Honey Drop Cookies

I received this recipe from a lady I went to school with. Her grandmother made these for her when she was a little girl. They are a soft cookie and are Raven's favorite. Be careful not to bake too long or these will burn easily. It is so sad to have cookies burn and you don't have anymore honey in the house and you have to go to town in the dark to locate honey. Hey wait a minute I was thinking back and got carried away. You know what I mean don't you??? Just be sure to rotate your pans and you should be fine.

Needed;

2/3 cup butter flavored Crisco
1 cup honey

Cream until light and fluffy.

Add:

2 eggs (not beaten)
1 t vanilla

Beat with above.

Add:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 t baking soda
1 t salt

Mix with above.

Add:
1 package chocolate chips

Bake on parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake about 6 minutes on lower rack, then move to upper rack for 4-6 minutes or until light and golden. These are so good with milk!

Granny West’s Ginger Snap Cookies

These were my Grandpa West’s favorite cookies. Granny made them for him each winter. She would save bacon grease for this recipe. Yes, I said bacon grease. I like them much better made with bacon grease but you can use shortening. I would say make them first with bacon grease and you will not want to use anything else. They just melt in your mouth when you eat them.

Needed;
1-cup bacon grease or Braum's Butter
2 eggs
6 T Molasses
1 ½ cup sugar
2 ¼ baking soda
3 cups Shawnee Mills flour
1 ½ t cinnamon
1 ½ t ginger

Preheat oven to 350’.

Cream bacon grease, sugar and eggs together until light and fluffy. Add rest of ingredients. Mix until smooth. Form dough, and place into fridge for 1 hour. When chilled roll into 1 inch balls and then roll balls into sugar. Place on parchment lined cookie sheet. These don’t spread a lot. I bake mine 3 wide just to be safe. Bake for10 minutes. They will look soft when you take them out but they will crisp up as they cool. These are so good with hot tea! Must go make tea now.

Sugar Cookie Cutouts

I had never tried this recipe and was so glad when I did. Not sure where I got this one but it sure is tasty! I had to stop myself before I ate them all. If I had used them with butter cream I would have been in T-R-O-U-B-L-E. They are soft but crispy too. My husband likes sanding sugar on them and that is how I made these. I will make them again with royal and butter cream icing for gift baskets. Here is the recipe. You better try it sooner than I did.

Needed;
8 oz. Of cream cheese
1 cup butter
1-½ cups of sugar
2 t. really good vanilla
2 ¼ cups flour
½ t. baking soda

Preheat oven to 350’. Beat cream cheese, butter, sugar and vanilla in bowl and mix until creamy. I use my Kitchen Aid because it is easier and faster for me. Add flour and soda mix well. Cover and place in fridge for 1 hour.

Roll dough ¼ inch thick. Cut into desired shapes.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. They will be soft and crisp up as they cool, so don’t over bake.

Ice with butter cream or royal icing. You can also sprinkle sugar on cut out shapes before baking. They are so good!

Holiday Cookie Party

I really like to make cookies. I also like to eat cookies. Not so good... Our homeschool group is having a Holiday Cookie Party and I am hosting this event along with a my son's wonderful guitar instructor. I know I will make Sugar Cookies, and my Granny West's Ginger Snaps but what else should I make???? Let me think. I know! I will make Honey Drop Cookies. I got this recipe years ago from a lady I went to school with. They are one of Raven's favorite cookies too. Better get busy. I will post the recipes with pictures tomorrow.

Navy Beans

Have you ever wondered why Navy Beans are called Navy Beans??? Well in any case that is what's cookin tonight. We are having Navy beans with ham that is left over from Thanksgiving, fried potatoes and sweet cornbread. Sounds good to me. It snowed here on Beaty's Creek this morning. It was such a pretty sight! We have all the Christmas decorations up and ready for Santa. Need to do a little decorating outside still. Oh, I almost forgot to give you the recipe for the beans. Here it is...

2 lbs washed and sorted Navy Beans
salt to taste
2 quarts of water
Ham bone with ham still on it

After you have rinsed and sorted your beans add to a large chili pot. Pour in your water and add salt. Bring to a hard boil for 1 1/2 hours. Turn down heat to a simmer for 2 hours longer. Beans will be ready to eat. We like ours with a gravy like sauce but not mushy. Make sense? If you like your beans more soupy than thick add more water. We are having ours with fried potatoes and sweet cornbread. Give it a try.

Turkey Salad

I LOVE this turkey salad recipe! My husband does not and likes turkey and Miracle Whip only, nothing else. I like it too but my recipe rocks! Give this a try and eat it on a good homemade whole wheat bread. So good! Can you tell I am excited about eating it?? Better get this posted so I can eat!

Needed;
White turkey meat-chopped into half-inch chunks
3 apples-chopped into half-inch chunks (I used organic jonagold)
4 stalks of celery-chopped
1 cup of walnuts or pecans-chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Enough mayo to make moist

I combine all the above ingredients. I like mine really chilled so I place it in the fridge for several hours, if I can wait that long before I eat it. I like it on bread as I said but I also like it on butter lettuce. Yummy! Not sure what I will make tomorrow. Next week my children have a party that I am making Christmas cookies for. Not sure what kind yet. One will be a sugar cookie with icing but not sure what other kinds I will make. We are also collecting stocking stuffers for needy children. Til later…

Thanksgiving 2008

Turkey

Pecan Pie and Pumpkin Pie

Cranberry Sauce

Here are a few pictures of our Thanksgiving lunch. You do realize I make everything that we eat. I love it and would not have it any other way. We forgot to take pictures of most things. I could not believe it but we did. I was on auto pilot by this time and ready to get home. Oh, did I mention I cooked everything at my parents home. Remind me not to do that again if I even think about it, warn me not to. It is really hard to cook anywhere but home. I love my oven and hate my mothers. Well here are the pictures. Hope you like them. I will post some of my after the turkey recipes tomorrow.