Sweet Home Quilt Co.

I’m one of those “I hate fruitcake” people…there, I said it! Is there a holiday food more ridiculed than the fruitcake? Bad jokes abound about fruitcakes surviving all sorts of catastrophic events intact, or the “gift that keeps on giving” that gets passed around from year to year! And is there a more dreaded Christmas gift? Who in their right mind thinks a gift of fruitcake would be welcomed?

Everyone knows there’s a lot of bad fruitcake out there. Especially those dense, dry loaves speckled with lumps of green, yellow and red that don’t resemble any fruit I’ve ever seen! Even those that are steeped in booze are often inedible, giving off clouds of alcohol fumes strong enough to give you a serious hangover! I remember my mother baking fruitcakes weeks in advance of the holidays, wrapping them in rum-soaked cheesecloth (and periodically dampening the cheesecloth with rum again!) leaving plenty of time to “cure.” Ugh!

Forget everything you know – and perhaps dislike – about traditional holiday fruitcakes. I’m sharing one of my all-time favorite recipes with you, and I promise it is unlike any other fruitcake you’ve ever had. Even better, it’s a breeze to make and a little slice to nibble on is just the right amount to satisfy your sweet tooth!

No Bake Ice Box Fruit Cake

1 box vanilla wafers or graham crackers

1 can Eagle Brand milk

1 box coconut

1 box golden raisins

1 qt. chopped pecans

Crush vanilla wafers or crackers with a rolling pin. Mix all ingredients thoroughly by hand. Roll into about a 2-inch round log (recipe will make several logs), wrap tightly in waxed paper and refrigerate for several hours (best overnight). Slice into about ¼ inch rounds to serve. Will keep several weeks in refrigerator, tightly wrapped in wax paper.

It’s the ONLY fruitcake I’ll eat! I hope you’ll give the recipe a try, and let me know how you like it!

Melisa

One of my favorite things about living in Georgia this time of year is the abundance of fresh pecans. I love cooking with them, and I love eating them raw…fresh-cracked, of course! A favorite childhood memory is us kids spending Saturday afternoons picking up pecans at the neighbor’s pecan orchard and getting paid a nickel a pound for all we picked up! We didn’t have any of those fancy gizmos that you see today for picking up the nuts either…we had to stoop over and pick up every single nut by hand! We didn’t know it was work, though…we were happy to be outside with our friends and earning a little spending money!

At our house, pecan pie is a must for the Thanksgiving (and Christmas!) dinner table. Over the years, I’ve perfected my pecan pie recipe and it is always the first dessert to disappear! I always make extra pies so the kids can each take one home to enjoy later. We like our pecan pie plain…just the ooey-gooey filling and crunchy nuts! But a little whipped cream or vanilla ice cream is good, too, especially if the pie is warm out of the oven!

Here’s my recipe…if you make it, drop me a note and let me know how you like it!

PECAN PIE

7 whole eggs
3 cups pecans (I use whole halves, but you could coarsely chop the nuts, too)
2 cups light Karo syrup
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 stick melted butter (the real stuff, NOT margarine)
3 teaspoons vanilla extract (again, real vanilla extract, not imitation)
3 deep-dish frozen pie crusts (I use the frozen pie crusts because I’m usually making many pies and time is a factor for me; feel free to use your favorite homemade pie crust if you’re so inclined!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients (except pie crusts!) and mix well; divide filling evenly and pour into pie crusts. Bake for 5 minutes at 350 degrees, then lower temperature to 300 degrees and continue baking for one hour or until firm. (Note: I usually add one tablespoon of cornstarch to the mixture before baking for a firmer filling.) Allow pie to cool at least one hour before cutting. This pie freezes well; allow 30 minutes to thaw before serving.

Do you have a favorite dessert that always makes an appearance on your holiday table? Share the recipe…I’m always looking for new recipes to try!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Melisa

I found this recipe earlier this week while perusing this blog, and I made sure to pick up all the ingredients while I was at the grocery store. Tonight was the first time I’ve been home early enough to actually cook dinner and it was delish! I did plan ahead and cooked the chicken last night so all I had to do was shred it…that helped speed things up! You could also use leftover chicken or even a rotisserie chicken in a pinch. Here’s the recipe…let me know if you try it!

