Decking the Halls

                        with

CREAMY HOMEMADE COCOA

 So. Where to begin? Some would say December is one hectic, overloaded, maddening and exasperating month. True. But I say, if you plan your time very carefully, December can be unquestionably a month full of amazing and astonishing possibilities.

Candles, oranges and greenery.

  The first item on my December agenda is Christmas decorating. I discovered early in our marriage this job would fall pretty much to me. I'm fine with that - I do love decorating. In fact, during the month of December there is hardly any surface in our home that hasn't been kissed by Santa. Each room has its own special tree, garlands and personalized decor. The week between Thanksgiving and the first of December is when I Deck these Halls with boughs of holly! If decorating is not your forte or you just don't have the time, here are a few simple and inexpensive ways to bring a Holly Jolly Christmas to your home. I know...that was silly, but it's Christmas!

Bright candles burning.



• Christmas is a magical time for children of all ages, so make your home sparkle. First clean every possible glass or mirrored surface in your home. Placing many candles around your home creates a fanciful and spirited mood. Use a variety of shapes and sizes: tall, fat, short, tapered, votive, skinny...etc. Just make sure to use as many as you can. Plug in that fir tree, light the candles and fire, dim the lights and step back to watch your home AND child's face come to life.
• If you want to use fresh greens in your home without the added expense, head to your local nursery on the first Saturday afternoon in December. The nursery will have been cutting

  

  Fresh greenery from local nursery.

   off small sections from the bottom of Christmas trees all day. Let the manager know your intentions. Tell him you are going out back to dig through his dumpster for the "trimmings" from his trees. Most likely you will be received with a rather large smile. Take as many clippings as you can and from a variety of trees, head home to Deck your Halls with these free boughs. I also go out into my yard with a large bag and gather up Boxwood and Holly. I add these to the "free"  

  

   Lighted Christmas tree and candle glow.

  greens decorating my home. Make bows out of inexpensive red ribbon to tuck accents of color here and there. Place these garlands over fireplaces, doorways, mirrors, pictures or up the banister of a stairwell. This free greenery will make your home look warm and inviting during the month of December. No one has to know it was free....shhhh!

  

  Candy filled jars and topiaries.

• In the kitchen set out bowls or jars of candy such as gum drops, peppermint sticks, twizzlers, skittles or old fashioned ribbon candy. Anything colorful and bright will add a whimsical tone to your home. I made topiaries out of styrofoam covered with candy about ten years ago. At the end of December I wrap them up in plastic wrap and put them away for another year. They are an inexpensive and colorful way to decorate your kitchen and they will last for many years to come.



Sled covered in fresh greenery.

• If you have any old toys from your childhood, use them in your decorating. I use our son's old brown bear and an antique sled under the tree next to wrapped gifts. I put an old glove and ball, once owned by my uncle, in one of the Christmas stockings I use in my kitchen. I have an old spinning top and doll that reside in the other stocking. Look around, you might be surprised what you will find to decorate with. Toys don't have to be antiques to be used, just loved and cherished items.



Stockings hung at the foot of bed.

• I bought new stockings about ten years ago. We now use our "old" stockings at the foot of our beds. This can be a very fun idea if you have grandchildren visiting in your home over the Christmas holidays. They will love waking up to a small bundle of goodies at the end of their bed. It will also keep them preoccupied while you get up and make your morning coffee!
• Look to the produce section of your local market for wonderful inexpensive decorations. Apples, pears, cranberries, pomegranates, whole nuts in their shells, oranges and tangerines studded with cloves. All of these things can be bought cheaply and displayed in bowls throughout your home.



Clove studded citrus and greenery.

• Have you been to a JoAnn's Fabrics lately? Well you have to go and go NOW! They have the best sales on craft and holiday fares other than  Hobby Lobby. The one thing I buy every year from JoAnn's is a large bag of cinnamon pinecones. I store them in the wood box next to the fireplace. We use them as eco-friendly fire starters and they make the house smell just like Christmas. Wonderful. Simple. Check it out!



