Gingerbread House Competition at the Daily Dish

Have you ever made a Gingerbread House?

Is it part of your Christmas Tradition to make one and display it?

picture taken from the web.

Did you know that Gingerbread was brought to Europe in 992 by an Armenian monk?

He lived in France for 7 years where he taught Gingerbread cooking.

Sweden first saw Gingerbread in the 13th century when it was brought by the German immigrants.

Swedish nuns baked gingerbread to ease indigestion.

Nuremberg, Germany is the gingerbread capitol of the world

The story of Hansel and Gretel written by the The Brothers Grimm made

 gingerbread houses even more popular.

In Bergen, Norway, a city of gingerbread houses has been made since 1991 before Christmas.

It is free for any child under the age of 12 to make a house with the help of their parents.

This is a great tradition.  

Gingerbread houses are usually made of a harder German gingerbread,

and is often made before Christmas by constructing the house and covering it with candies and icing.

The Daily Dish is starting an 
annual Gingerbread House Competition.

You will be able to submit your gingerbread houses
 from November 21st through December 31st.

You do not have to be a blogger to submit.  

If you are not a blogger, ignore the URL on the link.
You only need to fill out the boxes with your name or the name of your gingerbread house
and  your email address
Link up at the bottom of the page where you see the blue frog...
Have fun and I can't wait to see what your gingerbread house looks like....
I am thinking I am going to make one this year.
information for this post came from: Gingerbread - Wikipedia

Mock Cuban Lunch Chocolate Bars

Do you remember the Cuban Lunch Chocolate Bar?

If you are Canadian you might remember it....

I loved them..

A large bar with thick chocolate that crunches in each bite.. full of peanuts.

It makes my mouth water just thinking about it...

I am not even sure that you can buy them anymore...

But you can make them with chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, peanutbutter chips, 

ripple chips and peanuts..

YES! I said ripple chips...

I have been trying very hard not to make anything with peanuts

so I had though Almond Butter would taste good in them...

I couldn't find any Almond Butter, instead I found the next best thing..

Caramel Almond Spread

and is it good... If you haven't tried it you need too...  

Mock Cuban Lunch Chocolate Bars 

2 cups chocolate chips

2 cups butterscotch chips

1 cup caramel almond spread

1 1/2 cups rippled chips - crushed

1 cup macadamia nuts - broken into small pieces

Place chocolate and butterscotch chips and caramel almond spread into a microwave save bowl.  Microwave until chips are melted.  Stir.  Add ripple chips and macadamia nuts and stir until thoroughly mixed.  Drop by spoonfuls into baking cups... you can use either miniature baking cups or regular size.  Place in refrigerator until chilled.  Enjoy.

Once chips and spread are melted, add rippled chips and nuts
stir until thoroughly mixed.

drop into baking cups and chill

Caramel Almond Spread 

Enjoy!

 So easy to make and a great gift idea.  Christmas is coming you may want to think of putting this on your baking list...

Foodie Friends Friday ~ Coffee Party

It is a coffee party!

and to more specific...

It's a Don Tomas Coffee Party!

Foodie Friends Friday  members were given

one pound of this robust flavour coffee

to use and review.

to read my review go here

My creations that I made with Don Tomas Coffee
Palpitation Cupcakes with Chocolate Espresso Coffee
Pumpkin Spiced Latte
Salted Caramel Mocha Latte

This week three random winners 

will receive a pound of this great tasting coffee...

Remember to fill out the rafflecopter to win.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out all the hosts for their reviews and creations:

Foodie Friends Friday http://www.foodiefriendsfriday.com

Tracy at Busy Vegetarian Mom http://www.busyvegetarianmom.com

Robyn's View http://www.robynsviewathome.blogspot.com

Marlys at This and That  http://marlys-thisandthat.blogspot.com/

Lois at  Walking on Sunshine http://wifeofthecolonel.blogspot.com/

Lindsey at Family Food Finds  http://www.familyfoodfinds.com

Michelle at  From Calculus to Cupcakes http://www.fromcalculustocupcakes.com

Cynthia at Feeding Big  http://www.feedingbig.blogspot.com

Jodie at Binomial Baker http://www.binomialbaker.blogspot.com

R Dawn at Spatulas on Parade http://www.spatulasonparade.blogspot.com

Angie at A lil Country Sugar http://www.alilcountrysugar.blogspot.com

Jutta at HungryLittleGirl http://www.hungrylittlegirl.com/

Kelly at http://www.adornedwell.blogspot.com/

Cindy at Cindy's Recipes and Writings: : http://www.cindysrecipesandwritings.com

To see last week winners ~ go Here

20% off coupon for
Don Tomas Coffee

Also check out the Daily Dish you go to e-magazine.

