Holiday Backtrack

April fun in the wake of the April Fool’s event (btw turkey cake tutorial coming up next…):

Pretty fingers. First finger nail polish for Lily and she LOVED it!

And Easter Egg decorating.  We didn’t get to spend last Easter together as a family because Neal and I (and baby Lily) were house hunting at the time.

And we even celebrated Earth Day in our own way.  We had the missionaries over for dinner and for dessert we each had to decorate our own earth cookie, doing our best to be as geographically correct as possible. Neal won the best looking globe award.

Guest Posting and Additional Chinese New Year Gift Ideas!

Hey everyone! I wanted to share with you one of my favorite foodie/crafty/full of awesomeness blog, La Fuji Mama, who believe it or not, asked me to do a guest post for Chinese New Year! Check it out here! Featured there are Lucky Gifts for the Chinese New Year including a recipe for a fabulous Tangerine Peel Chicken Recipe and an orange applique baby project.

But I’m not done overloading you with citrus, oh no! There is not enough time as I’m already taking up valuable Dim Sum of All Fears free giveaway time. So here is my gift to you on this first day of the Year of the Ox! These are worth it but not as Asiany as your typical Chinese New Year gift: Orange Rolls, Orange Chocolate Fortune Cookies, and Orange Pocky!

I love Lion House rolls and I LOVE orange rolls – how smart that they put the two together?

I like this recipe compared with others because it seems to use more orange zest (!) and less sugar (!!). And it uses up food storage items (!!!) Too good to be true!

Orange Lion House Rolls

modified from a recipe by Brenda Hopkin

Ingredients:

• 1 recipe dough for Lion House Dinner Rolls
• ½ cup butter, melted
• Zest from two oranges
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 recipe Orange Icing (see below)

After dough for Lion House Dinner Rolls has risen the first time, roll dough on floured surface to rectangle about ¼ inch thick. Combine melted butter and orange zest in a small bowl; brush over dough. Sprinkle with sugar. Roll up the dough as you would cinnamon rolls. Using regular unflavored floss, cut the roll into 2-inch thick pieces. Place on lightly greased baking sheet. Allow to rise until double in size, about 40 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes, until light golden brown. Remove from oven and brush with melted butter. Allow to cool about 10 to 15 minutes, drizzle with Orange Icing. Makes 18 rolls.

Orange Icing

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice (reserve from zested oranges used in Orange Roll Recipe)
• 2 to 4 tablespoons heavy cream, or 2 tablespoons half-and-half

Place powdered sugar and orange juice in a small bowl; add half the amount of heavy cream. With spoon or mixer, mix until smooth. If icing is too thick, add more cream a little at a time. The hotter the rolls are when frosted, the thicker the frosting needs to be. Note: You can add more orange flavor by mixing in 1 to 2 teaspoons orange zest if desired.

Lion House Dinner Rolls

Ingredients:

• 2 cups warm water (110 to 115 degrees)
• 2/3 cup nonfat dry milk (instant or non-instant)
• 2 tablespoons dry yeast
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/3 cup butter, shortening, or margarine
• 1 egg
• 5 to 5 ½ cups all-purpose flour, or bread flour

In large bowl or electric mixer, combine water and milk powder; stir until milk dissolves. Add yeast, then sugar, salt, butter, egg, and 2 cups flour. Mix on low speed until ingredients are wet, then for 2 minutes at medium speed. Add 2 cups flour; mix on low speed until ingredients are wet, then for 2 minutes at medium speed. (Dough will be getting stiff and remaining flour may need to be mixed in by hand). Add about ½ cup flour and mix again, by hand or mixer. Dough should be soft, not overly sticky, and not stiff (It is not necessary to use the entire amount of flour).

Scrape dough off sides of bowl and pour about one tablespoon of vegetable oil all around sides of bowl. Turn dough over in bowl so it is covered with oil. (This helps prevent dough from drying out). Cover with plastic and allow to rise in warm place until double in size.

Follow recipe for Orange Rolls at this point.

Jazz up the chocolate dipped fortune cookie idea for a subtle lucky Chinese New Year gift! (even if fortune cookies are a ‘western’ idea)

Orange Chocolate Fortune Cookies

Ingredients

• Fortune cookies
• dipping chocolate
• orange oil (not orange extract!)

Melt chocolate following packaging instructions. Add a couple drops of orange oil to melted chocolate and stir. Add more drops if needed until you reach your desired flavor potency. Dip half of each fortune cookie and place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or waxed paper. Let chocolate harden and serve!

Orange Pocky Sticks

And I just really like these and they were a recent find for me! I’ve had Pocky before but had never seen orange flavored. They are pretzel-like biscuit sticks dipped in orange flavored chocolate (white or milk choco) and my Aedan loves them to bits. They can be found at most Asian food grocery stores. Except for maybe this one, which I can’t find anywhere! Deluxe!

