Feel Good Fridy Video

While this is not really a  feel good video, finals are quickly approaching so I thought I would post this short video on the History of Coffee Culture in America. 

Ornaments

Get creative with some paint brushes

Pick up an old Scrabble game and spell out names and words

Use old wrapping or scrapbook paper

Penguins from light bulbs

Fill clear balls with different colors

Simple, elegance from an old book and some glitter

Hand Painted Mugs

These are super simple to make and in many cases the only money you have to shell out is for the mugs which are super cheep at the dollar store.  Before you start, wipe everything down with glass cleaner and a lint free cloth.  From there get your craft on and draw/write your design with a permanent marker. 

Bake your piece(s) at 350* for 30 minutes and you are good to go!  A lot of sites recommend that you hand wash your creations as opposed to sticking them in the dishwasher.

PRO TIP:  Do NOT use a water based ink - it will melt off as soon as you put it in the oven.  Trust me I lost two carefully painted mugs that way.  

The possibilities are endless here folks.  You can make plates, bowls and containers - get creative. 

If free form is not your thing, you can use vinyl stencils and ceramics paint to trace/stencil a design.  

Make _____ in a Jar

I first got this idea from teacher gifts my mother made years ago.  I have done a couple variations over the years and friends and family have loved them.  As a word to the wise the soup mixes make tons of soup so people should be cooking for the masses or put some in the freezer for later. 

Banana Bread

Soup Mix in a Jar

Brownie Mix in a Jar

For lots more ideas check out the Frugal Girls website. 

Looking for some mason jars?  Check out your local hardware store/craft store or do a quick internet search.

Wrapping Up Those Cookies

Now that you have gotten your morning sugar rush, how are you going to wrap up those cookies?
If you want more cookie ideas check out these 25 Recipes from Paula Deen. 

Well if you make small circular ones you can put them into a wrapped up Pringles container

Just wrap the outside in some festive paper and stick a bow on top

Wrap them up in paper with the recipe on the outside

Get fancy with a paper bag

Pick up some holiday Chinese take out containers - I have always had good luck at The Container Store

Sugar Cookies

Everyone has their favorite sugar cookie recipe, but here is my go to!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup cream cheese* (only if you want puffy cookies - for flatter ones leave out)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 large egg

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and cream cheese (if you're using it) until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in the vanilla and almond extracts, and the egg; scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
4. Add the flour mixture, and mix at low to medium speed until the mixture is evenly moistened.
5. Roll out dough to be about 1/4" thick and cut out with your favorite cookie cutter.  Note you might have to put the dough in the refrigerator to cool off for 15-20 minutes before you roll it out. 
6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes — 10 minutes for softer cookies, 12 minutes for crunchier. The edges of the cookies will just barely begin to brown.
7. Remove from the oven and cool on the pan for 5 minutes, before transferring to a rack to finish cooling completely.
8. Decorate to your heart's content.

Swirling Slice and Bake Cookies

This is a copy and paste job from Our Italian Kitchen.  

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour, plus possibly a few more tbsp 
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup unsifted powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (cut in chunks)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp of food coloring of your choice(and/or 1/2 tsp of any desired extra extracts)
• 1 1/2 cup holiday sprinkles

1. In a stand mixer, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugars with paddle on medium until well blended.

2. Add butter in, gradually, and continue mixing. Add in vanilla extract. At this point, your dough will form a ball on your paddle.

3. Remove all your dough and divide into two equal parts. Return one portion back in to the mixer and add the food coloring and any extra extracts. I used Wilton gel food coloring in leaf green and vanilla extract for this batch. You could coordinate your colors and flavors, for example green food coloring matched with a mint extract or yellow with a lemon extract, etc. Also, if you are using liquid food coloring, you will need to add a few tbsp of flour to keep the dough from becoming too wet. Mix until the color is spread out evenly.

