Heavenly Homemakers

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My Random Christmas Food Post

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I’ve had several posts lately about gifts of food. Obviously I have more of a fondness for food than I have for Snuggies. Although…we could always give the gift of food…with a Snuggie. Hmm, I might be on to something there.

This week my father-in-law is here…Adam is hanging out while he gets in a few more days of work in before heading home for Christmas…plus my friend Shannen is here for a couple of days! I feel like making my food festive.

Out come the cookie cutters.

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I just put them in a basket and left them on the counter so that they’re easy to grab (and so that I don’t have to sort through the Easter bunny and pumpkin cookie cutters every time I want to make a stocking shaped biscuit).

Here’s a post from last year about how I used my Christmas cookie cutters to make Christmas Biscuits, Christmas Donuts, Christmas Graham Crackers and Christmas Pizzas.

I’ll be making some of the same this week…plus I experimented cutting out star shaped Peanut Butter Honey Fudge. 

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It worked great. Except for the fact that Malachi was helping me cut out the stars. Then he went to go play and came back with hives all over his neck. We’ve been suspicious, but this confirmed to us that yes…he has an allergy to peanuts. Poor guy.

So, I experimented with Lindsey’s coconut oil/cocoa/honey fudge for Malachi. I’d been wanting to try it for a while and…YUM! It’s super good!

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This fudge was a little gooey and therefore harder to cut into stars…so I left most of it as little squares. I love how healthy this fudge is!

Now…talking about fudge always makes me think about salad dressing.

Okay, not really. Talking about fudge always makes me think about fudge.

But now I’m going to talk about salad dressing.

Hey, I didn’t call this a random post for nothin’.

Anyway, I was putting together Anne’s stocking stuff which surprise, surprise consists largely this year of food. I made a jar of Ranch Dressing Mix and a jar of Italian Dressing Mix for her, which I know she will adore and appreciate.

dressingmixessmI’ll attach a little card explaining how to make each of the dressings.

Okay, last but certainly not least because I am VERY excited to tell you this next piece of foody news! I finally took the time to create lists on each of my Recipe Pages containing each recipe in that particular category. This will make it SO MUCH EASIER for all of us to navigate and find the recipes on my site.

To understand what I’m talking about…go up to the menu bar across the top of my site. Put your cursor over the RECIPES link. See the drop down menu? Click on any one of those links…Main Dishes, Desserts, whatever. Scroll down on the page you click on and you’ll see a section called “Recipe Quick Click“. Under that you’ll see an entire list complete with links to EVERY RECIPE in that particular category. And it’s alphabetized. 

I’ve been wanting to do that forever…but knew it would take forever to do. It did. It took me about four and a half hours to create those lists with links. But…WOW…is it easy to find Swiss Steak and Homemade Soft Pretzels and ANY recipe you want on my site. Hoorah!

So…have any random food news you’d like to share? Does talking about fudge also make you think of salad dressing?

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Make a Simple Homemade Christmas Angel Ornament

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Simple Angel Ornament Craft

The boys and I saw this fun idea hanging on a Christmas tree at the library last week. I couldn’t believe how simple…yet how sweet these ornaments are. Check it out…they’re angels made from a funky paper clip.

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Standing at the library Christmas tree examining the ornaments, I kept going on and on about how sweet the angels were. My boys were interested for about two seconds, then they just stood there nodding politely with a look in their eyes that told me that they’d rather make a pea shooter from a paper clip than an angel.

Fine, fine…but I like the angel. And so I made some. All by myself because my manly boys weren’t interested.

I thought they were interested at one point because they came into the kitchen while I was making them and said, “Ooh, what are ya makin’?”

“Those sweet little angels we saw at the library,” I told them eagerly, handing them a piece of ribbon and a bead.

Nah, it would seem that they really were just hoping I was making some kind of food.

Oh well…maybe for those of you with girl children…or kids littler than mine…you can enjoy the wonderful activity of making these ornaments together with your family. If not, bring over your beads, ribbon and funky paper clips so you and I can ooh and aah over our pretty little creations! (To their credit, my boys did think my finished results were nice.)   (And then they asked for food again.)

Because I already had ribbon and beads hanging around…my only purchase was the paper clips (which I found at Wal-mart). I was then able to make these Angel Ornaments for just a few cents each!

