Cookie Swap Part 2

It’s time for the recipes! I have picked out ten Christmas cookie recipes which seem to be delicious. So, get your flour, sugar, eggs, cocoa powder, baking soda, and what ever else the recipes call for. It’s time to BAKE!

Peanut Butter Blossoms

According to “General Mills, Peanut Butter Blossoms are the most popular Christmas cookie in the country; it’s the most-visited cookie recipe in seven states, which means it’s the most common favorite cookie in the U.S. That’s a pretty high honor! Jul 30, 2022”

I am a fan of PBB (Peanut Butter Blossoms), and they are in my cookie tins each year! So, let’s see what makes them YUMMY!

Sugar Cookies

Sugar Cookies…have to admit, not really a fan. I have nightmares of millions and millions of cookies being made by my mother and aunts and our duty as children, my cousins, my sister, and I, was to frost said millions of cookies. We never thought the day would end when we had to frost the sugar cookies! Do you remember the dragees that were silver? Those things could zing your fillings like nothing else.

Easy Gingerbread Cookies

Growing up, gingerbread cookies weren’t usually on the menu. We would get the ginger snaps through out the year, but back in the day, those gingerbread men were to tough to bite into. However, I have grown to like gingerbread cookies over the year. Can’t wait to try these out!

Both the Sugar Cookie and the Gingerbread Cookie can be frosted many different ways. Check out the links on some of the millions and millions of ideas out there!

Candy Cane Cookies

While I am reminising about childhood cookies, the CCC (Candy Cane Cookies) were my favorite! They were so yummy, sadly as I grew up, I found they were extremely hard to make. The dough would be too dry and fall apart, we would over bake them, it was a never ending struggle. But, here, we have an updated version!

Christmas Snickerdoodles

The Snickerdoodle, not on the childhood cookie list, however, it’s a must make in our house now and is usually one of the first cookies to run out! (Just a note, Snickerdoodles can be made with or without Cream of Tartar Pictured on the right)

Here we start the; Never Have I Ever part of the choice of cookies.

I choose the FCDC (Frosted Cranberry Drop Cookies) as I have found I love cranberries, but not that nasty stuff out of a can (sorry to those who like it).

Frosted Cranberry Drop Cookies

Oreo Balls

Appears to be something in the neighborhood of a “truffle” or “cake pop”. Every single time I try to dip cake pops in the chocolate, they fall off the stick, fork, or anything else I try!

Raspberry Pistachio Linzer Cookies

I have never had a Linzer or raspberry and pistachio together, this should be interesting!

See, don’t they look yummy!!!

Andes Mint Chocolate Cookies

Can you even go wrong with Andes Mints? In a chocolate cookie? My mind suggests not!

Peppermint Mocha Cookies

Kind of like the AMCC there is nothing wrong with peppermint and mocha together!

So there you have it. Ten of the most delicious looking Christmas cookies I have seen in a long time. Mine never look anything close to these pictured here, but when I make my cookies, I will make sure and share with you what they looked like. Share yours too, if you like!

“I sure do like those Christmas cookies, sugar
I sure do like those Christmas cookies, babe
The ones that look like Santa Claus
Christmas trees and bells and stars
I sure do like those Christmas cookies, babe”
George Strait, Christmas Cookies

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*this post may contain information which are not mine, no copyright infringement meant* Disclaimer

DK

The Vinegar Chronicles

Have you seen all the information on common everyday products? Cleaners can cause cancer. Deodorants can cause breast tumors. Dishwasher soap contains eight toxic chemicals. It’s not all good to buy convenience and it’s not convenient to make your own. So what do you do?

I have been starting slow. Very Slow! I have a very good friend who is a homesteader and I admire what she does. She has been expanding her apothecary for awhile now and I have been following her lead. Course, I am not quite to the point of raw food for my Shih Tzu, not cause he wouldn’t like it, but I don’t have that energy. However, watching her chicks hatch, goats play and the garden grow is simply amazing and I am totally jealous!

So, this past week, I started my vinegar cleaning solution.

Distilled White Vinegar 

Your choice of citrus peels

Mason Jar (make sure it’s a clean one)

• I used two oranges, peeled them and took off the meat from the pith.
• I put them in my mason jar and then covered them with distilled alcohol.
• Tightly sealed the lid on the jar and dated it.
• After three months, strain the peels out of the mixture and toss.
• Keep the vinegar in a cool dark place.
• When ready, add to a spray bottle and clean away!!

Get your stuff together

Peeling the Oranges

Filled Jar (top view)

Filled Jar (side view…and in a clear jar)

My friend told me I had to wait three months before I can use it. I should shake it everyday to mix it up. So, I added a date on the top of the jar, cause I will forget it when it’s time!

Now, in a blue jar (lost my rings to the clear one)

Since then I have found a little less time consuming recipe and I think I will try that one too.

Same ingredients 

BUT…. there can be a twist with this one. 

You can make up different scents. 

Orange and Clove

Pine and Orange

Lime and Mint 

The options are endless!

Ok…here’s another  the difference

• Fill your mason jar about 1/2 full (or 1/2 empty, depending how you want to look at it) with the peels and herbs.
• Heat your vinegar to almost boiling (make sure you use a microwave safe glass dish, bowl or even better a Pyrex measuring cup)
• Pour the vinegar over the peels and herbs, seal tightly, add the date to the lid and what’s in it.
• Leave in a dark, cool place for 24 or more. The longer it sits the deeper the scent.

Once you get the scent you want, strain the peels out of the mixture and toss.

Keep the vinegar in a cool dark place.

When ready, add to a spray bottle and clean away!!

 

Need more fun with Vinegar? 

 Fabric Softener:  An easy peasy trick: Add ½-1 cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle to help remove detergent build-up, soften fabrics, and deodorize laundry.

Washing Machine Refresher: Grab your bottle of Distilled vinegar, (by now, you may need to get the gallon sized bottles!}  Fill all the compartments with vinegar and run your washing machine on the cleaning cycle

Freshen Garbage Disposal :Who knew you could Freeze vinegar? Well, you can…just freeze the vinegar into cubes, store in a freezer bag, grind a few cubes in the garbage disposal once a week. I bet you could add some of the lemon or lime scented vinegar from above!

And lastly

Fruit Fly Control: Place ¼ cup of vinegar in a small jar. Cover with plastic wrap and a rubber band. Poke a few small holes in the wrap.  They will be attracted to the vinegar and get caught in the jar. No more clapping the hands when the fly by to try and kill them!

One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries. —A.A. Milne

*this post contains photos which are not mine, no copyright infringement meant*Disclaimer

 DK