The long of it: Chocolate

This is me taking notes for the next time I make goodies for the holidays. Neal made more toffee and then tried his hand at making peanut brittle but the recipe was copied wrong and he ended up with a dark mass of gross peanuts that were rejected and shoved outdoors and was slowly devoured by local squirrels. I also made buckeye balls but they didn't make my top three list this year. So here they are:

My brother and sil gave us a bucket full of gourmet chocolate goodies. Our favorite was the chocolate and caramel covered marshmallows (would you call it a chococarmallow?) on a stick. It seems they took two big mallows and put it on a thick lolly or cookie stick and dipped it in some very good caramel and then some very good chocolate. Simple but fun and probably too good to be good for me!

I finally did it! Cherry cordials will either make people shout for joy or gag in disgust, there is no middle ground when it comes to these treats. At least that has been my experience with everyone I've encountered. I used to HATE cherry cordials until I tried some homemade ones. And I've been dreaming about making them ever since but never got up the nerve to do so. I've seen many recipes but this one looked to be the easiest with the least potential to be a gooey mess when eating (probably one reason I didn't like store bought ones). I thought they were delicious but could definitely be improved if I were to find some good dipping chocolate around here (any suggestions anyone?).

How does one make them? My piece of advice to you is to freeze the drained maraschino cherries (without stems) individually to make wrapping the cream fondant around them a breeze. Wrap the fondant and dip and let them set. That's it! Stick them in the freezer and you'll have some for much later. I'm thinking we'll have some for Valentines Day too. Recipe at bottom of post.

The same bro and sil who gave us the chococarmallows made a ton of cookies to share on Christmas Day. Among them were chocolate cookies with Hershey Kisses inside, Mexican Wedding Balls, and huge sugar cookies.  Mmmmmmmmmmmm

Cherry Cordials
modified from Old-Fashioned Candy Recipes by Bear Wallow Books

1/2 cup butter
4 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
2 Tbs. milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
80 maraschino cherries, drained

Drain and de-stem cherries. Place on wax paper on a cookie sheet, making sure none are touching, and freeze in the freezer.  In a large mixing bowl cream butter and sugar until soft and fluffy.  Blend in milk and flavorings (I know I mention them a lot, but, Penzey's extracts are amazing here).  Remove a few cherries from the freezer at a time as they defrost quickly.  Shape mixture into half-inch balls and press a frozen cherry into center of each, or mold mixture around each frozen cherry (use extra confectioners sugar to keep from sticking to hands).  Place centers on waxed paper and refrigerate until ready to dip in chocolate. Dip into dipping chocolate and place onto wax paper.  Refrigerate until set.  Can freeze cherry cordials, remove from freezer a few hours before serving.

The long of it: Gingerbread Trains and Family Faces

We've sort of started a tradition of making gingerbread trains when we have family over for our Pre-Christmas/Post-Jackie-BDay event and while it may seem like a lot of work, it is really not too bad and the results are more than worth it. The gingerbread itself is really yummy (recipe at the bottom w/links to templates). Here are pics of us making the trains, enjoying the sugar high, and starting our family Christmas program. 

Gingerbread Trains

dough recipe and printable templates for trains from Family Fun magazine

You'll need two batches of this dough to make our four-car Gingerbread Train and all its parts -- and still have a little extra left over for nibbling. Mix one batch at a time (rather than doubling our recipe), or the dough will become too difficult to work with. Use Royal Icing to construct your festive choo-choo. **Jackie's note: use the best spices you can find! We use Penzeys for the ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and it really makes a difference.**

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
	5 to 5 1/2 cups flour
	1 teaspoon baking soda
	1/2 teaspoon salt
	2 teaspoons ginger
	1 teaspoon cinnamon
	1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
	1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
	1 cup butter, softened
	1 cup packed light brown sugar
	1 egg, at room temperature
	1 cup molasses
	1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 
1. Sift 3 cups of flour into a large bowl. Combine 2 more cups of flour with the baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, then sift the mixture into the bowl. Stir the ingredients, then set the bowl aside.

2. In another large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, and egg until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the molasses and beat until evenly blended, about 1 1/2 minutes. Blend in the vanilla extract.

3. Using a wooden spoon, stir the dry ingredients into the butter and sugar mixture 1 cup at a time. The dough should be firm; if it's not, gradually stir in up to 1/2 cup more flour.

4. Divide the dough in half. Place each piece in a gallon-size ziplock bag and flatten the dough into a thick rectangle with your hands. Seal the bags and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

5. Repeat steps 1 through 4 with a second batch of dough.

6. Heat the oven to 350°. Working with one piece at a time, remove the dough from the refrigerator and set it on a generously floured cutting board or work surface. With a lightly dusted rolling pin, roll the dough to 1/4 inch thick, about a 10- by 13-inch rectangle.



