Hospitality Begins at Home

Edie at Life in Grace posted 31 Days to a Heart of Hospitality.  You can read all her posts here.

One of the thoughts she shared is hospitality should begin at home.    We should serve our families first.
One of my favorite ways to serve my family is baking for them.  Of course, desserts are always a favorite here. Lately, hubby had been dropping some hints for these delicious peanut blossoms.  So I promptly got to
baking.  I follow the recipe from the Land o Lakes site because I prefer to make the cookies with real butter instead of shortening.

Ingredients

• 1/2 CUP

  sugar

• 1/2 CUP

  firmly packed brown sugar

• 1/2 CUP

  Land O Lakes® Butter, softened

• 1/2 CUP

  peanut butter

• 1

  Land O Lakes® All-Natural Egg

• 1 TEASPOON

  vanilla extract

• 1/4 TEASPOON

  salt

• 1 3/4 CUPS

  all-purpose flour

• 1 TEASPOON

  baking soda

• 1/4 CUP

  sugar

• 48

  milk chocolate candy kisses, unwrapped
• DIRECTIONS
  
  
  Heat oven to 375°F. Combine 1/2 cup sugar, brown sugar, butter and peanut butter in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg, vanilla and salt; continue beating until well mixed. Add flour and baking soda. Continue beating, scraping bowl often, until well mixed.
  
  
  Shape dough into 1-inch balls. (If dough is too soft, refrigerate 30 to 60 minutes.) Roll balls in 1/4 cup sugar. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
  
  
  Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until very lightly golden brown. Immediately press 1 chocolate kiss in center of each cookie. Remove from cookie sheets; cool completely on wire racks.
  
  
  Everyone loves Pinterest and I am no exception.  I probably spend way too much time on there.  But some good does come of it.  Especially when I actually prepare one of the many recipes I've pinned.
• This is one of the easiest and tastiest recipes I've pinned.  You can find it at the Southern Plate.  Obviously, southerners know what they're doing when it comes to deliciousness.  This has quickly become one of our favorites.  I have made them a couple of times.  These fabulous donuts are made from biscuits.  Needless to say, anything fried then dipped in butter and sugar is going to quickly become a number one pick.  I followed the recipe except I only use sugar to coat mine instead of cinnamon sugar, and dip them in butter instead of margarine. They taste like fried doughboys that are so very popular in our area.  

 

They are a mouth watering treat that takes nearly no time at all to make.  Everyone needs to try this at least one.  You will want to make them all the time.  They are perfect for these cool fall mornings with a hot latte.

You must let me know if you try these.

Linking to these parties.

Chocolate Truffles

I am joining in on Edie's Christmas Sweet Treats Party

This recipe is so easy and delicious.  It is originally from Gooseberry Patch Christmas book.  Perfect for this time of year when we are so busy.

We start off with 

3/4 cup of butter

3/4 cup of baking cocoa 

14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

 Melt butter in heavy saucepan over low heat, 

 add cocoa and stir until smooth.

 Add sweetened condensed milk, cook and stir constantly until mixture is thick, smooth, and glossy, about 4 minutes. * This must be done over very low heat.*

 Remove from heat: stir in 1 tbsp vanilla.  Cover and refrigerate 4 hours.  Shape into 1 inch balls.

I use a melon scooper that I grease first.  This mixture will melt quickly so it is important to work fast. 

 Roll in sprinkles, baking cocao, powdered sugar, chopped nuts, or any other topping you would like.

 Refrigerate again until firm, one to two hours.  

Store, covered, in refrigerator.

Enjoy!!

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Portuguese Kale Soup

It has been in the eighties here this past week, humidity has been high and overall it's been uncomfortable.  Yesterday, some cool air from Canada blew in and we woke up this morning to temps in the 40's.  What a difference.  All the windows were open and it was quite cool in here.  It is the perfect weather for some soup.

A couple of weeks ago we went to dinner with my brother and his wife.  We chose a Portuguese restaurant that is not too far from us.  I am Portuguese and there are quite a few predominantly Portuguese communities not far from where we live.  One of my favorite things is the Portuguese Kale soup sometimes called Green soup. It is so yummy but also very simple.  I remember my mom making this many times but I have never made it myself.  After enjoying it at the restaurant I decided I needed to try this.  

I looked up some recipes on the internet, both in Portuguese and English.  Found the one that seemed most similar to what my mom does and gave it a try.

This simple soup starts with a potato base. 

Ingredients:

6 potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 medium onion minced

2 cloves garlic minced

3 tbsp. olive oil

6 cups of water

Chourico sausage-as much or as little as you want-sliced thin

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil

2. Add potatoes and water.  Bring to a boil and let cook until potatoes are soft.

3. While potatoes cook, wash and julienne your greens

 

4. Turn stove off and using an immersion blender, blend it.

5.  Turn stove back on, add sliced chourico sausage and greens.  Cover and cook about 10 minutes.  

Disclaimer:  we use only Portuguese chourico.  We are lucky to be able to find it locally.  It is not the same as Spanish chourico sausage.

Enjoy!!

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