Small Business Saturday Take 3

If you have been reading Capricious Whimsy, then you know by now that I have extended my support of Small Business Saturday to all of the Saturdays in December. All of the business's I have chosen are all places I have ordered from so I am familiar with their product. I do not receive anything in return for my product endorsement. Each of these companies have fabulous products, so give them some Christmas time love and  shop small business for holiday gifts too :-)

Vosges Haut Chocolate 

I don't know if I have enough words to describe how divine these fantastic confections are. Sandi introduced me to Vosges Haut Chocolate three years ago. At first I was a little put off by some of the unique flavor configurations. I didn't think I could do wasabi in my chocolate. Her persistent urging, and the fact that she bought me some for Christmas, was enough of a push to take the plunge. I am so glad I did! Bapchi's Carmel Toffee Bar and the Barcelona Bar are tied for my favorite flavor. The sweet buttery toffee of the Bapchi Bar is blended with a deep chocolate and is mixed with walnuts and pecans. The Barcelona Bar contains hickory smoked almonds, Fleur de Sel grey sea salt, and is blended with a deep chocolate. This salty sweet combo rocks!

If you want to try them out but are unsure of which flavor combo to go with, Vosges makes these awesome little mini bars so you can taste test to find your favorite flavor combo before committing to a bigger bar. Its a great way to be adventurous and try something new.They are priced just right at only $2.50 a bar. Good Secret Santa Gift? I think so!

If you love a salty sweet combo you should try the Mo's Bacon Chocolate Chip Pancake Mix. Its a great little gift idea coming in at only $12.00 for the package. It makes 12 pancakes and they are to die for.

I also highly recommend the La Parisienne Couture Cocoa. It sounds all fancy-schmancy and it is. There is a big reason to make a big fuss over this drinking chocolate. It is so unlike any hot cocoa I have had before.  It is velvety smooth and contains Madagascar Vanilla Bean and dark chocolate shavings. It is fabulous for drinking and for adding a little something extra to your baking. If  you have a chocolate connoisseur on your list, this is a must have gift.

Whole Foods carries Vosges and here  is a link to their website. Amazing stuff my friends. Great food always makes a fantastic holiday gift.

Savannah Bee Company 

Tupelo Honey

This is the other one of my most favorite honey's around! They have the best tupelo honey I have ever tasted. I use this honey when I make Baklava. It is also fantastic on a biscuit.

Savannah Bee Company is running a December Is So Special Sale right now, and if you spend over $50.00 you get a free beeswax hand and nail salve. They have an awesome line of body care products. I use the mint julep soap in the winter time and it helps keep my skin soft and moisturized. This soap is hand-milled, and has a pleasant minty aroma that helps me wake up on cold winter mornings. It would make a great stocking stuffer or Secret Santa gift.

Mountain Rose Herbs

This last business on today's list is Mountain Rose Herbs. Here is a link to their website. This is an excellent source for loose tea, spices, seasonings and essential oils. They support Fair Trade & sustainable agriculture while maintaining very reasonable prices. My favorite thing to order is the Aches and Pains massage oil for my Mr. His job is physically demanding and this oil helps to ease his tired muscles after a hard day at work. 

If you get a chance stop on by and visit the websites of these wonderful companies. I'm sure they would appreciate your support.  I hope ya'll are having a fantastic weekend! 

Holiday Cocktails Round 1

In a few short weeks the holiday season will be in full swing. Many of us will be celebrating with family, friends and coworkers. You might even be hosting a gathering yourself. If you are planning on serving drinks, I have a few suggested recipes that you may be interested in. Before I share them with you, I just wanted to say if ya'll are planning to drink please do so responsibly. Call a ride if you get too smashed. :-) That is all, now on to the booze!

When I thought about doing a post on holiday cocktails, I decided to go see what the domestic diva herself had to say on the subject. As much as I find Martha's personality a bit pretentious at times, she really is the authority on the subject of homemaking. 

Do you know how Martha's domestic career began? She used to babysit for the New York Yankee's players Micky Mantle, Yogi Berra, and Gil Mc Donald. The story goes that the Mantles had four boys under the age of 10. They were a lively bunch and Mrs. Mantle was quite overwhelmed. Martha who was just about 20, was hired to plan birthday parties and babysit the rowdy quartet. They behaved so well for her, beginning her rise to domestic mogul. Interesting huh :-) Anywho, here is what Martha has to say on the subject.

