DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

I’m particularly drawn to apples this autumn–the incredible heirloom apples from our favorite upstate farm stand may be the reason.  Ashmead’s Kernel, Newtown Pippin, Kid’s Orange Red, and Pink Pearl—even the names are delicious at  Montgomery Place Orchard . Right now, half of the refrigerator is filled with apples ready to be baked, caramelized, sauced, and more. I have been experimenting with several recipes, but here’s the first, a simple snack cake. Not too sweet, apple essence in every bite, and paired with classic spices, these individual treats are excellent for anytime of the day. Spiced Apple Snack Cakes makes 18-20 cakes Sautéed Apples INGREDIENTS 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 2 Granny Smith, Honey Crisp or your favorite apples, medium-large, peeled and cored, cut into 1/4-inch dice 2 tablespoons granulated sugar DIRECTIONS 1. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a 10-inch non-stick skillet over high heat until golden. Add apples, cover for 30 se

This diy comes from  www.mommyisacoocoo.blogspot.com  .  Something to do with those extra ornament left over from Christmas.  Enjoy!   How to make a Valentine Ornament Wreath Did you go out and buy a bunch of ornaments at 50% off after Christmas? I hope so because there is no need to wait until next Christmas to have some ornament loveliness in your home! ~ My Valentine Ornament Wreath ~ Here is what you need: a glass of wine (if you are anal and will worry about bulb placement) a plastifoam wreath (DON'T buy floral foam) shaped like a heart glue sticks and a glue gun spray paint (to color the foam wreath). I used red. Use whatever color you like best. about a million ornaments (different {Valentine} colors and sizes work best). spray on glitter (usually $5.99 at craft stores or $1.00 if you buy body glitter left over from Halloween a small piece of ribbon to hang your wreath Spray paint your foam wreath. You can use

   Lahti Ski Games  is a yearly international winter sport event. The games last for three days, during which participants compete in cross-country skiing, ski jumping and Nordic combined. In the nearly 90-year history of the Lahti Ski Games the fireworks seen on Saturday night have become one of the highlights of the event. The goal of establishing the games was to get a competition similar to the Holmenkollen Ski Festival in Finland.    The idea for the games came from a Finnish legend, Lauri Pihkala in 1922. He wrote an article about a competition equal to the Holmenkollen Ski Festival after the double win of Anton Collin and Tapani Niku at Holmenkollen the same year. In the article Pihkala suggested Lahti as the location for the competition because of the city’s location and grounds. First Competition Ever Held    The first Lahti Ski Games was held 3–4 February 1923. From the very beginning volunteers have played a big part in arranging the games. A

1. I  always  use a kitchen scale to weigh my ingredients. They’re small, light, and don’t have to be fancy or expensive; here is what I use:  Salter 1020 Aquatronic Electronic Kitchen Scale . It’s just a great habit to get into. You wouldn’t believe the difference in what one person may scoop as a cup of flour, versus another, and weighing it to the exact gram/oz is your safest bet. Having too much flour can sure dry out a cake in a hurry, just as too little will throw it off kilter. I really believe that using a scale is one of the habits that made me a much better baker, and definitely more consistent. Trust me! I even use mine to weigh my coffee grinds for a perfect pot, my serving portions (when I’m eating clean), homemade burgers, and when dividing batches of pizza dough, etc. 2. You may notice that I bake “layer by layer,” so rather than baking a higher cake and slicing layers for a standard 3-layer cake, I bake 3 more shallow layers in 2″ high pans. T