A Perfect Couple!

This is my Dear Hubby and his Beloved Granddaughter Natalie! The perfect pair for the 2010!! They are so cute!

Today Is Christmas Day!

What do Santa brought you???? Did you were Naughty ot Nice??? I Got a New Truck Lexus 470..is just beautiful!! Thanks Santa!! The Got a Whole Bunch of Stuff too..including new Ipods, Phones, a vacation trip ..plus much more!! Thanks Jesus for all your blessings this year and foe the wonderful things to come!!

Merry Christmas to all

New Year Resolutions!!

Okay Friends, what is going to be on your List of Resolutions for 2010??? I was thinking about this and wondering..Hummmm....what should be my main focus next year???? at list for ONCE I'm not going to add "loose weight" Woo-hoo..Thanks God for that one!! But One thing I want to ensure ...I want to spend more time with my family!!

Here are a LO I just did about my New Years Resolutions ...Now tell me yours!!

Merry Christmas to All

Because Is a Brand New Baby and Because He is our King and Savior ...Because I believed in Him!! And Because all of You are Awesome!!

Thanks for Being here and for your Friendship!! And Just Becuase ....



Here is Hit for Xmas Morning Breakfast!

Monkey Bread!
Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 40 Minutes Difficulty: Easy Servings: 8
Ingredients
3 cans Buttermilk Biscuits (the Non-flaky Ones)
1 cup Sugar
2 teaspoons (to 3 Teaspoons) Cinnamon
2 sticks Butter
½ cups Brown Sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 cup raisins

Preparation Instructions:

10 Minutes before preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Open up all three cans of biscuits and cut each biscuit into quarters.
Next, combine the white sugar with 2-3 teaspoons of cinnamon. (3 teaspoons of cinnamon gives it a fairly strong cinnamon flavor. If you’re not so hot on cinnamon, cut it back to 2 teaspoons.) Dump these into a 1 gallon zip bag and shake to mix evenly.
Drop all of the biscuit quarters into the cinnamon-sugar mix. Once all the biscuit quarters are in the bag seal it and give it a vigorous shake. This will get all those pieces unstuck from one another and nicely coated with cinnamon-sugar. Spread these nuggets out evenly in the bundt pan.
At this point, you’re going to want to melt the two sticks of butter together with ½ cup of brown sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat. This can be light or dark brown sugar. Cook butter/sugar mixture, stirring for a few minutes until the two become one. Once the brown sugar butter has become one color, you can pour it over the biscuits.
Bake for about 30-40 minutes until the crust is a deep dark brown on top. When its finished cooking, remove it from the oven. If you have the willpower, allow it to cook for about 15-30 minutes before turning it over onto a plate.

Caribbean Coconut Cake My Style! (Vote for ME)

Coming from the Caribbean we grow up eating and testing the delicious flavor of the coconut, (same as my two Kids, which are teenagers now). For this thanksgiving my youngest Son (Luis) asked me if I could do a different kind of desert from what we usualy eat at this time of the year...From there we started to work on this recipe..we tried different fillings, different liqueurs and different frostings! until finally! the big revel....this recipe was born, tested and was a total hit with all my family and friends. The cake is soft and moist with a simple based taste of almond, the filling and the frosting are nicely flavored with the coconut essence, but it doesn't over power your pallet and then it is covered with delicious toasty coconut..so everyone is clear about what flavor is this delightful cake! is just perfect!! Try it you will love it tooo!

Now, after publishing my recipe I was approach by the editor of an "upcoming" Cooking Book..and if my recipe get Enough votes I could be in the NEXT BOOK!! So PLEASEEE I need your vote!! Here is the Link!

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Here Another better and Improve version of My Cake!! I called Border Line Coconut and Apricot Cake!

Win 5$ Gift Card!! with your LO

Okay Girls! as an appreciation Christmas Gift to all my followers ..I have created this challenge.... If you will like to win a 5$ gift card to the store of your choice! Yo just need to create your own LO using this Sketch! Preatty Easy ..haaa!

