Morris,Okeeffe Wedding

Congratulations.

Happy Birthday Sienna

Loretta turns 71 and Sienna turns 36. Happy birthday mother and daughter.

Baby Sweater

Color is light peach, size 18 months.

Peanut Brittle

1 1/2 C. sugar
1 C. water
3/4 C. light corn syrup
2 C. Spanish peanuts
2 tsp. butter
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla

Heat sugar, water, and corn syrup over med high heat until it reaches 260*. Add peanuts and heat (High heat) until 295*F This is where you develop your golden color, so stir and check to be sure you aren't burning. Once your brittle is at 295* remove from heat, add butter, baking soda, and vanilla. It will foam up quite a bit, so be very careful. Spread mixture as thin as possible on a cookie sheet, or cooking-sprayed parchment paper. It will cool in about 15 minutes. This is a half batch recipe. It makes enough for 2 people. Do not place candy thermometer in sink right away; it will break. DO place pan in sink with hot soapy water; it will help dissolve the sugar.

Animal Cookies

They look just like the cookies that come in a circus box.
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp. mace
12 Tbs. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
Over a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and mace. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter on high speed for 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium, slowly add the sugar and beat for 2 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg and vanilla and beat for 1 minute, stopping the mixer once to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Stop the mixer and add half of the flour mixture. Beat on low speed until most of the flour has been absorbed. Add the remaining flour and beat until all of the flour has been absorbed and the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and divide into 2 equal balls. Shape each into a disk and wrap separately in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.

Let the dough stand at room temperature for 5 minutes. Place each dough disk between 2 clean, large pieces of plastic wrap. Roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thickness. (If the dough cracks while rolling, let it stand at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes more.) Remove the plastic wrap and place the dough on a floured work surface. Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour. Preheat an oven to 350°F. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper. Dip circus cookie cutters into flour just before using and cut out the shapes. Hold each cutter over a prepared baking sheet and lightly depress the plunger to remove the cutout; the plunger will also imprint the tops of the cookies. Freeze the baking sheets for 15 minutes, or refrigerate for 30 minutes. Gather up the scraps, reroll and cut out more cookies.

Bake the cookies until very light golden brown, 14 to 16 minutes. Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks and let the cookies cool to room temperature. Makes about 20 cookies of each shape.

Cell Phone Socks

I knit a sock for my cell phone so that I had an alternate carrier. I might felt and embellish it, too. I haven't decided yet.

Grilled Shark Steak

1/2 C. Italian salad dressing
1/4 C. water
1 1/2 tsp basil
1 1/2 tsp parsley
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp dry sherry
1/8 tsp garlic powder
6 (1/2-inch-thick) shark steaks(1 1/2 pounds)
Vegetable cooking spray
Lemon slices

Combine first 7 ingredients; stir with a wire whisk until well blended. Rinse steaks with cold water; pat dry. Brush shark steaks with dressing mixture, and place on a hot grill coated with cooking spray. Grill 3 to 4 inches over medium coals 6 to 8 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when rested with a fork. Transfer to a serving platter, and garnish with lemon slices.