It has something for everyone.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Foodie Friends Friday Winners!

Last week we had a great Thanksgiving Party

with lots of great recipes.

Thanks to all who shared their recipes.

I am going to have fun checking them out.

Last week winners:

Top 3 Voted

Feeding Big ~ Cranberry Orange Muffins
Cozycakes Cottages ~ Simple Scottish Shortbread
Adorned Well ~ Cinnamon Honey Butter

Most Clicked

Cozycakes Cottages ~ Simple Scottish Shortbread
Recipe Roundup ~ Bikini Tanned Turkey
Feeding Big ~ Cranberry Orange Muffin

Sponsor Winners

 

Host Favorite

Go Here for your button.

This week's host favorite goes to 

Axiom At Home for  Candied Ginger

I love this recipe as we eat lots of Candied Ginger and I never thought of making it myself.

My husband grew up with it and uses it when he feels ill ~ colds, upset stomache.

I also like to eat it just like candy.

picture courtesy of Axiom At Home

This week we are having a coffee party.

Three lucky winners will receive

coffee from Don Tomas Coffee.

And if you don't win... great news

You can get your own wonderful coffee from Don Thomas Coffee

for 20% off through January.

Use code FOODIEFRIENDS.

Palpitation Cupcakes and a Coffee Review

A while back I was lucky enough to be able to receive coffee from Don Tomas Coffee to use and review.  I was so excited when I received it and when I opened the box, the aroma was so wonderful and I envisioned so many things to make with it.  I don't drink much coffee anymore but this coffee tasted so wonderful... It had a great robust taste that left no after taste and even when made strong, which is the way I like it, it was great tasting with no after taste.

Heritage Roast ~ courtesy of Don Tomas Coffee

After reading about the company and how they harvested the coffee beans and also helped the community I was very impressed.  Don Tomas Coffee is a family operated business that produce high quality coffee beans in Nicaragua.  With this they have also invested in building a healthy community. They have built a school, medical center and a place of worship to help their employees.  Another awesome thing about this company is that they have a fundraising program,  your school/organization will keep 25% of all internet proceeds and 30% of all other proceeds.  That sounds good to me and if you are planning on doing some fundraising this may be a good place to start for you.

During my review of this coffee, I served it for company and all that drank enjoyed the robust taste.  I also made a couple of specialty coffees with this coffee and loved them. Here are the recipes for these specialty coffees:  Pumpkin Spice Latte and Salted Caramel Mocha Latte.  Another recipe that I made was my Palpitation cupcakes... The reason I am calling them Palpitation cupcakes is that I used espresso strong coffee to make them.  I used 6 heaping tablespoons of  coffee to 1.5 cups of water to make the coffee.  The cupcakes alone weren't that strong but the frosting gave me palpitation when I tasted it alone. Together they were downright delicious... The review I got for this recipes were" thumbs up".  Everyone liked them and didn't think that the coffee was too strong but just right.

Palpitation Cupcakes with Chocolate Espresso Frosting

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

1 cup white sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup eggnog

1/2 cup strong coffee (made mine 6 tbsp ground coffee /1.5 cup water)

1 1/2 cups flour 

1 tsp soda

2 tbsp cocoa

1/2 tsp vanilla 

Beat butter, sugar and egg together until mixed.  Mix in eggnog and coffee.  Add dry ingredients and mix well.  Add vanilla and mix well.  Line muffin tin with cupcake holders and fill 3/4. (I was able to make 14 cupcakes).  Bake at 350 degrees until toothpick comes clean, approximately 20 -25 minutes.  Cool, once cool, apply frosting (recipe below).

Chocolate Espresso Buttercream Frosting

3 tbsp soft butter

1 oz melted chocolate

1/8 cup strong coffee (6  tbsp ground coffee/1.5 cup water)

1/8 cup milk

2-3 cups powdered sugar ( I used just a little less then 3 cups)

Beat butter until soft, add chocolate and continue to beat.  Add 2.5 cups powdered sugar and beat until well mixed.  Add liquids and continue to beat for a couple of minutes.  Adding more powdered sugar until is a stiff consistency.  

You may need to eat these with milk.

