$250 Cookies

 I don't know if this story is true about these cookies I found it on the Internet;

A friend of a friend of a friend had lunch at Neiman-Marcus in Dallas last November, and for dessert she had a cookie. She thought it was the most wonderful cookie she had ever tasted, and asked if the recipe was available. She was told that it was, but there was a charge of two-fifty. She said that was fine. She got the recipe and told them to charge it to her account. In December, when she received her bill, there was a charge for $250.00. She called Neiman's and told them it was a mistake - that the charge should be $2.50. She was told there was NO mistake that the charge for the recipe was correct. They told her it was not a returnable item and she would have to pay the amount charge to her account or become delinquent.
The bottom line is she paid.
She vowed to get back at Neiman's and wants to give the recipe out to everyone she possibly can. She asks everyone who gets a copy send it to everyone they know. So here it is:

 

 

2 c. butter
2 c. granulated sugar
2 c. brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
4 c. flour
5 c. blended oatmeal
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
24 oz. chocolate chips (2 lg. bags)
1 (8 oz.) Hershey bar, grated (yes, this is really 1/2 lb.)
3 c. chopped nuts

Blended oatmeal: Measure and process in blender to a fine powder. Cream butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Add chips, candy and nuts. Roll into balls and place two inches apart on cookie sheet.
Bake for 9 minutes at 375°F.
Makes 9 dozen cookies.

Honey Cornbread Muffins

I double the recipe to make this many.


1 3/4 cups cornmeal
3/4 cup flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar or 1/2 cup honey
2 cups buttermilk
2 eggs
1/4 cup oil

Preheat oven to 450. Line a muffin tin with liners.  In a large bowl, mix together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar or honey.  In a separate bowl combine buttermilk, eggs and oil; beat well. Pour buttermilk mixture into flour mixture; stir until blended.  Pour batter in prepared muffin cups.  Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. 

If you want a sweeter cornbread I would use both the sugar and honey. 

Peek-a-boo Bars

This recipe is my husband's all time favorite.  His mom always made these for him growing up.

1 1/2 cups butter
3 cups sugar
6 eggs
1 1/2 Teaspoon vanilla
4 1/3 cups flour


Cream together butter and sugar.  Add in eggs and vanilla.  Add in flour.  Spread 2/3 of mixture on a large cookie sheet, spread 1 can pie filling and flavor, (he said cherry is the best).  Then dot with remaining batter.  Bake 30 minutes at 350 until golden brown. 

Coca Cola Baked Beans

I haven't ever made these beans so I made theses and my ones that I make all the time.

8 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
1 12oz can Coca Cola
1 6oz can tomato paste
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 Teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 15oz can kidney beans, drained
1 15oz can pinto beans, drained
2 8oz can crushed pineapple, drained

Cook bacon and onion over, medium high heat in large skillet until bacon is browned and crispy.  Drain fat, set aside.

Preheat oven to 375. Spray baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. 

Combine coca cola, tomato paste, mustard and hot pepper sauce in large bowl; mix well.  Add beans, pineapple and bacon to mixture to coca cola mixture; mix well.  Transfer to prepared dish.  Bake, uncovered 20 to 25 minutes or until beans are hot and bubbly.


So I tried these beans, they aren't my favorite.  I got mixed reviews about them.  Half of them liked them and the other half didn't. 

Baked Beans

½ Pound hamburger
¼  Medium green pepper, chopped
½ Cup brown sugar
½ Teaspoon ginger
2 31oz Cans pork and beans
½ Large onion, chopped
2 Celery ribs, chopped
½ Cup ketchup
Dash of cloves
Brown beef, onions, green peppers and celery until browned and tender.  Stir in rest of ingredients.  Bake uncovered 350 °F for 1 to 1½ hours.

Fiberglass, Marble, Simulated Marble

These type of showers aer difficult to keep clean. They require a lot of extra work or they look terrible all the time.  It is very important to make sure that marble and fiberglass showers are wiped dry after each use.  Dullness, staining, and pitting are caused by water that has been allowed to drip down in the shower walls and air dry.

