Home made Potato chips

So last week I'm watching Giada on the Food Network with my husband, and she's making home made potato chips. Well immediately my husband says we need to try that!!! So off I go to Bed Bath and Beyond to buy a mandolin. I know...you're thinking a musical instrument. Noooo, it's a slicing tool. Here's a cheap one. The one I bought was a bit more. (my hubby has to have the best)


Anyway, he made me try it that afternoon and I will never buy chips again! Not only are they fresh, but they have no preservatives! I modified a recipe that I found on the web and here is what I did.

Slice 3-4 Yukin Gold potatos

Soak them in icy salt water for 30 minutes (about 6 tsp. salt and 2 quarts of water)
pat dry before deep frying
fry and drain
salt again

Enjoy!!




These can also be baked. Add chips to&a baggy with a small amount of olive oil then spread them out on a baking sheet and bake.

When Christa first emailed me about becoming a guest designer on Creative Cookbooking I was so inspired by what she said. Here is what she said.

Hi Debbie,
First let me say I have been a reader of your scrapbooking blog for a while now-your creations are beautiful, and I am so excited by your cookbooking blog! I too love to can, I love the idea of preserving fresh produce when it's in season, of saving money for my family, and being responsible with the overabundance of things that grow in my garden! My grandmother (in-law) passed down her water bath canner, and I feel a strong connection with her every time I can something! Your mission of bringing families back to the table resonates with me, I grew up with family dinners and strive to create that atmosphere in my home as well.

I am new to canning, my mother-in-law taught me "how to" last year...and I can't stop. I have to give my "put-ups" away because I don't have room to store them all-I've been experimenting with different recipes, it's too much fun! Some of my favorites have included blackberry liquer sauce, raspberry champagne jelly, blueberry lime jam, strawberry margarita jam, and finding the perfect dilly bean recipe. My dilly beans have become quite sought after in my family, and some have confessed to coveting the jars, keeping the beans all for themselves! This year my goal is to learn pressure canning, again with my mother-in-law. What could be better than pulling out a homemade jar of spaghetti sauce or chili for a hearty meal on a cold, wintery night?

Thanks so much, I look forward to more you have to offer on your blogs!
I love her work! She has inspired me to do some canning this weekend before the holidays sneak up on me.

Here is her next project and what she said about it.

The pumpkin butter was inspired by fall, and was created with a regifted decorate glass jar, a tag punched out and layered with stamped paper, and one strand from a beaded fall pick, leftover from another project. The top of the jar features a magnetic flower made with layered fabric scraps cut out in the shape of a flower, the muslin cloth was stamped with a script sentiment. The flower can be used as a magnet, a hair clip (sticks to bobby pins!), or as a brooch with a second magnet. I plan on giving these out around Thanksgiving, it's simple to put together but is a very thoughtful and budget friendly gift.






Christa's Pumpkin butter recipe:

Ingredients

1 (29 ounce) can pumpkin puree
3/4 cup apple juice or cider
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or to taste)
1 cups brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (or to taste)

Directions
Combine pumpkin, apple juice, spices, and sugar in a large saucepan or crock-pot; stir well. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes or until thickened. Stir frequently.
Transfer to sterile containers and chill in the refrigerator until serving.

Note: pumpkin butter is not deemed safe for home canning, but will keep in the fridge for 6 months.

This sounds so yummy and easy I'll be making this one very soon!

Thanks for inspiring us Christa!

You can find Christa here.
http://www.kissofwhimsy.blogspot.com/

http://www.kissofwhimsy.etsy.com/

Please welcome!

Christa Mann



This is my first attempt at scrapbooking a recipe, but it's one that is near and dear to my family's heart. We all have fond memories of Grandma Fran and her famous enchiladas, she was an amazing woman who used her cooking skills to show her love!  The folder is one I already had in my home office, and cut down to size to hold the recipe, it flips open to reveal the recipe inside.




Enchilada Sauce

¼ cup of corn oil ½ cup flour

½ cup chili powder 5 cups of water

1 8 oz. can tomato sauce 1 ½ tsp. of Spike seasoning

1 ½ cups grated cheddar cheese 1 ½ cups grated jack cheese

½ tsp. salt, dash of pepper

Gradually mix flour into oil and cook till light brown and smooth. Make a paste out of 1 cup of water and chili powder. Add this to flour mixture, Take pan off burner at this point; it is easier to stir in chili powder and remaining 4 cups of water. After this is well mixed, add tomato sauce, spike, both cheeses, salt and pepper. Cook on medium heat for ½ hours. Stir often

Cheese enchiladas

Cook tortillas in ½ inch oil a few seconds on each side. Drain on a paper sack/paper towels.