 

Martha's Holiday Citrus Punch:

• 4 cups orange juice
• 2 cups chilled club soda
• 2 cups bottled pear nectar
• 1 cup light rum (if desired)
• Orange slices (for garnish)

 (Source1)

Directions

1. Set a fine-mesh sieve over a large pitcher or punch bowl; pour 2 cups bottled pear nectar and 4 cups orange juice (from blood oranges or regular juice oranges) through sieve into pitcher. Before serving, stir in 2 cups chilled club soda and, if desired, 1 cup light rum. Pour into glasses over ice; garnish with orange slices.                                                

                                                                                   

Don't be put off that the third ingredient is pear nectar.  I know some of you are like what the heck is that? I assure you that it is a readily available ingredient in your local grocery store. It will be located in the ethnic foods section with products featured from Mexico. It costs about a dollar a can and  the packaging looks like this ------------------------->

Also when it says to use the orange juice from blood oranges, it is just a type of orange, not bleeding fruit. It is named so, because the fruit is a crimson color. It produces a darker reddish color juice that is distinct and sweet. It is sometimes referred to as an Italian orange because they are primarily the only variety that is grown in Italy.  Your local fruit market is an excellent source to find these oranges. 

Whipped Sunset

Pictured at right is a take on a tequila sunrise, called a Whipped Sunset.  This recipe came from the Smirnoff website, and it is a simple blend of sweet and sour flavor. Oh boy does it go down easy! I just love the layered look, all festive and pretty :-)  I had been seeing the advertisements for Smirinoff's new Whipped Vodka all over the place. I was curious to see how their new line of dessert vodka tasted. There is a Toasted Marshmallow flavor as well. I decided that since this week I completed another semester towards my degree with excellent marks, I would reward myself with a hard earned cocktail. It is fantastic my friends! To make this drink you will need:

• -1 1/2 oz Smirinoff Whipped Cream Vodka
• -2 oz. sour mix
• -2oz pineapple juice
• -1/2 oz grenadine
• -Whipped Cream for garnish

Mix all ingredients except grenadine in a shaker with ice and pour into glass. Pour in grenadine and garnish with whip cream if desired.

While looking for a good Jello Shot recipe, I came across this stupendous Jello shot website. She has inspired me to experiment with some fun Jello shots for New Years Eve. This lady is talented in the medium of Jello! I love this idea and couldn't wait to try them at home. Here are the molds ready for Jello. Below, we have the lemon drops all ready to go. In fair disclosure, these just have lemon jello in them. I wanted to practice with the lemons and the Jello first in case they didn't turn out. I didn't want to waste the alcohol. Plus the Whipped Sunrise is enough for me tonight. I aint as young as I once was ;-)  The Jello is a little looser than I would like, but I rushed to cut it so I could take pics. This is one of those recipes you definitely have to let set up over night in the fridge.

Or, if you want a bigger shot, you can leave them whole.

 This last recipe uses the Smirnoff Whipped vodka too. Its a Creamsicle Jello Shot. It sounds all kinds of good! I will be taste testing this one next weekend :-)
Creamsicle Shooter

Add 1 1/2 cups boiling water to 4 3 oz packages Orange Jello mix. Stir until dissolved then add 3/4 cup chilled Smirnoff Whipped vodka and 1/4 cup cold water. Mix well,  pour into jello shot containers, cover with lids and refrigerate until firm approx 4 hours. I buy my containers @ Gordon Food Service in the food service container section. They look like little plastic dressing cups.

Thats all she wrote for tonight folks, if you decide to take part in this festive holiday debauchery, make sure you have a designated driver and drink responsibly!  That is all, enjoy your party :-)

Holiday Cocktails Round 1 Post Sources 
1. http://www.marthastewart.com/313320/holiday-citrus-punch 

2. Leavy, Jane. "The Last Boy Mickey Mantle and the end of America's Childhood, 2010
3. http://www.bakersroyale.com/fruit/lemon-drop-jell-o-shots/

Gingerbread Peeps With A Little Gingy Cheesecake Bite

I baked you some gingerbread today :-)  I burnt the first batch though. The doodle was bopping all over the kitchen trying to snag his after school snack, and a cookie, the phone wouldn't stop ringing and Mr. UPS was delivering some Christmas presents that needed to go into hiding pronto. Poor cookies, never had a chance.  The next batch came out much better.  I decided to split the prepared bag mix up and do smaller portions of two different recipes.  Less work, better portion control, and I got to test a new recipe on a smaller scale to see if I liked it. Like would be an understatement, I am in LOVE with it. I cant wait to share! First though, here are a few gingerbread baking tips.

