Karen’s Opinion

My husband’s favorite cookie is the infamous Snickerdoodle. How did it get that crazy name?

Wikipedia
The Joy of Cooking claims that snickerdoodles are probably German in origin, and that the name is a corruption of the German word for “snail dumpling” (Schneckennudeln, or cinnamon-dusted sweet rolls).[citation needed] Similarly, one author states that “the word `snicker’ may have come from a Dutch word `snekrad,’ or the German word `Schnecke,` both describing a snail-like shape.”[1] However, another author believes the name came from a New England tradition of fanciful, whimsical cookie names,[2] and yet another cites a series of tall tales around a hero named Snickerdoodle from the early 1900s

Snickerdoodle Cooke Recipe
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 4 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add the 1 cup sugar, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well blended. Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer, and stir in remaining flour. This is when I wish I had a Kitchenaid or Sunbeam mixer!

Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour. Combine the 4 tablespoons sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Shape the dough into 1 inch balls and roll in cinnamon sugar mixture to coat.

Place balls of dough 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 11 minutes or until edges are beautifully golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Eat and enjoy!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of HealthyTuna.com. All opinions are 100% mine.

Bring up the subject of pregnancy and you hear tales from everyone.

Woman sues pharmacy after eating contraceptive jelly fails to prevent pregnancy.
During the Civil War, a woman was impregnated by sperm carried on a bullet that passed through the scrotum of a soldier and penetrated her ovaries.

Those tales are easy to roll our eyes at and shake them off as crazy fool’s tales.

There are the well meaning tales from those who try to help women who are pregnant. They tell about the horrible pain and give all sorts of advice to the expecting parents. My advice to expectant parents: don’t read any books on pregnancy. Don’t read books on how to raise children. Let advice from others go in one ear and out the other.

One such item of misinformation given to pregnant women has been that it is unhealthy to eat fish while pregnant. While it is true that fish high in mercury counts should be avoided, scientific studies have shown that healthy tuna is important for pregnant women and for the healthy growth and development of small children. Eating fish has been shown to help with depression and other health issues.

I have always fixed tuna sandwiches and made tuna casserole to feed my family. My husband thought that tuna casserole was about the only thing I knew how to cook when we were first married. LOL Now he reminds me to make it once in awhile!

TUNA CASSEROLE
Cook noodles in boiling salted water until al dente, about 6 minutes. Drain and refresh under cold running water. Drain and set aside.

Mix one can of mushroom soup with a can or one cup of milk. Add one small can of sliced mushrooms and approximately 1/2 teaspoon of coarse black pepper. Add one small package of frozen peas. Heat all ingredients in a saucepan until just boiling.

In a medium casserole dish, add sauce mixture to the cooked noodles and lightly toss. Bake for 20 minutes at 350°F.

Crush Ruffle potato chips and sprinkle over the top of the casserole. Replace into oven and brown the crumbs under the broiler.
Serve and enjoy!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Club House. All opinions are 100% mine.

I have never been able to make gravy. It is pitiful, I know, but I admit to my lack of skill when it comes to making a sauce that does not taste like water or cling to my tongue like a wet sticky paste. I have resorted to buying jar gravy. I am so embarrassed to put it on the check out counter at the grocery. I can just hear the thoughts of the cashier as she thinks I am such a failure.

There may be hope for me! I recently discovered a website for Club House Gravy products that offers help for people like me! They even have a gravy tips video that has inspired me to give it a try. I am so excited to make Christmas dinner and offer REAL gravy this year! It looks so easy to use Club House Gravy Mix and meat drippings and have a delicious and creamy gravy. I am thrilled just thinking of the money I will save not having to buy those expensive jars of gravy.

The Club House website offers tips on how to cook steak, learn about flavours, recipes, spice pairing, aging and more. It also has a great organizational tool where you can organize your recipes. Every Tuesday a new recipe is offered so you can get out of your cooking rut!

Check out their newsletter sign-up and contest entry to win a Club House gravy gift pack! This website will change the way you cook and give you the kicker to make great gravy!

Have you ever received a recipe jar? It is a jar filled with ingredients to make yummy things like cookies and cookie bars. There are jars that have the ingredients for soups and other wonderful items. You simply follow the directions attached to the jar and wallah! you have a yummy treat and didn’t have to search your cupboards for the ingredients. You can find instructions for making these jars at places like Gifts in a Jar. Make a few as gifts and watch the recipients smile. They might even decide to share the final product! Yummy!

Here is a jar recipe for butterscotch cookies:
Butterscotch Cookies
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup crispy rice cereal
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup white sugar

To Make the Layered Jar Gift:
Layer ingredients in a one quart mason jar, in the order given. Screw the jar on the lid, and cover with a circle of fabric or a paper doily, held down with a rubber band. Cover the rubber band with yarn or ribbon and tie a bow.

It all began in 1947 when the NTF, National Turkey Federation and the Poultry and Egg National Board began giving a turkey to our nation’s president. The turkeys were eaten at a white house dinner. So, when did turkeys begin to ask for a pardon? It first occurred in 1963, when President Kennedy, referring to the turkey given to him, said, “Let’s just keep him.” It wasn’t until the first Thanksgiving of President George H.W. Bush, in 1989, that a turkey was officially pardoned for the first time.

Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush followed suit and allowed a pardon of each turkey presented as a gift. Now, some people think this tradition, of pardoning turkeys began in 1947 when Harry Truman pardoned the turkey given to him. There is no documentation of this. Even the Truman Library has been unable to find any evidence of this. Another story claims the tradition dates back to Abraham Lincoln pardoning his son Tad’s pet turkey.

Since the first actual pardon in 1989, the pardoned turkeys have enjoyed their reprieve while residing at petting zoos. Lucky turkeys!