Baking

Are you a mom or grandma, who has...

-your house neat as a pin-

-hair and makeup done perfectly all the time–

and

-homemade cookies baking in the oven every day

when the kids get home from school?

If you are, how in the world do you do it? If you’re not, join the ever growing club of “wanna be’s” …like me!

I faced reality a long time ago, though, that that is never going to be me. Oh, I have some glorious moments here and there but it’s not going to be an everyday occurrence. Good thing, too! If I baked EVERY day, I would look like I baked EVERY day. I love cookies! Like I said, I know me.

But there are those times that do call for the smell of freshly baked cookies to warm the atmosphere as your family walks through the door. On those special occasions, I sometimes bake cookies from scratch but often I cheat! You’d hardly even know it, as long as I remember to throw the wrapper away.

Nestle’s Toll House Ultimates are the best “break and bake” cookies I have ever eaten. They are the real deal. They look like, smell like and taste like what they are…home-baked Toll House cookies! Quick ‘n easy.

Nestle’s Toll House Ultimates™ Chocolate Chip Cookies

Directions

Simply:

Preheat your oven to 350°
Open the package.
Break apart the refrigerated cookie dough along the scored lines.
Place them on an ungreased cookie sheet* on center rack of the oven.
Bake for 12-13 minutes or until golden brown.

Baking Tips:
*I prefer the air bake cookie sheet. It is nearly impossible to burn
cookies on it, and I am a cookie-burning expert! LOL

Remove cookies from oven and let them sit for 2 minutes to cool before removing them from the cookie sheet. Then remove and cool completely.

You can freeze the dough for up to 2 months. Be sure to do so prior to the “use by” date, though.

Frozen cookie dough can be baked without thawing. Just add 1 to 2 minutes baking time.

Note: this author is an Amazon affiliate. Anything purchased from Amazon through Ducks ‘n a Row will result in a small commission for me. In advance, “thank you” …Sinea

Perfect Pecan Pie

Leave a Comment

By far, pecan pie is my most favorite dessert. I love it slightly warmed with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. Yum. When I saw this recipe on Grandmother’s Kitchen, I just had to share it with you. I have made this recipe myself and it is just “heavenly.” You will love it.

This blog contains Amazon affiliate links.♥

Divine Pecan Pie

Ingredients

1 (9″) deep dish pie shell

1/3 cup melted butter

2/3 cup sugar

1 cup dark corn syrup

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 cup whole pecans

ONEMORE Pie Pan, Deep Dish Pie Pans for Baking 10 inch Large Pie Plate Ceramic Baking Dish Oven Safe | Ruffled Edge – Perfect for Chicken Pot Pies, Tarts, Quiches, Pizzas, Cakes – Red

Directions

Preheat oven 350-degrees.
Blend melted butter, sugar, dark corn syrup, eggs, vanilla and kosher salt.

Once combined, add chopped pecans and whole pecans.
Pour this mixture into frozen pie shell. Put on cooking sheet.

Cook for about 25 minutes, rotate and bake another 20-25 minutes.

Let the pie cool down before serving.

Original Divine Pecan Pie Recipe Recipe found at Grandmothers Kitchen Recipes.

Perfect Pecan Pie Share on X

Enjoy!

Pet Hair Problems?? This is the BEST pet hair vacuum I have ever owned!

Shark navigator vacuum with LED headlights

Baking Tips for Chocolate Chip Cookies

Leave a Comment

By Sinea Pies

By now you know that I absolutely love to find simple solutions to everyday problems. Here are some tips I have learned when it comes to home-baked chocolate chip cookies!

Baking chocolate chip cookies is easy. Getting it to look like you want? A bit of a mystery. Friends of mine would make yummy chunky cookies that looked so delicious. Other friends would bake smooth, plump ones. When I’d ask for the recipe, it was identical. They were classic Toll House Cookies!

So, what was the difference? I discovered that it was all about how you place the dough on the cookie sheet, though my baking friends didn’t even know it.

So, pick the style you like the best. Chunky or smooth. Here is how to get them to look the way you want them.

Chunky: spoon the dough onto the cookie sheet and they will come out chunky like the cookies on the left.

Smooth: If you like them smooth then form a ball of dough in your hand, rolling it like a meatball. Put the balls of dough on the cookie sheet and, after they are baked, they will look like the cookies on the right.

Another little tip: use shortening instead of butter to keep them a bit plumper. If you prefer the buttery taste, you can either do half shortening and half butter or all butter. With butter, though, they may look a little flatter.

RECIPE: The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever

Love these cookie baking tips?

Others will, too. Share it…

TWEET HERE

Cleaning Stains from Countertops

Leave a Comment

We all know that new countertops can’t stay new forever. It is a shame when your new specially designed kitchen quickly starts looking old and withered with misuse, so it’d be nice to be able to keep them looking new for as long as possible.

No matter how many coasters you put out, or how often you wipe the countertop with a fresh clean sponge, there will be times when inconsiderate guests rest their coffee mugs on the naked countertop, or you forget to wipe up after a particularly marmite heavy toasty sandwich.

Through time and use, countertops tend to keep stains, and these stains can be tough to remove the longer they are left on there. But do not despair! There are countless home remedies and professional advice online for getting stains out of countertops.

Here we have compiled a couple of solutions for successfully removing those pesky stains that will leave your countertops sparkling clean.

Baking Soda
If a standard household cleaner won’t do the job, mix a paste using baking soda and water and cover the stain with the mixture. For added moisture, cover the paste with a wet cloth or paper towel. Leave the paste on the top for an hour or two, and then gently wipe off the paste with a soft sponge. Be aware that baking soda can leave fine scratches if not wiped off carefully.

