77. Mock Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars

CAKE INGREDIENTS:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cups diced dried cranberries
6 ounces white chocolate, cut into chunks

LEMON FROSTING:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
4 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup diced dried cranberries

DRIZZLED ICING:

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoons vegetable shortening

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
   
   
2. Make the cake by beating the softened butter and brown sugar together with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, powdered ginger, salt and beat well. Gradually mix in flour until smooth. Mix the 3/4 cup dried cranberries and white chocolate into the batter by hand. Pour batter into a well greased 9x13 inch baking pan and use a spatula to spread the batter evenly across the pan.
   
   
3. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until cake is light brown on edges. Allow cake to cool.
   
   
4. Make the lemon frosting by combining the softened cream cheese, 3 cups of powdered sugar, lemon juice and vanilla extract in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. When the cake has fully cooled, use a spatula to spread the frosting over the top of the cake. Then sprinkle the 1/4 cup of diced dried cranberries onto the frosting.
   
   
5. For the drizzled icing, whisk together 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon milk, and shortening. Drizzle the icing over the cranberries and lemon frosting in a sweeping motion or with a pastry bag.
   
   
6. Allow cake to sit for several hours and then cut into bars.

Resource: My Little Mochi

71. Soup Wreaths

MATERIALS

Long stemmed herbs:

• For Chicken Soup choose 6 of the following:
  
  
  
  • Rosemary
  • Small lovage leaves
    
  • Thyme
  • Parsley
    
  • Celeriac leaves
  • Lavender
    
  • Garlic chives
  • Lemongrass
    
  • Garlic leaves
  • Winter savory
    
  • Sweet marjoram
  • Lemon basil
  
  
• For Beef or Pork based soups choose 6 of the following:
  
  
  
  • Rosemary
  • Tarragon
    
  • Chervil
  • Oregano
    
  • Thyme
  • Basil
    
  • Savory
  • Hyssop
    
  • Onion leaves
  • Bay
    
  • Chives
  • Small hot peppers
    
  • Garlic chives
  
  
• For Vegetarian based soups, pick from either list

INSTRUCTIONS

1. To begin the wreath, gather your ingredients. You will need about 6 sprigs of herbs in varying lengths. Longer pieces can be woven into the wreath more easily than shorter ones. You will probably also want 3 or 4 shorter pieces to add into the wreath for bulk and variety.
   

   

   
   
2. Choose a sprig of rosemary or a similar woody, long-stemmed herb, about 12 to 14 inches long. Bend it into a loop that is about 4 inches in diameter, twisting the ends around each other. You don’t need to tie it in place, simply hold it together with your thumb and finger, then add another long-stemmed herb, twisting it over and around the first one and overlapping the ends of the first.
   

   

   
   
   
3. Continue adding additional sprigs — a piece of sage, some thyme, onion leaves, garlic chives and others — until your wreath looks full. Keep in mind the wreath will shrink as it dries, so add enough herbs to keep it looking full after it dries.
   

   

   
   
   
4. Add a long leaf, such as an onion top from winter onions or a leaf of lemongrass, at the very last, spiraling it like a ribbon all the way around to secure all of the herbs and give it a finished look.
   

   

   
   
   
5. The two ends of the spiraled leaf can be tucked under some of the other herbs and any loose ends can be trimmed off with pruners. You also may want to tuck in a nice, small red pepper or a sprig of golden marjoram for some color. Chive flowers dry well, as do garlic chive blossoms and oregano. Tuck the stem into the wreath so it is secure.
   
6. Now you are ready to dry your wreath. The simplest way is to put it in a dark, dry place, like a pantry or a cabinet, until it is dry. Even the oven, without heat, works well. It’s important to dry your wreath out of light in order to maintain the vibrant color and flavor of your herb. DO NOT DRY YOUR WREATH IN THE MICROWAVE - it zaps all of the essential oils out of the herbs.
   
7. Once your wreath is completely dry, you are ready to attach a recipe card containing instructions for using the wreath with a ribbon or string .
   

Recipes:

Wintertime Chicken Soup

• 2 1⁄2 quarts of water
  
• 2 chicken breasts, cut in pieces
  
• 1 stalk celery, diced
  
• 1⁄2 cup diced onion
  
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
  
• 1⁄4 cup rice or pasta, optional
  
• Cooking wreath
  
• Dash salt and pepper, to taste

Bring water to a boil and add chicken and vegetables. Cook until chicken is tender, about 20 minutes. Add rice or pasta and reduce heat to a simmer, cooking 10 to 15 minutes. When you add rice or pasta, also remove the ribbon from the cooking wreath and add the wreath to the pot of simmering soup. Simmer until done, add salt and pepper to taste, remove wreath and serve.

