8 Days, A week....the heat is on

If yall get a chance to see it, on channel 29 on my tv, the movie surviving Christmas. Its about a man that hired a family for Christmas holidays that were now living in the house he grew up in. I laughed all the way through it! Ok good day all, stop to smell the snowflakes now and then and will catch ya later on this evening or night. Hugs to All!!

Flowers, I saw that one and enjoyed it.

I've been organizing all morning! Just a quick stop, got so much to do, both at work and home.

The baskets ended up having a variety of stuff. Some are different than the others. snack mustard, pretzels (bought - I tried making them, what a joke) fortune cookies (bought chopsticks) triple decker fudge, jujulenes,

THOSE CHOCOLATE BALLS FROM DAVE'S CHOCO RECIPE THAT DIDN'T SET UP? I ROLLED IT INTO BALLS AND DIPPED IN CHOCO (THOSE DISKS) AND SOME IN FINE GROUND NUTS - OMG, TO DIE FOR.

No, I wasn't yelling, just shouting for joy. They are killer. I forgot what else. One has hot chocolate mix and a mug, and I made these homemade graham crackers, sandwiched with blueberry preserves with chocolate drizzled on them. From the Martha Stewart magazine, but they don't look like hers, of course.

I'm bad about taking pictures, but I'll try. Still want to do chocolate dipped spoons and maybe those no bake oatmeal cookies.

Gotta run, lots to do today. It's the end of the year, gotta track down company vehicles & get mileage, all sorts of stuff like that.

Someone at work made these. They looked great, tasted wonderful! but so easy to make!

Chocolate Drop Pretzels

Container: cookie sheet
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound (1 bag) of mini round pretzels
14 ounces (1 bag) of Hershey's Kisses or Hugs
17 3/5 ounces (1 bag) of M&M candies

Directions

Preheat oven to 200°.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment or waxed paper.
Place as many pretzels on the cookie sheet as will fit.
Top each with a Hershey's Kiss or Hug. The Hugs chocolates melt faster than Kisses.
Place in oven and remove when candy begins to soften just enough to press an M&M candy or decoration into softened candy.
Top each with a holiday M&M or decorative candy of choice.
Allow to cool completely and then place in freezer for 15 minutes to firm up chocolate.
Remove from freezer, place pretzel candies in airtight container and store in freezer until ready to use.

those do look good, Venice...
I just sampled a lemon snowdrop oh those are GOOD! If you make them, roll them inot teeny tiny balls, a teaspoon size, they come out in a better shape. They flatten a bit with cooking.

Hey Flowers, hey Venice...good morning...sorry cyber muffins are lacking Lynnie. Venice those look good. Might give them a try. Hope everyone has a great day...catch ya later

Hi Joy....just in case I am not around when ya log in wanted to give ya a wave hello.

wow Venice. those look really good. I think my oven can handle 200° without going crazy on me.

I better not tackle any more projects until I get some of my other ones done.

but in case I do... Lynnie - Betty Crocker, right?

when I said betty crocker I meant the 1950's cookbook, I have not had a bum recipe from it ever. the cookies came out yummy, so did the macaroons. In between batches I'm trying to get my cards done.

Lynnie, macaroons!!!! I love coconut! Would you mind sending me that recipe? Do I have all the other ones you are baking? Except for the kitty yuck! and Dave's chocolate. By the way, is the 1950 BC cookbook better than the more recent ones?

Moon, these broms look so puny and pale. I am not sure if they have grown at all since I got them at least 3 months ago I think. Do you think I should just leave them alone and see if they do anything?

coconut macaroons (makes about 34)
Ingredients
5 1/2 cups flaked coconut (one 14 oz bag)
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
In large mixing bowl, combine coconut, sweetened condensed milk and extracts; mix well.
Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto aluminum foil-lined and generously greased baking sheets VERY WELL. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Immediately remove from baking sheets. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

I didn't use any almond extract, and I chilled the dough overnight. I also dipped them in melted dark chocolate after they cooled.

