bacon dogs

roasted butternut squash and bacon pasta

jamie oliver's courgette carbonara

chocolate drop cookies

I had to make cookies for a "freshman mom" bake sale last week.  I had to quickly find a recipe that made at least 3 dozen cookies, was easy to make and package, and that I had all the ingredients for.  I grabbed an old recipe for Chocolate Drop Cookies.  They are not the prettiest cookie but a true chocolate lover doesn't really care about that.

Chocolate Drop Cookies

1 (12 oz.) bag semisweet chocolate chips

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

1/4 C butter

1 tsp vanilla

1 C flour

In a saucepan, melt chips, butter, and condensed milk. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and flour.  Drop teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets and bake at 350 for 7 minutes.  

salad dressing for busy girls

I picked up this vintage salad book recently.  My vintage cookbooks are generally for fun only but sometimes they have a recipe worth trying.  I know that homemade salad dressing is so much better than those you find in stores...but I'm usually in too much of a hurry to whip up a salad dressing.  This recipe from the book, however, seems like something I can remember (no need to search for a recipe).  The exact words are:

Sometimes, awe guests by mixing dressing right 

in the bowl before adding greens - twice as much 

oil as vinegar (guess), smidgen of mustard, dash 

of salt, freshly ground pepper.

I love a recipe that combines the words 'guess', 'smidgen', and 'dash'...not to mention the word 'awe'.  

a recipe worth repeating

We picked strawberries this morning...not the prettiest berries but those are usually the best. The boys did fine but Ellen and I sprouted a few extra freckles and turned slightly pink despite our sunscreen.  Summer is here.

A couple of years ago when my blog was still pretty new, I shared my first "easy bake" recipe.  I think it was the first time I ever had a big response to a blog post and I think the recipe is worth a repeating.  It's my grandma's strawberry pie.  I have so many other things that I'm supposed to do today but I'm going to bake a pie crust and put this pie together for dessert...even if I get nothing else made for dinner.  Summer is definitely here. 

edit:  OK, we picked a lot of strawberries.  The pie is made and I've moved on to a simple strawberry topping from an old Martha Stewart Living Magazine.  Combine 2 Cups hulled and sliced berries with 2 Tbsp each sugar and fresh lemon juice...good for ice cream or shortcake.  According to the recipe "this topping freezes beautifully in an airtight container for up to 3 months".  Next up...freezer jam.

the best irish soda bread

I'm not making my Irish Soda Bread until tomorrow but I've got the dishes and the orange marmalade ready.  I also wanted to share it today so you could make it tomorrow too.  

It's the best...not at all dry.  Slice it thin, toast it, and spread liberally with butter and orange marmalade.  This soda bread usually ends my baking season (the season that started back in November)...I'm really, really going to be good about too many baked goods...after tomorrow.  

Irish Soda Bread

6 Cups flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 Cup sugar

3 Tbsp + 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 pkg (15 oz.) raisins

2 eggs beaten

1/4 Cup butter; melted

3 Cups buttermilk

Measure flour by lightly spooning into measuring cup and leveling with a knife.  Combine flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and raisins and mix well.

In a separate bowl, combine eggs, butter, and buttermilk.  Pour into flour mixture.  Stir to combine (use a strong wooden spoon or a stand-mixer).  Pour into two loaf pans and bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes.

valentine oatmeal cookies

The recipe for these cookies was in the newspaper.  When I was in high school.  To say that it was a keeper is an understatement because I've kept it for a long time. These are not your average sugar cookie because they are loaded with oatmeal.  It kind of makes them a little lumpy...a little 'unrefined" but so good (I ate five while taking this picture).

Valentine Oatmeal Cookies

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup butter; softened

3/4 cup sugar

2 Tbsp milk

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup oatmeal (regular or instant)

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt.  Add all but the oatmeal (I know this seems weird that you don't cream the butter and sugar but just go with it).  Mix until combined and stir in oatmeal.  Roll and cut. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes...until slightly golden on edges.

My daughter added the sugar sprinkles but the cookies are good with icing...or icing and sugar.  And I'm happy to share that the cookie cutter I used came from Bake it Pretty.

Happy Valentine's Day! 

brownie mix

The last day of school is this week so we will be putting together these brownie kits for the kids' teachers.   I'll make a couple of extra too...because you never know what gift situation might come up and, even it you end up using them yourself, it never hurts to have a brownie mix on hand.  

I made a 4x6 recipe card to go along with the mix and you can download a copy.  Just to be clear, the card is the recipe that goes to the recipient of the mix (see the above link for how to make the dry mix)...but you knew that right?

Like last year, I'm putting the dry mix in zip lock bags and placing it inside a brown bag.  I might use a ribbon to tie on the recipe card or I might staple it to the bag...easy to put in a backpack and make it to school all in one piece.  

shortbread cookies

Let the baking season begin...the best part of the holidays.  I've had pie for breakfast for the last two days so the season actually started a few days ago but you get the idea.  

With three kids, it's not really feasible to have a completely "handmade" holiday but baked goods make easy handmade gifts (plus they get consumed so the recipient doesn't have more stuff around their house).  I made these shortbread cookies for an exchange with my friends from school.  They are simple, pretty, good and, baked in paper cups, they are easy to give.

4 sticks butter; softened

1 C sugar

4 C flour

1/2 tsp coarse salt

1 tsp vanilla

2 C milk chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add vanilla and combined flour and salt.  Stir until combined.  Stir in chocolate.  Line muffin pans with paper baking cups and scoop 2 Tbsp sized drops in each cup.  Flatten slightly. Bake at 325 for 12 minutes until they brown slightly. Cool and dust with powdered sugar.