I start with my go to bag of Betty Crocker cookie mix. This premixed bag is a great way to save a few steps in the kitchen. You just add the wet ingredients and bake. They bake up fantastic and are super yummy. Make sure the butter is at room temp so it blends better, you get a tastier cookie that way too. 

When you have mixed according to bag directions lay two strips of wax paper down on the counter. Sprinkle with flour. Roll the mixed dough into a ball and place on the counter. I flatten it out a little with my hand and sprinkle it with flour then cover with a sheet of wax paper. Then I roll it out. The paper keeps the dough from sticking to the pin and the counter. Pull the wax paper from the dough and use a floured cookie cutter to cut out shapes. I use an off set spatula to lift the cookie from the paper to the cookie sheet. 

Once all of the cookies have been cut out and transferred to the sheet, I brush the cookie with just a wee little bit of water. It makes them bake up nice and fluffy with pretty edges. It also removes the some of the excess flour from rolling. Then you bake @ 375 for 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a cookie rack to cool. Frost when completely cool. My version of Royal Icing goes something like this, 3/4 cup powdered sugar and about 1/4 tsp milk and stir. You want it to be a stiff consistency. Add more milk or sugar to even out the consistency. Then load it into a ziplock, snip off the tip and ice away :-)

While parusing around Pintrest this week, I found some really awesome baking ideas to try out for this years holiday cookie plate. I found this delicious recipe for gingerbread cheesecake bites. They are so, so good! I can't wait to try them with Betty's pumpkin cookie mix too. I love a good pumpkin cheesecake bite. Who am I kidding, I just love a good cheesecake bite period :-)







You start by placing muffin cups into a mini muffin pan and then drop dough by rounded spoonfuls into paper cups.






Then use the back of a tablespoon to make a rounded indent into the dough. Dip it into flour every 3rd or 4th press to keep from sticking.

Squeeze in prepared cheesecake mixture, and then bake @ 375 for about 10-13 minutes or until done.







These gingerbread cheesecake bites are phenominal. They are creamy with a nice touch of spice, and are perfectly little bitty bite size too. I wish you all could taste them! If you are so inclined, give them a try, they are simple to make and are out of this world. Again, here is the link to the recipe.

On Friday I will have some very cool and unique ways to show you how to serve Jello Shots. I also have an delightful holiday cocktail that is a take on a tequila sunrise. It uses the new Smirinoff Whipped Vodka and looks just as good as it tastes :-) Until then,

Cookies Are For Big Kids Too

 I hope you all had a nice restful weekend. I know I wish I did, but I cant complain. We had a crazy, busy, and somewhat productive weekend. We attended my nephew's birthday party, see my Mr. sliding down the big inflatable slide, he is the biggest kid of them all!. We also finished some Christmas shopping, cleaned house, finished our homework, cleaned out our storage unit and I was even able to get a jump start on my holiday baking. I cant hardly believe that there are only 4 more weeks left to the year. Ya'll it just flew on by! It seems like just yesterday I was packing up Christmas 2010, and yet here we are again, Christmas 2011.

 One of the things I like most about the holiday season is baking. This is one of my favorite Christmas cookie recipes. I like them so much because they are super easy and taste fantastic. I also love them because they bring back the holiday nostalgia of my youth.

 I remember my Auntie making them for our family Christmas party every year since I was about 6. Even though I always have known she was talented in the kitchen, I remember being super impressed that she baked a Hershey Kiss in the middle and it didn't melt. Little did my 6yr old self know, that the kisses are put in AFTER the cookie comes out of the oven. Don't let my dark hair fool you, I'm secretly blonde. At least my family thinks so anyway. I earned the nickname Blondie due to a series of small kitchen mishaps in my teenage years. I think my gullible nature might also factor into that equation as well, but I digress. 

 Today I am going to share with you the super easy way to make these tasty peanut blossoms. Start off with with a bag of Betty's Peanut Butter Cookie mix and a bag of good old Hershey Kisses. If you do not like peanuts or someone in your house is allergic, you could substitute Betty's bagged Sugar Cookie mix. Just follow the instructions on the back of the bag. For the peanut butter mix, I believe that you add 1 egg, 1 tbs water and 3 tbs oil to the mix and stir well. Once the dough is mixed scoop (I use a small melon baller) dough to make small round ball shape. Roll in granulated sugar and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. 

