Kitchen Crafts 'n' More Newsletter "Recipes, crafts and help around the home." Issue #488 July 3, 2006 ~11,000+ SUBSCRIBERS~ ================================= ...KCnM Advertising... Info by emailing christinam @ nucleus.com Please support the KCnM newsletter ...by clicking on these sponsor ads... ================================= Slobs Rejoice: Easy Housecleaning Even YOU Can Do! Learn how easy it can be to clean! The Happy Slob's Housecleaning Newsletter And pick up a copy of the Happy Slob's Guide to Housecleaning while you're there. ============== FINALLY - an EASY WAY TO CLEAN MUCKY FLOORS Dirt Devil Vac 'n' Mop does it all in one simple step. Finally, clean floors without all the hassle! =============== THE MOST SYLISH MATERNITY WEAR EVER Being pregant doesn't mean you can't look GREAT. Check out some of the most stylish maternity wear... Shop Sales at A Pea in the Pod. ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** VISIT OUR BLOGS ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** Click HERE to Visit the always popular Kitchen Crafts 'n' More Blog for MORE recipes, crafts & household hints Click HERE for Our Housecleaning Blog TONS of great organizing, cleaning and other household tips that makes life easier (and a bit more fun!) Click HERE for the Coffee Creations Blog Lots of Coffee Recipes & Ideas! Including Starbucks copycat recipes - really popular for coffee lovers. ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** Hi everyone, And how is your Monday treating you so far? :) I know it's been a while since I've sent out a 'traditional' newsletter, and so here it is. Having started a new part-time job and trying to finish up a major writing project has kept me quite busy. As always, I LOVE hearing from you with recipes, ideas or anything else you might like to see in the KCnM newsletter. Please send it on in to me! Take care, Christina ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** IN TODAY'S ISSUE ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** RECIPES: Apricot-Tea Glazed Chicken Drummettes (Traditional) Blueberry Cream Muffins (Traditional) Bourbon Buttercream Frosting (Recipes Found) Chocolate Velvet Cake Batter (Recipes Found) Floral Bath Oil (Kitchen Crafts) Flourless Monster Cookies (Traditional) Herbal Tooth Powder (Kitchen Crafts) Lavender Bubble Bath (Kitchen Crafts) Taco Seasoning (Recipes Found) Vanilla Buttercream Frosting (Recipes Found) ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** READER'S QUESTIONS ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** Ask a question, or provide an answer! :) Email questions or answers to Christina at christinam@nucleus.com Thanks! ----------------- WEDDING PRESENT POEM (WITH GOBLET) Sandy asks: "IS there any way I could get for a second time the poem that goes with a golbet for a wedding present? I asked last summer, Now of course I need it. I thought I saved it but as you can see I don't know where it was that I saved the poem." PESKY NEIGHBORHOOD CATS Joyce in Montana asks: "Christina, I need a recipe for something to keep neighbood cats from using my flower beds for bathrooms. Help please." ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** IN THE KITCHEN... Great new products for anyone who loves cooking, crafting and creativity. ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** Today It's All About CHOCOLATE! Maybe it's because I'm craving chocolate like a madwoman (what else is new?) but I thought this would be a great way to start this new section. Highlighting some amazing new chocolate goodies that KCnM'ers will love! Chocolate Fountain Every home needs a chocolate fountain in my opinion, and this handy version by RIVAL makes it an affordable choice! Great for get togethers! Finest Dark Chocolate for Fondues Urrrmmmm...I'm sorry, but I'm rendered speechless by how utterly divine this sounds! The finest fondue chocolate for when you really want to splurge... Chocolate...from the Cake Mix Doctor The Cake Mix Doctor is renowned for making the most delicious creations - and all starting with a plain cake mix! This book is just for us chocolate lovers and features tons of new, simple recipes that will soothe that chocolate craving. Okay, those are some of my favorite chocolate treats - what are yours? If you have a chocolate recipe, tip or favorite product to tell us about - email me at christinam@nucleus.com! ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** HELP FROM READERS ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** Help a fellow reader - send an answer to one of the above questions, and we'll post it here! (Send to christinam@nucleus.com) ----------------- No Answers This Time Around -- Please Send Some in! ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** REQUEST A RECIPE ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** One of the most popular sections of our newsletter - request a recipe or send in requested recipe. Contact: christinam @ nucleus.com ======================== ~~~RECIPE REQUESTS: ~~~ Please help these readers find these recipes! :) Thanks for your help everyone... JAMAICAN COWBOY MARGARITA Deb in Wisconsin asks: "Hi Christina—I love your newsletter and try new recipes from it often. I’m looking for a copycat recipe for a Jamaican Cowboy Margarita that I really enjoyed at Texas Roadhouse. I believe it had Malibu rum, pineapple juice and maybe orange juice in it, as well as the usual margarita ingredients. It was so refreshing and I’d like to make it at home. " MCDONALD'S BACON RANCH SALAD One reader wrote: "My daughter and I love the Bacon Ranch Salad at McDonald's and would be very grateful