Happy Thanksgiving!

How To Drizzle Icing - Icing cookies and cakes.

To easily drizzle icing over cookies, cakes and breads, use a slotted spoon. Fill the spoon with icing, letting the excess drip into a bowl, then move the spoon quickly over the item to be drizzled. Quick and pretty!

Cream Cheese Bacon Crescents - Easy Appetizer

These savory and satisfying appeziters are quick and easy to make. The yummy flavors of bacon, onion, and cream cheese make them hard to resist. With only three ingredients, you can make-and-bake'em in 30 minutes; even faster if you substitute pre-cooked bacon or bacon bits!

Cream Cheese Bacon Crescents

Prep 15 min.   Total 30 min.   Serves 16 (2 cresents per person)

1 tub (8 oz.) Chive & Onion Cream Cheese Spread
5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 cans (8 oz. each) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

Heat oven to 375ºF.

Mix cream cheese spread and bacon until well blended.
Separate each can of dough into 8 triangles. Cut each triangle lengthwise in half. (You will have two long and skinny triangles.) There will be 32 in total.
Spread each dough triangle with 1 generous teaspoon cream cheese mixture. Roll up, starting at shortest side of triangle. Place triangles point-sides down, on a greased baking sheet.
Bake 10 to 14 min. or until golden brown. Best served warm. *smile*

Sweet Potato Trick

Peeling boiled sweet potatoes for sweet potato casserole or sweet potato pie? Try this handy tip: Drain off the hot water then immediately plunge the tubers into cold water. The skins will slip right off. No more burned fingers! *smile*

Salt and Pepper Shortcut

Seems I'm always adding salt and pepper to the foods I'm cooking so I decided to combine the two in one shaker. I keep it near the stove. All my seasoning is done with just a few shakes! *smile*

Baked Potato Soup - Crockpot Potato Soup



I found this crock pot recipe on Crock Pot Recipe Exchange and it sounded so good I thought I'd give it a try. A baked potato in soup form? What's not to love?
I did tweak the recipe a bit, cooking the bacon with the potatoes and substituting green onions for the chives. Green onions are usually less expensive and easier to find. This soup is yummy, flavorful, and the taste does remind me of a loaded baked potato. Try it, its spud-a-licious!

Baked Potato Soup
Makes 12 servings

3 3/4 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 5 large)
1/2 onion, chopped
3 cans chicken broth (14 oz. cans)
1/4 cup butter
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 teaspoons pepper
8 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled, divided
1 cup milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or green onion tops
Sour cream (optional)

Combine first 6 ingredients in a 5 quart crock pot. Add 1/2 of the crumbled bacon slices. Cover and cook on High 4 hours or Low 8 hours or until potatoes are tender.
Mash with a potato masher until the soup is a chunky consistency and slightly thickened. Stir in milk, cheese and chives. Top servings with the remaining
crumbled bacon, extra cheese and a dollop of sour cream. Delicious with a grilled cheese sandwich! *smile*

Make your own cake or cupcake toppers!

My hubby's birthday cake. He likes rockets!

Decorating cupcakes and forgot the cake decorations? It's easy to make your own!

What you will need:

Printed clip art

Wood toothpicks

Elmer's glue

1. Look for free clip art online appropriate for the occasion; birthday, holiday etc.

2. Print out the clip art.

3. Trim the clip art close to the design.

4. Place 2 or 3 dots of glue on 1/3 of the length of the toothpick.
(The remaining length will go in the cake.)

5. Place the glued toothpick carefully on the back of the printed
clip art and press down lightly.

6. Let it dry.

One thing I love about making my own is there's such a great selection of clip art available; you can make cupcake toppers on any theme imaginable. Your little boy likes trains? Make train cake toppers for his birthday. The possibilities are endless! *smile*