So ho ho ho...and Enjoy your gift!...just add the link to your LO and tell me your store on the comment section and I will send your Gift card!

Here is my take on the Sketch


And here is the Sketch for you to work on!



Sketch Courtesy of Jarmrier

Because your beauty is Exquisite!

This is Beautiful Madison..Her exquisite beauty and simile are like a kiss of heaven! Michael Borquez, daughter

The Pioner Women, @ NY CIty

Winter Sale

Are you looking for some Winter Sales!! then, this is your great chance...Laurie is Closing one of her Stores and Everything at 50% off...So take advantage of this great Sale! Here the Link to the Store and Some LO's I did with two of the kits that are on sale!!

Winter LO's

During the Winter season one of the little things that I enjoy doing when is NOT windy! is to take a walk after a snow day! Everything is so quite and white is just magical!



Our 1st Show Day of 2009 here in the North Pole..Opps in Jersey!! Almost the same as it is Freeeezing! :)



Our Little Girls Escape to the City! Just love to spend time with U!

Creditis: Made with Kim Hill, Winter Wonders Kit

Where RU Chritsmas??

Today I was thinking about the miracle of Christmas and what it really mean for me in my Life, and the Mary Lou Who Song came to my mind...Where are you Christmas, where I can find you?? at the Mall, under the tree at work....No Christmas is a gift from heaven that we should treasure deep inside our hearts and should live there all year long! After all when was the last time anyone gift there own Son life so you could life and be Saved! Remember the Reason!

Another treat! as part of the 12 days of Xmas

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
2 ( 2-inch) cinnamon sticks
1 strip orange peel, about 1/2 inch by 3 inches
10 whole cloves
2 to 2 1/2 cups hot brewed strong coffee
1/4 cup cold heavy cream
Ground cinnamon, for garnish
Cocoa, for garnish

Directions
In a medium saucepan, whisk together the milk, 2/3 cup of the sugar, and cocoa until smooth. Add the cinnamon sticks, orange peel and cloves and bring to a simmer, stirring, to dissolve the sugar and prevent the cocoa from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Simmer for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat, cover, and let steep for 10 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whip the cream with the remaining 1 teaspoon sugar until thick and frothy, and peaks form. Set aside.

Strain the milk mixture into a coffee pot or carafe and add 2 cups of the hot coffee (2 1/2 cups for stronger coffee flavor, to taste). Pour into cups or small mugs and top each with a dollop of the sweetened whipped cream.

Serve immediately.

Scrapbook Challenge!

Hi everyone,
At Scrapbook.com they are running a challenge.."Scraplift the Person before you" Always love this challenge! why two main reason...love to see how people take my LO and make yours! and love to do see I can put my own touches when lifting some else LO" For the December challenge I was lucky to scrap a very talented lady "Scrapinfan19" therefore, there was plenty of LO's to get inspiration!

So this My LO


And here is Scrapingfan19 original LO





Credits:
LO was made with Curiosity, Seredipity, little boy, Indigosky Kits from JoycePaul Desings, available st Scrapcat

A Starbucks...Secret! Cranberry Bliss!

Cranberry Bliss Bar Recipe

Every year Starbucks create the most delicios treats to go along with their decadence Coffees...Yesterday I stop by and saw this beutiful treat... and of course..I could'nt resist the temtation to try one. Once Igive it my fist bite..Wow..so good..so I soon as I got home I search and search until I found the Top Secret Recipe! of the Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bar ..and here it is Try it..you will love it tooo!

The tangy cranberries and sweet lemon frosting make this cake bar a holiday favorite that evokes piles of cloning requests when Starbucks stops selling it after Christmas. Now, with this easy-to-make clone, this treat can be a perennial hit. Break out this red and white treat for the gang on this holiday and you might be as popular as the guy in the red and white suit.