Go to the dealer that sold you the shower and buy their cleaner.  This will do the best job of cleaning and it will remove many of the stains.  The cleaner is strong, so use rubber gloves and open all the windows while using it.

The pitting is permanent, but it can be partially covered by rubbing the shower with Turtle Wax (white paste car wax) or by using the wax sold by the dealer.  Let the wax dry for about 20 minutes, then buff it with a terrycloth rag.  The wax is a good protection against future staining.  It should be applied about once a week.

Formica, Tile and Cermaic

If the shower is only mildly dirty, then lemon oil will clean it beautifully.  Pour a generous amount of oil on a soft rag and wipe down the shower walls.  It will take several applications to cover the whole shower.  With a clean cloth, rub the shower dry.  Some people like to put lemon oil in the spray bottle and spray it on the shower.  This works well too, but be sure to cover the floor of the shower or bathtub with a towel or other rag, because the oil will make it slippery.
If the shower is really moldy or has bad hard water stains, use Lysol Toiler Bowl Cleaner.  It will not harm the shower.  This is strong medicine, but not nearly as strong as some of the hard water cleaners on the market that really gag you.  Squirt the Lysol cleaner on the shower walls and scrub with an SOS pad or nylon brush.  Don't get the cleaner on the metal fixtures.  It will pit them dark.  Be sure to use rubber gloves to protect your hands. Rinse the shower and wipe it dry.

A sign to be hung on the door

for a mother with lots of children;

BATHROOM-Seating Capacity One!



Shower Cleaning

If water can carve out the Grand Canyon or soak out the worst burned out crud in your pots and pans, then think about what it will do when left dripping on the shower walls and floor. This is what causes hard water stains and mold.  The worst part of your shower headache would be alleviated if you could just teach your children and husband to wipe down the shower or tub after they were finished bathing.  It doesn't  take an extra rag.  They have a giant-sized bath towel that they are going to throw in the dirty clothes anyway.
If you can't get them to do it that way, then buy a squeegee.  Put it in the bathroom and let them squeegee down the shower after each use.  They'll have a ball doing it while they are naked.

"People and clothes have a lot in common.  Both are wash and wear, but only the new ones stay wrinkle free."  Jill C. Major

Shower Floor:

Wet the floor and sprinkle with powered dishwasher soap.  Scrub with a nylon brush or soap filled pad.  If this doesn't work then make a paste out of 1/2 cup turpentine and tablespoons salt.  Using rubber gloves, rub it on the floor, scrub with SOS or nylon brush, rinse, and wipe dry.

Shower doors:

Lemon oil will remove most stains, except deep rooted stains like perfume. Put lemon oil on a rag, scrub the door, and wipe it dry with a clean rag.

If the stains are too stubborn for the lemon oil to handle, then squirt Lysol toilet bowl cleaner on the door.  Scrub, rinse, and wipe dry.

To clean the track, add 1/4 cups Spic and Span, Soilax or Ammonia to 1 quart of hot water.  Use an SOS pan or stainless steel pad to scrub.  Corners can be reached by using a knife or a screwdriver with a rag wound tightly around it and dipped in the cleaning solution.  To make the track easier to clean next time and keep the scum from sticking to the metal, apply some household oil.

Bathtub and Sink Cleaning

Smelly bathroom off my hall,

Toothpaste splattered on the wall,

Germs in toilet, growing wildly,

Scum and mold that sprout more mildly,

Underpants, a sweaty shoe,

Family glass that froths with flu;

Our ancestors no sense did lack-

They kept the "john" way out back!

