Simple Christmas Sugar Cookies

I've been making the same Christmas cookies for years.  These Sugar Cookies are one of our yearly traditions. They are simple to mix up, chill, cut out and bake; and if you so desire ... decorate.  

The cookies in the photos were baked and decorated by my daughter, which is why they are lovely and decorated nicely.  Mine often don't look nearly as pretty as hers, but they still taste great, and as a bonus, my husband prefers them without icing, so I get away with making at least one batch of 'plain' sugar cookies! 

Simple Sugar Cookies

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 cup softened butter (I use salted butter)

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla 

2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Mix together powdered sugar, butter, egg and vanilla.  Stir in flour, baking soda and cream of tartar.

Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours.  I usually mix the dough one day and leave it in the fridge overnight and bake the next day.  

Preheat oven to 375.  

Divide dough in half.

Roll out to 3/16 on a lightly floured surface.  

Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters.

Bake on ungreased cookie sheets until edges are light brown, about 7 to 8 minutes. 

Cool on rack.

Decorate as desired, if you desire!

Note: You can decorate before baking with sprinkles and such if you prefer.  

Decorator Frosting

1 cup sifted powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1-2 tablespoons water

Mix the above together until smooth and spreadable.  

Add food coloring to obtain desired colors.

What is your favorite Christmas cookie recipe?

Love,

Catherine Ann

Pumpkin Applesauce Muffins

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I'm ready for fall.  And though the calendar says it is exactly two weeks away, I'm in denial and pretending it is here right now.  

In the spirit of all things fall, I baked Pumpkin Applesauce Muffins for an afternoon snack.  My middle Love is now eating vegan, so I tweaked a recipe in The Vegetarian Family Cookbook by Nava Atlas. 

Next time I will use gluten free flour as that is my newest adventure, eliminating as much gluten from the diet as possible.  I should have used gluten-free flour today, but I often cook on auto-pilot and I'm still accustomed to grabbing the big flour bin (maybe I'll switch out the contents and put gluten-free flour in it now).  

The muffins are tasty, not too sweet, and definitely fallish in nature.

Pumpkin Applesauce Muffins
vegan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Line a 12 cup muffin tin with liners (I had pretty fall ones left from last year)

Stir 1 tablespoon chia seeds into 1/3 cup water (let stand a few minutes to "gel")
If you aren't interested in making this vegan you can substitute an egg for the chia seeds (no water necessary).

In a large bowl combine:

2 cups flour
1/3 cup natural sugar (you may want a tad bit more if you like sweeter muffins)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 heaping teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

In another bowl mix together:

chia seed mixture (or 1 egg, lightly beaten)
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup applesauce
1/3 cup almond, rice, soy or  "milk" of choice
2 tablespoons cooking oil of choice
1 tsp vanilla

Stir liquid mixture into dry ingredients just until combined.

Optional add-ins:
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
( I used walnuts this time only because someone had eaten all the chocolate chips! Next time I'll add both.)

Bake for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick comes out clean.
Cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy with a cup of your favorite tea!

I love all sorts of apple and pumpkin pastries and I've pinned a bunch of new things to try on my Autumn Ideas Pinterest Board.

What is your favorite fall treat to bake?

Love,
Catherine Ann

The Grace of Giving (and a recipe)

Grace is given to us freely by a loving God.  We extend grace when we freely, joyfully give to others. Giving love, friendship, hospitality, and sharing our own gifts and talents with others are ways we can share grace in today's world.

Since it is October, which means all things pumpkin to me, I'm sharing a recipe for Pumpkin Pie Bars with you today.
I'm thinking I'll bake a batch of these and share them with friends and family along with a note of grace and encouragement.

How and where are you sharing grace today?


PUMPKIN PIE BARS


Preheat oven to 375.

Crumb Crust:

1 ½ cups rolled oats
1 ½ cups unbleached flour
¾ cup sugar
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
dash of pumpkin pie spice
¾ cup butter, melted

Combine the above ingredients.
Pat ½ of the mixture into a greased 9×13 inch pan.
Bake 8 minutes.



Filling:

1 15 oz. can pumpkin
2/3 cup milk
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract (optional)

Blend well. Pour into the crust.
Sprinkle the remaining crust mixture over the top.
Bake 25 minutes .
Cool and then cut into bars.  Refrigerate.
Enjoy!


Grace and Peace.

Love,

Catherine Ann

Welcome Fall

My favorite season of the year ...

Summer ends, and Autumn comes, and he who would have it otherwise would have high tide always and a full moon every night; and thus he would never know the rhythms that are at the heart of life. ~Hal Borland

Thinking of pumpkins, apples, cider, cinnamon, and cups of spice tea; but also of the ocean, walks on the beach, hunting shells, watching the waves roll in ... late September is the perfect time for a vacation.

