Nana's Sesame Seed Cookies

One of my favorite cookies my Nana used to make were Sesame Seed.  A firm cookie that was rolled in sesame seeds and baked until toasted. It seems like yesterday that I was eating these cookies and I never could get my fill of them.  Not too sweet just right!  In other words..........  Yummy!

This is straight from my Cookbook so I'm sharing a family recipe because that's what this blog is about.  Friends sharing recipes from generation to generation and hopefully more generations in the future.

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My first Give-away!

 Last Chance to enter for my first Give away


I'm having my first give-away! It's A Tuttorosso Gift Pack which includes 1- 28 oz. can of crushed with basil tomatoes, 1-28 oz. can peeled plum tomatoes, 1-28 oz. can tomato sauce and 1-6oz. can tomato paste, plus a Tuttorosso apron, a Tuttorosso wooden spoon and some great recipes too. Starting tomorrow November 19th they are having a three week promotion and I'm having a giveaway On December 12th. Yay!

You can register to win special prices on their facebook page too!  They will be giving away 1,000 aprons per week, a daily drawing of 1 heirloom wooden spoon, and a grand prize of a Martha Stewart Cookware set. Just go to http;//www.facebook.com/tuttorossotomato to enter.

I have been using Tuttorosso products for years and love them.  All my special red sauce meals are made using Tuttorosso products. I am excited that they contacted me and said along with sending me those items one lucky person who I choose would receive the same. It starts tomorrow so as of this moment the only idea I can come up with is that you email me your name and address and I'll keep track of the entries that way and when it comes to the time I will use Random.org and have them pick a name randomly. My email address is mjkitchenjoy@gmail.com.   Enter as many times as you like I'll keep them and when the promotion is over I'll then have Random.org choose the winner and notify them as to who to send the products to.


Are you ready for some fun?

First published 11/19/14

Our family tradition! Hoping you'll make it yours too!

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Running out of space.

My Christmas Reminder . If you want to make some wonderful memories with your grandchildren this is a must. My sweeties are growing so quickly but I have these memories to last forever. They laugh now at how they drew then and now.

 

I post these photos every year as a suggestion to all grandparents. I have this tradition every Christmas where my grandchildren write, draw or color something that reminds them of Christmas on a washable tablecloth with fabric/markers/ pens that I purchased at our local craft store. I didn't start it as early as I had wanted to so take note of that.

Try to start this Christmas tradition when they are young enough to draw a little bit. Maybe 3. I started when our youngest grandson was 4. They love doing it and the oldest are 18 so I'm thinking it may be their last at this but who knows?

Making wonderful memories that will last a lifetime. I bought my tablecloth for around $10  and the pens are probably around $5 or so. Enjoy! We sure do!!
 

A few Holiday Baking FYI's

Since we are in the heart of the holiday baking season I thought a little reminder might be helpful to ensure your cakes, pies and desserts turn out the best they can.

 

1. New season, new ingredients. This is a great time to check the expiration dates for your baking supplies and get rid of anything that has expired.

2. Preparation is key. Read the recipe and make sure you have all the ingredients needed. And always measure carefully!

3. Understand the language. Sliced, diced, chopped, broken, beaten — each word means something slightly different, so make sure you’re familiar with all of the terms in a recipe.

4. Use room-temperature ingredients. They’re easier to work with, plus cold ingredients can result in lumpy batter.

5. Always whisk eggs first. It helps the eggs/yolks emulsify so they blend better into the batter.

6. Start with dry ingredients and then add the liquid. And don’t forget to sift your dry ingredients to avoid lumps.

7. Preheat the oven. It sounds obvious, but a standard oven takes approximately 15 minutes to preheat to 350 degrees.

8. Know your baking pans. Cakes baked in glass versus metal bake differently. If using glass, lower your oven temperature by 25 degrees.

9. Cool cakes and cupcakes differently. Let full cakes cool in pans on wire racks for 20 minutes before removing from pans. But remove cupcakes from pan immediately, placing individual cupcakes on wire rack to cool.

10. Frost cakes when completely cool. Even the slightest warmth from a cake can quickly turn your frosting or icing into a mess.

Courtesy Duncan Hines

Glazed Carrots

Ever since I saw this recipe I knew I had to make it!

Carrots are one of my favorites vegetables.  Raw, steamed, sautéed or added to soups or stews.  A great food choice for dipping in your favorite dip too!

1 pound carrots, approximately 7 medium, peeled and cut on the bias 1/4-inch thick
1 ounce (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter (I use regular butter)
Heavy pinch kosher salt
1 cup good-quality ginger ale
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

In a 12-inch saute pan over medium heat, combine the carrots, butter, salt and ginger ale. Cover and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, remove the lid, stir, and reduce the heat to low. Cover again and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the lid, add the chili powder and increase the heat to high. Cook, tossing occasionally, until the ginger ale is reduced to a glaze, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Pour into a serving dish and sprinkle with the parsley. Serve immediately.

Courtesy Alton Brown  Food Network:   http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/glazed-carrots-recipe.html