Guiding Light - MESSAGE BOARDS

Marina’s Company Coffee Cake. Since she is a new mom, time is not on her side, this is fairly easy to make. Plus, it would be really good served at Company and have a big cup of coffee—no lattes, just coffee (maybe some cream too). Since so many from the police department are there, this cake would be a good replacement to doughnuts! It is gray and cold here in the mid-west, so if it is cold where you are—like in Springfield, this would be great on a cold day!
1Yellow Cake mix
1 small box of instant butter pecan pudding mix
¾ C. water
¾ C. oil
1 tsp. butter flavoring
1tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
¼ C. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
Mix cake mix, pudding mix, water, oil, vanilla and butter flavoring together. Add eggs, one at a time and mix 8 minutes. This makes for a thick gooey batter. Put one have of the batter in a jelly roll pan. Sprinkle with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Add rest of the batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and while still hot, drizzle with frosting glaze.
Glaze-this is sugary and sweet, like Henry.
1C. powdered sugar
1tsp. vanilla
1 tsp . butter flavoring
6 tsp. milk
Mix ingredients until smooth. Drizzle over hot cake.

Father Ray's favorite recipe

Take a cup of kindness,
mix it well with love,
Add a lot of patience
and faith in God above,
Sprinkle very generously
with joy and thanks and cheer
And you'll have lots of ANGEL FOOD
to feast on all the year.

Bea Readon's Irish Soda Bread---I can see(in my mind) Bea making this with Nola, Jim, Tony, Maureen, Chelsea and Sean sitting around the table eating while Mom Bea was hard at work--like all moms. This would be a easy recipe and part of their Irish background. I have a little Irish in me, but not enough to eat rasins.
5 C. all purpose flour
1C. sugar
1Tbl. baking powder
1Teas. baking soda
1 1/2 Teas. salt
1/2 C(1 stick) cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces
2 1/2 C. raisins
3 Tabl. Caraway seed
1/2 C. buttermilk
1 egg
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9X5 loaf pans. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter using two knives or a pastry blender until mixture is the texure of cornmeal. Add raisins and caraway seeds and mix well. Add buttermilk and egg and stir until just blended. Divide batter evenly in both pans. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until golden. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing from the pans to cool completely.

Carrie Todd Mahrler’s Coffee-Glazed Nuts. Carrie and Ross was in love, but as happens often in Springfield, she was not that stable—mentally speaking. She made Ross much softer and more likeable.
2 T. hot water
1 ½ tea. Instant coffee granules
¼ C. sugar
1 T. hones or light corn syrup
½ tea. Kosher salt
3 C. whole mixed nuts(such as walnuts, pecans and almonds)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with foil. Combine water and coffee in medium sauce pan; stir until dissolved. Stir in sugar, honey, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium high hear, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in nuts until completely coated. Spread in single layer over prepared baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes then stir. Bake for an additional 10 minutes, stirring halfway through bake time. Cool completely on baking sheet. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container. Can be made up to 1 week in advance.

Kevin Bacon’s Rolls—I saw Footloose last night on T.V. I remember may dad let me have the car. My younger sister and I drove into town(farm girls) and went to this movie. I remember went to the movies, as I loved KB when he played Tim McIntrye. I felt he made such a big mistake leaving GL, but I guess he has done ok. No matter what I see him or other GL alumi, I think of GL. This recipe is Piragi, which is a Latvian Bacon Roll, of which my husband mum is from Latvia and made these when I was pregnant with my first child and loved them. Let’s Hear it for the GL BOYS!
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
5 to 6 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

Filling:
4 slices bacon
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pound fully cooked ham steak, diced in 1/4-inch cubes (2 cups)
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

Glaze:
1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Directions:
In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in 1/2 cup of the water; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining sugar, salt, and 2 1/2 cups of the flour. Cut in the butter, then add the yeast mixture and remaining water. Stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough.

Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until it is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place the dough in a large greased bowl, turning to grease the top, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until double in size, about 1 1/2 hours. Prepare the filling while dough is rising.

Filling: In a small pan over medium heat, cook the bacon. Drain it, chop, and set aside. Saute the onion in the butter until it is soft, but not brown. Add the ham, stirring until it's combined with the onion. Stir in the caraway, pepper and bacon, and remove from heat.

Assembly: Punch the dough down and divide it into four pieces. Working with one piece at a time (cover the remaining pieces with plastic wrap) roll each piece of dough into a 1/8-inch thick circle. If the dough "fights back" give it a 5-minute rest, and resume rolling. Use a cookie cutter to cut the dough into 2 3/4-inch rounds. Place 1 teaspoon of the filling mixture into the center of each round, fold in half (to make a half moon shape) and pinch the edges closed.

Place the piragi on greased or parchment-lined cookie sheets, rotating them so that the seam-side is down. Shape them into crescents, and brush with the egg wash. Bake the piragi in a preheated 375 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and cool on a wire rack.

This is for the new mommies on the board. JizzieFan19 and Lizzie/Marcy Rylan both had precious little boys this week—Congrats!!! Here is a recipe on how to make homemade baby wipes. I am not sure for a new mom if this is something that would save time, but found this and felt it was perfect for this spot!!
Boil 2 C. of water and let cool. While the water is cooling, cut one roll of paper towels in half with a knife(be careful). Use half of the paper towels and take out the core so wipes can pull out through the center of the container. Mix water, baby oil and baby wash. Put Paper towels in container. Pour the mixture over the paper towels and then let set for ten minutes. Turn the wipes over to insure even distribution of mixture.

Since I added a recipe for the new moms, I felt it would be good to add for the older kid too! This would be a recipe I bet Natalia would make and play with Emma with. I have done this before, but have a hard time playing with it, as I like to just eat it. I guess that is why it is for kids
1 c. peanut butter
2/3-1 c. nonfat dry milk
2 tbsp. honey
Mix ingredients. Add enough powdered milk to make playdough dry enough to handle. Shape into balls. Add raisins to make a face. Or stir in chow mein noodles and make a bird's nest. Or stir in Cheerios or chocolate chips for fun. My boys like to drive cars and trucks through it.

Jenna’s Lemon Tea Bread: Since Jenna was from England and was a classy thief, she would have indulged in a few tea parties. I could also see her and Henry Chamberlin sitting down, drinking tea and laughing together. This would be a good bread to make and give away as a gift for a teacher, neighbor and so on.
2 ½ C. all-purpose flour
1 ½ teas. Baking powder
½ baking soda
½ salt
½ cup butter or margarine(1 stick), softened
1 ¼ C. Sugar
2teas. Freshly grated lemon peel
2 large eggs
1 container(8oz) sour cream
1teas. Vanilla extract
Preheat oven 350 degrees. Grease 9X5 loaf pan: dust with flour too. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a larger bowl, with a mixer at low speed, beat butter until creamy. Then add sugar and lemon peel and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beating the mixture is good to do when thinking about how CBS has replaced our beloved GL. Reduce speed to low and add eggs , one at a time, beating well after each one. Occasionally scraping bowl with a rubber spatula. Add flour mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Add vanilla and beat just until smooth, scraping bowl. Spoon batter into loaf pan and spread evenly. Bake until toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean, about 1 hour and 5 minutes. Cool loaf in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack.

Tammy and Jonathon’s Pumpkin Cream Muffin. One word—Pump-kin! Ok, a little immature on my part—but some days I just cannot help myself.
1 pkg(2 layer size) spice cake mix
1pkg. (3.4 oz.) Vanilla flavor instant pudding.
1 cup of canned pumpkin
1pkg. (8oz) cream cheese, softened
¼ cup of sugar
1 egg
Preheat oven 350 degrees. Mix cake batter as directed on package. Add dry pudding mix and pumpkin; mix well. Spoon into 24 lined muffin cups. Then beat cream cheese w/ mixer until creamy. Blend in sugar and egg; spoon over batter. Swirl gently with small spoon. Bake for 18 to 21 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 5 min.; remove to wire rack. Cool completely.

Blake Thrope-Spaulding-Marler's Baked Acorn Squash. Well, the acorn does not fall far from the tree. Blake was so much her father's daughter. Also, both would "Squash" anyone in there way to get what the wanted. With Thanksgiving so close, I am going to try to do Turkey day stuff.
2 small acorn squash(1 pound each), cut each one lenghwise in half and take seeds out.
2 tablespoons of butter or margarine, cut into pieces.
1/4 cup packed brown sugar.
Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Geas a 13X9 baking dish. Place squash, cut side down in baking dish and bake for 30 minutes. Turn cut side up. Place 1/4 of butter and brown sugar in each cavity of the squash. Bake until squash is tender and butter and brown sugar have melted, about 5 minutes. My hubby likes marshmellow melted on this too. I do not like it with brown sugar, so I put a little garlic and salt with mine, but can do both at the same time. Good simpe and easy---which, Blake was a little easy too!!!

It was Thanksgiving 2002 when Alexandra(played by Joan Collins) busted Olivia for the one who sent Lorelei’s diary to a publisher. I would have guessed that Olivia would have loved to “stuff” the turkey down Alex’s throat, as Phillip, Beth, Alan and Lizzie were shocked and upset. Do any of you remember when Ed and Mo were pregnant? They were in a back of a car and talking about baby names. Ed came up with Sage. Maureen laughed and said we could have sage, rosemary and thyme. Now sage somewhat of a common name. This was before Ed slept with Claire…
In a 4-quart pan, melt 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add 3 stalks of celery, coarsely chopped and 1 small onion finely chopped; cook stirring occasionally until tender—about 12 minutes. Remove saucepan from the heat. Add 1 loaf (16 oz) sliced firm white bread and cut or tear into ¾ inch pieces, 1 can (14 ½ oz.) chicken broth, ¼ cup of fresh parsley, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon of dried sage and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper—toss well. Spoon into a greased 9X9 baking dish and cover with foil. Bake at 325 degrees until heated through, about 30 minutes. My mom likes to take the foil off about 5 minutes before taking out of the oven so it has a “crust.” She also adds 1 or 2 eggs to keep it moist, but make sure it is cooked fully.

Grady's a Pumpkin Dip---
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 (15 ounce) can solid pack pumpkin
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon frozen orange juice concentrate
1.In a medium bowl, blend cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Gradually mix in the pumpkin. Stir in the cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and orange juice until smooth and well blended. Chill until serving. Serve with Gingersnaps or graham cracker.