This weekend on Foodie Friends Friday

we will be having a Coffee Celebration 

with 

Don Tomas Coffee

You don't want to miss an opportunity of winning some great coffee...

 

In case you don't win any but still want to try this coffee go to Don Tomas Coffee and use Coupon Code ~ FOODIEFRIENDS for 20% off through January.

This recipe and article was sponsored by Don Tomas Coffee.  I was given a pound of coffee to taste and review.  The opinion of the coffee was mine and what I observed by the friends that I served it to.

Links: Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party, Foodie Friday,Sunday's Sweet Confessions

Never Fail Pie Crust that you can freeze

The holiday season is just about upon us 

and we are all busy thinking of what we are going to prepare.

Pies are one thing that I think most of us make

and who wants to use store bought crusts?

Homemade is much better better

but can I make my own?

Yes, anyone can and here is an easy recipe that never fails.

And the great thing about it

You can make 6 single crusts and freeze them.

So you can make this ahead, freeze it 

then bring it out, thaw out the crust and make your pies...

What can be more simpler?

Never Fail Pastry

5 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 cups lard or shortening

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 tbsp vinegar

Water to equal one cup with egg and vinegar

Which to use ~ I use 1 cup Crisco shortening and 1 cup lard
Tenderflake lard ~ I buy in Canada and import.

first 4 ingredients mixed until crumbly

1.  Mix first 4 ingredients ~ flour, baking powder, salt, and lard or shortening; Mix together with hands or pastry cutter until crumbly.  I use my hands and mix these ingredients together.

2.  Add 1 egg slightly beaten and 1 tbsp vinegar in 1 cup measuring cup.  Add water until cup is full and pour in center of  the flour/lard mixture.

pour egg, vinegar and water mixture into center of flour mixture

3.  Mix all together until dough holds together.  I again use my hand to mix this together and then fold the dough until it holds together.  Divide into 6 equal portions.  At this point you can freeze the dough.

divide into 6 equal portions.

ready to go into the freezer

4.  To freeze wrap each portion in plastic wrap.  I usually use 2 layers and then place in freezer bags.  When ready to use take out of freezer and thaw until dough is pliable and ready to use.

* If using dough when you first make it.  It is easier to roll out if you chill the dough first.  I chill it for about an hour or two. 

I hope that this recipe works for you.

I have never had it fail.

One tip is not to over work your pastry dough.

Mix the dough only until it holds.

Linked up to these great parties:  Saturday Dishes Pies & Cobbler

Foodie Friends Friday Thanksgiving Party

Are you ready for another great party?

And I am also excited to see what recipes will be linked.

The Theme for this week is Thanksgiving

and as this is my first Thanksgiving as an American

I am really looking forward to see what 

a true American eats on Thanksgiving... as long as it isn't

sweet potatoes ~~ Sorry I just don't like them.. And I have tried.

We also have some great giveaways...

So remember to fill out the rafflecopter...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you would like to see what happened last week

 which recipes were  voted top 3 and most clicks

and who won the giveaway.. 
Go Here

Now onto this week party

Hosts:

Foodie Friends Friday http://www.foodiefriendsfriday.com

Tracy at Busy Vegetarian Mom http://www.busyvegetarianmom.com

Robyn's View http://www.robynsviewathome.blogspot.com

Marlys at This and That  http://marlys-thisandthat.blogspot.com/

Lois at  Walking on Sunshine http://wifeofthecolonel.blogspot.com/

Lindsey at Family Food Finds  http://www.familyfoodfinds.com

Michelle at  From Calculus to Cupcakes http://www.fromcalculustocupcakes.com

Cynthia at Feeding Big  http://www.feedingbig.blogspot.com

Jodie at Binomial Baker http://www.binomialbaker.blogspot.com

R Dawn at Spatulas on Parade http://www.spatulasonparade.blogspot.com

Angie at A lil Country Sugar http://www.alilcountrysugar.blogspot.com

Jutta at HungryLittleGirl http://www.hungrylittlegirl.com/

Ericka at Chef PickyKid and Me http://www.chefpickykid.com

Kelly at http://www.adornedwell.blogspot.com/

Cindy at Cindy's Recipes and Writings: : http://www.cindysrecipesandwritings.com 

Please link your recipe back to Foodie Friend Friday

and to the blog you posted from

also would if you link from my blog, I would love it if you would leave me a comment

so I can send a personal thank you!

Thank you

Come back next week for our Coffee Party