~ Moments of Mine ~

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Visitors in the Snow

Turkeys came around after Thanksgiving!

This squirrel didn't move for half an hour; maybe his first snow experience!

Doves visiting the recently turned compost pile

Deer investigating compost pile.

Deer investigating me!

Monday, December 15, 2008

Hickory Nuts

It was very windy last night, but nothing like back in September, when the ground was left littered with broken branches and hickory nuts everywhere! Remember Dylan?

This happened "everytime" Dylan went outside.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Alivia helped with the baking and designing of her cake. She wanted pecan pieces and a gingerbread man on top. She agreed to sprinkle the pecans, after I talked her out of placing them on the cake "one by one."

3 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 teas.salt + a pinch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1'3/4 cups sugar
1'1/2 teas. gd. cinnamon
1 c. chopped pecans
3 eggs, beaten
1 c. vegetable oil
2 c. shredded zucchini
8 oz. crushed pineapple
(drained)
2 teas. vanilla extract
1/2 c. flaked coconut
(optional)

Directions:Combine first five ingredients; stir in nuts. Combine remaining ingredients; add to flour mixture,stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Spoon batter into two greased and floured 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour and 5 minutes. Cool in pans for 10 minutes; remove from pans and let cool on wire racks.

~♥Peanut Butter Cup Cookies♥~

1 1/4 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon soda

1/4 lb. of butter (1 stick)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup br. sugar (packed)

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

48 Reese's miniature peanut butter cups (unwrapped)

Preheat oven to 350 * F

Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda; set aside.

Cream together the butter, sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar until fluffy.

Beat in the egg and vanilla. Add the flour mixture; mix well.

Shape into 48 balls and place each into ungreased mini muffin pans or bake 24 now and refrigerate rest for later.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and immediately press a mini peanut butter cup into each ball.

Cool 10 min. before carefully removing from pan.

2 cups self rising flour
5 tablespoons butter
3/4 to1 cup buttermilk, chilled

Preheat oven to 450* F.
Place flour in a large mixing bowl. Melt butter. Pour melted butter into cold buttermilk while stirring. Make a well in the center and pour in the buttermilk. Stir just until the dough comes together. The dough will be sticky. Sometimes I just drop a few spoonfulls into a bowl of flour to very lightly coat and gently toss in my hands, back and forth to shape and lay on a greased pan OR I turn the dough onto a floured flexible plastic sheet, dust top with flour and gently fold dough(with help of sheet) over on itself 5 or 6 times. Press into a 1/2-inch thick round. Cut out biscuits with a 2-inch cutter, Place biscuits on a greased baking pan, either touching for soft sided or slightly apart for crisp sides Reform scrap dough, working it as little as possible and continue cutting. (Biscuits from the second pass will not be quite as light as those from the first. Bake 10-12 min. or until biscuits are tall and golden on top. Makes 12. I often double the recipe, they freeze well.