Country Willow Sampler :: December 2003

Welcome ! Happy Holidays to all ! I hope this months newsletter finds you healthy and well ! I sure have been busy here this month and have a couple of special announcements to make.

First, we have a few specials to be offered to newsletter subscribers only. This will be our first time doing this, and I hope you really enjoy what I have for you : ) The link to the newsletter subscriber goodies will come in your email along with a user name and password, so be sure to watch for it ! I will send a user name and password to get to that specific page. I will also leave these items online for a while since some of you may not recieve the email during the holidays due to travel.

Second, I have added a couple more background graphic sets to the commercial graphics area. One is a soft country patterned background, and also a winter background set, mostly in blues.

Third, I have been steadily adding to the free wallpaper section, so please feel free to grab what you like : )

Lastly, I will be busy for the holidays with friends and family, as I hope you will be, but plan to add some new linkware websets right after the holidays, so if there are any suggestions on what kind of graphics you would like to see, please email me and let me know ! I like to hear others' ideas !

Below is a collection of links to some great artists web sites. These artists have some great specials to offer for the holidays! Please take the time to visit them, they are very talented !

Eva is having a great sale at her site. Her premades are all on sale, none more than $3.00. That includes some new ones she recently uploaded. Trying to make room for new stuff coming out. She has adorable christian graphics !

Please visit Eva's site at Church Mouse Graphics

Connie has a wonderfully fun newsletter that has just been put online ! Go over and visit, and while you are there, see her new craft patterns and make yourself a snowman !

Read the Raggedy Gazette - it's more fun than eating chocolate! Free patterns, recipes, craft projects and more.

Connie also designs and sells her own original patterns. Right now, she is offering a special. If you purchase two patterns, you get another one free !

Please visit Connie's sites at Among Country Friends

and Son Shine Seed Co. for more information.

Great Holiday Recipes

If you are anything like me, you cannot resist some sweets, and good home cooked meals during the holidays. Help yourself to some great recipes !

Maple Pumpkin Pie

This time of year, there's just one kind of pie on your mind: the one for dessert. We've made our pumpkin pie even richer by adding maple syrup.
INGREDIENTS:

Crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chilled butter or stick margarine, cut into small pieces
3-1/2 tablespoons ice water
Cooking spray
Filling:

1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 large eggs
1 cup evaporated fat-free milk
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin

INSTRUCTIONS:

To prepare crust, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine the flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, and salt in a bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle surface with ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time; toss with a fork until moist and crumbly (do not form a ball).
Press mixture gently into a 4-inch circle on heavy-duty plastic wrap; cover with additional plastic wrap. Roll dough, still covered, to a 12-inch circle. Freeze 10 minutes or until plastic wrap can be easily removed.
Remove 1 sheet of plastic wrap; fit dough into a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. Remove top sheet of plastic wrap. Fold edges under; flute.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
To prepare filling, beat 1/2 cup sugar and next 5 ingredients (1/2 cup sugar through eggs) at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended. Add milk and pumpkin; beat well. Pour into prepared crust. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees (do not remove pie from oven); bake an additional 50 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: calories: 267 carbohydrates: 44.5 g cholesterol: 72 mg fat: 7.5 g sodium: 152 mg protein: 6.3 g calcium: 129 mg iron: 2 mg fiber: 2.6 g

YIELD: 8 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)
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CROCK-POT APPLE PIE

Ingredients:

8 tart apples peeled and sliced
1-1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter soften
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cup Bisquik baking mix
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons cold butter

Method:

Toss apples in large bowl with cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg.
Place in lightly greased crock pot.
Combine milk, softened butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and 1/2 cup of the Bisquick.
Spoon over apples.
Combine the remianing Bisquick and brown sugar.
Cut the cold butter into mixture until crumbly.
Sprinkle this mixture over top of apple mixture.
Cover and cook on low 6-7 hours or until apples are soft.
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Pineapple Coffee Cake

Preheat oven to 350 (325 for glass) degrees.
Makes a large cake! You may have extra batter for muffins depending on the size of your 9"x13" pan. Could be halved and put into a 11"x7" pan.

1. In a small bowl combine liquid ingredients:

1/2 c. oil
1 c. honey
3 large eggs
1 t. vanilla
1 20 oz. can of crushed pineapple, undrained, unsweetened

2. In large bowl combine dry ingredients:

3 cups whole wheat flour ( Kamut works well ) or 3 3/4 c. sifted flour
1 t. baking soda
1 1/2 t. baking powder
3/4 t. salt
1 - 2 t. cinnamon to taste

3. Combine wet ingredients with dry ingredients. Lightly mix.

4. Pour into greased 9" x 13" pan.

5. Combine next ingredients and sprinkle on top if desired:

1/2 c. Sucanat
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. flour
3/4 c. rolled oats, chopped nuts or both (both are optional)

6. Bake at 350 degrees (325 for glass dish) for 35 minutes or until knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
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Snickerdoodle Recipe

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 cup flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Heat oven to 400. Mix shortening, butter, sugar and eggs. Stir together flour, tartar, soda and salt. Blend into shortening/butter mixture. Form into 1" balls.
Roll them in a mixture of 2 Tbl sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon.
Place 2" apart on cookie sheet. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes. Enjoy!!!!!
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JAN'S BROWNIE PUDDING CAKE

1 CUP FLOUR
2 TSP. BAKING POWDER
1/2 TSP. SALT
3/4 CUP SUGAR
3 TBS. COCOA
3/4 CUP MILK
1-1/2 TSP. VANILLA
2 TBS. SHORTENING OR MARGARINE, MELTED
1 CUP CHOPPED NUTS
1 CUP BROWN SUGAR
2 TBS. COCOA
1-3/4 CUP HOT WATER

IN MIXING BOWL, COMBINE UNTIL SMOOTH FLOUR, BAKING POWDER, SALT, SUGAR, 3 TABLESPOONS COCOA, MILK, VANILLA, SHORTENING OR MARGARINE. ADD NUTS.
POUR INTO GREASED 8-INCH SQUARE PAN. COMBINE BROWN SUGAR AND 2 TABLESPOONS COCOA; SPRINKLE OVER BATTER. POUR HOT WATER OVER ALL. BAKE AT 350* FOR 45 MINUTES.
SERVE WARM, TOPPED WITH ICE CREAM.
SERVES 6-8.
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Until next time

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