SHE: Tips for Holiday Baking

Hey *|FNAME|*,

Hope you have recovered from the holiday weekend.  Thanksgiving kicks off the holiday baking season for me.  And I am sure it does for you too.  Today I want to share a few tips with you to help make your treats extra tasty.

image via Bing

When baking cakes or cookies using eggs that are at room temperature makes a big difference in the texture. They will be lighter and fluffier.  If you are in a hurry, soak eggs in warm water for 10-15 minutes to bring them to room temperature. Then bake according to your recipe.

Butter versus margarine:  unless the recipe specifically calls for butter, you should be okay using margarine in your recipe.  Butter is a must for pastry, candies, sugar cookies and shortbreads. 

Whichever you  choose the temperature of your butter or margarine is more important.  Too soft, cookies will spread out too much, too cool and the mixture won't cream together well. It will take 30-45 minutes for the butter to reach room temperature.  The finger poke test is the best indicator for the correct temperature.  Poke your finger into the stick of butter, if your finger makes an indention in the butter, it is ideal temperature and will make the best cookie. This is a great article!

When making rolled or cut off cookies, separate the dough. Keep 1/2 in the refrigerator and roll out the other. Keeps it from getting too soft.

I keep evaporated milk on hand for baking too. I substitute it for water in recipes for a richer flavor.  You can also use Almond milk or heavy cream to improve your recipe flavors ~ low fat is never a option! It 's a dessert, just embrace it. 

Keep a few boxed brownie mixes on hand for when you need a quick dessert, but don't have a lot of time.  Adding an extra egg, using whole milk and a teaspoon of vanilla will really bring a homemade taste to your dessert.  You can also add 1/2 cup of chocolate, toffee or butterscotch chips, nuts, chocolate syrup or caramel... whatever flavors you like. 

One last tip~ parchment paper. It is life changing when baking. (Now, don't confuse it with wax paper.. wax paper does not go in the oven)

What do think? Were you already familiar with these tips?  We love to share and plan to have more over the next few weeks.   I will be baking several of my traditional Christmas treats and will be sharing my recipes with you.  We would love you to share some of your family favorites with us. You can  never have too many good recipes.

Let's kick off the season of baking!!     

Xoxo,

Amy

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SHE: Cooks This Week

Hey Y'all,

It is Sunday afternoon and I am thinking about what all we have going on this week and I am determined to plan some yummy dinner options. This is much better than Monday night @ 5:30 thinking "Hmmm, wonder what we can have for dinner??" I admit as empty nesters it is less of a stress for me. But, we really do still like dinner of some sort.

image via google

Now our sweet, organized SHE Lisa ~ she plans her meals for the MONTH complete with grocery shopping. SHE is awesome!!  SHE Brittney & SHE Courtney have both shared their tips (& they are the newlyweds)... I am over here flying by the seat of my pants. I seem to be the only SHE who doesn't meal plan.   Dinner?  sure I can make .....  Don't laugh too much! I am taking baby steps.  

Looking at this week, I know I have commitments 2 nights, so leftovers would be nice for Mike. So I need 5 meals, 2 that are suitable for leftovers. Perusing my guilty pleasure of Pinterest and SHE Degree's website for some inspiration, I think I am going to try these dishes.

Baked Ravioli : You use frozen ravioli, pasta sauce of your choice and mozzarella cheese. Layer and bake. Add a green salad and you have a dinner (and leftovers).

We love chicken and rice. I found this crockpot recipe, but it only takes 4 hour. I would be afraid it might be too "cooked" when we get home.  So that would be a good option for a leftover dinner if I make on the weekend.... didn't happen this weekend, but maybe with some planning it can next week.