You will need:   Thin ribbon, beads, funky paper clips, needle and thread

angel1sm

As you take a look at the following tutorial, pay no attention to the fact that some of the pictures show green ribbon with clear beads and some show red ribbon with green beads. I had to take the pictures in stages…in between feeding snacks to boys.

angel6smCut a piece of ribbon about 10 inches long.

angel2smFold the ribbon in half.

angel3smPush the folded part of the ribbon through a bead.

angel7smPull ribbon through…

angel8sm…then fold it around the “neck” of the paper clip.

angel9smWith your needle and thread, stitch the ribbon together.
(This was the best way I found to hide the excess ribbon behind the angel’s head.)
To see exactly where you stitch the ribbon, scroll back up to the picture right above this one. See where my thumb is? Stitch there…removing your thumb first.

angel4smOoh. Aah. So pretty. So simple.

Much cuter than a pea shooter…don’t you think so?

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Christmas Gifts of Food

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I love giving gifts of food!

Here’s my biggest tip and reason for giving food gifts!!! Let’s say you need to take  something to a generic gift exchange. All gifts are expected to be around $20. But you don’t want to spend $20 on a gift exchange because…well…you don’t. $20 is a lot of money.

My solution? Make a gift of food. You can make it inexpensively…but a homemade food item is WORTH more than you spend on the ingredients. People pay big bucks for a homemade pie or loaf of bread or platter of cookies. Therefore, they are happy to receive a homemade food gift and will not feel slighted because you didn’t spend $20. Your gift costs less…but is WORTH $20, right?

So, if you:

  • Have no idea what to give someone as a gift…
  • Have someone on your gift list that has everything and needs nothing…
  • Need a gender generic gift for a gift exchange…
  • Want to do something nice for your friends and neighbors and coworkers…

Bake up something yummy. You can hardly go wrong with a homemade gift of food.

Here are a few food gift ideas with recipe links:

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

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Cinnamon Rolls

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Orange Cream Cheese Cut Out Cookies

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Christmas Spice Cookies

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Chocolate Snowballs

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Reindeer Cuties

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Snickerdoodles

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For friends who can’t have wheat or gluten (or even if they can!):

Coconut Macaroons

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Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Kiss Cookies

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Peanut Butter Honey Fudge

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Check out this post for additional food gift ideas of Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce, Kettle Corn, Applesauce Bread, Pretzel Wreaths, and Merry Christmas and a Hoppy New Year Candy Cane Card!!

What are your favorite food gifts to package up and share?

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A New Way To Multi-Task During Christmas Time: Swap Baking

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Yay for me. I have some really smart friends. Smart friends who have great ideas about ways to share.

I mentioned here how my smart friend Anne and I came up with the idea to save our husbands the trouble by filling each other’s stockings.

Well, I have another smart friend named Rhonda who shared an idea with me regarding holiday baking.

She said that she and a friend of hers make plans as to what they will be baking during the weekend. They coordinate so that they aren’t both baking the same things. Then they double up what they bake…because if you’re already baking two loaves of pumpkin bread, you might as well make four loaves of pumpkin bread, right?

THEN, they swap baked goods. 

For example:

If Rhonda bakes 4 loaves of Pumpkin Bread and 4 loaves of Applesauce Bread and 2 batches of Cinnamon Rolls…

And Rhonda’s friend bakes a double batch of Soft Pretzels and a double batch of Breakfast Cookies and a double batch of Sweet Potato Streusel Muffins…

And then they divide the portions in half and TRADE….

Then both Rhonda and her friend have: 2 loaves of Pumpkin Bread, 2 loaves of Applesauce Bread, a batch of Cinnamon Rolls, a batch of Soft Pretzels, a batch of Breakfast Cookies and a batch of Sweet Potato Streusel Muffins to put into the freezer and pull out as needed during the holidays.

Twice the variety of food…half the mess. I LOVE this idea.

Of course, I’d want to make sure my friend and I agreed on some of the ingredients used (like real butter and whole wheat flour, etc.)…or if you eat gluten free or have food allergies in your household…you’d need to work out all of those specifics.

But I’m thinking I may just try this idea sometime. And I’m thinking I’ll pick someone who’s good at making fudge.

Oh wait, maybe I’d better not.
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This post is linked to Kitchen Tip Tuesdays.

