Yuletide Youtube, with extra Buttercream!

Yuletide Youtube:


Pic of the Day:


Recipe of the day.

Nothing says Holiday like Wilton Vanilla Sugar cookies with buttercream icing. Break out the old cookie cutters!

1 cup Butter; room temperature
1 cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 Egg
3 cups Flour
2 teaspoon Baking Powder

Preheat oven to 400. In a large mixer bowl, cream butter and sugar until well combined. Beat in vanilla and egg. Sift flour and baking soda together. Add to creamed mixture, one cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Dough will be very stiff. DO NOT CHILL DOUGH!

Divide dough in half. On floured surface, roll dough about to 1/8 thick. Dip cutters in flour before each use. Bake cookies on ungreased cookie sheet on top rack of oven for 6-7 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Makes 2-3 dozen cookies.

Wilton Buttercream

½ cup solid vegetable shortening
½ cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon Vanilla
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approx. 1 lb.)
2 tablespoons milk

Cream butter and shortening with electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep icing covered with a damp cloth until ready to use. For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Rewhip before using.

YIELD: 3 cups

Today's Free Book:
Croc and the Fox. It's a het furry romance
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-crocandthefox-906632-140.html

Yuletide Youtube

Yuletide Youtube:




Pic of the Day:


Random news:
My pirates are out in Paperback!
And yes, Ellora's new site is hard on the eyes.
http://www.ellorascave.com/privateer-s-treasure-1.html

Free book from ARE:
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-chaseofalifetime-882323-145.html
Chase of a Lifetime. Contemporary gay cowboy romance. And I am happy to report that neither hero is named "Chase."


Recipe of the Day:
Chocolate Pizza



12 oz. semisweet chips

1 lb white almond bark

2 c. miniature marshmallows

1 c. crisp rice cereal

1 c. peanuts

6 oz. red marischino cherries, halved

3 T. green cherries, quartered

1/3 c. coconut

1 t. oil

Microwave chips and 14 oz of almond bark in 2 qt. bowl until melted, stirring frequently. Stir in marshmallows, cereal and peanuts. Pour into greased 12″ pizza pan. Top with cherries. Sprinkle with coconut. Melt remaining almond bark with oil, stirring to make smooth. Drizzle over coconut. Chill until firm.

 

Yuletide Toutube

Yuletide Youtube:



Pic and craft of the day, for the lover of the Black Stuff in your life.

Yuletide Youtube: Merry Geekmas

Yuletide Youtube:




Pic of the Day


Free book, today only: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-bloodofthewicked-1006891-140.html
Post-apoc witch-hunter/witch romance.

Craft of the day:
Cinnamon Dough Ornaments


1 1/2 cups ground cinnamon
1 cup applesauce
1/4 cup white school glue (like Elmer's)
Bowl
Plastic food wrap
Rolling pin
Wax paper
Cookie cutters or a knife
Ribbon or yarn for hanging
Straw

How to make it:
Mix cinnamon, applesauce, and glue together in a bowl. The dough should be as thick as cookie dough. Add a bit of water if the dough is too stiff.

Remove from bowl and knead. Put it back in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit for at least a half hour.

Remove the dough, knead again to make sure it's smooth. Flatten/roll the dough between waxed paper until it's between 1/4" thick and 1/8" thick.

Cut out desired shapes, use a straw to punch a hole for the ribbon to hang. The circle of dough will pull out with the straw.

Gently place the shapes on a piece of clean wax paper. They will take 3-5 days to dry, and you will need to turn them over a couple of times a day for them to dry evenly and flat.

Don't be surprised to see that the ornaments get smaller during the drying process. Keep this in mind when you pick out the cookie cutters for your designs. You will also notice that if you do not turn the ornaments over often enough while they are drying, the edges of the ornaments will curl.

When dry, thread a piece of ribbon or yarn through the hole to hang. Or you can string several together for garland.

SHAPE IDEAS: Tree, Apple, House (gingerbread), Bell, Heart, Goose, Gingerbread Man, Star...

Optional Painting ideas - use acrylic paints or fabric paints to paint details, like white 'frosting' on a gingerbread man or gingerbread house, or eyes on a goose.

Yuletide Youtube: the Fun in Dysfunctional

Yuletide Youtube



Pic and recipe:
Rummy Bears!