Autumn and apples just seem to go together, and this delicious recipe is a fall favorite at my house.

Apple Crisp

Preheat oven to 375.
Lightly grease a 2 quart baking dish.

Apple mixture:
2 1/2 pounds apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. sugar
Toss apples with lemon juice, sugar and cinnamon to coat.
Place in baking dish.

Topping:
6 tbsp. butter cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3/4 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup rolled oats (or 1/4 cup oats, 1/4 cup chopped nuts)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cardamom (optional)

Use pastry cutter or your fingers to mix butter into other ingredients until you have a coarse, crumbly mixture. Sprinkle over the apples.
Bake until bubbly and brown, about 1 hour.
Serve plain or topped with ice cream, whipped cream or yogurt. Enjoy!

What do you love about Autumn?

Summer's Perfect Pair

fresh basil

red ripe tomatoes

Juicy, warm from the sun, tomatoes
fresh picked basil
organic extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper


slice or halve tomatoes depending on size and variety
chop basil and sprinkle over tomatoes 
drizzle with olive oil
season with sea salt and pepper to taste


Enjoy!

May Day Musings

Ask of Her, the mighty Mother.
Her reply puts this other
Question: What is Spring?-
Growth in every thing -

Flesh and fleece, fur and feather,
Grass and green world all together,
Star-eyed strawberry breasted
Throstle above Her nested

Cluster of bugle blue eggs thin
Forms and warms the life within,
And bird and blossom swell
In sod or sheath or shell.
~  Gerard Manly Hopkins, The May Magnificant, 1888 

Remembering this herb jar I made one May Day and thinking I'll recreate one to celebrate today.  I have lavender, roses, and rue in bloom. Those along with a few pretty wildlings growing beyond the fence and a few sprigs of lemon balm and mint will make a pretty May Day bouquet.  

I find it interesting that May 1 was once considered the first day of summer.  I like that, summer it is!  We should celebrate with a picnic and some summery treats-  Lavender Lemonade and Lemon Thyme Cupcakes, I think.  

How about you, what do you do to celebrate May Day?

Sweet May hath come to love us,
Flowers, trees, their blossoms don;
And through the blue heavens above us
The very clouds move on.
~  Heinrich Heine, Book of Songs

Nettle & Honey for Allergy Relief

A repost from the archives with an update at the end.  


Allergy season is upon us.  
I have a simple herbal tonic that I make every year to help prevent and alleviate the misery of sneezing, itchy eyes, and so forth that plagues members of my family. 

First I make a nettle infused vinegar and then mix that with local honey to make 
Nettle Vinegar & Honey Allergy Tonic. 


You will need the following:
apple cider vinegar (I use Bragg’s, but any good quality acv will do)
dried nettles (You can use them fresh, which some say work best if they are available. I don’t have that option, and dried has always worked well for me.)
local honey (honey produced in your area will contain small amounts of pollen to the flowers growing near you … probably the ones making you sneeze!)
a clean canning jar with a lid ( I use a wide-mouth quart size, but you could start with a pint. Also, I use a plastic lid for vinegars … if you don’t have plastic lids, then put a piece of plastic wrap between the jar and the metal lid.)

To make nettle vinegar:
add about 1 cup of nettle to your jar, I just toss in a handful or so (less if using a pint jar)
add enough vinegar to cover nettle by 2-3 inches (you will need to add more as the nettle soaks it up), stir and wait until the nettle settles, adding more vinegar if necessary
Cover the jar with a lid and set it in a sunny spot for 2 weeks or more. Shake jar a few times a day. 
Once your nettle vinegar has infused, strain it through a coffee filter or piece of cheesecloth into a clean jar and it is ready to use. 

If you don’t have weeks to wait for the vinegar to infuse, you can make it more quickly by heating the vinegar/nettle mixture over a very, very low heat for a few hours. Do not boil or even simmer, just heat it enough to be quite warm, a double boiler is a good way to do this, or if your crockpot doesn’t get too hot (mine does even on low), use that. Let cool before straining.

You can use the vinegar as is, or make it even more effective by adding local honey. 

Add an equal amount of local honey to the nettle vinegar, stir well, cover, and you have Nettle Vinegar and Honey Allergy Tonic!  

It is a simple herbal remedy that gives great results for my family. 

I take a tablespoon or so two or three times a day mixed in a small amount of water.  

A simpler route is to make a quart of nettle tea and sip on that throughout the day; but the honey and acv are very helpful for allergies, and do improve the flavor quite a bit. Nettle tea is not the most palatable of herbal infusions in my opinion.  

Nettle vinegar can also be used in salad dressings and most anywhere you would use apple cider vinegar.  It makes a lovely hair rinse when diluted with water, too.  More reasons to make up a large batch while you're at it!

