Pecan Tassies

Cookie Days are here again! After half of our group moved away, it took us a while to get it together and re-organize our weekly tribute to baking. Last week we made some delicious pumpkin cookies at Amy's, and today it was my turn. I have been dying to try my mother-in-law's Pecan Tassie recipe (tassies are cookie-tarts made in mini-muffin pans). Chad remembers his mom making these around the holidays, and had been mentioning that I should get the recipe. They turned out SOOOO good! I am a huge pecan pie fan, and these, as Amy said, have the perfect filling-to-crust ratio, since pecan pie is super-rich.
Here's the recipe:


Ingredients:
Pastry:
1 3 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sifted flour
Filling:
1 egg
1 T soft butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 t. vanilla
dash salt
sm. chopped pecans added at final step
Directions:
Pastry: Mix room temperature cream cheese and 1/2 cup butter. Blend in flour. Chill an hour. Shape into 2 doz. 1" balls. Press dough against bottom and sides of mini-muffin tins.
Filling: Beat together everything but nuts. Place sm. chopped pecans in bottom of crust and add filling. Sprinkle top with sm. chopped pecans.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 mins.

On a side note, today's get-together was slightly hindered by the fact that my oven's bottom heating element is broken, and I didn't find this out until my gorgeous hand-made rolls made from freshly-ground wheat flour (I was so proud) came out of the oven nicely brown on top and soggy and disgusting on the bottom. So. Sad. Heather suggested I flip them over to cook the bottoms, which I did, and so they were edible with a nice flavor but chewy/crusty texture. Luckily I have several friendly neighbors, so at least I was able to take the tassies across the street to bake!

Fall is here! (knock on wood)

So yesterday marked the first day so far this season that the A/C hasn't kicked on! So...drum roll... I turned the A/C off! Wow, it only took until November 4th for fall weather to start. I'm optimistic because the weather report says that we won't break 75* all week! Yay! So, even though it's not quite cold enough to light up the fireplace yet, we're getting closer. Maybe I'll get to start wearing my long-sleeves by the time Christmas comes around...

Is life over?

I guess I didn't think that America would be dumb enough to do it, so I didn't consider the fact that Obama could actually be our next president. Frankly, I'm a little concerned about the future of our country, not to mention the future of Joe the plumber. I can't think about this tonight. I'll think about it tomorrow.

Chic Shawls by Megan

So, I sent off a homemade baby gift to my sis-in-law yesterday: a cute and convenient nursing shawl. They are all the rage in Globe! My friend Amy was the first to sport one, and then she made shawls for Elise and me because we just HAD to have one. So I'm just passing it along! Using this is way better than nursing under a blanket--much better all-around coverage. I keep telling Amy she should go into business...maybe we could be business partners...

3 Nights of Halloween

This was a big year for Halloween festivities. It started Wednesday at the church Trunk-or-Treat. Bree was so excited at the idea of dressing up and going trick-or-treating--this year, she actually had some concept of Halloween from books and videos we'd been watching. And she loved her Tinker Bell costume! (on a side note, this was a big year for Tinker Bell costumes, because of the new Tinker Bell movie, but I hadn't thought of that--I just wanted Bree and Mason to have cute coordinating costumes.) Anyway, Bree was sort of dazed as we walked around the parking lot getting candy; there was so much going on, what with the scary trunks, music, games and food. She got a tiny bottle of bubbles from the fishing pond, tried her hand at the beanbag toss (sadly, she has no natural throwing ability), and won at the cupcake walk (she took a couple licks of her cupcake frosting and was done).



On Thursday, we had night number two of Halloween festivities, when we went to our local Fry's grocery store's Midnight Madness event (not sure why it's called that; it started at 4pm and ended at 11...). This was a neat little bonus, since I needed to do some grocery shopping anyway, and when I have to take the kids with me they're not always thrilled or cooperative at the store. So I dressed the kids up and off we went. It turned out to be really cute. All the Fry's employees were wearing costumes. There was trick-or-treating all around the store at the many booths: ring toss, beanbag toss, cookie decorating (this was the one Bree was interested in), and free donuts and cider. So, the kids happily ate their sugar while I got my shopping done, we enjoyed some delicious caramel apple and pumpkin donuts (both of which were surprisingly delicious!), and I got a killer deal on some Halloween candy. Oh, and I got some adorable pictures!






Last night we had our big Halloween finale. Bree got to trick-or-treat at actual houses, which was a whole different experience. We started with a few of our close neighbors--just the ones we know, and they thought Bree was so cute, she got whole handfuls of candy. Then we drove over to our friends the Huishes for dinner and more trick-or-treating (our neighborhood doesn't have many houses that hand out candy; plus it's really hilly). Bree and Calan had a blast running around from house to house, while Mason and Cora were content to ride in the stroller. That neighborhood was packed with people! I've never seen anything like it in real life; it was a zoo of trick-or-treaters. The Huishes actually ran out of candy long before the night was over. Well, by the end of the night we were all hopped up on candy and pumpkin donut holes that I made (yummy!). The kids were exhausted and hysterical when I loaded them in the truck to go home, but they fell right asleep when we got there (no energy for a bath, so they went to bed slightly sticky!).


What a fun few days of festivities! It's silly how much fun I have watching my kids experience these things. They are growing up so fast, but I truly am "enjoying while it lasts" as everyone and their mother likes to instruct me! Now Halloween's over; next stop: Christmas! Oh, wait, no: Thanksgiving. Sorry, got a little over-excited there!

Jack-o-Lanterns

True to my word, we carved pumpkins again this year, so now our tradition is two years and counting! Bree was a little grossed out by the pumpkin guts again, but Chad got her to at least help a little this time. Chad made a scary pumpkin, and although I wasn't planning on making a cute happy jack-o-lantern, when I looked at my blank pumpkin, it's shape was just asking for a silly lopsided smile, which coordinated perfectly with a "dimple" on the right. Bree thought my pumpkin turned out really cute (see video).

Party Time!

My friend Cecilie throws an adults only Halloween party every year, and although Chad is never able to go because of work, I'm always up for a good time, especially if it involves good food and dressing up! I tried to get creative, and I made my costume. I think it was a little too creative, because no one could tell what I was supposed to be. Maybe if I'd had a top hat or a skimpy leotard...can you tell what I am? I thought the guts turned out pretty good if I do say so myself. And my Frankencheese ball was a big hit--it was not only adorable but delicious as well! Here's the recipe:

2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

3 green onions, thinly sliced

2 cartons (4 ounces each) whipped cream cheese
Green food coloring (I mixed in a little black too)
1 can (4-1/4 ounces) chopped ripe olives, drained
2 pepperoncinis
2 slices peeled parsnip (I used boiled egg)

4 colossal ripe olives
Black decorating gel
1 pretzel rod
1 small cucumber

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce and pepper sauce until smooth. Stir in the cheddar cheese, bacon and onions. Shape into a 5-in. x 4-in. x 3-in. rectangle; wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until chilled.
Unwrap rectangle; place on a serving platter with a 3-in. side on top. Tint whipped cream cheese green; spread over top and sides of rectangle.
Add ripe olives for hair, pepperoncinis for ears, and parsnip (or egg) slices and two colossal olives for eyes (I used toothpicks to hold the eyes on). With black decorating gel, pipe the brow, mouth and stitches.
Break pretzel rod into two small pieces; add a colossal olive to each end. Press into sides of head for bolts. Cut a small piece from end of cucumber for a nose. Yield: 3 cups.

(Thanks mom, for the recipe; I think credit is due to Taste of Home magazine.)