2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed or shredded
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 medium onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
4 oz. can diced green chilies
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
2 (10 oz) cans green chili enchilada sauce (I used mild)
2/3 cup red enchilada sauce (I used mild)
1 can large black olives, cut in half
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
16 oz. penne pasta

Cook pasta in boiling water until tender. Heat oil in large non-stick skillet and add the onion; cook for 2-3 minutes until onion is translucent. Add the garlic and red pepper and cook another 2 minutes until red pepper is tender. Add the cooked chicken, green chilies, spices, enchilada sauces and olives. Simmer the sauce for about 8-10 minutes. Add the sour cream and cheese and heat through until the cheese is melted (be careful not to boil so the sour cream doesn’t curdle!) Pour the sauce over the hot pasta. Garnish with additional sour cream, cheese, diced tomatoes, green onions, or crushed tortilla chips.  Serves 6-8.

Enjoy!

Melisa

P.S. I forgot to take a picture, so I grabbed the photo from the Dinner Inspiration blog…but mine looked exactly like that!

Will Punxsutawney Phil see his shadow tomorrow? Folks have been tracking that crazy groundhog and his shadow since 1886! The record shows he has seen his shadow 98 times, has not seen his shadow 15 times, and for 10 years his prediction is unknown.

Here is Phil’s prognostication record if you’re interested…

As the story goes, if he sees his shadow then that means six more weeks of winter weather. And if he doesn’t, spring will come early. We’re remaining optimistic, but either way, you win!

• If he DOES see his shadow you can take 25% off any one regular price item.

• If he DOESN’T see his shadow you can still get a great deal with 15% off any one regular price item.

This deal is good for Groundhog Day only (Wednesday, Feb. 2nd) in the shop or online. Online shoppers please enter code PHIL2011 in the Comments section of the shopping cart to receive your discount. We will adjust the order total before processing your credit card.

And if that wasn’t enough fun for you, why not bake a Groundhog Cake to celebrate!  I ran across this link this morning and thought "what a fun idea!" This isn’t normally a holiday most people celebrate, but this cake is so cute how could anyone resist?  Click here for the recipe. Enjoy!

Happy Groundhog Day!

Melisa

I’m sad that this is the last day of the Mistletoe Make & Bake Blog Hop, but I’m excited that it is my turn to share a fun holiday project with you! But first, let’s talk about cookie exchanges since you have dozens of new cookie recipes to try!

Hosting a Cookie Exchange Party is the perfect way to get together with friends over the holidays with the added bonus of getting a variety of cookies to have for other holiday occasions without all the work!

I’ve been to cookie exchanges where guests brought copies of their recipes along with their cookies. If you plan your date far enough in advance you can have your guests send their recipes to you in advance so you can compile a book of cookie recipes for each guest as a party favor! Having prizes is another fun idea – you could give prizes for the best-looking cookies or the most creative packaging and give mini cookie cutters, jars of sprinkles or flavorings as the prizes.

Don’t forget the Christmas music!

There are hundreds of resources on the web to help you plan – everything from The Rules of the Cookie Exchange to Cookie Exchange Invitations. There are a gazillion recipe sites, too, but you won’t be needing those because you’ve got plenty of new cookie recipes from this blog hop to keep you busy for a while! There’s still time to plan a fun Cookie Exchange Party with your friends so get out your calendar and pick a date!

The cookie recipe I’m sharing with you today was shared with me a couple of years ago by my good friend, Ruthanne. These rank right up at near the top of my favorite cookies list … I think I made at least a half dozen batches that first Christmas!

To download and print the pdf version of the recipe card, click here.

I decided since we were baking all these cookies that we needed a cute decoration to dress up our cookie jars. My Cookie Jar Wrap is quick to make – add them to cute jars filled with homemade cookies for those last minute gifts on your list! It could also be adapted to use as a Candle Wrap, and by all means, make it with fabric instead of wool if you prefer!

Our other featured designer today is Vickie over at Spun Sugar Quilts. I can’t wait to see what she’s cooked up for you! And don’t forget to grab the recipes from everyone else, too!

I have enjoyed reading your comments so much – seems we’ve brought back lots of memories for you with our stories and cookie recipes, and I love the stories you’ve shared in your comments. As one of the featured blogs today, I get to have a little giveaway so you’ll want to be sure to leave a comment on this post. I’ll post the winner on Sunday. Oh, I should probably tell you what you’ll win…how about this cute little kit!

Oopsie Daisy Charm Kit featuring the Lollipop collection by Sandy Gervais for Moda.

Make sure you’ve left a comment on each blog each day so you’ll be entered to win the grand prizes…yes, I said prizes! Seems we have enough great stuff to put together TWO grand prizes…I wish I could win! Sherri over at This & That will announce the grand prize winners on her blog Sunday so be sure to check back…it might be YOU!

