Snickerdoodles

What’s better than the smells of a fresh, warm baking cookie wafting through the house? Not much, that’s for sure! These delectable little morsels are guaranteed to disappear almost as fast as you can get them out of the oven.If you want to go for traditional, do the recipe as it is listed below. If you want to spice things up a bit (literally), swap out the cinnamon with nutmeg and cloves! 1 tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp cloves, 2 tbsp sugar.. roll the cookies in THAT before baking. Crazy tasty!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Combine 1 1/2 cups white sugar, butter or margarine, vanilla and eggs. Mix well.
3. Stir in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Blend well. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Combine 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon. Roll dough in sugar/cinnamon mixture and place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Immediately remove from cookie sheets.

Split Peas & Smoked Ham Hocks Soup

Cold winter day. Wind is howling outside. Frost is covering every inch of anything exposed.. what better time to whip up a pot of something warm, thick, and delicious? If you are in the Pac Northwest, I recommend getting your ham-hocks from WinCo. They seem to have the best prices AND the best quality for their hocks. Lots of meat, little price, good deal.

You can cut this recipe in half, if you have a smaller family, or don’t like to deal with left overs. I make a LOT, and we take it for lunches.

2 bags dried split peas

6 cups chicken broth

6 cups water

1 onion, diced

3-4 celery stalks, sliced

4-5 cloves garlic, chopped

3-4 medium carrots, sliced

4 decent sized smoked ham hocks

In a large stock pot, heat 2-3 tablespoons oil. Add the onion, celery, garlic and carrots. Cook until tender and starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the water and stock, bring to a boil.

While this is coming to a boil, make sure you rinse and sort your peas. Make sure there is not sand or other chunky ‘things’ in them. They being a natural product, sometimes ‘foreign materials’ can sneak into the bags. Just give them a quick rinse, poke through them a few times, and you should be good.

After the stock/veggies come to a boil, add the peas, and lower the heat to medium. Add the ham hocks, and let cook until desired consistency. Some people like it thin, like soup. I prefer mine thick, like a chowder. Watch your fluid levels. If it gets too dry, add more stock or water. Too wet, let it cook longer. I typically allow mine to cook slow for a few hours.

This goes great with home made Parker House rolls, or garlic bread.

Potato Bacon Chowder

What’s better on these cold winter days than a hearty pot of potato soup? My mom used to make this all the time, but her recipe was always watery, which I never cared for. So I tweek it a bit, and made it this way instead.. I made a double batch, and between the three of us here at the house, it literally lasted four days, then was gone. Good stuff, and again, simple to make.

 

 

 

Ingredients

2 cups peeled, cubed potatoes

1 cup water

8 bacon strips

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped celery

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted

1 3/4 cups milk

1 cup sour cream

1/2 teaspoon salt

Dash pepper

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

Directions

In a covered 3-qt. saucepan, cook potatoes in water until tender. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a skillet until crisp; remove to paper towels to drain. In the same skillet, saute onion, garlic, and celery in drippings until tender; drain. Add to undrained potatoes. Stir in soup, milk, sour cream, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes or until heated through (do not boil). Crumble bacon; set aside 1/4 cup. Add remaining bacon to soup along with parsley. Sprinkle with reserved bacon. You can add some finely chopped chives, and grated cheese to the top as well. This truly brings out the flavours!

Pumpkin Oat Bread

Who ever said pumpkin should not be served after Thanksgiving, has never tried my pumpkin oatmeal bread! This stuff is amazing, and simple to make. Try it either as loaves, or you can make it into muffins as well. Just watch the bake time for muffins, about 25-30 minutes.

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup rolled oat

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

4 eggs

2 cups pumpkin puree , fresh if possible

2/3 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Grease the bottoms of 2 loaf pans (8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2). In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients, except the sugar. In a smaller bowl, combine sugar and all of the wet ingredients. Mix well until sugar is dissolved. Pour wet mixture into dry mixture. Stir to combine, but don't over mix. Pour into prepared loaf pans.

Bake 45-55 minutes, or until a test pick comes out clean. Cool in pans 5 minutes on cooling rack. Then, remove from pans and cool completely -- if it lasts that long!

🍏 The Hibernian Cider-Flavoured Chicken 🍏

Long ago, the Romans gave the misty, emerald isle of Ireland a beautiful Latin name: Hibernia. This comforting, braised banquet honors those ancient lands, utilizing the traditional, wholesome bounties of the Irish countryside—crisp orchard cider, wild forest mushrooms, and garden leeks. It is a hearty, warming spell to banish the dampest evening chills.

🔮 The Alchemist's Treasures (Ingredients)

• 1 Brave Frying Chicken (about 3 pounds, safely portioned into pieces)

• A dusting of All-Purpose Flour (the ghostly kitchen powder)

• 3 to 4 tablespoons of Churned Butter (the golden puddle of richness)

• 1 thick slice of Smoked Bacon, finely diced (for a whisper of campfire smoke)

• 1 medium Garden Leek (the pure white stalk only, thoroughly cleansed of earth and sliced into rings)

• 1 cup of Fresh Forest Mushrooms, sliced thin

• ½ cup of Crisp Apple Cider (the sweet essence of the autumn orchard)

• 1 cup of Heavy Velvet Cream

• A generous pinch of Sea Salt & Coarsely Ground Black Pepper

• Fresh Watercress Leaves (for a vibrant emerald garnish)

📜 The Ritual (Directions)

Step 1: Preparing the Fowl

Gently rinse your chicken pieces and pat them dry with a clean cloth. Strip away and discard the skin, shedding the bird's outer armor. Rain down a good dusting of salt and pepper over the meat, then dip each piece into the ghostly flour until they are lightly coated on all sides.