Yuletide Youtube

Yuletide Youtube. One of my favorites:


Pic of the day:

Gruss vom Krampus! (Greetings from Krampus) This Alpine nightmare accompanies St. Nicholas and pops bad children into his sack to carry them away.

Recipe of the day:
Sugar cookies
Folks, this is my great-grandmother's recipe, don't abuse it.
1c margarine or butter
2/3c vegetable oil
2c sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
5c flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cream of tartar

Cream together butter, oil, and sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Sift dry ingredients and add slowly to egg mixture.

Mix well.

Shape into balls the size of a walnut, press down with a glass dipped in sugar. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes.

Yields: 7 dozen-that won't last very long.

Yuletide Youtube

Sound of the Season:


This is from "Emmett Otter's Jug Band Christmas." I highly suggest watching the whole thing on Youtube. So worth it.

Pic and recipe of the day:


Shopping link.
http://madeinusaforever.com/

As people get more concerned about American jobs, this site has only Made in USA products.

Yuletide Youtube

Yuletide Youtube, because it's a grey and chilly Monday:


Pic and Craft of the Day: Witch balls


You will need a clear glass ball or Yule ornament with an opening in one end If the glass ball has some kind of design, choose one you like or one you can change with further decoration.

You will also need a bottle of silver paint found in hobby stores,
a few drops of frankincense orpatchouli oil,
a spool of red thread,
and a pair of scissors.


Cover your working space with newspaper to protect against spills.

Take the metal cap off the ornament. Carefully pour a little of the silver paint inside the ball and swish it around until the inside is completely covered with the silver. Set it aside to dry.

When the paint is totally dry, cut the red thread into three inch-lengths. Carefully poke this thread into the open end of the ball. Continue cutting and putting the thread into the ball untill the ball is nearly full.

Put in a few drops of oil.

Then put the end back on the ornament. If it has no end seal it with candle wax.

When you hang the protection ball, chant:

Symbol of the Moon,
symbol of the Lady divine,
Reject all negativity,
defend this home (car),
me and mine.

These directions are from The Crone Chronicles: http://cronecronicles.blogspot.com/2012/11/witch-balls-for-protection-and-as-gifts.html


Charity of the Day:
http://rollingjubilee.org/

Poll time

There is a poll at my Livejournal about my Etsy shop.
You have to go there to answer it, but I don't think you have to log in.

http://valarltd.livejournal.com/1693288.html

Yuletide Youtube, extra geeky

Yuletide Youtube:



Pic of the Day:


I want to do an action-figure creche! With a Luke and Leia holding an glowing ball, three Jedi visitors, Chewie as herald angel...It kinds works in my head. (My poor Luke action figure is decapitated though and his head is stored in the weapons locker of my storage case)

SHOPPING NEWS:

If you want books from the Literary Underworld, order by Dec 12 for regular shipping!
And don't forget the awesome sales...

50 percent off Frank Fradella's Speaking in Tongues and Swan Song!

Get both Blackfire novels by Elizabeth Donald for one low price!

All John Everson titles at 50 percent off!

Setting Suns by Elizabeth Donald reduced to $12!

Free ebook with every Angelia Sparrow title - all discounted!

Lost Daughter of Easa by J.L. Mulvihill reduced to $12!

Get Zero Time by T.W. Fendley for $12!

Get a free ebook of Infinity with any Elizabeth Donald purchase!

Get a free music download code from Mark Kaiser & Jessica Haines with each purchase!

M.B. Weston's Out of the Shadows reduced to only $10!

Get a free copy of John McFarland's The Black Garden FREE with any purchase!!

Fine, we'll make it even easier for you...
Use the code WELCOME2012 for an extra discount!



Free books and how to get them!
Stephanie Rowe's Jingle This is free for the Kindle

Starting Thursday, All Romance Ebooks is giving away free books:
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/

You can get a prototype of my cookbook tomorrow at Speak Its Name, and there are a lot of good stories and articles.
http://speakitsname.com/

Jessewave is hosting the Big-ass Holiday Giveaway on Dec 22.
M/m writers, sign-up is today.
http://www.reviewsbyjessewave.com/2012/12/09/santa-authors-2012/comment-page-1/