Joan’s Country Kitchen

Cooking, Entertaining and Home Improvement Blog

Archive for the ‘Holiday Ideas’ Category

Sexy Dresses for the Holiday

Dec-23-2009 By Joan

Do you have big plans to celebrate New Year’s Eve or any special occastion? Finding the perfect sexy dress is

Find the perfect sexy dress for any celebration

Find the perfect sexy dress for any celebration

one important element of a Happy New Year! Check out Sexy Dresses for the latest, hottest fashion for your holiday celebration.

The author was paid for this posting.

I love the idea of organic baby clothes for my grandchildren. I

Funky monkey onesie from Funkoos

Funky monkey onesie from Funkoos

have one new baby granddaughter and another one on the way so I’m always on the lookout for fun and funky organic baby fashions to set them on their way to becoming junior fashionistas. They can make a real fashion statement in an outfit like this organic funky monkey onesie.

I believe using organic clothing is important for anyone, but especially for babies, who have very sensitive skin. It’s extremely important to protect a little baby from being exposed to any sort of toxic chemicals. For newborns to 2 years, Funkoos organic baby clothing makes wonderful baby shower gifts or a gift for any occasion.

This cute organic outfit is 40% off until Dec 3rd

This cute organic outfit is 40% off until Dec 3rd

I’ve checked out organic baby clothing from many sources and Funkoos offers some of the best prices I’ve seen - especially until Dec 3rd, when they’re having a 40% off sale that can’t be beat. They also offer free shipping and free returns if you aren’t satisfied for any reason.

So if having an eco-friendly baby is important to you or someone you know, make not only a fashion statement, but a environmental statement, with Funkoos organic baby clothing.

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his holiday season, many are looking for money saving ideas. One easy way to save money on gift giving is

caramel corn makes a great gift from your kitchen

caramel corn makes a great gift from your kitchen

to make your own gifts in the kitchen. Homemade holiday treats are a wonderful way to say how much you care to everybody on your gift list. They’ll appreciate the gift even more, knowing you made it yourself.

Here are some holiday recipes that will make tasty gifts this year. Make several of these delicious recipes and create cute gift baskets for friends and relatives. There’s something here for everybody!

Add Candy to the Homemade Gift Basket






Breads for Homemade Food Gifts




Holiday Cookies


Other Gifts from the Kitchen









Cookbooks make wonderful gifts for the cook in your life.

Visit our cool Cookbook Store

The cranberry casserole makes a beautifully festive dish for either Thanksgiving or Christmas. Cranberries

Cranberries are a holiday treat!

Cranberries are a holiday treat!

increase your immune system to help protect you from colds and flu in the winter. What more could you ask from this holiday cranberry dish?

Ingredients

2 20 oz cans of pie apples (not pie filling)
1 16 oz bag whole cranberries
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar

Topping Ingredients

1/2 stick butter
1 1/2 cups crushed corn flakes
2/3 cups sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well.

Spray 2 quart baking dish with cooking spray and fill with apple/cranberry mixture.

For topping, melt butter in a saucepan. Add other topping ingredients and toss well to totally cover.

Spoon topping over apple/cranberry mixture in baking dish.

Bake for one hour.

Serve hot or at room temperature.

Serves 4 to 6 people.

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Do you have a passion for designer handbags? I’ve just discovered a great website called Handbago.com, Handbago offers users with a handbag obsession with a wide range of content including Designer Handbags, a Handbag Blog, celebrity handbags, handbag trends, fashion, events, sales and exclusive interviews.

I love the Handbago Handbag Blog, where you can read contributor’s designer and celebrity handbag news and find out about upcoming sales and events. This article on Patricia Kor handbags explains why her bags are a real work of art. I hadn’t seen these before and just love the look.

Handbago articles also offers links where you can shop for any of the handbags you see pictured and talked about.

Membership to Handbago is entirely free and if you love designer handbags, this is the website for you!

Very Easy Blueberry Syrup Recipe

Oct-22-2009 By Joan

This blueberry syrup recipe is super easy and delicious. It can be used over ice cream, pancakes or waffles or add it to ice tea for a great berry flavored drink. It also makes a delicious gift from your kitchen for the holidays.

Ingredients for Easy Blueberry Syrup

3 c blueberries fresh or frozen

2/3 c. light corn syrup

Dash of salt

Cooking Instructions

Place all three ingredients into your blender. Cover and blend on liquid setting until syrup is smooth.

Pour blueberry mixture into a medium saucepan.

Boil mixture for about 5 minutes. Stir constantly to avoid sticking.

This easy blueberry syrup is terrific served over waffles or pancakes or try it on ice cream. Can also be added to your ice tea to make blueberry iced tea. This syrup can also be chilled and reheated.

