December 18 - Bake Cookies Day

I think made-up holidays are my favorite.

OK, not really (it's a toss-up between Thanksgiving and Christmas). But the silly, made-up holidays are what really inspire me. They set a theme for my day and put a unique spin on an otherwise fairly dull routine.

According to this source, today's made-up holiday is Bake Cookies Day. No big surprise behind the timing of this one; many people are already getting in the holiday spirit by baking sweets. In fact, I was already planning on baking some cookies this weekend...I decided today would be a great time to start!

Please don't ask me what my favorite Christmas cookie is. I have too many favorites to pick just one! Today I made Peanut Butter Blossoms (the ones with Hershey's Kisses) and prepared the dough to make gingerbread cut-outs for tomorrow.

What are your must-haves when it comes to Christmas cookies?

November 14 - Peanut Butter Lovers Month

November is Peanut Butter Lovers' Month

I never did get around to making that peanut butter dessert recipe I posted last November. So while I procrastinate on that, why don't you try my recipe for Triple Threat Peanutty Cookies.

1 box (18.25 oz) yellow cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 c vegetable oil
½ c peanut butter
1 c peanuts, chopped
¾ c peanut butter chips
½ c sugar

Preheat oven to 350F. Stir cake mix, eggs, oil, and peanut butter in large bowl until batter forms. Stir in chopped peanuts and peanut butter chips.

Using heaping tablespoon of batter, roll cookie dough into 1 ½ to 2 inch balls. Dip half of each cookie in sugar, then place sugar side up on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350F for 15 minutes, until cracked and lightly browned. Let cool 3 minutes on pan on wire rack. Transfer to rack to cool completely. Serve or store in airtight container up to 1 week. (Not that you'll have any left by then.)

November 10 - Gingerbread House Day

Hmmm....I know Christmas festivities start earlier and earlier each year, but gingerbread houses in early November? I normally celebrate this in December (see last year's post), but I'm sure there is room in my life for more gingerbread.

Following is the recipe I used for my cut-out gingerbread houses last year. We like to eat our houses, rather than construct elaborate structures to be admired, so I use a softer cookie recipe.

Gingerbread Cut-outs

1/2 c butter or margarine, softened
1/2 to 3/4 c white or brown sugar
1/2 c molasses
1 egg yolk
2 c flour, sifted
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
additional flour as needed

-Cream butter and sugar until smooth. Stir in molasses and egg yolk.
-Combine flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and spices. Blend into wet ingredients until smooth. Add more flour as needed. Wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
-Preheat oven to 350F. On a well-floured surface, roll to 1/4". Cut with cookie cutters. Place cookies 2" apart on ungreased sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes. Remove to wire racks.

November 2 - Cookie Monster Day

ME WANT COOKIE! ME WANT COOKIE! OM NOM NOM NOM!!!

According to this site, today is Cookie Monster's birthday! I too love cookies, so I feel I have a special bond with Cookie Monster.


This must be an old photo of CM, because he now feels that Cookies Are a Sometimes Food. He has denied the rumors that he is now Veggie Monster.

Cookie Monster on Wikipedia

Cookie Monster vs. Martha Stewart:

August 4 - National Chocolate Chip Day

Wait just a minute.

Didn't I already celebrate Chocolate Chip Day earlier this year? Why, yes! Yes, I did - and here's the post to prove it.

If you view the National Confectioners Association's calendar, you will see that they really do have two National Chocolate Chip Days. (They also have five different days listed as Chocolate Day, two of which are in December. I call shenanigans!)

But when I think about it, chocolate chips are pretty amazing. I guess it wouldn't hurt to celebrate them twice a year. If you don't know by now how chocolate chips (and chocolate chip cookies) were invented, I will tell you. In 1933, a woman named Ruth Wakefield wanted to make chocolate cookies. She made her usual butter cookie batter, and chopped up a semi-sweet chocolate bar (that's how it was sold before chips were invented) thinking that the little bits would melt and blend with the cookie dough. When baked, the bits softened but basically kept their shape. Somewhere along the line, Nestlé heard about this and printed her recipe on their chocolate bar wrapper. At first, they made a special chopper to break up the chocolate, but in 1939, the chocolate began to be sold in chip (Nestlé calls them morsels) form. Oh, and Mrs Wakefield ran (with her husband) the Toll House Inn, hence the name, Toll House Cookies!