7. Measure and cut the pieces as shown above or use our templates. As you cut, set aside the scraps of dough, then knead them together into a ball. Flatten the ball into a disk and chill the dough for another 45 minutes, then roll and cut out 9 more circles.

8. Line a large cookie sheet with aluminum foil, leaving some overhang on each end for easier handling. Dust it lightly with flour.

9. Transfer the gingerbread pieces to the foil and bake them on the center oven rack until golden brown, about 15 to 17 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the gingerbread, or it will darken and shrink. Lift the foil to transfer the baked cookies to a rack. Allow the pieces to cool completely before taking them off the foil. Let the gingerbread firm up at room temperature for at least 2 hours before assembling the train. You can also store it in an airtight container if you're planning to assemble it another day.

A Series of MisFortunate Events

Today was one of those days where I probably should have never got out of bed. I woke up early for exercise only to find that my sneakers we washed last night were broken at the heel and I am not the type to have multiple pairs of the same type of shoe if I can help it. Then I took Aedan to a local Touch A Truck day with fire engines, motorcycles, monster trucks, etc., and even took my camera along however I forgot to replace the memory card so no pictures (my sis-in-law took some so I will have to wait for those). Aedan got scared of all the loud horns that filled the air and so he was upset. Aedan spilled a whole lot of juice onto the couch. I just spent precious time on the phone trying to convince a customer service rep for Target that it doesn't take 3 weeks to process an order for a gift card. I baked some cupcakes to give to some certain someones only to remember (all too late) that one does not eat chocolate. I suppose it wasn't the worst of days, we had some fun moments, but I decided to give up and make something to cheer me up.

Many years ago I started hosting my own Chinese New Year dinner (although it has been a while since our last one) and I have found the highlight of the event is making/eating our misfortune cookies.

Sure I could spend time writing about how people believe the fortune cookie is an American invention, or how others believe that it's origins are Japanese. I could tell you I am interested in reading The Fortune Cookie Chronicles to better understand the American craving for faux Chinese cuisine or I could just give up and give you a taste of some weird fortunes that are really out there.

But no, today I will share our fun tradition, one that I shoulda-coulda-woulda posted for April fools and instead am posting it in the wake of the April Fool Food event and feast.

MisFortune Cookies

makes approx 12 cookies (multiply and replenish)

3 Tbsp softened butter

3 Tbsp granulated sugar

1 egg white
1/2 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Write or print fortunes (see below) on strips of paper about 3 inches long and 1/2 inch high.

-Drop rounded teaspoonfuls at a time onto greased baking sheet, placing batter at least 4 inches apart. Shape the batter with the back of a spoon for more uniform, round cookies. cookies should be between 3 & 4 inches in diameter.

-Make no more than 2 cookies per cookie sheet as they cool fast and you will need time to fold each one.

-Bake for 5-7 minutes, or until your cookie is slightly golden brown (may be a bit patchy in color but that is okay)

-Remove from the oven and QUICKLY lift the cookies off of the cookie sheet with a thin, metal spatula. (don't use plastic and don't use a thick metal spatula)
-Flip the cookie upside down onto a smooth flat workspace. Place the fortune in the middle of the cookie, and fold the cookie in half, trying to join ONLY the edges. Don't flatten the middle of the cookie if possible.
-Gently fold the cookie again, seam side up, against the rim of a cup or mug. Hold the pointed edges down with your burning fingers. (one edge will be inside the cup, the other outside.)
-Place the folded cookies in a cool, ungreased muffin tin to help hold their shape. We use a mini-muffin tin, but a full sized muffin tin will work as well, and you can lay them on their sides instead of on their ends. Allow them to cool in the muffin tin until they are firm. Store in Ziploc bags after completely cooled until ready for use.
-Eat the ugly ones - you can't save the poor things so you might as well.

Now for the misfortunes.... If you don't end up making these, at least read a few misfortunes. I made up some, others I got from web misfortune generators, others from Demotivators, and others I pulled from a Weird Al song. Ya, you read that right. If you are looking for similar gems of wisdom in a book form, might I suggest you turn to Ashleigh Brilliant or Jack Handey.

Act natural. Don’t turn around.
You have a big future in food service
Avoid large, heavy objects travelling at a high rate of speed.
At any time, you can marry anyone you please. Trouble is, you can’t please anyone.
They say you are a true miracle worker – if you work, it is a miracle.
You regard free speech not as a right but as a never-ending obligation.
You are far from lazy. You put in a hard day’s work… every week.
You are as much a danger to yourself as you are to others.
This year, people will stop judging you by your appearance and dislike you for who you are on the inside.
Maximum adventure awaits you this year at a minimum wage.
Do not read this fortune under penalty of law.
Before year’s end, you’ll finally find yourself or someone who looks just like you.

