kattitudes

This is an interesting taste combination. The orange zip of the astronaut’s Tang Drink (and if you do not get that reference, go read your American space race history, starting in the 1960s) tastes great combined with the vanilla of the chips as opposed to the ubiquitous flavor of chocolate chips that always go into everything.

Of course, having said that, if you cannot find vanilla, white chocolate would make a great counterpoint to the orange flavor.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Tang Instant Breakfast Drink powder
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups vanilla chips
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Layer ingredients and store in airtight container.

Attach a tag with the following instructions:

Tangy Cookie Mix

1 package cookie mix
1/2 cup softened butter
1 egg slightly beaten
1 tsp. Vanilla Mix

Roll heaping tablespoonfuls into balls. Place 2 inches apart on a lightly greased baking sheet.

Bake at 375F degrees for 12 to 14 minutes or until tops are very lightly browned. Cool 5 minutes on cookie sheet.

With Thanksgiving, on Thursday, a bazillion households are going to be making their version of green bean casserole. My baby sister is making her version for our dinner and I cannot wait.

However, I found a fantastic mix in a jar recipe that you can use to replace all the condensed cream of anything soup cans that are out there. This stuff rocks.

First, this recipe is wonderful as a mix in a jar type gift. It is a very multi-purpose type of recipe and really allows your recipient so much flexibility. And second, this is a wonder to keep in your own pantry as a recipe saver . Rather than using that plastic sodium muck in a can, you can control the quality of the ingredients in your soup and make a really tasty, fresh cream filled soup.

The trick of this particular soup is the anything part. You can make it cream of anything by adding one half cup of anything to the soup base. So if you need cream of mushroom soup, simply add 1/2 cup of chopped mushrooms to the soup base and presto, instant cream of mushroom soup.

Ingredients:

4 cups powdered milk
1 1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup instant chicken bouillon granules
4 teaspoons dried onion flakes
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons basil (crushed and dried)
1 teaspoon pepper

Combine ingredients and store in airtight container.

Attach a tag with the following instructions:

1/3 cup mix
1 cup water

Cook over low until thick.
For the “anything”, add 1/2 cup of minced/chopped “anything”.

With Thanksgiving nipping at our heels, Christmas is so close that I can smell it in the air.

Very soon will start all the Christmas Secret Santa exchanges and oh- goodness- I- forgot- to- get- something- for- Cousin- Suzy presents flurries.

It is times like these that call for a very simple, but very elegant presentation like this.

An inexpensive mug filled with one of the multitudes of mix-in-a-jar drink recipes that have already been posted here (maybe hot cocoa as in this example), along with any necessary accoutrement that might make hot cocoa worth drinking, such as marshmallows or peppermint stirring sticks.

If you take the time early in the season to package a few of these together, you are prepared for that surprise occasion and are never caught empty handed.

Through the year, I do try to watch for antique china tea sets and incomplete silver spoon patterns. I can often purchase them for a song because they are onesie-twosie (only a piece or two left), which fits my needs perfectly. At the end of the year, I have a small collection of adorable china and silver spoons I can use to put these drink sets together. It makes for a fantastic presentation.

As we get near to Thanksgiving, all sorts of baking ensues. And as that baking ensues, often all sorts of panic can set in. Crazy panic situations.

So, I try to plan ahead and think of all the crazy situations I have ever found myself in and look up the problems in advance so I am prepared for the next time.

One year, I went to make my pumpkin pies and found I was out of pumpkin pie spice mix. Not a problem, because now I know exactly what the spice ingredients to use in order to make my own pumpkin pie spice mix.

I am going to share it with you, so that if you get into the same crisis (especially if you live in a part of the country/world where all the stores close on holidays), you can make your own pumpkin pie spice mix.

• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger, ground
• 1/8 teaspoon allspice
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, ground

This will make one teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, so increase the amounts according to how much you need.

Oh this shortbread is divine. This is a fantastic recipe to keep around in your cupboards, ready to pull out at a moment’s notice to bake up. Such a wonderful treat.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Layer ingredients and store in airtight container.

Attach a tag with the following instructions:

Scottish shortbread cookies

Combine the following until well blended:
1 package mix
1 cup butter, softened

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
Knead the butter into the shortbread mix.
Press the mixture firmly into an 8-inch pie plate or shortbread mold.
Bake for 1 hour.
The shortbread should be pale in color, not browned.
Cut into wedges while still warm.

Ingredients:

1 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup crisped rice and wheat cereal
3/4 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Layer ingredients and store in airtight container.

Attach a tag with the following instructions:

Butterscotch Cookie Mix

1 package cookie mix
1/2 cup butter
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla.

Blend well and roll into large walnut sized balls.
Place on ungreased cookie sheet, then flatten lightly with fork dipped in sugar.
Bake at 350 in a preheated oven for 8-10 minutes.

I did not realize that hummingbird cakes were unique to the American southland until I moved away from here and back again. I wish everyone could taste their amazing goodness. They are just fantastic, each bite absolutely loaded full of fruit just waiting to explode in your mouth. It is rather like a fruitcake, but the fruit fresh, not dried and it has a white cake base.

Hummingbird cakes are stereotypically topped with sweet cream cheese frosting (icing) so if you give this as a gift mix, you might make the serving suggesting to your recipient. The combination just makes the cake divine. Quintessentially southern.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2/3 cup pecans, chopped

Layer ingredients and store in airtight container.

Attach a tag with the following instructions:

Hummingbird Cake

1 cup vegetable oil
3 beaten eggs
8 ounce can crushed pineapple (undrained)
2 cups mashed bananas
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 jar mix

Preheat to 350 F.
Combine all in large mixing bowl but do not beat. Stir just until moistened.
Spread into greased 10×15 pan or greased bundt pan. Bake for 55-60 minutes. Cool before serving.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup white chocolate or vanilla milk chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup sweetened dried cherries (or cranberries)
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 cup buttermilk biscuit baking mix

Layer ingredients and store in airtight container.

Attach a tag with the following instructions:

White Christmas Cherry Bars

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a bowl, combine the following:

1 jar mix
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Blend well & spread in a greased 8×8 pan. Bake at 350 F for 20-22 minutes.

Ingredients:

1 cup brown sugar
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup raisins
3/4 cup chopped nuts

Layer ingredients and store in airtight container.

Attach a tag with the following instructions:

Applesauce Cookies

Whip 3/4 cup of butter or shortening until light and fluffy.
Add 1 egg and 1/2 cup applesauce and beat until mixed. Gradually stir in mix.
Drop teaspoons of dough on a greased cookie sheet.
Bake for 8 - 12 minutes at 350 degrees F.

This is a fantastic gift mix. And it is utterly wonderful to mix up and keep in your own pantry. You use it in place of all that plastic condensed canned plastic soup junk. You can use it for casseroles or as a base for soups that you make. This is such a great trick to keep in your cupboard. You will find you pull it out as a recipe rescue time and time again.

Ingredients:

2 cups powdered nonfat milk
3/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup (or less) instant vegetable bouillon
2 tablespoons dried onion flakes
1 teaspoon basil leaves
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Combine ingredients and store in airtight container.

Attach a tag with the following instructions:

Use to substitute one can of condensed soup. Combine 1/3 cup dry mix and 1 1/4 cup cold water in saucepan. Cook and stir until thickened. Add as you would soup.