Santa Pup

Poor little forlorn puppy. It's just too much fun to dress him up. I sure couldn't do this with a Rottweiler! The candy buttons are from 3 Scrapateers December kit. If you haven't been there, you should go--a freebie every day! The striped paper is by Pillowgirl, part of her adorable (and free!) Peppermint Stick Kit. The title is Creating Keepsakes "Good Dog." And "Ho, Ho, Ho" is by Kathryn over at Gotta Pixel, part of a Daily Download kit. (I'm having trouble getting the links to print, but here's one:) http://pillowgirlscraps.blogspot.com

Spritz Cookies

I hope this is readable. Sorry it's crooked--that's how I put it in the scanner. You need a cookie press for this recipe. Mine broke--the thing that makes the ratchet 'ratchet' popped out. So I'm going to get myself (or ask Santa for) a new one--maybe even a battery-powered one. Note: for a funny story about the cranberry meatballs, read my previous blog entry!

They're supposed to be MEAT balls

A cyber friend from Pennsylvania calls me on the phone last night and tells me the cranberry meatballs are terrible. She said they were very runny, so she kept adding breadcrumbs to them. She said they were so bad, even the dog wouldn't eat them. So I say, "What kind of meat did you use?" A pause. "Meat? There's nothing about meat in the recipe." So I get the card to check it--yep, there's meat. Turns out the entire card didn't show up on her screen, so she left out the main ingredient! I had a hard time to stop laughing.

Cranberry Meatballs

I believe this recipe came either from "Taste of Home" or "Quick Cooking" magazine. I hope you can read the card. The original recipe has you cooking the meatballs in the microwave, but I find it easier to put them in a big pan and brown them off in the oven--about 30 minutes at 350 degrees. You can freeze the meatballs for a few weeks and make the sauce when you need it. Oh, and I don't bother chopping the dried cranberries...too much work. Next blog: spritz cookies!

I'm still here

Just haven't felt like blogging. Nick got his cast off today. The doctor says his x-ray looks 'superb.' While we were waiting, Nick started a conversation with me on grammar mistakes people make--like mixing effect and affect, or it's and its. Being a writer, it was fun to be able to help him. But I honestly couldn't give him an example of irony! I'll have to look that up myself. Update on cookies: I made the rolled cookie dough, rolled it out, and it's in bags in the freezer all flat and ready to go. Last night I made my spritz cookies--about 7 dozen. Some for the freezer for Christmas eve, and some to enjoy now. I'm bringing a small box of them to my boss. She's a doctor who runs between two offices--I doubt she has much time to bake! I also made and froze cranberry meatballs for Christmas eve. I'll make the sauce the day or so before. It's a tradition to have those as an appetizer. I'll have to be sure to print out recipes next time I feel like blogging--which I hope won't be too long!