Hello Bloglanders,

I'm BACK! Yes, after neglecting this blog for oh, so long, I am once again motivated to get back into sharing my craftiness and a whole bunch of other stuff. To celebrate this re-awakening, I have given Craftola a new look. I hope you like it!

In honor of the occasion, ol' Craftola decided to share my most recent baking adventure and my recipe. Last Sunday I made a Coconut Cream Pie and it was sooooo good. It is, what some call, Semi-Home Made, so pretty simple to do in a 3-step process.

First, you have to make the pastry dough. I use this No Fail Pastry Recipe found at AllRecipes.com. Follow the directions, pricking the crust with a fork before baking at 350 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes. Let Cool before filling. (While baking the pastry crust, put a 1/2 cup of shredded coconut in the oven to toast to a golden brown, for the topping.)

While the crust is cooling, prepare a large package of Cook and Serve Vanilla Pudding, according to package directions. As it is thickening, add 1 cup shredded coconut to the pudding. Pour into cooled pie crust. Place in refrigerator until cooled and firm.

Last, top with your favorite non-dairy whipped topping. (You could make your own whipped cream, if you want to go the extra mile. I didn't, at this point!) Sprinkle with the toasted coconut prepared earlier.

Eat and Enjoy!

October has been an uber busy month, as always! With Birthdays, Pumpkin Patches to visit, Halloween Parties and town Festivals, it seems there is always something to do!!!

On this day, I'm taking it pretty easy, sitting in my recliner with my yarn and hook, working on a particularly complicated lace scarf. To avoid the Sunday evening question, "What's for Supper?", I put some chicken breasts in the crock pot to cook and I'm going to make Chicken Kisses.

If you click on the link, you can see how easy Aimee's recipe is. I think it will really hit the spot on this cool Autumn evening. Of course, I'll have to make some mashed potatoes to go with all the gravy and creamy goodness! Thanks to Aimee for sharing this and many other delicious recipes!

I like to bake on Sundays. While having coffee this morning, I grabbed up one of my MIL's old cookbooks and while skimming through, I found this recipe for "Petticoat Tails". I guess I've lived under a rock, because I'd never heard of these shortbread cookies... so I did a Google image search and it's apparent these are a very popular cookie!

Anyway, here is the easy recipe from the "Country Inn and Bed & Breakfast Cookbook" (1955):

6 tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 cups flour
2 sticks butter or margarine

Blend sugar with flour, cut in butter until mixture holds together. Using a fork, pat into a round cake pan and chill overnight. (I think I'll try putting into the freezer for about an hour and bake same day!). Using a table knife, score 16 wedges into the top. Bake at 300 degrees until lightly golden. (About 20 - 25 minutes) Store in airtight container. Makes 16.

I can see how these buttery cookies resemble the edge of a petticoat, can't you? Enjoy...

Looked into Grandma's recipes tonight and found an interesting cookie recipe. This one is called "Honey Cut-Outs", torn from a newspaper. From the information surrounding it and the age of the paper I would say its from the Korean War Era. (1950's?)

I think this recipe would render an awesome cookie. Next time I'm in the mood to bake cookies, this is definitely one I will try! Here it is:

Honey Cut-Outs

Mix thoroughly 1/3 cup soft shortening, 1/3 cup sugar, one egg, 2/3 cup honey and one teaspoon lemon flavoring. Sift together and stir in 2 & 3/4 cups flour, one teaspoon soda and one teaspoon salt.

Chill dough.

Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into desired shapes. Place 1 inch apart on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 375 for eight to ten minutes. Cool and decorate. Recipe makes about 5 dozen, 2 1/2 inch cookies.

Enjoy! Have a great weekend!!

(Picture Courtesy: A Cookie Project)

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Food for Thought Fridays might become a weekly thing...we'll see how the wind blows me on this. I was motivated to write this post after looking through my Grandmother's handwritten/newspaper cropped recipes which I was blessed to inherit so many years ago. Grandma was born in 1900 and some of these recipes are truly a treasure! Today I thought I'd share a very unusual recipe, at least it was for me, "Steamed Carrot Pudding". Judging from the coat advertisement on the back, I would say this one is from the 1930's. I did a google image search and actually found this picture on the http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Steamed-Carrot-Pudding website. You can check their recipe or go by the one I am posting below...

1 cup grated carrots

1 cup grated potatoes

1 cup raisins

1 cup sugar

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon soda

1/8 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix ingredients, pour into greased pudding mold. Cover tightly, steam 3 hours. Unmold and serve warm.

Quite interesting, as I never usually think of adding sugar to mashed potatoes and carrots. If anyone tries this out, please let me know!

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It was one of those nights this week....neither Hubby nor I wanted to cook and nothing ordered out sounded good to us. Thus, checking our pantry and fridge, THIS is what we had! The most scrumptious...the most fabulous.....chili-cheese fries!!!!!!!!!!

Granted, this is not the healthiest of food. I know this. Its loaded with salt, fat and God only knows what else, but on a cool Autumn evening when no one wants to cook, this is a real treat! Quick, easy and filling, it one of my favorite comfort foods. All you need is a bag of frozen french fries, a can of chili and some shredded cheese to create this fine trick of a treat. Are you hungry, yet?

Happy Halloween 2010! I sure hope that everyone is having a very nice weekend. Here in my neck of the woods, there have been Fall Festivals, several parades, costume parties for adults and of course "Trick-or-Treat" night for the kids to shine in their cute costumes. It's sad for me to let October go, but November and December bring in all of the family gatherings, good food and another Season.

In case anyone is having a last minute Halloween party tonight, I found the most gruesome entree' idea. It's called the "Meat Hand" ~ actually a meatloaf shaped like a hand with onion slices for the nails and bone. The ketchup and sliced cheese on top give it a really gross appearance to say the least. I found the picture and the recipe over at http://www.notmartha.org/archives/2009/10/27/meat-hand/

I'm sure if you get past the shape, its a delicious meatloaf which would be a hit at any Halloween party! So with that in mind ~ Happy Halloween....BOO!