It's pretty much a list, again.... ;-)

Fist, don't forget that tomorrow is the deadline to sign up for the giveaway over at Boomama's. :-) I'm hoping to win the camera for Cleggy. ;-)

Speaking of Cleggy, Today (Wednesday actually) is his birthday. :-) Head on over and surprise him by wishing him a Happy Birthday. ;-)

Let me, again, bring your attention to Gayle's recipe swap she hosted last week. There are a lot of amazing recipes that may be beneficial for all of your holiday baking/cooking next week. I know I found a few that I will be making. :-)

I, finally, broke down and bought pecans at the grocery store, ya'll. I cannot believe I spent $6 on a pound of pecan halves! I live in Texas; our state tree is the pecan tree! I should be able to get these for A LOT less than $6.
Of course, I could probably get them free if I wasn't too lazy to shell them myself...but that takes a lot more time than I am willing to commit. And it ruins my nails...

Anyway, I bought the pecans so I could make caramel and chocolate pecan bars for the bake sale last week. They are AMAZING! And so sweet that I could only eat a small one (bite size) without getting ill. But, they were worth every penny of the $6 for the pecans. I only needed a cup of them, though. So, I used the rest to make these:



I have been craving fruit cake cookies ever since I mentioned them in this post. Even though it was a short mention, the seed was still planted. I needed fruitcake cookies. I, finally, made them today, and they smelled heavenly. Fresh grated nutmeg makes everything smell better, ya'll. Just sayin'.

And my craving was completely satisfied when I ate 2... or 5..., but who's counting. :-) Besides that, I am a firm believer that fruit cake IS health food. There's fruit, and nuts, and carbs for energy...

Please don't burst my bubble by reminding me of the butter and sugar... I prefer to live in my own little world, at least until after the holidays. ;-)

Here is the recipe for those of you who are interested. Enjoy. :-)

Christmas Fruit Cookies

1 C of butter, softened
1 1/2 C of sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp of baking soda dissolved in 2 tsp of hot water.
3 C of flour
2 tsp of cinnamon
1/2 tsp of nutmeg
2 lbs of pecan halves
1 lb. of candied fruit (for fruitcake)

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. (Yes, I did say 275) Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and dissolved soda. Mix well. Put dry ingredients in a bowl and combine well. Add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in pecans and fruit. Drop on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. About 1/4 cup scoops. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges. :-) These make REALLY big cookies. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

I'm a baking fool...

Last week I spent 4 days baking for a bake sale, a Thanksgiving dinner and the scrapbooking crop (where THE TRUFFLE was a huge hit.) Yesterday and today I have been baking cookies and fudge for about 40 Marines. It is a LOT of baking, and I am not near done, but it is worth it to send these to the men and women in our military. :-)

I have also learned about popping air popped popcorn and using it to help pack boxes instead of packing peanuts. Definitely going to give that a try. So, tomorrow 3 boxes filled with Gingersnaps, M&M cookies, chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, fruit cake cookies and about 6 lbs. of fudge will make there way half-way around the world. :-) Sure hope they get there in one piece. :-)

Then, in two weeks I will be attending 2 cookie exchange parties. :-) Like I said, I am a baking fool. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

National Cookie Month

I had no idea that October is "National Cookie Month", did you?
I have to say that I am very happy about it. :-)

I have always loved baking cookies. For the most part, I prefer to make cookies from scratch. Store bought dough just doesn't taste the same. I will use it in a pinch, but only if I have to for sake of time. :-)

One of my favorite things to do at the holidays is bake cookies and box them up for gifts. People just love getting the cookies, and I love making them, and taste testing them. :-)

I guess my favorite cookie to make is the Fruit Cake cookie. I love it! :-)

How about you? What is your favorite cookie? I think that in honor of "National Cookie Month" I'll bake some cookies this week. October doesn't end until midnight Friday, so it's not too late to bake and celebrate. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

Everything You Always Wanted To Know About How We Celebrate Christmas **

Everything You Always Wanted To Know About How We Celebrate Christmas **

** but didn't care enough to ask.

I have no recipe today, so I am totally stealing this from Julie over at Elisharose News. :-) Thank you, Julie. :-)

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? I prefer Hot chocolate.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Wrap. I love to wrap presents. :-) This year, I even wrapped empty boxes for decorations.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? White on the trees, none on the house

4. Do you hang mistletoe? Sometimes, but not this year.

5. When do you put your decorations up? The Saturday after Thanksgiving.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? I love it all. That's part of the fun of the holidays. If I HAD to pick just one, okay two, I would say Fruit Cake Cookies, and Cheeseball.

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? I love them all. But, I still think THIS ONE is the best.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I figured it out when I was around 6 or 7. When I asked my parents they told me the truth. It wasn't a sad thing though, I kind of liked being "in the know" with the grown ups.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? No.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? With ornaments we have collected over the past years.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? LOVE IT. Wish we had some.

12. Can you ice skate? No. It is my firm belief that fat people who have no medical insurance should not be on any kind of skates, period.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? I think that would be the stereo.

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Remembering the birth of THE Savior, and instilling the real reason for Christmas to the nephews.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Can't pick just one. Sorry.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Going to Santa Land to "kick off" the Christmas season.

17. What tops your tree? An angel

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? Giving!!!!

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? I love so many, but I think it's Silent Night, or Mary Did You Know.

20. Candy Canes: Yuck or Yum? Yum.

21 Favorite Christmas Show? I can't choose just one, I love and watch them all.

22. Saddest Christmas Song? There are no "sad" ones, but Christmas Shoes and Merry Christmas with Love always make me cry.

Need a Christmas break? Go ahead, copy this post and fill it out on your blog. And let me know about it so I can read it too. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

Recipe Swap Friday

In honor of October being "National Cookie Month" I have decided to post a cookie recipe. :-) I intended to post the "Fruit Cake Cookie" recipe that I mentioned in the previous post, but I forgot about the swap, again, and I don't have time to look it up and type it into a post this morning. (I'm truly busy baking cookies that have to go in the mail TODAY.) :-)

So, I have decided to link back to a cookie recipe that I posted awhile back. :-) It is EASY, CHEAP, and AMAZING! :-) Enjoy! :-)

http://wendysdarling.blogspot.com/2008/03/will-i-get-sued-if-i-call-them.html

For more recipes head over to Gayle's. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling