Christmas Traditions

When I was growing up, my mother and my Aunt Bibby were fabulous cooks. You already know about my Aunt Bibby's yeast rolls. Well, my mother's claim to fame as a cook was her caramel pie.
My mother died in February of 1975. In the months that followed, I searched through my mother's recipes to find her caramel pie recipe. No luck.
At Thanksgiving that year, we all went to my Aunt Phyllis and Uncle Rayford's house. At dinner, my Aunt Phyllis served caramel pie. It was delicious and I told her so. She said thanks, that it was my mother's recipe. I was thrilled! I told her how I had searched but couldn't find mother's recipe. I asked her if she would give the recipe to me and she said.......wait for it.......no! She informed me that it was a secret. I couldn't believe it!
When my children were young I was working the election polls at the elementary school with a retired home-economics teacher, Nell Watson, and as we visited, I told her this story about my mother's pie...

Homemade Simmer Pots

This idea came from the YouTube channel of Mother Thyme. These will make fabulous gifts for the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons.

What you need per jar-

Fresh cranberries
Apples
Oranges
Rosemary
Cinnamon
Cinnamon sticks
Ground allspice
Ground cloves
Mulling spices
16 oz. mason jar
Add cranberries to a small pot. Add water and bring to a boil on the stovetop until the skins of the cranberries begin to pop. Drain, rinse and pat gently pat the cranberries dry.
Slice apples, oranges, pat dry and add to a large baking sheet in a single layer.
Add cranberries and rosemary sprigs.
Bake in a 200 degree oven, flipping every 30 minutes until fruit is dried, about 4 hours depending on the thickness of fruit. Rosemary will only need about 45 minutes.
Allow to cool.
Sprinkle some mulling spices in the bottom of mason jar.
Add add dried fruit and cinnamon sticks.
Top with dried r...

Homemade Spice Blends

We all love our seasoning blends, but the ones you buy in the store sometimes contain ingredients we don't want in our food. Here are some easy spice blends you can make yourself from spices you probably already have in your pantry.

TACO SEASONING
Real Food Dietitians
8 tablespoons chili powder
8 teaspoons cumin
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
4 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
4 teaspoons sea salt
1-2 teaspoons cayenne (optional)
Use 1/4 cup of seasoning and ¾ cups water to simmer meat.

RANCH DRESSING SEASONING AND DIP
The Pinning Mama
4 teaspoons pepper
4 teaspoons sea salt
8 tablespoons parsley
2 tablespoons dill
4 teaspoons chives
8 teaspoons garlic powder
8 teaspoons onion powder
8 teaspoons dried onion
When ready to mix, in a jar put....
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup yogurt
2 tablespoons dr...

Caramel Apple Bar

Everybody likes caramel apples – at least for the first 4 or 5 bites. With Halloween coming up very soon, I thought it would be fun to put together a caramel apple bar. Slices of apple that you can dip into sauce and toppings. Perfect amounts of apple and toppings!

EASY CARAMEL SAUCE
1 bag (10.8 oz) caramels
2 tablespoons water
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
pinch of fine sea salt
dash of vanilla
In a medium saucepan, combine unwrapped caramels, water, and cream. Heat on medium-low until caramels start to melt. Stir frequently until the mixture is smooth with no lumps. Remove from heat and mix in the salt and vanilla.
DIPPING SAUCES
1 cup good quality chocolate chips – any kind
2 teaspoons avocado oil
In a microwave-safe bowl, mix the chosen type of chocolate chips with oil. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until...