Melisa

P.S. Don’t forget to add my blog to your favorites….or better yet, subscribe to this blog. Then you’ll get email updates when I write a new post! I hope you’ll come back to visit often!

When I learned that today’s Mistletoe Make & Bake Blog Hop theme was to share a not-to-be-missed holiday tradition, I knew immediately what I’d share…my aversion to tacky outdoor Christmas decor and the fun we have with it every season.

When it comes to outdoor Christmas decorations, a wreath on the door and maybe a single candle in each window is my preference. I enjoy looking at outdoor decorations that are tastefully put together…lots of white lights and greenery, etc. It is those that go overboard with no conceivable theme other than every imaginable color of lights and all sorts of inflatable ‘things’ that just set my teeth on edge.

When my kids were small we made it a tradition to drive around on Christmas Eve to see the Christmas lights and decorations. The boys got a big kick out of spotting the tackiest decor we could find just so they could see mom shudder! As they got older they would scout out the tackiest outdoor displays they could find in the weeks leading up to Christmas Eve, and each  would secretly choose their own favorite “tackiest” to see if they could pick the one Mom would hate the most. It became a competition between the boys and their excitement in directing our Christmas Eve drives to specific destinations would be palpable all day long.

My boys are all grown with families of their own now, but they have all continued this tradition. Mike and I still drive around and look at the Christmas decorations on Christmas Eve, but somehow, it just isn’t the same.

Another must-do every Christmas are my mother’s Date Wraparounds. I think these might be my favorite cookie of all time, and I only make them at Christmas time…it keeps them special!

To download and print the pdf version of the recipe card click here!

I can’t wait to see what fun project Roseann has created for you over at Rosebud’s Cottage, and Brenda at Little Acorns is sure to have something just as enticing. Pick up your cookie recipe from everyone else, and don’t forget to leave a comment!

Tomorrow is the last day (boo hoo!) of the blog hop, and it is my feature day. I’ve cooked up a cute little project for you and will share a great cookie recipe that will be perfect for your holiday cookie swaps!

Melisa

Our Mistletoe Make & Bake Blog Hop theme for today is to share our go-to holiday book, and for me that would be the annual Christmas with Southern Living books. I have several in my collection and I pull them all out year after year beginning in September to get ideas for Christmas decor, recipes and gifts. These books are timeless…

Both my mother and my grandmother have been subscribers to Southern Living magazine as long as I can remember so it is somewhat of a tradition in my family. Many of the decor ideas from the Christmas annual are much too fancy for my Christmas decorating efforts but I can always find inspiration that will trigger my own creativity. And the recipes…I have never made a recipe from Southern Living that disappointed me.

PDQ Turtle Cookies are a favorite Southern Living recipe that I’ve made for years, first with my boys and now with my grandchildren.

To download and print the pdf version of the recipe card click here!

Hop on over to visit with Lissa at Moda Lissa and Julie at Quilts4Julie to see what great project downloads they have for you, and pick up the recipes from everyone else on the blog hop…and don’t forget to leave your comments on each blog…you might win a great prize!

Melisa

We’ve made it to Day 3 of the Mistletoe Make & Bake Blog Hop…are you on a sugar high yet from all these yummy cookie recipes? You’ll hit the jackpot today with fun project downloads from Celine at Perkins Dry Goods, Patrick Lose and Kelly Ann from Kelly Ann’s Quilting, and don’t forget we’ve all got great cookie recipes for you so don’t skip anyone!

Today’s theme is cocktail party conversation starters (or how to avoid standing in the corner alone!) Two words…don’t go! Just kidding…but seriously, I’d rather have a tooth pulled than to have to go to a cocktail party with lots of people I don’t know, mixing and mingling over drinks and party conversation…not my favorite activity. 

My cocktail party strategy? Find someone else standing alone, looking as uncomfortable as myself, and strike up a conversation with them. I’ll usually start out with a comment about the food or the decor or something innocuous like that, and then ask the person something about themselves…people love to talk about themselves!

Most importantly, always have an exit strategy! There’s nothing worse than being stuck in a conversation with someone you don’t want to talk to (except standing in the corner alone, of course!) I’ll usually just say I need to find the ladies room and excuse myself.

Food is always a good conversation starter, and you’ll get lots of compliments when you serve this old Southern favorite… 

To download and print the pdf version of the recipe card click here!

The fun continues tomorrow so be sure to come on back and see what I’m cooking up for you!

