Chewy Drizzled Cinnamon Chip Cookies

Continuing right along on my Cinnamon Chip journey, I present Chewy Drizzled Cinnamon Chip Cookies. You will find the recipe on the Hershey Kitchen website. These cookies are as tasty as they look. The cinnamon chips are melted with a bit of shortening to make the frosting that is drizzled on the top. I've never had anything quite like them before. They look especially nice on our Snowflake Cookie Platter in the Snowflake Cookie Basket.

December is the only month when you can order the beautiful Hershey's Kiss Basket and the first Woven Traditions Chocolate Brown Pottery 8" x 8" Baking Dish! What a perfect gift for the chocolate lovers in your life! I have two sets on hand for last minute shoppers!

I also have a limited number of $10 Holiday Dollar coupons to apply to your order to help you SAVE! Call me or email. I am open for business during the holidays except for Dec 24th and 25th.

Easy Cinnamon Bread

I am a devotee of cinnamon. If I can add cinnamon to a recipe I will do it. So when I found this recipe for Easy Cinnamon Bread I knew I had to make it for the holidays. To quote the recipe: "This bread is a cross between a typical baking powder-leavened quick bread, and a yeast bread. The result: a cinnamon coffeecake-tasting loaf that's wonderful served plain, and is incredible toasted."

You will need both yeast and baking powder and the rising time is about an hour. I mixed it in my wonderful Kitchen-Aid standing mixer (an appliance I bought when we moved here two years ago and would not want to be without). To find the recipe, go to the King Arthur site and search for Easy Cinnamon Bread. I'm sure the Cinnamon Chips from King Arthur are wonderful but they are also a bit pricey. I looked all over for Hershey Cinnamon Chips and finally found them at Schnucks in Peoria (2 bags for $4.00). Hopefully they are just a seasonal item because I could see myself getting obsessed with them and they are full of fat. Clearly this bread is for special-occasions.

The best yeast I have ever used in 35 years of bread baking is SAF, which I have purchased from King Arthur. You can find it in Peoria at GFC.

I baked it in my Woven Traditions Loaf Dish. It was not baked through at 40 min so I baked it for an extra 10 min. Enjoy!

Next Recipe: Chewy Cinnamon Chip Cookies.

Christmas Glimpses in Our Home

Take a walk through my house with me.

Don't you love this year's Snowflake Christmas Cookie Basket and the beautiful Snowflake Cookie Platter? I am leaving this basket out through the winter months.

Fill a basket with old mittens for a nostalgic winter decoration. Our sons enjoy seeing their handknit woolen mittens and remembering fun times playing outside in the snow while wearing them. A few favorite photos tucked into the basket add to lively family conversations.

The Collector Club Wrought Iron Tree looks great on our mantle. I love the Backyard Bird Collection. A few of my dad's handmade wood ornaments and the birdhouse are whimsical additions.

Easy Peasy Table Centerpiece

My centerpiece garnered a lot of attention at the home tour yesterday.

You can make this centerpiece as quickly as you can say, "Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy!"

You will need:

• Handle Platter (on sale today for 12 hours only in Ivory or Paprika!)
• 15 to 20 oranges
• 6 lemons
• 3 limes
• small silver ornaments
• evergreen or rosemary springs

Using the Handled Platter fill the bottom with oranges. Add about 6 lemons to the pile and a few more oranges. Dot with 3 limes and stick the balls in there so the candle flames are reflected nicely. Place candles on the ends of the platter, but not too close to the greenery.

For the greenery, I trimmed my rosemary plant, which won't last much longer outside anyway. Rosemary is known as the Christmas herb. Legend is that when the Holy Family fled to Egypt Mary threw her cloak on a rosemary bush and the flowers turned blue. I bet you always wanted to know that.

Now hurry on over to my website or give me a call and get your platter now! The platter is also perfect for baking a loaf of hearty bread (classes coming in Jan and Feb!), for vegetable assortments, serving turkey (keep warm in the oven), or for baking a giant cookie. I'm sure you can think of many more uses! Leave your ideas in the comments section or email me and I will post them for everyone to see. You may remain anonymous.

Crossroads Christmas Home Tour

Visit 5 homes and support a worthy cause! Proceeds will go toward the purchase of an automated external defibrillator at Crossroads United Methodist Church.

Crossroads Christmas Home Tour

December 13, 2009

4 to 7 PM

Ticket Prices:

$10 Pre-Sale

$12 Day or Tour (may be purchased at any home)

$5 Children ages 6-12

contact me for more information. Paulaef@aol.com

Thanksgiving Pics

The Fam minus our youngest son, Pete, and girlfriend Lyndzi.. Photo was taken at my sister's house.

Bob, Potscrubber Extraordinaire.

The young people's table. They always have such fun together.

Emily and Nils (Son #2)

We have a Winner!