                                             -Jill C. Major



Bathtub and Sink

To prevent a scummy ring in the tub, squirt in a little liquid dish soap (Joy or Ivory) when running bath water.  The kids love the bubbles.  A few teaspoons of Calgon will also stop a ring, but it doesn't make any fun bubbles to lure the little people into the bathtub.  Caution: Never add these or any other bath aids to the bath water of adults or children who are susceptible to urinary or bladder infections, or who suffer from allergies, without consulting a physician first.

For an occasional scrub, cleanser is still the best cleaner.  I have tried this before,  I've never had problems with it scratching or dulling the porcelain.  Many women make the mistake of leaving the tub or sink wet after rinsing.  Wiping it dry with terrycloth rags protects the finish.

Dark Stains:

If dark coloring is bleeding through the porclein in the tub or sink, it may mean that the finish has been worn off.  This may happen with many years of wear, but usually it is caused by repeated use of harsh chemical cleaners.  (If a cleaner gags or chokes you when you are using it, it probably contains a high concentration of acid or lye.)  If the finish has been worn away, then it has to be refinished by a professional or replaced.

Rust:

Light rust can be removed with fresh lemon cut in half and dipped in salt.  Rub it in and rinse it out. For worse problems, buy Naval Jelly.  This can be purchased in hardware stores or drugstores.  It is a really good cleaner and will take out many types of stains.  Don't get it onto he faucets or other fixtures, though, because it may turn them dark or put them.

Yellow Stains:

Sometimes the whiteness of a tub or sink can be temporarily restored..  Mix 1/2 cup of turpentine and 2 tablespoons of salt in an old dish or can.  Dip a terry cloth in the mixture and scrub.  Then, give the tub or sink a pretty luster, polish it with liquid Johnson's Jubilee Cleaner.  Don't out it on the tub floor, though, because the wax will make it slippery and the next person to use it might have an accident.

Lemon Curd

I forgot to post the Lemon Curd recipe for the Lemon Meringue Cupcakes.

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

In the top of a double boiler, beat eggs and sugar. Stir in lemon juice, butter and lemon peel. Cook over simmering water for 15 minutes or until thickened.

If you double the recipe, you can make the actually Lemon Meringue Pie.

Lemon Meringue Pie Cupcakes

4 eggs
1/2 Cup butter
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 Cup salt
2/3 Cup milk
1/4 Cup purchased lemon curd, (I made my own, recipe will be at the bottom)
3/4 Cup sugar
1 1/2 Teaspoons vanilla
2 Tablespoons purchased lemon curd
1/4 Cup cream of tarter
2/3 Cup sugar
Powdered sugar

Separate eggs.  Allow egg yolks, egg whites, and butter to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, line muffin tin with paper liners.  In a small bowl stir together flour, baking powder and salt.  In a small bowl whisk together milk and 1/4 cup lemon curd until nearly smooth.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350.  In a large mixing bowl beat butter with a electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Add the 3/4 cups sugar.  Beat on medium high speed for 1 minute.  Add egg yolks and vanilla; beat until combined.  Alternately add flour mixture and milk mixture to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.

Spoon batter into muffin tin, filling each about two thirds full.  Bake about 15 minutes or until golden brown and tops springs back when lightly touched.

Meanwhile place the 2 tablespoons lemon curd in a heavy resealable plastic bag.  Snip a small piece from the corner; set aside.  Wash beater thoroughly.  For meringue in a clean large mixing bowl combine eggs and cream of tarter.  Beat with a electric mixer on medium speed until sot peaks form.  Gradually add the 2/3 cups sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high speed until stiff peaks form.

Remove cupcakes from oven.  Pipe a small amount to the 2 tablespoons lemon curd onto the center of each cupcake.  Pipe or spoon meringue onto tops of cupcakes.