Now, since it is so warm this time of year, it is not likely anyone would want to bake chocolate chip cookies, so you can buy them (lame!) or make some chocolate chip ice cream. If I wasn't on a low-carb diet, I would sooo make mint chocolate chip ice cream. I have made this recipe in the past, and I highly recommend it. Use the teeny tiny chocolate chips if you can find them. Alternatively, you could shave a chocolate bar, but this isn't Chocolate Shavings Day, so you should probably just stick with the chips. Plus shaving chocolate can get really messy.

Today is also:
Coast Guard Day

May 31 - National Macaroon Day

Holiday Insights

I have no idea who made up this holiday, or why. Well, I know why - macaroons are YUMMY! I also have no idea if my macaroon recipe is "authentic." Even if it's not, I think I'll make some anyway:

Coconut Macaroons

3/4 c. granulated sugar
2 1/2 c. shredded coconut (sweetened is fine, but you may want to cut back on the granulated sugar)
2 egg whites (approximately 4 tablespoons or 2 ounces)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch of salt

• Preheat the oven to 350F.
• Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well with a spatula or your hands.
  
• Use a non-stick baking sheet, or line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner. Wet your hands and make small piles of the mixture, each 1-2 tablespoons, about an inch apart.
  
• Bake at 350F until light brown, about 15 minutes.
• Remove the baking sheet and cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes before eating.
• These keep well in a covered container for up to 3 days.
  

May 15 - National Chocolate Chip Day

Official Site

Happy Chocolate Chip Day! Celebrate by eating some chocolate chips. Semi-sweet are traditional, but pick whichever strikes your fancy. Here in LA, it'll be too hot for me to bake chocolate chip cookies, but if you live somewhere with a cooler climate here is one of my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipes. This is a more tender, grown-up cookie that my Mom asks for every Christmas.

Chocolate Chip Butter Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup (6 oz) chocolate chips
powdered sugar, for sifting on top

Preheat oven to 350F.
In a medium bowl, beat together butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, vanilla and salt until well blended. Add flour. Mixture will be stiff. Stir in chocolate chips.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Flatten with the tines of a fork.
Bake 15 minutes or until edges begin to brown lightly. Remove cookies from baking sheets; cool on racks. While warm, sift additional powdered sugar over tops.

Today is also:
International Day of Families
Nylon Stockings Day
Peace Officer Memorial Day

May 10 - Food Celebrations for May

Tomorrow is Mother’s Day. It is also Eat What You Want Day. So treat Mom to lunch and let her eat whatever she wants (health permitting, of course!).

May is National Salad Month. Unfortunately, I like to eat un-healthy salads. My favorite salad is something I call “Fried Chicken Salad.” I put some lettuce in a bowl. I add some cut up pieces of fried chicken (or baked, breaded chicken), shredded cheese, cut up hard boiled egg, sunflower seeds, and croutons, with a honey-mustard dressing.

Coincidentally, (is it really?) May is also National Vinegar Month. Make an oil and vinegar dressing for your salad! One of my favorite flavorings to cook with is balsamic vinegar. Along with oil, salt, and pepper, balsamic vinegar makes a great dressing or marinade. I like to marinate chicken with it, then broil or grill it. Yum.

Another salad-related celebration is Sweet Vidalia Onions Month. These onions are only grown in certain parts of Georgia, and they are harvested from late April through mid-June. You can find some more recipes here.

May is National Egg Month. In culinary school, I learned that a chef’s hat has 100 pleats in it. Supposedly, these represent the 100 ways any chef worth his sea salt should be able to cook eggs.

Searching online, I was unable to find an official, definitive list of the 100 ways, but here is a cookbook from 1892. It lists 100 ways to cook eggs, along with 100 ways to cook fish and also 100 desserts.

Since May is the month when most of the US starts to really have great outdoor cooking weather, I think it is appropriate that May is National Barbecue Month.

To me, barbecue (or barbeque, or bar-b-q....) is synonymous with grilling. I’m sure there are barbecue purists out there who will be happy to disagree. Personally, I don’t like barbecue sauce, although I love grilled food. There is nothing better than a slightly charred hot dog, bratwurst or polish sausage. Mmm…crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside. May is also National Hamburger Month. So throw a burger on that grill while you’re at it!