The winner of the R.S.V.P. drawing at the Open House was Emily Mueller! Emily won a Snowflake Cookie Platter. I was so busy at the Open House that I forgot to take photos of the folks who won door prizes that day. There were quite a few! Everyone who came received a Longaberger coaster. If the coaster had "Door Prize!" on the back they rang the jingle bells and then chose their gift from the assortment at the table. Everyone seems to get in the spirit of the game! I hope you all enjoy your coasters and products!

Open House and Thanksgiving Wishes

Thanks to all my customers and friends who came to my Open House on Sunday afternoon and to those who placed orders by internet and phone. I appreciate your support! My guests enjoyed a brunch of egg casserole, pastries, coffee, hot cranberry mulled drink (aka "The Bog"), Scottish shortbread, and veggies. The weather was beautiful. There was no ice or snow as we have experienced during the last few years that I held this event in early December.

The 2010 Sweetheart Basket is available starting December 1. The Hershey Kiss Basket is our first collaboration with the Hershey Co. The chocolate pottery is another first! It is so rich and elegant. Wouldn't these be perfect gifts for the chocolate lovers in your life?

Our library is a happy place to be when the morning sun streams through, and especially when the table is filled with Longaberger baskets and pottery.

I am so thankful for the support of wonderful people through the years. May you have the very best Thanksgiving Holiday!

Holiday Open House--You are Invited

Today I'm busy pricing items for my Open House.

You are invited!

Holiday Open House

Sunday November 22, 2009

11 AM to 5 PM

Brunch will be served 11 AM to ?

• Cash and Carry Specials
• Jingle Bell Door Prizes all day!
• A gift for all attending
• Friends are welcome! Yes, spouses, too!
• Special R.S.V.P Drawing for a Snowflake Cookie Platter! Just R.S.V.P. by Nov 20 to me by phone, email, or by leaving a comment on my blog. If you cannot attend but place an order, your name will be entered into the drawing, too! A random number generator will be used to draw the winner
  

Looking forward to seeing you then!

Weekend Musings and the Basket that Started it All

We had a beautiful Indian Summer weekend which was a perfect time for washing windows. Washing windows is a job I don't particularly look forward to doing but I like the results. What a difference clean windows make! I've been admiring them all day.

Sunday was the annual Kirkin' of the Tartan's at St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral. To celebrate the Scottish heritage of their denomination in the United States, the church has this special service in November. Our band, Celtic Cross Pipes and Drums, marches in while playing and proceeds around the sanctuary. St. Paul's has one of the largest sanctuaries I've seen in a Protestant church. The altar is in the center and the pews are arranged on two opposing sides. There is an aisle all the way around. I have to say it is quite impressive to have the pipes and drums come through the doors and parade around the room. About midway through the service folks bring their tartans forward to the altar for a blessing. The priest says the family/tartan name and blesses it individually. The band also plays Amazing Grace as an offertory and a short set after the service is over. The band always looks forward to this event, partly because it is a way for us to show our appreciation to St. Paul's for all the years they have allowed us to use their building for our rehearsals each week.

The Large Market Basket was the first Longaberger Basket I ever owned. I still have my original one, the one that started me on a path which has been very beneficial for me and my family. I never expected to have my own business. I earned a Master's Degree in Library Science and worked in two libraries in the Champaign-Urbana area, first as a director and then as an adult reference librarian. After we moved to Washington IL it was fully my intention to continue in library work when my sons were a little older. After Peter was born I was invited to my first Longaberger show. There were several baskets that I wanted right away for my knitting and I signed up to have a show, not because I thought I would get anything free, mind you, but just because I wanted another chance to see the baskets! Shortly after that I decided to become a consultant myself just to earn an extra $25 to $50 a month and get all the baskets I wanted at a discount. The business continued to grow and I was able to work while staying home with our 3 sons. I'm very grateful for the opportunities I've had, the wonderful people I've met...and this beautiful Large Market started it all!

This basket is on sale, Wednesday, November 11 online only at www.longaberger.com/paula or you can get it at half price by hosting your own home show or catalog show.

Easy Microwave Apple Cake

Hurry on over to the Factory Store online www.longaberger.com/paula to purchase the beautiful Woven Traditions Fluted Cake Pans just 2/$26!

Available while supplies last!

I enjoy making this cake in the microwave. It is quick, easy, delicious, and relatively lowfat. What more could a person ask for? Oh, and the pan cleans up like a dream!

Longaberger Products:

• Large Tip and Mix Bowl
• Woven Traditions Fluted Cake Pan
• Woven Traditions Dinner Plate
  

Recipe

• 1 box Spice Cake Mix (if you can't find spice mix use yellow cake mix and add cinnamon, etc.)
• 3 eggs
• 1 can Apple Pie Filling (21 oz)
• 1/2 cup applesauce

In Large Tip and Mix Bowl, mix the dry cake mix, eggs, apple pie filling, and applesauce until moist. Grease pan (I use spray such as Pam.) Pour mixture into the microwave safe Woven Traditions Fluted Cake Pan. Place in microwave and bake on high for 12 minutes. Remove from microwave and cover Fluted Cake Pan with Woven Traditions Dinner Plate (this finishes the cooking process). Let cool slightly. Turn the cake over onto the Woven Traditions Dinner Plate and carefully remove Fluted Cake Pan. Delicious with whipped topping or ice cream.