Ms. E. Bennet with a pink bow and bell.

•  Tie a ribbon with a little bell attached around the cats neck, string up old and new Christmas cards sent from loved ones, turn on your favorite Christmas music...I like the boys - Bing, Frank, Nat, and Dean..., hang a wreath on the door, get those spices mulling on the stove, dress up, don your prettiest apron and swing wide your doors to Welcome Friends and Family alike. Fill your home with Christ's love and truly enjoy Christmas, never forgetting why we Celebrate this wondrous Season!

      "For unto us a child is born, a Son is given and His name shall
        be called Wonderful Counselor, Almighty God,
        the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace."  Isaiah 9:6


                   Sit Back and Enjoy a MUCH deserved cup of
                           "CREAMY HOMEMADE COCOA"!


Creamy Homemade Cocoa



Ingredients

• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 pinch salt, very, very little indeed!
• 1/3 cup boiling water
• 2 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup of cream or half and half
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Reddi-wip Cream in a can, vanilla or chocolate

Directions

   Combine the cocoa, sugar and pinch of salt in a saucepan. Blend in the boiling water. Bring this mixture to an easy boil while you stir. Simmer and stir for about 2 minutes. Turn down the heat so that you don't burn the mixture. Stir in milk and cream. Heat until very hot, but do not boil! Remove from heat and add vanilla. Divide between 4 mugs. Add the cream on top of your cocoa, as much or as little as you like. Sit down in front of the fire with the tree lit and candles burning. Turn on your Christmas music and enjoy being with the one(s) you LOVE! 

Closing The Door On Fall

   Over the last few days I have mulled over and over in my mind different ideas from which to choose a topic for my next post. 

 Captain Lord Mansion Inn, Maine*

I do understand that the majority of people do not care about my opinion. I also understand that the majority of people do not care about my collection of ideas. So what am I left with? My ideas and opinions are the essence of everyday Treasures, more or less.   With that being said let me take a moment to reflect on the subject of Fall before December takes us by storm. Fall is my favorite time of year, for so many reasons. I love high school football games, new books, good friends and hay rides. I love pumpkins, marching bands, scarecrows, and Homecoming Mums. I love changing leaves, crisp days, cold nights and families gathered together for Thanksgiving. I love Fall because I met the man of my dreams in Mrs. Banks Freshman Biology college course 101 in the Fall of '84. Fall holds many wonderful memories for our family. I anticipate all of the holidays and celebrations that we acknowledge throughout the year. They bring together families with much love and laughter, many stories old and new and a fantastic meal filled with unforgettable family favorites! It is so fitting that towards the end of the year we find Fall. Harvest time. A special time we have set aside to step back, reflect and be truly Thankful for a year filled with blessings. Christmas will soon be upon us. Stop and take this opportunity to thank God once again for His infinite wisdom and grace.   I hope who ever is reading this has had a delightful Fall and an even more wonderful Thanksgiving with dear family and friends. Hold them close to your hearths and hearts as we close the door on Fall in preparation for the Christmas Season and Winter to come.
  *The Captain Lord Mansion Inn located in Kennebunkport, Maine holds many wonderful Fall memories for me and my honey! 4 Star Inn...You can't go wrong here.

Mom's cornbread

We all fight over the corner pieces!

  I grew up in a home where breakfast and dinner were served at the table DAILY. No excuses. NO rushing. We were expected to sit and visit with the family. My mother made GREAT dinners, protein, two veggies, salad and a starch. We never knew what was coming our way with the exception of Sunday Lunch. 
  Sunday Lunch...I can still smell my mother's roast cooking. My sister and I woke up to that wonderful fragrance every Sunday. Our father is a Baptist minister, so off to church every Sunday we did go. Mom started the roast as soon as she woke up. She added potatoes, carrots and onions along with the roast into her Dutch Oven, set it on low and left it to cook. When we came in from church, lunch was ready to eat with the exception of mom's cornbread.

Adding buttermilk and egg to dry ingredients.