Bake about 7 minutes more until meringue is lightly browned.  Cool cupcakes in muffin tin on a wire rack for 5 minutes.  Remove cupcakes from muffin cups.  Cool for 30 to 45 minutes before serving cover loosely and chill in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours.  Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Orange Cream Pop Cupcakes

1 3oz package orange flavor gelatin
1 box white cake mix
1 4 serving size cheesecake instant pudding
1 1/4 Cup orange juice
4 Eggs
1/3 Cup vegetable oil
1 Teaspoon vanilla


Preheat oven to 350.  Line muffin tin with liners.  Set aside 2 teaspoons of the gelatin for the cream pop frosting.  In a mixing bowl beat the gelatin, the cake mix, pudding mix, orange juice, eggs, oil and vanilla. 
Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 fulls.  Use the back of a spoon to smooth out batter in cups. 
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean.  Cool cupcakes in muffin cups on wire racks for 5 minutes.  Remove cupcakes from muffin cups.  Cool completely on wire rack. 
If desired insert a craft sticks into top of each cupcake.  Makes 27 cupcakes.

Cream Pop Frosting:

1 8oz package cream cheese
1/2 Cup butter
2 1/4 Teaspoon vanilla
2 Teaspoon Orange gelatin
1 Teaspoon finely shredded orange peel
If desired, add a few drops of orange food coloring. 
5 1/2 to 6 cups powdered sugar

Allow cream cheese and butter to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. In a large bowl beat butter, cream cheese, vanilla, gelatin, orange peel and food coloring with a electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Gradually beat in powdered sugar until frosting reaches spreading consistency. 

Brownie Covered Oreos

I found this great website the other day and this is one of the recipes she had on there I made them and they were super delish.  Her website is http://www.picky-palate.com/

1 Brownie mix (or use your own brownie recipe)
1 package Oreos, I used the Holiday ones
White chocolate, melted for drizzle, or Wilton White frosting pen works great
White nonpariels Sprinkles
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare brownie batter according to package directions.  Leave in mixing bowl.  Dip Oreos in brownie batter then place in bottom of cupcake tins that have been generously sprayed with cooking spray.  Bake for 12-15 minutes, until brownies are cooked through (doesn’t take long).  As soon as you remove, take a plastic knife and run along edges, (this is VERY important so you get the cookie out with brownies not stuck to pan
2.  Let cool for 5 minutes, remove drizzle with melted white chocolate or the Wilton White icing pen, sprinkle with nonpariels and EAT!  Enjoy
Makes entire package of Oreos
**Some are having a hard time getting theirs to look just like mine, so here is the exact muffin pan I used.  Apparently all muffin pans are shaped different!!

5 Seriously Surprising "Insta Clean" Fixes

Sorry everyone I haven't posted in a while, we have been in Vegas playing.

1- That cheesy casserole you love left the inside of the oven greasy.
 Fix:  Mixing drink mix (just scan the ingredients for grease fighting citric acid) with 2 quarts water. Let it sit for 10 minutes, then wipe down the oven.

2- You  burned the rice and now there's a layer of scorched grains covering the bottom of the pot.
Fix: Skip the scouring; fill the pan with hot water, then toss in a fabric softening dryer sheet and let it sit overnight.  The softening agents will loosen up the rice so it pours right out. 

3-  You ground some spices in the coffee grinder, and now your morning brew reeks of last night's dinner. 
Fix:  Grind a handful of odor absorbing Cheerios for 30 seconds. Or place a small charcoal briquette in the grinder and cover the appliance with a paper bag.  The charcoals porous surface will swallow smell causing agents overnight.

4-  No amount of buffing will lift burnt on food off your cast iron pan.
Fix:  Coat the pan with a thick layer of vegetable oil and let it loosen  the food overnight, then mop up the mess and any excess oil with paper towels or a clean cloth.  For quicker cleanup, fill the pan with water, bring it to a boil, simmer for 15 minutes, then drain, coaxing off any stubborn food with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula.  Re season with cooking oil.

5- Your pressure cooker popped open and sloshed strawberry jam all over the ceiling.
Fix:  Soak a towel in hot sudsy water, then drape it over a broom head, rubber banding it at the handle.  Mop the mess.  Once it's off remove soapy residue with a towel soaked in plain water.