 

 For a more festive touch, you could substitute red or green colored sugar in place of the plain old white granulated.  Sprinkles will work just as well. Use your imagination and get all Martha Stewarty on them, or not, your choice :-)  Once the cookies have been rolled in sugar and placed on a cookie sheet, bake in a preheated 375 oven for about 10-12 minutes. When you pull them out they will look like this.

Let them cool on the sheet for just a few minutes, no longer than 2 or the Hershey Kiss wont stick when you place it in the center. Now comes the best part! Press a Hershey Kiss in the center of each cookie. You could get all kinds of creative here. Use the white chocolate candy cane kisses, caramel filled kisses, cherry cordial, mint, whatever floats your boat. When the kisses have been added, remove from cookie sheet to a wire baking rack to cool. 

3 dozen cookies in less than an hour. Cant beat that! These yummy cookies are going to work with my Mr. as a treat for his hardworking crew, big kids like cookies. too :-) Come back tomorrow and I will show you my secrets to making gingerbread men, women, people.

My Love Affair With Leopold

I received Leopold as a wedding gift from my parents, when I married the Mr. many years ago. That was a beautiful day my friends. I had been patiently waiting for him to come into my life. Don't get me wrong, I love my Mr., but I am not talking about him. I am talking about my Leopold. I coveted him for the better part of 7 years. I loved him from the moment we met. He was absolutely perfect! Shiny and sleek with a classic, timeless design. He could have sat on my grandmother's counter in the 50's and then seamlessly transitioned to my more modern kitchen without skipping a beat. Together, we have the best time in the kitchen.  We are a fantastic pair, Leopold and I.

I will tell you that I greatly underestimated our relationship. When Leopold first moved in, I did not anticipate the depth of our affair or the impact of his presence in my kitchen. The more we worked together, the more I began to realize that Leopold and I would be together for the rest of my life. There is no reason to own another. He is literally warrantied for a lifetime due to his quality design and was manufactured right here in the good old US of A.

I use him for almost everything! Leopold helps me achieve superb results when I am blending the Redford, preparing holiday meals, cookie doughs, breads, mashed potatoes, fresh home made whipping cream and with many of my other culinary adventures. He also helps to build lasting memories with my little man in the kitchen. This holiday season I am going to introduce him to a new buddy, the Ice Cream attachment. I can hardly stand the wait, please Christmas don't be late! <-- (Sung in my best Alvin and the Chipmunks voice)

Seeing as how he would be living with me for the rest of my days, I thought long and hard about a proper name for him. Consequently, he remained nameless for about 2 years. Then one day I was reading this kitchy book, By The Shores of The Gitche Gumee by Tama Janowitcz.  There was a character in the book named Leopold. He was a charming 6 year old, who had a penchant for cooking and baking. I knew then that the name was absolutely fitting.

Since the beginning, Leopold has been anthropomorphized, however I recently found a way to give him a face to go with his lovely name. I ordered these stickers for him this week. I can't wait until they come :-)  Are'nt they so fun!

 

http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/9866/

This Christmas my sister Sandi  is receiving her Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer. She has decided to name her Gertrude. I will have extra stickers on the ready, so that Gerty can have a face to go with her name too. Being the baking nerds that we are, we will be baking and Skyping so that Leopold and Gertrude can become better acquainted. My friends think I am crazy to have given my Kitchen Aid a name. I just figured that if I was going to own something that long term, we might as well become acquainted. What better way than with a name?

My sister didn't think I was nuts. She understands my quirky personality and the fact that if you are blessed to own a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer, you have a quality piece of kitchen equipment that lasts your entire lifetime. Few products now a days can make that claim.

If you are interested in ordering the anthropomorphizing stickers, click here. If your interested in owning a Kitchen Aid stand mixer click here.

Small Business Saturday Take 2

In my ongoing effort to help support small business, I present to you week 2 of Small Business Saturday. The following are all places I have purchased items from. Again, I am not a paid spokesperson and I have not received anything for my promotional efforts. I just like the product and wanted to share my sources.

Melissa and Doug

http://www.melissaanddoug.com/ 

I was introduced to Melissa and Doug products way back in 1999 when my son was born. They are quality toys, many have out lasted the wear and tear my son has inflicted on them over the years. I love that they have such a full line of products and I always look to them first when looking for great toys to give as gifts. Last year Santa brought several of the board puzzles and this year he will be dropping off this folding mideval castle.You can find Melissa & Doug on their website and at most Toys R Us stores.