  Mom's Cornbread tasted like no other cornbread we had ever eaten before. She baked her cornbread in an old iron skillet. Mom had several iron skillets. One for frying chicken. One for cooking eggs, any style. One for Christmas candy. And one for cornbread. As my mother would say, all of her iron skillets were seasoned and "slick as snot". Yes. You read it correctly...slick as snot. I own three iron skillets, only one being at the "slick as snot" stage. Mom's cornbread is the best, soft and light on the inside with an ever so slight crunch to the crust. This is mom's recipes. Try it, I promise it will become one of your families favorites.

Pouring hot oil into cornbread batter.

  Pour 2 tblsp. of vegetable oil into your slickest black iron skillet and place in the oven. Turn the oven to 425 degrees. 
 1 1/2 cups cornmeal, I use 3/4c.   yellow and 3/4 c.white
1/4 cup flour
2 tblsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 cups buttermilk
1 large egg

Pouring cornbread mixture into HOT skillet.

Measure dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl, stir together. Set aside. In a measuring cup add 2 cups buttermilk, crack your egg into the buttermilk. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry mixture. When your oven reaches 425 degrees, carefully, using several pot holders, pull out your skillet, and close the oven door. Pour the hot oil into your cornbread batter. Set your HOT skillet on a hot pad. Stir the oil into your cornbread batter, just until mixed in and immediately pour cornbread mixture into the skillet. It should "sizzle"...the sign of good cornbread. Bake at 425 for 20 minutes. 

Cornbread, hot out of the oven.

Remove from oven and invert onto serving platter. So yummy right out of the oven!
Enjoy. The true test of a well seasoned skillet is whether or not your corn bread pops right out of the pan...Good Luck and Happy Baking.

 

Spices, The New World and Holidays

 A few frozen Cranberries smell great.

  Did you know as early as 80 BC the spice trade was ON. Spices were discovered by the Western World when the Silk Road was opened from East to West. Over the years as Eastern silk traders made their way to the Greek and Roman Empires they began packing spices among their silk wares, ebony and luxury textiles. After trying such spices as Cinnamon, Cassia, Cardamon, Ginger and Turmeric the Western World  was hooked on this new taste sensation. These unusual dried plants were so wonderful and sought after they became extremely rare and expensive commodities, surpassing even silk in value. Certain spices were so valued they became the main form of currency during this period of new discoveries. As the Greco-Roman world increased, trade from India flourished. The Indians traveled over land passing through Constantinople, spanning two continents and eventually making their way to ROME.                                         
  Fast forward to the early part of the Middle Ages. The rise of Islam and the Ottoman Empire almost certainly closed the door on trade between East and West. The Ottomans overtook Constantinople and demanded high taxes for anyone passing with such valuable goods. The taxes were so expesive this all but stopped trade with the West.


 Orange peel and mulling spices. 

   Fast forward with me again to 1492 when Colombus sailed the ocean blue. Colombus sailed West trying to find a quick route to the East and India. Well you know the rest of that story. Old Colombo was the first man to make a go of it but he most certainly was not the last. Eventually in 1497, Vasco da Gama was the first to make it all the way to India. This reopened the trade route between East and West, trading began to flourished once again. I just wonder if or when The Americas would have been discovered if men had not been in search of spices. Such discoveries brought thousands and eventually millions of immigrants to America seeking freedom and a better life. Giving Americans a reason to celebrate and our own unique holiday, Thanksgiving.

  Today the spices that we use are so easily picked up at our local grocery store. We don't have to sacrifice 6 months of our lives cruising on a sailboat to India to pick up cinnamon. Also have you noticed how expensive most of them are. I love ground Cloves. I love whole Cloves. Cloves are expensive people! After you buy a  spice and open it up, care to guess how long the shelf life is? Six months! That's about it. Sad but true. I fudge and use mine a little longer but they never taste quite the same as when you first open them. 

 Simmering spices.