to anyone who knows what they season the grilled chicken with; we are so addicted." ~~~RECIPES FOUND:~~~ Taco Seasoning - Replaces 1 Packet Submitted by Cindy 2 tsp. chili powder 1 tsp. paprika 1 1/2 tsp. cumin 2 tsp. parsley flakes 1 tsp. onion powder 1/2 tsp. garlic salt or garlic powder 1/2 tsp. oregano ----------------------- I found the following recipe from the Southern Living web site and I am 99% sure this is the recipe that Beth is looking for. FOR: Beth S. FROM: SUE B. CHOCOLATE VELVET CAKE BATTER INGREDIENTS: 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate morsels, 1/2 cup butter softened, 1 (16-ounce) package light brown sugar, 3 large eggs, 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1 (8-ounce) container sour cream, **1 cup hot water, 2 tsp's. vanilla extract. DIRECTIONS: Melt semisweet chocolate morsels in a microwave-safe bowl at HIGH for 30-second intervals until melted ( about 1 1/2 minutes total time). Stir until smooth. Beat butter and brown sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer beating about 5 minutes or until well blended. Add eggs one at a time beating just until blended after each addition. Add melted chocolate, beating just until blended. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually add to chocolate mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Gradually add 1 cup hot water in a slow, steady stream, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in vanilla. Use immediately, following directions for desired cake. YIELDS: Makes about 8 1/2 cups. NOTE: **The addition of hot water at the end of this recipe makes for an exceptionally moist cake. --------------------- Becky also found the Chocolate Velvet Cake Recipe, plus added these frosting recipes to go along with it... Chocolate Velvet Layer Cake w/Buttercream Frosting Make one recipe of Basic Batter above and pour into 3 round pans that are 1 1/2” deep (bake @ 350º for 25-30 min.) OR 2 round pans that are 2” deep – bake 40-45 min. @ 350º. Cool in pans for 10 min. then turn out to cool completely. Frost between layers and on top and sides with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting below. Vanilla Buttercream Frosting 1 c. butter, softened 2 16 oz. pkgs powdered sugar 2/3 c. milk 1 T. vanilla Beat butter till creamy; gradually add sugar alternately with milk, beating at low speed till blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Variation: Bourbon Buttercream Frosting Follow recipe above, substituting 1/3 c. bourbon and 1/3 c. milk for the 2/3 c. milk. ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** 'KITCHEN CRAFT' RECIPES & CRAFT PROJECTS ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** Bath and beauty products, home remedies, craft recipes, food mixes, natural cleaning formulas, fun kids recipes and other unique recipes! ======================== Floral Bath Oil A beautiful gift in a bottle! Floral Bath Oil Gift Lavender Bubble Bath Christi, our extraordinarily crafty recipe researcher has submitted this gorgeous recipe! Uses fresh lavender - wonderful. Lavender Bubble Bath Herbal Tooth Powder Another amazing find by Christi -- try making this homemade herbal tooth powder if you don't like the idea of using fluoride...or just for a more natural approach. Herbal Tooth Powder Recipe ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** TRADITIONAL RECIPES ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** The family favorites everyone loves! Please submit your recipes to christinam @ nucleus.com and I'll include them in an upcoming issue. =================== Flourless Monster Cookies - BIG BATCH Submitted by Collette "Hello Christina, Heres a recipe I thought might be good for the site for the people that cant eat flour." 1 lb. butter or marg 2 lbs. brown sugar 4 cups white sugar 3 lbs. peanut butter 12 eggs 1 Tbsp. vanilla 18 cups oatmeal 8 tsp. baking soda 1 lb. smarties (candy coated chocolate - M&M's will also work) 1 lb. choc. Chips (I use butterscotch) Beat marg, peanut butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla. Add to oatmeal, soda, smarties and chips. Mix well. Drop by Tbsp. and flatten. Bake 12 minutes – 350 oven. DO NOT OVER BAKE. Recipe calls for no flour. Makes 20 doz. I mix these in the canner. ------------------- Blueberry Cream Muffins Submitted by Dorina Nutritional analysis is based on using nonfat plain yogurt. Serving: 12 Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes 2 eggs 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries 1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup sugar Beat eggs, gradually add sugar, then oil & vanilla. Combine salt, baking soda and baking powder, add alternately with sour cream or yogurt. Fold in blueberries. Bake in muffin cups at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Based on individual serving. Calories: 175 Total Fat: 10 g Saturated Fat: 1 g Cholesterol: 35 mg Sodium: 209 mg Carbohydrates: 19 g Fiber: 0 g Sugar: 17 g Protein: 2 g Calcium: 65 mg Folate: 6 mcg Source: Essential Vegetarian Cookbook ------------------- APRICOT-TEA GLAZED CHICKEN DRUMETTES Submitted by Deb A. 2/3 cup apricot preserves 1 tablespoon unsweetened instant tea 12 chicken drumettes LINE baking sheet with foil. COMBINE preserves and tea in blender; cover. Blend until smooth. Place drumettes on prepared baking sheet; brush heavily with glaze. BROIL drumettes, brushing frequently with glaze, for 12 to 15 minutes on each side or until no longer pink near bone. =============================== --THANKS FOR READING THIS ISSUE Thanks for reading this edition of Kitchen Crafts n' More! ===============================