4. Roll out each portions of your dough, between two sheets a wax paper until is reaches about 11 x 9 inches and is 1/4 inch thick. Slide both unto a cookie sheet and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

5. When firm, remove the top sheets of wax paper from both. Brush the uncolored vanilla dough lightly with water using a pastry brush. Then flip the colored dough onto the vanilla uncolored dough so they are stacked atop each other and even. Press the edges lightly with your fingertips to seal them together. Using a small pairing knife, trim the edges of the dough to make straight, even lines.

6. Pour out sprinkles onto a large platter and set aside. Be sure your dough is still cold, but flexible. Once it's ready, begin rolling the long side of dough into a swirl, jelly-roll style. Now, don't get nervous if the outer layer of uncolored dough tears a bit. It's no problem, just pinch and pat those tears and voila, then just keep rolling.

7. Now gently lift your dough log onto the sprinkles and roll away. Cover the log completely with your sprinkles. Wrap the colorfully decorated log in plastic wrap twice. Depending on when you want to bake the cookies, either place the wrapped dough into refrigerator for about 3-4 hours or you can put it the freezer and keep it there for up to 2 months. (If freezing, give yourself time for the dough to defrost in the fridge overnight before cutting.)

8. Slice your dough into 1/4-1/8 inch slices and bake on parchment lined baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 15-17 minutes until edges are slightly golden. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then move them to a cookie rack to finish cooling. Enjoy your whimsical Christmas cookies!

Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients

• 6 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 4 teaspoons ground ginger
• 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon finely ground pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup molasses
• Favorite cookie cutters 

Directions

1. Sift together flour, baking soda, and baking powder into a large bowl. Set aside.
2. Put butter and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until fluffy. Mix in spices and salt, then eggs and molasses. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Divide dough into thirds; wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough on a lightly floured work surface to a 1/4-inch thick. Cut with favorite cookie cutters and space 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, and refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.
4. Bake cookies until crisp but not dark, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.
5. If you want you can decorate the cookies with royal icing.   

Chocolate Peppermint Chip Cookies

Ingredients: 

• 1 1/2 sticks butter
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 5 oz (1/2 bag) Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips

Directions:

Cream butter and sugars, and then add eggs and vanilla. Gradually add dry ingredients. Roll into balls and flatten slightly with the palm of your hand.  Bake at 350* for 10 minutes. 

10 Cup Cookies

The recipe is super simple and reminds me of pound cake where traditionally you use a pound of four ingredients.  For these ten cup cookies, you just need one cup of ten different ingredients (and three other small things).

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup peanut, butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup oatmeal
• 1 cup coconut
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Mix together sugars, butter, peanut butter, and eggs until fluffy.
3. Add flour, oatmeal, soda and baking powder, and coconut - mix well.
4. Add chocolate chips, raisins, and nuts. 
5. Drop cookie dough onto cookie sheets and bake for 13 minutes

Coasters Coasters Everywhere

I always see coasters in the store, think "this would make a great gift", see the price tag and then slowly back away.  Thanks to some DIY magic you can make custom coasters.  You might want to pick up some extra supplies so you can keep some for yourself. 

Citrus Coasters

Map Coasters

(You could use this technique with favorite pictures, postcards, scrapbook paper)

Pressed Flower Coasters 

Tile Coasters

Letting My Inner Martha Stewart Out

So I have recently become addicted to Pinterest (something I swear I have been trying to avoid at all costs) and with Christmas coming up I have been looking for some fun DIY gifts which will not break the bank.  Keep checking in this week for some fun, cheap gifts you can use this holiday season or keep tucked away for future gift ideas.

Check out these 32 signs to determine if you are addicted to Pinterest. 

Run Around the Inner Harbor

The weather, while cold, was beautiful here in Bmore so I decided to head out for a run around the Inner Harbor/do some window shopping. 

Here we have the Public Works Museum - something I will have to add "to do" list admire from afar as it was closed in 2010 due to budget constraints.

I did stumble upon the Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse, which is a registered National Historic Landmark, and the oldest screw-pile lighthouse in Maryland.  The lighthouse, where the keeper and his family lived, has been turned into a small museum.