Lemon Juice
Lemon juice coupled with baking soda is also a great way to remove ground in stains. Squeeze lemon juice over the stain, fresh lemon juice normally works better. Then add baking soda and wait a few minutes for the fizzing to stop. Then gently wipe it off with a clean rag or cloth. Test this method with a small section of the countertop first, as it may not be suitable for all surfaces.

White Vinegar
White vinegar is a great all purpose cleaner for removing stains. Applying white vinegar to a clean cloth or sponge and rubbing quickly in small circles can help to remove both stains and lime scale from kitchen countertops and around sinks. Be sure to wash the counter with warm water and soap afterwards as the acidic content of the vinegar can be harmful if left for too long.

Nail Polish Remover
For stains like ink and pen from errand colouring adventures, wet a white rag or a plain cloth with nail polish remover and gently rub away at the stain until it is gone. Make sure to only use white cloths as the nail polish remover can stain the countertop even more if you use coloured fabric.

All of these are easy to find around the house, and can help with most household stains. Lemon juice and baking soda also work wonders on rusted gas hobs as well, just be sure to properly wipe everything down afterwards!
If you’d like to read up on further home cleaning tips then be sure to check out this handy article on the Channel 4 website.

Carrie Matlin is a proud housewife who loves sharing her tips on achiving domestic bliss. She has contributed this post on behalf of Price Kitchens, designers and suppliers of a a wide range of both contemporary and traditional styled fitted kitchens

Photo Credit
Coffee Stains by trophygeek Flicker Creative Commons

Keep Your Guests Busy While Thanksgiving Dinner is Prepared

Leave a Comment

Guest Post by Katie

Holidays are always so hectic! Whether you’re traveling to see family or you’re preparing dinner at home, it’s not easy to balance all of the responsibilities that the holidays entail. It’s wonderful when family helps to cook Thanksgiving dinner, but there will always be those family members or kids who have nothing to do and are hungrily waiting for the grand feast. Here are a few ideas that you can use to entertain your guests while they wait:

Cookie Decorations Provide cookies, decorative icing, and sprinkles so that guests can make their own personalized cookies. It’s a fun activity and can take

the edge off of hunger. Kids will especially love this activity, and it will keep them busy for at least a little bit. Make sugar cookies the day before so that setup is quick and easy on Thanksgiving Day.

Apple Dip If you want something healthier, try offering an apple station with a variety of dips. Offering several different dips will make this healthy snack more fun. Set out washed apples and a kid-friendly apple slicer instead of slicing the apples ahead of time. This will keep the apple slices from going brown and will free up some of your time. Make the dips ahead of time to decrease stress on the day of.

Plate Crafts Instead of just decorating food, kids could decorate paper plates. Construction paper, crayons, colored pencils, and glue will help to keep kids busy. Kids can decorate the plates with Thanksgiving-themed cutouts, and you can hang up the plates once the kids are done decorating. Use the undecorated plates for Thanksgiving dinner once it’s ready. Try heavyduty paper plates to hold that amazing meal that you just made! You could also use foamplates if you prefer.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Author Bio: This is a guest post by Katie F. on behalf of Hefty®. Visit www.hefty.com to find products like garbagebags and more to help you out over the holidays.

Photo Credits:

Baking Cookies by jdg32373 on Flickr Creative Commons
Turkey Round from Clkr

Beautifully Browned Pie Crust Every Time

Leave a Comment

By Sinea Pies

In my early pie-baking years, my pie crust edges burned. If I baked them less, the crusts were not done. I shared the problem with my mother-in-law, who always was a wonderful pie baker. She told me to cover the edges with aluminum foil before putting the pie in the oven. It worked!

How To Keep Those Pie Crust Edges Golden Brown

Nice picture, huh! How I wish I could say that I picked the blueberries by hand, made the filling, the crust and everything from scratch. But I did not. What I did do was to select just the right the Sarah Lee box from the grocery store freezer, paid for it neatly and brought it home. Whoo hoo!

Sarah Lee does such a good job, and I was on a time schedule so, Sarah Lee gets all the kudos for the pie. That’s also why you see in the first photo below that there is a little blueberry smear on top of the frozen pie. Something happened in transit. Not my fault! Must have been at the grocery store when they were stocking their shelves. 🙂

Here’s how to mask those pie crust edges to keep them looking pretty:

1. Remove pie from box and place on cookie tray.
Score the top according to directions to release the steam as it bakes.

2. Wrap the edges, gently, with aluminum foil and bake in your preheated oven. Check directions on package for temperature and time.
Set your timer.

3. Remove the baked pie from the oven when the timer rings.
Gently remove the aluminum foil from the edges and, voilá…
a beautifully browned pie crust.

4. Cool a bit to let the filling settle.
Slice and top with ice cream.
Enjoy!

Got any pie-baking secrets?
We’d love to know what they are.
Leave a comment.

Note: this author is an Amazon affiliate. Anything you purchase from Amazon through this blog will result in a small commission for me. In advance, I thank you so much. …Sinea

Smelly Sneakers?

Leave a Comment

By Sinea Pies

Have a pair of sneakers that you just love but, ooooh the smell, who can stand them! Don’t throw them away just yet. Try baking soda! I did and it worked.

Baking soda is a natural deodorizer. Just sprinkle baking soda in each shoe, shake it around so that the powder gets in all the crevices and dump out the residue over a sink or waste basket.

Wear them!

Check it out when you take them off again. They should smell just fine. Repeat every once in a while to maintain freshness. (By the way, canvas shoes can be washed so, if yours are canvas, wash them!)

Got any shoe-cleaning tips?

Previously on Ducks ‘n a Row (and other places)…

Photo Credit: Old Canvas Shoe by PANPOTE on Freedigital Photos