Melisa

Welcome to Day 2 of the Mistletoe Make & Bake Holiday Blog Hop. You’ll want to be sure to visit Heidi at Hens and Chicks and Monique at Open Gate Quilts to see what great holiday project downloads they have for you. I’m having fun collecting all the recipes from everyone’s blog, and I hope you’re filling up your recipe box, too. Don’t forget to leave your comments on all the blogs to be eligible for the prizes. Today’s theme is holiday sanity savers, and I have a couple of tips to share with you.

When my boys were small, I worked a full time job that involved a LOT of travel so Christmas preparations were always an ordeal. Extended families in two states who always wanted us to be ‘home’ for Christmas complicated matters even more. I always dreamed of creating a perfect Norman Rockwell-esqe Christmas…

In reality, I usually ended up in a different Rockwell-esqe scenario…

The holidays are a time for creating memories, but I was usually too tired and stressed out to enjoy them much because of my unrealistic expectations. I finally realized when my youngest son was a teenager that I wasn’t creating ‘perfect memories’ with all of my frantic preparations…the memories I was creating were of a frazzled, stressed-out mom who was too busy running around trying to make things perfect to be able to enjoy the fun of Christmas with my family. After this epiphany, my goal was to relax and truly experience the joy of Christmas with my family. How did I do it?

First, I ditched the traditional Christmas dinner with all the trimmings. I remember how I would slave for hours in the kitchen preparing everyone’s favorites, only to have the whole bunch eat in 20 minutes, leaving only the mess of leftovers and dirty dishes for me to deal with. Resentful? Ya, I felt the sting of resentment! Our new tradition is to have soup and sandwiches for Christmas dinner, usually different from year to year, and I’ve never had one complaint since I made the change!

One other significant change I made is that I no longer wrap gifts. My least favorite Christmas activity is wrapping gifts because I’m just not very good at it. My gifts were never as prettily wrapped as I wanted them to be, and I’d always put it off until the last minute which usually meant I’d be up late on Christmas Eve frantically wrapping gifts. Several years ago, I started making pillowcases from my extensive stash of Christmas fabric and all the gifts are put into the pillowcase and tied up with ribbons and name tags. The pillowcases become a gift in themselves (my grandkids look forward to them every year), and I can whip those up in a tenth of the time it would take me to individually wrap all those gifts.

One activity I still make time for is cookie making, but I do have favorites that take only minutes to prepare like these Tea Wafers.

To download and print the pdf version of the recipe card click here!

I hope you’re enjoying the hop as much as we’re enjoying putting it together for you. Tomorrow’s topic: the dreaded cocktail party conversation! I can’t wait to read these posts!

Melisa

Today is the first day of the Mistletoe Make & Bake Holiday Blog Hop, and we’ve got some really fun plans for the week! First up is Sherri Falls of This and That  so be sure to hop over to see what fun project she has for you today, and be sure to check out all the other designer’s blogs for their cookie recipes. Most importantly, don’t forget to comment on the blogs…you could win a great prize!

As I was thinking about today’s theme, Christmas Trivia … myth or truth, my thoughts kept going back to my Grandfather’s love of soft peppermint candy at Christmastime. Candy canes can be found every where at Christmas, and are as much a decoration as a sugary treat. I did a little research on the origin of the candy cane, and learned that it wasn’t always crooked or striped.

Historians say that candy canes were originally all white sugar sticks used as tree decorations. In the late 1600’s a choirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany bent the sugar candy sticks to resemble a shepherd’s staff, and gave the candy canes out to children to keep them quiet during long nativity services.

Striped candy canes appeared about 1900, along with peppermint and wintergreen flavors, which became the traditional favorites.

My grandfather’s favorite were the soft peppermint sticks, not the hard brittle candy canes that are usually found at this time of year. At one point, Bob’s Candies in Albany, GA (which was about 35 miles from my grandparents’ home) was the world’s largest manufacturer of candy canes, and every year someone would give my grandfather a big box of Bob’s Candies Mint Sticks as a gift. My grandmother would dole these out to the grandchildren during our visits, usually accompanied by a glass of chocolate milk. We’d sip our milk using the mint sticks as our straws until they literally dissolved…that’s how soft and porous they were! I think this is probably the reason I can’t eat chocolate and mint together today…we would make ourselves sick drinking chocolate milk with peppermint stick straws!

I do love peppermint candy, though, particularly the soft peppermints – I just love the way they dissolve on my tongue! In celebration of the candy cane, enjoy this fun recipe for Candy Cane Sugar Cookies:

To download the recipe card as a pdf file click here!

Come back tomorrow when I’ll share another cookie recipe and my tip for saving your sanity during the crazy busy Christmas season.

Melisa