In 1988, the lighthouse was removed from its place in the water and placed in the Inner Harbor.  The Steinhice family, decendents from one of the most famous light house keepers, restored it to its original beauty.  A few years later it was incorporated into the Baltimore Maritime Museum which is just yards away (but you do not have to pay admission to get in).  

Great view from the deck

Food Policy Making Headlines

Over the past week or so food policy and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) have been making headlines.  This week Newark Mayor Cory Booker will be the second mayor this year to undergo the food stamp challenge; in September, Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton lived off a food budget of $4.16.  As a result, I will be posting some related articles this week next week so stay tuned.

SUS Reunion

Before I headed back to Baltimore I did head into the city for a quick SUS reunion with Alex and Jay!  Sadly do to too much chatting/catching up we abandoned out bike ride, but did have a BOMB brunch.

Jay on his trusty steed, Buzz, with me and Alex following closely behind in the car

The drive back was uneventful, with some heavy traffic, but there were some great views along the way

DE Memorial Bridge - A little blurry, but awesome sky!!

Feel Good Friday Video

According to Moveable Feast's website, the organization is:  

"one of over a dozen established community-university collaborations from across the city nominated for the award.  Founded in 1989, Moveable Feast puts nutritious food on the table for people in Maryland with AIDS, breast cancer and other severe illnesses. 

"Moveable Feast was nominated for the Henrietta Lacks Memorial Award 2012 by Hopkins based bike team Fierce Chicks Rock.  Fierce Chicks Rock and Moveable Feast have an eight year history of successful collaboration, which has resulted in significant funding for Moveable Feast’s food and nutrition services and a better continuum of care, namely for HIV/AIDS patients transitioning to outpatient care."

Check out the video to learn about the work they are doing!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours from me and mine!!!

Be sure to take some time out of you busy, turkey eating, carb loading day to remember what you are thankful for and to give your family and friends a ring!

Favorite Things

Every year when Elise (that would be the sister) and I come home we are always allowed to put in meal requests.  One thing that always tops the list, and we never actually have to ask for, is homemade meatballs and sauce.

These meatballs are something all other meatballs are measured against - basically there is no competition and as a result most of the family does not eat them anywhere, but at family gatherings.  The recipe is one of those great straight off the boat, your distant relative never used measuring cups, etc.  Thankfully my mother started measuring everything as she sat and watched/helped years ago and got many of the family favorites on paper.

The recipe - you didn't actually think I would post the whole thing, did you?

 

Mamadukes was in charge of the chopping, mixing, forming.  I was in charge of picture taking, flipping meatballs and taste testing (duh!)  An no my camera is not broken - the afternoon sun floods the kitchen leaving half of her more illuminated than the other. 

Throw everything into the special meatball making bowl (no joke this is the only thing I have ever seen my mother make meatballs in since I was little)

 

Form into something between a golf ball and a tennis ball

Fry in some oil so they don't fall apart when you add them to the sauce

Voila!

I forgot to take a picture once they were in the sauce/on my plate, but I am sure you could put two and two together!

Thanksgiving at the White House

A few days ago the Washington Post had a great article about different meals which have graced the White House tables over the years.  In prepping your stomach tomorrow for a bounty of delight, check out the article. 

Enough Said!

Thanks DCist!

3 State Lines and NO Second Lunch?!?!

This morning I slept in a bit before I hit the road for Home!!  Armed with some apples from the farmers market, a travel mug of coffee and a book on tape I was ready to tackle the 5+ hour drive.  As the miles kept wizzing by it was strange to be passing gas stations without getting some Blue, climbing over bale hays hay bales and posing with state signs.

I met up with Matt and Jess and we wandered through Brooklyn Heights in the perfect fall weather until we ended up at Iris Café for lunch!!  Super granola and bomb sandwiches like this one, the Ploughman. 

I headed out over the Brooklyn Bridge just as the sun was setting and thankfully hit now traffic!

So I didn't take this picture because I was driving, but this gives you an idea

After dinner with the fam, brownies out of the oven and some Big Bang Theory it was time for lights out!

Elise and I are clearly faking, but Dad is passed out