Monday is National Nutty Fudge Day. It also happens to be Limerick Day. If you can’t have nutty fudge, write a limerick about it instead.

The 15^th is National Chocolate Chip Day. I say have some chocolate chip cookies. Or you could add chocolate chips to some trail mix to celebrate.

May 16^th is National Pizza Party Day. If you can’t get your boss to sponsor a pizza party, then have your own. Order pizza in for dinner, or, better yet, make your own at home. Trust me, it’s easy.

On the 23^rd, we’ll be celebrating National Taffy Day. While I enjoy saltwater taffy, I’m not really sure why it needs its own holiday. If you can’t get your hands on saltwater taffy, pick up some Laffy Taffy at the grocery or drug store. Or, if you are feeling enterprising, you can make some yourself.

Today is also:
Astronomy Day
Birthmother's Day
National Train Day
Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive
World Fair Trade Day
World Lupus Day
World Migratory Bird Day

March 19 - National Chocolate Caramel Day

March 19 - National Chocolate Caramel Day
Official Site

Yum...chocolate and caramel are a match made in heaven, second only to chocolate and peanut butter. I like to make Turtle Bars on Chocolate Caramel Day; here's the recipe.

Turtle Bars
14 oz caramels (unwrap before cooking!)
1/2 cup milk, divided
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 German Chocolate cake mix
1 cup pecans, finely chopped
12 oz chocolate chips

• Preheat oven to 325F.
• Combine caramels and 1/4 cup milk in a heavy saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until caramels are melted. Set aside.
• Combine melted butter, dry cake mix, nuts, 1/4 cup milk. Mix well. Press half of this mixture into a greased 9x13 pan.
• Bake at 325F for six minutes. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Spread caramel over chips. Place remaining cake mixture over caramel.
• Return pan to 325F oven for 15-18 minutes. Cool, then cut into squares.

March 12 - Girl Scout Day

March 12 - Girl Scout Day
Girl Scouts of America official website
Find Girl Scout Cookies near you
Holiday Insights

On this day in 1912, Juliette Gordon Low assembled the first Girl Scout meeting in Savannah, Georgia. Eighteen girls attended. Approximately 73 years later, a cute little blonde girl joined her local Daisy Girl Scout group. OK that little girl was me. And I was kind of cute. Except for the 80s hair.

Anyway, I don't remember much about being a Daisy Girl Scout. I remember that we met at my friend Jackie's house (her mom was the troop leader). I couldn't say what we did during those meetings, but I do remember that Jackie had a bunny rabbit.

After kindergarten, Daisies become Brownie Girl Scouts. I was always jealous of the girls that got the full GS uniform. My parents could only afford to buy me the sash. The sash that I never filled up with badges.

We seemed to do a lot of crafts. We went camping once or twice, nothing too rugged though. Of course, I remember selling the cookies, and going door-to-door with my Dad.

One time, we had to cook a meal at home for our family. My parents took pictures of me as I did this. I think I may still have those pictures somewhere. I remember that we used them on a poster board to show what I cooked for my family.

December 12 - Gingerbread House Day

December 12 - Gingerbread House Day

This year I wanted to build a gingerbread house with my boyfriend. He agreed, but with one stipulation: that he be allowed to eat it as soon as we finished making it. Really.

So instead of going to all the trouble of constructing this thing only to have it immediately demolished, I made gingerbread cookies in the shape of a house, and we decorated those. Not only was he allowed to eat them right away, I made them softer, since usual "construction" gingerbread is, by necessity, very hard and not exactly toothsome. (Yes, I just said toothsome. It's a real word, look it up if you don't believe me.)

Friday's Holiday Recipe Greeting

And a happy Friday to you all! My last recipe for you this week is one you may need if you’ve had a tough one! Enjoy and have a great weekend.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Thursday's Recipe Greeting

Only one more day in this work week! And another recipe for you to enjoy this holiday season. Hope you are happy and healthy!

Lemon Bars
Crust:
1 c flour
1/2 c butter
1/4 c confectioners sugar

Blend flour, butter and sugar, and press into an 8 inch square pan. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes.