Velvet Strawberries

http://andreasingarella.com/ 

I have been following Andrea's blog for several years now, http://velvetstrawberries.typepad.com/. I am just blown away her designs and talent. Above are handmade book marks. I absolutely adore the vintage quality and whimsy these represent. Andrea makes the most amazing ear drops as well. One of these days I'm going to be quick enough with the mouse so I can snag one of these beauties up before the sign reads sold out!

Dixboro General Store

http://www.dixboro.com/ 

Above we have Dixboro all lit up for the holiday season. A trip to this store will ensure a fantastic gift for that hard to buy for someone on your list. Dixboro is located in Ann Arbor MI on Plymouth Road.  

Dixboro sells everything from furniture to flowers (really they have a flower sale every year come spring see photo above right), and even offer gift certificates. I purchased my star curtains and table runner here. I walked up stairs saw them hanging in the window, and knew they were exactly what I was looking for. The helpful staff took them right off the window and it was a done deal. They are a treasure trove of Holiday decorating goodies that are unique and timeless. I have purchased sparkling Easter eggs, vintage santas,wooden signs and garden accessories that have certainly helped add a warm and cozy ambiance to my home. Stop on by and have a look for yourself. Don't forget to stop by the counter, register for the mailing list (GREAT coupons) and taste the Annie. B Caramel's. 

A peek inside.

I encourage you to click the links and check these business out. They offer wonderful merchandise sure to please even the most finicky person on your gift giving list. 

Better Than Robert Redford

My Nana was an amazing woman. She taught me from an early age to be proud of my Irish heritage. She also taught me about the finer points of a good whiskey. She would warn me about it though, and say that whiskey was the reason that the Irish never could conquer the world.

It is from her that I inherited my dark hair, Waterford Crystal and one of our most treasured family recipes. No one made a Redford, like my Nana. I would always pull up the stool at the end of her counter to see what she had cooking in the kitchen.  Sometimes it was something simple, like a toasted tomato sandwich with a fresh picked tomato from her garden. Other days offered Hungarian Goulash simmering on the stove, scenting the house with the delicious aroma of supper to come. She was forever swatting people away from the pot. "Patrick and Jerry get out of that pot or we wont have enough for dinner!"

One of the things I wish most, other than to have her here with us again, is that I would have written down her recipe for Irish Soda bread. Now that she is gone, that family recipe is lost to us forever. Sandi has not even had any luck trying to duplicate it. I was however, fortunate enough to learn the amazing Redford recipe from her. I watched her make this for many Gillespie Family Reunions at Lake Chemung.  When I make this dessert to take for a pot luck, I am guaranteed to come home with an empty pan, much to the Mr.'s dismay. Sometimes I have to make him a spare, so he can have some later. There are even people in my family that actually fight over who is going to get the last piece.

In honor of my Nana, I will share with you her recipe for Better Than Robert Redford. I should tell you that the original name of this dessert was Better Than Sex. Nana wouldn't call it that, so she changed the name to Better than Robert Redford. Today we all just call it Redford and everyone knows that you better get your piece fast before its long gone. I once set out a pan of Redford and went to go get more forks from the kitchen. When I got back, the whole pan was gone. Yes, folks, it is that good!

Better Than Robert Redford

Crust: 1 cup all purpose flour, 1 stick of butter softened, 1 tbs granulated sugar

Pre-heat oven to 375. Blend flour, butter and sugar until thoroughly incorporated. Press into a greased 9*13 baking pan. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Cool completely

Layer 1: 1 8oz package of cream cheese softened, 1 cup of Cool Whip softened, 1 cup of confectioners sugar

Blend cream cheese, Cool Whip and confectioners sugar until smooth. Spread mixture over completely cooled crust. Cover & Refrigerate 2 hours.

Layer 2: 2 small boxes Jello Instant Chocolate Pudding, 3 cups cold milk

Mix pudding and milk. Pour over 1st layer. Cover & Refrigerate 2 hours

Layer 3: Spread remaining Cool Whip on top and garnish with 2 cups crushed Heath Bar. Cover & Refrigerate 30 minutes.

If you decide to give Nana's Redford a try make sure that the butter, cream cheese and Cool Whip are all at room temp. They will blend better this way. I assure you that there will be enough dough for the crust, even if it doesn't look like it. Put it in the pan and use your fingers to press it down and spread it out. It takes a few minutes to work it across the pan. It is worth it I promise! You could also make it with pistachio pudding instead of chocolate and use crushed pistachios in place of the Heath Bar.

I hope you all enjoy my wonderful Nana's delicious dessert!