People think you’re dull and uninteresting until they get to know you. After that they know for sure.
The words Watoo-Owan-Koha will bring bad luck and premature death to all who read them.
If you live a long life, it will be a remarkable testament to your friends’ and relatives’ self-control.
It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others
You are not one of those people who “goes places in life”.
Simplicity and boredom are your themes in dress.
The star of poverty is shining upon you.
Nice and soft words indicates a weak cause.
If you fall, don’t get up.
If you are given an open-book exam, you will forget your book.
All your hard work will not pay off.
A friend is a present you can buy yourself.
Those who fail to properly care for cars and trucks risk being run over while asleep in bed.
You will have difficulty finding new outlets for your own minor creative abilities.
You will become a great bore in your later years.
To get what you want, you must commit yourself forever to dark forces.
Always remember to pillage before you burn.
There’s travel in your future when your tongue freezes to the back of a speeding bus.
You are the true Lord of the Dance, no matter what those idiots at work say.
Fill that void in your pathetic life by playing Whack-A-Mole seventeen hours a day.
A big promotion is just around the corner for someone much more talented than you.
Help! I’m being held prisoner in a Chinese bakery!
When it comes to helping others, you’ll stop at nothing.
Your fear of monkeys turns out to be not so irrational after all.
Some people have great depth. You have great width.
At the rate you give people headaches, you should buy stock in Excedrin.
You have a big future in food service.
If at first you don’t succeed, nobody will be surprised.

If at first you don't succeed, failure may be your style.

Hard work often pays off after time, but laziness always pays off now.
This fortune was hacked by the Fortune Cookie Liberation Front
Your life will inspire a Country & Western song
Don’t forget, the light at the end of the tunnel could be a train.
In everyone's life a little rain must fall. You, however, would be wise to invest in flood insurance immediately.
This message will self-destruct in 5 seconds. Your lucky numbers: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

**These cookies are great for parties where you have each person read aloud their fortune. These might be nice to make for Halloween too. **

Fool Me Once, Fool Me Twice....

With April 1st approaching, I've been searching the web for some meal ideas as we have made it a tradition to do a special April Fools Day dinner where the main course is the dessert and the dessert is the main course. Let me start by saying that no matter how funny it is, the meal has to be edible and somewhat aesthetically pleasing, meaning it can't gross me out too much otherwise I lose my appetite. There are ideas out there like kitty litter cake or dog food meals and I have to tell you, that just doesn't appeal to me. I'm sorry I can't bring myself to eat it, even if it is yummy. Well I will show you what we did last year.

This was our "dessert" last year (ok, and every year before that), the Meatloaf and Mashed Potato Cake! I use this meatloaf recipe and whip up some mashed potatoes seasoned with the favorites (butter, sour cream, garlic, salt) and basically assemble it as if I would a cake. The meatloaf is separated into two pans for a double layer cake and the frosting is separated and dyed with food coloring for some fun decorating options. Last year I tried to make it look more Easterish by hiding pink/purple eggs in grass, which was fresh cut chives from our backyard. At this meal, Aedan's cousin was badly fooled into thinking she was going to have some cake for dinner and she was sorely disappointed that it didn't taste right.

Last year we had Neal's sister and her family over for the festivities and they brought the "main course", a Brownie T-bone Steak, with fat (mint glaze) and all! It was pretty impressive although many of us just couldn't bring ourselves to eat the fat straight up. But it was very yummy altogether. Well done!

So I was looking ahead for this year's meal and I figured I might as well share my research with you. I have included pictures as it is fun to see and sometimes hard to believe. Just click on the link below each picture to find instructions/recipes for assembling these fabulous April Fools meal ideas:

Fish Stick Surprise! (candy bars in toasted coconut)

Chicken Nuggets and Vegetables (candy) and Mashed Potatoes w/Gravy (ice cream) I've also made the juice "beverage" which is just jello in a cup with a straw set in it but I didn't have a picture. I disguise it even more by putting a lemon or lime slice on the rim of the glass. Neal fell for this one a couple years ago.

Hamburger Cookies!


Candy and Rice Krispie Sushi!

This and the next one don't have recipes for as I think you have to have some special machine to make them but they are good for ideas. This above is asparagus ice cream with two eggs which seem to be just whipped cream and a half canned peach.

This spaghetti ice cream comes with a strawberry topping. I did something similar to this years ago where I had a slice of pound cake covered with piped frosting to resemble the noodles and topped with strawberry topping, malt balls for meatballs, and white chocolate shavings for the cheese. It was too rich.