Enjoy!

Cake

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, packed
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup diced dried cranberries
6 ounces white chocolate, cut into chunks

Frosting

4-ounces cream cheese, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
4 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup diced dried cranberries

Drizzled Icing

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoons vegetable shortening


1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Make cake by beating butter and brown sugar together with an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs, vanilla, ginger, and salt and beat well. Gradually mix in flour until smooth. Mix 3/4 cup diced dried cranberries and white chocolate into the batter by hand. Pour batter into a well-greased 9x13" baking pan. Use a spatula to spread the batter evenly across the pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until cake is light brown on the edges. Allow cake to cool.

3. Make frosting by combining softened cream cheese, 3 cups powdered sugar, lemon juice and vanilla extract in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. When the cake has cooled, use a spatula to spread frosting over the top of the cake.

4. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of diced cranberries over the frosting on the cake.

5. Whisk together 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon milk, and shortening. Drizzle icing over the cranberries in a sweeping motion or use a pastry bag with a fine tip to drizzle frosting across the top of the cake.

6. Allow cake to sit for several hours, then slice the cake lengthwise (the long way) through the middle. Slice the cake across the width three times making a total of eight rectangular slices. Slice each of those rectangles diagonally creating 16 triangular slices.

Camilla and the 3rd day of Xmas Cookies

My Beautiful Camilla! In a Xmas Post Card!!

Sugar Cookies!
Are the perfect Companion for the Polar Express Movie with a Big Glass of Milk!! Yummy!!


Ingredients

3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups (or 3 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Coarse Pink Decorating Sugar, optional

Directions
Sift together the flour and salt into a large bowl.

Put the butter into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and beat on medium speed until fluffy and light, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and vanilla, and mix until combined. Reduce the speed to low, and slowly add the flour and salt mixture to the butter and sugar mixture, mixing on low speed until the dough comes together and is smooth. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Cut the dough into quarters, and wrap each piece in plastic wrap, then chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

When you're ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (9 by 13-inch) sheet trays with parchment paper.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it soften slightly. Using a rolling pin dusted with flour, roll out 1 of the dough quarters, (keeping the others refrigerated until you need them), on a lightly floured work surface, to a 1/4 to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut the cookies into the desired shapes, then use a metal spatula to transfer the cookies to 1 of the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 1 1/2 inches apart. Sprinkle the cookies with decorating sugar, if desired.

Repeat with remaining dough, and bake the cookies until they are light brown around the edges and on the bottom, about 8 to 12 minutes. Cool briefly on the pan, then use a metal spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

The 2nd Day Of Xmas Cookies!

Hello Followers! well as promise..here is the 2nd day of Cookies Recipe..and you need to try this one..is go and it goes perfect with a glass of Milk and "Rudolf the red Nose Reindeer" Try it you will love tooo!!
Dried Cherry and Almond Cookies with Vanilla Icing


Ingredients For the Cookies

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup coarsely chopped dried tart cherries (see Cook's Note)
1/2 cup slivered, blanched almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped (see Cook's Note)

Now the Icing:
2 3/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons water, plus extra, as needed

Directions For the Cookies:

In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract, cinnamon, and salt until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, then beat in the egg. Add the flour and beat on the lowest speed until just blended. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the dried cherries and almonds.

Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap and shape it into a log, about 12-inches long and 1 1/2-inches in diameter. Wrap the dough in the plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. (Dough can be made up to 3 days in advance).

Arrange an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 heavy baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cut the log crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices. Transfer the dough slices to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1-inch apart. Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges and puffed, about 15 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before icing, about 30 minutes.

Making the Icing:

Put the powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in the vanilla extract and water, adding more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the mixture becomes a drizzling consistency. (Makes about 2/3 cups icing, enough to ice both variations.)

Put the cooled cookies on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Using a spoon or a fork, drizzle the cookies with the icing, allowing any excess icing to drip onto the baking sheet. Allow the icing to set before serving, about 1 hour.