Variations: (I have not tried these. Let me know if you do.)

• Chocolate cake mix with cherry pie filling
• Spice Cake mix with pumpkin pie filling

Warning: Take out about 1 and 1/2 cups of batter before baking or you will have a little cake volcano in the microwave. That happened the first time I baked the cake. So for my Open House in October I decided to be extra clever and bake a small cake in a Soup and Salad Bowl with the extra batter. That would have worked fine except I did not cut down the baking time enough and suddenly smelled smoke which was coming out of the microwave! The cake didn't LOOK that burnt because the burned part was mostly on the bottom. What a fiasco. I've scrubbed the microwave numerous times, boiled vinegar in it, baking soda, you name it and it still smells like smoke. My husband's remark was, "I'm glad I didn't do it!"

Bus Trip to Tailgate in Chicago! Wed Sept 2

My Open House was a success! Now I am busy planning this event.

Bus Trip to Tailgate in Chicago! Wed Sept 2
Meet Tami Longaberger and Bernie Kosar.
Tami and Bernie will be signing baskets!

• 
  12 noon Peoria Charter Coach from Crossroads United Methodist Church, 1420 N Main St. Washington IL 61571 Leave your car in the back of the lot.
  2:30 PM Arrive Oakbrook Mall Enjoy 2 hours on your own.
  4:30 PM Leave for Double Tree in Oakbrook
  5:30 PM to 8:30 PM Tailgate Party!
  8:30 PM Promptly leave for Washington
  ~11:00 PM Arrive in Washington
  
  Exclusive American Pride Basket ONLY at events with Tami! You can purchase!
  Cash and Carry! Lots of Team Spirit Baskets...and yes! Orange and Navy will be there!
  Displays
  Basketmaker will be weaving Door Prizes that will be given away throughout the evening!
  Food available for purchase
  
  Cost is $38 per person, payable ASAP to Paula Emons-Fuessle, 1845 Autumn Ridge, Washington IL 61571 Please give me your email address as there will be a pre-order option for the Cash and Carry, although feel free to add to your order when you get to Chicago.
  
  For questions contact Paula at (309) 444-7274

Open House!

I've been considering Basket Blogging for a long time now and finally decided to take the plunge. My Knitting Blog has been going now for over 2 years so this is a natural branching out. The Basket Blog is a place for me to share my days with Longaberger Baskets, Pottery, Wrought Iron, and our other wonderful products. I'm excited to share these ideas with you! I've been in business for over 25 years now and am so grateful that I am still passionate about what I do.

Today I'm getting ready for my Open House on Wednesday August 26th! You are invited! The time is 4 to 8 PM. I will leave most everything set up for another day or two in case you can't make it on that day. Just call me or email to set up a time to drop by.

The best deals right now are:

• Free Wrought Iron Black Cat ($30 value) with purchase of either Black Cat Bundle (with or without lid).
• $20 off NEW Fancy Pie Basket. Just $42 for this basket which is the very first to replicate J.W. Longaberger's Fancy Baskets with woven decorative trim. Just beautiful and just as practical!
• Last chance to purchase Horizon of Hope Baskets, Pink Pie Plate, Pink Measuring Cup


• Many retiring products--last chance on these also!
  
• Be a show Hostess and receive a FREE travel Mug in addition to all your other generous hostess benefits. Ask me for details!

and everyone's favorite: Paula's Attic Sale!

Many samples and online specials stashes just for you. You will find many bargains here! Plenty for everyone! If the stash gets low "there is more where that came from". Also feel free to buy samples off my tables (except for Preview Products).

And if all this isn't enough...check out the Factory Store Online today, August 25th, for this fantastic sale! Just go to my website www.longaberger.com/paula and then in the left sidebar under Factory Store!

Here's a great recipe for the Fluted Cake Pan

Microwave Apple Pie Cake

• Longaberger Products
• Large Tip and Mix Bowl
• Woven Traditions Fluted Cake Pan
• Woven Traditions Dinner Plate

1 box Yellow Cake Mix

3 eggs

1 can Apple Pie Filling

1/2 Cup applesauce

In Large Tip and Mix Bowl, mix the dry cake mix, eggs, applie pie filling and applesauce until moist. Pour the mixture into the microwave-safe Woven Traditions Fluted Cake Pan. Place in microwave and bake on high for 12 minutes. Remove from microwave and cover Fluted Cake Pan with WT Dinner Place (this finishes the cooking process). Turn the cake over onto the WT Dinner Plate and remove Fluted Cake Pan for a delicious dessert. Great with vanilla ice cream or whipped topping.

Variations:

• Chocolate cake mix with cherry pie filling
• Spice Cake mix with pumpkin pie filling