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How I (the mom) Have a Stuffed Stocking

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I actually can’t take complete credit for this idea. It was sort of mutually figured out by my friend Anne and me. And she’s really the smart one.

stocking

One year we were laughing about what our husbands have stuffed into our stockings last minute discussing that our husbands really don’t do a great job of filling our Christmas stockings for us. It’s not because our husbands are not thoughtful…or that they don’t care about us…or that they don’t like to give us gifts.

It just seems that in the big picture of working 50+ hour work weeks to provide for their family and chopping wood for their fireplaces and spending time with their children and helping out with different needs at church…filling our Christmas stockings isn’t very high on our husbands’ radar.

And that’s 100% completely okay with us. 

But we both still think it’s fun to have stuff in our stockings on Christmas morning. Plus, our kids might notice if all the stockings are fat and ours is hanging there all limp and skinny.

So…Anne and I fill each other’s stockings. We’ve been doing this now for about five years.

It is a blast.

I know what Anne likes and needs for her kitchen or for her cold feet or for her school time with her girls. She knows what I like and need for my kitchen or for my dry hands or for my “I love jars” obsession.

It completely takes the pressure off of our husbands and they LOVE IT. 

We make things or find things for each other inexpensively. We’ve never set a price limit on our stocking filling project…because we both think alike when it comes to money and neither of us spends very much. A few dollars at most.

Then we wrap each item individually and hand each other a bag full of goodies sometime before Christmas. Christmas Eve…we each dump our stuff into our stockings to be opened Christmas morning.

I’m telling you…this is always SO much fun!!! 

And did I mention that our husbands love it?

I know that some husbands like filling a stocking for their wives. 

But if yours is one that doesn’t…forward this post to one of your friends and let the fun begin!!!

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Holiday Help: What to Do With Leftover Mashed Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes

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I seem to almost always over-shoot when I estimate how many potatoes to make for a holiday meal. Just in case you also have a few leftover mashed potatoes…here are some ideas for ways to use them up:

Mashed Potato PancakesYum

Leftover mashed potatoes
1/4 cup whole wheat flour (for every 2 cups of mashed potatoes)
Butter

Mix mashed potatoes and flour together. Melt a little butter in the bottom of a skillet. Spoon scoops of mashed potato mixture into hot butter and flatten a bit. Flip potato cake several times to ensure than you don’t burn the sides…but so that the cake is heated through and through.

potatopancakessm

Cheesy Mashed Potatoes

Leftover mashed potatoes
1/2 cup sour cream (for every 3 cups of mashed potatoes)
Shredded cheddar cheese (I use raw white cheddar)

Re-warm mashed potatoes. Remove potatoes from heat and stir in sour cream. Spread into a casserole dish. Sprinkle with cheese and heat in the oven until cheese is melted and bubbly.

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Shepherd’s Pie

You’ll find the recipe for Shepherd’s Pie here. Just mix it up and spread the leftover mashed potatoes over the top. So easy!

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Have leftover sweet potatoes?

Stir them into these Sweet Potato Streusel Muffins!

sweetpotatomuffins2smThese muffins taste as good as they look and smell!

Both mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes can also be frozen to save for another time. It’s wonderful to have frozen mashed potatoes and mashed sweet potatoes ready to add to one of the above recipes!

Share how you use up your mashed potato and sweet potato leftovers!

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Holiday Help: How to Make Turkey Gravy

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Turkey Gravy is easy when you follow these steps!

How to Make Turkey Gravy

I think gravy is my family’s favorite part of the holiday meal. “You want any potatoes with that gravy?!”

I know some people are intimidated by making gravy…afraid to make it lumpy and all that. (And then there are people who like lumps in their gravy. “What are these delicious lumps you put in your gravy?”)

Here’s the easiest way I’ve found to make turkey (or chicken or beef) broth gravy:

Easy Turkey GravyYum

You will need:

Step One: Pour broth into a medium saucepan.

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Step Two: Spoon arrowroot powder (or cornstarch or flour) into a small jar or glass.
(Surprise, surprise…I use  a jar.)

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Step Three: Add water to arrowroot powder and whisk smooth with a fork.

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Step Four: Bring broth to a boil  (Try saying “bring broth to a boil” five times fast.)