Cook's Note: To toast the almonds, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 6 to 8 minutes until lightly toasted. Cool completely before using.

Cook's Note Alternative:

Replace the dried cherries with 1/2 cup coarsely chopped dried apricots and add 2 tablespoons of toasted pine nuts. Also, use 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and omit the almond extract.

December is Here!! And we started with...

12 Days of Christmas Cookies!!

For 12 days i will post the best ever Cookies recipes to celebrate the Season..so stay tune and enjoy the ride! I hope you do at one on the receipes!! If you ..pleeese let me know what you think??

Here is the First One
Gingerbread

Directions
This recipe has been in my family for a long time. The smell will send friends and family running for the warmth of the kitchen. A note about good cookie baking: Halfway through, I always rotate the tray in the oven so the cookies bake evenly on all sides. This recipe is no exception.
___________
Ingredients
The foundation:
1 1/2 sticks lightly salted butter, softened
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 orange, zested
The dry ingredients:
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus 1/2 cup additional for rolling, if needed
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground dry ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
The wet ingredients:
2 eggs
1/2 cup dark molasses
1 lemon, juiced
Easy Orange Frosting, recipe follows

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle, add the butter, sugar and orange zest and beat until smooth, 5 to 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, dry ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Whisk to blend. Set aside.

In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, molasses and lemon juice.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

When the butter and sugar are integrated, lower the speed of the mixer and add the dry ingredients. Add the egg mixture and when blended, remove the bowl from the machine. Divide the cookie dough in half. Press the first half of the dough in between 2 sheets of waxed paper or plastic wrap and chill for 15 minutes. Repeat with the second half. This step will make it easier to finish rolling out the dough when it has chilled. It will also mean you only have half of the dough getting warm as you roll it.

Lightly flour a flat surface. Use a floured rolling pin to gently roll the first half of the dough about 1/2-inch thick. Lightly flour the cookie cutter(s) and cut the shapes, making as few scraps as possible. Use a metal spatula to gently transfer them, cookie by cookie, (the cookies should be similar size) to a baking sheet. Repeat with the other half of the dough and transfer them to another baking sheet. A note about crowding the tray(s): these particular cookies can spread a little. Leave room between the cookies. Better to use 3 baking sheets with fewer cookies than to crowd them on 2 trays. Bake until brown around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes.

Got scraps? Form the scraps into a ball, press it flat and chill in the refrigerator. These cookies may be a little more "tough" because the dough will have been worked a little more than the others.

Why not have a little frosting on your gingerbread?

Easy Orange Frosting:

1 cup powdered sugar
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
1 to 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 teaspoon orange liqueur
1/4 teaspoon light corn syrup
In a medium bowl add all of the ingredients and whisk together to combine. If too thick in consistency, add a touch more orange juice or water to thin out.

Use a pastry bag fitted with a star tip to pipe the frosting between 2 of the gingerbread cookies. Press the 2 cookies halves gently together.

The Variation:

I love springerle, the German anise-flavored cookies, for the delicate molds (and carved rolling pins) used to make them. I have made this recipe with springerle molds with stunning results. The kind of cookies that make people marvel at how great they look before they eat a half a plate of them! Simply dust the decorative molds (or rolling pin) with flour, shaking lightly to remove any excess. Roll the dough very thin (between 1/2 and 1/4-inch thick). Press or roll the dough into the molds and trace the shapes with a sharp knife to extract the cookies. Arrange them on a greased baking sheet (with some space between them) and bake for 6 to 8 minutes. Not using molds? Scoop the batter in teaspoons and roll them into balls. Press the balls onto a greased baking sheet or press with the tines of a fork to make ridges. Bake until brown around the edges, about 10 to 12 minutes.

These cookies are so beautiful, they can stand alone. Or...make gingerbread sandwiches using the above frosting as the filling...