Topping:
2 eggs
1 c granulated sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp lemon juice
confectioners sugar

Beat eggs, add sugar gradually. Add baking powder, salt and lemon juice and mix thoroughly. Pour over hot crust, return to oven, and bake 20-25 minutes longer, or until lightly browned. Do not overbake. Dust with confectioners sugar.

Wednesday's Holiday Recipe Greeting

Whoops! Almost forgot to give you today's recipe. I hope your Wednesday went well. Here is a recipe for shortbread cookies. I like to bake these all year ‘round, but these are also good at Christmas, with colored sprinkles, or dipped in chocolate and chopped nuts. Enjoy!

Shortbread Cookies
1 c butter, softened
1/2 c sugar
2 1/2 c sifted flour (sift, then measure)

Mix butter and sugar thoroughly. Stir in flour. Chill dough. (At this point, you can form dough into rounded or squared tubes, then chill. Slice 1/4" to 1/2" thick before baking.) Cookies may be rolled and cut with cookie cutters. Place cookies on ungreased cookie sheet. Add sprinkles or other decoration if desired. Bake at 300F for 20-25 minutes. Tops of cookies do not brown, nor does shape of cookie change.

Tuesday's Holiday Recipe Greeting

I've decided to post my holiday recipe greetings here on my blog, as well as MySpace. Enjoy!

Hi everyone! How is your week so far? Well, I hope. Here's another recipe for Recipe Greetings for the Holidays Week. These cookies are a must in my family at Christmas. They are somewhat laborious, but fun to make with kids, if you don't mind a mess!
Love ya,
Alyson

Candy Cane Cookies
White Dough
1 c powdered sugar
1/2 c butter or margarine, softened
1/2 c shortening
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
Red Dough
1 c powdered sugar
1/2 c butter or margarine, softened
1/2 c shortening
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red food coloring
1 1/2 tsp peppermint extract

Begin by preparing the white dough: cream the butter, shortening and sugar. Mix in the egg and vanilla. Gradually stir in the flour and salt. Divide the dough in half and wrap each piece in wax paper, then store in refrigerator. Prepare the red dough as you did the white, but add the food coloring and peppermint extract after adding the flour. Again, divide the dough in two as before and refrigerate. Chill dough at least half an hour.

When you are ready to make cookies, preheat oven to 375F. Take one half of red dough, and one half of white out of the fridge. Leave remaining dough in fridge until ready to use.

For each candy cane, shape 1 tsp red and 1 tsp white dough into 4" ropes. For smooth, even strips, roll back and forth on a lightly floured board. Place 1 red and 1 white rope side by side; press together lightly and twist. Complete cookies one at a time. Place cookie on ungreased cookie sheet. Curve top to form handle of cane. Bake until set and very light brown, around 9 minutes. Remove (carefully!) from cookie sheet to wire rack.

December 1 - Cookie Cutter Week

December 1-7 - Cookie Cutter Week

Christmas preparations are officially underway! Here in my small household, the Christmas season begins the day after Thanksgiving. I don't go shopping on Black Friday, but I begin to write out my cards and start thinking about my plans for the next month. So I've been working at Christmas for over a week now. I have lights up already, and some of my crafts are already completed.

Today kicked off cookie cutter week. If you haven't already, go dig up your cookie cutters this week.

Sugar cookies or shortbread cookies are good recipes to use for cutouts. However, I know that many people just don't want to deal with the hassle. (I don't blame you, I only do one small batch myself.) So I thought I'd remind you of some other ways to use your cookie cutters this season.

Christmas-themed cookie cutters make good ornaments. Tie a ribbon on the cutter and hang on your tree or wire to a wreath. I have an area between my dining room and kitchen where I've hung some cookie cutters and ornaments from the ceiling.

You could also use cookie cutters to make a wreath. See this project. You can put them together as a temporary wreath if you want to be able to use the cookie cutters at a later time.

I DID IT

Whew! NaBloPoMo is officially over; I'm happy to say that I completed my mission to post everyday for the month of November. I will be continuing this blog, so stay tuned! But now I'm off to rest for a bit.

This weekend, Cookie Cutter Week begins (Dec 1-7), so go dig out those cookie cutters while you are gearing up for the holidays. More on this to come....