Rotisserie BBQ Chicken Sliders: I love using a rotisserie chicken. You can shred it and pour on your favorite BBQ sauce. Serve on little slider buns.    You can also use it to make a quick pot of chicken and rice.  I cook the rice in water with a bouillon cube (you can use chicken broth instead of water), add a little onion and garlic salt. Once the rice begins to simmer, drop in the shredded chicken and cook as directed. You may add a little pat or two of butter to add a little more flavor. It's a good idea to add slightly more water than called for to allow a juicier dish. Depending on the amount of rice you are cooking and the size of your family, if only a portion of the chicken is needed, you can use the other 1/2 for chicken salad, or toss the chopped chicken into a green vegetable salad for a healthy lunch or dinner.  You can also purchase some deli "chicken fingers" for your salad topper or add a few sides and dinner is ready, with just a little bit of outside help. 

It is a guarantee that at least one weeknight dinner will be hamburgers of some sort. This is my husband's favorite dinner! Grilled hamburgers are yummy and although I try to never let him down,  some nights it is too hot to grill. So I opt for a twist and this Hamburger steak looks like something we would both enjoy. Definitely left over options.

Another quick dinner is grilled steak. With a little preparation, you will have a even yummier steak. Marinate your steaks overnight in a mixture of lemon juice, oil, worcestershire sauce and garlic salt in a Ziploc baggie in the refrigerator. When you are ready for dinner, start the grill and take out the baggie. Let them warm up a little before placing on the grill, they will cook more evenly and not affect the temperature of your grill as significantly. My go to side for this is a fluffy baked potato and salad and I really love hot rolls with lots of melted butter... but we are trying to forget how much we enjoy that. :)

Well, it looks like I did it! I planned my dinners for several nights this week. Woo Hoo! Now, if I actually prepare them, we will call it success.  Have you tried any of these recipes? What is your family's go to dinner? Please share your recipes below, we would love to have more tried and try favorites and suggestions.

Happy Monday friends ~ 

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SHE: Does A Little Daydreaming

Hey Y’all,

I know the calendar says August, but with kiddos back in school I am dreaming of my favorite time of the year~ fall.  I love fall! The colors, the smells, the crisp air, fun clothes and it’s also the season of pumpkin everything.  J  (Even though I don’t drink “hot” drinks, pumpkin spice lattes smell heavenly).  Fall in the South, also means football, tailgating and lots of activities. 

image via Pinterest

To me, fall also means comfort. That sounds weird doesn’t it? But you know what I mean… Pretty décor, comfy clothes, warm hearty dinners, these are things that are inviting.  I have been doing a little day dreaming this weekend about fall and looking for some new ideas for this season. And where can you find more inspiration than Pinterest?  If you follow me on Pinterest, sorry I may have blown up your feed with Fall EVERYTHING.   

Here are just a few things that caught my eye:

·      Decorations:  love these ideas, they just say “Welcome  Home” don’t you think? 

·      Food: I enjoy crockpot cooking year round but especially in the fall. Love to start a

      crockpot meal on Saturday morning and let it simmer all day. The simmering fills the

      house with  yumminess.  And of course apple desserts of all types. These sound like great recipes to try ~  easy and quick to throw together. 

·       Clothes: how cute are these clothes… blanket scarves are so fun!  I have a little bit of a claustrophobic issue, but the blanket scarf can be used as a wrap without the bulk of a real jacket. 

. 

image via Pinterest

Hoping these ideas have you doing a little fall daydreaming of your own.  If you need

any inspiration our Pinterest board, Bring On Autumn, is ready to help you out

Xoxo,

  Amy

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SHE:Cool Treats

Hey Y’all,

It’s been a long hot summer! Today I am sharing a treat guaranteed to cool you off ~

Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

4 eggs, beaten

2 cans Eagle Brand Sweetened condensed milk

1 T. vanilla extract

1 c. sugar

½ pint half and half (or 1 lg. can Pet Milk)