  Don't throw out your old outdated spices, NO! This is my solution to old spices. I use them to make my own special Holiday Brew. I take the spices I know are old, mainly cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg go first. I keep them in a cabinet close to my stove. At least twice a week I will fill a small saucepan with water, then fill it full of fragrant odds and ends. I keep orange peel, sliced apple and cranberries in the freezer for such an occasion. A sprig off of the Christmas Tree is the BEST!* Sprinkle in a few of your favorite Holiday spices and bring it to a boil, turn it down to the lowest setting and let that sweet perfume fill your home. Orange Peel. Cranberries. Sliced Apple. A Sprig of Fir. Cinnamon. Cloves. Ginger. Nutmeg. Whatever you like. Whatever you have. It just smells like what HOME should be during the Holidays.   The question of the day is: Would there be a United States of America or a Thanksgiving Holiday if not for Spices.                   
 *If you don't bring in a fresh tree for the Holidays your local nursery is usually FULL of branches from various trees. Remember they cut the bottom off of a tree so that it will be ready to soak up lots of water when you get it home. I have never been charged for these fragrant "left-overs". I take them home, cut them up and pop them in the freezer as well.

The Quintessential Gingerbread

This is the ULTIMATE cold morning breakfast here at the Porter household. It's rich, moist, delectable and downright sinful when you serve it right out of the oven. Add a cup of coffee or tea and it just doesn't get much better. I pulled this recipe out today knowing Jared would be coming home soon for Thanksgiving. Greg likes to joke that he begs Jared to come home telling others that we eat like kings when he's here at Porter South. So from my kitchen to yours, a blue-ribbon winner and my take on Gingerbread.

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temp
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, room temp
3/4 cup molasses, I use   Grandma's
1/2 cup buttermilk
3 cups flour
2 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
2tsp. baking soda MIXED with 3/4 cup boiling water.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a bundt pan, at least a 10 cup pan. I use my Kitchen Aid mixer with the paddle attachment to cream the butter and sugar. Beat at medium speed until pale, light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides a few times during this process. Beat in eggs, molasses and buttermilk. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together all dry ingredients except baking soda. Stir it around good making sure that all of the spices are evenly distributed. Using the same measuring cup that I measured the molasses in add 3/4 cup water. Pop it in the microwave for about 2 minutes, making sure it comes to a boil, then add baking soda. Make sure all of the wet ingredients have been stirred up from the bottom of your mixing bowl. Add flour mixture alternately with the baking soda water, beginning and ending with flour mixture. The mixture will be very loose. Pour into prepared pan and bake 40 to 45 min until toothpick comes out clean.
I make a sauce that I brush on my gingerbread while it's hot. It changes from time to time. Mostly I use a little less than a 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup orange juice, a 1/4 cream, unsalted butter or buttermilk. I use whatever I have in the fridge, if I have all 3 on hand I would choose the cream. Combine all 3 in a small saucepan. Bring it to a boil, turn your burner down and let it cook for a few minutes making sure the sugar is dissolved. When the cake comes out of the oven I brush the bottom using  pastry brush. Let the cake rest 10 minute, invert onto a cake stand then I brush the rest of the cake with the sauce until it's all gone. This is one of those recipes I use over and over again. Sometimes I slice mine and freeze the slices separately. A smashing hit with the kids. They can take out however much they want and microwave for a warm breakfast or a snack. Try it sometime and let me know how it fared in your Kitchen and with your family. ENJOY!

Blueberry Lemon Muffins

Hot and fresh right out of the oven.