Vegetarian Vegetable

• 2 1⁄2 quarts of water
  
• Assorted, diced vegetables, such as celery, carrots, turnip, cabbage, onion and garlic
  
• 1⁄4 cup rice or pasta
  
• Cooking wreath
  
• Dash salt and pepper, to taste

Bring water to a boil. Add vegetables and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Add rice or pasta and simmer until nearly tender. Add the cooking wreath (with the ribbon removed) and simmer for another 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, remove wreath and serve.

Resource: Herb Companion

38. Flavored Vinegars

MATERIALS

Knife
Funnel
Decorative bottles with corks or sealable tops

INGREDIENTS

TARRAGON VINEGAR

4 cups apple cider vinegar
3 large sprigs fresh tarragon


RASPBERRY VINEGAR

4 cups white wine vinegar
1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries


ROSERMARY GARLIC VINEGAR

1 cup red or white wine vinegar
4-5 peeled whole garlic cloves
4 sprigs fresh rosemary

INSTRUCTIONS

The process is simple. Cut your ingredients to a size that will be completely submerged in the liquid. Put ingredients into clean bottles and pour red or white wine vinegar over them. Cap the bottles and store in a cool, dark place for at least three weeks. If you don't have that much time, you can speed the process up somewhat by heating the vinegar till it's lukewarm and pouring it over ingredients that have been chopped or crushed. Store this in a cool dry place for at least ten days, then strain and discard the chopped or crushed ingredients from the vinegar. Return the vinegar to a cleaned bottle and add new "whole" ingredients.

Make your own labels by cutting strips of white or colored paper and writing the vinegar flavor on it. Attach with glue or rubber cement. Make a paper strip that can fold over the top of the bottle as well (see image).

Resources: about.com, FabulousFoods.com

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29. Fortune Cookies

INGREDIENTS

1 egg white
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar

12 small strips of paper (approx. 1/2 in x 4 in), with hand written fortunes
A glass jar
a handmade or printed label

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a cookie sheet. Write fortunes on strips of paper about 4 inches long and 1/2 inch wide. Generously grease 2 cookie sheets.
   
2. Mix the egg white and vanilla until foamy but not stiff. Sift the flour, salt, and sugar and blend into the egg white mixture.
   
3. Place teaspoonfuls of the batter at least 4 inches apart on one of the prepared cookie sheets. Tilt the sheet to move the batter into round shapes about 3 inches in diameter. Be careful to make batter as round and even as possible. Do not make too many, because the cookie have to be really hot to form them and once they cool it is too late. Start with 2 or 3 to a sheet and see how many you can do.
   
4. Bake for 5 minutes or until cookie has turned a golden color 1/2 inch wide around the outer edge of the circle. The center will remain pale. While one sheet is baking, prepare the other.
   
5. Remove from oven and quickly move cookie with a wide spatula and place upside down on a wooden board. Quickly place the fortune on the cookie, close to the middle and fold the cookie in half. Place the folded edge across the rim of a measuring cup and pull the pointed edges down, one on the inside of the cup and one on the outside. Place folded cookies into the cups of a muffin tin or egg carton to hold their shape until firm.
   
   Once you've made the cookies, place as many as you like into a glass jar, seal it, and affix your handmade label on the front.

Sources Allrecipes.com and HP.com

7. Spiced Hot Pad

MATERIALS

5 x 5-inch square each of four different checked fabrics
Fusible web paper
5-inch circle of calico fabric for center front circle
8-inch circle of calico fabric for the back 8-inch circle of extra-loft fleece
Crushed cinnamon sticks and cloves; needle and thread 3/4 yard of maxi rickrack for binding 1/2 yard of jumbo rickrack for front circle

INSTRUCTIONS

1. With the right sides facing, stitch the checked fabrics into a four-patch, using a 1/4-inch seam allowance. Center and fuse the 5-inch calico circle to the four-patch.
   
   
2. Layer calico back, fleece (sprinkled with crushed cinnamon sticks and cloves), and pieced circle. Baste the layers together at the edge.
   
   
3. Bind the edge with mini rickrack. Topstitch jumbo rickrack around the small circle.

from Better Homes & Gardens

6. Lady Bug Hot Pad

The ladybug has button spots, while the other hot pad holds crushed cinnamon sticks and cloves for an aromatic bonus.

MATERIALS

Two 8-inch circles of checked fabric
8-inch circle of extra-loft fleece
Straight pins
1/4 yard of jumbo black rickrack
Needle and thread
4 x 7-inch piece of black fabric
Scissors
1 yard of extra-wide double-fold black bias tape
Eight 5/8-inch black buttons

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Layer and pin the back checked circle, fleece, and front checked circle. Topstitch rickrack through the center of the fabrics.
   
   
2. Fold the black fabric in half lengthwise and pin to layered fabrics using the photograph as a guide. Trim the raw edges even with the circle. Remove the straight pins.
   
   
3. Bind the outside edge with bias tape, adding a loop for hanging. Stitch buttons on each side of the rickrack to make the dots on the ladybug.

from Better Homes & Gardensm