Don't Make This Fabulous Chocolate Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting! But, Do What I Tell You :)

I was so tired yesterday, I took a short nap after watching the Nutcracker Ballet with Sophie. After dozing for about 30 minutes, I shot up with a sudden urge to bake a cake!  Without a recipe in hand, I just threw together some ingredients and ended up with this! 

It was almost perfect :) 

Waste Not, Want, Not! Roast Those Turkey Bones for Stock!

Don't throw out the turkey bones...

This yummy bird can give you enough stock for half a winter! 
The trick is to brown it enough to make a super-rich glaze, that will intensify the flavors. 

Throw the lovely bird into the oven at 425-450, and roast 30-45 minutes, until the bones are brown and juices dripping all over bottom of the pan. You can roast longer, depending on the size of the bird.

  The longer it roasts and the browner the juice, the better it is! 

Let cool and throw all of the bones and the juices-scraping the bottom, into a (very) large pot.  

Cover with water and then boil the dickens out of it, and simmer for hours. 

Strain out bones and skin and meat. Freeze in plastic containers, for soup stock.

Later, add veggies, herbs, and spices to taste when you reheat for soups and more :) 

My favorites to add include: onion, garlic, thyme, rosemary, lemon, celery,
 curry, sea salt, and black peppercorns.  

Allow stock and ingredients to simmer on low for 2-3 hours and strain. 

Waste not, Want not! 
xoxo

Chewy, Cherry, Chocolate Chunk and Coconut-Christmas Cookies

It's not too soon! 

The flavor is outstanding...won a cookie contest, last year! 
This is one of my own :) Tried and true...

Yield: Approximately 40 cookies

Ingredients:

3 ½ cups All Purpose Flour

2 tsp Baking Soda

Easy Pie Crust..Quick&Easy From Scratch! With Pics & Pie Making Tips!

Time to get cozy and curl up with your favorite Pie! 

But, oh the Crust! That's the hard part, right? Not, anymore! 
EASY PIE CRUST RECIPE TO FOLLOW...
Perfect~ Every time! 

This recipe is simple, easy, and consistent. It will give you a weighted dough that will roll easy, have a fabulous sweet taste (not doughy), and give you a strong enough pie base that you can hold the piece in your hand!

Just like Grandma used to make, and no chemicals and nasty preservatives!

Read More for Recipe~!