  This blueberry muffin recipe has been with me since 1983. I worked for a wonderful couple that were great friends of our family, Bill and Christine Chaney. Ms. Chris was old school...which I think is kind of great. There were several standing facts I knew to be true about this woman. She LOVED the Lord. She LOVED Mr. Bill and her family. She LOVED that business. And at 9 am every Saturday morning Ms. Chris was gettin' her hair "done" at the "beauty parlor".  Meaning only one thing...she would be late and she would be packing a box of her Blueberry Muffins.
  To be sure, Ms. Chris was a lover of recipes. She loved to pour over magazines looking for new recipes, she talked about recipes, she asked others for recipes when she ate something she really liked. In general she was looking for that next inspired recipe. She was and still is an amazing cook and friend....thanks for the INSPIRATION Ms. Chris!
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
11/2 cup all-purpose flour
  1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1-1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries*
Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl; set aside. Combine the egg, oil and milk, mixing well. Add to dry ingredients and stir until just moistened. Fold in Blueberries. Line your muffin tin with paper cups and fill about 3/4 full with batter. I use an ice cream scoop, it's just easier and you are assured that all of your muffins will come out about the same size. I also add just a few extra berries on top of my muffins before putting them in the oven, it makes for a pretty muffin...if you are into that sort of thing. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Yields 12 muffins.  Serve HOT out of the oven!


 Lemon-Blueberry Muffins

 For a slightly different twist, and because I am KaRAZY about lemons, I usually make a simple lemon sauce to brush on my muffins while they are hot. If you want to give it a go here it is: To a small saucepan add the juice and zest of one large or two small lemons, 1/4 cup cream OR, not both, 3/4 stick of unsalted butter and sugar to taste....I would say about 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup depending on how tart your lemon is and if you like things more sweet than tart. I'm tart...less sugar. Bring it to a boil, turn down your heat and only cook long enough for the sugar to dissolve. It only takes a minute. When my muffins come out of the oven, I immediately remove them from the muffin tin and onto a cooling rack. While muffins are hot brush with the Lemon Sauce, letting it soak into the muffins.  YUM! * I use Dole Frozen Blueberries during the winter months, they are great.

THE ART OF MAKING PIE CRUSTS

MAKING PIE DOUGH FOR SOME CAN BE INTIMIDATING. NOT SO MUCH I THINK. SOME WOULD ALSO TELL YOU THAT UNSALTED BUTTER IS A MUST, MARTHA STEWART. AGAIN NOT SO. I learned to cook in the 20 some odd years that I participated in the food competitions at the State Fair of Texas. I have made it every way, tried, practiced, tried and made it again to no avail. The "older" ladies in the gallery at the fair set me straight. "If you want a flaky crust use Crisco"...them, me..."Crisco?", them..."Yes Crisco". You know what...they were right. I'm not saying Martha is wrong. I'm just saying she hasn't come up against the fierce competition at the Texas State Fair, and I do mean Fierce! The best cooking school a young wife and mother could ever hope to have. So here it is, all the way from my kitchen to yours, my recipe for pie dough.

• 1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2  cup Crisco
• pinch of salt
• 3-4 Tbsp. ice cold water

Mix the flour, Crisco and salt in a large mixing bowl, until it forms into the size of large peas. I use my hands, SO much easier than a pastry cutter and much quicker. Add the ice water, stir with a fork until it forms into a large ball. Cover your counter top with plastic wrap and dust lightly with flour. Pat your dough down into a flat round disc, place it in the middle of your plastic wrap. Dust the top lightly with flour and cover with plastic wrap. *I cover my counter and dough for two reasons. One being it prevents a huge mess and your clean up time is less than 5 minutes. Secondly, and more importantly, when rolling out your dough it keeps you from having to add excess flour causing your dough to be tough. 

With rolling pin in hand begin rolling from the center of your dough out. Change directions, roll from the center out. Keep going until it is large enough for your pie plate. Take off the top piece of plastic wrap, turn your pie plate upside down placing on top of your dough. Putting your hand under the bottom piece of plastic wrap, flip the pie plate and dough all at once and peel off your plastic wrap. If you need to trim the edges of your dough, do so now. Even out your edges by turning them under slightly and squeezing them together with your hands and fingers. Once you have a nice edge you can crimp any style edge you want, I pinch mine together at an angle using my thumb and bent forefinger.  Pop your pie plate in to the freezer, if you are not using it for awhile or the refrigerator if you are baking a pie the same day. Once your crust or pie is frozen make sure to wrap it with freezer safe wrap. I always brush the edge of my crusts with beaten egg white after filling the shell. It makes for a golden and shiny crust. I do hope this is helpful and will be a time saver for you during the holidays. Please give it a whirl, once you get used to making your own pie crust you will be amazed at how quickly you can turn them out. FYI: You can always bake your pies ahead of time also and freeze them as well.  How easy is that, pull them out of your freezer the day before Thanksgiving or Christmas!