Note: As always with any herbal information, this is for your educational benefit only, etc., etc. ... Please consult your physician regarding any serious health matters. 


How do you treat allergies? Please share your own herbal remedies!

* I have found another must for allergy season this year!  Seasons of Discontent tea from Mountain Rose Herbs tastes delicious and gives relief from those nasty seasonal allergy symptoms.  I make up a quart jar in the morning and sip it throughout the day.  It is a lovely mixture of allergy relief herbs with a touch of stevia for sweetness.  Try it, I really believe you will enjoy it and its benefits.  

Blessings,
Catherine

Lavender and Lemon Love

Lavender and lemon are a fabulous pair.
There is something amazing that happens when you mix these two together.
Either in aromatherapy, 'cookie therapy' (hey, cookies always make me feel better!), or in a simple herbal tea- lavender and lemon are a winning combination.

lavender lemonade

Since Spring is in the air in my world, and things have been just a little over the top in the busyness factor- today's post is short and sweet.  But, I do want to share a link to a recipe that is on my Kitchen Adventure list and sure to be my go to recipe next time some Lemon Lavender 'Cookie Therapy' is needed.  These Gluten Free Lemon Lavender Cookies sound perfect for an afternoon tea time treat.

I didn't forget about the Lavender Love Link Up  I promised in my last post ... way back in the early part of February (time flies these days!).  Life just overwhelmed me with more needful things for a while.
But, let's plan this little online lavender festival of posts for next week shall we?  You write a post sharing your favorite lavender recipe, craft, growing tips ... whatever as long as lavender is the topic, and I'll put up a Lavender Love post with a linky at the bottom so we can easily find each other's posts.  Please tell your herb loving blog friends about the Lavender Love Link-up, too.  I always enjoy reading other people's posts about herbs.  Herbie people are as varied and interesting as the plants we all grow and love!

Mark your calendar and be sure to join the Lavender Love Link Up on March 8th.
And to sweeten things up even more, I will be sending a little lavender scented treat to one of our participants.  More details on that next week! 

Herbal Winter Warm-Ups

Wintry weather is making an appearance this weekend, causing me to seek out warming cups of herb tea and other ways to keep the cold at bay. 
A cup of ginger tea is a simple way to bring warmth to a cold body. 
I add a couple of slices of fresh ginger to my tea cup, pour in boiling water and let it steep for a few minutes.  Then I add a spoonful of honey and maybe a squeeze of lemon to the cup.  Simply delicious.

Spices such as cinnamon and cardamom are also good for warming things up.  I often add a dash of one or both of these to my cup of morning tea or bowl of oatmeal. 

And for something a little more filling, how about a bowl of Curried Mixed Vegetable Stew or Creamy Sweet Potato Ginger Soup?  There's just something about a pot of soup or stew simmering on the stovetop on a winter's day to warm things up. 

So tell me ... what are some of your favorite winter warm-ups? 

Rose ~ Herb of the Year 2012

The rose, favorite flower of many, is the Herb of the Year for 2012. 

Each year the International Herb Association chooses one herb to be featured for the year.  Last year it was horseradish, and you will note that my blog was largely silent on that one other than perhaps a post announcing it being the Herb of the Year.  Horseradish isn't something I use often or grow (though I did consider planting it just for fun ... it never happened, and it's probably just as well).  Roses, however, are just up my herbal alley so to speak.  I love roses- growing them, creating with them, even cooking with them to some extent.  This year you will likely find quite a few rosey posts here at Still Room Herbs.  

I only have one rose bush growing at our home at present, but plan to remedy that in just a few short weeks.  My family moved in October and the yard here is sadly devoid of roses or most any other useful herbs. It is a blessing in some ways since I have a blank canvas for designing and planting to my heart's content.
The rose pictured above is called Nearly Wild and is the one I planted here this fall.  It grew in a large terracotta pot for several years before I put it into the ground this October, and seemed to be quite content being container grown.  It blooms off and on throughout the year, even sometimes in the midst of winter (of course, that would be a heart of Texas winter).  I'll be sharing more about growing roses in a few weeks, but in the meantime here is a link to some great rose info. at the International Herb Association site. Lots of helpful advice on herbs can be found on their webpage.

Since it isn't planting season for most of us, I thought I'd repost a simple recipe that features roses, in the form of rosewater today.  The ingredients are fairly easy to come by, either from visiting a local herb shop or natural foods store or by mail order.  This is one of the first things I made when I started learning about creating my own herbal bath and body products, and something I still make and use today.  It smells lovely, soothes and softens the skin, and only takes minutes to mix up.

Rosewater Moisturizer

Mix together:

4 oz. rosewater
1 tsp. glycerin
1/2 tsp. grapeseed oil (you could add a bit more if you have dry skin)
a few drops of rose and/or lavender essential oil (optional)

I mix this in a small plastic bottle with a squirt type lid.  