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Step Five: Slowly pour arrowroot powder (or cornstarch, or flour)/water mixture into boiling broth, stirring while you pour. (I usually make gravy with a whisk. On picture taking day, I used a wooden spoon. Either one works, but a whisk usually helps in case lumps want to form.

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Step Six: Stir at medium to high heat until gravy thickens.
Turn down the heat and allow the gravy to simmer for a minute or two.
Salt to taste and serve your gravy.

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Trouble Shooting:

  • If gravy refuses to thicken, stir in tiny bits of arrowroot powder (or cornstarch, or flour)/water mixture until it is thick enough for your liking.
  • If gravy is too thick, stir tiny bits of water or milk to thin it out.
  • If gravy doesn’t have enough lumps for your liking, add sprinkles of arrowroot powder or flour and just try to stir them in. They won’t stir in no matter what you try, thus causing lumps.
  • If conversation around the Thanksgiving Table is lagging…challenge your guests to say “Bring Broth to a Boil” five times fast. That’s sure to liven up any party.
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Holiday Help: The Easiest Way (in My Opinion) to Cook a Turkey

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Ready to learn the easiest way to cook a turkey? Lean in. This is so helpful!

turkey

Yum

Clearly the easiest way to cook a turkey is to let someone else cook the turkey. ;)  But, if you’re the one in charge of preparing the meal this year…let me share the easiest way I’ve found to cook a turkey.

I remember being so intimidated to cook a turkey the first time I hosted a Thanksgiving dinner. I called my mom a million times to ask questions. Could it really be that cooking a turkey is as simple as taking out the innards, putting it in a pan, covering it, and baking it? Yes, it is that easy.

My holiday turkeys are not fancy. I don’t stuff them. I don’t slather them with anything. I just put them into the oven and cook them. They create their own broth…smart little birds that they are.

Easiest Way to Cook a Turkey

How to Cook a Turkey the Easy Way

Pick your turkey:  You will need about 1 ½ pounds of turkey per person you are serving. Buy your turkey accordingly. Or, buy a larger one if you want to have lots of turkey leftovers. (Here are all kinds of ideas for what to do with leftover turkey.)

Thaw your turkey: Place the turkey in the refrigerator for 3-4 days until thawed.

Prepare your turkey: Once the turkey is thawed, reach in and grab out the bag of giblets. (This is by far every one’s favorite step, right?!)  Empty the giblets into your roasting pan as they help make a good, rich broth. Place the turkey, breast side up, into a large baking pan or roaster.

turkeyroaster

These are my favorite kinds of turkey roasters.
I picked mine up at a garage sale one year for 50 cents!

Cook your turkey: Season your turkey any way you like. I find a turkey to be so flavorful as-is, I rarely do much with seasonings. Though salt, pepper, garlic, and onion make the turkey a step above!

Cover with foil or with your roaster lid. Cook at 325° for 15-20 minutes per pound. (For instance, a 20 pound turkey would need to bake for five hours.)  You know your turkey is done cooking when the little red button pops up, or when the legs start to pull away from the body. Your turkey should be golden brown and slightly crisp looking. (Light brown and slick looking? Mr. Turkey is not done yet.)

To Cook your Turkey ahead of time (I highly, HIGHLY recommend doing this!!):

You can cook your Thanksgiving turkey as many days ahead of time as you want. I know most of you like turkey fresh out of the oven on Thanksgiving Day. But, here’s what I learned from my mom, and it really saves a lot of trouble on the big day when I’d really enjoy visiting instead of messing with a big bird.

Cook and cool your turkey any day before Thursday. De-bone and put meat in baggies. Pour broth into jars (3/4 full). Freeze or refrigerate, depending on how far in advance you cooked the turkey. If frozen, thaw in refrigerator the day before serving.

To reheat turkey, put as much light and dark meat as you think you will need for the Thanksgiving meal in a 9×13 pan. Drizzle a liberal amount of broth over turkey, cover and warm in 300° oven for 30-45 minutes or until meat is hot and steamy.

No one will ever know that you prepared your turkey ahead of time (except for the fact that you won’t be carving the turkey in front of them). It is always juicy and moist. I do it this way every year, and I’m always so thankful that the messy part is over before Thanksgiving day!

Are you in charge of cooking a turkey this year?! Do you stuff your turkey? Have any more helpful turkey cooking tips to share?

The Easiest Way to Cook a Turkey

You might also want to know:  How to Make Turkey Gravy.

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