Dip tortillas in sauce and lay flat in rectangular pan and fill with grated cheddar cheese, chopped olives and onions (if desired). Roll up. After pan in full, add a little more sauce to the top of the rolled enchiladas, top with chopped olives, grated jack cheese, and green onions. Bake in a 350° oven only long enough for cheese to melt, approx. 20 minutes.


Be sure to visit Christa on her blog and her etsy store!

http://www.kissofwhimsy.blogspot.com/

http://www.kissofwhimsy.etsy.com/

How about a couple of Halloween recipes!!

Dragon's Breath Snack Mix
5 cups bugle-shaped corn snacks
3 cups pretzel sticks
1/2 cup peanuts
1/4 cup roasted pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, melted
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon red pepper
1/2 cup red candy-coated milk chocolate mini kisses

Directions
Heat oven to 300°F. Spray 15x10x1-inch jelly-roll pan with no-stick cooking spray. Combine corn snacks, pretzels, peanuts, and pumpkin seeds in large bowl.

Stir together all remaining ingredients except candy-coated kisses in small bowl. Pour butter mixture over snack mixture; toss to coat.

Spread mixture into prepared pan. Bake, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely. Stir in candy-coated kisses. Store in container with tight-fitting lid.


Brown-Eyed Owl Cookies



These wise old owl cookies are decorated before baking.

45 min.prep time 3:05total time

2 1/2 dozen cookies


Ingredients

3/4 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, softened1/2 cup sugar1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar1 LAND O LAKES® All-Natural Egg1 teaspoon vanilla2 cups all-purpose flour2 teaspoons baking powder1/2 teaspoon salt3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa 1 cup swirled chocolate baking chips1 cup whole cashews Directions

Combine butter, sugar and brown sugar in large bowl; beat at medium speed until creamy. Add egg and vanilla; continue beating until well mixed. Reduce speed to low; add flour, baking powder and salt. Beat until well mixed.

Divide dough into thirds. Add cocoa to one-third of dough; mix well. Divide chocolate dough in half. Roll each half into 10-inch log; set aside.

Roll out each remaining white dough amount into a 10x4-inch rectangle. Place 1 chocolate log onto each white dough rectangle. Roll white dough completely around chocolate log, leaving ends uncovered. Wrap dough logs in plastic food wrap; refrigerate until firm (at least 2 hours).

Heat oven to 350°F. Cut logs into 1/4-inch slices with sharp knife. To create owls, place 2 slices onto ungreased cookie sheet, side-by-side with edges touching. Using fingers, pinch up dough to form ear at top of each circle. Place 1 baking chip in center of each chocolate section for eyes. Press 1 cashew into bottom center of each cookie to create beak. Repeat with remaining dough slices.

Bake for 9 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on cookie sheet 5 minutes; remove to wire cooling rack.
Recipe Tip

You can bake the dough slices by themselves for a fun, circular vanilla and chocolate cookie.

Recipes are from Landoflakes.com

Thanks for stopping by!

Please Welcome Guest Designer Heather Topich!

1. How long have you been scrapbooking and how did you get started? I kept journals and photo albums as a child. In college, I started mixing them together, but the resulting pages were horrible, so I don’t count that! Laugh. I started matching things up better about 8 years ago.


2. From where do you draw inspiration? Magazines, blogs, and sketches, like most people, but also from challenges that limit you to using a certain number of things or particular items that I might not have used otherwise

3. Describe your style for us. Shabby chic, sometimes with a touch of vintage… sometimes with a touch of grunge

4. How do you go about designing a page? I start with the story that I want to tell and then pick pictures to go with that story.

5. In general, how long does it take you to do a page?

Usually about a hour, once I decide what product to use (but that alone can take an hour or more!)

6. What is your favorite product? Patterned paper because of its versatility. I love cutting it up to use as embellishments.

7. What are 3 other products that you can't live without? At the moment: ribbon, flowers, and alphas

8. Is there anything else you'd like to share with us? It it my honor to be a guest here. I love scrapbooking, but my scrapped cookbook is one of my favorites. I love that my kids will someday have a fun way to look back at our favorite meals.
You can visit heather at her blog In the meantime enjoy a couple of Heathers favorite recipies!!






Have a great week!