I think the 1950's cookbook is better, Venice, the baked goods are actually less sugary, the recipes use all fresh ingredients. A lot of today's cookbooks use "a package of this and a package of that."

that macaroon recipe is not from the cookbook, though...the BC cookbook recipe didn't use sweetened condensed milk, it used egg whites and I'm in a time crunch so I went with the quicker easier one. I'm sure Betty's recipe is less sweet. If I have more time next time, I'll try that one.

Oh my gosh those look so good! I am not fond of almond extract either. How do you dip them in chocolate. Do you dip them while they are still warm? How do you hold them? Do you use just baking chocolate? As you can tell I have never dipped anything in chocolate before!

Lynnie, I rather start with just plain ingredients also rather than mixing packages of stuff. Not that I cook much at all now, but every once and a while it would be good to have some good recipes. I will have to look for the 1950 edition.

Lynnie, I just looked on ebay and there are 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th editions of the 1950 book. Do you know which one you have?

1st edition, it was my MIL's

Made a mistake. The were all 1st edition but came in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th PRINTINGS.

mine's a 6th printing, it says copyright 1950 I just checked it for you, it's the same as the red one with the white swirl design on ebay. I wanted one for a long time, before ebay existed lol I was so happy when my MIL gave me hers.

I think it means your burning out when you dig out tree ornaments put in floor and just stare at them lol Found a box to mail pkgs at convenience store, its a beer box and called post office and they said I can't use it. Back to the hunt!!!

Venice, The broms look fine. Are they near a window? Broms do well in shade as long as they get good bright light, and they are rather slow growing. Yours should do fine. it can take a while after separating for them to start taking off.

flowers what if you wrap the box in plain brown paper?

You can use any box if you cover it with plain brown paper. I get it at the Dollar Store for a buck a roll, or you can use brown paper grocery bags. The box can not have advertising or regulated logos on it and Beer is a regulated item. I always found it was easier to wrap the box that search for ever to find one that makes the post office happy.

Thats what I suggested to the lady on the phone but she said no that it would come off in transit. Its a shame because its the perfect size and has lid on it . Oh well. Hows cookies coming? Hey Moon!

I thought about spray painting it and having them just print me out a mailing label. Don't know why that wouldn't work, I have black or green paint. Not too pretty, but its whats inside that counts I always heard lol

That is so strange, Flowers. As you know i ship things overseas a lot, and I have never had a single problem when using Kraft paper wrapped boxes. I secure all the seams with packing tape and the post office here doesn't bat an eye.Sorry.

I've got a Fed Ex box I bought last year, but they want to ship if I use it and I just want to mail out. Picky, picky,picky.

I may try it anyway Moon, I called the 1-800 # and they read the regulations out of a book to you.

The only reason I questioned it was because I mailed a pkg a couple of years ago and had to take a magic marker and mark thru all the writing on the box, couldn't have any on it. That isn't gonna happen with this beer box it is covered with Budweiser logos, would take a truck of magic markers lol

The worst that can happen is they say no when you show up at the post office. Just make sure the lid is securely taped shut and that you wrap the paper snugly and tape all seams so nothing can catch on the equipment.

Thought about turning it inside out. I'm good but I'm not that good lol

well lady at store had a box without a lid so if she gets another in that I can use for a top I will go that route was just hoping to get it mailed out by Monday at the latest. Enough about my boxes, how are my buddys fairing today?

Haven't seen Joy in here today, must be out shopping or baking too.

There is something about mailing alcohol (even if you are not). Ordered a couple gift baskets a few years ago and one of them could not be shipped because it contained a bottle of wine.I think there are 12 states than will not allow shipment of alcohol...I know AL, MS,AR,OK, CO, MA and a few others do not.

yea she said they treat it as what the box says, which makes sense I suppose.

I think Joy mentioned something about seeing her Dad today, or finishing up shopping...can't remember if that was yesterday or going to do today.

Well I went out and got kerosene,milk and dog food (the essentials) they seem pretty sure we are gonna get an accumulation of snow starting tomorrow. So Let It Snow!

I just noticed we haven't heard from JJ today...sure hope she didn't catch what the GS had.

We are getting an accumulation of rain right now....and supposed to be down in the 30's tomorrow...you stay warm and safe, Flowers

You too Moon, are you expecting snow?

Dixie must be still out chasing her tail, think she was having computer problems on both computers.