*This recipe can easily be doubled for a two crust pie or if you are making more than one pie. 

THANKSGIVING IS TWO WEEKS AWAY?

  As I stepped out onto the patio last night in my PJ's there was a definite chill in the air, a crispness that wasn't there before. Standing there under the starry sky calling for Ms. Bennet, our cat, I caught a whiff of woodsmoke and that sweet smell leaves create when they are starting to decay. Back in the house we go, Ms. Bennet and I, she goes her way...which is the garage...and I head to the bedroom. I knew the time had come for me to pull out our "winter" quilt realizing Fall had finally made it's way to North Texas!!
  Now I realize for most people this may not be an outstanding event

The velvet bench at the end of the bed is perfect for luggage.

but to us Texans that have survived the intense heat all summer it's like Christmas and our birthday all rolled into one! Yes, God has turned the air-conditioner on for us and we can once again enjoy the wide open spaces of Texas!

 A great guest bath, fully stocked.

   After savoring the moment for some time it came to me that Thanksgiving is in two short weeks and I'm on deck, I'm in charge this year. I must get busy and quick. People they are a comin' and I'm not prepared! Over the next week I will share with you my survival guide to Holidays and House Guests. First on my list is to clean. Now to be clear on this subject, I am just a tad OCD. I do like clean. I promise you though if you will start this week and clean from your ceiling fans down, the day before your guests arrive you will just have to go back and do just a slight once over. BELIEVE me this helps the hostess, that would be me in this case, to be less rattled. That taken care of let's focus on the Guest Bedroom and Bath. Just a few ideas that will help your house guests to feel more comfortable and leave your home with wonderful memories of time spent with you.

• Make sure the guest bedroom and bath are sparkling. The day before they arrived put fresh sheets on the bed and lay towels out in the bathroom.
• Fresh flowers are a nice touch on the night stand. No need to visit a florist, you can buy fresh flowers now at any supermarket. A nice touch to any room and believe me, they will remember this.
• Make sure the room has a bedside lamp, an alarm clock and bottled water. Not everyone is going to like the water in your fair city. Current magazines and a book or two are also a good idea.
• If this is a family member place old family photos in the guest room, or even a family album. This is one of my favorite things to do when we visit my parents, we usually all get a good laugh!
• Leave extra room in the closet along with hangers. If you have a luggage rack put it out. If not an extra chair will do.

• In the bathroom leave out a set of your fluffiest towels. If you have a white terry cloth robe you can leave it on the backside of the door. Also it's a good idea to pick up sample size items at the store. Things they may have forgotten to bring with them, a tooth brush, tooth paste, hand and face soap, ect....what ever you think they may need while staying in your home. Make sure they have extra toilet paper and kleenex.

A basket of essentials for your guest.

  While staying in your home make your guests feel comfortable. If they want to go shopping or to a movie, make sure you have a list of the closest movie theaters, specialty stores and malls. When we have guest I always try to have a little something extra special for breakfast. You can make any kind of quick bread a week ahead and freeze, pulling it out the night before to thaw. I also arrange cereals, fruits, boiled eggs, my quick bread and yogurt out on the counter in the kitchen. Make sure they know where to find the milk and juice and leave out glasses, plates, bowls, silverware and napkins. This will ensure that your guests will

 Blueberry-Lemon Muffins

feel that they can get up early if they prefer without having to wake you. 
  Hope this was helpful in some way and will ensure that you and your guest will enjoy the Holidays even more leaving you both with wonderful memories.

BUTTERMILK PIE

THIS IS ONE OF THE VERY FIRST PIES THAT I ENTERED INTO THE TEXAS STATE FAIR PIE CONTEST. I WON A BLUE RIBBON AND WAS HOOKED!