Step 2: The Golden Searing

Place a grand, heavy skillet over a medium-high flame and let the churned butter melt until it bubbles merrily. Introduce the floured chicken to the sizzling gold, searing each piece until they are handsomely browned on all sides. Using your trusty tongs, rescue the golden chicken to a resting plate and keep them warm by the hearth, leaving the rich drippings behind.

Step 3: Summoning the Harvest Jewels

Into the very same skillet, toss your diced bacon and the white rings of the garden leek. Sauté them together for about 5 minutes, letting them grow tender as they drink in the savory oils. Next, add the sliced forest mushrooms to the pan, letting them dance in the heat for 3 minutes more until they soften.

Step 4: The Velvet Braise

Return the resting chicken pieces to the skillet, nesting them gently among the vegetables. Pour the crisp apple cider and the heavy velvet cream over the entire assembly, creating a rich, bubbling bath. Lower the flame to a gentle medium-low, cover the cauldron with its lid, and let the elements simmer undisturbed for about 35 minutes until the chicken is wonderfully tender and infused with orchard magic.

Step 5: The Presentation

Lift the lid and check the seasoning, adding a final pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the steaming chicken and its rich, creamy cider sauce to a wide serving basin. Garnish the top with the fresh emerald watercress leaves, share it out among 4 hungry travelers, and let the warmth of Hibernia fill your hall!

Beast’s Secret Tip: This cozy spell can easily be woven ahead of time. Prepare everything up until the final simmer, then simply heat it through right before your companions gather at the table.

🦃 The Feast-Day Smothered Turkey with Walnuts 🦃

In the mist-shrouded highlands of Gaelic lore, the wrinkled walnut was once a symbol of foreign wealth, carried across the great seas on trading ships. To share them at the table was a powerful charm, thought to bring boundless good health and good fortune to the household. This comforting supper is a rustic "smothered" hash—a wonderful spell for transforming the roasted birds of a previous feast into a rich, velvety banquet.

🔮 The Alchemist's Treasures (Ingredients)

• 2 tablespoons of Churned Butter (the rich catalyst)

• ½ cup of Sun-Gold Onion, finely chopped into translucent bits

• ½ cup of Crisp Celery Stalks, finely chopped like tiny green shards

• ½ cup of Fresh Asparagus Spears (optional, harvested from the forest edge)

• 1 teaspoon of Exotic Curry Powder (for a whisper of warmth from distant lands)

• 1 teaspoon of Vibrant Paprika Dust (for color and spice)

• 1 cup of Yesterday’s Breadcrumbs (stale crumbs to soak up the magical juices)

• 4 cups of Diced Roasted Turkey (or leftover chicken, retrieved from a prior gathering)

• ½ cup of Savory Turkey Gravy (the essence of the roast)

• A pinch of Fine Salt & Coarsely Ground Black Pepper

• 1 cup of Wrinkled Walnuts, coarsely chopped (the bringers of good fortune)

• ½ cup of Heavy Velvet Cream

• ½ cup of Fresh Parsley Leaves, chopped like wild meadow grass

📜 The Ritual (Directions)

Step 1: Awakening the Skillet & Melting the Gold

Place a large, heavy cauldron or skillet over a medium-high flame and melt the churned butter until it pools and bubbles. Toss in your chopped onions, celery, and the optional forest asparagus. Sauté the vegetables merrily for about 5 minutes, until they soften and surrender their crispness to the heat.

Step 2: The Infusion of Foreign Spices

Sift the aromatic curry powder and bright paprika directly into the softened vegetables. Stir them constantly for 1 minute, letting the heat release the fragrant oils and warm spices. Drop in the breadcrumbs, tossing them through the spiced butter until they turn a beautiful, crunchy golden brown, which should take about 5 minutes.

Step 3: Smothering the Fowl

Introduce the four cups of diced turkey and the savory gravy into the skillet, stirring until the meat is fully enrobed. Season the mixture with a generous pinch of salt and black pepper. Lower the flame to a gentle medium-low, cover the vessel with its lid, and let the elements mingle and steep together for 10 minutes so the flavors deepen.

Step 4: The Finishing Fortune & Cream

Lift the lid and stir in your chopped walnuts, the heavy velvet cream, and the fresh meadow parsley. Turn the flame back up to medium-high. Cook for a final 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cream bubbles and everything is thoroughly heated through and steaming.

Step 5: Presenting the Banquet

Spoon the rich, smothered hash into a rustic serving basin. Present it alongside a fresh green salad and warm, fresh-baked scones or traditional soda bread. Share it generously to ensure health and luck find everyone at your hearth!

Beast’s Secret Tip: This spell can be woven ahead of time! Prepare the vegetable and spice base early in the day, then simply perform the final heating and cream infusion just before your hungry travelers gather at the table.