This easy recipes yields 3 1/2 cups of blueberry syrup.

Remodeling the entertainment areas of your home is one of the smartest home improvement

Beautiful Bedroom from Modern Furniture Warehouse

Beautiful Bedroom from Modern Furniture Warehouse


investments you can make. Updating your home allows you to entertain in style with a beautiful dining and living room too. If you’re considering a home remodel, you should check out Modern Furniture which offers a terrific selection of furniture and accessories for the dining room, home office, living room, your child’s room and the rest of your home in just about any style you want.

Modern Furniture helps you make your living room a family gathering spot or create a peaceful bedroom sanctuary. Beautify every room in your home at reasonable prices, which in many cases, includes free shipping too.

This article was a paid review but I have looked at the beautiful furniture and accessories at Modern Furniture and I love their dining room sets! We are currently remodeling our bathroom and I loved the modern, clean lines of their bathroom accessories too.

Blueberry Brunch Cake Recipe

Oct-8-2009 By Joan

This scrumptious blueberry brunch cake recipe is a favorite in my family for Sunday brunch or any special breakfast.

Ingredients

Cake

1 c margarine
1 3/4 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
3 c all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 can (21oz) prepared blueberry pie filling
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Glaze

1 1/4 c powdered sugar
1 tbs margarine
2-3 tbs lemon juice
a few drops of yellow food coloring

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour a 15×10 jelly roll pan.

In a large mixing bowl, combine margarine, sugar and vanilla and creme together. Add eggs, one at a time and beat well after each one.

Lightly spoon flour into a measuring cup and level it off.

By hand, stir in the flour, baking powder and salt. Blend well.

Spread half the batter in the prepared pan.

Stir nutmeg into pie filling and spread it evenly over the batter.

Drop remaining batter by teaspoonfuls over the filling.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until blueberry cake is golden brown.

Combine glaze ingredients and blend until smooth. If glaze seems too thick, add a few drops of water until it is the desired consistency.

Drizzle the glaze on the warm cake.

Cake makes 24 servings.


I have to admit my Easter cupcakes were made from a cake mix this time as I’ve been fighting a cold. Still, the art is in the cup cake decorating and these cute Easter cupcakes are very easy to make.
Easter Cupcake

Easter Cupcake

Ingredients

Cupcakes

Frosting Ingredients

3 C Powdered Sugar
1 stick butter or margarine
Just enough milk to make a good consistency frosting

Mix these together until smooth. Add green food coloring.

Ingredients for Easy Easter cupcakes

Ingredients for Easy Easter cupcakes

Decorations Needed for Easter Cupcakes

Flaked coconut
Green food coloring
Jelly Beans and Candy Eggs

Mix a few drops of green food coloring into the coconut until you get the color of grass.

Frost cupcakes with green frosting, pile on some “grass” and set a few eggs in the center. You’re done!

My grandkids love these easy Easter cupcakes so I always make a double batch.

Happy Easter!

Easy Easter Cupcakes-make a double batch!

Easy Easter Cupcakes-make a double batch!


I add cinnamon to many of my recipes because adding just a quarter teaspoon of cinnamon to my husband’s daily diet lowered his cholesterol by about 50 points! My mom read about that tip someplace and both she and my father also added cinnamon to their diet to lower their own cholesterol and it worked dramatically for them as well.

The molasses in this cookie recipe also adds iron to your daily diet. What more could you ask from a delicious cookie?

Cinnamon and Spice Cookies

Cinnamon and Spice Cookies

I love Watkins spices because they have the purest quality I’ve found. Their Watkins Cinnamon is one of their most requested products. Watkins Vanilla was one of their original products about 140 years ago and my great aunt used it on their farm in Kansas afer buying from the “Watkins Man” who came around periodically.

One thing I love about baking recipes with cinnamon and nutmeg is that they fill my kitchen with the most wonderful, welcoming fragrance!

Ingredients for Cinnamon and Spice Cookies

2 c all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp Purest Ground Cinnamon 6 oz.
1/2 tsp Organic Nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 c sugar
12 tbsp butter (1 ½ sticks), softened
1 egg
1/2 tsp Double-Strength Vanilla
1/4 c molasses


Baking Directions

Preheat oven to 350F.

Blend the dry ingredients, except 1/2 cup sugar, together in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside remaining sugar.

Using your hand mixer, cream butter, remaining sugar, egg, vanilla, and molasses.

Combine butter mixture with dry ingredients, forming a dough.

Roll dough into 1 inch balls and dip the sugar you set aside. One option is to add a tiny bit of food coloring to your reserved sugar to make your cookies more festive.

Arrange cookies on a baking sheet, about 3 inches apart.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Cookie recipe makes about 3 dozen.

Although I am no longer a Watkins Rep, I still buy and use their terrific cooking and baking products.