1 stick of Unsalted Butter, melted                  1 cup Buttermilk
2 cups Sugar                                                   3 Eggs
1/4 cup Flour                                                  1 teaspoon Vanilla
1/4 teaspoon Salt                                            Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix together all dry ingredients except cinnamon, add all wet ingredients and mix well. Pour mixture into prepared pie shell. Dust the top of pie with cinnamon and swirl with a spoon.Bake for 1 hour then check your pie. Check to see if it jiggles, you may have to cook your pie a little longer. I know mine is perfectly done when the top is slightly cracked and golden brown!
YUMMY right out of the fridge COLD!

BLUE-RIBBON BROWNIES

WHAT A GREAT WAY TO START A WEEK! HOT FROM THE OVEN HOMEMADE BROWNIES...MAYBE WITH BLUE BELL!! YUM!
Prepare a 13'x9' baking dish.  You can go the time consuming route with butter and flour.  I go the quick route, I line my pan with non-stick foil.  This also aids in pulling the whole sheet of brownies out at once making for very uniform cut brownies.

Add to a large saucepan over low heat:
2 sticks of unsalted butter
While this is melting measure out 3/4 cup of Hershey's powdered Cocoa, I spoon this into the measuring cup and level off with a knife.  Add Cocoa to the saucepan when the butter is fully melted.  Stir until all of the Cocoa is dissolved,  it goes very quick.
Add to your saucepan 2 cups of sugar...stir.  Add 4 room temp eggs, one at a time, stir well.  Add 1 GOOD sized teaspoon of quality vanilla, stir and set aside.

I have been baking these dark chocolate fudge Brownies for almost twenty years. Twenty years of kids, and my husband, licking the spatula, wisk and pot. These brownies have been eaten by many friends, family members and Friday night marching band students. They do not disappoint and you can not eat just one!

In a separate bowl add 1 and 1/2 cups of All-Purpose flour, spooning it VERY lightly into measuring cups.  Add 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt.  Stir to mix then add to Chocolate mixture in saucepan.  Mix well until you see no more flour.  Add pecans if you like.  Using a good spatula spread out into your prepared baking dish.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Sometimes I take it out around 17 minutes making the brownies more fudge-like than cake-like.  I cut my brownies REALLY small, just big enough for a few bites.  Enjoy!

Blogging?

Well my first attempt at blogging was crude at best! I will definitely be taking a class come January. To say that I am inept at anything with a cord is MILD. I can facebook, google recipes,  travel destinations and any new ideas for decorating, floral designs and parties. When a computer starts asking me to cut and paste, I get out my construction paper, scissors and glue. Okay enough said about my inabilities, I'll work on them. I will either succeed or end up with a crater in my stomach.

I have been thinking about a blog for sometime now. I have many friends requesting recipes. My recipes. Recipes that are tested and tried over years. By me. In my kitchen. If the family deems them wonderful they eventually make their way to the State Fair of Texas. If I should happen to win a ribbon with one of these recipes it becomes apart of my rolling recipe stock.

Easy Halloween decor and food. Double Chocolate Fudge Cake.

I will be sharing my recipes over time along with cooking tips, time savers and fun ways to incorporate these recipes into parties, holidays and gatherings whether big or small. I will also be sharing my views on decorating, travel and generally how I work to make The PORTER'S home and world a more beautiful and peaceful place.



HUGE inspiration for last years Halloween party.


It will for sure be slow going as I don't know what I am doing, but I'm willing to give it a try. If you have a question about a recipe you are looking for send me a note.  If I do not have it on hand I will do my best to find the answer.

Autumn Makes My Heart Sing

Slowly meandering down a woodland path in the stillness of a crisp  Fall morning, I notice the daily changes God makes to the land around us.



As the Autumn Sun warms the day, I listen to blankets of fallen leaves being stirred by unseen breezes. Looking up as the sound of geese soar over head, taking my thoughts away as they fly.



And as the Harvest Moon looks down over us, my honey and I snuggle up next to a blazing fire and enjoy the year's last beautiful smile.....



Autumn.