¼ tsp. salt

 Approximately ½ gallon whole milk

Electric ice cream maker, ice and rock salt

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, Eagle Brand, vanilla extract, ½ and ½ and salt.  Put in refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Allow all the ingredients to get cool. Do the same with your utensils: put the canister and paddle in the freezer for 30 minutes. Starting with chilled ingredients and tools makes the process go a little quicker.  Now, pour liquid into chilled ice cream maker canister, fill with whole milk to “fill” line.  Stir together.  Freeze according to ice cream maker directions. Crushed ice and rock salt will be needed.   Once ice cream is “finished” mixing (you will know this by the way the machine starts slowing down).  Turn off the machine and allow it to sit for a few minutes before serving.  Enjoy!! 

image via google

You can have toppings or cookies/ brownies available if you want to add some extra sweetness. But this is so yummy, it is delish all by itself.   IF there are any leftovers, just pour into a plastic freezer container.  It will last a few days in the freezer, but ours never makes it that long ;)   

This is super easy to take to a cookout and family dinner.  Just mix together, pour into a clean, empty milk gallon, place in iced down cooler and then make it when you arrive at the event.

Stay cool and enjoy a treat.                 

Xoxo,

Amy

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SHE: Plans Ahead for Lunch

Hey Ya'll! I am a planner - always have been, probably always will be. I like to get all of my ducks in a row on Sunday afternoons to make for a less stressful week. That includes meal prepping for dinner, as well as lunch. Today I am going to share with you my go-to lunch prep that I've been loving lately.

I tend to get in a routine with lunches, and will eat the same thing for weeks at a time. For example, the whole year of Kindergarten I ate a plain bologna sandwich on white bread. Today the thought of a bologna sandwich makes me want to gag. But I digress. Lunches can quickly become boring, so I try to mix things up a little, while trying to stay moderately healthy. Recently I started cooking one pound of boneless, skinless chicken on Sunday afternoons. I will either boil or bake it, then shred it up. At this point you could easily turn your chicken into Amy's chicken salad. I however, have simply been adding 1/4 cup of my favorite salad dressing (think caesar or an Italian vinaigrette) to season it. You will notice the dressing only adds flavor, not a lot of creaminess or texture at all to the chicken, which I love. You could certainly add more salad dressing to make it more of a "chicken salad" texture.

Once I have the chicken seasoned, I divide it into 3 or 4 servings and put them in the refrigerator for the week. Usually, I will pack a basic salad (greens, cucumbers, cheese, bacon, and croutons) and top the salad with the chicken once I'm ready to eat. Since the chicken is already seasoned with the dressing, I don't find it necessary to add more. It cuts calories, and still remains flavorful! I've also eaten it with crackers or on a croissant. The options are endless! It's super quick and easy, and takes the stress and hassle of work week lunches! If you find yourself running out of ideas for lunch, make sure to try this out.

xo ~ Brittney

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SHE Cooks: Baked Ranch Chicken

Hey Ya'll! I hope you are having a great week! Today I wanted to share a super quick dinner recipe that will be sure to please everyone in your family - baked chicken tenders seasoned with ranch. Yum!

To start, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a baking sheet with cooking spray. Next, dump cereal in a plastic bag, and beat with a rolling pin until it appears like "breadcrumbs". Then pour the cereal into a mixing bowl and add your ranch seasoning packet. Next melt the butter.

You can use chicken breasts, tenders, or even boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I've tried each way, and they were all delicious). Rinse the chicken, and dunk into the melted butter, then into the cereal mixture. Once all of the chicken has been coated, place on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. It's that easy!

As a tip, we are not big cereal eaters in our house. So if we only need one cup of cereal, for a recipe, I buy the individually prepared Special K cereal cups instead of an entire box of corn flakes. Every time I make this recipe there is always more than enough, and I do not have to worry about using an entire box of cereal afterwards.

Recipe

1 pound chicken

1 cup of corn flake cereal

1 Ranch seasoning packet

1-2 Tablespoons of Butter

I hope you enjoy!

xo ~ Brittney

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