Around the House & More

I just received my free, yes I said free magazine from Kraft foods. I know I have already talked about this before but, it is their big holiday issue. I can’t wait to go through and read every recipe in it. Did you know that there are a lot of food companies that have web sites where you can find free recipes? Besides Kraft, try Philadelphia Cream Cheese, Pillsbury and Land O Lake Butter to name a few. Most of them have a news letter that they send out. All you have to do is sign up for them. I love getting them and the recipes that they send out.

My family is so busy, like most everyone else, that it is nice to have quick and easy recipes to prepare. After a hectic day we like to sit down as a famliy and have dinner together and talk about our day.

I love Friendship Bread! The kind were someone makes a starter, and after about six weeks has enough to make a cake and share the starter with friends. I am hoping to start one soon. This cake seems to only be made in the fall of the year. I am not sure why that is. Here is the recipe for the Brandied Fruit starter for the Friendship Cake:

1 cup cubed, canned pineapple
1 cup maraschino cherries, w juice
1 cup sliced canned peaches, w juice
3 cups sugar
6 Tablespoons brandy

In a clean gallon jug, combine pineapple, 1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons brandy. Cover lightly, do not seal or screw a lid on it. Let stand at room temp. Stir every day for 2 weeks with a wooden spoon. On the 15th day, add cherries, w. liquid, 1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons brandy, stir every day. On the 29th day add peaches, w. liquid, 1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons brandy. Let stand a room temp. for 2 more weeks, stirring every day. Covered lightly.
Separate fruit from liquid. The liquid is your starter. Give 1 1/2 cups of starter to a friend, with the recipe for making Brandied Fruit, and the recipe for the Friendship cake. The fruit, drained, is used in the cake. The brandied fruit also may be served separately, over pound cake or ice cream, if you wish.

I have to share one more Rachael Ray-ism. When she makes her lasagna, she uses ravioli. What a great idea. I never would have thought of it. The noodles and cheese in one. You know a layer of ravioli, sauce and grated cheese. Get the picture. Makes preparation and clean up easier. When you slice it it still looks like lasagna. I guess that is one way to keep her meal preparations to 30 minutes. If you still have not seen her TV show, check out her show on the web.

Everything at our house has really been busy the last couple of weeks. Thanks to our DVR I am able to record Rachael’s show and watch it later. The only thing is I am about a week behind. I sure hope that I get caught up this week. Don’t you just love her bottom of the jar recipes? I would never think to do that.

Can you believe that it is only 70 days until Christmas. Have you seen Paula Deen’s new Christmas magazine? I bought it last night. I think I’m going to be making the Half-A-Million dollar pie. It really looks good, it has mandarin oranges, pineapple, pecans and sweetened condensed milk. You can never go wrong with condensed milk.