Valentines Petit Fours

Petit fours are small bite-sized cakes. The word petit four in French actually translates to "small oven." In France, bakers would bake their breads first, and then as the ovens cooled, they would bake smaller pastries. The lower temperature was called baking "a petit four" and thus, the cakes were named!

Petit fours are very expensive in bakeries! However, they are very easy to make at home. Your children will love this project!

Petit Four Cake Recipe
Yields 2 dozen approximately
4 eggs, separated
2 tablespoons water
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Separate eggs and whip egg whites until fluffy and set aside.
Mix egg yolks and water and cream in a mixing bowl until smooth.
Add sugar, vanilla, and salt and beat well.
Add flour and baking powder and beat until batter is smooth.
Fold egg whites into batter until smooth.
Gr...

Homemade Tortillas

Tortillas are very easy to make at home and they have no ingredients in them that you can't pronounce!
Here's the recipe......
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup avocado oil
1 cup warm water
Mix all together and knead until it is smooth. Divide into 12 pieces. Roll into balls and flatten a little and cover with a damp towel. Let the dough sit for about 15 minutes. This is key. If you don't let the dough rest, the tortillas will shrink back when they are rolled out.
While the dough is resting, heat a cast iron skillet.
Roll each piece of dough until it is paper thin. Put in hot skillet and cook for about 1 minute on first side and flip and cook for about 30 seconds.
As they come off the skillet put in tortilla warmer.
Enjoy!

Home Remedies

Have you ever heard of fire cider? It’s an immune-boosting tonic that’s been used for decades to naturally protect against cold and flu and ease sinus congestion. Fire Cider has been used to boost immunity, metabolism, liver function, poor circulation, weak or sluggish digestion, and low energy. It's also antibacterial, antifungal, decongesting, and contains powerful antioxidants.
Anecdotally, people usually take 1–2 tablespoons daily as an immune booster. However, people who find the tonic strong can dilute it in a glass of water. Some people may only take it if they feel a cold coming or to help warm themselves up during the winter season.
The Herbal Academy's fire cider recipe uses fresh herbs, so we recommend refrigerating the final preparation and using it within 6 months. If you are using dried herbs, your fire cider can be stored in a cool, dark pantry for up to 1 year. However, if you have the space, refrigeration will keep it fresher for longer.<...

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...