Shake well before using.

Note: this doesn't make a thick, creamy lotion .. but it's very soothing to the skin and smells lovely. 

If you have a favorite variety of rose growing in your garden, please share it with me.  I am spending cold winter evenings with cups of tea and my garden catalogs making my yearly wish list!  

Winter Blessings,

Catherine 

Simple Holidays

It is time for holiday crafting and baking at our house. 
I've marked lots and lots of goodies at Pinterest that I'd like to make.  Obviously, time and energy won't allow for all these, but I hope to create a few of them this year, if not there's always next Christmas!  I am determined to keep it simple this year.

Here is a link to  my favorite simple Christmas cookie recipe:
Simple Christmas Cookies (Scotch Shortbread)

Also on the To Bake list are:

Ginger Cookies
Sugar Cookies
Fudge Crinkles

What is your favorite Christmas cookie?  (I'm always looking for new recipes for the Recipe Pile!)

And now ... back to Pinterest to add more goodies to my Christmas board! 

Blessings,
Catherine :)

Herbal Holidays

The holiday season is in full force at my house. We go from Thanksgiving right into the Christmas season around here. Herbs play a part in all of our holidays, just as they do in daily life. Spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, bay … all associated with Christmas whether in delicious baked goods, pomanders to scent and decorate the house, or fashioned into ornaments for the tree or gift giving, herbs are definitely front and center in our holidays and I hope will be in yours too.
read more at The Renegade Farmer

Please tell me which herbs are your favorites at this time of year!

Blessings,

Catherine ... off to bake an Espresso Gingerbread Cake! 

Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies

 A simple tasty treat from my Recipe Pile to suit the season.  Enjoy!

Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies

Makes two dozen cookies

Ingredients:

½ cup butter, softened
¾ cup sugar
1 cup pumpkin
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 ½ cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon cinnamon
½ nutmeg
1 ½ cup butterscotch chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla, mixing thoroughly.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well.
3. Add the butterscotch chips, mixing gently. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto a well-greased cookie sheet. (You can also use parchment paper.) The cookies will not flatten while baking, so press them down with your fingers.
4. Bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly browned around the edges. Allow cookies to cool for one minute before moving them to baking rack.      

Honey Lemon Marmalade

Just stopping in to share something sweet from my Recipe Pile (yes, it really is a pile rather than a file these days!). 

I was searching for simple gifts for Christmas and this recipe looks perfect. 

It will be lovely in half-pint jars decorated with dried lemon slices and a sprig of lavender.

I may dress it up a bit for the holiday by using lavender infused sugar and infusing the honey with lemon balm or lemon verbena.  But, even plain, this is sure to be tasty on biscuits or scones ... which reminds me, I have a recipe somewhere in that pile for Lemon Verbena Sweet Biscuits ... I'll share that one with you when I find it!

 

Honey Lemon Marmalade

 

Makes 6 pints

8 cups chopped lemons (14 lemons)
2 cups honey
4 cups cane sugar
1 1/2 cups water
2 packets liquid pectin (6 ounces)

Sterilize your jars.

Combine lemons, honey, sugar and water together in non-reactive pot. Bring to a boil, reduce temperature and let simmer for 30 minutes.

Add pectin to the fruit and let it gently boil for 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and fill jars. Apply lids and rings and process in a water bath for ten minutes. Let the marmalade sit overnight, to give the pectin time to fully activate.

Scents of the Season (and a recipe)

I love this time of year.  Cool breezes, warm sweaters, a cup of hot tea or spiced cider; and I especially love the warm, spicy fragrances of autumn- apple pie with cinnamon and just a touch of cardamom, pumpkin bread, gingerbread muffins,  chicken stuffed with sage, rosemary, thyme, parsley, and garlic baking in the oven (or the crockpot) ... so many delicious herby smells coming from the kitchen to delight the senses. 

If baking isn’t your thing, warming up the senses with a spicy autumn fragrance can be as simple as simmering a couple of cinnamon sticks, a few cloves, and the peel from an orange in a pan of water on the stovetop.  It will create a welcoming scent to warm the hearts of all who enter your home.  For a treat that tastes as good as it smells, simmer those same items in apple cider. 

And since it is apple season, here is a very simple recipe that will make breakfast extra tasty:

Simple Apple Syrup

1 cup apple juice (I prefer organic, not from concentrate)

2 cups sugar (I use organic cane juice crystals)

Dash of cinnamon (to taste)

Mix all ingredients together in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium heat.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 10 minutes.  Do not stir (I don’t know why- that’s just what my recipe card says!) 

Remove from heat and cool 15 minutes before serving. 

This is great with waffles or pancakes.

I’ll be sharing more of my favorite fall recipes in the coming days.  Please tell me your favorite scent of the season or share a recipe you like to make this time of year!

November Blessings