Holiday Bliss, Domestic Fun, Cooking, Design, Crafts

Or as Ali likes to say “Seriously. Is that time of the year already? AGAIN?!?” I really truly do look forward to making these once a year. Okay maybe two or three times. Because they are so easy. I saw them once in a Holiday’s with Kid’s magazine - Basically these are turkey dogs wrapped and baked in pillsbury bread sticks. This year I did not have the time to add olives as eyes, etc. I mightwill probably do these again on Halloween. The whole concept is obviously “mummy’s” as in “muahahaaaa”. This is an easy peasy cooking project to do with kids - lay out your dogs - lay out the doughy bread stick - and let them roll and decorate as they please. I press pieces of cheese into my dough before I roll. I also like how hands free these are afterwards - wrap it in a napkin and they can have them without as much mess. If they want mustard and ketchup - i just skirt some in a bowl and they can dip.

These are also great for adults - Football or Poker party’s? I serve these with Chili. Again not a lot of mess. Chili goes in bowl - wrapped dog gets dipped to the side. Wha’la. No need for utnesils. They actually aren’t greesey at all.

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Ali has become attached to my Cook’s magazine - Being analytically minded he likes how the articles go into detail about the how and why of different cooking techniques. This last weekend it was all about baking cookies….and he did (I did clean-up):

He takes such a scientific, perfectionist approach to baking that Martha Stewart appears relaxed next to him. I’m much more of a “dash of this - dash of that” type of a cook - I don’t bake either. So I don’t even really have the proper measuring tools (ask me how many times I had to run to the store for cooking gear during this episode of “driving Christina mad”:

To his credit - these turned out awesome - and here some facts that you may not have known. For example - Pre-made cookie mixes, be they frozen or boxed, do not contain brown sugar. Brown sugar is essential to a “chewy” cookie versus a “cake-like” cookie. Another thing about creating the perfect chewy cookie - You must melt the butter - not just soften it. Not only that - to increase the chewy value you must actually brown the butter while you are melting it. Bet you didn’t know that.

Cook’s magazine (aka America’s Test Kitchen) actually puts out 6 issues a year and it’s worth a subscription. Check out Amazon to order your magazines - they offer the best buy. You must belong to the Cook’s magazine website in order to access all of their stuff. I think that’s kind of lame to be honest because you have to buy a membership HOWEVER if it wasnt’ for how awesome and fool proof their stuff is I wouldn’t join. Well actually I didn’t but Ali did because he is that hooked. Imagine.

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I actually don’t own a matching set of anything and at the sametime it’s all alike’ish enough that it works. I encourage you all to spend the time picking through the racks at TJ Maxx in the household goods section….I found the above serving bowls for $4/ea. That’s nothing. NOTHING I tell you. I love their contemporary style and the fact that they were cheap.

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I don’t idle well - and by that I mean I don’t do well sitting still. Ali likes to watch volumes and volumes of TV (did I mention more volumes? Yes more volumes to that volume please). To compromise and keep him company - I crochet scarfs and blankets. Ask me sometime how many scarves I’ve made OR just peak inside my closet. They actually look cool when you add an old broach as decorative way to keep it wrapped in place.

Making these are so easy - It’s nice to wear something you’ve made - gives you sense of do it yourself acomplishment.

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